This is contrary to man’s best instincts, and the advanced Yogi teachings inform us that it is but an illusion or error that men have created by endeavoring to solve spiritual mysteries by purely intellectual processes.  The true teaching is that the process of Involution was accomplished by a Principle involving itself in the lower Principle created within itself, and so on until the lowest plane was reached.  Note the difference—­“Principles as Principles” did this, and not as Individual Forms of Life or Being.  There was no more a “devolution” in this process than there was in The Absolute involving itself in the Mental Image of the Mind Principle.  There was no “devolution” or “going down”—­only an “involution” or “wrapping up,” of Principle, within Principle—­the Individual Life not having as yet appeared, and not being possible of appearance until the Evolutionary process began.

We trust that we have made this point clear to you, for it is an important matter.  If the Absolute first made higher beings, and then caused them to “devolute” into lower and lower forms, then the whole process would be a cruel, purposeless thing, worthy only of some of the base conceptions of Deity conceived of by men in their ignorance.  No! the whole effort of the Divine Will seems to be in the direction of “raising up” Individual Egos to higher and still higher forms.  And in order to produce such Egos the process of “Involution” of Principles seems to have been caused, and the subsequent wonderful Evolutionary process instituted.  What that “Reason” is, is Unknowable, as we have said over and over again.  We cannot pry into the Infinite Mind of the Absolute, but we may form certain conclusions by observing and studying the Laws of the Universe, which seem to be moving in certain directions.  From the manifested Will of the Divine One, we may at least hazard an idea as to its purposes.  And these purposes seem to be always in an “upward” lifting and evolution.  Even the coming of the “Night of Brahm” is no exception to this statement, as we shall see in future lessons.

From the starting of the process of Involution from the Mental Principle, down to the extreme downward point of the grossest Manifestation of Matter, there were many stages.  From the highest degree of the Finite Mind, down to lower and still lower degrees; then on to the plane of Force and Energy, from higher to lower degrees of Principle within Principle; then on to the plane of Matter, the Involutionary urge proceeded to work.  When the plane of Matter was reached, it, of course, showed its highest degree of manifested Matter—­the most subtle form of Ether, or Akasa.  Then down, down, down, went the degrees of Matter, until the grossest possible form was reached, and then there was a moment’s pause, before the Evolutionary process, or upward-movement, began.  The impulse of the Original Will, or Thought, had exhausted its downward urge, and now began the upward urge or tendency.  But here was manifested a new feature.