the story of mankind-第34章

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old　Indo…Europeans；　during　their　thousands　of　years　of

wandering；　had　met　with　many　strange　adventures。　These　had

been　collected　in　a　book　called　the　Veda。　The　language　of

this　book　was　called　Sanskrit；　and　it　was　closely　related　to　the

different　languages　of　the　European　continent；　to　Greek　and

Latin　and　Russian　and　German　and　two…score　others。　The

three　highest　castes　were　allowed　to　read　these　holy　scriptures。

The　Pariah；　however；　the　despised　member　of　the　lowest　caste；

was　not　permitted　to　know　its　contents。　Woe　to　the　man　of

noble　or　priestly　caste　who　should　teach　a　Pariah　to　study　the

sacred　volume！



The　majority　of　the　Indian　people；　therefore；　lived　in

misery。　Since　this　planet　offered　them　very　little　joy；　salvation

from　suffering　must　be　found　elsewhere。　They　tried　to

derive　a　little　consolation　from　meditation　upon　the　bliss　of

their　future　existence。



Brahma；　the　all…creator　who　was　regarded　by　the　Indian

people　as　the　supreme　ruler　of　life　and　death；　was　worshipped

as　the　highest　ideal　of　perfection。　To　become　like　Brahma；　to

lose　all　desires　for　riches　and　power；　was　recognised　as　the　most

exalted　purpose　of　existence。　Holy　thoughts　were　regarded

as　more　important　than　holy　deeds；　and　many　people　went

into　the　desert　and　lived　upon　the　leaves　of　trees　and　starved

their　bodies　that　they　might　feed　their　souls　with　the　glorious

contemplation　of　the　splendours　of　Brahma；　the　Wise；　the

Good　and　the　Merciful。



Siddhartha；　who　had　often　observed　these　solitary　wanderers

who　were　seeking　the　truth　far　away　from　the　turmoil

of　the　cities　and　the　villages；　decided　to　follow　their　example。

He　cut　his　hair。　He　took　his　pearls　and　his　rubies　and　sent

them　back　to　his　family　with　a　message　of　farewell；　which　the

ever　faithful　Channa　carried。　Without　a　single　follower；　the

young　prince　then　moved　into　the　wilderness。



Soon　the　fame　of　his　holy　conduct　spread　among　the　mountains。

Five　young　men　came　to　him　and　asked　that　they　might

be　allowed　to　listen　to　his　words　of　wisdom。　He　agreed　to　be

their　master　if　they　would　follow　him。　They　consented；　and

he　took　them　into　the　hills　and　for　six　years　he　taught　them

all　he　knew　amidst　the　lonely　peaks　of　the　Vindhya　Mountains。

But　at　the　end　of　this　period　of　study；　he　felt　that　he　was　still

far　from　perfection。　The　world　that　he　had　left　continued　to

tempt　him。　He　now　asked　that　his　pupils　leave　him　and　then

he　fasted　for　forty…nine　days　and　nights；　sitting　upon　the　roots

of　an　old　tree。　At　last　he　received　his　reward。　In　the　dusk　of

the　fiftieth　evening；　Brahma　revealed　himself　to　his　faithful

servant。　From　that　moment　on；　Siddhartha　was　called　Buddha

and　he　was　revered　as　the　Enlightened　One　who　had　come　to

save　men　from　their　unhappy　mortal　fate。



The　last　forty…five　years　of　his　life；　Buddha　spent　within

the　valley　of　the　Ganges　River；　teaching　his　simple　lesson　of

submission　and　meekness　unto　all　men。　In　the　year　488　before

our　era；　he　died；　full　of　years　and　beloved　by　millions　of　people。

He　had　not　preached　his　doctrines　for　the　benefit　of　a　single

class。　Even　the　lowest　Pariah　might　call　himself　his　disciple。



This；　however；　did　not　please　the　nobles　and　the　priests　and

the　merchants　who　did　their　best　to　destroy　a　creed　which　recognised

the　equality　of　all　living　creatures　and　offered　men　the

hope　of　a　second　life　（a　reincarnation）　under　happier　circumstances。

As　soon　as　they　could；　they　encouraged　the　people　of

India　to　return　to　the　ancient　doctrines　of　the　Brahmin　creed

with　its　fasting　and　its　tortures　of　the　sinful　body。　But

