The World's Civil rations

Levin Daily Chronicle, 29 May 1917, Page 2

The World's Civil rations

ANCIENT AND MODERN

(Contributed)

Is the general level of human-

ity hi<>fier now that it was

during the past mighty civil-

isations of 'Greene and Rome?

According to Mr O. : W. Leadbeater, a iTheoeophic-al writer, in 'his book

"Australia and New Zealand—the Home of a new Sub-race," the world is very much older that it is generally understood to- be. 'T-f you want to understand the past -history of man and gain the key to the "present existing relations, between the nationsof the world to-day you must braco yourself up to face the existence of humanity for many millions nf Orthodox talk on such subjects allows man to. have lived" on earth only a few thousand years, but -they are gradually pushing back the date until now they are prepared to believe that high civilisation -existed! ■eight th|T(sand years before the date of Christ, and they are inclined to agree that something preceded even that. We, in Theosophy, believe that there has been a much longer period than they have ' yet ventured to- suggest. Aliion gh history seems to fail us *• that time geologists require era- which can only -be described as tremendous for their processes, and they now and again disconcert the rest of the sciCtafcisfcs roiMJhi- ."their,. data. saiy that there is an evolution of tTie bodies as well as of the souls—that-the bodies must grow better because the souls are advancing and they need class of body. Millions of years ago there were no- doubt a great many savages in the world; there are plenty yet, as we are now finding over in Europe, but .for all "that the world is evolving. 'We are in many Ways in advance oF the oldiex* though mighty ' SN\pt in every respect. In those old days they knew some things which have tir n been lost, which we have not yet J rediscovered. On the whole the gen-

eral level of humanity is higher now than it was in those olden days; higher than it was in the mighty civilisations of Greece and Rome ; the average level is higher. We all ~ot us belong to the fifth' sub-raeo of the great Ayran race: the fifth root race, and are emphasising the evolution of mentality*; hence tiie wonderful progress which modern science has made in the last liundred years; the tremendjous' developments which liave changed the world as a whole. S,ome people are -old enough to reincmboi & condition of affairs which made it in reality a. different world from that in which we live ! now. In the last hundred years the most marvellous scientific advances have ta'keu place. In the new race that is coming, the sixth sub-race of the Aryan we may expect wonderful mental development but along rather different lines, for it will be developed from the point of view, and by the aid of another ft*oi ultv—intuition. This new race will

have as mucli influence on the world as previous races have done, probably ifc may have even more.