Kingdoms of Life
The Kingdoms of Life in biology are the highest rank among the taxonomic categories, grouping together all forms of life that have certain fundamental characteristics in common. In modern science, organisms are classified into one of six Kingdoms of life. These Kingdoms are Archaebacteria, Eubacteria, Protista, Fungi, Plantae, and Animalia. Sometimes Archaebacteria and Eubacteria are grouped together under the single kingdom of "Monera".
The Esoteric philosophy considers that life pervades the whole universe and therefore includes minerals among its kingdoms. It also regards human beings as separate from animals, due to the former having acquired manas. Finally, it describes the existence of three non physical kingdoms. Thus, we find seven categories that include three elemental kingdoms, mineral, plants, animals, and human beings.
General description
There are seven kingdoms. The 1st group comprises three degrees of elementals, or nascent centres of forces—from the first stage of differentiation of Mulaprakriti to its third degree,—i.e., from full unconsciousness to semi-perception; the 2nd or higher group embraces the kingdoms from vegetable to man; the mineral kingdom thus forming the central or turning point in the degrees of the “Monadic Essence”—considered as an Evoluting Energy. Three stages in the elemental side; the mineral kingdom; three stages in the objective physical side—these are the seven links of the evolutionary chain. A descent of spirit into matter, equivalent to an ascent in physical evolution; a reascent from the deepest depths of materiality (the mineral) towards its status quo ante, with a corresponding dissipation of concrete organisms up to Nirvana—the vanishing point of differentiated matter.[1]
Three elemental kingdoms
Mineral kingdom
Vegetable kingdom
Animal kingdom
The Animal Kingdom is the previous evolutionary stage to human beings.
In the Theosophical view, there is a moral responsibility for unnecessarily killing animals by civilized people who should know better:
As it is no fault of the former, if born a "savage" with an instinct to kill — though it caused the death of many an innocent animal — why, if with it all, he was a loving father, son, husband, why should he not also enjoy his share of reward? The case would be quite different if the same cruel acts had been done by an educated and civilized person, from a mere love of sport. The savage in being reborn would simply take a low place in the scale, by reason of his imperfect moral development; while the Karma of the other would be tainted with moral delinquency.[2]
Human kingdom
Online resources
Articles
- Clairvoyant Observation of Minerals by Tony Bondar