现代印度的问题及其解决
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中文
古代印度的历史，充满了对巨大能量及其多方面运作的描绘，充满了无边无际的精神力量，充满了各种力量间不屈不挠的相互作用与反应，以及最重要的——一个具有神性气质的民族那深邃的思想。若"历史"一词仅意味着帝王将相的事迹记录，以及社会图景的描绘——那些因统治者的贪欲、傲慢等恶劣情欲而时时遭受暴政的社会，那些记录其善恶倾向所导致的行为，以及这些行为如何反作用于当时社会的图景——那么，印度或许并不拥有这样的历史。然而，印度浩瀚的宗教文献的每一行文字，她那如海洋般广阔的诗歌，她的哲学与各类科学著作，所呈现给我们的——比任何关于特定帝王生平事迹与谱系的记录都要清晰千倍——是那庞大的人类群体所处的确切地位，以及他们所迈出的每一步进展。这些人甚至在文明曙光初现之前，便受到饥渴、情欲与贪念等驱动，被美的魅力所吸引，凭借巨大而不屈不挠的精神力量，并为各种情感所驱使，通过各种途径与方式，攀登到那卓越的高度。尽管他们在与自然无数次交战中所积累的那些凯旋旗帜，近年来已被逆境的狂风撕裂破损，并因岁月的侵蚀而变得破旧不堪，但它们依然诉说着古代印度的荣耀。
无论这个民族究竟是从中亚、北欧还是极地地区缓缓迁徙而来，逐渐降临并最终定居于印度，以圣迹使其圣化；抑或印度这片圣土本就是他们最初的故园——我们现在已无从确知。或者，是否一支居住于印度境内或境外的庞大民族，因从其原居之地被迫迁移，依照自然法则，在时间的长河中逐渐向欧洲及其他地方殖民定居——以及这些人是白肤还是黑肤、蓝眼还是黑眼、金发还是黑发——所有这些问题——除了梵文与少数欧洲语言之间存在亲缘关系这一事实之外，现在都没有充分的依据加以证明。同样，对于现代印度人，也很难得出确定的结论：他们是否都是那个民族的纯正后裔，或者那个民族有多少血液在他们的血管中流淌，抑或他们中的哪些民族在血缘上与那个民族有所关联。
然而，这种不确定性实际上并未使我们损失太多。
但有一个事实值得铭记。那个古代印度民族——文明之光首先降临其身，深邃的思想最早在其中充分彰显其荣耀——直至今日，仍有数以十万计的后人，他们是这一民族精神所孕育的子孙，是其思想与情操的继承者，随时准备为这笔遗产挺身而出。
翻越山岳，横渡河流，跨越辽阔的海洋，仿佛将时空距离的阻碍置之不顾，印度思想的血脉，无论以清晰可辨的形式还是以某种微妙难察的方式，已经流入并仍在流入全球其他民族的血管之中。也许，古代人类普世遗产的最大份额，属于我们。
在地中海东端，有一片小国，自然赋予了它美丽与装饰，岛屿形状优美，如花环般点缀其间，那里生活着一个人数虽少却极具魅力的民族——他们形体完美，肌肉强健，身躯轻盈而又具有坚忍不拔之精神，在创造人世间一切美好事物方面无与伦比，同时又具有非凡的实践能力与智识。其他古代民族称他们为"雅瓦纳"，而他们自称为希腊人。这一充满活力而卓越非凡的民族，在人类历史上是一个独一无二的范例。无论何处，无论哪个民族，迄今为止凡在世俗科学领域——如社会、军事、政治、雕塑等——有所进步，那里都留有古代希腊的影子。且不论古代之事，即便在当今这个时代，我们孟加拉人在过去五十年中，也仅仅因为追随这些雅瓦纳导师的足迹，汲取那通过欧洲文学传来的些许光明，便已自感骄傲与开明。
当今整个欧洲，在各个方面都是古代希腊的门徒，是其正统继承者；以至于英国一位智者曾言："凡自然所未创造者，皆为希腊精神之创造。"
这两条巨河（雅利安人与雅瓦纳人），从遥远而各异的源头（印度与希腊）奔涌而出，偶尔相互汇流，而每当这种汇合发生之时，人类社会中涌起的巨大智识或精神潮流，便大大拓展了文明的疆域，并在人与人之间加深了普世兄弟情谊的纽带。
远古时代，印度哲学与希腊活力相互碰撞，催生了波斯、罗马及其他伟大民族的兴起。亚历山大大帝入侵之后，这两大瀑布相互激荡，以基督教等精神潮流淹没了近半个地球。此后，类似的融合又促进了阿拉伯的改良与繁荣，奠定了现代欧洲文明的基础。或许，在我们自己的时代，这两大巨力再度汇合的时机已经来临，而这一次，其汇合的中心在印度。
