Rabindranath in Japan (contd-12)

Rabindranath read a lecture on "The Message of India to Japan" in Tokyo Imperial University on 11th June. He had handed over the lecture note in advance to the authority of the University which they published in the form of a booklet . He read the essay from the printed booklet. The lecture time was scheduled to be held at 4 pm but at about 2 pm one and a half thousand persons assembled the auditorium. Many could not get any seat and went away.Amongst the audience there were about hundred Indians and equal number of American and European pupil. The president of the University, Baron Yamakawa introduced Rabindranath before the audience. Rabindranath stood with a white Jobba in his body and long hat on his head given by Okakura and started his lecture in his usual sharp tuned voice. Pearson wrote to Rathindranath;
"Today is the day on which Gurudev is to deliver his lecture to the Imperial Universityof Tokyo on "India's message to Japan.... Your  father spoke for just under an hour with great eloquence .'
A portion of this lecture was published in The Modern Review, Aug 1916.
Having felt embarrassed for inviting a lonely poet like him to deliver lecture He expressed his gratitude for the hospitality shown to him and said;
It was said of Asia that it could never move in the path of progress, its face was so inevitably turned backwards.At the end of his lecture he said " Japan has sent forth her word over Asia, that the old seed has the life germ in it, only it has to be planted in the soil of the new age."
The whole world is now looking to Japan. The western civilisation could not answer many important questions, such as;-- " The conflict between the individual and the state, labour and capital, the man and the woman, the conflict between greed of material gun and the spiritual life of humanity, the conflict between all the ugly complexities inseparable from giant organisations of commerce and state and the natural instincts of man crying for simpliciy and beauty and fulness of leisure -- all these have to be brought to a harmony in a manner not yet dreamt of.
\ Having remarked some comments on the Western civilisation, Rabindranath uttered some warning to Japan;
"This political civilisation is scientific but not human .. it enshrines gigantic idols of greed in its temples, taking great pride  in the costly ceremonials of its worship, calling this patriotism.