evolution and ethics and other essays-第10章

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！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


the　karma　is　modifiable　by　self…discipline；　if　its　coarser　desires；
one　after　another；　can　be　extinguished；　the　ultimate　＇64＇　fundamental
desire　of　self…assertion；　or　the　desire　to　be；　may　also　be　destroyed。
＇Note　7＇　Then　the　bubble　of　illusion　will　burst；　and　the　freed
individual　〃Atman〃　will　lose　itself　in　the　universal　〃Brahma。〃

Such　seems　to　have　been　the　pre…Buddhistic　conception　of　salvation；　and
of　the　way　to　be　followed　by　those　who　would　attain　thereto。　No　more
thorough　mortification　of　the　flesh　has　ever　been　attempted　than…that
achieved　by　the　Indian　ascetic　anchorite；　no　later　monachism　has　so
nearly　succeeded　in　reducing　the　human　mind　to　that　condition　of
impassive　quasi…somnambulism；　which；　but　for　its　acknowledged
holiness；　might　run　the　risk　of　being　confounded　with　idiocy。

And　this　salvation；　it　will　be　observed；　was　to　be　attained　through
knowledge；　and　by　action　based　on　that　knowledge；　just　as　the
experimenter；　who　would　obtain　a　certain　physical　or　chemical　result；
must　have　a　knowledge　of　the　natural　laws　involved　and　the　persistent
disciplined　will　adequate　to　carry　out　all　the　various　operations
required。　The　supernatural；　in　our　sense　of　the　term；　was　entirely
excluded。　There　was　no　external　power　which　could　affect　the　sequence
of　cause　and　effect　which　gives　rise　to　karma；　none　but　the　will　of
the　subject　of　the　karma　which　could　put　an　end　to　it。

Only　one　rule　of　conduct　could　be　based　upon　the　remarkable　theory　of
which　I　have　endeavoured　to　give　a　reasoned　outline。　It　was　folly　to
continue　＇65＇　to　exist　when　an　overplus　of　pain　was　certain；　and　the
probabilities　in　favour　of　the　increase　of　misery　with　the
prolongation　of　existence；　were　so　overwhelming。　Slaying　the　body　only
made　matters　worse；　there　was　nothing　for　it　but　to　slay　the　soul　by
the　voluntary　arrest　of　all　its　activities。　　Property；　social　ties；
family　affections；　common　companionship；　must　be　abandoned；　the　most
natural　appetites；　even　that　for　food；　must　be　suppressed；　or　at　least
minimized；　until　all　that　remained　of　a　man　was　the　impassive；
extenuated；　mendicant　monk；　self…hypnotised　into　cataleptic　trances；
which　the　deluded　mystic　took　for　foretastes　of　the　final　union　with
Brahma。

The　founder　of　Buddhism　accepted　the　chief　postulates　demanded　by　his
predecessors。　But　he　was　not　satisfied　with　the　practical　annihilation
involved　in　merging　the　individual　existence　in　the　unconditionedthe
Atman　in　Brahma。　It　would　seem　that　the　admission　of　the　existence　of
any　substance　whatevereven　of　the　tenuity　of　that　which　has　neither
quality　nor　energy　and　of　which　no　predicate　whatever　can　be
assertedappeared　to　him　to　be　a　danger　and　a　snare。　Though　reduced
to　a　hypostatized　negation；　Brahma　was　not　to　be　trusted；　so　long　as
entity　was　there；　it　might　conceivably　resume　the　weary　round　of
evolution；　with　all　its　train　of　immeasurable　miseries。　Gautama　got
rid　of　even　that　＇66＇　shade　of　a　shadow　of　permanent　existence　by　a
metaphysical　tour　de　force　of　great　interest　to　the　student　of
philosophy；　seeing　that　it　supplies　the　wanting　half　of　Bishop
Berkeley's　well…known　idealistic　argument。

Granting　the　premises；　I　am　not　aware　of　any　escape　from　Berkeley's
conclusion；　that　the　〃substance〃　of　matter　is　a　metaphysical　unknown
quantity；　of　the　existence　of　which　there　is　no　proof。　What　Berkeley
does　not　seem　to　have　so　clearly　perceived　is　that　the　non…existence
of　a　substance　of　mind　is　equally　arguable；　and　that　the　result　of　the
impartial　applications　of　his　reasonings　is　the　reduction　of　the　All
to　coexistences　and　sequences　of　phenomena；　beneath　and　beyond　which
there　is　nothing　cognoscible。　It　is　a　remarkable　indication　of　the
subtlety　of　Indian　speculation　that　Gautama　should　have　seen　deeper
than　the　greatest　of　modern　idealists；　though　it　must　be　admitted
that；　if　some　of　Berkeley's　reasonings　respecting　the　nature　of　spirit
are　pushed　home；　they　reach　pretty　much　the　same　conclusion。　＇Note　8＇

