Chapter 22 Asia's Response to Tolstoy

April 1913 At the time of the first editions of this book we could not yet measure the influence of Tolstoy's ideas in the world.The seeds are still buried in the soil.Should wait for summer. Today, the autumn harvest is over.From Tolstoy grew a whole offspring.His words are in action.After St. John, the pioneer of Yasnaya Polyana, came the savior of India, Mahatma Gandhi. After all, there are many admirable deeds in the history of mankind. Although the great intellectual effort is apparently destroyed, its essence is not lost, and the passage of various echoes and reactions forms an endless current, irrigating the land. make it fertile.

In 1847, the young Tolstoy was nineteen years old and was ill in Kazan Hospital. On the adjacent bed, there was a lama monk who was stabbed badly in the face by robbers. From him, Tolstoy received his first The revelation of non-resistance will be his standard for the last thirty years of his life, and he will persevere. Sixty-two years later, in 1909, the young Indian Gandhi, receiving this holy light from the dying Tolstoy, cultivated his love and pain for the old apostle of Russia; The bright flames of this light illuminated India: and its splendor spread over all parts of the earth. But before getting into the relationship between Gandhi and Tolstoy, we would like to give a general outline of the relationship between Tolstoy and Asia; without this thesis, a biography of Tolstoy would be incomplete today.For Tolstoy's actions towards Europe will perhaps be historically more important than his actions towards Asia.He was the first intellectual "road", from east to west, uniting all elements of the ancient continent.Today, pilgrims from both east and west come and go on this "road".

At this moment we have all the necessary methods to understand this topic: because of Tolstoy's devout follower, Paul Birukov collected all the materials in the book "Tolstoy and the Orient". Tolstoy and the Orient: Correspondence and Other Documents Concerning Tolstoy's Relations with Representatives of Eastern Religions, 1925. The East has always attracted him.When he was very young, when he was a college student in Kazan, he chose the Arabic-Turkish language group in the Department of Oriental Languages.During his years in the Caucasus army, he had long-term contact with Muslim culture, which left a deep impression on him.After 1870, in the "Primary School Reader" compiled by him, many fairy tales from Arabia and India were found.When he was suffering from religious depression, the "Bible" could no longer satisfy him; he began to refer to Eastern religions.He has browsed a lot of books on this subject.At the end of his book, Birukov made a list of books on the East that Tolstoy browsed and referred to.Soon, he had the desire to introduce his reading materials to Europe. The collection of "Sage Thoughts" is the crystallization of this thought, which includes the Bible, Buddha, Laozi, and Krishna's speeches.He has long believed that all human religions are built on the same unit.

But what he was looking for, especially direct relationships with Asians.During the last ten years of his life, Yasnaya's correspondence with the countries of the East was very close. Among the Asian countries, he felt that China was the closest in thought to him.But Chinese thought is at least expressed.By 1884 he had studied Confucius and Lao Tzu; the latter being his favorite among the ancient sages.It seems that some Chinese also recognize this similarity.A Russian who traveled to China said in 1922 that Chinese anarchism was full of Toshiba's ideas, and their common pioneer was Lao Tzu.But Tolstoy had to wait until 1905 to exchange his first correspondence with Laozi's Chinese, and it seems that his Chinese correspondents were only two.Of course they are all outstanding characters.One is the scholar TsienHuangtung-', (I don't know what this person refers to.) The other is the great writer Gu Hongming, whose name is well known in Europe, a professor at Peking University, who fled to Japan after the revolution.Recently Stoke's Bookstore published a French translation of his "The Spirit of the Chinese Nation". (1927) In his correspondence with these two outstanding Chinese men, especially in his long letter to Gu Hongming, Tolstoy expressed his love and admiration for the Chinese nation.Tolstoy's sentiments