Material Body_, back to its
highest point or the Originating Life itself. This is the truth embodied
in the parable of the Prodigal Son. It is a Cosmic truth, and this
return journey is technically called by the Green name "Anaktorion." It
is the Rising-again, that is from matter to Spirit, and is the
Resurrection Principle.

But what is accomplished by the journey of the Ego round the Circle of
Life?

_A New Centre_ of Intelligence and volition is established; from this
the Creative Word of Power can be spoken--a _Complete Man_ has been
brought into existence, who can take a _free and intelligent_ part in
the further work of Creation, by his understanding of the interaction
between the Law and the Word. The "Volume of the Sacred Law" lies open
before us, and the Vibratory Power of the Word to give effect to it is
the "Blazing Star" that illuminates its contents, and so we become
fellow-workers with the Great Architect of the Universe.

For these reasons it appears to me that our self-recognition in a
physical body is a necessary step in our growth. But why should the
reconstruction of a physical body be either necessary or desirable? The
answer is as follows:

Obviously self-recognition is the necessary basis for all use of those
powers of selection and volition by which the Impersonal Law is to be
specialized so as to bring to light its limitless potentialities; and
self-recognition means the recognition of our personal Distinctness from
our environment. Therefore it must always mean the possessing of a body
as a vehicle, by means of which to act upon that environment, and to
receive the corresponding reaction from it. In other words it must
always be a body constituted in terms of the plane upon which we are
functioning. But it does not follow that we should always be tied down
to one plane.

On the contrary, the very conception of the power of the Word to
specialize the action of the Law, implies the power of functioning on
any plane we choose; but always subject to the Law, that if we want to
act on any particular plane in _propria persona_, and not merely by
influencing some other agent, we can only do so by assuming a body in
terms of the nature of that plane. Therefore, if we want to act on the
physical plane, we must put on a physical body. But when we have fully
grasped the Power of the Word we cannot be tied to a body. We shall no
longer regard it as composed of so many chemical elements, but we shall