pagan and christian creeds-第44章

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


d　suggestion　of　friendly　intimacy　with　the　god。　There　were　singing　of　hymns　and　the　floating　of　the　chief　actors　on　a　raft　round　a　sacred　lake。　And　then　came　the　final　Act。　Siva；　or　his　image；　very　weighty　and　borne　on　the　shoulders　of　strong　men；　was　carried　into　the　first　chamber　or　hall　of　the　Temple　and　placed　on　an　altar　with　a　curtain　hanging　in　front。　The　crowd　followed　with　a　rush；　and　then　there　was　more　music；　recital　of　hymns；　and　reading　from　sacred　books。　From　where　we　stood　we　could　see　the　rite　which　was　performed　behind　the　curtain。　Two　five…branched　candlesticks　were　lighted；　and　the　manner　of　their　lighting　was　as　follows。　Each　branch　ended　in　a　little　cup；　and　in　the　cups　five　pieces　of　camphor　were　placed；　all　approximately　equal　in　size。　After　offerings　had　been　made；　of　fruit；　flowers　and　sandalwood；　the　five　camphors　in　each　candlestick　were　lighted。　As　the　camphor　flames　burned　out　the　music　became　more　wild　and　exciting；　and　then　at　the　moment　of　their　extinction　the　curtains　were　drawn　aside　and　the　congregation　outside　suddenly　beheld　the　god　revealed　and　in　a　blaze　of　light。　This　burning　of　camphor　was；　like　other　things　in　the　service；　emblematic。　The　five　lights　represent　the　five　senses。　Just　as　camphor　consumes　itself　and　leaves　no　residue　behind；　so　should　the　five　senses；　being　offered　to　the　god；　consume　themselves　and　disappear。　When　this　is　done；　that　happens　in　the　soul　which　was　now　figured　in　the　ritualthe　God　is　revealed　in　the　inner　light。＇1＇

＇1＇　For　a　more　detailed　account　of　this　Temple…festival；　see　Adam's　Peak　to　Elephanta　by　E。　Carpenter；　ch。　vii。


We　are　familiar　with　this　parting　or　rending　of　the　veil。　We　hear　of　it　in　the　Jewish　Temple；　and　in　the　Greek　and　Egyptian　Mysteries。　It　had　a　mystically　religious；　and　also　obviously　sexual；　signification。　It　occurs　here　and　there　in　the　Roman　Catholic　ritual。　In　Spain；　some　ancient　Catholic　ceremonials　are　kept　up　with　a　brilliance　and　splendor　hardly　found　elsewhere　in　Europe。　In　the　Cathedral；　at　Seville　the　service　of　the　Passion；　carried　out　on　Good　Friday　with　great　solemnity　and　accompanied　with　fine　music；　culminates　on　the　Saturday　morningi。e。　in　the　interval　between　the　Crucifixion　and　the　Resurrection　in　a　spectacle　similar　to　that　described　in　Ceylon。　A　rich　velvet…black　curtain　hangs　before　the　High　Altar。　At　the　appropriate　moment　and　as　the　very　emotional　strains　of　voices　and　instruments　reach　their　climax　in　the　〃Gloria　in　Excelsis；〃　the　curtain　with　a　sudden　burst　of　sound　（thunder　and　the　ringing　of　all　the　bells）　is　rent　asunder；　and　the　crucified　Jesus　is　seen　hanging　there　revealed　in　a　halo　of　glory。

There　is　also　held　at　Seville　Cathedral　and　before　the　High　Altar　every　year；　the　very　curious　Dance　of　the　Seises　（sixes）；　performed　now　by　16　instead　of　（as　of　old）　by　12　boys；　quaintly　dressed。　It　seems　to　be　a　survival　of　some　very　ancient　ritual；　probably　astronomical；　in　which　the　two　sets　of　six　represent　the　signs　of　the　Zodiac；　and　is　celebrated　during　the　festivals　of　Corpus　Christi；　the　Immaculate　Conception；　and　the　Carnival。

