Wednesday, February 29, 2012

Rabindranath in America - Pasadena, California (contd-16)

Rabindranath came to Pasadena in California and got in the Hotel Maryland . Many well to do persons wanted him as their guest but rejected everyone's request. He read the essay, "The cult of Nationalism" before two thousand persons in the auditorium of the school at 8 pm. The poet was introduced by Prof. Reginald Tole of the English department of Throop College of Technology, under whose auspices the lecture was given.
Though his health and mind did not permit this tour program of delivering lectures but the huge audience inspired him to new determination.
He wrote a long letter to Rathindranath from Los Angeles;
"I am moving from this city to that to deliver lecture like a hurry can tour. My agent are engaged in this profession in two gemerations - according to him, they have arranged so many lectures but do not find  so many people to come. Peoples are going back for want of accommodation. I think it is the right time that God have placed me in such a place. It seems that my idea will go deep into the minds of the students.I am pleased to see their enthusiasm. But this hurry can tour is very painful to me. I'm bearing all the troubles to introduce  my school at Santiniketan in the whole world. That place should remain open for the development of humanity of the whole wold - it is the end of narrow-nationalism now a days. The great union of the  people of the whole world should begin at this corner of Bolpur.That place should develop  independently from Geographical and Historical identities -- I presume so. I want to sow the seed of victory of human being at that place. To cut of all bondage of nationalism  is the task at the end of my life. For this reason, God has anchored my boat at this Western ghat without any prior information and I have to accept it as desired."          

Tuesday, February 28, 2012

Rabindranath in America- 2nd times - Riverside & Los Angeles (contd-15)

Rabindranath went to visit Orange Groves of Riverside by motor.It was settled that he would stay Glenwood Mission Inn up to lunch but he was so pleased to see the beauties of the place  as if he became intoxicated, he cancelled some of his schedule and stay there for long time.  and the "atmosphere " of the Inn, too, pleased him , and when the usual musical service was held last night he felt into its spirit and both astounded and delighted the other guests by reading a poem from his book,
 "Gitanjali" , he said "Next to India, Southern California is the one place in the world where I'd like to live . I can think of nothing better than to sit among the orange groves and dream away my life."
Rabindranath read his essay on "The Cult of nationalism" in Trinity Auditorium of Los Angeles  on 9th Oct organised by Cumnock School of Expression. The local paper, Times , wrote; "Trinity Auditorium was packed to capacity to last night and Sir Rabindranath Tagore, Bengal poet, educator and interpreter of the occulation of the east, was accorded a royal welcome."
The news paper "Examiner' published an interview with Rabindranath in the hotel on the subject " Marriage and Divorce" on 10th Oct. he said ;
" I consider marriage not merely a convenient or a mutual agreement, but something deep in human nature -- the expression of the very necessity of humanity." In his opinion, " the defects of the present system of marriage needs correction in the progress of time." His opinion about the divorce is, " the relations between Mother and child, brother and sister, though, are having blood relation still they possess freedom -- so it is difficult to give an opinion offhand as to the drawing of the line where divorce should come. All I can say is that divorce should become more and more elastic as society progresses."

Ghadar Party and Rabindranath - Santa Barbara, CA (contd-13/2)

(Flag of Ghadar Party)
Rabindranath compared British Administration with that of Mughal era and placed the former to be better than the latter and commented that "India was not prepared for self-government." Ramchandra the then leader of Ghadar Party. " Ramchandra, the then leader of Ghadar Party, in a second letter written to Examiner on 3rd Oct. wrote praising the Editor for his comments of his previous letter on 5th Oct;
" In spite of Tagore's literary achievements, he now stands for what we call Old India . Let it be clearly understood that there six million monks in India who are nearly all sages and philosophers like Tagore, many of them being men of the highest spiritual attainments. They all disapprove of modern science and look for social improvement solely through individual spiritual growth. Their position is made clear by the assertion of Tagore that a certain old woman whom he met in India, and who could neither read nor write, represented to him the highest ideal of human life     because of her realization of god . Indirectly and unknowingly, those who teach taht knowledge of God is all, are really running India..... How did Tagore secure the Nobel Prize ? Not, undoubtedly, for realizing God, but for his literary achievements. Let us note further that Tagore's literary works were largely written on behalf of the Nationalist cause. This activity was considered inimical to English ascendency in Inia. The Briish Government knows how to do away with such activity. They issued a secret order that Hindu officials should not send their children to Tagore's school at Bolepur. Later, the Government offered Tagore Knighthood, which he accepted, and two British missionaries , Rev.C.F.Andrews and W.W.Pearson, became teachers in the school. This was done in spite of great protest in the "Indian Press", thesde two men being regarded as agents of the Government. From that time on Tagore's philosophy was changed, and Tagore began to speak gently of the British Government."  
Another incident took place on 5th Oct. The senior Prof. Bishen Singh Mattu on behalf of Khalsa Deon Society  of Stockton City with his two companions Umrao Singh and Pardam Singh came to invite Rabindranath when in-front of Palace Hotel two persons, an one-handed  one  Jiban Singh and another H.Singh Hateshi intervened, began to wrangle, and as a result of the white turban of Professor fell down on the street. Whenthey were arrested they defended by saying that they were the employees of Ramchandra who released them from the court on a bail of $ 20 each.This news were focussed inthe local papers , Call,  Examiner and Times.
Los Angeles Examiner published written statement of Rabindranath on 5th oct;
" I have cancelled no engagements and I came to Santa Barbara by train which had been arranged for me some days before by my manager.As for a plot  to assassinate me, I have the fullest confidence in the sanity of my countrymen, and shall fulfill my engagements without the help of police protection. I take this opportunity emphatically to assert that I do not believe there was a plot to assassinate me, though I had to submit to the farce of being guarded by the police, from which I hope to be relieved for the rest of my visit to this country."
The matter ended here.    

Ghadar Party and Rabindranath - San Francisco (contd-12)

The party was built around the weekly paper The Ghadar, which carried the caption on the masthead: Angrezi Raj Ka Dushman (an enemy of the British rule). "Wanted brave soldiers", the Ghadar declared, "to stir up rebellion in India. Pay-death; Price-martyrdom; Pension-liberty; Field of battle-India". The ideology of the party was strongly secular. In the words of Sohan Singh Bhakna, who later became a major peasant leader of the Punjab: "We were not Sikhs or Punjabis. Our religion was patriotism". The first issue of The Ghadar, was published from San Francisco on November 1, 1913.
Following the voyage of the Komagata Maru in 1914, a direct challenge to Canadian racist anti-Indian immigration laws, several thousand Indians resident in the USA sold their business and homes ready to drive the British from India. However, Hardayal had fled to Europe concerned that the US authorities would hand him over to the British. Sohan Singh Bhakna was already in British hands, and the leadership fell to Ram Chandra. Following the entry of Canada into World War I, the organization was centered in the USA and received substantial funding from the German government. They had a very militant tone, as illustrated by this quote from Harnam Singh.
Rabindranath was  greeted by the Americans in San Francisco. But, at the same time, some Indians, Rabindranth's own countrymen, members of Ghadar Party,  agitated against him on political ground. At the time of discussions Ramchandra was the leader of then leader. Japan and German was their ally counries. When Rabindranath was criticising about the nationalism of Japan, they became annoyed.Before he stepped to America, Ramchandra wrote a letter to the editor of Call, a San Francisco news paper,  on 16 Sept, 1916, addressing the  non-resident Indian Revolutionaries of Ghadar Party, to become aware of the visit of Rabindranath to America and wrote;
"The present trip to The United States is for other purpose than merely to deliver aesthetic lectures. One of his purpose is to place a check upon Hindu Revolutionary propaganda."



