From the Unconscious to the Conscious 



not equal to it. Inherent justice clearly implies wide 

 margins of incidence. A bad action will not be automati- 

 cally shown to be such by a similar bad action done by 

 another against the first sinner; nor by any kind of lex 

 talionis which would be none the less odious for being 

 a natural result. 



Action and reaction are always equal, but by the 

 very fact of evolution the reaction becomes refined and 

 spiritualised in proportion to the progress of conscious- 

 ness. It passes from material to spiritual penalties; and 

 repentance, remorse, and efforts to repair the injury 

 or to amend the life, take the place of physical retribution. 



Thus the concept of evolution by palingenesis gives 

 us the assurance of the ultimate sovereignty of justice 

 as it also assures the development of sovereign conscious- 

 ness. It reveals in the universe an orderly harmony under 

 seeming incoherence, and absolute justice under seeming 

 injustice. Thus understood, this concept is so beautiful 

 and satisfying that we can say with M. Ch. Lancelin: 

 ' If this had not been instituted by God, if it had not 

 been the essential reality, then man would have shown 

 himself greater and better than God by the mere fact 

 of having imagined it.' J 



1 Charles Lancelin : La Reincarnation. 



