THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

Dominion, Volume 6, Issue 1825, 11 August 1913, Page 11

THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

. At the Theosophic-al Society's rooms la't evening, Mr. J. 11. Thomson delivered tho final lecture of the series to an interested audience. His subject, "Tho Masters of Wisdom, Their Place in Ancient and Modern Life," was treated in a bread and toleraiit spirit. I'lio lecturer stated that tho foundation of each ono, of tho great religions which have moulded tho civilisations of the past and tho present wero founded by a great pei'sonage, a master of wisdom. Tho earno might bo said of modern religious impulses also. Around the founders of these; religions wore grouped a nymber of discv, es or apostles, through whom- tho teachcr's gospel was given to tho world at largo. Tho lecturer then traced, a few of tho great teachers of the past, outlining some of their fundamental teachings, nmi sta - ill" that each one of thercistriick a Bpecial now suited to the intellectual, moral, and spiritual development of tho pcoplos to whom tliey came. To ancient India a great teacher, known as Uycisa, founded tho religion known to-day us Hindustani, the koynoto of which is duty—duty, to plant, to animal, to man, and to God. To tho Hindoo, God manifested Himself iu every form, from grain of Band to blazing orb. Another teacher camo to found tlio religion upon which tho civilisation of ancient Egypt was based. The koynoto of it was Light. Modern chemistry was but a reflection of some of the teachings of Hermes, as ho taught it in tho ancient city of IChem._ Another teacher founded the old Persian, civilisation, tho keynote of which was purity, and its symbol, fire, henco the aun worship of thoir modern representatives, the Parsees. Still. another teacher, Orpheus, came to. found the civilisation whoso keynote was beauty and harmony. This was tho civilisation of ancicnt Greece. In Rome the note was law, order, and justice. At tho declino and fall of Rome another great teacher appeared, known to us as tho Christ. Ho it was who ushered in our great civilisation, whoso keynote is love and self-sacrifice. The student of comparative religion was not concerned so much with tho merits or demerits of the varied religions as to note tho fact— as the scientist slipuld—that each, played its part in tho Divine ccononiv. I'or.i.s of the West doubtless Christianity was the best and loftiest expression of the Divine wisdom, but we must, nrvor for:'ft the fact tlint Christ himself mentioned that He had "other sheep, not of this fold." To-day (the lecturer concluded) we stand in need of a new vivification of religion. We must realise more thnn over tho fact that mankind is living, at this moment, in the lap of a mighty intelligence—that we are over surrounded by uuseen powers—truo ministering angels— that we are batted in the currents of a universal life, in which all tho worlds are beld. To thoso whoso spiritual perceptions wore awake this life whispers hi the wind, it resounded in tho waves, its thrills might be felt in the song of birds, its glory in the beauty of each dawning day, or in the sunset at even. Its joy ■night be heard in the laughter of children, its power felt in the arbour of kings, its wisdom may bo glimpsed through tho lips of prophets, its love and compassion in the teachers who sometimes como to men.