the story of my heart-第21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！


universe　by　a　leaf。　Some　mental　instrument　or　organon　is
required　to　enable　us　to　distinguish　between　the　leaf　which　may
be　removed　and　a　real　void；　when　to　cease　to　look　in　one　direction；　and　to
work　in　another。　Many　men　of　broad　brow　and　great　intellect　lived　in　the
days　of　ancient　Greece；　but　for　lack　of　the　accident　of　a　lens；　and　of
knowing　the　way　to　use　a　prism；　they　could　but　conjecture　imperfectly。　I　am
in　exactly　the　position　they　were　when　I　look　beyond　light。　Outside　my
present　knowledge　I　am　exactly　in　their　condition。　I　feel　that　there　are
infinities　to　be　known；　but　they　are　hidden　by
a　leaf。　If　any　one　says　to　himself　that　the　telescope；　and　the　microscope；
the　prism；　and　other　discoveries　have　made　all　plain；　then　he　is　in　the
attitude　of　those　ancient　priests　who　worshipped　the　scarabaeus　or　beetle。
So；　too；　it　is　with　thought；　outside　our　present　circle　of　ideas　I　believe
there　is　an　infinity　of　idea。　　All　this　that　has　been　effected　with　light
has　been　done　by　bits　of　glassmere　bits　of　shaped　glass；　quickly　broken；
and　made　of　flint；　so　that　by　the　rude　flint　our　subtlest　ideas　are　gained。
Could　we　employ　the　ocean　as　a　lens；　and　force　truth　from　the　sky；　even　then
I　think　there　would　be　much　more　beyond。

Natural　things　are　known　to　us　only　under　two　conditionsmatter
and　force；　or　matter　and　motion。　A　third；　a　fourth；　a　fifthno
one　can　say　how　many　conditionsmay　exist　in　the　ultra…stellar
space；　and　such　other　conditions　may　equally　exist　about　us　now
unsuspected。　Something　which　is　neither　matter　nor　force　is　difficult　to
conceive；　yet；　I　think；　it　is　certain　that　there　are　other　conditions。　When
the　mind　succeeds　in　entering　on　a　wider　series；　or　circle　of　ideas；　other
conditions　would　appear
natural　enough。　In　this　effort　upwards　I　claim　the　assistance
of　the　soulthe　mind　of　the　mind。　The　eye　sees；　the　mind
deliberates　on　what　it　sees；　the　soul　understands　the　operation
of　the　mind。　Before　a　bridge　is　built；　or　a　structure　erected；
or　an　interoceanic　canal　made；　there　must　be　a　plan；　and　before
a　plan　the　thought　in　the　mind。　So　that　it　is　correct　to　say
the　mind　bores　tunnels　through　the　mountains；　bridges　the
rivers；　and　constructs　the　engines　which　are　the　pride　of　the
world。

This　is　a　wonderful　tool；　but　it　is　capable　of　work　yet　more
wonderful　in　the　exploration　of　the　heavens。　Now　the　soul　is
the　mind　of　the　mind。　It　can　build　and　construct　and　look　beyond
and　penetrate　space；　and　create。　It　is　the　keenest；　the
sharpest　tool　possessed　by　man。　But　what　would　be　said　if　a
carpenter　about　to　commence　a　piece　of　work　examined　his　tools
and　deliberately　cast　away　that　with　the　finest　edge？　Such　is
the　conduct　of　those　who　reject　the　inner　mind　or　psyche
altogether。　So　great　is　the　value　of　the　soul　that　it　seems　to
me；　if　the　soul　lived　and　received　its　aspirations　it　would　not
matter　if　the　material　universe　melted　away　as　snow。　Many　turn
aside　the　instant　the　soul　is　mentioned；　and　I　sympathise　with
them　in　one　sense；　they　fear　lest；　if　they　acknowledge　it；　they
will　be　fettered　by　mediaeval　conditions。　My　contention　is　that
the　restrictions　of　the　mediaeval　era　should　entirely　be　cast
into　oblivion；　but　the　soul　recognised　and　employed。　Instead　of
slurring　over　the　soul；　I　desire　to　see　it　at　its　highest
perfection。

CHAPTER　XII

SUBTLE　as　the　mind　is；　it　can　effect　little　without　knowledge。
It　cannot　construct　a　bridge；　or　a　building；　or　make　a　canal；　or
work　a　problem　in　algebra；　unless　it　is　provided　with
information。　This　is　obvious；　and　yet　some　say；　What　can　you
effect　by　the　soul？　I　reply　because　it　has　had　no　employment。　Mediaeval
conditions　kept　it　in　slumber：　science　refuses　to　accept　it。　We　are　taught
to　employ　our　minds；　and　furnished　with　materials。　The　mind　has　its　logic
and　exercise　of　geometry；　and　thus　assisted　brings　a　great　force　to　the
solution　of　problems。　The　soul　remains　untaught；　and　can　effect　little。

