Page:Tolstoy - Essays and Letters.djvu/310

 294 ESSAYS AND LETTERS

realizes his relation with the superhuman and mysteri&wi forces on which he considers himself dependent/ — Goblet d'Alviella.* ' Religion is a definition of human life, based on the connection between the human soul and that mysterious spirit whose dominion over the world and over himself man recognises, and with which he feels himself united.' — A. Reville.f

So that the essence of religion has always been understood— and is now understood by men not de- prived of the highest human characteristic — to be the establishment by man of a relation between himself and the infinite Being or Beings, whose power he feels over him. And this relation — liowever different it may be for different nations and at different times— has always defined for men their destiny in tlie world ; from which guidance for their conduct has naturally flowed. A Jew understood liis relation to the Infinite to be, that he was a member of a nation chosen by God from among all nations, and that he had therefore to observe in the sight of God the agreement made by God with this people. A Greek understood his relation to be, that, being dependent on the representatives of eternity — i.e., on the Gods — he ought to do what pleased them. A Brahman understands himself to be a manifestation of the infinite Brahma, and considers that he ought, by renunciation of life, to strive towards union with that highest being. A Buddhist considered, and considers, his relation to the Infinite to be : that, passing from one form of life to another, he inevitably suffers ; and these sufferings proceed from passions and desires, and therefore his business is to strive to anni- hilate all passions and all desires, and so pass into Nirvana. Every religion is the setting up, between man and the infinite life to which he feels himself allied, of some relation from which he obtains guidance for his conduct. And, therefore, if a religion does not

Evolution religieuse contemporaine and other works.
 * Eugene Goblet, Comte d'Alviella (1846- ), author of

t A. Reville (1826- ), Protestant theologian of the advanced school, author of many works on religion.