Wecome，then，tothesecondpoint。HastherebeenanyinfluenceatworktodifferentiateusinthisrespectfromFarOrientals？
Therehas。Twoseparatecauses，infact，haveconducedtothesameresult。Theoneisthedevelopmentofphysicalscience;theother，theextensionoftrade。Thesoleobjectofsciencebeingtodiscovertruth，truth—tellingisanecessityofitsexistence。
Professionally，scientistsareobligedtobetruthful。AliterofaJesuit。
Solongassciencewasofthecloset，itsinfluenceuponmankindgenerallywasindirectandslight;butsosoonasitproceededtostalkintothestreetandearnitsownliving，itsveraciouscharacterbegantotell。Whenoutofitstheoriesspranginventionsanddiscoveriesthatrevolutionizedevery—dayaffairsandchangedtheveryfaceofthings，societyinsensiblycaughtitsspirit。
Manawoketotheinestimablevalueofexactness。Fromscientistsproper，thespiritfiltereddownthrougheverystratumofeducation，tillto—daytheaveragemanisbornexacttoadegreewhichhisforefathersneverdreamedofbecoming。To—day，asarule，themoreintelligenttheindividual，themoretruthfulheis，becausethemoreinnatelyexactinthought，andthenceinwordandaction。
Withus，tolieisasignofawantofcleverness，notofanexcessofit。
Thesecondcause，theextensionoftrade，hasinculcatedthesameregardforveracitythroughthepocket。Forwiththeincreaseofbusinesstransactionsinbothtimeandspace，thetellingofthetruthhasbecomeafinancialnecessity。Withoutit，tradewouldcometoastandstillatonce。Ourwholemercantilesystem，amodernpieceofmechanismunknowntotheEasttillweimporteditthither，turnsonanimplicitbeliefinthewordofone’sneighbor。Ourlegalsafeguardswouldsnaplikeredtapewerethegreatbondofmutualtrustoncebroken。Westerncivilizationhastobetruthful，orperish。
Andnowforthespiritsofthetwobeliefs。
ThesoulofanyreligionrealizesinonerespecttheBrahmanideaoftheindividualsoulofman，namely，thatitexistsmuchafterthemannerofanonion，inmanyconcentricenvelopes。Man，theytellus，iscomposednotofasinglebodysimply，butofseverallayersofbody，eachshellasitwererespectivelyinclosinganother。Theoutermostisthemerelymaterialbody，ofwhichwearesodirectlycognizant。
Thisencasesasecond，morespiritual，butyetnotwhollyfreefromearthlyaffinities。Thiscontainsanother，stillmorerefined;tillfinally，insideofallisthatimmaterialsomethingwhichtheyconceivetoconstitutethesoul。ThiseventualresiduumexemplifiestheFranciscannotionofpuresubstance，foritisathingdelightfullydevoidofanyattributeswhatever。
Wemay，perhaps，notbeawareoftheexistenceofsuchanelaboratesetofencasingstoourownheartofhearts，norofasomethingsoveryindefinitewithin，butthemostcasualglanceatanyreligionwillrevealitstruthasregardsthesoulofabelief。Werecognizethefactoutwardlyinthebuildingserectedtocelebrateitsworship。
NotamongtheJewsalonewastheholyofholieskeptveiled，totemperthedivineradiancetoman’sbenightedunderstanding。Noristhechancel—railofChristianitythesolesurvivorofthemoreexclusivebarriersofoldentimes，evenintheWesternworld。
IntheEarEast，wheredifficultyofaccessisdeemedindispensabletodignity，thematerialapproachesarestillmanifoldandimposing。
Courtwithincourt，buildingafterbuilding，isolatetheshrineitselffromtheprofanefamiliarityofthepassers—by。Butthoughthematerialencasingsvaryinnumberandinexclusiveness，accordingtothetemperamentoftheparticularraceconcerned，thementalenvelopesexist，andmustexist，inbothhemispheresalike，solongassocietyresemblesthecrustoftheearthonwhichitdwells，——acrustcomposedofstratathatgrowdenserasonedescends。Whatiscleartothoseontopseemsobscuretothosebelow;whatareweightyargumentstothesecondhavenoforceatalluponthefirst。Theremustnecessarilybegradesofelevationinindividualbeliefs，suitedtotheneedsandcravingsofeachindividualsoul。Acreedthatfillstheshallowwithsatisfactionleavesbutanachingvoidinthedeep。Itisnotoftheslightestconsequencehowthebeliefstarts;differentiateditisboundtobecome。Thehighermindsalonecanrestcontentwithabstractimaginings;thelowermusthaveconcreterealitiesonwhichtopintheirfaith。Withthem，inevitably，idealsdegenerateintoidols。
Inallreligionsthisunavoidabledebasementhastakenplace。
TheRomanCatholicwhopraystoawoodenimageofChristisnotonewhitlessidolatrousthantheBuddhistwhoworshipsabronzestatueofAmidaButzu。Allthatthecommonpeoplearecapableofseeingisthesoul—envelope，forthesoulitselftheyareunabletoappreciate。Spirituallytheyareundiscerning，becauseimaginativelytheyareblind。
Nowthegrossersoul—envelopesofthetwogreatEuropeanandAsiaticfaiths，thoughdifferingindetail，areingeneralparallelinstructure。Eachboastsitsfullcomplementofsaints，whosecongruentcataloguesareequallywearisomeinlength。Eachtellsitscircleofbeadstohelpitkeepcountofsimilarlyendlessprayers。Forinboth，inthepopularestimation，quantityismoreeffectivetosalvationthanquality。Inboththebelieverpracticallypictureshisheavenforhimself，whileineachhishell，withavividnessthatdoeslikecredittoitsreligiousimagination，ispaintedforhimbythoseofthecultwhoarethemselvesconfidentofescapingit。Intothelapofeachmotherchurchthepiousbelieverdropshislittlevotiveofferingwiththesameaffectionatezeal，andinAsia，asinEurope，themitesofthemanymakethemightofthemass。
Butbehindallthisisthereligionofthefew，——ofthosetowhomsensuousformscannotsufficetorepresentsuper—sensuouscravings;
whosegodissomethingmorethanananthropomorphiccreation;towhomworshipmeansnotthecrampingofthebody，buttheexpansionofthesoul。
Theraysofthetruth，liketheraysofthesun，whichuniversallyseemstohavebeenman’sfirstadoration，havetwopropertiesequallyinherentintheiressence，warmthandlight。Andasforthelifeofallthingsonthisglobebothattributesofsunshinearenecessary，sotothedevelopmentofthatsomethingwhichconstitutestheegobothqualitiesofthetrutharevital。Wesometimesspeakofcharacterasifitwereathingwhollyapartfrommind;but，infact，thetwothingsaresointerwoventhattoperceivetherightcourseisthestrongestpossibleofincentivestopursueit。Intheendthetwoareone。Now，whileclearnessofheadisall—important，kindnessofheartisnonethelessso。Thefirst，perhaps，ismoreneededinourcommuningswithourselves，thesecondinourcommercewithothers。For，darkanddensebodiesthatweare，wecanradiateaffectionmuchmoreeffectivelythanwecanreflectviews。
