THEOSOPHY.

Auckland Star, Volume XXX, Issue 161, 10 July 1899, Page 2

THEOSOPHY.

There was a Jarge attendance at Ponsonby Hall yesterday afternoon, to hear Mrs Draffin's last lecture entitled "The Mahatmasor Master of Divine Wisdom." Mr B. Kent presided, and in introducing the lecturer remarked that the subject of "The Masters" was one very dear to the heart of all Theosophists. Ho urged those present to give, all their attention to the lecture for he believed that if they did so they would carry away much food for thought during the coming week. Mrs Draflin commenced her lecture by dealing at some length with the evolution of the human ego or soul, until it arrived at a state of perfection so far as human experience on the earthplane was concerned. She laid special stress on the fact that the real man was not the mere physical body which perished at death, the ego returned to earth life again and again until the acquisition of all knowledge and experience produced a perfect soul —one filled with love and sympathy and the power and will to aid humanity. Such were those whom the Theosophists today called Masters of Wisdom, and such were the Christs of all nations. From time to time during the history of human evolution it became necesstry to send one of these perfected beings to live amongst men, teaching and helping them, and giving them a new spiritual impulse when the wave of materialism threatened to overwhelm them. Different teachers were sent out at different times, so we have Chrlshna going to the Hindoos, Buddha to India, Con.fu.oiye to China, and in later years coming to teach us of the west we have the Christ. The sacred writings of all nations refer to the "Mysteries" in their religion, and to those who are the keepers of these mysteries. When a Master came to work on the earth plane he selected one here and another there to train and develop, so that w^en according to law, it became necessary for him to retire, the work; wo.uld, be carried on by competent workers. We have this in the case of the Christ—who taught His disciples mysteries and truths which were kept from the multitude. He also taught them how to work so called miracles.

Mrs Draffin explained that these Masters understood better than w«i did natural laws, and with such expanded knowledge were able to do many things which appeared to those less informed miracles or supernatural phenomena-—'but these wonders were only the manifestation of a greater knowledge of nature than we possessed—just as many of our present commonplace scientific applir ances would appear miracles to un» cultured savages,. The miracles performed by all the founders of religious systems were superphysical but not supernatural. The leoturer concluded by explaining at length how the Mahatmas now taught their pupils, and stated that reliable and truthful men and women all over the world who had trained themselves, purified their lives so as to rise to a higher spiritual level testified to their personal know ledge of these great souls, They communicated in various ways, some' times using one with whom they could communincate, in, order to give out more truth to the. world. In this way was Helena Petrovna Blavatsky used, and although Mdme. Blavatsky was a woman, with all the failings and weakness of humanity, still she bad been the channel through whom a grand philosophy had come, which proved helpful to thousands all over the world, No authority was claimed for her—but as the vehicle through whom helpful teachings had come, she the lecturer, as one who had greatly benefitted by these teachings, felt she owed Madam Blavasky a gre&t debt, and she never gave any course of lectures without fully testifying such to be the ease—common gratitude alone demanded that love and reverence should be given freely to one who had

brought light and .truth l»to «hi «»t*ness A very large number of que*. tions were asked by the audience, wfco listened throughout with close Rtten.' tion At the close Mr Kent announced that next Sunday Urn Lilian Edgar, who had recently spent a long time m India, would lecture prior to leaving New Zealand ag«ift»