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AXIOM OF INDIVISIBILITY.

FOURTEENTH AXIOM OF REALITY: REALITY is Indivisible.

THIS AXIOM announces the Indivisibility of REALITY. By "Indivisible" is meant "inseparable; incapable of separation or division into parts; incapable of partition; the state of original, simple, and absolute Oneness."

From our consideration of REALITY we perceive that it is indivisible, in the full sense of the term as above stated, by the very fact of its essence, nature, substance, and very being. REALITY is not a composite union which may be indefinitely divided or separated into parts, but is an absolute unity which is an original, simple, and absolute Oneness, incapable of partition, separation, or division into parts of itself. REALITY can no more be divided than it can be added to, subtracted from, or multiplied. Its absolute unity cannot be attacked, defeated, or impaired by division or partition. Being ultimate, it is incapable of further analysis, division, or separation. If it could be divided or separated into parts, it would cease to be ultimate. If there were two or more ultimates, neither would be ultimate; there would be no ultimate at all. If there were two or more infinites, neither would be infinite; there would be no infinite at all. Remember the truism, "The infinite must be absolute unity." The idea of the ultimate and infinite being transformed into many non-ultimate, finite things is absurd and unthinkable. It would defy the Primary Laws of Thought, for REALITY is always itself, and cannot be other than itself.

REALITY cannot be divided, separated, or parted, because (1) there is nothing to divide, separate, or part it; (2) nothing with which it may be divided, separated, or parted; (3) nothing to fill into the space between the divided, separated, or parted parts.

Even the conception of Materialism, which postulates the existence of Matter as Ultimate Principle, or that of Science, which asserts the Ether to be Ultimate Principle, does not assume that this Ultimate Principle is divisible. On the contrary, it expressly and positively holds that Ultimate Principle is indivisible, as indeed every conception of Ultimate Principle must so hold. Materialism holds that there is an Ultimate Universal Principle, called either Matter, Substance, Energy, or Universal Ether (according to the particular school of Materialism), and that all shapes, forms, and activities are merely centers of activity or energy in that Ultimate Principle. The Universal Principle is held to be indivisible, continuous, without parts, incapable of separation or division into parts. The word "parts" is used merely figuratively in materialistic philosophy. To admit of divisibility, or "parts," in the Universal Ether would be to destroy its claimed ultimate nature.

The very conception of Ultimate Principle, by whatever name it may style the same, must carry with it the conception of indivisibility. Partition means "to part from"; the reason refuses to consider that anything can be parted from Ultimate Principle.

OMNIPRESENT TOTALITY.

It is also a logical necessity that an Infinite Unity must be present in its totality, wherever it is present at all . A Universal Unity must be infinite, and an Infinite must be an Universal Unity; there is no logical escape from this conclusion. Infinite Unity can have no "parts"; it is a Whole wherever it is present. And it must be present everywhere , being infinite. So that, again, it is seen that the Infinite Unity must be present everywhere in its totality of being . REALITY is thus seen to be omnipresent in its totality at all times.

AN ERROR OF PANTHEISM.

The fact of the indivisibility of REALITY also serves to refute the idea of a certain form of Pantheism now so popular under various names. The fundamental principle of this form of Pantheism is that "the One becomes the Many" by separation or division into "parts." The expression that everything and everybody is "a part of God" is seen to be a fallacy when the necessary fact of the indivisibility of ultimate substance is seen. Nothing can be a "part" of that which is indivisible. By the very nature of its being, the Infinite can never become many finites; the Eternal can never become many temporalities, for the element of time, beginning and ending, is introduced into the problem by the separation. Each Infinite fact of REALITY is denied by division and separation, and finite facts are substituted. From any point of view, from every aspect of consideration, divisibility must be denied of Ultimate Principle, by whatever name we may call it. Therefore REALITY is perceived to be Indivisible.

AXIOM OF IMMUTABILITY.

FIFTEENTH AXIOM OF REALITY: REALITY is Immutable.

By "Immutable" is meant "changeless; unchangeable; incapable of change; not susceptible to change; invariable; constant; stable; unalterable."

From our consideration of REALITY we perceive that it is immutable, in the full sense of the term as above stated, by the very fact of its essence, nature, substance, and very being. This is the inevitable report of reason. Change is the characteristic of the finite forms of the phenomenal world; it has naught to do with Ultimate Principle. Change implies subjection to the laws of Time and Causation, but REALITY is eternal, causeless, and original. Change would defeat, nullify, and destroy every infinite fact of REALITY the very ultimate nature of REALITY itself. Change is utterly and absolutely opposed to every fact of the essence, nature, substance, and principle of REALITY. It is seen to be unthinkable in connection with REALITY. If REALITY is subject to Change, then it is not Ultimate Principle at all, and we must look still further for Ultimate Principle, for the very spirit of the conception of Ultimate Principle depends upon its immutability. Reason demands and will accept nothing less than A CHANGELESS GROUND FOR THE CHANGING FORMS OF THE UNIVERSE.

There is nothing else than itself into which REALITY can change itself or can be changed, for REALITY is All-that-is. There is nothing else that could so change it. REALITY can never be more, or less, or other than itself. If it were to change itself, or be changed into Something Else, then there would no longer be REALITY; REALITY would have disappeared. The new and changed thing would have begun in time and thus become timed and not eternal. It cannot be supposed that REALITY can "change its form," for it has no form to change , and cannot become formed by reason of its infinite nature.

Moreover,—and this is the final reason,—by the primary laws of thought we are compelled to hold that (1) whatever is is always itself and never not itself ; (2) the essential nature, substance, and very being of a thing is always the same no matter how different the forms, shapes, or conditions under which the thing occurs, presents itself, or appears . This being so, then REALITY can never be other than itself; can never change itself into something else. Consequently the infinite variety of the forms, shapes, or conditions in which REALITY occurs, presents itself, or appears in the phenomenal world arise not from actual change ; they are merely appearances, presentations, occurrences on the outer surface of things, not disturbing in the least the essence, nature, substance, and REALITY of REALITY beneath the surface. This is a most important fact in the inquiry for REALITY—probably the most important fact. And it should be impressed firmly upon the mind, for it determines the status of every object of manifestation—of you who read these lines. It serves to determine what you are.

ANOTHER ERROR OF PANTHEISM.

It will be seen that this fact of the Immutability of REALITY, when clearly conceived, must serve to confute and refute the erroneous theories of certain schools of Pantheism which hold that "God becomes the Universe by changing into the Universe." Thus it is sought to identify Nature with God, whereby, as Schopenhauer said, "you show God to the door." If God changes Himself into The Phenomenal Universe, then God is non-existent and we need not concern ourselves any more about Him, for he has committed suicide by Change. In such case there is no God, no Infinite, no Immutable, no Eternal; everything has become finite, temporal, separate, a mere union of diverse finite parts. In that case are we indeed adrift in the Ocean of Diversity. We have lost our Foundation of REALITY, and are but ever-changing "parts" of physical things governed by physical laws. Then, indeed, would be true the idea of some of the old philosophies that "there is No Being; merely a Becoming." Then would there, in truth, be nothing constant, the universe never the same for two consecutive moments, with no permanent ground of REALITY to support it. But the reason of man, the very essence of his mental being, refuses to so think of That-which-is. In his heart of hearts he recognizes the existence of THAT-WHICH-CHANGES-NOT, THAT-WHICH-IS ETERNAL, THAT-WHICH-IS-REALITY.