Hell (a rici) is a low and depraved condition on earth. A life of intense selfishnes4 and wickedness with no spiritual thoughts or aspira tions causes the immortal soul to abandon the body before death. In such a case, it is not, however, the soul, hut the body with the lower principles which is lost. After the death of such a body the desires with a reflection of the mind may be reincarnated in human form almost immediately. Such a creature is entirely ma terial and animal, intensely selfish in its pro pensities, and doomed to final destruction. unless it makes a strong appeal to its divine soul, in which event the soul might again connect with it and try to help it on its upward path.
In man divine powers are latent, for he is essentially a soul, a divine being. Ile has within his personality the potential powers of a God. By purification and training of the body, the latent and divine powers will develop and be come active. In every period of evolution a number of souls reach perfection. They are men whom the bonds of personality no longer bind to the attractions of the senses. They have con sciously related themselves to the source of their being and have become one with the divine.
They watch over humanity and are its guardians. Although they have earned their freedom from re birth, they prefer to remain in contact with men on earth, to teach and to guide them. At certain periods some appear among men as great law-givers, rulers. teachers, and their agents found religions systems and schools of phi losophy.
Consult: Blavatsky, The gerret Doctrine (2 vols., London, 1898) : id., Isis Unveiled (2 vols., New York, 1S77) : id., Kett to Theosophy (Lon don, 1891) : id., Voice of the Silence (ib.. 1891) : Judge, Echoes front the Orient (New York, 1890) : id.. The Ocean. of Theosophy (1893) ; Sin nett, Esoteric Thoidhism (Boston, 1884) ; id., The Occult Work/ (ib., 1S85) ; id., Growth of the soul (London, 1890): Besant, Theosophical Manuals (ib., 1893) ; id., The Ancient Wisdom (ib., 1899) : id., Esoteric Christianity (New York, 1901) Anderson, (San Francisco, 1896) : id., Sep/en/wry Man (lb..
1895) Walker, Bei nett rna t ion (New York, 18S8) : Hartmann. Magic Black and White (ib., 1890) ; id., Paracelsus (ib., 1891) ; Collins, Light on the Path (ib., 1897): id., Idyl of the White Lotus id., Through the Gates of Gold (Boston, 1887).