pagan and christian creeds-第60章

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takes　place　every　year　in　January。　Of　course；　it　was　full　moon；　and　great　was　the　blowing　up　of　trumpets　in　the　huge　courtyard　of　the　Temple。　The　moon　shone　down　above　from　among　the　fronds　of　tall　coco…palms；　on　a　dense　crowd　of　native　worshipersmen　and　a　few　womenthe　men　for　the　most　part　clad　in　little　more　than　a　loin…cloth；　the　women　picturesque　in　their　colored　saris　and　jewelled　ear　and　nose　rings。　The　images　of　Siva　and　two　other　gods　were　carried　in　procession　round　and　round　the　templethree　or　four　times；　nautch　girls　danced　before　the　images；　musicians；　blowing　horns　and　huge　shells；　or　piping　on　flageolets　or　beating　tom…toms；　accompanied　them。　The　crowd　carrying　torches　or　high　crates　with　flaming　coco…nuts；　walked　or　rather　danced　along　on　each　side；　elated　and　excited　with　the　sense　of　the　present　divinity；　yet　pleasantly　free　from　any　abject　awe。　The　whole　thing　indeed　reminded　one　of　some　bas…relief　of　a　Bacchanalian　procession　carved　on　a　Greek　sarcophagusand　especially　so　in　its　hilarity　and　suggestion　of　friendly　intimacy　with　the　god。　There　were　singing　of　hymns　and　the　floating　of　the　chief　actors　on　a　raft　round　a　sacred　lake。　And　then　came　the　final　Act。　Siva；　or　his　image；　very　weighty　and　borne　on　the　shoulders　of　strong　men；　was　carried　into　the　first　chamber　or　hall　of　the　Temple　and　placed　on　an　altar　with　a　curtain　hanging　in　front。　The　crowd　followed　with　a　rush；　and　then　there　was　more　music；　recital　of　hymns；　and　reading　from　sacred　books。　From　where　we　stood　we　could　see　the　rite　which　was　performed　behind　the　curtain。　Two　five…branched　candlesticks　were　lighted；　and　the　manner　of　their　lighting　was　as　follows。　Each　branch　ended　in　a　little　cup；　and　in　the　cups　five　pieces　of　camphor　were　placed；　all　approximately　equal　in　size。　After　offerings　had　been　made；　of　fruit；　flowers　and　sandalwood；　the　five　camphors　in　each　candlestick　were　lighted。　As　the　camphor　flames　burned　out　the　music　became　more　wild　and　exciting；　and　then　at　the　moment　of　their　extinction　the　curtains　were　drawn　aside　and　the　congregation　outside　suddenly　beheld　the　god　revealed　and　in　a　blaze　of　light。　This　burning　of　camphor　was；　like　other　things　in　the　service；　emblematic。　The　five　lights　represent　the　five　senses。　Just　as　camphor　consumes　itself　and　leaves　no　residue　behind；　so　should　the　five　senses；　being　offered　to　the　god；　consume　themselves　and　disappear。　When　this　is　done；　that　happens　in　the　soul　which　was　now　figured　in　the　ritualthe　God　is　revealed　in　the　inner　light。＇1＇

＇1＇　For　a　more　detailed　account　of　this　Temple…festival；　see　Adam's　Peak　to　Elephanta　by　E。　Carpenter；　ch。　vii。


We　are　familiar　with　this　parting　or　rending　of　the　veil。　We　hear　of　it　in　the　Jewish　Temple；　and　in　the　Greek　and　Egyptian　Mysteries。　It　had　a　mystically　religious；　and　also　obviously　sexual；　signification。　It　occurs　here　and　there　in　the　Roman　Catholic　ritual。　In　Spain；　some　ancient　Catholic　ceremonials　are　kept　up　with　a　brilliance　and　splendor　hardly　found　elsewhere　in　Europe。　In　the　Cathedral；　at　Seville　the　service　of　the　Passion；　carried　out　on　Good　Friday　with　great　solemnity　and　accompanied　with　fine　music；　culminates　on　the　Saturday　morningi。e。　in　the　interval　between　the　Crucifixion　and　the　Resurrection　in　a　spectacle　similar　to　that　described　in　Ceylon。　A　rich　velvet…black　curtain　hangs　before　the　High　Altar。　At　the　appropriate　moment　and　as　the　very　emotional　strains　of　voices　and　instruments　reach　their　climax　in　the　〃Gloria　in　Excelsis；〃　the　curtain　with　a　sudden　burst　of　sound　（thunder　and　the　ringing　of　all　the　bells）　is　rent　asunder；　and　the　crucified　Jesus　is　seen　hanging　there　revealed　in　a　halo　of　glory。

There　is　also　held　at　Seville　Cathedral　and　before　the　High　Altar　every　year；　the　very　curious　Dance　of　the　Seises　（sixes）；　performed　now　by　16　instead　of　（as　of　old）　by　12　boys；　quaintly　dressed。　It　seems　to　be　a　survival　of　some　very　ancient　ritual；　probably　astronomical；　in　which　the　two　sets　of　six　represent　the　signs　of　the　Zodiac；　and　is　celebrated　during　the　festivals　of　Corpus　Christi；　the　Immaculate　Conception；　and　the　Carnival。

