Wilton Hack an Ernst Haeckel, Colombo, 7. Januar 1902
Homewood
Hamlock Tower
Colombo
Ceylon
7. 1. 02
Professor Ernst Haeckel
Dear Sir.
I am just studying your truly valuable and interesting work „The Riddle of the Universe“. Allow me the pleasure of congratulating you upon this work, as I regard it as a magnificent contribution, scientifically regarded on the question under discussion. As a thinker and one who has studied with perseverance the phenomena of the psyche, I am not prepared to say that I endorse your deductions in toto. I am a follower of Guatama Buddha, and have made a close study of the ethics and teachings of that great Master, and, it seems to me, that modern research after a solution of the problem of the soul, can ill afford to ignore what the Buddha had to say about it, and your statement page 194 „The higher oriental religions include no belief whatever in the immortality of the soul; it is not found in Buddhism etc“, does not appear to me to be correct. || It is true, that the anthropomorphic idea held by Christians; the notion, that the personal man known to us in earth life shall on death to the body reappear in heaven or hell as that same personality is repudiated by the Buddha as earnestly, and as clearly as do the Monists of today. Equally, does the Buddha show the fallacy of the Vedantic doctrine of the identity of the soul in man with Brahim; as he also denied the existence of a „self existent entity“. But, the Buddha does emphasize the existence of a thought principle or character called „cittam“, which is distinct from „vinansja“ or objective mind. This „cittam“ corresponds I take it with the „subjective“ mind now being critically examined by scientific men. I do not know whether you, in your study of this subject have taken into account this phase of the question, and, if you could spare the time I should be glad if you would let me know concerning this. Until I know or hear from you relating to this matter I prefer to say nothing further about the „cittam“ excepting this: it takes its rise, with the || dawn of consciousness, and is reborn pari passu with the evolution of substance. Even as substance ever becomes more and more refined in its outward expressions so the „cittam“ progresses until it reaches perfect bliss in Nirvana which implies a cessation of physical existences for it. In the theory of Monism, and the hypothesis laid down there is included a monism of energy, force and electricity. The „cittam“ belongs to that, and cannot be ranked as substance. Under your conceptions regarding this matter, can you not admit that „cittam“ „character“ or soul-mind does and can function through the sense organs, and this is not necessarily a function of them. To me, there is a vast difference, but I am anxious to learn what so close and critical a thinker as yourself has to say about it.
Faithfully yours
Wilton Hack.