Knjiga Urantije
DIO III. Povijest Urantije
POGLAVLJE 90 : ŠAMANIZAM - VRAČEVI I SVEĆENICI
Paper 90
Shamanism—Medicine Men and Priests
Shamanism—Medicine Men and Priests
EVOLUCIJA vjerskih obreda napredovala je od umirivanja duhova i njihova izbjegavanja, istjerivanja, prisile, pomirenja i umilostivljenja, do prinošenja žrtava, okajanja i otkupljenja. Tehnika vjerskih obreda razvijala se od primitivnog kulta preko fetiša do magije i čuda; a kako je ritual postajao sve složeniji kao odgovor na sve složeniji čovjekov pojam nadmaterijalnih sfera, neizbježno su njime počeli dominirati vračevi, šamani i svećenici.
90:0.1 (986.1)
THE evolution of religious observances progressed from placation, avoidance, exorcism, coercion, conciliation, and propitiation to sacrifice, atonement, and redemption. The technique of religious ritual passed from the forms of the primitive cult through fetishes to magic and miracles; and as ritual became more complex in response to man’s increasingly complex concept of the supermaterial realms, it was inevitably dominated by medicine men, shamans, and priests.
U sve naprednijem poimanju primitivnog čovjeka, svijet duhova naposljetku se počeo smatrati nedostupnim običnom smrtniku. Samo su iznimni među ljudima mogli zadobiti pažnju bogova; duhovi su slušali samo izvanredne muškarce i žene. Religija tako ulazi u novu fazu, stupanj u kojem postupno postaje religija iz druge ruke; vrač, šaman ili svećenik uvijek posreduje između vjernika i predmeta štovanja. I danas većina sustava organiziranog religijskog vjerovanja na Urantiji prolazi kroz ovu razinu evolucijskog razvoja.
90:0.2 (986.2)
In the advancing concepts of primitive man the spirit world was eventually regarded as being unresponsive to the ordinary mortal. Only the exceptional among humans could catch the ear of the gods; only the extraordinary man or woman would be heard by the spirits. Religion thus enters upon a new phase, a stage wherein it gradually becomes secondhanded; always does a medicine man, a shaman, or a priest intervene between the religionist and the object of worship. And today most Urantia systems of organized religious belief are passing through this level of evolutionary development.
Evolucijska religija rađa se iz jednostavnog i svemoćnog straha, straha koji obuzima ljudski um kada se suoči s nepoznatim, neobjašnjivim i nerazumljivim. Religija naposljetku doseže duboko jednostavnu spoznaju svemoćne ljubavi, ljubavi koja neodoljivo prožima ljudsku dušu kada se ona osvijesti spoznajom neograničene naklonosti Oca Svih prema njegovim kozmičkim sinovima. No između početka i dovršenja religijske evolucije protežu se duga razdoblja šamana, koji su se usudili stati između čovjeka i Boga kao posrednici, tumači i zagovornici.
90:0.3 (986.3)
Evolutionary religion is born of a simple and all-powerful fear, the fear which surges through the human mind when confronted with the unknown, the inexplicable, and the incomprehensible. Religion eventually achieves the profoundly simple realization of an all-powerful love, the love which sweeps irresistibly through the human soul when awakened to the conception of the limitless affection of the Universal Father for the sons of the universe. But in between the beginning and the consummation of religious evolution, there intervene the long ages of the shamans, who presume to stand between man and God as intermediaries, interpreters, and intercessors.
Šaman je bio vodeći vrač, obredni rukovatelj fetišima i središnja ličnost svih praksi evolucijske religije. U mnogim je skupinama šaman bio iznad ratnog poglavice, označavajući početak prevlasti crkve nad državom. Šaman je ponekad djelovao kao svećenik, pa čak i kao svećenik-kralj. Neka su kasnija plemena imala i ranije šamane-vračeve (vidioce) i kasnije nastale šamane-svećenike. U mnogim je slučajevima položaj šamana postajao nasljedan.
90:1.1 (986.4)
The shaman was the ranking medicine man, the ceremonial fetishman, and the focus personality for all the practices of evolutionary religion. In many groups the shaman outranked the war chief, marking the beginning of the church domination of the state. The shaman sometimes functioned as a priest and even as a priest-king. Some of the later tribes had both the earlier shaman-medicine men (seers) and the later appearing shaman-priests. And in many cases the office of shaman became hereditary.
Budući da se u prošlim vremenima sve što se činilo neprirodnim pripisivalo opsjednutosti duhovima, svaka izražena mentalna ili tjelesna abnormalnost predstavljala je kvalifikaciju za djelovanje u ulozi vrača. Mnogi od tih muškaraca bili su epileptici, a mnoge od tih žena histerične, i te su dvije skupine činile velik dio drevnih izvora nadahnuća, kao i opsjednutosti duhovima i demonima. Velik broj tih najranijih svećenika pripadao je skupini koja je kasnije prozvana paranoičnom.
90:1.2 (986.5)
Since in olden times anything abnormal was ascribed to spirit possession, any striking mental or physical abnormality constituted qualification for being a medicine man. Many of these men were epileptic, many of the women hysteric, and these two types accounted for a good deal of ancient inspiration as well as spirit and devil possession. Quite a few of these earliest of priests were of a class which has since been denominated paranoiac.
