Ancient and Modern Science. 29 



a difficult word to translate : I am inclined to trans- 

 late it as Harmony ; for this reason, that wherever 

 there is pleasure, Sattva is present. Without har- 

 mony no pleasure can anywhere exist. All 

 pleasure is due to harmonious vibration, and that 

 quality of harmonious inter-related vibrations is 

 the quality that Sattva gives to matter. These 

 three fundamental qualities of matter answering 

 to three fundamental modifications in the con- 

 sciousness of Ishvara inertia, activity, and har- 

 mony, these are the famous three Gunas without 

 which Prakriti cannot manifest. Fundamental, 

 essential, and unchangeable, they are present in 

 every particle in the manifested universe, and 

 according to their combinations is the nature of 

 each particle. 



Then comes the seven-fold division. In a moment 

 I will tell you why we speak of it as seven-fold in- 

 stead of five-fold, which is the more familiar division 

 to you. The seven- fold division, what is this ? Here 

 is matter with its three Gunas, now ready to receive 

 another impulse from the Life-Breath ; that breath 

 comes forth from Brahma, for Ishvara has unfolded 

 His triple nature into its three aspects, and it comes 

 forth in seven great waves. Bach one modifies mat- 

 ter, and evolves and ensouls those that follow it. 

 The first two are absolutely beyond our knowing, 



