the soul of man-第3部分

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'Know　thyself'　was　written　over　the　portal　of　the　antique　world。

Over　the　portal　of　the　new　world；　'Be　thyself'　shall　be　written。

And　the　message　of　Christ　to　man　was　simply　'Be　thyself。'　　That　is

the　secret　of　Christ。



When　Jesus　talks　about　the　poor　he　simply　means　personalities；　just

as　when　he　talks　about　the　rich　he　simply　means　people　who　have　not

developed　their　personalities。　　Jesus　moved　in　a　community　that

allowed　the　accumulation　of　private　property　just　as　ours　does；　and

the　gospel　that　he　preached　was　not　that　in　such　a　community　it　is

an　advantage　for　a　man　to　live　on　scanty；　unwholesome　food；　to　wear

ragged；　unwholesome　clothes；　to　sleep　in　horrid；　unwholesome

dwellings；　and　a　disadvantage　for　a　man　to　live　under　healthy；

pleasant；　and　decent　conditions。　　Such　a　view　would　have　been　wrong

there　and　then；　and　would；　of　course；　be　still　more　wrong　now　and

in　England；　for　as　man　moves　northward　the　material　necessities　of

life　become　of　more　vital　importance；　and　our　society　is　infinitely

more　complex；　and　displays　far　greater　extremes　of　luxury　and

pauperism　than　any　society　of　the　antique　world。　　What　Jesus　meant；

was　this。　　He　said　to　man；　'You　have　a　wonderful　personality。

Develop　it。　　Be　yourself。　　Don't　imagine　that　your　perfection　lies

in　accumulating　or　possessing　external　things。　　Your　affection　is

inside　of　you。　　If　only　you　could　realise　that；　you　would　not　want

to　be　rich。　　Ordinary　riches　can　be　stolen　from　a　man。　　Real　riches

cannot。　　In　the　treasury…house　of　your　soul；　there　are　infinitely

precious　things；　that　may　not　be　taken　from　you。　　And　so；　try　to　so

shape　your　life　that　external　things　will　not　harm　you。　　And　try

also　to　get　rid　of　personal　property。　　It　involves　sordid

preoccupation；　endless　industry；　continual　wrong。　　Personal

property　hinders　Individualism　at　every　step。'　　It　is　to　be　noted

that　Jesus　never　says　that　impoverished　people　are　necessarily

good；　or　wealthy　people　necessarily　bad。　　That　would　not　have　been

true。　　Wealthy　people　are；　as　a　class；　better　than　impoverished

people；　more　moral；　more　intellectual；　more　well…behaved。　　There　is

only　one　class　in　the　community　that　thinks　more　about　money　than

the　rich；　and　that　is　the　poor。　　The　poor　can　think　of　nothing

else。　　That　is　the　misery　of　being　poor。　　What　Jesus　does　say　is

that　man　reaches　his　perfection；　not　through　what　he　has；　not　even

through　what　he　does；　but　entirely　through　what　he　is。　　And　so　the

wealthy　young　man　who　comes　to　Jesus　is　represented　as　a　thoroughly

good　citizen；　who　has　broken　none　of　the　laws　of　his　state；　none　of

the　commandments　of　his　religion。　　He　is　quite　respectable；　in　the

ordinary　sense　of　that　extraordinary　word。　　Jesus　says　to　him；　'You

should　give　up　private　property。　　It　hinders　you　from　realising

your　perfection。　　It　is　a　drag　upon　you。　　It　is　a　burden。　　Your

personality　does　not　need　it。　　It　is　within　you；　and　not　outside　of

you；　that　you　will　find　what　you　really　are；　and　what　you　really

want。'　　To　his　own　friends　he　says　the　same　thing。　　He　tells　them

to　be　themselves；　and　not　to　be　always　worrying　about　other　things。

What　do　other　things　matter？　　Man　is　complete　in　himself。　　When

they　go　into　the　world；　the　world　will　disagree　with　them。　　That　is

