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various tones, unity harmonising multiplicity. The ideal of the Hindu-sangathan, in my opinion, is an Indian nation harmoniously comprising the three hundred millions of the inhabitants of the Hindusthan, having even no less than as many religions, -a nation standing for a particular type of civilization which will be a distinct note in the harmony of the world civilization, although in itsell a musical unity comprising of various notes distinct from each other.
This ideal of a Hindu (Indian) nation cannot be fully realised as long as we are mere imitators of the West. Nation-building is an art, and I think the noblest of all arts. Like all arts it requires freedom or self-determination. A nation, in order that it may realise its soul, must necessarily be free. Freedom cannot be the ideal of a nation, but only a presupposition, a starting point. Unless a nation is free in building its own ideals and evolving its own institutions social and political it cannot contribute anything of its own to the civilization of the world. Slaves and imitators have never enriched the world.civilization. Until a nation is free, all its efforts in philosophy, art, science and religion are mere shots in the sky; and the flow of its energies in these directions is not so productive as it would have been, and, I think, not so laudable as it is when directed to the realisation of the most primary requirement-Freedom.
For the sake of even spreading Truth, Righteousness and Justice we require freedom and power, Brahmanism could spread from one corner of India to the other simply because it was the religion of the conquering Aryans : Buddhism once became the world-religion only because it was the religion of the mighty emperors like Ashoka and Kanishka. Mohammedanism owes its spread to the power and conquests to the medieval Muslim warriors. The present spread of Christianity is not so much due to the inherent nobleness of Lord Christ, as to its being the religion of the rulers of the world. Imagine why so noble a religion as Jainism, which wishes peace and good will to the tiniest vermin, is professed and practised only by a handful of Indians, whereas, many other religions, which comparatively may not stand for very
high truths, are increasing the number of their followers every day. Shree Sudharmaswami Gyanbhandar-Umara, Surat
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