ThatChristianityisareligionofloveneedsnomention;thatBuddhismisequallysuchisperhapsnotsogenerallyappreciated。
ButjustasthegospelofthedisciplewholovedandwaslovedthemostbeginsitsstorybytellingusoftheLightthatcameintotheworld，sononethelesssurelycouldtheLightofAsiabutbealsoitswarmth。HalfoftheteachingsofBuddhismarespentininculcatingcharity。Notonlytomenismanenjoinedtoshowkindliness，buttoallotheranimalsaswell。Thepeoplepractisewhattheirscripturespreach。Theeffectindirectlyontheconditionofthebrutesisalmostasmarkedasitsmoredirecteffectonthecharacterofmankind。Inheart，atleast，BuddhismandChristianityareveryclose。
Butherethetwopathstoasomethingbeyondanearthlylifediverge。Uptothispointthetworeligionsarealike，butfromthispointontheyaresoutterlyunlikethattheverysimilarityofallthatwentbeforeonlysufficestomakeofthesecondtheweird，life—counterfeitingshadowofthefirst。Asinasilhouette，externallythecontoursareallthere，butwithinisonevastblank。
Inrelationtoone’sneighborthetwobeliefsarekin，butasregardsone’sself，asfarapartastheWestisfromtheEast。
Forhere，atthisideaofself，wearesuddenlyawareofstandingonthebrinkofafathomlessabyss，gazinggiddilydownintothatgreatgulfwhichdividesBuddhismfromChristianity。Wecannotseethebottom。Itisaseparationmoreprofoundthandeath;itseemstonecessitateannihilation。Tocrossitwemustburyinitsdepthsallweknowasourselves。
Christianityisapersonalreligion;Buddhism，animpersonalone。
Inthisfundamentaldifferenceliestheworld—wideoppositionofthetwobeliefs。Christianitytellsustopurifyourselvesthatwemayenjoycountlessaeonsofthatbetteredselfhereafter;Buddhismwouldhaveuspurifyourselvesthatwemayloseallsenseofselfforevermore。
Forallthatitpreachestheessentialvilenessofthenaturalman，Christianityisagospelofoptimism。Whileitaffirmsthatatpresentyouarebad，italsoaffirmsthatthisdepravityisnointrinsicpartofyourself。Itunquestioninglyassertsthatitissomethingforeigntoyourtruebeing。Itevenbelievesthatinamoreorlessspiritualmanneryourverybodywillsurvive。
Itessentiallyclingstotheego。Whatitinculcatesisreallypresentendeavorsanctionedbytheprospectoffuturebliss。
Ittacitlytakesforgrantedthedesirabilityofpersonalexistence，andpromisesthecertaintyofpersonalimmortality，——aterrortoevildoers，andasustainingsenseofcomingunalloyedhappinesstothegood。Throughandthroughitsteachingsrunsthefeelingofthefullnessoflife，thatdesirewhichwillnotdie，thatwishofthesoulwhichbeatsitswingsagainstitsearthlycasementinitslongingforexpansionbeyondthenarrowconfinesofthreescoreyearsandten。
Buddhism，onthecontrary，isthecriducoeurofpessimism。
Thislife，itsays，isbutachainofsorrows。Tomultiplydaysisonlytomultiplyevil。Thesedesiresthaturgeusonarereallycauseofallourwoe。Wethinktheyareourselves。Wearemistaken。Theyareallillusion，andwearevictimsofamirage。
Thispersonality，thissenseofself，isacrueldeceptionandasnare。Realizeoncethetruesoulbehindit，devoidofattributes，thereforewithoutthiscapacityforsuffering，anindivisiblepartofthegreatimpersonalsoulofnature：then，andthenonly，willyouhavefoundhappinessintheblissfulquiescenceofNirvana。
Withacertainpoeticfitness，miseryandimpersonalitywerebothpresentintheoccasionthatgavethebeliefbirth。Manyhaveturnedtotheconsolationsofreligionbyreasonoftheirownwretchedness;Gautamasoughtitshelptouchedbythewoesofotherswhom，inhisownhappylifejourney，hechancedonedaytocomeacross。Shockedbythesightofhumandisease，oldage，anddeath，sadfactstowhichhithertohehadbeensedulouslykeptastranger，herenouncedtheworldthathemightfindforitanescapefromitsills。Butbliss，asheconceivedit，laynotinwantingtobesomethinghewasnot，butinactualwantofbeing。Hisquestformankindwasimmunityfromsuffering，nottheactiveenjoymentoflife。Inthisnegativewayoflookingathappiness，heactedinstrictconformitywiththespiritofhisworld。Forthedoctrineofpessimismhadalreadybeenpreached。ItunderlaythewholeBrahmanphilosophy，andeverybodybelieveditimplicitly。AlreadytheEastlookedatthislifeasanevil，andhadaffirmedfortheindividualspiritextinctiontobehappierthanexistence。Thewishforanendtotheego，thehopetobeeventuallynothing，GautamaacceptedforatruismasundeniablyastheBrahmansdid。WhathepronouncedfalsewastheBrahmanprospectusofthewaytoreachthisdesirableimpersonalstate。Theirroad，besaid，couldnotpossiblylandthetravellerwhereitprofessed，sinceitbeganwrong，andendednowhere。Theway，heasserted，iswithinaman。Hehasbuttorealizethetruth，andfromthatmomenthewillseehisgoalandtheroadthatleadsthere。Thereisnopanaceaforhumanills，ofexternalapplication。TheBrahmanhomoeopathictreatmentofsinisfolly。Theslaughteringofmenandbullscannotpossiblybringlifetothesoul。Tomortifythebodyforthesinsofthefleshispalpablyfutile，forindesirealoneliesalltheill。Quenchthedesire，andthedeedswilldieofinanition。Manhimselfissolecauseofhisownmisery。Getrid，then，saidtheBuddha，ofthesepassions，thesestrivingsforthesakeofself，thatholdthetruesoulaprisoner。Theyhavetodowiththingswhichweknowaretransitory：howcantheybeimmortalthemselves？Werecognizethemassubjecttoourwill;theyare，then，nottheI。
Asaman，hetaught，becomesconsciousthathehimselfissomethingdistinctfromhisbody，so，ifhereflectandponder，hewillcometoseethatinlikemannerhisappetites，ambitions，hopes，arereallyextrinsictothespiritproper。Neitherheartnorheadistrulytheman，forheisconsciousofsomethingthatstandsbehindboth。Behinddesire，behindeventhewill，liesthesoul，thesameforallmen，onewiththesouloftheuniverse。Whenhehasoncerealizedthiseternaltruth，themanhasenteredNirvana。ForNirvanaisnotanabsorptionoftheindividualsoulintothesoulofallthings，sincetheonehasalwaysbeenapartoftheother。
Stilllessisitutterannihilation。Itissimplytherecognitionoftheeternalonenessofthetwo，backthroughaneverlastingpastonthroughaneverlastingfuture。
SuchisthebeliefwhichtheJapaneseadopted，andwhichtheyprofessto—day。Suchtothemistobethedawnofdeath’sto—morrow;ablessedimpersonalimmortality，inwhichallsenseofself，illusionthatitis，shallitselfhaveceasedtobe;alongdreamlesssleep，abeatifiedrest，whichnoawakeningshalleverdisturb。
AmongsuchapeoplepersonalChristianityconvertsbutfew。
