vol. xxx, no. 4 april 1926 universal brotherhood - a fact in nature

THE THEOSOPHICAL PArH
Puck flutters across the stage and laughs his way into the hearts of the
audience, mockingly, laughingly, taunting the crude men of Athens who
came to delight the duke, why, then we recognise the deathless spirit of
Joy and Laughter that was born when man was born and which sur-
rounds him in the unseen world ready to grasp and make his own.
When Shakespeare scorns materialism and bigoted dullness and intro-
duces the races of fairies and elfs and goblins and points to the wonderful,
though generally unknown, influence that these airy elementals have upon
the happenings in human life, why, then we recognise the Teacher's hand
again, and we know that we are learning a little at least of the Real Wis-
dom: we are privileged to read a few pages from the true Book of Life.
Do I need to analyse the wonderful, soul-stirring events in Kirzg Lenr,
or Othello, or Hamlet? "To be or not to be, that is the question," re-
sounded for three hundred years with that same touch of pathos and
human despair which are so common among men even in our own day,
and which fashion the eternal cry wrung from hearts in pain, but which
always make men think and reflect on the paramount questions per-
taining to the inner life. I said 'resounded,' for it holds good no more in
quite the same sense as before. The race-mind though reverting with
tremendous appeal to that old question of life and hope, or no life and
no hope, has got a new turn to it, in a manner of speaking. This is an age
of inquiry, our modern humanity wants firmer ground to stand on; and
it turns to the ancient mystery-plays of Aeschylus, or to the poetic philo-
sophy of Plato, or by far the best of all to the age-old philosophy of
life, the Wisdom-Religion.
The urge and quest of the race of our time are being met by this
New-Old philosophy - the Theosophy of the ages.
True Drama has again found a place worthy of its mission; and
on the hills of Lomaland, and in the classic theater that our Teacher has
erected here, the nations may again listen to the old, old Wisdom that has
come back to give new hope to those who despair, new life to the weak,
new riches to the poor. The Drama of the Soul is daily re-enacted in this
wondrous land, and when we hear the voice of Athena giving the casting
vote of Divine Justice, or when we get a glimpse of Shakespeare's world
of mystery, we can no longer despair, for our hearts are filled with a
glorious joy, a glorious hope, and an almost divine will to conquer in our
turn and create a better world for all to live in, more beautiful homes for
our children and our children's children, so that the time shall not be too
far off when the dream of the alchemists will come true and the metal of
human character shall have become purified and purged of all base stuff,
and shine forth with a new luster born of its inner nature, as pure gold.