MR. Sinnett's book Esoteric Buddhism has done
a great deal towards bringing before the West the Eastern philosophy regarding
man and his constitution, but it has also served to perpetuate the use of
a word that is misleading and incorrect. In that work on p. 61 he states,
"Seven distinct principles are recognized by Esoteric Science as entering
into the constitution of man," and then gives his scheme of division
thus, The body, Vitality, Astral Body, Animal Soul, Human Soul, Spiritual
Soul, and seventh, Spirit or Atma. Now if Spirit be, as the whole philosophy
declares, in all and through all, it is erroneous to call it one of the
series. This very early led to the accusation that we believed in seven
distinct spirits in man. It always leads to misconception, and directly
tends to preventing our understanding fully that the Atma includes, and
is the substratum of, all the others. In India it caused a protracted and,
at times, heated discussion between the adherents of the rigid seven-fold
classification of Esoteric Buddhism and several learned and unlearned
Hindus who supported a four-fold or five-fold division. During that debate
the chief Hindu controverter, while holding to a different system, admitted
the existence of "a real esoteric seven-fold classification,"
which of course cannot be given to the public. Mr. Sinnett also evidently
made a mistake when he said that the first mentioned division is the esoteric
one. This change, or to some other than "principles," should be adopted by all theosophists, for every day there is more inquiry by new minds, and theosophists themselves, indeed, need to use their words with care when dealing with such subjects. Or if greater clearness is desired, let us say that there is one principle which acts through six vehicles. The scheme will then stand thus:
EUSEBIO URBAN |