Chapter 7 mission

Knecht spent the first two years at the monastery when he was thirty-seven years old.About two months after he sent the long letter to Du Bois, the Dean invited him to his office for a talk one morning.He thought that this gentleman who was very kind to his subordinates was going to discuss Chinese issues with him again, so he rushed over immediately.Dean Gervatius greeted him with a letter in his hand, saying: "Dear colleague, I have the honor to convey to you today a message," said the dean cheerfully and with customary indulgence, but immediately changed his mind. It is a sarcastic tone, which was a common expression used by the abbot before the establishment of a clear and friendly relationship between the Benedictines and Castalia. In fact, it was an invention of Father Jacobus. "Besides, please convey the highest regards to your master! See what letters he writes to me! God knows why this gentleman writes to me in Latin. You Castalians are very good at what you do. One cannot tell whether it was out of politeness, or to ridicule us, or to show respect, or to teach us. See, your master writes to me in Latin, and in the same way that we are now Father Jacobus was able to deal with the Latin that no one in the monastery understood. It may be the Latin of the Cicero school, but it was mixed with some church Latin for decoration, which naturally makes us guess. I don't know what the intention is. Is it to teach us monks, or is it out of ridicule, or simply can't help showing off literary talent and playing with words? Whatever it means, your lord wrote that they want to see you again, To hug you again, of course, to confirm to what extent you have been corrupted by the half-civilized savages who have been here for a long time, both in morals and in character. In short, if I have not misunderstood In the case of this masterpiece of art, your authorities have granted you a leave of absence and beg me to grant my guest an indefinite leave to return to his home in Waldzell. An open date means precisely that you should return to this court immediately, as long as We consider the date to be appropriate, and of course this is all the intention of your authorities. Well, I beg your pardon, I am indeed far from fully appreciating the whimsy of the letter, and Master Thomas presumably did not expect me to. .I have now conveyed to you as instructed, you decide for yourself, whether to return, or when to leave. We will miss you, dear friend, and if you stay too long, we will not forget to urge your authorities You are back."

In the letter given to him by the head of the alkane, Knecht read a brief notice from the Castalian authorities. He can not only take a short rest, but also come back to talk with his superiors. People look forward to seeing him in China soon. See you at Elzel.As for the elementary glass bead game course he is currently teaching, he can temporarily leave it alone unless the dean asks for it.P.S. Greetings from former music maestro.Knecht couldn't help being surprised when he read this, and couldn't help but bow his head in thought.Why ask the writer of this letter, the Master of the Glass Bead Game, to post a greeting?In short, this is too inconsistent with the tone of Quanxin's official document.It must be that the highest education authority convened a general committee meeting and invited the old music master.Of course, he has nothing to do with the nature of the meeting held by the Education Committee and the resolutions made, but this greeting is really strange, and the tone of his colleagues surprised him.It didn't matter to him what issue was discussed in this meeting, but this greeting proved that the superiors present at the meeting also mentioned the matter involving Joseph Knecht during the meeting.Is something going to happen?Is he going to accept the call again?Will there be promotions or demotions?But the letter really only wrote about the vacation.Yes, he'd be happy to take a vacation and hope to start tomorrow.But he had to say goodbye to the students and at least give them some pointers before leaving.

Anton may be saddened by his passing.In addition, there were several monks to whom he had to bid farewell. At this time he thought of Father Jacobus, and unexpectedly felt a slight pain in his heart. This feeling told him that his attachment to Maria Fair was much deeper than he imagined.It is true that many things he was familiar with and cherished in the past are lacking here, and the two years of long absence have made Castalia look more and more beautiful in his imagination.Yet even at this moment he saw clearly how attached he was to Father Jacobus, the old man whom no one could replace in Castalia, and whom he would miss painfully.This fact also made him realize more clearly than ever what he had learned here, which made him very happy. They are all full of confidence, but if there is no clear awareness of returning here again, perhaps this joy will be greatly reduced.

He suddenly decided to call on Father Jacobus at once, to tell the old man that he was about to be called on vacation, and to tell of the joy of returning to the monastery, which he had just discovered with astonishment, hidden under the joy of returning home, which had been associated with it in the first place. The reverend priest was concerned, so he summoned up courage to make an important request, imploring the old man to give him a chance to take lessons when he returned, even if he only taught him for an hour or two a week. Father Jacobs first smiled to express his reluctance, and then delivered a beautifully worded sarcasm, saying that as a humble practitioner, he could only silently marvel at the excellent Castalian culture .However, Knecht had already realized that his refusal was just a gesture. When the two shook hands and bid farewell, the old man kindly told him not to worry about his wishes, and that he was willing to try his best to help, and expressed his most heartfelt farewell to him .

Knecht happily set off home, clearly aware that his monastery life was not in vain.He felt as excited as a child when he first set off, but of course he knew immediately that he was no longer a child, not even a youth.He clearly felt that every time he wanted to express the happiness and relaxation of elementary school students on vacation with a presumptuous posture, shouted, or some childish behavior, a feeling of shame and embarrassment would arise in his heart.Undoubtedly, what used to be such a natural act of self-release: shouting to the birds in the tree, singing a march, waddling forward in a rhythmic dance step-no longer, otherwise it would become It was blunt and funny, and it became silly and ridiculous.He felt that he was a grown man who, although young emotionally and energetically, was no longer accustomed to indulgence, that he was no longer free, but must be sane, bound and obliged—this All for what reason?Because of an official position?

Because he is required to undertake work as a representative of the state and religious groups?No, no, this is all due to the religious group itself, due to the strict religious order and system. Suddenly, in this self-examination, he realized that he had entered and participated in the hierarchical religious order inconceivably, This is the origin of the responsibility of oneself, which is already part of the higher category, which makes some young people old and some old people young, that is, this religious organization will support you and strengthen you, but it will not help you. It also deprives you of your freedom at the same time, like a young tree growing from a big stump.It deprives man of his freedom to be innocent, even though it is precisely for the sake of demanding more and more innocence from that person.

