pagan and christian creeds-第46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！


it　would　perhaps　be　wise　not　to　count　too　much　on　any　such　sudden　transformation。　When　we　look　abroad　（and　at　home）　in　this　year　of　grace　and　hoped…for　peace；　1919；　and　see　the　spirits　of　rancour　and　revenge；　the　fears；　the　selfish　blindness　and　the　ignorance；　which　still　hold　in　their　paralyzing　grasp　huge　classes　and　coteries　in　every　country　in　the　world；　we　see　that　the　second　stage　of　human　development　is　by　no　means　yet　at　its　full　term；　and　that；　as　in　some　vast　chrysalis；　for　the　liberation　of　the　creature　within　still　more　and　more　terrible　struggles　MAY　be　necessary。　We　can　only　pray　that　such　may　not　be　the　case。　Anyhow；　if　we　have　followed　the　argument　of　this　book　we　can　hardly　doubt　that　the　destruction　（which　is　going　on　everywhere）　of　the　outer　form　of　the　present　society　marks　the　first　stage　of　man's　final　liberation；　and　that；　sooner　or　later；　and　in　its　own　good　time；　that　further　'divine　event'　will　surely　be　realized。


Nor　need　we　fear　that　Humanity；　when　it　has　once　entered　into　the　great　Deliverance；　will　be　again　overpowered　by　evil。　From　Knowledge　back　to　Ignorance　there　is　no　complete　return。　The　nations　that　have　come　to　enlightenment　need　entertain　no　dread　of　those　others　（however　hostile　they　appear）　who　are　still　plunging　darkly　in　the　troubled　waters　of　self…greed。　The　dastardly　Fears　which　inspire　all　brutishness　and　cruelty　of　warfarewhether　of　White　against　White　or　it　may　be　of　White　against　Yellow　or　Blackmay　be　dismissed　for　good　and　all　by　that　blest　race　which　once　shall　have　gained　the　shore　since　from　the　very　nature　of　the　case　those　who　are　on　dry　land　can　fear　nothing　and　need　fear　nothing　from　the　unfortunates　who　are　yet　tossing　in　the　welter　and　turmoil　of　the　waves。

Dr。　Frazer；　in　the　conclusion　of　his　great　work　The　Golden　Bough；＇1＇　bids　farewell　to　his　readers　with　the　following　words：　〃The　laws　of　Nature　are　merely　hypotheses　devised　to　explain　that　ever…shifting　phantasmagoria　of　thought　which　we　dignify　with　the　high…sounding　names　of　the　World　and　the　Universe。　In　the　last　analysis　magic；　religion　and　science　are　nothing　but　theories　＇of　thought＇；　and　as　Science　has　supplanted　its　predecessors　so　it　may　hereafter　itself　be　superseded　by　some　more　perfect　hypothesis；　perhaps　by　some　perfectly　different　way　of　looking　at　phenomenaof　registering　the　shadows　on　the　screenof　which　we　in　this　generation　can　form　no　idea。〃　I　imagine　Dr。　Frazer　is　right　in　thinking　that　〃a　way　of　looking　at　phenomena〃　different　from　the　way　of　Science；　may　some　day　prevail。　But　I　think　this　change　will　come；　not　so　much　by　the　growth　of　Science　itself　or　the　extension　of　its　'hypotheses；'　as　by　a　growth　and　expansion　of　the　human　HEART　and　a　change　in　its　psychology　and　powers　of　perception。　Perhaps　some　of　the　preceding　chapters　will　help　to　show　how　much　the　outlook　of　humanity　on　the　world　has　been　guided　through　the　centuries　by　the　slow　evolution　of　its　inner　consciousness。　Gradually；　out　of　an　infinite　mass　of　folly　and　delusion；　the　human　soul　has　in　this　way　disentangled　itself；　and　will　in　the　future　disentangle　itself；　to　emerge　at　length　in　the　light　of　true　FREEDOM。　All　the　taboos；　the　insane　terrors；　the　fatuous　forbiddals　of　this　and　that　（with　their　consequent　heart…　searchings　and　distress）　may　perhaps　have　been　in　their　way　necessary；　in　order　to　rivet　and　define　the　meaning　and　the　understanding　of　that　word。　To…day　these　taboos　and　terrors　still　linger；　many　of　them；　in　the　form　of　conventions　of　morality；　uneasy　strivings　of　conscience；　doubts　and　desperations　of　religion；　but　ultimately　Man　will　emerge　from　all　these　things；　FREEfamiliar；　that　is；　with　them　all；　making　use　of　all；　allowing　generously　for　the　values　of　all；　but　hampered　and　bound　by　NONE。　He　will　realize　the　inner　meaning　of　the　creeds　and　rituals　of　the　ancient　religions；　and　will　hail　with　joy　the　fulfilment　of　their　far　prophecy　down　the　agesfinding　after　all　the　long…expected　Saviour　of　the　world　within　his　own　breast；　and　Paradise　in　the　disclosure　there　of　the　everlasting　peace　of　the　soul。

