As already said, the central mass, spiritually seen, is our
visible world, composed of solids, liquids and gases. They constitute the earth, its
atmosphere, and also the ether, of which physical science speaks hypothetically as
permeating the atomic substance of all chemical elements. The second layer of matter is
called the Desire World and the outermost layer is called the World of Thought.
A little reflection upon the subject will make clear that just
such a constitution is necessary to account for facts of life as we see them. All forms in
the world about us are built from chemical substances: solids, liquids and gases, but in so
far that they do move, these forms obey a separate and distinct impulse, and when this
impelling energy leaves, the form becomes inert. The steam[pg 056]engine rotates under the impetus of an invisible gas called steam. Before
steam filled its cylinder, the engine stood still, and when the impelling force is shut off
its motion again ceases. The dynamo rotates under the still more subtile influence of an
electric current which may also cause the click of a telegraph instrument or the ring of an
electric bell, but the dynamo ceases its swift whirl and the persistent ring of the electric
bell becomes mute when the invisible electricity is switched off. The form of the bird, the
animal and the human being also cease their motion when the inner force which we call
life has winged its
invisible way.
All forms are impelled into motion by desire:—the bird and the
animal roam land and air in their desire to secure food and shelter, or for the purpose of
breeding, man is also moved by these desires, but has in addition other and higher
incentives to spur him to effort, among them is desire for rapidity of motion which led him
to construct the steam engine and other devices that move in obedience to his desire.
If there were no iron in the mountains man could not build
machines. If there were no clay in the soil, the bony structure of the[pg 057]skeleton would be an impossibility, and if there were no Physical World at
all, with its solids, liquids and gases, this dense body of ours could never have come into
existence. Reasoning along similar lines it must be at once apparent that if there were no
Desire World composed of desire-stuff, we should have no way of forming feelings, emotions
and desires. A planet composed of the materials we perceive with our physical eyes and of no other
substances, might be the home of plants which grow unconsciously, but have no desires to
cause them to move. The human and animal kingdoms however, would be
impossibilities.
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