According to theosophical teachings, life on earth — or any world — undergoes development according to a series of cycles. The first, and longest, is termed a CHAIN. We belong to the Earth Chain according to this teaching, the planet Earth being just the physical globe, or fourth of seven globes, in that Chain, the other Globes being non-physical. Each of these Chains are of immense temporal duration. Each globe in a Chain undergoes a series of seven evolutionary developments termed ROUNDS, also of extremely long duration. Again, according to the theory, life on Earth is presently in the Fourth Round. During each Round, human life develops gradually in a series of seven ROOT RACES (based on the development of consciousness, not on skin color.) The majority of humanity, whatever their anthropological race may be, is said to be presently in the Fifth Root Race, although there are still remnants of the Fourth Root Race around and there are some people who are Sixth Root Race types, in advance of average humanity. It is stated that there are also some people — Plato and Confucius are specifically named — who are Fifth Rounders, i.e., have developed their consciousness far in advance of that of the average person. The Buddha is said to be a Sixth Rounder. In each Round, one of the Principles in the constitution of human beings is developed. The Fifth Race of the Fourth Round would be developing the mental overtone, as it were, of the emotions. The Fifth Race of the Fifth Round presumably would be developing the mind to its fullest potential. Only in the Seventh Race of the Seventh Round would consciousness — emotion, mind, intuition, and spiritual realization — be perfectly developed in a perfect physical form. A fuller discussion of this theory may be found in The Secret Doctrine (under Planetary Chains, Globes, Rounds, and Root Races) and The Mahatma Letters to A. P. Sinnett (under Chains, Globes, Rounds, Root Races, and Races).

R.W.B

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