第56章

类别:其他 作者:William James字数:5537更新时间:18/12/21 17:13:49
Thetemperofthetranquil-mindednessdiffers,ofcourse,accordingasthepersonisofaconstitutionallysombreorofaconstitutionallycheerfulcastofmind。Inthesombreitpartakesmoreofresignationandsubmission;inthecheerfulitisajoyousconsent。Asanexampleoftheformertemper,IquotepartofaletterfromProfessorLagneau,aveneratedteacherofphilosophywholatelydied,agreatinvalid,atParis:—— “Mylife,forthesuccessofwhichyousendgoodwishes,willbewhatitisabletobe。Iasknothingfromit,Iexpectnothingfromit。ForlongyearsnowIexist,think,andact,andamworthwhatIamworth,onlythroughthedespairwhichismysolestrengthandmysolefoundation。Mayitpreserveforme,evenintheselasttrialstowhichIamcoming,thecouragetodowithoutthedesireofdeliverance。IasknothingmorefromtheSourcewhenceallstrengthcometh,andifthatisgranted,yourwisheswillhavebeenaccomplished。”[169] [169]Bulletindel’Unionpourl’ActionMorale,September,1894。 Thereissomethingpatheticandfatalisticaboutthis,butthepowerofsuchatoneasaprotectionagainstoutwardshocksismanifest。PascalisanotherFrenchmanofpessimistic<281> naturaltemperament。Heexpressesstillmoreamplythetemperofself-surrenderingsubmissiveness:—— “Deliverme,Lord。”hewritesinhisprayers,“fromthesadnessatmypropersufferingwhichself-lovemightgive,butputintomeasadnesslikeyourown。Letmysufferingsappeaseyourcholer。Makethemanoccasionformyconversionandsalvation。I askyouneitherforhealthnorforsickness,forlifenorfordeath;butthatyoumaydisposeofmyhealthandmysickness,mylifeandmydeath,foryourglory,formysalvation,andfortheuseoftheChurchandofyoursaints,ofwhomIwouldbyyourgracebeone。Youaloneknowwhatisexpedientforme;youarethesovereignmaster;dowithmeaccordingtoyourwill。Givetome,ortakeawayfromme,onlyconformmywilltoyours。Iknowbutonething,Lord,thatitisgoodtofollowyou,andbadtooffendyou。Apartfromthat,Iknownotwhatisgoodorbadinanything。Iknownotwhichismostprofitabletome,healthorsickness,wealthorpoverty,noranythingelseintheworld。 Thatdiscernmentisbeyondthepowerofmenorangels,andishiddenamongthesecretsofyourProvidence,whichIadore,butdonotseektofathom。”[170] [170]B。Pascal:PrierespourlesMaladies,Sectionsxiii。,xiv。,abridged。 Whenwereachmoreoptimistictemperaments,theresignationgrowslesspassive。ExamplesaresownsobroadcastthroughouthistorythatImightwellpassonwithoutcitation。Asitis,Isnatchatthefirstthatoccurstomymind。MadameGuyon,afrailcreaturephysically,wasyetofahappynativedisposition。Shewentthroughmanyperilswithadmirableserenityofsoul。Afterbeingsenttoprisonforheresy—— “Someofmyfriends。”shewrites,“weptbitterlyatthehearingofit,butsuchwasmystateofacquiescenceandresignationthatitfailedtodrawanytearsfromme……Thereappearedtobeinmethen,asIfindittobeinmenow,suchanentirelossofwhatregardsmyself,thatanyofmyowninterestsgavemelittlepainorpleasure;everwantingtowillorwishformyselfonlytheverythingwhichGoddoes。”Inanotherplaceshewrites: “Weallofuscamenearperishinginariverwhichwefounditnecessarytopass。Thecarriagesankinthequicksand。Otherswhowerewithusthrewthemselvesoutinexcessivefright。ButI foundmythoughtssomuchtakenupwithGodthatIhadnodistinctsenseofdanger。Itistruethatthethoughtofbeingdrownedpassedacrossmymind,butitcostnoothersensationorreflectioninmethanthis——thatIfeltquitecontentedandwillingitwereso,ifitweremyheavenlyFather’schoice。” SailingfromNicetoGenoa,astormkeepsherelevendaysatsea。 “Astheirritatedwavesdashedroundus。”shewrites,“Icouldnothelpexperiencingacertaindegreeofsatisfactioninmymind。Ipleasedmyselfwiththinkingthatthosemutinousbillows,underthecommandofHimwhodoesallthingsrightly,mightprobablyfurnishmewithawaterygrave。PerhapsIcarriedthepointtoofar,inthepleasurewhichItookinthusseeingmyselfbeatenandbandiedbytheswellingwaters。