________________
Vol. I.
KARMAYOGIN
National Religion, Literature, Science, Philosophy, &c.,
28th Falgoon, 1316.
We cannot, get the whole material advantage, out of a given situation as easily as the European can. But no one who has ever engaged in serious conversation with Europeans can doubt that there are many sub
jects on which they are, besidejus, extremely childish. In the field of Persia, or China, is so representative as that of the student. No religions and philosopical speculation, they find it difficult to generpower is so pervasive as the schoolalise, and propositions that are obmaster's might make itself, if mainvious to us will puzzle them severetained in harmony with the general ly. The same is true of the payaspiration. Why this prominence of the learner? What is the expla-chology of social relations. In the
culture of the family, Europeans are curiously lacking. That whole idea of play, that shines through all our domestic intercourse, and lubricates
nation? Does it point to a national immaturity? If so, let us face the fact. There is no advantage to be gained, by shutting our eyes to the position of affairs; on the contrary clear thought is itself the starting point of a goud fight with crudity and ignorance. National Immaturity.
PASSING THOUGHTS.
-000
A WEEKLY REVIEW
OF
A Nation of Students.
We are a nation of students. The whole East is full of students. No figure in the streets of an Asiatic
city, whether the country be India,
We must remember that the very words are foreign, in which this question is being discussed. We are, in fact, measuring ourselves and the maturity of our culture, against a modern and western standard. So measured, we are decidedly imma
ture. There are many practical
situations in life, where, beside the ease and mastery of the European,
we feel ourselves mere children. Is this immaturity, then, an absolute, or only a relativè truth? Is it perhaps true that all the people of the world are more or less immature?
(No. 36.
seem unripe, crude, but half-cultured and childish in his powers. The Test of Success.
Unfortunately for us, however, the world is being re-made, at this moment, by European culture. Its assimilation is the means and the test of success. With regard to it we are mere students. Then we are all students. It may be that when our lesson is learnt, there will be a compensating for Europe to learn. That is not our
one
business. Our business is to learn. our own. Is it the foreign idea that we have to accept? Not exactly. The foreign idea, as it stands, would merely give us moral indiall the friction of intimacy, appears gestion. We should become a nato be unborn amongst them. Here tion of moral dyspeptics. But wo they are as immature as we in their have to find, in our own stock of field. Those strong faces, with their ideas, that one which enables closed lips and air of instinctive us to meet the foreign nation on mastery, notify us of nothing genial own terms. The Englishman loves and easy, in the nature behind. Similarly, in us, the grave refined England, with a wonderful and type of old men, indicates no large public experience. All the linesments have been carved, in the one case, by contacts with the larger world, the world of struggle and complexities, of clashing interests, and grim affairs; and in the other, by quiet experience of love and suffering, by the thought of God, and by the garnered wisdom of the home. Either European or Hinds,on his own ground, will appeat unassailable; judged by the opposite standard,
often beautiful love. What we have to learn from this, is not to share his love for England. That would be the discipleship of monkeys, mere
imitation. We have to learn to meet his love for England with an equal, intelligent love for India. As he deeper, more tender and far more professes to make his country and his people the centre of every activity, every thought, so we have really to make our people and our country the centre of our own.
Hu
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