The Spanish Fork press. [volume] (Spanish Fork, Utah) 1902-current, 1907-11-07
BABA BhNRAN

Far east is east and west Is west,
And never the twain shall meet.
1 1t is not improbable that Rudyard
Epling saw the gulf dividing the two
Civilizations in his early acquaintance
fhlp with Bahia Bharati when both
we're journalists in India. 1t is GER
Jain that Bharati saw it, for he came
10 the Occident avowedly to study the
Possibilities of bridging it. Now, after
1ye years among us he has gone back
70 his own people, never, he says, to
eturn. And with his perspective of
time, old ideals of civilization and dis
nterestedness Baba Bharati, citizen
n the universe ascetic, philosopher
Pnd apostle of the purely spiritual
life, sees war impending between east
Rgainst the yellow peril" but of the
PAST against what he calls the white
peril Of aggressiveness and material
ism.
The Orient. will rise and drive the
white man forth. This will happen in
\ very few years. BY 1915, | believe,
Fhis conflict will be well under way.
|lhls is my own prophecy, but find
Plat Lafcadio Hearn made virtually
Pie same forecast some years ago. 1t
rs the White Peril from which we suf-
Per In the Orient-Caucasian aggres-
flyeness and soul-killing civilization"
Such was Bharati's parting message
10 the western world
Baba (Father) Bharati is not to be
eonfounded with the type Of pic
furesque Hindu charlatans who, with
scenery and costumes, have
come to America from time to time
70 wheedle dollars from silly women
and men who wear thumb rings. His
Eponsors were men of like standing
with Rev. DR.. r. Heber Newton, Prof.
CHARLES r. Lanman, of Harvard, and
pr. Felix Adler, of the Ethical Culture
society. He is a Brahmin of the first
order. His father was a magistrate
and his uncle a judge of the high
court of Calcutta. Twenty years ago
ne was editor of the Lahore Tribune
when Kipling was newspaper writer
lhere Later he became the editor
and proprietor of society paper in
calcutta. Then his religious instincts
asserted themselves, and for IL years
ne became an ascetic, a hermit, living
lie of austere simplicity in Brinda-
pan, most holy of Indias holy lands.
While here he met the great joyce of
harada, giant in stature, and be-
Neved to be the most spiritual man In
india. Under his teachings Baba
bharati came to believe that he had
message to carry to the Caucasian
world. He did not wish to go, and for
time he struggled against what he
leemed a command from on high.
ihen he went forth, and now he re-
cards his work well done He is hap
py in the thought of return, yet has
earned to love the American people
md feels pangs of regret at leaving
hem forever.
The Orient for orientals.
Large of frame, with the pisyer
10th of his "Krishna," yellow and in
.eribed with wondrous words to the
4indl faith, wound around his turban,
ohg raven black curls dropping down
'Dout his shoulders. with an eye as
near as Rhenish wine and a face of
'eculiarly benign mlen, yet strongly
combining as 1t does GER
ain acquired western vigor with the
,lacidity and calmness of the Orient
Daba Bharati is a striking figure. He
'as studied the Occident and its ways
md declares that the aggression, the
tremendous conceit and the blindness
u the white race are going to bring
.oout the uprising of all Asia-that
asia will be free at last from domino