eme
form of Matter was reached before the process of Evolution became
possible. The extreme form of gross Matter is not known to us today, on
this planet, for we have passed beyond it. But the teachings inform us
that such forms were as much grosser that the grossest Matter that we
know today, as the latter is gross in comparison with the most ethereal
vapors known to Modern Science. The human mind cannot grasp this
extreme of the scale, any more than it can the extreme high degree of
manifestation.

At this point we must call your attention to certain occult teachings,
widely disseminated, which the highest Yogi teachers discountenance,
and contradict. We allude to the teaching that in the process of
Involution there was a "degeneration" or "devolution" from higher to
lower forms of life, until the gross state of Matter was reached. Such
a teaching is horrible, when considered in detail. It would mean that
The Absolute deliberately created high forms of life, arch-angels, and
higher than these--gods in fact--and then caused them to "devolve"
until the lowest state was reached. This would mean the exact opposite
of Evolution, and would mean a "going down" in accordance with the
Divine Will, just as Evolution is a "going up" in accordance with the
Divine Will.

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 co