, 1904-05-12
PHILOSOPHICAL NOTES.
Helpfulness.


for selfish purposes, to stand in the
forefront is moi so much the aim of
the student of Theosophy who sees a
little Of the great meaning that lies
back of evolution. Those who ''fol-
low after the things of the
world are doing their work in their
place in evolution and many Of those
who study Theosophy "A little are sin
cere in thinking that self aggrandize-
ment is the law Of their growth. No
one who enters the Society is bound
other than by the belief in the bro
therhood of man. On all other points
he is free DIS he wind. No man needs
to chang his religious belief in the
least while it is true that the study of
comparative religions somewhat
changes his ''ready-made.fo for. him"
.opiuions in religious matters. But
the true Theosophist from his very
idea Of the underlying unity in all
takes every contact with others as an
opportunity for being helpful. Every
human soul that comes in the way of
a Theosophist. whether it lie the child
in the home or the friend or the man
he meets in the street-however it
NAV be such contact is an oppor-
tunity for helpfulness. If it lisa child,
it is to train the ego to evolve. If it
is an adult, it is hat you may have n
helpful influence over his life. Every
contact with another is an opportunity
which must not be wasted. No per
son is insignificant when we remem
her that the same life of God binds
us all together, when VT understand
the underlying spiritual unity which
makes brothers of us all. To the or
binary man, and the selfish, any one
may b. rated insignificant il he fails
to make sufficient impression upon
his fellows. The Theosophical glasses,
which the stud mt dons when he
Judges himself or others, let II whole
lot of light in upon every mind that
Uses them. Through them men see
each other from two very opposite
standpoints. From II he has not
lost the original human rating of
others as to how thew will be useful
to the observer, how they can serve
him aud what harm or help they may
be capable of. From the other. the
higher ons,a man looks on others AS
divine fragments struggling on with
hi nself-some slowly AN ! painfully,
some rapidly, but all tending towards
the same goal.
Is it too much to ask that we shall
look ON all men IA brothers no mat
tei what their lives are7 Then Jesus
speaks i'll vain down through the cen
turies-''Thou shalt love thy neigh
Dor MS myself"
1t il not wise always to I've thrust
ing Theosophy down peoples throats.
But it is wise to live such a life that
men will wonder where the we'll
spring of joy and vide eyed serani,
ty" comes from. Be ready to give
help wherever YOU can. Remember
death has verify lost its sting" that
the burdens Of lie are its opportuui
ties; and that all men are your bro
theirs. l. not that enough7 Then
remember that your own future is one
whose glory and spleEdor have no
limit and surely you will be satisfied
No greater testimony can be given 10
any belief than to conform ones life
to it. Become calm and serene III the
face of every trouble, be always help
full and think not of yourself but of
others and men will want to know
how you do it. They will say: "What
is the faith, what the belief that
makes him take this line of action?
Surely it must be well worthy of look
ing into if it works such wonders for
him. BY the example of "A noble
life we may lead men into the same
wa VI - W Nv VIC oht
selves have attained. In the last few
weeks we have tried to show some
thing of what we gain from Theoso-
ply. I'VE have learned that this
grand law of evolution, which is an
expression of the Divine Win and
Life and Being, is yet something in
which We "A take a part, that there
is not one of us but can he "a channel
for its power not one of us but can
help in the great work that lies before
us. And so we learn to be ever on
the watch for opportunities to help;
ever ready to render it even in the
most unexpected directions and 10
the most unlikely people because we
realize that to help ON this magniti.
cent scheme of evolution is to he "a