Monday, February 27, 2012

Rabindranath in America 2nd times -San Francisco (contd-11)

Rabindranath read the essay, "The  Cult of Nationalism" in the Ball Room of St. Francis Hotel at the night of 2nd Oct. The news paper, Examiner wrote on 3rd Oct under the headline, "Redfern mason'Tagore proves a  tonic force / woman scorns 'Highbrow Stuff', but audience is Keenly Alive to Philosophy", The paper wrote in applause; his words, now tender with supplication, now burning with protest, or acid with irony rang with  a scriptural music. .. Whatever they thought of his indictment of our civilization, the audience listened with rapt attention" and "when he concluded the audience continued to sit for a few moments, as though unwilling to break the spell of the incisive logic."
Ernest J. Hopkins wrote in the paper, Bulletin ,   on 3rd Oct, under the headline, "Tagore like prophet, sings the Doom of Fluttonous nations"  , "His discourse was elaborately worded  -- a masterpiece of English style, caste in long flowing senences interspersed  by tares aphorisms and beatified by a wealth of poetic metaphor, andit was noticeable that the metaphorical riches were drawn principally from the fundamental things of social life, from agriculture, from home from the animal world.", He also said in a critical note, "Tagore's trajedy on his lecture tour is that the creed, which he utters is a practical program of life will be accepted principally as an intellectual feat."
Rabindranath passed the day, 3rd Oct,  in a busy schedule. Pearson wrote in his diary, "from 2 pm to 4 pm he had meet interviews with five persons.In the night he gave a lecture the Audience of Japanese people. Here he read the essay, "The Spirit of Japan".
He attended a dinner thrown in his honour by the members of Bohemian Club at 6 pm.Bulletin  gave the report in detail,
" As a compliment to the famous East Indian poet and philosopher, the entire red room of the club will be transformed into an East indian palace. Anadee Joulin, the wellknown artist , whose oriental pictures won him fame, is in charge of the decorating , and is using all his art and knowledge of the Far East, learned through his long residence there, its making the room into a proper setting for so distinguished a guest . The room, with its background of red walls and carpet, will be hung with magnificient Oriental draperies and rugs. The lighting will be from gorgeous brass hanging lanterns. In the centre of the room will be a horseshoe-shaped table, trimmed with lotus flowers, the beautiful blossoms of the far east.  A special menu has been ordered that will appear as the Hindu-taste. During dinner there will be Hindu music, played by musicians in the picturesque costumes of East India."
Examiner   has just recapitu;ated the whole thing.                    

Rabindranath and Art Exhibition - San Francisco ( contd-10)

While coming to America Rabindranath brought some pictures drawn by Bengali artists. He organised an exhibition with those pictures in San Francisco at Paul Elder Gallery on and from 2nd Oct. which remained open till 12 of Oct. The pictures and the exhibition were appreciated here and that was reflected in local news paper Call ;
" The mysticism and symbolism of ancient India, executed with the virility of Occidental Art, characterize the paintings of the young artists of the modern Bengali School...now being displayed at the Paul Elder Gallery. Twelve Artists ..are represented  in the exhibition. The most noteworthy, and those regarded  as India's greatest painters , are Abanindranath and Gaganendranath Tagore, both nephews of the eminent  poet-philosopher. The collection which has perhaps the deepest appeal to Occidental art lovers , is a set of symbolic animal studies by Abanindranath Tagore. The remarkable illuminative effects in dark shadow recesses, deep forests, and in night scenes reveal th younger Tagore as a master of the difficult italian art of light and shade. Mukul Chandra Dey is another exhibitor whose works show mastery of technique, delicacy of touch, poetic feelings. " Watering the Tulsi plant ", "MorningFlowers", and a series of pencil studies of the poet Tagore are among the finest."
Regarding this exhibition of Paintings Rabindranath wrote to Mira Devi;
" Mukul is gradually exposing himself slowly. It will not be his fruitless visit to abroad. So long I have seen pictures in Japan and at this place, I began to believe, the history of the development of paintings in Bengal has its own glory. If it can develop in its own way then it will occupy its own place in the whole world in no time. Okakura has founded a School for the modern artists in Japan where many experiments are being done.That means they have devoted their full energy on this subject. It is not as a fashion they are doing like a narrow purpose.In Seattle I found a group of artist are working attentively in a studio. In this country when a person finds some idea the whole nation tries to make it successful everyone wants to make it successful that is the reason of their prosperity. but we, in our country, are divided, idle  thinker, and can not move a single step outside our loneliness.It is difficult to say when this country will move unitedly to make our ideal successful.The inherent energy within ourselves is not negligible . When we come abroad, we get hold of it.
The generosity, the superiority can make that power world famous of all countries and of all times, we do not possess that power and  that self-scrifice. I thought that "Bichitra" could have radiated that fragrance through out the country, but none came forward. I was ready to do as far as I can, but I could ignite a lamp."
Often it was seen that Rabindranath was saying lamented; " Paintings is not my subject, had it been so I would have shown the world what could be done out of it"                  

"The Cult of Nationalism" -- Rabindranath (contd-9


Electronic library


read the book

is not with Japan of the Bushido, the Japan of
the moral ideals, that you have to deal — it is with
the abstraction of the popular selfishness, it is
with the Nation ; and Nation can only trust
Nation where their interests coalesce, or at least
do not conflict. In fact your instinct tells you
that the advent of another people into the arena
of nationality makes another addition to the evil
which contradicts all that is highest in Man and
proves by its success that unscrupulousness is
the way to prosperity, — and goodness is good



NATIONALISM IN THE WEST 41

for the weak and God is the only remaining
consolation of the defeated.

Yes, this is the logic of the Nation. And it
will never heed the voice of truth and goodness.
It will go on in its ring-dance of moral corrup-
tion, linking steel unto steel, and machine unto
machine ; trampling under its tread all the sweet
flowers of simple faith and the living ideals of
man.

But we delude ourselves into thinking that
humanity in the modern days is more to the
front than ever before. The reason of this self-
delusion is because man is served with the neces-
saries of life in greater profusion, and his physical
ills are being alleviated with more efficacy. But
the chief part of this is done, not by moral sacri-
fice, but by intellectual power. In quantity it is
great, but it springs from the surface and spreads
over the surface. Knowledge and efficiency are
powerful in their outward effect, but they are
the servants of man, not the man himself. Their
service is like the service in a hotel, where it is
elaborate, but the host is absent ; it is more
convenient than hospitable.

Therefore we must not forget that the
scientific organizations vastly spreading in all
directions are strengthening our power, but not



42 NATIONALISM

our humanity. With the growth of power the
cult of the self-worship of the Nation grows in
ascendancy ; and the individual willingly allows
the Nation to take donkey-rides upon his back ;
and there happens the anomaly which must have
such disastrous effects, that the individual
worships with all sacrifices a god which is morally
much inferior to himself. This could never have
been possible if the god had been as real as the
individual.

Let me give an illustration of this in point.
In some parts of India it has been enjoined as
an act of great piety for a widow to go without
food and water on a particular day every fort-
night. This often leads to cruelty, unmeaning
and inhuman. And yet men are not by nature
cruel to such a degree. But this piety being a
mere unreal abstraction completely deadens the
moral sense of the individual, just as the man,
who would not hurt an animal unnecessarily,
would cause horrible suffering to a large number
of innocent creatures when he drugs his feelings
with the abstract idea of " sport." Because these
ideas are the creations of our intellect, because
they are logical classifications, therefore they can
so easily hide in their mist the personal man.

And the idea of the Nation is one of the most



NATIONALISM IN THE WEST 43

powerful aiifiesthetics that man has mvented.
Under the influence of its fumes the whole
people can carry out its systematic programme of
the most virulent self-seeking without being in
the least aware of its moral perversion, — in fact
feeling dangerously resentful if it is pointed out.

But can this go on indefinitely ? continually
producing barrenness of moral insensibility upon
a large tract of our living nature ? Can it escape
its nemesis for ever ? Has this giant power of
mechanical organization no limit in this world
against which it may shatter itself all the more
completely because of its terrible strength and
velocity ? Do you believe that evil can be per-
manently kept in check by competition with
evil, and that conference of prudence can keep
the devil chained in its makeshift cage of mutual
agreement ?