印度的气候极有利于宁静，雅瓦纳的天性则是对力量的持续彰显；深邃的冥想是前者的特征，不屈不挠的灵活进取精神是后者的标志；前者的座右铭是"舍离"，后者的是"享乐"。前者的全部精力指向内在，后者的则指向外在；前者的全部学问在于认识自我或主体，后者的则在于认识非我或客体（无常的造化）；前者追慕解脱（精神自由），后者渴望政治独立；前者对于在世间获取繁荣不甚在意，后者则一心要将此世化为天堂；前者向往永恒的至乐，对于此生一切短暂的享乐漠然置之，而后者或怀疑永恒至乐的存在，或视其为遥不可及，故将全部精力用于尽可能获取世间的感官享乐。
在当今这个时代，这两种人类典型都已消逝，只有他们肉体与精神上的后裔，他们的事业与思想依然存在。
欧洲与美洲是雅瓦纳人英勇的后裔，是他们祖先的荣耀；然而婆罗多这片土地的现代居民，却并非古代雅利安人的荣耀。但是，正如烈火在灰烬覆盖下依然燃烧，祖先的圣火在这些现代印度人心中依然潜藏。凭借全能之力的恩典，它必将在某一时机彰显出来。
当那祖先的圣火彰显之时，将会带来什么？
印度的天空是否将再度被吠陀祭火腾起的滚滚浓烟所遮蔽？或者，朗提戴瓦的荣耀是否将在祭祀牲畜的鲜血中重现？古代的牛祭（Gomedha）、马祭（Ashvamedha），或从丈夫之兄延续血脉等诸如此类的习俗，是否将卷土重来？或者，佛教宣扬的洪流是否将再度将整个印度变为一座大寺院？摩奴法典是否将一如往昔地复辟？或者，那随地理位置变化而规定可食与禁食之物的饮食戒律，如今日之形态，是否将凌驾于全国各地，拥有至高无上的支配力量？种姓制度是否将延续，是否将永远依赖人的出生权，还是将由其资格来决定？而在种姓制度中，对饮食的区分——其洁净与不洁净，取决于触碰它的人的纯净或不净——究竟是将按照孟加拉的方式遵行，还是将如马德拉斯般采取更为严格的形式？或者，如旁遮普一样，一切此类限制都将被废除？不同瓦尔纳之间的婚姻，是否将按照摩奴时代的规定，由高瓦尔纳向低瓦尔纳依序进行，如尼泊尔至今所行的那样？或者，如孟加拉及其他地方那样，是否将限于某个特定阶层的瓦尔纳中极为有限的个体之间？对所有这些问题给出确定的答案极为困难。考虑到全国各地风俗习惯的差异，这些问题变得更加难以解答——是的，即便在同一地区，我们也能看到不同种姓与家庭之间习俗存在着如此巨大的分歧。
那么，将来会如何？
我们所应拥有的，是我们现在没有的，也许甚至是我们的祖先也未曾拥有的——那是雅瓦纳人所拥有的东西；正是在这种东西的生命活力驱动下，欧洲这座巨大的发电机正迅速不断地向外输送着那股使整个世界充满活力的电能潮流。我们需要那个。我们需要那种活力，那种对独立的热爱，那种自立自强的精神，那种不可动摇的坚毅，那种行动上的灵活机敏，那种目标上的团结一致，那种对进步的渴望。稍稍遏制住这种不断回望过去的倾向，我们需要那种无限向前投射的扩展视野；我们需要——那种炽烈的活力（激质，Rajas），它将从头到脚流遍我们的每一条血管。
还有什么能比舍离带来更大的安宁？短暂的世间利益与永恒的利益相比，实在微不足道，此点毋庸置疑。还有什么能带来比萨埵瓜纳（绝对的心灵纯净）更大的力量？一切其他知识与自知相比，的确都不过是无知。但我要问：世界上有多少人有幸获得那种萨埵瓜纳？这片婆罗多的土地上有多少人拥有？有多少人拥有那种高尚的英雄气概，能够舍弃一切，摒除"我与我的"这一执念？有多少人有幸拥有那种远见卓识的智慧，使尘世享乐显得不过是虚空的虚空？那种在冥想神圣的美与荣耀时甚至忘却自身肉体的宽广心灵，究竟在哪里？如此之人，与整个印度的人口相比，不过是寥寥数人；难道为了让这少数人获得解脱，就要让印度千千万万的男男女女被现今社会与宗教的车轮所碾压吗？
这样的碾压又能带来什么益处？
难道你们没有看见——以萨埵为借口，这个国家已慢慢地、一步步地淹没在沉滞（塔玛斯，Tamas）即黑暗无明的海洋之中？那些最为愚钝之人，想要以一种对超越一切身心活动的最高知识的虚假渴望来掩盖自己的愚昧；那些从小养尊处优、一生懒散之人，想要以舍离之纱遮掩自己对工作的无能；那些最为恶毒之人，试图以苦行为名，使自己的残忍在宗教的外衣下显得合理；那些无人审视自身的无能，却人人随时准备将全部责任推卸给他人；那些以死记硬背几本书为知识、以咀嚼他人思想为才华、以援引祖先之名为最高荣耀的地方——我们还需要其他证据来证明，那个国家正在日复一日地沦陷于彻底的沉滞（塔玛斯）之中吗？
