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the soul of the far east(远东的灵魂)-第4章

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                                    The Soul of the Far East 



of    soul…awakening;       but   sometimes;      upon     more    sensitive    and   subtler 

natures; the light breaks with all the suddenness of a sunrise at the equator; 

revealing to the mind's eye an unsuspected world of self within。                      But in 

whatever   way   we   may   awake   to   it;   the   sense   of   personality;   when   first 

realized; appears already; like the fabled Goddess of Wisdom; full grown 

in   the   brain。  From   the   moment   when   we   first   remember   ourselves   we 

seem to be as old as we ever seem to others afterwards to become。                         We 

grow;     indeed;    in  knowledge;      in  wisdom;      in  experience;     as  our   years 

increase; but deep down in our heart of hearts we are still essentially the 

same。      To   be   sure;   people   pay   us   more   deference   than   they  did;   which 

suggests a doubt at times whether we may not have changed; small boys 

of a succeeding generation treat us with a respect that causes us inwardly 

to smile; as we think how little we differ from them; if they but knew it。 

For at bottom we are not conscious of change from that morning; long ago; 

when first we realized ourselves。             We feel just as young now as we felt 

old then。     We are but amused at the world's discrimination where we can 

detect no difference。 

     Every human being has been thus 〃twice born〃: once as matter; once 

as mind。      Nor is this second birth the birthright only of mankind。 All the 

higher   animals   probably;   possibly   even   the   lower   too;   have   experienced 

some     such    realization    of  individual     identity。   However        that  may    be; 

certainly to all races of men has come this revelation; only the degree in 

which they have felt its force has differed immensely。                  It is one thing to 

the   apathetic;   fatalistic   Turk;   and   quite   another   matter   to   an   energetic; 

nervous      American。      Facts;    fancies;    faiths;  all  show    how    wide    is  the 

variance   in   feelings。     With   them   no   introspective   'greek'cnzhi   seauton 

overexcites the consciousness of self。             But with us; as with those of old 

possessed of devils; it comes to startle and stays to distress。                Too apt is it 

to prove an ever…present; undesirable double。                Too often does it play the 

part   of   uninvited   spectre   at   the   feast;   whose   presence   no   one   save   its 

unfortunate victim suspects。           The haunting horror of his own identity is 

to natures far less eccentric than Kenelm Chillingly's only too common a 

curse。     To this companionship; paradoxical though it sound; is principally 

due the peculiar loneliness of childhood。              For nothing is so isolating as a 



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                                     The Soul of the Far East 



persistent idea which one dares not confide。 

     And   yet;stranger   paradox   still;was   there   ever   any   one   willing   to 

exchange his personality for another's?                Who can imagine foregoing his 

own   self?     Nay;   do   we   not   cling   even   to   its   outward   appearance?         Is 

there   a   man   so   poor   in   all   that   man   holds   dear   that   he   does   not   keenly 

resent being   accidentally   mistaken   for   his   neighbor?           Surely  there   must 

be    something       more    than    mirage     in  this   deep…implanted;        widespread 

instinct of human race。 

     But however strong the conviction now of one's individuality; is there 

aught to assure him of its continuance beyond the confines of its present 

life?    Will it awake on death's morrow and know itself; or will it; like the 

body that gave it lodgment; disintegrate again into indistinguishable spirit 

dust?     Close upon   the heels of   the existing   consciousness of   self   treads 

the shadow…like doubt of its hereafter。               Will analogy help to answer the 

grewsome riddle of the Sphinx?               Are the laws we have learned to be true 

for matter true also for mind?            Matter we now know is indestructible; yet 

the form of it with which we once were so fondly familiar vanishes never 

to return。  Is   a like  fate   to be  the  lot of the soul?         That   mind   should be 

capable of annihilation is as inconceivable as that matter should cease to 

be。    Surely the spirit we feel existing round about us on every side now 

has been   from  ever;  and   will be   for   ever   to   come。 But   that portion   of   it 

which   we   each   know   as   self;   is   it   not   like   to   a   drop   of   rain   seen   in   its 

falling   through   the   air?     Indistinguishable   the   particle   was   in   the   cloud 

whence       it  came;    indistinguishable      it  will   become      again   in   the  ocean 

whither it is bound。         Its personality is but its passing phase from a vast 

impersonal   on   the   one   hand   to   an   equally   vast   impersonal   on   the   other。 

Thus   seers   preached   in   the   past;   so     modem   science   is   hinting   to…day。 

With us the idea seems the bitter fruit of material philosophy; by them it 

was looked upon as the fairest flower of their faith。                What is dreaded now 

as   the   impious   suggestion   of   the   godless   four   thousand   years   ago   was 

reverenced as a sacred tenet of religion。 

     Shorter even than his short threescore years and ten is that soul's life of 

which man is directly cognizant。              Bounded by two seemingly impersonal 

states is the personal consciousness of which he is made aware: the one 



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                                     The Soul of the Far East 



the   infantile   existence   that   precedes   his   boyish   discovery;   the   other   the 

gloom that grows with years;two twilights that fringe the two borders of 

his day。     But with the Far Oriental; life is all twilight。               For in Japan and 

China both states are found together。              There; side by side with the present 

unconsciousness of the babe exists the belief in a coming unconsciousness 

for the man。        So inseparably blended are the two that the known truth of 

the one seems; for that very bond; to carry with it the credentials of the 

other。     Can   it   be   that   the   personal;   progressive   West   is   wrong;   and   the 

impersonal;  impassive  East   right?            Surely  not。      Is   the  other   side   of   the 

world in advance of us in mind…development; even as it precedes us in the 

time of day; or just as our noon is its night; may it not be far in our rear? 

Is   not its   seeming   wisdom  rather the precociousness   of  what   is   destined 

never to go far? 

     Brought   suddenly   upon   such   a   civilization;   after   the   blankness   of   a 

long   ocean   voyage;   one   is   reminded   instinctively   of   the   feelings   of   that 

bewildered       individual   who;   after   a   dinner   at   which   he   had   eventually 

ceased   to   be   himself;   was   by   way   of   pleasantry   left   out   overnight   in   a 

graveyard;   on   their   way  home;   by   his   humorously  inclined   companions; 

and   who;   on   awaking   alone;   in   a   still   dubious   condition;   looked   around 

him   in   surprise;   rubbed   his   eyes   two   or   three   times   to   no   purpose;   and 

finally muttered in a tone of awe…struck conviction; 〃Well; either I'm the 

first to rise; or I'm a long way behind time!〃 

     Whether their failure to follow the natural course of evolution results 

in bringing them in at the death just the same or not; these people are now; 

at any rate; stationary not very far from the point at which we all set out。 

They      are    still  in   that    childish    state    of   development        before     self… 

consciousness has spoiled the sweet simplicity of nature。                      An impersonal 

race seems never to have fully grown up。 

     Partly for its own sake; partly for ours; this most distinctive feature of 

the Far East; its marked impersonality; is well worthy particular attention; 

for   while   it   collaterally   suggests   pregnant   thoughts   about   ourselves;   it 

directly underlies the deeper oddities of a civilization which is the modern 

eighth wonder of the world。              We shall see this as we look at what these 

people   are;   at   what   they   were;   and   at   what   they   hope   to   become;   not 



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                                    The Soul of the Far East 



historically; bu
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