Ancient aud Modern Science. 17 



unfolding of the Self. What is life or consciousness 

 for the two terms are synonymous ? It is the power 

 to answer to vibrations, the power to respond that 

 is consciousness. Evolution is the unfolding of a 

 continually increasing power to respond. The whole 

 universe is full of the vibrations of Ishvara, of 

 God. He sustains and moves the whole. Con- 

 sciousness is the power in us to answer to those 

 vibrations. All powers lie hidden within us as the 

 oak tree lies hidden in the acorn. But it is in the 

 process of evolution that the sapling slowly grows 

 out of the seed. In Eternity, in the Now, all is 

 existent, perfect ; in Time only is there succession, 

 the unfolding of one thing after another. In the 

 changeless Point everything is present : Space is 

 but the field for diverse sequences. Hence Time 

 and Space are the basic illusions, and are yet the 

 fundamental conditions of thinking. Keep, I pray 

 you, that definition of consciousness in mind, for it 

 will govern the remainder of our study. 



The Self in man, being in the image of God, is 

 triple as the Self, the Divine, is triple. I need not 

 stop to argue this. You know it from that great 

 literature which lies at the foundation of all Hindu 

 Philosophy. Whether you speak in abstract terms 

 and say with the Upanishad that Brahman is three- 

 fold, whether you speak of Him as Sat-chit-ananda, 



