pagan and christian creeds-第59部分

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　And　they　all　depend　upon　that　power　of　stilling　Thought；　that　ability　to　pass　unharmed　and　undismayed　through　the　grinning　legions　of　the　lower　mind　into　the　very　heart　of　Paradise。

The　question　inevitably　arises；　How　can　this　power　be　obtained？　And　there　is　only　one　answerthe　same　answer　which　has　to　be　given　for　the　attainment　of　ANY　power　or　faculty。　There　is　no　royal　road。　The　only　way　is　（however　imperfectly）　to　DO　the　thing　in　question；　to　practice　it。　If　you　would　learn　to　play　cricket；　the　only　way　is　to　play　cricket；　if　you　would　be　able　to　speak　a　language；　the　only　way　is　to　speak　it。　If　you　would　learn　to　swim；　the　only　way　is　to　practice　swimming。　Or　would　you　wish　to　be　like　the　man　who　when　his　companions　were　bathing　and　bidding　him　come　and　join　them；　said：　〃Yes；　I　am　longing　to　join　you；　but　I　am　not　going　to　be　such　a　fool　as　to　go　into　the　water　TILL　I　KNOW　HOW　TO　SWIM！〃

There　is　nothing　but　practice。　If　you　want　to　obtain　that　priceless　power　of　commanding　Thoughtof　using　it　or　dismissing　it　（for　the　two　things　go　together）　at　willthere　is　no　way　but　practice。　And　the　practice　consists　in　two　exercises：　（a）　that　of　concentrationin　holding　the　thought　steadily　for　a　time　on　one　subject；　or　point　of　a　subject；　and　（b）　that　of　effacementin　effacing　any　given　thought　from　the　mind；　and　determining　NOT　to　entertain　it　for　such　and　such　a　time。　Both　these　exercises　are　difficult。　Failure　in　practicing　them　is　certain　and　may　even　extend　over　years。　But　the　power　equally　certainly　grows　WITH　practice。　And　ultimately　there　may　come　a　time　when　the　learner　is　not　only　able　to　efface　from　his　mind　any　given　thought　（however　importunate）；　but　may　even　succeed　in　effacing；　during　short　periods；　ALL　thought　of　any　kind。　When　this　stage　is　reached；　the　veil　of　illusion　which　surrounds　all　mortal　things　is　pierced；　and　the　entrance　to　the　Paradise　of　Rest　（and　of　universal　power　and　knowledge）　is　found。

Of　indirect　or　auxiliary　methods　of　reaching　this　great　conclusion；　there　are　more　than　one。　I　think　of　life　in　the　open　air；　if　not　absolutely　necessary；　at　least　most　important。　The　godsthough　sometimes　out　of　compassion　they　visit　the　interiors　of　housesare　not　fond　of　such　places　and　the　evil　effluvium　they　find　there；　and　avoid　them　as　much　as　they　can。　It　is　not　merely　a　question　of　breathing　oxygen　instead　of　carbonic　acid。　There　is　a　presence　and　an　influence　in　Nature　and　the　Open　which　expands　the　mind　and　causes　brigand　cares　and　worries　to　drop　offwhereas　in　confined　places　foolish　and　futile　thoughts　of　all　kinds　swarm　like　microbes　and　cloud　and　conceal　the　soul。　Experto　Crede。　It　is　only　necessary　to　try　this　experiment　in　order　to　prove　its　truth。

Another　thing　which　corresponds　in　some　degree　to　living　physically　in　the　open　air；　is　the　living　mentally　and　emotionally　in　the　atmosphere　of　love。　A　large　charity　of　mind；　which　refuses　absolutely　to　shut　itself　in　little　secluded　places　of　prejudice；　bigotry　and　contempt　for　others；　and　which　attains　to　a　great　and　universal　sympathy；　helps；　most　obviously；　to　open　the　way　to　that　region　of　calm　and　freedom　of　which　we　have　spoken；　while　conversely　all　petty　enmity；　meanness　and　spite；　conspire　to　imprison　the　soul　and　make　its　deliverance　more　difficult。

It　is　not　necessary　to　labor　these　points。　As　we　said；　the　way　to　attain　is　to　sincerely　TRY　to　attain；　to　consistently　PRACTICE　attainment。　Whoever　does　this　will　find　that　the　way　will　open　out　by　degrees；　as　of　one　emerging　from　a　vast　and　gloomy　forest；　till　out　of　darkness　the　path　becomes　clear。　For　whomsoever　really　TRIES　there　is　no　failure；　for　every　effort　in　that　region　is　success；　and　every　onward　push；　however　small；　and　however　little　result　it　may　show；　is　really　a　move　forward；　and　one　step　nearer　the　light。



II。　THE　NATURE　OF　THE　SELF

The　true　nature　of　the　Self　is　a　matter　by　no　means　easy　to　compass。　We　have　all　probably　at　some　time　or　other　attempted　to　fathom　the　deeps　of　personality；　and　been　baffled。　Some　people　say　they　can　quite　distinctly　remember　a　moment　in　early　childhood；　about　the　age　of　THREE　（though　the　exact　period　is　of　course　only　approximate）　when　self…consciousnessthe　awareness　of　being　a　little　separate　Selffirst　dawned　in　the　mind。　It　was　generally　at　some　moment　of　childish　tension　alone　perhaps　in　a　garden；　or　lost　from　the　mother's　protecting　handthat　this　happened；　and　it　was　the　beginning　of　a　whole　range　of　new　experience。　Before　some　such　period　there　is　in　childhood　strictly　speaking　no　distinct　self…consciousness。　As　Tennyson　says　（In　Memoriam　xliv）：

