A Series of Lessons in Gnani Yoga

...containing within itself the potential for Matter, Energy, and Mind. Another school, closely allied with the materialists Philosophers who believe that physical matter is the only or primary reality., claims that this One is something called Energy, of which Matter and Mind are but "modes of motion" original: "modes of motion." A 19th-century scientific concept suggesting that all phenomena are different types of vibrations or movements of energy.. The Idealists Those who believe that reality is fundamentally mental or spiritual rather than material. claim that the One is something called Mind, and that Matter and Force are but ideas within that One Mind. Theologians claim that this One is something called a personal God, to whom they attribute certain qualities and characteristics, which vary according to their specific creeds and dogmas. The Naturistic school original: "Naturistic school." Likely referring to Naturalism, the belief that only natural laws and forces operate in the world. claims that this One is something called Nature, which is constantly manifesting itself in countless forms. The occultists original: "occultists." Practitioners or students of hidden spiritual or supernatural powers and knowledge., in their various Eastern and Western schools, have taught that the One was a Being whose Life constituted the life of all living forms.

All philosophies, all science, and all religions inform us that this world of shapes, forms, and names is but a "phenomenal" or shadow-world original: "phenomenal." In philosophy, this refers to the world as it appears to our senses, rather than the "noumenal" world of things as they actually are.—a world of appearances—behind which rests Reality, called by whatever name the teacher chooses. But remember this: all philosophy that counts is based upon some form of monism The theory that all of reality is unified and consists of a single substance or principle.—Oneness—whether the concept is a known or unknown god, an unknown or unknowable principle, a substance, an Energy, or a Spirit. There is only One—there can be only One—such is the inevitable conclusion of the highest human reason, intuition, or faith.

And, likewise, the same reason informs us that this One Life must permeate all apparent forms of life, and that all apparent material forms, forces, and energies...