因此，萨埵即绝对的纯净，对我们来说现在还遥不可及。我们之中那些尚未准备好、但希望有朝一日能够准备好以达到那绝对纯净的"极乐修行者"（Paramahamsa）境界的人——对他们而言，现在最为有益的，莫过于获取激质（Rajas）即炽烈的活力。一个人若不经历激质的历练，他又怎能达到那完美的萨埵状态？若一个人尚未消解对享乐（Bhoga）的渴望，又怎能期望获得瑜伽即与神的合一？若对一切享乐的魅力尚无离欲（Vairagya）之心，舍离又从何而来？
另一方面，激质的特性容易像棕榈叶之火般，刚刚燃起便迅速熄灭。萨埵与"尼提亚"（Nitya）即永恒实在几乎处于并列的状态——萨埵近乎永恒。而以激质为主导的民族，不是那么长寿；但萨埵占主导地位的民族，则如同永生一般。历史对此是见证。
在印度，激质几乎付之阙如；在西方，萨埵亦是如此。因此，可以确定：西方世界的真正生命力，有赖于来自印度的萨埵即超验精神的滋养之流；同样可以确定：除非我们以激质相反的潮流来压倒并淹没我们的沉滞（塔玛斯），否则我们在今生便永远无法获得任何世间的善与福祉；同样可以确定：在实现那些与我们来世相关的崇高志向与理想的道路上，我们也将遭遇许多难以逾越的障碍。
《醒觉》杂志的唯一目的与宗旨，便是在其力所能及的范围内，促进这两种力量的汇合与融通。
诚然，在此过程中存在巨大的危险——唯恐西方精神的巨大浪潮将我们历经无数世代艰苦劳作所积累的最珍贵的精神财富统统冲走；诚然，存在这样的忧虑：深陷其强劲的漩涡，即便婆罗多大地也会迷失自我，竟而沦为追逐世间享乐的战场；是的，也存在这样的忧虑：一旦盲目模仿那些不可能且不切实际的外来方式，在连根拔除我们民族的习俗与理想之际，我们将失去此生所珍视的一切，并在来世也遭到毁灭！
为了避免这些灾难，我们必须时刻将自己家园的财富置于眼前，使每一个人，直至普罗大众，都能时刻知晓并看见自己祖传的财产为何物。我们必须为此而努力；与此同时，我们也应勇敢地敞开门户，接纳一切来自外部的可用光明。让来自四面八方的光芒如急驰的骤雨般涌入；让来自西方的炽烈光明洪流涌入——那又有什么关系？凡是软弱与腐朽的，注定要消亡——我们又能奈何？若它消逝，就让它消逝，对我们有何损害？凡是强健与振奋人心的，才是永恒的。谁能摧毁那个？
从喜马拉雅山永恒积雪的峰巅，涌出多少奔腾的泉流与轰鸣的瀑布，多少冰冷的细流与长流不息的涓涓小溪，汇合在一起，形成了诸神的雄伟江河——恒河，奔腾咆哮地奔向大洋！同样，多少种思想与理念，多少股力量的潮流，从无数圣者的心灵之中涌出，从各地天才的脑海之中奔涌，已将业力之地印度——这更高人类活动的竞技场——层层环绕！看啊！在英国人的统治之下，在电气、铁路与轮船的时代，各种情感、习俗、风尚与道德规范，正以闪电般的速度在这片土地上广泛传播。甘露在来临，同时毒药也在来临；善在到来，恶同样在到来。已有了足够多的愤怒对抗与流血冲突；遏制这股潮流的力量，印度社会已不具备。一切事物，从机器过滤并通过水管引出的水，到以骨灰精制的糖，几乎已被每个人悄然而自由地接受，尽管表面上仍有许多口头上的抗议。慢慢地，慢慢地，在法律的强大作用下，我们许多最珍视的习俗正在一天天脱落——我们已无力抵抗。而为何没有力量？真理真的没有力量吗？"唯真理得胜，而非谬误。"——这一神圣的吠陀箴言难道是虚假的？抑或有谁知晓，那些正被西方主权或西方教育的洪流所冲走的习俗，本就不是真正的"善行"（Achara），而不过是"恶行"（Anachara）罢了。这也是一个值得认真思考的问题。
"为众多人之利益，为众多人之幸福"（बहुजनहिताय बहुजनसुखाय）——以无私的心态，怀着充满爱与敬意的心，《醒觉》杂志邀请所有热爱祖国的智慧者与宽宏大量之人，共同讨论这些问题并解决这些难题；它摒弃一切仇恨与对抗之情，同时拒绝向任何个人、任何社团或任何派别投以辱骂性语言，将其整个自身奉献于服务所有阶层。
