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Emerson's Passion for Indian Thought International Journal of Literature and Arts 2013; 1(1): 1-6 Published online June 10, 2013 (http://www.sciencepublishinggroup.com/j/ijla) doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20130101.11 Emerson’s passion for Indian thought Sardar M. Anwaruddin Department of English, North South University, Bangladesh Email address: [email protected] To cite this article: Sardar M. Anwaruddin. Emerson’s Passion for Indian Thought. International Journal of Literature and Arts. Vol. 1, No. 1, 2013, pp. 1-6. doi: 10.11648/j.ijla.20130101.11 Abstract: The first group of American thinkers who seriously examined non-Western spiritual traditions such as Hinduism and Buddhism was the Transcendentalists. The prominent members of this group included Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, Bronson Alcott, and Elizabeth Peabody. In general, the Transcendentalists argued for a non-dogmatic and more universalistic perspective of life and the world. As the intellectual guru of this group, Emerson “represent[ed] the best in the spiritual explorer” (Moore 74). Unlike most of his predecessors and contemporaries, he was sensitive to and passionate about non-Western spiritual traditions and philosophies. Today, the sources of Emerson’s knowledge and inspiration are of particular interest to the critics and researchers of comparative literature. In this article, I explore Emerson’s passion for Indian thought with specific reference to Brahma, the Bhagavad Gita , and the laws of karma . Keywords: Emerson, Indian thought, Brahma, Gita , Karma a period between 1830 and 1860. One of the beginning 1. Introduction marks of this movement was the Transcendental Club meeting held at George Ripley’s home in Boston in the fall Ralph Waldo Emerson was America’s poet-prophet. He of 1836. As an intellectual movement, Transcendentalism is remembered primarily for his endeavor to elevate the was influenced by Romanticism and post-Kantian idealism, spiritual landscape of the American psyche. Emerson was and its major exponents were Ralph Waldo Emerson, Henry born in 1803 in Boston, USA. He lost his father when he David Thoreau, Margaret Fuller, and Bronson Alcott. was only eight and was raised by his mother. Emerson lived Initially, it started its journey as a religious movement, but his whole life in Massachusetts and became the leading shortly it addressed many other issues of the contemporary member of a group known as Transcendentalists. His time. beliefs and ideas may be summarized by one of his own Transcendentalism’s influence is clearly visible in many sentences: “Can anyone doubt that if the noblest saint American movements—be it religious, literary, political, or among the Buddhists, and noblest Mahometan, the highest philosophical. With regard to religion, it introduced Stoic of Athens, the purest and wisest Christian, M[a]nu in freethinking and reasoning in understanding and practicing India, Confucius in China, Spinoza in Holland, could religion. In fact, it was the first revolt against historical somewhere meet and converse together, they would find Christianity as it rejected religious forms, creeds, rituals, themselves of one religion?” (Buell xx). Before proceeding and the literal explanations of scriptures. Instead, it aspired to discuss how Indian thought influenced Emerson’s ideas to reach for an authentic religious experience. Establishing and works, it is important that I briefly focus on the an original relationship with God and the universe was movement known as Transcendentalism. among the main objectives of the movement. Rejecting religious formalities, Emerson in his “Divinity School 2. What is Transcendentalism Address” declared that “Whenever the pulpit is usurped by a formalist, then is the worshipper defrauded and Transcendentalism, or American Transcendentalism, was disconsolate. We shrink as soon as the prayers begin, which a multi-faceted movement. It introduced freethinking in do not uplift, but smite and offend us….It seemed strange religion, intuitive idealism in philosophy, individualism in that the people should come to church” (138-39). Thus, literature, new spirit in social reforms, and new optimism in Transcendentalism advocated religious experience based on peoples’ mind. This New England movement flourished in intuition and an unmediated relationship with the universe 2 Sardar M. Anwaruddin: Emerson’s Passion for Indian Thought and its Creator. world and that evil was a transient phenomenon in God’s To the study of philosophy, Transcendentalism added the creation.” In short, Transcendentalism was the first principles of idealism. In Emerson’s opinion, successful American movement that influenced America’s Transcendentalism is what is left in a person’s mind after he religion, philosophy, literature, and attitude toward life. or she empties everything that comes from traditions. Along this line of understanding, Orestes Brownson defines Transcendentalism as “the recognition in man of the 3. Emerson and Indian Thought capacity