THE INVISIBLE IS THE REAL. 



55 



course, absurd. We have therefore to acknowledge that the 

 Invisible is real and is the cause of the Visible which we call 

 the universe, and it remains for us to see whether the Visible 

 is also real. 



I propose to lay before you certain facts to show that though 

 we have become accustomed to accept the reality of our surround- 

 ings and have thus concluded that there are two worlds, the 

 Invisible and the Visible, in reality there is only one world. I 

 shall show that the Visible, namely, the world of our everyday 

 life, or what I will call the world of appearances, is only real 

 in the sense that dolls, wooden horses and toys may be said to 

 be real to children; they are useful for their education, but are 

 really only make-believes to help their infant minds to expand and 

 grasp higher truths. 



The human race is steadily progressing towards the goal to 

 which the scheme of creation is carrying us ; but it is yet in 

 its infancy as shown by the fact that we still require symbolism 

 to help us to maintain and carry forward abstract thoughts to 

 higher levels, even as children require picture books for that 

 purpose. It is well therefore that we commence our investigation 

 in a humble frame of mind, namely, that we first clearly realise 

 our ignorance and the limitations under which only are we able 

 to look out upon our surroundings. 



Let us first consider how much many of us are dominated by 

 this world of appearances in our everyday life. 



We are each living in a little world created and furnished 

 by our thoughts. The racing man lives in a world furnished 

 with all the paraphernalia of horses, stables and jockeys, with 

 a long list of future racing engagements and preparations for 

 winning races years in advance. The business man is in touch 

 with other business men in all parts of the earth, and is living 

 in a world dominated by thoughts of transactions and financial 

 calculations for present and future money-making. A member 

 of the Stock Exchange is living in a turmoil of thoughts of stocks 

 and shares and their probable value from day to day. The 

 gambler is in a whirl of thoughts of possible luck in his world 

 of chance. A market gardener is planning from year's end U> 

 year's end how he can most profitably bring his produce to 

 perfection and how, even in the winter months by means of 

 glass-houses, he can grow fruit and vegetables which nature 

 would only produce during the summer. The physicist is living 

 in a world of atoms, radio-activity, chemical analyses and 

 synthesis, and the tremendous forces of nature which he can let 

 loose and control ; he is so engrossed in his experimental research 

 and calculations that he can hardly allow himself the necessary 

 time for sleep. Others are strivino^ for worldly possessions, 

 larger estates, and other means by which they can appear great 



