ceoln reviewed Karma and rebirth by Christmas Humphreys
Review of 'Karma and rebirth' on 'Goodreads'
3 stars
Not sure what to think of ol' Christmas H. here. His bio says that he split with the Theosophists and went all Buddhist considerably before this was written (let alone reissued), yet this is a solid Theosophical syncretic mish-mash, all about how all religions are but aspects of the one original Divine Wisdom ((tm) H. Blavatsky 1875) which includes the Law of Karma and Rebirth as simplified and packaged up for the target audience of potential donors. (What, me cynical?)
Because the back cover blurb emphasizes C.H.'s being "Founder-President of the Buddhist Society, London", I was vaguely expecting some account of the Buddhist understanding of karma and rebirth (having recently seen Hemant Mehta's video that casually dismisses it all as supernatural woo, and looking for a counter), and in particular some thoughts on the very simple literal idea that if I break my foot today it's because in my last …
Not sure what to think of ol' Christmas H. here. His bio says that he split with the Theosophists and went all Buddhist considerably before this was written (let alone reissued), yet this is a solid Theosophical syncretic mish-mash, all about how all religions are but aspects of the one original Divine Wisdom ((tm) H. Blavatsky 1875) which includes the Law of Karma and Rebirth as simplified and packaged up for the target audience of potential donors. (What, me cynical?)
Because the back cover blurb emphasizes C.H.'s being "Founder-President of the Buddhist Society, London", I was vaguely expecting some account of the Buddhist understanding of karma and rebirth (having recently seen Hemant Mehta's video that casually dismisses it all as supernatural woo, and looking for a counter), and in particular some thoughts on the very simple literal idea that if I break my foot today it's because in my last life I was Nigel B. Strumley of Waring-in-the-Fields, Sussex, and he once kicked a puppy; as against the subtler idea that everything that happens to anyone is a result of everything everyone has ever done, and that my consciousness and identity are at bottom one with everyone else's.
This book didn't give me that, though. C.H. in a couple of places comes right out and says that those who suffer deserve it because of things that they specifically did in past lives (not that we shouldn't help them anyway), but then in other places appears to waffle a bit and say it's not that simple. But he doesn't go into it with any depth.
(Unrelatedly, I can't help noting with amusement the passage in which he brusquely dismisses the idea of rebirth in animal or otherwise nonhuman form, giving as justification "says Mr. Walker, who studied the subject closely". So very British somehow!)
So I dunno. Three stars as a historical document about the state of Theosophist syncretic thought on the subjects at the time, and as containing bits of small-w wisdom that might help a seeker if read at just the right time. But no more than that for sounding so much like it's about to hit the reader up for a donation to assist in the spread of the Divine Wisdom of the Secret Masters (call before midnight and we'll throw in this lovely set of tea towels!).