chapter 7
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The truth of the matter is, _the reason why the ese people do not feel the need ion is because they have in fuism a system of philosophy ahics, a synthesis of human society and civilisation which take the pla<var></var>ce ion. People say that fuism is not a religion. It is perfectly true that fuism is not a religion in the ordinary European sense of the word. But then I say the greatness of fuism lies even in this, that it is not a religion. In fact, the greatness of fuism is that, without being a religion, it take the place ion; it make men do withion.Now in order to uand how fuism take the place ion we must try and find out the reason why mankind, why mehe need ion. Mankind, it seems to me, feel the need ion for the same reason that they feel the need of sce, of art and of philosophy. The reason is because man is a being who has a soul. Now let us take sce, I mean physical sce. What is the reason which makes men take up the study of sce? Most people now think that men do so, because they want to have railways and aeroplanes. But the motive which impels the true men of sce to pursue i<dfn></dfn>ts study is not because they want to have railways and aeroplanes. Men like the present progressive amen, who take up the study of sce, because they want railways and aeroplanes, will never get sce. The true men of s Europe in the past who have worked for the adva of sd brought about the possibility of building railways and aeroplanes, did not think at all of railways and aeroplanes. What impelled those true men of s Europe and what made them succeed in their work for the adva of sce, was because they felt in their souls the need of uanding the awful mystery of the wonderful universe in which we live. Thus mankind, I say, feel the need ion for the same reason that they feel the need of sce, art and philosophy; and the reason is because man is a being who has a soul, and because the soul in him, which looks into the past and future as well as the present_ not like animals which live only in the present_feels the need of uanding the mystery of this universe in which they live. Until men uand something of the nature, law, purpose and aim of the things which they see in the unive<samp></samp>rse, they are like children in a dark room who feel the danger, insecurity and uainty of everything. In fact, as an English poet says, the burden of the mystery of the universe weighs upoherefore mankind want sce, art and philosophy for the same reason that they want religion, to lighten for them "the burden of the mystery, ....
The heavy and the weary weight of All this unintelligible world. "
Art and poetry ehe artist and poet to see beauty and order in the universe and that lightens for them the burden of this mystery. Therefore poets like Goethe, who says: "He who has art, has religion, " do not feel the need ion. Philosophy also ehe philosophers to see method and order in the universe, and that lightens for them the burden of this mystery. Therefore philosophers, like Spinoza, "for whom, " it has been said, "the of the intellectual life is a transport, as for the saint the of the religious life is a transport," do not feel the need ion. Lastly, sce also ehe stifi to see law and order in the universe, and that lightens for them the burden of this mystery. Therefore stifi like Darrofessor Haeckel do not feel the need ion.
But for the mass of mankind who are not poets, artists, philosophers or men of sce; for the mass of mankind whose lives are full of hardships and who are exposed every moment to the shock of act from the threatening forces of Nature and the cruel merciless passions of their fellow-men, what is it that lighten for them the
"burden of the mystery of all this unintelligible world?" It is religion. But how dion lighten for the mass of mankind the burden of this mystery? Religion, I say, lightens this burden by giving the mass of mankind a sense of security and a sense of permanence. In presence of the threatening forces of Nature and the cruel merciless passions of their fellowmen and the mystery and terror which these <q></q>inspire, religion gives to the mass of mankind a refuge_a refuge in which they find a sense of security ; and that refuge is a belief in some supernatural Being or beings who have absolute power and trol over those forces which threaten them. Again, in presence of the stant ge, vicissitude and transition of things in their own lives_birth, childhood, youth, old age ah, and the mystery and uainty which these inspire, religion gives to the mass of mankind alse_a refuge in which they find a sense of permanence; and that refuge is the belief in a future life. In this way, I say, religion lightens for the mass of mankind who are not poets, artists, philosophers or stifi, the burden of the mystery of all this unintelligible world, by giving them a sense of security and a sense of permanen their existence. Christ said: " Peace I give unto you, peace which the world ot give and which the world ot take away from you." That is what I mean when I say that religion gives to the mass of mankind a sense of security and a sense of permaherefore, unless you find something which give 9９lib?o the mass of mankind the same peace, the same sense of security and of permanence which religion affords them, the mass of mankind will always feel the need ion.
But I said fuism, without being a religion take the place ion. Therefore, there must be something in fuism which give to the mass of mankind the same sense of security and permanence which religion affords them. Let us now find out what this something is in fuism which give the samesense of security and sense of permahat religion gives.
I have often been asked to say what fucius has done for the ese nation. Now I tell you of many things which I think fucius has aplished for the ese people. But, as to-day I have not the time, I will only here try to tell you of one principal and most important thing which fucius has done for the ese nation_the ohing he did in his life by which, fucius himself said, men in after ages would know him, would know what he had done for them. When I have explaio you this one principal thing, you will then uand what that something is in fu-ism which give to the mass of mankind the same sense of security and sense of permanence which religion affords them. In order to explain this, I must ask you to allow me to go a little more into detail about fucius and what he did.
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