Evolution of Form. 141 



sweep of the life of Ishvara, matter is, in the upward 

 arc, gathered into definite forms, the bodies of plant, 

 animal and man : thus definite vehicles are made, 

 by which the highest consciousness can communi- 

 cate with, and receive vibrations from, the lowest 

 world. 



L,et us now, having taken this very rapid sweep 

 downwards, begin to climb upwards. Bach kind of 

 matter is now seen to possess certain qualities. 

 Every physical atom has a number of sheaths inter- 

 penetrating and surrounding it, the sheath of astral 

 matter with its power of responding to sensation, 

 the sheath of mental matter with its power of 

 responding to intelligence, as well as the sheaths, 

 if they may be called so, of the two higher, L,ove 

 and Existence, that will not be brought into activity 

 for a long, long time. All is there. Ishvara now 

 begins the great stage of brooding action that I 

 spoke of, the building up of a centre, and it is His 

 first work to build physical forms out of this pre- 

 pared material, all the Devas of the physical plane 

 being ready to act as His agents, working under 

 His impulse and under the direction of the L,ord of 

 the Devas of the physical plane. All these innu- 

 merable intermediate agents are wanted ; for innu- 

 merable are to be the forms, and every one of them 

 has to be builded. 



