the soul of the far east-第21节

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of　another's　hereafter　look　so　much　rosier　than　the　limitations　of　one's　own　present！

Few　pastimes　are　more　delightful　than　tossing　pebbles　into　some　still；　dark　pool；　and　watching　the　ripples　that　rise　responsive；　as　they　run　in　ever　widening　circles　to　the　shore。　　Most　of　us　have　felt　its　fascination　second　only　to　that　of　the　dotted　spiral　of　the　skipping…stone；　a　fascination　not　outgrown　with　years。　　There　is　something　singularly　attractive　in　the　subtle　force　that　for　a　moment　sways　each　particle　only　to　pass　on　to　the　next；　a　motion　mysterious　in　its　immateriality。　　Some　such　pleasure　must　be　theirs　who　have　thrown　their　thoughts　into　the　hearts　of　men；　and　seen　them　spread　in　waves　of　feeling；　whose　sphere　time　widens　through　the　world。　　For　like　the　mobile　water　is　the　mind　of　man；quick　to　catch　emotions；　quick　to　transmit　them。　　Of　all　waves　of　feeling；　this　is　not　the　least　true　of　religious　ones；　that；　starting　from　their　birthplace；　pass　out　to　stir　others；　who　have　but　humanity　in　common　with　those　who　professed　them　first。　　Like　the　ripples　in　the　pool；　they　leave　their　initial　converts　to　sink　back　again　into　comparative　quiescence；　as　they　advance　to　throw　into　sudden　tremors　hordes　of　outer　barbarians。　　In　both　of　the　great　religions　in　question　this　wave　propagation　has　been　most　marked；　only　the　direction　it　took　differed。　　Christianity　went　westward；　Buddhism　travelled　east。　　Proselytes　in　Asia　Minor；　Greece；　and　Italy　find　counterparts　in　Eastern　India；　Burmah；　and　Thibet。　　Eventually　the　taught　surpassed　their　teachers　both　in　zeal　and　numbers。　　Jerusalem　and　Benares　at　last　gave　place　to　Rome　and　Lassa　as　sacerdotal　centres。　　Still　the　movement　journeyed　on。　　Popes　and　Lhamas　remained　where　their　predecessors　had　founded　sees；　but　the　tide　of　belief　surged　past　them　in　its　irresistible　advance。　　Farther　yet　from　where　each　faith　began　are　to　be　found　to…day　the　greater　part　of　its　adherents。　　The　home　that　the　Western　hemisphere　seems　to　promise　to　the　one；　the　extreme　Orient　affords　the　other。　　As　Roman　Catholicism　now　looks　to　America　for　its　strength；　so　Buddhism　to…day　finds　its　worshippers　chiefly　in　China　and　Japan。

But　though　the　Japanese　may　be　said　to　be　all　Buddhists；　Buddhist　is　by　no　means　all　that　they　are。　　At　the　time　of　their　adoption　of　the　great　Indian　faith；　the　Japanese　were　already　in　possession　of　a　system　of　superstition　which　has　held　its　own　to　this　day。　　In　fact；　as　the　state　religion　of　the　land；　it　has　just　experienced　a　revival；　a　regalvanizing　of　its　old…time　energy；　at　the　hands　of　some　of　the　native　archaeologists。　　Its　sacred　mirror；　held　up　to　Nature；　has　been　burnished　anew。　　Formerly　this　body　of　belief　was　the　national　faith；　the　Mikado；　the　direct　descendant　of　the　early　gods；　being　its　head　on　earth。　　His　reinstatement　to　temporal　power　formed　a　very　fitting　first　step　toward　reinvesting　the　cult　with　its　former　prestige；　a　curious　instance；　indeed；　of　a　religious　revival　due　to　archaeological；　not　to　religious　zeal。

