Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda - Vol-7
MEMOIRS OF EUROPEAN TRAVEL
(Translated from Bengali)
II
We have an adage among us that one that has a disc-like pattern on
the soles of his feet becomes a vagabond. I fear, I have my soles
inscribed all over with them. And there is not much room for
probability, either. I have tried my best to discover them by
scrutinising the soles, but all to no purpose - the feet have been
dreadfully cracked through the severity of cold, and no discs or
anything of the kind could be traced. However, when there is the
tradition, I take it for granted that my soles are full of those
signs. But the results are quite patent - it was my cherished
desire to remain in Paris for some time and study the French
language and civilisation; I left my old friends and acquaintances
and put up with a new friend, a Frenchman of ordinary means, who
knew no English, and my French - well, it was something quite
extraordinary! I had this in mind that the inability to live like
a dumb man would naturally force me to talk French, and I would
attain fluency in that language in no time - but on the contrary I
am now on a tour through Vienna, Turkey, Greece, Egypt, and
Jerusalem! Well, who can stem the course of the inevitable! - And
this letter I am writing to you from the last remaining capital of
Mohammedan supremacy - from Constantinople!
I have three travelling companions - two of them French and the
third an American. The American is Miss MacLeod whom you know very
well; the French male companion is Monsieur Jules Bois, a famous
philosopher and litterateur of France; and the French lady friend
is the world-renowned singer, Mademoiselle Calvé. "Mister" is
"Monsieur" in the French language, and "Miss" is "Mademoiselle" -
with a Z-sound. Mademoiselle Calvé is the foremost singer - opera
singer - of the present day. Her musical performances are so
highly appreciated that she has an annual income of three to four
lakhs of rupees, solely from singing. I had previously been
acquainted with her. The foremost actress in the West, Madame
Sarah Bernhardt, and the foremost singer, Calvé, are both of them
of French extraction, and both totally ignorant of English, but
they visit England and America occasionally and earn millions of
dollars by acting and singing. French is the language of the
civilised world, the mark of gentility in the West, and everybody
knows it; consequently these two ladies have neither the leisure
nor the inclination to learn English. Madame Bernhardt is an aged
lady; but when she steps on the stage after dressing, her
imitation of the age and sex of the role she plays is perfect! A
girl or a boy - whatever part you want her to play, she is an
exact representation of that. And that wonderful voice! People
here say her voice has the ring of silver strings! Madame
Bernhardt has a special regard for India; she tells me again and
again that our country is "trés ancien, tres civilisé" - very
ancient and very civilised. One year she performed a drama
touching on India, in which she set up a whole Indian street-scene
on the stage - men, women, and children, Sadhus and Nagas, and
everything - an exact picture of India! After the performance she
told me that for about a month she had visited every museum and
made herself acquainted with the men and women and their dress,
the streets and bathing ghats and everything relating to India.
Madame Bernhardt has a very strong desire to visit India. - "C'est
mon rave! - It is the dream of my life", she says. Again, the
Prince of Wales (His late Majesty King Edward VII, the then Prince
of Wales.) has promised to take her over to a tiger and elephant
hunting excursion. But then she said she must spend some two lakhs
of rupees if she went to India! She is of course in no want of
money. "La divine Sarah" - the divine Sarah - is her name; how can
she want money, she who never travels but by a special train! That
pomp and luxury many a prince of Europe cannot afford to indulge
in! One can only secure a seat for her performance by paying
double the fees and that a month in advance! Well, she is not
going to suffer want of money! But Sarah Bernhardt is given to
spending lavishly. Her travel to India is therefore put off for
the present.
Mademoiselle Calve will not sing this winter, she will take a rest
and is going to temperate climates like Egypt etc. I am going as
her guest. Calve has not devoted herself to music alone, she is
sufficiently learned and has a great love for philosophical and
religious literature. She was born amidst very poor circumstances;
gradually, through her own genius and undergoing great labour and
much hardship, she has now amassed a large fortune and has become
the object of adoration of kings and potentates!
There are famous lady singers, such as Madame Melba, Madame Emma
Ames, and others; and very distinguished singers, such as Jean de
Reszke, Plancon, and the rest - all of whom earn two or three
lakhs of rupees a year! But with Calvé's art is coupled a unique
genius. Extraordinary beauty, youth, genius, and a celestial voice
- all these have conspired to raise Calvé to the forefront of all
singers. But there is no better teacher than pain and poverty!
That extreme penury and pain and hardship of childhood, a constant
struggle against which has won for Calvé this victory, have
engendered a remarkable sympathy and a profound seriousness in her
life. Again, in the West, there are ample opportunities along with
the enterprising spirit. But in our country, there is a sad dearth
of opportunities, even if the spirit of enterprise be not absent.
The Bengali woman may be keen after acquiring education, but it
comes to nought for want of opportunities. And what is there to
learn from in the Bengali language? At best some poor novels and
dramas! Then again, learning is confined at present to a foreign
tongue or to Sanskrit and is only for the chosen few. In these
Western countries there are innumerable books in the
mother-tongue; over and above that, whenever something new comes
out in a foreign tongue, it is at once translated and placed
before the public.
Monsieur Jules Bois is a famous writer; he is particularly an
adept in the discovery of historical truths in the different
religions and superstitions. He has written a famous book putting
into historical form the devil-worship, sorcery, necromancy,
incantation, and such other rites that were in vogue in Mediaeval
Europe, and the traces of those that obtain to this day. He is a
good poet, and is an advocate of the Indian Vedantic ideas that
have crept into the great French poets, such as Victor Hugo and
Lamartine and others, and the great German poets, such as Goethe,
Schiller, and the rest. The influence of Vedanta on European
poetry and philosophy is very great. Every good poet is a
Vedantin, I find; and whoever writes some philosophical treatise
has to draw upon Vedanta in some shape or other. Only some of them
do not care to admit this indebtedness, and want to establish
their complete originality, as Herbert Spencer and others, for
instance. But the majority do openly acknowledge. And how can they
help it - in these days of telegraphs and railways and newspapers?
M. Jules Bois is very modest and gentle, and though a man of
ordinary means, he very cordially received me as a guest into his
house in Paris. Now he is accompanying us for travel.
We have two other companions on the journey as far as
Constantinople - Père Hyacinthe and his wife. Père, i.e. Father
Hyacinthe was a monk of a strict ascetic section of the Roman
Catholic Church. His scholarship, extraordinary eloquence, and
great austerities won for him a high reputation in France and in
the whole Catholic Order. The great poet, Victor Hugo, used to
praise the French style of two men - one of these was Père
Hyacinthe. At forty years of age Père Hyacinthe fell in love with
an American woman and eventually married her. This created a great
sensation, and of course the Catholic Order immediately gave him
up. Discarding his ascetic garb of bare feet and loose-fitting
cloak, Père Hyacinthe took up the hat, coat, and boots of the
householder and became - Monsieur Loyson. I, however, call him by
his former name. It is an old, old tale, and the matter was the
talk of the whole continent. The Protestants received him with
honour, but the Catholics began to hate him. The Pope, in
consideration of his attainments, was unwilling to part with him
and asked him to remain a Greek Catholic priest, and not abandon
the Roman Church. (The priests of the Greek Catholic section are
allowed to marry but once, but do not get any high position). Mrs.
