Lessons in Theosophy





Lesson 9,
Evolution (Theosophy-Style);
The Upward Arc



      Evolution is a key concept in Theosophy. First, however, we need to point out that “evolution” in the Theosophical sense is different than in the scientific sense. Darwinian evoltion is not the same as Theosophical evolution. Let’s look at Theosophical evolution.

      It has been said in Theosophical literature that God has a plan for mankind, and that plan is evolution. (C. Jinarajadasa, The First Principles of Theosophy, page 168 online or hardcopy)

      There is a saying,
      “The Breath becomes a stone; the stone, a plant; the plant, an animal; the animal, a man; the man, a spirit; and the spirit, a god” (H.P. Blavatsky, The Secret Doctrine, Vol. I, page 107 online or hardcopy)
which sums up the Theosophical concept of upward evolution. (The downward phase of the evolutionary cycle is explained in Lesson 17.)


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      The Theosphical version of evolution needs to be explained. All of evolution — all of the spiritual progressing of humans, animals, etc. — is part of a flow, a movement of Spirit through the Universe. The Spirit originates from the Absolute, descends to our material world, then begins its return to the Source.

      There are, then, two distinct paths to this evolution. One is a downward flow, called the Downward Arc. the second flow is the Upward Arc. It is that upward flow that is meant by the word evolution in Theosophical literature. We will now take a closer look at the upward arc that we are very much a part of. (We will take a closer look at the downward arc in lesson 17 and lesson 19.)

      Let's look at the theory in greater detail. According to Theosophy, minerals, etc., on Earth are ensouled by spiritual “matter.” The spiritual “matter” ensouls the physical matter, gaining experiences. This evolutionary theory will now be presented in a type of chart, in the areas of Minerals, Plants, Plants, Animals, Humans, and Beyond Human. Information for this chart comes from       Paragraph numbers in the quotations below refer to paragraphs of Besant's above-mentioned online book.


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      We will now follow consciousness (“spirit”) as it ensouls matter in the mineral, plant, etc., kingdoms.


-- Minerals --


      The mineral experiences of freezing, melting, being crushed, turning to molten metal, all impact upon the mineral consciousness. As a result, vague answers of sympathetic vibrations arise, within the deep-slumbering consciousness (SC paragraph 139).

      Chemical valency and the bonding of chemnical compunds are seen as strong desire on the mineral level. There is a response within the astral part of the group-soul, although it is quite unorganized (SC paragraph 140).

      There is no mental activity within mineral group-souls, only desire- or astral-activity (SC paragraph 140).
      “The minerals manifest consciousness by their attractions and repulsions, by their holding together of particles, by their affinities for each other, by their repellings of each other, but they show none of that consciousness that can be called the recognition of the ‘I’ and the ‘not-I’ [the human ability to have self-awareness].” (Annie Besant, Dharma, p. 42 online or hardcopy).
      When the group-soul is ready, it is guided by Devas to the plant kingdom for plant manifestation (SC paragraph 141).


-- Plants --


      At the end of the mineral kingdom phase, the activity of the mineral group-soul is transferred to the vegetable plane. Then it nourishes the already-present mental bodies, and makes them gradually less vague (SC paragraph 135).

      There is a great deal more astral activity for plants than minerals. A tree that lives a long life, for example, becomes able to experience pleasure and discomfort (SC paragraph 143).

      We see, for the first time, a small accumulation of mental matter around long-living trees, which manifests as faint memory, followed by faint anticipation (SC paragraph 144).


-- Animals --


      When ready, a vegetable goup-soul is guided by Devas to life in the lowest of animal-forms, for example, bacteria, amoebae, etc (SC paragraphs 145-146).

      It is interesting to note that bacteria do not suffer from the removal of its group-soul. The bacteria are a host, not bodies formed specifically for the use of a permanent atom (triad) (SC paragraph 146).

      Each triad eventually becomes possessd of its own individual group-soul envelope, ready for Individualization. It is now ready for a casual body, and its first human incarnation (SC paragraph 148). As time goes on, a group-soul gradually contains fewer and fewer triads. When a single group-soul contains only one triad, and is ready, it becomes a part of a causal body. The upward-drawn group-soul triad meets the downpouring from above (from a causal body). This, then, is the beginning of a reincarnating human, born into its first independent human incarnation (SC paragraph 135).

      See the next chapter, Chapter 10, “Individualizaion,” for a discussion of the process of individualization of an animal into a human.


-- Humans --


      The new human “soul,” freshly individualized from its animal group-soul, now begins its first human incarnation.


-- Beyond Human --


      The journey continues, with the human eventually achieving Nirvana, and moving on to levels of existence beyond human. Click here for a chart of levels beyond the human level of existence.

For further reading on the Theosophical concept of Evolution:





Next: Lesson 10, Individualization



   

 
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2005, 2006, & 2007
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