This　cult　is　the　mythological　inheritance　of　the　whole　eastern　seaboard　of　Asia；　from　Siam　to　Kamtchatka。　　In　Japan　it　is　called　Shintoism。　　The　word　〃Shinto〃　means　literally　〃the　way　of　the　gods；〃　and　the　letter　of　its　name　is　a　true　exponent　of　the　spirit　of　the　belief。　　For　its　scriptures　are　rather　an　itinerary　of　the　gods'　lives　than　a　guide　to　that　road　by　which　man　himself　may　attain　to　immortality。　　Thus　with　a　certain　fitness　pilgrimages　are　its　most　noticeable　rites。　　One　cannot　journey　anywhere　in　the　heart　of　Japan　without　meeting　multitudes　of　these　pilgrims；　with　their　neat　white　leggings　and　their　mushroom…like　hats；　nor　rest　at　night　at　any　inn　that　is　not　hung　with　countless　little　banners　of　the　pilgrim　associations；　of　which　they　all　are　members。　　Being　a　pilgrim　there　is　equivalent　to　being　a　tourist　here；　only　that　to　the　excitement　of　doing　the　country　is　added　a　sustaining　sense　of　the　meritoriousness　of　the　deed。　　Oftener　than　not　the　objective　point　of　the　devout　is　the　summit　of　some　noted　mountain。　　For　peaks　are　peculiarly　sacred　spots　in　the　Shinto　faith。　　The　fact　is　perhaps　an　expression　of　man's　instinctive　desire　to　rise；　as　if　the　bodily　act　in　some　wise　betokened　the　mental　action。　　The　shrine　in　so　exalted　a　position　is　of　the　simplest：　a　rude　hut；　with　or　without　the　only　distinctive　emblems　of　the　cult；　a　mirror　typical　of　the　god　and　the　pendent　gohei；　or　zigzag　strips　of　paper；　permanent　votive　offerings　of　man。　　As　for　the　belief　itself；　it　is　but　the　deification　of　those　natural　elements　which　aboriginal　man　instinctively　wonders　at　or　fears；　the　sun；　the　moon；　the　thunder；　the　lightning；　and　the　wind；　all；　in　short；　that　he　sees；　hears；　and　feels；　yet　cannot　comprehend。　　He　clothes　his　terrors　with　forms　which　resemble　the　human；　because　he　can　conceive　of　nothing　else　that　could　cause　the　unexpected。　　But　the　awful　shapes　he　conjures　up　have　naught　in　common　with　himself。　　They　are　far　too　fearful　to　be　followed。　　Their　way　is　the　〃highway　of　the　gods；〃　but　no　Jacob's　ladder　for　wayward　man。

In　this　externality　to　the　human　lies　the　reason　that　Shintoism　and　Buddhism　can　agree　so　well；　and　can　both　join　with　Confucianism　in　helping　to　form　that　happy　family　of　faith　which　is　so　singular　a　feature　of　Far　Eastern　religious　capability。　　It　is　not　simply　that　the　two　contrive　to　live　peaceably　together；　they　are　actually　both　of　them　implicitly　believed　by　the　same　individual。　　Millions　of　Japanese　are　good　Buddhists　and　good　Shintoists　at　the　same　time。　That　such　a　combination　should　be　possible　is　due　to　the　essential　difference　in　the　character　of　the　two　beliefs。　　The　one　is　extrinsic；　the　other　intrinsic；　in　its　relations　to　the　human　soul。　Shintoism　tells　man　but　little　about　himself　and　his　hereafter；　Buddhism；　little　but　about　himself　and　what　he　may　become。　　In　examining　Far　Eastern　religion；　therefore；　for　personality；　or　the　reverse；　we　may　dismiss　Shintoism　as　having　no　particular　bearing　upon　the　subject。　　The　only　effect　it　has　is　indirect　in　furthering　the　natural　propensity　of　these　people　to　an　adoration　of　nature。

