FOLLOW A WORD THROUGH THE COLLECTION
Search the corpus.
Phrase search ignores case and repeated whitespace. All-words search finds whole words anywhere on the same page. OCR errors can affect results.
26 matching pages
Page 1 of 21904 · PDF PAGE 39
THE SWORD OF SONG 32 As by a lightning flash, solve doubt And turn all Nature inside out : And, if such potency of might Hath Truth, once state the truth aright, Whence came the use for all these pages Millions together—mighty sages Whom the least obstacle enrages ? Condemn the mystic if he prove Thinking less valuable than love ? Well, let them try their various plans ! Do they resolve that doubt of man’s ? How many are Hegelians ? This, though I hold him mostly true. But, to teach others that same view ? Surely long years develop reason.45 Af…
1904 · PDF PAGE 73
…what is the one fact on which all agree? The one fact whose knowledge has been since reliigon began the all-sufficient passport to their doubtfully-desirable company? This: that “I see a cat” is not only an unwarrantable assumption but a lie ; that the duality of consciousness ceases suddenly, once the rate of change has been sufficiently slowed down, so that, even for a few seconds, the rela- tion of subject and object remains impregnable. It is a circumstance of little interest to the present essayist that this annihilation of duality is asso…
1904 · PDF PAGE 58
…ecomes impossible, and to forbid it is absurd. We may argue that even so temporary theft may exist; and that this is so is to my mind no doubt the case. All theft is temporary, since even a millionaire must die; also it is universal, since even a Buddha must breathe. THE THIRD PRECEPT This prece[pt, against adultery, I shall touch but lightly. Not that I consider the subj ect unpleasant—far from it!—but since the English section of my readers, having unclean minds, will otherwise find a fulcrum therein for their favourite game of slander. Let i…
1904 · PDF PAGE 54
…wall, the somew hat cruel instrument of eternal Justice, is killed by his servant. Regan avenges her husband promptly, and I have little doubt that this act of excessive courtesy towards a man she did not love is the moral cause of her unhappy end. I would not that we should not attempt to draw any opinions as to the author’s design from the conversation of the vulgar ; even had we not Coriolanus to show us what he thought. IV. Act IV. develops the plot and is little germane to our matter, save that w e catch a glimpse of the unspeakably vile C…
1904 · PDF PAGE 50
…is- covered so patent a fact. In some plays, too, of course, the poet deals with less dangerous topics. These are truly conventional, no doubt; we may pass them by; they are foreign to our purpose; but we will take that stupendous example of literary subterfuge—King Lear. Let my digress to the history of my own conversion. Syllogistically,—all great men ( e.g. Shaw) are agnostics and subverters of morals. Shake- speare was a great man. Therefore Shakespeare was an agnostic and a subverter of morals. À priori this is then certain. But— Who kille…
1904 · PDF PAGE 38
…l, The first of which is concentration ! Here most philosohers agree ; Claim that the truth must so intend, Explain at once all agony Of doubt, make people comprehend 350 355 260 365 370 375 380 385 The Advaitist position. Mind’s superior functions. Does truth make itself in- stantly appa- rent ? Not reason.
1904 · PDF PAGE 45
…hy evidence That things are real, since I cease The painter’s ecstasy of peace, And find them all unchanged.” To-day I cannot brush that doubt away ; It leads to tedious argument Uncertain, in the best event : Unless, indeed, I should invoke The fourth dimension, clear the smoke Psychology still leaves. This question Needs a more adequate digestion. Yet I may answer that the universe Of meditation suffers less From time’s insufferable stress Than that of matter. On, thou puny verse ! Weak tide of rhyme ! Another argument Will block the railway …
1904 · PDF PAGE 123
…mo and above, that these interpretations are but reflections of those upon a higher plane— the scientific plane. They are (I have little doubt) for those who have attained to them mnemonic keys to whole classes of pheno- mena of the order anciently denominated magical, phenomena which, s ince the h uman mind has had its present constitution, have been translated into language, classified, sought after, alway s above language, but n ot beyond a sane and scientific classification, a rigid and satisfactory method, as I most firmly believe. It is t…
1904 · PDF PAGE 31
…ate, In strength of spirit growing straight And life as light a-lving out !” So Swinburne doth sublimely state, And he is right beyond a doubt. So, I’m a poet or a rhymer ; A mountaineer or mountain climber. So much for Crowley’s vital primer. The inward life of soul and heart, That is a thing occult, apart : But yet his metier or his kismet As much as these you have of his met. So—you be butcher ; you be baker ; You, Plymouth Brother, and you, Quaker ; You, Mountebank, you, corset-maker :— While for you, my big beauty,20 (Chicago packs pork) I…
1904 · PDF PAGE 126
…e Christendom and put the pioneers of rational investigation into the nature of consciousness on the rack ( i.e. into lunatic asylums) I doubt not we shall find our Bruno. But it will add an additional pang that persecution should come from the house of our friends. Let us , however, turn away from the aspect of criticism which an accidentla controversy has thus caused me to notice, and so to anticipate the obvious line of attack which the more frivolous ty pe of critic will employ, and return to our proper business, the summary of our own posi…