He had only visited the old master of music at Montepo, who had also been a guest at Mariaferl in his youth, and had studied Benedictine music there, and asked him many questions.Knecht found that the old gentleman was a little indifferent and distant, but the tired look on his face when they met last time disappeared, and he looked cheerful and refreshed. Since he left the job, although he has not become younger, it seems that It looks more elegant and chic than before. The music master asked about the ancient pipe organ, the big wooden cabinets where the manuscripts were hidden, about the Maria Fell oratory choir, and even about the big tree in the cross-shaped garden. I wonder if it is safe and sound, but But he didn't seem to have the slightest curiosity about Knecht's work there, the glass bead game course, and the intention of this vacation, which made Knecht very strange.Finally, before Knecht continued his journey, the old man gave him some valuable advice. "I've heard," he said jokingly, "that you've become a diplomat. It's not a very good job, but people seem to be happy with you. It means you can't think about it any more." All right! But, Joseph, if your ambition isn't to stay there forever, then you've got to watch out. They'd like to catch you, I think. Guard yourself, you have a right to do it.—No, Don't ask me. That's all I have to say. You'll see for yourself later on."

Although this warning made Knecht feel like a thorn in his back, the joy of returning to Walzell and seeing his hometown again was unparalleled.To him, Waldzell was not only his own hometown and the most beautiful place in the world, but it seemed that in the meantime it had become more beautiful and more attractive, or that his eyesight had been sharpened and he had new eyes. .This vision made him not only see this gate, this bell tower, these trees and rivers, not only the courtyard and the hall, not only the familiar figures and faces, but he also felt Waldzell during his vacation. The spirit of playing with religious organizations and glass bead games, because he, a wanderer, a returnee, and a mature and wise man, has increased his capacity for tolerance and gratitude.Knecht sang carols to Walzell and Castalia for a while, and told his friend Deglarius: "I feel that the years I have been here have been spent in sleep, I am really happy, but I am always unconscious. I feel that I have just awakened now, and I can see everything in the outside world clearly, clearly and truly. Two years of being with strangers has sharpened one's vision so much!

Knecht enjoys his vacation as if celebrating a grand festival. The greatest pleasure is to discuss and play glass bead games with his companions in the elite circle of the Glass Bead Game Academy, visit old friends, and re-immerse himself in the Waltz In the spiritual breath of the protector god.At any rate, however, this exuberant joy did not reach its apogee until his first audience with the master of the glass bead game, and since then his joy has been mingled with fear and apprehension. Master Thomas didn't ask many questions, which was completely beyond Knecht's expectations. He hardly asked Joseph about his elementary game lessons, and he didn't talk much about the research work on music archives. He repeatedly brought the topic back to the scholar. He was willing to listen to all matters involving Father Jacobs, no matter how big or small.Finally, Knecht draws conclusions from the extremely friendly attitude of the Game Master towards himself: People are satisfied, even very satisfied, with him and his work in the Benedictines. Mr.'s attitude has also been further confirmed.When Knecht took his leave of the master, the latter told him to see Mr. Dubois immediately, and the gentleman told him immediately after the meeting: "You have done an excellent job," and added with a slight smile : "I objected to you going to the monastery at the time. It was indeed a mistake in my intuitive judgment. Not only did you win the favor of the dean, but you also won the favor of the great priest Jacobs, which greatly benefited Cass. Terry, you have done a great job, so good, you have exceeded anyone's expectations."

Two days later, Master Thomas invited him, Du Bois, and the successor of Chebbington, then principal of Waldzell Elite School, to dine together. The other two members didn't intend to show up suddenly, and one of them even dragged him into a living room for a long talk. For the first time, this banquet publicly pushed Knecht into the inner circle of senior leadership, and also built a wall between him and the ordinary elite players of the glass bead game. This is a sensitive issue that Knecht is very vigilant about. Knecht was given a four-week vacation, and he also got a certificate to live in the VIP building of the Academy due to official business needs.Although he was not assigned any work, not even asked to write a report, he still felt that he was always under the observation of his superiors, because he went out and went to several places, once to Copheim and once to the Hills Lan, once went to the Institute of East Asian Studies—everywhere he went, he was immediately invited by the senior officials of the department.During these few short weeks he had actually made the acquaintance of all the leading members of the ecclesiastical community, most of the directors and masters of the various disciplines.

