THE SOPHY DOWNUNDER Magazine of the Th eosophical Society (Pasadena) Australasian Section No: 137 September 2020 FAMILIES Perspectives from Theosophy and Life-Before-Life (LBL) Research p. 3 News p. 12 How Can I Love God? p. 15 Family Tree p. 16 The Self in Paganism Leads to Unity p. 18 Why is Life So Tough for So Many People? Part 2: Human Dimensions p. 20 Time for a Laugh p. 25 Letters to the Editor p. 26 Religion in a Nutshell: Sikhism p. 29 The Great Initiates: A Study of the Secret History of Religions. A review article of Edouard Schure’s classic study p. 33 A Librarian’s Revelation p. 41 20 contents 03 Families: Perspectives from Theosophy and Life-Before-Life (LBL) Research 12 News 15 How Can I Love God? – Hector Bonarjee 3 16 Family Tree 18 The Self in Paganism Leads to Unity – Heathclyff St James-Deville 20 Why is Life So Tough for So Many People? Part 2: Human Dimensions 25 Time for a Laugh 26 Letters to the Editor • Spiritual Students Often Experience Suffering – But Why? 33 •Where Did the Ancient Egyptians Come From? • A Letter and a Poem from ‘Inside’ – LS 29 Religion in a Nutshell: Sikhism 33 The Great Initiates: A Study of the 18 Secret History of Religions. A review article of Edouard Schure’s classic study Complete back issues to the year - Geoff Pascoe 2000 available at our website: 41 A Librarian’s Revelation www.theosophydownunder.org – Amanda F. Rooke All contributions on Theosophy or related subjects are welcome. 2 «THEOSOPHY DOWNUNDER» / SEPTEMBER 2020 FAMILIES PERSPECTIVES FROM THEOSOPHY AND LIFE - BEFORE - LIFE (LBL) RESEARCH SEPTEMBER 2020 / «THEOSOPHY DOWNUNDER» 3 hat is a Family? An adver- tisement for a new fami- ly car flashed across the Wscreen of my TV one evening recent- The reincar- ly. It featured an adaptable seating nating ego design for as few as two, and as many has in a sense as seven people, recognising that very little families these days can be anything choice in the matter, if by from the traditional parents with two this we mean children, through multiple combina- a deliberate tions of partners and their children, lian Census indicates that contrary selecting of to popular belief, couple families one’s future with children remained the most family. Such a common type of Australian family choice as we in 2016. However, the proportion of understand Australian families they make up has it is almost non-existent, decreased over time. In 1991, 54% of because the families were couples with children, reincarnat- dropping to 45% in 2016. ing ego has but just left The proportion of couple families devachan and is sunken into without children and single parent the relative to single parents with children and/ families has increased since 1991. In unconscious- or “furs” (domestic animals)! 1991 32% of Australian families were ness of the Beyond advertising opportunities, couple families without children, gestation peri- families are always big news. Look increasing to 38% in 2016. od preceding in the paper any day of the week The fastest growing family type is rebirth, and sole parent families as a consequence thus is in no and you’ll see aspects of family life condition to featured by news writers, politicians of increases in divorce in the past choose with and community opinion leaders of all forty years. Single-parent families self-conscious kinds. Most often, the media fea- have increased from 13% of families intent. It is ture the distressing aspects of family in 1991 to 16% in 2016. Over 900,000 karma, which changes due to the pressure of eco- single parent families were counted throughout nomic circumstances, or the stresses in 2016 and over 80% of single par- controls these things; and of modern life leading to the disinte- ents were female. karma in the gration of cherished notions of what The other major trend is to ‘de abstract is family relationships should be. facto’ relationships with people be- infallible in its Are the newspapers, right? What is ing understandably more cautious action.” the inner nature of this most funda- about committing to marriage. More The Fountain mental human relationship from the women are delaying having families Source Of Oc- until later in life and better educated cultism, perspective of the Ancient Wisdom? p. 625 women had fewer children and were Statistics of Australian Family Life: more likely to remain childless. Australian society is typical of most The 2016 Census counted 46,800 Western countries. The 2016 Austra- same-sex couples across Australia. 