It is most interesting to notice that East and West have a different or perhaps contrary opinion on the subject of the world's evolution. While in the West man thinks that we are becoming more evolved, that we have progressed and are going forward compared with our forefathers, in the East man believes that compared with our forefathers we are going backward and downward, that we are worse.

What is the truth about this?

From one point of view there have never been such good communications in the world as nowadays: the telegraph and telephone, ships like palaces floating on the water, aeroplane, the gramophone, and then the radio uniting mankind in one moment at any distance; besides the development that is taking place in every branch of science, of art, there are also the modern systems, organizations, and classifications. When one looks at all this one cannot doubt for one moment that according to modern opinion the world is evolving.
But when we come to delicate thought and sentiment, good manners, knightly chivalry, kingly attitude, nobleness of spirit, generosity of heart, the tendency to sacrifice, depth of feeling, and keenness of insight, we are certain that what the man of the East says is true.

We learn from this that both opinions are right. We are evolving, and yet at the same time going backward. In certain things we are evolving, and in certain things we are going backward; and this brings us to the philosophical conception that it is not only the world which is round, but that everything is round; that everything moves in circles. For instance the early dawn is not very different from the late evening, age is not very different from infancy, when we realize how innocence develops as one grows old and one arrives at a stage where one shows the same expression of the angelic spheres which one had as an infant. It is just like the octave: seven notes and then the key-note comes again.

It is not going upward or downward, it is going in a circle. But we are accustomed to say of everything that it is either going upward or downward. We may agree with those who say that we are going upward, or we may agree with those who hold that we are going downward, but in reality progress does not mean continually going upward; progress means going upward and downward at the same time; progress should be described by a circle and not by a straight Line. If we look at it from this point of view, everything in the world has a circular aspect, for the real picture of motion, of movement, is a circle.