Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1914-11-01
THEosoPHY ON HEREDITY.
Character Is the Heritage of Our
Own Past Lives.


We inherit our bodies from our parents.
but our characters are the heritage from
| our own past lives. No law of inheritance
could be more perfect in its comprehen-
sive logic. its justice and its opportuni-
ties. 1t is the ideal law before which all
men stand equal and free to act II
rules out all attempts to prove that We
have a just quarrel with conditions, a.
We are where We have placed ourselves.
This law of dual Inheritance operates
from the beginning of every human life
| in the practical expression of spirit ana
| matter 1t is the law of the mysteries
| by which the parents creation of a living
| temple invokes the presence of fitting
spirit to dwell therein.
| Much has been said about prenatal IN
iuence and Of the mothers power to
| make the coming child a musician, an
artist scholar, OR what not, at will.
Cnquestionably. it is a significant time,
and the mothers influence upon the child
| Is deep and lasting. But her prenatal
plans do not make the child's character.
| though her after-training may vitality
modify IL.
| The parents make an organic set Of
conditions. thus putting into tangible
| form their own thought and feelings,
their impulses. desires and tendencies To
this vericle of their making is attracted
the animating soul whose development
finds 1t a fitting instrument through which
10 work out the necessary experiences for
growth. The soul, consciously working
with the law. knows its own needs and
the kind of condition that will best help
to meet them.
The maternal ambition to make the
coming child an artist. musician or a
poet. indeed. may bring to her home
nature whose special genius is as dispro-
port!oned to his general development
as it Is to that of his associates. This lack
Of balance is unfavorable for the natural
growth of real character. 1t is part Of
the heredity Of habit from past lives to
do the things one can do with ease and
to avoid the weaknesses that show us at
a disadvantage. Nature, on the contrary,
always works toward a perfection Of
type She plans that everything in her
family shall be a model of its kind be-
fore 1t can mature into other forms. We
are told that the human type was made
upright after the image of a perfect
Maker But we have sought out many
inventions whereby to evade natural laws
and to escape from serious attempt to
approach the original model. Between
Inertia and aspiration meeting on COM
mon battle-ground the mind Is a local
point Of contest
The theosophical teaching of mans
duality and perfectihility has been so OBJ
scured that students OF character ana
heredity lost sight of the possibilities OF
symmetrical growth at all stages and or
final completeness. practical faith IN
high ideals is often reckoned as mere
sentimentalism. Human nature Is thought
to be at best. a bad mixture OF unknown
quantities, which education may Keep
from spelling utterly. The medical presA
at intervals, sums up the abnormal synp-
toms of famous characters as II to nnd
the diagnostic germ Of the disease OF
greatness. BY what logic the present
human average can be considered a. q
finished standard is by no means clear.
The insanity OF genius popoi1
scientific topic Many minds expect 70
And exceptional ability in some line asso-
cia ted with erratic. unsoctal and undlsct-
plined qualities. They regard these fauies
and weaknesses as rather 1ustfned by ths
associate genius. If not indeed necessary
70 average up or average down the char
acter to accepted standards OF incorn-
pletness. - ~.
The artistic temperament Is given NE
right of way, and concluded to be diflcult
and uncertain to I'VE WIN. DmaIc
and musical stars are sometimes unsteany
in their domestic and social orbits. In
.ome cases strained relations between
their ambitions and their ordinary dutles
are so customary that rehearsals OF theif
and divorces are current adver-
tisirg assets This view which makes
technical perfection outvalue moral cul-
i've could not prevail with a clear idea
of the natural symmetry of racial growth;
Surely the artistic temperament In It's 1uli
devaloprnent will present the balance OF
character whose dignity and harmonious
relations mark the personal HE no less
than the professional career.
The true ideal both for the parents and
the child is balance in character me
old Greeks did not fail while they lived
ont the maxim: Nothing too much
The prodigy is no special comfort "
himself or to his friends.