宗教的主张
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中文
宗教的诉求
（一月五日，星期日）
你们许多人记得，童年时看见那壮丽的旭日升起时内心那股喜悦的激动；你们所有人，在人生的某些时刻，曾驻足凝视那壮丽的夕阳西下，至少在想象中，试图穿透那彼岸。这，实际上正是整个宇宙的根本所在——这升于彼岸又归于彼岸的过程，这整个宇宙从未知中涌现，又重归未知，如幼儿从黑暗中爬来，又如老人爬回黑暗之中。
我们的这个宇宙——感官的、理性的、理智的宇宙——两侧都为无边无际、不可知晓、永远未知之物所环抱。探寻在此，追问在此，事实在此；由此而来的光明，即是世人所称的宗教。然而，就其本质而言，宗教属于超感官的领域，而非感官的平面。它超越一切推理，不在理智的层面。它是一种异象，一种灵感，一次潜入未知与不可知之域的跃进，使那不可知者变得比已知更为真实，因为它永远不能被"认知"。这种探寻，我相信，自人类最早的时代起便已存在于人类心智之中。世界历史的任何时期，凡有人类理性与理智之处，必有这种挣扎与对超越的追寻。在我们这个小宇宙——人类心智之中——我们看到一个念头升起。它从何处升起，我们不知道；当它消逝时，它往何处去，我们同样不知道。大宇宙与小宇宙仿佛走在同一轨迹上，经历着同样的阶段，在同一音调上震动。
我将尝试向你们阐述印度教的理论：宗教并非来自外部，而是来自内部。我相信，宗教思想存在于人的本性之中，其程度之深，以至于他若不能放弃自己的身心，若不能停止思想与生命，便无法放弃宗教。只要一个人思考，这种挣扎便必然持续；因此人必须有某种形式的宗教。于是我们看到世界上各种形式的宗教。这是一项令人目不暇接的研究；但它并不像我们许多人所认为的那样，是一种徒劳的思辨。在这片混沌之中有和谐，在这些不和谐的音响之中有一个和弦；凡准备好聆听的人，都能听到这个音调。
当今最重大的问题是：姑且承认可知与已知两侧都为不可知与无限未知所环抱，为何还要为那未知而挣扎？我们为何不满足于已知？我们为何不安于饮食，以及为社会做一点好事？这种想法弥漫在空气中。从最博学的教授到牙牙学语的婴儿，我们都被告知："为世界做好事，这就是宗教的全部，不要为彼岸的问题烦恼你的头脑。"这种说法已经如此普遍，以至于成了一句口头禅。
但是，幸而我们必须探究那彼岸。这个当下、这个显现之物，不过是那未显现之物的一部分。感官的宇宙仿佛只是那无限灵性宇宙在感官意识平面上投影的一部分、一个片段。不了解那彼岸的事，这个小小的投影如何能被解释，被理解？据说苏格拉底有一天在雅典讲学时，遇到一位游历至希腊的婆罗门，苏格拉底告诉那位婆罗门说，人类最大的学问是关于人的学问。那婆罗门立即反驳道："不认识上帝，你如何能认识人？"这个上帝——这个永恒不可知者、绝对者、无限者，或无以名之——无论你给他取什么名字——正是那已知与可知之物、这当下生命的依据、唯一的解释，是其存在的理由。取任何摆在你面前的事物，最具物质性的东西——取任何一门最唯物的学科，比如化学或物理、天文学或生物学——研究它，将研究不断推进，那些粗粝的形式将开始融化，变得越来越精微，直到你在某一点上不得不从这些物质事物向非物质世界作出一个巨大的跃越。粗粝融入精微，物理融入形上，在每一个知识领域皆然。
对于我们所拥有的一切——我们的社会、我们彼此之间的关系、我们的宗教，以及你们所称的伦理——也是如此。有人试图从纯粹功利的基础上建立一套伦理体系。我挑战任何人建立这样一个合乎理性的伦理体系。为他人做好事。为什么？因为它效用最高。假设一个人说："我不在乎效用；我想割断别人的喉咙让自己富裕。"你怎么回答？这简直是变本加厉！但对世界做好事的效用究竟在哪里？我难道是一个傻瓜，把自己的一生耗尽只为让别人幸福？如果宇宙中除了五种感官之外别无其他感知，社会之外别无其他力量，为何我自己不能幸福？只要我能逃脱警察的追捕，让自己幸福，有什么能阻止我割断我兄弟们的喉咙呢？你怎么回答？你只能证明某种效用。当你被逼得无路可退时，你回答说："我的朋友，行善是好事。"是什么力量在人类心中说着"行善是好事"，在我们面前展开灵魂宏伟的壮丽景象，善良的美好，善良那无所不及的魅力，善良那无穷的力量？那就是我们所称的上帝。不是吗？
其次，我想踏入一片略为微妙的领域。我希望得到你们的关注，请不要从我所说的话中仓促得出结论。我们对这个世界所能做的好事其实有限。为世界做好事固然很好。但我们能为世界做多少好事？在我们为人类幸福而挣扎的这数百年间，我们有没有真正增加世界上幸福的总量？每天都有数以千计的手段被创造出来，以增进世界的幸福，这已经持续了数百数千年。我问你们：今天世界上幸福的总量是否比一个世纪前更多？不可能。海洋中升起的每一道浪必然是以某处一道凹谷为代价的。若一个国家变得富强，必然是以某处另一个国家的代价换来的。每一台被发明的机器，会使二十个人富裕，却使两万人变得贫困。这处处都是竞争的法则。所显现的能量总量始终保持不变。这也是一项鲁莽的任务。说我们能在没有苦难的情况下拥有幸福，是不合理的。随着这一切手段的增加，你是在增加世界的欲望，而增加的欲望意味着永无止境的渴望，永远无法满足。什么能填满这种欲望，这种渴望？只要这种渴望存在，苦难便是不可避免的。生命的本性就是在幸福与苦难之间交替。再说，这个世界留给你来改善它吗？在这个宇宙中难道没有其他力量在运作？上帝死了、走了，把他的宇宙留给你我——那永恒者、全能者、无限慈悲者、永觉者、那在宇宙沉睡时从不入眠者，那双眼从不眨动者？这无限的苍穹，仿佛是他永远睁开的眼睛。他死了、走了吗？他在这个宇宙中没有行动吗？一切都在运行中；你不必着急；你不必让自己痛苦。
