THE THEOSOPHICAL CONVENTION.

Evening Post, Volume LIII, Issue 2, 4 January 1897, Page 2

THE THEOSOPHICAL CONVENTION.

♦ The first Convention of the New Zealand section of the Theosophical Society was held in the rooms of, the local branch, Willisstreet, on Saturday and Sunday. The chair was occupied by Mr. Short, and the main purpose of the gathering, which was the consideration and passing of an already drafted constitution, was accomplished by Sunday afternoon, the Council, Executive Committee, General Secretary, and Auditors for the year being also elected. THE PUBLIC MEETING. Last evening a public .meeting was held in the Exchange Hall, when addresses were delivered by delegates from Auckland, Christchurch, and Dunedin, and Miss L. Edger, M.A., General Secretary, gave an account of the progress of the movement in the colony. Mr. Short again presided. The Chairman, in his opening remarks, , said that the teachings of Theosophy had given him a fuller and wider understanding of the inner meaning of Christianity, stripping the' latter of mere externals, showing the persistence of immutable law in both physical and spiritual worlds, and offering to those who chose to lead the life proof of the existence of that spiritual world. He gave an account of the main teachings of Theosophy, from which it appeared' that man was considered as an emanation from* the Deity, to whom he returned after making a circuit of the universe in. search of experience. One life was but a day in the existence of the ego, whioh passed from life to life, reaping what he sowed, and progressing according to the strength and direction or his efforts, only becoming perfect after ages .of travail in the garb of flesh. Theosophy, he said, answered the quostion, <r Whence and what atn I ? " and logically settled questions and problems of the earthly life to which .orthodoxy had neither reply nor solution. Mrs. Draffin (Auckland) read a paper on " The Purpose of Theosophy," according to which the society professed no special religion, but endeavoured to demonstrate the fundamental unity of all faiths. Temples, priests, and Bibles did not make religion. They were the product of the religious instinct in man, which was the outcome of the innate divinity of his nature, and drew him towards the great causeless cause from which he emanated. The great ones who had become perfect in past ages became the guides of this and future universes, and reincarnated at particular periods to give teachings suitable .for .the (helping of the world. These teachings were hidden under symbol and allegdry. Khrishna, Buddha, and Jesus taught the same truths, and the myths, symbols, and miracles connected with each were identical. Man outgrew his religious creed, and religious forms which had seemed to possess the earth thousands, even millions, of years ago, had passed into oblivion, as would the ceremonials of to-day ; but God was the one reality, and would outlast all creeds and dogmas, the credentials of which were to be found only in the hearts and lives of those who professed them. The main object of the Theosophical Society was to provide a platform so broad that all shades of theological opinion might meet thereon, as well as those who had no theological ■ opinions. 4The only condition was that they loved their fellows and strove to help them. Miss Edger gave an interesting account of ] the rise and progress of Theosophy in the colony. The officers of the society were unpaid, all services being performed for' love of the caune they served. The current of materialistic thought had, she claimed, been very largely stemmed by the literature and lectures of theosophy.. The only condition of membership was brotherhood. Miss Edger concluded by describing the various misrepresentations to which the society had been exposed. Mrs. Richmond (Christchurch) read a paper on the law of " Karma," which contended that if a religion were true it should contain a solution of the social problems which surrounded us. The speaker claimed that Karma solved, with its twin doctrine of Reincarnation, all the social problems to which it was applied. Mr>A. W. Maurais (Dunedin) spoke on Reincarnation. , Mr. W. H. Draffin (Auckland) gave a short address on "Practical Theosophy," which simply consisted in doing good — whenever the opportunity presented itself. The society was not desirous so much of engaging in benevolent undertakings as a whole as of inciting its members to act in* dividually in that direction. Theosophists wererwilhng to co-operate with men of any creed in the carrying out of a good work. The drunkard should be treated' as a diseased brother, not preached at or punished. Children should be guarded from temptation until they became strong and wise, .and the speaker deprecated the " prize packet" system now so prevalent in our shops, as tending to imbue the infantile mind with a love of gambling. The great sin of the age, however, was the worship of the golden calf. For love of wealth men neglected their souls, being doubtful, indeed, as to whether they did not pass into nothingness at death. Here practical Tbeosophy would consist in showing men the unslibstantiality of earthly things by more cogent arguments and proofs than would be supplied by orthodoxy, and so endeavour to purify our civilisation. The cause of our dreadful social disparities was internal, being selfishness. All the great teachers had taught the same lesion, and the burden of their teaching was ever " Purify your heart." Let them all .endeavour to work unselfishly for the good of the race, indifference as to creed, caste, or colour. A few 4 appropriate remarks by the Chairman broueht the meeting to a close.