the soul of the far east-第29部分

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　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　prayers。　For　in　both；　in　the　popular　estimation；　quantity　is　more　effective　to　salvation　than　quality。　　In　both　the　believer　practically　pictures　his　heaven　for　himself；　while　in　each　his　hell；　with　a　vividness　that　does　like　credit　to　its　religious　imagination；　is　painted　for　him　by　those　of　the　cult　who　are　themselves　confident　of　escaping　it。　　Into　the　lap　of　each　mother　church　the　pious　believer　drops　his　little　votive　offering　with　the　same　affectionate　zeal；　and　in　Asia；　as　in　Europe；　the　mites　of　the　many　make　the　might　of　the　mass。

But　behind　all　this　is　the　religion　of　the　few；of　those　to　whom　sensuous　forms　cannot　suffice　to　represent　super…sensuous　cravings；　whose　god　is　something　more　than　an　anthropomorphic　creation；　to　whom　worship　means　not　the　cramping　of　the　body；　but　the　expansion　of　the　soul。

The　rays　of　the　truth；　like　the　rays　of　the　sun；　which　universally　seems　to　have　been　man's　first　adoration；　have　two　properties　equally　inherent　in　their　essence；　warmth　and　light。　　And　as　for　the　life　of　all　things　on　this　globe　both　attributes　of　sunshine　are　necessary；　so　to　the　development　of　that　something　which　constitutes　the　ego　both　qualities　of　the　truth　are　vital。　　We　sometimes　speak　of　character　as　if　it　were　a　thing　wholly　apart　from　mind；　but；　in　fact；　the　two　things　are　so　interwoven　that　to　perceive　the　right　course　is　the　strongest　possible　of　incentives　to　pursue　it。　　In　the　end　the　two　are　one。　　Now；　while　clearness　of　head　is　all…important；　kindness　of　heart　is　none　the　less　so。　　The　first；　perhaps；　is　more　needed　in　our　communings　with　ourselves；　the　second　in　our　commerce　with　others。　　For；　dark　and　dense　bodies　that　we　are；　we　can　radiate　affection　much　more　effectively　than　we　can　reflect　views。

That　Christianity　is　a　religion　of　love　needs　no　mention；　that　Buddhism　is　equally　such　is　perhaps　not　so　generally　appreciated。　But　just　as　the　gospel　of　the　disciple　who　loved　and　was　loved　the　most　begins　its　story　by　telling　us　of　the　Light　that　came　into　the　world；　so　none　the　less　surely　could　the　Light　of　Asia　but　be　also　its　warmth。　　Half　of　the　teachings　of　Buddhism　are　spent　in　inculcating　charity。　　Not　only　to　men　is　man　enjoined　to　show　kindliness；　but　to　all　other　animals　as　well。　　The　people　practise　what　their　scriptures　preach。　　The　effect　indirectly　on　the　condition　of　the　brutes　is　almost　as　marked　as　its　more　direct　effect　on　the　character　of　mankind。　　In　heart；　at　least；　Buddhism　and　Christianity　are　very　close。

But　here　the　two　paths　to　a　something　beyond　an　earthly　life　diverge。　　Up　to　this　point　the　two　religions　are　alike；　but　from　this　point　on　they　are　so　utterly　unlike　that　the　very　similarity　of　all　that　went　before　only　suffices　to　make　of　the　second　the　weird；　life…counterfeiting　shadow　of　the　first。　　As　in　a　silhouette；　externally　the　contours　are　all　there；　but　within　is　one　vast　blank。　In　relation　to　one's　neighbor　the　two　beliefs　are　kin；　but　as　regards　one's　self；　as　far　apart　as　the　West　is　from　the　East。　For　here；　at　this　idea　of　self；　we　are　suddenly　aware　of　standing　on　the　b