Theos-Talk Archives (March 2003 Message tt00403)

Sunday, March 23, 2003

ROUNDS GLOBES RACES

Dear Katinka

I hope this will help:

-----------------------------

ROUND AND RACES


SCALES OF INTELLIGENCE -- THE SAGES

The Theosophist agrees ...that there must be beings in the universe
whose intelligence is as much beyond ours as ours exceeds that of the
black beetle, and those possessing such advanced intelligence
naturally take an active and cooperative part in the government of the
natural order of things. They are the active, and wise assistants of
Nature, [the UNIVERSE] as a whole. The Theosophist adds that such
Wise Sages are Intelligences which were once human, and came like all
of us from other and previous worlds.

The most intelligent being in the universe, man, has never, been
without a friend, but has a line of elder brothers who continually
watch over the progress of the less progressed, preserve the knowledge
gained through aeons of trial and experience, and continually seek for
opportunities of drawing the developing intelligence of the race to
consider the great truths concerning the destiny of the soul.

We are therefore not appearing for the first time when we come upon
this planet, but have pursued a long, an immeasurable course of
activity and intelligent perception on other systems of globes, some
of which were destroyed ages before the solar system condensed.


UNIVERSAL EVOLUTION -- ITS RECORDS

This immense reach of the evolutionary system means, that this planet
on which we now are, is the result of the activity and the evolution
of some earlier one that died long ago. It left its energy to be used
in the bringing into existence the earth. Further, the inhabitants of
the Earth, in their turn, came from some older world. They are now
proceeding with their destined work in the "matter" we are familiar
with here.

The Elder Brothers of the human race, keep the knowledge they have
gained of the laws of nature in all departments, and are ready when
cyclic law permits to use it for the benefit of mankind. They have
always existed as a body, all knowing each other, no matter in what
part of the world they may be, and all working for the race in many
different ways. [see ISIS UNVEILED, Vol. 2, pp. 98-103]

They have stood by the cradle of nations and seen the vast
achievements of the ancients, watched sadly the decay of those who had
no power to resist the cyclic law of rise and fall; and while
cataclysms seemed to show a universal destruction of art,
architecture, religion, and philosophy, they have preserved the
records of it all in places secure from the ravages of either men or
time. They have made minute observations, through trained psychics
among their own order, into the unseen realms of nature and of mind,
recorded the observations, and have preserved the record. And,
greater feat than all -- one which implies a knowledge of the very
foundations of nature -- they know what the ultimate divisions of time
are and what are the meaning and the times of the cycles. [ see SECRET
DOCTRINE Vol. I, pp. 272-3 ]


CYCLES OF KNOWLEDGE AND EVOLUTION

Under cyclic law, during a dark period in the history of mind, the
true philosophy disappears for a time, but the same law causes it to
reappear. It is the Master's work to preserve the true philosophy,
but the help of the companions is needed to rediscover and promulgate
it.

The periods, when out of the Great Unknown there comes forth the
visible universes, are eternal in their coming and going. These
alternate with equal periods of silence and rest in that Unknown. The
object of these mighty waves is the production of Perfect Man, the
evolution of Soul, and they always witness the increase of the number
of Elder Brothers. The Elder Brothers are the highest product of
evolution through whom alone, in cooperation with the whole human
family, the further regular and workmanlike prosecution of the plans
of the Great Architect of the Universe can be carried on. The Sanskrit
"Mahatma" best identifies them. It means "Great Soul," and as all men
are Souls, the distinction of the Mahatma lies in greatness.


THEOSOPHY DEALS WITH OUR EARTH IN THE UNIVERSE

The teachings of Theosophy deal for the present with our earth,
although its purview extends to all the worlds, since no part of the
manifested universe is outside the single body of laws which operate
upon us. Our globe being one of the solar system is certainly
connected with other planets, but as the great human family has to
remain with its material vehicle -- the earth -- until all the units
of the race which are ready, are perfected, the evolution of that
family is of greater importance to the members of it.


SEVEN-FOLD NATURE AND MAN -- " 7 PRINCIPLES"

The universe evolves from the unknown, on seven planes, and in seven
ways in all worlds. And this sevenfold differentiation causes all the
worlds of the universe, and the beings thereon, to have a septenary
constitution.

The divisions of the sevenfold universe may be laid down roughly as:
The Absolute, Spirit, Mind, Matter, Will, Akasa or AEther, and Life.
In place of "the Absolute" we can use the word "Space." For "Space"
is that which ever is, and in which all manifestation must take place.

