SUNDAY THOUGHTS The mental influences and the process of thought, and is drawn from Protagoras by Plato: not

as before, that a man does what is evil knowingly, but that he does what is painful knowingly, and because he is overcome by pleasure, which is unworthy to overcome. What measure is there of the relations of pleasure to pain other than excess and defect, which means that they become greater and smaller, and more and fewer, and differ in degree? For if any one says: 'Yes, Socrates, but immediate pleasure differs widely from future pleasure and pain'--To that I should reply: And do they differ in anything but in pleasure and pain? There can be no other measure of them. And do you, like a skilful weigher, put into the balance the pleasures and the pains, and their nearness and distance, and weigh them, and then say which outweighs the other. Such then is Life, for those who love Thee: Strange Curves, and every Curve a Number woven into a Musical and Harmonious Design. The emotional influences and base passions, and is drawn from Symposium by Plato: The rhetoric of Agathon elevates the soul to 'sunlit heights,' but at the same time contrasts with the natural and necessary eloquence of Socrates. Agathon contributes the distinction between love and the works of

love, and also hints incidentally that love is always of beauty, which Socrates afterwards raises into a principle.

As I lay I contemplated Thy nature as that of an Infinite Rose. Petals, petals, petals... but where, O Beauteous One, is Thy Heart? Hast Thou no Heart? Are Thy petals Infinite so that I may never reach the Core of Thy Being? Yet, Thou hast said: I love you! I yearn to you! Pale or purple, veiled or voluptuous, I who am all pleasure and purple, and drunkenness of the innermost sense, desire you: Come unto me! But even there the Lightning flameth, for I have loosed the fires of my being within the dark recess in honour of the Storm and of Thine Infinite Body which I see not. Yet, it is written: Every man and every woman is a star. Every number is infinite, there is no difference.

The element of Water. It speaks of pure spiritual influences and feelings of love, and is drawn from Protagoras by Plato: because they think that every man ought to share in this sort of virtue, and that states could not exist if this were otherwise. I have explained to you, Socrates, the reason of this phenomenon. And that you may not suppose yourself to be deceived in thinking that all men regard every man as having a share of justice or honesty and of every other political virtue, let me give you a further proof, which is this. In other cases, as you are aware, if a man says that he is a good flute- player, or skilful in any other art in which he has no skill, people either laugh at him or are angry with him, and his relations think that he is mad and go and admonish him; but when honesty is in question, or some other political virtue, even if they know that he is dishonest, yet, if the man knew what the wide world might have been his had he known how to use it, but he was not ready for that; he would have perished of cold had I let him out into the wintry snow. Let those who would travel the Mystic Path remember this: Earth Consciousness is an illusion and limitation. When it frets us, like a little cage, our chance for greater freedom comes. But when a larger cage is offered when we obtain Dhyana let us not rest there thinking ourselves free. The door is open, Samadhi lies beyond, and beyond that, when we are ready for it, the Real

Freedom, Nirvana. The element of Earth. It speaks of physical influences and the impact of the unseen on the visible world, and is drawn from The Memorabilia by Xenophon: wise man and sound of soul in his power not only to recognise things 'beautiful and good,' but to live and move and have his being in them; as also in his gift of avoiding consciously things base." Or if {alla ton . . . kai ton . . .} transl. "The man who not only could recognise the beautiful and good, but lived, etc., in that world, and who morever consciously avoided things base, in the judgment of Socrates was wise and sound of soul." Cf. Plat. "Charm." And being further questioned whether "he considered those who have the knowledge of right action, but do not apply it, to be wise and self- controlled?"--"Not a whit more," he answered, "than I consider them to be the Beloved, verily this tending of the Garden of the World although the labor may seem heavy leadeth to a Great Reward. As Thou hast said: Certainty, not faith, while in life upon death, rest, ecstasy. Nor dost Thou demand aught in sacrifice. What do the Bhaktis know of Love? They see the Beloved every-where. But when I am one with Thee, O Beloved, I shall not see Thee, for I shall know Thee as Thou art. It seemed like a tiny rainbow of promise.