I happened to read a book titled "Tales of Prison Life", by Sri Aurobindo. My experience reading the book was remarkable. I was thinking why I could not read this book quiet early in life. But, nevertheless, we have to believe in Time and Destiny.
Sri Aurobindo is an unassuming greatness personified. The impressions that I had towards him during my early years is of a Saintly Figure, lost in the world of Vedanta. This impression did not allow me to read any of his books because, the language he used to describe his perspectives on Spirituality was higher than my normal understanding. For him it was a natural flow to describe his experiences but for me, with my immaturity and lack of exposure towards higher levels of thinking I could not grasp his essence and slowly, his books such as "The Life Divine", occupied my home Library.
However, while I was reading the book - "Re-writing Indian History" by Francois Gautier, I saw Sri Aurobindo in a different shade. Sri Aurobindo can be described as a Caterpiller before his One Year Term in Jail (1908-09). His deeper contemplation of the Truth in the Alipore Jail was a transformation of his self from a Caterpillar to Butterfly. Sri Aurobindo did not find any reason to write about his life in the Jail. He doesn't want to project his awakening. But, in the process of sharing the truth, he revealed the plight of Jail Conditions under the rule of British Government. The British Prison, says Sri Aurobindo "is not a place for reform of character; on the contrary, for the ordinary convict it is but an instrument for the degradation of character and manhood." British Government thought that to arrest Sri Aurobindo means to silent the invisible and under cover operations of few Indians against British Administration. However, the forgotten truth is that a Divine Soul cannot be oppressed or suppressed. The soul does not have any limits. In the case of Sri Aurobindo, British Government failed in silencing him. Because, Sri Aurobindo returned to the world of action with tenfold hope, with fixed notion about Indian superiority, with redoubled respect for human character, the future progress and well-being of the motherland and the human race. He was bold enough to say..."The only result of the wrath of the British Government was that I found God."
Now coming to the relevance of the title - "A Bible in the hand of a Hindu". This statement sounds alarming to disturbed and sick minds. Just think of a situation, when a Muslim was forcibly given Bhagawad Gita to Read or a Christian was given Koran to Contemplate. How does the recipient react? If you are in this position how do you respond? In the current situation, belief in one religion means hatred towards others. A true religion is one that offers universal principles of harmony and peace. It preserves the right to live and directs others to live in harmony with others.
Sri Aurobindo was narrating the following incident in his book "Tales of Prison Life". There were two educated young men - Nagendranath and Dharani who were imprisoned by Britishers. They were in prison for somebody else fault and there was no slightest anger or censure or annoyance found on their face. Both of them accepted the punishment with a smile. The brothers were "Sadhaks" but their natures were different. Nagendra was steady, grave and intelligent. He was very fond of Godly conversation and religious topics. After the day's labour the jail mates were permitted to read books. Nagendra who had asked for the Bhagavad Gita had been given the Bible instead. He was expressing the inner sense of Gita's verse - once in a while it even appeared as if the sublime and divine statements of Krishna at Kurukshetra were coming out of the same lotus lips of Vasudeva in the Alipore prison. Without reading the Gita, to be able to realise in the Bible the spirit of equality, renunciation of the desire for fruit, to see the Divine in all things, etc., is the index of a not negligible inner life or spiritual capacity, sadhana.
This experience to read, to listen and to share the above incident is much needed among all the educated elites. What intelligence we acquired when we cannot resist the temptation of verbal abuse on matters related to religion. Why so much hatred on Hindus and on their Temples? A real Muslim and a True Christian are always happy with a Just Hindu.
Religion in its noblest sense is a path to reach the Truth. But now, the path shown by religion is less understood by people and more trespassed by Politicians and Intellectual Idiots to sustain their identity and pursue their survival in India. If at all something can be done to revive the true spirit of religion, then education can play a significant role in making aware the essence of religion.
It is high time, India introspects where India stands? Does it stand on fuzzy, volatile, fragile, Constitution which is always on the headlines of controversy? If there is any discrepancy in Constitution on whom are we depending? Are we to depend on some intellectual arrogant's who are not aware of our great History, Culture and Civilization? In such a situation, is it not necessary to review and re-design the Constitution and firmly place it on the principles of Sanatana Dharma? For every law should be firmly backed by a Dharma. Only then, the culture and tradition which sustained since thousands of years will remain un-scratched for the next generations to cherish.
The young generation should question and reason the Religion not to prove it Wrong but to prove its Relevance in the current situations. They should read books, do research and see which religious texts can solve the current myths and apprehensions that are hindering the economy. Only when the current generation indulge in serious works to bring together the Science and Spirituality, then there is Awakening of New Aryan Breed that will certainly Celebrate the Past Glory of Indianess and Revive its Ancient Glory. It is for certain that India should grow not for its own sake but for the sake of uniting humanity and lead the world to a meaningful destination.
Ravi Kant Ph.D
Reference
Tales of Prison Life, by Sri Aurobindo, 90-92
(Some parts of the texts were reproduced originally in order to preserve the essence as I fear that any change in the verbatim may dis-respect the originality. My sincere thanks and respects to Aurobindo Ashram for this published work).
