01-what is man-第8部分

快捷操作: 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! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！


There　have　been　innumerable　Temporary　Seekers　of　Truthhave　you

ever　heard　of　a　permanent　one？　　In　the　very　nature　of　man　such　a

person　is　impossible。　　However；　to　drop　back　to　the　text

training：　　all　training　is　one　from　or　another　of　OUTSIDE

INFLUENCE；　and　ASSOCIATION　is　the　largest　part　of　it。　　A　man　is

never　anything　but　what　his　outside　influences　have　made　him。

They　train　him　downward　or　they　train　him　upwardbut　they　TRAIN

him；　they　are　at　work　upon　him　all　the　time。



Y。M。　　Then　if　he　happen　by　the　accidents　of　life　to　be

evilly　placed　there　is　no　help　for　him；　according　to　your

notionshe　must　train　downward。



O。M。　　No　help　for　him？　　No　help　for　this　chameleon？　　It　is　a

mistake。　　It　is　in　his　chameleonship　that　his　greatest　good

fortune　lies。　　He　has　only　to　change　his　habitathis

ASSOCIATIONS。　　But　the　impulse　to　do　it　must　come　from　the

OUTSIDEhe　cannot　originate　it　himself；　with　that　purpose　in

view。　　Sometimes　a　very　small　and　accidental　thing　can　furnish

him　the　initiatory　impulse　and　start　him　on　a　new　road；　with　a

new　idea。　　The　chance　remark　of　a　sweetheart；　〃I　hear　that　you

are　a　coward；〃　may　water　a　seed　that　shall　sprout　and　bloom　and

flourish；　and　ended　in　producing　a　surprising　fruitagein　the

fields　of　war。　　The　history　of　man　is　full　of　such　accidents。

The　accident　of　a　broken　leg　brought　a　profane　and　ribald　soldier

under　religious　influences　and　furnished　him　a　new　ideal。　　From

that　accident　sprang　the　Order　of　the　Jesuits；　and　it　has　been

shaking　thrones；　changing　policies；　and　doing　other　tremendous

work　for　two　hundred　yearsand　will　go　on。　　The　chance　reading

of　a　book　or　of　a　paragraph　in　a　newspaper　can　start　a　man　on　a

new　track　and　make　him　renounce　his　old　associations　and　seek　new

ones　that　are　IN　SYMPATHY　WITH　HIS　NEW　IDEAL：　　and　the　result；

for　that　man；　can　be　an　entire　change　of　his　way　of　life。



Y。M。　　Are　you　hinting　at　a　scheme　of　procedure？



O。M。　　Not　a　new　onean　old　one。　　One　as　mankind。



Y。M。　　What　is　it？



O。M。　　Merely　the　laying　of　traps　for　people。　　Traps　baited

with　INITIATORY　IMPULSES　TOWARD　HIGH　IDEALS。　　It　is　what　the

tract…distributor　does。　　It　is　what　the　missionary　does。　　It　is

what　governments　ought　to　do。



Y。M。　　Don't　they？



O。M。　　In　one　way　they　do；　in　another　they　don't。　　They

separate　the　smallpox　patients　from　the　healthy　people；　but　in

dealing　with　crime　they　put　the　healthy　into　the　pest…house　along

with　the　sick。　　That　is　to　say；　they　put　the　beginners　in　with

the　confirmed　criminals。　　This　would　be　well　if　man　were

naturally　inclined　to　good；　but　he　isn't；　and　so　ASSOCIATION

makes　the　beginners　worse　than　they　were　when　they　went　into

captivity。　　It　is　putting　a　very　severe　punishment　upon　the

comparatively　innocent　at　times。　　They　hang　a　manwhich　is　a

trifling　punishment；　this　breaks　the　hearts　of　his　familywhich