〔斯瓦米（Swami）在此讲述了一个故事：一个人想要一个鬼来为他工作，但当他拥有了鬼之后，却无法让他一直有事可做，直到他给了鬼一条卷曲的狗尾巴去拉直。〕
我们对宇宙行善的情况正是如此，我的兄弟们，我们这数百数千年来一直在努力拉直那条狗的尾巴。这就像风湿病一样。你把它从脚上驱走，它跑到头上；你从头上驱走，它又跑到别处去了。
这在你们许多人看来似乎是对世界的一种可怕的悲观看法，但事实并非如此。悲观主义和乐观主义都是错误的。两者都是走向极端。只要一个人有足够的食物和饮料，有好衣穿，他便成了一个大乐观主义者；但那同一个人，当他失去一切时，便成了一个大悲观主义者。当一个人失去所有金钱，变得极为贫穷时，唯有在那时，人类兄弟情谊的观念才以最大的力量向他涌来。这就是这个世界，我走遍各国、看遍这个世界越多，我越是年长，我越发努力地避免乐观主义和悲观主义这两种极端。这个世界无所谓善，也无所谓恶。它是上帝的世界。它超越善恶，自身是完满的。他的旨意正在进行，展示着这一切不同的画卷；它将在没有开端、没有终结的情况下永续进行。这是一所宏大的健身院，你和我，以及数以百万计的灵魂，必须来此锻炼，使自己变得强大完美。这就是它的意义所在。不是说上帝不能创造一个完美的宇宙；不是说他不能消除世界的苦难。你们记得那个故事：一位年轻女士和一位牧师，两人都在用望远镜看月亮，发现了月球上的斑点。那位牧师说："我确信那些是某些教堂的尖顶。"那位年轻女士说："胡说，我确信那是一对对年轻恋人在相吻。"我们对这个世界就是这样做的。当我们在内部时，我们以为看到的是内部。根据我们所处的存在层面，我们看到的宇宙各不相同。厨房里的火既无所谓好，也无所谓坏。当它为你烹饪一顿饭时，你赞美那火，说："多么好啊！"而当它烫伤你的手指时，你说："真是麻烦！"同样正确和合乎逻辑的说法是：这个宇宙无所谓善，也无所谓恶。世界就是世界，永远如此。如果我们向它敞开自己，使世界的作用对我们有益，我们称之为善。若我们将自己置于一种令其令人痛苦的位置，我们称之为恶。所以你总会发现，孩子们是天真快乐的，不想伤害任何人，是非常乐观的。他们做着金色的梦。老人们心怀种种欲望，却无力满足，尤其是那些被世界磕磕碰碰地折腾了许多的人，是非常悲观的。宗教要认识真理。它首先发现的是，没有对这一真理的认识，便不会有值得过的生命。
若不能知晓那彼岸，生命将成为一片荒漠，人类生命将是徒劳。说什么安于当下吧，这话说来固然好听。牛和狗都安于当下，所有的动物都是如此，而这正是使它们成为动物的原因。所以，若人类满足于当下，放弃一切对彼岸的追寻，人类将不得不退回到动物的层面。正是宗教，这种对彼岸的探询，使人与动物有所区别。人是唯一一种天然仰望的动物，这话说得好极了；所有其他动物都天然俯视。那仰望、向上攀升、追寻完善，便是所谓的解脱（Moksha），一个人越早开始向更高处迈进，他就越早提升自己，趋近这以解脱为真理的理想。它并不在于你口袋里的钱，或你所穿的衣服，或你所居住的房子，而在于你大脑中灵性思想的财富。这才是推动人类进步的动力；这是一切物质与精神进步的源泉，是背后的推动力，是推动人类向前的热忱。
那么，人类的目标又是什么呢？是幸福，是感官的快乐吗？在古时，人们说在天堂里他们将吹奏号角，围绕宝座而居；在现代，我发现人们认为这一理想太薄弱，于是加以改进，说他们在那里也将有婚嫁和诸如此类的事。若这两者之间存在任何改进，那第二种是更糟糕的改进。这一切关于天堂的种种理论，都显示出心智的软弱。而这软弱就在于：第一，他们认为感官的幸福是生命的目标。第二，他们无法构想出任何超越五种感官之上的东西。他们与功利主义者一样不合理性。但他们至少比现代无神论功利主义者要好得多。最后，这种功利主义的立场纯属幼稚。你有什么权利说"这是我的标准，整个宇宙必须按照我的标准来治理"？你有什么权利说每一个真理都必须按你的标准来判断——那个将单纯的面包、金钱和衣服奉为上帝的标准？
宗教不以面包为居所，也不以房屋为居所。一遍又一遍，你们会听到这样的反对意见："宗教能有什么用？它能消除穷人的贫困，给他们更多的衣服吗？"假设它不能，这能证明宗教是虚妄的吗？假设在你们试图证明一个天文学理论时，一个婴儿站起来说："它能带来姜饼吗？""不能，"你回答。"那么，"那婴儿说，"它没有用。"婴儿以他们自己的标准来判断整个宇宙，那个标准就是能否生产姜饼；这世界上那些精神的婴儿也是如此。
可悲的是，在十九世纪的末尾，这些观点竟被视为最有学问、最合理性、最合逻辑、最富智慧的人的见解。
我们不应以我们自身的低等标准来评判更高的事物。一切事物都必须以其自身的标准来判断，无限之物必须以无限的标准来衡量。宗教渗透人类生命的全部，不仅是当下，而是过去、现在与未来。因此，它是永恒灵魂与永恒上帝之间永恒的关系。以它在人类五分钟生命中的作用来衡量其价值，合乎逻辑吗？当然不合乎。但这些都只是反面论证。
现在来到这个问题：宗教真的能做任何事吗？它能。
宗教真的能带来面包和衣物吗？它能。它始终在这样做，而且它做的远不止于此；它给人带来永恒的生命。它造就了人之为人，并将把这具有动物性的人转化为神。这就是宗教所能做到的。从人类社会中撤去宗教，剩下的将是什么？不过是一片禽兽的森林。正如我刚才试图向你们表明的，认为感官的幸福是人类目标的想法是荒谬的，我们得出的结论是：知识是一切生命的目标。我试图向你们表明，在这数千年来为追寻真理和造福人类而进行的挣扎中，我们几乎没有做出任何可观的进步。但人类在知识方面已经取得了巨大的进步。这种进步的最高效用，不在于它带来的物质享受，而在于从这具动物性的人身上锻造出一尊神来。然后，随着知识而来的，自然是极乐。婴儿认为感官的幸福是他们所能拥有的最高境界。你们大多数人都知道，人在理智方面的享受要比在感官方面的享受更为深刻。你们中没有一个人能感受到与狗同等的进食之乐。你们可以注意到这一点。人的快乐从何而来？并非那种猪或狗进食时那种全身心的享受。看看猪是怎么吃东西的。它在进食时对宇宙浑然不觉；它的整个灵魂都系于食物之中。即便被杀，当它有食物时也不在乎。想想猪所拥有的那种强烈的享受！没有任何人有那种享受。它去哪儿了？人已经将它转化为理智的享受。猪无法享受宗教讲座。那比理智的快乐还要高一阶、还要敏锐，便是灵性的层面，对神圣事物的灵性享受，翱翔于理性与理智之上。为了获得这种享受，我们必须放弃所有这些感官的享受。这才是最高的效用。效用即是我所享受的，也是每个人所享受的，我们都奔向它。
