44 The Spiritual Life.
whichthe aspirant has to face arisesfrom the
ebbandflowof his feelings,thechangesinthe
emotional atmosphere through which he sees
theexternalworldaswellashisown character
withits powers and itsweaknesses. Hefinds
thathislife consists of a seriesof ever-varying
statesof consciousness, of alternatingconditionsof thought and feeling. At one time he is
vividlyalive,atanotherquiescentlydead; now
he is cheerful,then morbid; nowoverflowing,
thendry;nowearnest,thenindifi^erent;nowde-
voted,thencold; nowaspiring,then lethargic.
He is constant only in his changeableness,
persistent onlyin his variety. And theworst
of itisthat heis unable to tracethese effectsto anyvery definite causes; they"come and
go,impermanent," and are as little predicable
as the summer winds. Why was meditation
easy, smooth, fruitful, yesterday? why is it
hard,irregular, barren, to-day? Why should
thatnobleideahave fired himwithenthusiasm
a weekago,yet leave him chill now? Why
washefullofloveanddevotionbutafewdays
since, but finds himself empty now, gazing at
his ideal with cold, lack-lustre eyes? The
facts are obvious, but the explanation escapes