Page 94 (part 2)

Leaving the classification of the geological periods to Western Science, esoteric philosophy divides only the life-periods on the globe. In the present Manvantara the actual period is separated into seven Kalpas and seven great human races. Its first Kalpa, answering to the "Primordial Epoch," is the age of the -- [[Second Column continued on next page]] [[Footnote(s)]] ------------------------------------------------- * The root and basic idea of the origin and transformation of species -- the heredity (of acquired faculties) seems to have found lately very serious opponents in Germany. Du Bois-Reymond and Dr. Pffuger, the physiologists, besides other men of science as eminent as any, find insuperable difficulties and even impossibilities in the doctrine. ** History of Creation, p. 20. [[Vol. 2, Page]] 712 THE SECRET DOCTRINE. [[First Column continued from previous page]] PRIMORDIAL E POCH (Laurentian System, Cambrian System, Silurian System) The Primordial Epoch is, science tells us, by no means devoid of vegetable and animal life. In the Laurentian deposits are found specimens of the Eozoon Canadense - - a chambered shell. In the Silurian are discovered sea-weeds ( algae ), molluscs, crustacea, and lower marine organisms, also the first trace of fishes. The primordial Epoch shows algae, molluscs, crustacea, polyps, and marine organisms, etc., etc. Science teaches, therefore, that marine life was present from the very beginnings of time, leaving us, however, to speculate for ourselves as to how life appeared on earth. If it rejects the Biblical "Creation" (as we do), why does it not give us another, approximately plausible hypothesis? PRIMARY (Devonian***, Coal, Permian) [[First Column continued on next page]] [[Second Column continued from previous page]] " PRIMEVAL "* ( Deva or Divine men, the "Creators" and Progenitors.**) The Esoteric Philosophy agrees with the statement made by science (see parallel column), demurring, however, in one particular. The 300,000,000 years of vegetable life (see "Brahminical Chronology") preceded the "Divine Men," or Progenitors. Also, no teaching denies that there were traces of life within the Earth besides the Eozoon Canadense in the Primordial Epoch. Only, whereas the said vegetation belonged to this Round, the zoological relics now found in the Laurentian, Cambrian, and Silurian systems, so called, are the relics of the Third Round. At first astral like the rest, they consolidated and materialized pari passu with the NEW vegetation. " PRIMARY " -- Divine Progenitors, SECONDARY GROUPS, and the 2 1/2 races. "Fern-forests, Sigillaria, Coniferae, fishes, first trace of reptiles." Thus saith modern science; the esoteric doctrine repeats that which was said above. These are all relics of the preceding Round.**** Once, however, the prototypes are projected out of the astral envelope of the earth, an indefinite amount of modification ensues. [[Second Column continued on next page]] [[Footnote(s)]] ------------------------------------------------- * The same names are retained as those given by science, to make the parallels clearer. Our terms are quite different. ** Let the student remember that the Doctrine teaches that there are seven degrees of Devas or "Progenitors," or seven classes, from the most perfect to the less exalted. *** It may be said that we are inconsistent in not introducing into this table a [[Footnote continued on next page]] [[Vol. 2, Page]] 713 THE TWO SCIENCES CONTRASTED. [[First Column continued from previous page]] S ECONDARY (Triassic. Jurassic. Chalk or Cretaceous.) This is the age of Reptiles, of the gigantic Megalosauri, Ichthyosauri, Plesiosauri, etc., etc. Science denies the presence of man in that period. If so, it has to explain how men came to know of these monsters and describe them before the age of Cuvier? The old annals of China, India, Egypt, and even of Judea are full of them, as demonstrated elsewhere. In this period also appear the first (marsupial) mammals***** -- Insectivorous, carnivorous, phytophagous; and (as Prof. Owen thinks) an herbivorous hoofed mammal. Science does not admit the appearance of man before the close of the [[First Column continued on next page]] [[Second Column continued from previous page]] S ECONDARY -- According to every calculation the Third Race had already made its appearance, as during the Triassic there were already a few mammals, and it must have separated. This, then, is the age of the Third Race, in which the origins of the early Fourth may be perhaps also discoverable. We are, however, here left entirely to conjecture, as no definite data are yet given out by the Initiates. The analogy is but a poor one, still it may be argued that, as the early Mammalia and pre-mammalia are shown in their evolution merging from one kind into a higher one, anatomically, so are the human races in their procreative processes. A parallel might certainly be found between the Monotremata, the Didelphia (or Marsupialia) and the placental Mammals, divided in their turn into three orders****** [[Second Column continued on next page]] [[Footnote(s)]] ------------------------------------------------- [[Footnote continued from previous page]] Primary-Age Man. The parallelism of Races and geological periods here adopted, is, so far as the origin of 1 st and 2 nd are concerned, purely tentative, no direct information being available. Having previously discussed the question of a possible Race in the Carboniferous Age, it is needless to renew the debate. **** During the interim from one Round to another, the globe and everything on it remains in statu quo. Remember, Vegetation began in its ethereal form before what is called the Primordial, running through the Primary, and condensing in it, and reaching its full physical life in the Secondary. ***** Geologists tell us that "in the secondary epoch, the only mammals which have been (hitherto) discovered in Europe are the fossil remains of a small marsupial or pouch-bearer." ( Knowledge, March 31, 1882, p 464.) Surely the marsupial or didelphis (the only surviving animal of the family of those who were on earth during the presence on it of androgyne man) cannot be the only animal that was then on earth? Its presence speaks loudly for that of other (though unknown) mammals, besides the monotremes and marsupials, and thus shows the appellation of "mammalian age" given only to the Tertiary period to be misleading and erroneous; as it allows one to infer that there were no mammals, but reptiles, birds, amphibians, and fishes alone in the Mesozoic times -- the Secondary.