我们发现，人在理智方面的享受远胜于动物在感官方面的享受，我们也看到，人在灵性本质方面的享受甚至胜过他在理性本质方面的享受。因此，最高的智慧必然是这灵性的知识。随着这一知识而来的，将是极乐。这个世界上一切的这些事物，不过是真正的知识与极乐在第三或第四度的影子与显现。
正是这种极乐，通过对人类的爱而临到你；这种灵性极乐的影子，就是这人类之爱，但不要将它与那人类的极乐混淆。这里存在一个巨大的谬误：我们总是将我们所拥有的爱——这种肉欲的、人类的爱，这种对物质微粒的执着，这种人类社会中对他人的电磁般的吸引——误认为这灵性的极乐。我们容易将这误作那永恒的境界，其实它并非如此。姑且以英文"极乐"（Bliss）称之，因无其他更好的英文词，它等同于永恒的知识——而那就是我们的目标。在整个世界上，凡有宗教之处，凡将有宗教之处，它们都已涌现、将继续涌现自同一源泉，在不同国家以不同名称称呼；在西方国家，你们称之为"灵感"。何为灵感？灵感是宗教知识的唯一源泉。我们已经看到，宗教本质上属于超越感官的领域。它是"眼睛无法到达，耳朵无法到达，心智无法触及，言语无法表达"之处。那是宗教的领域与目标，由此而来的便是我们所称的灵感。因此自然而然地推断，必然有某种超越感官的途径。我们的理性无法超越感官，这完全正确；一切推理都在感官的范围之内，理性是建立在感官所能触达的事实之上的。但是，人能超越感官吗？人能认识那不可知者吗？整个宗教问题正是由此而来，历来也是由此而决定的。自亘古以来，那坚不可摧的壁垒——感官的屏障——就存在着；自亘古以来，数以百千计的男男女女向这道壁垒猛冲，试图穿越彼岸。数以百万计的人失败了，也有数以百万计的人成功了。这便是世界的历史。还有数以百万计的人不相信曾有任何人成功过；这些便是当今时代的怀疑论者。人若肯一试，是能够穿越这道壁垒的。人不仅有理性，不仅有感官，在他身上还有远超感官的东西。我们将尝试略加阐释。我希望你们也能感受到它就在你们自身之内。
我移动我的手，我感知到、也知道我在移动我的手。我称之为意识。我意识到我在移动我的手。但是我的心脏在跳动。我没有意识到这一点；然而是谁在推动心脏的跳动？必然是同一个存在。所以我们看到，这个推动双手、发出言语——也就是说，有意识地行动的存在，同样也在无意识地行动。因此我们发现，这个存在能在两个层面上行动——一个是意识的层面，另一个是意识之下的层面。来自无意识层面的冲动，我们称之为本能；当同样的冲动来自意识层面时，我们称之为理性。但在人身上还有一个更高的层面，即超意识（superconsciousness）。这表面上与无意识相同，因为它超越了意识的层面，但它是在意识之上而非之下。它不是本能，它是灵感。有证据可循。想想世界产生的所有这些伟大先知与圣贤，众所周知，在他们生命中会有某些时刻，在他们存在中会有某些片刻，他们表面上对外部世界失去意识；他们声称，其后从他们身上流溢而出的一切知识，都是在这种存在状态中获得的。据说，苏格拉底在随军行进时，有一次日出时分的壮美景象触发了他心中一连串的思想；他就那样在阳光下静站了两天，对外界浑然不觉。正是这样的时刻，给世界带来了苏格拉底式的知识。所有伟大的传道者与先知亦然，他们生命中有这样的时刻：他们仿佛从意识层面升起，超越其上。当他们回归意识层面时，他们容光焕发，充满光明；他们从彼岸带来了消息，他们是世界上受灵感的先见者。
但有一个巨大的危险。任何人都可以宣称自己受到了灵感；这种情形常有发生。验证的标准是什么？在睡眠中我们是无意识的；一个愚人入睡，安睡了三个小时；当他从那种状态中回来时，他仍然是同一个愚人，甚或更糟。拿撒勒的耶稣进入他的显圣容，当他出来时，他已成为基督耶稣。这便是全部的区别。一种是灵感，另一种是本能。一个是孩子，另一个是老练的长者。这种灵感对我们每一个人都是可能的。它是一切宗教的源泉，也将永远是一切更高知识的源泉。然而其中有巨大的危险。有时欺诈之人试图将自己强加于人类。在这个时代，这种情形变得过于普遍。我的一位朋友有一幅精美的画。另一位略有宗教倾向的富人对这幅画垂涎已久；但我的朋友不愿出售。有一天这位富人来找我的朋友说，他得到了一个灵感，他收到了来自上帝的信息。"你的信息是什么？"我的朋友问。"那信息是你必须将那幅画交给我。"我的朋友不甘示弱，立即说道："妙极了！多么美好！我也有同样的灵感，我应当将那幅画交给你。你带支票来了吗？""支票？什么支票？""那么，"我的朋友说，"我不认为你的灵感是对的。我的灵感是，我必须将这幅画给那个带来十万美元支票的人。你必须先带支票来。"那个人发现自己上当了，便放弃了灵感的说法。这些便是其中的危险。有一个人来到我在波士顿的地方，说他曾有异象，有人用印度语跟他说话。我说："若我能看到他所说的内容，我就会相信。"但他写下来的是一堆胡言乱语。我竭尽所能试图理解，但无法做到。我告诉他，就我所知，这样的语言在印度从来没有存在过，将来也不会有。那个国家的文明还不足以产生这样的语言。他当然认为我是个无赖和怀疑论者，走了；我毫不奇怪接下来听说他进了精神病院。这个世界上始终存在这两种危险——来自骗子的危险，以及来自愚人的危险。