Вы находитесь на странице: 1из 6

Theosophical Siftings

Capital Punishment

Vol 3, No 1

Capital Punishment
by Franz Hartmann, M.D.
Reprinted from Theosophical Siftings Volume 3 The Theosophical Publishing Societ , !ngland

"Page 3# $%&'! a (a)e of spiritual enlightenment is passing o)er the (orld, calling forth )arious reforms in the political and social relations of humanit , there is one e*tremel dar+ spot in the mind of man+ind, into (hich this light does not seem to be able to penetrate, namel , the idea of +illing criminals for the purpose of punishing them, This idea is a superstition, arising from an entire ignorance of the true nature of man- a relic of the .ar+ /ges, a blot on the character of humanit , &t (as to be e*pected that in conse0uence of the rapid spreading of progressi)e ideas, disseminated b Theosophical literature, this remnant of a barbaric custom (ould graduall disappear, &nstead of that, the /ustrian la(ma+ers ha)e 1ust re)ised the penal code, retaining capital punishment, and, the facult of medicine ha)ing memoriali2ed the 3inister of 4ustice recommending the cutting off of the heads of criminals in the place of hanging them, &n the most progressi)e countr of the (orld 5 the 6nited States of /merica 5 legal +illing b means of electricit is about to be introduced, (hile in other so7called ci)ili2ed countries the carelessness of allo(ing oneself to be caught for committing a crime is punished b hanging, garrotting, shooting, or b the guillotine, The first 0uestion (hich arises in the consideration of this sub1ect is8 9$hat is the ob1ect of +illing a criminal :9 The second 0uestion is, 9&s that ob1ect attained : 9 The onl imaginable ob1ects in +illing a criminal are8 1;To inflict punishment on him for ha)ing acted against the la(- <; To render him incapable to do further mischief, and thereb to protect societ , The age in (hich criminals (ere tortured has passed a(a - the authorities are content upon finding a (a b (hich the death penalt can be inflicted (ith the least possible suffering to the delin0uent- and e)en inflicting mental suffering upon the candidate for death is a)oided, because, instead of causing him to get frightened b imagining the horrors of hell, e)er thing is done to ma+e him belie)e that his sins are forgi)en, and that he (ill be recei)ed (ith open arms in the celestial +ingdom, The 9punishment9 is, therefore, e)identl not intended to produce ph sical or mental= suffering, and if the criminal is a man of courage, and does not fear death, there (ill be no horror of d ing, there (ill be no suffering, and the onl possible punishment for him is the loss of his life, No( the medical fraternit inform us that as soon as "Page ># the heart and the brain of a person are paral sed, there is an end to his consciousness, &f this is true, then the criminal, as soon as he is +illed, is unconscious of e)er ha)ing li)ed- he is unconscious of e)er ha)ing lost his life, and (here, then, is the punishment in causing a man a loss of (hich he is not a(are, and in ta+ing a(a from him something that he (ill ne)er miss: &t is li+e ta+ing a(a from a person something that ne)er belonged to him, and of (hich he does not e)en +no( that it e*ists, Seen from this point of )ie(, capital punishment is a total failure, because, besides frightening a timid criminal for a fe( hours or da s before his death, there is no pain inflicted upon him- and e)en this mental torture, if an , is not inflicted b the la(, but merel b the criminal=s o(n imagination, and b his Page 1

