The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1896-12-28

At the Sunday evening meeting of
the Salt Lake branch of the Theo-
sophical society Mr.. A. V. Taylor pre-
sented a paper upon the Theosophical
idea of immortality which was in part
as follows:
Theosophy is a philosophy founded
upon a study of human nature itself,
and to the question, rs man immor-
tal?" it answers, In part, but in part
only. For, think how many of the ac-
lions you have performed today are
worth perpetuation; which of the facul-
ties which from their intrinsic charac-
ter must continue to exist somewhere
in the universe forever as indiSputably
and necessarily as justice, righteous
ness, compassion, must continue While
the universe holds together? You see
the line of investigation suggested.
Mans immortality must depend upon
the quality of his nature. Following
this line of thought, we find that the
deeds of the day and the impulses from
which they spring divide themselves
into three general classes. First, there
are the simply animal functions and
emotions springing from the animal
nature in man, such as hunger, anger.
thoughts that fill up the greater part
of the day. that part of ourselves
which we put into the business routine,
the habits and efforts which become
almost mechanical, and which, though
they constitute large part OF our
lives, yet require very little output OF
the real self TheS there is a third
group which perhaps has few exam
pies in one single day-a group which
embraces the actions into which We put
ourselves utterly and the inner
thoughts that we are conscious of as
being the reality behind our outward
seeming show of activity. A poet, a
musician a lover, a philanthropist any
one who is open to the appeals of what
we call the higher nature, will under
stand.
WORTHY OF IMMORTALITY.
Which of these three groups is
worthy of immortality? Look back for
ten years of your life and think which
of them has attained Immortality by
being a part of yourself today? How
much do you possess at this moment
of the life you have been living for
these ten years? The result only.
What makes the difference between the
man you are today and the man you
were ten years ago? The kind of life
you have lived in the meantime. That
is, the essence of your daily acts has
won Immortality by becoming part of
your character.
But again the threefold division ap-
pears. The animal desires, sometimes
innocent, sometimes violent, which die
tate many of our actions, have rough
hewn this character; the lower intel
lectual processes which govern most
of our actions have shaped it further;
and thirdly, the higher perceptions, act
ing less frequently but with power
that we instinctively recognize as the
greatest force in our nature, have
given it its distinctive qualities. This
last set of faculties is manifested in
most of us in the power to appreciate
actions Springing from such source
rather than to perform them ourselves;
perhaps we may say that the actual
activity of such faculties would be
evidenced in such mental grasp as that
which enables Edison TO read the Sc
crets- of nature, and Shakespeare to
read the secrets of the human heart.
Complete this grand mentality with the
spiritual perception that marks an
Emerson, a Pascal, or Newman, and
you have what Theosophists recognize
as the real man, the higher ego. This
threefold division of mans faculties
will enable us to discover where The
osophy differs in its theory of immor-
taiity from other systems of thought,
in asserting, as it does, that man
faculties are Invisible, part immortal
and part not. 1t claims that the ego
is and form its nature must be immortal.
Truth, wisdom, purity cannot die. The
being that is permeated by these quail
tiles must survive. Its place is with
the things that are eternal What is
excellent, as God lives, is permanent"
says Emerson, recognizing that the
two qualities must necessarily go to-
gether. And Theosophy asserts further
that those lower faculties which we
have called desires, and which embrace
the passions springing from the circum
stance that man is based on an animal
body, are impermanent, transient, and
have no share in the Immortality of
the ego. 1t claims finally, that just so
much of the personality will share in
the immortality of the ego as has as
simulated itself to the ego, and so
much will perish as has let itself sink
to the lower level and come to partake
of the lower characteristics.
THE BATTLEFIELD
Here is the battlefield, here it is
that day by day and year by year we
are forming ourselves and shaping our
fortunes Here is where our free will
works. enabling. us to answer the calls
of our higher nature or the calls of
H
the poets verse, IT'S heaven alone that
is given away" we may set the saying
of that apostle who was also an ini-
tiate in the teachings of the wisdom
THE kingdom of heaven must
be taken by violence" Immortality is
not a gift but n prize. and man
wins just as much Immortality, and
just the sort of Immortality he wants
and works for. In trees it is seen /
that the growth is only in that double
line of cells which lie between the
wood and the bark. So in man, the
field of active growth is in the person
ality. This is moulded by the thoughts
and acts of daily life, and if man !
chooses to degrade his daily life to it's |
lower level, the personality Will share
in the mortality of the faculties that I
belong on that level, the desire or
kamic faculties. If he chooses to shift |
the effort of his daily life to the higher /
levels he will win for his personality |
a share in the immortality that be- |
longs to all that dwells on that higher |
level.
And right here comes the explanation |
of the answer that theosophy gives |
to the three common systems of |
thought which consider the question |
of mans immortality-mate |
spiritualism and Christianity. The ma
combining his observations to |
the province which can be explored by |
the physical senses, says that he sees |
nothing to warrant the belief in any |
survival, after death has tossed the |
bonds of the body. Theosophy answers, |
Right, if you are speaking from the |
of the desire" principle.