from Tales of prison life...They are both innocent [...], they had been able to reject the supremacy of external joys and sorrows and succeeded in preserving the freedom of their inner life. But the virtues of the national character came out even among the real offenders. [...] I stayed in Alipore for 12 months, and excepting one or two [...] we received from all and sundry good behaviour. Rather it was in among those spoilt by modern education that these qualities seemed to be lacking. Modern education may have many virtues to recommend itself, but civility and selfless service form no part of these. The kindness and sympathy that are such valuable elements of Aryan education, I found even among the thieves and robbers. [...] A Mohameddan convict used to love the accused like his own children and at the time of parting he could not restrain himself from shedding tears. Pointing out their suffering and humiliation as the price of patriotism he would tell others and express his sorrow by saying, Look these are gentlemen, sons of the rich, but they suffer here because they have tried to help the poor and distressed. Those who vaunt about western culture, I would like to ask them: Is this self-control, charity, generosity, gratitude, godly love for others to be found among the lower order of criminals, the thieves and robbers of England? In fact Europe is the land of enjoyment, India of sacrifice. The Gita describes two kinds of creatures - deva and asura. The Indian is intrinsically of the deva kind, the western of the asura. But in this age of deep darkness (ghor kali) because of the disappearance of Aryan education due to the predominance of tamas [= inertia], in our national decline, we are acquiring the inferior qualities of the asura while the Westerners, because of the national progress and growth of manhood are acquiring the qualities of the deva. But in spite of this, in their deva qualities something of the asura, and in our asuric qualities something of the deva can be imperfectly glimpsed. The cream among them also cannot wholly get rid of the asuric qualities. When one compares the inferior specimens of both the cultures, the truth comes out quite strikingly.
Posted on: Wed, 08 Oct 2014 12:10:44 +0000
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