If there were no such official invitations, Knecht's visits meant that he had returned to the carefree days of free research.He later curtailed his travel plans, mainly to take care of the feelings of Deglarius, a friend who was sad about anything that prevented them from getting along, and of course for the glass bead game, because there were recently several studies on glass. Knecht was eager to participate in the practice of the ball game, and wanted to test his game ability, and Deglarius was an indispensable helper. Knecht's other friend, Pheromonti, was already working in the office of the new music master at this time, and they could only see each other twice during the two-week vacation.He discovered that Pheromonti was obsessed with work, and he opened up an important research topic in music history, exploring the reasons why ancient Greek music continued to develop and flourish in folk dances and folk songs in the Balkan countries.Ferromonti happily described to him the results of his latest work and the latest excavations.He found that the period of Baroque music's gradual decline began at the end of the eighteenth century, but at the same time it absorbed new musical substances from Slavic folk music. All in all, Knecht spent most of his holidays in Walzell in the glass bead game.Based on Frieze's notes, he and Fritz de Glarius jointly reviewed and studied a closed seminar given by the Master of the Glass Bead Game for the two-semester Supreme Refresher.Knecht once again threw himself wholeheartedly into the noble world of the glass bead game he had been unfamiliar with for two years.For Knecht, glass bead games, like music, are inseparable from his life, and the magic makes him have an indissoluble bond with them. It was not until the last few days of the holiday that Master Thomas talked to him again about the mission to Maria Fell and a new job that had to be done recently.The master began with casual chatter, but after a moment became serious and told him with urgency a plan of the highest administration, to which most of the masters of all disciplines and M. The Holy See establishes a permanent permanent representation.Master Thomas recounted in his usual elegant and eloquent manner that perhaps the historic moment of bridging the age-old gap between the Holy See and this Organization has arrived, or at least is very near.There is no doubt that in the various crises that may occur in the future, they will face a common enemy and bear a common destiny, so they are natural allies. It should be said that the current situation is really difficult to maintain for a long time, but after all, it is a bit out of place.The historical task of these two major forces in the world is to preserve and promote spiritual culture, protect and promote peace. How can they continue to act independently and almost regard each other as strangers in the long run?The Roman Church has finally survived the shock of several wars and the crises of several ages. Although it has suffered heavy losses, it has survived, and has even been renewed and purified. At the same time, the secular world science, education, and culture are common declined.It was on this ruin that the Castalian community and its ideas were born, or perhaps it should be said that Castalian was born.Based on the above-mentioned circumstances alone, not to mention the senior minister of the Holy See, people have to recognize the priority of the Roman Church. She is an older, more accomplished force, and has withstood more and greater storms.At present, it is mainly how to awaken and cultivate Roman Catholics to realize the kinship between the two powers, and the interdependence of the two in the future when they may face crises in all fields. (Hearing this, Knecht couldn't help but think to himself: "Ah, so they want to send me to Rome, and maybe stay there for a long time!" At this moment, he suddenly remembered the warning of the music master, and immediately resisted in his heart Prepare.) Master Thomas continued to narrate: Knecht fulfilled his mission in Mariafell, thus making the important step that Castalia had carefully planned to take bear fruit.The mission itself is just a temptation, a gesture of politeness, without any responsibilities attached, let alone any bad intentions for the other party's