Self-reverence, self-knowledge, self-control
These three alone lead life to sovereign power
Yet not for power (Power of herself
Would come uncalled for) but to live by law
Acting the law we live by without fear;
And because right is right, to follow right
Were wisdom is the scorn of consequence.
(Tennyson: Oenone)
I do not put my faith in new institutions, but in
the
Individuals all over the world, who think clearly,
feel
Nobly, and act rightly, thus becoming the channels
of moral
Power. Our moral ideas do not work with chisels and
Hammers. Like trees, they spread their roots in the
soil and
Their branches in the sky, without consulting any
architect
For their plans.
(Rabindranath Tagore on Education
It was a happy accident that turned Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan to the study of philosophy and religion. In 1904, he passed the Intermediate Examination with distinction in mathematics, psychology and history. He secured a scholarship to join the B.A. Course at the Madras Christian College. He was inclined to opt for the physical sciences, but had to accept philosophy since a cousin of his gave him his books on psychology, logic and ethics. This meant an appreciable saving for Radhakrishnan as the financial circumstances of the family were not comfortable. Providence had cast him for a different role. Radhakrishnan had faith in a benevolent Providence, which shaped the course of his life. Philosophy and religion, which he was obliged to study more by accident than by choice, became his lifelong commitment and passion.
The
seed for Radhakrishnan blossoming into not only an exponent of Indian
Philosophy of the highest order, but also a humanist and apostle of culture was
sown with his juvenile academic exercise “The Ethics of the Vedanta and its
Metaphysical Presuppositions” for his Master’s Degree. It won the appreciation
of his professors, William Meston and Dr. Hogg. Appetite grew by what it fed on
and Radhakrishnan’s preoccupation with philosophy and religion grew when he
taught them at Presidency College, Madras and the Universities of Mysore and
Calcutta.
There
was a threefold reaction to western culture, which like a tidal wave, swept
over India since the middle of the nineteenth century. The Indians exposed to
the system of English education accepted western ‘culture’ in toto to the
exclusion of whatever was Indian. They became pale, blind cultural stereotypes
of the West and fulfilled Macaulay’s wish by turning “more English than the
English themselves”. They parroted the prejudiced views of western critics
about Indian culture. The second category included the conservatives who were
excessively pro-Indian and anti-western. To the third category belonged those
who revealed an attitude of healthy compromise. They were for accepting the
best that the West had to offer without sacrificing the essentials of Indian
culture. It was in such a scenario that a line of eminent thinkers appeared to
awaken the Indians to the glory and vitality of their heritage and infuse in
them a sense of pride in their cultural past. At the same time, they emphasised
the need for a fellowship of faiths. “Those who condemn Indian culture as
useless are ignorant of it; while those who commend it as perfect are ignorant
of any other. Our system of thought must act and react on world progress.
Stagnant systems like pools breed obnoxious growths, while flowing rivers
constantly renew their waters from fresh springs of inspiration. There is
nothing wrong in absorbing the culture of other people; only we must enhance,
raise and purify the elements we take over, fuse them with the best in our
own”. (S. Radhakrishnan; Indian Philosophy Volume – II)
What
Swami Vivekananda did towards the end of nineteenth century, Radhakrishnan did
in the twentieth century. As a humanist, he defines and interprets religion in
its most comprehensive sense. The question is not “Why religion?” but “What
kind of religion”? Religion is awareness; it is wisdom and enlightenment.
Bigotry, fanaticism, prejudice, intolerance and such negative elements are
alien to it. It is responsive to new forces and answers social needs. “Unless
religions reckon with the forces at work and deal with them creatively, they
are likely to fade away. Religions, which are insensitive to human ills and social
crimes, do not appeal to the modern man. Religions, which make for division,
discord and disintegration and do not foster unity, understanding and
coherence, play into the hands of the opponents of religion. Religion is not
magic or witchcraft, quackery or superstition. It is not to be confused with
outdated dogmas and incredible superstition, which are hindrances and barriers,
which spoil the simplicity of spiritual life” (S. Radhakrishnan; Religion and
Culture).
