________________
Vol.
I'
KARMAYOGIN
FACTS AND OPINIONS.
A WEEKLY REVIEW
National Religion, Literature, Science, Philosophy, &c.,
A Hint of change. The end of
our long waiting for the advent of strength into the hearts and minds of the people my yet be distant, but one sign of an approaching change is growing more and more manifest, the intense yearning for a field, an outlet, a path open to the pent up activities of an awakened nation. Arising from long sleep and torpor, the nation threw itself with energy into a field of activity which seemed immeasurably vast and full of a glorious promise. One would have said that no one could stop that mighty outpouring of enthusiasın, unselfishness and heaven-aspiring force. But there was a daw, a source of woskness. Our past defects, besitations, timidities, weaknesses, vices, are gince, light-heade Iness, befishness,scepticism, inconstancy, our readiness to succumb to difficulties, to despair at the first check, all these things were in us, trampled down by the inrush of higher feelings and a greater and nobler euorgy, but not thrown out, not utterly replaced. The nation had entered headlong into a wonderful sadhana, but without knowledge, without the deliberate sankalpa, the requisite diksha. It was the only way it could be Begun. But the sadhak hat has obitandani before
4
OF
4th Agrahayana 1316.
is done
he can attain realisation; he must cleanse his bosom of much perilous stuff. That cleansing partly by replacing the lower feelings by the higher, cowardice by courge, hasred by love, weakness by strength, partly by working out the evil in imagination or action and rejecting it as it comes up into the mind or the life. It was the first process that took place in the beginning of the move ment, it is the second that is now in progress. In the first years of the movement a nation of cowards became heroes, sceptics became blind believers, the light-minded full of serious purpose, men enten up by selfishness martyrs and low, loose and immoral inspired by ascetics, waverers full of tenacity, the a high and generons idealism and purity. But the work was net complete. In the groundwork of
No. 20.
of a successful struggle had been removed, and the last state of the nation might have been worse than its first at any rate there would have been infinite troubles, reveres and disasters for the liberated nation, such as are in stow for nation like Persia where the struggle for freedon has not been sufficiently intense, arduous and courplientel in its features to purify the peopl and build its character. It is well to have dono with our trouble s reverses and defonts before the eul is gained, so that we may enter our kingdom pure and strong. We ought now to be able to recogn what it was that has made us fal in the hour of trial; for there can failed To recognize the defects is be no doubt that we have partially. to reject them, and with the will to rise, will ee the menns which
will help to raise us. The spirit the nation is rising, again. Only it. must be clearly recognized that tie old outlets are not the right one Solid and thorough work, f discipline by means of nobie and or lely action, this is the path by which we shall arrive at a high national character and evolution. Pretentious shams.
the new nation the old evil stuff
lingered, and therefore God trampled our work to pieces in order to have it out, so that it might be seen, recognized and rejected. It was that work the pressions and reforms hwe come to do, and it is almost 'done. Had we gone on in our first victorious rush, unhampered and undefeated, we would have entered the kingdom of Swaraj with an imperfect national character, fall of of Chowringhee, hus for once blurttemporarily repressed vicos whisked out the truth. While, in com wald have come to the surface mon with other Anglo-Indian as soon as, the great stimulus porsit des in strains dithy
In an unguarded moment our friend and India's, tho Statesman