＇1＇　See　〃Balder；〃　vol。　ii；　pp。　306；　307。　（〃Farewell　to　Nemi。〃）



APPENDIX

THE　TEACHING　OF　THE　UPANISHADS

BEING　THE　SUBSTANCE　OF　TWO　LECTURES　TO　POPULAR　AUDIENCES

I。　REST

II。　THE　NATURE　OF　THE　SELF



I。　REST

To　some；　in　the　present　whirlpool　of　life　and　affairs　it　may　seem　almost　an　absurdity　to　talk　about　Rest。　For　long　enough　now　rest　has　seemed　a　thing　far　off　and　unattainable。　With　the　posts　knocking　at　our　doors　ten　or　twelve　times　a　day；　with　telegrams　arriving　every　hour；　and　the　telephone　bell　constantly　ringing；　with　motors　rushing　wildly　about　the　streets；　and　aeroplanes　whizzing　overhead；　with　work　speeded　up　in　every　direction；　and　the　drive　in　the　workshops　becoming　more　intolerable　every　day；　with　the　pace　of　the　walkers　and　the　pace　of　the　talkers　from　hour　to　hour　insanely　increasing　what　room；　it　may　well　be　asked；　is　there　for　Rest？　And　now　the　issues　of　war；　redoubling　the　urgency　of　all　questions；　are　on　us。

The　problem　is　obviously　a　serious　one。　So　urgent　is　it　that　I　think　one　may　safely　say　the　amount　of　insanity　due　to　the　pressure　of　daily　life　is　increasing；　nursing…homes　have　sprung　up　for　the　special　purpose　of　treating　such　cases；　and　doctors　are　starting　special　courses　of　tuition　in　the　artnow　becoming　very　importantof　systematically　doing　nothing！　And　yet　it　is　difficult　to　see　the　outcome　of　it　all。　The　clock　of　what　is　called　Progress　is　not　easily　turned　backward。　We　should　not　very　readily　agree　nowadays　to　the　abolition　of　telegrams　or　to　a　regulation　compelling　express　trains　to　stop　at　every　station！　We　can't　ALL　go　to　Nursing　Homes；　or　afford　to　enjoy　a　winter's　rest…cure　in　Egypt。　And；　if　not；　is　the　speeding…up　process　to　go　on　indefinitely；　incapable　of　being　checked；　and　destined　ultimately　to　land　civilization　in　the　mad…house？

It　is；　I　say；　a　serious　and　an　urgent　problem。　And　it　is；　I　think；　forcing　a　certain　answer　on　uswhich　I　will　now　endeavor　to　explain。

If　we　cannot　turn　back　and　reverse　this　fatal　onrush　of　modern　life　（and　it　is　evident　that　we　cannot　do　so　in　any　very　brief　timethough　of　course　ultimately　we　might　succeed）　then　I　think　there　are　clearly　only　two　alternatives　lefteither　to　go　forward　to　general　dislocation　and　madness；　orto　learn　to　rest　even　in　the　very　midst　of　the　hurry　and　the　scurry。

To　explain　what　I　mean；　let　me　use　an　illustration。　The　typhoons　and　cyclones　of　the　China　Seas　are　some　of　the　most　formidable　storms　that　ships　can　encounter。　Their　paths　in　the　past　have　been　strewn　with　wrecks　and　disaster。　But　now　with　increased　knowledge　much　of　their　danger　has　been　averted。　It　is　known　that　they　are　CIRCULAR　in　character；　and　that　though　the　wind　on　their　outskirts　often　reaches　a　speed　of　100　miles　an　hour；　in　the　centre　of　the　storm　there　is　a　space　of　complete　calmnot　a　calm　of　the　SEA　certainly；　but　a　complete　absence　of　wind。　The　skilled　navigator；　if　he　cannot　escape　the　storm；　steers　right　into　the　heart　of　it；　and　rests　there。　Even　in　the　midst　of　the　clatter　he　finds　a　place　of　quiet　where　he　can　trim　his　sails　and　adjust　his　future　course。　He　knows　too　from　his　position　in　what　direction　at　every　point　around　him　the　wind　is　moving　and　where　it　will　strike　him　when　at　last　his　ship　emerges　from　the　charmed　circle。

Is　it　not　possible；　we　may　ask；　that　in　the　very　midst　of　the　cyclone　of　daily　life　we　may　find　a　similar　resting…place？　If　we　can；　our　case　is　by　no　means　hopeless。　If　we　cannot；　then　indeed　there　is　danger。