Iako su se mogli služiti obmanom u manjim stvarima, velika većina vračeva vjerovala je u stvarnost vlastite opsjednutosti duhom. Žene koje su se znale dovesti u stanje transa ili kataleptičkog napada postajale su moćne vračarice; kasnije su takve žene postajale proročice i mediji duhova. Njihovi kataleptički transovi obično su uključivali navodnu komunikaciju s duhovima mrtvih. Mnoge su vračarice bile i profesionalne plesačice.
90:1.3 (987.1)
While they may have practiced deception in minor matters, the great majority of the shamans believed in the fact of their spirit possession. Women who were able to throw themselves into a trance or a cataleptic fit became powerful shamanesses; later, such women became prophets and spirit mediums. Their cataleptic trances usually involved alleged communications with the ghosts of the dead. Many female shamans were also professional dancers.
Ne, nisu svi šamani bili samoobmanuti; mnogi su bili pronicljivi i vješti prepredenjaci. Kako se struka razvijala, novak je morao proći desetogodišnje razdoblje teške obuke i samoodricanja da bi se osposobio za vrača. Šamani su razvili profesionalan način odijevanja i njegovali izvještačeno, tajanstveno ponašanje. Često su upotrebljavali droge kako bi izazvali određena tjelesna stanja koja su zadivljivala i zbunjivala pripadnike plemena. Obični ljudi smatrali su njihove majstorije nadnaravnima, a trbuhozborstvo su prvi koristili lukavi svećenici. Mnogi od starih šamana nehotice su naišli na hipnozu, dok su drugi izazivali autohipnozu dugotrajnim zurenjem u vlastiti pupak.
90:1.4 (987.2)
But not all shamans were self-deceived; many were shrewd and able tricksters. As the profession developed, a novice was required to serve an apprenticeship of ten years of hardship and self-denial to qualify as a medicine man. The shamans developed a professional mode of dress and affected a mysterious conduct. They frequently employed drugs to induce certain physical states which would impress and mystify the tribesmen. Sleight-of-hand feats were regarded as supernatural by the common folk, and ventriloquism was first used by shrewd priests. Many of the olden shamans unwittingly stumbled onto hypnotism; others induced autohypnosis by prolonged staring at their navels.
90:1.5 (987.3)
While many resorted to these tricks and deceptions, their reputation as a class, after all, stood on apparent achievement. When a shaman failed in his undertakings, if he could not advance a plausible alibi, he was either demoted or killed. Thus the honest shamans early perished; only the shrewd actors survived.
Zazivanje duhova bilo je vrlo precizan i izrazito složen postupak, usporediv s današnjim crkvenim obredima koji se izvode na drevnom jeziku. Ljudski rod vrlo je rano tražio nadljudsku pomoć, otkrivenje; i ljudi su vjerovali da šaman doista prima takva otkrivenja. Iako su šamani u svom radu koristili veliku moć sugestije, ona je gotovo uvijek bila negativna; tek se u novije vrijeme primjenjuje tehnika pozitivne sugestije. U ranom razvoju svoje struke šamani su se počeli specijalizirati za djelatnosti poput prizivanja kiše, liječenja bolesti i otkrivanja zločina. Ipak, liječenje bolesti nije bila glavna funkcija šamanskih vračeva; prije je to bilo poznavanje i ovladavanje opasnostima života.
90:2.1 (987.5)
Spirit conjuring was a very precise and highly complicated procedure, comparable to present-day church rituals conducted in an ancient tongue. The human race very early sought for superhuman help, for revelation; and men believed that the shaman actually received such revelations. While the shamans utilized the great power of suggestion in their work, it was almost invariably negative suggestion; only in very recent times has the technique of positive suggestion been employed. In the early development of their profession the shamans began to specialize in such vocations as rain making, disease healing, and crime detecting. To heal diseases was not, however, the chief function of a shamanic medicine man; it was, rather, to know and to control the hazards of living.
Drevna crna magija, kako religijska tako i svjetovna, nazivala se bijelom magijom kada su je prakticirali svećenici, vidovnjaci, šamani ili vračevi. Praktičari crne magije nazivali su se čarobnjacima, magima, vračevima, vješticama, opsjenarima, nekromantima, prizivačima duhova i gatačima. S vremenom je sav takav navodni kontakt s nadnaravnim svrstan ili u vještičarstvo ili u šamanstvo.
90:2.2 (987.6)
Ancient black art, both religious and secular, was called white art when practiced by either priests, seers, shamans, or medicine men. The practitioners of the black art were called sorcerers, magicians, wizards, witches, enchanters, necromancers, conjurers, and soothsayers. As time passed, all such purported contact with the supernatural was classified either as witchcraft or shamancraft.
Vještičarstvo je obuhvaćalo magiju koju su izvodili raniji, neredoviti i nepriznati duhovi; šamanstvo se odnosilo na čuda koja su izvodili redoviti duhovi i priznati bogovi plemena. U kasnijim vremenima vještica se počela povezivati s đavlom, čime je postavljena pozornica za mnoge razmjerno novije izraze religijske netrpeljivosti. Vještičarstvo je bilo religija kod mnogih primitivnih plemena.
