I have come back to the domain of dust from my short aeroplane career in the mid-air, when my namesake1 from the high heaven, the Sun, shed upon me his smile of amused tenderness, and some vagabond clouds of the April sky seemed to wonder in their minds, if I were about to join their ranks.
I am not going to stay in Paris more than a week this time; for I must finish my Continental tour by the end of May and prepare for my return voyage to India. The days of my exile seem to be gaining in weight as they are approaching their end; and I wish I had a relay of minds so that I could charge them whenever they become exhausted. Having only one in my possession, I had to be merciless toward it, even when it lacked the food to which it had been accustomed. The result is, that it is beginning to doubt, almost to hate, the idea which it is made to carry through a rugged and tortuous path.
Whenever I find time and sit alone before the window, I gravely nod my head and say to myself in a sad voice: “Those who have been born foolish can gladden the heart of God only when they have the freedom of solitariness and can spread their idle wings in the air and flit and hum for nothing at all. You, poet, are one such creature—you have to be alone to fulfil your nature. What is all this that you are planning? Must you guide the multitude and work with them for the building of an Institution?”
All through my life, I have ever worked alone; for my life and my work have been one. I am like the tree, which builds up its timber by its own living process; and therefore it needs leisure and space, sunlight and air—and not bricks and mortar, masons and the civil engineer.
All my works have their roots in my dreams. But an International University needs a foundation, and not roots. It needs to be solidly built upon international boards and committees and funds contributed by men of prudence and foresight. Foresight is a gift which I wholly lack. I may have some insight, but no foresight at all. Foresight has the power of calculation: insight has the power of vision. He may have faith in insight to whom it belongs; and therefore he is not afraid of making mistakes or even of apparent failures. But foresight is impatient of all deficiencies. It constantly dwells on the possibilities of mistakes, only because it has not the vision of the whole. Therefore its plans are mostly solid and inflexible.
In the establishment of the International University, the foresight of the experienced will never forsake me; it will go straight to the helm and take charge; and only then the prudent who give money and the wise who give advice will be satisfied. But where will remain the place for the foolish and the irresponsible?
The whole thing will have to be established on a permanent basis; but this so-called permanence is only bought at the cost of life and freedom. The cage is permanent, not the nest. And yet all that is truly permanent has to pass through an endless series of impermanencies. The spring flowers are permanent, because they know how to die. The temple made of stone cannot make truce with death by accepting it. Proud of its bricks and mortar, it constantly opposes death, till it is defeated in the end.
Our Santiniketan depends for its permanence upon life. But an International University tries to build its permanence with the help of rules and regulations. But—
Never mind! Let me forget it for a moment. Possibly I am exaggerating. The reason is, the day is full of gloom. It has been snowing and raining; the road is muddy; and I am home-sick.
I am requested by some association to read a paper at one of their meetings. They asked me for a summary, which they will circulate among the members. I enclose a copy of it which I have given to them for circulation.2
(Notes of Lecture enclosed with previous letter)
From the beginning of their history, Western races have had to deal with nature as their antagonist. This fact has emphasised in their mind the dualistic aspect of truth, the eternal conflict between good and evil. Thus it has kept up the spirit of fight in the heart of their civilisation. They seek victory and cultivate power.
The environment in which the Aryan immigrants found themselves in India was that of the forest. The forest, unlike the desert, or rock, or sea, is living: it gives shelter and nourishment to life. In such surroundings, the ancient forest dwellers of India realised the spirit of harmony with the universe and emphasised in their minds the monistic aspect of Truth. They sought the realisation of their soul through union with all.
The spirit of fight and the spirit of harmony both have their importance in the scheme of things. For making a musical instrument, the obduracy of materials has to be forced to yield to the purpose of the instrument maker. But music itself is a revelation of beauty, it is not an outcome of fight: it springs from an inner realisation of harmony. The musical instrument and the music both have their own importance for humanity.
The civilisation that fights and conquers for Man, and the civilisation that realises for him the fundamental unity in the depth of existence, are complementary to each other. When they join hands, human nature finds its balance; and its pursuits, through rugged paths, attain their ultimate meaning in an ideal of perfection.