200 The Spiritual Life.
everything which sets itself against it, and
causesfriction and retardation,wearsitself out
bythe veryfriction whichit causes. Itisone
of the laws of motion that a moving body
continuestomoveif notopposed,butif friction
is generated by its coming mto contact with
anotherbodyit willgraduallycometoastand-
still; wherever there is friction there is this
expenditure of energy, and this friction trans-
mutesmovingenergyinto anotherform,suchas
heat, and the energy is dissipated; continued
frictioncausesthedissipationof theformwhich
is subject to it. It is not that the energy is
annihilated; it is not that the energy is de-
stroyed; that cannot be. It is that the form
isdestroyedwhich comesintocontactwiththat
inwhichtheoppositeforceismanifested. The
form perishesbecause the opposition breaksit
intopieces,orratherit breaksitself intopieces
against the opposing force,butthe energyper-
sistsbecauseitispartofone eternal life. But
youmaysay,whythisretardingforce? Why
should there be in evolution this action of
retardation? Whyshouldtherebeinevolution
somethingwhichopposes? Howcanitcome?
If everything is from the One, how can it
develop?
First,because the conditionof anydiversity
