death by voluntary self-immolation, in the hope
of being reborn in the bodies of men who will be free and perfectly
formed.

To sum up: all tradition, whether popular, philosophical, or
religious, is instinct with the teaching of Rebirth.

OBJECTION.

_Reincarnation and Forgetfulness of the Past._

Sceptics are ever bringing forward against reincarnation the absence
of all memory of past lives, convinced that there can be no answer to
this argument.

They do not reflect that human ignorance is a bottomless abyss, whilst
the possibilities of Life are endless. The schools of the future will
smile at the claims made by those of the present, just as the latter
doubtless regard with pitying indulgence that school which, only a few
years ago, in the person of one of its most famous members, Dr.
Bouillaud, mercilessly condemned the exponent of Edison's invention,
because the _savant_, listening to a phonograph for the first time,
could not believe that it was anything else than ventriloquism!
Instances of this kind are sufficiently numerous and recent not to be
forgotten, in spite of the shortness of human memory.

In the present instance, there are many men of science who have not
yet been made sufficiently wise by experience to see that the very
mystery of memory itself might furnish an explanation of that general
absence of all power of recollection, which now seems to them
altogether incompatible with the doctrine of Rebirth.

So as not to appear to be running away from this objection, by dealing
with it only on the surface, we will endeavour to develop the question
somewhat, for we shall have to set forth to readers unacquainted with
theosophical teachings--which alone, up to the present, have thrown
light on these difficult subjects--certain doctrines which will be
well understood by none but theosophists, since they are incapable of
proof by a simple statement thereof, but form part, of a long chain of
teachings. We will offer them simply as theories--though they are
facts to us--theories that contain many an error, it may be, and are
imperfectly stated, though capable of widening the horizon of thought
and shedding a brilliant light upon many an obscure question. Earnest
seekers after truth, it is hoped, will not be disheartened by the
difficulties of the subject, but will endeavour to grasp the meaning
of the following pages, by reading them over again, if need be.

First, a few words must be said on memor