Collected Works (Vol. II)

SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM 249 survives death, what does it matter to us?| 5. Patigha. Hatred. Why are we to be so altruistic as to avoid} 6. Ruparaga. Desire for bodily immor- the reincarnation of a being in all points tality. different from ourselves? As the small boy} 7. Aruparaga. Desire for spiritual im- said, ‘‘ What has posterity done for me?” mortality. But something does persist; something} 8. Mano. Pride. changing, though less slowly. What evi-| 9. Udhasfa. Self-righteousness. dence have we afier all that an animal does| I0. Avigga. Ignorance. not remember his man-incarnation? Or, as Levi says, ‘‘In the suns they remember, and in the planets they forget.” I think it unlikely (may be), but in the total absence of all evidence for or against—at least with regard to the latter hypothesis !—I suspend my judgment, leave the question alone, and proceed to more practical points than are offered by these interesting but not over- useful metaphysical speculations. V. KARMA. The law of causation is formally identical with this. Karma means ‘‘ that which is ‘made,” and I think it should be considered with strict etymological accuracy. If I place a stone on the roof of a house, it is sure to fall sooner or later; z.¢., as soon as the con- ditions permit. Also, in its ultimation, the doctrine of Karma is identical with deter- minism. On this subject much wisdom, with an infinite amount of rubbish, has been written. I therefore dismiss it in these few words, confident that the established identity can never be shaken. VI. THE TEN FETTERS OR SANYOGANAS. Lelief in a ‘‘ soul.” Doubt. I. Sakkaya-dié¢/i. 2. Vikiki&hha. 3. Silabbata-para- Reliance on the effi- masa. cacy of rites and ceremonies. 4. Kama. Bodily Desires. (1) For this is a petetzo princtpit. (2) This, to a scientist, is apparently anathema. But it only means, I think, that if we are not settled in our minds we cannot work. And this is unquestionable. Suppose a chemist to set to work to determine the boiling-point of a new organic substance. Does he stop in the midst, struck by the fear that his thermometer is inaccurate? No! he has, unless he is a fool, tested it previously. We must have our principia tixed before we can do research work. (3) A scientist hardly requires conviction on this point ! (4) Do you think to combine Newton and Caligula? The passions, allowed to dominate, interfere with the concentration of the mind. ) (5) Does brooding on your dislikes help you to accurate observation? I admit that a controversy may stir you up to perform prodigies of work, but while you are actually working you do not suffer the concentration of your mind to be interfered with.. (6 & 7) This Fetter and the next are con- tingent on your having perceived the suffer- ing of all forms of conscious existence. (8) Needs no comment. Pride, humility, is a form of delusion. (9) Is like unto it, but on the moral plane. (10) The great enemy. Theists alone have found the infamous audacity to extol the merits of this badge of servitude. We see, then, that in this classification a scientist will concur. We need not discuss the question whether or no he would find others to add. Buddhism may not be com- plete, but, as far as it goes, it is accurate. like