lectures11-13-第4部分

快捷操作: 按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页 按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页 按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部! 如果本书没有阅读完，想下次继续接着阅读，可使用上方 "收藏到我的浏览器" 功能 和 "加入书签" 功能！





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　brothers。







I　now　have　to　give　some　concrete　illustrations　of　these　fruits　of



the　spiritual　tree。　　The　only　difficulty　is　to　choose；　for　they



are　so　abundant。







Since　the　sense　of　Presence　of　a　higher　and　friendly　power　seems



to　be　the　fundamental　feature　in　the　spiritual　life；　I　will　begin



with　that。







In　our　narratives　of　conversion　we　saw　how　the　world　might　look



shining　and　transfigured　to　the　convert；＇155＇　and；　apart　from



anything　acutely　religious；　we　all　have　moments　when　the



universal　life　seems　to　wrap　us　round　with　friendliness。　In　youth



and　health；　in　summer；　in　the　woods　or　on　the　mountains；　there



come　days　when　the　weather　seems　all　whispering　with　peace；　hours



when　the　goodness　and　beauty　of　existence　enfold　us　like　a　dry



warm　climate；　or　chime　through　us　as　if　our　inner　ears　were



subtly　ringing　with　the　world's　security。　　Thoreau　writes：







＇155＇　Above；　pp。　243　ff。















〃Once；　a　few　weeks　after　I　came　to　the　woods；　for　an　hour　I



doubted　whether　the　near　neighborhood　of　man　was　not　essential　to



a　serene　and　healthy　life。　　To　be　alone　was　somewhat　unpleasant。



But；　in　the　midst　of　a　gentle　rain；　while　these　thoughts



prevailed；　I　was　suddenly　sensible　of　such　sweet　and　beneficent



society　in　Nature；　in　the　very　pattering　of　the　drops；　and　in



　every　sight　and　sound　around　my　house；　an　infinite　and



unaccountable　friendliness　all　at　once；　like　an　atmosphere；



sustaining　me；　as　made　the　fancied　advantages　of　human



neighborhood　insignificant；　and　I　have　never　thought　of　them



since。　　Every　little　pine…needle　expanded　and　swelled　with



sympathy　and　befriended　me。　　I　was　so　distinctly　made　aware　of



the　presence　of　something　kindred　to　me；　that　I　thought　no　place



could　ever　be　strange　to　me　again。〃＇156＇







＇156＇　H。　Thoreau：　　Walden；　Riverside　edition；　p。　206；　abridged。















In　the　Christian　consciousness　this　sense　of　the　enveloping



friendliness　becomes　most　personal　and　definite。　　〃The



compensation；〃　writes　a　German　author；〃for　the　loss　of　that



sense　of　personal　independence　which　man　so　unwillingly　gives　up；



is　the　disappearance　of　all　FEAR　from　one's　life；　the　quite



indescribable　and　inexplicable　feeling　of　an　inner　SECURITY；



which　one　can　only　experience；　but　which；　once　it　has　been



experienced；　one　can　never　forget。〃＇157＇







＇157＇　C。　H。　Hilty：　　Gluck；　vol。　i。　p。　85。















I　find　an　excellent　description　of　this　state　of　mind　in　a　sermon



by　Mr。　Voysey：







〃It　is　the　experience　of　myriads　of　trustful　souls；　that　this



sense　of　God's　unfailing　presence　with　them　in　their　going　out



and　in　their　coming　in；　and　by　night　and　day；　is　a　source　of



absolute　repose　and　confident　calmness。　　It　drives　away　all　fear



of　what　may　befall　them。　　That　nearness　of　God　is　a　constant



security　against　terror　and　anxiety。　　It　is　not　that　they　are　at



all　assured　of　physical　safety；　or　deem　themselves　protected　by　a



love　which　is　denied　to　others；　but　that　they　are　in　a　state　of



mind　equally　ready　to　be　safe　or　to　meet　with　injury。　　If　injury



befall　them；　they　will　be　content　to　bear　it　because　the　Lord　is



their　keeper；　and　nothing　can　befall　them　without　his　will。　　If



it　be　his　will；　then　injury　is　for　them　a　blessing　and　no



calamity　at　all。　　Thus　and　thus　only　is　the　trustful　man



protected　and　shielded　from　harm。　　And　I　for　oneby　no　means　a



thick…skinned　or　hard…nerved　man…am　absolutely　satisfied　with



this　arrangement；　and　do　not　wish　for　any　other　kind　of　immunity



from　danger　and　catastrophe。　　Quite　as　sensitive　to　pain　as　the



most　highly　strung　organism；　I　yet　feel　that　the　worst　of　it　is



conquered；　and　the　sting　taken　out　of　it　altogether；　by　the



thought　that　God　i