Accepting　the　prevalent　Brahminical　doctrine　that　the　whole　cosmos；
celestial；　terrestrial；　and　infernal；　with　its　population　of　gods　and
other　celestial　beings；　of　sentient　animals；　of　Mara　and　his　devils；
is　incessantly　shifting　through　recurring　cycles　of　production　and
destruction；　in　each　of　which　every　human　being　has　his　transmigratory
＇67＇　representative；　Gautama　proceeded　to　eliminate　substance
altogether；　and　to　reduce　the　cosmos　to　a　mere　flow　of　sensations；
emotions；　volitions；　and　thoughts；　devoid　of　any　substratum。　As；　on
the　surface　of　a　stream　of　water；　we　see　ripples　and　whirlpools；　which
last　for　a　while　and　then　vanish　with　the　causes　that　gave　rise　to
them；　so　what　seem　individual　existences　are　mere　temporary
associations　of　phenomena　circling　round　a　centre；　〃like　a　dog　tied　to
a　post。〃　In　the　whole　universe　there　is　nothing　permanent；　no　eternal
substance　either　of　mind　or　of　matter。　Personality　is　a　metaphysical
fancy；　and　in　very　truth；　not　only　we；　but　all　things；　in　the　worlds
without　end　of　the　cosmic　phantasmagoria；　are　such　stuff　as　dreams　are
made　of。

What　then　becomes　of　karma？　Karma　remains　untouched。　As　the　peculiar
form　of　energy　we　call　magnetism　may　be　transmitted　from　a　loadstone
to　a　piece　of　steel；　from　the　steel　to　a　piece　of　nickel；　as　it　may　be
strengthened　or　weakened　by　the　conditions　to　which　it　is　subjected
while　resident　in　each　piece；　so　it　seems　to　have　been　conceived　that
karma　might　be　transmitted　from　one　phenomenal　association　to　another
by　a　sort　of　induction。　However　this　may　be；　Gautama　doubtless　had　a
better　guarantee　for　the　abolition　of　transmigration；　when　no　wrack　of
substance；　either　of　Atman　or　of　Brahma；　was　left　behind；　when；　in
short；　a　man　had　but　to　＇68＇　dream　that　he　willed　not　to　dream；　to　put
an　end　to　all　dreaming。

This　end　of　life's　dream　is　Nirvana。　What　Nirvana　is　the　learned　do
not　agree。　But；　since　the　best　original　authorities　tell　us　there　is
neither　desire　nor　activity；　nor　any　possibility　of　phenomenal
reappearance　for　the　sage　who　has　entered　Nirvana；　it　may　be　safely
said　of　this　acme　of　Buddhistic　philosophy〃the　rest　is　silence。〃

＇Note　9＇　Thus　there　is　no　very　great　practical　disagreement　between
Gautama　and　his　predecessors　with　respect　to　the　end　of　action；　but　it
is　otherwise　as　regards　the　means　to　that　end。　With　just　insight　into
human　nature；　Gautama　declared　extreme　ascetic　practices　to　be　useless
and　indeed　harmful。　　The　appetites　and　the　passions　are　not　to　be
abolished　by　mere　mortification　of　the　body；　they　must；　in　addition；
be　attacked　on　their　own　ground　and　conquered　by　steady　cultivation　of
the　mental　habits　which　oppose　them；　by　universal　benevolence；　by　the
return　of　good　for　evil；　by　humility；　by　abstinence　from　evil　thought；
in　short；　by　total　renunciation　of　that　self…assertion　which　is　the
essence　of　the　cosmic　process。

Doubtless；　it　is　to　these　ethical　qualities　that　Buddhism　owes　its
marvellous　success。＇Note　10＇　A　system　which　knows　no　God　in　the
western　sense；　which　denies　a　soul　to　man；　which　counts　the　belief　in
immortality　a　blunder　and　the　hope　of　it　a　sin；　＇69＇　which　refuses　any
efficacy　to　prayer　and　sacrifice；　which　bids　men　look　to　nothing　but
their　own　efforts　for　salvation；　which；　in　its　original　purity；　knew
nothing　of　vows　of　obedience；　abhorred　intolerance；　and　never　sought
the　aid　of　the　secular　arm；　yet　spread　over　a　considerable　moiety　of
the　Old　World　with　marvellous　rapidity；　and　is　still；　with　whatever
base　admixture　of　foreign　superstitions；　the　dominant　creed　of　a　large
fraction　of　mankind。

