It is only intended to handle this immense subject primarily in its relation to MAN, leaving the student to work out for himself much of what might be said, and to expand the concept from the unit to the group, and from the group to the totality of groups within the solar system. We will only touch upon the development of the mind in man and hint at some probable developments; we shall endeavor to show that manas, as it evolves, leads to certain distinct characteristics, which [418] distinguish it from other developments which may be seen. The subject therefore will be discussed under the following subheadings:

1. The characteristics of manas.
2. Probable developments of the human mind.
3. Manas in the final rounds.

1. Discrimination.
2. Ordered activity.
3. Adaptability.

a. Discrimination

This is necessarily almost the statement of a platitude. All students recognize the discriminative quality of manas and its selective capacity; all recognize the faculty in man which enables him to distinguish intelligently between the Self and the Not-Self. What we are apt to forget is that this faculty persists on all planes, and is threefold in manifestation:

First. Discrimination between the I-consciousness, and that which is cognized in the external world. This is the ability to distinguish between oneself and all other forms extant. It is universally developed and has reached a fairly high stage of evolution.

Second. Discrimination between the Ego and the Personality. This narrows the concept down to the sphere of a man's own consciousness, and enables him to differentiate between his subjective self or soul, and the bodies which hold that soul enshrined. This is not [419] by any means so universally developed. Most men do not as yet distinguish with accuracy between themselves as the THINKER, persistent in time and space, and the vehicle through which they think, which is ephemeral and transient. The real recognition of this essential duality, and the scientific appreciation of it is to be seen in the mystics, the advanced thinkers of the race, the conscious aspirants, and those nearing the Portal of Initiation.

Therefore, we can see for ourselves the future development, and whereto it will lead mankind. Man now knows himself as a separated unit of consciousness; he now distinguishes between himself and all other materialized selves; he now realizes himself as distinct from every other functioning sphere of matter from the materialized Logos to the cell in his own physical body, and the cell in all bodies on the physical plane. This separate instinct, this distinguishing self-centeredness has been the nursery wherein the infant, man, has segregated himself until he is of full strength, and able to take his share in the work of his group. Only the voluntary merging of interest and of aim is of value, and only that is seen in man as he nears the final part of the path of evolution. It is incident upon an earlier stage of intense self-assertion and intense self-realization. This stage is with us now; it marks all manifestation, and is the basis of the preservation of identity. It distinguishes: [420]

• The Logos and all forms within His body.
• The planetary Logoi and all forms within Their bodies.
• Man and all forms within his body.

• "I am" refers to the personality consciousness on three lower planes, or to all that is considered as inferior to the causal body. It concerns a man's realization of his place upon the globe within a chain.
• "I am That" refers to his egoic consciousness, and to the planes of the Triad. It concerns a man's realization of his place within the chain and his relationship to the group of which he forms a part.
• "I am That I am" refers to a man's monadic consciousness, and his relationship to the planes of abstraction. It concerns his realization of his position in the scheme.

When the initiate can say "I am That I am," then he has merged himself with his divine essence, and is freed from form. The first occult assertion marks his emancipation from the three lower kingdoms, and his conscious [421] functioning in the three worlds. This occurred at individualization through the instrumentality of manas. The second occult assertion marks the gradual emancipation of man from the lower three kingdoms, and his complete freeing from lower form domination at the fifth initiation. At the final assertion, the initiate not only distinguishes between the Self, and all other forms of manifestation; he not only distinguishes between his own identity and the soul, as well as matter in form, but he can discriminate between the three - Spirit, Soul, and Matter - and with this realization he is entirely liberated from manifestation for this greater cycle. This inherent discriminative faculty of manas, displayed on ever higher spirals leads a man

• Into matter and form,
• Through all forms of matter on all planes and
• Finally brings about his eventual abstraction from all forms and matter, plus the aggregate of transmuted knowledge which the evolutionary process has procured for him.