THEOSOPNICAL SOCIETY.

Dominion, Volume 2, Issue 396, 4 January 1909, Page 2

THEOSOPNICAL SOCIETY.

f \> t? pub H m , eetin g""-held; in the ; rpbmso}.':. the Iheqsophical Society;. .Manners, Street,: Ust evening, Mr.'A. W.Maurais'iahd.Miss H! ; .:: Home, delegates from. Dunedin. ".'■■ addresseel those present . . . : !'v ■;• /;' •;•.: =■.'... -.:■" ~,Speaking on "Theosophy:and'Public Opih< v ion, Maurais said that the Theosophical ; bociety: took no part: in political matters,', nor •in the controversies .between .different faith's.' its spread, however, would.' p'robablj deeply■'-, ''.•.". attect public: opinion on ', ina'ny ■ important - points. Its study would lead'menjo tie con- ■ ' : elusion that evolution r was a/.real thiijg.-in all : ' .aepartments of human'life',' mental; moral, .•"-•: and physical; thence to the-assurance that reincarnation .assured equal,; .'aD. met}. There was no iriiustiee.anywhere;when.'- ." the wholo.vast cosmic programme-was ' Ihese would effect a djange-in ' • p6htical .views. :if humanity .'jwas'as-a. great- ••■'.'. stream passing into the.unknpwni but gath-■■-■'-'•'■: enng experience on the journej-,: it followed- ■■ •■' that the foremost were the wiser, .-Men-were ; - not equal, in or - virtue,; thongk '-; - equal spiritually... To the older-brothers"mU3t" ;.. .be given the government of the world.- So-.:- '■"-"■ cialism was impossible until ■ meiiswere more ; ■'.mgjilyvevolved; .but great ,• reforms?:" would ■'- - ensue upiih the adoption of Theosophidal idea's.- ■ ■.'■.■ \yant would disappear, but the philosopher' :'■ would have a larger.share in.the;-.gpverameiit ; •:.than.,tlie'.labourer.- Eventually;.,the ..'labourer : '-.-,. •would became a philosopher, but\only after '■:/•'' many rebirths. In -education -mattersi, Ihep-:.' ■■■;-;-, sophy would see-that religion restored ;to; ''..'- ■ its rightful place as .theV most'.'?.important,,,-.'". thing in .life, .directing the course of. a mani -.-■, through the.hidden rocks and shoal? of the' earthly .life. .-. ,;■'■■■■■ : :..-' : .-r a , -'.r.—™-. ~.,.. . : -Miss" Hofne spoke on "The Two ■'Ways:'" "w All .evolution; she said, proceeded by cycles or" i ;. periods.of. growth, and all cycles';-.were.built }'■:: on'the same plan.. Each had its two. wings or;' .■; paths—the outgoing path, whereiii the evblv-V 7,; ing entity was getting further, andifurthei .■ 'v away. from..the Divine plane'of spirij;,- -which' l .. was his starting 'point, and becoming:-more;; : : ,?hd more.deeply immersed in. .matter for ■•.-.- the.sake of experience; and the patfc. of.in- '■.;'■ i going, or return, , on which the-.evolving .be l ... Y ■ ing, having learnt all he could from , iexperi- - '•-- ence. in matter, and was .withdrawing.. more'. ';.;■'■ more from the.material universe,icwas-V. -'■■■ ■_ 'finally returning to. the.poinfc from.which h'e.; ■ .:: started ,enriched by his experiences- in the - '••■'■ world.. In considering, the life' , "cycle - : ot~<a ;.- '■ human being,' we took,..not one "life,..but:■'"'... rather thatilorig life of the -.'.' in which one earthly -life was bUtJii'. day,":and :l_. what'we-called death but the: inferveniig;.' -. night. : In- that .long cycle they.' found .ytht , ." whole of humanity:naturally divided into two . "':?' great types—those' on the outgoing ...pith, ~..'": characterised by a disposition to; grasp, -aiic 1 . .. those on the path i -.' ■■ the' giVe. In aU'egos.that were '". " ' past \m hindmost- point .in'" thaii; 'evolution-.: 'and were on the : pa'th of return,;the.-'dispqsiv v " : tion'to give rather than to.'grasp^and,tp live 7 " t for: others; became imore and more fmaTked:.' : _;.. till the most highly-evolved df our race' hair \/ ■ •'- .over been ready to give' up their very-livei|' : 'W' the .good of humanity' and'to find, theiij; ; highest joy -therein. : ■ : '■" '- : -':ii. :s'7- -v'-'-'tv' ■ After several questions had;beenf put ;bj;'r'. •■ the ,audience and answered'by'the lecturers; r. , the chairman : (irr. Bardie Shairjriri.'cldsinp'''' ,1 . ; the meeting, said those amongst the jiudien'M . . t owhom the teachings of Theosophy" w.ere'.ne'w;,';''.; would gather from the two'.addresses .'. tUai\ :. . members: of '.the society 'were not in opposi« ':.', \ tion of the Churches, but would.sayi words ofthat great soui; : Madam' Blavatski, ,-.,_■ "We do not want you toieave , yourhihnrcV ...-. .or give-up. your- religion—but liye.ifc" ■ji . ,',