Chapter 132 Part Three - Twenty Eight

Back at the hotel, Nekhludoff did not go to bed, but walked up and down the room for a long time.His affair with Katyusha was over.She no longer needed him, and it made him sad and ashamed.But it was not this that was tormenting him at the moment.Another matter not only did not end, but also tormented him more violently than ever before, demanding that he do something. During this time, and especially today, in this dreadful prison, the appalling crimes that have ruined dear Kryltzoff are running rampant, and not only do not see the possibility of defeating them, Don't even know how to beat it.

The shadows of thousands of people floated in his mind. They were locked up in the stale air filled with germs by the ruthless generals, prosecutors, and wardens, and they were humiliated.He thought of the free-spirited eccentric old man who cursed at his officers and who was regarded as a madman.He also thought of Kryltzov, who had died in hatred, among the other corpses, handsome and sallow.Is he, Nekhludoff, crazy, or are those who think they are sane and have committed such deeds?At this moment, the old question appeared before him even more persistently, demanding his answer. He was a little tired from walking back and forth, and his mind was also a little tired from thinking, so he sat down on the sofa near the light, and opened the Gospel book given to him by the British as a souvenir, which he threw on the table when he was cleaning his pockets. of. "It is said that you can find the answer to any question there. French materialism in the eighteenth century is "French materialism"." He thought about opening the Gospel and began to read the page he turned to.That's the eighteenth chapter of Matthew.

1 At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked him who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. 2 Jesus called a little boy and made him stand among them. Three said: I tell you the truth, unless you turn and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. 4 Therefore whoever humbles himself like this little child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. "That's right, that's right, that's true," said Nekhludoff, thinking that only when he was humble could he appreciate the peace and joy of life. 5 Whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me.

6 Whoever causes one of these little ones who believe in Me to stumble, it would be better for a millstone to be hung around his neck and to be sunk in the depths of the sea. "Why do you say: 'In my name, welcome a child like this'? Where is it? What does 'in my name' mean?" Nekhludoff asked himself, feeling that these words were very strange. easy to understand. "Also, why do you have to tie a large millstone around your neck and sink in the deep sea? No, this is a bit wrong, inaccurate, unclear," he thought of how many times he had read the Gospels in his life, and always encountered To such an inexplicable place, so I can't read on.He read through the seventh, eighth, ninth, and tenth verses.These verses speak of stumbling men, of their having to enter into eternal life, of throwing men into the fire of hell as punishment, and of the angel of the child seeing the Father's presence. "It's a pity that the words are incoherent," he thought, "but there is something good in them."

The Son of Eleven came to save the lost. If twelve people have a hundred sheep and one of them has gone astray, what do you think?Will he not leave the ninety-nine and go into the mountains to find the lost sheep? And if thirteen is found, I tell you the truth, he will be more joyful over the one sheep than over the ninety-nine that did not stray. 14 So also is your Father who is in heaven not willing that any of these little ones should be lost. "Yes, it was not by the Father's will that they perish, but they are dying by the hundreds. And there is no way to save them," thought Nekhludoff.

21 Then Peter came up to Jesus and said to Jesus, Lord!My brother sins against me, how many times shall I forgive him?Up to seven times? Twenty-two Jesus said: I say to you, not seven times, but seventy times seven. The twenty-three kingdoms are like a king who wants to settle accounts with his servants. At the twenty-fourth count, someone brought a man who owed ten million denarii. 25 And because he had nothing to pay back, the master ordered him to be sold, his wife and children, and all that he had, to pay back. 26 The servant fell down and worshiped him, saying, "Lord!Forgive me, I will pay back in the future.

27The servant's master, moved with compassion, released him and forgave him the debt. 28. When the servant came out, he met one of his companions who owed him ten taels of silver. He grabbed him, grabbed him by the throat, and said, "Pay back what is owed to me." 29 His companions fell down and begged him, saying, "Be patient with me, and I will pay back in the future." Thirty he refused, but went and threw him in prison until he paid what he owed. When the thirty-one companions saw what he had done, they were very distressed, and went and told their master all about it.

32 Then the master called him and said to him, "You evil slave!You begged me, and I forgave you everything you owed. 33. Shouldn't you have pitied your fellow man, as I have pitied you? "Is that all it is?" Nekhludoff suddenly exclaimed after reading the words.Then a voice in his mind answered, "Yes, that's all." Then Nekhludoff also encountered the situation that is common to all people who pursue the spiritual life.That is the idea that he thought was weird, absurd and even ridiculous at first, but was constantly confirmed by life, and one day he suddenly discovered that it was an extremely ordinary and undoubted truth.Now he understood that the only sure way to overcome the monstrous evils that plagued men was to admit before God that one was always guilty, and therefore neither punished nor corrected.He understood now that all the horrific crimes he had witnessed in prisons everywhere, and the poise of those who committed them, were due to their desire to do the one thing they could not: that they themselves were guilty, But want to correct the sin.Corrupted people want to correct corrupted people, and use blunt methods to achieve their goals. As a result, people who are short of money and greedy for money use this kind of unreasonable punishment and correcting people as a profession, but they themselves are extremely corrupt and depraved. Constantly corrupting the tortured.He understood now how all the horrors he had witnessed had been brought about and how they could be put to rest.The answer he couldn't find was what Christ said to Peter: Forgive everyone forever, forgive countless times, because there is no innocent person in the world who can punish or correct others.