I　consider　that　the　highest　purpose　of　study　is　the　education　of　the　soul　or
psyche。　It　is　said　that　there　is　no　proof　of　the　existence　of　the　soul；　but；
arguing　on　the　same　grounds；　there　is　no　proof　of　the　existence　of　the　mind；
which　is　not　a　tangible　thing。　For　myself；　I　feel　convinced　that　there　is　a
soul；　a　mind　of　the　mindand　that　it　really　exists。　Now；　glancing　at　the
state　of　wild　and　uneducated　men；　it　is　evident　that　they　work　with　their
hands　and　make　various　things　almost　instinctively。　But　when　they　arrive　at
the　idea　of　mind；　and　say　to　themselves；　I　possess　a　mind；　then　they　think
and　proceed
farther；　forming　designs　and　constructions　both　tangible　and
mental。

Next　then；　when　we　say；　I　have　a　soul；　we　can　proceed　to　shape
things　yet　further；　and　to　see　deeper；　and　penetrate　the
mystery。　By　denying　the　existence　and　the　power　of　the　soul
refusing　to　employ　itwe　should　go　back　more　than　twelve
thousand　written　years　of　human　history。　But　instead　of　this；
I　contend；　we　should　endeavour　to　go　forward；　and　to　discover　a　fourth　Idea；
and　after　that　a　fifth；　and　onwards　continually。

I　will　not　permit　myself　to　be　taken　captive　by　observing
physical　phenomena；　as　many　evidently　are。　Some　gases　are
mingled　and　produce　a　liquid；　certainly　it　is　worth　careful
investigation；　but　it　is　no　more　than　the　revolution　of　a
wheel；　which　is　so　often　seen　that　it　excites　no　surprise；
though；　in　truth；　as　wonderful。　So　is　all　motion；　and　so　is　a
grain　of　sand；　there　is　nothing　that　is　not　wonderful；　as；　for
instance；　the　fact　of　the　existence　of　things　at　all。　But　the
intense　concentration　of　the　mind　on　mechanical　effects　appears
often　to　render　it　incapable　of　perceiving　anything　that　is　not
mechanical。　Some　compounds　are　observed　to　precipitate　crystals；　all　of
which　contain　known　angles。　Thence　it　is　argued　that　all　is　mechanical；　and
that　action　occurs　in　set　ways　only。　There
is　a　tendency　to　lay　it　down　as　an　infallible　law　that　because
we　see　these　things　therefore　everything　else　that　exists　in
space　must　be　or　move　exactly　in　the　same　manner。　But　I　do　not
think　that　because　crystals　are　precipitated　with　fixed　angles
therefore　the　whole　universe　is　necessarily　mechanical。　I　think
there　are　things　exempt　from　mechanical　rules。　The　restriction
of　thought　to　purely　mechanical　grooves　blocks　progress　in　the
same　way　as　the　restrictions　of　mediaeval　superstition。　Let　the
mind　think；　dream；　imagine：　let　it　have　perfect　freedom。　To
shut　out　the　soul　is　to　put　us　back　more　than　twelve　thousand
years。

Just　as　outside　light；　and　the　knowledge　gained　from　light；
there　are；　I　think；　other　mediums　from　which；　in　times　to　come；
intelligence　will　be　obtained；　so　outside　the　mental　and　the　spiritual　ideas
we　now　possess　I　believe　there　exists　a　whole　circle　of　ideas。　In　the
conception　of　the　idea　that　there　are　others；　I　lay　claim　to　another　idea。

The　mind　is　infinite　and　able　to　understand　everything　that　is
brought　before　it；　there　is　no　limit　to　its　understanding。　The
limit　is　in　the　littleness　of　the　things　and　the　narrowness　of
the　ideas　which　have　been　put　for　it　to　consider。　For　the
philosophies　of　old　time　past　and　the　discoveries　of　modern
research　are　as　nothing　to　it。　They　do　not　fill　it。　When　they
have　been　read；　the　mind　passes　on；　and　asks　for　more。　The
utmost　of　them；　the　whole　together；　make　a　mere　nothing。　These
things　have　been　gathered　together　by　immense　labour；　labour
so　great　that　it　is　a　weariness　to　think　of　it；　but　yet；　when
all　is　summed　up　and　written；　the　mind　receives　it　all　as
easily　as　the　hand　picks　flowers。　It　is　like　one　sentence
read　and　gone。

The　mind　requires　more；　and　more；　and　more。　It　is　so　strong
that　all　that　can　be　put　before　it　is　devoured　in　a　moment。
Left　to　itself　it　will　not　be　satisfied　with　an　invisible
idol　any　more　than　with　a　wooden　one。　An　idol　whose　attributes　are
omnipresence；　omnipotence；　and　so　on；　is　no　greater　than　light　or
electricity；　which　are　present　everywhere　and　all…powerful；　and　from　which
perhaps　the　thought　arose。　Prayer　which　receives　no　reply　must　be　pronounced
in　vain。　The　mind　goes　on　and　requires　more　than　these；　something　higher
than　prayer；　something　higher　than　a　god。

I　hav