A FREE INTRO TO THEOSOPHY
An
Outline of Theosophy
By
Charles
Webster Leadbeater
Man’s
Past And Future
When we have once grasped the fact that man has
reached his present position through a long and varied series of lives, a
question naturally arises in our minds as to how far we can obtain any
information about this earlier evolution, which would obviously be of absorbing
interest to us. Fortunately such information is available, not only by
tradition, but also in another and much
more certain way. I have so space here to dilate upon
the marvels of psychometry, but must simply say that there is abundant evidence
to show that
nothing can happen without indelibly recording itself
– that there exists a kind of memory of Nature from which can be recovered with
absolute accuracy a true, full, and perfect picture of any scene or event since
the world began.
Those to whom this subject is entirely new, and who
consequently seek for evidence, should consult Dr. Buchanan’s Psychometry or
Professor Denton’s Soul of Thins; but all occult students are familiar with the
possibility, and most of them with the
method, of reading these records of the past. In essence this memory of Nature
must be the Divine Memory, far away beyond human reach; but it is assuredly
reflected into the lower planes so that, as far as events on these lower planes
are concerned, it is recoverable by the trained intelligence of man.
All that passes before a mirror, for instance, is
reflected on its surface, and to our dim eyes it seems that the images make no
impression on that surface, but that each passes away and leaves no trace. Yet
that may not be so; it is not difficult to imagine that an impression may be
left, somewhat as the impression of every sound is left upon the sensitive
cylinder of a phonograph; and it may
be possible to recover the impression from the mirror
just as it is recoverable from the phonograph.
The higher psychometry shows us that this not only may
be so, but is so; and that not a mirror only, but any physical object, retains
the impression of all that has happened within its sight, as it were.
We have thus at our disposal a faultlessly accurate
method of arriving at the earlier history of our world and of mankind, and in
this way much that is of the most entrancing interest can be observed in every
detail, as though the scenes were being specially rehearsed for our benefit. (See Clairvoyance, p 88).
Investigations into the past conducted by these
methods show how a long process of gradual evolution, slow but never-ceasing.
They show the development of man under the action of two great laws – first the
law of evolution, which steadily presses him onward and upward, and secondly –
the law of divine justice, or cause and effect, which brings him inevitably the
result of his every action, and thus gradually teaches him to live
intelligently in harmony with the first law.
This long process of evolution has been carried out
not only on this earth, but on other globes connected with it; but the subject
is much to vast to be fully treated in an elementary book such as this. It
forms the principal theme of Madame Blavatsky’s monumental work, The Secret
Doctrine; but before commencing that students are advised to read the chapters
on this subject in Mrs. Besant’s Ancient Wisdom and Mr. Sinnett’s Growth of the
Soul.
The book just mentioned will afford the fullest
available information not only as to man’s past, but as to his future; and
thought he glory that awaits him is such as no tongue can tell, something at
least may be understood of the earlier
stages which lead to it. That man is divine even now,
and that he will presently unfold within himself the potentialities of
divinity, is an idea which appears to shock some good people, and to be
considered by them to savour of blasphemy.
Why it should not be so is not easy to see, for Jesus
himself reminds the Jews around Him of the saying in their Scriptures, “I said,
ye are Gods,” and the
doctrine of the deification of man was quite commonly
held by the Fathers of the Church. But in these later days much of the earlier
and purer doctrine has been forgotten and misunderstood; and the truth now
seems to be held in its fullness only by the student of occultism.
Sometimes men ask why, if man was at the first a spark
of the Divine, it should be necessary for him to go through all these æons of
evolution, involving so much sorrow and suffering, only in order to be still
Divine at the end of it all. But those who make this objection have not yet
comprehended the scheme.
That which came forth from the Divine was not yet man
– not yet even a spark, for there was no developed individualisation in it. It
was simply a great cloud of Divine essence, though capable of condensing
eventually into many sparks.
The difference between its condition when issuing
forth and when returning is exactly like that between a great mass of shining
nebulous matter, and the solar system which is eventually formed out of it. Its
condition when issuing forth and when returning is exactly like that between a great
mass of shining nebulous matter, and the solar system which is eventually
formed out it. The nebula is
beautiful, no doubt, but vague and useless; the suns
formed from it by slow evolution pour life and heat and light upon many worlds
and their inhabitants.
