140 Evolution of Life and Form. 



activity. Bach Deva class shows out specially the 

 quality of its plane, and inasmuch as these Devas 

 draw into their own bodies the matter of the plane 

 in which they live, they help on its evolution ; for 

 they draw it in, use it and thus develop it, and 

 throw it out again into the general reservoir, just 

 as man draws in physical matter, uses it in his body, 

 and again throws it out into the physical world. 

 As that process goes on and on and on through the 

 ages, the whole of that kind of matter we call 

 mental passes through the bodies of these Devas, 

 takes on to itself the habit of responding readily to 

 the vibrations of intelligence, and thus becomes 

 ready for building into the mental body of man. 

 The matter of the astral plane is builded into the 

 bodies of the Devas of that plane until it takes up 

 this habit of more and more definitely responding 

 to pleasure and pain, when impacts are made on it, 

 and thus can be used for the building up of the 

 sensory bodies of the lower world. On each plane 

 this downward sweep brings into activity these 

 classes of Devas, making the intermediate links 

 which are to work in the building of forms. The 

 essence of the building of forms by a Deva is that 

 he builds them of the matter of which his own 

 body is composed. Prepared by that earlier evolu- 

 tion, qualities being developed in the downward 



