Theosophical astral cosmology
Devas in Theosophy
Leadbeater uses deva in a restricted sense for a kingdom above humanity, while noting that other literature uses the word more widely. He regards this path as one possible course of advanced development. The lower divisions include astral-bodied Kamadevas, mental-bodied Rupadevas, and Arupadevas associated with higher mental levels. The classification compares their ordinary embodiment with a human person’s different vehicles.
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In the sources
Principal account
ReportedLeadbeater uses deva in a restricted sense for a kingdom above humanity, while noting that other literature uses the word more widely. He regards this path as one possible course of advanced development.
Further detail
ReportedThe lower divisions include astral-bodied Kamadevas, mental-bodied Rupadevas, and Arupadevas associated with higher mental levels. The classification compares their ordinary embodiment with a human person’s different vehicles.
Context & interpretation
Leadbeater presents a Theosophical classification based on claimed occult investigation. Its planes, beings, and mechanisms belong to that historical esoteric system; the book’s assurance of reality is an authorial claim rather than independent scientific verification.
Original passages
Source 1
The Astral Plane
may, in fact, be regarded as a kingdom lying next above humanity, in the same way as humanity in turn lies next above the animal kingdom,Open this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Theosophical astral cosmology; active reader leaf 83
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0005-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0005-E001-P0083
- Original scan leaf
- 86
- Recorded leaf number
- 86
- Current Reader position
- 79
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader
Source 2
The Astral Plane
from the bottom) are generally called Kamadevas, Rupadevas, and Arupadevas respectively. Just as our ordinary body here the lowest body possibleOpen this page in the book
Passage & edition details
Location recorded at citation review: Theosophical astral cosmology; active reader leaf 85
Exact passage checked against active scan text and original-leaf mapping; scan line breaks normalised.
- Edition
- IMJ-0005-E001
- Reader page
- IMJ-0005-E001-P0085
- Original scan leaf
- 88
- Recorded leaf number
- 88
- Current Reader position
- 81
- Reader verification
- Matches the reviewed Reader