印度的未来
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中文
印度的未来
这是那片古老的土地，智慧在此安家，早于任何其他国家；这就是那个印度，其灵性的涌现，在物质层面上，以如大洋般奔涌的滚滚长河为象征，在那里，永恒的喜马拉雅山一层层叠起，雪峰高耸，仿佛凝视着天国深处的奥秘。这还是那片土地，曾被有史以来最伟大的圣贤们的足迹所踏过。在这里，关于人的本性与内在世界的探究首先兴起。在这里，灵魂不朽的教义、一位主宰之神的存在、一位内在于自然与人类之中的神的存在，首先得以阐发，宗教与哲学的最高理想在此达到了它们的顶峰。这是那片土地，灵性与哲学曾一次又一次地如潮涌般奔涌而出，淹没世界；也是那片土地，这样的潮涌必须再一次从此出发，为日渐衰微的人类各族带去生机与活力。这还是那个印度，历经数百年的风雨，历经数百次外族入侵、数百次风俗习惯的颠覆，依然屹立不倒。这就是那片土地，坚如世间任何磐石，其不灭的活力与不朽的生命绵延不绝。她的生命与灵魂同一，无始无终，不生不灭；而我们正是这样一个国家的子女。
印度的子女们，今日我在这里向你们讲述一些实际的事情，而我提醒你们往昔荣光的目的，仅仅在于此：许多次，有人告诉我，只顾回顾过去只会导致堕落，毫无益处，我们应当展望未来。这是对的。然而未来是从过去建立起来的。因此，回顾过去，尽可能地追溯深远，深深汲取那滔滔不绝的永恒源泉，然后，向前看，向前进，使印度变得更光辉、更伟大，远远超越她从前的成就。我们的祖先是伟大的。我们首先必须重新认识到这一点。我们必须了解我们存在的根基，了解流淌在我们血脉中的血液；我们必须对那血液所蕴含的一切以及它在过去所成就的一切怀有信心；正是从这种信心与对往日伟大的自觉中，我们必须建设一个比她曾经有过的更为伟大的印度。历史上曾有过衰落与堕落的时期。我并不十分看重这些时期；我们都知道这一点。这样的时期是必要的。一棵雄伟的大树结出了美丽成熟的果实。果实落于地面，腐烂败坏，而从这腐败中萌发出根苗和未来的大树，也许比第一棵还要雄伟。我们所经历的这段衰落时期，对此而言更是必要的。正是从这段衰落中，未来的印度在成长；它正在萌芽，第一片嫩叶已然抽出；一棵雄伟而参天的大树——"根在上方"（Urdhvamula）——已然在此，开始显现；这正是我将要向你们讲述的主题。
印度的问题比世界上任何其他国家的问题都更为复杂，更为重大。种族、宗教、语言、政府——这一切共同构成一个民族。构成世界各民族的元素，如果逐一审视各个种族，与这个国家相比实在是寥寥无几。在这里，雅利安人、达罗毗荼人（Dravidian）、鞑靼人、突厥人、莫卧儿人、欧洲人——仿佛世界上所有民族都将他们的血液倾注于这片土地之上。语言方面，这里有最奇妙的混合；就风俗习惯而言，两个印度种族之间的差异，往往大于欧洲种族与东方种族之间的差异。
我们唯一共同的基础，是我们神圣的传统，是我们的宗教。这是唯一的共同基础，而我们必须在此基础上建设。在欧洲，政治理念构成民族统一的基础。在亚洲，宗教理想构成民族统一的基础。因此，宗教上的统一，作为印度未来的首要条件，是绝对必要的。在这片土地的广大范围内，必须有一种宗教得到认可。我所说的一种宗教是什么意思？不是基督徒所持有的那种意义上的一种宗教，也不是穆斯林或佛教徒所持有的那种意义上的一种宗教。我们知道，我们的宗教具有某些共同的基础，这些基础对于我们所有各宗派都是共通的，无论其结论有多么不同，无论其主张有多么各异。因此，存在着某些共同的基础；在这些限度之内，我们的宗教允许极为奇妙的变化，允许思考和按照自身生命而生活的无限自由。我们都知道这一点，至少那些思考过的人知道；而我们所要做的，是将这些宗教中赋予生命的共同原则揭示出来，让这个国家每一个角落的每一个男人、女人和孩子，都能理解它们、知晓它们，并努力在各自的生命中将其付诸实践。这是第一步；因此，这一步必须迈出。
我们看到，在亚洲，尤其是在印度，种族的隔阂、语言的隔阂、社会的隔阂、民族的隔阂，在宗教这一统一力量面前，全都消融了。我们知道，对于印度人的心灵而言，没有什么比宗教理想更为崇高；这是印度生命的关键所在，而我们只能在阻力最小的方向上行事。宗教的理想不仅仅是最崇高的理想；就印度的情形而言，它是唯一可能的工作途径；若不首先强化这一途径，在任何其他方向上的工作都将是灾难性的。因此，建设未来印度的第一块木板，是需要从那亘古磐石上凿出的第一步，正是宗教的统一。我们所有人都必须被教导：我们印度教徒——无论是二元论者、限定不二论者，还是不二（Advaita）论者，无论是湿婆（Shiva）派、毗湿奴（Vishnu）派，还是兽主派（Pashupatas）——无论我们属于哪一个宗派，我们背后都有某些共同的理念，而且时机已然到来，为了我们自身的福祉，为了我们种族的福祉，我们必须放弃所有那些细小的争论与分歧。可以确信的是，这些争论完全是错误的；它们受到我们典籍的谴责，被我们祖先所禁止；而那些我们声称从其而来、其血液流淌在我们血脉中的伟大先人，轻蔑地俯视着他们为细枝末节而争吵的后代。
随着争论的停止，所有其他的改善都将随之而来。当生命的血液强盛而纯净，任何病菌都无法在那身体中存活。我们的生命血液便是灵性。若它流动清澈，若它流动得强健、纯净而充满活力，一切都会好转；政治的、社会的、任何其他物质上的缺陷，乃至这片土地的贫困，都将得到治愈——倘若那血液是纯净的。因为一旦病菌被驱逐出去，便无物能进入血液。借用现代医学的一个比喻来说，我们知道，一种疾病的产生，必须有两个原因——外部的某种毒素病菌，以及身体的状态。除非身体处于允许病菌入侵的状态，除非身体已经退化到一种更低的活力状态，使得病菌得以进入、生存并繁殖，否则世界上任何病菌都没有在身体中产生疾病的能力。事实上，数以百万计的病菌不断地穿过每个人的身体；但只要身体是强健的，就不会意识到它们的存在。只有当身体虚弱时，这些病菌才会占据它，产生疾病。民族的生命亦如此。正是当民族的身体虚弱时，各种疾病的病菌——无论是在种族的政治状态中，还是在其社会状态、教育状态或智识状态中——才会涌入体系并产生疾病。因此，要治愈这一疾病，我们必须追溯到疾病的根源，净化血液中的一切杂质。其中一种趋势将是强健人心，使血液纯净，使身体强健，从而能够抵御并排除一切外部毒素。
我们已经看到，我们的活力、我们的力量，乃至我们的民族生命，在于我们的宗教。我现在不打算讨论，在漫长的历史进程中，这种对宗教的生命力的依赖是否正确，是否有益——但不管好坏，它就在那里；你们无法摆脱它，你们现在拥有它，将来也永远拥有它；你们必须坚守它，即便你们对我们的宗教没有我那样的信仰。你们受它的约束，若你们放弃它，你们将粉身碎骨。那是我们种族的生命，那必须得到强化。你们之所以能够抵御数百年来的冲击，仅仅是因为你们极为珍视它，为它牺牲了一切。你们的祖先勇敢地承受了一切，甚至承受了死亡，却保存了他们的宗教。外来征服者一座接一座地摧毁寺庙，然而浪潮一过，寺庙的尖顶便又重新矗立起来。南印度的一些古老寺庙，以及古吉拉特邦（Gujarat）的索姆纳特（Somnath）之类的寺庙，将向你们讲述许多卷的智慧，将赋予你们比任何书籍都更为深刻的洞见，使你们了解这个种族的历史。看那些寺庙上，印刻着百次攻击与百次重生的痕迹——不断地被摧毁，又不断地从废墟中重新崛起，焕然一新，依然强健！那是民族的心灵，那是民族的生命之流。随之而行，便通向荣耀。放弃它，你便走向死亡；一旦你踏出那生命之流，死亡将是唯一的结果，湮灭将是唯一的效应。我并不是说其他事情是不必要的。我并不是说政治或社会的改善是不必要的，但我的意思是——我希望你们铭记这一点——在这里，它们是次要的，而宗教是首要的。印度的心灵首先是宗教的，然后才是其他。因此，宗教必须得到强化，而如何做到这一点呢？我将向你们陈述我的想法。这些想法在我心中由来已久，甚至在我离开马德拉斯海岸前往美国之前，已经思索了数年；而我去往美国和英国，不过是为了传播这些想法。我对宗教议会（Parliament of Religions）或任何其他事情，根本不感兴趣；那不过是一个机会；因为真正是那些属于我的想法，带着我走遍了世界。