Our knowledge begins with differentiation, and all manifested objects,
beings, or powers are only differentiations of the Great Unknown.

The most that can be said of the Absolute" is that IT periodically
differentiates itself, and periodically withdraws the differentiated
into itself. As to "the Absolute," we can do no more than say IT IS.
None of the Great Teachers of the School ascribe qualities to "the
Absolute," although all qualities exist in It.

The first differentiation -- speaking metaphysically as to time -- is
Spirit, with which appears Matter and Mind. This is a Unit, and,
called the "Monad." [ In manifestation, it is a triune Unity,
consisting of: ATMA-BUDDHI-MANAS, or, Spirit - Wisdom - Mind] The
Monad is held to be immortal throughout the great life-cycle, whether
Manvantara or Kalpa. It is the basis for human Individuality.

The term "Akasa," taken from the Sanskrit, is used in place of AEther,
to properly designate that tenuous state of matter which is now
sometimes called "Ether" by modern science. Akasa is produced from
Matter and Spirit.

Will is the force of Spirit in action. And Life (Jiva) is a resultant
of the action of Akasa, moved by Spirit, upon Matter.

But the Matter here spoken of, is not that which is commonly known as
such. It is the Real Matter which is always invisible, and has
sometimes been called Primordial Matter. In the Brahmanical system it
is called "Mulaprakriti" (or "Root Matter"). And it is sometimes
referred to as "Maha-Buddhi." [In considering this, one may think of
an "atom" as essentially an eternal, individualized field of
electro-magnetic Force. Physical material is condensed in and around
it by attraction. The formation of worlds, and the reincarnation of
human Souls, may be thought of in similar terms, and follow a similar
pattern.]

The ancient teaching always held, as is now admitted by Science, that
we see or perceive only the phenomena but not the essential nature,
cause or being of Matter.


UNIVERSAL PLAN OF MANIFESTATION

Mind (the Universal Mind or Mahat) is the intelligent part of the
Cosmos. In the collection of seven differentiations roughly sketched
above, Universal Mind is that in which the Plan of the Cosmos is fixed
or contained. This Plan is brought over from a prior period of
manifestation, which added to its ever-increasing perfectness as it
proceeds. No limit can be set to its evolutionary possibilities in
perfectness, because, as there was never any beginning to the
periodical manifestations of "the Absolute," there never will be an
end, but forever the going forth and withdrawing into the Unknown will
go on.

Wherever a world or system of worlds is evolving there the Plan has
been laid down in Universal Mind, the original force comes from
Spirit, the basis is Matter -- which is in fact invisible -- Life
sustains all the forms, and Akasa is the connecting link between
Matter on one side and Spirit-Mind on the other.



EVOLUTION RECORDED IN BRAHMANICAL RECORDS

No mind can comprehend the "Infinite and Absolute Unknown," which IS,
has no beginning and shall have no end; which IS both last and first,
because, whether differentiated or withdrawn into ITSELF, IT ever is.
This is the "God" spoken of as the one around whose pavilion there is
darkness.

This cosmic and human chronology of the Hindus may still be laughed at
by western Orientalists and Scientists, yet they can furnish nothing
better and are continually disagreeing with each other on the same
subject. As years pass since Theosophy was promulgated, Science has
come closer in their estimates to the figures of the Oriental
chronology. The Brahmanical records of Hindustan, and their doctrine
about the days, nights, years and life of Brahma, who representing the
universe and the worlds, at once upset the interpretation so long
given to the Mosaic tradition, insofar as time is concerned.

The Day of Brahma is said to last one thousand years, and his night is
of equal length. This may be construed to be a statement of the
periodical coming forth, for great days and nights of equal length of
the universe of manifested worlds. A Day of Brahma is made up of what
are called Manvantaras -- or period between two men -- fourteen in
number. These include four billion three hundred and twenty million
mortal, or earth years, which is one Day of Brahma. [4,320,000,000
years] And Brahma's "Night" is of similar duration, when all is
periodically withdrawn into the "Unknown Absolute."

When this day opens, cosmic evolution, so far as relates to this solar
system, begins and occupies between one and two billions of years in
evolving the very ethereal first matter before the astral kingdoms of
mineral, vegetable, animal and men are possible.


