01-what is man-第19章

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instrumenta　speaking…trumpet。　　Speaking…trumpets　are　not

responsible　for　what　is　said　through　them。　　Outside　influences

in　the　form　of　lifelong　teachings；　trainings；　notions；

prejudices；　and　other　second…hand　importationshave　persuaded

the　Master　within　you　that　the　publication　of　these　doctrines

would　be　harmful。　　Very　well；　this　is　quite　natural；　and　was　to

be　expected；　in　fact；　was　inevitable。　　Go　on；　for　the　sake　of

ease　and　convenience；　stick　to　habit：　　speak　in　the　first　person；

and　tell　me　what　your　Master　thinks　about　it。



Y。M。　　Well；　to　begin：　　it　is　a　desolating　doctrine；　it　is

not　inspiring；　enthusing；　uplifting。　　It　takes　the　glory　out　of

man；　it　takes　the　pride　out　of　him；　it　takes　the　heroism　out　of

him；　it　denies　him　all　personal　credit；　all　applause；　it　not　only

degrades　him　to　a　machine；　but　allows　him　no　control　over　the

machine；　makes　a　mere　coffee…mill　of　him；　and　neither　permits　him

to　supply　the　coffee　nor　turn　the　crank；　his　sole　and　piteously

humble　function　being　to　grind　coarse　or　fine；　according　to　his

make；　outside　impulses　doing　the　rest。



O。M。　　It　is　correctly　stated。　　Tell　mewhat　do　men　admire

most　in　each　other？



Y。M。　　Intellect；　courage；　majesty　of　build；　beauty　of

countenance；　charity；　benevolence；　magnanimity；　kindliness；

heroism；　andand



O。M。　　I　would　not　go　any　further。　　These　are　ELEMENTALS。

Virtue；　fortitude；　holiness；　truthfulness；　loyalty；　high　ideals

these；　and　all　the　related　qualities　that　are　named　in　the

dictionary；　are　MADE　OF　THE　ELEMENTALS；　by　blendings；

combinations；　and　shadings　of　the　elementals；　just　as　one　makes

green　by　blending　blue　and　yellow；　and　makes　several　shades　and

tints　of　red　by　modifying　the　elemental　red。　　There　are　several

elemental　colors；　they　are　all　in　the　rainbow；　out　of　them　we

manufacture　and　name　fifty　shades　of　them。　　You　have　named　the

elementals　of　the　human　rainbow；　and　also　one　BLENDheroism；

which　is　made　out　of　courage　and　magnanimity。　　Very　well；　then；

which　of　these　elements　does　the　possessor　of　it　manufacture　for

himself？　　Is　it　intellect？



Y。M。　　No。



O。M。　　Why？



Y。M。　　He　is　born　with　it。



O。M。　　Is　it　courage？



Y。M。　　No。　　He　is　born　with　it。



O。M。　　Is　it　majesty　of　build；　beauty　of　countenance？



Y。M。　　No。　　They　are　birthrights。



O。M。　　Take　those　othersthe　elemental　moral　qualities

charity；　benevolence；　magnanimity；　kindliness；　fruitful　seeds；

out　of　which　spring；　through　cultivation　by　outside　influences；

all　the　manifold　blends　and　combinations　of　virtues　named　in　the

dictionaries：　　does　man　manufacture　any　of　those　seeds；　or　are

they　all　born　in　him？



Y。M。　　Born　in　him。



O。M。　　Who　manufactures　them；　then？



Y。M。　　God。



O。M。　　Where　does　the　credit　of　it　belong？



Y。M。　　To　God。



O。M。　　And　the　glory　of　which　you　spoke；　and　the　applause？



Y。M。　　To　God。



O。M。　　Then　it　is　YOU　who　degrade　man。　　You　make　him　claim

glory；　praise；　flattery；　for　every　valuable　thing　he　possesses

BORROWED　finery；　the　whole　of　it；　no　rag　of　it　earned　by　himself；

not　a　detail　of　it　produced　by　his　own　labor。　　YOU　make　man　a

humbug；　have　I　done　worse　by　him？



Y。M。　　You　have　made　a　machine　of　him。



O。M。　　Who　devised　that　cunning　and　beautiful　mechanism；　a

man's　hand？



Y。M。　　God。



O。M。　　Who　devised　the　law　by　which　it　automatically　hammers

out　of　a　piano　an　elaborate　piece　of　music；　without　error；　while

the　man　is　thinking　about　something　else；　or　talking　to　a　friend？



Y。M。　　God。



O。M。　　Who　devised　the　blood？　　Who　devised　the　wonderful

machinery　which　automatically　drives　its　renewing　and　refreshing

streams　through　the　body；　day　and　night；　without　assistance　or

advice　from　the　man？　　Who　devised　the　man's　mind；　whose　machinery

works　automatically；　interests　itself　in　what　it　pleases；

regardless　of　its　will　or　desire；　labors　all　night　when　it　likes；

deaf　to　his　appeals　for　mercy？　　God　devised　all　these　things。