inevitable。　　The　world　hates　Individualism。　　But　that　is　not　to

trouble　them。　　They　are　to　be　calm　and　self…centred。　　If　a　man

takes　their　cloak；　they　are　to　give　him　their　coat；　just　to　show

that　material　things　are　of　no　importance。　　If　people　abuse　them；

they　are　not　to　answer　back。　　What　does　it　signify？　　The　things

people　say　of　a　man　do　not　alter　a　man。　　He　is　what　he　is。　　Public

opinion　is　of　no　value　whatsoever。　　Even　if　people　employ　actual

violence；　they　are　not　to　be　violent　in　turn。　　That　would　be　to

fall　to　the　same　low　level。　　After　all；　even　in　prison；　a　man　can

be　quite　free。　　His　soul　can　be　free。　　His　personality　can　be

untroubled。　　He　can　be　at　peace。　　And；　above　all　things；　they　are

not　to　interfere　with　other　people　or　judge　them　in　any　way。

Personality　is　a　very　mysterious　thing。　　A　man　cannot　always　be

estimated　by　what　he　does。　　He　may　keep　the　law；　and　yet　be

worthless。　　He　may　break　the　law；　and　yet　be　fine。　　He　may　be　bad；

without　ever　doing　anything　bad。　　He　may　commit　a　sin　against

society；　and　yet　realise　through　that　sin　his　true　perfection。



There　was　a　woman　who　was　taken　in　adultery。　　We　are　not　told　the

history　of　her　love；　but　that　love　must　have　been　very　great；　for

Jesus　said　that　her　sins　were　forgiven　her；　not　because　she

repented；　but　because　her　love　was　so　intense　and　wonderful。　　Later

on；　a　short　time　before　his　death；　as　he　sat　at　a　feast；　the　woman

came　in　and　poured　costly　perfumes　on　his　hair。　　His　friends　tried

to　interfere　with　her；　and　said　that　it　was　an　extravagance；　and

that　the　money　that　the　perfume　cost　should　have　been　expended　on

charitable　relief　of　people　in　want；　or　something　of　that　kind。

Jesus　did　not　accept　that　view。　　He　pointed　out　that　the　material

needs　of　Man　were　great　and　very　permanent；　but　that　the　spiritual

needs　of　Man　were　greater　still；　and　that　in　one　divine　moment；　and

by　selecting　its　own　mode　of　expression；　a　personality　might　make

itself　perfect。　　The　world　worships　the　woman；　even　now；　as　a

saint。



Yes；　there　are　suggestive　things　in　Individualism。　　Socialism

annihilates　family　life；　for　instance。　　With　the　abolition　of

private　property；　marriage　in　its　present　form　must　disappear。

This　is　part　of　the　programme。　　Individualism　accepts　this　and

makes　it　fine。　　It　converts　the　abolition　of　legal　restraint　into　a

form　of　freedom　that　will　help　the　full　development　of　personality；

and　make　the　love　of　man　and　woman　more　wonderful；　more　beautiful；

and　more　ennobling。　　Jesus　knew　this。　　He　rejected　the　claims　of

family　life；　although　they　existed　in　his　day　and　community　in　a

very　marked　form。　　'Who　is　my　mother？　　Who　are　my　brothers？'　he

said；　when　he　was　told　that　they　wished　to　speak　to　him。　　When　one

of　his　followers　asked　leave　to　go　and　bury　his　father；　'Let　the

dead　bury　the　dead；'　was　his　terrible　answer。　　He　would　allow　no

claim　whatsoever　to　be　made　on　personality。



And　so　he　who　would　lead　a　Christlike　life　is　he　who　is　perfectly

and　absolutely　himself。　　He　may　be　a　great　poet；　or　a　great　man　of

science；　or　a　young　student　at　a　University；　or　one　who　watches

sheep　upon　a　moor；　or　a　maker　of　dramas；　like　Shakespeare；　or　a

thinker　about　God；　like　Spinoza；　or　a　child　who　plays　in　a　garden；

or　a　fisherman　who　throws　his　net　into　the　sea。　　It　does　not　matter