我的想法首先是：将那些存储于我们典籍之中，仅为少数人所拥有、隐藏于寺院与丛林之中的灵性珍宝发掘出来——将它们带出来；不仅要将知识从隐藏着它的人们手中带出来，更要从那个更难以进入的宝库——那用来保存这些知识的语言，也就是数百年梵语（Sanskrit）词汇的积淀层——中将它们带出来。一言以蔽之，我想使它们通俗化。我想将这些理念带出来，使它们成为所有人、每一个印度人的共同财富，无论他是否懂得梵语。途中最大的困难便是梵语——我们那光辉灿烂的语言；而这一困难无法消除——除非有可能让我们整个民族都成为优秀的梵语学者。当我告诉你们，我毕生都在研习这门语言，然而每一本新书对我而言仍然是全新的，你们便能理解这一困难有多大。那些从未有机会彻底研习这门语言的人，面临的困难该有多大！因此，理念必须以民众的语言来传授；与此同时，梵语教育必须与之并行，因为仅仅是梵语词汇的声音，就能给这个民族带来声望、力量与活力。伟大的罗摩奴阇（Ramanuja）、柴坦尼亚（Chaitanya）和卡比尔（Kabir）振兴印度下层阶级的努力表明，在那些伟大先知在世之时，取得了令人惊叹的成果；然而，其后的失败需要加以解释，并说明他们的教义的影响，为何在这些伟大导师辞世后的约一个世纪内便几乎停滞了。其中的秘密在于此：他们振兴了下层阶级；他们都衷心希望这些人能够崛起，然而他们并没有将精力用于在大众中推广梵语。就连伟大的佛陀（Buddha）也犯了一个错误，他阻止大众研习梵语。他追求迅速而立竿见影的成果，于是将经典译成并以当时流行的语言——巴利语（Pali）——来传道。这是崇高的；他以人民的语言向人民讲述，人民理解了他。这是伟大的；它迅速传播了理念，使它们传遍广远。然而在此同时，梵语本应得到推广。知识传来了，但声望没有传来，文化没有传来。承受冲击的，是文化，而非单纯的知识积累。你可以向世界倾注大量的知识，然而那并不足够。文化必须融入血脉之中。我们在现代都知道，有些民族拥有大量的知识，然而又如何？他们如同老虎，如同野蛮人，因为文化不在其中。知识只是表层的，如同文明一样，轻轻一划便露出老野蛮人的面目。这样的事情会发生；这是危险所在。用方言向大众传授，赋予他们理念；他们将获得信息，然而还需要更多；赋予他们文化。除非你赋予他们文化，大众状况提升的持久性便无从谈起。将有另一种种姓产生，因为掌握梵语而迅速凌驾于其余人之上，将他们一如既往地统治。我告诉你们这些属于低种姓的人，唯一的安全之道，提升你们处境的唯一方法，是研习梵语；而这些反对高种姓的争吵、写作与激愤，都是徒劳的，于事无补，只会制造争斗与纷争，而这个不幸已经支离破碎的民族，将变得更加分裂。实现种姓平等的唯一方法，是吸取那构成高种姓之力量的文化与教育。做到这一点，你便拥有了你所想要的。
在与此相关的事宜上，我想讨论一个与马德拉斯特别相关的问题。有一种理论认为，南印度存在着一个被称为达罗毗荼人（Dravidian）的人类种族，与北印度另一个被称为雅利安人的种族完全不同，南印度的婆罗门（Brahmin）是唯一从北方来的雅利安人，南印度其余的人，与南印度婆罗门属于完全不同的种姓和种族。现在，我请求您的原谅，这位语文学家先生，这是完全没有根据的。其唯一的证据是南北方之间存在语言上的差异。我看不出任何其他的差异。这里有许多北方人，我请我的欧洲朋友从这个集会中辨认出北方人和南方人。差异在哪里？不过是语言上的一点差异。但婆罗门是一个讲梵语来到这里的种族！既然如此，他们采用了达罗毗荼语并忘记了他们的梵语。为何其他种姓不能也如此？为何所有其他种姓不能一批接一批地从北印度来到这里，采用达罗毗荼语，从而忘记了他们自己的语言？这一论据双向皆能成立。不要相信这样愚蠢的说法。也许曾有过一个达罗毗荼人的族群，他们从这里消失了，少数留存者生活于丛林与其他地方。语言可能已被采用，这是相当可能的，但所有这些人都是从北方来的雅利安人。整个印度都是雅利安人，别无其他。
然后还有另一种观点，认为首陀罗（Shudra）种姓必定是土著居民。他们是什么人？他们是奴隶。据说历史会重演。美国人、英国人、荷兰人和葡萄牙人抓住了可怜的非洲人，让他们终生辛苦劳作，他们的混血后代在奴隶制中降生，并在这种状态下被束缚了很长时间。从这个奇特的例子出发，思维跳回了数千年前，想象在这里发生了同样的事情，于是我们的考古学家梦见印度充满了深色眼睛的土著居民，而明亮的雅利安人则来自——天知道何处。有人说他们来自西藏中部，有人认为他们来自中亚细亚。有些爱国的英国人认为雅利安人全都是红发的。另一些人按照他们的看法，认为雅利安人全都是黑发的。如果作者碰巧是黑发，那么雅利安人就都是黑发的了。近来，有人试图证明雅利安人居住于瑞士湖畔。若他们都淹死在那里，连同那套理论一起，我也不感到遗憾。有人现在说他们居住在北极。上帝保佑雅利安人及其居所吧！至于这些理论的真实性，我们的典籍中没有一个字——连一个字都没有——来证明雅利安人曾从印度以外的任何地方迁入；而古代印度是包括阿富汗（Afghanistan）在内的。到此为止。而首陀罗（Shudra）种姓全是非雅利安人、而且是多数的这一理论，同样不合逻辑，同样是非理性的。在那些年代里，几个雅利安人在此定居并依靠十万奴隶维持生活，这是不可能的。这些奴隶早就将他们生吞活剥，不消五分钟就将他们碾成碎末。唯一合乎逻辑的解释，见于《摩诃婆罗多》（Mahabharata）——该书说，在萨提亚时代（Satya Yuga）开始之时，只有一个种姓，即婆罗门；然后，由于职业的不同，他们逐渐分化为不同的种姓，这是唯一被给出的真实而合理的解释。而在即将到来的萨提亚时代，所有其他种姓都将回归到同样的状态。
因此，印度种姓问题的解决方案呈现出这样一种形式——不是要降低高种姓，不是要消灭婆罗门。婆罗门性（Brahminhood）是印度人类的理想，商羯罗（Shankaracharya）在其《薄伽梵歌》（Gita）注疏的开篇中精妙地阐述了这一点，他在那里谈到了克里希纳（Krishna）作为传道者降临的原因——是为了保存婆罗门性，保存婆罗门的精神本质。那是伟大的目标。这位婆罗门，神的人，知晓梵（Brahman）之人，理想的人，完美的人，必须留存；他不可消亡。尽管如今种姓制度存在种种弊病，我们知道，我们大家都必须准备好给予婆罗门这样一种认可：在他们中间，产生了比所有其他种姓都更多真正具有婆罗门精神的人。这是真实的。这是其他所有种姓应当给予他们的应有认可。我们必须足够大胆、足够勇敢地指出他们的缺陷，但同时我们也必须给予他们应得的认可。记住那句古老的英国谚语："给每个人以他应得的。"因此，我的朋友们，在种姓之间争斗是没有任何用处的。有什么益处？它只会使我们进一步分裂，进一步削弱我们，进一步使我们堕落。独占特权与独占主张的时代，已经从印度的土地上永远消逝，这是英国统治印度所带来的巨大福祉之一。就连穆斯林的统治，我们也要感谢那一伟大的福祉——消除了独占特权。那种统治，毕竟并非全然是恶的——任何事物都非全恶，也非全善。穆斯林对印度的征服，对于那些被压迫者、那些贫苦的人们而言，犹如一场救赎降临。这就是为什么我们五分之一的人民成为了穆斯林。那并非全是刀剑所为。认为这一切都是刀剑与烈火的功劳，是极端愚昧的想法。而你们马德拉斯的五分之一——乃至一半——的人民，若你们不加以注意，将会成为基督徒。世界上曾有过比我在马拉巴尔（Malabar）地区所见之事更为荒唐的东西吗？可怜的贱民（Pariah）不被允许行走于与高种姓人相同的街道上，但若他将名字改成一个东拼西凑的英语名字，便皆大欢喜；或是改成一个穆斯林的名字，也皆大欢喜。你能从中得出什么结论，除非说这些马拉巴尔人都是疯子，他们的家是一所所疯人院，理应受到印度所有种族的鄙视，直到他们改正行为、变得更有自知之明为止。真是这些人的耻辱——竟然允许如此邪恶而残忍的习俗存在；他们自己的孩子被允许饿死，但一旦这些孩子皈依了其他宗教，便得到了充足的食物。种姓之间不应再有争斗了。
解决之道，不在于降低高者，而在于将低者提升到与高者相同的水平。这正是我们所有典籍中所记载的工作路线，尽管你们可能从某些人那里听到相反的说法——那些人对自己典籍的了解，以及他们理解先人宏伟规划的能力，都近乎于零。他们不理解，而那些有才智、有洞察全局能力的人才能理解。他们退后一步，跟随着那穿越时代的民族生命壮丽的进程。他们能够一步步地在所有典籍——古代与现代的——中追溯它。计划是什么？一端的理想是婆罗门，另一端的理想是旃陀罗（Chandala），而全部的工作便是将旃陀罗提升至婆罗门的层次。你们会发现，越来越多的特权被慢慢地赋予他们。在某些典籍中，你们会读到这样严厉的话语："若首陀罗（Shudra）听闻吠陀，则以熔铅灌其耳；若他记得一句话，则割断他的舌头。若他对婆罗门说'你这婆罗门'，则割断他的舌头。"无疑，这是骇人听闻的古代野蛮行径——这毋庸置疑；但不要责怪那些法典制定者，他们不过是记录了社区某些部分的习俗。这样的恶魔有时也在古代出现过。历史上各个时代，各地都有或多或少的恶魔。因此，你们会发现，之后这种语调便有所缓和，例如："不要惊扰首陀罗，但也不要向他们传授高深的事物。"然后逐渐地，在其他《法典》（Smritis）中，尤其是在那些如今拥有充分权威的法典中，我们发现，若首陀罗仿效婆罗门的举止与习俗，他们做得很好，应当受到鼓励。如此，事情在不断演进。我没有时间向你们详细呈现所有这些演变的过程，也没有时间展示如何能在细节上加以追溯；然而就明显的事实而言，我们发现所有种姓都在慢慢地一步步提升。有数千个种姓，有些甚至正在进入婆罗门阶层，因为什么能阻止任何一个种姓宣称自己是婆罗门？如此一来，种姓——尽管有其种种严苛——便以这种方式被创造出来。让我们假设这里有若干种姓，每个种姓有一万人。若他们聚集在一起说"我们要自称婆罗门"，没有任何人能阻止他们；这在我自己的生活中我亲眼见到过。某些种姓变得强大，一旦他们达成一致，谁能说不呢？因为无论如何，每个种姓都是相互排他的。它不干涉其他人的事务；就连同一种姓的几个分支也不干涉其他分支的事务；而那些强有力的时代造就者，商羯罗（Shankaracharya）及其他人，都是伟大的种姓创造者。我无法向你们讲述他们所精心安排的种种奇妙之事，你们中的一些人可能会对我所说的感到不满。但在我的游历与经历中，我已追踪到这些，并得出了最为奇妙的结论。他们有时会招纳一批俾路支人（Baluchis），立刻使他们成为刹帝利（Kshatriya）；也会抓住一批渔民，即刻使他们成为婆罗门。他们都是仙人（Rishi）与圣贤，而我们必须向他们的记忆鞠躬致敬。所以，你们都来做仙人与圣贤吧；这是其中的秘密。或多或少，我们都将是仙人。什么是仙人？纯洁的人。首先变得纯洁，你便会拥有力量。仅仅说"我是仙人"是无济于事的；但当你真的成为仙人，你会发现，他人会本能地服从你。某种神秘的光芒从你身上散发出来，使他们追随你，使他们聆听你，使他们在不知不觉中——甚至违背自己的意志——贯彻你的计划。这就是仙人之道。