但这不应使我们退缩，因为这世上一切伟大的事物都充满危险。与此同时，我们必须稍加谨慎。有时我发现一些人完全缺乏对任何事物的逻辑分析。有人来说："我有来自某某神明的信息"，并问："你能否认这一点吗？某某神明存在，并给出这样的信息，难道不可能吗？"百分之九十的愚人会将其奉为圭臬。他们认为这便是充分的理由。但有一件事你应当知道，任何事情都有可能发生——完全有可能地球在来年与天狼星相撞而解体。但若我提出这个命题，你有权站起来要求我向你证明它。律师所称的举证责任在于提出命题的人。向我证明我是从某某神明那里得到灵感，并非你的义务，而是我的义务，因为是我向你提出了这个命题。若我无法证明，我最好保持沉默。避开这两种危险，你便可以随心所欲地走向任何地方。我们许多人在人生中收到许多信息，或以为如此，只要信息是关于我们自身的，就照你们认为好的去做；但若它关乎我们与他人的交往与行为，在依此行事之前要想上一百遍；这样你便是安全的。
我们发现，这灵感是宗教的唯一源泉；然而它始终充满了许多危险；而一切危险中最后也是最糟糕的危险，是过度的主张。某些人站起来说他们与上帝有沟通，他们是全能上帝的代言人，别人没有权利拥有那种沟通。这，从表面来看，是不合理的。宇宙中若有任何事物，它必然是普遍的；这里没有一种运动不是普遍的，因为整个宇宙受法则所支配。它始终是系统的与和谐的。因此，存在于任何地方的事物，必然存在于每个地方。宇宙中每一个原子，都建立在与最巨大的太阳和星辰相同的计划之上。若一个人曾受到灵感，那么我们每个人受到灵感便是可能的，这就是宗教。避开这一切危险、幻象与妄念，以及欺骗和过度主张，勇于面对宗教的事实，与宗教科学直接接触。宗教并不在于信奉任何数量的教条或教义，不在于去教堂或寺庙，不在于阅读某些书籍。你见过上帝吗？你见过灵魂吗？若不曾，你是否正在为此而挣扎？它就在此时此地，你无需等待未来。什么是未来，不过是当下的无限延伸？整个时间的总量不过是一秒的一次次重复？宗教就在此时此地，在这当下的生命之中。
再问一个问题：目标是什么？如今有一种说法：人类在无止境地前进，没有完善可以达到的目标。永远趋近，永远无法达到——无论这意味着什么，无论它多么奇妙——从表面来看，这种说法是荒谬的。直线运动存在吗？一条无限延伸的直线会成为一个圆，它会回到出发点。你必然在你开始的地方结束；既然你从上帝那里开始，你必然要回归上帝。剩下的是什么？细节的工作。在永恒中，你必须去做这细节的工作。
再问一个问题：我们随着前进，能否发现宗教的新真理？是，也否。首先，我们无法对宗教知道得更多；它已经全部被知晓了。在世界上的一切宗教中，你会发现它们都声称在我们内部存在一种统一性。与神圣合而为一，在那种意义上便不可能有任何进一步的进步。知识意味着在多样性中发现这种统一性。我看到你们是男男女女，这是多样性。当我将你们归为一类、称你们为人类时，便成了科学知识。以化学这门学科为例。化学家们努力将一切已知物质还原为其原始元素，并在可能的情况下，找到一切元素由此衍生的那一种元素。也许有一天他们会找到那一种元素。那便是所有其他元素的源泉。达到那里之后，便无法再走了；化学科学将趋于完备。宗教科学亦然。若我们能发现这种完美的统一，便不可能有任何进一步的进步。
当"我与父原为一"被发现之时，宗教的最后之言便已说出。此后只剩细节的工作。在真正的宗教中，没有盲目信仰意义上的信心或信念。没有一位伟大的传道者曾宣扬过那一点。那只是随着堕落而来的。愚人们自称是这位或那位灵性巨人的追随者，尽管他们可能毫无力量，却努力教导人类盲目信仰。信什么呢？盲目信仰是使人类灵魂堕落的行为。如果你愿意，做一个无神论者；但不要不加思索地信仰任何事物。为什么要将灵魂降低到动物的水平？你不仅是在伤害自己，更是在伤害社会，并为那些在你之后到来的人制造危险。站起来，凭理性思辨，不要有盲目的信仰。宗教是一个关乎存在与成为的问题，而非信仰的问题。这就是宗教，当你达到那境界时，你便拥有了宗教。在那之前，你与动物无异。"不要信仰你所听闻的，"伟大的佛陀（Buddha）说，"不要因为教义世代相传便信仰它；不要因为许多人盲目遵从便信仰任何事物；不要因为某位老圣人作了声明便信仰它；不要信仰你由于习惯而对其产生执着的真理；不要仅仅凭着你的导师和长辈的权威而信仰。要深思、分析，当结论与理性相符并有益于一切人时，便接受它，并依此而活。"
注释
English
THE CLAIMS OF RELIGION
(Sunday, 5th January)
Many of you remember the thrill of joy with which in your childhood you saw the glorious rising sun; all of you, sometimes in your life, stand and gaze upon the glorious setting sun, and at least in imagination, try to pierce through the beyond. This, in fact, is at the bottom of the whole universe — this rising from and this setting into the beyond, this whole universe coming up out of the unknown, and going back again into the unknown, crawling in as a child out of darkness, and crawling out again as an old man into darkness.
