®Ij*0S0pIjual AND
JIt|istu Jttbliratinns. T H E T H E O S O P H I S T for May is headed by one of the Adyar Convention lectures delivered by our energetic in spector of Branches, Brother C. Kotavya, and is a very lucid and useful exposition of “ 1'he Identity of the Microcosm and Macrocosm” , and of the fundamental con cepts of the Advaitee philosophy, which derives its name (non-dual) from its assertion of this identity. Tr.e lecturer has handled his subject in a verv careful and clear manner, and succeeded in pre senting an exceedingly abstruse and diffi cult subject in a most interesting and understandable fashion. Assuredly A s trology in the East differs from that of the West if we are to judge by the papers of Rama Prasad, who expounds in the most interesting fashion the ancient science of India which deals with the “ finer forces ” of nature. In tracing the “ origin and development of our senses ”, he says that “ the sun is the maker and source of the senses ” , and shows how the Solar life evolves vehicles for the manifestation ofthe monad,and how thefuture evolution of humanity must lie in the development of finer senses and the consequent widen ing of the area of sensation. In the course of his essay he makes an important correc tion in the translation of a Sloka in Patanjali’s Yoga Sutra by Ballantyne and Govinda Deva Sastri, and laments the decadence of true Indian scholarship as follows: “ It is such translations that bring discredit upon ancient Hindu thought; for the conclusion must natur ally come to the mind of every un initiated reader that the original must be as absurd as the tianslation. Alas! to what low depths have we (alien that our Shastris, too, should give such an explana tion of their scriptures to the world, to say nothingofunsympathetic Orientalists.” F. A. Brodie-Innes follows with some useful hints on the training of children, entitled, “ Child Culture”. How happy and fortunate would be the little ones if parents would follow out such suggestions! The two members of the Kumbakonam T . S. continue their invaluable work, and first give us the “ Gharba Upanishad of Krishna-Yajur V ed a", treating of con ception, the embryo, &c. Every student of Occultism and esoteric science and
philosophy should read it. This is followed by the “ Thara-Sara Upanishad of the Sukla-Yajur Veda”, treating of the essence of Oni. The papers on “ Obeah ” are ended, and the identity between such practiccs and those of the mediaeval witches conclusively demonstrated. It is a pity, however, that more stress has not been laid on the vileness of Obeah, and that so much prodigality of detail has been indulged in. We next come to another “ Chat on the Pial ” between Mundanus and Mvsticus. Mundanus h;s become a member of the T.S., and has been trying different methods recommended by phenomena-hunting F.T.S.’s for attracting the attention of the Masters, and wishes the opinion of Mysticus, which runs as follows :— “ You cannot attract the atten tion of the Masters, unless you co-operate with them in their work — altruistic labour for the spiritual regeneration of Humanitv.” In fact, the whole paper of Brother R. Sreenivasaiyangar is marked with strong common-sense. The follow ing paper by Y. Srinivasa Row on “ Nadi Granthams ”, or treatises on the influence of the planets, will prove of great interest to astrologers. E. D. Fawcett in dealing with earthquakes and similar phenomena, manages to introduce a lot of dictionary and reference work in a paper that is not uninteresting. S. E. Gopaia Charlu con tinues his paper on the occult signification of the prayers of the Brahmins, and shows deep sense in apparent nonsense, from the European standpoint, and so concludes a very strong number of the Theosophist.
C.
T H E P A T H for May opens with a paper on “ The Basis of the Manifestation of Law ” by H. L. C. It deals mainly with consciousness, introducing the sub ject as follows :— “ Starting with Spinoza’s demonstration (viz., of one substance underlying all the myriad forms of exist ence), it would appear obvious that if each atom is, in fact, but a portion of the divine substance, projected into the state of limitation or objectivity by the act of creation in the sense of manifestation, then we would expect to find in the be haviour of an atom evidence of the possession of some portion or form of thfi essential attribute of divinity, which is