90:2.3 (987.7)
Witchcraft embraced the magic performed by earlier, irregular, and unrecognized spirits; shamancraft had to do with miracles performed by regular spirits and recognized gods of the tribe. In later times the witch became associated with the devil, and thus was the stage set for the many comparatively recent exhibitions of religious intolerance. Witchcraft was a religion with many primitive tribes.
Šamani su bili veliki vjernici u ulogu slučaja kao pokazatelja volje duhova; često su bacali kocku ili izvlačili ždrijeb kako bi donijeli odluku. U novije vrijeme ta se sklonost uvelike očuvala, ne samo u mnogim igrama na sreću nego i u dobro poznatim dječjim „brojalicama”. Nekoć je odabrana osoba morala umrijeti; danas je samo „onaj koji lovi” u dječjoj igri. Ono što je primitivnom čovjeku bilo ozbiljna stvar preživjelo je kao igra današnje djece.
90:2.4 (987.8)
The shamans were great believers in the mission of chance as revelatory of the will of the spirits; they frequently cast lots to arrive at decisions. Modern survivals of this proclivity for casting lots are illustrated, not only in the many games of chance, but also in the well-known “counting-out” rhymes. Once, the person counted out must die; now, he is only it in some childish game. That which was serious business to primitive man has survived as a diversion of the modern child.
Vračevi su polagali veliko povjerenje u znakove i predznake, poput: „Kad čuješ šuštanje u krošnjama dudova, tada se pokreni.” Vrlo rano u povijesti ljudskog roda šamani su usmjerili pozornost na zvijezde. Primitivna astrologija bila je rašireno vjerovanje i praksa diljem svijeta; tumačenje snova također je postalo široko rasprostranjeno. Ubrzo su se pojavile i one ćudljive vračarice koje su tvrdile da mogu komunicirati s duhovima mrtvih.
90:2.5 (988.1)
The medicine men put great trust in signs and omens, such as, “When you hear the sound of a rustling in the tops of the mulberry trees, then shall you bestir yourself.” Very early in the history of the race the shamans turned their attention to the stars. Primitive astrology was a world-wide belief and practice; dream interpreting also became widespread. All this was soon followed by the appearance of those temperamental shamanesses who professed to be able to communicate with the spirits of the dead.
Iako imaju drevno porijeklo, prizivači kiše, odnosno vremenski šamani, održali su se kroz stoljeća. Teška suša značila je smrt za rane zemljoradnike; upravljanje vremenom bilo je cilj velikog dijela drevne magije. I među civiliziranim ljudima vrijeme je i dalje uobičajena tema razgovora. Svi su stari narodi vjerovali u moć šamana kao prizivača kiše, ali je bilo uobičajeno ubiti ga kad bi podbacio, ako ne bi mogao ponuditi uvjerljivo objašnjenje.
90:2.6 (988.2)
Though of ancient origin, the rain makers, or weather shamans, have persisted right on down through the ages. A severe drought meant death to the early agriculturists; weather control was the object of much ancient magic. Civilized man still makes the weather the common topic of conversation. The olden peoples all believed in the power of the shaman as a rain maker, but it was customary to kill him when he failed, unless he could offer a plausible excuse to account for the failure.
Iznova i iznova carevi su protjerivali astrologe, ali su se oni uvijek vraćali zbog raširenog vjerovanja u njihovu moć. Nisu se mogli iskorijeniti, pa su čak i u šesnaestom stoljeću nakon Krista vođe zapadnih crkava i država bili pokrovitelji astrologije. Tisuće navodno inteligentnih ljudi i dalje vjeruju da se netko može roditi pod utjecajem sretne ili nesretne zvijezde; da raspored nebeskih tijela određuje ishod raznih zemaljskih pothvata. Proricatelji sudbine i dalje nalaze pokrovitelje među lakovjernima.
90:2.7 (988.3)
Again and again did the Caesars banish the astrologers, but they invariably returned because of the popular belief in their powers. They could not be driven out, and even in the sixteenth century after Christ the directors of Occidental church and state were the patrons of astrology. Thousands of supposedly intelligent people still believe that one may be born under the domination of a lucky or an unlucky star; that the juxtaposition of the heavenly bodies determines the outcome of various terrestrial adventures. Fortunetellers are still patronized by the credulous.
S vremena na vrijeme pojavljivali su se istinski proroci i učitelji koji su osuđivali i razotkrivali šamanizam. Čak je i nestajući crveni čovjek imao takvog proroka u posljednjih stotinu godina, Shawneeja Tenskwatawu, koji je predvidio pomrčinu Sunca 1806. i osuđivao poroke bijelog čovjeka. Mnogi su se istinski učitelji pojavljivali među različitim plemenima i rasama kroz duga razdoblja evolucijske povijesti. I uvijek će se pojavljivati kako bi izazvali šamane ili svećenike svakog doba koji se protive općem obrazovanju i nastoje spriječiti znanstveni napredak.
90:2.9 (988.5)
Ever and anon, true prophets and teachers arose to denounce and expose shamanism. Even the vanishing red man had such a prophet within the past hundred years, the Shawnee Tenskwatawa, who predicted the eclipse of the sun in 1806 and denounced the vices of the white man. Many true teachers have appeared among the various tribes and races all through the long ages of evolutionary history. And they will ever continue to appear to challenge the shamans or priests of any age who oppose general education and attempt to thwart scientific progress.
