The Pilgrim

The Quarterly Bulletin of the Christian Society for the Study of Hinduism

The Christian Society for the Study of Hinduism

Patrons: The Metropolitan of India, Calcutta Bishop BRENTON T. BADLEY, Delhi.

President: Bishop CLEMENT D. ROCKEY, Lucknow.

Vice-Presidents: The BISHOP of LUCKNOW, Allahabad Dr. A.J. APPASAMY, M.A., Ph.D., Palamcottah. Rev. C.S. THOBURN, M.A., Jabalpur. Rev. G.H.C. ANGUS, M.A., Serampore College.

Secretary: Dr. J.E. McELDOWNEY, Leonard Theological College, Jabalpur

Treasurer: Dr. C.H. HAZLETT, A. P. Mission, Mainpuri, U.P.

Convener, Benares Institute: Rev. R.C. DAS, M.A., Benares United City Mission, Ramkatora, Benares Cantonment.

Committee: Mrs. W. STANLEY GOULD, Ewing Christian College, Allahabad Prof. V.E. DUTT, M.A., B.D., Serampore Mr. PAUL DAS, B.A., N.I.C. Tract and Book Society, Allahabad Rev. J.S. MOON, M.A., Ramkatora, Benares

Editorial Board: Bishop Clement D. Rockey, Dr. A.J. Appasamy Mrs. W.S. Gould Rev. C.G. Diehl (Madras) Dr. J.E. McEldowney Prof. V.E. Dutt Rev. A.M. Ward (Bangalore) Mr. R.C. Das Rev. J.S. Moon (Editor)

The objects of the Christian Society for the Study of Hinduism are,

1. To create and maintain adequate interest in the study of Hinduism by Christians
2. To carry on the study in a sympathetic, constructive and critical way for the purpose of effective evangelism and
3. To achieve the above objects in co-operation with Church and Mission bodies.

The activities of the Society are,

1. To conduct in Benares (and if possible in a South Indian centre) an Institute of Hinduism stressing its popular aspects
2. Publish The Pilgrim, a quarterly bulletin, bearing on Hinduism, its relation To Christianity and work among Hindus and
3. To encourage the organisation of a permanent School of Hinduism.

The minimum annual subscription is Rs. 2/-. Membership fees and gifts may be sent to the treasurer, Dr. C.H. Hazlett, A.P. Mission, Mainpuri, U.P.

Every member will receive The Pilgrim free.

The Guru in Hinduism

(Continued)

BY J. RUSSELL (TRIVANDRUM) !

III SRI RAMDAS

Ramdas was a member of a Saraswati Brahmin family in Mangalore, and started life as an ordinary man of the world. In 1921, he passed through a deep, religious experience. He was in Mangalore, and he felt called by God to give complete loyalty to Him. He has described his experiences at this period in his books, “In Quest of God” and, “In the Vision of God”.

From, the day that God fired Ramdas bosom with a keen longing to realise Him, his, life was undergoing a marvellous change. He left his earthly calling and went out to visit sacred places and rivers of India. During this period his one overwhelming passion and aim in life was to live for God alone. He could not spend a single day without uttering the sacred name of God, In spite of persuasions and repeated appeals from his kinsmen he went on unswervingly on the path of realising God and even entered a path of self-discipline. Prayer, fasting, constant repetition of the divine name “Ram”, these formed the main part of his discipline.

During his wanderings he continued to read the Gita, some Buddhist writings, the New Testament and the writings of Gandhi. These writings had great influence on Ramdas. The intensity of his God-consciousness increased day by day, and finally he completely lost his sense of the ‘I’. He began to refer to himself always in the third person. In one of his books¹ he also refers to a vision he had of Christ and because of, such experience he claims that he belongs to no particular creed.²

Not long after Ramdas also moved away from an attitude of devotion to an apparently personal God to finding God within himself. From this time forward he considered himself a realised soul. His quest of God is over and his attitude of obedience and prayer to ‘Ram’ is replaced by a sense of identity with Ram. Now he settled down at a beautiful spot near Kanhangad and built an ashram³ there.

Since then, he has attracted many disciples to him. Some flock to him to get his darsan, while others come with their religious and other problems for solution. To all he teaches the gospel of self-realisation. He advocates self-surrender which means the annihilation of the individual ego and realisation of the ultimate self. He has also a mantra⁴ which he prescribes to all his disciples.

In certain respects Ramdas” belief differs from other great Hindu masters. The chief distinction is in the emphasis on social uplift. Unlike certain other Hindu Ashrams Ramdas Ashram takes care of the material needs of the surrounding people. He does not keep any uncomfortable distance between himself and the visitors. Anyone can have free conversation with Ramdas. ‘Love’ is his motto.

Ramdas too is worshipped by the devotees. Every day at the fixed hours of the Bhajan he is seated in a central place and all the devotees prostrate before him singing praises. Another lady in the Ashram, Krishna Bai by name, who is supposed to be a realised soul is also worshipped. Besides the worship at Kanhangad there are arrangements for the disciples to meet in other parts⁵ also where they can gather round his portrait and sing Bhajans in his praise.

These three gurus are but a few of the many Hindu sages, in the modern period who gather round them hundreds of followers. Some of the gurus have reached self-realisation through their own independent quest. Others are those who were once disciples of other gurus. There are a number of gurus who claim a kind of apostolic succession from certain recognised Gurus in the past. For example there are Sankaracharya Mutts where the gurus are of the line of Sankara.

The guru of each mutt is nominated by the preceding guru just before his death.

