THEOSOPHY

Evening Star, Issue 17923, 20 March 1922, Page 3

THEOSOPHY

Mr H. Banks, national lecturer for the Dominion, spoke fr,om the Theosophical Society's platform yesterday, taking for his subject 'Why Do We Suffer?' This, said the speaker, was a question that engaged most minds, and he claimed that Theosophy gave an adequate answer. Man lived in three worlds, tho physical, emotional, and mental. At an early stage ho was, as it. were, imprisoned within physical matter. He was a blind spirit groping. He indulged to excess, and this resulted in pain. Tie thus learned self-con-trol. He had the power to choose between good and evil. Sin was an unwise choice, and was the result of ignorance. Tho pain caused by wrong-doing developed memory, comparison, and sequence. In this way man attained discrimination and understanding. Pain ever led to permanent pain in virtues unfolded. Tho speaker then touched on selfishness and unselfishness. Selfishness was a means to an end, but resulted in pain, and was one of the causes of sorrow. We must learn to give and rot to take. Happiness could be found by looking within and not seeking external possessions. The source of true happiness was reached in meditation, it was also found by x delving into the eternal treasures of wisdom, art, music, and literature. The speaker painted a beautiful picture of the final goal of man, when, having cast off the burden of sin, ho had climbed the heights of human attainment, and stood as a perfect embodiment of power and love. He closed with the inspiring thought: "All will achieve that destiny one day."