FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   >>  
personified. This elevating and refining process to which I have referred is not a matter of sentiment or emotion, but a matter of fact, with a definite, scientific formula. In a previous chapter belief in the existence AND SEPARABILITY OF THE HUMAN SOUL HAS BEEN SHOWN to be virtually universal, and in some cases, even with people of very low development, the belief is held that the soul may be separated from the body and reunited again during life. This is, however, a _belief_, and proves nothing as to _fact_, _science_, and _law_, beyond the existence of the belief, with all the appurtenances, concomitants, and subjective experiences of individuals thereunto belonging. We thus arrive at the real _theorem_ as a cold psychological problem. Can the existence and separability of the soul of man, during his physical embodiment on earth, and its survival of the death of the physical body, be scientifically demonstrated as a _fact_? If so, then the principles involved, the methods employed and the whole _modus operandi_ must be capable of exact, scientific formulation, the same as any other theorem of science. Furthermore, granting that this is true, and that it can be done according to exact formulary, the value, the effect of such a demonstration upon the character and the normal faculties, capacities, and powers of the individual who undertakes and accomplishes such a demonstration, must be revealed and taken fully into account. Does it elevate or degrade him? Is it in line with normal evolution, and therefore, potentially the birthright, and finally, through spiritual evolution, the higher destiny of all men? Nor is this all. The effect of the existence of such Knowledge and of its teaching, upon communities, as a substitute for blind superstition, credulity, or belief, must also be taken into account. It may thus be seen how much even beyond the mere _fact_ of demonstration, is included in this transcendent problem; this question of all ages, "If a man die, shall he live again?" or, "Does the real man ever die at all?" Now it is a demonstrated fact, proven in every case of a genuine Master, and held inviolable in the "Greater Mysteries" of every age and time, that the ethical question above raised, as to the effect upon individuals and society, _comes first_, and is made a _test_ of the "first step" in the way of demonstration. This is the meaning of the oft repeated quotation, the candidate fo
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   118   119   120   121   122   123   124   125   126   127   128   129   130   131   132   133   134   135   136   137   138   139   140   141   >>  



Top keywords:
belief
 

demonstration

 

existence

 

effect

 

question

 
individuals
 
demonstrated
 

physical

 
evolution
 

science


problem

 

account

 
matter
 

normal

 
scientific
 

theorem

 
destiny
 
higher
 

individual

 

capacities


character

 

faculties

 

powers

 

finally

 

potentially

 

elevate

 

degrade

 

birthright

 

undertakes

 

accomplishes


revealed

 
spiritual
 

ethical

 

raised

 

society

 
Master
 

inviolable

 
Greater
 

Mysteries

 
repeated

quotation
 

candidate

 
meaning
 
genuine
 

credulity

 

superstition

 
teaching
 

communities

 
substitute
 

proven