The man was weary. "What have I gained? Only that I have a truth, which
I cannot understand, which gives me no help, or but little? Have I
gained anything to help me in life? I have gained this, perhaps, that if
Law be not a full explanation, it is true, as far as it goes; if not a
whole truth, yet it is a truth. Why go further? The scientist cares for
nothing more when he has learned the laws of gravity. He is content to
be ignorant of whence the force comes, because he can go no further. In
the battle of life is not this enough? Can we not, too, be as the
scientist, denying nothing, but searching only for that which we can
know and which will be useful to us? If force be God, yet should His
ways not be mysterious. Let us not shut our eyes and comfort ourselves
in ignorance by saying, 'There is no Law; God is inscrutable, God knows
no Law. He is inexpressible, changeable and uncertain.' But truly there
is Law. Behind the gods, behind God, there _is_ [Greek: anachke], there
is Necessity, there is an unfailing sequence of events, which is
righteousness. Let us learn then what righteousness is. Let us learn
what is true in order to do what is right."
* * * * *
But after all it is all speculation. There is no evidence. It is a
theory built on nothing. What is the value of it? Nothing at all. What
is to be gained by all this? Only barren words, finely spun theories
made of air. Where is the proof of God or of Law? There is none.
CHAPTER X.
THE WAY OF LIFE.
Perhaps it does not matter. It may be that all this speculation about
the First Cause, about the Ruling Power of the world, is unnecessary.
What matter if God be inscrutable, if He has given us commands for our
lives that are clear, if He has laid down for us His will that we should
follow. Even if Law be not a full explanation, even if a knowledge of
all Law would not mean a knowledge of everything, what would this
signify if we can see enough of the laws that govern our lives so to
order ourselves as to reach the goal? Whether the Theist be right or the
Buddhist, in his theories of the world, the main question with which we
are concerned is ourselves. Has any religion a working code of life that
is true, that is adapted to us as we are, that is not in conflict with
facts and common sense? What matters its name or its supposed origin? Is
there such a thing? So thought the man, turning from abstract ideas to
real necessities. After all, what I and all men want is not abstract
ideas, whether of God or Law, but present help and guidance. Has any God
taught any believer a perfect code of life, has any Buddhist searcher
discovered the natural Law of life? For if so I would know them. Never
mind the whence or how, give me the facts.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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