Loyson, however, forcibly dragged him out of the Pope's fold. In
course of time they had children and grandchildren; now the very
aged Loyson is going to Jerusalem to try to establish cordial
relations among the Christians and Mussulmans. His wife had
perhaps seen many visions that Loyson might possibly turn out to
be a second Martin Luther and overthrow the Pope's throne - into
the Mediterranean. But nothing of the kind took place; and the
only result was, as the French say, that he was placed between two
stools. But Madame Loyson still cherishes her curious day-dreams!
Old Loyson is very affable in speech, modest, and of a distinctly
devotional turn of mind. Whenever he meets me, he holds pretty
long talks about various religions and creeds. But being of a
devotional temperament, he is a little afraid of the Advaita.
Madame Loyson's attitude towards me is, I fear, rather
unfavourable. When I discuss with the old man such topics as
renunciation and monasticism etc., all those long-cherished
sentiments wake up in his aged breast, and his wife most probably
smarts all the while. Besides, all French people, of both sexes,
lay the whole blame on the wife; they say, "That woman has spoilt
one of our great ascetic monks!" Madame Loyson is really in a
sorry predicament - specially as they live in Paris, in a Catholic
country. They hate the very sight of a married priest; no Catholic
would ever tolerate the preaching of religion by a man with
family. And Madame Loyson has a bit of animus also. Once she
expressed her dislike of an actress, saying, "It is very bad of
you to live with Mr. So-and-so without marrying him". The actress
immediately retorted, "I am a thousand times better than you. I
live with a common man; it may be, I have not legally married him;
whereas you are a great sinner - you have made such a great monk
break his religious vows! If you were so desperately in love with
the monk, why, you might as well live as his attending maid; but
why did you bring ruin on him by marrying him and thus converting
him into a householder?"
However I hear all and keep silent. But old Père Hyacinthe is a
really sweet-natured and peaceful man, he is happy with his wife
and family - and what can the whole French people have to say
against this? I think, everything would be settled if but his wife
climbed down a bit. But one thing I notice, viz. that men and
women, in every country, have different ways of understanding and
judging things. Men have one angle of vision, women another; men
argue from one standpoint, women from another. Men extenuate women
and lay the blame on men; while women exonerate men and heap all
the blame on women.
One special benefit I get from the company of these ladies and
gentlemen is that, except the one American lady, no one knows
English; talking in English is wholly eschewed, (It is not
etiquette in the West to talk in company any language but one
known to all party.) and consequently somehow or other I have to
talk as well as hear French.
From Paris our friend Maxim has supplied me with letters of
introduction to various places, so that the countries may be
properly seen. Maxim is the inventor of the famous Maxim gun - the
gun that sends off a continuous round of balls and is loaded and
discharged automatically without intermission. Maxim is by birth
an American; now he has settled in England, where he has his
gun-factories etc. Maxim is vexed if anybody alludes too
frequently to his guns in his presence and says, "My friend, have
I done nothing else except invent that engine of destruction?"
Maxim is an admirer of China and India and is a good writer on
religion and philosophy etc. Having read my works long since, he
holds me in great - I should say, excessive - admiration. He
supplies guns to all kings and rulers and is well known in every
country, though his particular friend is Li Hung Chang, his
special regard is for China and his devotion, for Confucianism. He
is in the habit of writing occasionally in the newspapers, under
Chinese pseudonyms, against the Christians - about what takes them
to China, their real motive, and so forth. He cannot at all bear
the Christian missionaries preaching their religion in China! His
wife also is just like her husband in her regard for China and
hatred of Christianity! Maxim has no issue; he is an old man, and
immensely rich.
The tour programme was as follows - from Paris to Vienna, and
thence to Constantinople, by rail; then by steamer to Athens and
Greece, then across the Mediterranean to Egypt, then Asia Minor,
Jerusalem, and so on. The "Oriental Express" runs daily from Paris
to Constantinople, and is provided with sleeping, sitting, and
dining accommodations after the American model. Though not perfect
like the American cars, they are fairly well furnished. I am to
leave Paris by that train on October 24 (1900).
Today is the 23rd October; tomorrow evening I am to take leave of
Paris. This year Paris is a centre of the civilised world, for it
is the year of the Paris Exhibition, and there has been an
assemblage of eminent men and women from all quarters of the
globe. The master-minds of all countries have met today in Paris
to spread the glory of their respective countries by means of
their genius. The fortunate man whose name the bells of this great
centre will ring today will at the same time crown his country
also with glory, before the world. And where art thou, my
Motherland, Bengal, in the great capital city swarming with
German, French, English, Italian, and other scholars? Who is there
to utter thy name? Who is there to proclaim thy existence? From
among that white galaxy of geniuses there stepped forth one
distinguished youthful hero to proclaim the name of our
Motherland, Bengal - it was the world-renowned scientist, Dr.
(Later, Sir.) J. C. Bose! Alone, the youthful Bengali physicist,
with galvanic quickness, charmed the Western audience today with
his splendid genius; that electric charge infused pulsations of
new life into the half-dead body of the Motherland! At the top of
all physicists today is - Jagadish Chandra Bose, an Indian, a
Bengali! Well done, hero! Whichever countries, Dr. Bose and his
accomplished, ideal wife may visit, everywhere they glorify India
- add fresh laurels to the crown of Bengal. Blessed pair!
And the daily reunion of numbers of distinguished men and women
which Mr. Leggett brought about at an enormous expense in his
Parisian mansion, by inviting them to at-homes - that too ends
today.
All types of distinguished personages - poets, philosophers,
scientists, moralists, politicians, singers, professors, painters,
artists, sculptors, musicians, and so on, of both sexes - used to
be assembled in Mr. Leggett's residence, attracted by his
hospitality and kindness. That incessant outflow of words, clear
and limpid like a mountainfall, that expression of sentiments
emanating from all sides like sparks of fire, bewitching music,
the magic current of thoughts from master minds coming into
conflict with one another - which used to hold all spellbound,
making them forgetful of time and place - these too shall end.
Everything on earth has an end. Once again I took a round over the
Paris Exhibition today - this accumulated mass of dazzling ideas,
like lightning held steady as it were, this unique assemblage of
celestial panorama on earth!
It has been raining in Paris for the last two or three days.
During all this time the sun who is ever kind to France has held
back his accustomed grace. Perhaps his face has been darkened over
with clouds in disgust to witness the secretly flowing current of
sensuality behind this assemblage of arts and artists, learning
and learned folk, or perhaps he has hid his face under a pall of
cloud in grief over the impending destruction of this illusive
heaven of particoloured wood and canvas.
We too shall be happy to escape. The breaking up of the Exhibition
is a big affair; the streets of this heaven on earth, the
Eden-like Paris, will be filled with knee-deep mud and mortar.
With the exception of one or two main buildings, all the houses
and their parts are but a display of wood and rags and
whitewashing - just as the whole world is! And when they are
demolished, the lime-dust flies about and is suffocating; rags and
sand etc. make the streets exceedingly dirty; and, if it rains in
addition, it is an awful mess.
