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MAN AND HIS SURROUNDINGS 47
sub-human and lower human kingdoms, desires are an important factor in karma, giving rise to most mixed results; in the higher human, Will is the most potent karmic cause, and as man transmutes desires into Will, he "rules his stars”. . .
The mode of Self-expression called Thought belongs to the aspect of the Self by which he becomes aware of the outer world, the aspect of Cognition. This obtains knowledge, and the working of the Self on the knowledge obtained is Thought. This, again, is an important factor in karma, since it is creative, and, as we know, builds character.
The mode of Self-expression which directly affects the environment, the, energy going forth from the Self, is Activity, the action of the Self on the Not-Self. The power of concentrating all energies into one is Will; the power 'of becoming aware of an external world is Cognition ; the power