_I_　have　not　made　man　a　machine；　God　made　him　a　machine。　　I　am

merely　calling　attention　to　the　fact；　nothing　more。　　Is　it　wrong

to　call　attention　to　the　fact？　　Is　it　a　crime？



Y。M。　　I　think　it　is　wrong　to　EXPOSE　a　fact　when　harm　can

come　of　it。



O。M。　　Go　on。



Y。M。　　Look　at　the　matter　as　it　stands　now。　　Man　has　been

taught　that　he　is　the　supreme　marvel　of　the　Creation；　he　believes

it；　in　all　the　ages　he　has　never　doubted　it；　whether　he　was　a

naked　savage；　or　clothed　in　purple　and　fine　linen；　and　civilized。

This　has　made　his　heart　buoyant；　his　life　cheery。　　His　pride　in

himself；　his　sincere　admiration　of　himself；　his　joy　in　what　he

supposed　were　his　own　and　unassisted　achievements；　and　his

exultation　over　the　praise　and　applause　which　they　evokedthese

have　exalted　him；　enthused　him；　ambitioned　him　to　higher　and

higher　flights；　in　a　word；　made　his　life　worth　the　living。　　But

by　your　scheme；　all　this　is　abolished；　he　is　degraded　to　a

machine；　he　is　a　nobody；　his　noble　prides　wither　to　mere

vanities；　let　him　strive　as　he　may；　he　can　never　be　any　better

than　his　humblest　and　stupidest　neighbor；　he　would　never　be

cheerful　again；　his　life　would　not　be　worth　the　living。



O。M。　　You　really　think　that？



Y。M。　　I　certainly　do。



O。M。　　Have　you　ever　seen　me　uncheerful；　unhappy。



Y。M。　　No。



O。M。　　Well；　_I_　believe　these　things。　　Why　have　they　not

made　me　unhappy？



Y。M。　　Oh；　welltemperament；　of　course！　　You　never　let　THAT

escape　from　your　scheme。



O。M。　　That　is　correct。　　If　a　man　is　born　with　an　unhappy

temperament；　nothing　can　make　him　happy；　if　he　is　born　with　a

happy　temperament；　nothing　can　make　him　unhappy。



Y。M。　　Whatnot　even　a　degrading　and　heart…chilling　system

of　beliefs？



O。M。　　Beliefs？　　Mere　beliefs？　　Mere　convictions？　　They　are

powerless。　　They　strive　in　vain　against　inborn　temperament。



Y。M。　　I　can't　believe　that；　and　I　don't。



O。M。　　Now　you　are　speaking　hastily。　　It　shows　that　you　have

not　studiously　examined　the　facts。　　Of　all　your　intimates；　which

one　is　the　happiest？　　Isn't　it　Burgess？



Y。M。　　Easily。



O。M。　　And　which　one　is　the　unhappiest？　　Henry　Adams？



Y。M。　　Without　a　question！



O。M。　　I　know　them　well。　　They　are　extremes；　abnormals；　their

temperaments　are　as　opposite　as　the　poles。　　Their　life…histories

are　about　alikebut　look　at　the　results！　　Their　ages　are　about

the　sameabout　around　fifty。　　Burgess　had　always　been　buoyant；

hopeful；　happy；　Adams　has　always　been　cheerless；　hopeless；

despondent。　　As　young　fellows　both　tried　country　journalismand

failed。　　Burgess　didn't　seem　to　mind　it；　Adams　couldn't　smile；　he

could　only　mourn　and　groan　over　what　had　happened　and　torture

himself　with　vain　regrets　for　not　having　done　so　and　so　instead

of　so　and　soTHEN　he　would　have　succeeded。　　They　tried　the　law

and　failed。　　Burgess　remained　happybecause　he　couldn't　help　it。

Adams　was　wretchedbecause　he　couldn't　help　it。　　From　that　day

to　this；　those　two　men　have　gone　on　trying　things　and　failing：

Burgess　has　come　out　happy　and　cheerful　every　time；　Adams　the

reverse。　　And　we　do　absolutely　know　that　these　men's　inborn

temperaments　have　remained　unchanged　through　all　the　vicissitudes

of　their　material　affairs。　　Let　us　see　how　it　is　with　their

immaterials。　　Both　have　been　zealous　Democrats；　both　have　been

zealous　Republicans；　both　have　been　zealous　Mugwumps。　　Burgess

has　always　found　happiness　and　Adams　unhappiness　in　these　several

political　beliefs　and　in　their　migrations　out　of　them。　　Both　of

these　men　have　been　Presbyterians；　Universalists；　Methodists；

Catholicsthen　Presbyterians　again；　then　Methodists　again。

Burgess　has　always　found　rest　in　these　excursions；　and　Adams

unrest。　　They　are　trying　Christian　Science；　now；　with　the

customary　result；　the　inevitable　result。　　No　political　or

religious　belief　can　make　Burgess　unhappy　or　the　other　man　happy。

I　assure　you　it　is　purely　a　matter　of　temperament。　　Beliefs　are

ACQUIREMENTS；　temperame