28 Evolution of Life and Form. 



moment His attention is turned to His own Self, 

 that memory-prompted " desire " which arises in the 

 bosom of the Eternal, is the root of the coming 

 universe. Now this thought will prove to you the 

 key of much ancient teaching. You have, in the 

 Universal Mind full of ideas which are not yet 

 concreted into phenomena, the world of ideas of 

 Plato, the invisible world of the Hebrew Kabbalah ; 

 in every great teaching you find the same thought 

 expressed. If, instead of being fettered by words, 

 as for the most part we are, and if, instead of 

 repeating phrases that carry with them no idea in 

 the mind of the repeater, we would try to read the 

 thought that underlies the words, we should find 

 the Hindu philosphy in every modern philosophy 

 that is worthy of the name, and see the traces of 

 ancient India in Greece and in Rome, in Germany 

 and in the England of to-day. 



What is the next stage ? The lyife-Breath goes 

 forth. Ishvara, the Centre of all, enveloped in 

 Maya sends forth His breath ; as that vibrating 

 breath falls on the enveloping Maya, Maya becomes 

 Prakriti, or Matter rather, perhaps, Mulaprakriti, 

 the root of matter. As that breath, with its triple 

 vibratory force falls on this matter, it throws it into 

 three modifications, or "attributes" Tamas, inertia, 

 or better, stability ; Rajas, activity, vigour ; Sattva, 