Numerous　instances　might　of　course　be　adduced　of　how　a　Church　aspiring　to　be　a　real　Church　of　Humanity　might　adopt　and　re…create　the　rituals　of　the　past　in　the　light　of　a　modern　inspiration。　Indeed　the　difficulty　would　be　to　limit　the　process；　for　EVERY　ancient　ritual；　we　can　now　see；　has　had　a　meaning　and　a　message；　and　it　would　be　a　real　joy　to　disentangle　these　and　to　expose　the　profound　solidarity　of　humanity　and　aspiration　from　the　very　dawn　of　civilization　down　to　the　present　day。　Nor　would　it　be　necessary　to　imagine　any　Act　of　Uniformity　or　dead　level　of　ceremonial　in　the　matter。　Different　groups　might　concentrate　on　different　phases　of　religious　thought　and　practice。　The　only　necessity　would　be　that　they　should　approach　the　subject　with　a　real　love　of　Humanity　in　their　hearts　and　a　real　desire　to　come　into　touch　with　the　deep　inner　life　and　mystic　growing…pains　of　the　souls　of　men　and　women　in　all　ages。　In　this　direction　M。　Loisy　has　done　noble　and　excellent　work；　but　the　dead　weight　and　selfish　blinkerdom　of　the　Catholic　organization　has　hampered　him　to　that　degree　that　he　has　been　unable　to　get　justice　done　to　his　liberalizing　designsor；　perhaps；　even　to　reveal　the　full　extent　of　them。　And　the　same　difficulty　will　remain。　On　the　one　hand　no　spiritual　movement　which　does　not　take　up　the　attitude　of　a　World…religion　has　now　in　this　age；　any　chance　of　success；　on　the　other；　all　the　existing　Churcheswhether　Roman　Catholic；　or　Greek；　or　Protestant　or　Secularistwhether　Christian　or　Jewish　or　Persian　or　Hinduwill　in　all　probability　adopt　the　same　blind　and　blinkered　and　selfish　attitude　as　that　described　above；　and　so　disqualify　themselves　for　the　great　role　of　world…wide　emancipation；　which　some　religion　at　some　time　will　certainly　have　to　play。　It　is　the　same　difficulty　which　is　looming　large　in　modern　World…politics；　where　the　local　selfishness　and　vainglorious　〃patriotisms〃　of　the　Nations　are　sadly　impeding　and　obstructing　the　development　of　that　sense　of　Internationalism　and　Brotherhood　which　is　the　clearly　indicated　form　of　the　future；　and　which　alone　can　give　each　nation　deliverance　from　fear；　and　a　promise　of　growth；　and　the　confident　assurance　of　power。

I　say　that　Christianity　must　either　frankly　adopt　this　generous　attitude　and　confess　itself　a　branch　of　the　great　World…religion；　anxious　only　to　do　honor　to　its　source　or　else　it　must　perish　and　pass　away。　There　is　no　other　alternative。　The　hour　of　its　Exodus　has　come。　It　may　be；　of　course；　that　neither　the　Christian　Church　nor　any　branch　of　it；　nor　any　other　religious　organization；　will　step　into　the　gap。　It　may　bebut　I　do　not　think　this　is　likelythat　the　time　of　rites　and　ceremonies　and　formal　creeds　is　PAST；　and　churches　of　any　kind　will　be　no　more　needed　in　the　world：　not　likely；　I　say；　because　of　the　still　far　backwardness　of　the　human　masses；　and　their　considerable　dependence　yet　on　laws　and　forms　and　rituals。　Still；　if　it　should　prove　that　that　age　of　dependence　IS　really　approaching　its　end；　that　would　surely　be　a　matter　for　congratulation。　It　would　mean　that　mankind　was　moving　into　a　knowledge　of　the　REALITY　which　has　underlain　these　outer　showsthat　it　was　coming　into　the　Third　stage　of　its　Consciousness。　Having　found　this　there　would　be　no　need　for　it　to　dwell　any　longer　in　the　land　of　superstitions　and　formulae。　It　would　have　come　to　the　place　of　which　these　latter　are　only　the　outlying　indications。

It　may；　therefore；　happenand　this　quite　independently　of　the　growth　of　a　World…cult　such　as　I　have　described；　though　by　no　means　in　antagonism　to　itthat　a　religious　philosophy　or　Theosophy　might　develop　and　spread；　similar　to　the　Gnonam　of　the　Hindus　or　the　Gnomsis　of　the　pre…Christian　sects；　which　would　become；　first　among　individuals　and　afterwards　among　large　bodies　over　the　world；　the　religion　ofor　perhaps　one　should　say　the　religious　approach　to　the　Third　State。　Books　like　the　Upanishads　of　the　Vedic　seers；　and　the　Bhagavat　Gita；　though　garbled　and　obscured　by　priestly　interferences　and　mystifications；　do　undoubtedly　represent　and　give　expression　to　the　highest　utterance　of　religious　experience