clearly conceiving ideas in themselves, rather than their aspects presented by idiom, or by the varying expression of different languages and thinkers. This of course involves the practice of concentration and the development and control of imagination, the creative faculty on the mental plane.

ALBERT E.S. SMYTHE.

GE

FACES OF FRIENDS.

EORGE EDWARD WRIGHT is an American and is now President of the Chicago T.S and the Central States Committee for T.S. work. He was born at Perrysburgh, Ohio, April 13th, 1851. His father, who was prominent in educational circles and author of several school-books, died in 1853, leaving a widow with four young children to support by her own exertions. This she did by teaching, and gave them a good education. George took a classical course at Beloit College and Cornell University. Upon leaving college he took up journalism as a profession, and in 1871 went to Chicago where he served as a reporter on several of the city papers, receiving promotion and recognition finally upon the Chicago Tribune. He represented this important daily at Philadelphia throughout the Centennial Exhibition in 1876, and the following year went to Europe as war correspondent, representing the Chicago Tribune, the New York Times, and the Cincinnati Commercial during the Russo-Turkish war. Returning, he served upon the editorial staff of the Tribune. In 1879 he married, and becoming dissatisfied with newspaper work retired from journalism permanently. In 1882 he founded the Chicago Stock Exchange, and was elected its first Secretary. This institution, keeping pace with Chicago's remarkable growth, has become immensely successful, and he has remained an active member ever since.

In 1886 the tragic death of a brother with unusual phenomena attending it drew his attention towards Occultism, and he began reading in that line, accumulating in this way one of the largest and most valuable occult libraries in the country. Taking up the study of chiromancy, physiognomy, astrology, and kindred sciences, he soon drifted into Theosophical literature, and there found the first really satisfactory solutions to the problems of life. He immediately joined the Theosophical Society, and has been unswervingly devoted to its welfare from that day. During the months of 1889-90, when the newspapers, especially of Chi

cago, were filled with abuse of Madame Blavatsky, Brother Wright kept conspicuously posted upon his desk in his public office the following notice:

H. P. BLAVATSKY!

Let the journalistic sots continue to slander, and all the little hounds and reptiles to assail! The time will come when her name will be vindicated and her philosophy appreciated.

Strong words these, but the provocation was great. And how soon has the prophecy been verified!

In 1892 Brother Wright undertook with the General Secretary to secure a place for the T. S. in the World's Parliament of Religions, with what success our readers are aware. He was appointed Chairman of the Committee of Organization, and worked faithfully until our Congress was finished and successful. ous Conventions he has labored hard with the rest. distant members might like to see the face of the the local Committee of our Congress, and this is it.

At our variWe thought Chairman of

THE FUNDAMENTAL BELIEFS OF BRAHMANISM IN CHRISTIANITY.

M°

OKSHA Shastra, or the Science of Emancipation or Salvation, is divided into three kinds; namely, Karma Yoga, Gnana Yoga, and Bhakti Yoga. This three-fold division is found in the Buddhistic writings. It is not unknown to the New Testament writers. We read in I. Corinthians, chapter xii, 8: "To some is given by the Spirit the word of wisdom; to another the word of knowledge by the same Spirit; to another faith by the same. Spirit".

2. To all of these systems the observance of the moral and ceremonial laws is necessary. The Ten Laws are called by the Brahmins the Dasa Dharma; they are called by the Buddhists the Dasa Sila; by the Christians they are called the Ten Commandments.

3. According to the Brahmins the cause of Sainsara or the misery of rebirth is Avidya or Ignorance. The Buddhists believe in the same doctrine. In Christianity we find a similar notion. We read in Ephesians, "We are alienated from God through ignorance and vanity of our minds".

4.

To dispel ignorance the Brahmins and the Christians

agree that we must renounce selfishness and the love of worldly objects.

5. The cause of misery, according to the Brahmins, is Avidya, which is defined in the Yoga Philosophy as the mistaking of non-eternal, impure, and painful things for eternal, pure, and pleasurable things. It is the mistaking the carnal for the spiritual, or the loving of the worldly objects instead of the soul. An allusion to this doctrine of the Yoga Philosophy is found in the New Testament. In Colossians, chap. ii, we read, "Why as though living in the world are ye subject to the ordinances? Touch not, taste not, handle not; which are all to perish with the using, after the commandments and doctrines of men; which things have, indeed, a show of wisdom in humility and neglecting the body". In Romans we read that the cause of sin is the phronema sarkos, or the lust of the flesh. We are told that the carnal mind is in enmity against God and cannot please God. The Greek phrase phronema sarkos is in Sanskrit sarirabhimana.

6. The universal laws of Causation and Evolution, which play a very important part in the writings of the Brahmans and Buddhists, are not opposed to the doctrines of Christianity.

7. The word which Sanskrit and Pali writers use to express Rebirth by Karma is punarganmo. In the New Testament we find the word paliggenesia is used to express Regeneration. As the word paliggenesia (Regeneration) is a derivative of the Sanskrit word punarganma, we may presume that the New Testament writers used the Greek word paliggenesia (regeneration) to express the doctrine of Rebirth by Karma.

8. Brahmins and the Buddhists are all opposed to a belief in blind faith or simple dogmas. We read in the New Testament, "Prove all things and hold fast to that which is good".

9. Bhakti Yoga or the doctrine of Sanctification by Faith plays a very important part in the Sacred Books of the Brahmins and the Buddhists. In the New Testament pistis (Faith), which is a derivation of Bhakti, plays the same important part.

IO. The definition of Yoga according to the Yoga philosophy is the suppression or stopping of the constant changes of the mental states. In the New Testament we are told that the Soul finds rest when it is in a blissful state. Christ says "Take up my yoke and you will find rest". This is simply a translation of the second Sutra of the Yoga philosophy.

II.

The doctrines of the Sermon on the Mount are beautifully summed up in the Yoga philosophy. According to it the surest way to attain enlightenment is: