Theosophy Cardiff:- Theosophy and Nationality by Elizabeth Severs

THEOSOPHY

CARDIFF

Articles By Elizabeth Severs

Organising Secretary of the

Theosophical Order of Service in England 1909 - 1912

Cardiff Theosophical Society

206 Newport Road,

Cardiff, Wales, UK, CF24 – 1DL.

Theosophy and Nationality

Elizabeth Severs

From the Vahan 1915

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I heard lately with some astonishment the statement made that "in Theosophy there is no nationality." This is one of those half-truths to my mind, that might very likely convey to the public-it was said at a public meeting and with regard to the war-the impression that Theosophists regard themselves as above nationality and so were unpatriotic.

One objection often raised against Theosophy is that it is unpractical and has nothing to do with daily life. To divorce Theosophy from nationality at this world crisis might help to justify that statement.

It is of course true to say that abstract Theosophy, the Divine Wisdom, the root of all religions, knows no distinction of nationality. The Theosophist however, coming from the abstract to the concrete, has a great deal to do with nationality, which I believe is the strongest factor of the personality. Nationality is an influence no one can escape; no one is without a nation, even the Jews remain a nation though without a country. The nation owes a duty to its members; they owe a duty to their country. The national thought, feeling, atmosphere, so mould each member that its mark is recognisable, differentiating each as belonging to a particular nation. The history and tradition, custom and environment mould each entity the nation mothers; shape unalterably each of the collection of human entities that together constitute a nation.

The religions that owe their genesis to the abstract Divine Theosophy recognise nationality as a virtue to be cultivated. They encourage this feeling to take its higher form, that of patriotism, love of country.

The Christian child is taught in the Church Catechism "to honour and obey the King" because the King personifies the country. How Hinduism thought of nationality is shown by the fact that the Kshattriya, whose duty was to defend his country, ranked as the second in rank of the great castes. In Mahommetanism nationality plays a great part.

History shows us nationality as making history, shaping the world. It seems probable that unless nationality were to serve some useful end different nations would not exist. As a matter of fact we know nations develop special characteristics, serve certain purposes in evolution and so quicken evolution. In war time the feeling of nationality, the country being in danger, is naturally enhanced.

In times of war the human consciousness includes the national. Your country becomes you, a possession of value, to be guarded, fought for, and the hero becomes quite common, is manufactured out of the milkman and the shop assistant.

It is the Divine Wisdom, inherent in the self of each, that inspires so many now I believe to act on the belief that one life is but a trifling price to pay, to keep as ours, untrodden by hostile foot, the country of our forefathers, the land that from infancy has sheltered us, fashioned us, given us all she bad to give of natural beauties, made us, quite literally, heirs of all her ages. Instead of divorcing Theosophy from nationality I should rather say that nationality is a factor on which the Divine Wisdom counts to produce the man from the brute, the God from the man.