《吸收性心智》原文摘录2
The vegetative system provides for a man’s physical wellbeing and enables him to enjoy the best of health. But we have to think quite differently about the nervous system. This gives us the beauty of our impressions, the perfections of our thought. It is the source of all inspiration. So it is wrong for it to be lowered to the vegetative level. If the standards to which we cling are solely connected with our own self-perfection, with the raising of ourselves to spiritual heights, this brings us into the region of spiritual pride. It is a grave error, perhaps the greatest that man can make. The behaviour of animals does not lead them just to have beautiful bodies and to make graceful movements, but it has other and far more distant ends. In the same way, man’s life is purposive. It is not enough to be always reaching out to higher levels of spiritual refinement and inward beauty. Naturally, a man may aim, and ought always to aim, at the highest levels of physical and mental perfection, but his life would be a vain and worthless thing if his wishes ended at this point. Indeed, what would be the use of his having a brain or muscles? There is nothing in the world which plays no part in the universal economy, and if we are endowed with spiritual riches, with aesthetic feelings and a refined conscience, it is not for ourselves, but so that these gifts shall be used for the benefit of all, and take their place in the universal economy of the spiritual life.
Spiritual powers are a form of wealth. They must go into circulation so that others can enjoy them; they must be expressed, utilized, to complete the cycle of human relations. Even the heights of spirituality, if pursued for their own sake, have no value, and if we aim at these alone, we shall be neglecting the greater part of life and its purposes. Were we believers in reincarnation, and said to ourselves, “By living well now, I shall be better off in my next life,” this would be only selfishness speaking in us. We should have reduced the spiritual level to the vegetative level. If we are always thinking about ourselves and of ourselves even in eternity, we shall be eternally selfish. Instead, we must take the other point of view, and this not only in everyday life but also in education. Nature has endowed us with many abilities: these must be developed, and not only developed but used.
The following analogy may be helpful. We know that for the enjoyment of good health, heart, lungs and stomach must all work together. Why not apply the same rule to the system of relationship, the central nervous system? If we have a brain, sense organs and muscles, all these must cooperate. The system must exert itself in all its parts, none of them being neglected. We want, let us say, to excel in brainpower, but to succeed in this we must include the other sides also. To perfect any given activity movement will be needed as the last stage of the cycle. In other words, a higher spirituality can only be reached through action. This is the point of view from which movement has to be judged. It belongs to the total activity of the central nervous system, and as such it cannot be ignored. The system of relations is a single whole, even though it has three parts. Being a unit, it can only become perfect when set to work as a unit.
Montessori, Maria. The Absorbent Mind: From the original paper archives by M. Montessori, in partnership with AMI - ASSOCIATION MONTESSORI INTERNATIONALE (The Montessori Series Book 1) . Montessori-Pierson Publishing House. Kindle Edition.
