The spiritual life

Its Meaningand Method. 133

Unity is the keynote of spirit, for below the

spiritual realm all is division. Whenwe pass

from the spiritual into the mtellectual we at

oncefindourselvesinthemidstof separation.

Dealingwith our own intellectual nature,to

whichtheword "soul" oughttoberestricted,

weatoncenoticethatitis, asisoftensaid,the

very principleof separateness. In the growth

of ourintellectual naturewebecome moreand

moreconsciousof the separatenessof the "I.

Itisthiswhichissometimescalledthe "I-ness

"

in man. It isthiswhich gives rise to all our

ideasastoseparateexistence,separateproperty,

separategains and losses; it isjust as mucha

partof the man as spirit,onlyadifferent part,

and it is the very antithesis of the spiritual

nature. Forwhere the intellect sees "I"and

"mine"thespiritseesunity,non-separateness;

wheretheintellect strives to developitself and

assert itselfas separate, the spirit seesitself in

all things and regards all forms as equallyits

own.

Itison the spiritual nature that turnallthe

great mysteries of the religions of the world,

for it is a mystery to the ordinary man, this

depthof unityin theverycentre of his being,

which regards all around it as part of itself,

and thinks of nothing as separately its own.