Theosophical Siftings

Capital Punishment

Vol 3, No 1

belief regarding the state after death, The capital punishment being, therefore, merel an imaginar punishment, does not fulfil its ob1ect as a punishment, and the onl remaining 0uestion is (hether societ can protect itself better b +illing a criminal than b shutting him up in a prison and see+ing to educate him and to impro)e his character, /t a time (hen no con)enient prisons e*isted, and (hen the onl means of protecting oneself (as to +ill the aggressor, the +illing of criminals ma ha)e appeared to be useful and necessar - but at the present state of ci)ili2ation, (here the countr abounds (ith prisons, there is, to sa the least, no necessit for +illing an offender against the la(- nor is there an financial profit arising from +illing him, because, besides the cost of the e*ecution, the ?o)ernment loses his labour, There is still another reason gi)en b the ad)ocates of capital punishment for its continuation, namel , the (holesome effect (hich it (ill ha)e of frightening other criminall 7inclined people into remaining )irtuous9- but it is )er doubtful (hether the defenders of such an argument belie)e it themsel)es, or (hether the ha)e e)er seriousl considered it- because it is (ell +no(n that the la( does actuall ne)er punish a crime unless the criminal is caught, and, therefore, the punishment is rather for ha)ing committed the crime in a bungling manner, (hich in)ol)ed disco)er , than for committing it- and the onl thing (hich the captured criminal regrets is that he (as not cunning enough to a)oid being caught, and the onl sincere resol)e (hich he forms in his o(n mind is to be more careful the ne*t time, so as not to be caught again, 3oreo)er, the moralit of a people (hich is based onl upon co(ardice arising from fear of punishment is (orth )er little, and the passions, merel restrained and pent up b fear, accumulate and gro( in strength, The pent7up passions of a nation restrained b fear resemble a mine loaded (ith d namite, (aiting for a fa)ourable moment to e*plode, (hen the result (ill be such as has been (itnessed during the horrors of the @rench Re)olution, Thus, seen from a merel e*ternal and 9materialistic9 point of )ie(, capital punishment is useless and unnecessar - but a correct conception of its "Page A# true nature and conse0uences can onl be formed if (e loo+ belo( the surface appearances and stud the true nature of 9life9 and of the constitution of man, There is nothing more irrational than the attempts (hich ha)e been made b our modern 9rationalists9 of separating science from philosoph , &n doing so, science, so7called, condemned itself of being merel a science of e*ternal appearances and phenomena, relegating the causes of such e*ternal appearances to the region of the 9un+no(able9, &t is admitted b all modern and ancient philosophers that a tree is the result of something capable to produce a tree- i.e., of the action of some in)isible principle, or 9potentialit 9, residing in a +ernel and capable to de)elop into a tree- and li+e(ise that the organism of man is the result of something in)isible in connection (ith a po(er (hose manifestation is called 9life9but material science, in disregarding and den ing the e*istence of causes (hich she cannot see (ith material e es, ma+es of e)er man and of e)er tree a miracle (hose e*istence cannot be e*plained, Bccult science sa s that the principle (hich causes the appearance of a tree, or (hich manifests itself in the human form as a man, is the real thing of importance (hich is to be ta+en into consideration- and that the e*ternal form, be it that of a man or of a tree, is nothing else but an e*ternal form (hose importance does not transcend the plane (hereon it e*ists, She sa s that (hile the form or appearance perishes, the po(er (hich caused that form to e*ist remains, and (ill be capable, under fa)ourable conditions, to produce another similar form, be it a man or a tree, e*hibiting the same 0ualities as the former, There is onl this difference, that (hile the seed of a tree ma be destro ed, the spiritual 9seed9 (hich produces the soul of a man cannot be destro ed b capital punishment, but (ill, under fa)ourable conditions, Page 2

Theosophical Siftings

Capital Punishment

Vol 3, No 1

produce such a man again as sure as the seed of a thistle (ill produce nothing else but a thistle, /ll this is taught b the doctrine of Reincarnation, a doctrine (ith (hich our scientists ought to ma+e themsel)es familiar, if the do not prefer to remain in ignorance regarding that (hich is of supreme importance in stud ing the nature of man, This doctrine, then, teaches us that, in depri)ing the spirit of a criminal of his ph sical bod , (e do not +ill the cause that produced the criminal, and that this cause (ill in due time produce another criminal of the same +ind, if not of a still (orse character, as the un1ust act of robbing him of his life (ill ha)e caused a sense and desire of re)enge and an embitterment of the spirit, C capital punishment (e, therefore, at best, defer the manifestation of an e)il cause for some future time, and gi)e to a future generation an e)il inheritance, (ith (hich (e oursel)es ought to ha)e contended, and (hich (e ought to ha)e sought to ameliorate, This is, ho(e)er, not all, &t might be said that (e do not care about the troubles that (ill affect future generations, and that it is all (e can do to protect and ta+e care of oursel)es- but a deeper "Page D# in)estigation in the in)isible nature of man (ill sho( us that in +illing the bod of a criminal (e do not get rid of the po(ers that constituted him a criminal, and that these po(ers, after ha)ing been depri)ed of one instrument for their manifestation, (ill continue to manifest themsel)es in other still less con)enient (a s, To understand this it (ill be necessar to thro( a glance at the constitution of man, as it is taught b those (ho ha)e the capacit to +no( it- and for the sa+e of those (ho are not familiar (ith the doctrines of Bccultism, (e (ill attempt to outline that constitution in comprehensible terms, /ccording to the doctrines of the sages, 3an is a fourfold manifestation of consciousness, or, in other (ords, a trinit of spirit and bod , (ith the intermediar lin+ called the 9 soul,9 the latter being di)isible into the purel animal and the di)inel human soul, To the former belong the animal emotions and passions, to the latter the higher po(ers of the mind, $e ma , therefore, classif these four states of consciousness as four principles, gi)ing them the follo(ing familiar names8 1, ?B., the /tma, the 9di)ine Self9, i,e,, the .i)init in man, a uni)ersal po(er, e*isting in the ma1orit of the criminals, onl , so to sa , in a dormant or latent state, and not ha)ing arri)ed at a state of self7 consciousness in them, This means that the criminal is not a saint, and does not +no( the god that is hidden in him, and (hom to a(a+en to consciousness is the ob1ect of human life, an ob1ect frustrated b the e*ecution of the criminal, This principle, (hether a(a+ened or not, cannot be e*ecuted and +illed- it is the real and true Self, and returns to its di)ine source after the death of the bod , as is also taught b the Church, (hich, at the funeral ser)ice, relegates 9the bod to !arth, and the spirit to ?od9, <, The 3&N., This (e understand not to be the thin+ing facult of the brain, but that principle (hich manifests itself as thought and (ill in the material brain, i.e., that (hich enables the brain to thin+ b the aid of the ph siological processes ta+ing place in the li)ing sub1ect, !)en if the head is cut off and the brain (ith (hich man used to thin+ is destro ed, the thought7producing principle cannot be +illed- but after being depri)ed of its instrument for manifestation, it enters into its o(n state of being, (hich in criminals of the ordinar +ind is presumabl that (hich is called Devachan, (here it rests in its sub1ecti)e condition until the time arri)es (hen it (ill be reincarnated upon the earth, and e)ol)e a ne( ph sical bod (ith the same tendencies (hich it possessed in its former life, 3, The /STR/' SB6', &t is (ell +no(n that the ph sical bod or 9corpse9 of a man is not the man himself, but merel an instrument formed b nature, in and through (hich the consciousness of man ma manifest its mental and ph sical po(ers- in other (ords, man is not himself his o(n nature, but he has an e)erchanging organism, in (hich his Etemporar ; nature is manifesting "Page F# itself, The same is the case (ith his astral soul, the seat of his passions and emotions, The astral soul is not the man himself, Page 3