Theyacceptourmaterialcivilization，buttheyrejectourcreeds。
Topreachaprolongationoflifeappearstothemlikepreachinganextensionofsorrow。Atmost，Christianitysucceedsonlyinmakingthemdoubtersofwhatliesbeyondthislife。Butthoughprofessingagnosticismwhiletheylive，theyturn，whentheshadowsofdeath’snightcomeon，tothebosomofthatfaithwhichteachesthat，whatevermayhavebeenone’searthlyshareofhappiness，\"’tissomethingbetternottobe。\"
Strangeitseemsatfirstthatthosewhohavelookedsolongtotherisingsunforinspirationshouldbetheywholiveonlyinasortoflethargyoflife，whilethosewhoforsomanycenturieshaveturnedtheirfacessteadilytothefadinggloryofthesunsetshouldbetheoneswhohaveembodiedthespiritofprogressoftheworld。Perhapsthelight，byitsveryrising，checksthedesiretopursue;initssettingitluresoneontofollow。
Thoughthisreligionofimpersonalityisnottheirchild，itistheirchoice。TheyembraceditwiththerestthatIndiataughtthem，centuriesago。ButthoughjustaseagertolearnofusnowasofIndiathen，Christianityfailstocommenditself。ThisisnotduetothefactthattheBuddhistmissionariescamebyinvitation，andoursdonot。Norisitduetoanywantofpersonalcharacterintheselatter，butsimplytoanexcessofitintheirdoctrines。
Forto—daytheFarEastisevenmoreimpersonalinitsreligionthanarethosefromwhomthatreligionoriginallycame。IndiahasreturnedagaintoitsworshipofBrahma，which，thoughimpersonalenough，islesssothanisthegospelofGautama。Foritispassivelyinsteadofactivelyimpersonal。
BuddhismbearstoBrahmanismsomethingliketherelationthatProtestantismdoestoRomanCatholicism。BothbishopsandBrahmansundertaketosaveallwhoshallblindlycommitthemselvestoprofessionalguidance，whileBuddhistsandProtestantsalikebelievethataman’ssalvationmustbebroughtaboutbytheactionofthemanhimself。Theresultis，thatinthematterofindividualitythetworeformedbeliefsarefurtherapartthanthoseagainstwhichtheyseverallyprotested。Forbythechangethepersonalbecamemorepersonal，andtheimpersonalmoreimpersonalthanbefore。
TheProtestant，fromhavingtamelyallowedhimselftobeled，begantotakealivelyinterestinhisownself—improvement;whiletheBuddhist，fromaformerapatheticacquiescenceinthedoctrineoftheuniversallyillusive，settoworkenergeticallytowardsself—extinction。Curiouslaborforamind，thatofdevotingallitsstrengthtothethinkingitselfoutofexistence！Notcontentwithbeingbornimpersonal，aFarOrientalisconstantlystrivingtomakehimselfmoreso。
Wehaveseen，then，howintryingtounderstandthesepeopleswearebroughtfacetofacewithimpersonalityineachofthosethreeexpressionsofthehumansoul，speech，thought，yearning。Wehavelookedatthemfirstfromasocialstandpoint。Wehaveseenhowsingularlylittleregardispaidtheindividualfromhisbirthtohisdeath。Howheliveshislifelongtheslaveofpatriarchalcustomsofsopuerileatendencyastobepracticallyimpossibletoapeoplereallygrownup。Howhepractisesawholesalesystemofadoptionsufficientofitselftodestroyanysurvivingregardfortheegohisotherrelationsmighthaveleft。Howinhisdailylifehegivestheminimumofthoughttothebetteringhimselfinanyworldlysense，andthemaximumofpoliteconsiderationtohisneighbor。How，inshort，heactstowardhimselfasmuchaspossibleasifhewereanother，andtothatotherasifhewerehimself。
Then，notcontentwithstandingstrangerlikeuponthethreshold，wehavesoughttoseethesouloftheircivilizationinitsintrinsicmanifestations。Wehavepushedourinquiry，asitwere，onestepneareritshome。Andthesametraitthatwasapparentsociologicallyhasbeenexposedinthisourantipodalphaseofpsychicalresearch。Wehaveseenhowimpersonalishislanguage，theprincipalmediumofcommunicationbetweenonesoulandanother;howimpersonalarethecommuningsofhissoulwithitself。Howthemanturnstonatureinsteadoftohisfellowmaninsilentsympathy。
Andhow，whenhespeculatesuponhiscomingcastlesintheair，hismostroseatedesireistobebutanindistinguishableparticleofthesunsetcloudsandvanishinvisibleastheyintothestarrystillnessofall—embracingspace。
Nowwhatdoesthisstrangeimpersonalitybetoken？Whyarethesepeoplessodifferentfromusinthismostfundamentalofconsiderationstoanypeople，theconsiderationofthemselves？
Theanswerleadstosomeinterestingconclusions。
Chapter8。Imagination。
If，asisthecasewiththemoon，theearth，asshetravelledroundherorbitturnedalwaysthesamefaceinward，wemightexpecttofind，betweenthethoughtsofthathemispherewhichlookedcontinuallytothesun，andthoseoftheotherpeeringeternallyoutatthestars，somesuchdifferenceasactuallyexistsbetweenourselvesandourlongitudinalantipodes。Forourconceptionofthecosmosisofasunlitworldthrobbingwithlife，whiletheirNirvanafindsnotunfitexpressioninthestill，cold，fathomlessaweofthemidnightsky。Thatwecannotthusdirectlyaccountforthedifferenceinlocalcoloringservesbuttomakethatdifferenceofmorehumaninterest。ThedissimilaritybetweentheWesternandtheFarEasternattitudeofmindhasinitsomethingbeyondtheeffectofenvironment。Foritpointstotheimportanceofthepartwhichtheprincipleofindividualityplaysinthegreatdramadailyenactingbeforeoureyes，andwhichweknowasevolution。Itshows，asIshallhopetoprove，thatindividualitybearsthesamerelationtothedevelopmentofmindthatthedifferentiationofspeciesdoestotheevolutionoforganiclife：thatthedegreeofindividualizationofapeopleistheself—recordedmeasureofitsplaceinthegreatmarchofmind。
