lectures11-13-第4节

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know　just　why　or　how　such　sovereignty　comes　about　in　one　person



and　not　in　another。　　We　can　only　give　our　imagination　a　certain



delusive　help　by　mechanical　analogies。















If　we　should　conceive；　for　example；　that　the　human　mind；　with　its



different　possibilities　of　equilibrium；　might　be　like　a



many…sided　solid　with　different　surfaces　on　which　it　could　lie



flat；　we　might　liken　mental　revolutions　to　the　spatial



revolutions　of　such　a　body。　　As　it　is　pried　up；　say　by　a　lever；



from　a　position　in　which　it　lies　on　surface　A；　for　instance；　it



will　linger　for　a　time　unstably　halfway　up；　and　if　the　lever



cease　to　urge　it；　it　will　tumble　back　or　〃relapse〃　under　the



continued　pull　of　gravity。　　But　if　at　last　it　rotate　far　enough



for　its　centre　of　gravity　to　pass　beyond　surface　A　altogether；



the　body　will　fall　over；　on　surface　B；　say；　and　abide　there



permanently。　　The　pulls　of　gravity　towards　A　have　vanished；　and



may　now　be　disregarded。　The　polyhedron　has　become　immune　against



farther　attraction　from　their　direction。







In　this　figure　of　speech　the　lever　may　correspond　to　the



emotional　influences　making　for　a　new　life；　and　the　initial　pull



of　gravity　to　the　ancient　drawbacks　and　inhibitions。　　So　long　as



the　emotional　influence　fails　to　reach　a　certain　pitch　of



efficacy；　the　changes　it　produces　are　unstable；　and　the　man



relapses　into　his　original　attitude。　But　when　a　certain　intensity



is　attained　by　the　new　emotion；　a　critical　point　is　passed；　and



there　then　ensues　an　irreversible　revolution；　equivalent　to　the



production　of　a　new　nature。







The　collective　name　for　the　ripe　fruits　of　religion　in　a



character　is　Saintliness。＇152＇　The　saintly　character　is　the



character　for　which　spiritual　emotions　are　the　habitual　centre　of



the　personal　energy；　and　there　is　a　certain　composite　photograph



of　universal　saintliness；　the　same　in　all　religions；　of　which　the



features　can　easily　be　traced。＇153＇







＇152＇　I　use　this　word　in　spite　of　a　certain　flavor　of



〃sanctimoniousness〃　which　sometimes　clings　to　it；　because　no



other　word　suggests　as　well　the　exact　combination　of　affections



which　the　text　goes　on　to　describe。







＇153＇　〃It　will　be　found；〃　says　Dr。　W。　R。　Inge　（in　his　lectures　on



Christian　Mysticism；　London；　1899；　p。　326）；　〃that　men　of



preeminent　saintliness　agree　very　closely　in　what　they　tell　us。　



They　tell　us　that　they　have　arrived　at　an　unshakable　conviction；



not　based　on　inference　but　on　immediate　experience；　that　God　is　a



spirit　with　whom　the　human　spirit　can　hold　intercourse；　that　in



him　meet　all　that　they　can　imagine　of　goodness；　truth；　and



beauty；　that　they　can　see　his　footprints　everywhere　in　nature；



and　feel　his　presence　within　them　as　the　very　life　of　their　life；



so　that　in　proportion　as　they　come　to　themselves　they　come　to



him。　　They　tell　us　what　separates　us　from　him　and　from　happiness



is；　first；　self…seeking　in　all　its　forms；　and　secondly；



sensuality　in　all　its　forms；　that　these　are　the　ways　of　darkness



and　death；　which　hide　from　us　the　face　of　God；　while　the　path　of



the　just　is　like　a　shining　light；　which　shineth　more　and　more



unto　the　perfect　day。〃















They　are　these：







1。　　A　feeling　of　being　in　a　wider　life　than　that　of　this　world's



selfish　little　interests；　and　a　conviction；　not　merely



intellectual；　but　as　it　were　sensible；　of　the　existence　of　an



Ideal　Power。　　In　Christian　saintliness　this　power　is　always



personified　as　God；　but　abstract　moral　ideals；　civic　or　patriotic



utopias；　or　inner　versions　of　holiness　or　right　may　also　be　felt



as　the　true　lords　and　enlargers　of　our　life；　in　ways　which　I



described　in　the　lecture　on　the　Reality　of　the　Unseen。＇154＇







＇154＇　The　〃enthusiasm　of　humanity〃　may　lead　to　a　life　which



coalesces　in　many　respects　with　that　of　Christian　saintliness。　



Take　the　following　rules　proposed　to　members　of　the　Union　pour



l'Action　morale；　in　the　Bulletin　de　l'Union；　April　1…15；　1894。　



See；　also；　Revue　Bleue；　August　13；　1892。







〃We　would　make　known　in　our　own　persons　the　usefulness　of　rule；



of　discipline；　of　resignation　and　renunciation；　we　would　teach