PLANS AND MATERIAL IN EVOLUTION

In these the, very distant and very silent past, Man could not have
his bodily temple to live in, until all the matter in and about his
world had been found by the Master, the spiritual and eternal Inner
Man. Once found, the plans for working it required to be carried out
in detail, until all the parts should be perfectly ready and fit for
placing in the final structure.

Each of Man's seven principles is derived from one of the great first
seven divisions. And each relates to a planet, by analogy, or a scene
of evolution; and to a race in which that evolution was carried out.
So the first sevenfold differentiation is important to be borne in
mind, since it is the basis of all that follows; just as the universal
evolution is septenary so the evolution of humanity, sevenfold in its
constitution, is carried out upon a septenary Earth. This is spoken of
in Theosophical literature as the Sevenfold Planetary Chain, and is
intimately connected with Man's special evolution. [see SECRET
DOCTRINE Vol. I, pp. 570-574]


CONSOLIDATION OF MATERIALS AND FORMS

This second step takes some three hundred millions of years, and then
still more material processes go forward for the production of the
tangible (physical matter) kingdoms of nature, including man. This
covers over one and one-half billions of years. And the number of
solar years included in the present "human" period is over eighteen
millions of years. [SECRET DOCTRINE Vol. I, pp. 150, footnote]

During all these ages before man's physical body came into being,
evolution was carrying on the work of perfecting various powers which
are now our possession. This was accomplished by the Ego or Real Man
going through experience in countless conditions of matter, all
different one from the other, and the same plan in general was and is
pursued as prevails in respect to the general evolution of the
universe.

That is, details were first worked out in spheres of being very
ethereal, metaphysical, in fact. Then the next step brought the same
details to be worked out on a plane of matter a little more dense,
until at last it could be done on our present plane of what we miscall
"gross matter." This is called the "descent of Spirit into Matter."

When the rough work was completed, when the human "temple" was
erected, many more ages were required for all the servants, and the
councilors to learn their parts, so that man, the Master, might be
able to use the physical temple for its best and highest purposes.
Theosophy alone, inclusive of all systems and every experience, gives
the key, the plan, the doctrine, the truth of these great natural
processes.

To state it in another way. The Plan comes first in the Universal
Mind, after which the astral model or basis is made, and when that
astral model is completed, the whole process is gone over so as to
condense the matter, up to the middle of the Fourth Round.

In the vast stretch of time which began after the first almost
intangible matter had been gathered and kneaded, the material and
vegetable kingdoms had sole possession here with the Master -- man --
who was hidden from sight, within, carrying forward the plans for the
foundations of the human temple. All of this requires many, many ages,
since we know that nature never leaps.

It is stated that the stream of Monads begins first to work up the
mass of matter in what are called elemental conditions when all is
gaseous or fiery. For the ancient and true theory is that no evolution
is possible without the "Monads" as the innumerable vivifying agents.
In this first stage there is no animal or vegetable. Next comes the
mineral when the whole mass hardens, the Monads being all imprisoned
within. Then the first Monads emerge into vegetable forms which they
construct themselves, and no animals yet appear. Next the first class
of Monads emerges from the vegetable and gradually produce the animal
forms. Then, the human astral and shadowy model is constructed, and
we have minerals, vegetables, animals and future men, for the second
and later classes are still evolving in the lower kingdoms.

Upon this earth and upon the whole chain of Globes of which it is a
part seven races of men appeared simultaneously, coming over to it
from other globes of an older chain. And in respect to this earth --
the fourth of this chain -- these seven races came simultaneously from
another Globe of this chain. This appearance of seven races together
happens in the first and in part of the second Round of the globes. In
the second round the seven masses of beings are amalgamated, and their
destiny after that is to slowly differentiate during the succeeding
rounds until at the seventh round the seven first great races will be
once more distinct, as perfect types of the human race as this period
of evolution will allow. At the present time the seven races are mixed
together, and representatives of all are in the many so-called races
of men as classified by our present science. The object of this
amalgamation and subsequent differentiation is to give to every race
the benefit of the progress and power of the whole derived from prior
progress in other planets and systems. For Nature never does her work
in a hasty or undue fashion, but, by the sure method of mixture,
precipitation, and separation, brings about the greatest perfection.
And this method was one known to the Alchemists, though not fully
understood in all its bearings even by them. But there is no vagueness
on the point that seven great "Races, or types" have to evolve here on
this planet, and that the entire collection of races has to go seven
times round the whole series of seven Globes.

