Coming now to our Earth the view put forward by Theosophy regarding
its genesis, its evolution and the evolution of the Human, Animal and
other Monads, is quite different from modern ideas, and in some things
contrary to accepted theories. But the theories of to-day are not
stable. They change with each century, while the Theosophical one never
alters because, in the opinion of those Elder Brothers who have caused
its repromulgation and pointed to its confirmation in ancient books,
it is but a statement of facts in nature. The modern theory is, on the
contrary, always speculative, changeable, and continually altered.
Following the general plan outlined in preceding pages, the Earth is
sevenfold. It is an entity and not a mere lump of gross matter. And
being thus 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”, the “Planetary Chain”. In _Esoteric
Buddhism_ this is clearly stated, but there a rather hard and fast
materialistic view of it is given and the reader led to believe that
the doctrine speaks of seven distinct globes, all separated from though
connected with each other. One is forced to conclude that the author
meant to say that the globe Earth is as distinct from the other six as
Venus is from Mars.
This is not the doctrine. 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 Earth—or the fourth globe—and his
body represents the Earth. The whole seven “globes” constitute one
single mass or great globe and they all interpenetrate each other.
But we have to say “globe”, because the ultimate shape is globular or
spherical. If one relies too closely on the explanation made by Mr.
Sinnett it might be supposed that the globes did not interpenetrate
each other but were connected by currents or lines of magnetic force.
And if too close attention is paid to the diagrams used in the _Secret
Doctrine_ to illustrate the scheme, without paying due regard to the
explanations and cautions given by H. P. Blavatsky, the same error
may be made. But both she and her Adept teachers say, that the seven
globes of our chain are in “_coadunition with each other but not in
consubstantiality_”.[1] 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.
Thus from the very source of Mr. Sinnett’s book we have the statement,
that these globes are united in one mass though differing from each
other in substance, and that this difference of substance is due to
change of centre of consciousness.
[1] _Secret Doctrine_, Vol. 1, p. 166, first edition.
The Earth Chain of seven globes as thus defined is the direct
reïncarnation 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. This resulted in the evolving
of the present Earth Chain of seven centres 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 able only to see
one of the old seven—to wit: our Moon. When we are functioning on any
of the other seven we will perceive in our sky the corresponding old
corpse which will then be a Moon, and we will not see the present Moon.
Venus, Mars, Mercury and other visible planets are all fourth-plane
globes of distinct planetary masses and for that reason are visible
to us, their companion six centres of energy and consciousness being
invisible. All diagrams on plane surfaces will only becloud the theory
because a diagram necessitates linear divisions.
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. And the whole number of Monads now going through
evolution on our Earth Chain came over from the old seven planets or
globes which I have described. _Esoteric Buddhism_ calls this mass
of Egos a “life wave”, meaning the stream of Monads. It reached this
planetary mass, represented to our consciousness by the central point
our Earth, and began on Globe A or No. 1, 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 centres 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.
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. Hence we have the Rounds and Races. The
Round is a circling of the seven centres of planetary consciousness;
the Race the racial development on one of those seven. There are seven
races for each globe, but the total of forty-nine races only makes up
seven great races, the special septennate of races on each globe or
planetary centre composing in reality one race of seven constituents or
special peculiarities of function and power.
And 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, and then the root race
sends off its off-shoots while it is declining and preparing for the
advent of the next great race.
As illustrating this, it is distinctly 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. But
when the last, the seventh, race has appeared and fully perfected
itself, a great dissolution comes on, similar to that which I briefly
described as preceding the birth of the earth’s chain, and 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 universal floods or fires.
Taking up evolution on the Earth, 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 Monad as
vivifying agent. In this first stage there is no animal nor 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 produces the
animal, then the human astral and shadowy model, and we have minerals,
vegetables, animals and future men, for the second and later classes
are still evolving in the lower kingdoms. 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, reïncarnated 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.
And 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. 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. In the process of condensing above referred to
there is an alteration in respect to the time of the appearance of man
on the planet. But as to these details the teachers have only said,
“that at the Second Round the plan varies, but the variation will not
be given to this generation.” Hence it is impossible for me to give it.
But there is no vagueness on the point that seven great races 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.
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.