A Textbook of Theosophy

A Textbook of Theosophy, by
C.W. Leadbeater

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Title: A Textbook of Theosophy
Author: C.W. Leadbeater
Release Date: July 12, 2004 [EBook #12902]
Language: English
Character set encoding: ISO-8859-1
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A TEXTBOOK OF THEOSOPHY

by
C.W. LEADBEATER

1912

CONTENTS
I. What Theosophy Is
II. From the Absolute to Man
III. The Formation of a Solar System
IV. The Evolution of Life
V. The Constitution of Man
VI. After Death
VII. Reincarnation
VIII. The Purpose of Life
IX. The Planetary Chains
X. The Result of Theosophical Study
Index
Chapter I
WHAT THEOSOPHY IS
"There is a school of philosophy still in existence of which modern
culture has lost sight." In these words Mr. A.P. Sinnett began his book,

The Occult World, the first popular exposition of Theosophy, published
thirty years ago. [Namely in 1881.] During the years that have passed
since then, many thousands have learned wisdom in that school, yet to
the majority its teachings are still unknown, and they can give only the
vaguest of replies to the query, "What is Theosophy?"
Two books already exist which answer that question: Mr. Sinnett's
Esoteric Buddhism and Dr. Besant's The Ancient Wisdom. I have no
thought of entering into competition with those standard works; what I
desire is to present a statement, as clear and simple as I can make it,
which may be regarded as introductory to them.
We often speak of Theosophy as not in itself a religion, but the truth
which lies behind all religions alike. That is so; yet, from another point
of view, we may surely say that it is at once a philosophy, a religion
and a science. It is a philosophy, because it puts plainly before us an
explanation of the scheme of evolution of both the souls and the bodies
contained in our solar system. It is a religion in so far as, having shown
us the course of ordinary evolution, it also puts before us and advises a
method of shortening that course, so that by conscious effort we may
progress more directly towards the goal. It is a science, because it treats
both these subjects as matters not of theological belief but of direct
knowledge obtainable by study and investigation. It asserts that man
has no need to trust to blind faith, because he has within him latent
powers which, when aroused, enable him to see and examine for
himself, and it proceeds to prove its case by showing how those powers
may be awakened. It is itself a result of the awakening of such powers
by men, for the teachings which it puts before us are founded upon
direct observations made in the past, and rendered possible only by
such development.
As a philosophy, it explains to us that the solar system is a
carefully-ordered mechanism, a manifestation of a magnificent life, of
which man is but a small part. Nevertheless, it takes up that small part
which immediately concerns us, and treats it exhaustively under three
heads--present, past and future.
It deals with the present by describing what man really is, as seen by

means of developed faculties. It is customary to speak of man as having
a soul. Theosophy, as the result of direct investigation, reverses that
dictum, and states that man is a soul, and has a body--in fact several
bodies, which are his vehicles and instruments in various worlds. These
worlds are not separate in space; they are simultaneously present with
us, here and now, and can be examined; they are the divisions of the
material side of Nature--different degrees of density in the aggregation
of matter, as will presently be explained in detail. Man has an existence
in several of these, but is normally conscious only of the lowest, though
sometimes in dreams and trances he has glimpses of some of the others.
What is called death is the laying aside of the vehicle belonging to this
lowest world, but the soul or real man in a higher world is no more
changed or affected by this than the physical man is changed or
affected when he removes his overcoat. All this is a matter, not of
speculation, but of observation and experiment.
Theosophy has much to tell us of the past history of man--of how in the
course of evolution he has come