第 8 节
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披荆斩棘 更新:2022-07-08 12:27 字数:9321
'353' Above; p。 445。
The time has now come for this attempt。 Who says 〃hypothesis〃
renounces the ambition to be coercive in his arguments。 The most
I can do is; accordingly; to offer something that may fit the
facts so easily that your scientific logic will find no plausible
pretext for vetoing your impulse to welcome it as true。
The 〃more;〃 as we called it; and the meaning of our 〃union〃 with
it; form the nucleus of our inquiry。 Into what definite
description can these words be translated; and for what definite
facts do they stand? It would never do for us to place ourselves
offhand at the position of a particular theology; the Christian
theology; for example; and proceed immediately to define the
〃more〃 as Jehovah; and the 〃union〃 as his imputation to us of the
righteousness of Christ。 That would be unfair to other
religions; and; from our present standpoint at least; would be an
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