90:2.10 (988.6)
In many ways and by devious methods the olden shamans established their reputations as voices of God and custodians of providence. They sprinkled the newborn with water and conferred names upon them; they circumcised the males. They presided over all burial ceremonies and made due announcement of the safe arrival of the dead in spiritland.
Šamanski svećenici i vračevi često su postajali vrlo bogati gomilanjem raznih pristojbi koje su navodno bile prinosi duhovima. Nerijetko bi šaman prikupio gotovo sve materijalno bogatstvo svojega plemena. Nakon smrti bogatog čovjeka bilo je uobičajeno njegovu imovinu podijeliti između šamana i neke javne svrhe ili dobrotvorne djelatnosti. Ta se praksa još uvijek zadržala u nekim dijelovima Tibeta, gdje polovica muškog stanovništva pripada ovoj klasi neproizvođača.
90:2.11 (988.7)
The shamanic priests and medicine men often became very wealthy through the accretion of their various fees which were ostensibly offerings to the spirits. Not infrequently a shaman would accumulate practically all the material wealth of his tribe. Upon the death of a wealthy man it was customary to divide his property equally with the shaman and some public enterprise or charity. This practice still obtains in some parts of Tibet, where one half the male population belongs to this class of nonproducers.
Šamani su se dobro odijevali i često imali više žena; bili su izvorna aristokracija, izuzeti od svih plemenskih ograničenja. Vrlo su često bili slabijih umnih i moralnih kvaliteta. Svoje su suparnike potiskivali proglašavajući ih vješticama ili čarobnjacima, i vrlo su često dosezali takve položaje utjecaja i moći da su mogli nadvladati poglavice ili kraljeve.
90:2.12 (989.1)
The shamans dressed well and usually had a number of wives; they were the original aristocracy, being exempt from all tribal restrictions. They were very often of low-grade mind and morals. They suppressed their rivals by denominating them witches or sorcerers and very frequently rose to such positions of influence and power that they were able to dominate the chiefs or kings.
90:2.13 (989.2)
Primitive man regarded the shaman as a necessary evil; he feared him but did not love him. Early man respected knowledge; he honored and rewarded wisdom. The shaman was mostly fraud, but the veneration for shamanism well illustrates the premium put upon wisdom in the evolution of the race.
Budući da je drevni čovjek sebe i svoje materijalno okruženje smatrao izravno podložnima hirovima duhova i prohtjevima nadnaravnih bića, nije čudno što je njegova religija bila gotovo isključivo usmjerena na materijalne stvari. Suvremeni čovjek svojim materijalnim problemima pristupa izravno; on prepoznaje da je materija podložna inteligentnom upravljanju uma. Primitivni čovjek također je želio mijenjati pa čak i kontrolirati život i energije fizičkog svijeta; no budući da ga je njegovo ograničeno razumijevanje svemira navelo da vjeruje kako su duhovi i bogovi osobno i neposredno uključeni u detaljno upravljanje životom i materijom, logično je usmjeravao svoje napore na zadobivanje naklonosti i potpore tih nadljudskih sila.
90:3.1 (989.3)
Since ancient man regarded himself and his material environment as being directly responsive to the whims of the ghosts and the fancies of the spirits, it is not strange that his religion should have been so exclusively concerned with material affairs. Modern man attacks his material problems directly; he recognizes that matter is responsive to the intelligent manipulation of mind. Primitive man likewise desired to modify and even to control the life and energies of the physical domains; and since his limited comprehension of the cosmos led him to the belief that ghosts, spirits, and gods were personally and immediately concerned with the detailed control of life and matter, he logically directed his efforts to winning the favor and support of these superhuman agencies.
Promatrano u tom svjetlu, mnogo toga neobjašnjivog i nerazumnog u drevnim kultovima postaje razumljivo. Obredi kulta bili su pokušaj primitivnog čovjeka da ovlada materijalnim svijetom u kojem se našao. Mnogi su njegovi napori bili usmjereni na produljenje života i očuvanje zdravlja. Budući da su se sve bolesti, pa i sama smrt, izvorno smatrale posljedicom djelovanja duhova, bilo je neizbježno da su šamani, kao vračevi i svećenici, ujedno djelovali i kao liječnici i kirurzi.
90:3.2 (989.4)
Viewed in this light, much of the inexplicable and irrational in the ancient cults is understandable. The ceremonies of the cult were primitive man’s attempt to control the material world in which he found himself. And many of his efforts were directed to the end of prolonging life and insuring health. Since all diseases and death itself were originally regarded as spirit phenomena, it was inevitable that the shamans, while functioning as medicine men and priests, should also have labored as doctors and surgeons.