were especially strengthened by the fact that in recent years the Chinese had endured, with noble good-nature, the atrocities inflicted on them by European nations.He encouraged China to persevere in its sober patience, and predicted that it would surely win the final victory.The example of Lushun ceded by China to Russia (this matter caused Russia to pay a great price in the Russo-Japanese War) affirmed that Germany’s relationship with Jiaozhou Bay and Britain’s relationship with Weihaiwei will definitely end in the same way.The thieves were finally going to steal among themselves. ——But when Tolstoy knew that not long ago, the idea of ​​violence and war had also awakened in the hearts of the Chinese people, he couldn't help expressing his anxiety, and he insisted that they resist this idea.If they are also conquered by this infectious disease, they will surely face unprecedented catastrophe, not only in the sense of the Yellow Peril horrified by "the Kaiser, the wildest and most ignorant representative of the West", but especially in the sense of the supreme human being. From this point of view of welfare.Because once the ancient China is eliminated, its true, popular, peaceful, diligent, and practical wisdom, which should have gradually spread from China to the wisdom of all mankind, will surely disappear with it.Tolstoy believed that one day, human life would be completely changed; and he firmly believed that in this evolution, China would occupy the most important position at the head of all nations in the East.The task of Asia is to show the rest of the human race in the world the road leading to true freedom, which, Tolstoy said, is the Tao.In particular, he hopes that China will not reform according to Western plans and examples—that is, not to replace its monarchy with a constitutional system, and not to build a national army and large industries!It has to take Europe as a lesson, that hellish state of affairs, those poor proletarians, that class struggle, that endless arms race, their policy of colonial aggression,—the bankruptcy of a whole civilization, Europe is a precedent,— -yes!

After Zalstadt’s advice, let’s try to see what China is doing today; first, his learned correspondent, Gu Hongming, doesn’t seem to understand: because his traditionalism is very narrow, the remedy he proposed The feverish panacea of ​​the modern world is nothing but an uncompromisingly loyal adherence to traditions created by the past.In To Gu Hung-ming, Tolstoy vehemently criticizes the traditional teachings of China, obeying the belief of the monarch: he thinks this is as groundless as the statement that force is the right of the gods. —but we should not judge the boundless sea by its surface waves.Although those party struggles and revolutions that swirl and disappear, it is impossible to think that Tolstoy's thoughts are consistent with the thousands of years of tradition of Chinese sages, but who can say that the Chinese nation is not very similar to Tolstoy's thoughts? close?

Contrary to the Chinese, the Japanese, because of their zealous vitality and their hunger and curiosity about all new things in the world, are the nation that had the earliest relationship with Tolstoy in all of Asia (ca. around 1890).Tolstoy took a suspicious attitude towards them. He was wary of their nationalism and the persistence of their warlike nature, and he especially suspected that they accommodated European civilization so meekly and immediately learned the harm of this civilization.We cannot say that his suspicions were entirely unfounded: for his rather close correspondence with them led to several assassinations against him.For example, the young Jokai Diditschoolu, the editor-in-chief of the daily newspaper, who claimed to be his disciple and at the same time claimed to be an eclectic who united his doctrine with patriotic sentiments, openly accused Torre when the Russo-Japanese War broke out in 1904. Stey.Even more disappointing was the young Tamura who first read Tolstoy's essay on the Russo-Japanese War, which appeared in The Times in June 1900; Read it in Tokyo.And moved to tears, trembling all over, shouting loudly that "Tolstoy is the only prophet in this world". A few weeks later, when the Japanese navy smashed the Russian fleet in Tsushima Island, they were suddenly involved in patriotism. vortex, finally wrote a boring book attacking Tolstoy.