4 «THEOSOPHY DOWNUNDER» / SEPTEMBER 2020 This was an increase of 39% since the parents and family who can provide 2011 Census, which counted 33,700 the appropriate lessons for the learn- same-sex couples. ing required for that life. The basis So much for the raw statistics which of this attraction may be love and give us a very limited idea of the hu- similarity of traits and abilities. It can man side of marriage and the family also be hatred and the need to rec- in the early 21st century. The figures oncile disharmonious relationships and trends don’t tell us much about of other lives thus explaining the the day to day realities of family pathetic situation of parent and child life today. Parents trying to balance who repel each other. the competing demands of jobs and Theosophical teacher Dr. G. de Pu- education with their responsibilities. rucker explains the inner attractions Children often being left on their that bring souls together in families own or in the care of others for long thus: periods outside the immediate family “The human egos awaiting incarna- circle whilst parents work long hours tion are exceedingly numerous, so for the increasing complex ‘necessi- that there may be scores of entities ties of life’. which could become children of any one couple, yet there is always one Families are ‘Learning Laboratories’: whose attraction is strongest to the What then of the inner aspects of mother-to-be at any particular physi- family, especially the possible practi- ological moment, and it is this astral cal application of this knowledge to form which becomes the child. Many help uplift the quality of family life. are the cases where the astral form, Teachers of the Ancient Wisdom tell thus “rayed” in two directions, so to us that families are no mere chance speak, finds its progress into physi- association of individuals. Rather cal birth stopped because the man or families are ‘learning laboratories’ for woman are either celibate or prefer individuals who share destiny and a no children, or for some other rea- long association over many past lives. son. In such cases, the astral form When a reincarnating soul returns under karmic urge and natural law, earthward after its period of rest in tries again. Should the first environ- the heaven worlds, it is attracted to ment prove a failure, the reincar- nating ego may find itself drawn to another couple because of karmic relationships in other lives. The reincarnating ego has in a sense very little choice in the matter, if by this we mean a deliberate selecting of one’s future family. Such a choice as we understand it is almost non- existent, because the reincarnating ego has but just left devachan and is sunken into the relative unconscious- ness of the gestation period preced- ¬ SEPTEMBER 2020 / «THEOSOPHY DOWNUNDER» 5 ing rebirth, and thus is in no condi- of Tibetan Buddhism; and the after- tion to choose with self-conscious death journey of the soul in ancient intent. It is karma, which throughout Egyptian religion. As described by controls these things; and karma in Ian Lawton, they have found that all the abstract is infallible in its action.” of us have a group of soul mates that from The Fountain Source Of Oc- we work with in varied relationships cultism, p. 625. over many lives. Our time with this group is characterized by discussion Life Before Life – LBL - (Inter- about what we have shared, our reac- life) Research: Since the 1960s, Dr tions to each other, what we handled Michael Newton and his Newton well, what we could have done better Institute of 210 researchers across – we often replay and role play in this 40 countries, in 27 languages, with process of soul learning. We sporadi- 55,000 LBL sessions done to the end cally move to a different soul group of 2019, and many other inter-life to work on new lessons. ‘Soul-Learn- therapists using Hypnotic Regression ing’ means in the first place seeing Therapy*** have found similar reali- both sides of ‘emotional lessons’. ties during their researches of the Feeling joyous and, especially, pain- after-death experience. One of the ful experiences ourselves, but also to world’s leading authorities on LBL feel what it is like having them di- research, England’s Ian Lawton, says rected against us by others. of all these reports: “… The underlying consistency of the LBL Research: Soul Groups: Soul interlife testimony from thousands learning in earth life can become of disparate subjects working with repetitive as we literally ‘bash our a variety of independently operat- heads against a brick wall’ learning ing pioneers would seem to give it a emotional lessons over and over until great deal of credibility. Indeed, it is we start to move into more progres- arguably one of the most profound sive patterns of behaviour character- sources of spiritual wisdom that has ized by ‘altruistic’ attitudes. ever been made available to human- Especially, we start to learn ‘altruistic ity.