The Christian teaching

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BOUGHT WITH THE INCOME FROM THE

Introduction

I HAD reached the age of fifty, thinking that that life of man which occupies the time between birth and death, is all his life; and that therefore the end of man is happiness in this mortal life. So I tried to obtain this happiness. But the longer I tried, the more evident it became that this happiness does not, and cannot, exist. The particular happiness I sought I did not gain, whilst such as I did gain, immediately ceased to be happiness.

On the other hand, adversities continually increased, and the certainty of death became more and more evident. And I perceived that after this meaningless and unhappy life, nothing awaited me but suffering, illness, old age and annihilation. I asked myself. Why is viii Introduction.

this ? No answer was given me ; I despaired.

That which some people told me, and of which I had sometimes tried to persuade myself, namely, that a man should desire happiness, not for himself only, but for others, his neighbours, and all men — this did not satisfy me. Firstly, because I could not sincerely desire happiness for others as much as for myself; secondly, and chiefly, because others, exactly like myself, were doomed to unhappiness and death. Therefore all my efforts for others' happiness were useless.

I despaired. Then I thought that my despair might proceed from something peculiar in myself; that others knew for what they lived, and so escaped despair. So I began to observe other people; but they, like myself, did not know for what they lived. Some, in the aimless round of life, tried to hide this ignorance ; some assured themselves and others that they believed in the various religions instilled into them in childhood, belief in which religions was impossible, so foolish were

Introduction. ix

they. And of these last, many, it seemed to me, only pretended to believe, while in the bottom of their hearts they did not.

I could no longer follow the round of life, for no external occupation whatever could hide the problem before me. And I could not again believe the religion taught me in childhood, which of itself fell from me when I reached intellectual manhood.

The more I considered, the more I grew convinced that there was no truth in this religion, but only hypocrisy and venality in the deceivers, and weakness of mind, obstinacy and fear in the deceived.

Apart from the inner contradiction of this teaching, — its paltriness, its cruelty in confessing a God Who punishes men with eternal suffering,* — the principal thing which prevented my belief in it was the knowledge that side by side with the

* All these contradictions, absurdities and cruelties I exposed in detail in my work, The Criticism of Dogmatic Theology, where all the Church dogmas and theses, as taught in our theology, are examined in sequence.

X Introduction.

Greek-Orthodox teaching of Christianity, which asserts itself as the only true one, there existed a second teaching of Christianity — the Roman Catholic; a third^ — ' the Lutheran ; a fourth — Dissent ; all these being at variance. Each one asserted itself as the only true teaching. I knew also that side by side with these Christian teachings, non-Christian teachings also existed — Buddhism, Brahmanism, Mohammedanism, Confucianism, and others; these also asserting themselves to be true, and all other teachings erroneous.

I could neither return to the religion taught me in my childhood, nor believe in any of those professed among other nations, because in all of them were the same contradictions, absurdities, miracles, rejection of all other religions and, above all, the deceit which demands blind confidence in the teaching.

After thus becoming convinced that I could not find the solution of my difficulty and the abatement of my sufferings in the existing religions, my despair was such that I was on the verge of suicide.

Introduction. xi

At this point salvation came — salvation, which was this. From childhood I had retained a vague idea that in the Gospel lay an answer to my question. In this teaching in the Gospel, despite all misrepresentations of it in the teaching of the Christian Churches, I felt the presence of truth, and as a last effort, putting aside all interpretations, I began to read and study the Gospel and penetrate its meaning. The further I penetrated, the more clearly a new understanding of the Gospel was revealed to me; quite different from that taught by the Christian Churches, and solving the problem of my life.

At length this solution became perfectly clear, and not only clear, but incontestable as well; because, firstly, it harmonised entirely with the demands of my reason and heart, and secondly, when I came to understand it, I saw that this was not my exclusive interpretation of the Gospel (as it might appear), nor even the exclusive revelation of Christ, but the very solution of the problem given more or less explicitly by the best among men xii Introduction.

both before and after the Gospel was given ; a succession from Moses, Isaiah, Confucius, the early Greeks, Buddha, Socrates, down to Pascal, Spinoza, Fichte, Fuerbach and all those, often unnoticed and unknown, who, taking no teachings on trust, thought and spoke sincerely upon the meaning of life. So that, in learning the truth I drew from the Gospel, I was not only not alone, but I was with all the best men of the past and the present. I became confirmed in this truth, and at peace ; and I have since with gladness passed through twenty years of life and am with gladness drawing near to death.

This solution of the meaning of my life, which gave me full rest and joy of life, I desire to communicate to men.

