The Spiritual divinity of Indian life
Publisher: Oxford University Press
Published: 15 September, 2016
Place of publication: United Kingdom
Language: eng
Format: Paperback
Number of pages: 286
ISBN-13: 9781537673851
Description: I believe we the INDIANS, like all other peoples of the world, are naturally susceptible to flattery. But unfortunately they have been deprived of their share of it, even in wholesome measure, both by the Fates presiding at the making of their history as well as by the guests partaking of their salt. We have been declared inefficient in practical matters by our governors, foreign missionaries have created a vast literature proclaiming our moral obliquity, while casual visitors have expressed their opinion that we are particularly uninteresting to the intellectual mind of the West. Other peoples' estimate of our work is a great part of our world, and the most important other peoples in the present age being the Europeans, it has become tragic in its effect for us to be unable to evoke their appreciation. There was a time when India could touch the most sensitive part of Europe's mind by storming her imagination with a gorgeous vision of wealth. But cruel time has done its work and the golden illusion has vanished, leaving the ragged poverty of India open to public inspection, charitable or otherwise. Therefore epithets of a disparaging nature from the West find an easy target in India, bespattering her skin and piercing her vital parts. Epithets once given circulation die hard, for they have their breeding-places in our mental laziness and in our natural readiness to believe that whatever is different from ourselvesmust be offensive. Men can live through and die happy in spite of disparagement, if it comes from critics with whom they have no dealings. But unfortunately our critics not only have the power to give us a bad name, but also to hang us. They play the part of providence over three hundred millions of aliens whose language they hardly know, and with whom their acquaintance is of the surface. Therefore the vast accumulation of calumny against India, continually growing and spreading over the earth, secretly and surely obstructs the element of heart from finding an entrance into our government.One can never do justice from a mere sense of duty to those for whom one lacks respect. And human beings, as we are, justice is not the chief thing that we claim from our rulers. We need sympathy as well, in order to feel that we have human relationship with them and thus retain as much of our self-respect as may be possible.
Table of contents: title: Chapter 1 :; title: THE IDLE MOTHER OF THE EAST; title: Chapter 2:; title: THE HINDU WOMAN AS WIFE IN INDIAN SOCIETY; title: Chapter 3:; title: LOVE STRONG AS DEATH IN INDIAN SOCIETY; title: Chapter 4:; title: THE PLACE OF WOMAN IN THE INDIAN NATIONAL LIFE; title: Chapter 5:; title: THE IMMEDIATE PROBLEMS OF THE ORIENTAL WOMAN IN INDIAN; title: LIFE; title: Chapter 6:; title: THE SAGAS OF INDIAN SOCIETY; title: Chapter 7:; title: THE NOBLESSE OBLIGE: A STUDY OF INDIAN CASTE; title: Chapter 8:; title: THE THOUGHT OF INDIAN SOCIETY AS SYNTHESIS; title: Chapter 9:; title: THE ORIENTAL EXPERIENCE OF INDIAN LIFE; title: Chapter 10:; title: THE WHEEL OF BIRTH AND DEATH IN INDIAN LIFE; title: Chapter 11:; title: THE STORY OF THE GREAT GOD: SIVA OR MAHADEV IN THE INDIAN LIFE; title: Chapter 12:; title: THE GOSPEL OF THE BLESSED ONE IN INDIAN LIFE; title: Chapter 13:; title: THE ISLAM IN INDIA LIFE; title: Chapter 14:; title: THE ROLE OF INDIAN PILGRIMAGE IN INDIAN LIFE; title: Chapter 15:; title: ON THE LOOM OF TIME IN INDIAN LIFE