THE PHENOMENAL AND THE TRUE. 187 



bestowal of the powers that are wanting now : in a 

 perfect consciousness, that is ; a perfect apprehension 

 of that which truly is. To possess that were to be 

 consciously in the spiritual world ; and that were to 

 live, in the truest sense of living. 



But farther, this conception of our state, as I have 

 said>is a guide to our thoughts of Nature. One 

 consequence that follows from it is this : that we do 

 not apply the idea of true existence to the world we 

 practically have to do with (this world of material 

 things); we recognize that that idea is applicable 

 only to another. We recognize that our idea of 

 existence (as well as our emotions and instinctive 

 feelings) goes beyond this world which we con- 

 sciously perceive, and belongs to that alone of which 

 this is the appearance. When we think, therefore, 

 of these things which are practically to us, we do 

 not ask how they can be, but only how they can 

 appear. We abstain from testing them by the idea 

 of true existence. How can this appear ? and what 

 is it which thus appears ? these are our questions : 

 not what is this ? or, by what means can it be ? 



Thus almost every problem we can encounter is 