90:3.3 (989.5)
The primitive mind may be handicapped by lack of facts, but it is for all that logical. When thoughtful men observe disease and death, they set about to determine the causes of these visitations, and in accordance with their understanding, the shamans and the scientists have propounded the following theories of affliction:
1. Duhovi — izravni utjecaji duhova. Najranija hipoteza koja je objašnjavala bolest i smrt bila je da duhovi uzrokuju bolest tako što namamljuju dušu iz tijela; ako se ona ne bi vratila, nastupila bi smrt. Stari su se toliko bojali zlonamjernog djelovanja duhova koji uzrokuju bolesti da su bolesnici često bili napuštani, ostavljeni bez hrane i vode. Unatoč pogrešnoj osnovi tih vjerovanja, ona su zapravo učinkovito izolirala oboljele i sprječavala širenje zaraznih bolesti.
90:3.4 (989.6)
1. Ghosts—direct spirit influences. The earliest hypothesis advanced in explanation of disease and death was that spirits caused disease by enticing the soul out of the body; if it failed to return, death ensued. The ancients so feared the malevolent action of disease-producing ghosts that ailing individuals would often be deserted without even food or water. Regardless of the erroneous basis for these beliefs, they did effectively isolate afflicted individuals and prevent the spread of contagious disease.
2. Nasilje — očiti uzroci. Uzroci nekih nesreća i smrti bili su toliko očiti da su rano izdvojeni iz kategorije djelovanja duhova. Smrtni slučajevi i ozljede povezani s ratom, borbama sa životinjama i drugim lako prepoznatljivim uzrocima smatrani su prirodnim pojavama. No dugo se vjerovalo da su duhovi ipak odgovorni za odgođeno zacjeljivanje ili za infekciju rana, čak i onih „prirodnog” porijekla. Ako se nije mogao pronaći nikakav vidljiv prirodni uzrok, duhovi su se i dalje smatrali odgovornima za bolest i smrt.
90:3.5 (989.7)
2. Violence—obvious causes. The causes for some accidents and deaths were so easy to identify that they were early removed from the category of ghost action. Fatalities and wounds attendant upon war, animal combat, and other readily identifiable agencies were considered as natural occurrences. But it was long believed that the spirits were still responsible for delayed healing or for the infection of wounds of even “natural” causation. If no observable natural agent could be discovered, the spirit ghosts were still held responsible for disease and death.
3. Magija — utjecaj neprijatelja. Smatralo se da su mnoge bolesti uzrokovane začaranjem, djelovanjem urokljivog oka i magijskim „usmjerenim” oružjem. U jednom razdoblju bilo je doista opasno u nekoga uperiti prst; i danas se to smatra nepristojnim. U slučajevima neobjašnjivih bolesti i smrti stari su narodi provodili formalnu istragu, secirali tijelo i donosili neki zaključak o uzroku smrti; u suprotnom bi smrt bila pripisana vještičarstvu, što je zahtijevalo pogubljenje odgovorne vještice. Takve drevne mrtvozorničke istrage spasile su život mnogim navodnim vješticama. Među nekim narodima vjerovalo se da čovjek može umrijeti kao posljedica vlastite magije, u kojem slučaju nitko ne bi bio optužen.
90:3.7 (990.2)
3. Magic—the influence of enemies. Much sickness was thought to be caused by bewitchment, the action of the evil eye and the magic pointing bow. At one time it was really dangerous to point a finger at anyone; it is still regarded as ill-mannered to point. In cases of obscure disease and death the ancients would hold a formal inquest, dissect the body, and settle upon some finding as the cause of death; otherwise the death would be laid to witchcraft, thus necessitating the execution of the witch responsible therefor. These ancient coroner’s inquests saved many a supposed witch’s life. Among some it was believed that a tribesman could die as a result of his own witchcraft, in which event no one was accused.
4. Grijeh — kazna za kršenje tabua. U relativno novije vrijeme vjerovalo se da je bolest kazna za grijeh, osobni ili kolektivni. Među narodima koji prolaze kroz ovu razinu razvoja prevladava teorija da nitko ne može oboljeti ako nije prekršio neki tabu. Smatrati bolest i patnju „strijelama Svemogućega u njima” tipično je za takva vjerovanja. Kinezi i Mezopotamci dugo su smatrali da je bolest posljedica djelovanja zlih demona, dok su Kaldejci također smatrali zvijezde uzrokom patnje. Ova teorija bolesti kao posljedice božanskog gnjeva i dalje je raširena među mnogim navodno civiliziranim skupinama na Urantiji.
90:3.8 (990.3)
4. Sin—punishment for taboo violation. In comparatively recent times it has been believed that sickness is a punishment for sin, personal or racial. Among peoples traversing this level of evolution the prevailing theory is that one cannot be afflicted unless one has violated a taboo. To regard sickness and suffering as “arrows of the Almighty within them” is typical of such beliefs. The Chinese and Mesopotamians long regarded disease as the result of the action of evil demons, although the Chaldeans also looked upon the stars as the cause of suffering. This theory of disease as a consequence of divine wrath is still prevalent among many reputedly civilized groups of Urantians.
5. Prirodni uzroci. Čovječanstvo je vrlo sporo učilo materijalne zakonitosti međuodnosa uzroka i posljedice u fizičkim područjima energije, materije i života. Drevni Grci, koji su sačuvali predaje Adamsonovih učenja, bili su među prvima koji su prepoznali da su sve bolesti posljedica prirodnih uzroka. Polako, ali sigurno, razvoj znanstvenog doba razara vjekovne čovjekove teorije o bolesti i smrti. Groznica je bila jedna od prvih ljudskih bolesti koja je uklonjena iz kategorije nadnaravnih poremećaja, a napredovanjem znanosti postupno su raskidani okovi neznanja koji su tako dugo sputavali ljudski um. Razumijevanje starosti i zaraze postupno briše čovjekov strah od duhova i bogova kao osobnih uzročnika ljudske nesreće i smrtnog stradanja.