1904 · PDF PAGE 59
THE SWORD OF SONG 52 Dhyanic consciousness includes it and denies it. No doubt “something called” acts as a kind of caveat to the would-be sceptic, though the phrase is bad, implying a “calling. ” B ut we can guess what Huxley means. No doubt Buddha’s scepticism does not openly go quite so far as mine—it must be remembered that “scepticism” is merely the indication of a possible attitude, not a belief, as so many good fool folk thing; but Buddha not only denies “Cogito, ergo sum”; but “Cogito, ergo non sum.” See Sabbasava Sutta, par. 10.* At an…
1904 · PDF PAGE 51
…led, by an act of gracious generosity to a man they despise, yet pity, to say w hat they think w ill please the dotard’s vanity. Also no doubt the sound commercial instinct was touched by Lear’s promise to make acres vary as words, and they deter- mined to make a final effort to get some par- snips buttered after all. Shakespeare (it is our English boast) was no long-haired squiggle self-yclept bard ; but a business man—see Bishop Blougram’s appre- ciation of him as such. Shall we suppose him to have deliberately blackguarded in another his own…
1904 · PDF PAGE 4
… the song is called. I see. But what is the song?” “You must be a perfect fool,” said the Knight, irritably . “The song is called ‘Stout Doubt; or the Agnostic Anthology ,’ by the author of ‘Gas Manipulation,’ ‘Solu- tions,’ ‘The Management of Retorts,’ and other physical works of the first order—but that’s only what it’s called, you know.” “Well, wha t is the song then?” said Alice, who was by this tim e completely be- wildered. “If I wished to be obscure, child,” said the Knight, rather contemptuously, “I should tell you that the Name of the …
1904 · PDF PAGE 114
…the established identity can never be shaken. VI. THE TEN FETTERS OR SANYOGANAS. 1. Sakkay a-ditthi. Belief in a “soul.” 2. V ikikikkha. Doubt. 3. Silabbata-parâ- Reliance on the effi- mâsa cacy of rites and and ceremonies. 4. Kama. Bodily Desires. 5. Patigha. H atred. 6. Ruparaga. Desire for bodily im mortality. 7. Aruparaga. Desire for spiritual i mmortality. 8. Mano. Pride. 9. Udha kka. Self-righteousness. 10. Avigga. Ignorance. (1) For this is a petitio principii. (2) This, to a scientist, is apparently anathema. But it only means, I think,…
1904 · PDF PAGE 83
…Brother?” smiled the Thrice-Honoured One. “Lord, I perceive this Truth wheneverI 1 Thirst: i.e. desire in its evil sense. 2 Ignorance. 3 Doubt. 4 “Bliss-of-non-existence.” One of Crowley’s eastern names. consider the Universe. More, its consciousness seems ingrained in my very nature, perhaps through my having known this for many incarnations. I have never thought otherwise.” ”Rise, Sir Abhavananda, I dub thee Arahat!” cried the Buddha, striking the neophyte ently on the back with the flat of his ear.1 And he perceived. When the applause and pr…
1904 · PDF PAGE 101
…his disciples very conveniently interpreted as meaning that the question tended not to edification. I take it that the Buddha (ignorant, doubt- less, of algebra) had sufficiently studied philosophy and possessed enough worldly wisdom to be well aware that any system he might promulgate would be instantly attacked and annihilated by the acumen of his numer- ous and versatile opponents. Such teaching as he gave on the point may be summed up as follows. “Whence, whither, why, we know not; but we do know that we are here, that we dislike being here…
1904 · PDF PAGE 107
…rown billycock and frock coat, wearing a green tie and chewing a s traw, who was at the soirée of the Carlton Club last Monday night; no doubt ! but this means is seldom or never used in the similar contingency of a cow- elephant desiring her bull in the jungles of Ceylon. Meditation is not within the reach of every one ; not all possess the ability ; very few indeed (in the W est at leas t) have the opportunity. In any case what the Eas terns call “ one- pointedness” is an essential prelim inary to even early s tages of true m editation. And i…
1904 · PDF PAGE 68
…fending, and the Baptist chapel the only chapel worth of worship (sic). But Mr. Crowley is a strong and genuine poet, and we have little doubt that he will work up from his appreciation of the Temple of Osiris to that loftier and wider work of the hum an im agination, the appreciation of the Brixton chapel. G. K. CHESTERTON. 778, 779. The rest of life, for self-control, For liberation of the soul.81 Who said Rats ? Thanks for your advice, Tony Veller, but it came in vain. As the ex-monk* (that shook the bookstall) wrote in confidence to the…
1904 · PDF PAGE 111
…of pain. Unable to arrest it, I slo w the process, and render it tem porarily painless, by eating. T his is a concession to weakness, no doubt, in one sense. Do I eat r eally in or der to check change, or to m aintain m y ego- consciousness? Change I desire, for my present condition is sorrow. I really desire the im- possible; completely to retain m y present egoity with all its conditions reversed.—A. C. 2 For an able and luminous exposition of “The Four Noble T ruths” I r efer the r eader to the pam phlet bearing that title by by old friend B…
1904 · PDF PAGE 63
…e term “liar.” 212. Ibsen.42—Norwegian dramatist. This and the next sentence have nineteen distinct meanings. As, however, all (with one doubt- ful exception) are truem and taken together synthetically connote my concept, I have let the passage stand. 219. I was Lord Roberts, he De Wet.44—Vide Sir A. Conan Doyle’s masterly fiction, “The Great Boer War.” 222. Hill.45—An archaic phrase signifying kopje. 223. Ditch.46—Probably an obsolete slang term for spruit. 273. Some.47—The reader may search modern periodicals for this theory. 282. The Tmolian…