Reincarnation: A Study in Human EvolutionPascal, Théophile
Religion
Reincarnation: A Study in Human Evolution
Pascal, Théophile
Reincarnation; Theosophy
The French Section of the Theosophical Society was founded in 1900,
and Dr. Pascal was elected General Secretary. Throughout the next two
years a number of thoughtful articles and publications appeared from
his pen. The incessant labour and attention, however, which he
bestowed on the spreading of theosophic instruction began to have its
effect on a naturally delicate constitution, and in July, 1902, when
attending the meetings of the British Convention in London, he was
prostrated by an attack of congestion of the brain. The most devoted
care was lavished on him, both in London and in Paris, the result
being that a rapid, though only temporary, recovery took place. Had he
relaxed his efforts somewhat, the cure might have been a permanent
one, but Dr. Pascal, with the penetrating vision of the mystic, saw
how pressing were the needs of the age, and how few the pioneers of
this new presentation of the Truth, so that, at whatever cost of
personal sacrifice, he plunged once more into the midst of his arduous
toil.
In 1903 a series of very fine articles on the Laws of Destiny appeared
in the _Revue Theosophique_, to be followed immediately by publication
in volume form. Two years afterwards appeared the present
volume--REINCARNATION: A STUDY IN HUMAN EVOLUTION; a work considered
the most complete of any that have so far appeared in France on this
subject, and the most popular of Dr. Pascal's publications.
In 1906 some of the nerve centres controlling the organs of speech
became affected, but not sufficiently to compel him to remain absent
from the International Theosophical Congress held that year in Paris
under the presidency of Colonel Olcott. It was on this occasion that
Dr. Pascal received from the hands of the President-Founder the Subba
Rao medal, awarded to members of the society whose literary labours in
the promulgation of the truths of Theosophy have proved eminently
useful.
Twelve months afterwards he attended the Congress at Munich, under the
presidency of Mrs. Besant, but was obliged to leave before the
termination of the meetings. This may be regarded as Dr. Pascal's last
public appearance as an active theosophist, for his subsequent
prolonged stay in the South of France effected no radical improvement
in the state of his health.
Returning to Paris in March, 1908, and realising how impossible it was
for him to fulfil the duties incumbent on a General Secretary, he
decided to resign his post. His colleagues, however, insisted on his
continuing as Honorary General Secretary. From this time onward his
health became gradually worse, and his physical life terminated on the
18th of April, 1909, his body being cremated three days afterwards at
the Cemetery of Pere Lachaise.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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