Buddhism　could　not　be　destroyed。　Slowly　the　disciples　of　the

Enlightened　One　wandered　across　the　valleys　of　the　Himalayas；

and　moved　into　China。　They　crossed　the　Yellow　Sea

and　preached　the　wisdom　of　their　master　unto　the　people　of

Japan；　and　they　faithfully　obeyed　the　will　of　their　great　master；

who　had　forbidden　them　to　use　force。　To…day　more　people

recognise　Buddha　as　their　teacher　than　ever　before　and　their

number　surpasses　that　of　the　combined　followers　of　Christ　and　Mohammed。



As　for　Confucius；　the　wise　old　man　of　the　Chinese；　his

story　is　a　simple　one。　He　was　born　in　the　year　550　B。C。　He

led　a　quiet；　dignified　and　uneventful　life　at　a　time　when　China

was　without　a　strong　central　government　and　when　the　Chinese

people　were　at　the　mercy　of　bandits　and　robber…barons　who

went　from　city　to　city；　pillaging　and　stealing　and　murdering

and　turning　the　busy　plains　of　northern　and　central　China　into

a　wilderness　of　starving　people。



Confucius；　who　loved　his　people；　tried　to　save　them。　He

did　not　have　much　faith　in　the　use　of　violence。　He　was　a　very

peaceful　person。　He　did　not　think　that　he　could　make　people

over　by　giving　them　a　lot　of　new　laws。　He　knew　that　the　only

possible　salvation　would　come　from　a　change　of　heart；　and　he

set　out　upon　the　seemingly　hopeless　task　of　changing　the　character

of　his　millions　of　fellow　men　who　inhabited　the　wide　plains

of　eastern　Asia。　The　Chinese　had　never　been　much　interested

in　religion　as　we　understand　that　word。　They　believed　in

devils　and　spooks　as　most　primitive　people　do。　But　they　had

no　prophets　and　recognised　no　‘‘revealed　truth。''　Confucius

is　almost　the　only　one　among　the　great　moral　leaders　who　did

not　see　visions；　who　did　not　proclaim　himself　as　the　messenger

of　a　divine　power；　who　did　not；　at　some　time　or　another；　claim

that　he　was　inspired　by　voices　from　above。



He　was　just　a　very　sensible　and　kindly　man；　rather　given

to　lonely　wanderings　and　melancholy　tunes　upon　his　faithful

flute。　He　asked　for　no　recognition。　He　did　not　demand　that

any　one　should　follow　him　or　worship　him。　He　reminds　us

of　the　ancient　Greek　philosophers；　especially　those　of　the　Stoic

School；　men　who　believed　in　right　living　and　righteous　thinking

without　the　hope　of　a　reward　but　simply　for　the　peace　of

the　soul　that　comes　with　a　good　conscience。



Confucius　was　a　very　tolerant　man。　He　went　out　of　his

way　to　visit　Lao…Tse；　the　other　great　Chinese　leader　and　the

founder　of　a　philosophic　system　called　‘‘Taoism；''　which　was

merely　an　early　Chinese　version　of　the　Golden　Rule。



Confucius　bore　no　hatred　to　any　one。　He　taught　the　virtue

of　supreme　self…possession。　A　person　of　real　worth；　according

to　the　teaching　of　Confucius；　did　not　allow　himself　to　be

ruffled　by　anger　and　suffered　whatever　fate　brought　him　with

the　resignation　of　those　sages　who　understand　that　everything

which　happens；　in　one　way　or　another；　is　meant　for　the　best。



At　first　he　had　only　a　few　students。　Gradually　the　number

increased。　Before　his　death；　in　the　year　478　B。C。；　several　of　the

kings　and　the　princes　of　China　confessed　themselves　his　disciples。

When　Christ　was　born　in　Bethlehem；　the　philosophy　of

Confucius　had　already　become　a　part　of　the　mental　make…up

of　most　Chinamen。　It　has　continued　to　influence　their　lives

ever　since。　Not　however　in　its　pure；　original　form。　Most　religions

change　as　time　goes　on。　Christ　preached　humility　and

meekness　and　absence　from　worldly　ambitions；　but　fifteen

centuries　after　Golgotha；　the　head　of　the　Christian　church　was

spending　millions　upon　the　erection　of　a　building　that　bore

little　relation　to　the　lonely　stable　of　Bethlehem。



