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A Series of Lessons on the Inner Teachings of the Philosophies and Religions of India1252
that the latter is conceived as being a Thing in itself, while the “Lust-of-Life”
is merely a phenomenal manifestation or appearance. This Lust-of-Life arose
from Being according to the “Chain of Consequences” or “Causal Evolution,”
which is stated as follows: first from Avidya or Ignorance arose Illusory
Ideas or the Consciousness of Separateness; the Lust-of-Life, or Desire for
Objective Experience; then the psychic basis for the Sense Organism; then
the Contact through these sense organs with outside objects; then Vague
Perception or Feeling; then Desire for Things; then Attachment to Objects;
then human Birth; and then the circumstances of Life, viz., life, old age, death,
grief, pain, etc.; the Karma arising from the life; then Rebirth, and—Samsara,
until Emancipation or Freedom is gained. And Avidya or Ignorance was the
beginning of the Chain and is the Final Enemy to be overthrown. And the
prime form of Ignorance is the Illusion of Separateness.
The Lust-of-Life, judging from the many allusions to it on the part of
Gautama, and the early Buddhist teachers and commentors, may be
considered as a fierce, lustful longing, hunger or thirst for objective existence,
acting along unconscious or instinctive lines, which afterward manifested
consciousness in some of its forms of creation or manifestation; and which
was manifested in everything from the atom to man, including the plant life,
and the animal forms—in fact in all living things. Some have defined it as Life
itself, as we understand it, in all of its manifestations and forms. Some have
called it by the name of “the Creative Will”; while others have identified it
with “Nature.” To all, however, it is recognized as meaning that instinctive,
persistent, craving, striving, acting, doing, longing, changing, living force,
that is ever manifesting through all the phenomenal shapes and forms in
the world, creating, preserving, and then destroying each form. Constant
change, and becoming—nothing remaining intact—building up, and tearing
down—being born, growing, becoming old, dying—only to be succeeded
by other forms—new life springing from the very bodies of the dead forms.
And this is the Lust-of-Life.