invitation, otherwise, it would not be sending a politically ignorant glass bead game talent, but Du Bo A young officer has been selected for Mr. Ice's office.But this little temptation, this innocuous mission, has unexpectedly good results. Father Jacobus, an important figure in the Catholic field today who has the role of spiritual leader, has a better understanding of Castalian thought and published In favor of this kind of thinking, and before that, he was absolutely negative.The Castalian authorities were grateful to Joseph Knecht for playing this role.This is the meaning of Knecht's fulfillment of his mission. According to this point, all of Knecht's future work must not only continue to develop this friendly relationship, but also use it to further measure and promote his undertakings. mission and work.He has already been given a vacation, and if he wants to extend it a little bit, it is also possible. Most members of the highest administration have interviewed him, and the superiors have all expressed confidence in Knecht, and now he is appointed—— The master of the glass bead game, arranged a special task for Knecht, allowing him to have greater power than before when he returned to Maria Fell.There he had actually been treated with kindness and hospitality, and had lived happily ever after. Master Thomas paused for a moment after he had finished speaking, as if expecting a question, but there was only a gesture of polite submissiveness, indicating that he was listening and looking forward to the appointment. "We now give you the task," continued the Master, "that it is our intention, sooner or later, to establish a permanent representation of our organization in the Vatican, with possible reciprocal relations with other organizations. As we are a relatively young organization, we gladly accept the position of juniors below the Church of Rome, and we give them precedence without showing our inferiority, while at the same time respecting them.The church would probably accept our offer immediately—of course I don't know as well as Mr. Du Bois about such matters.The most important thing is that you must not be rejected by others.Now we have an important person within reach, whose words carry great weight in the Holy See, and that person is Father Jacobus.Your job now is; go back to the Benedictine monastery, live the same way, do the same research, give the same insignificant lessons in glass bead games, while you must concentrate on Father Jacobus, Slowly win him over to our side and let him convince Rome to support our plan.In other words, the ultimate goal of your mission is very clear.How long it takes to accomplish this is of secondary importance.We speculate that it will take at least a year, and it may take two or several years.You are now familiar with the Benedictine rhythm of life and how to adapt.We shouldn't come across as impatient and greedy, we have to let things run their course, don't you think?I hope you agree with this assignment, and please let me know if you have any other comments.If you want to investigate, of course I can give you a few days. " In several conversations in recent days, Knecht had already noticed the clues of this task, and claimed that there was no need to spend time thinking about it.He obeyed the order straightforwardly, but added: "You know, such missions are most likely to succeed if the commissioned person himself has no inner resistance and obstacles to the mission. I accept the mission without the slightest reluctance, and I also I understand the importance of the task, and I believe that I will live up to the task. But I am deeply worried about my future, Master, please be tolerant of me, and say a few more words that are purely for personal interests. I am a glass bead player and, as you know, I lost two full years of my studies by being sent to the Benedictines, and not only did I not learn anything new, but my old skills were neglected, and now I have to at least repeat them. Go for a year or more.Not wanting to let myself fall further behind during this time, I would like to grant me frequent visits to Waldzell for short holidays, so that I may continue to listen to your reports and special lectures for the Advanced Seminar. " 'Of course,' the master replied, with the intention of asking him to say goodbye, but Knecht raised his voice and said another wish of his own. He was afraid that if he was lucky enough to complete the task in Mariafell , will be sent to Rome, or even appointed as a diplomat.” And such a prospect,’ he said finally decisively, “will depress me and affect my continued work in the monastery. Sent to serve on diplomatic duty." Master Thomas frowned, raised his finger, and reprimanded: "You said being deported, this word is too inappropriate! No one would think of this as deportation. I think it should be considered an