When the middle of the Fourth Round is reached no more Monads emerge
into the human stage, and will not until a new planetary mass,
reincarnated from ours, is made. This is the whole process roughly
given, but with many details left out, for in one of the Rounds man
appears before the animals. But this detail need lead to no confusion.

What has become at last "man" is of vastly greater age, for before the
present two sexes appeared, the human creature was sometimes of one
shape and sometimes of another, until the whole plan had been fully
worked out into our present form, function, and capacity.

This is found referred to in ancient books, where man is said to have
been at one time globular in shape. This was at a time when the
conditions favored such a form, and of course, it was longer ago than
eighteen millions of years. And when this globular form was the rule,
the sexes as we know them, had not differentiated and hence there was
but one sex, or if one prefers, no sex at all.

Human beings did not appear here in two sexes first. The first were of
no sex, then they altered into hermaphrodite, and lastly separated
into male and female. And this separation into male and female for
human beings was over 18,000,000 years ago. For that reason is it
said, in these ancient schools, that our humanity is 18,000,000 years
old and a little over.


ROUNDS, GLOBES, RACES

The sevenfold Earth is a living oneness -- a sentient entity -- and
not a mere lump of gross matter. Being an entity of a septenary
nature, there must be six other Globes which roll with it in space.

This company of seven Globes has been called the "Earth Chain," or,
the "Planetary Chain." To make this concept clear Theosophy states:
The earth is one of seven globes, in respect to man's consciousness
only, because when he functions on one of the seven he perceives it as
a distinct globe and does not see the other six.

This is in perfect correspondence with man himself who has six other
constituents of which only the gross body is visible to him because he
is now functioning on the physical Earth, or the fourth Globe -- and
his body represents the Earth. We have a statement that these Globes
are united in one mass, each interpenetrating the others, but
differing from each other in substance, and, that this difference of
substance is due to change of center of consciousness. To explain
further:

The whole seven "Globes" constitute one single mass or Great Globe,
and they all interpenetrate each other. We have to say "Globe,"
because the ultimate shape is globular or spherical.

In studying the diagrams used in the Secret Doctrine to illustrate the
scheme, one has to pay close attention to the accompanying
explanations and cautions given by H. P. Blavatsky. Both she and her
Adept teachers say, that the seven globes of our chain are in
"coadunition with each other but not in consubstantiality." [Secret
Doctrine, Vol. I, p. 166, 200] This is further enforced by cautions
not to rely on statistics, or plane surface diagrams, but to look at
the metaphysical and spiritual aspect of the theory as stated in
English.


THE EARTH HAS REINCARNATED

The Earth Chain of seven Globes as thus defined is the direct
reincarnation of a former chain of seven Globes, and that former
family of seven was the Moon chain, the moon itself being the visible
representative of the fourth Globe of the old chain.

When that former vast entity composed of the Moon and six others, all
united in one mass, reached its limit of life, it died just as any
being dies. Each one of the seven sent its energies into space and
gave similar life or vibration to cosmic dust -- matter, -- and the
total cohesive force of the whole kept the seven energies together.
[ see SECRET DOCTRINE Vol. I pp. 152-154, 171-181 ]

This resulted in the evolving of the present Earth Chain of seven
centers of energy or evolution combined in one mass. As the Moon was
the fourth of the old series it is on the same plane of perception as
the Earth, and as we are now confined in our consciousness largely to
Earth, we are only able to see one of the old seven -- our Moon. When
we are functioning on any of the other seven planes of consciousness,
we will perceive the corresponding old corpse as a Moon.


NUMBER OF EGOS INCARNATING IS FIXED

The stream or mass of Egos which evolves on the seven Globes of our
chain is limited in number, yet the actual quantity is enormous. For
though the universe is limitless and infinite, yet in any particular
portion of Cosmos in which manifestation and evolution have begun,
there is a limit to the extent of manifestation and to the number of
Egos engaged therein.


EVOLUTION PASSING FROM GLOBE TO GLOBE

The whole number of Monads now going through evolution on our Earth
Chain came over from the old seven Globes which I have described. This
mass of Egos has also been called a "life wave," meaning the stream
of Monads. [ see SECRET DOCTRINE Vol. I pp 171-175 ]

It reached this planetary mass, represented to our consciousness by
our central point -- our Earth, and began on Globe A or No. I, coming
like an army, or river. The first portion began on Globe A and went
through a long evolution there in bodies suited to such a state of
matter, and then passed on to B, and so on through the whole seven
greater states of consciousness which have been called Globes.