Thosewhowerewithmetooknoticeofmyintrepidity。”[171] [171]FromThomasC。Upham’sLifeandReligiousOpinionsandExperiencesofMadamedelaMotheGuyon,NewYork,1877,ii。48,i。141,413,abridged。 Thecontemptofdangerwhichreligiousenthusiasmproducesmaybeevenmorebuoyantstill。Itakeanexamplefromthatcharmingrecentautobiography,“WithChristatSea。”byFrankBullen。A coupleofdaysafterhewentthroughtheconversiononshipboardofwhichhetheregivesanaccount—— “Itwasblowingstiffly。”hewrites,“andwewerecarryingapressofcanvastogetnorthoutofthebadweather。Shortlyafterfourbellswehauleddowntheflying-jib,andIsprangoutastridetheboomtofurlit。Iwassittingastridetheboomwhensuddenlyitgavewaywithme。Thesailslippedthroughmyfingers,andIfellbackwards,hangingheaddownwardsovertheseethingtumultofshiningfoamundertheship’sbows,suspendedbyonefoot。ButIfeltonlyhighexultationinmycertaintyofeternallife。Althoughdeathwasdividedfrommebyahair’sbreadth,andIwasacutelyconsciousofthefact,itgavemenosensationbutjoy。IsupposeIcouldhavehungtherenolongerthanfiveseconds,butinthattimeIlivedawholeageofdelight。Butmybodyasserteditself,andwithadesperategymnasticeffortIregainedtheboom。HowIfurledthesailI don’tknow,butIsangattheutmostpitchofmyvoicepraisestoGodthatwentpealingoutoverthedarkwasteofwaters。”[172] [172]Op。cit。,London,1901,p。230。 Theannalsofmartyrdomareofcoursethesignalfieldoftriumphforreligiousimperturbability。Letmeciteasanexamplethestatementofahumblesufferer,persecutedasaHuguenotunderLouisXIV:—— “Theyshutallthedoors。”BlancheGamondwrites,“andIsawsixwomen,eachwithabunchofwillowrodsasthickasthehandcouldhold,andayardlong。Hegavemetheorder,’Undressyourself,’whichIdid。Hesaid,’Youareleavingonyourshift; youmusttakeitoff。’Theyhadsolittlepatiencethattheytookitoffthemselves,andIwasnakedfromthewaistup。Theybroughtacordwithwhichtheytiedmetoabeaminthekitchen。 Theydrewthecordtightwithalltheirstrengthandaskedme,’Doesithurtyou?’andthentheydischargedtheirfuryuponme,exclaimingastheystruckme,’PraynowtoyourGod。’ItwastheRoulettewomanwhoheldthislanguage。ButatthismomentI receivedthegreatestconsolationthatIcaneverreceiveinmylife,sinceIhadthehonorofbeingwhippedforthenameofChrist,andinadditionofbeingcrownedwithhismercyandhisconsolations。WhycanInotwritedowntheinconceivableinfluences,consolations,andpeacewhichIfeltinteriorly?Tounderstandthemonemusthavepassedbythesametrial;theyweresogreatthatIwasravished,fortherewhereafflictionsaboundgraceisgivensuperabundantly。Invainthewomencried,’Wemustdoubleourblows;shedoesnotfeelthem,forsheneitherspeaksnorcries。’AndhowshouldIhavecried,sinceIwasswooningwithhappinesswithin?”[173] [173]ClaparedeetGoty:DeuxHeroinesdelaFoi,Paris,1880,p。112。 Thetransitionfromtenseness,self-responsibility,andworry,toequanimity,receptivity,andpeace,isthemostwonderfulofallthoseshiftingsofinnerequilibrium,thosechangesofthepersonalcentreofenergy,whichIhaveanalyzedsooften;andthechiefwonderofitisthatitsooftencomesabout,notbydoing,butbysimplyrelaxingandthrowingtheburdendown。Thisabandonmentofself-responsibilityseemstobethefundamentalactinspecificallyreligious,asdistinguishedfrommoralpractice。Itantedatestheologiesandisindependentofphilosophies。Mind-cure,theosophy,stoicism,ordinaryneurologicalhygiene,insistonitasemphaticallyasChristianitydoes,anditiscapableofenteringintoclosestmarriagewitheveryspeculativecreed。[174]Christianswhohaveitstronglyliveinwhatiscalled“recollection。”andareneveranxiousaboutthefuture,norworryovertheoutcomeoftheday。 OfSaintCatharineofGenoaitissaidthat“shetookcognizanceofthings,onlyastheywerepresentedtoherinsuccession,MOMENTBYMOMENT。”