is　a　heavy　one。　　They　comfortably　jail　and　feed　a　wife…beater；

and　leave　his　innocent　wife　and　family　to　starve。



Y。M。　　Do　you　believe　in　the　doctrine　that　man　is　equipped

with　an　intuitive　perception　of　good　and　evil？



O。M。　　Adam　hadn't　it。



Y。M。　　But　has　man　acquired　it　since？



O。M。　　No。　　I　think　he　has　no　intuitions　of　any　kind。　　He

gets　ALL　his　ideas；　all　his　impressions；　from　the　outside。　　I

keep　repeating　this；　in　the　hope　that　I　may　impress　it　upon　you

that　you　will　be　interested　to　observe　and　examine　for　yourself

and　see　whether　it　is　true　or　false。



Y。M。　　Where　did　you　get　your　own　aggravating　notions？



O。M。　　From　the　OUTSIDE。　　I　did　not　invent　them。　　They　are

gathered　from　a　thousand　unknown　sources。　　Mainly　UNCONSCIOUSLY

gathered。



Y。M。　　Don't　you　believe　that　God　could　make　an　inherently

honest　man？



O。M。　　Yes；　I　know　He　could。　　I　also　know　that　He　never　did

make　one。



Y。M。　　A　wiser　observer　than　you　has　recorded　the　fact　that

〃an　honest　man's　the　noblest　work　of　God。〃



O。M。　　He　didn't　record　a　fact；　he　recorded　a　falsity。　　It　is　windy；

and　sounds　well；　but　it　is　not　true。　　God　makes　a　man　with　honest

and　dishonest　POSSIBILITIES　in　him　and　stops　there。　　The　man's

ASSOCIATIONS　develop　the　possibilitiesthe　one　set　or　the　other。

The　result　is　accordingly　an　honest　man　or　a　dishonest　one。



Y。M。　　And　the　honest　one　is　not　entitled　to



O。M。　　Praise？　　No。　　How　often　must　I　tell　you　that？　　HE　is

not　the　architect　of　his　honesty。



Y。M。　　Now　then；　I　will　ask　you　where　there　is　any　sense　in

training　people　to　lead　virtuous　lives。　　What　is　gained　by　it？



O。M。　　The　man　himself　gets　large　advantages　out　of　it；　and

that　is　the　main　thingto　HIM。　　He　is　not　a　peril　to　his

neighbors；　he　is　not　a　damage　to　themand　so　THEY　get　an

advantage　out　of　his　virtues。　　That　is　the　main　thing　to　THEM。

It　can　make　this　life　comparatively　comfortable　to　the　parties

concerned；　the　NEGLECT　of　this　training　can　make　this　life　a

constant　peril　and　distress　to　the　parties　concerned。



Y。M。　　You　have　said　that　training　is　everything；　that

training　is　the　man　HIMSELF；　for　it　makes　him　what　he　is。



O。M。　　I　said　training　and　ANOTHER　thing。　　Let　that　other

thing　pass；　for　the　moment。　　What　were　you　going　to　say？



Y。M。　　We　have　an　old　servant。　　She　has　been　with　us　twenty…

two　years。　　Her　service　used　to　be　faultless；　but　now　she　has

become　very　forgetful。　　We　are　all　fond　of　her；　we　all　recognize

that　she　cannot　help　the　infirmity　which　age　has　brought　her；　the

rest　of　the　family　do　not　scold　her　for　her　remissnesses；　but　at

times　I　doI　can't　seem　to　control　myself。　　Don't　I　try？　　I　do

try。　　Now；　then；　when　I　was　ready　to　dress；　this　morning；　no

clean　clothes　had　been　put　out。　　I　lost　my　temper；　I　lose　it

easiest　and　quickest　in　the　early　morning。　　I　rang；　and

immediately　began　to　warn　myself　not　to　show　temper；　and　to　be

careful　and　speak　gently。　　I　safe…guarded　myself　most　carefully。

I　even　chose　the　very　word　I　would　use：　　〃You've　forgotten　the

