and a guilty one。 And； with increasing refinement of moral
appreciation； the problem of desert； which arises out of this
distinction； acquired more and more theoretical and practical
importance。 If life must be given for life； yet it was recognized that
the unintentional slayer did not altogether deserve death； and； by a
sort of compromise between the public and the private conception of
justice； a sanctuary was provided in which he might take refuge from
the avenger of blood。
The idea of justice thus underwent a gradual sublimation from
punishment and reward according to acts； to punishment and reward
according to desert； or； in other words； according to motive。
Righteousness； that is； action from right motive； ＇58＇ not only became
synonymous with justice； but the positive constituent of innocence and
the very heart of goodness。
Now when the ancient sage； whether Indian or Greek； who had attained to
this conception of goodness； looked the world； and especially human
life； in the face； he found it as hard as we do to bring the course of
evolution into harmony with even the elementary requirement of the
ethical ideal of the just and the good。
If there is one thing plainer than another； it is that neither the
pleasures nor the pains of life； in the merely animal world； are
distributed according to desert； for it is admittedly impossible for
the lower orders of sentient beings； to deserve either the one or the
other。 If there is a generalization from the facts of human life which
has the assent of thoughtful men in every age and country； it is that
the violator of ethical rules constantly escapes the punishment which
he deserves； that the wicked flourishes like a green bay tree； while；
the righteous begs his bread； that the sins of the fathers are visited
upon the children； that； in the realm of nature； ignorance is punished
just as severely as wilful wrong； and that thousands upon thousands of
innocent beings suffer for the crime； or the unintentional trespass of
one。
Greek and Semite and Indian are agreed upon ＇59＇ this subject。 The book
of Job is at one with the 〃Works and Days〃 and the Buddhist Sutras；
the Psalmist and the Preacher of Israel； with the Tragic Poets of
Greece。 What is a more common motive of the ancient tragedy in fact；
than the unfathomable injustice of the nature of things； what is more
deeply felt to be true than its presentation of the destruction of the
blameless by the work of his own hands； or by the fatal operation of
the sins of others？ Surely Oedipus was pure of heart； it was the
natural sequence of eventsthe cosmic processwhich drove him； in
all innocence； to slay his father and become the husband of his
mother； to the desolation of his people and his own headlong ruin。 Or
to step； for a moment； beyond the chronological limits I have set
myself； what constitutes the sempiternal attraction of Hamlet but the
appeal to deepest experience of that history of a no less blameless
dreamer； dragged； in spite of himself； into a world out of joint
involved in a tangle of crime and misery； created by one of the prime
agents of the cosmic process as it works in and through man？
Thus； brought before the tribunal of ethics； the cosmos might well seem
to stand condemned。 The conscience of man revolted against the moral
indifference of nature； and the microcosmic atom should have found the
illimitable macrocosm guilty。 But few； or none； ventured to record
that verdict。
＇60＇ In the great Semitic trial of this issue； Job takes refuge in
silence and submission； the Indian and the Greek； less wise perhaps；
attempt to reconcile the irreconcilable and plead for the defendant。
To this end； the Greeks invented Theodicies； while the Indians devised
what； in its ultimate form； must rather be termed a Cosmodicy。 For；
although Buddhism recognizes gods many and lords many； they are
products of the cosmic process； and transitory； however long enduring；
manifestations of its eternal activity。 In the doctrine of
transmigration； whatever its origin； Brahminical and Buddhist
speculation found； ready to hand＇Note 4＇ the means of constructing a
plausible vindication of the ways of the cosmos to man。 If this world
is full of pain and sorrow； if grief and evil fall； like the rain；
upon both the just and the unjust； it is because； like the rain； they
are links in the endless chain of natural causation by which past；
present； and future are indissolubly connected； and there is no more
injustice in the one case than in the other。 Every sentient being is
reaping as it has sown； if not in this life； then in one or other of
the infinite series of antecedent existences of which it is the latest
term。 The present distribution of good and evil is； therefore； the
algebraical sum of accumulated positive and negative deserts； or；
rather； it depends on the floating balance of the account。 For it was
not thought necessary that a complete settlement ＇61＇ should ever take
place。 Arrears might stand over as a sort of 〃hanging gale；〃 a period
of celestial happiness just earned might be succeeded by ages of
torment in a hideous nether world； the balance still overdue for some
remote ancestral error。 ＇Note 5＇
Whether the cosmic process looks any more moral than at first； after
such a vindication； may perhaps be questioned。 Yet this plea of
justification is not less plausible than others； and none but very
hasty thinkers will reject it on the ground of inherent absurdity。
Like the doctrine of evolution itself； that of transmigration has its
roots in the world of reality； and it may claim such support as the
great argument from analogy is capable of supplying。
Everyday experience familiarizes us with the facts which are grouped
under the name of heredity。 Every one of us bears upon him obvious
marks of his parentage； perhaps of remoter relationships。 More
particularly； the sum of tendencies to act in a certain way； which we
call 〃character；〃 is often to be traced through a long series of
progenitors and collaterals。 So we may justly say that this
〃character〃this moral and intellectual essence of a mandoes
veritably pass over from one fleshly tabernacle to another； and does
really transmigrate from generation to generation。 In the new…born
infant； the character of the stock lies latent； and the Ego is little
more ＇62＇ than a bundle of potentialities。 But； very early； these
become acutalities； from childhood to age they manifest themselves in
dulness or brightness； weakness or strength； viciousness or
uprightness； and with each feature modified by confluence with another
character； if by nothing else； the character passed on to its
incarnation in new bodies。
The Indian philosophers called character； as thus defined；
〃karma。〃＇Note 6＇ It is this karma which passed from life to life and
linked them in the chain of transmigrations； and they held that it is
modified in each life； not merely by confluence of parentage； but by
its own acts。 They were； in fact； strong believers in the theory； so
much disputed just at present； of the hereditary transmission of
acquired characters。 That the manifestation of the tendencies of a
character may be greatly facilitated； or impeded； by conditions； of
which self…discipline； or the absence of it； are among the most
important； is indubitable； but that the character itself is modified
in this way is by no means so certain； it is not so sure that the
transmitted character of an evil liver is worse； or that of a
righteous man better； than that which he received。 Indian philosophy；
however； did not admit of any doubt on this subject； the belief in the
influence of conditions； notably of self…discipline； on the karma was
not merely a necessary postulate of its theory of retribution； but it
presented ＇63＇ the only way of escape from the endless round of
transmigrations。
The earlier forms of Indian philosophy agreed with those prevalent in
our own times； in supposing the existence of a permanent reality； or
〃substance；〃 beneath the shifting series of phenomena； whether of
matter or of mind。 The substance of the cosmos was 〃Brahma；〃 that of
the individual man 〃Atman；〃 and the latter was separated from the
former only； if I may so speak； by its phenomenal envelope； by the
casing of sensations； thoughts and desires； pleasures and pains； which
make up the illusive phantasmagoria of life。 This the ignorant take
for reality； their 〃Atman〃 therefore remains eternally imprisoned in
delusions； bound by the fetters of desire and scourged by the whip of
misery。 But the man who has attained enlightenment sees that the
apparent reality is mere illusion； or； as was said a couple of
thousand years later； that there is nothing good nor bad but thinking
makes it so。 If the cosmos is just 〃and of our pleasant vices makes
instruments to scourge us；〃 it would seem that the only way to escape
from our heritage of evil is to destroy that fountain of desire whence
our vices flow； to refuse any longer to be the instruments of the
evolutionary process； and withdraw from the struggle for existence。 If
the karma is modifiable by self…discipline； if its coarser desires；
one after another； can be extinguished； the ultim