Alllife，whetherorganicorinorganic，consists，asweknow，inachangefromastateofsimplehomogeneitytooneofcomplexheterogeneity。Theprocessisapparentlythesameinanebulaorabrachiopod，althoughmuchmoreintricateinthelatter。Theimmediateforcewhichworksthischange，thelifeprincipleofthings，is，inthecaseoforganicbeings，asubtlesomethingwhichwecallspontaneousvariation。Whatthismysteriousimpulsemaybeisbeyondourpresentpowersofrecognition。Asyet，theultimatesofallthingsliehiddeninthewombofthevastunknown。Butjustasinthecaseofamanwecantellwhatorgansarevital，thoughweareignorantwhatthevitalsparkmaybe，soinourgreatcosmicallawswecansayinwhattheirpowerresides，thoughweknownotreallywhattheyare。Whethermindbebutasublimatedformofmatter，or，whatamountstothesamething，matteramenialkindofmind，orwhether，whichseemslesslikely，itbeasomethingincomparablewithsubstance，ofonethingwearesure，thesamelawsofhereditygovernboth。Ineachalikechainofcontinuityleadsfromthepresenttothedimpast，aconnectingcluewhichwecanfollowbackwardinimagination。Nowwhatspontaneousvariationistothematerialorganism，imagination，apparently，istothementalone。Justasspontaneousvariationisconstantlypushingtheanimalortheplanttopushout，asavineitstendrils，inalldirections，whilenaturalconditionsareasconstantlyexercisingoveritasortofunconsciouspruningpower，soimaginationiseveratworkurgingman’smindoutandon，whilethesentimentofthecommunity，commonlycalledcommonsense，whichsimplymeansthepointalreadyreachedbytheaverage，isassteadilytendingtokeepitatitsownlevel。Theenvironmenthelps，intheonecaseasintheother，totheshapingofthedevelopment。Purelyphysicalinthefirst，itisbothphysicalandpsychicalinthesecond，thetworeactingoneachother。Butineithercaseitisonlyaconstrainingcondition，notthedivineimpulseitself。Precisely，then，asintheorganism，thissubtlespiritcheckedinonedirectionfindsawaytoadvanceinanother，andproducesinconsequenceamonganoriginallysimilarsetofbodiesagradualseparationintospecieswhichgrowwiderwithtime，soinbrainevolutionalikeforceforlikereasonstendsinevitablytoanever—increasingindividualization。
Nowwhatevidencehavewethatthisanalogyholds？Letuslookatthefacts，firstastheypresentthemselvessubjectively。
Theinstinctofself—preservation，thatguardianangelsopersistenttoappearwhenneeded，owesitssummonstoanotherinstinctnolessstrong，whichwemaycalltheinstinctofindividuality;forwiththesameinnatetenacitywithwhichweseverallyclingtolifedoweholdtotheideaofourownidentity。Itisnotforthephilosophicdesireofpreservingaverysmallfractionofhumanityatlargethatwetakesuchpainstoavoiddestruction;itisthatweinsensiblyregarddeathasthreateningtothecontinuanceoftheego，inspiteofthetheoriesofafuturelifewhichwehavesoelaboratelydeveloped。Indeed，thepsychicalshrinkingisreallythequintessenceofthephysicalfear。Wecleavetotheabstractideaclosereventhantoitsconcreteembodiment。Soonerwouldweforegothisearthlyexistencethansurrenderthatsomethingweknowasself。Forsufficientcausewecanimaginecourtingdeath;wecannotconceiveofsomuchasexchangingourindividualityforanother’s，stilllessofabandoningitaltogether;forgraduallyaman，ashegrowsolder，comestoregardhisbodyas，afterall，separablefromhimself。Itisthesoul’scovering，renderedindispensablebytheclimaticconditionsofourpresentexistence，onewithoutwhichwecouldnolongercontinuetolivehere。Toforegoitdoesnotnecessarilynegative，sofarasweyetknow，thepossibilityoflivingelsewhere。Somemorecongenialtropicmaybethewanderingspirit’sfate。Buttopartwiththesenseofselfseemstobeliketakinganeternalfarewellofthesoul。TheWesternmindshrinksbeforethebareideaofsuchathought。
Theclingingtoone’sownidentity，then，isnowaninstinct，whateveritmayoriginallyhavebeen。Itisasomethingweinheritedfromourancestorsandwhichweshalltransmitmoreorlessmodifiedtoourdescendants。Howfarbackthisconsciousnesshasbeenfeltpassesthepossibilitiesofhistorytodetermine，sincetherecordingofitnecessarilyfollowedthefact。Allweknowisthatitsmentioniscoevalwithchronicle，anditsoriginlostinallegory。TheBible，oneoftheoldestwrittenrecordsintheworld，beginswithabitofmythologyofaverysignificantkind。WhentheJewsundertooktotracebacktheirfamilytreetoanidyllicgardenofEden，theymentionedasgrowingtherebesidethetreeoflife，anothertreecalledthetreeofknowledge。Ofwhatcharacterthisknowledgewasisinferablefromthesuddenself—consciousnessthatfollowedthepartakingofit。SothatifwepleasewemayattributedirectlytoEve’sindiscretionthemanyevilsofourmorbidself—consciousnessofthepresentday。
Butwithoutindulginginunchivalrousreflectionswemaydrawcertainmoralsfromitofbothimmediateandultimateapplicability。
Tobeginwith，itisamostsalutarywarningtotheintrospective，andinthesecondplaceitisastrikinginstanceofamythwhichisnotasunmyth;foritisessentiallyofhumanregard，anattemptonman’sparttoexplainthatmostpeculiarattributeofhisconstitution，theall—possessingsenseofself。Itlookscertainlyasifhewasnotover—proudofhispersonthatheshouldhavedeemeditsrecognitionoccasionfortheprimalcurse，andamongearlyracesthepersonisforagooddealofthepersonality。Whathelamentedwasnotlifebuttheunavoidableexertionnecessarytogettinghisdailybread，forthequestionwhetherlifewereworthwhilewasasfutilethenasnow，andasinconceivablereallyas4—dimensionalspace。
Wearethenconsciousofindividualityasaforcewithinourselves。
Butourknowledgebynomeansendsthere;forweareawareofitinthecaseofothersaswell。
Aboutcertainpeoplethereexistsasubtlesomethingwhichleavesitsimpressindeliblyupontheconsciousnessofallwhocomeincontactwiththem。Thissomethingisapower，butapowerofsoindefinableadescriptionthatwebegdefinitionbycallingitsimplythepersonalityoftheman。Itisnotamatterofsubsequentreasoning，butofdirectperception。Wefeelit。Sometimesitcharmsus;sometimesitrepels。Butwecannomorebeoblivioustoitthanwecantothetemperatureoftheair。Itspossessorhasbuttoentertheroom，andinsensiblyweareconsciousofapresence。
Itisasifwehadsuddenlybeenplacedinthefieldofamagneticforce。
Ontheotherhandtherearepeoplewhoproducenoeffectuponuswhatever。Theycomeandgowithalikeindifference。Theyareasunimportantpsychicallyasiftheywereanyotherportionofthefurniture。Theyneverstirus。Wemightlivewiththemforfiftyyearsandbehardlyabletotell，foranyinfluenceuponourselves，whethertheyexistedornot。Theyremindusofthatneutraldrabwhichcertainreligioussectsassumetoshowtheirownirrelevancytotheworld。Theyareoftenmostestimablefolk，buttheyarenomorecapableofinspiringastrongemotionthantheotherkindareincapableofdoingso。Andwesaythedifferenceisduetothepersonalityorwantofpersonalityoftheman。Now，inwhatdoesthisso—calledpersonalityconsist？Notinbodilypresencesimply，formenquitedestituteofitpossesstheforceinquestion;notincharacteronly，forweoftendisapproveofacharacterwhoseattractionwearepowerlesstoresist;notinintellectalone，formenmorerationalfailofstirringusastheseunconsciouslydo。
