American essays -- 20th century; Child development; Children; Education
The elder generation, judging all things from the standpoint of
the self will, is dumbfounded. Such iron repression among children
is beyond its imagination. The elder generation goes on living
sharkish and predatory lives, experimenting with repression after
too much getting and taking and licentiousness. It concentrates
terribly on repression, throwing up about itself temporary
breastworks, developing cruel red rays of personal will which
at best is but a defiant pugnacity. Its eyes grow red and voice
savage. For the time the gargoyles of the ancient self are locked
in the lower room, but they are not mastered. All personal will is
but a confession of inordination within. Where there is inner order
and beauty, it is not needed, becomes indeed an affront to the most
high.
The beautiful will-lessness which marks the relation of the sexes
of the New Order is the key to the freedom of the future. Tiger and
ape are transformed into white presences--the mutinous slaves of
the earth-self become cosmic servants.
* * * * *
18
SHUK
I was talking to a group of young artists in Chicago. There was a boy
there who seemed disturbed because the others dared to be natural in
my presence, and talk about themselves. I was quite at ease, enjoying
myself, and getting altogether as much respect as I deserved.... This
lad walked with me to the train. I wanted to take him home. I liked his
voice and his hand and his mind. I thought at first that he could not
mean all he said, but I was wrong about that. Reverence is sometimes
very hard to take, but the one who brings it has the pure surface of
receptivity. The boy said, as my train pulled out:
"No, I can't come now. There's a month to be spent at home in Michigan,
and a season's playing with an orchestra up in the lake resorts, but
after that--say October, I'll come to Stonestudy."
That was exactly what he did. He had it all planned months ahead. It's
Shuk's[18] way--a mathematical mind, a crystal mind. The theosophists
would say that he belonged to the intellectual ray.... We are always
better with Shuk in the room. He comes half way to meet our process
of lighting up, which is the devotional process; in fact, Shuk
incorporated himself in our ideals in exchange for a year or two of
living the life at Stonestudy.... These things never die.
[18] Herman S. Schuchert.
A raincoat, a black bag--these are Shuk's possessions, all weight and
measure minimised, even to the kind of white paper which wears best and
packs best. Shuk means order. A page of his "copy" is a rest to the
eye. There is a finished quality to his sentences. My tendency is to
rush into a mental clean-up when he enters the room. I'm not impressing
these details as his virtues. Shuk's virtues are cosmic. He will
presently be telling the big tales, and telling them fast.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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