　The　baby　new　to　earth　and　sky；　　　　　　What　time　his　tender　palm　is　prest　　　　　　Against　the　circle　of　the　breast；　　Hath　never　thought　that　〃This　is　I。〃

It　has　consciousness　truly；　but　no　distinctive　self…consciousness。　It　is　this　absence　or　deficiency　which　explains　many　things　which　at　first　sight　seem　obscure　in　the　psychology　of　children　and　of　animals。　The　baby　（it　has　often　been　noticed）　experiences　little　or　no　sense　of　FEAR。　It　does　not　know　enough　to　be　afraid；　it　has　never　formed　any　image　of　itself；　as　of　a　thing　which　might　be　injured。　It　may　shrink　from　actual　pain　or　discomfort；　but　it　does　not　LOOK　FORWARDwhich　is　of　the　essence　of　fearto　pain　in　the　future。　Fear　and　self…consciousness　are　closely　interlinked。　Similarly　with　animals；　we　often　wonder　how　a　horse　or　a　cow　can　endure　to　stand　out　in　a　field　all　night；　exposed　to　cold　and　rain；　in　the　lethargic　patient　way　that　they　exhibit。　It　is　not　that　they　do　not　FEEL　the　discomfort；　but　it　is　that　they　do　not　envisage　THEMSELVES　as　enduring　this　pain　and　suffering　for　all　those　coming　hours；　and　as　we　know　with　ourselves　that　nine…tenths　of　our　miseries　really　consist　in　looking　forward　to　future　miseries；　so　we　understand　that　the　absence　or　at　any　rate　slight　prevalence　of　self…consciousness　in　animals　enables　them　to　endure　forms　of　distress　which　would　drive　us　mad。

In　time　then　the　babe　arrives　at　self…consciousness；　and；　as　one　might　expect；　the　growing　boy　or　girl　often　becomes　intensely　aware　of　Self。　His　or　her　self…consciousness　is　crude；　no　doubt；　but　it　has　very　little　misgiving。　If　the　question　of　the　nature　of　the　Self　is　propounded　to　the　boy　as　a　problem　he　has　no　difficulty　in　solving　it。　He　says　〃I　know　well　enough　who　I　am：　I　am　the　boy　with　red　hair　what　gave　Jimmy　Brown　such　a　jolly　good　licking　last　Monday　week。〃　He　knows　well　enoughor　thinks　he　knowswho　he　is。　And　at　a　later　age；　though　his　definition　may　change　and　he　may　describe　himself　chiefly　as　a　good　cricketer　or　successful　in　certain　examinations；　his　method　is　practically　the　same。　He　fixes　his　mind　on　a　certain　bundle　of　qualities　and　capacities　which　he　is　supposed　to　possess；　and　calls　that　bundle　Himself。　And　in　a　more　elaborate　way　we　most　of　us；　I　imagine；　do　the　same。

Presently；　however；　with　more　careful　thought；　we　begin　to　see　difficulties　in　this　view。　I　see　that　directly　I　think　of　myself　　as　a　certain　bundle　of　qualitiesand　for　that　matter　it　is　of　no　account　whether　the　qualities　are　good　or　bad；　or　in　what　sort　of　charming　confusion　they　are　mixedI　see　at　once　that　I　am　merely　looking　at　a　bundle　of　qualities：　and　that　the　real　〃I；〃　the　Self；　is　not　that　bundle；　but　is　the　being　INSPECTING　the　samesomething　beyond　and　behind；　as　it　were。　So　I　now　concentrate　my　thoughts　upon　that　inner　Something；　in　order　to　find　out　what　it　really　is。　I　imagine　perhaps　an　inner　being；　of　'astral'　or　ethereal　nature；　and　possessing　a　new　range　of　much　finer　and　more　subtle　qualities　than　the　bodya　being　inhabiting　the　body　and　perceiving　through　its　senses；　but　quite　capable　of　surviving　the　tenement　in　which　it　dwells　and　I　think　of　that　as　the　Self。　But　no　sooner　have　I　taken　this　step　than　I　perceive　that　I　am　committing　the　same　mistake　as　before。　I　am　only　contemplating　a　new　image　or　picture；　and　〃I〃　still　remain　beyond　and　behind　that　which　I　contemplate。　No　sooner　do　I　turn　my　attention　on　the　subjective　being　than　it　becomes　OBJECTIVE；　and　the　real　subject　retires　into　the　background。　And　so　on　indefinitely。　I　am　baffled；　and　unable　to　say　positively　what　the　Self　is。

Meanwhile　there　are　people　who　look　upon　the　foregoing　speculations　about　an　interior　Self　as　merely　unpractical。　Being　perhaps　of　a　more　materialistic　type　of　mind　they　fix　their　attention　on　the　body。　Frankly　they　try　to　define　the　Self　by　the　body　and　all　that　is　connected　therewiththat　is　by　the　mental　as　well　as　corporeal　qualities　which　exhibit　themselves　in　that　connection；　and　they　say；　〃At　any　rate　the　Selfwhatever　it　may　beis　in　some　way　limited　by　the　body；　each　person　studies　the　interest　of　his　body　and　of　the　feelings；　emotions　and　mentality　directly　associated　with　it；　and　you　cannot　get　beyond　that；　it　isn't　in　human　nature　to　do　so。　The　Self　is　limited　by　this　corporeal　phenomenon　and　doubtless　it　perishes　when　the　body　perishes。〃　But　here　again　the　conclusion；　though　specious　at　first；　soon　appears　to　be　quite　inadequate。　For　though　it　is　possibly　true　that　a　man；　if　left　alone　in　a　Robinson　Crusoe　life　on　a　desert　island；　might　ultimately　subside　into　a　mere　gratification　of　his　corporeal　needs　and　of　those　mental　needs　which　were　directly　concerned　w