Inwhat，then？Inlifeitself;notthatmodicumofit，indeed，whichsufficessimplytokeepthemachinemoving，butinthelifeprinciple，thepowerwhichcausespsychicalchange;whichmakestheindividualsomethingdistinctfromallotherindividuals，abeingcapableofprovingsufficient，ifneedbe，untohimself;whichshowsitself，inshort，asindividuality。Thisisnotamererestatementofthecase，forindividualityisanobjectivefactcapableofbeingtreatedbyphysicalscience。Andasweknowmuchmoreatpresentaboutphysicalfactsthanwedoofpsychologicalproblems，wemaybeabletoarrivethesooneratsolution。
Individuality，personality，andthesenseofselfareonlythreedifferentaspectsofoneandthesamething。Theyaresomanyvariousviewsofthesoulaccordingasweregarditfromanintrinsic，analtruistic，oranegoisticstandpoint。Forbyindividualityisnotmeantsimplytheisolationinacorporealcasingofasmallportionoftheuniversalsoulofmankind。Sofarasmindgoes，thiswouldnotbeindividualityatall，butthereverse。Byindividualitywemeanthatbundleofideas，thoughts，anddaydreamswhichconstituteourseparateidentity，andbyvirtueofwhichwefeeleachoneofusathomewithinhimself。Nowmaninhismind—developmentisboundtobecomemoreandmoredistinctfromhisneighbor。Wecanhardlyconceiveaprogresssouniformasnottonecessitatethis。Itwouldbecontrarytoallweknowofnaturallaw，besidescontradictingdailyexperience。Foreachsuccessivegenerationbearsunmistakabletestimonytothefact。Childrenofthesameparentsareneverexactlylikeeithertheirparentsoroneanother，andtheyoftendifferamazinglyfromboth。Insuchinstancestheyreverttotype，aswesay;butinasmuchastheraceissteadilyadvancingindevelopment，suchreversionmustresemblethatofanestatewhichhasbeengreatlyimprovedsinceitspreviouspossession。Theappearanceofthequalityisreallythesproutingofaseedwhoseoriginalgermwasinsomesensecoevalwiththebeginningofthings。Thismind—seedtakesrootinsomecasesandnotinothers，accordingtothesoilitfinds。Andascertaintraitsdevelopandothersdonot，onemanturnsoutverydifferentlyfromhisneighbor。Suchinevitabledistinctionimpliesfurthermorethatthemanshallbesensibleofit。Consciousnessisthenecessaryattributeofmentalaction。Notonlyisitthesolewaywehaveofknowingmind;withoutittherewouldbenomindtoknow。
Nottobeconsciousofone’sselfis，mentallyspeaking，nottobe。
Thiscomplexentity，thislittlecosmosofaworld，the\"I，\"hasforitsverylawofexistenceself—consciousness，whilepersonalityistheeffectitproducesupontheconsciousnessofothers。
Butwemaypushourinquiryastepfurther，andfindinimaginationthecauseofthisstrangeforce。Forimagination，ortheimage—makingfaculty，mayinacertainsensebesaidtobethecreatoroftheworldwithin。Theseparatesensesfurnishitwithmaterial，buttoitaloneisduethebuildingofourcastles，onpremisesoffactorintheair。Forthereisnoimpassablegulfbetweenthetwo。Coleridge’sdistinctionthatimaginationdrewpossiblepicturesandfancyimpossibleones，isitself，exceptasaclassification，animpossibledistinctiontodraw;foritisonlytheinconceivablethatcanneverbe。Allelseispurelyamatterofrelation。Wemayinstancedreamswhichareusuallyconsideredtorankamongthemostfancifulcreationsofthemind。Whohasnotinhisdreamsfallenrepeatedlyfromgiddyheightsandinvariablyescapedunhurt？Ifhehadattemptedthefeatinhiswakingmomentshewouldassuredlyhavebeendashedtopiecesatthebottom。Andsowesaythethingisimpossible。Butisit？Onlyundertherelativeconditionsofhismassandtheearth’s。Iftheworldhehappenstoinhabitwerenotitspresentsize，butthesizeofoneofthetinierasteroids，nosuchdisastrousresultswouldfollowachancemisstep。
Hecouldtherewalkoffprecipiceswhentoocloselypursuedbybears——ifIrememberrightlytheusualchildishcauseofthesame——
withperfectimpunity。Thebearcoulddolikewise，unfortunately。
Weshouldhavearrivedatourconclusionevenquickerhadwedecreasedthesizebothofthemanandhisworld。Hewouldnotthenhavehadtotumbleactuallysofar，andwouldthereforehavearrivedyetmoregentlyatthefoot。Thisturnsout，then，tobeamerequestionofsize。Decreasethescaleofthepicture，andtheimpossiblebecomespossibleatonce。Allfanciesarenotsoeasilyreducibletoactualfactsastheonewehavetaken，butall，perhaps，eventuallymaybeexplicableinthesamegeneralway。Atpresentwecertainlycannotaffirmthatanythingmaynotbethusexplained。Fortheactualiswideningitsfieldeveryday。Eveninthislittleworldofourownwearedailydiscoveringtobefactwhatweshouldhavethoughtfiction，likethesailor’smotherthetaleoftheflyingfish。Beyonditourkeniswideningstillmore。
Gulliver’stravelsmayturnouttruerthanwethink。Couldwetraversetheinter—planetaryoceanofether，wemighteventuallyfindinJupiterthelandofLilliputorinCeressomeold—timecountryoftheBrobdignagians。Formenconstitutedmuscularlylikeourselveswouldhavetobeproportionatelysmallinthebigplanetandbiginthesmallone。Stillstrangerthingsmayexistaroundothersuns。Inthosebrightparticularstars——whichthelittlegirlthoughtpinholesinthedarkcanopyoftheskytolettheglorybeyondshinethrough——wearefindingconditionsofexistencelikeyetunlikethosewealreadyknow。Toourgropingspeculationsofthenighttheyalmostseem，aswegazeonthemintheirtwinkling，tobewinkingusasortofcomprehension。Conditionsmayexistthereunderwhichourwildestfanciesmaybecommonplacefacts。
Theremaybe\"SomeXanaduwhereKublaicanastatelypleasuredomedecree，\"
andcarryouthisconceptionstohisowndisillusionment，perhaps。
Foriftheembodimentofafancy，howevercomplete，leftnothingfurthertobewished，imaginationwouldhavenoincentivetowork。
Coleridge’sdistinctiondoesverywelltoseparate，empirically，certainkindsofimaginativeconceptsfromcertainothers;butithasnorealfoundationinfact。Norpresumablydidhemeanittohave。Butitserves，notinaptly，asatexttopointoutanimportantscientifictruth，namely，thattherearenottwosuchqualitiesofthemind，butonlyone。Forotherwisewemighthavesupposedthefacttooevidenttoneedmention。Imaginationisthesinglesourceofthenew，theonemainspringofpsychicaladvance;
reason，likeabalance—wheel，onlykeepingtheactionregular。
Forreasonisbutthetouchstoneofexperience，ourown，inherited，oracquiredfromothers。Itcompareswhatweimaginewithwhatweknow，andgivesusanswerintermsofthehereandthenow，whichwecalltheactual。Buttheactualisreallynothingbutthelocal。
Itdoesnotmarkthelimitsofthepossible。
