The Sword of Song

SCIENCE AND BUDDHISM 107 survives death, what does it m atter to us? Why are we to be so altruistic as to avoid the reincarnation of a being in all points different from ourselves? As the small boy said, “What has posterity done for me?” But som ethin does persist; something changing, though less slowly . What evi- dence have we after all that an anim al does not remember his man-incarnation? Or, as Levi says, “In the suns they remember, and in the planets they forget.” I think it unlikely (may be), but in the total absence of all evidence for or agains t—at leas t with regard to the latter hy pothesis !—I suspend my judgement, leave the question alone, and proceed to m ore practical points that are offered by these interesting but not over- useful metaphysical speculations. V. KARMA. The Law of Causation is formally identical with this. Karm a m eans “ that which is made,” and I think it should be considered with strict etymological accuracy. If I place a stone on the roof of a house, it is sure to fall sooner or later; i.e., as soon as the con- ditions perm it. Also, in its ultim ation, the doctrine of Karm a is identical with deter- minism. On this subject much wisdom, with an infinite amount of rubbish, has been written. I therefore dismiss it in these few words, confident that the established identity can never be shaken. VI. THE TEN FETTERS OR SANYOGANAS. 1. Sakkay a-ditthi. Belief in a “soul.” 2. V ikikikkha. Doubt. 3. Silabbata-parâ- Reliance on the effi- mâsa cacy of rites and and ceremonies. 4. Kama. Bodily Desires. 5. Patigha. H atred. 6. Ruparaga. Desire for bodily im mortality. 7. Aruparaga. Desire for spiritual i mmortality. 8. Mano. Pride. 9. Udha kka. Self-righteousness. 10. Avigga. Ignorance. (1) For this is a petitio principii. (2) This, to a scientist, is apparently anathema. But it only means, I think, that if we are not settled in our m inds we cannot work. And this is unquestionable. Suppose a chemist to set to work to determ ine the boiling-point of a new organic substance. Does he stop in the midst, struck by the fear that his therm ometer is inaccurate ? No ! he has, unless he is a fool, tested it previously. We must have our principia fixed before we can do research work. (3) A scientist hardly requires conviction on this point! (4) Do you think to combine Newton and Caligula? The passions, allowed to dominate, interfere with the concentration of the mind. (5) Does brooding on y our dislikes help you to accurate obs ervation? I admit that a controversy may stir y ou up to perform prodigies of work, but while y ou are actually working you do not suffer the concentration of your mind to be interfered with. (6 & 7) This Fetter and the next are con- tingent on your having perceived the suffer- ing of all forms of conscious existence. (8) Needs no com ment. Pride, like humility, is a form of delusion. (9) Is like unto it, but on the moral plane. (10) The great enemy. Theists alone have found the infamous audacity to extol the merits of this badge of servitude. We s ee, then, that in this classification a scientist will concur. W e need not d iscuss the question whether or no he would find others to add. Buddhism may not be com- plete, but, as far as it goes, it is accurate.