When the first portion left A, others streamed in and pursued the same
course, the whole army proceeding with regularity round the septenary
route.

This journey went on for four circlings round the whole, and then the
whole stream or army of Egos from the old Moon Chain had arrived, and
being complete, no more entered after the middle of the Fourth Round.

The same circling process of these differently arrived classes goes on
for seven complete "Rounds" of the whole seven planetary centers of
consciousness, and when the seven are ended as much perfection as is
possible in the immense period occupied, will have been attained, and
then this chain or mass of "Globes" will die in its turn to give birth
to still another series.

Hence we have the Rounds and Races. These are all periods of time.

The Round is a circling of the seven centers [Globes] of planetary
consciousness. [ S D I 200 ]


"RACES"

The Race, is the racial development on one of those seven. [This has
nothing to do with our modern definition of ethnic "races," or of the
color of the skin.] "Race" as used in Theosophy is a period of time.

There are seven Races for each Globe, but the total of forty-nine
Races only makes up seven Great Races, (the special septenate of Races
on each Globe or planetary center composing in reality one race of
seven constituents or special peculiarities of function and power).

As no complete Race could be evolved in a moment on any Globe, the
slow, orderly processes of nature, which allow no jumps, must proceed
by appropriate means. Hence Sub-Races have to be evolved one after the
other before the Perfect Root Race is formed. Then the Root Race
sends off its offshoots while it is declining and preparing for the
advent of the next Great Race.

Illustrating this, it is taught that on the Americas is to be evolved
the new -- sixth -- Race; and here all the races of the earth are now
engaged in a great amalgamation from which will result a very highly
developed Sub-Race, after which others will be evolved by similar
processes until the new one is completed.

Between the end of any great Race and the beginning of another there
is a period of rest, so far as the globe is concerned, for then the
stream of human Egos leaves it for another one of the chain in order
to go on with further evolution of powers and faculties there.


PERFECTION AND THE END OF EVOLUTION

Each one of the Globes is used by evolutionary law for the development
of seven "Races," and of senses, faculties and powers appropriate to
that state of matter. (the experience of the whole seven Globes being
needed to make a perfect development in man's consciousness and
character).

Upon this earth and upon the whole chain of Globes of which it is a
part seven races of men appeared simultaneously, their destiny is to
slowly differentiate during the succeeding rounds until at the seventh
round the seven first great races will be once more distinct, as
perfect types of the human race as this period of evolution will
allow. At the present time the seven races are mixed together, and
representatives of all are in the many so-called races of men as
classified by our present science. The object of this amalgamation and
subsequent differentiation is to give to every race the benefit of the
progress and power of the whole derived from prior progress in other
planets and systems. For Nature never does her work in a hasty or
undue fashion, but, by the sure method of mixture, precipitation, and
separation, brings about the greatest perfection.

But when the last, the seventh Race has appeared and fully perfected
itself, in the 7th Round and the 7th Globe, a great dissolution comes
on, similar to that which preceded the birth of the earth's chain.
Then the world disappears as a tangible thing, and so far as the human
ear is concerned there is silence. This, it is said, is the root of
the belief so general, that the world will come to an end, that there
will be a judgment-day, or that there have been in the past, universal
floods, earthquakes, submergences of continents, or fires.

Subsequent to that, which is our future, the whole mass is
spiritualized with full consciousness and the entire body of globes
raised up to a higher plane of development.

==================================================================

Best wishes

Dal

==============


-----Original Message-----
From: Katinka Hesselink
Sent: Saturday, March 22, 2003 11:11 PM
To:
Subject: Rounds and races

Hi all,

In a group which discusses genetical engeneering from a
theosophical/ethical perspective, yesterday, we used a
simplified chart for the involution/evolution of man.
It was simply the sevenfold constitution of man as follows:

atma | A
buddhi | |
manas | |
kama | |
astral | |
physical |_______|

This was amplified by a u-shaped arrow going down from atma
into buddhi etc. curving up from physical (here represented
by the vertical and horizontal lines. The A stands for the
head of the arrow, I hope the idea comes across. The idea
was that the present round was at the lowest point, that
is, the physical.

For the use of the discussion this was a decent picture,
but in my understanding of the rounds I always thought we
were in the fourth round. Which gets us (counting downward
from Atma) to the kamic level. Which is precisely the way I
understood it. Yet we are clearly in physical bodies. How
do I combine this? Can anybody clear up my confusion?

Katinka