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Then it begins to realize certain relationships, and feels its vital connection with the twig and the few other leaves attached to the same twig. Later on, it un- folds sufficiently to perceive that certain other leaf- bearing twigs are connected with the same branch, and it learns to feel its relationship with all twigs and leaves springing from that branch. Then again, a little later on, it begins to realize that other branches spring from the same limb as its branch, and the sense of relationship and dawning Unity begins to widen still further. And so it goes on, until at last, the tiny leaflet realizes that the life of the tree is the life of all of its parts — limbs, branches, twigs, leaves, blossoms, fruit, seed, etc., and that it, itself, is but a centre of expression in the One Life of the tree. Does the leaf feel less important and real from this discovery? We should say assuredly not, for it must feel that behind its tiny form and limited strength is the strength and vitality of the entire organism of the tree. It must know that the tree is ever at work ex- tracting nourishment from the earth, air, and water, and transmitting that nourishment to its every part, including our little friend the leaflet. It knows that the sap will rise in the Spring to renew the manifesta- tions of life, and it knows that although its leafy form may wither and die, still the essence of its life — its real Life — does not die but remains ever active and strong awaiting its chance for future expression and 90 GNAN-I YOGA. re-embodiment. Of course this figure of the leaf and the tree fails us if we attempt to carry it very far, but it will give us at least a partial idea of the rela- tionship between the life of the person, and the One Life. Some of the Oriental teachers have illustrated this idea to their students by various familiar examples and figures of speech. Some bid the student hold up his hand, and then point out to him that each finger is apparently separate and distinct if one does not look down to where it joins the hand. Each finger, if it had consciousness, might well argue that it was a separate individual, having no relationship with any other finger. It might prove this to its own satis- faction, and to that of its listeners, by showing that it could move itself without stirring the other fingers. And so long as its consciousness was confined to its upper two joints it would remain under the illusion of separateness. But when its consciousness at last permeated the depths of its being, it would find that it emerged from the same hand from which also sprung the other fingers, and that its real life and power was vested in the hand rather than in itself, and that al- though apparently separate and independent, it was really but a part of the hand. And when its con- sciousness, through the consciousness of the hand, broadened and widened, it would perceive its rela- tionship with, and interdependence with, the whofe body, and would also recognize the power of the brain, and its mighty Will. THE UNITY OF LIFE. 91 Another favorite illustration of the Eastern teach- ers is the stream of water flowing over a rocky bed. They point to the stream before it comes to a rocky place, and show the chela (student) that it is One. Then they will move a little way down the stream and show him how the rocks and stones divide the stream into countless little streams, each of which might imagine itself a separate and distinct stream, until later on it again joins the main united stream, and finds that it was but a form of expression of the One. Another illustration that is frequently used by the teachers, is that which bids the student consider him- self as a minute cell, or "little-life" as the Hindus call it, in a body. It may be a cell in the blood per- forming the office of a carrier or messenger, or it may be a working cell in one of the organs of the body ; or it may be a thinking cell in the brain. At any rate, the cell manifests capacity for thought, action and mem- ory — and a number of secondary attributes quite won- derful in the way. (See "Hatha Yoga," Chapter XVIII.) Each cell might well consider itself as a separate individual — in a certain sense it does. It has a certain degree of something akin to consciousness, enabling it to perform its work correctly and prop- erly, and is called upon at times to manifest some- thing like judgment. It may well be excused for thinking of itself as a "person" having a separate life. The analogy between its illusions and that of the man when seen by a Master, is very close. But we know that the life of the cell is merely a centre of expres- 92 GNANI YOGA. sion of the life of the body — that its consciousness is merely a part of the consciousness of the mind ani- mating the body. The cell will die and apparently perish, but the essence of it will remain in the life of the person whose body it occupied, and nothing really dies or perishes. Would the cell feel any less real if it knew that behind its Personality as a cell, there was the Individuality of the Man — that its Real Self was the Man, not the cell? Of course, even this fig- ure of speech can be carried only so far, and then must stop, for the personality of the man, when it is dissolved, leaves behind it an essence which is called Character, which becomes the property of the Ego and which accompanies it into after life according to the Law of Karma, of which we shall speak in future lessons. But back even of these attributes of Per- sonality, is the Ego which exists in spite of Person- ality, and lives on and on throughout many Person- alities, and yet learning the lessons of each, until at last it rises above Personality and enters into higher sphere of Knowing and Being. Still another favorite illustration of the Hindu teach- ers is that of the sun beating down upon the ocean and causing a portion of the water to rise in the form of vapor. This vapor forms clouds which spread all over the earth, and which eventually condense in the form of rain drops, dew, etc. This rain and dew form streams, rivers, etc., and sooner or later every drop finds its way back to Mother Ocean which is its Real Self. Separate though the dewdrop be, yet it is a part THE UNITY OF LIFE. 93 of the Ocean, no matter how far distant it may be, and the attraction of the Ocean will surely, and with- out fail, draw it back to its bosom. And the dew- drop, if it could know the truth, would be so much happier and stronger, and braver if it could know that it was superior to accident, time and space, and that it could not escape its own good, and that nothing could prevent its final triumph and victory when at last "the dewdrop glides into the shining sea." How cheerfully it could have met its many changes of form, and the incidents of its journey, if it could have got- ten rid of the illusion of separateness, and knew that instead of being a tiny insignificant dewdrop it was a part of the Mighty Ocean — in fact that its Real Self was that Ocean itself — and that the Ocean was continually drawing it toward it, and that the many changes, up and down, were in response to that mighty power of attraction which was slowly but irresistibly drawing it back Home to Rest, Peace, and Power. As valuable as are all these illustrations, examples, and figures of speech, still all must of necessity fall short of the truth in the case of the Soul of Man — that wondrous something which has been built up by the Absolute after aeons and aeons of time, and which is destined to play an important part in the great Cosmic Drama which it has pleased the Absolute to think into existence. Drawing its Life from the Uni- versal Life, it has the roots of its being still further back in the Absolute itself, as we shall see in the next lesson. Great and wonderful is it all, and our minds 94 GNANI YOGA. are but illy fitted to receive the truth, and must be gradually accustomed to the glare of the Sun. But it will come to all — none can escape his glorious des- tiny. The Oriental writings are full of allusions to the underlying Oneness, in fact the entire Oriental philos- ophies rest upon it. You may find it everywhere if you will but look for it. The experience of Cosmic Consciousness, which is naught but a sudden or grad- ual "awareness" of the underlying Unity of Life, is evidenced everywhere in the Upanishads, that won- derful series of teachings in the Hindu classics. Every writer in the collection gives his evidence regarding this awareness of Unity and Oneness, and the experi- ences and mental characteristics arising from the same. The following quotations will give an idea of the prevalence of this thought : "He that beholds all beings in the Self, and the Self in all things, he never turns away from it." "When to a man who understands, the Self has be- come all things, what sorrow, what trouble, can there be to him who once beheld that unity." The Hindu father explains to his son that the One Life is in all forms and shapes, points out object after object, saying to the boy: "Tat tvam asi, Thou art that; That thou art." And the Mystics have added their testimony to that of others who have experienced this consciousness. Plotinus said : "Knowledge has three degrees : opinion, science, and illumination. The last is absolute knowl- THE UNITY OF LIFE. 95 edge founded upon the identity of the knowing mind with the known object." And Eckhardt, the German mystic, has told his pu- pils that: "God is the soul of all things. He is the light that shines in us when the veil is rent.