, 1903-10-15
PHILOSOPHICAL NOTES.
Reinoarnation Another Chance.

- 'hN ~ 80 F''
passing through that last great ply
steal struggle we call death, and
while we stood there it was almost
impossible not to wish that he could
have had another chance There
had been so much of failure
and misapplied effort, as well AS APP
parent choice of evil, that life seemed
not to have Yielded half its fruitage
of JOY, of success, and peace, the fit
full dream had closed all too soon for
the generous heart, too easily pulled
this way and that, to have sol 'ed
the great problem Of life's destiny,
He v e said it, himself-''If / had it
to do over again I'd do it different
ly."
Others, of us and the name is le-
gion, have heard men and women,
nearing their three score and ten, say
81 have made many mistakes, | wish
| had it all to do over again, knowing
what | now do There is an almost
universal longing TO do better than
we have in the short span of seventy
years to correct mistakes; to be kind
while it yet is in our power.
To such longings T~heosophy brings
the assurance that lives are lived
again, according to "a well ordered
1n-- -F a,N1,t.A, NJ, GOD ,,..l..
him the development of all the quail
ties which go to make up the perfect
man. This is the real work of the
long life of the Man in matter. This
Divine Spark is, through ages Of eX-
perience, to become equal with the
Father in perfection -'Perfect as
my Father in heaven is perfect"
During ii physical life, experiences
come to the nan suited to his stage
Of evolution. From these experience
rs lessons are learned ant qualities
are developed. From the pain that
follows foolish choice, he learns to
avoid what will be evil III him when
he knows better. From the Joy aud
pleasure that follows wise choice. he
learns to delight IN the good. If he
is beginning the lessons of life the
experiences will be elementary No
such keen suffering or Joy are exper-
fenced by the savage as by the man
of higher advancement. What would
cause such suffering to the civilized
man would perhaps only cause Il
sense of discomfort to the native Aus.
tralian. Rude shocks are at first
necessary to send vibrations to the
soul of the savage through his coarse
vehicle. As yet he is scarce more than
an animal. but already the evolution
towards divinity is On its way. Very
small. and naturally limited, are the
lessons gained in one life by the say.
age. But life after life they become
more complex and, as he gains in
wisdom, he learns to discern evil and
good.
When this stage is reached the
great struggle of the real man for the
mastery over his vehicles begins
Here also responsibility. After a few
years, all too brief for the most of us.
the body becomes useless. the sou
has learned all the lessons possible
with the worn out vehicle and physi,
cal death i~ntervenes. But it is only
a body which dies, a coat which is
outgrown; the nan still lives. The
man is alive. Our unfortunate early
training made Us to die with these
poor bodies of ours. 1t il better tC
think of death as our best friend and
that to die is easier and different
from what we have regarded it
When the body is cast aside, comes
the harvest time of the earth expert.
ence of the soul. All these are work.
ed up by the mar into faculty. The
pain that followed the evil becomes a
wisdom to avoid it, the JOY that fol.
lowed the evil becomes IA wisdom to
to delight in it. The fruition of -v-
cry good and unself-h deed will ac.
crue to the soul and when the "hnr-
vest is over, he, the man, is ready
for new lessons in life's school, per.
haps also to learn over, in another
way, some that he refused to learn
before, God never hurries and man
may 90 fast or slow as himself chooses
in this great text book of life.
81 do not want to come again"
says some tired soul who has tested
SO much of life experience that pail
ed upon him and turned to ashes al a
touch. But that was just the lesson
his real self needed at this stage to
know that physical earthly life was
undesirable, except that it gave OPP.
p~ortunity for evolution both for him.
self and that he miuht tia S,,n.r a.,