More solid and sincere—but far removed from Toshi's real ideas—were these Japanese social democrats, anti-war, heroic fighters, Abe Abe, manager of the "Popian".Before Tolstoy's reply letter arrived, they were in prison and the newspaper was blocked.Letter to Tolstoy in September 1904; in reply Tolstoy thanked them for their kindness but stated that he hated war and socialism at the same time.The contents of this reply letter, I have already quoted a paragraph in the previous article. But in any case, Tolstoy's spirit has gone deep into Japan and has thoroughly cultivated it.In 1908, on his eighth birthday, his Russian friends solicited papers from friends of Tolstoy all over the world, preparing to print a commemorative book, and Kato sent a very meaningful paper, pointing out that Tolstoy influence on Japan.Most of his religious works have translations in Japan; according to Kato, these works produced a kind of spiritual revolution during 1902-1903, not only for Japanese Christians, but also for Japanese Christians. The same is true of Buddhists; and thus a movement to refresh Buddhism took place.Religion has always been a kind of established legal system, a law of the outside world.Only then does it take on the nature of the heart. "Religious consciousness" has since become a fashionable term.Of course, this "self" awakening is not without its dangers.It can lead in many cases to ends and sacrifices diametrically opposed to the spirit of fraternity—to selfish pleasure, to torpor, to despair, even to suicide: this easily shaken nation, in the frenzy of its passions, , often pushing all doctrines to extremes.But in the vicinity of Xijing, several groups of Tolstoy researchers were formed in this way. They plowed the fields and preached the doctrine of fraternity.On October 3, 1906, Defu wrote to him: "You are not alone, master, you can comfort yourself! You have many ideological children here..." In general terms, it can be It is said that part of Japan's spiritual life is deeply influenced by Tolstoy's personality.Even today, there is a "Tolstoy Society" in Japan that publishes a meaningful and deeply immersed monthly magazine with seventy pages each. TolstoiKenkyu (meaning Tolstoy studies).

The loveliest example of these Japanese believers was the young Tokutomi Kenjiro, who also participated in the 1908 birthday anthology. In early 1906, he wrote a warm letter from Tokyo to Tolstoy, Tolstoy answered him immediately.But Tokutomi Kenjiro waited until he could not receive a reply, so he took the most recently exported ship to visit him.He didn't know a word of Russian, and even very little English.He arrived in Yasnaya in mid-July and stayed for five days. Tolstoy received him with the kindness of his father. When he returned to Japan, the memories of this week and the old man's radiant smile made him unforgettable all his life. .

He mentioned this matter in his birthday letter in 1908, and his pure and pure heart poured out: "Among the seven hundred and thirty days after Farewell and the fog ten thousand miles away, I can still vaguely see his smile." .” "Now I live in a small country with my wife and dog, in a simple house. I grow vegetables and mow overgrown weeds. My energy and my time are completely wasted in mowing, mowing, mowing, ...Maybe this is due to the nature of my thinking, or perhaps due to this difficult time. But I am very happy...It's just that I can only write and write in this situation, which is too pitiful!

There are two million Muslims in the Russian Empire, so in his position as a Russian Tolstoy has a good chance of getting to know them.And they also occupy an important position in his correspondence, but before 1901, such correspondence was still rare.That spring, Tolstoy's Excommunication and Letter to the Holy Synod convinced them.The excellent and resolute words to the Muslims are like the exhortations of the ancient Jewish prophets when they ascended to heaven.The Bashkirs of Russia, the Moslem monks of India, and the Moslems of Constantinople wrote to him that they had read his manifesto against all Christianity, which made them "happy to tears"; Freed from the dark belief in the Holy Trinity".They called him their "brother," and tried to convert him.An Indian Muslim monk naively told him that a new savior (named Hazrat Mirza Ghulam Ahmed) had just found the tomb of Jesus in Kashmir, breaking the Christian doctrine of "resurrection". "; and he sent him a photo of the so-called tomb of Jesus, and a portrait of the so-called new savior.