我们有工作的权利，结果则在主的手中。我们只祈祷："哦，您，永恒的灵性，使我们具有灵性；哦，您，永恒的力量，使我们坚强；哦，您，全能者，使我们充满力量。"
注释
English
The ancient history of India is full of descriptions of the gigantic energies and their multifarious workings, the boundless spirit, the combination of indomitable action and reaction of the various forces, and, above all, the profound thoughtfulness of a godly race. If the word history is understood to mean merely narratives of kings and emperors, and pictures of society — tyrannised over from time to time by the evil passions, haughtiness, avarice, etc., of the rulers of the time, portraying the acts resulting from their good or evil propensities, and how these reacted upon the society of that time — such a history India perhaps does not possess. But every line of that mass of the religious literature of India, her ocean of poetry, her philosophies and various scientific works reveal to us — a thousand times more clearly than the narratives of the life-incidents and genealogies of particular kings and emperors can ever do — the exact position and every step made in advance by that vast body of men who, even before the dawn of civilisation, impelled by hunger and thirst, lust and greed, etc., attracted by the charm of beauty, endowed with a great and indomitable mental power, and moved by various sentiments, arrived through various ways and means at that stage of eminence. Although the heaps of those triumphal flags which they gathered in their innumerable victories over nature with which they had been waging war for ages, have, of late, been torn and tattered by the violent winds of adverse circumstances and become worn out through age, yet they still proclaim the glory of Ancient India.
