All worlds pass through seven great periods of manifestations called Rounds. Spiritual at first, they become denser and darker in the downward cycle, the fourth of which is the densest and our present material world. Thence begins its upward movement toward spirituality. The advantage gained is the experience and ultimately the emancipation of the soul. In each of these rounds, periods of incalculable duration, there are seven great root-races. Each root-race has seven subdivisions or sub-races corresponding with the rounds, which become more material from the first to the fourth. We are at present in the fifth sub-race of the fifth root-race, and on the upward cycle of the fourth round. Evolution is constant progress, an un folding of consciousness from the most primitive forms of life to the highest intelligence.
Humanity is one great family. All souls are the same in essence, but they differ in degrees of development; each hears a certain relation to the others and to the whole. The apparent separateness of beings is overcome by the ex periences of its involution and evolution. The more advanced souls are the natural guardians of the less developed. Man is composed of seven principles, which are divided into a lower or mortal, and a higher or immortal nature. The lower nature, constituting his personality, is fourfold. One-fourth, the physical body, is visible. three-fourths invisible. These three are the astral or design body (lingo .{arhhoI, on which are molded the physical atoms, then the life principle, and the principle of desire. The physical body (stk :41rire) is material out form. It is held in form by the astral body, and moved to action by the fire of desire ( ma ). This fourfold nature is common to all animal beings, is mortal and subject to dissolution at death. The higher nature of man is threefold, the mind (maims) soul (buddki), and spirit (r: t m n) . The mind distinguishes man from the animal. It makes him appear to be separate from others by his self-consciousness. Entering the animal body, the mind thinks of itself as separate from others. The soul is universal, overcoming separateness and showing relation ship of soul with soul. The spirit is the one indivisible which passes through all things and unites them with each other. Death is the separation of the principles. The physical body returns to the elements which gave it. The astral body disintegrates more slowly. The life passes at once into the universal life Desire forms itself into a body (kr:ma which gradually becomes exhausted, leav ing seeds (skandhas) from which the return ing soul forms a later and new personality.
The trinity of mind, soul, and spirit, when frees from the trammels of a mortal garment, passes through certain states of consciousness until it reaches the condition called heaven (dPrscavna), where it enjoys a period of bliss and rest proportionate to its good thoughts and ideals while on earth. When these exalted ideals have been exhausted. its period of rest is at an
end and it descends gradually to earth. The trinity, after enjoying its rest, and realizing those ideals which could not be attained on earth, is attracted again to earth by the unfulfilled long ings and desires which remain behind as seeds. These it animates. It sinks into the emotional world, is attracted to a particular family, who can furnish a body and surroundings suited to its new experience, and is reborn into this world. The higher nature must become consciously im mortal, that is to say, it must acquire a con tinuity of consciousness, thus making it con sciously immortal while in the physical body. One earth-life is not sufficient. Hence rebirth into the school of life is the lot of the soul until all the lessons have been learned. This doctrine is closely associated with that of Karma, which it the law of balance, of action and reaction, of effect inevitably connected with the preceding cause. Applied to man. it is a moral law of un erring justice, and to it all other laws, physical and otherwise, are subservient. It returns to man measure for measure his good or evil thoughts and deeds. It is inseparable from re incarnation. Man has his Karma in his duties. It is by performing every duty willingly that Karma is exhausted. If one evades the duty of the moment. Karma will ultimately compel him to perform that which is the outcome of his past thoughts and acts. Karma is the cause, rein carnation the effect. Karma is the action and interaction between desire and mind.
The phenomenon of life is a question of planes or states of consciousness. Consciousness is one, but matter is of seven grades or states. Con sciousness of matter is the result of an evolution independent of it, which endows it with a con sciousness of each of the seven planes or states on which that matter is manifested. Conscious ness remains the same in all planes. The seven states of consciousness are: Elemental, or atomic (prokrti), which is a simple conscious ness of the elements of matter. Mineral or molecular consciousness (lingo ..artra) is the consolidating of the elements into form accord ing to a definite principle of design. Vegetable or cellular consciousness (prim a) is a recom bining of that matter through growth and expan sion by the principle of life. Animal or organic consciousness (hinm) is the directing of the life of matter and design by the principle of desire. Human or '1—am—I' consciousness (manas) is the self-identifying of the conscious ness, as being distinct and separate from others by the intelligent principle of mind. At this point a man may rise to the divine or sink below the consciousness of the brute—at will. Uni versal or 'I am thee and thou art I' consciousness (b/u/dhi) is the relating of the elements and of all souls with each other, thus overcoming the sense of separateness of the mind by the prin ciple of the divine soul. Divine consciousness eit man) sees no separateness but unites all as one.