Dr. Annie Besant , the founder of the famous Theosophical Society of India , was a young woman , she worked on the editorial staff of prestigious magazine called THE NEW REVIEW . She was an intellectual woman , given to mature reflection and logical thinking.She gave birth to a baby who fell seriously ill soon after birth.The baby was running high fever , and as the temperature rose, the infant developed convulsions.Annie Besant was distraught at the sight of her little child going through these violent fits.She could not bear to think of her innocent baby being put through such suffering.
"they say God is all mercy and love" she said to herself , "is this kind of mercy and love he shows my child?What has this tender, innocent babe done to deserve such suffering?"
She virtually gave up all faith and belief in God after this happened.She became an agnostic. She spoke to preachers and religious teachers. No one could answer her questions satisfactorily "where is God's love and compassion? Why is this child , who hasn't even hurt a fly, subject to such suffering?" They do not have an answer to such questions is Western Philosophy, and Annie Besant got no answers.
ONE day , she came across a book by Mme.H.P.Blavatsky, entitled The Secret Doctrine. The editor had sent it to her for the purpose of review.As Annie Besant begun to read the book , a new understanding dawned on her , and she was deeply impressed by its content.One of the chapters in the book was entitled,"Karma and Reincarnation". She read is again and again - and she began to see life in a new perspective.
She seemed to have found , at last , an answer to the questions she had been asking.Here was the only satisfactory explanation for her innocent child's suffering; it was nothing but the result of Karma of the child's previous births!
Enlightenment came to her as in a flash of lightening.She understood that the present life is not the first life , the only life lived by her or by her child. She had lived many many , other lives before she had entered this body - likewise her infant.It was due to the child's actions in those earlier births, that it was going through certain consequences in this birth.The infant had done something earlier , the effect of which , the fruit of which it has now faced with. The whole thing was crystal clear; the mystery was unraveled. She began to understand things, which were inexplicable earlier.
Because of this understanding, Annie Besant left her country , left behind her friends and family to come to India.She regarded India as the great land of Rishis , Sages , and saints who offered the most profound and satisfactory solution to life's problems. She came to live in Madras, and founded the famous Theosophical Society of India. There is a beautiful suburb of modern Chennai which is now named after her - Besant Nagar.
India owes a deep debt of gratitude for all that Annie Besant has done , all the great services she rendered to this country.But she felt indebted to India for giving her a new insight into life and its meaning, through the doctrine of Karma and Re-incarnation.
Om Namaha Shivaya
"they say God is all mercy and love" she said to herself , "is this kind of mercy and love he shows my child?What has this tender, innocent babe done to deserve such suffering?"
She virtually gave up all faith and belief in God after this happened.She became an agnostic. She spoke to preachers and religious teachers. No one could answer her questions satisfactorily "where is God's love and compassion? Why is this child , who hasn't even hurt a fly, subject to such suffering?" They do not have an answer to such questions is Western Philosophy, and Annie Besant got no answers.
ONE day , she came across a book by Mme.H.P.Blavatsky, entitled The Secret Doctrine. The editor had sent it to her for the purpose of review.As Annie Besant begun to read the book , a new understanding dawned on her , and she was deeply impressed by its content.One of the chapters in the book was entitled,"Karma and Reincarnation". She read is again and again - and she began to see life in a new perspective.
She seemed to have found , at last , an answer to the questions she had been asking.Here was the only satisfactory explanation for her innocent child's suffering; it was nothing but the result of Karma of the child's previous births!
Enlightenment came to her as in a flash of lightening.She understood that the present life is not the first life , the only life lived by her or by her child. She had lived many many , other lives before she had entered this body - likewise her infant.It was due to the child's actions in those earlier births, that it was going through certain consequences in this birth.The infant had done something earlier , the effect of which , the fruit of which it has now faced with. The whole thing was crystal clear; the mystery was unraveled. She began to understand things, which were inexplicable earlier.
Because of this understanding, Annie Besant left her country , left behind her friends and family to come to India.She regarded India as the great land of Rishis , Sages , and saints who offered the most profound and satisfactory solution to life's problems. She came to live in Madras, and founded the famous Theosophical Society of India. There is a beautiful suburb of modern Chennai which is now named after her - Besant Nagar.
India owes a deep debt of gratitude for all that Annie Besant has done , all the great services she rendered to this country.But she felt indebted to India for giving her a new insight into life and its meaning, through the doctrine of Karma and Re-incarnation.
Om Namaha Shivaya