In most of the modern Indian Guru-cults the following common features may be noticed.

1. The religious quest of the gurus starts with a theistic emphasis. In the early period they are like hungry souls in search of the living. God outside themselves. The very fact that some of them worship other gurus illustrates their devotion to a personal God.

2. In all cases the quest ends in the complete disappearance of the longing for a God outside of them. The God they were long in search of is found within themselves and this is the gospel they want to offer to others.

3. There is some new form of teaching in each Guru worship centre. For example in the Anandashram” of Ramdas there is emphasis on the social application of religion and caste-distinctions are forgotten. In the teaching of the Ashram ‘love’ is the central feature. In the teaching of Sri Aurobindo of Pondicherry the important feature is the possibility of world-regeneration through what is called an integral Yoga. Through these Ashrams several books are being published expounding the Hindu scriptures in terms of the particular emphasis given in each place.

4. Though the differences in the forms of teaching and the various emphasis laid in the different centres do not matter much, there is an essential unity in the teachings of all these gurus. Behind the teaching of all the fundamental truth of “ahambrahmari” is implied. When Aurobindo talks of a principle of Co-operation or a ‘deeper brotherhood’ it is on the basis of the Upanishadic idea that the same ultimate, principle of life pervades all human beings.

5. In all the centres the gurus are worshipped as manifestations or incarnations of Iswara. The darsan of the Guru is considered as Bhagavan-darsan or Iswara darsan. Often we come across in the Gura-centres people standing for hours together waiting to get the guru’e darsan. Aurobindo appears in public only once or twice in the year and during such appearance thousands crowd within the Ashram to get his darsan.

Chapter 4

A Critical Evaluation of the Guru Concept

That one should attain spiritual knowledge through a religion preceptor is not an idea peculiar to Hinduism. Even in primitive forms of religion this idea is present in some form or other. Most of the living religions have arisen through a series of religious teachers. In the Jewish religion many get their spiritual training under their Rabbis. But no where is the place of the religious teacher go exalted as in Hinduism.

1. It may be pointed out at the outset that in the Hindu concept of the guru certain valuable lessons may be taken by all religious teachers.

   1. What is taught by the guru must come out of his own life and experience. As Kierkegaard has pointed out religious truth is more of a subjective nature than objective. Religious truth cannot be imparted as scientific truth without any reference to the teacher’s life.

   2. Therefore, in addition to intellectual qualities great emphasis is laid on the moral character required of a guru.

   3. Though in some cases it is carried to absurd limits the principle of simplicity in life is a lesson that can be learnt from the Hindu gurus.

2. There are also certain other elements which no thoughtful man can approve of.

   1. The insistence on the absolute obedience to and implicit faith in the guru does not seem to be a worthy principle. There is a sense in which religious truth proclaimed by the teacher is of absolute nature, as in the case of the Christian gospel message. But those who hear must be free to say, “We no longer believe on account of what you said; we have heard for ourselves.”⁶ As Mackenzie, points out, “the guru gives a training not in independence of judgement, but in subservience to authority and reverence for, what is established.”⁷ Because of the belief in such absolute obedience people follow unquestioningly even those who have been proved to be imposters.⁸ No, disciple dares to investigate the credentials of the guru with an open mind.

   2. The emphasis on personal service to the guru is, another weak point of the guru concept. The misuse of this is most glaring in certain groups of the Veera Saira sect.⁹ Personal services rendered to the guru are supposed to have religious value. Certain gurus take undue advantage of this and resort to immoral practices. In the Christian, church too there are people who believe they can win the favour of God by rendering service to the minister or priest.

   3. Another unhappy feature of the guru-idea is the theory of secret teaching. The guru’s teaching to a sishya is not to be divulged to others. It must be admitted that there is a noble motive behind this, namely, that divine knowledge should not be made profane by making it open to all. But the idea is carried too far to be of any real value. The influence of the idea of secret doctrine has been detrimental to many branches of knowledge in India. It has prevented free dissemination of scientific knowledge and many useful sciences practically died or had only stunted growth. In the Christian gospel too there is the idea of a mystery (1 Corinthians 2:7), but the idea is that of an open secret, the mystery of God that has been revealed for the salvation of all.

   4. A further weakness that may be pointed out is the practice of attributing divinity to the guru. The idea cannot altogether be rejected as useless and wrong. The knowledge imparted by the guru is the knowledge towards salvation, and the belief is that saving knowledge can come only from one who is divine and can save. But it is often forgotten that such a one is none other than the one living God who is personal, and because of the monistic or pantheistic emphasis any religious teacher can be converted into a being worthy of worship. As soon as a person has left his home and loved-ones in pursuit of spiritual knowledge he starts getting disciples. Such attitude of the Hindu cannot be ignored as but an aspect of hero-worship, because this worship always amounts to calling the hero a divine incarnation, It may be said that as persons like Krishnamoorthy, Keyserling, and Rudolf Steiner are adored in Europe not because they are considered as incarnations of the deity but because they are supposed to be the mediums of the deity¹⁰, so also the guru is valued as a medium of the Divine. It may be asserted that it is not the personality that is worshipped, but the glory of God manifest through that personality.¹¹ But the common Hindu does not think deep enough to construe such ideas. To him guru-God or Baghavan is a simple equation. And this is so ingrained in the Indian mind that many a Christian evangelist in India had to tell the people that began admiring them, “we are but human, with natures like your own.”¹²

   The worship of the guru as divine has also the serious danger of failing to grasp the absolute ethical demands of religion. One who worships a guru has limited his goal and will never aspire to reach beyond the guru. His understanding of God and His will, will be conditioned by the limited knowledge of the guru.