My age and state of health are such that I am with one foot in the grave, and worldly considerations have no meaning for me. Even had they, I know that this exposition of my religion will not contribute either to my worldly profit or reputation, but, on the contrary, may only

Introduction. xiii

exasperate and grieve both those unbelievers in reHgion who request literarywork from me and not theological treatises, and those believers in religion who are indignant at all my religious writings, and abuse me for them. Besides, in all probability, this writing will be made public only after my death.* So that I am urged to what I do, not by wish for gain or fame, nor by any worldly considerations, but only by fear to fail in what is required from me by Him Who has sent me into this world, to Whom I am hourly expecting to return.

I therefore beg all those who shall read this to follow and understand my writing, putting aside, as I did, all worldly considerations and holding before them only that eternal Principle of truth and right by Whose will we have come into the world, whence, as beings in the body, we shall very soon disappear ; without hurry or irritation, let them understand and judge what I say. If they disagree, let them correct me ; not with contempt and

* See Translator's Preface.

xiv Introduction.

hatred, but with pity and love. If they agree, let them remember that if I speak truth, that truth is not mine, but God's, and only casually part of it passes through me, just as it passes through every one of us when we behold truth and transmit it to others.

Part First. Ancient Teachings And The

NEW UNDERSTANDING

OF LIFE.

The Christian Teaching.

THE ANCIENT TEACHINGS.

1. From the earliest times men have felt the misery, instability and senselessness of their existence, and have looked for salvation from this misery, instability and senselessness to a God, or Gods, who would deliver them from various calamities in this life, and, in a life to come, give to them that welfare which they had desired, but failed to obtain, in this.

2. Therefore from the remotest antiquity, there have been teachers in various nations who have instructed men as to the nature of the God, or Gods, by whom they might be saved ; and as to the means of propitiation to be employed in order to obtain rewards here or hereafter.

3. Some of these reHgious doctrines taught that God was identical with the sun, and personified in various animals; others identified the Gods with the earth and sky ; others taught that God created the world, choosing from among all others one favoured nation ; others, again, taught that there were many Gods, and that they participated in human affairs. Yet others taught that God had descended to earth in human form.

And, intermingling truth with error, all these teachers required of men, not only abstinence from actions regarded as evil, and performance of actions regarded as good, but also divers sacraments, sacrifices and prayers, supposed to especially insure welfare both in this world and the next.

II. The Insufficiency Of The Ancient Teachings

4. But the longer men lived the less these teachings satisfied the demands of the human soul.

5. In the first place, men saw that notwithstanding their fulfilment of the demands of their God, or Gods, they failed to obtain in this world the happiness to which they aspired.

6. Secondly, with the spread of enlightenment, these teachings about God, and the future life with its promised recompenses, were seen not to correspond with the present clearer conceptions of the universe, and consequently men's confidence in them grew weaker and weaker.

7. If, in former times, men could, without difficulty, believe that God created the world six thousand years ago; that the earth was the centre of the universe ; that under the earth was hell ; that God, after descending to earth, flew away again into the skies, and so forth ; such beliefs have now become impossible, because men definitely know that the world has existed, not six thousand but hundreds of thousands of years; that the earth is not the centre of the universe, but only a planet, small in comparison with other heavenly bodies ; that there can be nothing under the earth, because it is a sphere, and they know that it is impossible to fly into the skies, because there is no sky, the vault of heaven existing only to the eye.

8. Thirdly and chiefly, men's confidence in these various teachings was undermined by entering into closer intercourse with one another, and learning that in every country religious teachers preach their own peculiar doctrine as the only true one, denying the truth of all others. Men, discovering this, naturally concluded that no one of these teachings was truer than another, and therefore that none of them could be accepted as the indubitable and infaUible truth.

III

THE NECESSITY OF A NEW TEACH- ING CORRESPONDING TO THE DEGREE OF ENLIGHTENMENT OF MANKIND.

9. The unattainableness of happiness in this life, the spreading enlightenment of mankind and the intercommunication of men by means of which they came to know the religious teaching of other nations, caused men's confidence in the doctrines they were taught to become weaker and weaker.

10. Yet the demand became more and more pressing for an explanation of the meaning of life, and for a solution of the contradiction between the desire for happiness and life on the one hand, and the increasingly clear perception of the certainty of calamity and death on the other.

11. Man desires welfare and in it sees the meaning of his life ; but the longer he lives the more clearly he sees that this welfare is impossible for him. Man desires life, and the continuation of life, but sees that both he and all that exist around him are doomed to inevitable destruction and disappearance. Man possesses reason, and seeks a reasonable explanation of the phenomena of life ; but finds no reasonable explanation either of his own life or of the lives of others.