This European war of Nations is the war of
retribution. Man, the person, must protest for
his very life against the heaping up of things
where there should be the heart, and systems
and policies where there should flow living
human relationship. The time has come when,
for the sake of the whole outraged world, Europe
should fully know in her own person the terrible
absurdity of the thing called the Nation.



44 NATIONALISM

The Nation has thriven long upon mutilated
humanity. Men, the fairest creations of God,
came out of the National manufactory in huge
numbers as war - making and money - making
puppets, ludicrously vain of their pitiful perfec-
tion of mechanism. Human society grew more
and more into a marionette show of politicians,
soldiers, manufacturers and bureaucrats, pulled
by wire arrangements of wonderful efficiency.

But the apotheosis of selfishness can never
make its interminable breed of hatred and greed,
fear and hypocrisy, suspicion and tyranny, an
end in themselves. These monsters grow into
huge shapes but never into harmony. And
this Nation may grow on to an unimaginable
corpulence, not of a living body, but of steel
and steam and office buildings, till its deformity
can contain no longer its ugly voluminousness,
— till it begins to crack and gape, breathe gas
and fire in gasps, and its death-rattles sound
in cannon roars. In this war the death-throes of
the Nation have commenced. Suddenly, all its
mechanism going mad, it has begun the dance
of the Furies, shattering its own limbs, scattering
them into the dust. It is the fifth act of the
tragedy of the unreal.

Those who have any faith in Man cannot but



NATIONALISM IN THE WEST 45

fervently hope that the tyranny of the Nation
will not be restored to all its former teeth and
claws, to its far - reaching iron arms and its
immense inner cavity, all stomach and no heart ;
that man will have his new birth, in the freedom
of his individuality, from the enveloping vague-
ness of abstraction.

The veil has been raised, and in this frightful
war the West has stood face to face with her
own creation, to which she had offered her soul.
She must know what it truly is.

She had never let herself suspect what slow
decay and decomposition were secretly going on
in her moral nature, which often broke out in
doctrines of scepticism, but still oftener and in
still more dangerously subtle manner showed
itself in her unconsciousness of the mutilation
and insult that she had been inflicting upon a
vast part of the world. Now she must know
the truth nearer home.

And then there will come from her own
children those who will break themselves free
from the slavery of this illusion, this perversion
of brotherhood founded upon self-seeking, those
who will own themselves as God's children and
as no bond-slaves of machinery, which turns
souls into commodities and life into compart-



46 NATIONALISM

ments, which, with its iron claws, scratches out
the heart of the world and knows not what it
has done.

And we of no nations of the world, whose
heads have been bowed to the dust, will know
that this dust is more sacred than the bricks
which build the pride of power. For this dust
is fertile of life, and of beauty and worship.
We shall thank God that we were made to
wait in silence through the night of despair,
had to bear the insult of the proud and the
strong man's burden, yet all through it, though
our hearts quaked with doubt and fear, never
could we blindly believe in the salvation which
machinery offered to man, but we held fast to
our trust in God and the truth of the human
soul. And we can still cherish the hope that,
when power becomes ashamed to occupy its
throne and is ready to make way for love,
when the morning comes for cleansing the
blood - stained steps of the Nation along the
highroad of humanity, we shall be called upon
to bring our own vessel of sacred water — the
water of worship — to sweeten the history of
man into purity, and with its sprinkling make
the trampled dust of the centuries blessed with
fruitfulness.



NATIONALISM IN JAPAN



47



NATIONALISM IN JAPAN



The worst form of bondage is the bondage of
dejection, which keeps men hopelessly chained
in loss of faith in themselves. We have been
repeatedly told, with some justification, that Asia
lives in the past, — it is like a rich mausoleum
which displays all its magnificence in trying to
immortalize the dead. It was said of Asia that
it could never move in the path of progress, its
face was so inevitably turned backwards. We
accepted this accusation, and came to believe it.
In India, I know, a large section of our educated
community, grown tired of feeling the humilia-
tion of this charge against us, is trying all its
resources of self-deception to turn it into a
matter of boasting. But boasting is only a
masked shame, it does not truly believe in itself.
When things stood still like this, and we in
Asia hypnotized ourselves into the belief that

49 E



50 NATIONALISM

it could never by any possibility be otherwise,
Japan rose from her dreams, and in giant strides
left centuries of inaction behind, overtaking the
present time in its foremost achievement. This
has broken the spell under which we lay in
torpor for ages, taking it to be the normal
condition of certain races living in certain
geographical limits. We forgot that in Asia
great kingdoms were founded, philosophy, science,
arts and literatures flourished, and all the great
religions of the world had their cradles. There-
fore it cannot be said that there is anything
inherent in the soil and climate of Asia to
produce mental inactivity and to atrophy the
faculties which impel men to go forward. For
centuries we did hold torches of civilization in
the East when the West slumbered in darkness,
and that could never be the sign of sluggish
mind or narrowness of vision.

Then fell the darkness of night upon all the
lands of the East. The current of time seemed
to stop at once, and Asia ceased to take any new
food, feeding upon its own past, which is really
feeding upon itself. The stillness seemed like
death, and the great voice was silenced which
sent forth messages of eternal truth that have
saved man's life from pollution for generations,



NATIONALISM IN JAPAN 51

like the ocean of air that keeps the earth sweet,
ever cleansing its impurities.

But life has its sleep, its periods of inactivity,
when it loses its movements, takes no new food,
living upon its past storage. Then it grows help-
less, its muscles relaxed, and it easily lends itself
to be jeered at for its stupor. In the rhythm of
life, pauses there must be for the renewal of life.
Life in its activity is ever spending itself, burning
all its fuel. This extravagance cannot go on
indefinitely, but is always followed by a passive
stage, when all expenditure is stopped and all
adventures abandoned in favour of rest and slow
recuperation.

The tendency of mind is economical, it loves
to form habits and move in grooves which save
it the trouble of thinking anew at each of its
steps. Ideals once formed make the mind lazy.
It becomes afraid to risk its acquisitions in fresh
endeavours. It tries to enjoy complete security
by shutting up its belongings behind fortifications
of habits. But this is really shutting oneself up
from the fullest enjoyment of one's own posses-
sions. It is miserliness. The living ideals must
not lose their touch with the growing and
changing life. Their real freedom is not within
the boundaries of security, but in the high-



52 NATIONALISM

road of adventures, full of the risk of new
experiences.

One morning the whole world looked up in
surprise when Japan broke through her walls of
old habits in a night and came out triumphant.
It was done in such an incredibly short time
that it seemed like a change of dress and not like
the building up of a new structure. She showed
the confident strength of maturity, and the fresh-
ness and infinite potentiality of new life at the
same moment. The fear was entertained that
it was a mere freak of history, a child's game of
Time, the blowing up of a soap-bubble, perfect
in its rondure and colouring, hollow in its heart
and without substance. But Japan has proved
conclusively that this sudden revealment of her
power is not a short-lived wonder, a chance pro-
duct of time and tide, thrown up from the depth
of obscurity to be swept away the next moment
into the sea of oblivion.

The truth is that Japan is old and new at the
same time. She has her legacy of ancient culture
from the East, — the culture that enjoins man to
look for his true wealth and power in his inner
soul, the culture that gives self-possession in the
face of loss and danger, self-sacrifice without
counting the cost or hoping for gain, defiance of



NATIONALISM IN JAPAN 53

death, acceptance of countless social obligations
that we owe to men as social beings. In a word,
modern Japan has come out of the immemorial
East like a lotus blossoming in easy grace, all the
while keeping its firm hold upon the profound
depth from which it has sprung.