3. After these remarks on the general principles of the Guru-concept we should turn to the guru himself.

4. As we have already seen in the process of guru-realisation there are certain common features in the history of all the gurus. The religious quest that starts by seeking God outside oneself ends by finding that reality within oneself. The lives of many gurus are filled with a God-consciousness that attracts others too to a God-filled life. The beginning of their religious quest is undoubtedly based on a theistic view of God. During this period they pour out their lives in devotion to a personal God or a God-embodying spirit. All Bhakti-literature in India is the result of such lives of devotion. The Alwars, the Adiyars and similar Indian saints do recognise their finiteness and creatureliness before God. Tukaram refused to accept any guru because of his aversion to monistic teaching. But when such Bhaktas fully discover the truth in Hinduism, it is mostly that the Creature-Creator idea was an illusion. Both the Vedantic monism or pantheism and the Siddantic idea of human manifestation of the deity are much too strong in Hinduism to leave unpolluted any pure theistic trend in Indian thought. This fact when examined in the light of Christian revelation indicates that Hinduism proper is absolutely incompatible with the Christian gospel. So if we can say that all true revelation of God must be consistent we can also say that Hinduism is not a religion of revelation. The theistic beginning of the guru-realisation indicates only the inherent yearning of human souls to love God and be obedient to Him. But this divine light is put out by what Hinduism has conceived of the divinity.

5. There is a strong school of thought ¹³ among Indian Christians today which hold that higher Hinduism has many points of contact with higher Christianity. Whatever be the arguments in favour of such a position the study of “Guru-realisation” seems to bring to light that the differences are more than the similarities. Those who find similarities count much on the mystical experiences of saints. It is true that some Christian saints too had mystical experiences familiar to Hindus. But what may be called a true Christian mysticism is quite distinct from the Hindu-Guru-mysticism.

   1. In Guru mysticism one abstracts one’s self completely from the world and stands as an isolated individual. One’s relations with society, are cut off or swallowed up in the relation of the soul to God. But the Christian mysticism aims at Betting right one’s relations to one’s fellowmen.

   2. Mysticism considered as communion with God is not an end in itself in Christianity. It is pointed out in the Gospels the disciples desire to remain, in the mystic experience, of the Mount of transfiguration was due to their ignorance. ¹⁴ But for the Hindu Guru Samadhi is the final goal in this life. After the mystical experience the Christian goes out into the world conscious of a mission. The Hindu on the other hand withdraws himself more and more from the world.

   3. The Biblical mysticism is never union with God. If at all there is any idea of union with Christ. In St. Paul’s thought the idea of union with Christ is related to the idea of the Church as the body of Christ. So Christ Mysticism is not an individual psychological experience, but one’s entering into an integral union with a redeemed society. It is the group-experience that is, emphasised in, the Biblical idea of salvation. ¹⁵

     Where two or three have gathered in my name,
     I am there among them.

   ¹⁶

   This social idea is absent in Hindu mysticism.

   d. The goal of guru-realisation is a denial of the Christian doctrine of God and man. The I-Thou relation is lost, and the Guru is not conscious of obeying a God transcending his finite self. In such a mysticism neither the Divine nor the human personality survives. ¹⁷

   e. Another aspect of guru-realisation that has fascinated some Christians is the part played by Yoga in the process. They speak of the possibility of a Christian Yoga. Mr. A.S. Appasamy explains how Yoga helped him in the prayer life. Here too I must point out that the kind of prayer life that Yoga may help is not the characteristically Christian one. Yoga helps one to have control over one’s mind and body. K.T. Behanan makes a scientific analysis of Yoga and his analysis shows that the effects of Yoga are primarily on a psycho-physical plane rather than on a religious plane. It has little spiritual value. The need for a guru is explained in terms of psychotherapy. So the idea of a Christian Yoga is far-fetched.

   It needs also to be remembered that” once Yoga is taken seriously it will lead one to the belief that his religion is due to the awakening of the powers that were residing in one’s own body. But in Christian teaching the primary emphasis must be laid on obedience to a Divine will outside us, and transcending our will, the Father’s will that is revealed in Jesus.

6. Now it remains to be seen how far the guru-idea can be taken into Christianity.

   1. As importers of saving knowledge the Christian priests and evangelists may be called gurus. In a sense each Christian may be a guru, for every Christian has the responsibility of helping the brethren to grow in their spiritual life. But the Christian can never assume the authority, of a Hindu guru. In Christian evangelism it is not a perfected saint that calls others, but a sinner calls other sinners to Christ. In the Hindu Guru-idea a perfect man draws men to the truth he has himself discovered. In Christian evangelism the authority is Christ’s, but the authority of the Hindu guru is his own. The Christian self-realisation is that we are sinners though created in the image of God; the Hindu self-realisation is that ‘I am one with God though I live as a man’. This must be explained to the Hindu when he calls a Christian worker ‘guru’.

   2. When we take the idea of the Divinity of one who imparts saving knowledge Christ may be called a Guru. Many of the attributes of the Saivite God-Guru may be given to Christ. But in Christ there is much more than has been conceived of in the Indian idea of God-manifestation and incarnation. Christ alone is our Redeemer. The idea of purposive and redemptive suffering is foreign to the Saivite ‘God-Guru’ Otherwise Christ will be misunderstood or misinterpreted as one like the many gurus of India.

