the soul of the far east(远东的灵魂)-第31节
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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； how
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The Soul of the Far East
impersonal are the communings of his soul with itself。 How the man
turns to nature instead of to his fellowman in silent sympathy。 And how；
when he speculates upon his coming castles in the air； his most roseate
desire is to be but an indistinguishable particle of the sunset clouds and
vanish invisible as they into the starry stillness of all…embracing space。
Now what does this strange impersonality betoken？ Why are these
peoples so different from us in this most fundamental of considerations to
any people； the consideration of themselves？ The answer leads to some
interesting conclusions。
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The Soul of the Far East
CHAPTER 8。 Imagination。
If； as is the case with the moon； the earth； as she travelled round her
orbit turned always the same face inward； we might expect to find；
between the thoughts of that hemisphere which looked continually to the
sun； and those of the other peering eternally out at the stars； some such
difference as actually exists between ourselves and our longitudinal
antipodes。 For our conception of the cosmos is of a sunlit world
throbbing with life； while their Nirvana finds not unfit expression in the
still； cold； fathomless awe of the midnight sky。 That we cannot thus
directly account for the difference in local coloring serves but to make that
difference of more human interest。 The dissimilarity between the
Western and the Far Eastern attitude of mind has in it something beyond
the effect of environment。 For it points to the importance of the part
which the principle of individuality plays in the great drama daily enacting
before our eyes； and which we know as evolution。 It shows； as I shall
hope to prove； that individuality bears the same relation to the
development of mind that the differentiation of species does to the
evolution of organic life： that the degree of individualization of a people is
the self…recorded measure of its place in the great march of mind。
All life； whether organic or inorganic； consists； as we know； in a
change from a state of simple homogeneity to one of complex
heterogeneity。 The process is apparently the same in a nebula or a
brachiopod； although much more intricate in the latter。 The immediate
force which works this change； the life principle of things； is； in the case
of organic beings； a subtle something which we call spontaneous variation。
What this mysterious impulse may be is beyond our present powers of
recognition。 As yet； the ultimates of all things lie hidden in the womb of
the vast unknown。 But just as in the case of a man we can tell what
organs are vital； though we are ignorant what the vital spark may be； so in
our great cosmical laws we can say in what their power resides； though we
know not really what they are。 Whether mind be but a sublimated form
of matter； or； what amounts to the same thing； matter a menial kind of
mind； or whether； which seems less likely； it be a something incomparable
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