This universe of ours, the universe of the senses, the rational, the intellectual, is bounded on both sides by the illimitable, the unknowable, the ever unknown. Herein is the search, herein art the inquiries, here are the facts; from this comes the light which is known to the world as religion. Essentially, however, religion belongs to the supersensuous and not to the sense plane. It is beyond all reasoning, and not on the plane of intellect. It is a vision, an inspiration, a plunge into the unknown and unknowable making the unknowable more than known, for it can never be "known". This search has been in the human mind, as I believe from the very beginning of humanity. There cannot have been human reasoning and intellect in any period of the world's history without this struggle, this search beyond. In our little universe this human mind, we see a thought arise. Whence it rises we do not know, and when it disappears, where it goes, we know not either. The macrocosm and the microcosm are, as it were in the same groove, passing through the same stages, vibrating in the same key.
I shall try to bring before you the Hindu theory that religions do not come from without, but from within. It is my belief that religious thought is in man's very constitution, so much so that it is impossible for him to give up religion until he can give up his mind and body, until he can stop thought and life. As long as a man thinks, this struggle must go on, and so long man must have some form of religion. Thus we see various forms of religion in the world. It is a bewildering study; but it is not, as many of us think, a vain speculation. Amidst this chaos there is harmony, throughout these discordant sounds there is a note of concord; and he who is prepared to listen to it, will catch the tone.
The great question of all questions at the present time is this: Taking for granted that the knowable and the known are bounded on both sides by the unknowable and the infinitely unknown, why struggle for that unknown? Why shall we not be content with the known? Why shall we not rest satisfied with eating, drinking, and doing a little good to society? This idea is in the air. From the most learned professor to the prattling baby, we are told, "Do good to the world, that is all of religion, and don't bother your head about questions of the beyond." So much so is this the case that it has become a truism.
But fortunately we must inquire into the beyond. This present, this expressed, is only one part of that unexpressed. The sense universe is, as it were, only one portion, one bit of that infinite spiritual universe projected into the plane of sense consciousness. How can this little bit of projection be explained, be understood, without knowing that which is beyond? It is said of Socrates that one day while lecturing at Athens, he met a Brâhmana who had travelled into Greece, and Socrates told the Brahmana that the greatest study for mankind is man. And the Brahmana sharply retorted, "How can you know man until you know God?" This God, this eternally Unknowable, or Absolute, or Infinite, or without name — you may call Him by what name you like — is the rationale, the only explanation, the raison d'etre of that which is known and knowable, this present life. Take anything before you, the most material thing — take any one of these most materialistic sciences, such as chemistry or physics, astronomy or biology — study it, push the study forward and forward, and the gross forms will begin to melt and become finer and finer, until they come to a point where you are bound to make a tremendous leap from these material things into the immaterial. The gross melts into the fine, physics into metaphysics in every department of knowledge.
So with everything we have — our society, our relations With each other, our religion, and what you call ethics. There are attempts at producing a system of ethics from mere grounds of utility. I challenge any man to produce such a rational system of ethics. Do good to others. Why? Because it is the highest utility. Suppose a man says, "I do not care for utility; I want to cut the throats of others and make myself rich." What will you answer? It is out-Heroding Herod! But where is the utility of my doing good to the world? Am I a fool to work my life out that others may be happy? Why shall I myself not be happy, if there is no other sentiency beyond society, no other power in the universe beyond the five senses? What prevents me from cutting the throats of my brothers so long as I can make myself safe from the police, and make myself happy. What will you answer? You are bound to show some utility. When you are pushed from your ground you answer, "My friend, it is good to be good." What is the power in the human mind which says, "It is good to do good", which unfolds before us in glorious view the grandeur of the soul, the beauty of goodness, the all attractive power of goodness, the infinite power of goodness? That is what we call God. Is it not?