In the evening of October 24 the train left Paris. The night was
dark and nothing could be seen. Monsieur Bois and myself occupied
one compartment - and early went to bed. On awakening from sleep
we found we had crossed the French frontier and entered German
territory. I had already seen Germany thoroughly; but Germany,
after France, produces quite a jarring effect. "On the one hand
the moon is setting" (यात्येकतोऽस्तशिखरं पतिरोषधीनां - From
Kalidasa's Shakuntalâ.) - the world-encompassing France is slowly
consuming herself in the fire of contemplated retribution - while
on the other hand, centralised, young, and mighty Germany has
begun her upward march above the horizon with rapid strides. On
one side is the artistic workmanship of the dark-haired,
comparatively short-statured, luxurious, highly civilised French
people, to whom art means life; and on the other, the clumsy
daubing, the unskilful manipulation, of tawny-haired, tall,
gigantic German. After Paris there is no other city in the Western
world; everywhere it is an imitation of Paris - or at least an
attempt at it. But in France that art is full of grace and
ethereal beauty, while in Germany, England, and America the
imitation is coarse and clumsy. Even the application of force on
the part of the French is beautiful, as it were, whereas the
attempt of the Germans to display beauty even is terrible. The
countenance of French genius, even when frowning in anger, is
beautiful; that of German genius, even when beaming with smiles,
appears frightful, as it were. French civilisation is full of
nerve, like camphor or musk - it volatilises and pervades the room
in a moment; while German civilisation is full of muscle, heavy
like lead or mercury - it remains motionless and inert wherever it
lies. The German muscle can go on striking small blows untiringly,
till death; the French have tender, feminine bodies, but when they
do concentrate and strike, it is a sledge-hammer blow and is
irresistible.
The Germans are constructing after the French fashion big houses
and mansions, and placing big statues, equestrian figures, etc. on
top of them, but on seeing a double-storeyed German building one
is tempted to ask - is it a dwelling-house for men, or a stable
for elephants and camels, while one mistakes a five-storeyed
French stable for elephants and horses as a habitation for
fairies.
America is inspired by German ideals; hundreds of thousand Germans
are in every town. The language is of course English, but
nevertheless America is being slowly Germanised. Germany is fast
multiplying her population and is exceptionally hardy. Today
Germany is the dictator to all Europe, her place is above all!
Long before all other nations, Germany has given man and woman
compulsory education, making illiteracy punishable by law, and
today she is enjoying the fruits of that tree. The German army is
the foremost in reputation, and Germany has vowed to become
foremost in her navy also. German manufacture of commodities has
beaten even England! German merchandise and the Germans themselves
are slowly obtaining a monopoly even in the English colonies. At
the behest of the German Emperor all the nations have ungrudgingly
submitted to the lead of the German Generalissimo in the
battle-fields of China!
The whole day the train rushed through Germany, till in the
afternoon it reached the frontiers of Austria, the ancient sphere
of German supremacy, but now an alien territory. There are certain
troubles in travelling through Europe. In every country enormous
duties are levied upon certain things, or some articles of
merchandise are the monopoly of the Government, as for instance,
tobacco. Again, in Russia and Turkey, you are totally forbidden to
enter without a royal passport; a passport you must always have.
Besides, in Russia and Turkey, all your books and papers will be
seized; and when on perusal the authorities are satisfied that
there is nothing in them against the Russian or Turkish Government
and religion, then only they will be returned, otherwise they will
all be confiscated. In other countries your tobacco is a source of
great trouble. You must open your chest, and trunk and packages
for inspection whether they contain tobacco etc. or not. And to
come to Constantinople one has to pass through two big States -
Germany and Austria, and many petty ones; the latter had formerly
been districts of Turkey, but later on the independent Christian
kings made a common cause and wrested as many of these Christian
districts from Mohammedan hands as they could. The bite of these
tiny ants is much worse than even that of the bigger ones.
In the evening of October 25 the train reached Vienna, the capital
of Austria. The members of the royal family in Austria and Russia
are styled Archdukes and Archduchesses. Two Archdukes are to get
down at Vienna by this train; and until they have done so the
other passengers are not allowed to get down. So we had to wait. A
few officers in laced uniform and some soldiers with feathered
caps were waiting for the Archdukes, who got down surrounded by
them. We too felt relieved and made haste to get down and have our
luggage passed. There were few passengers, and it did not take us
much time to show our luggage and have it passed. A hotel had
already been arranged for, and a man from the hotel was waiting
for us with a carriage. We reached the hotel duly. It was out of
the question to go out for sight-seeing during the night; so the
next morning we started to see the town. In all hotels, and almost
in all the countries of Europe except England and Germany, the
French fashion prevails. They eat twice a day like the Hindus; in
the morning by twelve o'clock, and in the evening by eight. Early
in the morning, that is, about eight or nine, they take a little
coffee. Tea is very little in vogue except in England and Russia.
The morning meal is called in French déjeuner - that is,
breakfast, and the evening meal dîner - that is, dinner. Tea is
very much in use in Russia - it is too cold, and China is near
enough. Chinese tea is excellent, and most of it goes to Russia.
The Russian mode of drinking tea is also analogous to the Chinese,
that is, without mixing milk. Tea or coffee becomes injurious like
poison if you mix milk with it. The real tea-drinking races, the
Chinese, Japanese, Russians, and the inhabitants of Central Asia,
take tea without milk. Similarly, the original coffee-drinking
races, such as the Turks, drink coffee without milk. Only in
Russia they put a slice of lemon and a lump of sugar into the tea.
The poor people place a lump of sugar in the mouth and drink tea
over it, and when one has finished drinking, one passes that lump
on to another, who repeats the process.
Vienna is a small city after the model of Paris. But the Austrians
are German by race. The Austrian Emperor was hitherto the Emperor
of almost the whole of Germany. In the present times, owing to the
far-sightedness of King Wilhelm of Prussia, the wonderful
diplomacy of his able minister, Bismark, and the military genius
of General Von Moltke, the King of Prussia is the Emperor of the
whole of Germany barring Austria. Austria, shorn of her glory and
robbed of her power, is somehow maintaining her ancient name and
prestige. The Austrian royal line - the Hapsburg Dynasty - is the
oldest and most aristocratic dynasty in Europe. It was this
Austrian dynasty which hitherto rules Germany as Emperors -
Germany whose princes are seated on the thrones of almost all the
countries of Europe, and whose petty feudatory chiefs even occupy
the thrones of such powerful empires as England and Russia. The
desire for that honour and prestige Austria still cherishes in
full, only she lacks the power. Turkey is called "the sick man" of
Europe; then Austria should be called "the sick dame". Austria
belongs to the Catholic sect, and until recently the Austrian
Empire used to be called "the Holy Roman Empire". Modern Germany
has a preponderance of Protestants. The Austrian Emperor has
always been the right-hand man of the Pope, his faithful follower,
and the leader of the Roman Catholic sect. Now the Austrian
Emperor is the only Catholic Ruler in Europe; France, the eldest
daughter of the Catholic Church, is now a Republic, while Spain
and Portugal are downfallen! Italy has given only room enough for
the Papal throne to be established, robbing the Pope's entire
splendour and dominion; between the King of Italy and the Pope of
Rome there is no love lost, they cannot bear each other's sight.
Rome, the capital of the Pope, is now the capital of Italy. The
King lives in the Pope's ancient palace which he has seized, and
the ancient Italian kingdom of the Pope is now confined within the
precincts of the Vatican. But the Pope has still great influence
in religious matters - and the chief supporter of this is Austria.
As a result of the struggle against Austria - against the age-long
thraldom of Austria, the ally of the Pope - up rose modern Italy.
Consequently Austria is against Italy - against, because she lost
her. Unfortunately, however, young Italy, under England's
misdirection, set herself to create a powerful army and navy. But
where was the money? So, involved in debt, Italy is on the way to
ruin; and to her misfortune, she brought on herself a fresh
trouble by proceeding to extend her empire in Africa. Defeated by
the Abyssinian monarch, she has sunk down, bereft of glory and
prestige. Prussia in the meantime defeated Austria in a great war
and thrust her off to a great distance. Austria is slowly dying,
while Italy has similarly fettered herself by the misuse of her
new life.
