pagan and christian creeds-第57章
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then to the conception of an undying Savior; and the realization and distinct experience of some kind of Super…consciousness which does certainly reside; more or less hidden; in the deeps of the mind; and has been waiting through the ages for its disclosure and recognition。 Then again to the recognition that in the sacrifices; the Slayer and the Slain are onethe strange and profoundly mystic perception that the God and the Victim are in essence the samethe dedication of 'Himself to Himself''2' and simultaneously with this the interpretation of the Eucharist as meaning; even for the individual; the participation in Eternal Life the continuing life of the Tribe; or ultimately of Humanity。'3' The Tribal order rises to Humanity; love ascends from the lingam to yogam; from physical union alone to the union with the Wholewhich of course includes physical and all other kinds of union。 No wonder that the good St。 Paul; witnessing that extraordinary whirlpool of beliefs and practices; new and old; there in the first century A。D。the unabashed adoration of sex side by side with the transcendental devotions of the Vedic sages and the Gnosticsbecame somewhat confused himself and even a little violent; scolding his disciples (I Cor。 x。 21) for their undiscriminating acceptance; as it seemed to him; of things utterly alien and antagonistic。 〃Ye cannot drink the cup of the Lord and the cup of devils: ye cannot be partakers of the Lord's table and the table of devils。〃
'1' See Sanskrit Dictionary。
'2' See Ch。 VIII。
'3' There are many indications in literaturein prophetic or poetic formof this awareness and distinct conviction of an eternal life; reached through love and an inner sense of union with others and with humanity at large; indications which bear the mark of absolute genuineness and sincerity of feeling。 See; for instance; Whitman's poem; 〃To the Garden the World〃 (Leaves of Grass; complete edition; p。 79)。 But an eternal life of the third order; not; thank heaven! an eternity of the meddling and muddling self…conscious Intellect!
Every careful reader has noticed the confusedness of Paul's mind and arguments。 Even taking only those Epistles (Galatians; Romans and Corinthians) which the critics assign to his pen; the thing is observableand some learned Germans even speak of TWO Pauls。'1' But also the thing is quite natural。 There can be little doubt that Paul of Tarsus; a Jew brought up in the strictest sect of the Pharisees; did at some time fall deeply under the influence of Greek thought; and quite possibly became an initiate in the Mysteries。 It would be difficult otherwise to account for his constant use of the Mystery…language。 Reitzenstein says (p。 59): 〃The hellenistic religious literature MUST have been read by him; he uses its terms; and is saturated with its thoughts (see Rom。 vi。 1…14。〃 And this conjoined with his Jewish experience gave him creative power。 〃A great deal in his sentiment and thought may have REMAINED Jewish; but to his Hellenism he was indebted for his love of freedom and his firm belief in his apostleship。〃 He adopts terms (like ; and )'2' which were in use among the hellenistic sects of the time; and he writes; as in Romans vi。 4; 5; about being 〃buried〃 with Christ or 〃planted〃 in the likeness of his death; in words which might well have been used (with change of the name) by a follower of Attis or Osiris after witnessing the corresponding 'mysteries'; certainly the allusion to these ancient deities would have been understood by every religionist of that day。 These few points are sufficient to acentuate{sic} the two elements in Paul; the Jewish and the Greek; and to explain (so far) the seeming confusion in his utterances。 Further it is interesting to noteas showing the pagan influences in the N。 T。 writingsthe degree to which the Epistle to Philemon (ascribed to Paul) is FULLshort as it isof expressions like PRISONER of the Lord; FELLOW SOLDIER; CAPTIVE or BONDMAN;'3' which were so common at the time as to be almost a cant in Mithraism and the allied cults。 In I Peter ii。 2'4'; we have the verse 〃As newborn babes; desire ye the sincere MILK of the word; that ye may grow thereby。〃 And again we may say that no one in that day could mistake the reference herein contained to old initiation ceremonies and the new birth (as described in Chapter VIII above); for indeed milk was the well…known diet of the novice in the Isis mysteries; as well as On some savage tribes) of the Medicine…man when practising his calling。
'1' 〃Die Mysterien…anschauungen; die bei Paulus im Hintergrunde stehen; drangen sich in dem sogenarmten Deuteropaulinismus machtig vor〃 (Reitzenstein)。
'2' Remindful of our Three Stages: the Animal; the Self…conscious; and the Cosmic。
'3' 。
'4' See also I Cor。 iii。 2。
And here too Democracy comes instrangely foreboded from the first in all this matter。'1' Not only does the Third Stage bring illumination; intuitive understanding of processes in Nature and Humanity; sympathy with the animals; artistic capacity; and so forth; but it necessarily brings a new Order of Society。 A preposterousone may almost say a hideoussocial Age is surely drawing to its end; The debacle we are witnessing to…day all over Europe (including the; British Islands); the break…up of old institutions; the generally materialistic outlook on life; the coming to the surface of huge masses of diseased and fatuous populations; the scum and dregs created by the past order; all point to the End of a Dispensation。 Protestantism and Commercialism; in the two fields of religion and daily life have; as I have indicated before; been occupied in concentrating the mind of each man solely on his OWN welfare; the salvation of his OWN soul or body。 These two forces have therefore been disruptive to the last degree; they mark the culmination of the Self…conscious Agea culmination in War; Greed; Materialism; and the general principle of Devil… take…the…hindmostand the clearing of the ground for the new order which is to come。 So there is hope for the human race。 Its evolution is not all a mere formless craze and jumble。 There is an inner necessity by which Humanity unfolds from one degree or plane of consciousness to another。 And if there has been a great 'Fall' or Lapse into conflict and disease and 'sin' and misery; occupying the major part of the Historical period hitherto; we see that this period is only brief; so to speak; in comparison with the whole curve of growth and expansion。 We see also that; as I have said before; the belief in a state of salvation or deliverance has in the past ages never left itself quite without a witness in the creeds and rituals and poems and prophecies of mankind。 Art; in some form or other; as an activity or inspiration dating not from the conscious Intellect; but from deeper regions of sub…conscious feeling and intuition; has continually come to us as a message from and an evidence of the Third stage or state; and as a promise of its more complete realization under other conditions。
Through the long night…time where the Nations wander From Eden past to Paradise to be; Art's sacred flowers; like fair stars shining yonder; Alone illumine Life's obscurity。
O gracious Artists; out of your deep hearts 'Tis some great Sun; I doubt; by men unguessed; Whose rays come struggling thus; in slender darts; To shadow what Is; till Time shall manifest。
'1' See the germs of Democracy in the yoga teaching of the Hindus; and in the Upanishads; the Bhagavat Gita; and other books。
With the Cosmic stage comes also necessarily the rehabilitation of the WHOLE of Society in one fellowship (the true Democracy)。 Not the rule or domination of one class or casteas of the Intellectual; the Pious; the Commercial or the Militarybut the fusion or at least consentaneous organization of ALL (as in the corresponding functions of the human Body)。 Class rule has been the mark of that second period of human evolution; and has inevitably given birth during that period to wars and self…agrandizements of classes and sections; and their consequent greeds and tyrannies over other classes and sections。 It is not fou