the soul of the far east-第25章

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But　it　is　by　no　means　in　externals　only　that　the　two　religions　are　alike。　　If　the　first　glance　at　them　awakens　that　peculiar　sensation　which　most　of　us　have　felt　at　some　time　or　other；　a　sense　of　having　seen　all　this　before；　further　scrutiny　reveals　a　deeper　agreement　than　merely　in　appearances。

In　passing　from　the　surface　into　the　substance；　it　may　be　mentioned　incidentally　that　the　codes　of　morality　of　the　two　are　about　on　a　level。　　I　say　incidentally；　for　so　far　as　its　practice；　certainly；　is　concerned；　it　not　its　preaching；　morality　has　no　more　intimate　connection　with　religion　than　it　has　with　art　or　politics。　　If　we　doubt　this；　we　have　but　to　examine　the　facts。　　Are　the　most　religious　peoples　the　most　moral？　　It　needs　no　prolonged　investigation　to　convince　us　that　they　are　not。　　If　proof　of　the　want　of　a　bond　were　required；　the　matter　of　truth…telling　might　be　adduced　in　point。　As　this　is　a　subject　upon　which　a　slight　misconception　exists　in　the　minds　of　some　evangelically　persuaded　persons；　and　because；　what　is　more　generally　relevant；　the　presence　of　this　quality；　honesty　in　word　and　deed；　has　more　than　almost　any　other　one　characteristic　helped　to　put　us　in　the　van　of　the　world's　advance　to…day；　it　may　not　unfittingly　be　cited　here。

The　argument　in　the　case　may　be　put　thus。　　Have　specially　religions　races　been　proportionally　truth…telling　ones？　　If　not；　has　there　been　any　other　cause　at　work　in　the　development　of　mankind　tending　to　increase　veracity？　　The　answer　to　the　first　question　has　all　the　simplicity　of　a　plain　negative。　　No　such　pleasing　concomitance　of　characteristics　is　observable　to…day；　or　has　been　presented　in　the　past。　　Permitting；　however；　the　dead　past　to　bury　its　shortcomings　in　oblivion；　let　us　look　at　the　world　as　we　find　it。　　We　observe；　then；　that　the　religious　spirit　is　quite　as　strong　in　Asia　as　it　is　in　Europe；　if　anything；　that　at　the　present　time　it　is　rather　stronger。　　The　average　Brahman；　Mahometan；　or　Buddhist　is　quite　as　devout　as　the　ordinary　Roman　Catholic　or　Presbyterian。　　If　he　is　somewhat　less　given　to　propagandism；　he　is　not　a　whit　less　regardful　of　his　own　salvation。　　Yet　throughout　the　Orient　truth　is　a　thing　unknown；　lies　of　courtesy　being　de　rigueur　and　lies　of　convenience　de　raison；　while　with　us；　fortunately；　mendacity　is　generally　discredited。　　But　we　need　not　travel　so　far　for　proof。　　The　same　is　evident　in　less　antipodal　relations。　　Have　the　least　religious　nations　of　Europe　been　any　less　truthful　than　the　most　bigoted？　　Was　fanatic　Spain　remarkable　for　veracity？　　Was　Loyola　a　gentleman　whose　assertions　carried　conviction　other　than　to　the　stake？　　Were　the　eminently　mundane　burghers　whom　he　persecuted　noted　for　a　pious　superiority　to　fact？　　Or；　to　narrow　the　field　still　further；　and　scan　the　circle　of　one's　own　acquaintance；　are　the　most　believing　individuals　among　them　worthy　of　the　most　belief？　　Assuredly　not。

We　come；　then；　to　the　second　point。　　Has　there　been　any　influence　at　work　to　differentiate　us　in　this　respect　from　Far　Orientals？　There　has。　　Two　separate　causes；　in　fact；　have　conduced　to　the　same　result。　The　one　is　the　development　of　physical　science；　the　other；　the　extension　of　trade。　　The　sole　object　of　science　being　to　discover　truth；　truth…telling　is　a　necessity　of　its　existence。　Professionally；　scientists　are　obliged　to　be　truthful。　　Aliter　of　a　Jesuit。

So　long　as　science　was　of　the　closet；　its　influence　upon　mankind　generally　was　indirect　and　slight；　but　so　soon　as　it　proceeded　to　stalk　into　the　street　and　earn　its　own　living；　its　veracious　character　began　to　tell。　　When　out　of　its　theories　sprang　inventions　and　discoveries　that　revolutionized　every…day　affairs　and　changed　the　very　face　of　things；　society　insensibly　caught　its　spirit。　Man　awoke　to　the　inestimable　value　of　exactness。　　From　scientists　proper；　the　spirit　filtered　down　through　every　stratum　of　education；　till　to…day　the　average　man　is　born　exact　to　a　degree　which　his　forefathers　never　dreamed　of　becoming。　　To…day；　as　a　rule；　the　more　intelligent　the　individual；　the　more　truthful　he　is；　because　the　more　innately　exact　in　thought；　and　thence　in　word　and　action。　With　us；　to　lie　is　a　sign　of　a　want　of　cleverness；　not　of　an　excess　of　it。