The Austrian royal line is still the proudest of all European
royal families. It boasts of being a very ancient and very
aristocratic dynasty. The marriages and other connections of this
line are contracted with the greatest circumspection, and no such
relationship can be established with families that are not Roman
Catholic. It was the glamour of a connection with this line that
led to the fall of Napoleon the Great. Quaintly enough, he took it
into his head to marry a daughter of some noble royal family and
found a great dynasty through a succession of descendents. The
hero who, questioned as to his pedigree, had replied, "I owe the
title to my nobility to none - I am to be the founder of a great
dynasty" - that is to say, that he would originate a powerful
dynasty, and that he was not born to glorify himself with the
borrowed plumes of some ancestor - that hero fell into this abyss
of family prestige.
The divorce of the Empress Josephine, the defeat of the Austrian
Emperor in battle and taking his daughter to wife, the marriage of
Bonaparte in great pomp with Marie Louise, the Princess of
Austria, the birth of a son, the installation of the new-born babe
as the King of Rome, the fall of Napoleon, the enmity of his
father-in-law, Leipsic, Waterloo, St. Helena, Empress Marie Louise
living in her father's house with her child, the marriage of
Napoleon's royal consort with an ordinary soldier, the death of
his only son, the King of Rome, in the house of his maternal
grandfather - all these are well-known incidents of history.
Fallen in a comparatively weakened condition, France is now
ruminating on her past glory - nowadays there are very many books
on Napoleon. Dramatists like Sardou are writing many dramas on
Napoleon dead and gone; and actresses like Madame Bernhardt and
Réjane are performing those plays every night before bumper
houses. Recently Madame Bernhardt has created a great attraction
in Paris by playing a drama entitled L’aiglon (the Young Eagle).
The young Eagle is the only son of Napoleon, practically interned
in his maternal grandfather's residence, the Palace of Vienna. The
Austrian Emperor's minister, the Machiavellian Metternich, is
always careful not to allow the tales of heroism of his father to
enter into the boy's mind. But a few of Bonaparte's veterans
contrived to get themselves admitted into the boy's service in the
Schönbrunn Palace, incognito; their idea was to somehow take the
boy over to France and found the Bonaparte line by driving out the
Bourbons reinstated by the combined European potentates. The child
was the son of a great hero, and very soon that latent heroism
woke up in him to hear the glorious tales of battle of his father.
One day the boy fled from the Schönbrunn Palace accompanied by the
conspirators. But Metternich's keen intellect had already scented
the matter, and he cut off the journey. The son of Bonaparte was
carried back to the Schönbrunn Palace and the Young Eagle, with
his wings tied, as it were, very soon died of a broken heart!
This Schönbrunn Palace is an ordinary palace. Of course, the rooms
etc. are lavishly decorated; in one of them perhaps one meets with
only Chinese workmanship, in another only works of Hindu art, in a
third the productions of some other country, and so on; and the
garden attached to the Palace is very charming indeed. But all the
people that now go to visit this Palace go there with the object
of seeing the room where Bonaparte's son used to lie, or his
study, or the room in which he died, and so forth. Many
thoughtless French men and women are interrogating the guard,
which room belonged to "L’aiglon", which bed did "L’aiglon" use to
occupy, and so on. What silly questions, these! The Austrians only
know that he was the son of Bonaparte, and the relation was
established by forcibly taking their girl in marriage; that hatred
they have not yet forgotten. The Prince was a grandchild of the
Emperor, and homeless, so they could not help giving him a
shelter, but they could give him no such title as "King of Rome";
only, being the grandson of the Austrian Emperor, he was an
Archduke, that was all. It may be that you French people have now
written a book on him, making him the Young Eagle, and the
addition of imaginary settings and the genius of Madame Bernhardt
have created a great interest in the story, but how should an
Austrian guard know that name? Besides, it has been written in
that book that the Austrian Emperor, following the advice of his
minister Metternich, in a way killed Napoleon's son!
Hearing the name "L’aiglon", the guard put on a long face and went
on showing the rooms and other things thoroughly disgusted at
heart; what else could he do? - it was too much for him to give up
the tips. Moreover, in countries like Austria etc., the military
department is too poorly paid, they have to live almost on a bare
pittance; of course they are allowed to go back home after a few
years' service. The guard's countenance darkened as an expression
of his patriotism, but the hand instinctively moved towards the
tip. The French visitors put some silver pieces into the guard's
hand and returned home talking of "L’aiglon" and abusing
Metternich, while the guard shut the doors with a long salute. In
his heart he must have given sweet names to the ancestors of the
whole French people.
The thing most worth seeing in Vienna is the Museum, specially the
Scientific Museum, an institution of great benefit to the student.
There is a fine collection of the skeletons of various species of
ancient extinct animals. In the Art Gallery, paintings by Dutch
artists form the major portion. In the Dutch school, there is very
little attempt at suggestiveness; this school is famous for its
exact copy of natural objects and creatures. One artist has spent
years over the drawing of a basketful of fish, or a lump of flesh,
or a tumbler of water - and that fish, or flesh, or water in the
tumbler is wonderful. But the female figures of the Dutch school
look just like athletes.
There is of course German scholarship and German intellectuality
in Vienna, but the causes which helped the gradual decay of Turkey
are at work here also - that is to say, the mixture of various
races and languages. The population of Austria proper speaks
German; the people of Hungary belong to the Tartar stock, and have
a different language; while there are some who are Greek-speaking
and are Christians belonging to the Greek Church. Austria has not
the power to fuse together so many different sects. Hence she has
fallen.
In the present times a huge wave of nationalism is sweeping over
Europe, where people speaking the same tongue, professing the same
religion, and belonging to the same race want to unite together.
Wherever such union is being effectively accomplished, there is
great power being manifested; and where this is impossible, death
is inevitable. After the death of the present Austrian Emperor,
(Francis Joseph II died in 1916) Germany will surely try to absorb
the German-speaking portion of the Austrian Empire - and Russia
and others are sure to oppose her; so there is the possibility of
a dreadful war. The present Emperor being very old, that
catastrophe may take place very early. The German Emperor is
nowadays an ally of the Sultan of Turkey; and when Germany will
attempt to seize Austrian territory, Turkey, which is Russia's
enemy, will certainly offer some resistance to Russia; so the
German Emperor is very friendly towards Turkey.
Three days in Vienna were sufficient to tire me. To visit Europe
after Paris is like tasting an inferior preparation after a
sumptuous feast - that dress, and style of eating, that same
fashion everywhere; throughout the land you meet with that same
black suit, and the same queer hat - disgusting! Besides, you have
clouds above, and this swarm of people with black hats and black
coats below - one feels suffocated, as it were. All Europe is
gradually taking up that same style of dress, and that same mode
of living! It is a law of nature that such are the symptoms of
death! By hundreds of years of drill, our ancestors have so
fashioned us that we all clean our teeth, wash our face, eat our
meals, and do everything in the same way, and the result is that
we have gradually become mere automata; the life has gone out, and
we are moving about, simply like so many machines! Machines never
say "yea" or "nay", never trouble their heads about anything, they
move on "in the way their forefathers have gone", and then rot and
die. The Europeans too will share the same fate! "The course of
time is ever changing! If all people take to the same dress, same
food, same manner of talking, and same everything, gradually they
will become like so many machines, will gradually tread the path
their forefathers have trod", and as an inevitable consequence of
that - they will rot and die!
On the 28th October, at 9 p.m., we again took that Orient Express
train, which reached Constantinople on the 30th. These two nights
and one day the train ran through Hungary, Serbia, and Bulgaria.
