the soul of the far east-第23部分

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ding。　　Nor　is　the　chancel…rail　of　Christianity　the　sole　survivor　of　the　more　exclusive　barriers　of　olden　times；　even　in　the　Western　world。　In　the　Ear　East；　where　difficulty　of　access　is　deemed　indispensable　to　dignity；　the　material　approaches　are　still　manifold　and　imposing。　　Court　within　court；　building　after　building；　isolate　the　shrine　itself　from　the　profane　familiarity　of　the　passers…by。　But　though　the　material　encasings　vary　in　number　and　in　exclusiveness；　according　to　the　temperament　of　the　particular　race　concerned；　the　mental　envelopes　exist；　and　must　exist；　in　both　hemispheres　alike；　so　long　as　society　resembles　the　crust　of　the　earth　on　which　it　dwells；a　crust　composed　of　strata　that　grow　denser　as　one　descends。　　What　is　clear　to　those　on　top　seems　obscure　to　those　below；　what　are　weighty　arguments　to　the　second　have　no　force　at　all　upon　the　first。　　There　must　necessarily　be　grades　of　elevation　in　individual　beliefs；　suited　to　the　needs　and　cravings　of　each　individual　soul。　　A　creed　that　fills　the　shallow　with　satisfaction　leaves　but　an　aching　void　in　the　deep。　　It　is　not　of　the　slightest　consequence　how　the　belief　starts；　differentiated　it　is　bound　to　become。　　The　higher　minds　alone　can　rest　content　with　abstract　imaginings；　the　lower　must　have　concrete　realities　on　which　to　pin　their　faith。　　With　them；　inevitably；　ideals　degenerate　into　idols。　　In　all　religions　this　unavoidable　debasement　has　taken　place。　The　Roman　Catholic　who　prays　to　a　wooden　image　of　Christ　is　not　one　whit　less　idolatrous　than　the　Buddhist　who　worships　a　bronze　statue　of　Amida　Butzu。　　All　that　the　common　people　are　capable　of　seeing　is　the　soul…envelope；　for　the　soul　itself　they　are　unable　to　appreciate。　　Spiritually　they　are　undiscerning；　because　imaginatively　they　are　blind。

Now　the　grosser　soul…envelopes　of　the　two　great　European　and　Asiatic　faiths；　though　differing　in　detail；　are　in　general　parallel　in　structure。　　Each　boasts　its　full　complement　of　saints；　whose　congruent　catalogues　are　equally　wearisome　in　length。　　Each　tells　its　circle　of　beads　to　help　it　keep　count　of　similarly　endless　prayers。　For　in　both；　in　the　popular　estimation；　quantity　is　more　effective　to　salvation　than　quality。　　In　both　the　believer　practically　pictures　his　heaven　for　himself；　while　in　each　his　hell；　with　a　vividness　that　does　like　credit　to　its　religious　imagination；　is　painted　for　him　by　those　of　the　cult　who　are　themselves　confident　of　escaping　it。　　Into　the　lap　of　each　mother　church　the　pious　believer　drops　his　little　votive　offering　with　the　same　affectionate　zeal；　and　in　Asia；　as　in　Europe；　the　mites　of　the　many　make　the　might　of　the　mass。

But　behind　all　this　is　the　religion　of　the　few；of　those　to　whom　sensuous　forms　cannot　suffice　to　represent　super…sensuous　cravings；　whose　god　is　something　more　than　an　anthropomorphic　creation；　to　whom　worship　means　not　the　cramping　of　the　body；　but　the　expansion　of　the　soul。

The　rays　of　the　truth；　like　the　rays　of　the　sun；　which　universally　seems　to　have　been　man's　first　adoration；　have　two　properties　equally　inherent　in　their　essence；　warmth　and　light。　　And　as　for　the　life　of　all　things　on　this　globe　both　attributes　of　sunshine　are　necessary；　so　to　the　development　of　that　something　which　constitutes　the　ego　both　qualities　of　the　truth　are　vital。　　We　sometimes　speak　of　character　as　if　it　were　a　thing　wholly　apart　from　mind；　but；　in　fact；　the　two　things　are　so　interwoven　that　to　perceive　the　right　course　is　the　strongest　possible　of　incentives　to　pursue　it。　　In　the　end　the　two　are　one。　　Now；　while　clearness　of　head　is　all…important；　kindness　of　heart　is　none　the　less　so。　　The　first；　perhaps；　is　more　needed　in　our　communings　with　ourselves；　the　second　in　our　commerce　with　others。　　For；　dark　and　dense　bodies　that　we　are；　we　can　radiate　affection　much　more　effectively　than　we　can　reflect　views。

That　Christianity　is　a　religion　of　love　needs　no　mention；　that　Buddhism　is　equally　such　is　perhaps　not　so　generally　appreciated。　But　just　as　the　gospel　of　the　disciple　who　loved　and　was　loved　the　most　begins　its　story　by　telling　us　of　the　Light　that　came　into　the　world；　so　none　the　less　surely　could　the　Light　of　Asia　but　be　also　its　warmth。　　Half　of　the　teachings　of　Buddhism　are　spent　in　inculcating　charity。　　Not　only　to　men　is　man　enjoined　to　show　kindliness；　but　to　all　other　animals　as　well。　　The　people　practise　what　their　scriptures　preach。　　The　effect　indirectly　on　the　condition　of　the　brutes　is　almost　as　marked　as　its　more　direct　effect　on　the　character　of　mankind。　　In　heart；　at　least；　Buddhism　and　Christianity　are　very　close。

But　here　the　two　paths　to　a　something　beyond　an　earthly　life　diverge。　　Up　to　this　point　the　two　religions　are　alike；　but　from　this　point　on　they　are　so　utterly　unlike　that　the　very　similarity　of　all　that　went　before　only　suffices　to　make　of　the　second　the　weird；　life…counterfeiting　shadow　of　the　first。　　As　in　a　silhouette；　externally　the　contours　are　all　there；　but　within　is　one　vast　blank。　In　relation　to　one's　neighbor　the　two　beliefs　are　kin；　but　as　regards　one's　self；　as　far　apart　as　the　West　is　from　the　East。　For　here；　at　this　idea　of　self；　we　are　suddenly　aware　of　standing　on　the　brink　of　a　fathomless　abyss；　gazing　giddily　down　into　that　great　gulf　which　divides　Buddhism　from　Christianity。　　We　cannot　see　the　bottom。　　It　is　a　separation　more　profound　than　death；　it　seems　to　necessitate　annihilation。　　To　cross　it　we　must　bury　in　its　depths　all　we　know　as　ourselves。

Christianity　is　a　personal　religion；　Buddhism；　an　impersonal　one。　　In　this　fundamental　difference　lies　the　world…wide　opposition　of　the　two　beliefs。　　Christianity　tells　us　to　purify　ourselves　that　we　may　enjoy　countless　aeons　of　that　bettered　self　hereafter；　Buddhism　would　have　us　purify　ourselves　that　we　may　lose　all　sense　of　self　for　evermore。

For　all　that　it　preaches　the　essential　vileness　of　the　natural　man；　Christianity　is　a　gospel　of　optimism。　　While　it　affirms　that　at　present　you　are　bad；　it　also　affirms　that　this　depravity　is　no　intrinsic　part　of　yourself。　　It　unquestioningly　asserts　that　it　is　something　foreign　to　your　true　being。　　It　even　believes　that　in　a　more　or　less　spiritual　manner　your　very　body　will　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　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　mor