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Page 1 of 11903 · PDF PAGE 7
…where, and concludes that the sole use of reason is to discover its own inferiority to faith. As Deussen “ well points out, faith in the Christian sense merely amounts to being convinced on insufficient grounds. This is surely the last refuge of incompetence. But though, always on the original hypothesis of the infinity of space, etc., the Advaitist position of the Vedantists and the great Germans is unassailable, yet on practical grounds the Dvaitists have all the advantage. Fichte and the others exhaust themselves trying to turn the simple an…
1903 · PDF PAGE 10
8 The Qabalists explain the “First Cause” * by the phrase: “FromO to I, as the circle opening out into the line.” The Christian dogma is really identical, for both conceive of a previous and eternally existing God, though the Qabalists hedge by describing this latent Deity as “Nor”. Later commentators, notably the illustrious MacGregorMathers, have explained this Not as Snegatively-existing”. Profound as is my respect for the intellectual and spiritual attainments of him whom I am proud to have been permitted to call my master, I am bound to ex…
1903 · PDF PAGE 20
…ans of bringing some devotees on to the true Path of the Wise, unpromising as such material must sound to intelligent ears. The esoteric Christian or Hindu adopts a middle path. Having projected the Absolute from his mind, he endeavours to unite his consciousness with that of his Absolute, and of course his personality is destroyed in the process. Yet it is to be feared that such an adept too often starts on the path with the hideous idea of aggrandizing his own personality to the utmost. But his method is so near to the true one that this tend…
1903 · PDF PAGE 15
…ry, must, however antecedently improbable, however difficult to assimilate, be true. ” “My friend, my young friend,” I think I hear some Christian cleric say, with an air of profound wisdom, not untinged with pity, condescending to pose beardless and brainless\ impertinence : “where is the C a us e for this truly remarkable change”?
1903 · PDF PAGE 5
…lutely straight.” The definition of God as infinite therefore denies man implicitly; while if he be finite, there is an end of the usual Christian reasons for worship, though I dare- say I could myself discover some reasonably good ones. I hardly expect to be asked, somehow. The resulting equilibrium of God and man, des- tructive of worship, is of course absurd. We must reject it, unless we want to fall into Positivism, Material- ism, or something of the sort. But if, then, we call God infinite, how are we to regard man, and Satan? (the latter,…
1903 · PDF PAGE 4
…Let us consider the force-quality in the existences conceived of by these two religions ‘respectively, remem- bering that the God of the Christian is infinite, and yet discussing the alternative if we could suppose him to be a finite God. In any equilibrated system of forces, we may sum and represent them as a triangle or series of triangles which again resolve into one. In any moving system, if the resultant motion be applied in a contrary direction, the equilibrium can also thus be represented. And if any one of the original forces in such a …
1903 · PDF PAGE 19
…f causality. He cannot prevent past causes taking effect, but he can prevent present causes from haying any future results. The exoteric Christian and Hindu rather rely on another person to do this for them, and are further blinded by the thirst for life and individual existence, the most formidable obstacle of all, in fact a negation of the very object of all religion. Schopenhauer shows that life is assured to the will-to-live, and unless Christ (or Krishna, as the case may be) destroys these folk
1903 · PDF PAGE 21
… is not infinite at all, but is itself limited by the little one. But to take away the little circle, that is the method of the esoteric Christian or the mystic. But the process is never perfect, because however small the little circle becomes, its relation with the big circle is still finite. But even allowing for a moment that the Absolute is really attainable, is the nothingness of the finity related to it really identical with that attained directly by the Buddhist Arahat? This, consistently with my former attitude, I feel constrained to de…