12. If in ancient times, the consciousness of this contradiction between the desire of human life for welfare and continuation, and the inevitableness of death and suffering, was attainable only by the best minds, like Solomon, Buddha, Socrates, Laotze and others, later on it became a truth open to all ; and more than ever th€ solution of this contradiction became necessary.

13. And precisely at the time when the solution of this contradiction between lo The Christian Teaching.

aspiration after welfare and life and the consciousness that they are unattainable had become so painfully necessary to men, it was given to them by the true original Christian teaching.

IV

THE SOLUTION OF THE CONTRA- DICTION OF LIFE, AND THE EXPLANATION OF ITS MEAN- ING GIVEN BY THE TRUE ORIG- INAL CHRISTIAN TEACHING.

14. The ancient teachings tried to hide the contradiction of human Hfe by their assertions of the existence of God as Creator, Preserver and Redeemer; the Christian teaching, on the contrary, shows men this contradiction in all its force, shows them that it must exist, and out of the acknowledgment of it derives the solution. This contradiction may be stated as follows:

15. It is true that on the one hand man is an animal, and cannot cease to be an animal while he lives in the flesh ; but on the other hand he is a spiritual being, rejecting all the demands of the animal in man.

i6. During the first period of his life man lives without consciousness of living; hence it is not he that lives, but through him lives that power of life which lives in all we know.

17. Man only begins to live himself when he becomes conscious that he lives. He becomes conscious that he lives, when he knows that he desires for himself welfare, and that other beings have the same desire. This knowledge is given him by the awakening in him of reason.

18. Having found out that he lives and desires welfare for himself and that other beings have the same desire, man inevitably also discovers that the welfare he desires for his own separate being is unattainable ; and that, instead of the welfare he desires, inevitable suffering and death are awaiting him. The same calamities await all other beings. And there appears in this a contradiction, of which man seeks a solution; a solution which will give to his life, such as it is, a reasonable meaning. He desires that his life should either continue as it was before the awakening of his reason, i. e., purely animal, or else that it should be purely spiritual.

19. Man desires to be either a beast or an angel, but he can be neither the one nor the other.

20. And here we come to the solution of this contradiction given by the Christian teaching. It tells man that he is neither a beast nor an angel, but an angel being born of a beast — a spiritual-existence being born of an animal one ; and that all our life in this world is naught else but this process of birth.

V. The Birth Of The Spiritual Being

21. As soon as man is born to reasonable consciousness, this consciousness tells him that he desires welfare ; and his reasonable consciousness being born in his separate being, it seems to him that his desire for welfare relates to that separate being.

22. But that same reasonable consciousness which showed him himself as a separate being desiring for himself welfare, shows him also that this separate being is incompatible with that desire for welfare and life with which he associates it. He sees that this separate being can have neither welfare nor life.

23. " What then constitutes true life ? " he asks himself; and he perceives that there is true life neither in himself nor in those beings that surround him ; but only in that which desires welfare.

24. And having discovered this, man ceases to regard his own isolated bodily and mortal being as himself, but regards as himself that being (inseparable from others, spiritual and therefore not mortal) which is disclosed to him by his reasonable consciousness.

This constitutes the birth in man of the new spiritual being.

VI. What Is That Being Which Is Born In Man ?

25. The being that is revealed to man by his reasonable consciousness is the desire for welfare : that same desire for welfare which formerly also constituted the aim of his life, but with this difference — that the desire for welfare of the former being related to one separate corporeal being, and was not conscious of itself; whereas the present desire for welfare is conscious of itself, and relates not to anything isolated but to all that exists.

26. In the first period of the awakening of reason, it seems to man that the desire for welfare, which he recognises as his real self relates only to that body, in which it is enclosed.

27. But the clearer and firmer reason becomes, the more clearly it appears, as soon as he is conscious of himself, that the true selfoi man is not his body (which is devoid of true life), but this very desire for welfare — the desire for the welfare of all that exists, i. e. , universal welfare.

28. The desire for universal welfare is that which gives life to all that does exist, it is that which we call God.

29. So that the being disclosed to man in his consciousness — this being that is coming to life — that which gives life to all that exists, is God.

VII

GOD, ACCORDING TO THE CHRIST- IAN TEACHING, IS KNOWN TO MAN WITHIN MAN HIMSELF.

30. According to the former teachings, in order to know God man had to believe what other men told him : how God, as it was supposed, created the world and men, and then revealed Himself to them; whereas, according to the Christian teaching, man recognises God within himself, directly through his own consciousness.