The people of Hungary are subjects of the Austrian Emperor, whose
title, however, is "Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary". The
Hungarians and Turks are of the same race, akin to the Tibetans.
The Hungarians entered Europe along the north of the Caspian Sea,
while the Turks slowly occupied Europe through the western borders
of Persia and through Asia Minor. The people of Hungary are
Christians, and the Turks are Mohammedans, but the martial spirit
characteristic of Tartar blood is noticeable in both. The
Hungarians have fought again and again for separation from Austria
and are now but nominally united. The Austrian Emperor is King of
Hungary in name only. Their capital, Budapest, is a very neat and
beautiful city. The Hungarians are a pleasure-loving race and fond
of music and you will find Hungarian bands all over Paris.
Serbia, Bulgaria, and the rest were districts of Turkey and have
become practically independent after the Russo-Turkish War; but
the Sultan of Turkey is yet their Emperor; and Serbia and Bulgaria
have no right regarding foreign affairs. There are three civilised
nations in Europe - the French, the Germans, and the English. The
rest are almost as badly off as we are, and the majority of them
are so uncivilised that you can find no race in Asia so degraded.
Throughout Serbia and Bulgaria you find the same mud houses, and
people dressed in tattered rags, and heaps of filth - and I was
almost inclined to think I was back to India! Again, as they are
Christians, they must have a number of hogs; and a single hog will
make a place more dirty than two hundred barbarous men will be
able to do. Living in a mud house with mud roof, with tattered
rags on his person, and surrounded by hogs - there you have your
Serb or Bulgarian! After much bloodshed and many wars, they have
thrown off the yoke of Turkey; but along with this they have got a
serious disadvantage - they must construct their army after the
European model, otherwise the existence of not one of them is safe
for a day. Of course, sooner or later they will all one day be
absorbed by Russia; but even this two days' existence is
impossible without an army. So they must have conscription.
In an evil hour, did France suffer defeat from Germany. Through
anger and fear she made every citizen a soldier. Every man must
serve for some time in the army and learn the military science;
there is no exemption for anybody. He must have to live in the
barracks for three years and learn to fight, shouldering his gun,
be he a millionaire by birth. The government will provide for his
food and clothing, and the salary will be a centime (one pice) a
day. After this he must be always ready for active service for two
years at his home; and another fifteen years he must be ready to
present himself for service at the first call. Germany set a lion
to fury, so she too had to be ready. In other countries also
conscription has been introduced in mutual dread of one another -
so throughout Europe, excepting only England. England, being an
island, is continually strengthening her navy, but who knows if
the lessons of the Boer War will not force her to introduce
conscription. Russia has the largest population of all, so she can
amass the biggest army in Europe. Now, the titular states, like
Serbia and Bulgaria, which the European Powers are creating by
dismembering Turkey - they, too, as soon as they are born, must
have up-to-date trained and well-equipped armies and guns etc. But
ultimately who is to supply the funds? Consequently the peasants
have had to put on tattered rags - while in the towns you will
find soldiers dressed in gorgeous uniforms. Throughout Europe
there is a craze for soldiers - soldiers everywhere. Still,
liberty is one thing and slavery another; even best work loses its
charm if one is forced to do it by another. Without the idea of
personal responsibility, no one can achieve anything great.
Freedom with but one meal a day and tattered rags on is a million
times better than slavery in gold chains. A slave suffers the
miseries of hell both here and hereafter. The people of Europe
joke about the Serbs and Bulgarians etc., and taunt them with
their mistakes and shortcomings. But can they attain proficiency
all in a day, after so many years of servitude? Mistakes they are
bound to commit - ay, by the hundreds - but they will learn
through these mistakes and set them right when they have learnt.
Give him responsibility and the weakest man will become strong,
and the ignorant man sagacious.
The train is traversing Hungary, Rumania, and other countries.
Among the races that inhabit the moribund Austrian Empire, the
Hungarians yet possess vitality. All the races of Europe, except
one or two small ones, belong to the great stock which European
scholars term the Indo-European or Aryan race. The Hungarians are
among the few races which do not speak a Sanskritic language. The
Hungarians and Turks, as already stated, belong to the same race.
In comparatively modern times this very powerful race established
their sovereignty in Asia and Europe. The country now called
Turkistan, lying to the north of the Western Himalayas and the
Hindukush range, was the original home of the Turks. The Turkish
name for that country is Chagwoi. The Mogul dynasty of Delhi, the
present Persian royal line, the dynasty of the Turkish Sultan of
Constantinople, and the Hungarians have all gradually extended
their dominion from that country, beginning with India, and
pushing right up to Europe, and even today these dynasties style
themselves as Chagwois and speak a common language. Of course
these Turks were uncivilised ages ago, and used to roam with herds
of sheep, horses, and cattle, taking their wives and children and
every earthly possession with them, and encamp for some time
wherever they could find enough pasture for their beasts. And when
grass and water ran short there, they used to remove somewhere
else. Even now many families of this race lead nomadic lives in
this way in Central Asia. They have got a perfect similarity with
the races of Central Asia as regards language, but some difference
in point of physiognomy. The Turk's face resembles that of the
Mongolian in the shape of the head and in the prominence of the
cheek-bone, but the Turk's nose is not flat, but rather long, and
the eyes are straight and large, though the space between the eyes
of comparatively wide, as with the Mongolians. It appears that
from a long time past Aryan and Semitic blood has found its way
into this Turkish race. From time immemorial the Turks have been
exceedingly fond of war. And the mixture with them of
Sanskrit-speaking races and the people of Kandahar and Persia has
produced the war-loving races such as the Afghans, Khiljis,
Hazaras, Barakhais, Usufjais, etc., to whom war is a passion and
who have frequently oppressed India.
In very ancient times this Turkish race repeatedly conquered the
western provinces of India and founded extensive kingdoms. They
were Buddhists, or would turn Buddhists after occupying Indian
territory. In the ancient history of Kashmir there is mention of
these famous Turkish Emperors, Hushka, Yushka, and Kanishka. It
was this Kanishka who founded the Northern school of Buddhism
called the Mahâyâna. Long after, the majority of them took to
Mohammedanism and completely devastated the chief Buddhistic seats
of Central Asia such as Kandahar and Kabul. Before their
conversion to Mohammedanism they used to imbibe the learning and
culture of the countries they conquered, and by assimilating the
culture of other countries would try to propagate civilisation.
But ever since they became Mohammedans, they have only the
instinct for war left in them; they have not got the least vestige
of learning and culture; on the contrary, the countries that come
under their sway gradually have their civilisation extinguished.
In many places of modern Afghanistan and Kandahar etc., there yet
exist wonderful Stupas, monasteries, temples and gigantic statues
built by their Buddhistic ancestors. As a result of Turkish
admixture and their conversion to Mohammedanism, those temples
etc. are almost in ruins, and the present Afghans and allied races
have grown so uncivilised and illiterate that far from imitating
those ancient works of architecture, they believe them to be the
creation of supernatural spirits like the Jinn etc., and are
firmly convinced that such great undertakings are beyond the power
of man to accomplish. The principal cause of the present
degradation of Persia is that the royal line belongs to the
powerful, uncivilised Turkish stock, whereas the subjects are the
descendants of the highly civilised ancient Persians, who were
Aryans. In this way the Empire of Constantinople - the last
political arena of the Greeks and Romans, the descendants of
civilised Aryans - has been ruined under the blasting feet of
powerful, barbarous Turkey. The Mogul Emperors of India were the
only exceptions to this rule; perhaps that was due to an admixture
of Hindu ideas and Hindu blood. In the chronicles of Rajput bards
and minstrels all the Mohammedan dynasties who conquered India are
styled as Turks. This is a very correct appellation, for, or
whatever races the conquering Mohammedan armies might be made up,
the leadership was always vested in the Turks alone.
