Soul-germs

A Series of Letters from the Spirit of a Well-known Lady —

Letter Number Three

In my last letter I wrote of soul-germs, and I told you the truth, no matter that many of you think to the contrary; and, as you see, reincarnation cannot be true. Now, I want to write you how it is with me here. I long to tell you, for many of you loved and trusted me when I was with you in the flesh, many of you remember and love me still, and many of you will be very glad to hear from me; but if I write to you, I must write as it is, regardless of your prejudices. When I first arrived here I was in much perplexity and trouble. It was not at all as I thought it would be, and it was a long time before I could see my way clear. Many Adepts and Mahatmas met me and shook me by the hand; then, a great many people met me, and were very glad to see me, and they said – Now Madam is here. Come and talk to us, and I made reply – I think it would be more appropriate that you should talk to me. What have you to tell me? You who have been here a good while, for I saw many that I had known years before, and some that I had known in my early days, even the days of my girlhood.

I looked at them all and was bewildered; but the Adepts and Mahatmas were uneasy and appeared to me rather sorrowful and crestfallen.

Come, Madam, said they, and talk to us, that our souls may revive with hope. Then they brought me to a large hall and it was filled with people. Of course I mean spirit people, for they were all out of the flesh as I was, and there were many on the platform who were going to talk to the people, and they seated me on the platform with the others, and I was more bewildered and dazed than before.

Then a Mahatma began to talk, and he asked how many of them had tried to rehabilitate themselves in the flesh for the great law of reincarnation must be obeyed? And every spirit there raised a hand. 

You have all tried, then?

A sighing chorus of assent was the response.

And all have failed?

Another assent more sorrowful than the last.

Have you exercised your will power to the very utmost?

Another deep-breathed assent.

Let the person who has been here longer than any other, come forward and speak.

A tottering old man slowly made his way to the platform.

How long have you been here? asked the Mahatma.

A long and wearisome time, answered the old man; but I cannot say just how many years.

When on earth you dwelt in India—you were a Hindoo?

Yes.

And during all these years you have daily, almost hourly, tried your utmost to reincarnate yourself within the body of an infant of earth, that you might be young once more, that you might again be a child, a youth, a young man strong and vigorous?

Yes.

And yet you have not succeeded and are still here?

As you see, dejectedly answered the old man. I have spent all the time at my command, these many years, and yet here I am.

And you have tried in all countries and among all peoples?

I have, answered the old man, wearily.

Tell us somewhat about it, that we may discover where the trouble may be, the hindrance or bar to success.

Well, said the old man, at first I was full of hope and expectation. On earth I was poor and unfortunate, but not wilfully sinful, so I thought that in justice I ought now to be reborn into a family of high rank, consequently I sought out family after family where the birth of an infant was soon expected, and did my best to enter, or will myself to enter, its yet unborn body; but I found that each child, even then, had an individual spirit and soul of its own, exactly corresponding to the growth of its little fleshly body, and it was impossible for me, an old and sorrowful man filled with the experiences of three score years and ten—yea, even many more—to crowd myself into the little, tender, budding body and soul of an unborn babe; the spirit and soul of the babe filled its own body entirely.

Well, I did not get discouraged for many a weary year, for I reasoned that, perhaps another spirit had already taken the body for its own. Yes, for a long time I thought thus, then I tried many and many a babe at the very moment of birth, thinking I would enter its body with its first cry; but the child was its own self and I was another and distinct individual.

I felt more like taking the little wailing creature in my arms and comforting it; and I always went away balked and ashamed of myself. What had I, an old and experienced man, to do with a budding infant? I had been an infant once myself and did not need another experience in that direction; but, during all my earthly life I had been taught and fully believed in reincarnation; and each time I failed I concluded that I had not yet discovered the right one—and thus my time has been spent.

Tears rolled down the cheeks of the sorrowful old man.

I have now made my last attempt, he added more brightly. I have ceased to desire to live another life on earth. I do not need another fleshly body. I am done with the flesh and I am confident that I should not now stand before you a dejected and withered old man if I had listened to the voice of reason within my own soul and spent my time in acquiring wisdom here in this spirit realm. Yea, I have seen many, who have been here a much shorter period of time than myself, grow youthful, bright and beautiful, and they said – Come with us. Reincarnation is all a fable. It is not true. But I remained firm in my conviction and they passed on and left me.

Would to God I had gone with them, groaned the old man. He then turned to me and extended his hand. I am very glad that you are new here with us, he said, but I fear we are in error.

In order to be wise and happy, I said, in order to reach Nirvana, you need a great many varied earthly experiences.