31. Consciousness reveals to man that the essence of his life is the desire for universal welfare ; which is something inexplicable and inexpressible in words, and, at the same time, nearest and most comprehensible to man.

32. First appearing in man as the life of his separate animal being, then as the

i3 life of those beings he loves, the principle of the desire for welfare displays itself after his reasonable consciousness is awakened as the desire for universal welfare. This desire is the source of all life, it is God ; as said in the Gospel, ' ' God is love."

VIII

GOD, ACCORDING TO THE CHRIST- IAN TEACHING, IS KNOWN TO MAN OUTSIDE MAN HIMSELF.

33. But besides God being known to man within himself as the desire for universal welfare, as love, man has also, according to the same teaching, knowledge of God outside man's self in all that exists.

34. Being conscious of the spiritual and unseparated being of God in his separate body, and seeing that same God present in all that lives, man cannot but ask himself why God, a spiritual being, one and indivisible, has enclosed Himself in the separate bodies of beings, and in man's own individual body.

35. Why has a spiritual and absolute being subdivided itself as it were ? Why has the divine essence been confined in conditions of individuality and matter ?

Why has the immortal been enclosed in the mortal, and bound up with it ?

36. There can be but one answer. There is a higher will, the motives of which are incomprehensible to man. And this higher will has placed man, and all that exists, where they find themselves. This same will, the desire for universal welfare, love — which has for some purpose undiscoverable by man enclosed itself in beings separate from the rest of the universe, — is that same God which man knows within himself, seen also outside himself.

So that, according to the Christian teaching, God is that Essence of life, which man recognises both within himself and in the whole universe, as the desire for welfare ; and which is, at the same time, the cause by which this Essence is enclosed and conditioned in individual and corporeal life.

According to the Christian teaching, God is that Father Who, as we are told in the Gospel, sent into the world His Son like unto Himself, for the fulfilment in it of His Will, which is the welfare of all that exists.

IX

THE TRUTH OF THE CHRISTIAN UNDERSTANDING OF LIFE CON- FIRMED BY THE OUTWARD MANIFESTATION OF GOD.

37. In reasoning man God manifests Himself as the desire for universal welfare; in the world God manifests Himself in separate beings, who strive each for his own welfare.

38. Although it is not, and cannot be, known to man why it was necessary for the one spiritual being, God, to manifest Himself in reasoning man as the desire for universal welfare, and in separate beings as the desire each for his own welfare, yet man cannot but see that both converge towards one distinct purpose, definite, attainable and joyful to man.

39. This purpose is revealed to man by observation, tradition and reason. Observation shows him that all progress in human life (as far as known to us) has consisted only in men and other living beings, previously divided from and hostile to one another, becoming more and more united and bound together by agreement and mutual influence. Tradition shows him that all the wise men of the world have taught that mankind must pass from separation to union ; that, as the prophet said, men must be taught of God, and spears and swords be beaten into ploughshares a:nd pruning-hooks ; that, as Christ said, all should be one even as He was One with the Father. Reason shows him that that greatest welfare of man, towards which all aspire, can be obtained only by perfect union and concord among men.

40. Therefore, although the ultimate purpose of the world's existence is hidden from man, he nevertheless knows in what consists the immediate work of the world's development in which he is called to take part, namely, the substitution of union and harmony for division and discord.

41. Thus, observation, tradition and reason show man that this in which he is called to participate is the work of God. And the inner tendency of that spiritual being, love, which is in process of birth within him, draws him in the same direction.

42. The inner tendency of the spiritual being born in man consists solely in the increase of love within him. And this same increase of love, and nothing else, precisely concurs with that work which is being accomplished in the world, — the substitution of union and harmony for division and discord, — called in the Christian teaching the establishment of the kingdom of God.

43. So that, were there any doubt as to its truth, this concurrence of man's inner aspirations with the tendency of the life of the whole world would corroborate the Christian definition of life and its meaning.

X. Life In This World As Revealed To Man By The Christian Teaching

44. On being born to new life, man is conscious that in his isolated individuality is enclosed love — the desire for welfare, not for himself only but for all that exists.

45. Were this desire for universal welfare, this love, not enclosed in a separate being, it would be unconscious of its own existence, and always remain equal to itself ; but being enclosed in the limits of a separate being — man, — it is conscious of itself and its limits and tends to rend asunder that which imprisons it.

46. By its nature, love tends to comprise all that exists. It expands its limits naturally by, first, love to one's own family, one's wife and children, then to friends, then to ones fellow-countrymen; but love is not satisfied with this and tends to embrace all.

