The Sword of Song

ASCENSION DAY 15 On just belief or unbelief ; And an involuntary act Make difference infinite in fact Between the right and left-hand thief ? Belief is not an act of will !” I think, Sir, that I have you still, Even allowing (much indeed !) That any will at all is freed, And is not merely the result Of sex, environment, and cult, Habit and climate, health and mind, And twenty thousand other things ! So many a metaphysic sings. (I wish they did indeed : I find Their prose the hardest of hard reading.) “But if,” you cry, “the world’s designed As a mere mirage in the mind, Up jumps free will.” But all I’m pleading Is against pain and hell. Freewill Then can damn man ? No fearful mill, Grinding catastrophe, is speeding Outside—some whence, some whither ? And67 I think we easier understand Where Schelling (to the Buddha leading) Calls real not-self. In any case There is not, there can never be A soul, or sword or armour needing, Incapable in time or space Or to inflict or suffer. We I think are gradually weeding The soil of dualism. Pheugh ! Drop to the common Christian’s view ! This is my point ; the world lies bleeding :— (Result of sin ?)—I do not care ; I will admit you anywhere ! I take your premises themselves And, like the droll deceitful elves They are, they yet outwit your plan. I will prove Christ a wicked man. Free will. Herbert Spencer. If there is free will how can there be pain or damnation ? not-Self being an illusion. Self or not-Self real? Chute d’Icare. I have pity : had Christ any ? The Sheep and the Goats. 500 505 510 515 520 525 530