Well, I thought so, too, but I am sorry to say I can no longer believe it. The power of my own soul begins to assert itself and I need not return into the flesh to gain knowledge or happiness. If I want to know anything I have but to put myself en rapport with one who does know that which I desire to know and the knowledge is at once imparted to me. He sighed. Oh, how much I have lost in time—time in which I might have been gaining wisdom and happiness. Madam, he continued, take my advice and lose no valuable time trying to reincarnate yourself.

But I was not yet ready to take the old man's advice, and he, soon after, left the hall. I turned to the Mahatma. Have you been long here? I asked.

Yes, for some time, he replied.

I should like to hear what you have been doing, I said.

You shall, he answered, with a low bow. I have not endeavored as yet to reincarnate myself. The fact is, although I firmly believe in the truth of it, I still have a secret repugnance to the flesh. I really don't want to live again in it or on the earth. You ask me how I have spent my time? Well, Madam, I have been working wonders for the Yogis of earth. I have been trying my power as a spirit to the utmost, and when I tired of the Yogis of India, I went to England and America. Ah, you shall praise me. Madam! My time has been well spent. I have been showing them what spirits can do.

Well, what have you accomplished? for he interested and pleased me far more than the old man had. This man appeared to be in the prime of life and very powerful, yet there was a sinister expression about his face that I did not wholly like.

Well, said he, I have materialised, as they call it, and made myself visible to many people. I have been performing wonders and miracles; playing musical instruments, ringing bells, rapping on furniture, lifting inanimate objects in the air, also people; tipping tables, controlling various media in various ways; carrying various things from place to place. Oh, Madam, my time has been well spent; besides, I have delivered long lectures through many sensitive persons whom I could control, and you may be sure I have preached and taught the truths of our grand religion enough to satisfy even you; and he bowed low once more; besides, I lecture here to the spirits as often as I find time.

I did not then know why, but I felt uneasy.

But have you gained nothing new? I asked, nothing beyond all this?

He shook his head. Nothing except that I have become very powerful—an Adept in all this work.

Do you find great pleasure in it? Does it satisfy the great hunger of the soul? My own soul was feeling quite hungry about this time. He looked thoughtful and somewhat dejected, I thought.

Well, I have the satisfaction of proving immortality to the people of earth, he said. That, surely, is of great importance.

Yes; and I sighed also.

I am doing a good work. My time has not been spent in vain, like the old man's time, who has just left us.

Yet this Adept did not satisfy my mind or even please me, and I could not discover much that was noble about him.

When you have done with all this, I said, what then?

Oh, the future must take care of itself. I cannot bother my mind about it. But you must come with me,

sometime, Madam, and watch, and also help me with my tricks.

Tricks! The word grated harshly on my ear.

Why call them tricks? I asked. You really do these things through the aid of an earthly medium.

Some of them, he answered. Yes, all of them, occasionally; but I must tell you the truth, Madam. When I cannot find all the conditions favourable, I control, or induce by suggestion, the medium to do them himself or herself and, of course, when this is discovered the people call it trickery, fraud, and this makes me unhappy as well as the person whom I control.

The spirits present were all listening to us eagerly.

Well, I said, in that case, the medium is not altogether to blame. There is a great truth, then, in hypnotic suggestion?

Nothing can be more true, he replied.

Do you know, positively, of any spirit who has been able to reincarnate? I asked.

I am sorry to say, dear Madam, that I do not; although I fully believe in the truth of it.

Then why do not you go, at once, and prove the truth of it?

Because the idea fills me with horror. I do not want to, and he shuddered. Madam, with all my power, knowledge and attainments, I will not, if I can help it, become a drooling infant once more, to wearily and sorrowfully plod up through the flesh again—no not even to be a king, prince, or a multimillionaire. Madam, Madam! I hope I can be saved from such a fate.

Are you satisfied, then, to go on as you are, simply performing tricks and controlling media to preach that which you do not positively know to be true?

He shrugged his shoulders, and a murmur of dissatisfaction ran through the assembly.

Perhaps, I said, as a thought struck me, your former lives have not been as worthy as they might have been. It may be that you must take a lower position than that of a human being. It may be that you have thought too well of yourselves, all of you here assembled. Have any of you tried to incarnate yourselves within the animal kingdom?

Madam! he cried aghast. I have not tried, and I never will try, not even if I am never reincarnated again. My mind is, even now, trembling on the brink of despair. To simply perform wonders through a medium, Adept, or a Yogi, does not satisfy my soul; and you, also, Madam, will soon find yourself as unhappy as I am, or as the old man is. Not one of these people here has been able to reincarnate, and we know of no one who has been able to do so, and they all begin to have grave doubts about the truth of the matter, although they strive to keep up their faith and hope; still, I cannot now see wherein we should be at all benefited. Very few here remain long in the faith, however, and my own soul is trembling on the brink of doubt.

Well, I said indignantly, I know that reincarnation is a truth, and I am determined to be rehabilitated as quickly as possible.

Most truly yours, MADAM