And Japan, the child of the Ancient East, has
also fearlessly claimed all the gifts of the modern
age for herself. She has shown her bold spirit
in breaking through the confinements of habits,
useless accumulations of the lazy mind, which
seeks safety in its thrift and its locks and keys.
Thus she has come in contact with the living
time and has accepted with eagerness and aptitude
the responsibilities of modern civilization.

This it is which has given heart to the rest
of Asia. We have seen that the life and the
strength are there in us, only the dead crust has
to be removed. We have seen that taking
shelter in the dead is death itself, and only taking
all the risk of life to the fullest extent is living.

I, for myself, canmot believe that Japan has
become what she is by imitating the West. We
cannot imitate life, we cannot simulate strength
for long, nay, what is more, a mere imitation is
a source of weakness. For it hampers our true
nature, it is always in our way. It is like dressing



54 NATIONALISM

our skeleton with another man's skin, giving rise
to eternal feuds between the skin and the bones
at every movement.

The real truth is that science is not man's
nature, it is mere knowledge and training. By
knowing the laws of the material universe you
do not change your deeper humanity. You can
borrow knowledge from others, but you cannot
borrow temperament.

But at the imitative stage of our schooling we
cannot distinguish between the essential and the
non-essential, between what is transferable and
what is not. It is something like the faith of the
primitive mind in the magical properties of the
accidents of outward forms which accompany some
real truth. We are afraid of leaving out some-
thing valuable and efficacious by not swallowing
the husk with the kernel. But while our greed
delights in wholesale appropriation, it is the
function of our vital nature to assimilate, which
is the only true appropriation for a living
organism. Where there is life it is sure to
assert itself by its choice of acceptance and
refusal according to its constitutional necessity.
The living organism does not allow itself to
grow into its food, it changes its food into its
own body. And only thus can it grow strong



NATIONALISM IN JAPAN 55

and not by mere accumulation, or by giving up
its personal identity.

Japan has imported her food from the West,
but not her vital nature. Japan cannot altogether
lose and merge herself in the scientific parapher-
nalia she has acquired from the West and be
turned into a mere borrowed machine. She has
her own soul, which must assert itself over all her
requirements. That she is capable of doing so,
and that the process of assimilation is going on,
have been amply proved by the signs of vigorous
health that she exhibits. And I earnestly hope
that Japan may never lose her faith in her own
soul, in the mere pride of her foreign acquisition.
For that pride itself is a humiliation, ultimately
leading to poverty and weakness. It is the pride
of the fop who sets more store on his new head-
dress than on his head itself.

The whole world waits to see what this great
Eastern nation is going to do with the oppor-
tunities and responsibilities she has accepted
from the hands of the modern time. If it be a
mere reproduction of the West, then the great
expectation she has raised will remain unfulfilled.
For there are grave questions that the Western
civilization has presented before the world but
not completely answered. The conflict between



56 NATIONALISM

the individual and the state, labour and capital,
the man and the woman ; the conflict between
the greed of material gain and the spiritual life
of man, the organized selfishness of nations and
the higher ideals of humanity ; the conflict
between all the ugly complexities inseparable
from giant organizations of commerce and state
and the natural instincts of man crying for
simplicity and beauty and fulness of leisure, —
all these have to be brought to a harmony in
a manner not yet dreamt of.

We have seen this great stream of civilization
choking itself from debris carried by its innumer-
able channels. We have seen that with all its
vaunted love of humanity it has proved itself
the greatest menace to Man, far worse than the
sudden outbursts of nomadic barbarism from
which men suffered in the early ages of history.
We have seen that, in spite of its boasted love
of freedom, it has produced worse forms of
slavery than ever were current in earlier societies,
— slavery whose chains are unbreakable, either
because they are unseen, or because they assume
the names and appearance of freedom. We
have seen, under the spell of its gigantic sordid-
ness, man losing faith in all the heroic ideals of
life which have made him great.



NATIONALISM IN JAPAN 57

Therefore you cannot with a light heart
accept the modern civilization with all its
tendencies, methods and structures, and dream
that they are inevitable. You must apply your
Eastern mind, your spiritual strength, your love
of simplicity, your recognition of social obliga-
tion, in order to cut out a new path for this
great unwieldy car of progress, shrieking out its
loud discords as it runs. You must minimize
the immense sacrifice of man's life and freedom
that it claims in its every movement. For
generations you have felt and thought and
worked, have enjoyed and worshipped in your
own special manner ; and this cannot be cast
off like old clothes. It is in your blood, in the
marrow of your bones, in the texture of your
flesh, in the tissue of your brains ; and it must
modify everything you lay your hands upon,
without your knowing, even against your wishes.
Once you did solve the problems of man to
your own satisfaction, you had your philosophy
of life and evolved your own art of living. All
this you must apply to the present situation,
and out of it will arise a new creation and not
a mere repetition, a creation which the soul of
your people will own for itself and proudly offer
to the world as its tribute to the welfare of man.



58 NATIONALISM

Of all countries in Asia, here in Japan you have
the freedom to use the materials you have
gathered from the West according to your
genius and your need. Therefore your respon-
sibility is all the greater, for in your voice Asia
shall answer the questions that Europe has sub-
mitted to the conference of Man. In your land
the experiments will be carried on by which
the East will change the aspects of modern
civilization, infusing life in it where it is a.
machine, substituting the human heart for cold
expediency, not caring so much for power and
success as for harmonious and living growth, for
truth and beauty.

I cannot but bring to your mind those days
when the whole of Eastern Asia from Burma to
Japan was united with India in the closest tie
of friendship, the only natural tie which can
exist between nations. There was a livincj com-
munication of hearts, a nervous system evolved
through which messages ran between us about
the deepest needs of humanity. We did not
stand in fear of each other, we had not to arm
ourselves to keep each other in check ; our
relation was not that of self-interest, of explora-
tion and spoliation of each other's pockets ; ideas
and ideals were exchanged, gifts of the highest



/



NATIONALISM IN JAPAN 59

love were offered and taken ; no difference of
languages and customs hindered us in approach-
ing each other heart to heart ; no pride of race
or insolent consciousness of superiority, physical
or mental, marred our relation ; our arts and
literatures put forth new leaves and flowers
under the influence of this sunlight of united
hearts ; and races belonging to different lands
and languages and histories acknowledged the
highest unity of man and the deepest bond of
love. May we not also remember that in those
days of peace and goodwill, of men uniting for
those supreme ends of life, your nature laid by
for itself the balm of immortality which has
helped your people to be born again in a new
age, to be able to survive its old outworn
structures and take on a new young body, to
come out unscathed from the shock of the
most wonderful revolution that the world has
ever seen ?

The political civilization which has sprung up
from the soil of Europe and is overrunning the
whole world, like some prolific weed, is based
upon exclusiveness. It is always watchful to
keep the aliens at bay or to exterminate them.
It is carnivorous and cannibalistic in its tenden-
cies, it feeds upon the resources of other peoples



60 NATIONALISM

and tries to swallow their whole future. It is
always afraid of other races achieving eminence,
naming it as a peril, and tries to thwart all
symptoms of greatness outside its own bound-
aries, forcing down races of men who are
weaker, to be eternally fixed in their weakness.
Before this political civilization came to its
power and opened its hungry jaws wide enough
to gulp down great continents of the earth, we
had wars, pillages, changes of monarchy and
consequent miseries, but never such a sight of
fearful and hopeless voracity, such wholesale
feeding of nation upon nation, such huge
machines for turning great portions of the
earth into mince-meat, never such terrible
jealousies with all their ugly teeth and claws
ready for tearing open each other's vitals. This
political civilization is scientific, not human. It
is powerful because it concentrates all its forces
upon one purpose, like a millionaire acquiring
money at the cost of his soul. It betrays
its trust, it weaves its meshes of lies without
shame, it enshrines gigantic idols of greed in its
temples, taking great pride in the costly cere-
monials of its worship, calling this patriotism.
And it can be safely prophesied that this cannot
go on, for there is a moral law in this world



