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e Immaculate Conception； and the Carnival。
Numerous instances might of course be adduced of how a Church aspiring to be a real Church of Humanity might adopt and re…create the rituals of the past in the light of a modern inspiration。 Indeed the difficulty would be to limit the process； for EVERY ancient ritual； we can now see； has had a meaning and a message； and it would be a real joy to disentangle these and to expose the profound solidarity of humanity and aspiration from the very dawn of civilization down to the present day。 Nor would it be necessary to imagine any Act of Uniformity or dead level of ceremonial in the matter。 Different groups might concentrate on different phases of religious thought and practice。 The only necessity would be that they should approach the subject with a real love of Humanity in their hearts and a real desire to come into touch with the deep inner life and mystic growing…pains of the souls of men and women in all ages。 In this direction M。 Loisy has done noble and excellent work； but the dead weight and selfish blinkerdom of the Catholic organization has hampered him to that degree that he has been unable to get justice done to his liberalizing designsor； perhaps； even to reveal the full extent of them。 And the same difficulty will remain。 On the one hand no spiritual movement which does not take up the attitude of a World…religion has now in this age； any chance of success； on the other； all the existing Churcheswhether Roman Catholic； or Greek； or Protestant or Secularistwhether Christian or Jewish or Persian or Hinduwill in all probability adopt the same blind and blinkered and selfish attitude as that described above； and so disqualify themselves for the great role of world…wide emancipation； which some religion at some time will certainly have to play。 It is the same difficulty which is looming large in modern World…politics； where the local selfishness and vainglorious 〃patriotisms〃 of the Nations are sadly impeding and obstructing the development of that sense of Internationalism and Brotherhood which is the clearly indicated form of the future； and which alone can give each nation deliverance from fear； and a promise of growth； and the confident assurance of power。
I say that Christianity must either frankly adopt this generous attitude and confess itself a branch of the great World…religion； anxious only to do honor to its source or else it must perish and pass away。 There is no other alternative。 The hour of its Exodus has come。 It may be； of course； that neither the Christian Church nor any branch of it； nor any other religious organization； will step into the gap。 It may bebut I do not think this is likelythat the time of rites and ceremonies and formal creeds is PAST； and churches of any kind will be no more needed in the world： not likely； I say； because of the still far backwardness of the human masses； and their considerable dependence yet on laws and forms and rituals。 Still； if it should prove that that age of dependence IS really approaching its end； that would surely be a matter for congratulation。 It would mean that mankind was moving into a knowledge of the REALITY which has underlain these outer showsthat it was coming into the Third stage of its Consciousness。 Having found this there would be no need for it to dwell any longer in the land of superstitions and formulae。 It would have come to the place of which these latter are only the outlying indications。
It may； therefore； happenand this quite independently of the growth of a World…cult such as I have described； though by no means in antagonism to itthat a religious philosophy or Theosophy might develop and spread； similar to the Gnonam of the Hindus or the Gnomsis of the pre…Christian sects； which would become； first among individuals and afterwards among large bodies over the world； the religion ofor perhaps one should say the religious approach to the Third State。 Books like the Upanishads of the Vedic seers； and the Bhagavat Gita； though garbled and obscured by priestly interferences and mystifications； do undoubtedly represent and give expression to the highest utterance of religious experience to be found anywhere in the world。 They are indeed the manuals of human entrance into the cosmic state。 But as I say； and as has happened in the case of other sacred books； a vast deal of rubbish has accreted round their essential teachings； and has to be cleared away。 To go into a serious explication of the meaning of these books would be far too large an affair； and would be foreign to the purpose of the present volume； but I have in the Appendix below inserted two papers； （on 〃Rest〃 and 〃The Nature of the Self〃） containing the substance of lectures given on the above books。 These papers or lectures are couched in the very simplest language； free from Sanskrit terms and the usual 'jargon of the Schools；' and may； I hope； even on that account be of use in familiarizing readers who are not specially STUDENTS with the ideas and mental attitudes of the cosmic state。 Non…differentiation （Advaita＇1＇） is the root attitude of the mind inculcated。
＇1＇ The word means 〃not…two…ness。〃 Here we see a great subtlety of definition。 It is not to be 〃one〃 with others that is urged； but to be 〃not two。〃
We have seen that there has been an age of non…differentiation in the Past…non…differentiation from other members of the Tribe； from the Animals； from Nature and the Spirit or Spirits of nature； why should there not arise a similar sense of non…differentiation in the FUTUREsimilar but more extended more intelligent？ Certainly this WILL arrive； in its own appointed time。 There will be a surpassing of the bounds of separation and division。 There will be a surpassing of all Taboos。 We have seen the use and function of Taboos in the early stages of Evolution and how progress and growth have been very much a matter of their gradual extinction and assimilation into the general body of rational thought and feeling。 Unreasoning and idiotic taboos still linger； but they grow weaker。 A new Morality will come which will shake itself free from them。 The sense of kinship with the animals （as in the old rituals）＇1＇ will be restored； the sense of kinship with all the races of mankind will grow and become consolidated； the sense of the defilement and impurity of the human body will （with the adoption of a generally clean and wholesome life） pass away； and the body itself will come to be regarded more as a collection of shrines in which the gods may be worshiped and less as a mere organ of trivial self…gratifications；＇2＇ there will be no form of Nature； or of human life or of the lesser creatures； which will be barred from the approach of Man or from the intimate and penetrating invasion of his spirit； and as in certain ceremonies and after honorable toils and labors a citizen is sometimes received into the community of his own city； so the emancipated human being on the completion of his long long pilgrimage on Earth will be presented with the Freedom of the Universe。
＇1＇ The record of the Roman Catholic Church has been sadly Callous and inhuman in this matter of the animals。
＇2＇ See The Art of Creation； by E。 Carpenter。
XVII。