In fact, this visible world of ours is the perfect product of the other invisible one, having in it its root and foundation, the very sap of its life.

Chapter Five

The Four Manifested Planes

The oriental idea of the universe does not differ fundamentally in its general conception, from that of modern science, but it goes farther and explains more.  The physics of the secret doctrine are based upon a material universe of four planes of vibration and a spiritual universe of three planes of vibration beyond matter.  This Something in vibration may be given the English name, Consciousness—­without entering upon its nature.

Spirit is consciousness in vibration and undifferentiated.

Matter is consciousness in vibration and differentiated.

As we divide the seven octaves of a piano into Treble and Bass for clearness of thought and writing, so the Hidden Knowledge divides the seven octaves of vibration, or planes, into Spirit and Matter.  In their ultimate analysis they are one and the same thing, as ice and water are the same thing; but for study they must be differentiated.

The material and physical universe consists of four planes of matter, or four great octaves of vibration, each differentiated from the other as in our physics prakriti is differentiated from ether.  The material universe, the ancient physics teach, was originally pure thought, Manasa, the product of the spiritual planes above.  This manasic world was differentiated, a real world.  That is to say it was given elementary substances by the union of its atoms in different sized molecules.  Some of its elements combined and formed Prana.  The prana gathered and formed other worlds, pranic worlds.  Then in the pranic world etheric worlds were formed; and finally in the etheric worlds, prakritic globes like the earth were formed.  The earth is the centre of a prakritic globe, revolving in ether around the sun.  The sun is the centre of a solar globe of ether, revolving in prana around Alcyone.  Alcyone is the centre of a stellar globe of prana revolving in manasa around the central and hidden sun of the great manasic globe.  These four conditions of matter prakriti, ether, prana, and manasa are the earth, water, fire, air of the Ancient Metaphysics, the four elements of matter, and are present in every atom of prakriti.  When the atom of prana was formed, it had an envelope of manasa.  When the atom of ether was formed it had an envelope of pranic-manasic atoms.  When the prakritic atom was formed it had an envelope of etheric-pranic-manasic atoms, each of its encircling etheric atoms being the centre of a pranic molecule, and each pranic atom of that molecule being the centre of a manasic molecule.