honor. kind of reward as well. As for how people will use you and arrange you in the future, I really can't give any answers or make any promises. However, I can understand your concerns, and I think I will try my best to help you if the situation you are afraid of happens in the future.Now listen to me: you have a gift for making people like you, and the ones who treat you with malice will almost say you are a wizard.It is probably because of your talent that the highest administrative authority sent you to the monastery again.But please don't overuse your talents, Joseph, and don't overestimate the usefulness of your talents. After you have successfully used it against Father Jacobs, it will be the right time for you to make your personal request to the highest authority.I think it's too early to raise it today.Please let me know before you leave. " Knecht silently accepted this lesson, but the hidden affection in the truth far outweighed the superficial reprimand. Soon, Knecht returned to Mariafer. Immediately after he took office, it became clear that this framed work was a great favor to him.Not only was it an important and honorable task, but it was entirely in line with his own heart's desire to get as close as possible to Father Jacobus, and finally to win all his friendship.Now that he was solemnly received in the monastery as the new envoy of the church, he felt that his status seemed to have improved, especially in the attitude of the upper echelon of the monastery, especially Dean Gervasius, who had slightly changed from the past.They were as friendly as ever, but there was a noticeable increase in respect in every demeanor.Knecht is no longer a young guest with no status. In the past, people were polite to him only because he came from another sect and because they had a good impression of him.Now he was entertained as a senior Castalian official, respected as a plenipotentiary ambassador.Knecht finally came to this conclusion. In any case, he noticed no change in Father Jodimbus's demeanor.He welcomed Knecht with a cordial and pleasant attitude, and at the same time, without waiting for Knecht to request or remind him, he took the initiative to mention the agreed joint work, which moved Knecht deeply.He rearranged his work plan and work schedule, a fundamental change from what he had imagined before the vacation.In this current plan, the glass bead game course is no longer the focus of duties, the research work project of the music archive has been cancelled, and the cooperation plan with the organist has not been included.Now at the fore is the teaching of Father Jacobus, that is, the many specialties of how to do the study of history, who at the same time instructs his special pupils in the early history of the Benedictines, going all the way back to the beginning of the Middle Ages. Origins, and even set aside an hour every day to read together an ancient chronicle written in ancient Chinese.When Knecht repeatedly asked young Anton to participate in the study, although Jacobs readily agreed, he did not forget to warn that such a purely private teaching method, even if the third party participating is willing to cooperate. , and is bound to greatly hinder learning. Unaware of Knecht's warm care for him, Anton was overjoyed to be invited to participate in the study, but only participated in the chronicle study.Undoubtedly it was a great honor for the young monk to be able to attend this course, but unfortunately we have no further information about his life.Obviously, this is also a kind of fun and prodding at the highest level, because with him are two of the purest thinking, brains and most creative figures of the contemporary era. Higher than Anton, it is more about participation than participation. A young newcomer listened attentively to the conversation and communication of the two seniors. What Knecht returned to the old man was knowledge of epigraphy and historiography, followed by an introduction to the history and structure of Castalia, as well as the basic concept of the glass bead game. The student became a teacher instead, and the respectable teacher was A disciple who listens attentively is also often a critical questioner and critic.Jacobus was always skeptical of the entire Castalian ethos, because he could not find a true religious temperament in it, and doubted that it had the typical ability to cultivate noble human beings that he valued, even though the Knecht was the noble fruit of this education.As the days went by, he listened to countless specific examples and personal experiences taught by Knecht, and he had long decided to try to push Castalia and the Holy See closer to each other, but he just couldn't completely dispel his doubts.In Knecht's notebook, there are many impromptu examples cited at that time to strongly illustrate the point. Let us try to quote one of