there are a few facts among those admitted by these philosophers
which are sufficient for us to demolish their theory. In every portion
of the human body a constant change goes on without intermission. Every
tissue, every muscular fibre and nerve-tube, and every ganglionic centre
in the brain, is undergoing an incessant change. In the course of a
man's lifetime there may be a series of complete tranformations of the
substance of his brain. Nevertheless, the memory of his past mental
states remains unaltered. There may be additions of new subjective
experiences and some mental states may be altogether forgotten, but no
individual mental state is altered. The person's sense of personal
identity remains the same throughout these constant alterations in the
brain substance.* It is able to survive all these changes, and it can
survive also the complete destruction of the material substance of the
brain.

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* This is also sound Buddhist philosophy, the transformation in
question being known as the change of the skandhas.--Ed. Theos.
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This individuality arising from mental consciousness has its seat of
existence, according to our philosophers, in an occult power or force,
which keeps a registry, as it were, of all our mental impressions. The
power itself is indestructible, though by the operation of certain
antagonistic causes its impressions may in course of time be effaced, in
part or wholly.

I may mention in this connection that our philosophers have
associated seven occult powers with the seven principles or entities
above-mentioned. These seven occult powers in the microcosm correspond
with, or are the counterparts of, the occult powers in the macrocosm.
The mental and spiritual consciousness of the individual becomes the
general consciousness of Brahmam, when the barrier of individuality is
wholly removed, and when the seven powers in the microcosm are placed
en rapport with the seven powers in the macrocosm.

There is nothing very strange in a power, or force, or sakti, carrying
with it impressions of sensations, ideas, thoughts, or other subjective
experiences. It is now a well-known fact, that an electric or magnetic
current can convey in some mysterious manner impressions of sound or
speech, with all their individual peculiarities; similarly, I can
convey my thoughts to you by a transmission of energy or power.

Now, this fifth principle represents in our philosophy the mind, or, to