New-York tribune. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1866-1924, 1886-11-28


| world holds TO this principle you can never 10 Ire
| from the fear and danger OF SOCIALISM,,
| But in India Socialism Is impossible. We ar
all poor there, but ii II because do not desire u
| be rich humanity is constituted that as q ruiz
men obtain that which they strive for most earn
estly. In the West material possessions are sought;
| In the East spiritual enlightenment. The result
| that the West has riches aud the East ideas. bu
man cannot live the Materialst life long without
suffering from II. Possessing nature which is al
least half spiritual the deprivation of pure rel q
ous ideal poisons his cup. Permanent progress de
MAIDS such ideal, and without it the utmost adj
vances of souless Science can only tend TO hasten
the advent of that reign of force which must ex-
tinguish civilization. he present Tendencies are
in the direction of that danger IL has been borne
IN upon me that the time is ripe for the introduce
tlOn 10 tho West of the Eastern wisdom re gIon
which is fundamentally one with true Christianity.
When have been asked If desire TO convert Eu-
rope to BUDDHISM or Brahmanism. i have always
said, No. what desire is TO convert Christendom
10 Christianity Pray do not think, however,
that regard myself apostle or that put nv
self forward as an accredited representative OF in-
dian thought or feeling. Nv ambition is to help a
little in that seed-sowing work which the The0-
sOphcal Society has begnn 70 assist IN bringing
about that better understanding Of The East which
acquaintance with Its religion and philosophy alone
can supply.
The Iheosophica Society has been misconceived
considerably and this Is partly due TO a mistake
az least think II so-in the initial movement. In
order to interest tho West great stress was laid on
tho minor phenomena of occult science. lt was
tbuught that the presentation Of these wonders
deserved attention. Unfortunately the first effect
to attract the kind Of people who care only for
the thaumaturgy and nothing for the doctrine.
Presently these wOnder-seekers, finding that the
purpose of the society was not the production OF
phenomena, but the study OF ancient religions ana
PHILOSOPHERS mainly. fell away, and then more
serious aud spiritual element TO the 'front.' Az
present the beginning of q far more Intelligent ana
thorough examination of the literature Of India
than has been ATTEMPTED before IL being made.
In Eng and, France, Germany and Italy groups of
ar y hapn
ing their researches steadily III have anv part In
the movement Is simply that of an occasional adj
yiseI and interprete There are points IN INDIAN
philosophy aud literature which require the light
only derlvable from inherited national apprehen-
SION for their understanding, and such
points | am sometimes able to clear up
for Western minds lave been urged indeed 70
make new and annotated translati0ns OF some OF
the important of the Eastern sacred books
snch tor the Btgavad glta. lt is possible
that may do something of the kind IL no more
competent hand can be found.
Of course such an attempt as have outlined to
bring together the East aud che West and to mOdi-
fy the Material Of the former with the spiritual
ism OF the latter. must be work OF time. lam led
to hoUc that II will ultimately succeed because
am taught by the masters whose humble disciple
am that the pr gress of the race IL ever upward
and on ward. and because continuance of Material
istIc civilization Its present lines must If un-
checked end IN dIsasl Or and retrogresslOn. As TO
The existence of those masters have no hing to saw
save hat beIeveIn them and with reason which
satisfies myself Ii il not advisable 10 speak Of
to insist up n the recognition of, the Mahatmas,
however. before Those who are wholly unprepared
by framing and education to comprehend. much
less accept, the vast scheme Of knowledge OF which
they are the cIslodians and the teachers Nor can
I say aDything of INV relations with th m beyond
The statement that may Dsrs be Legaf cOni
Germs however. the puhIc can take no interest.
and they are fact qnite uniDportant. Such little
significance as belongs t. no grows entirely out
of nv identification with doctrines and views most
% which probably strange to the Western IN
tegence. Ii is 10 dissipate this strangeness, and
to fapiliarjze the world with truths IL onght 70
make it's own. that ths fhs"sophical Society has
been es ablshed. and IN this work. which and
Others consider very Important. AIN dong what L
The posslbltv Of uniting the East and West In
the acceptance Of the Universal Religion appears
70 me so fran2ht With great results that 1t Is duty
70 further IT, The first step toward such accord
must be the clearing away of msarprehension on
both sides and the demonstration of the real den-
Ity of AL genuine religion. When add that he
Universal Re i1On requires from no Christian the
rejection OF any Ospei te1ching. but only the re-
nnnciation of those parasitic accretions which have
deformed and Overland the doctrines OF the Founder.
