268 The Spiritual Life.
to understand in what the evolution of man
consists.
It consists in expanding consciousness, con-
sciousness beginning at the very base of our
pyramid as a mere thread of living light; it
expands as it mounts from region to region,
w^ideningoutandtakingin moreandmore; at
last the thread has becomeacone of fire,and
itrisestotheveryapexand joinstheoceanof
LivingFireinwhichalllightandalllifereside.
Expansion of consciousness is the note of
humanevolution,andasitexpands,takingmore
and more within itslimits, mankind thusrising
willincreaseinpower,wisdom,andlove. Not
that thethree can reallybedisjoined,save for
clearnessofexplanation,forloveisbuttheout-ward expression of wisdom, and power its
effectualagent; still,the separateconsiderationof each may help to systematiseour thinking,
and that is not withoutadvantageina subject
socomplexandsodifficult.
Taking the race as a whole, we may say
thatitsself-consciouslifeisin the bodyonthe
physical plane; man himselfas before defined
may indeed besaid to have come down from
higherregionsinto hisphysicalencasement, but