THEOSOPHY, MODERN. Theosophy as interpreted by the Theosophical Society has been explained in a statement in The Times (May 30, 1913). It is the body of truths which forms the basis of all religions, and which cannot be claimed as the exclusive possession of any. It offers a philosophy which renders life intelligible, and which demonstrates the justice and love which guide its evolution. It puts death in its rightful place, as a re curring incident in an endless life, opening the gateway of a fuller and more radiant existence. It restores to the world the Science of the Spirit, teaching man to know the Spirit as himself, and the mind and body as his servants. It illuminates the Scriptures and doctrines of religions by unveiling their hidden meanings, and thus justifying them at the bar of intelligence, as they are ever justified in the eyes of intuition. Members of the Theosophical Society study these truths, and Theosophists endeavour to live them. Theosophy, as understood by Mrs. Annie Besant, is explained in an article in the Religious Systems of the World. It claims to be a great body of Secret Wisdom which is in the bands of a Brotherhood. The Brothers are also described as Adepts, Masters, or Mahatmas. They are " living men, evolved further than average humanity, who work ever for the service of their race with a perfect and selfless devotion, holding their high powers in trust for the common good, content to be without recognition, having power beyond all desires of the personal self." Theosophy postulates, to start with, the existence of an Eternal Principle. The Universe, visible and invisible, is built up of " spirit-matter." There are seven Kosmic planes of manifestation. The substance in all is the same, but each plane is denser than its predecessor. Each plane has its own characteristics. The first plane is that of pure Spirit. The second is that of Mind or loftiest spiritual intelligence. The fourth is that of animal passions and desires. The fifth is " that of the vivid animating life-principle, as absorbed in forms." The sixth is the astral plane, " in which matter is but slightly rarer than with ourselves." The seventh is the plane with which we are familiar, the plane of the objective universe. Mrs. Besant explains that " a plane may be defined as a state, marked off by clear characteristics; it must not be thought of as a place, as though the universe were made up of shells one within the other like the coats of an onion." A man may pass from one plane to another. And it is a mistake to think that the intangible is necessarily unreal. " All the mightiest forces are those which are invisible on this plane, visible though they be to senses subtler than our own." It is
possible to pass from plane to plane because man him self is the universe in miniature. He is built up of seven " principles," or in other words " is himself a differentiation of consciousness on seven planes." Each of these states of consciousness has a distinctive name. The Spirit in man is called Atma. Its vehicle is Buddhi, the Spiritual Soul. The Spiritual Intelligence is called This is the Ego, the immortal entity, in man. The Emotional and Passional. Nature is called Kama. The Animating Life-principle in man is called Prana. The Astral Body, formed of ethereal " astral " matter, is called Sthula Sarira. The individual and true man, imperishable and immortal, is made up of a trinity, Attila Buddhi-Manas. The other states characterize the transi tory and perishable person. " The consciousness of the normal man resides chiefly on the physical, astral, and kamic planes, with the lower portion of the Manasic. In flashes of genius, in loftiest aspirations, he is touched for a moment by the light from the higher Manasic regions, but this comes—only comes—to the few, and to these but in rare moments of sublime abstraction. Happy they who even thus catch a glimpse of the Divine Angoeides, the immortal Ego within them. To none born of women, save the Masters, is it at the present time given by the law of evolution to rise to the Atmic Buddhic planes in man; thither the race will climb mil lenniums hence, but at present it boots not to speak thereof " (Annie Besant). Theosophists attach supreme importance to the doctrine of Re-incarnation. In Theo sophy this does not mean that the Ego in man may become incarnate in lower animals, but that it may dwell successively in a number of personalities. The vast differences, mental and moral, between men is explained by this reincarnation of the Ego. By reincarnation men rise or fall as the result of good or bad action. There is an immutable law of cause and effect. This law is called Karma or "action." There must be " Re-incarna tion under Karmic law, until the fruit of every experience has been gathered, every blunder rectified, every fault eradicated; until compassion has been made perfect, strength unbreakable, tenderness complete, self-abnega tion the law of life, renunciation for others the natural and joyous impulse of the whole nature." Mrs. Besant explains in a beautiful passage that the doctrines of Re incarnation and Karma, that is to say, of One Universal Spirit common to all humanity, inevitably result in the Universal Brotherhood of Man.