Ancient and Modern Science. 21 



that brings the atom into existence, as we shall see, 

 and remains during the whole of the growth of the 

 universe as the fundamental life that keeps those 

 atoms as active particles building up innumerable 

 forms. Only as the life of Brahma, the aspect of 

 Brahma, is developed in the human Self will man 

 be able to study the workings of that life in the 

 atomic forms that are filled by it ; and it is very 

 significant that some of the greatest problems of 

 modern science are now turning on the nature of 

 the atom, and that scientists are asking, what 

 is it? Is it matter or force? Is it a particle or 

 a vortex? Never will that question be answered 

 with certainty until man has developed in himself 

 the power to respond to the life that thrills in the 

 atom, until, developing intelligence within himself 

 to the fullest point, he is able to answer by that 

 intelligence to the vibrations of the atomic life 

 outside him. We have defined consciousness as the 

 power to answer to vibrations, and if man is to 

 measure life, if he is to know the underlying 

 causes of phenomena, he must develop in himself 

 the power to respond to that life outside him ; and 

 in the perfection of human intelligence the reflec- 

 tion of the Brahma aspect of God lies the only 

 possibility of solution for this much debated pro- 

 blem in science. I said it was significant, for 