Secondly, I want to tread on a little more delicate ground. I want your attention, and ask you not to make any hasty conclusions from what I say. We cannot do much good to this world. Doing good to the world is very good. But can we do much good to the world? Have we done much good these hundreds of years that we have been struggling — have we increased the sum total of the happiness in the world? Thousands of means have been created every day to conduce to the happiness of the world, and this has been going on for hundreds and thousands of years. I ask you: Is the sum total of the happiness in the world today more than what it divas a century ago? It cannot be. Each wave that rises in the ocean must be at the expense of a hollow somewhere. If one nation becomes rich and powerful, it must be at the expense of another nation somewhere. Each piece of machinery that is invented will make twenty people rich and a twenty thousand people poor. It is the law of competition throughout. The sum total of the energy displayed remains the same throughout. It is, too, a foolhardy task. It is unreasonable to state that we can have happiness without misery. With the increase of all these means, you are increasing the want of the world, and increased wants mean insatiable thirst which will never be quenched. What can fill this want, this thirst? And so long as there is this thirst, misery is inevitable. It is the very nature of life to be happy and miserable by turns. Then again is this world left to you to do good to it? Is there no other power working in this universe? Is God dead and gone, leaving His universe to you and me — the Eternal, the Omnipotent the All-merciful, the Ever-awakened, the One who never sleeps when the universe is sleeping, whose eyes never blink? This infinite sky is, as it were, His ever-open eye. Is He dead and gone? Is He not acting in this universe? It is going on; you need not be in a hurry; you need not make yourself miserable.
[The Swami here told the story of the man who wanted a ghost to work for him, but who, when he had the ghost, could not keep him employed, until he gave him a curly dog's tail to straighten.]
Such is the case with us, with this doing good to the universe. So, my brothers, we are trying to straighten out the tail of the dog these hundreds and thousands of years. It is like rheumatism. You drive it out from the feet, and it goes to the head; you drive it from the head, and it goes somewhere else.
This will seem to many of you to be a terrible, pessimistic view of the world, but it is not. Both pessimism and optimism are wrong. Both are taking up the extremes. So long as a man has plenty to eat and drink, and good clothes to wear, he becomes a great optimist; but that very man, when he loses everything, becomes a great pessimist. When a man loses all his money and is very poor, then and then alone, with the greatest force come to him the ideas of brotherhood of humanity. This is the world, and the more I go to different countries and see of this world, and the older I get, the more I am trying to avoid both these extremes of optimism and pessimism. This world is neither good nor evil. It is the Lord's world. It is beyond both good and evil, perfect in itself. His will is going on, showing all these different pictures; and it will go on without beginning and without end. It is a great gymnasium in which you and I, and millions of souls must come and get exercises, and make ourselves strong and perfect. This is what it is for. Not that God could not make a perfect universe; not that He could not help the misery of the world. You remember the story of the young lady and the clergyman, who were both looking at the moon through the telescope, and found the moon spots. And the clergyman said, "I am sure they are the spires of some churches." "Nonsense," said the young lady, "I am sure they are the young lovers kissing each other." So we are doing with this world. When we are inside, we think we are seeing the inside. According to the plane of existence in which we are, we see the universe. Fire in the kitchen is neither good nor bad. When it cooks a meal for you, you bless the fire, and say, "How good it is!" And when it burns your finger, you say, "What a nuisance it is!" It would be equally correct and logical to say: This universe is neither good nor evil. The world is the world, and will be always so. If we open ourselves to it in such a manner that the action of the world is beneficial to us, we call it good. If we put ourselves in the position in which it is painful, we call it evil. So you will always find children, who are innocent and joyful and do not want to injure anyone, are very optimistic. They are dreaming golden dreams. Old men who have all the desires in their hearts and not the means to fulfil them, and especially those who have been thumped and bumped by the world a good deal, are very pessimistic. Religion wants to know the truth. And the first thing it has discovered is that without a knowledge of this truth there will be no life worth living.
Life will be a desert, human life will be vain, it we cannot know the beyond. It is very good to say: Be contented with the things of the present moment. The cows and the dogs are, and so are all animals, and that is what makes them animals. So if man rests content with the present and gives up all search into the beyond, mankind will all have to go back to the animal plane again. It is religion, this inquiry into the beyond, that makes the difference between man and an animal. Well has it been said that man is the only animal that naturally looks upwards; every other animal naturally looks down. That looking upward and going upward and seeking perfection are what is called salvation, and the sooner a man begins to go higher, the sooner he raises himself towards this idea of truth as salvation. It does not consist in the amount of money in your pocket, or the dress you wear, or the house You live in, but in the wealth of spiritual thought in your brain. That is what makes for human progress; that is the source of all material and intellectual progress, the motive power behind, the enthusiasm that pushes mankind forward.
What again is the goal of mankind? Is it happiness, sensuous pleasure? They used to say in the olden time that in heaven they will play on trumpets and live round a throne; in modern time I find that they think this ideal is very weak, and they have improved upon it and say that they will have marriages and all these things there. If there is any improvement in these two things, the second is an improvement for the worse. All these various theories of heaven that are being put forward show weakness in the mind. And that weakness is here: First, they think that sense happiness is the goal of life. Secondly they cannot conceive of anything that is beyond the five senses. They are as irrational as the Utilitarians. Still they are much better than the modern Atheistic Utilitarians, at any rate. Lastly, this Utilitarian position is simply childish. What right have you to say, "Here is my standard, and the whole universe must be governed by my standard?" What right have you to say that every truth shall be judged by this standard of yours — the standard that preaches mere bread, and money, and clothes as God?
{{Smaller block Religion does not live in bread, does not dwell in a house. Again and again you hear this objection advanced: "What good can religion do? Can it take away the poverty of the poor and give them more clothes?" Supposing it cannot, would that prove the untruth of religion? Suppose a baby stands up among you, when you are trying to demonstrate an astronomical theory, and says, "Does it bring gingerbread?" "No, it does not," you answer. "Then," says the baby, "it is useless." Babies judge the whole universe from their own standpoint, that of producing gingerbread, and so do the babies of the world. }}
Sad to say at the later end of this nineteenth century that these are passing for the learned, the most rational, the most logical, the most intelligent crowd ever seen on this earth.