Theosophical Siftings

Capital Punishment

Vol 3, No 1

but merel a principle (herein the good and e)il po(ers e*isting on the astral plane are manifesting themsel)es, in the same sense as cold manifests itself in an icicle- to destro the icicle does not destro the cold, e)en if that piece of ice (ere bro+en into a thousand pieces- and if the icicle is molten and e)aporated, the same cold (ill be able to cause the )apour to condense and to free2e into ice again, This means to sa that in the astral plane of the (orld there e*ist certain influences of a good and an e)il +ind, comparable to miasmas in the ph sical atmosphere of our planet- and as those miasmas (ill be attracted to those (ho are especiall susceptible for them, and cause epidemic diseases, li+e(ise these astral influences are attracted to those animal souls in men and (omen (here the find a congenital soil to gro( and de)elop, 1ust as the life principle in a cherr tree attracts from the soil and the atmosphere all that is necessar to build up a cherr tree and nothing else, The animal soul of a hardened criminal is a fruitful soil (here e)il astral influences are readil attracted to and de)eloped, These e)il tendencies are not the man himself- the merel belong to his nature and are acting in and through him, The cannot be +illed b +illing the bod , but if the ph sical form (herein the are acti)e is destro ed, these po(ers for e)il are liberated and free to be attracted to and to manifest themsel)es in other human souls (here the find points of attraction, in the same sense as the cold liberated b e)aporation (ill cause (ater (ith (hich it comes into contact to free2e and cr stalli2e, &f (e +ill a malefactor, (e liberate his o(n essential ego of the e)il influences (hich had possession of him, and (e enable these influences to fasten upon the souls of innocent but sensiti)e persons, in (hich the create e)il inclinations and thoughts, and (hich ma then repeat the same crime for (hich the criminal (as e*ecuted, The (orld is full of such sensiti)e and mediumistic persons, and it is a +no(n fact that crimes sometimes become epidemic, and that if a criminal has been e*ecuted for some especiall atrocious crime, crimes of a similar nature are often heard of soon after(ards, The e*ecution of a criminal in this respect has the same effect as pouring out a stin+ing fluid upon the public thoroughfare (ith the good intention of getting rid of the e)il odour, and thereb poisoning the (hole communit b the Eps chic; stench that (as at first confined to onl one place, >, The P%GS&C/' CB.G, The 9corpse9 5 the e*ternal form (ith its inherent life principle and 9 magnetic bod ,9 or 9perisprit9, This is merel an e*ternal instrument for the inner man, and incapable per se to do an thing good or e)il, unless made to act b the astral soul or the mind, &t is merel an innocent )ictim of the natural forces acting therein, and to punish it for the sins (hich the inner man committed through its instrumentalit is li+e hanging "Page H# a stic+ (ith (hich a murder has been committed, or tearing to pieces the o)ercoat of a thief, &f the abo)e is ta+en into due consideration, it (ill be seen that in e*ecuting a criminal nobod is actuall punished e*cept those sensiti)e and innocent people (ho are deficient of the po(er, of self7control, and (ho ma become infested (ith the e)il influences arising from the liberated animal soul of the criminal, and (hich ma cause them to become criminals themsel)es, The other persons that are punished b the performance of such an official act are the 1udge, the 1urors, and the e*ecutioner, together (ith those that sanctioned the infliction of 9capital punishment9, and the degree in (hich the punish themsel)es (ill depend on (hether the are thus sinning consciousl or unconsciousl , and (hether or not the are a(are of the true nature of capital punishment and its conse0uences, This is e*plained b the action of the la( of Karma, a la( (hich e)er la( er and 1udge ought to +no( abo)e all, as it is the supreme la( for administering 1ustice in the uni)erse, &t teaches that the uni)erse is a (hole, and that no indi)idual can inflict the slightest in1ur upon an other indi)idual (ithout e*periencing himself the full effect of his actsor, as !d(in /rnold e*presses it in his 9 'ight of /sia,9 (hich, e)en if it is a poem, ne)ertheless embodies the most undeniable truths8 5