With what amiable composure, with so little sarcasm (or pathos), Tolstoy responded to these strange friendships, we cannot imagine.Those who have not seen Tolstoy's attitude in these debates cannot know how utterly mild his stubborn nature was cultivated.He never forsook his gracious affection and his well-meaning composure.It was the Muslims who corresponded with him who angrily denounced him as a "remnant of the Christian prejudices of the Middle Ages."Affendiel Voisov in Constantinople.Or that because Tolstoy did not recognize his new Moslem saviour, he threatened him with all kinds of words, saying that the saint would divide those who were illuminated by the truth into three categories: "...there are those who trust in their One's own intellect. Some people suffer from physical signs and miracles. A third type of people suffer from the power of the sword. (For example, Pharaoh, Moses forced him to drink up the water of the Red Sea to survive make him believe in God.) For the Prophet sent by God should teach all mankind..." Muhammad Sadiq, July 22, 1903. Tolstoy never confronted his challenging correspondents with a combative attitude.His noble principle is that no matter who has received the truth, he should never judge the differences and shortcomings of various religions, but should pay attention to the characteristics that communicate various religions and create the value of religions. - "I try to have this attitude towards all religions, especially towards Islam." Erkibazhev, June 10, 1908. ——to the furious Muslim monk, he only replied: "The responsibility of a man of true religious sentiment is to lead by example and practice morality." That's all we need.Letter to Mohammad Sadiq, August 20, 1903.He admired Muhammad, and some of his remarks convinced him.Tolstoy admired Muhammad's prayer about poverty: "My Lord, let me live in poverty and die in poverty!" But Muhammad was only a man, like Christ.For Mohammedanism and Christianity to be a legitimate religion, blind faith in a man or a book must be renounced; so long as they accommodate everything that is consistent with the conscience and reason of all mankind. —Even in the proper form of containing his thoughts, Tolstoy was always careful not to contradict the beliefs of his opponents: "If I offend you, then please forgive me. We cannot speak half the truth, we should Say it all, or say nothing at all." Letter to Effendiel Voiso, November 11, 1902. His did not convince his interrogators in the slightest.It is something that cannot be mentioned. At least he met other Mohammedans, clear, free, and with his full sympathy:--Among the first class was the famous Reformer, the Grand Priest of Egypt, Mohammad Abdul, 1904 Write to him from Cairo, April 8, 2001, congratulating him on his excommunication: for this is the reward of the gods of the sages.He said that Tolstoy's brilliance warmed the seekers who gathered all the truth, and their hearts were always looking forward to his works.Tolstoy answered him sincerely. ——He was also saluted by the Persian ambassador in Constantinople, Prince Mirza Reza Qian (the chief Persian representative of the Hague Peace Conference in 1901). ? But he was particularly drawn to the Papuist movement, with whom he often communicated.Among them was a letter to him from Egypt in 1901 by the mysterious Gabriel Sisi, an Arab who converted to Christianity and then to Persian Babuism.Cersei presents his case to Tolstoy.Tolstoy replied (August 10, 1901) that "Papuism has interested him for a long time, and he has read quite a few books on the subject"; His theory was of little importance, but he believed that in the East it could become an important moral law: "Sooner or later Papuism will merge with Christian anarchism." He once wrote to a man who sent him a book on Papuaism The Russian, said he was sure of "the triumph of all rationalized religious precepts arising from the present sects—Brahmanism, Buddhism, Judaism, Christianity."He sees the tendency of them all to "converge into the one religion universally compatible with human nature." —He was overjoyed when he learned that Babuism had spread into Russia and infected the Tatars of Kazan. He invited their leader Voisov to his home and had a long talk with him. Gusev was responsible for the incident. Records (February 1909) can be tested. In the anthology of birthday celebrations at the end of 1908, a Calcutta local jurist named Abdullah-Al-Bimon-Suhrawardi, representing the Islamic State, wrote a commemorative essay of great praise.He called him Yugi, A this is an Indian ascetic.He admits that his doctrine of non-resistance does not contradict Muhammad's doctrine; but "the Koran should be read in the light of truth, not in the cloud of superstition, as Tolstoy reads the Bible."He praised Tolstoy not as a superman, but as everyone's brother, not the light of the West or the East, but the light of God, the light of the masses.He then predicted that