NATIONALISM IN JAPAN 61

which has its application both to individuals and
to organized bodies of men. You cannot go
on violating these laws in the name of your
nation, yet enjoy their advantage as individuals.
This public sapping of ethical ideals slowly
reacts upon each member of society, gradually
breeding weakness, where it is not seen, and
causing that cynical distrust of all things sacred
in human nature, which is the true symptom of
senility. You must keep in mind that this
political civilization, this creed of national
patriotism, has not been given a long trial.
The lamp of ancient Greece is extinct in the
land where it was first lighted, the power of
Rome lies dead and buried under the ruins of
its vast empire. But the civilization, whose
basis is society and the spiritual ideal of man,
is still a living thing in China and in India.
Though it may look feeble and small, judged
by the standard of the mechanical power of
modern days, yet like small seeds it still contains
life and will sprout and grow, and spread its
beneficent branches, producing flowers and fruits
when its time comes and showers of grace
descend upon it from heaven. But ruins of
sky-scrapers of power and broken machinery
of greed, even God's rain is powerless to raise



62 NATIONALISM

up again ; for they were not of life, but went
against life as a whole, — they are relies of the
rebellion that shattered itself to pieces against
the eternal.

But the charge is brought against us that the
ideals we cherish in the East are static, that they
have not the impetus in them to move, to open

Sunday, February 26, 2012

Rabindranath in America - 2nd times- San francisco (contd-8)

The reporters of different news paper and publicity medium did not want to miss Tagore for single moment since his arrival in America. After coming over to San Francisco A local paper "Examiner" took an interview and published it on 1st Oct.  His opinion on some points discussed here created controversy and i.e. about the future of India after the War.According to him the fate of India after the war will be uncertain.Because the material prosperity of England will deteriorate and they will be more oppressive to their colonial countries whatever may be the result of the war. He said;
" I am not one of those who say that India is prepared right now for self-government. She is going through a process of evolution , however, that I am convinced in time may lead to autonomy."
And about America, he said, this country has been expanded enormously, he expects more development from this country. He said;
" You have, I think, a worship for organisation . Capital organises, Religious organises -- all your institution organize. It all makes for endless strife and attrition.If there would be more of the fundamental idea of the brotherhood and less of organization , I think, occidental civilization would be immeasurably the gainer.Organization carried to excess was one of the causes of the European war."
The last statement was criticised by the Examiner . The opinion of Rabindranath was put as " an intellectual feat of pure reasoning" and retorted,  "a country develops by the strength of its organisation." India was not organised in business, in labor -- in nothing but caste. And because of her lack of organisation she became the slave of England, her millions bowing before a foreign ruler, her people being ble to say in pride" This is my own, my native land."
"India is not prepared for self-Government" had also been criticised.    

Saturday, February 25, 2012

Rabindranath in America-2nd times -Californiaa (contd-7)


On 30th Sept, Rabindranath came to San Francisco of California state  and got in the Palace hotel. He was eager to come over here. A draft paper said; 
"Tagore's first enquiry was how to reach the Lick Observatory. about which he had both heard and read very much. To him it is perhaps the greatest things in California./" Your Lick Institution,by tts discoveries , he declared , "has broadened the world' side as of our Universe, thus adding to the dignity and meaning of life ./ "The late Prof. Josia Royce, also a Californian, has done the same theory along a different intellectual tangent. "From his very childhood Rabindranath was curious about astronomy.
Rabindranath came to Cort Theatre in Califonia in the noon on 1st oct. He wanted to listen the concert of the famous piano player Ignace Jan Paderewiski [1880-1941]. The wellknown music-journalist Redfern Mason wrote;
" Padeewski gave his second recital at the Cort Theatre. It was onee of his great days and he played so nobly that those who were present will talk of it in the years to come. One of the auditors was Sir Rabindranath Tagore... what did he think of it ?" 

The cult of Nationalism--Rabindranath -Oregan (contd-6)

Rabindranath discussed thoroughly the history of India during pre-British era and concluded that different nation with different culture and religion invaded India but that did not alter the style of life of the general people in India. But the British appeared in In India in a different way -- this time we had to deal, not with kings, not with human races, but with a nation -- we, who are no nation ourselves.
The term "Nation" has been discussed by various persons even in this country earlier. Rabindranath defined 'Nation' as --" A nation, in the sense of the political and economic union of a people, is that aspect which a whole population assumes when organised for a mechanical purpose." Scientific knowledge and flawless management or  organisation can be gradually accumulated to form an enormous strength with which it can grasp the property and wealth of other countries or territories. He said, " The nation , with all its paraphernalia of power and prosperity, its flags and pious hymns, its blasphemous prayers in the churches, and the literary mock thunders of its patriotic bragging, cannot hide the fact that the nation is the greatest evil for the nation , that for all its precautions are against it., and any new birth of its fellow in the world is always followed in its  mind dread of a new peril."
Rabindranath thought,
" Man's world is a moral world, not because we blindly agree to believe it, but because it is so in truth which would be dangerous for us to ignore." He concluded that the world war is the consequence of disobeying the law of humanity. " In this war the death-throes of the nation have commenced. Suddenly,k all its mechanism going mad it has began the dance of the Furies, shuttering its own limbs, scattering them into the dust. It is the fifth act of the tragedy of the unreal."
As in the case of his lecture in Japan, this lecture also faced criticism from different corners at that time and recently.The famous historian E.P.Thompson in an Introduction of a recently pulished [1991] book "Nationalism" wrote;
" Yet it must be confessed that the lectures succeeded better as prophesy than diagonosis. Tagore enforces his message by assertion and by colorful metaphors rather than by analysis. His conclusions are assumed to be true in proportion to the vehemence with they are asserted."
It is to be noted in his manuscript hedeuced his conclusion by way of analysis and by the way he produced in the popular lecture.

Rabindranath in America-- 2nd times -Oregan State (contd-5)

"All of this organisation, this system and method, may be well enough in business. Some things are better made by machinery, but when you come to life, complete life, machinery has no place in that. The day will come when you will feel a real thirst for perfectionof human ideals. This cannot come through any particular system, through any outward influence, You will have to go to the root, which is the soul, the spiritual life."
He also said," But you can afford to go through that to reach the deeper wisdom of the spiritual life. This is the playtime of your civilization and even play has its meaning and its use by letting forth energy and giving strength and fuller growth."
Portland Oreganian in a pictorial representation informed Rabindranath with his team, 1. Somendrachandra Debabarma, 2. Mukul Chandra, and 3. Pearson became the guest of R.S.Hurd and on Tuesday afternoon in a White "45" car of the White motor company went to visit the famous Sculpture Exhibition 'Sacajawea' and 'Coming of the White Man' in Washington Park.
In the evening he read the essay, " The cult of Nationalism' in the Hall of Linkon High School of Drama League of America.
Later on this essay was included in the book Nationalism [1917] with the title, "Nationalism in the West". Apart from the essays in the collection "Personality",  Rabindranath in most of the meetings read this essay.  
      

Friday, February 24, 2012

Rabindranath in America-- 2nd times -Seattle (contd-4)

Seattle Intelligence on 20th Sept. informed, "Sir Rabindranath Tagore... has accepted invitation from Dr. Lilburn Merril, of the Juvenile Court, to visit the  juvenile Industrial School of Mercer island and speak to the  boys." But no official report of this programme was  received.
New York Dramatic Mirror wrote on 7th Oct.,
" Rabindranath Tagore, Week, Sept 22, gave the first lecture in America on his arrival from India, in Tacoma, to a large audience." Pond received 60.45 dollar as his commission for this lecture.
The series of Lectures arranged by Pond started on 25th Sept at 2.30 pm to deliver to the members of the Sunset Club on " The Cult of Nationalism". The chairperson of the Club Mrs. Smith introduced Rabindranath before the audience . Rabindranath read out his written essay for about two hours. Due to the popular demand of the lecture he had to read again at 8.15 in Macaulay's Theatre. Here an entry fee of 1 dollar per head was charged. Describing the lecture Charles Eugene banks of Seattle post-Intelligence  on 26th Sept wrote;
" It was a literary feast of beauty and wisdom ...tagore is not an entertainer. He is here to say something and he has something to say. he will leave his impress on the thought of our country."
   Pearson wrote to Rathindranath on 27th Sept. about the lecture of Rabindranath at Seattle;
" In the evening he was in magnificient form as the audience was a more intelligent one than the one in the afternoon which consisted mostly of loud and overdress ladies.. From the two lectures we get $ 600...The lecture at Tacoma yielded $ 300.     

