Thoughts on Life and Religion: An Aftermath from the Writings of The Right Honourable Professor Max MüllerMüller, F. Max (Friedrich Max)
Religion
Thoughts on Life and Religion: An Aftermath from the Writings of The Right Honourable Professor Max Müller
Müller, F. Max (Friedrich Max)
Life; Philosophy; Religion; Theology
Sharing the happiness of other people, entering into their feelings,
living life over once more with them and in them, that is all
that remains to old people. I suppose it was meant to be so, the
principal object of life being the overcoming of self, in every
sense of the word.
_Life._
This is a lesson one has to learn as one grows older, to learn to
be alone, and yet to feel one in spirit with all whom one loves,
whether present or absent.
_MS._
You cannot escape from old age, whether it comes slowly or suddenly,
but it comes unawares, and you suddenly feel that you cannot walk
or jump as you used to do, and even the muscles of the mind don't
hold out as they used. Well, so it was meant to be, and it will
be pleasant to begin again with new muscles, and to take up new
work. After seeing a good deal of life, I still think the greatest
satisfaction is work: I do not mean drudgery, but one's own findings
out.
_Life._
As one is getting old, and looks forward with fear rather than with
hope to what is still in store for us, one learns to appreciate more
and more the never-failing pleasure of recalling all the bright and
happy days that are gone. Gone they are, but they are not lost.
Ever present to our calling and recalling, they assume at last a
vividness, such as they hardly had when present, and when we poor
souls were trembling for every day and hour and minute that was
going and ever going, and would not and could not abide.
_Life._
RELIGION AND RELIGIONS
God is not far from each one of those who seek God, if haply they
may feel after Him. Let theologians pile up volume upon volume of
what they call theology, religion is a very simple matter, and that
which is so simple and yet so all-important to us, the living kernel
of religion, can be found, I believe, in almost every creed, however
much the husk may vary. And think what that means! It means that
above and beneath and behind all religions there is one eternal, one
universal religion, a religion to which every man belongs, or may
belong.
_Last Essays._
True religion, that is practical, active, living religion, has
little or nothing to do with logical or metaphysical quibbles.
Practical religion is life, is a new life, a life in the sight of
God, and it springs from what may truly be called a new birth.
_Last Essays._
Our senses can never perceive a real boundary, be it on the largest
or the smallest scale: they present to us everywhere the infinite as
their background, and everything that has to do with religion has
sprung out of this infinite background as its ultimate and deepest
foundation.
_Silesian Horseherd._
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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