   3. Now without much misunderstanding, but with the greatest religious significance we can say that to a Christian the guru is the Church. The Christian acquires his knowledge not merely from an evangelist or from Christ in the quiet time, but mostly from the Church. The Christian is called to a life in community, and he can get the training for this only in the church. For the Christian there is no isolated individual salvation. So for the Christian the guru is constituted by all that the Church witnesses to, the creed, the liturgy, the worship, the Bible, the Christ and the Holy Spirit. An individual may be a guru to another only in so far as he represents, the interests and has the authority of the Church. Bloomhardt, the German saint, had discovered this truth when he used to tell all those who went to him for healing to go to the church and pray. Outside a Church we cannot learn Christianity. The greatest truth that present day Christianity has to grasp is this. Once this idea is understood the ideas of implicit obedience to the Guru, the divinity of the guru, guru-susrusha etc., become significant to the Christian.

Robert De Nobili and the “Ezour-Vedam”

By Rev. R.M. CLARK (MANDALESHWAR)

1. Robert de Nobili: Among those who have endeavoured to gain a deep understanding of Indian religious thought and to present Christianity in terms congenial to the Indian mind there is perhaps no more interesting figure than that of Robert de Nobili, the Jesuit missionary of Italian birth who landed in Goa in 1605, at the age of 27, and in the following year went on to Madura, one of the chief centres of Hindu learning. Most readers of this journal will be familiar in outline with his life and work. Any who are not may find a brief but very valuable article in Stephen Neill’s Builders of the Indian Church. In the present connection it will be necessary to refer to only a few points concerning him.

   On arriving in Madura, de Nobili found that the few Christians there were utterly despised by their neighbours. The reason for this was that they were bent on aping western dress and manners, but that in their personal and social life there was little evidence of reform. De Nobili resolved to combat this by himself coming to the people of India, not as a foreigner, but as an Indian. He laid aside his black robe, his accustomed food and manners, the use of his mother tongue, even the society of other missionaries and other Christians. He adopted the saffron robe of the ascetic and the sacred thread of the twice-born; his head was shaved all but a little tuft of hair at the crown. By diligent application he soon gained considerable proficiency in Tamil, the language of the common people; then he set himself to master Sanskrit, the language of scholars. In this he succeeded to a remarkable degree. He then set himself up in a little ashrama as a teacher, not merely of ordinary inquirers, but of Brahman pandits. He met with some opposition from the people of Madura, but this he was able in a large measure to overcome. He met with even greater opposition from missionaries and officials within his own church, but he carried on in spite of this.

   De Nobili tried to make it easy for converts to accept Christianity. They were not required to repudiate caste distinctions, or to give up any of their former customs which were not grossly idolatrous. He was successful in winning great numbers of converts. In 1676, twenty years after his death, the church in that district is reported to have numbered fifty thousand. It was disappointing, however, that only a score of these were Brahmans, the specific caste of people to whom he had in particular addressed himself.

   In his teaching, de Nobili, copying the manner of instruction of the Upanishads, made frequent use of dialogue. As for the content of his teaching, he attempted to link it with the traditional four Vedas. He is, indeed, reputed to have declared his teaching to be a fifth Veda, whose doctrines in part were contained in the other four Vedas and in part superseded them.

2. The Ezour-Vedam: In a few libraries today there is to be found (the present writer discovered it in the library of Union Theological Seminary, New York) a work in two small volumes which carries the title “Ezour-Vedam”. The full title (in translation) is: “The Ezour-Vedam, or ancient commentary on the Veda, translated from Sanskrit by a Brahman”, The book is in French, and was published in 1778 at Yverdon, Switzerland. Turning to the editor’s preface, one reads, among other things: “This work came originally from the papers of M. Barthelmy, second Member of the Council of Pondicherry. M. de Moldave, well known for his fine spirit and for his public services, brought from India a copy which he presented to M. de Voltaire. This illustrious writer advises us that the book had been translated from Sanskrit by the high priest, or chief Brahman, of Cheringam, an elderly man respected for his incorruptible character. He knew French, and he had rendered great services to the India Company.”

   Passing on to the work itself, the reader is intrigued and sometimes puzzled by the quaint spelling of Indian names and terms which appear. After reading on for several pages, however, it is possible to discern a certain method in these spellings and to identify, with considerable assurance of exactitude, most of the terms which are used.

   The book is in the form of a dialogue between Biache (Vyasa, supposed author of the Puranas and the Brahma Sutras), who expresses the thought of current Hinduism, and Choumonton (probably Sumantu, which means “a good counsellor”), who represents the point of view of the author. It opens with a plea for a return to true religion. The way to this true religion is to reject the Puranas and go back to the Vedas, to reject many gods and go back to One. In keeping with this, many Pauranic myths are combatted vigorously. The myth, for instance, that rain is caused by Indra’s elephant is ridiculed. Rain is explained as being due to natural causes directed by the providence of God.