YOU NAV conclude that my outlook Is not 80 fantas-
ito and exirava Iant as without thus explanation
1t might appear. 1t do erves TO be noted, also, that
the Indications of Western preparedness to take new
ideas from India are mora numerous than you
would suppose. Let me instance the Iranscen-
dental movement IL your country Emerson ana ana
East and the fructl'yin force IN their conceptions
they owed to India. Coming down to the present
time find powerful current of thought in Ger
mapv and recognize many familiar ideas in it.
On inquiry earn that this is the philosophy Of
Schopenhauer; but when ] read SchODenhauer
see behind him the wisdom OF the Vedas He
indeed has twisted and distorted the truth thus
derived for he has attempted the impossible feat
of serving God and Mammon at the same time
working union of MaterIalIsm and SpirItuallsm is
ont If the question. SchOpenhauer has only sue
cceded, by forcing these Incompatible elements
together, IN producing that negatlon OF oil sound
thought which Won call PesSmlsm.
TO understand the Indian religion there must be
a capacity TO perceive spiritual truth Of some kind
but the Materalist philosophy Of the age appears
to lack this CAPACITY. Nuvana and Maksha seem to
the cart h. bound vision synonyms for annihlatlOn.
This il because thev are the symbols of torn of
existence so tar transc hiding human experience
that only the Illuminated spirit can realize and
even II but dmly. the subtle refinement of life in
volved. But it IL indeed true that the philosophy
of India is as much broader and more comprehen.
sive than Western philosophy as the cosmology OF
the O1ent IL broader an more comprehensive than
Western cosmology Your men of science with
their scOr of Intnitional methods. have tied them
SCI yes down to the exploration of the ftie corner
OF the universe upon which they are planted. The
result the insuarity. narrOwness and intellectual
blgOtry which characterize Western scientific re-
search lndisposiyOn to acknowledge indebted
ness, moreover, was never the accompaniment or
stronger disposition to borrow After furnishing
vour seize titc store from Eastern deDots after
ADOPTING in MANY cases an Eastern terminology
which perpetully exposes the origin of the ideas
and discoveries you have appropriated, your sages
have neither the grace nor consistency to admit
that Indian learning may have value Of its
own.
One English scho lar. Professor Max Muller, has,
IT il true, very handsomely acknowledged the
debt Europe owes to the East, and wish his book
What Iuda Can Teacn U.s. could be generally
read. That is a fair beginning of liberal move
ment which nope WI spread wider the present eff
forts to break down the barriers between the two
regions and enrich the West with the spiritual
treasures of the Fast.
am member Of the Brahmo Somaj, ne we'll as
member Of the fheOsophIcal Society. My ancestor,
Ramlnohun 10Y, was conspicuOusy associated with
the movement. Its influence has declined of late
hkfh a fxyI nah IN frTtlu
divine. The great spiritual movement OF the fut-
ure will be one aiming mt the abandonment of all
sectarian distinctions, the elimination OF spurious
embrolderies from al! creeds, and the union of all
who are not atrophied by Materasm in the
ship of one God, OF whose essence is all humanity,
and the glory of whose divinity. may be shared by
the humblest son OF Adam who has learned to walk
by the new light. 10 quote one of your Western
poets Matthew Arnold, aud those who think with
me desire to
"wh.t stiIl Of strength 10 left. employ
Tb IN hein tfaiu