Tolstoy's non-resistance doctrine mixed with "the teachings of the Indian sages may produce some new saviors for our age." It is indeed in India that the personality of the activity predicted by Tolstoy appears. At the end of the nineteenth century, the beginning of the twentieth century, India was in a state of full alertness.Except for some learned men-they do not take it as a priority to spread their knowledge to the public, they are only fascinated by their linguistics, and they think they are isolated from the public, with rare exceptions, such as Max Müller. A thinker, a man with a big heart. —Besides, Europe has not yet recognized this state, and it never imagined that the soul of the Indian nation, which began in 1830, would have such a majestic and grand development in 1900.This is all the sudden flourishing in the spiritual realm.In art, science, and thought, this brilliant brilliance is everywhere.As long as there is only one Tagore's name, under his glorious constellation, it will shine on the whole world.At about the same time, Vedanta teachings were reformed by the Aryan Society (1875) Dayananda Saraswadi, Gaishab Chandar Sen and the Brahma Society as a social reformation. It serves as a starting point for reconciling Christian thought with Eastern thought.But in the religious world of India, in particular, two radiant giant stars shone brightly, and suddenly appeared—or as they say in India, reappeared after centuries—two miracles in the ideological world: one was Rama Krishna (1836-1886), who in his devotion grasped the form of all gods, one of his disciples, Bianxi (1863-1902), Stronger than his guru, for his long-weary populace awakened the god of action, the god of GitaD. Tolstoy's vast knowledge naturally knew them.He had read the treatises of Dayananda.Beginning in 1896, he had been obsessed with Bianxi's works and appreciated Ramakrishna's quotations.It is the great misfortune of mankind that Benxi did not go to Yasnaya Polyana when he was roaming Europe in 1900.The author thinks it is an irreparable regret that the great religious souls of these two Eurasians have not fulfilled their joint responsibilities. Like Swami in India, Tolstoy was influenced by Krishna, the "lord of love", and many people in India respect him as a "sage", like a reborn ancient philosopher. Gopal Chetty, the manager of the "New Reform" magazine, was a believer in Tolstoy's ideas in India. In his 1908 birthday anthology, he compared Tolstoy with the renounced prince Sakyamuni ; and that if Tolstoy had been born in India, he could have been regarded as an Avatara (incarnation of Vishnu), a Pu Brusha (incarnation of the universal soul), a Sri Krishna. But the inexorable tide of history has diverted Tolstoy from the ascetic's dream of God to the great deeds of Bhakti, or Gandhi. A strange detour of fate!The first person who led Tolstoy to this direction, and later became the right-hand man of the Mahatma in India, at this time, like St. Paul before he went to Damascus, he was the most violent opponent of Tolstoy's thinking. Darth, Darth has recently passed away.He became a friend of Gandhi and the leader of the peaceful resistance movement in India.Can we imagine that it was Tolstoy's voice that led him to his real mission? —At the end of 1908, Das was in a revolutionary position.He wrote to Tolstoy with undisguised confidence in his strength; he denounced Tolstoy's non-resistance; yet he asked him for a sympathetic gesture for his newspaper, Free Hindustan.Tolstoy replied to him with a long letter, almost a treatise, which was distributed all over the world under the title "Letter to an Indian" (Feb. 14, 1908).He resolutely promotes his non-resistance and fraternity, each section citing Krishna's words as his argument.He attacked the new superstitions of science as much as he attacked the ancient religious superstitions.He blamed the Indians for not denying his ancient wisdom and inheriting the mistakes of the West. "We can hope," he said, "that in the vast world of Buddhism and Confucianism, this new scientific prejudice will have no place, and that the Chinese, Japanese, Indians, will be enlightened to the religious lies that admit violence." Immediately after that, there is the concept of the law of love, which is suitable for human beings and proclaimed to the world with such majestic power by the masters of the East. But scientific superstitions have replaced religious superstitions to slowly engulf the Eastern peoples. The conquest of Japan lays the most unfortunate prospects for her. In China, in India, the general self-professed leaders of the people are under the spell of scientific superstition. You present in your paper the basic principles which you think should guide the course of India. The principle is as follows: "Resistance to violence is not only justified, but necessary; non-resistance is neither conducive to selfishness nor harmful to altruism. " "... What! You, a member of the most religious people, believe in your scientific education and dare to renounce the law of love that your people have held since ancient times? Chief of violence , the enemy of truth, at first a prisoner of theology, and then a slave of science—your teacher Europa, have you repeated those absurd remarks that you have sensed to you? "You say that the British subdued India because India did not resist violence by force?