r
that by the objects of the senses, and the "senses move after their
appropriate objects"; it is not the "I," the Self, which moves. And so
also with the mind. "The mind is fickle and restless, O
Krishna, it seems as hard to curb as the wind," and the mind
lets the senses run after objects as a horse that has broken its reins
flies away with the unskilled driver. All these forces are set up; and
there is one more thing to remember. These forces reinforce the rajasic
guna and help to bring about that predominance of which I spoke; all
these reckless desires that are not according to the one will are yet
necessary in order that the will may evolve and in order to train and
develop the man.

Do you say why? How would you learn right if you knew not wrong? How
would you choose good if you knew not evil? How would you recognise the
light if there were no darkness? How would you move if there were no
resistance? The forces that are called dark, the forces of the
Rakshasas, of the Asuras, of all that seem to be working against
I'shvara--these are the forces that call out the inner strength of the
Self in man, by struggling with which the forces of A'tma within the man
are developed, and without which he would remain in Pralaya for
evermore. It is a perfectly stagnant pool where there is no motion, and
there you get corruption and not life. The evolution of force can only
be made by struggle, by combat, by effort, by exercise, and inasmuch as
I'shvara is building men and not babies, He must draw out men's forces
by pulling against their strength, making them struggle in order to
attain, and so vivifying into outer manifestation the life that
otherwise would remain enfolded in itself. In the seed the life is
hidden, but it will not grow if you leave the seed alone. Place it on
this table here, and come back a century hence, and, if you find it, it
will be a seed still and nothing more. So also is the A'tma in man ere
evolution and struggle have begun. Plant your seed in the ground, so
that the forces in the ground press on it, and the rays of the sun from
outside make vibrations that work on it, and the water from the rain
comes through the soil into it and forces it to swell--then the seed
begins to grow; but as it begins to grow it finds the earth around. How
shall it grow but by pushing at it and so bringing out the energies of
life that are within it? And against the opposition of the ground the
roots strike down, and agai