oul has flashes of remembrance of its former lives, and
also instincts and intuitions gained by former experiences. He classed
innate ideas among these inherited experiences of former lives. It has
been well said that "everything can be found in Plato," and therefore
one who seeks for the ancient Grecian ideas concerning Reincarnation,
and the problems of the soul, may find that which he seeks in the
writings of the old sage and philosopher. Plato was the past master of
the inner teachings concerning the soul, and all who have followed him
have drawn freely from his great store of wisdom. His influence on the
early Christian church was enormous, and in many forms it continues even
unto this day. Many of the early Christian fathers taught that Plato was
really one of the many forerunners of Christ, who had prepared the pagan
world for the coming of the Master.

In "Phaedo," Plato describes the soul, and explains its immortality. He
teaches that man has a material body which is subject to constant
change, and subject to death and disintegration; and also an immaterial
soul, unchangeable and indestructible, and akin to the divine. At death
this soul was severed from its physical companion, and rose, purified,
to the higher regions, where it rendered an account of itself, and had
its future allotted to it. If it was found sufficiently untainted and
unsullied by the mire of material life, it was considered fit to be
admitted to the State of Bliss, which was described as Union with the
Supreme Being, which latter is described as Spirit, eternal and
omniscient. The base and very guilty souls undergo a period of
punishment, or purgation, to the end that they may be purged and
purified of the guilt, before being allowed to make another trial for
perfection. The souls which were not sufficiently pure for the State of
Bliss, nor yet so impure that they need the purging process, were
returned to earth-life, there to take up new bodies, and endeavor to
work out their salvation anew, to the end that they might in the future
attain the Blissful State. Plato taught that in the Rebirth, the soul
was generally unconscious of its previous lives, although it may have
flashes of recollection. Besides this it has a form of intuition, and
innate ideas, which was believed to be the result of the experiences
gained in the past lives, and which knowledge had been stored up so as
to benefit the soul in its reincarnated existence.

Plato taught t