the soul of the far east(远东的灵魂)-第25章
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survive。 It essentially clings to the ego。 What it inculcates is really
present endeavor sanctioned by the prospect of future bliss。 It tacitly takes
for granted the desirability of personal existence； and promises the
certainty of personal immortality；a terror to evildoers； and a sustaining
sense of coming unalloyed happiness to the good。 Through and through
its teachings runs the feeling of the fullness of life； that desire which will
not die； that wish of the soul which beats its wings against its earthly
casement in its longing for expansion beyond the narrow confines of
threescore years and ten。
Buddhism； on the contrary； is the cri du coeur of pessimism。 This life；
it says； is but a chain of sorrows。 To multiply days is only to multiply
evil。 These desires that urge us on are really cause of all our woe。 We
think they are ourselves。 We are mistaken。 They are all illusion； and
we are victims of a mirage。 This personality； this sense of self； is a cruel
deception and a snare。 Realize once the true soul behind it； devoid of
attributes； therefore without this capacity for suffering； an indivisible part
of the great impersonal soul of nature： then； and then only； will you have
found happiness in the blissful quiescence of Nirvana。
With a certain poetic fitness； misery and impersonality were both
present in the occasion that gave the belief birth。 Many have turned to
the consolations of religion by reason of their own wretchedness； Gautama
sought its help touched by the woes of others whom； in his own happy life
journey； he chanced one day to come across。 Shocked by the sight of
human disease； old age； and death； sad facts to which hitherto he had been
sedulously kept a stranger； he renounced the world that he might find for it
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an escape from its ills。 But bliss； as he conceived it； lay not in wanting to
be something he was not； but in actual want of being。 His quest for
mankind was immunity from suffering； not the active enjoyment of life。
In this negative way of looking at happiness； he acted in strict conformity
with the spirit of his world。 For the doctrine of pessimism had already
been preached。 It underlay the whole Brahman philosophy； and
everybody believed it implicitly。 Already the East looked at this life as
an evil； and had affirmed for the individual spirit extinction to be happier
than existence。 The wish for an end to the ego； the hope to be eventually
nothing； Gautama accepted for a truism as undeniably as the Brahmans did。
What he pronounced false was the Brahman prospectus of the way to
reach this desirable impersonal state。 Their road； be said； could not
possibly land the traveller where it professed； since it began wrong； and
ended nowhere。 The way； he asserted； is within a man。 He has but to
realize the truth； and from that moment he will see his goal and the road
that leads there。 There is no panacea for human ills； of external application。
The Brahman homoeopathic treatment of sin is folly。 The slaughtering of
men and bulls cannot possibly bring life to the soul。 To mortify the body
for the sins of the flesh is palpably futile； for in desire alone lies all the ill。
Quench the desire； and the deeds will die of inanition。 Man himself is
sole cause of his own misery。 Get rid； then； said the Buddha； of these
passions； these strivings for the sake of self； that hold the true soul a
prisoner。 They have to do with things which we know are transitory：
how can they be immortal themselves？ We recognize them as subject to
our will； they are； then； not the I。
As a man； he taught； becomes conscious that he himself is something
distinct from his body； so； if he reflect and ponder； he will come to see that
in like manner his appetites； ambitions； hopes； are really extrinsic to the
spirit proper。 Neither heart nor head is truly the man； for he is conscious
of something that stands behind both。 Behind desire； behind even the
will； lies the soul； the same for all men； one with the soul of the universe。
When he has once realized this eternal truth； the man has entered Nirvana。
For Nirvana is not an absorption of the individual soul into the soul of all
things； since the one has always been a part of the other。 Still less is it
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utter annihilation。 It is simply the recognition of the eternal oneness of
the two； back through an everlasting past on through an everlasting future。
Such is the belief which the Japanese adopted； and which they profess
to…day。 Such to them is to be the dawn of death's to…morrow； a blessed
impersonal immortality； in which all sense of self； illusion that it is； shall
itself have ceased to be； a long dreamless sleep； a beatified rest； which no
awakening shall ever disturb。
Among such a people personal Christianity converts but few。 They
accept our material civilization； but they reject our creeds。 To preach a
prolongation of life appears to them like preaching an extension of sorrow。
At most； Christianity succeeds only in making them doubters of what lies
beyond this life。 But though professing agnosticism while they live； they
turn； when the shadows of death's night come on； to the bosom of that
faith which teaches that； whatever may have been one's earthly share of
happiness； 〃'tis something better not to be。〃
Strange it seems at first that those who have looked so long to the
rising sun for inspiration should be they who live only in a sort of lethargy
of life； while those who for so many centuries have turned their faces
steadily to the fading glory of the sunset should be the ones who have
embodied the spirit of progress of the world。 Perhaps the light； by its
very rising； checks the desire to pursue； in its setting it lures one on to
follow。
Though this religion of impersonality is not their child； it is their
choice。 They embraced it with the rest that India taught them； centuries
ago。 But though just as eager to learn of us now as of India then；
Christianity fails to commend itself。 This is not due to the fact that the
Buddhist missionaries came by invitation； and ours do not。 Nor is it due
to any want of personal character in these latter； but simply to an excess of
it in their doctrines。
For to…day the Far East is even more impersonal in its religion than are
those from whom that religion originally came。 India has returned again
to its worship of Brahma； which； though impersonal enough； is less so
than is the gospel of Gautama。 For it is passively instead of actively
impersonal。
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Buddhism bears to Brahmanism something like the relation that
Protestantism does to Roman Catholicism。 Both bishops and Brahmans
undertake to save all who shall blindly commit themselves to professional
guidance； while Buddhists and Protestants alike believe that a man's
salvation must be brought about by the action of the man himself。 The
result is； that in the matter of individuality the two reformed beliefs are
further apart than those against which they severally protested。 For by
the change the personal became more personal； and the impersonal more
impersonal than before。 The Protestant； from having tamely allowed
himself to be led； began to take a lively interest in his own self…
improvement； while the Buddhist； from a former apathetic acquiescence in
the doctrine of the universally illusive； set to work energetically towards
self…extinction。 Curious labor for a mind； that of devoting all its strength
to the thinking itself out of existence！ Not content with being born
impersonal； a Far Oriental is constantly striving to make himself more so。
We have seen； then； how in trying to understand these peoples we are
brought face to face with impersonality in each of those three expressions
of the human soul； speech； thought； yearning。 We have looked at them
first from a social standpoint。 We have seen how singularly little regard
is paid the individual from his birth to his death。 How he lives his life
long the slave of patriarchal customs of so puerile a tendency as to be
practically impossible to a people really grown up。 How he practises a
wholesale system of adoption sufficient of itself to destroy any surviving
regard for the ego his other relations might have left。 How in his daily
life he gives the minimum of thought to the bettering himself in any
worldly sense； and the maximum of polite consideration to his neighbor。
How； in short； he acts toward himself as much as possible as if he were
another； and to that other as if he were himself。 Then； not content with
standing stranger like upon the threshold； we have sought to see the soul
of their civilization in its intrinsic manifestations。 We have pushed our
inquiry； as it were； one step nearer its home。 And the same trait that was
apparent sociologically has been exposed in this our antipodal phase of
psychical research。 We have seen how impersonal is his language； the
principal medium of communication between one soul and another； ho
