Reincarnation and the Law of Karma

The doctrine of reincarnation is visible, though concealed within the large volume of inner esoteric: teachings intended for a small, initiated group doctrine behind the public exoteric: teachings intended for the general public teachings of the Egyptians. The latter were explained to the common people, while the deeper truth was reserved for the few who were ready for it. The inner circles of Egyptian mystics believed in and understood the inner truths of reincarnation. Although they guarded the secret teachings carefully, fragments still leaked out and were greedily taken up by the masses; we can see this by examining the scraps of historical records that have been preserved, carved in stone and imprinted on clay bricks.

Not only did these people accept the doctrine of reincarnation, but Egypt was truly the home of the highest hidden original: "occult" teachings. The doctrines regarding the several "sheaths" or "bodies" of man—which are taught by spiritual students of all times and races—are believed to have been fully taught in their original purity on the banks of the Nile and in the shadow of the Pyramids; yes, even before the days of the Pyramids. Their forty centuries of history saw many modifications of philosophical and religious beliefs, but the fundamental doctrine of reincarnation was maintained during the entire period of Ancient Egyptian history. It was not discarded until the declining descendants of the once-mighty race were overwhelmed by stronger nations, whose religions and beliefs replaced the remnants of the ancient doctrine. The Egyptians held that there was "Ka," the divine spirit in man; "Ab," the intellect or will; "Hati," the vitality or life force; "Tet," the astral body; "Sahu," the etheric double; and "Xa," the physical body (some authorities use a slightly different arrangement), which correspond to the various "bodies of man" recognized by spiritual seekers today.

The ancient Chaldeans Chaldea: an ancient region in the Near East, often associated with Babylonia and famous for its early astronomers and magicians also taught the doctrine of rebirth. The group of Persian and Chaldean mystics and scholars known as "the Magi," who were masters of the hidden wisdom, held to the doctrine of reincarnation as one of their fundamental truths. In fact, they managed to educate the general public to a much higher level than the masses of the Egyptians. By avoiding the tendency toward worshiping idols original: "idolatrous tendencies" common among the Egyptian populace, they demonstrated a very high degree of pure philosophical, spiritual, and religious knowledge. The Magi taught that the soul was a complex being, and that certain portions of it died original: "perished", while certain other parts survived and passed on through a series of existences on Earth and in the "other-world." This continued until the soul finally attained such a degree of purity that it was relieved of the necessity for further reincarnation; from then on, it dwelt in the region of indescribable original: "ineffable" bliss—the region of eternal light. The teaching also