pagan and christian creeds-第68章

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nd　these　extraordinary　flashes　embedded　in　the　midst　of　a　great　deal　of　what　we　should　call　a　rather　rubbishy　kind　of　argument；　and　a　good　deal　of　merely　conventional　Brahmanical　talk　of　those　days。　But　the　people　who　wrote　and　spoke　thus　had　an　intuition　into　the　heart　of　things　which　I　make　bold　to　say　very　few　people　in　modern　life　have。　These　'Upanisihads；'　however　various　their　subject；　practically　agree　on　one　point　in　the　definition　of　the　〃self。〃　They　agree　in　saying：　that　the　self　of　each　man　is　continuous　with　and　in　a　sense　identical　with　the　Self　of　the　universe。　Now　that　seems　an　extraordinary　conclusion；　and　one　which　almost　staggers　the　modern　mind　to　conceive　of。　But　that　is　the　conclusion；　that　is　the　thread　which　runs　all　through　the　'Upanishads'the　identity　of　the　self　of　each　individual　with　the　self　of　every　other　individual　throughout　mankind；　and　even　with　the　selves　of　the　animals　and　other　creatures。

Those　who　have　read　the　Khandogya　Upanishad　remember　how　in　that　treatise　the　father　instructs　his　son　Svetakeitu　on　this　very　subjectpointing　him　out　in　succession　the　objects　of　Nature　and　on　each　occasion　exhorting　him　to　realize　his　identity　with　the　very　essence　of　the　object〃Tat　twam　asi；　THAT　thou　art。〃　He　calls　Svetaketu's　attention　to　a　tree。　What　is　the　ESSENCE　of　the　tree？　When　they　have　rejected　the　external　characteristicsthe　leaves；　the　branches；　etc。and　agreed　that　the　SAP　is　the　essence；　then　the　father　says；　〃TAT　TWAM　ASI　THAT　thou　art。〃　He　gives　his　son　a　crystal　of　salt；　and　asks　him　what　is　the　essence　of　that。　The　son　is　puzzled。　Clearly　neither　the　form　nor　the　transparent　quality　are　essential。　The　father　says；　〃Put　the　crystal　in　water。〃　Then　when　it　is　melted　he　says；　〃Where　is　the　crystal？〃　The　son　replies；　〃I　do　not　know。〃　〃Dip　your　finger　in　the　bowl；〃　says　the　father；　〃and　taste。〃　Then　Svetaketu　dips　here　and　there；　and　everywhere　there　is　a　salt　flavor。　They　agree　that　THAT　is　the　essence　of　salt；　and　the　father　says　again；　〃TAt　twam　asi。〃　I　am　of　course　neither　defending　nor　criticizing　the　scientific　attitude　here　adopted。　I　am　only　pointing　out　that　this　psychological　identification　of　the　observer　with　the　object　observed　runs　through　the　Upanishads；　and　is　I　think　worthy　of　the　deepest　consideration。

In　the　'Bhagavat　Gita；'　which　is　a　later　book；　the　author　speaks　of　〃him　whose　soul　is　purified；　whose　self　is　the　Self　of　all　creatures。〃　A　phrase　like　that　challenges　opposition。　It　is　so　bold；　so　sweeping；　and　so　immense；　that　we　hesitate　to　give　our　adhesion　to　what　it　implies。　But　what　does　it　mean　〃whose　soul　is　purified〃？　I　believe　that　it　means　this；　that　with　most　of　us　our　souls　are　anything　but　clean　or　purified；　they　are　by　no　means　transparent；　so　that　all　the　time　we　are　continually　deceiving　ourselves　and　making　clouds　between　us　and　others。　We　are　all　the　time　grasping　things　from　other　people；　and；　if　not　in　words；　are　mentally　boasting　ourselves　against　others；　trying　to　think　of　our　own　superiority　to　the　rest　of　the　people　around　us。　Sometimes　we　try　to　run　our　neighbors　down　a　little；　just　to　show　that　they　are　not　quite　equal　to　our　level。　We　try　to　snatch　from　others　some　things　which　belong　to　them；　or　take　credit　to　ourselves　for　things　to　which　we　are　not　fairly　entitled。　But　all　the　time　we　are　acting　so　it　is　perfectly　obvious　that　we　are　weaving　veils　between　ourselves　and　others。　You　cannot　have　dealings　with　another　person　in　a　purely　truthful　way；　and　be　continually　trying　to　cheat　that　person　out　of　money；　or　out　of　his　good　name　and　reputation。　If　you　are　doing　that；　however　much　in　the　background　you　may　be　doing　it；　you　are　not　looking　the　person　fairly　in　the　facethere　is　a　cloud　between　you　all　the　time。　So　long　as　your　soul　is　not　purified　from　all　these　really　absurd　and　ridiculous　little　desires　and　superiorities　and　self…satisfactions；　which　make　up　so　much　of　our　lives；　just　so　long　as　that　happens　you　do　not　and　you　cannot　see　the　truth。　But　when　it　happens　to　a　person；　as　it　does　happen　in　times　of　great　and　deep　and　bitter　experience；　when　it　happens　that　all　these　trumpery　little　objects　of　life　are　swept　away；　then　occasionally；　with　astonishment；　the　soul　sees　that。　It　is　also　the　soul　of　the　others　around。　Even　if　it　does　not　become　aware　of　an　absolute　identity；　it　perceives　that　there　is　a　deep　relationship　and　communion　between　itself　and　others；　and　it　comes　to　understand　how　it　may　really　be　true　that　to　him　whose　soul　is　purified　the　self　is　literally　the　Self　of　all　creatures。