   The book then goes on to an account of creation. This is described partly in what appear to be Biblical and partly in Pauranic terms. As characteristic of this, the first man is called Adimo (Adam ?) and the first woman Prokriti (Prakriti). The latter, however, is not to be identified with Rada (Padha) or Dourga (Durga). From the navel of Adimo there sprang Dokio- Brahma (from the context this appears to be Brahma), from his right side Vishnu, and from his left side Siva. (The worship of Vishnu and Siva, however, is strictly forbidden.) The four castes were created in the beginning by God, and similarly the four ashramas (stages of life) were ordained. The source of evil in the world is not nescience (linked with Maya) but rather “our evil inclinations which have led us to transgress the law of God”. The path of virtue consists in following “choto” (satva) as against “roso” and “tomo” (rajas and tamas). The book teaches the immortality of the individual soul, and emphasises that the right attitude towards God is one of adoration and love. Instruction is given in the method of prayer which should be employed. This follows closely the methods of dhyana as practised by devout Hindus. An example of the prayer of a true sannyasi is given. The content of this is, significantly enough, largely confession of sin and prayer for pardon. Regarding the attainment of religious perfection, it is stated that “The highest degree of perfection is to believe without any doubt that which one ought to believe, to endeavour to please God, not men, and to achieve one’s own salvation.”

   Referring to the Hindu belief in incarnations, Choumontou maintains that only a human incarnation is in keeping with the dignity of God. Not all supposed human incarnations of God, however, are to be accepted as such. Krishna, for instance, is to be regarded, not as an incarnation of God, but as the greatest of sinners. The teaching on incarnations stops here; one would wish it were carried farther.

3. Possible Connexion: Is there any connection between Robert de Nobili and the Ezour-Vedam ? We do not know. The great scholar, August Wilhelm von Schlegel, writing soon after 1820, tells us that the name Ezour-Vedam is a corruption of Yajur-Veda. He points out, however, that Voltaire, who esteemed the work very highly, held it to be, not the Yajur-Veda but an ancient commentary on it, and that Voltaire had endeavoured to prove the book to have been written before the time of Alexander the Great. The editor of the French translation which is extant disputed Voltaire’s judgement as to the antiquity of the work, but believed nonetheless that it was an ancient commentary on the Veda. A traveller named Sonnerat in his journal of a voyage to India, published in French in 1782, declared categorically that the Ezour-Vedam was no genuine Hindu scripture, but was rather the polemical work of some missionary. It appears, however, that this opinion did little to shake the general belief in its authenticity as an ancient Hindu work.

Coming down to more modern writers, Maurice Winternitz, the greatest of all historians of Indian literature, says that the book is a forgery, a pious fraud, and is probably the work of the missionary, Robert de Nobili. On the other hand, de Nobili’s biographer, Peter Dahmen, declares bluntly that “The Ezour- Vedam, sometimes attributed to Father de Nobili, is certainly not by him.” It is difficult, however, to escape the conviction that Dahmen gives this judgement, not because of any evidence which is at hand, but rather because the book is not quite worthy of the glowing picture which he paints of the great missionary. Julius Richter, the historian of Christian missions in India, is inclined to attribute the book either to de Nobili or to some one of his disciples.

There are certainly some points in the teaching of the book which seem to suggest Christian origin or influence. Such, for instance, are the emphasis on the providence of God as directing the processes of nature, the teaching that the source of evil is in the human will, the stress on confession of sin and petition for pardon in true prayer, and, perhaps, the assertion that only a human incarnation is in keeping with the dignity of God. Moreover, the admonition that the first element in religious perfection is “to believe without any doubt that which one ought to believe” would be quite in place in the teaching of a Roman Catholic missionary; and the use of dialogue is attested by other sources to have been de Nobili’s favourite method of instruction. On the whole, however, the teaching of the book is less specifically Christian than one would expect if it were the work of a missionary. In the entire book, for, instance, there is no single occurrence of the name Jesus or the title Christ. Is it possible for a Christian apologist to write a book without so much as mentioning Jesus? Apparently it is. In the case of the early Church we have instances of three men, Tatian, Theophilus, and Anaxagoras, all Christians living in the second century, who strove to present Christianity so that it would be acceptable to the Greek world. Nowhere in the extant works of any one of these do we find mention of Jesus or of Christ. The same might conceivably be true of de Nobili also.

What is the meaning of the name Ezour-Vedam? Von Schlegel says it means Yajur-Veda. This may be doubted, and for two reasons. In the first place, the contents of the book are far different from those of the Yajur-Veda or from what one would expect in a commentary on the Yajur-Veda; and in the second place, in the book itself the Yajur-Veda is referred to, not as Ezour-Vedam, but as Ezour-Veda. One is tempted to venture the conjecture that Ezour-Vedam is a name coined by the author of the book himself, and that Ezour is a corruption of ajur (from the Vedic root jur, “to decay” or “to grow old”).

The title Ezour-Vedam would then mean “The Deathless Veda” or “The Eternal Veda”; or, if we translate the word Veda, the title would mean “The Eternal Wisdom”. If the work is by de Nobili, such a name would fit in well with his purpose in writing.

If it should be that the book is de Nobili’s fifth Veda, then the concluding sentences of the last chapter, but one have a peculiar interest for us. In these the author writes: “The desire to free men from their delusions and to save them is the sole motive which has made me undertake this work. Accordingly, I have consulted only the truth. It is truth alone which directs my pen and which has inspired me. It is to truth alone that I consecrate what is left of my old age and my labours.”

A Hymn by Sankara

BY ASHANANDA NAG, CALOUTTA

    (1)
    Homage to thee, Lord, I pay
    Of the meek thou art a friend
    Ocean of compassion, thou,
    Cause thy face to beam on me.

    (2)
    1 am sinking in the sea
    Hold me up and rescue me.
    Let thy glance of love and grace
    Save me ever from distress.

    (3)
    Burnt and searched I am, behold,
    By the fire that rages it.
    Lo! it knows no check and spreads
    I am tossed by the wind that blows.

    (4)
    At thy feet my haven is
    Sore distress I haste to thee
    Other refuge know I none,
    Save thou me from death and ruin.

