THE ALL,
the word "Contemplation" also being frequently employed. But the idea
intended seems to be that of the employment of the Divine Attention.
"Attention" is a word derived from the Latin root, meaning "to reach
out; to stretch out," and so the act of Attention is really a mental
"reaching out; extension" of mental energy, so that the underlying idea
is readily understood when we examine into the real meaning of
"Attention."

The Hermetic Teachings regarding the process of Evolution are that, THE
ALL, having meditated upon the beginning of the Creation--having thus
established the material foundations of the Universe--having thought it
into existence--then gradually awakens or rouses from its Meditation and
in so doing starts into manifestation the process of Evolution, on the
material mental and spiritual planes, successively and in order. Thus
the upward movement begins--and all begins to move Spiritward. Matter
becomes less gross; the Units spring into being; the combinations begin
to form; Life appears and manifests in higher and higher forms; and Mind
becomes more and more in evidence--the vibrations constantly becoming
higher. In short, the entire process of Evolution, in all of its phases,
begins, and proceeds according to the established "Laws of the
Indrawing" process. All of this occupies aeons upon aeons of Man's time,
each aeon containing countless millions of years, but yet the Illumined
inform us that the entire creation, including Involution and Evolution,
of an Universe, is but "as the twinkle of the eye" to THE ALL. At the
end of countless cycles of aeons of time, THE ALL withdraws its
Attention--its Contemplation and Meditation--of the Universe, for the
Great Work is finished--and All is withdrawn into THE ALL from which it
emerged. But Mystery of Mysteries--the Spirit of each soul is not
annihilated, but is infinitely expanded--the Created and the Creator are
merged. Such is the report of the Illumined!

The above illustration of the "meditation," and subsequent "awakening
from meditation," of THE ALL, is of course but an attempt of the
teachers to describe the Infinite process by a finite example. And, yet:
"As Below, so Above." The difference is merely in degree. And just as
THE ALL arouses itself from the meditation upon the Universe, so does
Man (in time) cease from manifesting upon the Material Plane, and
withdraws himself more and more into the Indwelling Spirit, which is
indeed "The Div