Or we may take another analogy. The human body is
composed of countless millions of tiny particles, and some of them are
constantly being thrown off from it.
Suppose that it were possible for each of these
particles to go through some kind of evolution by means of which it would in time become a human
being, we should not say that because it had been in a certain sense human
at the beginning of that evolution it
had, therefore , not gained anything when it reached its end. The essence comes
forth as a mere outpouring of force, even tough it be Divine force; it returns
in the form of thousands of millions of mighty adepts, each capable of himself
developing into a Logos.
Thus it will be seen that we are abundantly justified
in the statement that the future of man is a future to whose glory and splendour there is no limit.
And a most important point to remember is that this magnificent future
is for all without exception. He whom we call the good man – that is, the man
whose will moves with the Divine Will, whose actions are such as to help the
march of
evolution – makes rapid progress on the upward path;
while the man who unintelligently opposes himself to the great current by
striving to pursue
selfish aims instead of working for the good of the
whole, will be able to progress only very slowly and erratically.
But the Divine Will is infinitely stronger than any
human will, and the working of the great scheme is perfect. The man who does
not learn his lesson first time has simply to try over and over and over until
he does learn it; the Divine patience is infinite, and sooner or later every
human being attains the goal
appointed for him. There is no fear and no
uncertainty, but only perfect peace for those who know the Law and the Will.
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Concerns about
the fate of the wildlife as
Tekels Park is to
be Sold to a Developer
Concerns are
raised about the fate of the
wildlife as The Spiritual
Retreat,
Tekels Park in
Camberley, Surrey,
England is to be
sold to a developer.
Tekels Park is a
50 acre woodland park,
purchased
for the Adyar
Theosophical
In addition to
concern about the park,
many are worried about the
future
of the Tekels
Park Deer as they
Confusion as the
Theoversity moves out of
Tekels Park to Southampton,
Glastonbury &
Chorley in Lancashire while the
leadership claim
that the Theosophical Society will
carry on using
Tekels Park despite its sale to a developer
Anyone planning a
“Spiritual” stay at the
Tekels Park Guest
House should be aware of the sale.
Future of Tekels Park Badgers in Doubt
Party On! Tekels Park Theosophy NOT
Tekels Park & the Loch Ness Monster
A Satirical view
of the sale of Tekels Park
in Camberley,
Surrey to a developer
The Toff’s Guide to the Sale of Tekels Park
What the men in
top hats have to
say about the
sale of Tekels Park
____________________
Classic
Introductory Theosophy Text
A Text Book of
Theosophy By C W Leadbeater
What Theosophy Is
From the Absolute to Man
The Formation of a Solar System The Evolution of Life
The Constitution of Man After Death
Reincarnation
The Purpose of Life
The Planetary Chains
The Result of Theosophical Study
An Outstanding
Introduction to Theosophy
By a student of
Katherine Tingley
Elementary Theosophy Who is the Man? Body and Soul
Body, Soul and Spirit Reincarnation Karma
Preface to the American Edition Introduction
Occultism and its Adepts The Theosophical Society
First Occult Experiences Teachings of Occult Philosophy
Later Occult Phenomena Appendix
Preface
Theosophy and the Masters General Principles
The Earth Chain Body and Astral Body Kama – Desire
Manas Of Reincarnation Reincarnation Continued
Karma Kama Loka
Devachan
Cycles
Arguments Supporting Reincarnation
Differentiation Of Species Missing Links
Psychic Laws, Forces, and Phenomena
Psychic Phenomena and Spiritualism
Karma Fundamental Principles Laws: Natural and Man-Made The Law of Laws
The Eternal Now
Succession
Causation The Laws of Nature A Lesson of The Law
Karma Does Not Crush Apply This Law
Man in The Three Worlds Understand The Truth
Man and His Surroundings The Three Fates
The Pair of Triplets Thought, The Builder
Practical Meditation Will and Desire
The Mastery of Desire Two Other Points
The Third Thread Perfect Justice
Our Environment
Our Kith and Kin Our Nation
The Light for a Good Man Knowledge of Law The Opposing Schools
The More Modern View Self-Examination Out of the Past
Old Friendships
We Grow By Giving Collective Karma Family Karma
National Karma
India’s Karma
National Disasters
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