What is called the Mohammedan invasion, conquest, or colonisation
of India means only this that, under the leadership of Mohammedan
Turks who were renegades from Buddhism, those sections of the
Hindu race who continued in the faith of their ancestors were
repeatedly conquered by the other section of that very race who
also were renegades from Buddhism or the Vedic religion and served
under the Turks, having been forcibly converted to Mohammedanism
by their superior strength. Of course, the language of the Turks
has, like their physiognomy, been considerably mixed up; specially
those sections that have gone farthest from their native place
Chagwoi have got the most hybrid form of language. This year the
Shah of Persia visited the Paris Exhibition and returned to his
country by rail via Constantinople. Despite the immense difference
in time and place, the Sultan and the Shah talked with each other
in their ancient Turkish mother tongue. But the Sultan's Turkish
was mixed up with Persian, Arabic, and a few Greek words, while
that of the Shah was comparatively pure.
In ancient times these Chagwoi Turks were divided into two
sections; one was called the "white sheep", and the other, "black
sheep". But these sections started from their birthplace on the
north of Kashmir, tending their flocks of sheep and ravaging
countries, till they reached the shore of the Caspian Sea. The
"white sheep" penetrated into Europe along the north of the
Caspian Sea and founded the Kingdom of Hungary, seizing a fragment
of the Roman Empire then almost in ruins, while the "black sheep",
advancing along the south of the Caspian Sea, gradually occupied
the western portion of Persia and, crossing the Caucasus, by
degrees made themselves masters of Arabian territory such as Asia
Minor and so forth; gradually they seized the throne of the
Caliph, and bit by bit annexed the small remnant of the western
Roman Empire. In very remote ages these Turks were great
snake-worshippers. Most probably it was these dynasties whom the
ancient Hindus used to designate as Nagas and Takshakas. Later on
they became Buddhists; and afterwards they very often used to
embrace the religion of any particular country they might conquer
at any particular time. In comparatively recent times, of the two
sections we are speaking about, the "white sheep" conquered the
Christians and became converts to Christianity, while the "black
sheep" conquered the Mohammedans and adopted their religion. But
in their Christianity or Mohammedanism one may even now trace on
research the strata of serpent-worship and of Buddhism.
The Hungarians, though Turks by race and language, are Christians
- Roman Catholics - in religion. In the past, religious fanaticism
had no respect for any tie - neither the tie of language, nor that
of blood, nor that of country. The Hungarians are ever the deadly
enemies of Turkey; and but for the Hungarians' aid Christian
states, such as Austria etc., would not have been able to maintain
their existence on many an occasion. In modern times, owing to the
spread of education and the discovery of Linguistics and
Ethnology, people are being more attracted to the kinship of
language and blood, while religious solidarity is gradually
slackening. So, among the educated Hungarians and Turks, there is
growing up a feeling of racial unity. Though a part of the
Austrian Empire, Hungary has repeatedly tried to cut off from her.
The result of many revolutions and rebellions has been that
Hungary is now only nominally a province of the Austrian Empire,
but practically independent in all respects. The Austrian Emperor
is styled "the Emperor of Austria and King of Hungary". Hungary
manages all her internal affairs independently of Austria and in
these the subjects have full power. The Austrian Emperor continues
to be a titular leader here, but even this bit of relation, it
appears, will not last long. Skill in war, magnanimity and other
characteristic virtues of the Turkish race are sufficiently
present in the Hungarian also. Besides, not being converted to
Mohammedanism they do not consider such heavenly arts as music
etc. as the devil's snare, and consequently the Hungarians are
great adepts in music and are renowned for this all over Europe.
Formerly I had the notion that people of cold climates did not
take hot chillies, which was merely a bad habit of warm climate
people. But the habit of taking chillies, which we observed to
begin with Hungary and which reached its climax in Rumania and
Bulgaria etc., appeared to me to beat even your South Indians.
MEMOIRS OF EUROPEAN TRAVEL
ADDENDA
(These interesting jottings were found among Swamiji's papers -
Ed.)
(Translated from Bengali)
The first view of Constantinople we had from the train. It is an
ancient city, with big drains running across the walls, narrow and
crooked lanes full of dirt, and wooden houses, etc., but in them
there is a certain beauty owing to their novelty. At the station
we had great trouble over our books. Mademoiselle Calvé and Jules
Bois tried much, in French, to reason with the octroi officers,
which gradually led to a quarrel between the parties. The head of
the officers was a Turk, and his dinner was ready; so the quarrel
ended without further complications. They returned all the books
with the exception of two which they held back. They promised to
send them to the hotel immediately, which they never did. We went
round the town and bazar of Stamboul or Constantinople. Beyond the
Pont or creek is the Pera or foreigners' quarters, hotels, etc.,
whence we got into a carriage, saw the town, and then took some
rest. In the evening we went to visit Woods Pasha, and the next
day started on an excursion along the Bosphorus in a boat. It was
extremely cold and there was a strong wind. So I and Miss MacLeod
got down at the first station. It was decided that we would cross
over to Scutari and see Pére Hyacinthe. Not knowing the language
we engaged a boat by signs merely, crossed over, and hired a
carriage. On the way we saw the seat of a Sufi Fakir. These Fakirs
cure people's diseases, which they do in the following manner.
First they read a portion of their scriptures, moving their body
backward and forward; then they begin to dance and gradually get a
sort of inspiration, after which they heal the disease by treading
on the patient's body.
We had a long talk with Père Hyacinthe about the American
Colleges, after which we went to an Arab shop where we met a
Turkish student. Then we returned from Scutari. - We had found out
a boat, but it failed to reach its exact destination. However, we
took a tram from the place where we were landed and returned to
our quarters at the hotel at Stamboul. The Museum at Stamboul is
situated where the ancient harem of the Greek Emperors once stood.
We saw some remarkable sarcophagi and other things, and had a
charming view of the city from above Topkhana. I enjoyed taking
fried chick peas here after such a long time, and had spiced rice
and some other dishes, prepared in the Turkish fashion. After
visiting the cemetery of Scutari we went to see the ancient walls.
Within the walls was the prison - a dreadful place. Next we met
Woods Pasha and started for the Bosphorus. We had our dinner with
the French chargé d'affaires and met a Greek Pasha and an Albanian
gentleman. The Police have prohibited Père Hyacinthe's lectures;
so I too cannot lecture. We saw Mr. Devanmall and Chobeji - a
Gujarâti Brahmin. There are a good many Indians here -
Hindustanis, Mussalmans, etc. We had a talk on Turkish Philosophy
and heard of Noor Bey, whose gradfather was a Frenchman. They say
he is as handsome as a Kashmari. The women here have got no purdah
system and are very free. Prostitution is chiefly a Mohammedan
practice. We heard of Kurd Pasha and the massacre of Armenians.
The Armenians have really no country of their own, and those
countries which they inhabit have generally a preponderating
Mohammedan population. A particular tract called Armenia is
unknown. The present Sultan is constructing a Hamidian cavalry out
of the Kurds who will be trained in the manner of the Cossacks and
they will be exempted from conscription.
