Esoteric
Philosophy Teaches Love for Life
Helena P. Blavatsky
The future of mankind depends on having respect for
the children who were not born yet
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Editorial Note:
We reproduce below
a question on the
practice of abortion
made by a North American
physician to “The Theosophist”, and the answer
given by Helena
Blavatsky, who was then the editor of
that
magazine. The
question and the answer were first published
in India in the
August 1883 edition of “The Theosophist”
(pp. 282-283).
Original title: “Is Foeticide a Crime?”.[1]
We have divided
longer paragraphs into smaller ones in
order to
facilitate thoughtful, contemplative forms of reading.
(Carlos Cardoso Aveline)
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1. The Question From a Reader
The articles in
your paper headed “Is Suicide a Crime?” have suggested to my mind to ask
another question “Is Foeticide a Crime?” Not that I personally have any serious
doubts about the unlawfulness of such an act; but the custom prevails to such
an extent in the United States that there are comparatively only few persons
who can see any wrong in it.
Medicines for this purpose are openly advertised and
sold; in “respectable families” the ceremony is regularly performed every year,
and the family physician who should presume to refuse to undertake the job,
would be peremptorily dismissed, to be replaced by a more accommodating one.
I have conversed with physicians, who have no more
conscientious scruples to produce an abortion, than to administer a physic; on
the other hand there are certain tracts from orthodox channels published
against this practice; but they are mostly so overdrawn in describing the “fearful
consequences”, as to lose their power over the ordinary reader by virtue of
their absurdity.
It must be confessed that there are certain
circumstances under which it might appear that it would be the best thing as
well for the child that is to be born as for the community at large, that its
coming should be prevented. For instance, in a case where the mother earnestly
desires the destruction of the child, her desire will probably influence the
formation of the character of the child and render him in his days of maturity
a murderer, a jail-bird, or a being for whom it would have been better “if he
never had been born.”
But if foeticide is justifiable, would it then not be
still better to kill the child after it is born, as then there would be no
danger to the mother; and if it is justifiable to kill children before or after
they are born then the next question arises: “At what age and under what
circumstances is murder justifiable?”
As the above is a question of vast importance for
thousands of people, I should be thankful to see it treated from the
theosophical standpoint.
(A M.D., fellow of the Theosophical Society, Georgetown,
Colorado, USA)
2. The Answer by Helena Blavatsky
Theosophy in general answers:
“At no age as under no circumstance whatever is a
murder justifiable!”
And occult Theosophy adds:
“Yet it is neither from the standpoint of law, nor
from any argument drawn from one or another orthodox ism that the warning
voice is sent forth against the immoral and dangerous practice, but rather
because in occult philosophy both physiology and psychology show its disastrous
consequence.”
In the present case, the argument does not deal with
the causes but with the effects produced. Our philosophy goes so far as to say
that, if the Penal Code of most countries punishes attempts at suicide, it
ought, if at all consistent with itself, to doubly punish foeticide as an
attempt to double suicide.
For, indeed, when even successful and the mother does
not die just then, it still shortens her
life on earth to prolong it with dreary percentage in Kamaloka, the
intermediate sphere between the earth and the region of rest, a place which is
no “St. Patrick’s purgatory”, but a fact, and a necessary halting place in the
evolution of the degree of life.
The crime committed lies precisely in the willful and
sinful destruction of life, and interference with the operations of nature,
hence - with KARMA - that of the mother and the would-be future human being.
The sin is not regarded by the occultists as one of a religious character, - for, indeed, there is no more of spirit and
soul, for the matter of that, in a foetus or even in a child before it arrives
at self-consciousness, than there is in any other small animal, - for we deny
the absence of soul in either mineral, plant or beast, and believe but in the
difference of degree. But foeticide is a crime against nature.
Of course the sceptic of whatever class will sneer at
our notions and call them absurd superstitions and “unscientific twaddle”. But
we do not write for sceptics. We have been asked to give the views of Theosophy
(or rather of occult philosophy) upon the subject, and we answer the query as
far as we know.
NOTE:
[1] The article is also available at “Collected
Writings”, Helena P. Blavatsky, TPH, volume V, pp. 106-108, and “Theosophical
Articles”, Theosophy Co., Los Angeles, volume II, 1981, pp. 335-336.
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In September 2016, after a careful analysis
of the state of the esoteric movement worldwide, a group of students decided to
form the Independent Lodge of
Theosophists, whose priorities include the building of a better future in
the different dimensions of life.
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