第11章 快乐人生要远离自负

Learning to Get Out of the Way

佚名/Anonymous

每种高级宗教的信仰都包含两种对立的存在：一种是无穷的乐观精神，另一种是深刻的悲观主义。它们告诉我们，人类的自负多多少少遮盖了存在于自身的一道光芒，这道光芒就存在于每个人的心灵深处。然而，只要我们愿意做，我们就可以让自负远离自己，或者说，重新让这道光芒闪现出来，并与创造它的神融合为一体，于是传统宗教的乐观主义就产生了。尽管每个人都受到了召唤，然而因为很少有人愿意被选中，所以也就只有很少的一部分人受到青睐，于是悲观主义就产生了。

我认为，比任何形式的现代乌托邦主义更现实、更符合既成事实的就是更加古老的人性和命运的观念。

显而易见的是，假如诱惑很大或持续的时间过长，大多数人就会屈从。因此，主祷文告诉我们，要祈求上帝的保佑，不要让自己被诱惑牵着鼻子走。或许，营造一个完美的社会秩序超出了我们的能力范围。然而，我相信，把危险的诱惑降到我们当前的能力范围之内，是完全有可能实现的。

作为一个社会公民，我们应该树立这样的目标：构建一个能把危险诱惑降到最低程度的社会。我们可以使用各种方式去实现这个目标。然而，是否因为目标是正当的，我们就可以使用本质上并不正当的手段呢？对于这个问题，我们在理论上可以广泛地发表自己的看法。然而，我发现，我们使用的手段无一例外地决定了所实现目标的本质。正如甘地孜孜不倦地强调的：“手段是目标的初始阶段。”为了把自己生活的世界建设得更美好，人们付出了巨大的努力，然而，除了小工具、管道和卫生之外，取得的成就真是少之又少。正如一句谚语所说的那样：“通往地狱的道路是用善意铺成的。”然而，只要我们意识到我们使用的手段是卑劣的，或仅仅是不当的，却还要试图继续下去，那么善意同样会导致恶果，并成为具有讽刺意味的悲剧。

我个人能否做些事情，让未来的历史少一些当前和已成历史的所有悲剧和讽刺味道呢？我相信，我能够做到。作为一个公民，我能够运用自己所有的智慧和美好的愿望，形成与所要实现的理想目标具有相同性质的政治手段。作为一个拥有灵魂与肉体的人，我能够从自负中挣脱出来，让给予生命和意识的神的光芒重现，照亮我的全身。

真正的自由往往受到一定的约束和限制，要么是法律上的，要么是道义上的。学会摆脱自负，既是解决人生问题的重要工具，也是消除人生痛苦的重要手段。只有这样，我们才会以坚强、果敢的态度，让生命之光照耀心灵。

In every one of the higher religions there is a strain of infinite optimism on the one hand， and on the other， of a profound pessimism. In the depths of our being， they all teach， there is an inner high—but an inner light which our egotism keeps， for most of the time， in a state of more or less complete eclipse.If， however， it so desires， the ego can get out of the way， so to speak， can dis-eclipse the light and become identified with its divine source.Hence the unlimited optimism of the traditional religions.Their pessimism springs from the observed fact that， though all are called， few are chosen—for the sufficient reason that few choose to be chosen.

To me， this older conception of man's nature and destiny seems more realistic， more nearly in accord with the given facts， than any form of modern utopianism.

In the Lord's Prayer we are taught to ask for the blessing which consists in not being led into temptation. The reason is only too obvious.When temptations are very great or unduly prolonged， most persons succumb to them.To devise a perfect social order is probably beyond our powers；but I believe that it is perfectly possible for us to reduce the number of dangerous temptations to a level far below that which is tolerated at the present time.

A society so arranged that there shall be a minimum of dangerous temptations—this is the end towards which， as a citizen， I have to strive. In my efforts to that end， I can make use of a great variety of means.Do good ends justify the use of intrinsically bad means？On the level of theory， the point can be argued indefinitely.In practice， meanwhile， I find that the means employed invariably determine the nature of the end achieved.Indeed， as Mahatma Gandhi was never tired of insisting， the means are the end in its preliminary stages.Men have put forth enormous efforts to make their world a better place to live in；but except in regard to gadgets， plumbing and hygiene， their success has been pathetically small. "Hell，" as the proverb has it， "is paved with good intentions." And so long as we go on trying to realize our ideals by bad or merely inappropriate means， our good intentions will come to the same bad ends.In this consists the tragedy and the irony of history.

Can I， as an individual， do anything to make future history a little less tragic and less ironic than history past and present？I believe I can. As a citizen， I can use all my intelligence and all my good will to develop political means that shall be of the same kind and quality as the ideal ends which I am trying to achieve.And as a person， as a psychophysical organism， I can learn how to get out of the way， so that the divine source of my life and consciousness can come out of eclipse and shine through me.