Higher Laws

table,asknoblessingnotbecauseIamwiserthanIwas,but,Iamobligedtoconfess,because,howevermuchitistoberegretted,withyearsIhavegrownmorecoarseandindifferent.Perhapsthesequestionsareentertainedonlyinyouth,asmostbelieveofpoetry.Mypracticeis“nowhere,”myopinionishere.NeverthelessIamfarfromregardingmyselfasoneofthoseprivilegedonestowhomtheVedreferswhenitsays,that“hewhohastruefaithintheOmnipresentSupremeBeingmayeatallthatexists,”thatis,isnotboundtoinquirewhatishisfood,orwhopreparesitandevenintheircaseitistobeobserved,asaHindoocommentatorhasremarked,thattheVedantlimitsthisprivilegeto“thetimeofdistress.” Whohasnotsometimesderivedaninexpressiblesatisfactionfromhisfoodinwhichappetitehadnoshare?IhavebeenthrilledtothinkthatIowedamentalperceptiontothecommonlygrosssenseoftaste,thatIhavebeeninspiredthroughthepalate,thatsomeberrieswhichIhadeatenonahill-sidehadfedmygenius.“Thesoulnotbeingmistressofherself,”saysThseng-tseu,“onelooks,andonedoesnotseeonelistens,andonedoesnothearoneeats,andonedoesnotknowthesavoroffood.”Hewhodistinguishesthetruesavorofhisfoodcanneverbeagluttonhewhodoesnotcannotbeotherwise.Apuritanmaygotohisbrown-breadcrustwithasgrossanappetiteaseveranaldermantohisturtle.Notthatfoodwhichenterethintothemouthdefilethaman,buttheappetitewithwhichitiseaten.Itisneitherthequalitynorthequantity,butthedevotiontosensualsavorswhenthatwhichiseatenisnotaviandtosustainouranimal,orinspireourspirituallife,butfoodforthewormsthatpossessus.Ifthehunterhasatasteformud-turtles,muskrats,andothersuchsavagetid-bits,thefineladyindulgesatasteforjellymadeofacalf’sfoot,orforsardinesfromoverthesea,andtheyareeven.Hegoestothemill-pond,shetoherpreserve-pot.Thewonderishowthey,howyouandI,canlivethisslimy,beastlylife,eatinganddrinking. Ourwholelifeisstartlinglymoral.Thereisneveraninstant’strucebetweenvirtueandvice.Goodnessistheonlyinvestmentthatneverfails.Inthemusicoftheharpwhichtremblesroundtheworlditistheinsistingonthiswhichthrillsus.TheharpisthetravellingpattererfortheUniverse’sInsuranceCompany,recommendingitslaws,andourlittlegoodnessisalltheassessmentthatwepay.Thoughtheyouthatlastgrowsindifferent,thelawsoftheuniversearenotindifferent,butareforeveronthesideofthemostsensitive.Listentoeveryzephyrforsomereproof,foritissurelythere,andheisunfortunatewhodoesnothearit.Wecannottouchastringormoveastopbutthecharmingmoraltransfixesus.Manyanirksomenoise,goalongwayoff,isheardasmusic,aproudsweetsatireonthemeannessofourlives. Weareconsciousofananimalinus,whichawakensinproportionasourhighernatureslumbers.Itisreptileandsensual,andperhapscannotbewhollyexpelledlikethewormswhich,eveninlifeandhealth,occupyourbodies.Possiblywemaywithdrawfromit,butneverchangeitsnature.Ifearthatitmayenjoyacertainhealthofitsownthatwemaybewell,yetnotpure.TheotherdayIpickedupthelowerjawofahog,withwhiteandsoundteethandtusks,whichsuggestedthattherewasananimalhealthandvigordistinctfromthespiritual.Thiscreaturesucceededbyothermeansthantemperanceandpurity.“Thatinwhichmendifferfrombrutebeasts,”saysMencius,“isathingveryinconsiderablethecommonherdloseitverysoonsuperiormenpreserveitcarefully.”Whoknowswhatsortoflifewouldresultifwehadattainedtopurity?IfIknewsowiseamanascouldteachmepurityIwouldgotoseekhimforthwith.“Acommandoverourpassions,andovertheexternalsensesofthebody,andgoodacts,aredeclaredbytheVedtobeindispensableinthemind’sapproximationtoGod.”Yetthespiritcanforthetimepervadeandcontroleverymemberandfunctionofthebody,andtransmutewhatinformisthegrossestsensualityintopurityanddevotion.Thegenerativeenergy,which,whenweareloose,dissipatesandmakesusunclean,whenwearecontinentinvigoratesandinspiresus.ChastityisthefloweringofmanandwhatarecalledGenius,Heroism,Holiness,andthelike,arebutvariousfruitswhichsucceedit.ManflowsatoncetoGodwhenthechannelofpurityisopen.Byturnsourpurityinspiresandourimpurit