what　he　is；　as　long　as　he　realises　the　perfection　of　the　soul　that

is　within　him。　　All　imitation　in　morals　and　in　life　is　wrong。

Through　the　streets　of　Jerusalem　at　the　present　day　crawls　one　who

is　mad　and　carries　a　wooden　cross　on　his　shoulders。　　He　is　a　symbol

of　the　lives　that　are　marred　by　imitation。　　Father　Damien　was

Christlike　when　he　went　out　to　live　with　the　lepers；　because　in

such　service　he　realised　fully　what　was　best　in　him。　　But　he　was

not　more　Christlike　than　Wagner　when　he　realised　his　soul　in　music；

or　than　Shelley；　when　he　realised　his　soul　in　song。　　There　is　no

one　type　for　man。　　There　are　as　many　perfections　as　there　are

imperfect　men。　　And　while　to　the　claims　of　charity　a　man　may　yield

and　yet　be　free；　to　the　claims　of　conformity　no　man　may　yield　and

remain　free　at　all。



Individualism；　then；　is　what　through　Socialism　we　are　to　attain　to。

As　a　natural　result　the　State　must　give　up　all　idea　of　government。

It　must　give　it　up　because；　as　a　wise　man　once　said　many　centuries

before　Christ；　there　is　such　a　thing　as　leaving　mankind　alone；

there　is　no　such　thing　as　governing　mankind。　　All　modes　of

government　are　failures。　　Despotism　is　unjust　to　everybody；

including　the　despot；　who　was　probably　made　for　better　things。

Oligarchies　are　unjust　to　the　many；　and　ochlocracies　are　unjust　to

the　few。　　High　hopes　were　once　formed　of　democracy；　but　democracy

means　simply　the　bludgeoning　of　the　people　by　the　people　for　the

people。　　It　has　been　found　out。　　I　must　say　that　it　was　high　time；

for　all　authority　is　quite　degrading。　　It　degrades　those　who

exercise　it；　and　degrades　those　over　whom　it　is　exercised。　　When　it

is　violently；　grossly；　and　cruelly　used；　it　produces　a　good　effect；

by　creating；　or　at　any　rate　bringing　out；　the　spirit　of　revolt　and

Individualism　that　is　to　kill　it。　　When　it　is　used　with　a　certain

amount　of　kindness；　and　accompanied　by　prizes　and　rewards；　it　is

dreadfully　demoralising。　　People；　in　that　case；　are　less　conscious

of　the　horrible　pressure　that　is　being　put　on　them；　and　so　go

through　their　lives　in　a　sort　of　coarse　comfort；　like　petted

animals；　without　ever　realising　that　they　are　probably　thinking

other　people's　thoughts；　living　by　other　people's　standards；

wearing　practically　what　one　may　call　other　people's　second…hand

clothes；　and　never　being　themselves　for　a　single　moment。　　'He　who

would　be　free；'　says　a　fine　thinker；　'must　not　conform。'　　And

authority；　by　bribing　people　to　conform；　produces　a　very　gross　kind

of　over…fed　barbarism　amongst　us。



With　authority；　punishment　will　pass　away。　　This　will　be　a　great

gain　…　a　gain；　in　fact；　of　incalculable　value。　　As　one　reads

history；　not　in　the　expurgated　editions　written　for　school…boys　and

passmen；　but　in　the　original　authorities　of　each　time；　one　is

absolutely　sickened；　not　by　the　crimes　that　the　wicked　have

committed；　but　by　the　punishments　that　the　good　have　inflicted；　and

a　community　is　infinitely　more　brutalised　by　the　habitual

employment　of　punishment；　than　it　is　by　the　occurrence　of　crime。

It　obviously　follows　that　the　more　punishment　is　inflicted　the　more

crime　is　produced；　and　most　modern　legislation　has　clearly

recognised　this；　and　has　made　it　its　task　to　diminish　punishment　as

far　as　it　thinks　it　can。　　Wherever　it　has　really　diminished　it；　the

results　have　alway