(^186) The Spiritual Life.
implies at once thislimitation. Manifestation,
byalawof mind,atonceImpliesitsantithesis,
the absence of manifestation. To anything
which you may think comes the opposite,for
the opposite is implied in the very act of
defining. "A" implies "not-A." Therefore
we are compelled to formulate "absence of
manifestation,"and yet cannot trulybesaidto
think it. But, as I have justsaid, manifesta-
tionmust implylimitation. There islimitation
intheveryexistence of a universe; it iscon-
ditioned,andassoonasyouthinkofthematter
youatoncebegintounderstandthatauniverse
implieslimitation,andthatonlybyaprocessof
limitationcanauniversecomeintobeing; con-
ditionsself-imposedwithintheInfiniteOne-ness
that can be recognised as the boundary that
limits thought. Well, when that is thought
and understood, the next step is very simple.
Having diversity,havinglimitation, thereis at
onceimperfectionimplied. The perfect isun-
limited; thelimited,imperfect. Soimperfection
mustbetheresultoflimitation. Inthetotality
youmayfind perfection; inthewhole,but not
in the parts. The very moment you have
parts, multiplicity, various bodies; each body
separatelyconsidered isimperfect,because itis