THE PROBLEM OF LIFE.

Press, Volume LVII, Issue 17111, 5 April 1921, Page 8

THE PROBLEM OF LIFE.

TO THE EDITOR OF "THE PRESS." Sir, —Your correspondent, "Student of Theosophy," does well to draw my attention to a false inference in my recent letter, whereby a portion of what is known as theosophical teaching may be misconstrued. Unaided we can certainly never reach that ultimate perfection which is man's allotted goal. The mere existence in the world of a series of great religions, which have provided succeeding races with their moral text-books, is sufficient incontrovertible proof that the evolution of humanity is in the care of some Great Intelligences. Theosophy would be a vain study did it not realise this, as well as recognise the continued outpouring of spiritual force which is ever being disseminated from the higher spheres. It not only does so, but is most clear in describing, the means by which this wonderful help may be utilised, including the sacraments of the Church and the deliberate upliftmerit of the self by means of aspiration and meditation. But I hold that, despite this, there is a stase at which humanity may be said to unaided, inasmuch as the essential change in mental attitude which precedes the necessary condition of receptivity, is a preparatory step which each of us must take of his own unaided will. Until this is done we are dependent on ouf own resources. In other words, "God helps those who help themselves." Knowledge on every conceivable subject exists in the world, but it is only available to those who seek it. Nor can a teacher impart more to the pupil than the pupil is willing to assimilate. Similarly, the changed mind, whereby the windows of our consciousness are opened,- is the primary condition under which Divine help comes to us, and this it is which must be the product of our individual, unaided effort.— Yours, etc., EDWARD BRANSCOMBE. April 2nd.

TQ THE EDITOR. OF "THE PRESS." Sir, —This, .with your permission, must be my last letter. It may be due to my stupidity, but your other correspondents have not solved my perplexities. Beautiful theories which cannot be tested don't- appeal to me. If there is—as there must be—a definite life creative and controlling principle, I want proof of it—something not intangible and legendary, but which, as it were, one can lay a spiritual finger upon and say, "Yes, that is truth, and that is life." That life is neither in nor of matter, fs surely not to conclude that it is incomprehensible. In a question of such supreme importance we can hardly have been left to grope our own way through a sightless chaos I i am a student with no use for agnosticism, and when I look round upon Nature's ever-changing beauties I can Honestly "Turn to Heaven an unpresumptuoua

eye, • And, smiling, say, 'My Father made them all' " But with such a Father, such a life author and sustainer, I want to become better acquainted. I know I cannot localise Him, seeing He fills ajl space. But I feel that He must know me, because He is omniscient, and, could I but get into closer touch with His omnipotence, I feel sure I should see light. The apparent parental elusiveness is, I am convinced, my fault, not His. lam satisfied that some definite • principle overlies and underlies the Divine Fatherly control of human affairs. And it is my supreme desire to ascertain precisely what it is. That found the fife problem would surely be solved. But in the solutibn of essentially spiritual difficulties, the material faculties are hopeless blunderers. The perishable intellect cannot fathom spiritual truths. And only by recognising that the real man is spiritual, not material, can we hope for any advance in our understanding of our Divine Sonship, and of that true life which is God. . In Old Testament times, the knowledge of God was extremely crude. The future life was more or less a mystery, so that to this life only were rewards and punishments chiefly directed. Ihis mystery, I take it, was the special mission of Christ Jesus, and of Peter and Paul, to elucidate. And they succeeded, by establishing and emphasising the fact of an ideally perfect spiritual man, and by showing how false and inadequate were our conceptions of a material life,' subject to sin, sickness, and death. Paul explained that these last were but illusions of the carnal mind—enemies to be vanquishedj not cossettel with. Death was not a fnend to be weloomed, but an enemy to be overcome. And death would automatically disappear, once sickness, and sin were exorcised. Jesus and His immediate followers included sickness and sin in. but one category. And their successful healings were not supernatural miracles, but ocular demonstrations of the-truths they taught. Hence Divine" healings by apostolic methods are quite common, to-day. Fortunately, the success of practices is not always dependent upon a full knowledge of the theoretic principles on which they are based, and Ratana's wonderful work may perhaps be an illustration of this. Yet success would be greater, were primary principles understood. What we have Teally to prove is that man, as a. spiritual being, is a replic* of his Maker. And that, once accomplished, we dhall have discovered what light and truth, and life and love really are. I have not myself yet reached this stage. I am but an undergraduate in the Divine University still. But in the course of my tuition I welcome any help which may clarify and simplify my problems, and lead me into the way of peace. ' But I am very anxious to steer clear of anything which complicates them. And I feel sure that there is not only an "inner light," a "true light," capable of enlightening every -world-born, child, but also this "light within" is the Christ-truth,' the Divmc comforter, and it is He that, as an humble student, I want to lind. For having found Him, my difficulties will have been overcome,.—Yours, etc., , STUDENT.