Page:The Relations Tolstoy.pdf/20

 exactly our deviation from the given ideal direction. On whatever level a man may stand there is always the possibility of his approaching the ideal; and there is no position in which he can say, "It is attained," and that there is nothing beyond to strive towards.

Such is man's aspiration towards the Christian ideal in general, and towards chastity in particular. If we imagine to ourselves men in the most diverse positions in relation to the sex-question, from innocent childhood to incontinent marriage, the teaching of Jesus, and the ideal he presents to us, will always serve as a clear and definite guide as to what a man should or should not do, on each of the steps between the two.

"What should a pure lad or girl do?" Keep themselves pure and free from temptation, and in order to give all their powers to the service of God and man, strive towards greater and greater purity of thought and desire.

"What should the young man or girl do who has fallen into temptation, is absorbed in objectless thoughts of love, or in love for a particular person, and has thereby lost to a certain extent their possibility of serving God and man?"

Exactly the same; not allow themselves to fall into sin (knowing that a fall will not free them from temptations, but only render it stronger), and strive after greater and greater purity, that they may be enabled more fully to serve God and man.

"What should those do who have not resisted temptation and have fallen?"

Consider their fall not as a legitimate enjoyment (as it is now regarded, when justified by the ritual of marriage), nor as a casual pleasure which one may repeat with others, nor as a calamity when