We must not judge of higher things from this low standpoint of ours. Everything must be judged by its own standard, and the infinite must be judged by the standard of infinity. Religion permeates the whole of man's life, not only the present, but the past, present, and future. It is therefore the eternal relation between the eternal Soul, and the eternal God. Is it logical to measure its value by its action upon five minutes of human life? Certainly not. But these are all negative arguments.
Now comes the question: Can religion really do anything? It can.
Can religion really bring bread and clothes? It does. It is always doing so, and it does infinitely more than that; it brings to man eternal life. It has made man what he is, and will make of this human animal a God. That is what religion can do. Take off religion from human society, what will remain? Nothing but a forest of brutes. As I have just tried to show you that it is absurd to suppose that sense happiness is the goal of humanity, we find as a conclusion that knowledge is the goal of all life. I have tried to show to you that in these thousands of years of struggle for the search of truth and the benefit of mankind, we have scarcely made the least appreciable advance. But mankind has made gigantic advance in knowledge. The highest utility of this progress lies not in the creature comforts that it brings, but in manufacturing a god out of this animal man. Then, with knowledge, naturally comes bliss. Babies think that the happiness of the senses is the highest thing they can have. Most of you know that there is a keener enjoyment in man in the intellect than in the senses. No one of you can feel the same pleasure in eating as a dog does. You can mark that. Where does the pleasure come from in man? Not that whole-souled enjoyment of eating that the pig or the dog has. See how the pig eats. It is unconscious of the universe while it is eating; its whole soul is bound up in the food. It may be killed but it does not care when it has food. Think of the intense enjoyment that the pig has! No man has that. Where is it gone? Man has changed it into intellectual enjoyment. The pig cannot enjoy religious lectures. That is one step higher and keener yet than intellectual pleasures, and that is the spiritual plane, spiritual enjoyment of things divine, soaring beyond reason and intellect. To procure that we shall have to lose all these sense-enjoyments. This is the highest utility. Utility is what I enjoy, and what everyone enjoys, and we run for that.
We find that man enjoys his intellect much more than an animal enjoys his senses, and we see that man enjoys his spiritual nature even more than his rational nature. So the highest wisdom must be this spiritual knowledge. With this knowledge will come bliss. All these things of this world are but the shadows, the manifestations in the third or fourth degree of the real Knowledge and Bliss.
It is this Bliss that comes to you through the love of humanity; the shadow of this spiritual Bliss is this human love, but do not confound it with that human bliss. There is that great error: We are always mistaking the: love that we have — this carnal, human love, this attachment for particles, this electrical attraction for human beings in society — for this spiritual Bliss. We are apt to mistake this for that eternal state, which it is not. For want of any other name in English, I would call it Bliss, which is the same as eternal knowledge — and that is our goal. Throughout the world, wherever there has been a religion, and wherever there will be a religion, they have all sprung and will all spring out of one source, called by various names in various countries; and that is what in the Western countries you call "inspiration". What is this inspiration? Inspiration is the only source of religious knowledge. We have seen that religion essentially belongs to the plane beyond the senses. It is "where the eyes cannot go, or the ears, where the mind cannot reach, or what words cannot express". That is the field and goal of religion, and from this comes that which we call inspiration. It naturally follows, therefore, that there must be some way to go beyond the senses. It is perfectly true that our reason cannot go beyond the senses; all reasoning is within the senses, and reason is based upon the facts which the senses reach. But can a man go beyond the senses? Can a man know the unknowable? Upon this the whole question of religion is to be and has been decided. From time immemorial there was that adamantine wall, the barrier to the senses; from time immemorial hundreds and thousands of men and women haven't dashed themselves against this wall to penetrate beyond. Millions have failed, and millions have succeeded. This is the history of the world. Millions more do not believe that anyone ever succeeded; and these are the sceptics of the present day. Man succeeds in going beyond this wall if he only tries. Man has not only reason, he has not only senses, but there is much in him which is beyond the senses. We shall try to explain it a little. I hope you will feel that it is within you also.
I move my hand, and I feel and I know that I am moving my hand. I call it consciousness. I am conscious that I am moving my hand. But my heart is moving. I am not conscious of that; and yet who is moving the heart? It must be the same being. So we see that this being who moves the hands and speaks, that is to say, acts consciously, also acts unconsciously. We find, therefore, that this being can act upon two planes — one, the plane of consciousness, and the other, the plane below that. The impulsions from the plane of unconsciousness are what we call instinct, and when the same impulsions come from the plane of consciousness, we call it reason. But there is a still higher plane, superconsciousness in man. This is apparently the same as unconsciousness, because it is beyond the plane of consciousness, but it is above consciousness and not below it. It is not instinct, it is inspiration. There is proof of it. Think of all these great prophets and sages that the world has produced, and it is well known how there will be times in their lives, moments in their existence, when they will be apparently unconscious of the external world; and all the knowledge that subsequently comes out of them, they claim, was gained during this state of existence. It is said of Socrates that while marching with the army, there was a beautiful sunrise, and that set in motion in his mind a train of thought; he stood there for two days in the sun quite unconscious. It was such moments that gave the Socratic knowledge to the world. So with all the great preachers and prophets, there are moments in their lives when they, as it were, rise from the conscious and go above it. And when they come back to the plane of consciousness, they come radiant with light; they have brought news from the beyond, and they are the inspired seers of the world.