Thatimaginationhasbeenthemovingspiritofthepsychicalworldisevident，whateverbranchofhumanthoughtwearepleasedtoexamine。Weareinthehabit，incommonparlance，ofmakingadistinctionbetweenthesearchaftertruthandthesearchafterbeauty，callingtheonescienceandtheotherart。Nowwhilewearenotslowtoimputeimaginationtoart，wearebynomeanssoreadytoappreciateitsconnectionwithscience。Yetcontrary，perhaps，toexogericideasonthesubject，itisscienceratherthanartthatdemandsimaginationofhervotaries。Notthatartmaynotinvolvethequalitytoahighdegree，butthatahighdegreeofartisquitecompatiblewithaverysmallamountofimagination。Ontheonesidewemayinstancepainting。Nowpaintingbeginsitscareerinthehumblecapacityofcopyist，aprettypoorcopyistatthat。Atfirstsoslightwasitsskillthattherudestsymbolssufficed。
\"Thisisaman\"wasconventionallyimpliedbyafewscratchesbearingaverydistantrelationshiptotherealthing。Gradually，owingtohumanvanityandagrowingtaste，picturesimproved。
Combinationsweretried，abitfromoneplacewithapiecefromanother;asortofmosaicrequiringbutaslightamountofimagination。Notthatimaginationofahigherorderhasnotbeencalledintoplay，althoughevennowpicturesareoftenhappyadaptationsratherthancreationsproper。Somemastershavebeenimaginative;others，unfortunatelyforthemselvesandstillmoreforthepublic，havenot。Forthattheartmayattainahighdegreeofexcellenceforitselfandmuchdistinctionforitsprofessors，withoutcallingintheaidofimagination，isevidentenoughonthissideoftheglobe，withouttravellingtotheother。
Take，ontheotherhand，abranchofsciencewhich，totheaveragelayman，seemspeculiarlyunimaginative，thescienceofmathematics。
Yetattheriskofappearingtocastdoubtsuponthevalidityofitsconclusions，itmightbecalledthemostimaginativeproductofhumanthought;foritissimplyonevastimaginationbaseduponafewso—calledaxioms，whicharenothingmorenorlessthantheresultsofexperience。Itisnonethelessimaginativebecauseitsdiscoveriesalwaysaccordsubsequentlywithfact，sincemanwasnotawareofthembeforehand。Norareitsinevitableconclusionsinevitabletoanysavethosepossessedofthemathematician’spropheticsight。Oncediscovered，itrequiresmuchlessimaginationtounderstandthem。Withthelightcomingfrominfront，itisaneasymattertoseewhatliesbehindone。
Sowithotherfabricsofhumanthought，imaginationhasbeenspinningandweavingthemall。Fromthemostconcreteofinventionstothemostabstractofconceptionsthesameforcerevealsitselfuponexamination;forthereisnogulfbetweenwhatwecallpracticalandwhatweconsidertheoretical。Everythingabstractisultimatelyofpracticaluse，andeventhemostimmediatelyutilitarianhasanabstractprincipleatitscore。Wearetoopronetoregardthepresentageoftheworldaspreeminentlypractical，muchasamiddle—agedmanlamentsthewitchingfanciesofhisboyhood。But，andthereismoreintheparallelthananalogy，ifthemanbetrulyimaginativeheisnonethelesssoatforty—fivethanhewasattwenty，ifhisimaginationhavetakenonamorecriticalform;
forthislatterhalfofthenineteenthcenturyisperhapsthemostimaginativeperiodtheworld’shistoryhaseverknown。Whilewithonehandwearecontrivingmeansoftransitforourideas，andevenourveryvoices，comparedtowhichPuck’sgirdleisanythingbuttalismanic，withtheotherwearestretchingouttograsptheactionofmindonmind，pushingourwayintotheveryrealmofminditself。
Historytellsthesamestoryindetail;forthehistoryofmankind，imperfectlyasweknowit，disclosesthefactthatimagination，andnotthepowerofobservationnorthekindredcapabilityofperception，hasbeenthecauseofsoul—evolution。
Thesavageisbutlittleofanimaginativebeing。Wearetempted，attimes，toimaginehimmoresothanheis，forhisfancifulfolk—lore。Theproofofwhichoverestimationisthatwefindnodifficultyinimaginingwhathedoes，andevenofimaginingwhatheprobablyimagined，andfindingoursuppositionsverifiedbydiscovery。Yethispowersofobservationmaybemarvellouslydeveloped。TheNorthAmericanIndiantrackshisfoethroughtheforestbysignsunrecognizabletoawhiteman，andhereasonsmostastutelyuponthem，andstillthatverymanturnsouttobeamerechildwhenputbeforeproblemsatrifleoutofhisbeatenpath。
Andallbecausehisforefathershadnotthepowertoimaginesomethingbeyondwhattheyactuallysaw。Theveryessenceoftheforceofimaginationliesinitsabilitytochangeaman’shabitatforhim。Withoutit，manwouldforeverhaveremained，notamollusk，tobesure，butananimalsimply。Aplantcannotchangeitsplace，ananimalcannotalteritsconditionsofexistenceexceptwithinverynarrowbounds;manisfreeinthesensenothingelseintheworldis。
Whatistrueofindividualshasbeentrueofraces。Themostimaginativeraceshaveprovedthegreatestfactorsintheworld’sadvance。
Nowafterthislookatourownsideoftheworld，letusturntotheother;foritisthisverypsychologicalfactthatmentalprogressionimpliesanever—increasingindividualization，andthatimaginationistheforceatworkintheprocesswhichFarEasterncivilization，takeninconnectionwithourown，reveals。Indoingthis，itexplainsincidentallyitsownseeminganomalies，themostunaccountableofwhich，apparently，isitsexistence。
WehaveseenhowimpressivelyimpersonaltheFarEastis。Nowifindividualitybethenaturalmeasureoftheheightofcivilizationwhichanationhasreached，impersonalityshouldbetokenarelativelylaggardpositionintherace。Weought，therefore，tofindamongthesepeoplecertainothercharacteristicscorroborativeofalessadvancedstateofdevelopment。Inthefirstplace，ifimaginationbetheimpulseofwhichincreaseinindividualityistheresultingmotion，thatqualityshouldbeataminimumthere。
TheFarOrientalsoughttobeaparticularlyunimaginativesetofpeople。Suchispreciselywhattheyare。Theirlackofimaginationisawell—recognizedfact。Allwhohavebeenbroughtincontactwiththemhaveobservedit，merchantsasstrikinglyasstudents。
Indeed，theslightestintercoursewiththemcouldnotfailtomakeitevident。Theirmatter—of—factwayoflookingatthingsistrulydistressing，comingasitdoesfromsoartisticapeople。
Onenoticesitallthemorefortheshock。Togetaprosaicanswerfromamanwhoseappearanceandsurroundingsbetokenbetterthingsisnotcalculatedtodullthatanswer’seffect。Aston，inapamphletontheAltaictongues，citesaninstancewhichissomuchtothepointthatIventuretorepeatithere。HewasatrueChinaman，hesays，who，whenhisEnglishmasteraskedhimwhathethoughtof\"ThatorbedmaidenWithwhitefiresladenWhommortalscallthemoon，\"
