LETTERS FROM ABROAD
The forest, unlike the desert, or rock, or sea, is living: it gives shelter and nourishment to life. In such surroundings, the ancient forest dwellers of India realised the spirit of harmony with the universe and emphasised in their minds the monistic aspect of Truth. They sought the realisation of their soul through union with all.
The spirit of fight and the spirit of harmony both have their importance in the scheme of things. For making a musical instrument, the obduracy of materials has to be forced to yield to the purpose of the instrument maker. But music itself is a revelation of beauty, it is not an outcome of fight: it springs from an inner realisation of harmony. The musical instrument and the music both have their own importance for humanity.
The civilisation that fights and conquers for Man, and the civilisation that realises for him the fundamental unity in the depth of existence, are complementary to each other. When they join hands, human nature finds its balance; and its pursuits, through rugged paths, attain their ultimate meaning in an ideal of perfection.
AUTOUR DU MONDE, PARIS, April 21, 1921
The letters from India this week have not reached me though long overdue. There was a squall in the Mediterranean Sea, and the mail bags have been damaged by the sea water. So there is a
