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pagan and christian creeds-第56章

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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are nothing but theories 'of thought'; and as Science has supplanted its predecessors so it may hereafter itself be superseded by some more perfect hypothesis; perhaps by some perfectly different way of looking at phenomenaof registering the shadows on the screenof which we in this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 
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