subordinate to the "I," which is
Spirit, and obeys the orders of the latter when firmly and intelligently
given. The "I" itself is subordinate only to the Absolute--the Centre of
Being--the "I" being positive and dominant over the threefold
manifestation of Mind, Energy, and Matter.

The "I," which for the sake of the illustration must be regarded as a
separate thing (although it is really only a Centre of Consciousness in
the great body of Spirit), finds itself surrounded by the triple-ocean of
Mind, Energy and Matter, which ocean extends into Infinity. The body is
but a physical form through which flows an unending stream of matter,
for, as you know the particles and atoms of the body are constantly
changing; being renewed; replaced; thrown off, and supplanted. One's body
of a few years ago, or rather the particles composing that body, have
passed off and now form new combinations in the world of matter. And
one's body of to-day is passing away and being replaced by new particles.
And one's body of next year is now occupying some other portion of space,
and its particles are now parts of countless other combinations, from
which space and combinations they will later come to combine and form the
body of next year. There is nothing permanent about the body--even the
particles of the bones are being constantly replaced by others. And
so it is with the Vital Energy, Force, or Strength of the body (including
that of the brain). It is constantly being used up, and expended, a fresh
supply taking its place. And even the Mind of the person is changeable,
and the Mind-substance or _Chitta_, is being used up and replenished, the
new supply coming from the great Ocean of Mind, into which the discarded
portion slips, just as is the case with the matter and energy.

While the majority of our students, who are more or less familiar with
the current material scientific conceptions, will readily accept the
above idea of the ocean of Matter, and Energy, and the fact that there
is a continual using up and replenishing of one's store of both, they may
have more or less trouble in accepting the idea that Mind is a substance
or principle amenable to the same general laws as are the other two
manifestations, or attributes of substance. One is so apt to think of his
Mind as "himself"--the "I." Notwithstanding the fact that in our Second
Lesson of this series we showed you that the "I" is superior to the
mental states, and that it can set th