90:3.9 (990.4)
5. Natural causation. Mankind has been very slow to learn the material secrets of the interrelationship of cause and effect in the physical domains of energy, matter, and life. The ancient Greeks, having preserved the traditions of Adamson’s teachings, were among the first to recognize that all disease is the result of natural causes. Slowly and certainly the unfolding of a scientific era is destroying man’s age-old theories of sickness and death. Fever was one of the first human ailments to be removed from the category of supernatural disorders, and progressively the era of science has broken the fetters of ignorance which so long imprisoned the human mind. An understanding of old age and contagion is gradually obliterating man’s fear of ghosts, spirits, and gods as the personal perpetrators of human misery and mortal suffering.
Evolucija nepogrešivo postiže svoj cilj: ona usađuje u čovjeka praznovjerni strah od nepoznatog i nevidljivog, koji služi kao skela za razvoj pojma Boga. A nakon što, usklađenim djelovanjem otkrivenja, posvjedoči rađanju naprednijeg razumijevanja Božanstva, ta ista tehnika evolucije nepogrešivo pokreće one misaone sile koje će neumoljivo ukloniti tu skelu nakon što je ispunila svoju svrhu.
90:3.10 (990.5)
Evolution unerringly achieves its end: It imbues man with that superstitious fear of the unknown and dread of the unseen which is the scaffolding for the God concept. And having witnessed the birth of an advanced comprehension of Deity, through the co-ordinate action of revelation, this same technique of evolution then unerringly sets in motion those forces of thought which will inexorably obliterate the scaffolding, which has served its purpose.
90:4.1 (990.6)
The entire life of ancient men was prophylactic; their religion was in no small measure a technique for disease prevention. And regardless of the error in their theories, they were wholehearted in putting them into effect; they had unbounded faith in their methods of treatment, and that, in itself, is a powerful remedy.
90:4.2 (991.1)
The faith required to get well under the foolish ministrations of one of these ancient shamans was, after all, not materially different from that which is required to experience healing at the hands of some of his later-day successors who engage in the nonscientific treatment of disease.
Primitivnija plemena toliko su se bojala bolesnih da su ih tijekom dugih razdoblja pažljivo izbjegavala i sramotno zanemarivala. Velik napredak u humanosti nastao je kada je evolucija šamanstva dovela do pojave svećenika i vračeva koji su pristali liječiti bolesti. Tada je postalo uobičajeno da se cijeli klan okuplja oko bolesnika kako bi pomogao šamanu u urlanju na duhove bolesti. Nije bilo neuobičajeno da žena bude šaman koji postavlja dijagnozu, dok je muškarac provodio liječenje. Uobičajeni način dijagnosticiranja bolesti bio je pregledavanje utrobe zaklanih životinja.
90:4.3 (991.2)
The more primitive tribes greatly feared the sick, and for long ages they were carefully avoided, shamefully neglected. It was a great advance in humanitarianism when the evolution of shamancraft produced priests and medicine men who consented to treat disease. Then it became customary for the entire clan to crowd into the sickroom to assist the shaman in howling the disease ghosts away. It was not uncommon for a woman to be the diagnosing shaman, while a man would administer treatment. The usual method of diagnosing disease was to examine the entrails of an animal.
Bolest se liječila pjevanjem, zavijanjem, polaganjem ruku, puhanjem na bolesnika te mnogim drugim postupcima. U kasnijim vremenima raširila se praksa da se bolesnik ostavi da spava u hramu, gdje se navodno događalo izlječenje. Vračevi su naposljetku pokušali izvoditi i stvarne kirurške zahvate nad takvim uspavanim osobama; među prvim zahvatima bilo je bušenje lubanje kako bi duh glavobolje mogao pobjeći. Šamani su naučili liječiti prijelome i iščašenja te otvarati i zbrinjavati čireve i apscese; šamanke su postale vješte primalje.
90:4.4 (991.3)
Disease was treated by chanting, howling, laying on of hands, breathing on the patient, and many other techniques. In later times the resort to temple sleep, during which healing supposedly took place, became widespread. The medicine men eventually essayed actual surgery in connection with temple slumber; among the first operations was that of trephining the skull to allow a headache spirit to escape. The shamans learned to treat fractures and dislocations, to open boils and abscesses; the shamanesses became adept at midwifery.
Uobičajena metoda liječenja bila je utrljavanje nečega čarobnog na zaraženo ili ozlijeđeno mjesto na tijelu, nakon čega bi se taj predmet odbacio, uz vjerovanje da će uslijediti izlječenje. Ako bi netko slučajno uzeo odbačeni predmet, vjerovalo se da će odmah preuzeti zarazu ili oštećenje. Prošlo je mnogo vremena prije nego što su uvedene biljke i drugi stvarni lijekovi. Masaža se razvila u vezi s bajanjem, kao pokušaj da se „istrlja” duh iz tijela, a prethodili su joj pokušaji utrljavanja lijeka u tijelo, slično kao što se i danas utrljavaju masti. Puštanje krvi, kao i kupiranje i isisavanje zahvaćenih dijelova, smatrali su se korisnima za uklanjanje duha koji uzrokuje bolest.