Rabindranath in America 2nd times -Seattle (contd-3)

Rabindranath was to come to America on 21 July. but it was due to Pond and Brate he had shifted the date to Sept. During this time he was writing the lectures he had to deliver in America.
The director of Pond Lyceum James B.Pond with his business technique was successful in creating eagerness to the American people about his lecture. He reached Seattle in the last night and attained the ship as soon as it reached the shore to welcome Rabindranath. Mentioning Rabindranath as the "Shakespeare of India", Los Angeles Times quoted his sayings on 19th Sept ;
" The lectures I am to give in the United States are for the purpose nearest to my heart -- to get funds to carry on my school for boys in India" and said to Pond with a child-like smile, "I want you to take complete charge of me. I am writing to deliver as lecture as you plan for me, but I have no wish to plan them myself. I must think other things. The more lectures, the more money I have for my school. The boys need education. I teach boys the trueand the fine and the beautiful, that is the way to make the whole world clean and  right."
Many  others came and addressed him in their own way. George Brate informed him in a letter  dated 8th Sept. ;
" Their local agent P.N.Plamondon will meet with him in order to aid you in any way in his power at your landing and also in the details attending your journey to the East."
The president of the Foreign trade Dept. of Hindusthan association of America Mr. Deva Ram Sokul, Admiral Fullam and other very important persons of San Diego welcome Rabindranath in a Radio Telecast at the ship.Rabindanath also gave thanks in a return mail."
Rabinxranath took his seat at New Washington Hotel of Seattle. On that night he sent a telegram to Moody;
"Reached safely Affectionate greetings Letter follows Tagore ."
 Rabindranath first attended a felicitation programme at Sunset Club of Seattle on 19th Sept. About forty Social and Litterateurs of Seattle was also invited in the dinner arranged by the Club. A table in the form of "T" was placed in the dinning room and the room was decorated with the Indian marigold, the auspicious flower of India arranged on blue flower-vase. On the two flower-vases there was a Vhinese-peacock , the logo of the club.
The chairperson of the club Mrs. Witnfield P. Smith conducted the meeting and inaugurated the meeting after introducing Dr. Herbert H. Gowen  of Washington University, Dr. Oliver P. Richrdson, and Judge Fredrick V. Brown with the honourable guest. Rabindranath said in reply to the welcome address;
" Always thee is more preparations made for the feast than the occasion warrants.It is so with this welcome, you have given me. I can take to myself but a modest share of the good things you have said to me and through me to my country. In India the welcome to the guest is always by the women of the househo;d, so this welcome in this club of women is in accordance with our form of hospitality. I think it most auspicious that my first welcome on this shore should have been in this charming way. East and West are not so far apart and it ius such occasion as this that hurry forward the time we are all looking for the day when intellectual hospitality will be universal.  

Rabindranath in America 2nd times-Seattle, Washington (contd-2)


"We had a bad time in the sea crossing the Pacific --some portion of the voyage being stormy. I do not mind meteorological misfortune if I can have a decently fair weather of good luck in your country."
Mukul De wrote that the ship halted at Hanolulu and Vancouver before reaching Seattle and wrote to Rathindranath and Pratima two days before reaching America on 16th Sept.;
" I have drawn four portraits of Gurudev of which two are drawn today and two were drawn yesterday. Tree of them to some extent better but the fourth does not resemble Gurudev. That was gifted to the Captain of the ship. After many days sun rays became very bright . None was there in the cabin at the bottom. Everyone came out of their cabin and bathing in the sun.The females are walking on the deck in arms and singing, laughing and walking.Their joy knows no bound.A group of Russian are lying on the deck. I,too,are writing letters taking a shelter in some shaded portion of the deck. Gurudev is always writing something, Pearson is always typing things. Some times I am drawing pictures. All of us three are busy according to individual choice. "
Lastly S.S.Canada Maru reached Seattle port on 18th Sept. Gurudev gave to the Captain a written note which was incorporated in his manuscript;
" To the Captain of S.S.Canada maru /you love your swordand the Sea/for you love freedom and her/stormy music of danger."

Thursday, February 23, 2012

Rabindranath in America 2nd times-sailed in Canada-maru (contd-1)

Rabindranath booked a ticket in Canada-Maru for going to America but he was not sure when the ship would sail for America. He wrote to Mrs. Moody;
"My departure for America has been postponed till the 21st of Aug. We shall rach Seattle about the 16th of Sept."
 31st Aug. he wrote to Earnest E. Speit;
" My day of departure has been fixed on the 2nd of Sept."
But  he wrote to Pratima Devi;
" Today our ship will sail for America, and we are busy in packing our luggage."
Actually the ship started on 3rd Sept.Mr Yokoyama Taikan, Hara Tomitara and Nomura were present to bid him farewell. There were no other persons from Kobe.
In an  interview given to a journalist from Simbun news paper, Rabindranth said in reply to the comments of his criticism that he was misunderstood. It was simply an over simplification that he had remarked  the material civilization of the west was a curse. Comparing the material civilization with that of a sharpen knife he said;
" if you want to use it, please do so carefully. But do not be so attracted by material civilization as to forget completely your spiritual civilization . In a word, I would like to say; Use a sharp razor, but do not be used by it."
Rabindranth started for America with Pearson and Mukulchandra. Andrews returned earlier to India.       

Rabindranath in America 2nd times ( Introduction)

During his next visit in 1916, Sir Rabindranath Tagore was well known to the American people as the first man of the orient to win the Nobel prize for literature. His poems, plays as well as his biographies were already in circulation. But during this trip, when the Great War (WW I) was raging in Europe, Tagore was extremely critical of the western nations as well as of America. But one of the primary reason of his criticism was because he felt that it was only in America where his appeal for humanity hold the best chance of being heard. He said, “This is a beautiful country. I believe it has a great future. America is unhampered and free to experiment for the progress of humanity. Of course, she will make mistakes, but out of these series of mistakes she will come to some higher synthesis of truth and be able to hold up the banner of Civilization. She is the best exponent of Western ideals of humanity.” He had high hopes for America. In New York he said, “America has the figure of youth and all that is best in Western civilization will eventually find lodgment here.” But his criticisms did not make him many friends in America, and the press lashed out at him on several occasions. He knew that he was being too harsh sometimes, and he said, “I am out of place here, I know, and I maybe judging you harshly. I felt I must come to bring the message of the East… This is my only happiness in America - the thought that this country can be the meeting place of the two (the East and the West).” Overall this trip was very successful for Tagore and he had high regards for President Woodrow Wilson. He wanted to dedicate his book “Nationalism” to President Wilson. However President Wilson’s office declined the offer on the advice of Sir William Wiseman, Britain’s special liaison agent in the United States, who reported that Tagore had “got tangled up in some way” with the Indian revolutionaries in America who were conspiring with Germany to overthrow British rule in India


