THE REV. J. J. B. COLESj ON THEOSOPHY. 



37 



that it is infinitely thinner than the thinnest gas, absolutely friction- 

 less and without weight : the other asserts that it is denser than the 

 densest solid. In this substance the ultimate atoms of ether are 

 thought to float, like motes in a sunbeam, and light, heat and 

 electricity are supposed to be its vibrations. 



" Theosophical investigators, using methods not at the disposal of 

 physical science, have found that this hypothesis includes under one 

 head two entirely different and widely separated sets of phenomena. 

 They have been able to deal with states of matter higher than the 

 gaseous, and have observed that it is by means of vibrations of this 

 finer matter that light, heat and electricity manifest themselves to 

 us. Seeing that matter in these higher states thus performs the 

 functions attributed to the ether of science, they have (perhaps 

 unadvisedly) called these states etheric, and have thus left themselves 

 without a convenient name for that substance which fulfils the other 

 part of the scientific requirements. 



" Let us for the moment name this substance koilon, since it fills 

 what we are in the habit of calling empty space. What mulaprakrti 

 or ' mother-matter ' is to the inconceivable totality of universes, 

 koilon is to our particular universe, not to our solar system merely, 

 but to the vast unit which includes all visible suns. 



" To any power of sight which we can bring to bear upon it, this 

 koilon appears to be homogeneous, though it is probably nothing of 

 the kind, since homogeneity can belong to the mother substance 

 alone. 



It is out of all proportion denser than any other substance 

 known to us, infinitely denser — if we may be pardoned the 

 expression ; so much denser that it seems to belong to another 

 type or order of density. 



" But now comes the startling part of the investigation ; we 

 might expect matter to be a densification of this koilon; it is 

 nothing of the kind. Matter is not koilon, but the absence of 

 koilon, and at first sight, matter and space, appear to have changed 

 places, and emptiness has become solidity, solidity has become 

 emptiness ! " 



[A recent address on the New Elements in Chemistry by 

 Sir William Crookes adds interest to these extracts. See note 

 on p. 45.] 



But time and space will not admit of any further quotations 

 from this engrossing Appendix, save only the following : — 



" To us, Theosophists, it is the Breath of the Logos — we know 

 not whether of the Logos of this solar system or of a yet Mightier 

 Being ; the latter would seem the more likely." 



Christians might here venture to quote the words of that 

 great initiate the Apostle Paul. " Whom therefore ye ignorantly 