90:4.5 (991.4)
It was a common method of treatment to rub something magical on an infected or blemished spot on the body, throw the charm away, and supposedly experience a cure. If anyone should chance to pick up the discarded charm, it was believed he would immediately acquire the infection or blemish. It was a long time before herbs and other real medicines were introduced. Massage was developed in connection with incantation, rubbing the spirit out of the body, and was preceded by efforts to rub medicine in, even as moderns attempt to rub liniments in. Cupping and sucking the affected parts, together with bloodletting, were thought to be of value in getting rid of a disease-producing spirit.
Budući da je voda bila snažan fetiš, koristila se u liječenju mnogih bolesti. Dugo se vjerovalo da se duh koji uzrokuje bolest može ukloniti znojenjem. Parne kupelji bile su visoko cijenjene; prirodni topli izvori ubrzo su postali primitivna lječilišta. Rani je čovjek otkrio da toplina ublažava bol; koristio je sunčevu svjetlost, svježe životinjske organe, toplu glinu i vruće kamenje, a mnoge od tih metoda i danas su u uporabi. Ritam se koristio kao sredstvo utjecaja na duhove; bubnjevi su bili sveprisutni.
90:4.6 (991.5)
Since water was a potent fetish, it was utilized in the treatment of many ailments. For long it was believed that the spirit causing the sickness could be eliminated by sweating. Vapor baths were highly regarded; natural hot springs soon blossomed as primitive health resorts. Early man discovered that heat would relieve pain; he used sunlight, fresh animal organs, hot clay, and hot stones, and many of these methods are still employed. Rhythm was practiced in an effort to influence the spirits; the tom-toms were universal.
Kod nekih naroda smatralo se da bolest nastaje kao posljedica zle urote između duhova i životinja. Iz toga je proizašlo vjerovanje da za svaku bolest uzrokovanu životinjama postoji i blagotvoran biljni lijek. Indijanci su osobito bili privrženi toj ideji univerzalnih biljnih lijekova; uvijek bi kapnuli kap krvi u jamu iz koje je biljka bila iščupana.
90:4.7 (991.6)
Among some people disease was thought to be caused by a wicked conspiracy between spirits and animals. This gave rise to the belief that there existed a beneficent plant remedy for every animal-caused disease. The red men were especially devoted to the plant theory of universal remedies; they always put a drop of blood in the root hole left when the plant was pulled up.
Post, dijeta i nadražujuća sredstva često su se koristili kao terapijske mjere. Izlučevine ljudskog tijela, budući da su smatrane izrazito magičnima, bile su visoko cijenjene; krv i mokraća bile su među prvim lijekovima, a uskoro su im pridruženi korijeni biljaka i razne soli. Šamani su vjerovali da se duhovi bolesti mogu istjerati iz tijela lijekovima neugodna mirisa i okusa. Pročišćavanje je vrlo rano postalo uobičajen način liječenja, a ljekovita vrijednost sirovog kakaa i kinina ubraja se među najranija farmaceutska otkrića.
90:4.8 (991.7)
Fasting, dieting, and counterirritants were often used as remedial measures. Human secretions, being definitely magical, were highly regarded; blood and urine were thus among the earliest medicines and were soon augmented by roots and various salts. The shamans believed that disease spirits could be driven out of the body by foul-smelling and bad-tasting medicines. Purging very early became a routine treatment, and the values of raw cocoa and quinine were among the earliest pharmaceutical discoveries.
Grci su prvi razvili doista razumna sredstva liječenja. I Grci i Egipćani stekli su svoje medicinsko znanje iz doline Eufrata. Ulje i vino bili su vrlo rani lijekovi za liječenje rana; Sumerani su koristili ricinusovo ulje i opij. Mnogi od tih drevnih i učinkovitih tajnih lijekova izgubili su svoju moć kada su postali poznati; tajnovitost je oduvijek bila bitna za uspješno prakticiranje prijevare i praznovjerja. Samo činjenice i istina traže puno svjetlo razumijevanja i raduju se prosvjetljenju znanstvenog istraživanja.
90:4.9 (992.1)
The Greeks were the first to evolve truly rational methods of treating the sick. Both the Greeks and the Egyptians received their medical knowledge from the Euphrates valley. Oil and wine was a very early medicine for treating wounds; castor oil and opium were used by the Sumerians. Many of these ancient and effective secret remedies lost their power when they became known; secrecy has always been essential to the successful practice of fraud and superstition. Only facts and truth court the full light of comprehension and rejoice in the illumination and enlightenment of scientific research.
