Evolution of Life. 107 



vibrations from matter without and the answering 

 of vibrations from itself within. Notice in the ear- 

 liest stages how tremendous are the impacts ; if you 

 go back to the time when the world knew not hu- 

 manity, how gigantic are the operations of nature 

 showing herself in her mineral forms ; earthquakes, 

 eruptions, crushing and grinding of materials, dis- 

 integration and reconstruction, all on the mightiest 

 and most gigantic scale ; under all that, the life, 

 trying to make the matter more plastic and able to 

 answer more readily ; and inasmuch as there is life, 

 there is consciousness, i.e., the power to respond, that 

 power is developed within it, stimulated by the brood- 

 ing life of Ishvara. He dwellin g within, and envelop- 

 ing and permeating all objects, makes the seed of 

 life extend and grow by his nourishing warmth, 

 that it may become finally an independent centre. 

 We see the life within the stone beginning to vibrate 

 more actively as these tremendous blows come upon 

 it from without ; and mass is thrown against mass, 

 and mountain is piled upon mountain, until at last 

 these mineral materials gain larger power of trans- 

 mitting impulses to the life within; the impulse 

 coming through more strongly because of the lessened 

 opposition [from the form, the life responds more 

 actively and begins to evolve, developing more 

 definitely the power of response. As this process is re- 



