a confession(忏悔录)-第15章

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wood　listening　to　its　sounds。　　I　listened　and　thought　ever　of　the

same　thing；　as　I　had　constantly　done　during　those　last　three　years。　

I　was　again　seeking　God。

　　　　　〃Very　well；　there　is　no　God；〃　said　I　to　myself；　〃there　is　no

one　who　is　not　my　imagination　but　a　reality　like　my　whole　life。　　

He　does　not　exist；　and　no　miracles　can　prove　His　existence；　because

the　miracles　would　be　my　imagination；　besides　being　irrational。

　　　　　〃But　my　*perception*　of　God；　of　Him　whom　I　seek；〃　I　asked

myself；　〃where　has　that　perception　come　from？〃　　And　again　at　this

thought　the　glad　waves　of　life　rose　within　me。　　All　that　was　around

me　came　to　life　and　received　a　meaning。　　But　my　joy　did　not　last

long。　　My　mind　continued　its　work。

　　　　　〃The　conception　of　God　is　not　God；〃　said　I　to　myself。　　〃The

conception　is　what　takes　place　within　me。　　The　conception　of　God　is

something　I　can　evoke　or　can　refrain　from　evoking　in　myself。　　That

is　not　what　I　seek。　　I　seek　that　without　which　there　can　be　no

life。〃　　And　again　all　around　me　and　within　me　began　to　die；　and

again　I　wished　to　kill　myself。

　　　　　But　then　I　turned　my　gaze　upon　myself；　on　what　went　on　within

me；　and　I　remembered　all　those　cessations　of　life　and　reanimations

that　recurred　within　me　hundreds　of　times。　　I　remembered　that　I

only　lived　at　those　times　when　I　believed　in　God。　　As　it　was

before；　so　it　was　now；　I　need　only　be　aware　of　God　to　live；　I　need

only　forget　Him；　or　disbelieve　Him；　and　I　died。

　　　　　What　is　this　animation　and　dying？　　I　do　not　live　when　I　lose

belief　in　the　existence　of　God。　　I　should　long　ago　have　killed

myself　had　I　not　had　a　dim　hope　of　finding　Him。　　I　live；　really

live；　only　when　I　feel　Him　and　seek　Him。　　〃What　more　do　you　seek？〃

exclaimed　a　voice　within　me。　　〃This　is　He。　　He　is　that　without

which　one　cannot　live。　　To　know　God　and　to　live　is　one　and　the　same

thing。　　God　is　life。〃

　　　　　〃Live　seeking　God；　and　then　you　will　not　live　without　God。〃　

And　more　than　ever　before；　all　within　me　and　around　me　lit　up；　and

the　light　did　not　again　abandon　me。

　　　　　And　I　was　saved　from　suicide。　　When　and　how　this　change

occurred　I　could　not　say。　　As　imperceptibly　and　gradually　the　force

of　life　in　me　had　been　destroyed　and　I　had　reached　the

impossibility　of　living；　a　cessation　of　life　and　the　necessity　of

suicide；　so　imperceptibly　and　gradually　did　that　force　of　life

return　to　me。　　And　strange　to　say　the　strength　of　life　which

returned　to　me　was　not　new；　but　quite　old　　the　same　that　had

borne　me　along　in　my　earliest　days。

　　　　　I　quite　returned　to　what　belonged　to　my　earliest　childhood　and

youth。　　I　returned　to　the　belief　in　that　Will　which　produced　me　and

desires　something　of　me。　　I　returned　to　the　belief　that　the　chief

and　only　aim　of　my　life　is　to　be　better；　i。e。　to　live　in　accord

with　that　Will。　　and　I　returned　to　the　belief　that　I　can　find　the

expression　of　that　Will　in　what　humanity；　in　the　distant　past

hidden　from；　has　produced　for　its　guidance：　　that　is　to　say；　I

returned　to　a　belief　in　God；　in　moral　perfection；　and　in　a

tradition　transmitting　the　meaning　of　life。　　There　was　only　this

difference；　that　then　all　this　was　accepted　unconsciously；　while

now　I　knew　that　without　it　I　could　not　live。

　　　　　What　happened　to　me　was　something　like　this：　　I　was　put　into

a　boat　（I　do　not　remember　when）　and　pushed　off　from　an　unknown

shore；　shown　the　direction　of　the　opposite　shore；　had　oars　put　into

my　unpractised　hands；　and　was　left　alone。　　I　rowed　as　best　I　could

and　moved　forward；　but　the　further　I　advanced　towards　the　middle　of

the　stream　the　more　rapid　grew　the　current　bearing　me　away　from　my

goal　and　the　more　frequently　did　I　encounter　others；　like　myself；

borne　away　by　the　stream。　　There　were　a　few　rowers　who　continued　to

row；　there　were　others　who　had　abandoned　their　oars；　there　were

large　boats　and　immense　vessels　full　of　people。　　Some　struggled

against　the　current；　others　yielded　to　it。　　And　the　further　I　went