47. The essence of man's true hfe in this world consists precisely in this continual expansion of the limits of the domain of love, that essential of the new life born in man. Man's sojourn in this world, from birth till death, is nought else than the birth in him of the spiritual being, and this unceasing birth is that true life referred to in the Christian teaching.

4S. One can imagine that what now composes our body, that apparently separate being loved by us in preference to all else, at some period of our past lower life was but an accumulation of beloved objects which love united into one, so that in this life we feel it to be ourselves ; and that, in the same way, our present love for that A\hich is accessible to us ma}% in a future life, unite all these objects into one whole being, which will be as near to us as is our bod}- now. (" In my Father's house are many abiding-places.")

XI

IN WHAT DOES THE TRUE LIFE REVEALED BY THE CHRISTIAf^ TEACHING DIFFER FROM THE FORMER LIFE?

49. The difference between personal life and true life is this : The aim of the personal life is to increase the enjoyment of external life and prolong it ; but notwithstanding all his efforts, this end is never attained, because man has power neither over the external conditions which hinder enjoyment, nor over the various calamities which may at any time overtake him. Whereas the aim of the true life is the expansion and intensification of love, and this nothing can hinder, for all external causes (such as violence, disease, suffering, which hinder the realisation of the aim of the personal life) co-operate to 27 further the accompHshment of the spiritual aim.

50. The difference is the same as between those labourers mentioned in the Gospel parable, some of whom, being sent into the master's garden, decided that it belonged to them and withheld the fruits from their master; while the others, acknowledging themselves to be but labourers, fulfilled the master's instructions.

Part Second. Sins

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XII. What Hinders Man From Living The True Life ?

51. In order to fulfil his destiny, man must increase love within himself and manifest it in the world ; and this increase and manifestation of love is exactly what is necessary to accomplish the work of God. But how can man induce the manifestation of love ?

52. The basis of man's true life is the desire for universal welfare. Love in man, being enclosed within the limits of a separate being, naturally tends to expand those limits; therefore it is not necessary that man should do anything to induce the manifestation of love; it tends of its own accord to manifest itself ; man need only clear away the obstacles that impede it.

32 Tho Christian Toachiiij;.

What, then, ate these obstacles ?

53. The obstacles that hinder the manifestalivMi of love by man are his body — its sepaiateness from other beings — and the f,ict that bes;inning his life with infancy, during- which period he lives only in the animal life of liis separate being, he cannot later on, even when reason is awakened, altogether disentangle himself from desiring the welfare of his separate being, and so commits acts opposed to love.

XIII. The Nature Of The Obstacles To Love's Manifestation

54. Love, the desire for universal welfare in its efforts towards its own manifestation, meets with obstacles in man's body largely because reason, which sets love free, wakes in man, not at his first appearance on earth, but considerably later, when he has already developed habits of animal life. Why is this ?

55. Man cannot but ask himself this question : Why is a spiritual being, love, enclosed within the separate being of man ? And this question is answered variously by different teachings. Some pessimistic teachings reply that the enclosure of the spiritual being within man's body is a mistake which must be corrected by the destruction of the body — of the animal life. Other teachings say that the supposition of the existence of a spiritual being is a mistake, and must be corrected by recognising that only the body and its laws have any real existence. Neither view of the matter really solves the problem ; one simply denies the lawfulness of the body, the other, that of the spirit. The Christian teaching alone harmonises the apparent contradiction.

56. To the suggestion of the Tempter that Christ should destroy his body if he could not according to his own will satisfy all the demands of his animal life, Christ answered that one must not resist the will of God, Who has sent us into life as separate beings ; but that in this separate being we must serve Him alone.

57. For the solution of the contradiction of life according to the Christian teaching, it is necessary neither to destroy the life of the separate being, which would be contrary to the will of God, who has sent it, nor to submit to the demands of the animal life of the separate being, i. e. , acting in opposition to the spiritual element which constitutes the true " self " of man ; but in that body which encloses the true self of man, to serve God alone.

58. The true " self" of man, the infinite love which lives within him, always tending to increase and constituting the essence of his life, is enclosed within the limits of the animal life of the separate being, and tends always to liberate itself from it.

59. This liberation of the spiritual being from the animal individuality, this birth of the spiritual being, constitutes the true life of man, individual and collective.

60. Love in every separate man and in all mankind, is like steam confined in a boiler : the steam expands, drives the pistons and performs the work. As, in order that the steam may do its work, there must be the resistance of the boiler, so also that love may accomplish its work, there must be the resistance caused by the limits of the separate being which encloses it.