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"In dimension it is infinite; it is not made up of parts; and colour, taste, smell, and tangibility do not appertain to it. So far forth it corresponds exactly to time, space, Isvara, ("The Lord," but rather creative potency and soul -- anima mundi ) . Its speciality, as compared therewith, consists in its being the material cause of sound. Except for its being so, one might take it to be one with vacuity" ( p . 120.) It is vacuity, no doubt, especially for Rationalists. At any rate Akasa is sure to produce vacuity in the brain of a materialist. Nevertheless, though Akasa is not that Ether of Science, not even the Ether of the Occultist, who defines the latter as one of the principles of Akasa only, it is as certainly, together with its primary, the cause of sound, only a physical and spiritual, not a material cause by any means. The relations [[fn continued]] [[Vol. 1, Page]] 297 NOTHING NEW UNDER THE SUN. many other mysteries, will remain non-existent to the materialists of our age, in the same way as America was a non-existent myth for Europeans during the early part of the mediaeval ages, whereas Scandinavians and Norwegians had actually reached and settled in that very old "New World" several centuries before. But, as a Columbus was born to re-discover, and to force the Old World to believe in Antipodal countries, so will there be born scientists who will discover the marvels now claimed by Occultists to exist in the regions of Ether, with their varied and multiform denizens and conscious Entities. Then, nolens volens, Science will have to accept the old "Superstition," as it has several others. And having been once forced to accept it -- judging from past experience -- its learned professors will, in all probability, as in the case of M ESMERISM and Magnetism, now re-baptised Hypnotism, father the thing and reject its name. The choice of the new appellation will depend, in its turn, on the "modes of motion," the new name for the older "automatic physical processes among the nerve fibrils of the (Scientific) brain" of Moleschott; as also, very likely, upon the last meal of the namer; since, according to the Founder of the new Hylo-Idealistic Scheme, "Cerebration is generically the same as chylification."* Thus, were one to believe this preposterous proposition, the new name of the archaic thing would have to take its chance, on the inspiration of the namer's liver, and then only would these truths have a chance of becoming scientific! But TRUTH, however distasteful to the generally blind majorities, has always had her champions, ready to die for her, and it is not the Occultists who will protest against its adoption by Science under whatever new name. But, until absolutely forced on the notice and acceptance of Scientists, many an Occult truth will be tabooed, as the phenomena of the Spiritualists and other psychic manifestations were, to be finally appropriated by its ex-traducers without the least acknowledgment or thanks. Nitrogen has added considerably to chemical knowledge, but its discoverer, Paracelsus, is to this day called a "quack." [[Footnote(s) -------------------------------------------------]] [[fn back]] of Ether to Akasa may be defined by applying to both Akasa and Ether the words said of the god in the Vedas, "So himself was indeed (his own) son," one being the progeny of the other and yet itself. This may be a difficult riddle to the profane, but very easy to understand for any Hindu -- though not even a mystic. * National Reformer, January 9th, 1887. Article "Phreno-Kosmo-Biology," by Dr. Lewins. [[Vol. 1, Page]] 298 THE SECRET DOCTRINE. How profoundly true are the words of H. T. Buckle, in his admirable " History of Civilization " (Vol. I., p. 256), when he says: - "Owing to circumstances still unknown (Karmic provision, H.P.B.) there appear from time to time great thinkers, who, devoting their lives to a single purpose, are able to anticipate the progress of mankind, and to produce a religion or a philosophy by which important effects are eventually brought about. But if we look into history we shall clearly see that, although the origin of a new opinion may be thus due to a single man, the result which the new opinion produces will depend on the condition of the people among whom it is propagated. If either a religion or a philosophy is too much in advance of a nation it can do no present service but must bide its time* until the minds of men are ripe for its reception. . . . Every science, every creed has had its martyrs. According to the ordinary course of affairs, a few generations pass away, and then there comes a period when these very truths are looked upon as commonplace facts, and a little later there comes another period in which they are declared to be necessary, and even the dullest intellect wonders how they could ever have been denied." It is barely possible that the minds of the present generations are not quite ripe for the reception of Occult truths. Such will be the retrospect furnished to the advanced thinkers of the Sixth Root Race of the history of the acceptance of Esoteric Philosophy -- fully and unconditionally. Meanwhile the generations of our Fifth Race will continue to be led away by prejudice and preconceptions. Occult Sciences will have the finger of scorn pointed at them from every street corner, and everyone will seek to ridicule and crush them in the name, and for the greater glory, of Materialism and its so-called Science. The Addendum which completes the present Book shows, however, in an anticipatory answer to several of the forthcoming Scientific objections, the true and mutual positions of the defendant and plaintiff. The Theosophists and Occultists stand arraigned by public opinion, which still holds high the banner of the inductive Sciences. The latter have, then, to be examined; and it must be shown how far their achievements and discoveries in the realm of natural laws are opposed, not so much to our claims, as to the facts in nature. The hour has now struck to ascertain whether the [[Footnote(s)]]------------------------------------------------- * This is Cyclic law, but this law itself is often defied by human stubbornness. [[Vol. 1, Page]] 299 MEN WELCOME ERROR, AND CRUCIFY THE TRUTH. walls of the modern Jericho are so impregnable that no blast of the Occult trumpet is ever likely to make them crumble. The so-called Forces, with Light and Electricity heading them, and the constitution of the Solar orb must be carefully examined; as also Gravitation and the Nebular theories. The Natures of Ether and of other Elements must be discussed: thus contrasting scientific with other Occult teachings, while revealing some of the hitherto secret tenets of the latter. ( Vide Addendum.