Fimctions of the Gods. 71 



would pass away, but they would be set free to go 

 into somewhat less unplastic forms and give scope 

 for that divine working towards evolution, which is 

 in extreme cases only possible when the forms, forms 

 of evil, are gone. We speak sometimes of the training 

 of children being easier than that of grown-up 

 people, because they are more plastic. So also the 

 Gods want oftentimes the child-ego in the plastic 

 form instead of in the prison-house grown rigid by 

 age ; and they therefore break that environment in 

 order that the young life may grow. 



Another great function of the Gods is the dealing 

 with the karma of nations, " collective karma," as it 

 is sometimes called. Suppose a nation is acting in its 

 collective capacity I am not now thinking of the 

 individuals brought into it by their individual karma 

 but of the nation acting as a unit and suppose it 

 commits a crime against another nation. There has 

 been one working of karma so tremendous during the 

 last year, that I will take it as an illustration Spain. 

 Some centuries ago Spain was at the summit of her 

 power ; mighty was she among the western nations. 

 There was sent to her, in order to help her forward, 

 the gift of new knowledge. It came truly in a some- 

 what unacceptable guise, for it came from Arabia, 

 with the stamp of Muhammed upon it ; it was 

 brought by the children of Islam; they brought 