The Sultan called the Armenian and Greek Patriarchs and proposed
to them conscription as an alternative for payment of taxes. They
might thus serve to protect their motherland. They replied that if
they went as soldiers to fight and died by the side of the
Mohammedans, there would be some confusion about the interment of
Christian soldiers. The Sultan's rejoinder to this was that it
might be remedied by providing for both Mohammedan and Christian
priests in each regiment, who would conduct the funeral service
together when in the exigencies of battle the dead bodies of
Christian and Mohammedan soldiers would have to be buried in a
heap all together, and there could possibly be no harm if the
souls of men of one religion heard in addition the funeral
services meant for those of the other religion. But the Christians
did not agree - so they continue to pay taxes. The surest reason
of their not acquiescing in the proposal was their fear lest by
living with the Mohammedans they might turn Mohammedan wholesale.
The present Sultan of Stamboul is a very hard-working man and he
personally supervises everything, including even the arrangement
of amusements, such as theatrical performances etc., in the
palace. His predecessor, Murad, was really a most unfit man, but
the present Sultan is very intelligent. The amount of improvement
he has made in the condition of the State in which he found it at
his accession is simply wonderful. The Parliamentary system will
not be successful in this country.
At 10 in the morning we left Constantinople, passing a night and a
day on the sea, which was perfectly placid. By degrees we reached
the Golden Horn and the Sea of Marmora. In one of the islands of
the Marmora we saw a monastery of the Greek religion. Formerly
there was ample opportunity for religious education here, for it
was situated between Asia on one side and Europe on the other.
While out in the morning on a visit of the Mediterranean
Archipelago we came across Professor Liper, whose acquaintance I
had already made in the Pachiappa College at Madras. In one of the
islands we came upon the ruins of a temple, which had probably
been dedicated to Neptune, judging from its position on the
sea-shore. In the evening we reached Athens, and after passing a
whole night under quarantine we obtained permission for landing in
the morning. Port Peiraeus is a small town, but very beautiful,
having a European air about it in all respects, except that one
meets now and then with one or two Greeks dressed in gowns. From
there we drove five miles to have a look at the ancient walls of
Athens which used to connect the city with the port. Then we went
through the town; the Acropolis, the hotels, houses, and streets,
and all were very neat and clean. The palace is a small one. The
same day, again, we climbed the hillock and had a view of the
Acropolis, the temple of the Wingless Victory, and the Parthenon,
etc. The temple is made of white marble. Some standing remains of
columns also we saw. The next day we again went to see these with
Mademoiselle Melcarvi, who explained to us various historical
facts relating thereto. On the second day we visited the temple of
Olympian Zeus, Theatre Dionysius etc., as far as the sea-shore.
The third day we set out for Eleusis, which was the chief
religious seat of the Greeks. Here it was that the famous
Eleusinian Mysteries used to be played. The ancient theatre of
this place has been built anew by a rich Greek. The Olympian games
too have been revived in the present times. They are held at a
place near Sparta, the Americans carrying off the palm in them in
many respects. But the Greeks won in the race from that place to
this theatre of Athens. This year they gave undisputed proof of
this trait of theirs in a competition with the Turks also. At 10
a.m. on the fourth day we got on board the Russian steamer, Czar,
bound for Egypt. After reaching the dock we came to learn that the
steamer was to start at 4 a.m. - perhaps we were too early or
there would be some extra delay in loading the cargo. So, having
no other alternative, we went round and made a cursory
acquaintance with the sculpture of Ageladas and his three pupils,
Phidias, Myron, and Polycletus, who had flourished between 576
B.C. and 486 B.C. Even here we began to feel the great heat. In a
Russian ship the first class is over the screw, and the rest is
only deck - full of passengers, and cattle, and sheep. Besides, no
ice was available in this steamer.
From a visit to the Louvre Museum in Paris I came to understand
the three stages of Greek art. First, there was the Mycenoean art,
then Greek art proper. The Achaean kingdom had spread its sway
over the neighbouring islands and also mastered all the arts that
flourished there, being imported from Asia. Thus did art first
make its appearance in Greece. From the prehistoric times up to
776 B.C. was the age of the Mycenoean art. This art principally
engaged itself in merely copying Asiatic art. Then from 776 B.C.
to 146 B.C. was the age of Hellenic or true Greek art. After the
destruction of the Achaean Empire by the Dorian race, the Greeks
living on the continent and in the Archipelago founded many
colonies in Asia. This led to a close conflict between them and
Babylon and Egypt, which first gave rise to Greek art. This art in
course of time gave up its Asiatic tinge and applied itself to an
exact imitation of nature. The difference between Greek art and
the art of other countries consists in this, that the former
faithfully delineates the living phenomena of natural life.
From 776 B.C. to 475 B.C. is the age of Archaic Greek art. The
figures are yet stiff - not lifelike. The lips are slightly
parted, as if always in smiles. In this respect they resemble the
works of Egyptian artists. All the statues stand erect on their
legs - quite stiff. The hair and beard etc. and all carved in
regular lines and the clothes in the statues are all wrapped close
round the body, in a jumble - not like flowing dress.
Next to Archaic Greek art comes the age of Classic Greek art -
from 475 B.C. to 323 B.C., that is to say, from the hegemony of
Athens up to the death of Alexander the Great. Peloponnesus and
Attica were the states where the art of this period flourished
most. Athens was the chief city of Attica. A learned French art
critic has written, "(Classic) Greek art at its highest
development freed itself completely from the fetters of all
established canons and became independent. It then recognised the
art regulations of no country, nor guided itself according to
them. The more we study the fifth century B.C., so brilliant in
its art development - during which period all the perfect
specimens of sculpture were turned out - the more is the idea
brought home to our mind that Greek art owed its life and vigour
to its cutting loose from the pale of stereotyped rules". This
Classic Greek art had two schools - first, the Attic, and second,
the Peloponnesian. In the Attic school, again, there were two
different types - the first was the outcome of the genius of the
gifted sculptor, Phidias, which a French scholar has described in
the following terms: "A marvel of perfection in beauty and a
glorious specimen of pure and sublime ideas, which will never lose
their hold upon the human mind". The masters in the second type of
the Attic school were Scopas and Praxiteles. The work of this
school was to completely divorce art from religion and keep it
restricted to the delineation of merely human life.
The chief exponents of the second or Peloponnesian school of
Classic Greek art were Polycletus and Lysippus. One of these was
born in the fifth century B.C., and the other in the fourth
century B.C. They chiefly aimed at laying down the rule that the
proportion of the human body must be faithfully reproduced in art.
From 323 B.C. to 146 B.C., that is, from the death of Alexander to
the conquest of Attica by the Romans, is the period of decadence
in Greek art. One notices in the Greek art of this period an undue
attention to gorgeous embellishments, and an attempt to make the
statues unusually large in bulk. Then at the time of the Roman
occupation of Greece, Greek art contented itself merely by copying
the works of previous artists of that country; and the only
novelty there was, consisted in reproducing exactly the face of
some particular individual.
Notes of Class Talks and Lectures
Notes of Class Talks
ON ART
In art, interest must be centred on the principal theme. Drama is
the most difficult of all arts. In it two things are to be
satisfied - first, the ears, and second, the eyes. To paint a
scene, if one thing be painted, it is easy enough; but to paint
different things and yet to keep up the central interest is very
difficult. Another difficult thing is stage-management, that is,
combining different things in such a manner as to keep the central
interest intact.
ON MUSIC
There is science in Dhrupad, Kheyal, etc., but it is in Kirtana,
i.e. in Mâthura and Viraha and other like compositions that there
is real music - for there is feeling. Feeling is the soul, the
secret of everything. There is more music in common people's
songs, and they should be collected together. The science of
Dhrupad etc., applied to the music of Kirtana will produce the
perfect music.