至于细节，当然需要经过数代人来逐步完善。然而这不过是一个建议，目的是向你们表明，这些争斗应当停止。我尤其遗憾的是，在穆斯林统治时期，种姓之间竟有如此之多的纷争。这必须停止。于双方而言都是无益的，尤其是对于高种姓——婆罗门一方而言，因为独占特权与独占主张的时代已经过去。每一个贵族阶层的职责，是为自己挖掘坟墓，而越快挖掘，便越好。拖延得越久，便会腐烂得越严重，死亡得越惨烈。因此，婆罗门的职责，是为印度其余民众的解脱（Moksha）而工作。若他这样做，只要他这样做，他便是婆罗门；但当他到处为谋求私利时，他便不是婆罗门。另一方面，你们应当只向真正值得的婆罗门给予帮助；这会引向天堂。然而有时，向一个不值得的人施舍，会引向另一个地方，我们的典籍如是说。对此你们必须保持警惕。只有那没有世俗职业的人才是真正的婆罗门。世俗的职业不属于婆罗门，而属于其他种姓。我向婆罗门们呼吁，他们必须努力地通过传授所知、传授数百年来积累的文化，来提升印度人民。这明显是印度婆罗门的职责——记住真正的婆罗门性是什么。正如摩奴（Manu）所说，所有这些特权与荣誉都给予婆罗门，因为"美德的宝库在他那里"。他必须打开那座宝库，将其财富分配给世界。他确实曾是最早向印度各民族传道的人，他是第一个为了在其他人达到这一境界之前、实现生命的更高证悟而放弃一切的人。他超越其他种姓先行一步，这并非他的过错。为何其他种姓没有如此理解并照此行事？为何他们静坐下来、懒散度日，任由婆罗门赢得这场竞赛？
然而，获得一种优势是一回事，将其用于邪恶目的来保持这种优势，则是另一回事。凡是权力被用于邪恶，它便变成了魔鬼的工具；它只能被用于善。因此，婆罗门作为历代积累的文化之受托人，现在必须将这些文化广泛传授给人民；正是因为他没有将这些文化传授给人民，穆斯林入侵才成为可能。正是因为他从一开始就没有向人民敞开这座宝库，我们才在每一个选择来到印度的人的铁蹄下被践踏了一千年。正是通过这一原因，我们才走向了堕落，而第一项任务，必须是打开那些藏着我们共同祖先所积累的奇妙珍宝的密室，将它们带出来，给予每个人——婆罗门必须是第一个这样做的人。在孟加拉（Bengal）有一个古老的迷信：若咬人的眼镜蛇从患者身上吸出自己的毒液，这个人必能存活。那么，婆罗门必须吸出他自己的毒液。对于非婆罗门种姓，我说：等待，不要急躁。不要抓住每一个机会去攻击婆罗门，因为正如我所指出的，你们正在为自己的过失而受苦。是谁叫你们忽视灵性与梵语学习的？这段时间你们在做什么？为何你们一直漠然以待？为何现在你们要对别人拥有比你们更多的才智、更多的精力、更多的胆识与闯劲而感到愤懑？与其将精力浪费在报纸上毫无意义的讨论和争论中，与其在自己家中——这是罪孽——争斗与争吵，不如将你们全部的精力用于获取婆罗门所拥有的文化，问题便迎刃而解。为何你们不去成为梵语学者？为何你们不花费数以百万计的资金，将梵语教育带给印度所有的种姓？这才是关键所在。一旦你们做到这些，你们就与婆罗门平等了。这是印度力量的秘密。
梵语与声望在印度是形影不离的。一旦你拥有梵语，便无人敢对你说一句反对的话。这是那个秘密；将它掌握起来。整个宇宙，借用那位古代不二（Advaita）论者的比喻，处于一种自我催眠的状态。意志才是力量所在。正是那意志坚强的人，如同在自身周围散发光晕一般，将所有其他人带到与他自己心灵中同样的振动状态。这样的巨人确实会出现。其中的理念是什么？当一个强大的人物出现，他的个性将他的思想注入我们之中，我们许多人开始持有同样的思想，于是我们变得强大。为何组织如此强大？不要说组织是物质性的。就以一个具体的例子来说，为何四千万英国人统治着这里三亿人？心理上的解释是什么？这四千万人将他们的意志汇聚在一起，这意味着无穷的力量；而你们这三亿人，每人的意志都各自为政，彼此独立。因此，要创造一个伟大的未来印度，全部的秘密在于组织、力量的积聚、意志的协调。
在我的脑海中，已经浮现出《梨俱吠陀本集》（Rig-Veda Samhita）中最奇妙的诗句之一，其中说道："你们要同心，你们要同念，因为在往昔的日子里，神灵同心一致，才得以接受祭祀。"神灵能够被人所崇拜，正是因为他们同心一致。同心一致，是社会的秘密。你们越是为诸如"达罗毗荼人"与"雅利安人"、婆罗门与非婆罗门之类无关紧要的问题而争斗与争吵，你们就越是远离那能量与力量的积聚——那正是将要成就未来印度的力量。因为请记住，未来的印度完全依赖于此。这才是秘密——意志力的积聚，协调，将它们如此聚合，汇入一个焦点。每个中国人各按其方式思考，而一小撮日本人都以同一方式思考，你们知道其结果。纵观世界历史，情形莫不如此。你们会发现，在每一种情形下，结构紧凑的小民族始终统治着庞大臃肿的民族，这是自然的，因为小而紧凑的民族更容易将其理念汇聚入同一焦点，于是他们变得强大。而一个民族越是庞大，就越是臃肿。如同一群无组织的乌合之众般诞生，他们无法聚合。所有这些纷争，必须停止。
我们还有另一重缺陷。女士们，请原谅我，但数百年的奴役，已使我们变得犹如一个女人组成的民族。在这个国家或任何其他国家，你几乎无法让三个女人在一起待上五分钟而不发生争吵。在欧洲国家，女性们成立了大型社团，发表种种关于女性力量的宏大宣言等等；然后她们争吵起来，某个男人出现，将她们全部统治。在世界各地，她们仍然需要某个男人来管辖她们。我们就像她们一样。我们是女性。若一个女人来领导女性，她们立刻就开始批评她，将她撕碎，使她坐下来。若一个男人来对她们稍加严厉，时不时地呵斥她们，那就没问题了，她们早已习惯了那种催眠。整个世界都充满了这样的催眠师与催眠者。同样地，若我们中的一个同胞站出来试图变得伟大，我们便都试图将他压下去；而若一个外国人来踢我们，那却没什么问题。我们已经习惯了，不是吗？奴隶必须成为伟大的主人！所以，放弃成为奴隶吧。在未来的五十年间，这一点将是我们唯一的主调——这，我们伟大的母亲印度。让一切其他虚妄的神灵暂时从我们的心灵中消失。这是唯一苏醒的神——我们自己的种族——"他的手无处不在，他的脚无处不在，他的耳朵无处不在，他覆盖了一切。"所有其他的神都在沉睡。我们要去追随什么虚妄的神灵，而眼前这个我们到处都能见到的神——宇宙人（Virat）——我们却无法崇拜！当我们崇拜了这一者，我们便能够崇拜所有其他的神。在我们能够爬行半英里之前，我们却想要像哈努曼（Hanuman）一样飞越大洋！这是不可能的。每个人都要成为瑜伽（Yoga）行者，每个人都要去冥想！这是不可能的。整天混迹于世间，从事业力行仪（Karma Kanda），晚上坐下来用鼻子呼气！这真的那么容易吗？仙人（Rishi）们会因为你用鼻子呼气三次就从天而降吗？这是个玩笑吗？这一切都是无稽之谈。所需要的，是心（Chitta）的净化（Chittashuddhi），是心灵的纯化。这如何实现？所有崇拜中的第一种，是对宇宙人（Virat）——对我们周围一切之人——的崇拜。崇拜它。"崇拜"（Worship）是梵语那个词最准确的对应，没有其他英语词汇能够代替。这些都是我们的神——男人与动物；而我们首先要崇拜的神，便是我们的同胞。我们必须崇拜他们，而不是彼此嫉妒、相互争斗。这是我们最为可怖的业力（Karma），我们正在为此受苦，然而这仍然不能打开我们的眼睛！
好了，这一主题是如此宏大，我不知道在哪里停下来，我必须用几句话向你们展示我想在马德拉斯推进的计划，来结束我的演讲。我们必须掌控国家精神教育与世俗教育的主导权。你们理解了吗？你们必须梦见它，你们必须谈论它，你们必须思考它，你们必须将它付诸实践。在此之前，这个种族没有救赎之路。你们现在所接受的教育有某些优点，然而它有一个巨大的缺陷，使那些好的方面全都被压垮了。首先，它不是一种造就人的教育，它纯粹是一种否定性的教育，从头到尾都是否定的。一种否定性的教育，或任何建立在否定基础上的训练，都比死亡更糟。孩子被送到学校，他学到的第一件事是：他的父亲是个蠢瓜；第二件事是：他的祖父是个疯子；第三件事是：他所有的老师都是伪君子；第四件事是：所有神圣的典籍都是谎言！等他十六岁的时候，他已是一团否定，了无生气，软弱无骨。其结果是，五十年来这样的教育，在三个管辖区内没有产生出一个有原创力的人。所有有原创力的人，都受过在其他地方的教育，而非在此处；或者他们回到了古老的大学，去重新洗净自身的迷信。教育不是将大量信息塞入你的头脑，任其一生在那里无序奔腾，未曾消化。我们必须有建设生命的、造就人的、塑造品格的——理念的吸收。若你们吸收了五个理念并使之成为你们的生命与品格，那你们比任何将整个图书馆都背熟的人受到了更多的教育——"犹如驴子背负檀香木，知其重而不知其香"（यथा खरश्चन्दनभारवाही भारस्य वेत्ता न तु चन्दनस्य）。若教育等同于信息，那图书馆便是世界上最伟大的圣贤，百科全书便是仙人（Rishi）。因此，理想是：我们必须将我们整个国家的教育——精神的与世俗的——都掌握在自己手中，并且在可行的范围内，它必须以民族的理念、通过民族的方法来进行。
