The truth of the reincarnation theory can be understood in this way: that the selfsame proportion of Consciousness which has once been a soul might happen to form again as a soul; but in general there is no such possibility. It would be as rare as a bubble forming the selfsame bubble again; for generally either half, a quarter, or even a hundredth part of the first bubble would be produced, or a bubble perhaps a hundred times as large as the first one. In any case the soul has to merge into the Consciousness before it is sufficiently alive to manifest again. That is why we cannot call it the same soul, for it is quite purified from its previous conditions. It is just like a drop of ink: when it falls into the ocean the water merges into water and its inky substance sinks to the bottom. It can never remain as a distinct drop of ink, but becomes the pure water of the ocean. If it were again taken out of the water it would no longer show its previous substance. Such is the nature of the soul when merged again in the ocean of Consciousness.