replied，\"Mythinkeeallsamelamppidgin\"（pidginmeaningthinginthemongrelspeech，ChineseinformandEnglishindiction，whichgoesbythenameofpidginEnglish）。
Theirowntonguesshowthesameprosaiccharacter，picturesqueastheyappeartousatfirstsight。Thateffectisduesimplytothenoveltytousoftheirexpressions。Totalkofapassasan\"up—down\"hasarefreshingturntoourunusedear，butitisamuchmoredescriptivethanimaginativefigureofspeech。Noristhephrase\"thebeing（so）isdifficult，\"inplaceof\"thankyou，\"
asurprisinglybeautifulbitofimagery，delightfulasitsoundsforachange。Ourowntonguehas，initsdailyvocabulary，farmoresuggestiveexpressions，onlyfamiliarityhasrendereduscalloustotheiruse。Weemployateveryinstantwordswhich，couldwebutstoptothinkofthem，wouldstrikeusaspoeticintheideastheycallup。Ashasbeenwellsaid，theywereoncehappythoughtsofsomebrightparticulargeniusbequeathedtoposteritywithoutsomuchasanaccompanyingname，andwhichprovedsopopularthattheysoonbecamebutsymbolsthemselves。
Theirlanguagesareparalleledbytheirwholelife。AlackofanyfancifulideasisoneofthemostsalienttraitsofallFarEasternraces，ifindeedasaddearthofanythingcanproperlybespokenofassalient。Indirectlytheirwantofimaginationbetraysitselfintheirevery—daysayingsanddoings，andmoredirectlyineverybranchofthought。Originalityisnottheirstrongpoint。Theirutterignoranceofscienceshowsthis，andparadoxicalasitmayseem，theirart，inspiteofitsmeritanditsuniversality，doesthesame。Thatartandimaginationarenecessarilyboundtogetherreceivesnoveryforcibleconfirmationfromalandwhere，nationallyspeaking，atanyrate，thefirstiseasilyfirstandthelasteasilylast，asnationsgo。Itistoquiteanotherqualitythattheirartisticexcellencemustbeascribed。ThattheChineseandlatertheJapanesehaveaccomplishedresultsatwhichtherestoftheworldwillyetlivetomarvel，isduetotheir——taste。Buttasteordelicacyofperceptionhasabsolutelynothingtodowithimagination。ThatcertainofthesensesofFarOrientalsarewonderfullykeen，asalsothosepartsofthebrainthatdirectlyrespondtothem，isbeyondquestion;butsuchsensitivenessdoesnotintheleastinvolvethelessearth—tiedportionsoftheintellect。
Apeculiarresponsivenesstonaturalbeauty，asortofmentalagreementwithitsearthlyenvironment，isamarkedfeatureoftheJapanesemind。Butappreciation，howeverintimate，isaverydifferentthingfromoriginality。Theoneiscommonlythehandmaidoftheother，buttheotherbynomeansalwaysaccompaniestheone。
Somuchforthecause;nowfortheeffectwhichwemightexpecttofindifourdiagnosisbecorrect。
Iftheevolvingforcebelessactiveinoneracethaninanother，threerelativeresultsshouldfollow。Inthefirstplace，theraceinquestionwillatanygivenmomentbelessadvancedthanitsfellow;secondly，itsrateofprogresswillbelessrapid;andlastly，itsindividualmemberswillallbenearertogether，justasastream，infallingfromacliff，startsonecompactmass，thengraduallyincreasinginspeed，dividesintodrops，which，growingfinerandfinerandfartherandfartherapart，descendatlastasspray。AllthreeoftheseconsequencesarevisibleinthecareeroftheFarEasternpeoples。Thefirstresultscarcelyneedstobeprovedtous，whoareonlytooreadytobelieveitwithoutproof。
Itis，nevertheless，afact。Viewedunprejudicedly，theircivilizationisnotsoadvancedaoneasourown。Althoughtheyarecertainlyoursuperiorsinsomeverydesirableparticulars，theirwholeschemeisdistinctlymoreaboriginalfundamentally。
Itismorefinished，asfarasitgoes，butitdoesnotgosofar。
Lessrude，itismorerudimentary。Indeed，aswehaveseen，itssurface—perfectionreallyshowsthatnaturehasgivenlessthoughttoitssubstance。Onemaysayofitthatitistheadultformofalowertypeofmind—specification。
Thesecondeffectisscarcelylesspatent。Howslowtheirprogresshasbeen，ifforcenturiesnowitcanbecalledprogressatall，isworld—known。Chineseconservatismhaspassedintoaproverb。
ThependulumofpulsationintheMiddleKingdomlongsincecametoastopatthemedialpointofrest。Centreofcivilization，astheycallthemselves，onewouldimaginethattheirmind—machineryhadgotcaughtontheirowndeadcentre，andnowcouldnotbemadetomove。
Life，whichelsewhereisaconditionofunstableequilibrium，thereisofafatallystablekind。FortheChinaman’sdisinclinationtoprogressissomethingmorethanvisinertiae;ithasbecomeanardentdevotiontothestatusquo。Jostled，heatoncesettlesbacktohispreviousconditionagain;muchasmorematerially，afteralifetimespentinCalifornia，athisdeathhisbodyispunctiliouslyembalmedandsenthomeacrossfivethousandmilesofseaforburial。
WiththeJapanesetheconditionofaffairsissomewhatdifferent。
Theirtendencytostandstillisofapurelypassivekind。Itisastateofneutralequilibrium，stationaryofitselfbutperfectlyresponsivetoanimpulsefromwithout。Lefttotheirowndevices，theyareconservativeenough，buttheyinstantlycopyamoreadvancedcivilizationthemomenttheygetachance。Thisproclivityontheirpartisnotoutofkeepingwithourtheory。Onthecontrary，itispreciselywhatwastohavebeenexpected;forweseetheverysameapparentcontradictionincharacterswearethrownwitheveryday。Imitationisthenaturalsubstitutefororiginality。
Thelessstrongaman’spersonalitythemoreproneishetoadopttheideasofothers，onthesameprinciplethatavoidmoreeasilyadmitsaforeignbodythandoesspacethatisalreadyoccupied;orasablankpieceofpapertakesadyemorebrilliantlyfornotbeingalreadytinteditself。
Thethirdresult，theremarkablehomogeneityofthepeople，isnot，perhaps，souniversallyappreciated，butitisequallyevidentoninspection，andnolessweightyinproof。Indeed，theFarEasternstateofthingsisakindofcharadeontheword;forhumanitythereissingularlyuniform。Thedistancebetweentheextremesofmind—developmentinJapanismuchlessthanwithus。Thislackofdivergenceexistsnotsimplyincertainlinesofthought，butinallthosecharacteristicsbywhichmanispartedfromthebrutes。
Inreasoningpower，inartisticsensibility，indelicacyofperception，itisthesamestory。Ifthisweresimplytheimpressionatfirstsight，nodeductionscouldbedrawnfromit，foranimpressionofracialsimilarityinvariablymarksthefirststageofacquaintanceofonepeoplebyanother。Eveninoutwardappearanceitisso。
WefinditatfirstimpossibletotelltheJapaneseapart;theyfinditequallyimpossibletodifferentiateus。Butthepresentresemblanceisnotamatteroffirstimpressions。Thefactispatenthistorically。