当然，这是一个非常宏大的计划。我不知道它是否终将实现。但我们必须开始这项工作。然而如何开始？以马德拉斯为例。我们必须有一座神庙，因为对于印度教徒而言，宗教必须首先到来。然后，你们可能会说，所有的教派都会为此争吵。然而我们将把它建成一座非宗派性的神庙，仅以"唵"（Om）为符号——各教派中最伟大的符号。若这里有任何一个教派认为"唵"不应是这个符号，它就没有权利自称为印度教。所有人都将有权按照各自教派的理念来诠释印度教，但我们必须有一座共同的神庙。你们可以在其他地方保有你们自己的神像与符号，但不要在此处与那些与你们意见不同的人发生争吵。在这里，应当传授我们不同教派的共同基础，同时，各个不同的教派应当有充分的自由前来传授各自的教义，只有一个限制，即不得与其他教派发生争吵。说出你们想要说的，世界需要它；但世界没有时间听你们对其他人的评价；那些你们可以留给自己。
其次，与这座神庙相连，应当有一所培训教师的机构，这些教师必须出门宣讲宗教并向我们的人民传授世俗教育；他们必须两者兼顾。正如我们一直在挨家挨户地传播宗教，让我们同时也传播世俗教育。这可以轻而易举地做到。然后，工作将通过这些教师与传道者的队伍而延伸，逐渐地，我们将在其他地方建立类似的神庙，直至我们覆盖整个印度。这是我的计划。它也许看起来规模宏大，但这是极其需要的。你们可能会问，资金从何而来。资金根本不是问题。资金什么都不是。在我生命中过去的十二年里，我不知道下一顿饭从哪里来；然而资金和我所需要的一切，都必然会来到，因为它们是我的仆从，而我不是它们的仆从；资金和一切必须到来。必须——这是关键词。那么，人才在哪里？这是问题所在。马德拉斯的年轻人们，我的希望在于你们。你们将回应你们民族的召唤吗？若你们相信我，你们每一个人都有光辉灿烂的未来。对自己怀有巨大的信念，就如我孩童时期的信念，以及我如今正在付诸实践的那般信念。对你们自己的每一个人——那永恒的力量藏身于每一个灵魂之中——怀有那种信念，你们便将振兴整个印度。是的，那时我们将走遍天下所有的国度，我们的理念不久便将成为那些正在发挥作用、构成世界每个民族的众多力量的组成部分。我们必须进入印度国内外每个种族的生命之中；我们必须为实现这一目标而工作。现在，为此我需要年轻人。"正是年轻的、强壮而健康的、智识敏锐的人，才能到达主那里"——吠陀（Vedas）如是说。现在正是决定你们未来的时刻——趁你们拥有青春活力之时，而不是当你们已精疲力竭、人已倦乏之时，而是在青春的清新与活力之中。工作——现在正是时机；因为只有那最新鲜的、未曾触动的、未曾被嗅过的花朵，才应当献于主的脚下，而祂所接受的也正是这样的花朵。因此，振奋起来，因为生命是短暂的。有比志在成为律师、互相争讼之类的事情更为伟大的工作要去完成。更为伟大的工作，是你们为你们种族的利益、为人类的福祉而奉献自己。人生中有什么？你们是印度教徒，你们内心中有着对生命永恒的本能信念。有时有年轻人来找我谈论无神论；我不相信一个印度教徒能成为无神论者。他也许读了欧洲的书籍，并说服自己是个唯物主义者，然而那只是暂时的。那不在你们的血液之中。你们无法相信不在你们本性之中的东西；对你们而言，那将是一项毫无希望的任务。不要尝试那种事情。我曾在孩提时代尝试过一次，但那是不可能的。生命是短暂的，然而灵魂是不朽的、永恒的，有一件事是确定的——那就是死亡；因此，让我们树立一个伟大的理想，将我们整个生命奉献于它。让这成为我们的决心，愿祂——那"一次又一次地为拯救自己的子民而降临"的主——引用我们典籍的话语——愿伟大的克里希纳（Krishna）祝福我们，引导我们所有人走向实现我们目标的道路！
English
THE FUTURE OF INDIA
This is the ancient land where wisdom made its home before it went into any other country, the same India whose influx of spirituality is represented, as it were, on the material plane, by rolling rivers like oceans, where the eternal Himalayas, rising tier above tier with their snowcaps, look as it were into the very mysteries of heaven. Here is the same India whose soil has been trodden by the feet of the greatest sages that ever lived. Here first sprang up inquiries into the nature of man and into the internal world. Here first arose the doctrines of the immortality of the soul, the existence of a supervising God, an immanent God in nature and in man, and here the highest ideals of religion and philosophy have attained their culminating points. This is the land from whence, like the tidal waves, spirituality and philosophy have again and again rushed out and deluged the world, and this is the land from whence once more such tides must proceed in order to bring life and vigour into the decaying races of mankind. It is the same India which has withstood the shocks of centuries, of hundreds of foreign invasions of hundreds of upheavals of manners and customs. It is the same land which stands firmer than any rock in the world, with its undying vigour, indestructible life. Its life is of the same nature as the soul, without beginning and without end, immortal; and we are the children of such a country.
Children of India, I am here to speak to you today about some practical things, and my object in reminding you about the glories of the past is simply this. Many times have I been told that looking into the past only degenerates and leads to nothing, and that we should look to the future. That is true. But out of the past is built the future. Look back, therefore, as far as you can, drink deep of the eternal fountains that are behind, and after that, look forward, march forward and make India brighter, greater, much higher than she ever was. Our ancestors were great. We must first recall that. We must learn the elements of our being, the blood that courses in our veins; we must have faith in that blood and what it did in the past; and out of that faith and consciousness of past greatness, we must build an India yet greater than what she has been. There have been periods of decay