The herald., 1896-01-06
TheosophicaI Society

| TheosophicaI Society
| At the meeting held last night by the
Theosophical society in Odd Fellows hall
A. E. Gibson, from Portland, Ore, lectured
upon the "Genesis of Evil" After having
shown the universally of the conceptions
of evil, as being an inherent element IN
every system of mythology and religious
thought of the world, the speaker said III
part
To illustrate the relation existing be-
| tween the soul and the body. we will COM
prehend the former under the symbol OF
| seed, laid down in our animal nature to
grow and expand. With growth we under
stand the result of assimilation and dis
similation, the process of absorbing sub
stances from favorable elements. Now the
seed when in touch with the soil finds
itself surrounded not only by every sub
stance necessary for its growth. but also by
every substance which may hurt or pro-
hibit its growth. and as it unfolds its integ-
uments and expands into plant, feeble
and delicate nerve shreadS push
out from its center. instinctively
testing every substance within its reach,
and selecting just that which is servceable
for its growth. But as it depends upon the
nature and character of the plant as to the
elements needed or not needed for its de-
veIopmeut, it follows that these elements
derive their qualities of being poisonous
or non-poisonous, growth producing or
growth prohibiting, from their particular
relations to the plant. Consequently,
what causes death to one plant may turn
in o life in another, according to the native
character and constitution of the plants,
and poisonous and non-poisonous SUBJ
stances are merely transitory terms, de-
pending for their classification upon the
nature of the organism they stand IN reia,
ton to. Poison per Sc does not eXlsL IN all
nature, but what is understood by that
term is simply misplaced nourishment,
capable of rendering health and life when
applied in conformity to its nature and
character.
The immediate purpose of life is growth
But all growth necessitates pain and SUI
fering. For pain is the register of growth,
the output and condition of an unfoldment.
Could we project our consciousness into
the seed of a plant and comprehend the
mystery of growth, we should wi ness sem
satons of absorbing pain attached TO the
bursting of its integ Irnents as it expands
and gives birth to the plant. Suffering
and pain are the true companions of all
birth-giving. The birth of an idea. of a
truth, no less the birth of plant, of an
animal or human being. are acts of life
giving that necessitates changes of being
resulting in mental or physical pain.
Every suffering denotes a past error,
which is identical with the conquest of
new experience. The child burning its hand
upon hot stove will feel suffering in conse-
quence, but at the same time it will profit
by the experience. For Insignificant as
such an event may appear, 1t Is yet freight
ed with the gravest importance as con-
veyinC first experience to the childs
storehouse of future knowledge by which
is laid the first stone to foundation where
the growing man may rear his edilice OF
life.
Now what we call evil is based upon our
sensations of pain and suffering. But the
latter, as being factors of progress, are of
universal necessity, the salt of the world,
as it were. to keep the souls from purify
ing. Suffering and pain are signs of
mental progress. Consequently the faster
we advance, the richer will be our harvest
of suffering az the speed of our progress
necessitates increased experience. with its
hardwon mental and moral conquests.
The earth upon which we find ourselves
born is terra incognito, an unknown
world, with its currents and undercurrents
of forces and energies. its streams OF inn
pulses and tendencies, with an invincible
sphinx visage guarding every avenue OF
advance, and to study and to solve these
problems has become our destiny. As we
proceed to grapple with the problems, suf-
fering and pain become at once our faith
full allies, warning and directing us at
every misstep, every deviation from the
right palh, from the path of truth and
virtue.
The lecture next Sunday evening will be
on the mysteries of Magic, the Secrets of
Alchemy and the Philosophers Stone," by
Abbott B. Clark.