Modern Literature And Universalism PDF Print E-mail
Arts and Culture
Written by Sarvaijina   
Spessimistic outlook of futility which we trace in the literature of the last century is also perceptible today. According to Shrii P.R.Sarkar civilization should go ahead of science. So long as the spirit of moving together (Samgacchadvam) is not cultivated in the people of the world and civilization will continue to lag behind science. Literature is the mirror of society; the expressions of life are reflected in it. Until and unless neo-humanistic and neo-ethical values are ensconced in the society emperialistic exploitation will continue to appear in new forms. Civilization will have to precede science to put paid to the sense of futility and negative outlook in the hearts and minds of the people at large. Material science is very important but civilization is more important than it.
The civilization should not clothe itself in the garb of hypocrisy. Spiritual inspiration is required for this purpose. Spirituality is the Prana-Dharma of India. This Prana Dharma has got an expression in the ancient literature as also in the practical field of Tantra.
The impact of Samskrta literature was felt in the world from the nineteenth century. Indian spirituality had deepened western transcendentalism and
inspired an upbeat note in the minds of occidental litterateurs. T.S. Eliot had found a solution to the sterility of wasteland in the Brihadaranyak upanisad -'Datta' Dayadhwam, Damyat'.
The two great wars were the upshot of the narrow sentiment of internationalism. The solution of internecine bloodbath lies in universalism. 'Rationality' will put paid to geo-sentiment but socio-sentiment and general humanistic sentiment can be mitigated only by proto-psychospirituality.
Universalism can be established only on the terra firma of neo-humanism and spirituality. It will awaken conscience in human beings and replace the principle of selfish pleasure by the principle of social equality.
The latter will put an end to distorted humanism which has exploited the human race by its hypocrisy. The exploitation of non-human beings will also come to an end and provide a shot in the arm of external ecology and end environmental pollution. The spiritual vision will also encourage internal ecology which is the equilibrium and equipoise of positive and negative microvita in the universe.
We find the pervasive outlook of universalism in ancient Indian literature and also find it in many litterateurs and artists of the world. In the Upanisads, yoga, the Giita, the Mahabharata, we have a glimpse of God and His psychic projection, the universe. This perspective is the cornerstone of universalism. Whereever this spiritual outlook was cultivated universalism had a shot in the arm. In the west it came through the translations of ancient Samskrta texts.
In England Samuel Taylor Colridge, De Quinay and Carlyle had laid the foundations of transcendentalism. Among the American transcen-dentalists Emersion, George Replay, Elcott, Fuller, Thoreau and Parker shone in the firmament of literature. Emanuel Kant, Hegel, Fichte and Schelling had inspired it.
The romantic and mystic movements in Germany, England and America were inspired by transcendentalism. Intuition got the better of intellect in these countries. In Indian philosophy cosmic consciousness is the transcendental entity. It's the witness behind all expressions.Later German transcendentalism in Europe and America was replaced by Indian orientalism. Latter inspired scholars and litterateurs like Emersion, Thorea, Paul   Dyson, Maxmuller, Walt Whitman, William James, T.S.Eliot, Romand O. Rolland, E.M.Foster, Alduous Huxley et al. They explicitly exhibited the influence of Upanisadas, the Citta, Yoga, the Mahabharata et al.
Emerson's poem “Brahma” was inspired by Upanisadic spiritual vision. His disciples Thoreau used to call himself a Yogi and his “Baldo” was inspired by Indian spirituality. 
Maxmuller, Paul Dyson and Romand O. Rolland show the influence of Ramakrishna Paramahans and Swami Vivekananda. Romand Rolland had written a book on Ramakrishna's life.
Many poems of the “Leaves of Grass” composed by the American poet Walt Whitman were inspired by the spirituality of the Upanisads and Giita. The ancient samskrta literature had inspired the oriental poems of William James. T.S. Eliot's “Waste Land” and “Four Quartet's” are full of quotes and ideas from the Upanisads and Giitta respectively. Forster's “A Passage to India” and Huxley's “Perennial Philosophy” bear the impact of Indian spirituality and philosophy respectively.
Among the Indian writers, thinkers and philosophers Shrii Aurobindo, Shrii P.R.Sarkar and S. Radhakrishnan are prominent. They expressed in their writings the Supreme entity and its expressions. Dr. S. Radhakrishnan was essentially a teacher of philosophy but he laid stress on “transcendental perception”. He had advocated such a literature which transcends both Dionysian and Apollonian. He exhibits the influence of transcendentalism in his writings. Shrii Aurobindo was a Yogi, preceptor, philosopher and litterateur. He talks about a Aurobindo had expounded his philosophy in his literary works. In the view of some critics the poetry of Shrii Aurobindo is the vehicle of his philosophy.
Shrii P.R.Sarkar is a philosopher, preceptor, psychologist, philologist, poet and litterateur. According to him, cosmic consciousness is the transcendental entity. In his opinion the true litterateurs and artists should derive inspiration from the transcendental entity. If there is no love for the cosmic entity one can not be called a litterateur or an artist in the true sense of the term. In a genius, the love for Transcendental Entity is inborn. Rabindranath Tagore had cultivated it through Sadhana.
Indian transcendentalism alone can unite the people of the world.
This transcendentalism can unite the entire globe. The litterateurs inspired by it are enlightening the collective mind all over the world. Shrii P.R.Sarkar had thrown a flood of light on this soon after the cessation of hostilities in the global arena : “Today not even the Pacific Ocean between Asia and America is difficult to cross. The people of Asia and America are touching each other's minds and have learned to accept each other sympathetically as their own. Europe, Africa, Australia, Merdury, Jupiter, the stars, the comets, the constellations - none of them is alien to the others, none is distant from another. Gradually everyone has begun to realise the vibration of the One Integral mind. It is my firm conviction that the future of humanity is not dark. Every human being will attain that inextinguishable flame that is forever alight beyond the veil of the darkness of the present - and attain they must. Those who will carry the message of that effulgent light will be forever revered by all humanity. I see the potentiality of those memorable and venerable people in the litterateurs and artists and that is why I hold them in great regard.”
Today the litterateurs suffused with the love for Transcendental entity spreading the message of universalism all over the world. Those who do not do this are obfuscating the field of art and literature inebriated by the booze of caste, race, communalism, nationalism or internationalism. The true litterateurs sing the song of universalism inspired by the love for cosmic consciousness. These writers will liberate human mind from the thraldom of a sense of futility, pessimism and socio -economic insecurity.

Sarvaijina

Civilization will have to precede science to put paid to the sense of futility and negative outlook in the hearts and minds of the people at large. Material science is very important but civilization is more important than it.