and degradation. I do not attach much importance to them; we all know that. Such periods have been necessary. A mighty tree produces a beautiful ripe fruit. That fruit falls on the ground, it decays and rots, and out of that decay springs the root and the future tree, perhaps mightier than the first one. This period of decay through which we have passed was all the more necessary. Out of this decay is coming the India of the future; it is sprouting, its first leaves are already out; and a mighty, gigantic tree, the Urdhvamula, is here, already beginning to appear; and it is about that that I am going to speak to you.
The problems in India are more complicated, more momentous, than the problems in any other country. Race, religion, language, government — all these together make a nation The elements which compose the nations of the world are indeed very few, taking race after race, compared to this country. Here have been the Aryan, the Dravidian, the Tartar, the Turk, the Mogul, the European — all the nations of the world, as it were, pouring their blood into this land. Of languages the most wonderful conglomeration is here; of manners and customs there is more difference between two Indian races than between the European and the Eastern races.
The one common ground that we have is our sacred tradition, our religion. That is the only common ground, and upon that we shall have to build. In Europe, political ideas form the national unity. In Asia, religious ideals form the national unity. The unity in religion, therefore, is absolutely necessary as the first condition of the future of India. There must be the recognition of one religion throughout the length and breadth of this land. What do I mean by one religion? Not in the sense of one religion as held among the Christians, or the Mohammedans, of the Buddhists. We know that our religion has certain common grounds, common to all our sects, however varying their conclusions may be, however different their claims may be. So there are certain common grounds; and within their limitation this religion of ours admits of a marvellous variation, an infinite amount of liberty to think and live our own lives. We all know that, at least those of us who have thought; and what we want is to bring out these lifegiving common principles of our religion, and let every man, woman, and child, throughout the length and breadth of this country, understand them, know them, and try to bring them out in their lives. This is the first step; and, therefore, it has to be taken.
We see how in Asia, and especially in India, race difficulties, linguistic difficulties, social difficulties, national difficulties, all melt away before this unifying power of religion. We know that to the Indian mind there is nothing higher than religious ideals, that this is the keynote of Indian life, and we can only work in the line of least resistance. It is not only true that the ideal of religion is the highest ideal; in the case of India it is the only possible means of work; work in any other line, without first strengthening this, would be disastrous. Therefore the first plank in the making of a future India, the first step that is to be hewn out of that rock of ages, is this unification of religion. All of us have to be taught that we Hindus — dualists, qualified monists, or monists, Shaivas, Vaishnavas, or Pâshupatas — to whatever denomination we may belong, have certain common ideas behind us, and that the time has come when for the well-being of ourselves, for the well-being of our race, we must give up all our little quarrels and differences. Be sure, these quarrels are entirely wrong; they are condemned by our scriptures, forbidden by our forefathers; and those great men from whom we claim our descent, whose blood is in our veins, look down with contempt on their children quarrelling about minute differences.