clean　clothes；　Jane。〃　　When　she　appeared　in　the　door　I　opened　my

mouth　to　say　that　phraseand　out　of　it；　moved　by　an　instant

surge　of　passion　which　I　was　not　expecting　and　hadn't　time　to　put

under　control；　came　the　hot　rebuke；　〃You've　forgotten　them

again！〃　　You　say　a　man　always　does　the　thing　which　will　best

please　his　Interior　Master。　　Whence　came　the　impulse　to　make

careful　preparation　to　save　the　girl　the　humiliation　of　a　rebuke？

Did　that　come　from　the　Master；　who　is　always　primarily　concerned

about　HIMSELF？



O。M。　　Unquestionably。　　There　is　no　other　source　for　any

impulse。　　SECONDARILY　you　made　preparation　to　save　the　girl；　but

PRIMARILY　its　object　was　to　save　yourself；　by　contenting　the

Master。



Y。M。　　How　do　you　mean？



O。M。　　Has　any　member　of　the　family　ever　implored　you　to

watch　your　temper　and　not　fly　out　at　the　girl？



Y。M。　　Yes。　　My　mother。



O。M。　　You　love　her？



Y。M。　　Oh；　more　than　that！



O。M。　　You　would　always　do　anything　in　your　power　to　please　her？



Y。M。　　It　is　a　delight　to　me　to　do　anything　to　please　her！



O。M。　　Why？　　YOU　WOULD　DO　IT　FOR　PAY；　SOLELYfor　PROFIT。

What　profit　would　you　expect　and　certainly　receive　from

the　investment？



Y。M。　　Personally？　　None。　　To　please　HER　is　enough。



O。M。　　It　appears；　then；　that　your　object；　primarily；　WASN'T

to　save　the　girl　a　humiliation；　but　to　PLEASE　YOUR　MOTHER。　　It

also　appears　that　to　please　your　mother　gives　YOU　a　strong

pleasure。　　Is　not　that　the　profit　which　you　get　out　of　the

investment？　　Isn't　that　the　REAL　profits　and　FIRST　profit？



Y。M。　　Oh；　well？　　Go　on。



O。M。　　In　ALL　transactions；　the　Interior　Master　looks　to　it

that　YOU　GET　THE　FIRST　PROFIT。　　Otherwise　there　is　no

transaction。



Y。M。　　Well；　then；　if　I　was　so　anxious　to　get　that　profit　and

so　intent　upon　it；　why　did　I　threw　it　away　by　losing　my　temper？



O。M。　　In　order　to　get　ANOTHER　profit　which　suddenly

superseded　it　in　value。



Y。M。　　Where　was　it？



O。M。　　Ambushed　behind　your　born　temperament；　and　waiting　for

a　chance。　　Your　native　warm　temper　suddenly　jumped　to　the　front；

and　FOR　THE　MOMENT　its　influence　was　more　powerful　than　your

mother's；　and　abolished　it。　　In　that　instance　you　were　eager　to

flash　out　a　hot　rebuke　and　enjoy　it。　　You　did　enjoy　it；　didn't　you？



Y。M。　　Forfor　a　quarter　of　a　second。　　YesI　did。



O。M。　　Very　well；　it　is　as　I　have　said：　　the　thing　which　will

give　you　the　MOST　pleasure；　the　most　satisfaction；　in　any　moment

or　FRACTION　of　a　moment；　is　the　thing　you　will　always　do。　　You

must　content　the　Master's　LATEST　whim；　whatever　it　may　be。



Y。M。　　But　when　the　tears　came　into　the　old　servant's　eyes　I

could　have　cut　my　hand　off　for　what　I　had　done。



O。M。　　Right。　　You　had　humiliated　YOURSELF；　you　see；　you　had

given　yourself　PAIN。　　Nothing　is　of　FIRST　importance　to　a　man

except　results　which　damage　HIM　or　profit　himall　the　rest　is

SECONDARY。　　Your　Master　was　displeased　with　you；　although　you　had

obeyed　him。　　He　required　a　prompt　REPENTANCE