74 THE SUM IMPRESSION 



dominating all, directing all just as the orchid- 

 spirit holds together and directs the activities of 

 each particle which goes to make up the orchid ; or 

 the eagle-spirit directs the activities of each particle 

 which goes to make up the eagle. 



Suffusing the whole, embracing the whole, 

 permeating each single member of the whole, there 

 must be an organising and directing Activity, or we 

 should not see the order and purposiveness we do. 



We shall now see that this Organising Activity 

 gives not only direction, but an upward direction 

 to the whole which it controls. 



We have already noted that among individuals 

 the variety is such that no two are exactly alike. 

 Each individual, however nearly alike, varies in 

 some slight degree from every other. And new 

 variations are constantly being created. Now we 

 have to note that besides variation there is gradation. 

 There is a scale of being. And individuals are 

 graded on that scale. One is higher than another. 



As there are gradations in height from the plains 

 to the outlying spurs of the Himalaya, and from 

 these again to the higher ridges, and from these on 

 to the great mountains, and finally to Kinchin junga 

 and Mount Everest ; and as there are gradations in 

 size from tiny plants to the giant trees ; so there are 

 gradations in worth and value from the simple 

 lichen or moss to the highly complex orchid ; from 

 the microscopic animalculae of a stagnant pond to 

 monkeys and men ; from simple primitive men to 

 the highly cultured Bengali; and from the simple 

 Bengali villager to the poet Rabindranath Tagore. 



