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Religious, Life and Thought of Devendranath and

(a few comments on the development cf religious thought from Devendranath to Rabindranath, especially on the unity of the Vedic and the Buddhistic traditions attained by Rabindranath)

K. Inazu

1) Tagore, Father and Son:

After my long devoted research in the life and works of both Deven dranath and Rabindranath Tagore, I have come to an understanding how deeply the Poet was influenced by his father, the Maharshi, and how great contribution these two noble souls made to modern Indian culture, also to human spiritual life of the world. We remind of an impressive speech made by Gandhi on the occasion of the cetenary anniversary of -Samaj in 1928, in which he showed his appreciation of Tagore's merits:-"In future we will be able to judge what important part the Tagore family has played in the life of , of and I may say of the world at large. A man living at the foot of the Himalayan Hills, cannot comprehend the greatness of the Himalayas, similarly we cannot adequately measure the contribution of the Tagore family in the religious and cultural history of India. Rabindranath reached the highest peak; for this credit is due to Brahma Samaj. The Samaj opened to us the gates of reason: but it also preserved our old religious faith. In this achievement, Maharshi Devendranath Tagore made the greatest contribution." The whole aspect of their life-work is still beyond my reach. I have tried to approach their deep spiritual life which seems to be the real inner source of their activities; and the subject of this brief paper is, as above mentioned, to treat the development of their religious thought, especially the harmonious unity of the Vedic and the Buddhistic traditions attained -733- (101) Religious Life and Thought of Devendranath and Rabindranath (K. Inazu) by Rabindranath Tagore.

2) Main current of Indian culture, the Vedic and the Buddhistic:

First we must remark the religious tradition from which both of Tagore got their spiritual nourishments. But it is not easy for us foreigners to point out precisely the main current of Indian tradition. On this subject we had better listen to Rabindranath himself who showed his suggestive view-point in 'Eastern University':-"The main river of Indian culture has flowed in four streams, the Vedic, the Pranic, the Buddhistic and the Jain. It has its source in the heights of Indian consciousness." Of these four, the Vedic and the Buddhistic are most important. Though the Pranic is significant for India because of being her folks tradition, it has too much complexity for us to understand. Of course both of Tagore, as Bengalis, were influenced by such folks tradition, yet they got their highest aspiration chiefly from which formed the culminate in the Vedic tradition; moreover, Rabindranath in his later years came to cherish a reverential homage to Buddha and expressed his response to the Mahayana .

3) Religious life and thought of Devendranath:

The most important experience in one's religious life is that of Con version, which means a real spiritual awakening, such as the attainment of Bodhi of the Buddha. This experience first came to Devendranth when he was eighteen years old. Though it was not a real enlightenment, coming rather by accident, it stimulated his aspiration for the Eternal. Later when he was twenty years old, after continuous struggle his fervent desire was fulfilled through a sacred verse of isopanishad: -Isavasyam idaxn sarvam/ -tena tyaktena bhun jithah/. When he understood the real meaning of this verse, he felt as if amrtam of heaven streamed down upon him and he was filled with joy. It was his Second Birth. He wrote about it in his 'atma- charita' (Autobigraphy), which would remain one of the most valuable do cuments of religious conversion in world literature. Immediately after this experience he started enthusiastically his activi. -732- Religious Life and Thought of Devendranath and Rabindranath (K. Inazu) (102) ties, which were promoted in two directions; one was practical, the other was theoretical, and he succeded in both directions. First he organized the -Bodhini-Sabba with his intimate friends; later, in 1832, he joined the Brahma-Samaj which had been founded by Rammohan Roy in 1828. Since then, leading Brahma Samaj, his whole lifetime was offered to spread the true religious faith among his countrymen; and for that purpose he brought out a monthly journal the 'Tattva-Bodhini-Patrika'. His spiritual life grew deeper and deeper, and after enduring research in Upanishads he succeeded to find out the essential truth of them behind a thick veil of complexity. According to his confidence he composed the ' Brahma- ' as a new text of Upanishad available for worship, and named it 'Brahmopanishad', in which his unique religious thought dis. played. The remarkable features of Devendranath's religious thought can be summarised in three points: that is 1) rejecting idolatory on one hand, 2) refusing the monistic (advaita) theory of philosophy on the other hand, and, 3) revealed the essentials of Upanishad as the 'Religion of Love'. Thus he gave profound influence upon educated people, and brought spiritual dawn to modern India. In connection with Buddha's influence we cannot trace it on Devendra- 's life and works. He remains one of the highest Isishis appeared in the Vedic tradition. Eventually he stands near to Buddha in his spiritual attitude, yet we cannot find any feature of the unique docttrine of Buddha in his writings, such as the 'anatman' or the pratitya-samutpada' theory.