Toherholysoul,“thedivinemomentwasthepresentmoment,……andwhenthepresentmomentwasestimatedinitselfandinitsrelations,andwhenthedutythatwasinvolvedinitwasaccomplished,itwaspermittedtopassawayasifithadneverbeen,andtogivewaytothefactsanddutiesofthemomentwhichcameafter。”[175]Hinduism,mind-cure,andtheosophyalllaygreatemphasisuponthisconcentrationoftheconsciousnessuponthemomentathand。 [174]Comparethesethreedifferentstatementsofit:A。P。 Call:AsaMatterofCourse,Boston,1894;H。W。Dresser: LivingbytheSpirit,NewYorkandLondon,1900;H。W。Smith: TheChristian’sSecretofaHappyLife,publishedbytheWillardTractRepository,andnowinthousandsofhands。 [175]T。C。Upham:LifeofMadameCatharineAdorna,3ded。,NewYork,1864,pp。158,172-74。 ThenextreligioussymptomwhichIwillnoteiswhathavecalledPurityofLife。Thesaintlypersonbecomesexceedinglysensitivetoinnerinconsistencyordiscord,andmixtureandconfusiongrowintolerable。Allthemind’sobjectsandoccupationsmustbeorderedwithreferencetothespecialspiritualexcitementwhichisnowitskeynote。Whateverisunspiritualtaintsthepurewaterofthesoulandisrepugnant。Mixedwiththisexaltationofthemoralsensibilitiesthereisalsoanardorofsacrifice,forthebeloveddeity’ssake,ofeverythingunworthyofhim。 Sometimesthespiritualardorissosovereignthatpurityisachievedatastroke——wehaveseenexamples。Usuallyitisamoregradualconquest。BillyBray’saccountofhisabandonmentoftobaccoisagoodexampleofthelatterformofachievement。 “Ihadbeenasmokeraswellasadrunkard,andIusedtolovemytobaccoasmuchasIlovedmymeat,andIwouldrathergodownintotheminewithoutmydinnerthanwithoutmypipe。Inthedaysofold,theLordspokebythemouthsofhisservants,theprophets;nowhespeakstousbythespiritofhisSon。Ihadnotonlythefeelingpartofreligion,butIcouldhearthesmall,stillvoicewithinspeakingtome。WhenItookthepipetosmoke,itwouldbeappliedwithin,’Itisanidol,alust; worshiptheLordwithcleanlips。’So,Ifeltitwasnotrighttosmoke。TheLordalsosentawomantoconvinceme。Iwasonedayinahouse,andItookoutmypipetolightitatthefire,andMaryHawke——forthatwasthewoman’sname——said,’Doyounotfeelitiswrongtosmoke?’IsaidthatIfeltsomethinginsidetellingmethatitwasanidol,alust,andshesaidthatwastheLord。ThenIsaid,’Now,Imustgiveitup,fortheLordistellingmeofitinside,andthewomanoutside,sothetobaccomustgo,loveitasImay。’ThereandthenItookthetobaccooutofmypocket,andthrewitintothefire,andputthepipeundermyfoot,’ashestoashes,dusttodust。’AndIhavenotsmokedsince。Ifoundithardtobreakoffoldhabits,butI criedtotheLordforhelp,andhegavemestrength,forhehassaid,’Calluponmeinthedayoftrouble,andIwilldeliverthee。’ThedayafterIgaveupsmokingIhadthetoothachesobadthatIdidnotknowwhattodo。Ithoughtthiswasowingtogivingupthepipe,butIsaidIwouldneversmokeagain,ifI losteverytoothinmyhead。Isaid,’Lord,thouhasttoldusMyyokeiseasyandmyburdenislight,’andwhenIsaidthat,allthepainleftme。Sometimesthethoughtofthepipewouldcomebacktomeverystrong;buttheLordstrengthenedmeagainstthehabit,and,blesshisname,Ihavenotsmokedsince。” Bray’sbiographerwritesthatafterhehadgivenupsmoking,hethoughtthathewouldchewalittle,butheconqueredthisdirtyhabit,too。“Ononeoccasion。”Braysaid,“whenataprayer- meetingatHicksMill,IheardtheLordsaytome,’Worshipmewithcleanlips。’So,whenwegotupfromourknees,Itookthequidoutofmymouthand’whipped’en’[threwit]undertheform。 But,whenwegotonourkneesagain,Iputanotherquidintomymouth。ThentheLordsaidtomeagain,’Worshipmewithcleanlips。’SoItookthequidoutofmymouth,andwhipped’enundertheformagain,andsaid,’Yes,Lord,Iwill。’FromthattimeI gaveupchewingaswellassmoking,andhavebeenafreeman。” Theasceticformswhichtheimpulseforveracityandpurityoflifemaytakeareoftenpatheticenough。TheearlyQuakers,forexample,hadhardbattlestowageagainsttheworldlinessandinsincerityoftheecclesiasticalChristianityoftheirtime。