grew up with almost no educational advantages, being far more familiar with Indian war-whoops than with their civilized congener, the college "yell". It must not be supposed that because of this he has acquired no education. His thirst for knowledge was insatiable, and by tallow lamps or the flame of hickory bark he spent hours poring over books in the evening after the rest of the family had retired.

It is a legend of his childhood that he never learned to read, being found by accident to possess this ability when four years old. Indeed, all his mental acquirements have been more in the nature of reviewing old and familiar studies than in the pursuing of new. Thus almost entirely unaided, this self-education enabled him to become first a teacher, and later a County Superintendent of Schools, in a State which had by this time developed a school system second to none. That this education was thorough is shown

by the fact that when he came to California he, without preparation, passed an examination in the Public Schools of that State embracing 27 studies with an average percentage of 96+.

At the age of sixteen he became a substitute for his father in the 16th Kansas Cavalry [State troops] during the campaign necessitated by the invasion of the State by General Price.

Mentally, he was a pure-minded boy of religious inclinations, and became connected with the Presbyterian Church while still young. But he soon abandoned the Christian faith, becoming first a Universalist, then an Agnostic, then a semi-spiritualist, and lastly a Theosophist. While doubtfully floundering among spiritualistic phenomena, an editor friend sent him a review, published in the Sacramento Record-Union, of the Occult World by Sinnett. This led to the purchase of the work, followed by that of Isis Unveiled. The same friend, then an editorial writer upon the Morning Call of San Francisco, and now its Managing Editor, sent him the first copy of the Path, which brought him into correspondence with Wm. Q. Judge, through whose influence he entered the Society as a Member at Large in 1887.

Dr. Anderson stands, in integrity and professional capacity, among the foremost of San Francisco physicians. Entering primarily the Medical College of Ohio, he completed his studies and took his degree at the Medical Department of the University of Cal., having earned his own expenses throughout by teaching. He has written many medical brochures, the most noted of which was his work upon the "Nutrition of the Foetus", based upon original experiments and fairly marking an epoch in embryological physiology.

He was chosen President of the Alumni Association of the Medical Department of his University, and has been an active member of many regular Medical Associations. At a time, however, when all the honors of his profession lay apparently within his grasp, he deliberately put them aside-retaining only his Fellowship in the San Francisco Gynecological Society-and entered upon that Theosophic work which still employs his best efforts.

Besides medical essays, he has written many short novels and numerous poems. The latter are collected with a view to future publication. He founded the New Californian, and edited it during its first year. His last literary work is the publication of a book of over 200 pages upon Reïncarnation, which he approaches from the scientific and philosophic aspect his scientific training and natural trend of mind make appropriate.

THE EARTH-CHAIN OF GLOBES.

No. III.

HE Editor has handed me a communication from a reader

T upon this subject which I insert here, as it on the one hand

shows a very common defect of students-inaccuracy of reading, thought, and reference, and on the other will serve as a question which arises in other minds. It reads:

46

Please state in reference to the Earth Chain of Globes whether it is meant to be conveyed on page 159 of S. D. Vol. I that the 'seven globes from the Ist to the 7th proceed in seven Rounds", that each globe revolves seven times around the World Chain with its own particular development [say the Mineral Kingdom], before the next in order [say the Vegetable Kingdom] appears on Globe A? Or does the Mineral Kingdom only go once around the World Chain from 1 to 7? In Esoteric Buddhism, Page 91, it is stated that the several kingdoms pass “several times around the whole circle as minerals, and then again several times as vegetables", but there is no distinct statement of this in S. D.-Yours, IGNOTUS.

Inaccuracies like those in the foregoing are not uncommon. They are constant and all-pervading. It is probably the fault of modern education, accentuated by the reading of a vast amount of superficial literature such as is poured out day by day. Any close observer can detect the want of attention displayed in metaphysical studies in contrast with the particular care given to matters of business and practical affairs of life. All those who are studying Theosophy ought to make themselves aware of this national defect, and therefore give the strictest attention to what they read upon metaphysics and devote less attention to the amount of such reading than to thinking upon what is read.