Bit obreda leži u savršenstvu njegove izvedbe; među primitivnim ljudima ritual se morao izvoditi s potpunom preciznošću. Tek kada je obred pravilno izvršen, ceremonija stječe prisilnu moć nad duhovima. Ako je obred manjkav, izaziva samo gnjev i ogorčenje bogova. Budući da je čovjekov postupno razvijajući um došao do zaključka da je tehnika obreda presudan čimbenik njegove djelotvornosti, bilo je neizbježno da se rani šamani prije ili kasnije razviju u svećenstvo obučeno za vođenje pedantne izvedbe obreda. Tako su desecima tisuća godina beskrajni obredi sputavali društvo i opterećivali civilizaciju, predstavljajući nepodnošljiv teret svakom aspektu života i svakom pothvatu ljudskog roda.
90:5.1 (992.2)
The essence of the ritual is the perfection of its performance; among savages it must be practiced with exact precision. It is only when the ritual has been correctly carried out that the ceremony possesses compelling power over the spirits. If the ritual is faulty, it only arouses the anger and resentment of the gods. Therefore, since man’s slowly evolving mind conceived that the technique of ritual was the decisive factor in its efficacy, it was inevitable that the early shamans should sooner or later evolve into a priesthood trained to direct the meticulous practice of the ritual. And so for tens of thousands of years endless rituals have hampered society and cursed civilization, have been an intolerable burden to every act of life, every racial undertaking.
Obred je tehnika posvećivanja običaja; obred stvara i održava mitove, a također pridonosi očuvanju društvenih i religijskih običaja. S druge strane, i sam obred potječe iz mitova. Obredi su u početku često društveni, kasnije postaju ekonomski, a naposljetku stječu svetost i dostojanstvo religijskih ceremonija. Obred može biti osoban ili skupni—ili oboje—kao što se vidi u molitvi, plesu i dramskim prikazima.
90:5.2 (992.3)
Ritual is the technique of sanctifying custom; ritual creates and perpetuates myths as well as contributing to the preservation of social and religious customs. Again, ritual itself has been fathered by myths. Rituals are often at first social, later becoming economic and finally acquiring the sanctity and dignity of religious ceremonial. Ritual may be personal or group in practice—or both—as illustrated by prayer, dancing, and drama.
Riječi postaju dio obreda, poput uporabe izraza kao što su amen i selah. Navika zaklinjanja i psovanja predstavlja izopačenje nekadašnjeg ritualnog ponavljanja svetih imena. Hodočašća na sveta mjesta vrlo su drevni obred. Obred se zatim razvio u složene ceremonije pročišćenja, čišćenja i posvećenja. Inicijacijski obredi primitivnih plemenskih tajnih društava zapravo su bili grubi religijski obredi. Tehnika štovanja starih misterijskih kultova bila je zapravo jedno dugo izvođenje nagomilanih religijskih obreda. Obred se naposljetku razvio u suvremene oblike društvenih ceremonija i religijskog štovanja, obrede koji obuhvaćaju molitvu, pjesmu, zajedničko čitanje i druge oblike osobne i skupne duhovne pobožnosti.
90:5.3 (992.4)
Words become a part of ritual, such as the use of terms like amen and selah. The habit of swearing, profanity, represents a prostitution of former ritualistic repetition of holy names. The making of pilgrimages to sacred shrines is a very ancient ritual. The ritual next grew into elaborate ceremonies of purification, cleansing, and sanctification. The initiation ceremonies of the primitive tribal secret societies were in reality a crude religious rite. The worship technique of the olden mystery cults was just one long performance of accumulated religious ritual. Ritual finally developed into the modern types of social ceremonials and religious worship, services embracing prayer, song, responsive reading, and other individual and group spiritual devotions.
90:5.4 (992.5)
The priests evolved from shamans up through oracles, diviners, singers, dancers, weathermakers, guardians of religious relics, temple custodians, and foretellers of events, to the status of actual directors of religious worship. Eventually the office became hereditary; a continuous priestly caste arose.
Kako se religija razvijala, svećenici su se počeli specijalizirati prema svojim urođenim sposobnostima ili osobnim sklonostima. Neki su postali pjevači, drugi molitelji, a treći žrtvenici; kasnije su se pojavili govornici—propovjednici. A kada je religija postala institucionalizirana, ti su svećenici počeli tvrditi da „drže ključeve neba.”
90:5.5 (992.6)
As religion evolved, priests began to specialize according to their innate talents or special predilections. Some became singers, others prayers, and still others sacrificers; later came the orators—preachers. And when religion became institutionalized, these priests claimed to “hold the keys of heaven.”
90:5.6 (992.7)
The priests have always sought to impress and awe the common people by conducting the religious ritual in an ancient tongue and by sundry magical passes so to mystify the worshipers as to enhance their own piety and authority. The great danger in all this is that the ritual tends to become a substitute for religion.
Svećeništva su učinila mnogo da uspore znanstveni razvoj i ometu duhovni napredak, ali su istodobno pridonijela stabilizaciji civilizacije i razvoju određenih oblika kulture. No mnogi suvremeni svećenici prestali su djelovati kao voditelji obreda štovanja Boga, usmjerivši svoju pozornost na teologiju—pokušaj definiranja Boga.
90:5.7 (993.1)
The priesthoods have done much to delay scientific development and to hinder spiritual progress, but they have contributed to the stabilization of civilization and to the enhancement of certain kinds of culture. But many modern priests have ceased to function as directors of the ritual of the worship of God, having turned their attention to theology—the attempt to define God.