them: Father Jacobus: "You Castalians are all great scholars and estheticians. , you measure the weight of a certain vowel in an ancient poem, and relate the measured formula to the orbit of a certain planet. This is a pleasant job, but only a game. Yes, Even your supreme mystery and symbol, the glass bead game, is only a game. Of course I admit that you do try to elevate this beautiful game into some sort of sacramental enterprise, or at least a kind of enlightenment. means, but a sacrament is a sacrament, and no matter how hard you try, a game will always be a game." Joseph: "Father, you mean we lack theological foundation?" Priest: "Ah, let's not talk about theology, you are still far away. You probably need to develop some basic knowledge, such as the origin and development of human beings, a kind of real knowledge and knowledge about human beings. You know nothing of man, neither his beast nor his divinity. You know only the Castalians, a special product, a class group, a rare experiment in a breed." For Knecht, this kind of unusual conversation was simply an accidental blessing. These moments that are most conducive to the most extensive freedom of thought are to complete the task—to win the favor of the priest to Castalia, I believe The value of Castalia's alliance with the Holy See - the perfect time.Circumstances suited Knecht's intended purpose so well that he soon had a bad conscience.When this venerable old man who believed in him was sitting kindly opposite him or walking back and forth in the courtyard of the cross, seeing the old man sacrificed his time so much for himself, but he had a ulterior motive, and regarded him as a secret political The object of the target, Knecht felt ashamed.Knecht couldn't keep himself silent for a long time, but he just couldn't think of an appropriate way to confide the truth to the other party, but the old man unexpectedly told him the truth first. "Dear friend," said Father Jacobus one day, as if casually, "we two have indeed discovered a way of communicating with each other. Not only is it very pleasant, but I hope that we can also benefit from each other. Learning and teaching are my responsibility." The two favorite events of my life have now found a new and wonderful way to unite in our mutual learning. This situation came at a good time for me, as I was beginning to grow old and could hardly imagine a better way to refresh my mind than our conversation.In short, as far as I am concerned, I am a beneficiary of such exchanges.On the contrary, whether they, my friends, I mean those who sent you and those you served, got as much out of it as they hoped, I am not sure. up.I hope to prevent future disappointment, and I do not want impure relations between the two of us, so allow me, an old man who knows the world, to ask you a question: there is no doubt that you are welcome to stay in our little convent. The matter--which I personally find very pleasant--I have often thought about it.Until recently, specifically until your vacation, you yourself probably had no idea why you came here, what it meant to be with us, and what your day was.Is my observation correct? " Seeing that Knecht nodded in approval, the old man continued: "Okay. The situation has completely changed since you came back from vacation. You no longer have any worries and thoughts about being here, but you have a clear goal. I said Right?—Well, I have not miscalculated at last. Then I will not be wrong about your intention to come to this college. You have a mission of a diplomatic nature, which neither involves the monastery nor the abbot. It's nothing, sir, I'm the one involved. - You see, your secrets are running out. In order to clarify the whole situation, I have taken the decisive step and advise you to tell me all the remaining secrets. .What exactly is your mission?" Knecht was startled, his face was full of horror, and he was so embarrassed that he could hardly speak. "You are right," he cried, "you pre-empted the strike, but you humiliated me as well as lightened my heart. I have often thought for some time how to preserve the purity of our relationship. The only luck is My request was made before the vacation, otherwise my request for guidance and the discussion agreement we reached would really be a sleight of hand, a diplomatic mission, and our research work is just an excuse." The old man comforted him kindly and said: "I just want to promote our relationship, and I have no other intention. You don't have to confirm the purity of your intentions to me at all. If I mention this first, I don't have any intentions, just to make what you want Wouldn’t everyone be happy if the hoped-for situation would appear sooner rather than later.” After Knecht explained the contents of the mission, the old man said: "Your Castalian superior is not a genius diplomat, but he is passable, and