This hymn occurs in the first canto of Vivekacharamani which is a long philosophical poem consisting of several sections. The hymn opens the series of dialogues which form the body of the book. The book is supposed to be the best metrical exposition of the “unqualified monism” of the Sankara School of Vedantic speculation. The Gita too is a philosophical poem but Vivekachuramani restricts itself to an elucidation of Vedantic monism only. It should be borne in mind that the sense of dependence, which is perhaps the quintessence of religious consciousness in all ages and times finds beautiful expression in the hymn without receiving the official sanction of the Vedantic school. Vedantic discipline has really no place for this attitude of dependence and regards it only as a preliminary stage which prepares the neophyte for the reception and realisation of the ultimate truth: “That thou art,” The word “worship” has no meaning in the vocabulary of the Vedantist.

Vivekachuramani is less famous than the Gita, and is hardly known and read outside the circle of experts. But this book equals and sometimes even surpasses the Gita in sheer beauty of literary excellence. Sankara was indeed a master of classical, Sanskrit prose and poetry. The hymn which has been translated above illustrates some of the typical features of the guru-cult. The disciple is expected to approach the master singing this hymn which invests the human teacher with some of the attributes of Deity. This hymn which was composed by Sankara in the ninth century of the Christian era might put Christian readers in mind of Wesley’s famous lines: “Jesus, lover of my soul etc.” It is interesting to note how religious consciousness makes use of similar expression to give vent to similar inmost experiences. For its restrained expression of the spirit of self-surrender to the Lord and for its chastened sense of dependence Wesley’s hymn has no parallel in Sanskrit hymnody.

Sitala Mata ¹⁸

BY MARGARET E. KENNEDY (JOBAT, C.I.)

All night long there is the noise of tapping, tapping, in certain streets in Kuksi. The goddess of smallpox, Mata is visiting in the homes along these streets, and many children are lying in her terrible grip, their parents being fearful lest their “guest” be offended and carry away their little one. No evil spirit must be allowed to enter, so someone in the house must be awake day and night, for at least eleven days to frighten off such a spirit. In the day-time, the tired eyed father and mother must see to it that the door of the house is kept shut, for if the shadow of any inauspicious person should fall on the sick one, the punishment will be death. Should any of the household go outside, especially if they go near a river or a graveyard, when they come back, they must sprinkle themselves and around themselves with cow’s urine at the threshold of the home, so that any spirit trying to get in with them will be driven back by the holy water. The sick child is cared for by the mother who is afraid to give any treatment such as a doctor would suggest in case Mataji should be displeased. She will burnish a brass drinking vessel and keep it filled with water from the well and after the child has drunk of the water, it is sprinkled around the room. This is done periodically, and the mother may make a vow to the goddess at such times, or she may not. If she does not do so, and the child seems to be getting better on the seventh day, some cow dung is beaten down to make a square on the floor. Here incense is burned and the parents, also the child, do obeisance to the goddess who has visited them but has spared their child. If the mother makes a vow for the protection of her child, she stands with hands folded looking towards the place where the worship of Mata is carried on, and she may promise to sacrifice a goat or a chicken or various things. If the pockmarks are large on the child’s eye, she will promise an “eye of silver”. If he is irritable and feverish, she may promise a chaddar (shawl). If he complains of burning, she will promise a saree (in which fire is burned). Should the child be spared, and the vow fulfilled, two sarees are taken to the goddess on the heads of women; in one will be some fire and in the other coloured threads, a piece of iron and other things. A procession and dancing may have been promised to the goddess too, so dancers are employed to go ahead of the procession, then come those carrying the things vowed, then the parents and the child and the child that was cured. These dancers are eunuchs, and you can see a number of them in Kuksi bazaar, wearing sarees or Muslim women’s dress. The fulfilment of such vows often does not take place until just before the child’s marriage. It is not only children, of course that get smallpox, but all the cases I saw happened to be little folks,

While visiting in a village near Kuksi, we went to see a worshipping place of Mata which consisted of a rough platform on which a carved stone had been placed. A small boulder was alongside this and some say that this is the brother of Mata, and he must never be let into the home while Mata is there or the sick person will die! I wanted to take a picture of this Mata, so we went on into the village and asked an old Bhil woman to come: and stand beside the stone. She came willingly enough, others tagging along too, and they told us that yes, this was Sitala Mata (there are other Matas besides the one for smallpox). When I was ready to take the picture, though, nothing would persuade the woman to come within 20 yards of the stone. Gradually we learned that 2 years ago her son had had smallpox, and she had vowed a chicken and a goat to Mata. He had recovered, but she had not as yet the wherewithal to fulfil her vow, and until she did so, she must not come near the goddess for worship or for anything else.

Mata is always given a place of worship outside the village and in the open air. It is said that once a temple was built for her but that she destroyed it, saying that she did not want the luxury of a temple as it was she who must bear the sorrows of everyone. When the sickness is prevalent, it is understood that Mata has left her place empty and is wondering around among the homes. The goddess is worshipped by Hindus only once a year, at the time of Holi, the worst of all the festivals. In some places it is said, that caste is forgotten on that day and that sweepers and Brahmins can be together in worship. The night before, everyone cooks or rather steams, a certain kind of little cake, and these are placed before the idol next day, and are eaten cold, in the evening. Milk is sprinkled on Mata and all sorts of offerings made. Anyone can pick up the offerings that others have left, such as whole coconuts, but it is the special privilege of the Kumhare (potters) and the drummers to take what is left.