In　Korea　and　in　China；　again；　Confucianism　is　the　great　moral　law；　as　by　reflection　it　is　to　a　certain　extent　in　Japan。　　But　that　in　its　turn　may　be　omitted　in　the　present　argument；　inasmuch　as　Confucius　taught　confessedly　and　designedly　only　a　system　of　morals；　and　religiously　abstained　from　pronouncing　any　opinion　whatever　upon　the　character　or　the　career　of　the　human　soul。

Taouism；　the　third　great　religion　of　China；　resembles　Shintoism　to　this　extent；　that　it　is　a　body　of　superstition；　and　not　a　form　of　philosophy。　　It　undertakes　to　provide　nostrums　for　spiritual　ills；　but　is　dumb　as　to　the　constitution　of　the　soul　for　which　it　professes　to　prescribe。　　Its　pills　are　to　be　swallowed　unquestioningly　by　the　patient；　and　are　warranted　to　cure；　and　owing　to　the　two　great　human　frailties；　fear　and　credulity；　its　practice　is　very　large。　　Possessing；　however；　no　philosophic　diploma；　it　is　without　the　pale　of　the　present　discussion。

The　demon…worship　of　Korea　is　a　mild　form　of　the　same　thing　with　the　hierarchy　left　out；　every　man　there　being　his　own　spiritual　adviser。　An　ordinary　Korean　is　born　with　an　innate　belief　in　malevolent　spirits；　whom　he　accordingly　propitiates　from　time　to　time。　　One　of　nobler　birth　propitiates　only　the　spirits　of　his　own　ancestors。

We　come；　then；　by　a　process　of　elimination　to　a　consideration　of　Buddhism；　the　great　philosophic　faith　of　the　whole　Far　East。

Not　uncommonly　in　the　courtyard　of　a　Japanese　temple；　in　the　solemn　half…light　of　the　sombre　firs；　there　stands　a　large　stone　basin；　cut　from　a　single　block；　and　filled　to　the　brim　with　water。　　The　trees；　the　basin；　and　a　few　stone　lanternsso　called　from　their　form；　and　not　their　function；　for　they　have　votive　pebbles　where　we　should　look　for　wicksare　the　sole　occupants　of　the　place。　　Sheltered　from　the　wind；　withdrawn　from　sound；　and　only　piously　approached　by　man；　this　antechamber　of　the　god　seems　the　very　abode　of　silence　and　rest。　It　might　be　Nirvana　itself；　human　entrance　to　an　immortality　like　the　god's　within；　so　peaceful；　so　pervasive　is　its　calm；　and　in　its　midst　is　the　moss…covered　monolith；　holding　in　its　embrace　the　little　imprisoned　pool　of　water。　　So　still　is　the　spot　and　so　clear　the　liquid　that　you　know　the　one　only　as　the　reflection　of　the　other。　Mirrored　in　its　glassy　surface　appears　everything　around　it。　As　you　peer　in；　far　down　you　see　a　tiny　bit　of　sky；　as　deep　as　the　blue　is　high　above；　across　which　slowly　sail　the　passing　clouds；　then　nearer　stand　the　trees；　arching　overhead；　as　if　bending　to　catch　glimpses　of　themselves　in　that　other　world　below；　and　then；　nearer　yetyourself。

Emblem　of　the　spirit　of　man　is　this　little　pool　to　Far　Oriental　eyes。　Subtile　as　the　soul　is　the　incomprehensible　water；　so　responsive　to　light　that　it　remains　itself　invisible；　so　clear　that　it　seems　illusion！　　Though　portrayer　so　perfect　of　forms　about　it；　all　we　know　of　the　thing　itself　is　that　it　is。　　Through　none　of　the　five　senses　do　we　perceive　it。　　Neither　sight；　nor　hearing；　nor　taste；　nor　smell；　nor　touch　can　tell　us　it　exists；　we　feel　it　to　be　by　the　muscular　sense　alone；　that　blind　and　dum