All divine knowledge is in the Monad, but to express and respond to the vibrations of any lower plane of matter, is the work of evolution. Hence the rationale of its evolutionary journey down and again upwards, is for the purpose of subjugating matter completely as a vehicle, until on each plane it answers to the vibrations of similar matter outside. Thus it is able to bring out moods of consciousness, which answer to those outside impressions thereby making it possible for it to be conscious of them. When manifestation begins, the Monad is thrown downwards into matter, to propel forward and force evolution. The Monad knows from the beginning what its objective is in evolution and it grasps the general trend of it. Until that portion of it, which expresses itself in the ego has reached a fairly high stage, it is scarcely conscious of the details of the lower planes or at least it takes little interest in them. At that stage it rests in indescribable bliss without any active consciousness of its surroundings. The purpose of the descent of the Monad into matter is that through its descent it may obtain definiteness in material detail. However, it may be asked that if the Monad is the essence of divinity in the beginning, and returns to divinity at the end of its long pilgrimage, why then is it necessary for it to go through all this evolution. This includes going through much sorrow and suffering. The question is why can’t it simply to return to its source in the end? This question is based on misconception of the facts. When that which we may call as the human Monad came forth from the Divine, it was not really a human Monad. It was nevertheless an all-wise Monad and it did not have the characteristics to respond to the vibrations of the lower planes. When it eventually returns after having gained the experience of these lower planes, it is in the form of thousands of millions of mighty Adepts, each capable of itself developing into a Logos or creation as described in this book. As a person who cannot swim when flung into deep water, at first is helpless, yet eventually learns to swim and move freely in the water, so is the case with the Monad. At the end of its pilgrimage of immersion in matter, it will be free and able to function in any part of the lower planes, to create at will. Every power that it unfolds through denser matter, it retains forever under all conditions, the implicit has become explicit and the potential the actual. It is its own will to live in all spheres and not in one only that draws it into manifestation. There was no developed individualisation in the Monad at first; it was simply a mass of monadic essence. The difference between its condition when issuing forth, and when returning, is exactly like that between a great mass of shining nebulous matter, and the solar system which is eventually formed out of it. The nebula is beautiful, undoubtedly, but vague and, in a certain sense, useless. The sun formed from it by slow evolution pours forth life, heat and light upon many worlds and their inhabitants.
Even the ego is not the true eternal individual, as the ego had a beginning and came into existence at the moment of individualisation. Whatever has a beginning must also have an end. Therefore even the ego is also impermanent. The Monad, and the Monad alone, is the only real, permanent entity. One may look upon the ego as a manifestation of the Monad on the higher mental plane, but one must understand that it is infinitely far from being a perfect manifestation. Each descent from plane to plane means much more than a mere veiling of the spirit. It also means an actual reduction in the amount of the spirit expressed.