In the first place, the Secret Doctrine does not say on the page quoted, nor any where else, what "Ignotus" writes. Instead of reading as quoted, the passage is:

I. Everything in the metaphysical as in the physical Universe is septenary [p. 158]. . . . The evolution of life proceeds on these seven globes or bodies from the first to the seventh in Seven Rounds or Seven Cycles [p. 159]. I insert in italics the omitted words, the word proceeds having been put out of its place by "Ignotus". The error makes a completely new scheme, one unphilosophical and certainly not given out by the Masters. But though some may wonder why I notice such a false assumption, it is right to take it up because it must have arisen through carelessness, yet of such a sort as might perpetuate an important error. It follows from the restoration of

the passage that the Globes do not "revolve around the world chain". The supposition of the correspondent is not peculiar among the many hurried ones made by superficial readers. He first assumed that the various globes of the Earth-Chain revolved, in some way which he did not stop to formulate, in seven rounds -I presume in some imaginary orbit of their own-in what he called the "world chain", and then he went on adapting the rest of the evolutionary theory to this primary assumption. By reading the Secret Doctrine and the former articles on this subject in the PATH, the point in question will be made clear. Evolution of the monad, which produces and underlies all other evolutions, proceeds on the seven planetary bodies of any chain of evolution. These seven places or spheres for such evolution represent different states of consciousness, and hence, as written in the Secret Doctrine and attempted to be shown in these articles, they may and do interpenetrate each other with beings on each. Therefore all such words as "round", "around", "chain", and the like must be examined metaphysically and not be allowed to give the mind a false notion such as is sure to arise if they are construed in the material way and from their materialistic derivation. "To go around" the seven globes does not mean that one passes necessarily from one place to another, but indicates a change from one condition to another, just as we might say that a man "went the whole round of sensations".

As to the other questions raised, Esoteric Buddhism is right in saying that the monads pass several times around the globes as minerals and vegetables, but wisely does not make the number and order very definite. In the Secret Doctrine one of the Masters writes that at the second round the order of the appearance of the human kingdom alters, but the letter goes no farther on that point except to say, as is very definitely put in the Secret Doctrine on p. 159, para. 4;

The Life Cycle . . . arrived on our Earth at the commencement of the fourth in the present series of life-cycles. Man is the first form that appears thereon, being preceded only by the mineral and vegetable kingdoms-even the latter having to develop and continue its further evolution through

man.

This states quite distinctly (a) that after the second round the order alters, and (b) that in the fourth round, instead of animals appearing as the first moving forms for the monads to inhabit, the human form comes first, preceded by mineral and vegetable, and followed by the brute-animal.

This change always comes on at any fourth round, or else we never could have evolutionary perfection. Other monads come.

In a new one such as

originally from other spheres of evolution. this the preliminary process and order of mineral, plant, animal, human must be followed. But having in two or three rounds perfected itself in the task, the monad brings out the human form at the turning point, so that man as the model, means, guide, and savior may be able to intelligently raise up not only humanity but as well every other kingdom below the human. This is all made very clear and positive by repeated statement and explanation in the Secret Doctrine, and it is a matter for surprise that so many Theosophists do not understand it.

For fear that the present may be misunderstood I will add. Although the order of appearance of the human form alters as stated, this does not mean that the whole number of natural kingdoms does not make the sevenfold pilgrimage. They all make it, and in every round up to and including the seventh there are present in the chain of globes elemental, mineral, vegetable, animal, and human forms constituting those kingdoms, but of course the minerals and vegetables of the seventh round and race will be a very different sort from those of the present.

But as what a Master has said hereon is far better than my weak words, I will refer to that. Thus:

Nature consciously prefers that matter should be indestructible under organic rather than inorganic forms, and works slowly but incessantly towards the realization of this object-the evolution of conscious life out of inert material.

WILLIAM BREHON.

TH

SPIRITUALISM. *

HE subject of spiritualism brings us face to face with the history of the Theosophical Society and the true progress of the human soul. When Mme. Blavatsky came to this country in obedience to the orders given her by those she called her Masters and who are known to us as the Mahatmas and Adepts, it was with spiritualism here that she began. It was seen by the Masters that the new wave of inquiry had begun in those ranks but had been deflected into the channel of materialism miscalled by the high name of "spiritualism", and it was sought at first to give the spiritualists a chance to do what they might and ought for the sake of the western races. But the opportunity was not

*Read before Aryan T. S., February 28. 1893.