Nowadays, many people are willing to have their children vaccinated, and the above statements are not true to every part of the country, but they are observations which I have either seen myself, or have heard from those around me. One mochi, a shoemaker, told us one day that his caste did not allow vaccination. While he sewed my shoe for me, his wife produced a chair, dusted it with a bit of curtain and had me sit down. I noticed that one little boy playing on the floor had smallpox, then hearing a sound behind, I looked around and on the other side of the curtain, a little girl was lying, very sick, and she was covered with pockmarks on her head and all over. Seeing all this suffering and the hopeless attitude towards it, makes one feel rather desperate - if they would only let you help them! They have a firm faith, though, in powers that are evil and that definitely hold them in the darkness of ignorance and superstition, and that faith can only be broken down when a stronger, higher faith becomes theirs.

Sri Aurobindo

“Sri Aurobindo” By K.R. Iyengar, Arya Publishing House, Calcutta, Rs. 8-0-0

There is a constantly growing Aurobindo literature. Of this particular volume its author says that it is “a conscientious attempt to present a composite portrait of Sri Aurobindo … being the first attempt of its kind in English.” It certainly does seem to be a useful introduction to the life of one whom Romain Bolland described as being “the completest synthesis that has been realised to this day of the genius of Asia and the genius of Europe.” This is a wide claim which few of us can test, but even if exaggerated it certainly recommends Sri Aurobindo to our study.

Sri Aurobindo Ghose was born in Calcutta in 1872. He received a wholly European type of education, being sent to the Loretto Convent School, Darjeeling, at the age of five. Two years later he was taken to England, where he lived with an English family of the name of Drewett. Two brothers were sent to Manchester Grammar School. At the age of thirteen Sri Aurobindo went to St. Paul’s School, whence he won a classical scholarship to King’s College, Cambridge. We read that he won all the prizes for a year at King’s College for Greek and Latin verse. He also commenced writing English verse.

Sri Aurobindo returned to India in 1893 and entered the Baroda State Service, finally becoming Vice-Principal of the Baroda College. During this period he matured as a writer of English verse, and he also became interested in politics. In a series of articles entitled “New Lamps for Old”, contributed to the ‘Indu Prakash’ he criticised the leaders of the then recently formed Indian National Congress as being too timid. It was during his Baroda days too, that Sri Aurobindo became interested in Yoga. After spending thirteen years in Baroda State service he left for Calcutta and busied himself in politics becoming joint-editor of the daily paper Bandemataram. Of the spirit informing this action we read in a letter which he wrote at that time to his wife. Says the biographer: “Sri Aurobindo looked upon his country, not as a geographical entity spotted with hills and lined with rivers and shaded with plains, but as the Mother, A demon was sucking the Mother’s life-blood and he, Sri Aurobindo, knew that he had the power to redeem Her from the demon’s grasp.” Eventually his writings brought him into conflict with the authorities, and he was twice arrested. The first time he was acquitted, the magistrate declaring that the general tone of the Bandemataram was not seditious. The second was a much more serious affair, the prosecution alleging that Sri Aurobindo was somehow implicated in a bomb outrage. He was again acquitted after he had spent a year in jail.

This period in jail marks the turning point in Sri Aurobindo’s life. Some time before the Alipur Case (as the incident came to be known) his interest in Yoga had been fast developing. For instance, he delivered a speech in Bombay in 1908 for which on the advice of a Yogi, Vishnu Bhaskar Lele, he made preparation.” Lele told him to make namaskar to the audience and wait, and speech would come to him from some other source than the mind. So in fact the speech came, and ever since all speech, writing, thought and outward activity have so come to him from the same source above the brain - mind.” So now in prison Aurobindo, cut off from outer activity turned to look within. This is his own account: - “When I was arrested and hurried to the Lal Bazar hajat, I was shaken in faith for a while, for I could not, look into the heart of His intention. Therefore, I faltered for a moment and cried out in my heart to Him, ‘What is this that has happened to me? I believed that I had a mission to work for the people of my country and until that work was done I should have Thy protection. Why then am I here and on such a charge?’ A day passed and a second day and a third when a voice came to me from within, ‘Wait and see.’”Then I grew calm and waited. In this seclusion, the earliest realisation, the first lesson came to me, I remembered then that a month or more before my arrest, a call had come to me to put aside all activity, to go into seclusion and to look into myself, so that I might enter into closer communion with Him.”

Indeed, Sri Aurobindo seems to have regarded his imprisonment as a guidance. Compulsory renunciation was to become voluntary renunciation. After his release he returned for a while to editorial work in Calcutta but presently retired to Pondicherry where he founded his ashram and for, some years, until 1921, published the journal Arya in collaboration with a Frenchman, Paul Richard, and with a lady, - to quote from our book - “she who is now known as the Mother”. In this journal, among other sequences, appeared Sri Aurobindo’s magnum opus, The Life Divine. With regard to his retreat from political life we may say that this is not the first time that a leader, to the dismay of his followers, has suddenly quitted active participation in a movement, and seemingly thrown away his gifts. There are numerous parallels, and always there is the question: “To what purpose this waste?” In his letters Sri Aurobindo has insisted that he did not leave politics because he could do nothing more there, but in obedience to an inner voice. We may note in passing that he has “retained his interest in the happenings of the outer world, and as our writer remarks, Sri Aurobindo alone among the leading: personalities in India, in 1942 openly advocated an immediate acceptance of the Cripps proposals.