Page 4

Theosophical Siftings

Capital Punishment

Vol 3, No 1

9C this Ela(; the sla er=s +nife did stab himselfThe un1ust 1udge hath lost his o(n defenderThe false tongue dooms its lie- the creeping thief /nd spoiler rob to render, 9Such is the la( (hich mo)es to righteousness, $hich none at last can turn aside or sta The heart of it is lo)e- the end of it &s peace and consummation s(eet, Bbe I9 The la( of Jarma is the la( of 1ustice and retribution, b (hich the harmon in the uni)erse, (hich has been bro+en, is restored, &t is a la( (hich is administered b nobod 5 neither b a ?od nor b a man 5 and its action is therefore not to be a)oided or th(arted, neither b bribes nor b pra ers or arguments, &t is the 'a( itself, and administers itself (ithout partialit , its effects being in e*act accordance (ith the causes that produced them, There is, therefore, an ade0uate punishment for e)er sin, and there is no necessit that an mortal man should presume to put himself in the place of the la( and 1udge o)er the destin of the soul of another human being, /ll that a man has a right and a dut in regard to criminals is to teach and instruct them, to educate and aid them to get rid of their o(n e)il inclinations- for it ought to be +ept in mind that as long as a man has no perfect self7+no(ledge, his (ill cannot be perfectl free, The ignorant man does nothing good "Page K# or e)il himself- he follo(s the thoughts that lead him, The man (ho has no master o)er himself is mastered b the influences (hich are controlling him, &t is not our ob1ect at present to in)estigate the )arious methods (hich are emplo ed to enforce prison discipline, The ma be good or the ma be bad- the ma or ma not be adapted to teach criminals - but surel the +illing of a criminal can teach him nothing- it can onl arouse in his soul a spirit of fear, embitterment and re)enge, because he instincti)el +no(s that no man has a right to rob him of his life, The la( of Jarma is the la( of impartial 1ustice, (hich claims an e e for an e e and a tooth for a tooth, and (hich sa s that he (ho +ills (ith the s(ord shall perish b the s(ord, Ceing a uni)ersal la(, it applies itself ali+e to a criminal as to a 1udge on the bench- it is no respecter of persons- it pa s no re)erence to 1udicial (igs and go(ns, and e)en Ro alt is not e*empt from premature deaths produced b the action of the Jarma of former li)es, %e (ho condemns a fello(7being to death (ill necessaril suffer for it, either in this or some future life upon the earth, %e ma condemn a man, ha)ing, at the same time, the best of intentions, and he ma ha)e his o(n life cut short (hile he still has the best intentions, Some poet as+s the 0uestion about man in the follo(ing (ords85 9But of !arth=s elements, mingled (ith flame, But of 'ife=s compound of glor and shame, @ashioned and shaped b no (ill of our o(n, %elplessl into life=s histor thro(n, Corn to conditions (e could not foresee, Corn b a la( (hich compels us to be, Corn b one la(, through all Nature the same, $hat ma+es us differ and (ho is to blame : 9

Page 5

Theosophical Siftings

Capital Punishment

Vol 3, No 1

Bur ans(er to this 0uer is that humanit , being a unit, the condition of the (hole is responsible for the condition of each single indi)idual, and that unit being made up of indi)iduals, each indi)idual is responsible for the conditions (hich affect the (hole, and the responsibilit of either is in e*act proportion to its capacit to teach and enlighten the other, Therefore, instead of +illing one another, (e ought to aid each ether in coming to life, for no one can be said to be trul ali)e as long as he does not +no( his o(n di)ine self, and that true Self embraces and includes the (hole of creation, because ?od is in, and through, and abo)e /ll,

Page 6

Вам также может понравиться