With the giving up of quarrels all other improvements will come. When the life-blood is strong and pure, no disease germ can live in that body. Our life-blood is spirituality. If it flows clear, if it flows strong and pure and vigorous, everything is right; political, social, any other material defects, even the poverty of the land, will all be cured if that blood is pure. For if the disease germ be thrown out, nothing will be able to enter into the blood. To take a simile from modern medicine, we know that there must be two causes to produce a disease, some poison germ outside, and the state of the body. Until the body is in a state to admit the germs, until the body is degraded to a lower vitality so that the germs may enter and thrive and multiply, there is no power in any germ in the world to produce a disease in the body. In fact, millions of germs are continually passing through everyone's body; but so long as it is vigorous, it never is conscious of them. It is only when the body is weak that these germs take possession of it and produce disease. Just so with the national life. It is when the national body is weak that all sorts of disease germs, in the political state of the race or in its social state, in its educational or intellectual state, crowd into the system and produce disease. To remedy it, therefore, we must go to the root of this disease and cleanse the blood of all impurities. The one tendency will be to strengthen the man, to make the blood pure, the body vigorous, so that it will be able to resist and throw off all external poisons.
We have seen that our vigour, our strength, nay, our national life is in our religion. I am not going to discuss now whether it is right or not, whether it is correct or not, whether it is beneficial or not in the long run, to have this vitality in religion, but for good or evil it is there; you cannot get out of it, you have it now and for ever, and you have to stand by it, even if you have not the same faith that I have in our religion. You are bound by it, and if you give it up, you are smashed to pieces. That is the life of our race and that must be strengthened. You have withstood the shocks of centuries simply because you took great care of it, you sacrificed everything else for it. Your forefathers underwent everything boldly, even death itself, but preserved their religion. Temple alter temple was broken down by the foreign conqueror, but no sooner had the wave passed than the spire of the temple rose up again. Some of these old temples of Southern India and those like Somnâth of Gujarat will teach you volumes of wisdom, will give you a keener insight into the history of the race than any amount of books. Mark how these temples bear the marks of a hundred attacks and a hundred regenerations, continually destroyed and continually springing up out of the ruins, rejuvenated and strong as ever! That is the national mind, that is the national life-current. Follow it and it leads to glory. Give it up and you die; death will be the only result, annihilation the only effect, the moment you step beyond that life-current. I do not mean to say that other things are not necessary. I do not mean to say that political or social improvements are not necessary, but what I mean is this, and I want you to bear it in mind, that they are secondary here and that religion is primary. The Indian mind is first religious, then anything else. So this is to be strengthened, and how to do it? I will lay before you my ideas. They have been in my mind for a long time, even years before I left the shores of Madras for America, and that I went to America and England was simply for propagating those ideas. I did not care at all for the Parliament of Religions or anything else; it was simply an opportunity; for it was really those ideas of mine that took me all over the world.
My idea is first of all to bring out the gems of spirituality that are stored up in our books and in the possession of a few only, hidden, as it were, in monasteries and in forests — to bring them out; to bring the knowledge out of them, not only from the hands where it is hidden, but from the still more inaccessible chest, the language in which it is preserved, the incrustation of centuries of Sanskrit words. In one word, I want to make them popular. I want to bring out these ideas and let them be the common property of all, of every man in India, whether he knows the Sanskrit language or not. The great difficulty in the way is the Sanskrit language — the glorious language of ours; and this difficulty cannot be removed until — if it is possible — the whole of our nation are good Sanskrit scholars. You will understand the difficulty when I tell you that I have been studying this language all my life, and yet every new book is new to me. How much more difficult would it then be for people who never had time to study the language thoroughly! Therefore the ideas must be taught in the language of the people; at the same time, Sanskrit education must go on along with it, because the very sound of Sanskrit words gives a prestige and a power and a strength to the race. The attempts of the great Ramanuja and of Chaitanya and of Kabir to raise the lower classes of India show that marvellous results were attained during the lifetime of those great prophets; yet the later failures have to be explained, and cause shown why the effect of their teachings stopped almost within a century of the passing away of these great Masters. The secret is here. They raised the lower classes; they had all the wish that these should come up, but they did not apply their energies to the spreading of the Sanskrit language among the masses. Even the great Buddha made one false step when he stopped the Sanskrit language from being studied by the masses. He wanted rapid and immediate results, and translated and preached in the language of the day, Pâli. That was grand; he spoke in the language of the people, and the people understood him. That was great; it spread the ideas quickly and made them reach far and wide. But along with that, Sanskrit ought to have spread. Knowledge came, but the prestige was not there, culture was not there. It is culture that withstands shocks, not a simple mass of knowledge. You can put a mass of knowledge into the world, but that will not do it much good. There must come culture into the blood. We all know in modern times of nations which have masses of knowledge, but what of them? They are like tigers, they are like savages, because culture is not there. Knowledge is only skin-deep, as civilisation is, and a little scratch brings out the old savage. Such things happen; this is the danger. Teach the masses in the vernaculars, give them ideas; they will get information, but something more is necessary; give them culture. Until you give them that, there can be no permanence in the raised condition of the masses. There will be another caste created, having the advantage of the Sanskrit language, which will quickly get above the rest and rule them all the same. The only safety, I tell you men who belong to the lower castes, the only way to raise your condition is to study Sanskrit, and this fighting and writing and frothing against the higher castes is in vain, it does no good, and it creates fight and quarrel, and this race, unfortunately already divided, is going to be divided more and more. The only way to bring about the levelling of caste is to appropriate the culture, the education which is the strength of the higher castes. That done, you have what you want
In connection with this I want to discuss one question which it has a particular bearing with regard to Madras. There is a theory that there was a race of mankind in Southern India called Dravidians, entirely differing from another race in Northern India called the Aryans, and that the Southern India Brâhmins are the only Aryans that came from the North, the other men of Southern India belong to an entirely different caste and race to those of Southern India Brahmins. Now I beg your pardon, Mr. Philologist, this is entirely unfounded. The only proof of it is that there is a difference of language between the North and the South. I do not see any other difference. We are so many Northern men here, and I ask my European friends to pick out the Northern and Southern men from this assembly. Where is the difference? A little difference of language. But the Brahmins are a race that came here speaking the Sanskrit language! Well then, they took up the Dravidian language and forgot their Sanskrit. Why should not the other castes have done the same? Why should not all the other castes have come one after the other from Northern India, taken up the Dravidian language, and so forgotten their own? That is an argument working both ways. Do not believe in such silly things. There may have been a Dravidian people who vanished from here, and the few who remained lived in forests and other places. It is quite possible that the language may have been taken up, but all these are Aryans who came from the North. The whole of India is Aryan, nothing else.
Then there is the other idea that the Shudra caste are surely the aborigines. What are they? They are slaves. They say history repeats itself. The Americans, English, Dutch, and the Portuguese got hold of the poor Africans and made them work hard while they lived, and their children of mixed birth were born in slavery and kept in that condition for a long period. From that wonderful example, the mind jumps back several thousand years and fancies that the same thing happened here, and our archaeologist dreams of India being full of dark-eyed aborigines, and the bright Aryan came from — the Lord knows where. According to some, they came from Central Tibet, others will have it that they came from Central Asia. There are patriotic Englishmen who think that the Aryans were all red-haired. Others, according to their idea, think that they were all black-haired. If the writer happens to be a black-haired man, the Aryans were all black-haired. Of late, there was an attempt made to prove that the Aryans lived on the Swiss lakes. I should not be sorry if they had been all drowned there, theory and all. Some say now that they lived at the North Pole. Lord bless the Aryans and their habitations! As for the truth of these theories, there is not one word in our scriptures, not one, to prove that the Aryan ever came from anywhere outside of India, and in ancient India was included Afghanistan. There it ends. And the theory that the Shudra caste were all non-Aryans and they were a multitude, is equally illogical and equally irrational. It could not have been possible in those days that a few Aryans settled and lived there with a hundred thousand slaves at their command. These slaves would have eaten them up, made "chutney" of them in five minutes. The only explanation is to be found in the Mahâbhârata, which says that in the beginning of the Satya Yuga there was one caste, the Brahmins, and then by difference of occupations they went on dividing themselves into different castes, and that is the only true and rational explanation that has been given. And in the coming Satya Yuga all the other castes will have to go back to the same condition.