Radhakrishnan
dispels the misconception that religion and science are antagonistic. Both of
them are concerned with truth, though their methods of approach may be
different. There is no basic contradiction between the two. Radhakrishnan
quotes Albert Einstein. The scientist’s “religious feeling takes the form of a
rapturous amazement at the harmony of natural law, which reveals an
intelligence of such superiority that compared with it, all the systematic
thinking and acting of human beings is an utterly insignificant reflection.
This feeling is the guiding principle of his life and work, in so far as he
succeeds in keeping himself free from the shackles of selfish desire. It is
beyond question closely akin to that which has possessed the religious geniuses
of all ages”. The achievements of science are a testimony and tribute to human
intelligence and endeavor. Radhakrishnan says that the mind of man, which split
the atom, is superior to the atom. What should be denounced is the abuse of
science and its potential for destruction.
It
is good to have a giant’s strength
But
tyrannical to use it so. (Shakespeare)
Bertrand
Russell in his essay “Knowledge and Wisdom” says that science has added
phenomenally to our stock of knowledge. It has also conferred enormous power.
But how that power, particularly nuclear power, should be used can be known
only by a growth in wisdom which lies in discrimination and concern for human
welfare. “Science enlarges our concepts of god and religion and saves science
from going astray. Religions should not end in wars and inquisition as in
Hiroshima’s and Nagasaki’s. A man without religion is like a horse without a
bridle. Any system of education should aim at a balanced growth of the
individual and insist on both knowledge and wisdom. It should not only train
the intellect, but bring grace into the heart of man. Wisdom is more easily
gained through the study of literature, philosophy and religion. They interpret
the higher laws of the universe. If we do not have a general philosophy or
attitude to life, our minds will be confused and we will suffer from greed,
pusillanimity, anxiety and defeatism. Mental slums are more dangerous to
mankind than material slums”. (Radhakrishnan
: True Knowledge).
This
is how Matthew Arnold describes the chaos and conflict in the modern world. It
is bedeviled by formidable monsters like materialism, greed, violence,
exploitation, competitive religion, commercialisation etc. Religion in its most
vital sense is the antidote to cure the spiritual malady of the present world.
Though a staunch champion of the faith to which he was born, Radhakrishnan goes
beyond it and speaks of religion in its universal dimension. “It is not to this
or that religion that Dr. Radhakrishnan has turned, but to the Religion behind
all religions, not to what divides men, but to what must unite them. In his own
words “A religion ceases to be a universal faith, if it does not make universal
men”. To this rare band of universal men, he himself belongs” (Tribute by
Lokanath Bhattacharya : Radhakrishnan Reader – Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan). “His
supreme purpose was to restore a sense of spiritual values to the millions of
religiously displaced persons in all parts of the world by reclaiming such men
and women not to any church or creed, but to the truth that underlies all
religions. The unity of humanity could be achieved only by producing a new type
of human being who is totally dedicated to the spirit of brotherhood. True
religion should bring about such a transformation and change of outlook”.
(Sarvepalli Gopal: Radhakrishnan – A Biography).
The world has to be educated in the spirit of religion. Man’s enemies are within himself and he can conquer them by introspection. The faculty of discrimination inherent in the human being should be activated. Going through Radhakrishnan’s speeches and writings is an adventure in the realm of ideas, a journey in the “realms of gold”. It has a chastening, enriching, elevating influence. He brings his philosophic vision and insight to bear on his discussion of contemporary problems and articulates his views with clarity, conviction and emphasis. Humanity, compassion, charity in the sense of tolerance and love, faith in a transcendental divine order, respect for the sanctity of life, and observance of the decencies of life – it is these which impart meaning and quality to life. The following prayer is worth remembering and reflecting upon:
Lord,
we pray for the power to be gentle, the strength to be forgiving, the patience
to be understanding; and the endurance to accept the consequences of holding to
what we believe to be true.
May
we put the trust in the power of good to overcome evil and the power to love to
overcome hatred. We pray for the vision to see and the faith to believe in a
world emancipated from violence, a new world where fear shall no longer lead
men to commit injustice nor selfishness make them bring suffering to others.
Help
us devote our whole life and thought and energy to the task of making peace,
praying always for the inspiration and power to fulfill the destiny for which
we are created.
-Week of Prayer for World Peace: 1978