Let　us　now　set　our　faces　westwards；　towards　Asia　Minor　and　Greece　and
Italy；　to　view　the　rise　and　progress　of　another　philosophy；　apparently
independent；　but　no　less　pervaded　by　the　conception　of　evolution。＇Note
11＇

The　sages　of　Miletus　were　pronounced　evolutionists；　and；　however　dark
may　be　some　of　the　sayings　of　Heracleitus　of　Ephesus；　who　was　probably
a　contemporary　of　Gautama；　no　better　expressions　of　the　essence　of　the
modern　doctrine　of　evolution　can　be　found　than　are　presented　by　some
of　his　pithy　aphorisms　and　striking　metaphors。　＇Note　12＇　Indeed；　many

of　my　present　auditors　must　have　observed　that；　more　than　once；　I　have
borrowed　from　him　in　the　brief　exposition　of　the　theory　of　evolution
with　which　this　discourse　commenced。

But　when　the　focus　of　Greek　intellectual　activity　shifted　to　Athens；
the　leading　minds　＇70＇　concentrated　their　attention　upon　ethical
problems。　　Forsaking　the　study　of　the　macrocosm　for　that　of　the
microcosm；　they　lost　the　key　to　the　thought　of　the　great　Ephesian；
which；　I　imagine；　is　more　intelligible　to　us　than　it　was　to　Socrates；
or　to　Plato。　Socrates；　more　especially；　set　the　fashion　of　a　kind　of
inverse　agnosticism；　by　teaching　that　the　problems　of　physics　lie
beyond　the　reach　of　the　human　intellect；　that　the　attempt　to　solve
them　is　essentially　vain；　that　the　one　worthy　object　of　investigation
is　the　problem　of　ethical　life；　and　his　example　was　followed　by　the
Cynics　and　the　later　Stoics。　Even　the　comprehensive　knowledge　and　the
penetrating　intellect　of　Aristotle　failed　to　suggest　to　him　that　in
holding　the　eternity　of　the　world；　within　its　present　range　of
mutation；　he　was　making　a　retrogressive　step。　The　scientific　heritage
of　Heracleitus　passed　into　the　hands　neither　of　Plato　nor　of
Aristotle；　but　into　those　of　Democritus。　But　the　world　was　not　yet
ready　to　receive　the　great　conceptions　of　the　philosopher　of　Abdera。
It　was　reserved　for　the　Stoics　to　return　to　the　track　marked　out　by
the　earlier　philosophers；　and；　professing　themselves　disciples　of
Heracleitus；　to　develop　the　idea　of　evolution　systematically。　In　doing
this；　they　not　only　omitted　some　characteristic　features　of　their
master's　teaching；　but　they　made　additions　altogether　foreign　to　it。
One　of　the　most　influential　of　these　importations　was　the
transcendental　＇71＇　theism　which　had　come　into　vogue。　The　restless；
fiery　energy；　operating　according　to　law；　out　of　which　all　things
emerge　and　into　which　they　return；　in　the　endless　successive　cycles　of
the　great　year；　which　creates　and　destroys　worlds　as　a　wanton　child
builds　up；　and　anon　levels；　sand　castles　on　the　seashore；　was
metamorphosed　into　a　material　world…soul　and　decked　out　with　all　the
attributes　of　ideal　Divinity；　not　merely　with　infinite　power　and
transcendent　wisdom；　but　with　absolute　goodness。

The　consequences　of　this　step　were　momentous。　For　if　the　cosmos　is　the
effect　of　an　immanent；　omnipotent；　and　infinitely　beneficent　cause；
the　existence　in　it　of　real　evil；　still　less　of　necessarily　inherent
evil；　is　plainly　inadmissible。　＇Note　13＇　Yet　the　universal　experience
of　mankind　testified　then；　as　now；　that；　whether　we　look　within　us　or
without　us；　evil　stares　us　in　the　face　on　all　sides；　that　if　anything
is　real；　pain　and　sorrow　and　wrong　are　realities。

It　would　be　a　new　thing　in　history　if　a　priori　philosophers　were
daunted　by　the　factious　opposition　of　experience；　and　the　Stoics　were
the　last　men　to　allow　themselves　to　be　beaten　by　mere　facts。　〃Give　me
a　doctrine　and　I　will　find　the　reasons　for　it；〃　said　Chrysippus。　So
they　perfected；　if　they　did　not　invent；　that　ingenious　and　plausible
f