Looking　back　in　History　we　seem　to　see　that　in　old　times　people　took　life　much　more　leisurely　than　they　do　now。　The　elder　generations　gave　more　scope　in　their　customs　and　their　religions　for　contentment　and　peace　of　mind。　We　associate　a　certain　quietism　and　passivity　with　the　thought　of　the　Eastern　peoples。　But　as　civilization　traveled　Westward　external　activity　and　the　pace　of　life　increasedless　and　less　time　was　left　for　meditation　and　reposetill　with　the　rise　of　Western　Europe　and　America；　the　dominant　note　of　life　seems　to　have　simply　become　one　of　feverish　and　ceaseless　activityof　activity　merely　for　the　sake　of　activity；　without　any　clear　idea　of　its　own　purpose　or　object。

Such　a　prospect　does　not　at　first　seem　very　hopeful；　but　on　second　thoughts　we　see　that　we　are　not　forced　to　draw　any　very　pessimistic　conclusion　from　it。　The　direction　of　human　evolution　need　not　remain　always　the　same。　The　movement；　in　fact；　of　civilization　from　East　to　West　has　now　clearly　completed　itself。　The　globe　has　been　circled；　and　we　cannot　go　any　FARTHER　to　the　West　without　coming　round　to　the　East　again。　It　is　a　commonplace　to　say　that　our　psychology；　our　philosophy　and　our　religious　sense　are　already　taking　on　an　Eastern　color；　nor　is　it　difficult　to　imagine　that　with　the　end　of　the　present　dispensation　a　new　era　may　perfectly　naturally　arrive　in　which　the　St。　Vitus'　dance　of　money…making　and　ambition　will　cease　to　be　the　chief　end　of　existence。

In　the　history　of　nations　as　in　the　history　of　individuals　there　are　periods　when　the　formative　ideals　of　life　（through　some　hidden　influence）　change；　and　the　mode　of　life　and　evolution　in　consequence　changes　also。　I　remember　when　I　was　a　boy　wishinglike　many　other　boysto　go　to　sea。　I　wanted　to　join　the　Navy。　It　was　not；　I　am　sure；　that　I　was　so　very　anxious　to　defend　my　country。　No；　there　was　a　much　simpler　and　more　prosaic　motive　than　that。　The　ships　of　those　days　with　their　complex　rigging　suggested　a　perfect　paradise　of　CLIMBING；　and　I　know　that　it　was　the　thought　of　THAT　which　influenced　me。　To　be　able　to　climb　indefinitely　among　those　ropes　and　spars！　How　delightful！　Of　course　I　knew　perfectly　well　that　I　should　not　always　have　free　access　to　the　rigging；　but　thensome　day；　no　doubt；　I　should　be　an　Admiral；　and　who　then　could　prevent　me？　I　remember　seeing　myself　in　my　mind's　eye；　with　cocked　hat　on　my　head　and　spy…glass　under　my　arm；　roaming　at　my　own　sweet　will　up　aloft；　regardless　of　the　remonstrances　which　might　reach　me　from　below！　Such　was　my　childish　ideal。　But　a　time　cameneedless　to　saywhen　I　conceived　a　different　idea　of　the　object　of　life。

It　is　said　that　John　Tyndall；　whose　lectures　on　Science　were　so　much　sought　after　in　their　time；　being　on　one　occasion　in　New　York　was　accosted　after　his　discourse　by　a　very　successful　American　business　man；　who　urged　him　to　devote　his　scientific　knowledge　and　ability　to　commercial　pursuits；　promising　that　if　he　did　so；　he；　Tyndall；　would　easily　make　〃a　big　pile。〃　Tyndall　very　calmly　replied；　〃Well；　I　myself　thought　of　that　once；　but　I　soon　abandoned　the　idea；　having　come　to　the　conclusion　that　I　had　NO　TIME　TO　WASTE　IN　MAKING　MONEY。〃　The　man　of　dollars　nearly　sank　into　the　ground。　Such　a　conception　of　life　had　never　entered　his　head　before。　But　to　Tyndall　no　doubt　it　was　obvious　that　if　he　chained　himself　to　the　commercial　ideal　all　the　joy　and　glory　of　his　days　would　be　gone。

We　sometimes　hear　of　the　awful　doom　of　some　of　the　Russian　convicts　in　the　quarries　and　mines　of　Siberia；　who　are　（or　were）　chained　permanently　to　their　wheelbarrows。　It　is　difficult　to　imagine　a　more　dreadful　fate：　the　despair；　the　disgust；　the　deadly　loathing　of　the　accursed　thing　from　which　there　is　no　escape　day　or