The daily morning journal and courier. [volume] (New Haven, Conn.) 1894-1907, 1897-02-20

To the Editor of the Journal and Courier:
1t is customary to consider the con-
stitution of man as e-fold-body
soul and spirit This is we'll, so far as
it goes, but some difficulties are re-
moved when the Theosophical septen-
airy division is understood
Of all mans principles the physical
body seems the most tangible, but it is
not as permanent and solid as 1t APP
pears, The body is composed of mole
cules, the molecules of atoms, and
these atoms, according to the great
French astronomer Flammarion, are as
far from each other, in proportion to
their size, as are the worlds of the uni
verse. Man" he asserts, is a soul
clothed in air. Man has for his phys
ical body a little universe Of whirl-
ing atoms--atoms which are constantly
changing as well as moving, The time
in which the physical body is entirely
renewed has been placed at seven
years. Flammarion puts it at three
months. What then gives the form to
the body? How do these changing,
whirling atoms preserve its shape and
appearance?
Scientists talk about the field" in
which the atoms move, but go no fur
Their. Theosophy teaches us that there
is model, design on which the atoms
arrange themselves This is called the
astral body. 1t precedes the physical
form and no physical form exists with
out it. The organs of sense are situat-
ed in the astral body, the physical body
being but medium of contact with the
physical world Astral forms may exist
without physical manifestation. For
instance, a man who has lost a limb
often feels as if it were there. He is
conscious of the presence Of the astral
limb.
In discussing mans principles we
must not omit life. Life is energy,
universal and all-pervading. The as
trail body, physical body and the life
which informs every atom thereof are
brought together to clothe the soul dur
ing its presence on, earth. They form
more than a garment, they are an in
strument with which the soul works on
this plane of existence. At the change
called death, when the real man enters
upon the state of consciousness called
heaven, the lower principles separate
and the energy called life works on, in
other fields but 1t has not ceased to be.
Mans desires and passions are a
principle in themselves, They are not
produced by the physical body, but are
the cause of it. Desire is the basis of
action on the mover Of the will. :
Ocean of Theosophy) 1T Is a very
important principle. for man, while
many of his desires are of so material
a nature as to merit the name some
times applied, animal soul" is capa-
BILE under the inspiration of his high
err nature of the highest. purest de-
sires. Which shall prevail?
These principles, called the lower
auarternary, man shares In common
with the animals. There remains for
consideration the higher triad-spirit
spiritual discernment and the human
soul or thinking principle.
Mans spirit Is ray from the abso-
lutte being, hence man is essentially
divine. His spirit is the source of his
| consciousness. Separateness of spiri
| is ineonceivable and the recognition O
this makes the brotherhood Of mar
| more real. The feeling of separatenes'
| Is only external and transitory ant
should be absolutely crushed out. 1t il
| impossible, with the limitations OF con
seriousness under which we labor here
to fully conceive of this divine spirit
this father in heaven
1t is nearly as impossible to conceive
| of the spiritual soul. Pure intuition Il
of this nature. This spiritual soul i
the medium between the heavenly ia
Their and the manifestation of the ia
Their, the human soul.
The human soul or mind, NANTES
tation (not a physical one) of the Goo
above is a godlike plane of conscious
ness higher than the one on whicl
many of us live. Its voice is calle'
| conscience.
| We should never forget that we are
essentially, divine. We should strive t
raise the lower nature, to purify il
that it may become a perfect expression
of the higher nature, that the light ma,
| shine forth, not lie concealed. ITO liv
to benefit mankind is the first step"