MRS. BESANT AND THEOSOPHY.

Dominion, Volume 1, Issue 261, 28 July 1908, Page 5

MRS. BESANT AND THEOSOPHY.

( Br Jenny Ween.) ■ : . Tho arrival of Mrs. ,Besant in Wellington, at the end. of the weslc is creating a considerable amount of •' interest among people 1 '/ of all sorts of religious opinions arid-beliefs. Probably: there are few women whoso'.names, havo becomo so well known in almost'every ■ land, and it. is-to, be hoped that-few women • have had to pass through such bitter stQrms of opprobrium and opposition as Mrs. Be3ant has. faced. in : ;her search for, what, she con-, sideretl the truth'. ■ '- ..Wherorer sho'lias spoken'in . Australia sho has: had crowded audiences,;'and. has -left behind the impression: of a most eloquent, lucid, : and interesting speaker,; with a very expressive, voice. Those who. have heard her ■ say .that when she,chooses she has great per- " siiasive] powers, . and can sway tho emotions at will, but usually she. does not choose. "If you have come, for thrills, for novelty," says one writer, ".you get neither, for Mrs. Bosant prefers to appeal to other faculties than' those of emotion." . Many people have a dim idea that a tlieo-. sophist is one who believes in Tc-mcarna-tion, aiid there they leave it, but to anyono : whose..interest • has led them to delvo a little more into the subject, a most-interest: ing field has been'opened up. Through the study ;of it . a wider •. knowledge has .been ■ gaino'd of-the history, literature, and philoso■■phy;'forinulated by a profound and: most " subtle-minded'-(Eastern people. •' - ■ Perhaps', the greatest thing that theosophists lay stress upon it the acknowledgment ' 'of universal brotherhood of- humanity, -without' distinction of . raco, creed, sex. caste, : or 'colour. When in 'Australia Mrs. . Besant gave 'more; than one -lecture on , the subject, and .that in a country -where - the bitterest.feelings' are entertained against ttio coloured'.races; - '•-• ". •• , Cause, and effect'.-a'ro dwelt upon again and again; and sho'teaches' that'never'byone iota do we escdp'a Wie penalty of our. actions, whether;gopd;,or.e'viL Not .only do our actions have effect .but even .our..'thoughts: , In' fact, theosophy aims at' a complete realisation and cbnt'rol of the powers of the mind.' •. . Whether we share' Mrs. Besant's beliefs or no,; admiration can hardly be withheld from a ,woman who has followed the truth as she . sees ; itj , fearlessly, without regard to what S.it might cost her, and who has . practised to. the, full what she has preaced for the con- : duct of life. • . :