The Great School of Natural Science

The School of Natural Science was founded in Stockton, California, in 1883 by John E. Richardson, then an attorney. His spiritual pilgrimage had led him from his Baptist upbringing to Spiritualism to a negative evaluation of Spiritualist phenomena. The occasion for founding the school was Richard-son's encounter with a stranger at the Grand Central Hotel in Stockton. The stranger introduced himself as "Hoo-Kna-ka," a representative of the School of the Master, headquartered in India. He traced Richardson's pilgrimage and with Richard-son's consent began to teach him what became known as the Great Work.

In 1894 Richardson moved to Chicago, where he associated with Florence Huntley. They founded the Indo-American Book Company in 1907, which published Richardson's books, the Harmonic Series. They also began the periodical Life in Action. The work flourished for a decade until 1916, when charges of financial mismanagement were leveled at TK, the name under which Richardson was known by members of the school. Richardson soon moved to California and reorganized the work, which still survives.

The school teaches that universal intelligence is revealed through immutable laws. Nature is engaged in the evolution of individual intelligences and impels individuals to higher levels of consciousness. The individual is an immortal soul, which passes through a succession of physical and spiritual bodies. The soul possesses free will. Freely conforming to natural law leads to self-mastery, poise, and happiness.

It may be contacted at P.O. Box 1115, Cedar Ridge, California 95924. It offers correspondence courses on the school's teachings. Website: http://school-of-natsci.org.

Sources:

Richardson, J. E. The Great Message. Great School of Natural Science, 1950.

——. The Great Work. Chicago: Indo-American, 1907.

——. Who Answers Prayer? Great School of Natural Science, 1954.

West, Sylvester A. TK and the Great Work in America. Chicago: The Author, 1918.