Evolution of Life and Form: Four lectures delivered at the twenty-third anniversary meeting of the Theosophical Society at Adyar, Madras, 1898Besant, Annie
Religion
Evolution of Life and Form: Four lectures delivered at the twenty-third anniversary meeting of the Theosophical Society at Adyar, Madras, 1898
Besant, Annie
Evolution; Life -- Origin; Theosophy
Looking thus, then, on the problem of the life that exists in the atom,
we find that in order to understand it, we must develop the pure
intellect in man; but to understand the life that clothes itself in
organic forms, to unravel the secrets which will explain to us why one
is formed thus and another thus, the next great aspect of the Self must
be developed within us--that of the all-pervading life of Vishnu, that
sustains the world as the mighty supporter of everything, the basis, the
foundation of the whole. There alone is unifying energy and there the
root from which all divisions have arisen; only as we realise this
aspect of unifying energy in the Self will the secrets of organised
forms in nature unravel themselves before our eyes. This work is that of
the Sixth Root-race, and those who would ante-date their evolution must
develop Sixth-race powers in themselves by Yoga. Remains one mightier
problem, subtlest and most difficult of all, that of the life of the
human spirit, of man evolving into God. The mysteries of that life may
only be understood when the human Self, which comes forth from the
Father of all--from the mighty One who is sometimes the Destroyer,
sometimes the Creator, but always the Regenerator, the name that
includes them both, Mahâdeva, the mighty God who is Sat, Existence--has
developed the aspect of Sat, of pure Existence, thus becoming the triple
Unity, a Logos, an Íshvara. That is the work of the Seventh Root-race,
and when that is accomplished, then only will the final problems of the
human spirit lie open before our gaze.
The scientific man of antiquity, then, began by that self-attention,
unfolding in himself one by one all those potentialities under a
suitable Guru, passing from step to step till he reached the highest,
and ever worshipping the Mahâguru, the Guru of the universe. Having
unfolded his highest powers, he began to study life, life in its
outpouring, not life in its manifold and veiled manifestations in the
lower worlds. Hence the lofty point at which he started, no less than
the arising of Íshvara enveloped in Mâyâ.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
Reviews
Reviews
No reviews yet
Be the first to share your thoughts on this work.
Join the Discussion
Join the discussion
Sign in to leave a comment or review.
Sign InorCreate an account