o near, pair, build their nests, and bring up their young in its
branches. And in addition to the birds which are attracted by the
berries, fruits, and seeds, other birds which are attracted by the
caterpillars come there and build their nests. Without the flowers the
bees would be starved; without the bees or other insects the flowers
would not be fertilised and the tree would not perpetuate itself.[*]

[*] I take this illustration from Rodway's "In the Guiana Forest." It
applies equally to any tropical forest.

The lives of all individuals, whether plants, beasts, or men, are thus
curiously interwoven with and interdependent on one another. They
are also dependent upon the chemical elements in the soil and air.
And even then the dependence does not cease, for they depend, too,
upon the light and heat from the Sun. And the Sun itself, and this
Earth as well, are subtly connected with the whole Stellar Universe.

It is only within limits that any individual can be regarded as a
distinct and separate entity. It has its own unique individuality, it is
true. But it is also connected with all the rest of the forest and with
all the rest of the Earth, of the Solar System, and of the Universe.
Each individual is to _some_ extent dependent upon all other
individuals. All influence and are influenced by all the rest. There is
mutual influence everywhere. And all are connected in a whole--the
whole influencing each individual and each individual influencing
the whole.

So besides the resistance of individuals to one another, there is
attraction. Besides conflict there is co-operation. Besides
independence there is interdependence.

The life of the forest thus forms a whole. Individuals have their due
allowance of freedom. But they are kept together in a whole.
Running through the individuals in their ensemble, binding them
together, in spite of the tether they are allowed, must therefore be
some kind of Organising Activity. We cannot look into that
marvellous forest life without seeing that at the back of it, working
all the way through it, controlling, guiding, inspiring every
movement, is some dominating Activity, which, while allowing
individuals freedom for experimenting by the process of trial and
error, yet keeps them all bound together as a whole. And when we
note the evidence of purposiveness everywhere so abundant, we
cannot resist the conclusion that this Activity also gives _direction._

It is not necessary to