Whether this race slowly proceeded from Central Asia, Northern Europe, or the Arctic regions, and gradually came down and sanctified India by settling there at last, or whether the holy land of India was their original native place, we have no proper means of knowing now. Or whether a vast race living in or outside India, being displaced from its original abode, in conformity with natural laws, came in the course of time to colonise and settle over Europe and other places — and whether these people were white or black, blue-eyed or dark-eyed, golden-haired or black-haired — all these matters — there is no sufficient ground to prove now, with the one exception of the fact of the kinship of Sanskrit with a few European languages. Similarly, it is not easy to arrive at a final conclusion as to the modern Indians, whether they all are the pure descendants of that race, or how much of the blood of that race is flowing in their veins, or again, what races amongst them have any of that even in them.
However, we do not, in fact, lose much by this uncertainty.
But there is one fact to remember. Of that ancient Indian race, upon which the rays of civilisation first dawned, where deep thoughtfulness first revealed itself in full glory, there are still found hundreds of thousands of its children, born of its mind — the inheritors of its thoughts and sentiments — ready to claim them.
Crossing over mountains, rivers, arid oceans, setting at naught, as it were, the obstacles of the distance of space and time, the blood of Indian thought has flowed, and is still flowing into the veins of other nations of the globe, whether in a distinct or in some subtle unknown way. Perhaps to us belongs the major portion of the universal ancient inheritance.
In a small country lying in the eastern corner of the Mediterranean Sea, beautiful and adorned by nature, and garlanded by well-formed and beautiful-looking islands, lived a race of men who were few in number, but of a very charming aspect, perfectly formed, and strong in muscles and sinews, light of body, yet possessing steadiness and perseverance, and who were unrivalled for the creation of all earthly beauties, as well as endowed with extraordinary practicality and intellect. The other ancient nations used to call them Yavanas, but they called themselves Greeks. This handful of a vigorous and wonderful race is a unique example in the annals of man. Wherever and in whatever nation there has been, or is, any advance made in earthly science up to the present day — such as social, martial, political, sculptural, etc. — there the shadow of ancient Greece has fallen. Let us leave apart the consideration of ancient times, for even in this modern age, we, the Bengalis, think ourselves proud and enlightened simply by following the footmarks of these Yavana Gurus for these last fifty years, illumining our homes with what light of theirs is reaching us through the European literature.
The whole of Europe nowadays is, in every respect, the disciple of ancient Greece, and her proper inheritor; so much so that a wise man of England had said, "Whatever nature has not created, that is the creation of the Greek mind."
These two gigantic rivers (Aryans and Yavanas), issuing from far-away and different mountains (India and Greece), occasionally come in contact with each other, and whenever such confluence takes place, a tremendous intellectual or spiritual tide, rising in human societies, greatly expands the range of civilisation and confirms the bond of universal brotherhood among men.
Once in far remote antiquity, the Indian philosophy, coming in contact with Greek energy, led to the rise of the Persian, the Roman, and other great nations. After the invasion of Alexander the Great, these two great waterfalls colliding with each other, deluged nearly half of the globe with spiritual tides, such as Christianity. Again, a similar commingling, resulting in the improvement and prosperity of Arabia, laid the foundation of modern European civilisation. And perhaps, in our own day, such a time for the conjunction of these two gigantic forces has presented itself again. This time their centre is India.
The air of India pre-eminently conduces to quietness, the nature of the Yavana is the constant expression of power; profound meditation characterises the one, the indomitable spirit of dexterous activity, the other; one's motto is "renunciation", the other's "enjoyment". One's whole energy is directed inwards, the other's, outwards; one's whole learning consists in the knowledge of the Self or the Subject, the other's, in the knowledge of the not-Self or the object (perishable creation); one loves Moksha (spiritual freedom), the other loves political independence; one is unmindful of gaining prosperity in this world, the other sets his whole heart on making a heaven of this world; one, aspiring after eternal bliss, is indifferent to all the ephemeral pleasures of this life, and the other, doubting the existence of eternal bliss, or knowing it to be far away, directs his whole energy to the attainment of earthly pleasures as much as possible.
In this age, both these types of mankind are extinct, only their physical and mental children, their works and thoughts are existing.
Europe and America are the advanced children of the Yavanas, a glory to their forefathers; but the modern inhabitants of the land of Bharata are not the glory of the ancient Aryas. But, as fire remains intact under cover of ashes, so the ancestral fire still remains latent in these modern Indians. Through the grace of the Almighty Power, it is sure to manifest itself in time.
