The Washington herald. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1906-1939, 1914-08-30
NJ DR.. w. W. nAKER.


Il
point. we study for q while the question
| OF the continuity OF life and OF form
! For the details. ] must refer you to tn,
books treating the subject in full. bu
here we will briefly, and I hope clearly
sketch the subject. Il
I All evolution consists of an evolving
life, passing from form to form as i
evolves, and storing up in itself the ex'
periences gained through forms. Will
the acceptance OF the doctrine Of evolu
| ton, new ideas have sprung up and ole
| ideas expressed through WORKOUT creed
and dogmas are passing away and W.
see a general intellectual movement In
! line with the teachings OF the Ancient
| Wisdom: That the highest and mos
| complex organisms are developed from
| the lowest and slmplest-that the differ
| ence between life and non-llfe is only
| one OF degree, and not Of kind-that mat
! ter is not less comprehensive than mind
| After the recognition by theology Of
| physical evolution, that OF the evolution
| Of the soul cannot long be delayed. as
| one barrier to keep man from compre'
! bending the truth has been broken down.
The patient and careful observation Of
biologists has caused them to recognize
| what might be termed a mechanical ex'
PLANTATION of evolution-the action and
| reaction between the environment and
| the organism. The environment acts or
| the form OF the living creature, ana this
action transmitted through the envelop-
| ing form to the life within IL. arouses
| responsive vibrations which thrill out
wards from the life through the form
| throwing its particles. in turn, into vi
bration, rearranging them into q shape
! corresponding TO the initial impact But
our biologists do not explain why the
| 0rUn shn fk,,s 10 effr
and it is needed that Theosophy should
unveiI the secret and show the hidden
| handspring OF action in Nature.
Continuity of Life.
II We once grasp the fundamental idea
Of life responding to every vibration
reaching II from the external universe,
the next idea to lay hold OF is that OF the
continuity OF life and of form.
We all know that forms transmit their
peculiarities to forms that proceed from
them, being a part of their own sub
stance. and separated of to lead an
independent existence. This separation
is obtained by hssion. by budding by ex-
trusion Of germs, by development in the
maternal womb. In this way physical
continuity Is preserved. and you find the
form derived from the preceding one re-
producing the characteristics Of its ante
cedent. This transmission Of character
istics in the physical world you call the
law OF heredity. but remember II can
only apply TO the physical body into
which enter the materials provided by
the parents.
But this separated form contains a
life. not susceptible Of physical observa-
ton, without which the form could not
be. Now we have continuity in form, or
derby continuity. and il in form why not
in life? There must be a continuing sub
stratum in which mental and moral
qualities inhere. else would Nature show
erratic uncaused production. instead OF
method and order. There must he a con-
tinuity of life as well as Of form.
It is the continuing life. with ever more
and more of its latent energies rendered
active by the stimuli received through
successive forms, which resumes 10 itself
the experiences obtained by its sue
cessive encasinEs In form. When the
form perishes. the life has the record Of
those experiences in the increased ener-
Eies aroused by them and is ready 10
pour itself into new forms. carving with
II the accumulated store. While in the
previous form. II PLAYED through IL.
adapting Il to express each newly awak-
ened energy This continuing substra-
tum is the Ego-the thinker-the man
the receptacle Of all results, the store
house in which all experiences are gath
cred as increasingly active powers.
Must Grasp Principles.
To understand our subject it is neces-
sary that the two principles somewhat
outlined should he grasped: the con-
tinuity Of form and Of the life-the Ego
with potentialities becoming active pow
ers before one is able to satisfa ctorily
solve the perplexing problems Of rein
carnation.
As the lfe-the Ego-grows and eX
pands II requires and must have for its
further growth a form especially adapted
to its need, one within which II can hsr-
moniouSly vibrate and so the evolution
Of form goes hand in hand with the evo-
luton of man. There is inwrought into
the form-substance awakened energies
adapting II to the use Of the new life.
and each new form. the separated part.
the offspring. has poured into it awak-
ened powers molding II to the needs Of
higher life and action. Looking over the
field of humanity. as shown by the sew
eral races. We see man formed alike
physically in the main characteristics,
butt differing in types, and in shades Of
color. The lower, or what might he
termed. the elementary races, or dark
color inhabited by Egoes Of unevolved
inteIlect-and as the Ego contains poten-
TALLY powers that are evolving towards
activity II needs a higher class OF body
through which TO express Its powers,
hence improved physical vehicles are
necessary and are found in the partially
civilized and in the civilized races. The
Ego advances from the lower TO the
higher races as its powers evolve. and
every Ego. from the lowest to the high
est. acts as the pioneer in the develop
ment of the form side of existence.
In the study of Reincarnation we find
that the purifying and quickening of the
vehicles Of consciousness Is necessary
that they may be harmonious instru-
ments Of the human soul. These vehicles
necessary to the manifestation Of the
MANTLE Ego-are the media by which
the life vibrates outwards, the bridge
along which impulses from the Thinker.
may reach the dense physical body, and
along which all impacts from the outer
world may reach the Thinker. Parts OF
a connected whole through each NAV act
as a distinct vehicle, independent Of the
other. AS the nfe-periods pass. the Ego,
working on his vehicles of consciousness.
gradually dominates each and uses each
for his growth and development, instead
Of being used by them. In the physical
body the brain becomes finer In constitu-
ton, and more complicated in its con-
volutions and better adapted to respond
to thought vibrations. The nervous sys-
tenn becomes more delicately balanced
and sensitive. The functions OF the
physical as an instrument Of the soul Is |
and the personality disci- |
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