The solution of the caste problem in India, therefore, assumes this form, not to degrade the higher castes, not to crush out the Brahmin. The Brahminhood is the ideal of humanity in India, as wonderfully put forward by Shankaracharya at the beginning of his commentary on the Gitâ, where he speaks about the reason for Krishna's coming as a preacher for the preservation of Brahminhood, of Brahminness. That was the great end. This Brahmin, the man of God, he who has known Brahman, the ideal man, the perfect man, must remain; he must not go. And with all the defects of the caste now, we know that we must all be ready to give to the Brahmins this credit, that from them have come more men with real Brahminness in them than from all the other castes. That is true. That is the credit due to them from all the other castes. We must be bold enough, must be brave enough to speak of their defects, but at the same time we must give the credit that is due to them. Remember the old English proverb, "Give every man his due". Therefore, my friends, it is no use fighting among the castes. What good will it do? It will divide us all the more, weaken us all the more, degrade us all the more. The days of exclusive privileges and exclusive claims are gone, gone for ever from the soil of India, and it is one of the great blessings of the British Rule in India. Even to the Mohammedan Rule we owe that great blessing, the destruction of exclusive privilege. That Rule was, after all, not all bad nothing is all bad, and nothing is all good. The Mohammedan conquest of India came as a salvation to the downtrodden, to the poor. That is why one-fifth of our people have become Mohammedans. It was not the sword that did it all. It would be the height of madness to think it was all the work of sword and fire. And one-fifth — one-half — of your Madras people will become Christians if you do not take care. Was there ever a sillier thing before in the world than what I saw in Malabar country? The poor Pariah is not allowed to pass through the same street as the high-caste man, but if he changes his name to a hodge-podge English name, it is all right; or to a Mohammedan name, it is all right. What inference would you draw except that these Malabaris are all lunatics, their homes so many lunatic asylums, and that they are to be treated with derision by every race in India until they mend their manners and know better. Shame upon them that such wicked and diabolical customs are allowed; their own children are allowed to die of starvation, but as soon as they take up some other religion they are well fed. There ought to be no more fight between the castes.
The solution is not by bringing down the higher, but by raising the lower up to the level of the higher. And that is the line of work that is found in all our books, in spite of what you may hear from some people whose knowledge of their own scriptures and whose capacity to understand the mighty plans of the ancients are only zero. They do not understand, but those do that have brains, that have the intellect to grasp the whole scope of the work. They stand aside and follow the wonderful procession of national life through the ages. They can trace it step by step through all the books, ancient and modern. What is the plan? The ideal at one end is the Brahmin and the ideal at the other end is the Chandâla, and the whole work is to raise the Chandala up to the Brahmin. Slowly and slowly you find more and more privileges granted to them. There are books where you read such fierce words as these: "If the Shudra hears the Vedas, fill his ears with molten lead, and if he remembers a line, cut his tongue out. If he says to the Brahmin, 'You Brahmin', cut his tongue out". This is diabolical old barbarism no doubt; that goes without saying; but do not blame the law-givers, who simply record the customs of some section of the community. Such devils sometimes arose among the ancients. There have been devils everywhere more or less in all ages. Accordingly, you will find that later on, this tone is modified a little, as for instance, "Do not disturb the Shudras, but do not teach them higher things". Then gradually we find in other Smritis, especially in those that have full power now, that if the Shudras imitate the manners and customs of the Brahmins they do well, they ought to be encouraged. Thus it is going on. I have no time to place before you all these workings, nor how they can be traced in detail; but coming to plain facts, we find that all the castes are to rise slowly and slowly. There are thousands of castes, and some are even getting admission into Brahminhood, for what prevents any caste from declaring they are Brahmins? Thus caste, with all its rigour, has been created in that manner. Let us suppose that there are castes here with ten thousand people in each. If these put their heads together and say, we will call ourselves Brahmins, nothing can stop them; I have seen it in my own life. Some castes become strong, and as soon as they all agree, who is to say nay? Because whatever it was, each caste was exclusive of the other. It did not meddle with others' affairs; even the several divisions of one caste did not meddle with the other divisions, and those powerful epoch-makers, Shankaracharya and others, were the great caste-makers. I cannot tell you all the wonderful things they fabricated, and some of you may resent what I have to say. But in my travels and experiences I have traced them out, and have arrived at most wonderful results. They would sometimes get hordes of Baluchis and at once make them Kshatriyas, also get hold of hordes of fishermen and make them Brahmins forthwith. They were all Rishis and sages, and we have to bow down to their memory. So, be you all Rishis and sages; that is the secret. More or less we shall all be Rishis. What is meant by a Rishi? The pure one. Be pure first, and you will have power. Simply saying, "I am a Rishi", will not do; but when you are a Rishi you will find that others obey you instinctively. Something mysterious emanates from you, which makes them follow you, makes them hear you, makes them unconsciously, even against their will, carry out your plans. That is Rishihood.
Now as to the details, they of course have to be worked out through generations. But this is merely a suggestion in order to show you that these quarrels should cease. Especially do I regret that in Moslem times there should be so much dissension between the castes. This must stop. It is useless on both sides, especially on the side of the higher caste, the Brahmin, because the day for these privileges and exclusive claims is gone. The duty of every aristocracy is to dig its own grave, and the sooner it does so, the better. The more it delays, the more it will fester and the worse death it will die. It is the duty of the Brahmin, therefore, to work for the salvation of the rest of mankind in India. If he does that, and so long as he does that, he is a Brahmin, but he is no Brahmin when he goes about making money. You on the other hand should give help only to the real Brahmin who deserves it; that leads to heaven. But sometimes a gift to another person who does not deserve it leads to the other place, says our scripture. You must be on your guard about that. He only is the Brahmin who has no secular employment. Secular employment is not for the Brahmin but for the other castes. To the Brahmins I appeal, that they must work hard to raise the Indian people by teaching them what they know, by giving out the culture that they have accumulated for centuries. It is clearly the duty of the Brahmins of India to remember what real Brahminhood is. As Manu says, all these privileges and honours are given to the Brahmin, because "with him is the treasury of virtue". He must open that treasury and distribute its valuables to the world. It is true that he was the earliest preacher to the Indian races, he was the first to renounce everything in order to attain to the higher realisation of life before others could reach to the idea. It was not his fault that he marched ahead of the other caste. Why did not the other castes so understand and do as he did? Why did they sit down and be lazy, and let the Brahmins win the race?
But it is one thing to gain an advantage, and another thing to preserve it for evil use. Whenever power is used for evil, it becomes diabolical; it must be used for good only. So this accumulated culture of ages of which the Brahmin has been the trustee, he must now give to the people at large, and it was because he did not give it to the people that the Mohammedan invasion was possible. It was because he did not open this treasury to the people from the beginning, that for a thousand years we have been trodden under the heels of every one who chose to come to India. It was through that we have become degraded, and the first task must be to break open the cells that hide the wonderful treasures which our common ancestors accumulated; bring them out and give them to everybody and the Brahmin must be the first to do it. There is an old superstition in Bengal that if the cobra that bites, sucks out his own poison from the patient, the man must survive. Well then, the Brahmin must suck out his own poison. To the non-Brahmin castes I say, wait, be not in a hurry. Do not seize every opportunity of fighting the Brahmin, because, as I have shown, you are suffering from your own fault. Who told you to neglect spirituality and Sanskrit learning? What have you been doing all this time? Why have you been indifferent? Why do you now fret and fume because somebody else had more brains, more energy, more pluck and go, than you? Instead of wasting your energies in vain discussions and quarrels in the newspapers, instead of fighting and quarrelling in your own homes — which is sinful — use all your energies in acquiring the culture which the Brahmin has, and the thing is done. Why do you not become Sanskrit scholars? Why do you not spend millions to bring Sanskrit education to all the castes of India? That is the question. The moment you do these things, you are equal to the Brahmin. That is the secret of power in India.
Sanskrit and prestige go together in India. As soon as you have that, none dares say anything against you. That is the one secret; take that up. The whole universe, to use the ancient Advaitist's simile, is in a state of self-hypnotism. It is will that is the power. It is the man of strong will that throws, as it were, a halo round him and brings all other people to the same state of vibration as he has in his own mind. Such gigantic men do appear. And what is the idea? When a powerful individual appears, his personality infuses his thoughts into us, and many of us come to have the same thoughts, and thus we become powerful. Why is it that organizations are so powerful? Do not say organization is material. Why is it, to take a case in point, that forty millions of Englishmen rule three hundred millions of people here? What is the psychological explanation? These forty millions put their wills together and that means infinite power, and you three hundred millions have a will each separate from the other. Therefore to make a great future India, the whole secret lies in organization, accumulation of power, co-ordination of wills.
