156
THE SWORD OF - SONG
Mysticism does
not need Christ.
Krishna will
serve, or the
Carpenter.
The Sacred
Walrus.
God, some
Vestments, and
Lady Wim-
borne.
Fearful aspect
of John ili, 16.
Universalism.
Will God get
the bara* slam?
Eternal life.
Divergent
views of its
desirability.
Buddhist idea.
Dogma of
Belief.
- But if you drink your mystic fill
* Great slam-—a term of Bridge-Whist.
+ John iii, 18, ‘‘ He that believeth not is condemned already.”’
Under the good tree Igdrasil ©
Where is at all your use for Christ?
Hath Krishna not at all sufficed?
I hereby guarantee to pull
A faith as quaint and beautiful
As much attractive to an ass,
And setting reason at defiance,
As Zionism, Christian Science,
Or Ladies’ League, ® ‘‘ Keep off the Grass !”’
From “ Alice through the Looking-Glass.”
Hence I account no promise worse,
Fail to conceive a fiercer curse
Than John’s third chapter (sixteenth verse),
But now (you say) broad-minded folk
Think that those words the Master spoke
Should save all men at last. But mind!
The text says nothing of the kind!
Read the next verses ! t
Then—one-third
Of all humanity are steady
In a belief in Buddha’s word,
Possess eternal life already,
And shun delights, laborious days
Of labour living (Milton’s phrase)
In strenuous purpose to—? to cease !
“A fig for God’s eternal peace !
True peace is to annihilate
The chain of causes men call Fate,
So that no Sattva ®& may renew
Once death has run life’s shuttle through.”
(Their sages put it somewhat thus)
What’s fun to them is death to us!
That’s clear at least.
But never mind!
Call them idolaters and blind! |
We'll talk of Christ. As Shelley sang,
‘“‘ Shall an eternal issue hang
460
465
470
480
490
495
Bara is Hindustani
for great.