the　necessary　perpetuity　of　suffering；　and　explain　the　creative



part　which　it　plays。　　We　would　wage　war　upon　false　optimism；　on



the　base　hope　of　happiness　coming　to　us　ready　made；　on　the　notion



of　a　salvation　by　knowledge　alone；　or　by　material　civilization



alone；　vain　symbol　as　this　is　of　civilization；　precarious



external　arrangement　ill…fitted　to　replace　the　intimate　union　and



consent　of　souls。　　We　would　wage　war　also　on　bad　morals；　whether



in　public　or　in　private　life；　on　luxury；　fastidiousness；　and



over…refinement；　on　all　that　tends　to　increase　the　painful；



immoral；　and　anti…social　multiplications　of　our　wants；　on　all



that　excites　envy　and　dislike　in　the　soul　of　the　common　people；



and　confirms　the　notion　that　the　chief　end　of　life　is　freedom　to



enjoy。　　We　would　preach　by　our　example　the　respect　of　superiors



and　equals；　the　respect　of　all　men；　affectionate　simplicity　in



our　relations　with　inferiors　and　insignificant　persons；



indulgence　where　our　own　claims　only　are　concerned；　but　firmness



in　our　demands　where　they　relate　to　duties　towards　others　or



towards　the　public。















〃For　the　common　people　are　what　we　help　them　to　become；　their



vices　are　our　vices；　gazed　upon；　envied；　and　imitated；　and　if



they　come　back　with　all　their　weight　upon　us；　it　is　but　just。







2。　　A　sense　of　the　friendly　continuity　of　the　ideal　power　with



our　own　life；　and　a　willing　self…surrender　to　its　control。







3。　　An　immense　elation　and　freedom；　as　the　outlines　of　the



confining　selfhood　melt　down。







4。　　A　shifting　of　the　emotional　centre　towards　loving　and



harmonious　affections；　towards　〃yes；　yes；〃　and　away　from　〃no；〃



where　the　claims　of　the　non…ego　are　concerned。　These　fundamental



inner　conditions　have　characteristic　practical　consequences；　as



follows：







a。　　Asceticism。The　self…surrender　may　become　so　passionate　as



to　turn　into　self…immolation。　　It　may　then　so　over…rule　the



ordinary　inhibitions　of　the　flesh　that　the　saint　finds　positive



pleasure　in　sacrifice　and　asceticism；　measuring　and　expressing　as



they　do　the　degree　of　his　loyalty　to　the　higher　power。







b。　　Strength　of　Soul。The　sense　of　enlargement　of　life　may　be　so



uplifting　that　personal　motives　and　inhibitions；　commonly



omnipotent；　become　too　insignificant　for　notice；　and　new　reaches



of　patience　and　fortitude　open　out。　　Fears　and　anxieties　go；　and



blissful　equanimity　takes　their　place。　Come　heaven；　come　hell；　it



makes　no　difference　now！







〃We　forbid　ourselves　all　seeking　after　popularity；　all　ambition



to　appear　important。　　We　pledge　ourselves　to　abstain　from



falsehood；　in　all　its　degrees。　　We　promise　not　to　create　or



encourage　illusions　as　to　what　is　possible；　by　what　we　say　or



write。　We　promise　to　one　another　active　sincerity；　which　strives



to　see　truth　clearly；　and　which　never　fears　to　declare　what　it



sees。







〃We　promise　deliberate　resistance　to　the　tidal　waves　of　fashion；



to　the　'booms'　and　panics　of　the　public　mind；　to　all　the　forms　of



weakness　and　of　fear。







〃We　forbid　ourselves　the　use　of　sarcasm。　　Of　serious　things　we



will　speak　seriously　and　unsmilingly；　without　banter　and　without



the　appearance　of　banter；and　even　so　of　all　things；　for　there



are　serious　ways　of　being　light　of　heart。







〃We　will　put　ourselves　forward　always　for　what　we　are；　simply　and



without　false　humility；　as　well　as　without　pedantry；　affectation；



or　pride。〃







c。　　Purity。The　shifting　of　the　emotional　centre　brings　with　it；



first；　increase　of　purity。　　The　sensitiveness　to　spiritual



discords　is　enhanced；　and　the　cleansing　of　existence　from　brutal



and　sensual　elements　becomes　imperative。　　Occasions　of　contact



with　such　elements　are　avoided：　　the　saintly　life　must　deepen　its



spiritual　consistency　and　keep　unspotted　from　the　world。　　In　some



temperaments　this　need　of　purity　of　spirit　takes　an　ascetic　turn；



and　weaknesses　of　the　flesh　are　treated　with　relentless　severity。







d。　　Charity。The　shifting　of　the　emotional　centre　brings；



secondly；　increase　of　charity；　tenderness　for　fellow…creatures。



The　ordinary　motives　to　antipathy；　which　usually　set　such　close



bounds　to　tenderness　among　human　beings；　are　inhibited。　The　saint



loves　his　enemies；　and　treats　loathsome　beggars　as　his　brot