|
V
I have spoken of the past and present world as an era of conflict. And so it has been and still largely is. Amidst animals it was a purely animal conflict, as it also was and is amongst man, to the degree that he is still bound up with the animal element in his humanity. Not only has there been conflict but it has been rude and brutal. How else could savage man be made to understand ? Even the " civilized " man of to-day must often have his own flesh ground in misery before he can sympathise with the world-suffering. It is said in the Buddhist Tantra that the Buddhas and Bodhisattvas have four methods by which they subdue and save sentient beings of which the fourth is " the stem " or method of downright force. And thus it is said in "The golden rosary of the history of the Lotus born" (Padma Thangyig serteng) that the demoniac "Black Salvation " the Matram Rutra was impaled.
Throughout the past and in the present animals and men have made their advance through conflict. Each man and people in the struggle for existence has lived on, and overpowered others. Their good has been attained at the cost of others. Like the animal each has lived on the other. This is the so-called basis of the biological theories of life commonly current. The facts are correct enough. The error of those who exclusively hold these views is in making past and present fact a rule of conduct which absolutely justifies such conflict in the present as in the future, and thus looks to nothing beyond. An historical fact has thus been raised into a pseudo ethical theory.
Because animals and men have completed amongst themselves in savage struggle for existence, which struggle was justified according to the stage of their evolution: and because some men may still do so in accordance with such stage, is no reason why they and others should be enjoined to continue such struggle, and should ignore the rising conscience which speaks of a more spiritual advanced stage to follow. This is to sin against the Light which it is the object of the world process to unveil more and more to man's power of spiritual vision. On the other hand there is no sin provided there be good faith. Throughout the ages the illuminate Masters of Humanity, incarnations of the Humane Ideal in and evolved by man's mind, have taught the unity of all being and have anticipated in their presence the yet unfolded future of mankind. Their teaching has had effect but has been without complete result. For man is not raised at once to the level of these manifestation of his and their common Spirit. And •so we still see, particularly in the West, an irresponsible individualism in every sphere of social life with the motto " Each for himself and let the devil take the hindmost:" a principle of selfishness which, if not to-day always openly expressed, is still acted upon by many, both as individuals and as national bodies in their political aggressions. As each individual seeks its own interest, so do the nations. The chief meaning of this great war is that its occurrence marks the climax and close of an epoch of conflict which at first natural, and then modified by Christian ideals burst out again on the loss of those ideals in a corrupted form, and with the greater vehemence by reason of increased knowledge and the development of scientific-instruments of death. The force principle biologically creative as regards the successful in life's conflicts, and destructive as regards others, has reached that maximum of intensity which perhaps marks the commencement of the close of the first great epoch in man's evolution. Progress is gradual and therefore though as has been said, the red flower of the war may die down it will be sometime before its seed has gone.
What will follow ? An Indian writer in a recent number of the "Vedanta Keshari " has well outlined what he calls the" three policies " of individual and national conduct and their relation to the Vedanta. According to the first each man and nation in order to secure his and their life puts every other to suffering and to the risk of losing their own. This is the competition policy of nature. In the pre-family stage each man fought against each other man. Then each family fought each other family. Then there was the first organization of the Community the object of which was to end -both individual and family conflict. Then communities fought with communities, which became larger and larger, until nations fought with nations and empires and confederations with one another. This struggle, open or veiled, between Peoples reacts on weaker societies and by disorganizing them recreates individual struggle among the latter. This struggle can only end with the organization of the whole human family. Mankind should according to the Vedanta learn to live without harm to any man or nation, andthen he will, as India has done, do reverence all animate being. To such as have this consciousness all conscious harmfulness is sin and harmfulness produces suffering. As the Buddha said " Hatred is not cast out by Hatred. Hatred is cast out by Love." The first policy creates struggle between men and peoples, and assists the natural development by the negative force of racial antagonism, rivalry and selection. At this stage men and nations think of and act for themselves and not for the Self Whose body the whole universe is. None is safe and men and nations rise and fall; and so long as this principle prevails will continue to do so.
The second stage of spiritual advance is that of the "Concert policy" when each lives in concert with every other; a stage in which there is struggle both for individual or national life and for the life of other individuals and nations. Mankind is developed into this stage through the cruel disciplines of the first, and by the teachings of the spiritually wise who have never been absent from humanity. For Man has That in him which ever guards him. By the previous struggles the body and mind, as vehicles of the Spirit, have been prepared for the succeeding stage in which by recognition of human unity the positive or co-operative and benevolent forces of nature are brought into play. The circle of Man's interest is widened from himself and family with which it commenced to the whole of humanity and then to the entire universe. Sarvam khalvidam Brahma " All this is verily Brahman."
The last or third policy is that of sacrifice in which each gives himself for the good of others who are now known to be aspects of the one Self. This has yet to come. For the second stage has (if at all) barely commenced for most. Meanwhile, as the writer I have cited has acutely observed, the sacrifice must be a conscious sacrifice. If a nation sacrifices itself ignorantly, as the weaker nations are doing, it will fall into a state of individual struggle and then disappear. There is, I may add, no merit in the lamb or the goat who goes in ignorance to its slaughter. In every stage there must be strength and power; a will which determines its end; a will for self; a will for self and others; or a will for others at the cost of oneself. Be ever strong. Meanwhile and until the world as a whole has advanced beyond the era of conflict each people must at least defend itself against aggression and show that manliness without which our common human nature is disgraced. Without such defence the guardians of the great Eastern tradition are in peril from (to use the words of the late sociologist Mr. Benjamin Kidd) " the dark, efficient, and terrible West."
The Vedanta of the " barbarous " Indian people teaches that the Universe is the Self appearing to the limited self or Man. All being is one. It teaches that when this is known, man will not harm or live at the cost of another. To harm another is to harm oneself. As Shiva in the Kularnava Tantra says man " should do good to other beings as if they were his own self." (Atmavat sarvabhutebhyo hitang kuryyat Kuleshvari). Each fraction of the body of the Lord should, whilst preserving itself and holding to its duty, help the other to preserve the harmony of the whole. Hinduism has provided for this organization within India and amongst its followers by the wonderful Varnashrama Dharma. Though the evolution of the world has hitherto not called for it, the Vedanta also supplies the fundamental principles upon which international relations may be built. Where can be found a finer saying than "To do good to others is the highest religion?" Paropakaro hi paramo dharmah. This is true civilization and India has evolved it. |
