Los Angeles herald., 1905-03-27
DRAWS LESSON
FROM 'PARSIFAL'
STUDY OF LIFE'S MYSTERY,
SAYS MINISTER
The Rev. Benjamin Fay Mills Delivers
an Eloquent Discourse on
Wagner's Great
Play


ject Of an eloquent discourse by the
Rev. Benjamin Fay Mills before the
Los Angeles Fellowship in Simpson
auditorium yesterday.
From Wagner's great story he drew
a pretty lesson and applied 1t forclbly
to humanity saying:
This is not a play, but the study of
the mystery of life"
Mr.. Mills told at some length the
history of the legend of "Parsifal" and
It's development through the middle
ages. He said that Wagner had really
created new legend, and then he told
the story of the drama as 1t is now
presented. bringing out the main points
and characters of the story, and then
said:
"As I have been studying this re-
markable Interpretation of life l haye
found that 1t would not be possible to
give my entire exposition of it in one
address. 1 will therefore this morn
ing give an outline of what is apparent
upon the surface, and next Sunday
morning will complete the theme,
speaking upon The Religion of Parsi-
fall
"This is a symbolic lesson in three
parts, viz: the elucidation of the mys-
teries of humanity of sin and of saliva
ton.
"see Higher, but Do Lower"
"This has seemed complete de-
inf of Iltrf1 nil do on
to raise the question of how humanity
has been wounded, but humanity seems
to be wounded king, and all individ-
uals also. Amfortas was wounded by
a sacred instrument in the hands of
misdirected energy, to whom his choice
had given 1t, and this is certainly true
of every Individual. Man seems unable
to do his best and is hampered because
his choice is influenced by selfish and
sensual desire. We see the higher and
do the lower.
There are two definitions of sin
that appeal to me and they both are
represented in 'Parsifal.' First, mis-
directed energy in the person Of King
sor, and, second, choosing the lower in
the presence of the higher good, per-
sonified by Kundry. Klingsor at first
seems to be a pure incarnation of evil.
but no such thing exists. He was one
who aspired, but was not willing to
pay the price; the misdirection came
from wanting results without fulfill
ing conditions. Klingsor was real only
to the knights who failed and to Am
fortas when he failed and vanished
completely at the sign of the cross.
This is a way of saying evil is nom
existent, save in human attitude and
recognition of it.
''Kundry at first appears to be a
concrete evil, but we find that she is
sinful and yet desiring to be helped;
enthralled of sin, yet seeking after
God. Good when awake and bad when
asleep; either the gentle, helpful, eff
fective will of the highest expression
OF associated goodness or the slave of
misdirected energy.
Character Of kundry
"Kundry is selfish desire and exists
only as we make her. AS with King
sor, misdirected energy when rightly
directed simply does not exist. And
like Kundry, when desire Is purified
and turns to service, the will to give
rather than the will to get, then desire
ceases to exist. Kundry, good as well
as bad, always dies on the steps of the
altar, and desire is ennobled into love.
When a human soul comes not to be
ministered unto, but to minister, de-
sire is dead, temptation has no power
sin ceases to exist and mortality is
swallowed up in life.
"And when we come to the third
point of salvation we come to Parsifal.
Amfortas and the brotherhood, King
sor and Kundry, as well as Parsifal,
are all included in Parsifal. This is
not play, but study of the mystery
of life, the evolution of the soul, the
explanation of the experience of hui
manity. Parsifal breaches the same
gospel that I preach. Only humanity
can save humanity. This is the one
lesson of the power of Christianity.
Humanity contains within itself the
power and promise of redemption and
victory. So with the individual man.
Humanity needs no savior but human
ity, and the individual needs none ex-
cept himself, rightly known and de-
veloped, to deliver himself from all
his ills. We may not see this at first,
but Wagner teaches what teach, that
the enlightenment of pity or. better, of
sympathy, opens the way for mans
moral conquest and the overcoming of
every evil of human experience. The
sign OF the cross is a magic sign. which
Is the sign of love at it's best"
Next Sunday Mr.. Mills will speak on
"The Religion of Parsifal" at the Be
lasco theater. where the Fellowship
will meet hereafter.