A THEOSOPHIST'S POINT OF VIEW BY JAMES ALBERT CLARK, PRESS OF THE PATHFINDER. THREE PLANKS IN THE PLATFORM-THREE POSTU- Theosophical Society founded at New York 1875-First plank, Nucleus of Universal Brotherhood; second, Study of ancient and modern religions, philosophies and sciences; third, Investigation of the unexplained laws of nature and psychic powers latent in man-All societies keep same plat- form-Differentiation caused by contending opinions as to government and administration-Such teachings unjustly charged as a wanton disturbance of faith-The proclamation issued by the "Theosophical Society in America" at Boston, April, 1895-The motto: "There is no Religion higher than Truth"-A member of the Society not necessarily a Theoso- phist per se. The Three Postulates in the Philosophy-Em- erson quoted as teaching in conformity thereto-Evolution in the East older than Lamarck and Darwin-The Book of Dyzan-The Perfectibility of Man the chief aim-Reincar- nation a necessity to "mount and meliorate"-The Law of Karma (cause and effect) compels rebirth-Man is a soul- Dr. Lyman Abbott quoted-Prof. Max Muller's Gifford Lec- tures-His definition of Theosophy-Vapid mysticism from IS THERE ATHEISM OR AGNOSTICISM IN THE FIRST Misconceptions of the work of Theosophy-Bigoted man"-Prof. Ladd's "Philosophy of Knowledge"-The "Great Breath"-The Vedic Rishis-The only God man can know is the divinity within-Paul at Athens-The "Unknown God" of the Athenians-Let all of Paul be quoted, not proof-texts -He studied for the ministry at the "desert school"-Why do not preachers explain that curriculum?—The Sufis, a school of Arabian esotericists, can teach Andover and Princeton something concerning Paul-Paul not correctly interpreted-He studied the basic principles of the esoteric lore, the same in all the old wisdom religions-The science of Psychology will bring clearer light on Paul's teachings. Pages 12 to 21. CHAPTER III. INDIVIDUALITY AND PERSONALITY. Proper study of Mankind is Man-New Psychology throwing light on the subject-Definition of Personality by Prof. Max Muller-Tracing to the original concepts and roots -Ego always on guard-The Perceiving Inner Self is the Higher Self,-the divinity within-Man, from Manas, a Sanscrit word, "to think"-The Thinker the IndividualityIt persists-The seven-fold division of Man in Eastern teaching-Four lower the Quaternary; three upper the TriadEmerson quoted-The school in which St. Paul studiedThe Oversoul-Prof. Brinton's "Religions of Primitive Peoples"-The Christos of the Greeks same as Mahatma of the Sanscrit-Atma, the Higher Self-Marcus Aurelius-The Hindu Upanishads-Prof. Ladd of Yale on the "Knower”— The Chairs of Psychology-Lyman Abbott on Destiny-Goethe on the "stubborn power of permanence in whatever has once possessed reality, or individuality"-Faraday on a "particle of oxygen"-Atma-Vidya (soul knowledge). Pages 21 to 34. CHAPTER IV. SOUL AND SPIRIT-THE DISTINCTION. Vague definition in dictionaries-Theosophical explanations clearer-"Soul a vehicle of Consciousness"-Prof. Clerk Maxwell on the "go" of a thing-Prof. Denton on the "Soul of Things"-Hermes Trismegistus of Egypt-Pope on SoulEmerson's Oversoul-Anaxagoras 500 B. C.-Heraclitus before him-Pythagoras 586 B. C.-The soul of a man is the "go" of a man-Atoms have souls, all have souls-The "go" implies a "goer" and a direction to go-Voltaire's attempt to define-Spinoza and Leibnitz-Matthew Arnold-Charles Johnston, M. R. A. S. of the Bengal Civil Service, Retired, Prize Sanscrit Scholar of India-Quotation from his “The Memory of Past Births"-Man formed from combined attributes-A scientist's agnosticism as to attributes-How did man obtain these attributes-The teaching of the sagesMajor Powell on "Motility and awareness"-Prince Guatama's teaching on the continuous "I am I"-Lord Kelvin's hypothesis on life coming to this planet on a meteoric stone -Prof. Newton in Smithsonian Report-Lord Kelvin's computation as to age of this earth-Nature's Finer Forces ⚫ elaborated in the Science of the Tattvas in Sanscrit-Hierarchies of Beings, all under law as we are-Prof. Huxley on the analogy in favor of superior beings-Darwin's reasoning-Elisha Gray's illustration of the sensitive plate in photography-Same reasoning by Theosophists during all ages-The sponge as a metaphor-Atma (spirit) the seventh principle-Paul's division,-body, soul, spirit— Whittier quoted-The bridge between man and divinity never broken. Pages 34 to 51. CHAPTER V. REINCARNATION. Is Reincarnation paralleled in nature?-Second Postulate of the philosophy sustains it—Whittier in accord-Astronomy confirms appearance and disappearance The spectra as proof-Prof. Huxley on the right to claim support from the great argument of analogy-Clerk Maxwell-Prof. Max Muller-Sir William Crookes-Camille FlammarionShopenhauer Upanishads Lessing-Hegel-Leibnitz-Herder-Fichte-Goethe-Parallel in the solar system and individuated globes-The air we breathe, breathed over again -J. B. Dumas quoted-Geology in support-Botanical Gazette, May 1895-Spore fruits retain individuality although soaked six years in alcohol-Wheat in pyramids of EgyptConservation of energy-Flux and Re-flux-The Sage of Koheleth-Emerson also in line-Henry Drummond quoting Huxley unconsciously confirms Theosophic teaching-Prof. E. B. Wilson, of Columbia College, New York, on "The Cell in Inheritance and Heredity"-Prof. H. W. Conn of the |