What will accrue when that ancestral fire manifests itself?
Would the sky of India again appear clouded over by waving masses of smoke springing from the Vedic sacrificial fire? Or is the glory of Rantideva again going to be revived in the blood of the sacrificed animals? Are the old customs of Gomedha, Ashvamedha, or perpetuating the lineage from a husband's brother, and other usages of a like nature to come back again? Or is the deluge of a Buddhistic propaganda again going to turn the whole of India into a big monastery? Are the laws of Manu going to be rehabilitated as of yore? Or is the discrimination of food, prescribed and forbidden, varying in accordance with geographical dimensions, as it is at the present day, alone going to have its all-powerful domination over the length and breadth of the country? Is the caste system to remain, and is it going to depend eternally upon the birthright of a man, or is it going to be determined by his qualification? And again in that caste system, is the discrimination of food, its touchableness or untouchableness, dependent upon the purity or the impurity of the man who touches it, to be observed as it is in Bengal, or will it assume a form more strict as it does in Madras? Or, as in the Punjab, will all such restrictions be obliterated? Are the marriages of the different Varnas to take place from the upper to the lower Varna in the successive order, as in Manu's days, and as it is still in vogue in Nepal? Or, as in Bengal and other places, are they to be kept restricted to a very limited number of individuals constituting one of the several communities of a certain class of the Varna? To give a conclusive answer to all these questions is extremely difficult. They become the more difficult of solution, considering the difference in the customs prevailing in different parts of the country — nay, as we find even in the same part of the country such a wide divergence of customs among different castes and families.
Then what is to be?
What we should have is what we have not, perhaps what our forefathers even had not — that which the Yavanas had; that, impelled by the life-vibration of which, is issuing forth in rapid succession from the great dynamo of Europe, the electric flow of that tremendous power vivifying the whole world. We want that. We want that energy, that love of independence, that spirit of self-reliance, that immovable fortitude, that dexterity in action, that bond of unity of purpose, that thirst for improvement. Checking a little the constant looking back to the past, we want that expansive vision infinitely projected forward; and we want — that intense spirit of activity (Rajas) which will flow through our every vein, from head to foot.
What can be a greater giver of peace than renunciation? A little ephemeral worldly good is nothing in comparison with eternal good; no doubt of that. What can bring greater strength than Sattva Guna (absolute purity of mind)? It is indeed true that all other kinds of knowledge are but non-knowledge in comparison with Self-knowledge. But I ask: How many are there in the world fortunate enough to gain that Sattva Guna? How many in this land of Bharata? How many have that noble heroism which can renounce all, shaking off the idea of "I and mine"? How many are blessed enough to possess that far-sight of wisdom which makes the earthly pleasures appear to be but vanity of vanities? Where is that broad-hearted man who is apt to forget even his own body in meditating over the beauty and glory of the Divine? Those who are such are but a handful in comparison to the population of the whole of India; and in order that these men may attain to their salvation, will the millions and millions of men and women of India have to be crushed under the wheel of the present-day society and religion?
And what good can come out of such a crushing?
Do you not see — talking up this plea of Sattva, the country has been slowly and slowly drowned in the ocean of Tamas or dark ignorance? Where the most dull want to hide their stupidity by covering it with a false desire for the highest knowledge which is beyond all activities, either physical or mental; where one, born and bred in lifelong laziness, wants to throw the veil of renunciation over his own unfitness for work; where the most diabolical try to make their cruelty appear, under the cloak of austerity, as a part of religion; where no one has an eye upon his own incapacity, but everyone is ready to lay the whole blame on others; where knowledge consists only in getting some books by heart, genius consists in chewing the cud of others' thoughts, and the highest glory consists in taking the name of ancestors: do we require any other proof to show that that country is being day by day drowned in utter Tamas?
Therefore Sattva or absolute purity is now far away from us. Those amongst us who are not yet fit, but who hope to be fit, to reach to that absolutely pure Paramahamsa state — for them the acquirement of Rajas or intense activity is what is most beneficial now. Unless a man passes through Rajas, can he ever attain to that perfect Sâttvika state? How can one expect Yoga or union with God, unless one has previously finished with his thirst for Bhoga or enjoyment? How can renunciation come where there is no Vairâgya or dispassion for all the charms of enjoyment?
