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along strenuously maintained it as one of the truths of occult philosophy that re-birth in a lower state is impossible, that there is no going back in the scale of existence, that "nature invariably shuts the door behind her:" in other words, that there is no retrogression. Exactly the proposition advanced by Mr. O. and objected to by Mr. S. R.!
Will you or the learned reviewer kindly explain this?
Bombay, 2nd December 1883.
Editor's Note.—We have "strenuously maintained," and still maintain, that there is no "retrorgression" in the dead-letter sense as taught by exoteric Hinduism—i. e., that the re-birth of a man in the physical form of an animal was impossible on this earth. But, we never affirmed that there was no moral retrogression,—especially in the interplanetary spheres; and that is what is combated by Mr. T. Subba Bow, for Mr. Oxley means "retrogression" in that very sense, we believe.
ESOTERIC SPIRITUALISM.
THE LAW OF "INFLUX" AND "EFFLUX".
By William Yeates,
Fellow of "the British Theosophical Society".
[In giving room to the following clever paper, it is but just that its several points should be answered by Mr. T. Subba Row, against whom it is directed, now and here, and without having to postpone the reply for another month. Most of the foot-notes, therefore, are his.—Ed.]
The October number of the Theosophist for 1882 contains strictures on Mr. William Oxley's article (in the September number) by a respected Eastern Brother, Mr. T. Subba Row. In the latter, quoting from the former's words to the effect "that there cannot be any difficulty or objection 'to accepting as a possibility, that the actual author of the Mahabharata should put in, not an objective but a subjective appearance in London, or elsewhere, if he chose so to do". Mr. Subba Row remarks:—"Quite true; but he will never choose to do so."
