The Pacific commercial advertiser. [volume] (Honolulu, Hawaiian Islands) 1885-1921, 1905-01-30

therefore left bodiless. but finds him
self inhabiting another vehicle of finer
matter-that which 1 spoke of last
night as the astral body. This body
is the vehicle of desires and passions
and motives, and the length of the
mans life in this stage depends upon
the amount of such feelings still exist
ing within his nature. If these desires
are gross and physical, as (for exam
ple) is that of the drunkard or the
sensualist. then-since he has lost the
physical body through which alone
they could be s. -Isfied-his continued
desire will be a torment to him until
in process of time it gradually wears
itself out. This is what is typified by
the old Greek myth of Tantalus, and
by the Catholic idea of purgatory.
which indeed agrees very closely with
the facts of the astral life. But if the
man has conquered during earth-life
all this lower side of his nature. and
the only desires left within him at
death are high and pure and good, then
their satisfaction will bring him peace
and happiness instead of suffering, and
/ he will soon pass on from this astral
realm to another still less material
This second stage of the post norton
life is what has been symbolized in all
religions under the name of heaven.
Heaven is no mere dream, but living
and glorious reality; yet it differs much
from the popular conception of it. For
in this case also each man has made it
for himself, and therefore it is perfect
ly adapted to him. 1t is simply the re-
suit of the working of the higher part
OF his nature-his noblest aspirations,
his affection and devotion, all within
him that was grandest and most ex-
cellent 1t is not place to which he
goes but condition OF utter delight.
in which sorrow and pain are impos-
sible. We have theosophicaI books de-
voted to the description of this state.
as we'll as the astral plane, and they
are written by those to whom these
conditions of consciousness are as
familiar as the streets of your town
are to you. To these books I must
refer you for further particulars, and
also to the local branch of the Theoso-
phical society, whose members will,
am sure, be ready and willing to give
you information or guide your studies
in these matters.
Meantime, I would adjure you to
avoid the evil results which come from
ali these popular misunderstanding
about death. Among these the dread
of it so often felt by many is promi-
nent. and again. the mourning with
which we usually surround it. Such
mourning is entirely selfish for it ig-
nores the fact that the dead man has
passed into a higher and more beauti-
full life. and very often our uncon-
trolled grief does positive harm to
those whom we love causing in them
the same depression which we feel
ourselves. Not that the Theosophical
teaching counsels US to forget our
dead-far from it; we can not remem-
Der them too often or too strongly, but
il must not be with selfish grief and
despair, but with loving and helpful
thought. which will assist them on
their upward way. For we may be
very sure that our thought can reach
them and be felt by them. and so
should be careful that it is the right
sort of thought.
We usually give far too much i'm
pOrtance to death. but the teaching of
Theosophy enables US to view it in it's
true proportions simply as a passage
from one stage of life to another stage
The old classical saying, mors janua
vitae, death is the gate of life" is