126 The Spiritual Life.
entrap, and bewilderthe aspirant the moment
hehasmadesufficientprogressbeyondordinary
humanityto draw their attention, and render
himself worthy of attack. Endeavouring to
delaythe higher evolution andto prolong the
sovereignty of matter, they regard as their
natural enemy anyone who steps out of the
normalpathandseekstoleadthespiritual life.
These are the "powers of nature," so often
mentioned in mystic books,whostriveto hold
back the aspiring soul. Their most favourite
deviceof all, perhaps, is to cause discourage-
ment and, if possible, to drive to despair,by
envelopingthesoulindarkness,andbymaking
himfeelforsakenandalone. Theirsthetouch
whichgivesthepeculiar poignancytotheisola-
tion; thethoughts that whisperof despairare
but theechoesof theirmockery. Asprogress
is madeonthe Path, allthe powersof nature
mustgraduallybefacedandconquered,andthe
facingandtheconqueringmust bedonealone.
Alone? ah! not alone in reality; what shall
separate us from the One Life which is our
verySelf, orfromtheloveof theMasterswho
watcheverystep of the combatant? but alone
sofaras the intellect is concerned,which feels
the" 1 "asstandingunaidedandforlorn.
When we study the life of the accepted
