126 Evolution of Life and Form. 



through the whole kosmos, and therefore coming to 

 man as a part of that kosmos, the other working in 

 man as an individual through the early stages and 

 transcending individuality at the close. The great 

 life of Ishvara as it rolls outwards, building the uni- 

 verse of forms, expresses itself, as we have seen, by 

 a certain series of vibrations, and every modification 

 in the form is the result of an impulse coming by 

 way of vibrations from the ensouling life. Now the 

 point that strikes us most in this manifestation of 

 Ishvara, as we study it, is the unutterable patience 

 of it. We are impatient for results, He never. We 

 are impatient for results, because, limited by time, 

 we crave t to see the outcome of our action ; He 

 being the eternal is unspeakably patient, set upon 

 perfection and careless of the time which that per- 

 fection may take in evolving. For the evolution of 

 forms this patience is absolutely necessary ; when 

 we come to think, we see that any impatience in the 

 evolution of forms would mean the over-rapid 

 breaking up of the forms. The form is compara- 

 tively rigid as compared with the life. If the life 

 vibrates too rapidly for the form which it is evolving, 

 the form will shatter under the stress of those vibra- 

 tions. L,et me give you a very common illustration 

 to show you what I mean ; a tube of glass, or an 

 ordinary lamp-glass if you like, has a certain note 



