CHAPTER I
PEAOTIOAL THEOSOPBY

THE word Theosophy is broadly speaking known
all the world over. One now comes across the
word and its influence in all sorts of unexpected
places, whereas forty or fifty years ago it was
practically unknown except to the few. It is
written about now in the rather stiff magazine
which prides itself on its literary superiority as
well as in the cheap novel whose author caters
for the " gallery '\ Moreover on the lips of very
many is the question " what is Theosophy " ?
Some ask this out of curiosity, some rather
disdainfully, when possibly they insert the word
*' fchis," thus asking what is this Theosophy ; and
again, there are those who ask because they
want to learn and to understand more of what
it means. It is for the sake of these last that it
has been suggested that a reply should be sent
to them in the shape of a few short articles week
by week in New India. It is a very remark-
able and significant fact that should anyone