ON MANTRA AND MANTRA-CHAITANYA
The Mantra-Shâstris (upholders of the Mantra theory) believe that
some words have been handed down through a succession of teachers
and disciples, and the mere utterance of them will lead to some
form of realisation. There are two different meanings of the word
Mantra-chaitanya. According to some, if you practise the
repetition of a certain Mantra, you will see the Ishta-Devatâ who
is the object or deity of that Mantra. But according to others,
the word means that if you practise the repetition of a certain
Mantra received from a Guru not competent, you will have to
perform certain ceremonials by which that Mantra will become
Chetana or living, and then its repetition will be successful.
Different Mantras, when they are thus "living", show different
signs, but the general sign is that one will be able to repeat it
for a long time without feeling any strain and that his mind will
very soon be concentrated. This is about the Tantrika Mantras.
From the time of the Vedas, two different opinions have been held
about Mantras. Yâska and others say that the Vedas have meanings,
but the ancient Mantra-shastris say that they have no meaning, and
that their use consists only in uttering them in connection with
certain sacrifices, when they will surely produce effect in the
form of various material enjoyments or spiritual knowledge. The
latter arises from the utterance of the Upanishads.
ON CONCEPTIONS OF GODHEAD
Man's inner hankering is to find some one who is free, that is,
beyond the laws of nature. The Vedantins believe in such an
Eternal Ishvara, while the Buddhists and the Sânkhyas believe only
a Janyeshvara (created God), that is, a God who was a man before,
but has become God through spiritual practice. The Purânas
reconcile these two positions by the doctrine of Incarnation. That
is, they say that the Janyeshvara is nothing but the Nitya
(Eternal) Ishvara, taking by Mâyâ the form of a Janyeshvara. The
argument of the Sankhyas against the doctrine of Eternal Ishvara,
viz "how a liberated soul can create the universe", is based on
false grounds. For you cannot dictate anything to a liberated
soul. He is free, that is, he may do whatever he likes. According
to the Vedanta, the Janyeshvaras cannot create, preserve, or
destroy the universe.
ON FOOD
You preach to others to be men but cannot give them good food. I
have been thinking over this problem for the last four years. I
wish to make an experiment whether something of the nature of
flattened rice can be made out of wheat. Then we can get a
different food every day. About drinking water, I searched for a
filter which would suit our country. I found one pan-like
porcelain vessel through which water was made to pass, and all the
bacilli remained in the porcelain pan. But gradually that filter
would itself become the hotbed of all germs. This is the danger of
all filters. After continued searching I found one method by which
water was distilled and then oxygen was passed into it. After this
the water became so pure that great improvement of health was sure
to result from its use.
ON SANNYÂSA AND FAMILY LIFE
Talking of the respective duties of a monk and a householder,
Swamiji said:
A Sannyasin should avoid the food, bedding, etc., which have been
touched or used by householders, in order to save himself - not
from hatred towards them - so long as he has not risen to the
highest grade, that is, become a Paramahamsa. A householder should
salute him with "Namo Nârâyanâya", and a Sannyasin should bless
the former.
मेरुसर्षपयोर्यद्यत् सूर्यखद्योतयोरिव।
सरित्सागर्योर्यद्यत् तथा भिक्षुगृहस्थयो:॥
- Like the difference between the biggest mountain and a
mustard-seed, between the sun and a glow-worm, between the ocean
and a streamlet, is the wide gulf between a Sannyasin and a
householder.
nosave border=Swami Vivekananda made everyone utter this and,
chanting some Vedanta stanzas, said, "You should always repeat to
yourselves these Shlokas. 'Shravana' not only means hearing from
the Guru, but also repetition to our own selves.
'आवृत्तिरसकृदुपदेशात् - Scriptural truth should be often
repeated for such has been repeatedly enjoined' - In this Sutra of
Vedanta, Vyasa lays stress on repetition."
ON QUESTIONING THE COMPETENCY OF THE GURU
In the course of a conversation Swamiji spiritedly remarked,
"Leave off your commercial calculating ideas. If you can get rid
of your attachment to a single thing, you are on the way to
liberation. Do not see a public woman, or sinner, or Sâdhu. That
vile woman also is the Divine Mother. A Sannyâsin says once,
twice, that she is Mother; then he gets deluded again and says,
'Hence, O vile, unchaste woman!' At a moment all your ignorance
may vanish. It is foolish talk that ignorance disperses gradually.
There are disciples who have been devoted to the Guru even when he
has fallen from the ideal. I have seen in Rajputana one whose
spiritual teacher had turned a Christian, but who nevertheless
went on giving him his regular dues. Give up your Western ideas.
Once you have pledged your faith to a particular teacher, stick to
him with all force. It is children who say that there is no
morality in the Vedanta. Yes, they are right. Vedanta is above
morality. Talk of high things, as you have become Sannyasins."
SHRI RAMAKRISHNA: THE SIGNIFICANCE OF HIS LIFE AND TEACHINGS
In a narrow society there is depth and intensity of spirituality.
The narrow stream is very rapid. In a catholic society, along with
the breadth of vision we find a proportionate loss in depth and
intensity. But the life of Sri Ramakrishna upsets all records of
history. It is a remarkable phenomenon that in Sri Ramakrishna
there has been an assemblage of ideas deeper than the sea and
vaster than the skies.
We must interpret the Vedas in the light of the experience of Sri
Ramakrishna. Shankaracharya and all other commentators made the
tremendous mistake to think that the whole of the Vedas spoke the
same truth. Therefore they were guilty of torturing those of the
apparently conflicting Vedic texts which go against their own
doctrines, into the meaning of their particular schools. As, in
the olden times, it was the Lord alone, the deliverer of the Gita,
who partially harmonised these apparently conflicting statements,
so with a view to completely settling this dispute, immensely
magnified in the process of time, He Himself has come as Sri
Ramakrishna. Therefore no one can truly understand the Vedas and
Vedanta, unless one studies them in the light of the utterance of
Sri Ramakrishna who first exemplified in his life and taught that
these scriptural statements which appear to the cursory view as
contradictory, are meant for different grades of aspirants and are
arranged in the order of evolution. The whole world will
undoubtedly forget its fights and disputes and be united in a
fraternal tie in religious and other matters as a consequence of
these teachings.
If there is anything which Sri Ramakrishna has urged us to give up
as carefully as lust and wealth, it is the limiting of the
infinitude of God by circumscribing it within narrow bounds.
Whoever, therefore, will try to limit the infinite ideals of Sri
Ramakrishna in that way, will go against him and be his enemy.
One of his own utterances is that those who have seen the
chameleon only once, know only one colour of the animal, but those
who have lived under the tree, know all the colours that it puts
on. For this reason, no saying of Sri Ramakrishna can be accepted
as authentic, unless it is verified by those who constantly lived
with him and whom he brought up to fulfil his life's mission.
Such a unique personality, such a synthesis of the utmost of
Jnana, Yoga, Bhakti and Karma, has never before appeared among
mankind. The life of Sri Ramakrishna proves that the greatest
breadth, the highest catholicity and the utmost intensity can
exist side by side in the same individual, and that society also
can be constructed like that, for society is nothing but an
aggregate of individuals.
He is the true disciple and follower of Sri Ramakrishna, whose
character is perfect and all-sided like this. The formation of
such a perfect character is the ideal of this age, and everyone
should strive for that alone.