But there is a great danger. Any man may say he is inspired; many times they say that. Where is the test? During sleep we are unconscious; a fool goes to sleep; he sleeps soundly for three hours; and when he comes back from that state, he is the same fool if not worse. Jesus of Nazareth goes into his transfiguration, and when he comes out, he has become Jesus the Christ. That is all the difference. One is inspiration, and the other is instinct. The one is a child, and the other is the old experienced man. This inspiration is possible for everyone of us. It is the source of all religions, and will ever be the source of all higher knowledge. Yet there are great dangers in the way. Sometimes fraudulent people try to impose themselves upon mankind. In these days it is becoming all too prevalent. A friend of mine had a very fine picture. Another gentleman who was rather religiously inclined, and a rich man, had his eyes upon this picture; but my friend would not sell it. This other gentleman one day comes and says to my friend, I have an inspiration and I have a message from God. "What is your message?" my friend asked. "The message is that you must deliver that picture to me." My friend was up to his mark; he immediately added, "Exactly so; how beautiful! I had exactly the same inspiration, that I should have to deliver to you the picture. Have you brought your cheque?" "Cheque? What cheque?' "Then", said my friend, "I don't think your inspiration was right. My inspiration was that I must give the picture to the man who brought a cheque for $100,000. You must bring the cheque first." The other man found he was caught, and gave up the inspiration theory. These are the dangers. A man came to me in Boston and said he had visions in which he had been talked to in the Hindu language. I said, "If I can see what he says I will believe it." But he wrote down a lot of nonsense. I tried my best to understand it, but I could not. I told him that so far as my knowledge went, such language never was and never will be in India. They had not become civilised enough to have such a language as that. He thought of course that I was a rogue and sceptic, and went away; and I would not be surprised next to hear that he was in a lunatic asylum. These are the two dangers always in this world — the danger from frauds, and the danger from fools. But that need not deter us, for all great things in this world are fraught with danger. At the same time we must take a little precaution. Sometimes I find persons perfectly wanting in logical analysis of anything. A man comes and says, "I have a message from such and such a god", and asks, "Can you deny it? Is it not possible that there will be such and such a god, and that he will give such a message? And 90 per cent of fools will swallow it. They think that that is reason enough. But one thing you ought to know, that it is possible for anything to happen - quite possible that the earth may come into contact with the Dog star in the next year and go to pieces. But if I advance this proposition, you have the right to stand up and ask me to prove it to you. What the lawyers call the onus probandi is on the man who made the proposition. It is not your duty to prove that I got my inspiration from a certain god, but mine, because I produced the proposition to you. If I cannot prove it, I should better hold my tongue. Avoid both these dangers, and you can get anywhere you please. Many of us get many messages in our lives, or think we get them, and as long as the message is regarding our own selves, go on doing what you please; but when it is in regard to our contact with and behaviour to others, think a hundred times before you act upon it; and then you will be safe.
We find that this inspiration is the only source of religion; yet it has always been fraught with many dangers; and the last and worst of all dangers is excessive claims. Certain men stand up and say they have a communication from God, and they are the mouthpiece of God Almighty, and no one else has the right to have that communication. This, on the face of it, is unreasonable. If there is anything in the universe, it must be universal; there is not one movement here that is not universal, because the whole universe is governed by laws. It is systematic and harmonious all through. Therefore what is anywhere must be everywhere. Each atom in the universe is built on the same plan as the biggest sun and the stars. If one man was ever inspired, it is possible for each and every one of us to be inspired, and that is religion. Avoid all these dangers, illusions and delusions, and fraud and making excessive claims, but come face to face with religious facts, and come into direct contact with the science of religion. Religion does not consist in believing any number of doctrines or dogmas, in going to churches or temples, in reading certain books. Have you seen God? Have you seen the soul? If not, are you struggling for it? It is here and now, and you have not to wait for the future. What is the future but the present illimitable? What is the whole amount of time but one second repeated again and again? Religion is here and now, in this present life.
One question more: What is the goal? Nowadays it is asserted that man is progressing infinitely, forward and forward, and there is no goal of perfection to attain to. Ever approaching, never attaining, whatever that may mean, and however wonderful it may be, it is absurd on the face of it. Is there any motion in a straight line? A straight line infinitely projected becomes a circle, it returns back to the starting point. You must end where you begin; and as you began in God, you must go back to God. What remains? Detail work. Through eternity you have to do the detail work.
Yet another question: Are we to discover new truths of religion as we go on? Yea and nay. In the first place, we cannot know anything more of religion; it has been all known. In all the religions of the world you will find it claimed that there is a unity within us. Being one with the Divinity, there cannot be any further progress in that sense. Knowledge means Ending this unity in variety. I see you as men and women, and this is variety. It becomes scientific knowledge when I group you together and call you human beings. Take the science of chemistry, for instance. Chemists are seeking to resolve all known substances into their original elements, and if possible, to find the one element from which all these are derived. The time may come when they will find the one element. That is the source of all other elements. Reaching that, they can go no further; the science of chemistry will have become perfect. So it is with the science of religion. If we can discover this perfect unity, then there cannot be any further progress.
When it was discovered that "I and my Father are one", the last word was said of religion. Then there only remained detail work. In true religion there is no faith or belief in the sense of blind faith. No great preacher ever preached that. That only comes with degeneracy. Fools pretend to be followers of this or that spiritual giant, and although they may be without power, endeavour to teach humanity to believe blindly. Believe what? To believe blindly is to degenerate the human soul. Be an atheist if you want, but do not believe in anything unquestioningly. Why degrade the soul to the level of animals? You not only hurt yourselves thereby, but you injure society, and make danger for those that come after you. Stand up and reason out, having no blind faith. Religion is a question of being and becoming, not of believing. This is religion, and when you have attained to that you have religion. Before that you are no better than the animals. "Do not believe in what you have heard," says the great Buddha, "do not believe in doctrines because they have been handed down to you through generations; do not believe in anything because it is followed blindly by many; do not believe because some old sage makes a statement; do not believe in truths to which you have become attached by habit; do not believe merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Have deliberation and analyse, and when the result agrees with reason and conduces to the good of one and all, accept it and live up to it."
Notes
文本来自Wikisource公共领域。原版由阿德瓦伊塔修道院出版。