History and Doctrines of the Ajivikas: A Vanished Indian Religion c24.s1.26

c24.s1.26

It is nowhere in the text stated whether all atoms of one class were thought of as being identical, or whether it was considered that special differences existed within each genus of atom, to account for the great differences in the material contents of the world. It would seem, however, that the macroscopic differences in the structure and texture of matter were thought of as caused by the variation of the densities of the microscopic *aṇu*s which composed it.¹ The diminutive size of the atom is clearly stated. A single atom can only be detected by a divine eye,² but a large aggregate of atoms may be seen, just as a single hair is invisible in the twilight, while a number of hairs together may be perceived.³