Already before my mind rises one of the marvellous verses of the Rig-Veda Samhitâ which says, "Be thou all of one mind, be thou all of one thought, for in the days of yore, the gods being of one mind were enabled to receive oblations." That the gods can be worshipped by men is because they are of one mind. Being of one mind is the secret of society. And the more you go on fighting and quarrelling about all trivialities such as "Dravidian" and "Aryan", and the question of Brahmins and non-Brahmins and all that, the further you are off from that accumulation of energy and power which is going to make the future India. For mark you, the future India depends entirely upon that. That is the secret — accumulation of will-power, co-ordination, bringing them all, as it here, into one focus. Each Chinaman thinks in his own way, and a handful of Japanese all think in the same way, and you know the result. That is how it goes throughout the history of the world. You find in every case, compact little nations always governing and ruling huge unwieldy nations, and this is natural, because it is easier for the little compact nations to bring their ideas into the same focus, and thus they become developed. And the bigger the nation, the more unwieldy it is. Born, as it were, a disorganised mob, they cannot combine. All these dissensions must stop.
There is yet another defect in us. Ladies, excuse me, but through centuries of slavery, we have become like a nation of women. You scarcely can get three women together for five minutes in this country or any other country, but they quarrel. Women make big societies in European countries, and make tremendous declarations of women's power and so on; then they quarrel, and some man comes and rules them all. All over the world they still require some man to rule them. We are like them. Women we are. If a woman comes to lead women, they all begin immediately to criticise her, tear her to pieces, and make her sit down. If a man comes and gives them a little harsh treatment, scolds them now and then, it is all right, they have been used to that sort of mesmerism. The whole world is full of such mesmerists and hypnotists. In the same way, if one of our countrymen stands up and tries to become great, we all try to hold him down, but if a foreigner comes and tries to kick us, it is all right. We have been used to it, have we not? And slaves must become great masters! So give up being a slave. For the next fifty years this alone shall be our keynote — this, our great Mother India. Let all other vain gods disappear for the time from our minds. This is the only god that is awake, our own race — "everywhere his hands, everywhere his feet, everywhere his ears, he covers everything." All other gods are sleeping. What vain gods shall we go after and yet cannot worship the god that we see all round us, the Virât? When we have worshipped this, we shall be able to worship all other gods. Before we can crawl half a mile, we want to cross the ocean like Hanumân! It cannot be. Everyone going to be a Yogi, everyone going to meditate! It cannot be. The whole day mixing with the world with Karma Kânda, and in the evening sitting down and blowing through your nose! Is it so easy? Should Rishis come flying through the air, because you have blown three times through the nose? Is it a joke? It is all nonsense. What is needed is Chittashuddhi, purification of the heart. And how does that come? The first of all worship is the worship of the Virat — of those all around us. Worship It. Worship is the exact equivalent of the Sanskrit word, and no other English word will do. These are all our gods — men and animals; and the first gods we have to worship are our countrymen. These we have to worship, instead of being jealous of each other and fighting each other. It is the most terrible Karma for which we are suffering, and yet it does not open our eyes!
Well, the subject is so great that I do not know where to stop, and I must bring my lecture to a close by placing before you in a few words the plans I want to carry out in Madras. We must have a hold on the spiritual and secular education of the nation. Do you understand that? You must dream it, you must talk it, you must think its and you must work it out. Till then there is no salvation for the race. The education that you are getting now has some good points, but it has a tremendous disadvantage which is so great that the good things are all weighed down. In the first place it is not a man-making education, it is merely and entirely a negative education. A negative education or any training that is based on negation, is worse than death. The child is taken to school, and the first thing he learns is that his father is a fool, the second thing that his grandfather is a lunatic, the third thing that all his teachers are hypocrites, the fourth that all the sacred books are lies! By the time he is sixteen he is a mass of negation, lifeless and boneless. And the result is that fifty years of such education has not produced one original man in the three Presidencies. Every man of originality that has been produced has been educated elsewhere, and not in this country, or they have gone to the old universities once more to cleanse themselves of superstitions. Education is not the amount of information that is put into your brain and runs riot there, undigested, all your life. We must have life-building, man-making, character-making assimilation of ideas. If you have assimilated five ideas and made them your life and character, you have more education than any man who has got by heart a whole library यथा खरश्चन्दनभारवाही भारस्य वेत्ता न तु चन्दनस्य। — "The ass carrying its load of sandalwood knows only the weight and not the value of the sandalwood." If education is identical with information, the libraries are the greatest sages in the world, and encyclopaedias are the Rishis. The ideal, therefore, is that we must have the whole education of our country, spiritual and secular, in our own hands, and it must be on national lines, through national methods as far as practical.
Of course this is a very big scheme, a very big plan. I do not know whether it will ever work out. But we must begin the work. But how? Take Madras, for instance. We must have a temple, for with Hindus religion must come first. Then, you may say, all sects will quarrel about it. But we will make it a non-sectarian temple, having only "Om" as the symbol, the greatest symbol of any sect. If there is any sect here which believes that "Om" ought not to be the symbol, it has no right to call itself Hindu. All will have the right to interpret Hinduism, each one according to his own sect ideas, but we must have a common temple. You can have your own images and symbols in other places, but do not quarrel here with those who differ from you. Here should be taught the common grounds of our different sects, and at the same time the different sects should have perfect liberty to come and teach their doctrines, with only one restriction, that is, not to quarrel with other sects. Say what you have to say, the world wants it; but the world has no time to hear what you think about other people; you can keep that to yourselves.
Secondly, in connection with this temple there should be an institution to train teachers who must go about preaching religion and giving secular education to our people; they must carry both. As we have been already carrying religion from door to door, let us along with it carry secular education also. That can be easily done. Then the work will extend through these bands of teachers and preachers, and gradually we shall have similar temples in other places, until we have covered the whole of India. That is my plan. It may appear gigantic, but it is much needed. You may ask, where is the money. Money is not needed. Money is nothing. For the last twelve years of my life, I did not know where the next meal would come from; but money and everything else I want must come, because they are my slaves, and not I theirs; money and everything else must come. Must — that is the word. Where are the men? That is the question. Young men of Madras, my hope is in you. Will you respond to the call of your nation? Each one of you has a glorious future if you dare believe me. Have a tremendous faith in yourselves, like the faith I had when I was a child, and which I am working out now. Have that faith, each one of you, in yourself — that eternal power is lodged in every soul — and you will revive the whole of India. Ay, we will then go to every country under the sun, and our ideas will before long be a component of the many forces that are working to make up every nation in the world. We must enter into the life of every race in India and abroad; shall have to work to bring this about. Now for that, I want young men. "It is the young, the strong, and healthy, of sharp intellect that will reach the Lord", say the Vedas. This is the time to decide your future — while you possess the energy of youth, not when you are worn out and jaded, but in the freshness and vigour of youth. Work — this is the time; for the freshest, the untouched, and unsmelled flowers alone are to be laid at the feet of the Lord, and such He receives. Rouse yourselves, therefore, or life is short. There are greater works to be done than aspiring to become lawyers and picking quarrels and such things. A far greater work is this sacrifice of yourselves for the benefit of your race, for the welfare of humanity. What is in this life? You are Hindus, and there is the instinctive belief in you that life is eternal. Sometimes I have young men come and talk to me about atheism; I do not believe a Hindu can become an atheist. He may read European books, and persuade himself he is a materialist, but it is only for a time. It is not in your blood. You cannot believe what is not in your constitution; it would be a hopeless task for you. Do not attempt that sort of thing. I once attempted it when I was a boy, but it could not be. Life is short, but the soul is immortal and eternal, and one thing being certain, death, let us therefore take up a great ideal and give up our whole life to it. Let this be our determination, and may He, the Lord, who "comes again and again for the salvation of His own people", to quote from our scriptures — may the great Krishna bless us and lead us all to the fulfilment of our aims!
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