On the other hand, the quality of Rajas is apt to die down as soon as it comes up, like a fire of palm leaves. The presence of Sattva and the Nitya or Eternal Reality is almost in a state of juxtaposition — Sattva is nearly Nitya. Whereas the nation in which the quality of Rajas predominates is not so long-lived, but a nation with a preponderance of Sattva is, as it were, immortal. History is a witness to this fact.
In India, the quality of Rajas is almost absent: the same is the case with Sattva in the West. It is certain, therefore, that the real life of the Western world depends upon the influx, from India, of the current of Sattva or transcendentalism; and it is also certain that unless we overpower and submerge our Tamas by the opposite tide of Rajas, we shall never gain any worldly good or welfare in this life; and it is also equally certain that we shall meet many formidable obstacles in the path of realisation of those noble aspirations and ideals connected with our after-life.
The one end and aim of the Udbodhana is to help the union and intermingling of these two forces, as far as it lies in its power.
True, in so doing there is a great danger — lest by this huge wave of Western spirit are washed away all our most precious jewels, earned through ages of hard labour; true, there is fear lest falling into its strong whirlpool, even the land of Bharata forgets itself so far as to be turned into a battlefield in the struggle after earthly enjoyments; ay, there is fear, too, lest going to imitate the impossible and impracticable foreign ways, rooting out as they do our national customs and ideals, we lose all that we hold dear in this life and be undone in the next!
To avoid these calamities we must always keep the wealth of our own home before our eyes, so that every one down to the masses may always know and see what his own ancestral property is. We must exert ourselves to do that; and side by side, we should be brave to open our doors to receive all available light from outside. Let rays of light come in, in sharp-driving showers from the four quarters of the earth; let the intense flood of light flow in from the West — what of that? Whatever is weak and corrupt is liable to die — what are we to do with it? If it goes, let it go, what harm does it do to us? What is strong and invigorating is immortal. Who can destroy that?
How many gushing springs and roaring cataracts, how many icy rivulets and ever-flowing streamlets, issuing from the eternal snow-capped peaks of the Himalayas, combine and flow together to form the gigantic river of the gods, the Gangâ, and rush impetuously towards the ocean! So what a variety of thoughts and ideas, how many currents of forces, issuing from innumerable saintly hearts, and from brains of geniuses of various lands have already enveloped India, the land of Karma, the arena for the display of higher human activities! Look! how under the dominion of the English, in these days of electricity, railroad, and steamboat, various sentiments, manners, customs, and morals are spreading all over the land with lightning speed. Nectar is coming, and along with it, also poison; good is coming, as well as evil. There has been enough of angry opposition and bloodshed; the power of stemming this tide is not in Hindu society. Everything, from water filtered by machinery and drawn from hydrants, down to sugar purified with bone-ash, is being quietly and freely taken by almost every one, in spite of much show of verbal protest. Slowly and slowly, by the strong dint of law, many of our most cherished customs are falling off day by day — we have no power to withstand that. And why is there no power? Is truth really powerless? "Truth alone conquers and not falsehood." — Is this Divine Vedic saying false? Or who knows but that those very customs which are being swept away by the deluge of the power of Western sovereignty or of Western education were not real Âchâras, but were Anâchâras after all. This also is a matter for serious consideration.
बहुजनहिताय बहुजनसुखाय — "For the good of the many, as well as for the happiness of the many" — in an unselfish manner, with a heart filled with love and reverence, the Udbodhana invites all wise and large-hearted men who love their motherland to discuss these points and solve these problems; and, being devoid of the feeling of hatred or antagonism, as well as turning itself away from the infliction of abusive language directed towards any individual, or society, or any sect, it offers its whole self for the service of all classes.
To work we have the right, the result is in the hands of the Lord. We only pray: "O Thou Eternal Spirit, make us spiritual; O Thou Eternal Strength, make us strong; O Thou Mighty One, make us mighty."
Notes
文本来自Wikisource公共领域。原版由阿德瓦伊塔修道院出版。