Reincarnation and the Law of Karma

The Magi held that just before entering into the state of bliss, the soul was able to review its previous incarnations, seeing distinctly the connection between them, and thus gaining a store of the wisdom of experience. This wisdom would aid it in its future work as a helper of future races which would appear on the face of the earth. The Magi taught that as all living things—indeed, all things having existence, whether organic or inorganic—were but varying manifestations of the One Life and Being, the highest knowledge therefore implied a feeling of conscious brotherhood and relationship toward and with all.

Even among the Chinese, there was a hidden esoteric: teachings intended for a small, initiated group teaching concerning reincarnation beneath the public original: "outer" teaching of ages past. It may be discerned in the teachings of the early philosophers and seers of the race, notably in the work of Lao-Tze Modern spelling: Laozi, the great Chinese sage and teacher. Lao-Tze, whose great work, the Tao-Teh-King original: "Tao-Teh-King," now commonly translated as The Book of the Way and Virtue or Tao Te Ching, is a classic, taught reincarnation to his inner circle of students and adherents, as many authorities original: "84) mt8n%, ;inthorities" suggest. He taught original: "IIv t;inght" that there existed a fundamental principle called "Tao" The Way or the Absolute, which is held to have been identical with the "primordial reason." A manifestation of this was the "Teh," or the creative activity of the universe. From the union and action of the "Tao" and the "Teh" proceeded the universe, including the human soul, which he taught was composed of several parts. Among them were the "huen" Modern: hun, the spiritual soul, or spiritual principle, and the "phi" Modern: po, the physical soul, or semi-material vital principle, which together animate the body. Lao-Tze said:

"To be ignorant that the true self is immortal is to remain in a grievous state of error, and to experience many calamities by reason of it. Know you, that there is a part of man which is subtle and spiritual, and which is the heaven-bound portion of himself; that which has to do with flesh, bones, and body belongs to the earth. Earthly things return to earth; heavenly things to heaven. Such is the Law."

Some have held that Lao-Tze taught the immediate return of the "huen" to the "tao" after death, but from the writings of his early followers, it may original: "Huuy" be seen that he really taught that the "huen" persisted in individual existence throughout repeated incarnations. It returned to the "tao" only when it had completed its round of experience-life. For instance, in the Si Haei, it is said that:

"The vital essence is dispersed after death together with the body, bones, and flesh; but the soul, or knowing principle of the self, is preserved and does not perish. There is no immediate absorption of the individuality into the Tao, for individuality persists and manifests itself according to the Law."

And Chuang-Tze Modern: Zhuangzi said: "Death is but the commencement of a new life." It was also taught by the...