he will follow the opportunity. I will try my best to consider your mission, but I Part of the decision depends on whether you can successfully explain the basic situation and ideological realm of Castalia, which makes me think it makes sense. Let's work together." When he saw that Knecht was still a little embarrassed, he With a faint smile, he said: "If you want, you might as well take my head start as a lesson. We are two diplomats now, and diplomatic exchanges are always a struggle, no matter how friendly and friendly it is. In this battle I am temporarily at a disadvantage, I do not grasp the principles of action, you know more than me. But the balance of power has been restored. This is a good game, let us try to move now." In Knecht's eyes, it is important and extremely valuable to win Father Jacobus according to the plan of the Castalian authorities, but if he can learn everything from the old man as much as possible and let this shrewd and powerful The old man became Castalian. It depends on the coach, but it is a much more important thing.Many of Knecht's friends and later students often admire Knecht very much, because he not only has the inherent excellent qualities and abilities of all outstanding people, but also has a natural good luck and is always favored by fate.比较渺小的人物往往只能够在伟大人物身上看见他们能够见到的东西，而克乃西特的上升途径在旁观者眼中，实实在在是出乎寻常的迅速、光彩夺目，而且似乎全不费劲。那时的人们当然要说他生当其时，是一颗幸运之星。对他的这一“幸运”，我们不拟从理性主义或者道德角度进行分析，也不想说成是外在情况的偶然结果，或者是对他个人品行美德的特殊报酬。幸运既不能从理性，也不能从道德伦理进行解释，幸运在本质上与魔术相近似，是人性阶梯中比较原始和年轻的部分。傻人傻福，这是L大的恩赐和诸神的眷爱，非理性所能分析，当然也不是传记可研究的材料，这是上天的一种象征，越出了研究个人和研究历史的范围。然而，确实也有一些杰出人物似乎一生走运，尽管他们的能力符合他们的任务，而且生逢其时，既不过早，也不过迟。约瑟夫·克乃西特似乎就属于这类幸运儿。综观克乃西特的生平，至少大部分时间都是事事如意，给人以福自天降的印象。我们不拟对人们的这类观点加以否定或者抹杀，我们按照理性尺度能够做到的也仅仅是以传记方式加以阐释而已，但是，倘若对那些纯粹个人和私人隐私的东西，对于健康和病态的问题，对于生活中感情起伏波动的因素进行无边无际的讨论，那却不是我们的办法，在卡斯塔里也是行不通的。我们深信，上述任何一种传记方法都可能在克乃西特的“幸运”与不幸之间寻求到完美无缺的平衡，但是那不是我们的办法，否则就会导致我们对克乃西特形象和生平历程的歪曲。 枝蔓少说，言归正题吧。我们刚才说起许多人——不论是熟识他或者仅仅耳闻他事迹的人，全都羡慕克乃西特的好运气。他和本笃会约可布斯神父的关系可以算得上他生平最令人忌羡的事情之一，他在两人关系中既是学生又是老师，既是受者又是施者，既是被征服者又是征服者，同时既有亲切友谊又有紧密合作关系。克乃西特自己也感觉，从当年在竹林茅舍与老年长老相处以来，还没有一件事像征服约可布斯神父那样令他内心欣喜。过去没有人让他同时感到又受奖励又受羞唇，又受恩惠又受鞭策。凡是克乃西特后来的得意弟子，几乎人人都可证明他是如何经常以愉悦口吻提起约可布斯神父的。克乃西特从老神父那里学到了当年在卡斯塔里无法学到的东西。他不仅获得了认识和研究历史的方式方法上的概括知识，并进行了具体实践，而且还远远越出纯知识领域，克乃西特体验到历史本身就是一种现实，一种活生生的生命，而附属于此或曰与此一致的是：让个人和纯私人的生活与历史的变化和升华同步。这是克乃西特从任何单纯历史学家身上所学不到的。约可布斯神父不仅远远超出了单纯学者，不仅是一位先知和智者。他尤其是一位与世界共呼吸同命运的创造世界者。他没有枉用命运替他安排的优越地位，在温暖舒适中度过静思冥想的生活，而是让世界的风暴刮过他学者的书房，让时代的灾难和危机进入自己的心脏，他参与了自己时代的种种事件，为之分担责任和罪责，他从不曾以综览、归纳和阐释古往今来的事件为满足，也不满足于仅仅研究人类的理想观念，他还大量从事了物质与人类互不顺从性的研究。他和一位同行兼对手——一位不久前才去世的耶稣会教士——被人们视为使衰落已久的罗马教廷得以摆脱困境重振外交与道德雄风，以及重建政治势力的两位真正创建者。 尽管这对师生的对话中很少涉及当代政治——一则是老神父不愿多谈，二则也因为年轻人害怕卷入外交和政治问题——，然而，约可布斯神父的政治地位和大量工作使他对世界历史的认识如此透彻，以致他对纷繁世界事务所作的观察，所发表的观点，完全像是出自一位实际政治家。老人当然不是野心家，不是奸诈的政治家，也并非什么摄政王或者追名逐利之辈，他是一位顾问，一位仲裁，一位睿智的活动家，一位对人类本性的诸多欠缺有深刻认识而予以温和对待的人。但是他的声望，他的经验，他对人对事的认识，还有他本人的正直无私品格，自然地赋予了他极大的权力。 克乃西特刚到玛丽亚费尔的时候，对政治可说一无所知，甚至从未听说约可布斯神父的名字。卡斯塔里的大多数居民都生活在一种脱离政治的天真状态中，这种情况在以往古老世纪的学者阶层中也并不罕见。他们不过问政治权利和义务，连报纸也很少看，倘若说这是卡斯塔里一般居民的习惯和举止的话，那么在玻璃球游戏者间这种畏惧政治，不爱积极活动，不看报纸的情况就更为严重了。他们乐意维持玻璃球游戏学园精英人才的地位，竭尽全力不让他们纯学术一艺术生活的稀薄而高尚的空气受到任何不洁之物污染。我们知道，克乃西特第一次来修道院并非以外交使者身份，而仅仅是开授玻璃球游戏课程的普通教员，那时候，除了杜波依斯先生临时灌输了几周的政治知识外，克乃西特对政治可谓一无所知。如今克乃西特当然比当时大有长进，却依旧丝毫没有放弃华尔采尔那种厌恶政治活动的习惯。他在同约可布斯神父的交往过程中频繁受到政治指点，这对他来说始终没有作为一种必修课而加以接受，这如同他也渴求历史知识一样，因为一切情况虽有偶然性，却又都是无可避免的事。 为了补充必要的知识以完成向自己的学生约可市斯神父传授卡斯塔里知识的任务，克乃西特从华尔采尔搬来了有关玻璃球游戏学园章程和历史的材料，还有关于精英学校制度以及玻璃球游戏发展史的资料。其中有些书籍，克乃西特在二十年前同普林尼奥·特西格诺利开展论战时曾经利用，后来就再也没有读过。另外一些书籍则是卡斯塔里官员必读的专门资料，直到目前才允许他阅读。因而便发生了下列情况，他当时的研究范围已大大扩展，也就必须对自己的知识和历史基础重新加以衡量、把握和加强。当克乃西特试图以最简洁明了的方式向约可布斯神父展示宗教团体的实质以及卡斯塔里的规章制度时，他猛然触及了自己最薄弱之处：他对宗教组织以及整个卡斯塔里体系所知甚微。他发现自己对宗教团体得以诞生的世界历史背景，对于后来促进其发展成长的一切事物，都仅具肤浅知识，以致自己的描述既公式化，又苍白无力。总算约可布斯神父不是一个消极被动的学生，使教学提高为合作，成了生动活泼热烈交流思想的场合。每当克乃西特试图讲解卡斯塔里的历史时，约可布斯神父就在一旁指点他如何从恰当的方面观察，这才可能正确认识和体验这一段历史，也才可能发现其由来的根源——原本植根于一般的世界历史与国家历史之中。我们将会看到，这类积极的讨论——由于老神父禀性热烈，往往发展为激烈的相互论争——许多年之后还不断开花结果，直到克乃西特逝世后还继续具有生气勃勃的影响力。另一方面，约可布斯神父也有惊人的转变，听了克乃西特讲解后，他对卡斯塔里的认识程度和承认程度如何，全都清楚表现在他日后的行动里了。 罗马教廷和卡斯塔里之间建立了维系至今的良好关系：相互保持友好中立，开始时偶尔进行学术交流，往往也门或发展为相互合作，以及建立实际的联盟，这一切都得归功于这两位男人的努力。约可布斯神父开始时曾经何等轻蔑地嘲笑玻璃球游戏理论，最终竟要求克乃西特向他作详尽介绍，因为他察觉，这个组织的奥秘或者可以称之为信仰或者宗教的东西，全都蕴含其中。当他一旦愿意深入了解这个向来只听见传闻、因而很少对它有好感的世界，就以一贯的勇猛机智的风格下决心直窥它的核心。尽管他确实没有成为玻璃球游戏者——当一名游戏选手，他委实也太老了——但是那时几乎也没有任何人，除去卡斯塔里圈内人士，像这位伟大的本笃会神父成了玻璃球游戏精神的最诚恳最得力的朋友。 每逢克乃西特结束白天工作向他告别时，老人常常表示晚上在寓所等候客人光临，这是他们两人在辛勤研究和紧张讨论后共享的休闲时光，约瑟夫往往携着自己的翼琴或者小提琴前来，于是老人便坐到钢琴前，在柔和的烛光下交替或者一起演奏柯勒里、斯加拉底、特勒曼或者巴赫的作品，乐音就像蜡油的甜香一样充盈了小小的居室。老先生就寝很早，而克乃西特却受晚间音乐祈祷的鼓舞，把自己的工作时间一直延长到修道院纪津许可的极限。 除去追随约可布斯神父学习历史和传授卡斯塔里精神，偶尔在修道院开几次玻璃球游戏课程，不时给格尔华修斯院长讲授中文知识之外，我们发现克乃西特还同时忙着另一件规模宏大的工作：他在准备参加华尔采尔学校一年一度的玻璃球游戏竞赛，他已错过两次了。凡欲参加者首先必需根据三个或者四个事先规定的主题拟出自己的参赛草案，着重要求新颖、大胆，又能以高度简洁的逻辑和艺术书法规则创造性地与主题相配合，同时这也是学园内唯一一次容许人们越出规定的机会，也即是说参赛者可以运用尚未纳入官方密码和象形文字辞汇宝库的创新符号。由于这层原因，游戏竞赛在华尔采尔学园是盛大的正规庆典演出之外最激动人心的大事，它不仅是最有前途创新者之间的竞争，而且也是对最终获胜者极其难得的最高嘉奖，因为他的游戏草案不仅被列为将在盛大庆典演出的本年度最佳游戏作品，而且承认他提供的用以扩充玻璃球游戏文法和语言库藏的新内容，并直接纳入了玻璃球游戏档案，成为正式游戏语言。约摸二十五年前，那位伟大的托马斯·封·特·特拉维，也即现在的玻璃球游戏大师，他的游戏以黄道十二宫对炼金术之意义所写的全新略符就曾获此殊荣。