In Search of the Miraculous

proceeding in a certain way cannot be changed at any moment it is desired. It can be

changed and set on a new path only at certain 'cross-roads.' In between the 'crossroads'

nothing can be done. At the same time if a process passes by a 'crossroad' and nothing

happens, nothing is done, then nothing can be done afterwards and the process will

continue and develop according to mechanical laws; and even if people taking part in

this process foresee the inevitable destruction of everything, they will be unable to do

anything. I repeat that something can be done only at certain moments which I have

just called 'crossroads' and which in octaves we have called the 'intervals' mi-fa and sido.

"Of course there are very many people who consider that the life of humanity is not

proceeding in the way in which according to their views it ought to go. And they

invent various theories which in their opinion ought to change the whole life of

humanity. One invents one theory. Another immediately invents a contradictory

theory. And both expect everyone to believe them. And many people indeed do

believe either one or the other. Life naturally takes its own course but people do not

stop believing in their own or other people's theories and they believe that it is

possible to do something. All these theories are certainly quite fantastic, chiefly

because they do not take into account the most important thing, namely, the

subordinate part which humanity and organic life play in the world process.

Intellectual theories put man in the center of everything; everything exists for him, the sun, the stars, the moon, the earth. They even forget man's relative size, his

nothingness, his transient existence, and other tilings. They assert that a man if he

wishes is able to change his whole life, that is, to organize his life on rational

principles. And all the time new theories appear evoking in their turn opposing

theories; and all these theories and the struggle between them undoubtedly constitute

one of the forces which keep humanity in the state in which it is at present. Besides,

all these theories for general welfare and general equality are not only unrealizable,

but they would be fatal if they were realized. Everything in nature has its aim and its

purpose, both the

inequality of man and his suffering. To destroy inequality would mean destroying the

possibility of evolution. To destroy suffering would mean, first, destroying a whole

series of perceptions for which man exists, and second, the destruction of the 'shock,'

that is to say, the force which alone can change the situation. And thus it is with all

intellectual theories.

"The process of evolution, of that evolution which is possible for humanity as a

whole, is completely analogous, to the process of evolution possible for the individual

man. And it begins with the same thing, namely, a certain group of cells gradually

becomes conscious; then it attracts to itself other cells, subordinates others, and

gradually makes the whole organism serve its aims and not merely eat, drink, and

sleep. This is evolution and there can be no other kind of evolution. In humanity as in

individual man everything begins with the formation of a conscious nucleus. All the

mechanical forces of life fight against the formation of this conscious nucleus in

humanity, in just the same way as all mechanical habits, tastes and weaknesses fight

against conscious self-remembering in man."

"Can it be said that there is a conscious force which fights against the evolution of humanity?" I asked.

"From a certain point of view it can be said," said G.

I am putting this on record because it would seem to contradict what he said before,

namely, that there are only two forces struggling in the world—"consciousness" and

"mechanicalness."

"Where can this force come from?" I asked.

"It would take a long time to explain," said G., "and it cannot have a practical significance for us at the present moment. There are two processes which are

sometimes called 'involutionary' and 'evolutionary.' The difference between them is

the following: An involutionary process begins consciously in the Absolute but at the

next step it already becomes mechanical—and it becomes more and more mechanical

as it develops; an evolutionary process begins half-consciously but it becomes more

and more conscious as its develops. But consciousness and conscious opposition to the

evolutionary process can also appear at certain moments in the, involutionary process.

From where does this consciousness come? From the evolutionary process of course.

The evolutionary process must proceed without interruption. Any stop causes a

separation from the fundamental process. Such separate fragments of consciousnesses

which have been stopped in their development can also unite and at any rate for a

certain time can live by struggling against the evolutionary process. After all it merely makes the evolutionary process more interesting. Instead of struggling against