IX A Last Word

societies and communities of whom we have some knowledge, our first impression will be one of a bewilderingly infinite variety. Yet, on consideration and analysis, this apparent variety resolves itself into variation on Man’s worship or quest of no more than three objects or objectives: namely, Nature; Man himself; and an Absolute Reality that is not either Nature or Man but is in them and at the same time beyond them. (p.16)2 That is, history shows that from time immemorial man has been pursuing the ultimate reality. Is it possible that a totally imaginary notion can pervade the whole of human history? Can any other idea be pointed out which has made the same impact, which has, in spite of being ‘unreal’, influenced human psychology in such a thoroughgoing manner? 2. If we were to abide by this interpretation, it would be but natural if religion were the name of not just one creed but had a thousand manifestations. If we regarded religion as the name of a particular form of intellectual activity, then every individual would discover it to the degree that his own innate capabilities, his temperament, his environment, and so on, made it possible for him to do so. But if we take religion to be the word of God, then we must concede that it has a definite form, quite independent of subjective consideration, on the basis of which the thoughts, words and deeds of all mankind are judged in terms of right and wrong. Thus, the difference in the conceptualization of religion makes for a fundamental difference in its reality. On this aspect of the question, Toynbee has this to say: Different people’s convictions will differ, because Absolute Reality is a mystery of which no more than a fraction has ever yet been penetrated by—or been revealed to—any human mind. ‘The heart of so great a mystery cannot ever be reached, by following one road only’. However strong and confident may be my conviction that my own approach to the mystery is a right one, I ought to be aware that my field of spiritual vision is so narrow that I cannot know that there is no virtue in