The times., 1899-09-24
some vedantfc philosophy.

IlNFtuEte - IDA DtlNaG pAbtANF A4AAIA
the title, MY Indian Friends" AS every
one knows. Prof. Muller's work brought
him into close contact with numbers of
Hindus, on terms of friendship often Of in
timacy; and he is therefore thoroughly
qualified TO speak on the subject which
most Europeans are obliged to handle with
reservations
He says in the preface to this work few
things which il would be well for the aver
age reader to consider thoughtfully:
What seems to me TO prevent a full appreciation
Of the intellectual achievements of ancient and
medieval India, is that they mostly looked
upon as we look on the prodigies in our exhibi-
tlOns, as simply curious. Now, should never
say that Plato and Aristotle were curious. We
take them far more seriously. We look upon
them equals; nay, as teachers.
Real friendship between the rulers and the ruled
IN India ought 10 be no impossihiity; II has ex-
listed again and again; only il should no longer
be the exception, but the rule.
We have not, in this country. entirely
gotten rid Of the idea inculcated by prose-
lytizing forefathers, that-the Hindu is
merely heather 10 be converted, and that
his own ideas of life and ethics are OF no
account whatever. Travellers and mission
aries who have soiourned in India have
frequently been led into the most absurd,
sometimes the most tragic, blunders, sim
ply because they went with preconceived
notions OF what they were to find. No writ
er is better qualified to speak of the real
India than Max Muller, although he has
never been there. An Occidental who has
gained the confidence of the intellectual
classes OF India to such an extent as this
eminent scholar knows phases Of Indian
life which are not likely TO be encountered
hrr he. f--or- Nv ee1F !,
sorbed native official
The shortest road toward understanding
any people is TO become intimately ac-
quainted with the highest types with whom
one can speak a common language. II the
mass OF the people are Ignorant and de-
graded, they are likely 10 have been forced
by the exigencies Of their life into abnor-
NAL developments, and It is usually a diff
cult thing 10 find out just what they are
thinking or feeling, because the impulse of
the ignorant man always is TO hide himself
from the alien, especially if the alien be an
investigator, with more knowledge and
power than his subject.
The present work is rather technical in
some respects, and the author evidently for
gets now and then that some of his read
ers may not know as much about the We
dantic philosophy as he himself But after
all, the book is not intended for people
without encyclopedias and dictionaries
The first Hindu with whom Prof. Muller
became acquainted was one of the first OF
that race to make his appearance in Eu-
rope He was DvarkanaTh Tagore and he
came TO Paris in 1874. The Hindu and the
German fraternized on musical grounds.
for the former had acquired taste for
Italian and French music. One day Null
Ter asked his guest TO play for him some
snef
first denied, but finally granted and the
Hindu's comment on the incident is so
keen an analysis of a somewhat typical
situation that it is worth reproducing:
] could discern neither melody, nor rhythm.
nor harmony in What he sang. but when ] told
him 50 he shook his head and said: ''You are all
alike Il anything seems strange to you and does
not please you al once, you tuIn away When first
heard Italian music was 10 music to me at al; ;
but ] went and on, till ! began 10 like it. or
what you cal understand ii. II is the same with
everything else You say our religion is reli-
g1on, our poetry no poetry, our philosophy no
philosophy We try 10 understand and appreciate
whatever Eurs pc has Produc. d, but do n3t nsgiae
that therefore we desp.se what India ha proiucei.
II you studied our music we do yours you
would find that there is melody. rhythm and har-
nlOny in II, quite much IN yours. And II
y0u would study our poetry, our religion and our
philosophy. you would find that We are not what
you call heathens OF miscreants. but know as
much Of the InkDoWable you do and have
perhaps even deeper into it than yeu have"
II is rather amusing to note that this
Hindu turned the tables on English trav-
eiers by carefully noting down in 2 little
book everything which did not rebound to
the honor CT the English, particularly of
the clergy. Ii was a collection Of all kinds
OF ecclesiastical scandal, just such as
might be retailed by a European trav-
eler concerning the priesthood OF India or
Japan.
Following this is a decidedly pathetic
little story OF a converted Hindu. This
man turned up al MuIler's rooms one day
in a state Of utter bswilderment and doubt
He had been brought up in the yedantic
faith, but having studied the Old and the
New Testsments, had determined TO be-
come Christian
By this he meant adopting the principles
taught by Christ, and teaching them TO
Others. He came 10 London expecting 10
find a Christian city. where men would
live at peace with one anoth-
er ready to give up their eloaks and coats
10 anyone in need. and so on, and his dis
illusionment was pitiful. He judged Lon
don and the Christian religion exactly as
Europeans have judged Calcutta or Bonn
bay and the Nedantic religion He was put
IN theological school of some sort, where
he came in contact with more or less mar
row-minded and bigoted youths. who i'm
pressed upon his mind that he could not
be Christian II he abstained from eating
meat So he made the attempt TO swallow
sandwich containing slice of beef but
II was as abhorrent to him as cannibalism
would be TO US. and be never tried il again
AT the time OF his interview with Null
ler be was as thoroughly mixed up from a
theological point OF view, as man could be-
He had a perfectly clear and luminous con-
ception OF the philosophy Of the two reiig-
ions; what he did not understand was the
object Of adding a great deal OF extraneous
matter TO the plain teachings OF Christ
He had given up his Own people, his pa
rents. his wife, and his children, when he
accepted the new faith, and there seemed
10 be no way for him to reconcile himself
TO the Christians in the Christian country
10 which he had come. He finally return
ed TO India and became hermit-a New
Testament Sunnyssi.
The careers and teachings OF Keshut
Chunder Sen Rammohun Roy and Moz-
oomdar. are discussed in these pages, and
there is a caustic word or two for Madame
Blsvatsky. OF her the author says:
Mime. BlayatsEy might certainly have dane a
good WORK II she Lad Joined some really learned
Punciis, familiar with the six systems cf Hindu
philosophy noE would il have been too much for
person endowed with such extraordinary n not
miraculous powcrs as she said 10 have pos
Eessec, 70 have mastered the grammar of Sanskrit
But what has been the result Of al her laborsp
Indian philosophy has gained some Corslsarfie
followers. but the true teaching az Bsdaravans
sno hahta has been olsscured rather than illum-
mated ~ being mixed up with poor and con-
tenptible oonjuriHg tricks.
Pref. Muller evidently agrees with Kin
ling's Characterization OF the Blayatslrv
religion as the sTca-C.ur ,resa T-s.-