Ordinary　men　and　those　who　go　on　more　intellectual　and　less　intuitional　lines　will　say　that　these　ideas　are　really　contrary　to　human　nature　and　to　nature　generally。　Yet　I　think　that　those　people　who　say　this　in　the　name　of　Science　are　extremely　unscientific；　because　a　very　superficial　glance　at　nature　reveals　that　the　very　same　thing　is　taking　place　throughout　nature。　Consider　the　madrepores；　corallines；　or　sponges。　You　find；　for　instance；　that　constantly　the　little　self　of　the　coralline　or　sponge　is　functioning　at　the　end　of　a　stem　and　casting　forth　its　tentacles　into　the　water　to　gain　food　and　to　breathe　the　air　out　of　the　water。　That　little　animalcule　there；　which　is　living　in　that　way；　imagines　no　doubt　that　it　is　working　all　for　itself；　and　yet　it　is　united　down　the　stem　at　whose　extremity　it　stands；　with　the　life　of　the　whole　madrepore　or　sponge　to　which　it　belongs。　There　is　the　common　life　of　the　whole　and　the　individual　life　of　each；　and　while　the　little　creature　at　the　end　of　the　stem　is　thinking　（if　it　is　conscious　at　all）　that　its　whole　energies　are　absorbed　in　its　own　maintenance；　it　really　is　feeding　the　common　life　through　the　stem　to　which　it　belongs；　and　in　its　turn　it　is　being　fed　by　that　common　life。

You　have　only　to　look　at　an　ordinary　tree　to　see　the　same　thing　going　on。　Each　little　leaf　on　a　tree　may　very　naturally　have　sufficient　consciousness　to　believe　that　it　is　an　entirely　separate　being　maintaining　itself　in　the　sunlight　and　the　air；　withering　away　and　dying　when　the　winter　comes　onand　there　is　an　end　of　it。　It　probably　does　not　realize　that　all　the　time　it　is　being　supported　by　the　sap　which　flows　from　the　trunk　of　the　tree；　and　that　in　its　turn　it　is　feeding　the　tree；　toothat　its　self　is　the　self　of　the　whole　tree。　If　the　leaf　could　really　understand　itself；　it　would　see　that　its　self　was　deeply；　intimately　connected；　practically　one　with　the　life　of　the　whole　tree。　Therefore；　I　say　that　this　Indian　view　is　not　unscientific。　On　the　contrary；　I　am　sure　that　it　is　thoroughly　scientific。

Let　us　take　another　passage；　out　of　the　'Svetasvatara　Upanishad；'　which；　speaking　of　the　self　says：　〃He　is　the　one　God；　hidden　in　all　creatures；　all　pervading；　the　self　within　all；　watching　over　all　works；　shadowing　all　creatures；　the　witness；　the　perceiver；　the　only　one　free　from　qualities。〃

And　now　we　can　return　to　the　point　where　we　left　the　argument　at　the　beginning　of　this　discourse。　We　said；　you　remember；　that　the　Self　is　certainly　no　mere　bundle　of　qualitiesthat　the　very　nature　of　the　mind　forbids　us　thinking　that。　For　however　fine　and　subtle　any　quality　or　group　of　qualities　may　be；　we　are　irresistibly　compelled　by　the　nature　of　the　mind　itself　to　look　for　the　Self；　not　in　any　quality　or　qualities；　but　in　the　being　that　PERCEIVES　those　qualities。　The　passage　I　have　just　quoted　says　that　being　is　〃The　one　God；　hidden　in　all　creatures；　all　pervading；　the　self　within　all　。　。　。　the　witness；　the　perceiver；　the　only　one　free　from　qualities。〃　And　the　more　you　think　about　it　the　clearer　I　think　you　will　see　that　this　passage　is　correctthat　there　can　be　only　ONE　witness；　ONE　perceiver；　and　that　is　the　one　God　hidden　in　all　creatures；　〃Sarva　Sakshi；〃　the　Universal　Witness。

Have　you　ever　had　that　curious　feeling；　not　uncommon；　especially　in　moments　of　vivid　experience　and　emotion；　that　there　was　at　the　back　of　your　mind　a　witness；　watching　everything　that　was　going　on；　yet　too　deep　for　your　ordinary　thought　to　grasp？　Has　it　not　occurred　to　youin　a　moment　say　of　great　danger　when　the　mind　was　agitated　to　the　last　degree　by　fears　and　anxietiessuddenly　to　become　perfectly　calm　and　collected；　to　realize　that　NOTHING　can　harm　you；　th