4) Rellkious life and thought of Rabindranath:

Rabindranath Tagore also had religions conversion in his early years, of which he mentioned beautifully in 'My Reminiscences'.-"all of a sudden a covering seemed to f all away from my eyes, and I found the world bathed in a wonderful radiance"; and he said himself its light lasted all his life. After that experience his spiritual life was deepened through a great sorrow. With regard to it, in the preface of 'Gitan jali', Yeats quoted what he had heard from a certain Bengali Doctor; saying-"from his -731- (103) Religious Life and Thought of Devendranath and Rabindranath (K. Inazu) twenty-fifth year or so to thirty-fifth perhaps, when he had a great sorrow, he wrote the most beautiful love poetry. After that hir art grew deeper, it became religious and philosophical." Just as to prove it, we find a letter of Tagore written in 1895, in which a deep religious insight is expressed with so much intensity that it gives us a premoniment of his future course. In fact he was led to start his new life of a Guru at when he was nearing forty. Regarding the development of his religious thought, again an important experience he had at Shantiniketan, which he confessed in 'My School'. On a certain painful occasion, sinking in deep meditation he heard a celes- tial voice in 'the word of Upanishad;-"ko hyevanyat kah pranyat yadesha akasa anando na syat'-(he himself thus translated) "Whoever could move and strive and live in this world if the sky were not filled with love ?" Thus universal Love pierced through his being. After that he appeared before the world as man of eternal Love. Through these years his religious feelings had been nourished chiefly by Upanishad. In '' and other writings he often quoted the verses of Upanishad. But from which Upanishad did he pick out them ? Almost all of the verses or words he quoted were taken from his father's Brahma. Dharm, not from the original text. It shows us how great the Maharshi's influence was over the Poet. The latter advanced his father's religion still more in the characteristic of Love; for instance, to sanskrit word 'ananda' (usually means joy) he rendered English 'love'. For him Love is Truth and Beauty; and it is natural for such sympathetic personality to be led to Buddha. We cannot make out when Tagore came contact with Buddhism, and what kind of Buddhist he read. He told nothing about it, while we cannot find any feature of Buddhistic influence in his early writings, as far as the translated materials concern. Suddenly in 'Sadhana ' appears his deep understanding of Buddhism. In the preface he wrote that the verses of Upanished and the preaching of Buddha had been giving him infinite life-food; and in the principal articles, he referred to Buddha's teaching- -730- Religious Life and Tought of Devendranath and Rabindranath (K. Inazu) (104)

Especially in page 32 he displayed an excellent comprehension, indicating the nucleus of Buddha's doctorine;-"The doctrine of deliverance that the Buddha preached was the freedom from the thraldom of avidya. When he attains the bodhi i. e. the awakenment from the sleep of self to the perfection of consciousness, he becomes the Buddha." Thus we can see, at that time Buddha's teaching already took root in his mind. His devotion to Buddha grew deeper. In later writings he showed sympathy with Mahayana Buddhism, and determined the essential character as 'im- measurable love'. Then at last he revealed himself as a Man of "Buddham saranam gaccharhi" with all his mind and body. This is never an exagerated expression. Man will agree to accept Tagore as such, if he reads Taore's preach given on the occasion of Buddha's Birth-Celebration in 1935. It is full of immense love and wisdom, devotion and aspiration. This preach of Tag-ore surely can be ranked among f he few highest sutras appeared in Buddhistic history. The best of both the Vedic and Buddhistic traditions was thus brought into harmonious unity by Rabindranath Tagore through his life-long devoted endeavour.

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