of knowing truth intuitively,” and George A. Transcendentalism was the first American intellectual Ripley defines it as “the supremacy of mind over matter” movement that showed true interests in Eastern philosophy. (Boller 34-35). Furthermore, Emerson, in “The Emerson started to read about Indian philosophy and Transcendentalist,” provides us with the most succinct mythology in The Edinburgh Review between 1820 and definition of Transcendentalism as an idealistic philosophy: 1825. His interest in Indian thought grew when he was a “What is popularly called Transcendentalism among us, is young Harvard graduate, and it continued until the end of Idealism.” his writing career. We see its evidence in many of his In addition to being an emblem of intuitive religious essays, poems, letters, and journal entries. For example, the experience and an idealistic philosophy, Transcendentalism concept of Brahma plays a central role in his works and may be described as a doctrine of reform. In the April issue ideas. He is also very much interested in the Bhagavad Gita . of The Dial in 1841, Emerson wrote, “In the history of the Some of his essays such as “Self-Reliance” deal with a world the doctrine of Reform had never such scope as at theme that is very much similar to the concept of karma . the present hour.” Almost all members of the Through a discussion of Brahma, the Bhagavad Gita , and Transcendentalist group responded to various social the laws of karma , I explore how Emerson was deeply reforms, e.g., women’s rights, temperance, abolitionism, influenced by the Indian philosophical and religious children’s aid, prison reform, and educational reform. With thought. regard to social reform, Emerson always believed in two parties in society: “the party of the Past and the party of the 3.1. The Concept of Brahma Future: the Establishment and the Movement” (Boller 100). In addition to ushering in various social reforms, The Indian concept of Brahma had great influence on Transcendentalism introduced a romantic and Emerson. Brahma is the god of creation, and one of the individualistic movement to the field of literary studies. Hindu trinity—others being Visnu, the preserver and savior Defying the traditional ways of looking at humans as social of the world, and Siva, the destroyer or dissolver of the subjects, it re-conceptualized individuals as autonomous world. Emerson was so influenced by the concept of agents and redefined reality through what is called “an Brahma that he named one of his short poems “Brahma:” innocent eye.” In short, Transcendentalism as a literary If the red slayer think he slays, movement influenced modern American literature, e.g., the Or if the slain think he is slain, works of the Beat Generation. They know not well the subtle ways From another perspective, Transcendentalism was a I keep, and pass, and turn again. movement of cosmic optimism; all members of this group Far or forgot to me is near; were profoundly optimistic. In The Dial , Thoreau wrote Shadow and sunlight are the same; that “Surely joy is the condition of life.” He further The vanished gods to me appear; illustrated his optimism through the following words: “I And one to me are shame and fame. believe something, and there is nothing else but that. I They reckon ill who leave me out; know that I am….I know that the enterprise is worthy. I When me they fly, I am the wings; know that things work well. I have heard no bad news.” I am the doubter and the doubt, Thoreau’s friend Alcott seems to be even more “affirmative And I the hymn the Brahmin sings. about life.” Thoreau said, “His [Alcott’s] attitude is one of The strong gods pine for my abode, greater faith and expectation than that of any man I know.” And pine in vain the sacred Seven; Like other members of the movement, Margaret Fuller But thou, meek lover of the good! shares the Transcendentalist group’s optimism. Echoing Find me, and turn thy back on heaven. (665) Alcott, she says, “Evil is abstraction; Good is In this poem, Emerson describes the mystery of Brahma. accomplishment.” Although at times she is faced with It is almost impossible for humans to understand the disappointment and frustration, she never gives up her faith “subtle ways” of Brahma because his character is beyond in “the divine soul of this visible creation, which cannot err human comprehension. However, at the end of the poem, or will not sleep, which cannot permit evil to be permanent we see the light of hope because humans can find him or its aim of beauty to be eventually frustrated in the although “strong gods” look for him “in vain.” This is the smallest particular” (Boller 143). Summing up the human supremacy, and as Brahma assures, anybody who is transcendentalists’ optimistic beliefs and attitudes, Parker the “meek lover of the good” can find him. writes that “there was more gladness than sadness in the I shall now briefly discuss the concept of Brahma in International Journal of Literature and Arts 2013; 1(1): 1-6 3 order to shed light on its influence on Emerson.
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