the　more；　seeing　the　progress　down　the　current　of　all　those　who

were　adrift；　I　forgot　the　direction　given　me。　　In　the　very　centre

of　the　stream；　amid　the　crowd　of　boats　and　vessels　which　were　being

borne　down　stream；　I　quite　lost　my　direction　and　abandoned　my　oars。　

Around　me　on　all　sides；　with　mirth　and　rejoicing；　people　with　sails

and　oars　were　borne　down　the　stream；　assuring　me　and　each　other

that　no　other　direction　was　possible。　　And　I　believed　them　and

floated　with　them。　　And　I　was　carried　far；　so　far　that　I　heard　the

roar　of　the　rapids　in　which　I　must　be　shattered；　and　I　saw　boats

shattered　in　them。　　And　I　recollected　myself。　　I　was　long　unable　to

understand　what　had　happened　to　me。　　I　saw　before　me　nothing　but

destruction；　towards　which　I　was　rushing　and　which　I　feared。　　I　saw

no　safety　anywhere　and　did　not　know　what　to　do；　but；　looking　back；

I　perceived　innumerable　boats　which　unceasingly　and　strenuously

pushed　across　the　stream；　and　I　remembered　about　the　shore；　the

oars；　and　the　direction；　and　began　to　pull　back　upwards　against　the

stream　and　towards　the　whore。

　　　　　That　shore　was　God；　that　direction　was　tradition；　the　oars

were　the　freedom　given　me　to　pull　for　the　shore　and　unite　with　God。　

And　so　the　force　of　life　was　renewed　in　me　and　I　again　began　to

live。





　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　XIII



　　　　　I　turned　from　the　life　of　our　circle；　acknowledging　that　ours

is　not　life　but　a　simulation　of　life　　that　the　conditions　of

superfluity　in　which　we　live　deprive　us　of　the　possibility　of

understanding　life；　and　that　in　order　to　understand　life　I　must

understand　not　an　exceptional　life　such　as　our　who　are　parasites　on

life；　but　the　life　of　the　simple　labouring　folk　　those　who　make

life　　and　the　meaning　which　they　attribute　to　it。　　The　simplest

labouring　people　around　me　were　the　Russian　people；　and　I　turned　to

them　and　to　the　meaning　of　life　which　they　give。　　That　meaning；　if

one　can　put　it　into　words；　was　as　follows：　　Every　man　has　come　into

this　world　by　the　will　of　God。　　And　God　has　so　made　man　that　every

man　can　destroy　his　soul　or　save　it。　　The　aim　of　man　in　life　is　to

save　his　soul；　and　to　save　his　soul　he　must　live　〃godly〃　and　to

live　〃godly〃　he　must　renounce　all　the　pleasures　of　life；　must

labour；　humble　himself；　suffer；　and　be　merciful。　　That　meaning　the

people　obtain　from　the　whole　teaching　of　faith　transmitted　to　them

by　their　pastors　and　by　the　traditions　that　live　among　the　people。　

This　meaning　was　clear　to　me　and　near　to　my　heart。　　But　together

with　this　meaning　of　the　popular　faith　of　our　non…sectarian　folk；

among　whom　I　live；　much　was　inseparably　bound　up　that　revolted　me

and　seemed　to　me　inexplicable：　sacraments；　Church　services；　fasts；

and　the　adoration　of　relics　and　icons。　　The　people　cannot　separate

the　one　from　the　other；　nor　could　I。　　And　strange　as　much　of　what

entered　into　the　faith　of　these　people　was　to　me；　I　accepted

everything；　and　attended　the　services；　knelt　morning　and　evening　in

prayer；　fasted；　and　prepared　to　receive　the　Eucharist：　and　at　first

my　reason　did　not　resist　anything。　　The　very　things　that　had

formerly　seemed　to　me　impossible　did　not　now　evoke　in　me　any

opposition。

　　　　　My　relations　to　faith　before　and　after　were　quite　different。　

Formerly　life　itself　seemed　to　me　full　of　meaning　and　faith

presented　itself　as　the　arbitrary　assertion　of　propositions　to　me

quite　unnecessary；　unreasonable；　and　disconnected　from　life。　　I

then　asked　myself　what　meaning　those　propositions　had　and；

convinced　that　they　had　none；　I　rejected　them。　　Now　on　the　contrary

I　knew　firmly　that　my　life　otherwise　has；　and　can　have；　no　meaning；

and　the　articles　of　faith　were　far　from　presenting　themselves　to　me

as　unnecessary　　　on　the　contrary　I　had　been　led　by　indubitable

experience　to　the　conviction　that　only　these　propositions　presented

by　faith　give　life　a　meaning。　　formerly　I　looked　on　them　as　on　some

quite　unnecessary　gibberish；　but　now；　if　I　did　not　understand　them；

I　yet　knew　that