ight far from intelligible. Though the
descent of these Beings into human bodies is not the chief event to
which we have to refer, some explanation of its cause and its result
must first be attempted. Now, we are given to understand that these
Lhas were the highly evolved humanity of some system of evolution
which had run its course at a period in the infinitely far-off past.
They had reached a high stage of development on their chain of worlds,
and since its dissolution had passed the intervening ages in the bliss
of some Nirvanic condition. But their karma now necessitated a return
to some field of action and of physical causes, and as they had not
yet fully learnt the lesson of compassion, their temporary task now
lay in becoming guides and teachers of the Lemurian race, who then
required all the help and guidance they could get.

But other Beings also took up the task--in this case voluntarily.
These came from the scheme of evolution which has Venus as its one
physical planet. That scheme has already reached the Seventh Round of
its planets in its Fifth Manvantara; its humanity therefore stands at
a far higher level than ordinary mankind on this earth has yet
attained. They are "divine" while we are only "human." The Lemurians,
as we have seen, were then merely on the verge of attaining true
manhood. It was to supply a temporary need--the education of our
infant humanity--that these divine Beings came--as we possibly, long
ages hence, may similarly be called to give a helping hand to the
beings struggling up to manhood on the Jupiter or the Saturn chain.
Under their guidance and influence the Lemurians rapidly advanced in
mental growth. The stirring of their minds with feelings of love and
reverence for those whom they felt to be infinitely wiser and greater
than themselves naturally resulted in efforts of imitation, and so the
necessary advance in mental growth was achieved which transformed the
higher mental sheath into a vehicle capable of carrying over the human
characteristics from life to life, thus warranting that outpouring of
the Divine Life which endowed the recipient with individual
immortality. As expressed in the archaic stanzas of Dzyan, "Then all
men became endowed with Manas."

A great distinction, however, must be noted between the coming of the
exalted Beings from the Venus scheme and that of those described as
the highly evolved humanity of some previous system of evolution. The
former, as we ha