这位托马斯大师后来又以一种富于启发作用的神秘语言对炼金术进行研究和分类，贡献颇多。 克乃西特本次参赛却放弃了运用新游戏符号的打算，而这正是几乎每一个参赛者都一心一意想做好的事情。同时他也没有采用心理学玻璃球游戏法，尽管这么做也许较为接近自己的个性。克乃西特建造的游戏大楼在结构和主题上诚然很现代化也很个性化，但是居首位的是一种清明开朗的古典式组合风格，既严格对称，义装饰适度，仅能称之为承继了古代大师风范。克乃西特这么做也许出于迫不得已，因为他远离华尔采尔以及玻璃球游戏档案馆，也许因为他的历史研究需要占用大量时间和精力，也许或多或少想要使他的设计风格符合老师兼朋友约可布斯神父的审美爱好。究竟为何，如今我们已不可能知道了。 我们刚才引用了“心理学玻璃球游戏法”这个名词，也许我们的一些读者并不能一下子就明白其中的含意，其实这是克乃西特时代的一个常用口头语。毫无疑问，不论哪个时代的玻璃球游戏者都有他们那一时代风行的思潮、流派、争议以及不断交替变化的观点和表达方式。在克乃西特那个时代，主要存在两种不同的玻璃球游戏观念，经常引起争议和讨论。人们把游戏区分成两大类型，形式类和心理类，我们知道，克乃西特和德格拉里乌斯——尽管后者常被拒于讨论会外——一样，都属于后一类，并且是其中的高手，不过克乃西特通常不把它称之为“心理学游戏法”，更偏爱说成是“教育游戏”。 形式类游戏主要致力于游戏形式上的严密连贯、完整和谐，力求让数学的、语言学的、音乐的以及其他一切因素成为同一游戏的适当组成部分。心理类游戏与此相反，游戏者致力于宇宙性的圆满完美，寻求其统一与和谐之处，而不十分看重内容的选择、排列、交织、联系以及对比，因而无论在游戏的哪一个阶段，均强调静观默思。这一类心理学游戏，或者如克乃西特所说的教育性游戏，并非给人提供一种完美无缺的景象，而是通过一系列精确现定的静修方法引导游戏者获得完美性和神性的体验。克乃西特有一次在给老音乐大师的信里写道：“我认为，凡是完成了静修功夫的游戏选手，玻璃球游戏便整个儿环绕了他，就像一个球体的表皮总是裹着它的核心一样，赋予他解脱的感觉，觉得自己已摆脱一切纷繁混乱，进入了一个完全均匀和谐的世界，而且已与自己融为一体。” 克乃西特为参加比赛而构思的那一场游戏，从结构角度而言，其实属于形式类，而不应当归于心理类。克乃西特很可能是想借以向上级领导证明，他虽然作客玛丽亚费尔，又有外交任务，又有玻璃球游戏课程，完全缺乏练习机会，然而他并未丧失自己的灵巧、优雅和熟练程度。倘若果真如此，他的证明是成功的。由于克乃西特的游戏方案唯有在华尔采尔档案馆里才可能最终定稿，他使委托好友德格拉里乌斯去完成此事，因为弗里兹本人也是参赛者。克乃西特这次不仅有机会亲自把手稿交到朋友手中，可以当面讨论一番，而且还能够阅读到朋友写的参赛稿，因为他终于争取到让弗里兹来修道院逗留三天了。克乃西特已向托马斯大帅申请过两回，这次才如愿以偿。 德格拉里乌斯来前兴奋不已，他作为卡斯塔里的化外之人对修道院生活太好奇了，然而来后立即感觉极不适应，是的，这个敏感的人差一点被种种陌生印象压垮而病倒，这些友好、然而朴直、健康到近乎粗俗的人，一点儿也不了解他的思想、忧虑和问题。“你在这里好似生活在另一个星球上，”他对自己的朋友说，“我真不懂你居然平安无事呆了三年之久！你的修士们对我确是彬彬有礼，然而我依旧觉得这里一切都在排斥我、拒绝我，不论什么东西，我都弄不明白，也就无法吸收，无法不抗拒地与之同化。倘若要我在这里住上两周，我会感到犹如进了地狱。” 克乃西特很难消除他的不适感，作为一个旁观者，第一次接触两个宗教组织和两种生活世界的巨大差别，怎能不无所适从呢？此外，克乃西特还感到，他这位过分敏感的朋友，与人应对如此手足无措，想必不会给这里的修士们留下什么好印象。 尽管情况很糟，他们两人的参赛草案还是经过批评讨论后最终定稿了。这段时期内，每当克乃西特和朋友聚谈后去见另一幢楼里的约可布斯神父或者去用餐时，他总会觉得自己好似突然被人从故乡迁到了另一个星球上，不同的土地、空气，连风土人情也迥然有别。 弗里兹回去后，克乃西特记录下了约可布斯神父对他的印象。“我希望，”老神父说，“多数卡斯塔里人更像您而不像您的这位朋友。您向我们引见的是一位不老练的、任性而软弱的人，我还担心他有点孤芳自赏。但愿我能保有旧观点，否则我待您如此宽容便有失公道。因为这个敏感、聪明过头又神经质的可怜人，很可能会重新败坏人们对整个卡斯塔里的印象。” “哦，是的，”克乃西特回答道：“我想，过去几百年里，在贵本笃会也出现过类似我朋友的人物，身体虚弱多病，精神却十分健康。我想，我的邀请也许不明智。我应当想到人们会清楚看见他的弱点而不能感受他的真正优点。他完全是为了帮我办一件大事而来。”随即克乃西特便向神父讲述了参加游戏比赛的事。老人听到克乃西特为朋友辩护，脸上露出欣慰的神色。“回答得好！”他亲切地说，“但是我得告诉您，您的一些高尚朋友确实很难交往。” 当他看见克乃西特一脸迷们而惊讶的表情，心里很得意，却若无其事地继续往下说道：“我这回指的是您的另一位朋友。您难道没有听说您的朋友普林尼奥·特西格诺利最近的情况？” 克乃西特听见这句问话反而更惊讶了，便敦请约可布斯神父立即作出说明。 情况大致如下：特西格诺利发表了一篇强烈抨击教会于政的政治论文，其中对约可布斯神父也有十分激烈的攻汗。老人通过在天主教新闻机构工作的朋友获得了若干关于特西格诺利的资料，包括特西格诺利在卡斯塔里求学时的材料，其中提到了克乃西特与他的那场著名辩论。 克乃西特向神父借来普林尼奥的论文，读过之后便生平第一回与他人谈论起了当前政治问题，他和老人后来又谈了几次，当然也仅仅几次而已。克乃西特在一封写给费罗蒙梯的信里对这次事件发表了下列看法，“这篇论文让我眼睁睁看到我们的普林尼奥成了主要角色，连带捎上我这个附属角色，都忽然登上了世界政治舞台，简直令我惊讶到了害怕的程度。这是我做梦也想不到的景况。”此外还必须提一提约可布斯神父谈论普林尼奥文章时的欣赏态度，竟丝毫没有不悦之情。他称赞特西格诺利的文字风格，认为是受了精英学校良好训练所致。人们倘若一贯陷于日常政治，恐怕难以达到这般精神水平。 约摸同一时期内，克乃西特收到了费罗蒙梯寄来一部作品的第一部分，这部题为《受到自海顿以来德国音乐影响的斯拉夫民间音乐之吸收和再创造问题》的作品后来非常著名。我们在克乃西特致馈赠者的复信中发现了许多重要东西，如其中说道：“你已从自己的研究工作中——我有一阵子曾与你分享研究的乐趣——总结出了令人信服的结论。论述舒伯特的那两章，尤其是关于四重奏的那一部分，据我对当代音乐的认识，我以为应属于音乐史上最中肯的文字。想想我自己，比起你有幸获得的这一类收获，我还差得远呢。其实我应当满足自己在这里的生活——因为我来玛丽亚费尔的使命似乎成功在望——，然而我仍不时因为长期远离学园和自己的华尔采尔小圈子而苦闷万分。我在这里诚然学到了很多东西，却均无益于提高我的专业技艺，我也有了很多见识，却只是徒添疑难问题。当然，我得承认自己扩大了眼界。而且，初来头两年中经常困扰我的种种不安、陌生感、灰心沮丧、缺乏自信等苦恼，如今都已平息。最近德格拉里乌斯曾来此地，只呆了三天，尽管他急着要见我，又对玛丽亚费尔充满好奇心，但到后第二天就难以忍受，感到大压抑太陌生。 归根结蒂，修道院还是一个庇护人类精神的安静世界，绝不类似于监狱、军营或者工厂，我从自身经验中得出的结论是：我们这些来自亲爱的卡斯塔里学园的人，实在比我们自己认识到的更为娇生惯养和多愁善感得多。 " 就在克乃西特写信给卡洛的那天前后，克乃西特说服约可布斯神父致函卡斯塔里当局，简述他已默认对方拟议中的外交措施。然而老人又添了一笔，要求他们允许“在本处受普遍欢迎的玻璃球游戏选手约瑟夫·克乃西特”多留一段时间，并为本人讲授'卡斯塔里神秘学说“。不言而喻，卡斯塔里当局乐于从命。克乃西特这时还认为自己离”完成使命“还有相当差距，不料却收到了由杜波依斯先生签署的行政当局致贺信件，赞许他圆满完成任务。这封公函到得恰是时候，对克乃西特无疑意义重大，而最令他欣喜的是其中一句简短的交代（他立即以狂喜口吻写信告诉了弗里兹）：卡斯塔里当局遵照玻璃球游戏大师的愿望，准许他返回玻璃球游戏学园，并且交代，一待他结束目前的工作，即可如愿归去。克乃西特把信件这部分内容读给约可布斯神父听后，向他供认，这句话多么令他喜欢，也供认自己过去因可能长期派驻罗马，可能永远远离卡斯塔里而多么担心害怕。神父大笑着说道：”是的，教会组织就是这样，总让人愿意生活在它的怀抱里，而不是呆在边缘，更不用说流放他乡了。您在这里已接触了肮脏政治的边缘，如今可以重新置之脑后了，因为您不是政治家。但是您不应当放弃历史，即或只是作为次要项目和业余爱好，因为您具有成为历史学家的禀赋。目前还是让我们好好利用不多的共处时光吧！ " 克乃西特似乎很少利用他的特权：经常回华尔采尔。不过他一直用收音机收听玻璃球游戏的研讨会，收听许多报告和游戏过程。克乃西特就这样坐在修道院的高等客房里，在远处参加了玻璃球游戏学园礼堂里举行的盛大比赛，等候着即将公布的比赛结果。他也向大会递交了一份自己认为并不极具个人特色，也没有什么革命性，但内容扎实，写得又极典雅的作品，他自己估计可能得三等或者二等奖。听到宣布他获第一名时，他不禁大吃一惊，还没待他把惊讶变成欣喜，玻璃球游戏大师办公室的发言人已以优美的低音宣布二等奖获得者为德格拉里乌斯。这简直太令人激动，太难以置信了，他们两人，手拉手联袂参赛，居然同时登上了胜利宝座！克乃西特一跃而起，不再往下听，他飞奔下楼，穿过回声隆隆的走廊，一直跑进了旷野。 我们在克乃西特当时写给老音乐大师的一封信里读到了如下文字：“我十分快乐，敬爱的老师，正如您所想象的。首先是我的任务圆满完成，受到了教会当局的嘉奖，再加上允许我不久即可返回家乡，这对我太重要了，让我重归朋友们之间，重归玻璃球游戏，而不是继续从事外交任务。如今我又在游戏比赛中获得了一等奖，为了使我的作品形式完美，我确实花费了精力，却由于许多原因，并未能竭尽全力。 而最令我高兴的莫过于与我的朋友德格拉里乌斯分享成功——同时获奖，这太令人喜出望外了。我很幸运，是的，但是我不能说自己觉得很快乐。经过了一个相当枯燥乏味的时期，或者应当说，我自己感觉如此，这些成就在我内心深处引起的感觉是：嘉奖太多，来得也太突然了。我的感激之情里确实混有恐惧不安。情况就像一只己盛满水的容器，再加上哪怕一滴水，也会溢出边缘。一切事情又会变得颇可怀疑。但是务请不必介意我的话，只当我不曾说过吧，我的情况是无可劝慰的。 " 我们不久将会看到，这个满满的容器已命定就要加L那一滴水了。在这段短短的时期里，克乃西特就这么过着混杂了恐惧感的快活日子，在他辛勤工作之际，预感某种巨变即将降临的感觉也越来越强烈。约可布斯神父在这几个月中也过得很快乐很轻松。对于不久就要失去这位学生兼同事，心里颇为惆怅，因而尽量在他们共同研究的时刻，尤其是在互相自由交谈的时候，把自己漫长一生获得的工作和思想经验，对国家、民族、人类生存处于高峰和低谷的认识，尽可能地传授给他。约可布斯神父也想同克乃西特谈谈他已完成使命的意义及其后果，谈谈在罗马教廷和卡斯塔里间建立睦邻政治关系的价值和可能性。老人建议克乃西特拟订研究卡斯塔里开创时期的历史计划时，不妨把探究罗马教廷如何自倾颓受辱境遇重新缓缓崛起的问题也列入其中。他还向克乃西特推荐了两本论述十六世纪宗教改革和宗教派系问题的专著，还竭力劝说克乃西特把直接原始资料视作研究基础，与其反复阅读许多世界史而不知所云，倒不如把功夫用在能够得到的任何原始史料上，即或残缺，也可看清事实。约可布斯长老毫不隐瞒自己对一切历史哲学持有深切的怀疑的态度。