About thousand students of the National University, Normal University, and of different Govt.Colleges assembled in the auditorium of the National University to listen the lecture delivered by Rabindranath on 26th April in the afternoon Rabindranath came one hour late because he went to attend a ceremony in Budhist temple.
Liang Chi Chao (
Liang Qichao was a Chinese scholar, journalist, philosopher, and reformist during the late Qing Dynasty and early Chinese Republic who inspired Chinese scholars with his writings and reform movements) read the essay narrated by Rabindranath on the last day. Rabindranath emphatically said that a good number persons were against his visit to China 'because it might check your special modern enthusiasm for western progress and force. But he remarked with caution that those who wanted to build their nation on the basis of material strength, they do not know the history of human civilization. The strength based only on materialism and those who depended on that strength, they had either been destroyed or remained in the dark. On the other hand, those who have mixed up their intellect with their physical strength and acquired the mechanical strength, they have understood that it is necessary to develop spiritual power simultaneously with the development of scientific discoveries. Otherwise, the material strength will reign over the human beings.Many have pointed out mentioning their weaknesses that they have to develop their mechanical strength to protect themselves.Rabindranath cited an example enunciating a translated version in English of a sloka from Manusangita."
In many meetings of Rabindranath Tagore, the Chinese youths mentioned him as a representative of a defeated country and cried shame on him.In this meeting, Rabindranath, admitting this statement said;
" I am ready to accept weakness and insult and oppression of the body, but I will never acknowledge the defeat, the last insult, the utter ruin, of my spirit being conquered, so that I am made to lose my faith and purpose. My enemies may dominate and slay my body, but they cannot make me adopt their methods , or hate them.. The devil helps in the sphere in which he is master, but we must reject such aid to save our life from utter destruction . Seek righteousness even though success be lost."
This lecture delivered by Rabindranath had positive effect on the youths of the China. Elmhirst wrote;
" The scholars and literary men of the Renaissance Movement in Peking were a little sceptical about the poet's philosophy and were not quite sure whether in his enthusiasm for old China he would not be somewhat of a reactionary. His first talk to them has completely won their hearts and minds. They found that he had all the time been as much of a reactionary in the field of letters , as any of them."
The lecture of Rabindranath was printed in Talks in China [1924] .
