lecture20-第9章

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over…belief。







We　must　begin　by　using　less　particularized　terms；　and；　since　one



of　the　duties　of　the　science　of　religions　is　to　keep　religion　in



connection　with　the　rest　of　science；　we　shall　do　well　to　seek



first　of　all　a　way　of　describing　the　〃more；〃　which　psychologists



may　also　recognize　as　real。　　The　subconscious　self　is　nowadays　a



well…accredited　psychological　entity；　and　I　believe　that　in　it　we



have　exactly　the　mediating　term　required。　　Apart　from　all



religious　considerations；　there　is　actually　and　literally　more



life　in　our　total　soul　than　we　are　at　any　time　aware　of。　　The



exploration　of　the　transmarginal　field　has　hardly　yet　been



seriously　undertaken；　but　what　Mr。　Myers　said　in　1892　in　his



essay　on　the　Subliminal　Consciousness＇354＇　is　as　true　as　when　it



was　first　written：　　〃Each　of　us　is　in　reality　an　abiding



psychical　entity　far　more　extensive　than　he　knowsan



individuality　which　can　never　express　itself　completely　through



any　corporeal　manifestation。　　The　Self　manifests　through　the



organism；　but　there　is　always　some　part　of　the　Self　unmanifested；



and　always；　as　it　seems；　some　power　of　organic　expression　in



abeyance　or　reserve。〃＇355＇　　Much　of　the　content　of　this　larger



background　against　which　our　conscious　being　stands　out　in　relief



is　insignificant。　　Imperfect　memories；　silly　jingles；　inhibitive



timidities；　〃dissolutive〃　phenomena　of　various　sorts；　as　Myers



calls　them；　enters　into　it　for　a　large　part。　　But　in　it　many　of



the　performances　of　genius　seem　also　to　have　their　origin；　and　in



our　study　of　conversion；　of　mystical　experiences；　and　of　prayer；



we　have　seen　how　striking　a　part　invasions　from　this　region　play



in　the　religious　life。







＇354＇　Proceedings　of　the　Society　for　Psychical　Research；　vol。



vii。　p。　305。　For　a　full　statement　of　Mr。　Myers's　views；　I　may



refer　to　his　posthumous　work；　〃Human　Personality　in　the　Light　of



Recent　Research；〃　which　is　already　announced　by　Messrs。　



Longmans；　Green　&　Co。　as　being　in　press。　　Mr。　Myers　for　the



first　time　proposed　as　a　general　psychological　problem　the



exploration　of　the　subliminal　region　of　consciousness　throughout



its　whole　extent；　and　made　the　first　methodical　steps　in　its



topography　by　treating　as　a　natural　series　a　mass　of　subliminal



facts　hitherto　considered　only　as　curious　isolated　facts　and



subjecting　them　to　a　systematized　nomenclature。　　How　important



this　exploration　will　prove；　future　work　upon　the　path　which



Myers　has　opened　can　alone　show。　　compare　my　paper：　　〃Frederic



Myers's　services　to　Psychology；〃　in　the　said　Proceedings；　part



xlii。；　May；　1901。







＇355＇　Compare　the　inventory　given　above　on　pp。　472…4；　and　also



what　is　said　of　the　subconscious　self　on　pp。　228…231；　235…236。















Let　me　then　propose；　as　an　hypothesis；　that　whatever　it　may　be　on



its　FARTHER　side；　the　〃more〃　with　which　in　religious　experience



we　feel　ourselves　connected　is　on　its　HITHER　side　the



subconscious　continuation　of　our　conscious　life。　Starting　thus



with　a　recognized　psychological　fact　as　our　basis；　we　seem　to



preserve　a　contact　with　〃science〃　which　the　ordinary　theologian



lacks。　　At　the　same　time　the　theologian's　contention　that　the



religious　man　is　moved　by　an　external　power　is　vindicated；　for　it



is　one　of　the　peculiarities　of　invasions　from　the　subconscious



region　to　take　on　objective　appearances；　and　to　suggest　to　the



Subject　an　external　control。　　In　the　religious　life　the　control



is　felt　as　〃higher〃；　but　since　on　our　hypothesis　it　is　primarily



the　higher　faculties　of　our　own　hidden　mind　which　are



controlling；　the　sense　of　union　with　the　power　beyond　us　is　a



sense　of　something；　not　merely　apparently；　but　literally　true。