2. ‘$700 Per Scold’
By his second trip in 1916, Tagore was a Nobel Laureate and a worldwide literary star. He was booked for lectures in twenty-five American cities, many of them at university campuses. He gave talks organized by a professional lecture agency associated with his publisher (Macmillan), and received impressively hefty fees ($700-$1000 a pop – a huge sum in those days). He was lecturing, essentially, against western materialism and for a kind of universal spiritual awareness. There was of course an irony in getting paid very well for criticizing materialism, and the Minneapolis Tribune called him on it:
Half-way through the tour the Minneapolis Tribune called Tagore ‘the best business man who ever came to us out of India’: he had managed to scold Americans at $700 per scold’ while pleading with them ‘at $700 per plead’. (Dutta and Robinson, 204)
(Of course, Tagore wasn’t scolding Americans for his own benefit. By this point he had begun planning for his university at Shanitiniketan, and all of the money he earned would go to that cause.)
Tagore was, not surprisingly, speaking out against militarism a great deal during this lecture series (you can get a flavor for his perspective in the lectures collected in Nationalism). Here he was lucky in his timing; he managed to leave for home just before the U.S. entered World War I

Rabindranath Left Japan

Rabindranath started for Japan in a Japani ship (Tosamaru) with Pearson, Andrews and Mukul on 3rd May, 1916 from Calcutta port. He reaached Kobe in Japan on 29th May, 1916 and was received by Yokoyama Taikan, and Katsuda Shkin, two artists, Ex-Physical Trainer of his school Sano Jinnosuke, and tourist Kawaguchi Ekkai and many emigrated Indians.In Japan he delivered two important lectures, one on "The Nation" and the other on " The Spirit of japan".
He mentioned many good qualities of Japan in his different lectures but he was critical on two points, one- Tendency of imitating West, and imperialistic tendency. He stayed there for three months.But when he left Japan none arrived in the port to bid him farewell.
A lecture-management organisation ( Pond Lyceum) invited him to America to deliver lectures in different cities of America against a sum of money of Twelve thousand Dollars (equivalent to 36 thousand rupees at that time)  in cash. He halted at Ja[pan enroute to America.
Before leaving from Japan, Rabindranath got invitation from Canada to deliver lecture in Torento and Montriel. But he did not agree. The journalist V.Jameson wrote in TorontoDaily Star on 27th Sept;
" He wishes this to be published and generally known. He saidthat he has asked to go ashore at Vancouver, but refused. He could never set foot on Canadian or Australian soil while his countrymen were treated as they were nor did he expect that things would alter until the psychology of nations was changed."
Probably before giving this interview he remembered the incident of Komagata maru in 1914 when the Indian workers were not allowed to enter.  

Rabindranath constructed "Haiku" in Japan

Rabindranath wanted to construct a new type of poems following Haiku of Japan.Though he was well acquainted with it previously.He started this type of poems in English and some times  in Bengali to write short message or his sayings . The "Swakshmar" poem was written by him for this purpose only. Pearson  wrote to Rathindranath on 26th June, 1916;
" Gurudev has been in to us once or twice with some aphorisms which he has been writing on golden cards which have been given to him by our host for Gurudev to write something on ."
Later on when he published "Lekhan" in 1927, he wrote'
" When I have gone to China or Japan, I have to fulfill the demand of Swakshar Lipi everyday. In paper, in Silken Cloth, on stone I have to write small poems of two to four lines.In this way it became my habit of writing poems of two to four ines here and there, on roads and lanes  and everywhere. It became my pleasure to write such poems......"
These poems had been compiled in the form "Stray Birds" published by Macmillan & Co. The Director of Macmillan & Co., George Bratewrote on 7th Oct;
" I am sending you under separate  cover by Registered post the manuscript of a collection of short sayings and maxims in poetic form, which every one who has seen them feels should be published before Christmas while I am still in this country. The title of the volume will be "Stray Birds and Withered leaves" and it should be published ."         

Wednesday, February 22, 2012

Rabindranath in Japan (contd-19)