—but it is quite the opposite! The British subdued the Indians precisely because the Indians recognized and still recognize force as their social organization. on the basis of which they obeyed the princes of their states; on which they fought against these princes, against the Europeans, against the English... A commercial company—thirty thousand men, and The most useless of men--subdued a nation of twenty million! Tell this to an unprejudiced man! He will not understand the meaning of these words.... Numerously, the number of Indians subdued It is not the British but the Indians themselves. Isn’t this conclusion very clear and accurate?... "The reason why Indians are subdued by violence is because they live in violence, and now they still live by violence without knowing what is appropriate. Humanity's eternal law of love. "He who seeks what is his own, and does not know that he has it, is foolish and pitiable! Yea, foolish and pitiful is he who does not know the blessings of love which surrounds them and bestows upon them! (Kerry "A man lives in harmony with the law of love, which is consistent with his conscience and contains the principles of non-resistance and non-participation in violence.Then, not only a hundred people cannot subdue millions, but even millions of people cannot subdue one person.Do not resist evil, do not participate in evil, do not join administrative justice, pay taxes, and especially the army! A quote from Krishna ends the non-resistance preaching that Russia taught India: "Children, set your blinded eyes on higher places, a new world, full of joy and love The world of God will appear before you, a world of reason, the only real world created for My Wisdom. Then you will know what love has given to you, what love has placed upon you." Tolstoy's book fell into the hands of a young Indian working as a lawyer in Johannesburg, South Africa.His name is Gandhi.He was greatly moved by this book.At the end of 1909, he wrote a letter to Tolstoy.He told him, for ten years, of his struggle in Tolstoy's religious spirit.He asked his permission to translate his letter to Das into Hindi. Tolstoy blessed his "battle between mildness and violence, humility and fraternity, pride and violence."He read the English version of Indian Self-Rule, sent to him by Gandhi; he immediately grasped the value of this religious and social experience: "You are discussing that the question of peaceful resistance is of the highest value, not only for India, and for all mankind." He read Joseph Doak's biography of Gandhi and was fascinated by it.Although sick, he still wrote some action speeches and sent them to him (May 8, 1910), and when he recovered, on September 7, 1910, in Coteschet— —One month before he became a monk and fled and died of illness—he wrote him another long letter. This letter is so important, although it is lengthy, I decided to append almost all of it to the end of this article.It is, and it will be, in the eyes of the future, the canon of non-resistance, the intellectual testament of Tolstoy.The Indians of South Africa was published in 1914 in the Gold Issue of the Indian Review, a study of the peaceful resistance movements in South Africa.Its success was at the same time the first victory of the policy of non-resistance. At the same time, the Europa War broke out, slaughtering each other: this cannot but be said to be a strange contrast. But when the storm had passed and the savage disturbances had subsided, beyond the ruins, Gandhi's pure and resolute voice was heard like a lark.This voice, on a louder and more harmonious tone, re-utters Tolstoy's famous words, an ode to the hope of mankind in a new age. Tolstoy's letter to Gandhi in February before his death, to Johannesburg, Transvaal, South Africa, in May 1927, M. ．