Theos-Talk Archives (November 2008 Message tt00107)

Mahatma K.H. wrote to A.P. Sinnett:

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The cycle of intelligent existences commences at the highest worlds 
or planets -- the term "highest" meaning here the most spiritually 
perfect. Evoluting from cosmic matter -- which is akasa, the primeval 
not the secondary plastic medium, or Ether of Science instinctively 
suspected, unproven as the rest -- man first evolutes from this 
matter in its most sublimated state, appearing at the threshold of 
Eternity as a perfectly Etherial -- not Spiritual Entity, say -- a 
Planetary Spirit. He is but one remove from the universal and 
Spiritual World Essence -- the Anima Mundi of the Greeks, or that 
which humanity in its spiritual decadence has degraded into a 
mythical personal God. Hence, at that stage, the Spirit -- man is at 
best an active Power, an immutable, therefore an unthinking Principle 
(the term "immutable" being again used here but to denote that state 
for the time being, the immutability applying here but to the inner 
principle which will vanish and disappear as soon as the speck of the 
material in him will start on its cyclic work of Evolution and 
transformation). In his subsequent descent, and in proportion of the 
increase of matter he will assert more and more his activity. Now, 
the congeries of the star-worlds (including our own planet) inhabited 
by intelligent beings may be likened to an orb or rather an 
epicycloid formed of rings like a chain -- worlds inter-linked 
together, the totality representing an imaginary endless ring, or 
circle. The progress of man throughout the whole -- from its starting 
to its closing points meeting on the highest point of its 
circumference -- is what we call the Maha Yug or Great Cycle, the 
Kuklos, whose head is lost in a crown of absolute Spirit, and its 
lowest point of circumference in absolute matter -- to viz. the point 
of cessation of action of the active principle. If using a more 
familiar term we call the Great Cycle the Macrokosm and its component 
parts or the inter-linked star worlds Microkosms, the occultists' 
meaning in representing each of the latter as perfect copies of the 
former will become evident. The Great is the Prototype of the smaller 
cycles: and as such, each star world has in its turn its own cycle of 
Evolution which starts with a purer and ends with a grosser or more 
material nature. As they descend, each world presents itself 
naturally more and more shadowy, becoming at the "antipodes" absolute 
matter. Propelled by the irresistible cyclic impulse the Planetary 
Spirit has to descend before he can reascend. On his way he has to 
pass through the whole ladder of Evolution, missing no rung, to halt 
at every star world as he would at a station; and, besides the 
unavoidable cycle of that particular and every respective star world 
to perform in it his own "life-cycle" to, viz.: returning and 
reincarnating as many times as he fails to complete his round of life 
in it, as he dies on it before reaching the age of reason as 
correctly stated in Isis.....After circling, so to say, along the arc 
of the cycle, circling along and within it (the daily and yearly 
rotation of the Earth is as good an illustration as any) when the 
Spirit-man reaches our planet, which is one of the lowest, having 
lost at every station some of the etherial and acquired an increase 
of material nature, both spirit and matter have become pretty much 
equilibrized in him. But then, he has the Earth's cycle to perform; 
and, as in the process of involution and evolution downward, matter 
is ever striving to stifle spirit, when arrived to the lowest point 
of his pilgrimage, the once pure Planetary Spirit will be found 
dwindled to -- what Science agrees to call a primitive or Primordial 
man -- amidst a nature as primordial -- speaking geologically, for 
physical nature keeps pace with the physiological as well as the 
spiritual man, in her cyclic career. At that point the great Law 
begins its work of selection. Matter found entirely divorced from 
spirit is thrown over into the still lower worlds -- into the 
sixth "GATE" or "way of rebirth" of the vegetable and mineral worlds, 
and of the primitive animal forms. From thence, matter ground over in 
the workshop of nature proceeds soulless back to its Mother Fount; 
while the Egos purified of their dross are enabled to resume their 
progress once more onward. It is here, then, that the laggard Egos 
perish by the millions. It is the solemn moment of the "survival of 
the fittest," the annihilation of those unfit. It is but matter (or 
material man) which is compelled by its own weight to descend to the 
very bottom of the "circle of necessity" to there assume animal form; 
as to the winner of that race throughout the worlds -- the Spiritual 
Ego, he will ascend from star to star, from one world to another, 
circling onward to rebecome the once pure planetary Spirit, then 
higher still, to finally reach its first starting point, and from 
thence -- to merge into MYSTERY. No adept has ever penetrated beyond 
the veil of primitive Kosmic matter. The highest, the most perfect 
vision is limited to the universe of Form and Matter. 
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Quoted from:
http://www.theosociety.org/pasadena/mahatma/ml-9.htm

For more information on the Mahatma Letters, see:

http://mahatmaletters.net

Daniel
http://hpb.cc