This　doorway　into　the　subject　seems　to　me　the　best　one　for　a



science　of　religions；　for　it　mediates　between　a　number　of



different　points　of　view。　　Yet　it　is　only　a　doorway；　and



difficulties　present　themselves　as　soon　as　we　step　through　it；



and　ask　how　far　our　transmarginal　consciousness　carries　us　if　we



follow　it　on　its　remoter　side。　　Here　the　over…beliefs　begin：　



here　mysticism　and　the　conversion…rapture　and　Vedantism　and



transcendental　idealism　bring　in　their　monistic



interpretations＇356＇　and　tell　us　that　the　finite　self　rejoins　the



absolute　self；　for　it　was　always　one　with　God　and　identical　with



the　soul　of　the　world。＇357＇　　Here　the　prophets　of　all　the



different　religions　come　with　their　visions；　voices；　raptures；



and　other　openings；　supposed　by　each　to　authenticate　his　own



peculiar　faith。







＇356＇　Compare　above；　pp。　410　ff。







＇357＇　One　more　expression　of　this　belief；　to　increase　the



reader's　familiarity　with　the　notion　of　it：







〃If　this　room　is　full　of　darkness　for　thousands　of　years；　and　you



come　in　and　begin　to　weep　and　wail；　'Oh；　the　darkness；'　will　the



darkness　vanish？　　Bring　the　light　in；　strike　a　match；　and　light



comes　in　a　moment。　　So　what　good　will　it　do　you　to　think　all　your



lives；　'Oh；　I　have　done　evil；　I　have　made　many　mistakes'？　　It



requires　no　ghost　to　tell　us　that。　　Bring　in　the　light；　and　the



evil　goes　in　a　moment。　　Strengthen　the　real　nature；　build　up



yourselves；　the　effulgent；　the　resplendent；　the　ever　pure；　call



that　up　in　every　one　whom　you　see。　　I　wish　that　every　one　of　us



had　come　to　such　a　state　that　even　when　we　see　the　vilest　of



human　beings　we　can　see　the　God　within；　and　instead　of



condemning；　say；　'Rise；　thou　effulgent　One；　rise　thou　who　art



always　pure；　rise　thou　birthless　and　deathless；　rise　almighty；



and　manifest　your　nature。'　。　。　。　This　is　the　highest　prayer　that



the　Advaita　teaches。　　This　is　the　one　prayer：　　remembering　our



nature。〃。　。　。　〃Why　does　man　go　out　to　look　for　a　God？　。　。　。　It　is



your　own　heart　beating；　and　you　did　not　know；　you　were　mistaking



it　for　something　external。　　He；　nearest　of　the　near；　my　own　self；



the　reality　of　my　own　life；　my　body　and　my　soul。I　am　Thee　and



Thou　art　Me。　　That　is　your　own　nature。　　Assert　it；　manifest　it。　



Not　to　become　pure；　you　are　pure　already。　　You　are　not　to　be



perfect；　you　are　that　already。　　Every　good　thought　which　you



think　or　act　upon　is　simply　tearing　the　veil；　as　it　were；　and　the



purity；　the　Infinity；　the　God　behind；　manifests　itselfthe



eternal　Subject　of　everything；　the　eternal　Witness　in　this



universe；　your　own　Self。　　Knowledge　is；　as　it　were；　a　lower　step；



a　degradation。　　We　are　It　already；　how　to　know　It？〃　　Swami



Viverananda：　Addresses；　No。　XII。；　Practical　Vedanta；　part　iv。　pp。



172；　174；　London；　1897；　and　Lectures；　The　Real　and　the　Apparent



Man；　p。　24；　abridged。















Those　of　us　who　are　not　personally　favored　with　such　specific



revelations　must　stand　outside　of　them　altogether　and；　for　the



present　at　least；　decide　that；　since　they　corroborate



incompatible　theological　doctrines；　they　neutralize　one　another



and　leave　no　fixed　results。　　If　we　follow　any　one　of　them；　or　if



we　follow　philosophical　theory　and　embrace　monistic　pantheism　on



non…mystical　grounds；　we　do　so　in　the　exercise　of　our　individual



freedom；　and　build　out　our　religion　in　the　way　most　congruous



with　our　personal　susceptibilities。　　Among　these　susceptibilities



intellectual　ones　play　a　decisive　part。　　Although　the　religious



question　is　primarily　a　question　of　life；　of　living　or　not　living



in　the　higher　union　which　opens　itself　to　us　as　a　gift；　yet　the



spiritual　excitement　in　which　the　gift　appears　a　real　one　will



often　fail　to　be　aroused　in　an　individual　until　certain



particular　intellectual　beliefs　or　ideas　which；　as　w