THEOSOPHY, n. An ancient faith having all the certitude of religion
and all the mystery of science. The modern Theosophist holds, with
the Buddhists, that we live an incalculable number of times on this
earth, in as many several bodies, because one life is not long enough
for our complete spiritual development; that is, a single lifetime
does not suffice for us to become as wise and good as we choose to
wish to become. To be absolutely wise and good -- that is perfection;
and the Theosophist is so keen-sighted as to have observed that
everything desirous of improvement eventually attains perfection.
Less competent observers are disposed to except cats, which seem
neither wiser nor better than they were last year. The greatest and
fattest of recent Theosophists was the late Madame Blavatsky, who had
no cat.
-- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary"
and all the mystery of science. The modern Theosophist holds, with
the Buddhists, that we live an incalculable number of times on this
earth, in as many several bodies, because one life is not long enough
for our complete spiritual development; that is, a single lifetime
does not suffice for us to become as wise and good as we choose to
wish to become. To be absolutely wise and good -- that is perfection;
and the Theosophist is so keen-sighted as to have observed that
everything desirous of improvement eventually attains perfection.
Less competent observers are disposed to except cats, which seem
neither wiser nor better than they were last year. The greatest and
fattest of recent Theosophists was the late Madame Blavatsky, who had
no cat.
-- Ambrose Bierce, "The Devil's Dictionary"
Related:
- saga n.
[WPI] A cuspy but bogus raving story about N
random broken people.
Here is a classic example of the saga form, as told... - INTRODUCTION, n. A social ceremony invented by the devil for the
gratification of his servants and the plaguing of his enemies.
The introduction attains its most malevolent development... - EPITAPH, n. An inscription on a tomb, showing that virtues acquired
by death have a retroactive effect.
Following is a touching example: Here lie the... - Inadmissible: Not competent to be considered. Said of certain kinds of
testimony which juries are supposed to be unfit to be entrusted with,
and which judges, therefore, rule out, even of proceedings... - UNDERSTANDING, n. A cerebral secretion that enables one having it to
know a house from a horse by the roof on the house.
Its nature and laws have been exhaustively expounded... - Perhaps we are wiser, less selfish and more far-seeing than we were two
hundred years ago.
But we are still imperfectly all these good things... - ELECTRICITY, n. The power that causes all natural phenomena not known
to be caused by something else.
It is the same thing as lightning, and its famous attempt... - It is an important and popular fact that things are not always what
they seem.
For instance, on the planet Earth, man had always assumed...
From the same category:
- The desire of power in excess caused angels to fall;
the desire of knowledge in excess caused man to fall... - For every bloke who makes his mark,
there's half a dozen waiting to rub it out.
Andy... - When you're not looking at it,
this fortune is written in FORTRAN... - Tom Hayden is the kind of politician who gives opportunism a bad name.
Gore... - QOTD:
I'm not bald -- I'm "hair challenged".
[I thought that was "differently haired". Ed...