Lao…Tse　taught　the　Golden　Rule；　and　in　less　than　three

centuries　the　ignorant　masses　had　made　him　into　a　real　and

very　cruel　God　and　had　buried　his　wise　commandments　under

a　rubbish…heap　of　superstition　which　made　the　lives　of　the　average

Chinese　one　long　series　of　frights　and　fears　and　horrors。



Confucius　had　shown　his　students　the　beauties　of　honouring

their　Father　and　their　Mother。　They　soon　began　to　be　more

interested　in　the　memory　of　their　departed　parents　than　in　the

happiness　of　their　children　and　their　grandchildren。　Deliberately

they　turned　their　backs　upon　the　future　and　tried　to

peer　into　the　vast　darkness　of　the　past。　The　worship　of　the

ancestors　became　a　positive　religious　system。　Rather　than

disturb　a　cemetery　situated　upon　the　sunny　and　fertile　side　of

a　mountain；　they　would　plant　their　rice　and　wheat　upon　the

barren　rocks　of　the　other　slope　where　nothing　could　possibly

grow。　And　they　preferred　hunger　and　famine　to　the　desecration

of　the　ancestral　grave。



At　the　same　time　the　wise　words　of　Confucius　never　quite

lost　their　hold　upon　the　increasing　millions　of　eastern　Asia。

Confucianism；　with　its　profound　sayings　and　shrewd　observations；

added　a　touch　of　common…sense　philosophy　to　the　soul　of

every　Chinaman　and　influenced　his　entire　life；　whether　he　was

a　simple　laundry　man　in　a　steaming　basement　or　the　ruler　of　vast

provinces　who　dwelt　behind　the　high　walls　of　a　secluded　palace。



In　the　sixteenth　century　the　enthusiastic　but　rather　uncivilised

Christians　of　the　western　world　came　face　to　face　with

the　older　creeds　of　the　East。　The　early　Spaniards　and　Portuguese

looked　upon　the　peaceful　statues　of　Buddha　and　contemplated

the　venerable　pictures　of　Confucius　and　did　not　in

the　least　know　what　to　make　of　those　worthy　prophets　with

their　far…away　smile。　They　came　to　the　easy　conclusion　that

these　strange　divinities　were　just　plain　devils　who　represented

something　idolatrous　and　heretical　and　did　not　deserve　the

respect　of　the　true　sons　of　the　Church。　Whenever　the　spirit

of　Buddha　or　Confucius　seemed　to　interfere　with　the　trade　in

spices　and　silks；　the　Europeans　attacked　the　‘‘evil　influence''

with　bullets　and　grape…shot。　That　system　had　certain　very

definite　disadvantages。　It　has　left　us　an　unpleasant　heritage

of　ill…will　which　promises　little　good　for　the　immediate　future。







THE　REFORMATION



THE　PROGRESS　OF　THE　HUMAN　RACE　IS　BEST

COMPARED　TO　A　GIGANTIC　PENDULUM

WHICH　FOREVER　SWINGS　FORWARD　AND

BACKWARD。　THE　RELIGIOUS　INDIFFERENCE

AND　THE　ARTISTIC　AND　LITERARY

ENTHUSIASM　OF　THE　RENAISSANCE

WERE　FOLLOWED　BY　THE　ARTISTIC　AND

LITERARY　INDIFFERENCE　AND　THE　RELIGIOUS

ENTHUSIASM　OF　THE　REFORMATION





OF　course　you　have　heard　of　the　Reformation。　You　think

of　a　small　but　courageous　group　of　pilgrims　who　crossed　the

ocean　to　have　‘‘freedom　of　religious　worship。''　Vaguely　in　the

course　of　time　（and　more　especially　in　our　Protestant　countries）

the　Reformation　has　come　to　stand　for　the　idea　of

‘‘liberty　of　thought。''　Martin　Luther　is　represented　as　the

leader　of　the　vanguard　of　progress。　But　when　history　is

something　more　than　a　series　of　flattering　speeches　addressed

to　our　own　glorious　ancestors；　when　to　use　the　words　of　the

German　historian　Ranke；　we　try　to　discover　what　‘‘actually

happened；''　then　much　of　the　past　is　seen　in　a　very　different

light。



Few　things　in　human　life　are　either　entirely　good　or　entirely

bad。　Few　things　are　either　black　or　white。　It　is　the　duty　of

the　honest　chronicler　to　give　a　true　account　of　all　the　good　and

bad　sides　of　every　historical　event。　It　is　very　difficult　to　do

this　because