96 TheSpiritual Life.
One Life is evolving through many imper-
manentforms
;Eachseparated life seeksthis Lifewhich is
itself,andthusformscomeintocontact
;These forms exclude each other and keep
thecontainedlivesapart.
Wemaynow^understandhowsorrowariseth.
Asoulseeksbeauty,andfindsabeautifulform;
itunitesitselftothe form,rejoicesoverit; the
formperishesandavoid isleft. Asoulseeks
love, and it finds a lovable form; it unites
itself to the form and joys in it; the form
perishesandthe heart lies desolate. Andthis
is the experience in its least sorrowful shape
;
farmoregrievousisthesadsatietyofpossession,
thewearied relinquishmentof aprizesohardly
won. Disillusion treading on theheelsofdis-
illusion, and yet ever fresh illusion and ever
reneweddisgust.
Searchthe world overand wefind thatall
the sufferings of normal evolution are due to
unionwiththe changing and dying forms, the
blind and foohsh seeking for a happiness that
shall endure by a clinging to the form that
perishes. These are "the delights that are
contact-born,"and because theyleadtoweari-
ness or, at the best, to loss, they are truly