in Nature and being itself the Nature…Principle。 And does this Reason…Principle； Nature； spring from a contemplation？ Wholly and solely？ From self…contemplation； then？ Or what are we to think？ It derives from a Contemplation and some contemplating Being； how are we to suppose it to have Contemplation itself？ The Contemplation springing from the reasoning faculty… that； I mean； of planning its own content； it does not possess。 But why not； since it is a phase of Life； a Reason…Principle and a creative Power？ Because to plan for a thing is to lack it： Nature does not lack； it creates because it possesses。 Its creative act is simply its possession of it own characteristic Essence； now its Essence； since it is a Reason…Principle； is to be at once an act of contemplation and an object of contemplation。 In other words； the； Nature…Principle produces by virtue of being an act of contemplation； an object of contemplation and a Reason…Principle； on this triple character depends its creative efficacy。 Thus the act of production is seen to be in Nature an act of contemplation； for creation is the outcome of a contemplation which never becomes anything else； which never does anything else； but creates by simply being a contemplation。 4。 And Nature； asked why it brings forth its works； might answer if it cared to listen and to speak：
〃It would have been more becoming to put no question but to learn in silence just as I myself am silent and make no habit of talking。 And what is your lesson？ This； that whatsoever comes into being is my is my vision； seen in my silence； the vision that belongs to my character who； sprung from vision； am vision…loving and create vision by the vision…seeing faculty within me。 The mathematicians from their vision draw their figures： but I draw nothing： I gaze and the figures of the material world take being as if they fell from my contemplation。 As with my Mother （the All…Soul＇ and the Beings that begot me so it is with me： they are born of a Contemplation and my birth is from them； not by their Act but by their Being； they are the loftier Reason…Principles； they contemplate themselves and I am born。〃
Now what does this tell us？ It tells： that what we know as Nature is a Soul； offspring of a yet earlier Soul of more powerful life； that it possesses； therefore； in its repose； a vision within itself； that it has no tendency upward nor even downward but is at peace； steadfast； in its own Essence； that； in this immutability accompanied by what may be called Self…Consciousness； it possesses… within the measure of its possibility… a knowledge of the realm of subsequent things perceived in virtue of that understanding and consciousness； and； achieving thus a resplendent and delicious spectacle； has no further aim。 Of course； while it may be convenient to speak of 〃understanding〃 or 〃perception〃 in the Nature…Principle； this is not in the full sense applicable to other beings； we are applying to sleep a word borrowed from the wake。 For the Vision on which Nature broods； inactive； is a self…intuition； a spectacle laid before it by virtue of its unaccompanied self…concentration and by the fact that in itself it belongs to the order of intuition。 It is a Vision silent but somewhat blurred； for there exists another a clearer of which Nature is the image： hence all that Nature produces is weak； the weaker act of intuition produces the weaker object。 In the same way； human beings； when weak on the side of contemplation； find in action their trace of vision and of reason： their spiritual feebleness unfits them for contemplation； they are left with a void； because they cannot adequately seize the vision； yet they long for it； they are hurried into action as their way to the vision which they cannot attain by intellection。 They act from the desire of seeing their action； and of making it visible and sensible to others when the result shall prove fairly well equal to the plan。 Everywhere； doing and making will be found to be either an attenuation or a complement of vision…attenuation if the doer was aiming only at the thing done； complement if he is to possess something nobler to gaze upon than the mere work produced。 Given the power to contemplate the Authentic； who would run； of choice； after its image？ The relation of action to contemplation is indicated in the way duller children； inapt to study and speculation； take to crafts and manual labour。 5。 This discussion of Nature has shown us how the origin of things is a Contemplation： we may now take the matter up to the higher Soul； we find that the Contemplation pursued by this； its instinct towards knowing and enquiring； the birth pangs set up by the knowledge it attains； its teeming fullness； have caused it… in itself； all one object of Vision… to produce another Vision ＇that of the Kosmos＇： it is just as a given science； complete in itself； becomes the source and cause of what might be called a minor science in the student who attains to some partial knowledge of all its divisions。 But the visible objects and the objects of intellectual contemplation of this later creation are dim and helpless by the side of the content of the Soul。 The primal phase of the Soul… inhabitant of the Supreme and； by its participation in the Supreme； filled and illuminated… remains unchangeably There； but in virtue of that first participation； that of the primal participant； a secondary phase also participates in the Supreme； and this secondary goes forth ceaselessly as Life streaming from Life； for energy runs through the Universe and there is no extremity at which it dwindles out。 But； travel as far as it may； it never draws that first part of itself from the place whence the outgoing began： if it did； it would no longer be everywhere ＇its continuous Being would be broken and＇ it would be present at the end； only； of its course。 None the less that which goes forth cannot be equal to that which remains。 In sum； then： The Soul is to extend throughout the Universe； no spot void of its energy： but； a prior is always different from its secondary； and energy is a secondary； rising as it must from contemplation or act； act； however； is not at this stage existent since it depends upon contemplation： therefore the Soul； while its phases differ； must； in all of them； remain a contemplation and what seems to be an act done under contemplation must be in reality that weakened contemplation of which we have spoken： the engendered must respect the Kind； but in weaker form； dwindled in the descent。 All goes softly since nothing here demands the parade of thought or act upon external things： it is a Soul in vision and； by this vision； creating its own subsequent… this Principle ＇of Nature＇； itself also contemplative but in the feebler degree since it lies further away and cannot reproduce the quality or experiences of its prior… a Vision creates the Vision。 ＇Such creative contemplation is not inexplicable＇ for no limit exists either to contemplation or to its possible objects； and this explains how the Soul is universal： where can this thing fail to be； which is one identical thing in every Soul； Vision is not cabined within the bournes of magnitude。 This； of course； does not mean that the Soul is present at the same strength in each and every place and thing… any more than that it is at the same strength in each of its own phases。 The Charioteer ＇the Leading Principle of the Soul； in the Phaedrus Myth＇ gives the two horses ＇its two dissonant faculties＇ what he has seen and they； taking that gift； showed that they were hungry for what made that vision； there was something lacking to them： if in their desire they acted； their action aimed at what they craved for… and that was vision； and an object of vision。 6。 Action； thus； is set towards contemplation and an object of contemplation； so that even those whose life is in doing have seeing as their object； what they have not been able to achieve by the direct path； they hope to come at by the circuit。 Further： suppose they succeed； they desired a certain thing to come about； not in order to be unaware of it but to know it； to see it present before the mind： their success is the laying up of a vision。 We act for the sake of some good； this means not for something to remain outside ourselves； not in order that we possess nothing but that we may hold the good of the action。 And hold it； where？ Where but in the mind？ Thus once more； action is brought back to contemplation： for ＇mind or＇ Soul is a Reason…Principle and anything that one lays up in the Soul can be no other than a Reason…Principle； a silent thing； the more certainly such a principle as the impression made is the deeper。 This vision achieved； the acting instinct pauses； the mind is satisfied and seeks nothing further； the contemplation； in one so conditioned； remains absorbed within as having acquired certainty to rest upon。 The brighter the certainty； the more tranquil is the contemplation as having acquired the more perfect unity； and… for now we come to the serious treatment of the subject… In proportion to the truth with which the knowing faculty knows； it comes to identification with the