"It's not always that simple," Nekhludoff said to himself, but at the same time he understood that this statement, contrary to his natural habits, was undoubtedly the correct answer, although it seemed strange at first, not only in This is true both in theory and in practice. "How to deal with evildoers? Can they be allowed to go unpunished?" Such common objections no longer embarrass him.If punishment can reduce crime and reform criminals, then there is some truth in this objection.But it turns out that the opposite is the case. Some people have no right to reform others, so the only reasonable way is to stop doing such things that are not only useless but harmful, even cruel and absurd. "For hundreds of years you have been punishing those you consider guilty. What is the result? Have such people disappeared? They have not disappeared, but their numbers have increased, because not only have you added a new group of criminals who have become corrupted by punishment, Added to this are those who degenerate themselves by judging and punishing others, that is, judges, prosecutors, inquisitors, and jailers." Nekhludoff now understood that society and social order are not maintained because There are criminals who are protected by the law to judge and punish others, but because despite this corruption, people still love each other after all.

Nekhludoff, hoping to find a confirmation of this idea in the same Gospel, read it from the beginning.He was reading the "Teaching on the Mountain" that had always moved him, and it was only today that he realized for the first time that this admonition is not an abstract beautiful idea, and most of the requirements raised are not excessive and difficult to achieve, but simple, clear and practical precepts.As soon as these precepts are implemented (and this is quite possible), a new order will be established in human society. At that time, not only will all the atrocities that so indignant Nekhludoff be naturally eliminated, but the supreme happiness of mankind - in the Establishing the Kingdom of Heaven on Earth—It Can Be Done, Too.

There are five precepts in total. -------- ① See the fifth chapter of "The Gospel of Matthew in the New Testament". The first precept (Matthew 5:21 to 26) is that not only must one not kill, but also one must not be angry with one's brother, one must not despise others, and one must not call others "rajas" ①.If there is a quarrel with someone, it should be reconciled to God before offering a gift to God, that is, before praying. -------- ① means "waste". The second commandment (Matthew 5:27 to 32) is that people should not only commit adultery, but also lust for women.Once married to the same woman, never change your mind about her. The third commandment (Matthew 5:33-37) is that a man should not swear when he promises something. The fourth commandment ("Matthew Chapter 5, verses 38 to 42) is that people not only should not give an eye for an eye, but when someone hits you on the right cheek, even turn the left cheek. Hit by him.Forgive insults to you, and bear them meekly.No matter what people ask you, don't refuse. The fifth commandment (Matthew 5:43rd to 48th) is not only not to hate or fight the enemy, but also to love the enemy, help the enemy, and serve the enemy. Nekhludoff gazed dreamily at the light of the oil lamp.He thought of all the ugly phenomena in life, and imagined how our lives would be if people could accept these precepts.Then his heart was filled with a joy that he had not felt for a long time, as if he had suddenly gained peace and freedom after long-term toil and pain. He didn't sleep all night.Like so many readers of the Gospels, he read for the first time and suddenly grasped the meaning of words he had read many times before without noticing.He was soaking up, like a sponge, the important and delightful truths of the book before him.Everything he read seemed to be familiar, and it seemed to reconfirm and fully comprehend what he already knew but did not fully understand and believe.Now he understands, he believes. However, he not only realized and believed that people can obtain supreme happiness by fulfilling these precepts, but he also understood and believed that everyone can do nothing but fulfill these precepts, and that this is the only reasonable meaning of life.Anyone who violates these precepts is a mistake and will immediately attract punishment.This is the reason summed up from all the teachings, but the parable of the vineyard is especially convincing.The tenants were sent to work in the vineyard for the owner, but they regarded the vineyard as their private property, as if everything in it were made for them, and they forgot the owner, and killed anyone who spoke of the owner to them. , who mention their duty to the owner of the garden, think they have a right to enjoy that garden. -------- ① "New Testament, Matthew" Chapter 21, verses 33 to 41: "[Jesus said:] Listen to another parable. There was a householder who planted a vineyard, surrounded by He fenced it in, dug a wine press in it, built a building, let it out to farmers, and went abroad. When the harvest time was near, he sent his servants to the farmers to collect the fruit. The farmers took He stopped the servants, beat one, killed another, and stoned another. The master sent other servants, more than before; and the tenant treated them as before. Then he sent his son to them, saying They will honor my son. Behold, when the farmers saw his son, they said to each other, This is the heir. Come, let us kill him and take his inheritance. So they took him, pushed him out of the vineyard, and killed When the owner of the vineyard comes, how will he deal with these tenants? They said that they will kill those wicked people with poisonous hands, and lease the vineyard to other tenants who will pay the fruit according to the time." "That's what we do," thought Nekhludoff, "we live in the world with the absurd belief that we ourselves are the masters of life and that life is for pleasure. This is obviously absurd You know, since we were sent into the world, it was someone's will, to achieve a purpose. But we decided that we lived only for our own pleasure. Obviously, we will not end well, like that Like the farmers who do not carry out the will of the owner. The will of the owner is expressed in those precepts. As long as people implement those precepts, a heaven will be established in the world, and people will be able to obtain supreme happiness. "Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. But we asked for these things first, and evidently did not get them. -------- ①The Gospel of Matthew, Chapter VI of the New Testament, verses 24 to 34: "[Jesus said:] No one can serve two masters. Either he hates the one and loves the other, or he values ​​the one. That. You cannot serve God and mammon (referring to "wealth") at the same time....So don't worry about what to eat, what to drink, what to wear. These are what the Gentiles ask. You need to use Your heavenly Father knows all these things. Seek first his kingdom and his righteousness, and all these things will be added to you. So do not worry about tomorrow." "It seems that this is my life's work. After finishing one, I will do another." From that night on, Nekhludoff began a new life, not only because he entered a new living environment, but also because everything he encountered from then on had a special meaning for him. completely different meaning.How this new phase of his life will end will be revealed later.