The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1895-03-03
MIR. WRIGHT'S LECTURE.
AN INTERESTING ADDRESS ON
THEOSOPHY LAST EVENING.
He Gives His Reasons For believing
in Pre-E4istence-Many Cues
tons Asked and Answered,

Claude Falls Wright delivered his sec
ond lecture on Philosophy" last night to
a crowded audience in the Unity hall. The
topic was .ReinCarnation. Mr.. Wright
treated the subject from the standpoint
of an argument, showing the various
reasons for believing in Dre-existence and
previous lives on earth.
In effect he said that the fact that re-
Incarnation had been held as belief by
all the advanced thinkers of antiquity
should be an argument in favor OF II.
It vas, he said, a teaching of early Chrls-
tianity, but had been lost or forgotten.
The. ancients had produced as great
in some ways. greater; Tor all we know
is but a modification of their theories.
Reincarnation was a universal belief in
the past and, outside Christian nations.
is at the present time
The philosophy, as outlined today in
modern theoSophy teaches that the SOUL
or self of each man has come from
Brahma or the spirit in nature; is in TACT
1t has to understand every phase Of
material, sentient life. before it can re-
gain its freedom. This is called its
triumph over. matter. The souls of the
present men have been born many times
previously as men and will be again
until they nave conquered the flesh Re-
hgions Of all nations have come into be.
ing merely through the teachings OF
those who we're to show men how to thus
advance. Every man takes his position
among other men as result of the power
he has achieved through the conquering
of himself.
All the souls on earth have been
here previously there are no new
| ones, born now. Consequently all The
people here have been In other countries
and civilizations and helped to form them
That the world apparently Increases in
population every now and then means
only that occasionally more souls or peo-
O
just as there is sometimes a spring tide.
That this should happen is explained by
the fact that between two lives there
is a long rest in what is called by
the Hindus-Devachan and by the Chris
tians, heaven. But ali souls do not stay
| there the same length of time. Conse-
quehuy occasionally the world will be
more crowded than at other times.
These successive lives of men are in
accordance with the well known law of
| cycles-day and night. sleeping and walk
lisht and darkness. and life and death.
| largely governed by what he has
done t IN past liTeS5Wh rsaT2
! This IS called by the Buddhists Karrna.
and is the explanation of the apparent
injustice OF one mans being born a king
and another pauperi one man rich ana
each has nerited his position by his ae-
tons in previous lives. To have. good
come to one now Is to have merited good
IN a previous Rfe
Similarly Intellectual and artistic quail
ties are explained Abrehan Lincoln
Shakespeare and joseph Hoffman. are
EXAMPLES of genfuses born in Low fanni-
lies, who only possessed their capabilities
! through previous struggles and merit.
4 Friends that are made in few minutes
are SO made because the persons have
! known and loved one another years ago,
( and are really but renewing their ac-
! quaintanceship-
Huxley has lately said much to Indicate
| the truth Of reincarration- His lecture