Gandhi: K. I received your "India Review" newspaper and read about absolute non-resistance. I am very pleased.I can't help expressing my impressions after reading it. The longer I've seen the world -- especially now that I know I'm dying -- the more I need to express what I feel most strongly, what I consider to be the most important thing: This is non-resistance, but it's really just the law of love Lessons, doctrines that have not been deformed by deceitful interpretations.Love, or to communicate the longing of the human heart and soul by another name, is the single and highest law of life. ... This is what everyone knows and feels in the bottom of their hearts. (Especially in the mind of a child.) He will know this if he is not deceived by the lies of worldly thought. This law has been proclaimed by all the sages of the world: Indians, Chinese, Hebrews, Greeks, Romans.Christ expresses it especially clearly when he says in precise terms that this law includes all laws and all prophets.Moreover, anticipating the possibility of this law being transfigured, Christ especially exposed the danger by saying that those who live in material interests will change its nature.The so-called dangerous are those who think that violence should be used to protect their interests, or as they say, to use violence to recapture what has been taken away by violence.Christ knew (as all reasonable men know) that the use of violence is incompatible with the highest law of life, love.He knows that as soon as violence is tolerated in a situation, the law is totally destroyed.The whole of Christian civilization, although it seems very splendid on the surface, is in fact constantly promoting such obvious and strange contradictions and misunderstandings, sometimes deliberately, but mostly unconsciously. In fact, the law of love has no value and cannot have value as long as armed resistance is tolerated.If the law of love has no value, then no law but force has any value.This has been the case with Christianity for nineteen centuries.Moreover, at all times man has made force the principle governing the organization of society.The difference between Christianity and other nations is that in Christianity the law of love is expressed more clearly and definitely than in any religion; and while Christians regard the use of violence as lawful, their Life is founded on violence, yet they solemnly accept the law.The life of Christian peoples is thus a contradiction between their faith and the basis of their life, between love, which should be the law of action, and violence in all its forms. (The forms of so-called violence are: government, courts, armies, institutions deemed necessary and favored.) This contradiction intensifies with the development of inner life, and has lately reached its culmination. Today, the question is this: yes or no; choose one!Or we deny all religious and moral teachings and let the powerful dominate us in our lives.Or destroy all compulsive taxation, judicial and police powers, especially the military. In the spring of this year, a religious experiment was held in a girls' school in Moscow. At that time, in addition to the religious teachers, the bishop also personally participated; they asked the female students about the ten commandments, especially the fifth commandment: "Abstain from killing! When the student's answer is correct, the bishop often asks another question: "Is killing forever prohibited under any circumstances by the law of God?" The poor girl, who was pre-educated by the teachers, should answer : "No, not always. For in war and capital punishment, killing is permissible."—but one of the unfortunate girls (this was told to me by a witness who was there) heard the usual question After saying "Is murder always a sin?", blushing, moved, and determined, she replied: "Always yes!" In any case, killing is always forbidden, and this is already the case in the Old Testament: as for Christ, he forbids not only killing, but also harming his neighbor.Although the bishop was so dignified and eloquent, he was finally defeated for the sake of the girl. Yes, we can babble about aviation progress, diplomatic intrigue, clubs, new discoveries, and self-proclaimed works of art in our papers, and keep silent about what this girl says!But we must not let our minds be blocked by this, for all Christians feel as this girl does, though to a greater or lesser extent.Socialism, anarchism, the Salvation Army, increasing crime, unemployment, increasing extravagance of the rich, dreadful scourges of the poor, astonishing increase in suicides all testify to inner contradictions that should resolve and will resolve contradictions.Acknowledge the law of love and reject all use of violence.Here's an approximate workaround.Your activity in the Transvaal, therefore, which seems to you limited to one corner of the world, is really at the center of our interests; it is one of the most important activities in the world today; not only Christian nations, but all All nations will participate. In Russia, too, the same movement is growing rapidly, and the incidents of refusal to serve in the military are increasing year by year, and this news will surely cheer you up.Though your non-resistanceists and our conscientious objectors are so few in number, they can say after all: 'God is with us, and God is stronger than man. " 在基督教信仰的宣传中，即在人们教给我们的变形的基督教义形式中，即在同时相信战时屠杀的军备与军队是必须的情形中，也存在着一种那么剧烈的矛盾，迟早会，很可能是极早地，赤裸裸地表白出来。那么，我们必得或者消灭基督教，——可是没有它，国家的权威是无从维持的，——或者是消灭军队，放弃武力，——这对于国家亦是同样重要的。这矛盾已为一切政府所感到，尤其是你们的不列颠政府与我们的俄罗斯政府；而由于一种保守的思想，他们处罚一切揭破这矛盾的人，比着对于国家的其他的敌人，处置得更严厉。在俄国我们看到这种情形。各国政府明知威胁他们的最严重的危险之由来，他们所极力护卫的亦不止是他们的利益。他们知道他们是为了生或死而奋斗。 列夫·托尔斯泰于一九一○年九月七日于科特谢。