The　second　cause；　the　extension　of　trade；　has　inculcated　the　same　regard　for　veracity　through　the　pocket。　　For　with　the　increase　of　business　transactions　in　both　time　and　space；　the　telling　of　the　truth　has　become　a　financial　necessity。　　Without　it；　trade　would　come　to　a　standstill　at　once。　　Our　whole　mercantile　system；　a　modern　piece　of　mechanism　unknown　to　the　East　till　we　imported　it　thither；　turns　on　an　implicit　belief　in　the　word　of　one's　neighbor。　　Our　legal　safeguards　would　snap　like　red　tape　were　the　great　bond　of　mutual　trust　once　broken。　　Western　civilization　has　to　be　truthful；　or　perish。

And　now　for　the　spirits　of　the　two　beliefs。

The　soul　of　any　religion　realizes　in　one　respect　the　Brahman　idea　of　the　individual　soul　of　man；　namely；　that　it　exists　much　after　the　manner　of　an　onion；　in　many　concentric　envelopes。　　Man；　they　tell　us；　is　composed　not　of　a　single　body　simply；　but　of　several　layers　of　body；　each　shell　as　it　were　respectively　inclosing　another。　　The　outermost　is　the　merely　material　body；　of　which　we　are　so　directly　cognizant。　　This　encases　a　second；　more　spiritual；　but　yet　not　wholly　free　from　earthly　affinities。　　This　contains　another；　still　more　refined；　till　finally；　inside　of　all　is　that　immaterial　something　which　they　conceive　to　constitute　the　soul。　　This　eventual　residuum　exemplifies　the　Franciscan　notion　of　pure　substance；　for　it　is　a　thing　delightfully　devoid　of　any　attributes　whatever。

We　may；　perhaps；　not　be　aware　of　the　existence　of　such　an　elaborate　set　of　encasings　to　our　own　heart　of　hearts；　nor　of　a　something　so　very　indefinite　within；　but　the　most　casual　glance　at　any　religion　will　reveal　its　truth　as　regards　the　soul　of　a　belief。　　We　recognize　the　fact　outwardly　in　the　buildings　erected　to　celebrate　its　worship。　Not　among　the　Jews　alone　was　the　holy　of　holies　kept　veiled；　to　temper　the　divine　radiance　to　man's　benighted　understanding。　　Nor　is　the　chancel…rail　of　Christianity　the　sole　survivor　of　the　more　exclusive　barriers　of　olden　times；　even　in　the　Western　world。　In　the　Ear　East；　where　difficulty　of　access　is　deemed　indispensable　to　dignity；　the　material　approaches　are　still　manifold　and　imposing。　　Court　within　court；　building　after　building；　isolate　the　shrine　itself　from　the　profane　familiarity　of　the　passers…by。　But　though　the　material　encasings　vary　in　number　and　in　exclusiveness；　according　to　the　temperament　of　the　particular　race　concerned；　the　mental　envelopes　exist；　and　must　exist；　in　both　hemispheres　alike；　so　long　as　society　resembles　the　crust　of　the　earth　on　which　it　dwells；a　crust　composed　of　strata　that　grow　denser　as　one　descends。　　What　is　clear　to　those　on　top　seems　obscure　to　those　below；　what　are　weighty　arguments　to　the　second　have　no　force　at　all　upon　the　first。　　There　must　necessarily　be　grades　of　elevation　in　individual　beliefs；　suited　to　the　needs　and　cravings　of　each　individual　soul。　　A　creed　that　fills　the　shallow　with　satisfaction　leaves　but　an　aching　void　in　the　deep。　　It　is　not　of　the　slightest　consequence　how　the　belief　starts；　differentiated　it　is　bound　to　become。　　The　higher　minds　alone　can　rest　content　with　abstract　imaginings；　the　lower　must　have　concrete　realities　on　which　to　pin　their　faith。　　With　them；　inevitably；　ideals　degenerate　into　idols。　　In　all　religions　this　unavoidable　debasement　has　taken　place。　The　Roman　Catholic　who　prays　to　a　wooden　image　of　Christ　is　not　one　whit　less　idolatrous　than　the　Buddhist　who　worships　a　bronze　statue　of　Amida　Butzu。　　All　that　the　common　people　are　capable　of　seeing　is　the　soul…envelope；　for　the　soul　itself　they　are　unable　to　appreciate。　　Spiritually　they　are　undiscerning；　because　imaginatively　they　are　blind。

Now　the　grosser　soul…envelopes　of　the　two　great　European　and　Asiatic　faiths；　though　differing　in　detail；　are　in　general　parallel　in　structure。　　Each　boasts　its　full　complement　of　saints；　whose　congruent　catalogues　are　equally　wearisome　in　length。　　Each　tells　its　circle　of　beads　to　help　it　keep　count　of　similarly　endless　prayer