Human Nature

HUMAN NATURE BY ARTHUR ROBSON THE THEOSOPHICAL PUBLISHING HOUSE ADYAR, MADRAS, INDIA 1940 Copyright, A rth u r Rob son All Rights Reserved by C. Subbarayudu at the Vasanta Press, . Atfyar, Madras, India Turn, turn, my wheel Turn round and round, W thout a pause, without a sound-So spins the flying world away Longfellow. PREFACE IT has sometimes occurred to me that the habit writers have of putting quotations of any length in smaller type than the text proper savoured somehow of a certain lack of respect for the authority cited, especially when the quotation was from one of the Gospels or from an author such as Shakespeare or Wordsworth. I mention this by way of explanation for my departure from accepted usage in that I have adopted the rule of putting quotations in italics or in a few exceptional cases between inverted commas. But, in adopting this rule, I have made it neces sary to find a way, other than the use of italics, of emphasizing those words and passages to which I wanted to draw the readers special attention. This need I have met b the use of bold type, not only in the text proper, but also in the italicized quota tions. I have retained the use of italics for expressions taken from foreign languages and for those Sanskrit words which are not yet naturalized in the English language. VI I should like to take this opportunity of acknow ledging the great debt this book and I owe to two people First, to my brother, Clan D. Ross, vhose help enabled me to write it and secondly, to my brother, Bhikkhu Arya Asanga, for having given so much of his valuable time to the labour of going through the proofs, and for the innumerable im provements that have been made in the book as a resultof his helpful suggestions. A. R. CONTENTS CHAPTER PAGI I. HUMAN NATURE Evolution Postulated, 2 Some Natural Hu man Habits, 3 Survival of Habits, 6 Wrath, 9 Avarice, 13 Niggardliness, 15 Covetousness, 16 Pride, 18 What is Karma 20. II. KARMA 2. Formation of a Karmic Eddy, 26 The Root of Karma is Delusion, 28 It Is Fear that Gives Karma its Strength, 30 The Popular Conception of Karma, 30 Karma Means Doing, 34 What Question Is the Doctrine an Answer to 34 The Wheel of Karma, 36 Compensation, 36. III. NATURAL PIETY 31 The Seeds of Virtue Germinate in Brute Nature, 40 Wrath and Unyielding Tenacity of Purpose, 41 Greed and Thoroughness, 43 Envy and Emulation, 43-Niggardliness and Carefulness, 44 Idle Curiosity and Thirst for Knowledge, 45 The Lotus Roots in Slime, 46 The Tares and the Good Seed, 47 Special Applicability of this to the Young, 48. Vlll IV. LAUGHTER 50 Laughter and the Grotesque, 50 Raillery, 51 Humour, 52 The Physical Ingredients of Laughter, 57 Laughter-Poise, 59 Infec tiousness of Laughter, 69 Ticklishness, 60 Protecting the Neck, 61. V. JOY 64 Joy and its Expression, 64 Joy Is Escape, 65 Exhilaration of Movement, 66 Joie de Vivre, 67 Limb Movements in Joy, 68 Body Movements in Joy, 68 Joy, the Foun tain Head of Music, Dance and Song, 69 Cries of Joy, 70 The Primal Sound, 72 Water Evokes Joy, 753, Aum, 75 Joy and the Sense of Infinitude, 80 Let Joy be Unconfined, 81 Serenity, 82 Free Expres sion of Joy Can Be at One with Perfect Serenity, 83. VI. THE BREATH OF LIFE .... 85 The Swhnbladder and Its Use, 86 Courage, 89 Self-importance, 89 Sighs, 90 Aspira tion, 91 Inspiration, 92 The Sigh of Satis faction, 93 Getting Clear, 93 The Breath ing Cycle, 93 Swallowing, 94. VII. LOVE96 Loves Folly, 96 Possible Origins of the Love Instinct, 98 A Perfect Union, 99 Sweet ness, 101 Warmth, 101 In Every Cell, 101 All the World, 102 Faint Glimmerings, 102 The Terror That Is in Love and Beauty, 103 Sex-Poise, 106. IX VIII. THE FEAR OF GOD . . . ...