ThemenwhomJapanreveresaremuchlessremovedfromthecommonherdthanisthecaseinanyWesternland。Andthishasbeensofromtheearliesttimes。ShakspearesandNewtonshaveneverexistedthere。Japanesehumanityisnotthesoiltogrowthem。
Thecomparativeabsenceofgeniusisfullyparalleledbythewantofitsopposite。Notonlyarethepathsofpreeminenceuntrodden;thepurlieusofbrutishignorancearelikewiseunfrequented。Onneithersideofthegreatmediallineisthedepartureofindividualsfarorfrequent。Allmentherearemorealike;——somuchalike，indeed，thattheplacewouldseemtoofferasortofforlornhopefordisappointedsocialists。Althoughreligiousmissionarieshavenotmetwithanymarkedsuccessamongthenatives，thislessdeservingclassofenthusiasticdisseminatorsofanall—possessingbeliefmightdowelltoattemptit。Theywouldfindthereaveryvirginfieldofamostpromisinglydeadlevel。Itistrue，humanoppositionwouldundoubtedlypreventtheirtillingit，butNature，atleast，wouldnotpresentquitesuchconstitutionalobstaclesasshewiselydoeswithus。
Theindividual’smindis，asitwere，anisolatedbitoftheracemind。Thesamesetoftraitswillbefoundineach。Mentalcharacteristicsthereareasortofcommonproperty，ofwhichacertainundifferentiatedportionisindiscriminatelyallottedtoeverymanatbirth。Onesoulresemblesanothersomuch，thatinviewofthepatriarchalsystemunderwhichtheyallexist，thereseemstothestrangerapeculiarappropriatenessinsostrongafamilylikenessofmind。Anideaofhowlittleoneman’sbraindiffersfromhisneighbor’smaybegatheredfromthefact，thatwhileacommoncoolieinJapanspendshissparetimeinplayingachesstwiceascomplicatedasours，themostadvancedphilosopherisstillontheblissfullyignorantsideoftheponsasinorum。
Wefind，then，thatinallthreepointstheFarEastfulfilswhatourtheorydemanded。
Thereisonemoreconsiderationworthyofnotice。Wesaidthattheenvironmenthadnotbeenthedeusexmateriainthematter;butthatthesoulitselfpossessedthegermofitsownevolution。Thisfactdoesnot，however，precludeanother，thattheenvironmenthashelpedintheprocess。Changeofsceneisbeneficialtoothersbesidesinvalids。Howstimulatingtogrowthadifferenthabitatcanprove，whenatallfavorable，isperhapssufficientlyshowninthecaseofthemarguerite，which，asanemigrantcalledwhite—weed，hasusurpedourfields。Thesamehasbeennolesstrueofpeoples。NowtheseFarEasternpeoples，incomparisonwithourownforefathers，havetravelledverylittle。Araceinitstravelsgainstwothings：
firstitacquiresdirectlyagreatdealfrombothplacesandpeoplesthatitmeets，andsecondlyitisconstantlyputtoitsownresourcesinitsstruggleforexistence，andbecomesmorepersonalastheoutcomeofsuchstrife。Thechangedconditions，thehostileforcesitfinds，necessitatementalingenuitytoadaptthemandinfluenceitunconsciously。ToseehowpotenttheseinfluencesprovewehavebuttolookatthetwogreatbranchesoftheAryanfamily，theonethatforsolongnowhasstayedathome，andtheonethatwentabroad。Destituteofstimulusfromwithout，theIndo—Aryanmindturneduponitselfandconsumedindreamymetaphysicstheimaginationwhichhasmadeitscousinstheleadersintheworld’sprogressto—day。Theinevitablenumbnessofmonotonycreptoverthestay—at—homes。Thedeadlysamenessoftheirsurroundingsproduceditsunavoidableeffect。ThetorporoftheEast，likesomeparalyzingpoison，stoleintotheirsouls，andtheyfellintoadrowsyslumberonlytodreaminthelandtheyhadformerlywrestedfromitspossessors。TheirbirthrightpassedwiththeircousinsintotheWest。
InthecaseoftheAltaicraceswhichweareconsidering，causeandeffectmutuallystrengthenedeachother。Thattheydidnottravelmoreisdueprimarilytoalackofenterpriseconsequentuponalackofimagination，andthentheirwantoftraveltoldupontheirimagination。Theywerealsounfortunateintheirjourneying。TheirtravelswereprematurelybroughttoanendbythatvastgeographicalNirvanathePacificOcean，thegreatpeacefulseaastheycallitthemselves。Thattheywouldhavejourneyedfurtherisshownbythewaytheirdreamswenteastwardstill。Theythemselvescouldnotforthepreventingocean，andthelappingofitswatersprovedanation’slullaby。
Onething，Ithink，then，ourglanceatFarEasterncivilizationhasmorethansuggested。Thesoul，initsprogressthroughtheworld，tendsinevitablytoindividualization。Yetthemoreweperceiveofthecosmosthemoredowerecognizeanall—pervadingunityinit。
Itssoulmustbeone，notmany。Thedivinepowerthatmadeallthingsisnotitselfmultifold。Howtoreconciletheever—increasingdivergencewithaneventualsimilarityisaproblematpresenttranscendingourgeneralizations。Whatweknowwouldseemtobeopposedtowhatwemustinfer。Butperceptionofhowweshallmergethepersonalintheuniversal，thoughatpresenthiddenfromsight，maysometimecometous，andtheseeminglyirreconcilablewillthenturnouttoinvolvenocontradictionatall。
Forthismuchiscertain：grandasisthegreatconceptionofBuddhism，majesticasistheideaofthestatelyrestitwouldleadusto，theroadherebelowisnotonethelifeoftheworldcanfollow。Ifearthlyexistencebeanevil，thenBuddhismwillhelpusignoreit;butifbyanimpulsewecannotexplainweinstinctivelycraveactivityofmind，thenthegreatgospelofGautamatouchesusnot;fortoabandonself——egoism，thatis，notselfishnessisthetruevacuumwhichnatureabhors。AsforFarOrientals，theythemselvesfurnishproofagainstthemselves。Thatimpersonalityisnotman’searthlygoaltheyunwittinglybearwitness;fortheyarenotofthosewhowillsurvive。Artisticattractivepeoplethattheyare，theircivilizationisliketheirowntreeflowers，beautifulblossomsdestinednevertobearfruit;forwhateverwemayconceivethefarfutureofanotherlifetobe，theimmediateeffectofimpersonalitycannotbutbeannihilating。Ifthesepeoplecontinueintheiroldcourse，theirearthlycareerisclosed。Justassurelyasmorningpassesintoafternoon，sosurelyaretheseracesoftheFarEast，ifunchanged，destinedtodisappearbeforetheadvancingnationsoftheWest。Vanishtheywilloffthefaceoftheearthandleaveourplanettheeventualpossessionofthedwellerswherethedaydeclines。Unlesstheirnewlyimportedideasreallytakeroot，itisfromthiswholeworldthatJapaneseandKoreans，aswellasChinese，willinevitablybeexcluded。TheirNirvanaisalreadybeingrealized;alreadyithaswrappedFarEasternAsiainitswinding—sheet，theshroudofthosewhosedaywasbutadawn，asifinprophetickeepingwiththenamestheygavetheirhomes，——theLandoftheDay’sBeginning，andtheLandoftheMorningCalm。