Numerous　instances　might　of　course　be　adduced　of　how　a　Church　aspiring　to　be　a　real　Church　of　Humanity　might　adopt　and　re…create　the　rituals　of　the　past　in　the　light　of　a　modern　inspiration。　Indeed　the　difficulty　would　be　to　limit　the　process；　for　EVERY　ancient　ritual；　we　can　now　see；　has　had　a　meaning　and　a　message；　and　it　would　be　a　real　joy　to　disentangle　these　and　to　expose　the　profound　solidarity　of　humanity　and　aspiration　from　the　very　dawn　of　civilization　down　to　the　present　day。　Nor　would　it　be　necessary　to　imagine　any　Act　of　Uniformity　or　dead　level　of　ceremonial　in　the　matter。　Different　groups　might　concentrate　on　different　phases　of　religious　thought　and　practice。　The　only　necessity　would　be　that　they　should　approach　the　subject　with　a　real　love　of　Humanity　in　their　hearts　and　a　real　desire　to　come　into　touch　with　the　deep　inner　life　and　mystic　growing…pains　of　the　souls　of　men　and　women　in　all　ages。　In　this　direction　M。　Loisy　has　done　noble　and　excellent　work；　but　the　dead　weight　and　selfish　blinkerdom　of　the　Catholic　organization　has　hampered　him　to　that　degree　that　he　has　been　unable　to　get　justice　done　to　his　liberalizing　designsor；　perhaps；　even　to　reveal　the　full　extent　of　them。　And　the　same　difficulty　will　remain。　On　the　one　hand　no　spiritual　movement　which　does　not　take　up　the　attitude　of　a　World…religion　has　now　in　this　age；　any　chance　of　success；　on　the　other；　all　the　existing　Churcheswhether　Roman　Catholic；　or　Greek；　or　Protestant　or　Secularistwhether　Christian　or　Jewish　or　Persian　or　Hinduwill　in　all　probability　adopt　the　same　blind　and　blinkered　and　selfish　attitude　as　that　described　above；　and　so　disqualify　themselves　for　the　great　role　of　world…wide　emancipation；　which　some　religion　at　some　time　will　certainly　have　to　play。　It　is　the　same　difficulty　which　is　looming　large　in　modern　World…politics；　where　the　local　selfishness　and　vainglorious　〃patriotisms〃　of　the　Nations　are　sadly　impeding　and　obstructing　the　development　of　that　sense　of　Internationalism　and　Brotherhood　which　is　the　clearly　indicated　form　of　the　future；　and　which　alone　can　give　each　nation　deliverance　from　fear；　and　a　promise　of　growth；　and　the　confident　assurance　of　power。

I　say　that　Christianity　must　either　frankly　adopt　this　generous　attitude　and　confess　itself　a　branch　of　the　great　World…religion；　anxious　only　to　do　honor　to　its　source　or　else　it　must　perish　and　pass　away。　There　is　no　other　alternative。　The　hour　of　its　Exodus　has　come。　It　may　be；　of　course；　that　neither　the　Christian　Church　nor　any　branch　of　it；　nor　any　other　religious　organization；　will　step　into　the　gap。　It　may　bebut　I　do　not　think　this　is　likelythat　the　time　of　rites　and　ceremonies　and　formal　creeds　is　PAST；　and　churches　of　any　kind　will　be　no　more　needed　in　the　world：　not　likely；　I　say；　because　of　the　still　far　backwardness　of　the　human　masses；　and　their　considerable　dependence　yet　on　laws　and　forms　and　rituals。　Still；　if　it　should　prove　that　that　age　of　dependence　IS　really　approaching　its　end；　that　would　surely　be　a　matter　for　congratulation。　It　would　mean　that　mankind　was　moving　into　a　knowledge　of　the　REALITY　which　has　underlain　these　outer　showsthat　it　was　coming　into　the　Third　stage　of　its　Consciousness。　Having　found　this　there　would　be　no　need　for　it　to　dwell　any　longer　in　the　land　of　superstitions　and　formulae。　It　would　have　come　to　the　place　of　which　these　latter　are　only　the　outlying　indications。

It　may；　therefore；　happenand　this　quite　independently　of　the　growth　of　a　World…cult　such　as　I　have　described；　though　by　no　means　in　antagonism　to　itthat　a　religious　philosophy　or　Theosophy　might　develop　and　spread；　similar　to　the　Gnonam　of　the　Hindus　or　the　Gnomsis　of　the　pre…Christian　sects；　which　would　become；　first　among　individuals　and　afterwards　among　large　bodies　over　the　world；　the　religion　ofor　perhaps　one　should　say　the　religious　approach　to　the　Third　State。　Books　like　the　Upanishads　of　the　Vedic　seers；　and　the　Bhagavat　Gita；　though　garbled　and　obscured　by　priestly　interferences　and　mystifications；　do　undoubtedly　represent　and　give　expression　to　the　highest　utterance　of　religious　experience　to　be　found　anywhere　in　the　world。　They　are　indeed　the　manuals　of　human　entrance　into　the　cosmic　state。　But　as　I　say；　and　as　has　happened　in　the　case　of　other　sacred　books；　a　vast　deal　of　rubbish　has　accreted　round　their　essential　teachings；　and　has　to　be　cleared　away。　To　go　into　a　serious　explication　of　the　meaning　of　these　books　would　be　far　too　large　an　affair；　and　would　be　foreign　to　the　purpose　of　the　present　volume；　but　I　have　in　the　Appendix　below　inserted　two　papers；　（on　〃Rest〃　and　〃The　Nature　of　the　Self〃）　containing　the　substance　of　lectures　given　on　the　above　books。　These　papers　or　lectures　are　couched　in　the　very　simplest　language；　free　from　Sanskrit　terms　and　the　usual　'jargon　of　the　Schools；'　and　may；　I　hope；　even　on　that　account　be　of　use　in　familiarizing　readers　who　are　not　specially　STUDENTS　with　the　ideas　and　mental　attitudes　of　the　cosmic　state。　Non…differentiation　（Advaita＇1＇）　is　the　root　attitude　of　the　mind　inculcated。