After finishing the lecture at Tokyo and dinner on 2nd July, Rabindranath came back to Yokoyama. On 12th July he went to visit Sojiji  monastery of Zen sect at Tsurmi. In a short speech he compared Japan as Prayag, the place of union of Yamuna and the Ganges and described his journey to Japan as pilgrimage to him. Later on he wrote in an essay termed "Dhyani Japan" ( Japan in Meditation).
The students of Women University of Tokyo was going to join a Camp for 2/3 weeks in a very beautiful place, Karuizawa Hills during summer. Prof. Naruse invited Rabindtanath to come and enjoy with them. He accepted the invitation gladly. Mrs Tomiko Oyada [Kora] was one among the students.  
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Rabindranath Tagore had many female devotees along with the huge number of male ones. Madam Tomi Kora of Japan was such a friend or devotee of Rabindranath. And it is shocking that no Bangla-language article has ever been written on her. From youthhood to her death she was very inclined to the poet. A similar example from the foreign lady devotees was a rarity. She discovered the poet as the polestar of human peace and unending source of life of her own. Tomi Kora was born on 1 July 1896 in the city of Takawa of the district of Toyama. Her family named her Tomi Wada. She was the first woman PhD degree holder of Psychology in Japan. Her personality helped her to be a professor of a women’s university, a pioneer leader of the movements for women’s liberation and international peace. She was elected a member of the Duet twice. Her character was a great combination of education, intelligence and merit. Seeing the future of her, Rabindranath wrote: ‘It is not a bower made white with the bunches of Jasmine./It is waves swinging with the turbulent foam.’
When Tomi Kora was a student of a women’s university, Rabindranath first came to Japan. It was in 1916. The news of Rabindranath’s arrival as the first Asian Nobel Laureate in 1913 spread through Japan as a grassfire. The unparallel recognition of Rabindranath for winning the Nobel created enormous tumult among the educated conscious Japanese. As a result his honour and receptions reached as high as the Fuji Mountain. Since Fuji is considered as a deity, an image of a god, Rabindranath also was able to create such an image which reached Tomi Wada, a girl of 20 then. She first heard of Rabindranath from her teacher Dr. Narusei Jinzo, the founder educationist of the first women’s university of Japan.
In the memoir of Tomi Kora she wrote: ‘Rabindranath reached Kobe of Japan on a ship named Tosamaru. He reached there with a heavy heart of losing her wife and two children.’ Tomi Kora’s senior fellow Tanikawa Tetsujo, a noted philosopher of Japan afterwards, gave a description of Rabindranath seen from the Tokyo rail station: ‘The saddened tall figure of Rabindranath robed in white looked like a god.’ The description made a deep impression on Tomi Kora’s mind. She herself heard the speeches of Rabindranath in which he criticised the westernized attitude of the Japanese as well as praised the sense of ecstasy of them. Very boldly he declared that he did not want to see the westernized Japan, denied to get into the cars even. So, Taikan Yokoyama who was given the responsibility to welcome the poet arranged a carriage drawn by horses from the station.
That time Rabindranath came to Japan Women’s University at Karuizawa of Nagano District to deliver a speech in response to the request of Prof Narusei. Rabindranath recited his own poems here in the green and calm garden. The recitation seemed to Tomi Kora somewhat like the bells of the temple which swings from up and down. The speech of the poet influenced Tomi hugely. On the other hand, the poet was overwhelmed with the foods cooked by the students there.
Tomi Kora has described her meeting with the poet at Karuizawa. She wrote: The poet got much emotional seeing the Mount Asama. His meditation among the hills in between the sunrise and sunset created much poetic feeling in him. Many short poems were written during those moments. Every morning when the poet would arrive for breakfast, he would recite the pearl-like Bangla poems into English. Tomi Kora has cited: ‘God has spent hundred years in blooming a flower in a nameless jungle plant, but sorrowfully there is not a single one to listen to that. I have to be loud for the whole human nation there. For one’s own sake we have to be aloud to retain our own prestige. The aimless bird waits at my window, and at last leaves away. The yellowish leaves of the autumn dances with sighs.
‘Many of the students were not able to understand English. As I was a student of English, I took the poems in my exercise book and later on, translated those to make my friends hear. I have preserved that book called Stray Birds with much care. The poems of Tagore are very simple and lucid, but as they spring out of nature they have multidimensional effects. The poet felt like meeting the cosmos when he visited Mount Asama. The meanings of the devotion of Tagore, his presentation, the relation he finds between the cosmos and the humans are not in my experience, but I consider them as something worthy to create movement in human soul. Tagore’s thought like “One’s thoughtfulness does not arise out of any intellectual exercise, rather it was achieved through the worship and yoga with my father, and through the consciousness lying in the nature” flashes before me with his calm face till date.’
The meeting with Rabindranath had long lasting impression on Tomi Kora. She wrote an article titling ‘Memoirs of Rabindranath at Karuizawa’ in the Kateishuho of the Women’s University. She admitted that it was Rabindranath from whom she leant to understand Okakura. She also recalled her moments of reading Okakura’s book with the ideology of ‘Asia is One’.
It was not easy for the Japanese to understand Rabindranath then. For her discipline being English language, Tomi Wada was able to get those. Narusei Jinzo, USA-educated Japanese and Prof. Nitobe Inazo, the writer of The Code of Samurai, were the key-persons of her learning the language that well. At that time Rabindranath drew this girl having western education to him. He realized it well that with the western education she had developed an exposition love for Eastern Civilization which needed to be nourished. For this reason he depended on her which was obvious during his later visits to Japan. In reality Tomi Wada wanted to be in line with patron of peace Rabindranath from his first visit to Japan. Rabindranath realized it well that the Japanese had no other alternative than going back to their own culture bouncing from the western one that they attained during the Meiji period (1858-1912). The ideologies of the east originated from the nature and peace which were about to drown in oblivion then. Rabindranath noticed quite well the love of the Japanese for their nature and work and he was influenced in the core of his heart. As a result, he was eager to visit Japan time and again which is not observed in the case of other countries. To speak true, Tomi Wada got the mission of peace and liberation whenever she came in contact of Rabindranath in his thoughts and philosophies. And thus the poet became an idol in his life. The examples of it are exhibited in her writings, translations of Rabindranath, her involvement in politics and movement for women’s empowerment. Gradually they two got entangled with each other.
Meeting Rabindranath, Tomi left for the Columbia University of the USA in 1918 after the completion of her studies in Japan. In the following year she met the poet in New York very unexpectedly. Afterwards they two began to exchange letters. In the same year Rabindranath paid a visit to China. Learning that, Madam Kora, in favour of Asahishumbun invited the poet to deliver speeches at different places. Rabindranath accepted the invitation and visited Japan in 1924 for the third time in the summer. On that visit he was accompanied by two historians from China, his three Indian devotees and two English priests totaling eight in number.
Madam Kora got a leave of one week to welcome the poet. On their meeting at Nagasaki seaport, both of them became much enthralled. She decided to arrange a trip of the poet in Japan. Moreover, she worked as the interpreter as well. On their trip to Unjan of Higa district, the poet got amazed. In a speech in Kobe the poet asserted: If the status of women is not ensured, the status of the whole country will be at a stake’. Madam Kora understood it well that the poet realized the true picture of the Japanese women. It is worth mentioning that Japan reached the peak of development because of the education of their womenfolk.
On this tour, Rabindranath became very eager to eat Indian mangoes. It was regular for him to have mangoes everyday in the season of this fruit. Madam Kora knew this, and so she colleted a good amount of mangoes. During this tour, the first speech was in Osaka, the seaport. He read out the long article ‘Eastern Civilization and the Objectives of Japan’. At that time the person who interpreted the lecture was Tomi Kora. She could recall the speech in which Rabindranath foretold the future of Japan which happened afterwards. After the departure of the poet for India, Madam Kora returned to her own job in Fukuoka. But she had to face many questions for her association with a poet who had been harshly criticized at that time for his criticism of the Japan policies. Many were eager to know the identity of the girl who could take the Nobel laureate poet as her companion.
Rabindranath visited Japan for the fourth time in 1929. That year Madam Tomi married a famous psychologist Takehisa Kora. On the way to Vancouver of Canada to attend a conference on education, Rabindranath decided to stay for some time in Japan. From Kobe he went to Yokohama.
Madam Kora organised a recitation programme on Bengali Poems in the auditorium of the Asahishumbun where Rabindra­nath read out his poem ‘O My Bird’ which was interpreted by Tomi herself. The huge audience present there was overwhelmed by his recitation.
The poet left for Canada after his tour and before leaving gave a poem to Madam Kora that reads ‘Before leaving I want to speak out of my desire, that I want to visit again here, and want to get the touch of the friendship from the Japanese hands’. But as his departure from Canada for the USA was defamed for some other reasons, he decided to return and sent a telegram to Madam Kora saying: ‘As a traveller I am tired of the sounds of the machines. Japan, the country of the rising sun, evaluates humans. I have decided to go there.’ It was the message that made the friends and devotees of Rabindranath including Madam Kora busy. ‘Philosophy of Leisure’ was one of the most important speeches that the poet was supposed to deliver in America. When the poet agreed to read that out, Madam Kora requested Asahishumbun to arrange a venue for that. The essay was to be finished in six installments, but the poet finished it in two. By then, his health began to deteriorate and he had to return to India. It was the last visit of Rabindranath to Japan. Madam Kora translated the essay and published it in a book named Yukan Tetsugaku.
Returning from Japan, Rabindranath got engaged in his China tour, but it is sure that they two had frequent correspondences. Her visit to India in 1935 was a milestone in their relationship. She has written about her meeting with Rabindranath: ‘The poet was very happy to see me. ...He arranged the best guestroom for me too and deployed his grand daughter Nandita to look after me. Nandita has been at Santiniketan since its inception. We spent many nights in gossiping. The very intelligent girl, Nandita, died some months back after much physical suffering. ...’
This was the last meeting of Rabindranath and Tomi Kora. Afterwards Japan got involved in the Second World War. In 1947 India won freedom. In the same year Madam Kora was elected a member of the Duet, the legislative assembly of Japan. The new Prime Minister of India Jawaharlal Nehru organised ‘World Peace Conference’ and invited Madam Kora there. She attended the conference in March in 1949. This visit reminded her all the memories with Rabindranath Tagore. Visiting Santiniketan after 14 years stirred her very much.
A group of intellectuals of Japan considered the ideologies of Rabindranath the most important to revive the national enthusiasm. So they decided to celebrate the birth centenary of Rabindranath with grandeur. The Rabindra devotees began taking preparation in 1958. Madam Kora was one of the pioneer activists of the celebration. She worked as the director of Tagore memorial Association founded in 1960. She wrote many articles on the poet, translated many write-ups among which ‘The New moon’ is most noteworthy. As an expression of her deep love and respect to the poet she renamed her house Manazuru of Kanagaua district after the poet’s name in 1959. A bust of the poet was founded in 1981 at Mount Asama of Karuizawa where she met the poet for the first time.
From 1916 to 1992 she had been writing on Rabindranath along with many other related issues. The Japanese essays she wrote may take such English translations: Resembling Rabindranath; Poet Rabindranath and the Japanese Famous Artist Taikan; Rabindranath and His Arrival in Japan; The Relics Left the Sage Poet Rabindranath; Rabindranath Tagore and Japan; Memories of Gurudev Rabindranath; Rabindranath and Okakura Tensin; Receiving Rabindranath’s Team; Memoirs of Rabindranath Tagore; The First Tour of Rabindranath to Japan; My Love to the Tagore family; The Story of Founding Rabindranath’s Bust; The Sage Poet Rabindranath and Karuizawa; The Non-Violence World of Rabindranath; Attitude of the Sage Poet Rabindranath towards Womenfolk etc. Moreover, her other writings on India and Bengal take references of Rabindranath very frequently.
Rabindranath’s this very devotee-till-death died in 1993 at the age of 96.
Translated into English by Subrata Kumar Das