THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

Otago Witness, Issue 2815, 26 February 1908, Page 88

THEOSOPHICAL SOCIETY.

At a public meeting held in the rooms of the ThS&osophical Society, Liverpool street, on the 10th mat., Mr A. W. Maurais delivered an address on "The Spiritual Nature." The speaker said that physical m«n was a product of spirit — the moat complicated and precious outcome of millenniums of evolutionary labour directed by Divine -wisdom. As a structure it was well-nigh complete, and future work would be directed more to the elaboration and perfection of already-existent organs than to the creation of new ones. Many functions that once were carried out by the direct attention and interference of spiritual dwellers in animal bodies had now become automatic. Digestion, breathing, the circulation of the blood were oases in point. His relief from the necessity of constantly attending to the safety and welfare of his house of clay (of which the automatic capacities were always extending) would enable the ego to take in hand ■with greater freedom the primary busiMte of life. That business was -the cultivation of the 'spiritual nature— or rather the rubordinatios of -the material to the Divine. VSTien man showed forth through his robes of matter tho attributes of a god, the task of evolution was completed. His energies ; 'thenceforth, would be; employed in higher and »or» responsible^ wor£.V TKa Jecturer said ■Sal tho evolution ,bf the" divine qualities ronsist-cd not in clijtnge of occupation, but in alteration of the attitude towards o-er fcllwfrroon. Men had to learn to work withcui «eli-iat»r«st- for the benefit of all. That ms the keynote of the god-like nature. On© vt tho .cliiwacters in the £Maha . Charata " (quoted by the speaker), refused! to enter heaven because be- could' not take his faithful dog with him. After an altercation with the guardian of the g»t#, the Deity appears %nd lets man and dog in, stating that had tho applicant been contented to leave his dog behind he would have been refused admlitancs himself. There was a good attendance. Mr J. ST. F. Hamel occuuied tlie chpir. ' , -