＇1＇　The　word　means　〃not…two…ness。〃　Here　we　see　a　great　subtlety　of　definition。　It　is　not　to　be　〃one〃　with　others　that　is　urged；　but　to　be　〃not　two。〃


We　have　seen　that　there　has　been　an　age　of　non…differentiation　in　the　Past…non…differentiation　from　other　members　of　the　Tribe；　from　the　Animals；　from　Nature　and　the　Spirit　or　Spirits　of　nature；　why　should　there　not　arise　a　similar　sense　of　non…differentiation　in　the　FUTUREsimilar　but　more　extended　more　intelligent？　Certainly　this　WILL　arrive；　in　its　own　appointed　time。　There　will　be　a　surpassing　of　the　bounds　of　separation　and　division。　There　will　be　a　surpassing　of　all　Taboos。　We　have　seen　the　use　and　function　of　Taboos　in　the　early　stages　of　Evolution　and　how　progress　and　growth　have　been　very　much　a　matter　of　their　gradual　extinction　and　assimilation　into　the　general　body　of　rational　thought　and　feeling。　Unreasoning　and　idiotic　taboos　still　linger；　but　they　grow　weaker。　A　new　Morality　will　come　which　will　shake　itself　free　from　them。　The　sense　of　kinship　with　the　animals　（as　in　the　old　rituals）＇1＇　will　be　restored；　the　sense　of　kinship　with　all　the　races　of　mankind　will　grow　and　become　consolidated；　the　sense　of　the　defilement　and　impurity　of　the　human　body　will　（with　the　adoption　of　a　generally　clean　and　wholesome　life）　pass　away；　and　the　body　itself　will　come　to　be　regarded　more　as　a　collection　of　shrines　in　which　the　gods　may　be　worshiped　and　less　as　a　mere　organ　of　trivial　self…gratifications；＇2＇　there　will　be　no　form　of　Nature；　or　of　human　life　or　of　the　lesser　creatures；　which　will　be　barred　from　the　approach　of　Man　or　from　the　intimate　and　penetrating　invasion　of　his　spirit；　and　as　in　certain　ceremonies　and　after　honorable　toils　and　labors　a　citizen　is　sometimes　received　into　the　community　of　his　own　city；　so　the　emancipated　human　being　on　the　completion　of　his　long　long　pilgrimage　on　Earth　will　be　presented　with　the　Freedom　of　the　Universe。


＇1＇　The　record　of　the　Roman　Catholic　Church　has　been　sadly　Callous　and　inhuman　in　this　matter　of　the　animals。

＇2＇　See　The　Art　of　Creation；　by　E。　Carpenter。



XVII。　CONCLUSION

In　conclusion　there　does　not　seem　much　to　say；　except　to　accentuate　certain　points　which　may　still　appear　doubtful　or　capable　of　being　understood。

The　fact　that　the　main　argument　of　this　volume　is　along　the　lines　of　psychological　evolution　will　no　doubt　commend　it　to　some；　while　on　the　other　hand　it　will　discredit　the　book　to　others　whose　eyes；　being　fixed　on　purely　MATERIAL　causes；　can　see　no　impetus　in　History　except　through　these。　But　it　must　be　remembered　that　there　is　not　the　least　reason　for　SEPARATING　the　two　factors。　The　fact　that　psychologically　man　has　evolved　from　simple　consciousness　to　self…consciousness；　and　is　now　in　process　of　evolution　towards　another　and　more　extended　kind　of　consciousness；　does　not　in　the　least　bar　the　simultaneous　appearance　and　influence　of　material　evolution。　It　is　clear　indeed　that　the　two　must　largely　go　together；　acting　and　reacting　on　each　other。　Whatever　the　physical　conditions　of　the　animal　brain　may　be　which　connect　themselves　with　simple　（unrefle