ng about that men of our time should uniformly place before
themselves the question of the meaning of life, and uniformly answer it,
it is only necessary that those who regard themselves as enlightened
should cease to think and to inculcate to other generations that religion
is atavism, the survival of a past wild state, and that for the good life
of men the spreading of education is sufficient--_i.e._ the spread of the
most varied knowledge which is in some way to bring men to justice and to
a moral life. These men should understand instead that for the good life
of humanity religion is vital, and that this religion already exists and
lives in the consciousness of the men of our time. Men who are
intentionally and unintentionally stupefying the people by church
superstitions should cease to do so, and recognize that what is important
and binding in Christianity is not baptism, nor Communion, nor profession
of dogmas, etc., but only love to God and to one's neighbor, and the
fulfilling of the commandment of acting toward others as one wishes
others to act toward oneself--and that in this lies all the law and the
prophets.

If only both pseudo-Christians and men of science understood and preached
to children and to the uneducated these simple, clear, and necessary
truths as they now preach their complicated, confused, and unnecessary
theories, all men would uniformly understand the meaning of their lives
and recognize one and the same duties as flowing from this meaning.

IX

But "How are we to act now, immediately among ourselves, in Russia, at
this moment, when our foes have already attacked us, are killing our
people, and threatening us; what should be the action," I shall be asked,
"of a Russian soldier, officer, general, Tsar, private individual? Are
we, forsooth, to allow our enemies to ruin our possessions, to seize the
productions of our labors, to carry away prisoners, or kill our men? What
are we to do now that this thing has begun?"

But before the work of war was commenced, by whomsoever it was
commenced--every awakened man must answer--before all else the work of my
life was commenced. And the work of my life has nothing in common with
recognition of the rights of the Chinese, Japanese, or Russians to Port
Arthur. The work of my life consists in fulfilling the will of Him who
sent me into this life. This will is known to me. This will is that I
should love my nei