Sri Aurobindo’s thought centres in the concept, “integral Yoga”, “comprehending and transcending the two great categories of experience, Matter and Spirit, and the three great classical highroads to salvation, Jnana, Karma and Bhakti.” This yoga to be effective must be shared: “humanity”, says Aurobindo, “has to be ripe for it too.”. Here we have another reason for his “retreat” - by concentration to prepare the way for wider acceptance of the message in the future. Indeed, the idea of a “return” is an essential element in his thought, for he has a teaching about ascent and descent which must intrigue Christian students, “The stages in the journey, then, the upward journey from Matter to Spirit and the downward journey from Spirit to Matter are to be conceived as successive attempts at a dynamic comprehension of the one in the many, or the many in the one.”And again in regard to man’s destiny” Sri Aurobindo begins this great sequence with motto, ‘All life is Yoga’. There are three rungs in the ladder of life which it is man’s destiny to ascend one by one; and bodily life, mental life, and divine life are these three steps that God and Nature have devised for aspiring man. Man too has sprung up from inconscient Matter; Life and Mind, that are in a deep swoon in Matter, are awake in Man; and now it is the burden of his greatness - it is the stern law governing his evolutionary status - that he should strive to awaken the slumbering ‘soul’ within and reach up in one vast whirl of endeavour to the divinity, to the Super-mind, incidentally or consequently lifting Nature itself to the level of Supernature. This then is to be the mechanics of his Yoga, it is that which, having found the Transcendent, can return upon the universe and possess it, retaining the power freely to descend as well “as ascend the great stair of existence,” And again: “In an integral or synthetic Yoga, the stormtroopers of the muscle, the swift squadrons of the brain, and the flotillas of the heart, all will be energised and directed to storm and seize the citadel the invisible citadel - of Reality.”

We are condensing what has already been condensed and there is the danger of parody. When comparing theory and practice we are in some difficulty for Sri Aurobindo’s is an - as yet - incomplete experiment, and it is impossible to assess the future influence of his ashram. Professor Srivasa Iyengar, himself confesses to a certain ignorance of the more intimate aspects of Aurobindo’s Yoga, which being so he himself might have suspended judgement a little. As it is, there is hardly a note of criticism in the book; true he somewhere says that one of Aurobindo’s poems is a little too long. One gathers that Sri Aurobobindo himself would not resent reasonable criticism. And certainly for Christian readers Augustine’s Confessions must remain the pattern of religious biography or autobiography, where in all seriousness a man’s failings are taken into account. It is admittedly difficult to strike the balance, and we must also allow for the times. We would only make the point that the ordinary reader is helped rather than discouraged by the thought that even spiritual heroes share human frailties and are indeed the greater for having to some extent overcome them.”

We have to make this plea for the ordinary man. He is greatly at a discount today. One thinks of publicists like Gerald Heard who can combine western science with Hindu Yoga in an attempt to produce a superior man, or of H. G. Wells’ latest verdict that in order to save himself Man must cease to be man. Westerners as well as Easterners find the idea and sometimes the practice of Yoga a fruitful one. We need not repeat what one of our contributors says elsewhere in this number. One or two points might be noted, Sri Aurobindo is doubtless in the first place a poet, and the question is prompted whether a true Yoga is not just that discipline whereby a man seeks to develop a God-given talent, to polish it and perfect it. Hence, a highly individual discipline. And then with regard to this plea for the ordinary man; Sri Aurobindo’s own friends make it. Here is a quotation from a recent Aurobindo volume reviewed in the Statesman:

    How far is thy Moon's haven, yet
    Tell me ...
    We fail to guess. We have to live and earn our living.

That is the ordinary man’s predicament. And the greatness of the Gospel is that it is addressed to the man who has to live s and earn his living. The words yoga and yoke are after all brothers, and there are times when we are thankful to hear the summons: “Come unto me all ye that are weary and heavy laden and I will give you rest. Take my yoke upon you and learn of me, for I am meek and lowly of heart, and ye shall find rest unto your souls.”

Notwithstanding this criticism, the present writer will now want to read more of Sri Aurobindo’s own work.

Editor

For a discussion of Aurobindo’s philosophy see the article by Mr. P. Chenchiah in The Pilgrim Vol III No. 2. (July 1943)

Quarterly Notes

BENARES INSTITUTE OF HINDUISM (October 8th to November 9th, 1945).

Report

The Seventh Session of the Institute was held for five weeks during the above-mentioned dates on the premises of the Benares United City Mission. The Institute met and ended punctually, and regular consistent work was done. It was the most compact session held so far. Students-twenty-three in all - were more or less of the same type and standard. The weather was cool and helpful except for a week when we had rather heavy rains. In spite of continued travel difficulties some applications were discouraged or politely refused for lack of accommodation and facilities. The bulk of the students stayed for considerable periods and half a dozen through the whole course. For the Convener it was a most exhilarating experience to deal with this variety of personality.

STUDENTS - The total number was twenty-three. Of these 3 were Missionaries, 11 Theological students, 1 Professor, 2 Evangelists, 2 Visitors, 5 ladies, 3 wives, 2 Ashramites and Sanyasis and 2 English Soldiers from Delhi Wireless Experimental Centre: Churches represented were Congregational 3, Methodist 7, Anglican 5, Baptist 2, Lutheran 3, Mennonite 1, Syrian (Mar Thoma) 2, Missions and Institutions represented were Swedish, L.M.S. American Methodist and Baptist, Y.M.C.A. Ashrams, Leonard and Serampore Theological Colleges. The students came from up and down the country - the following places - Delhi, Jabalpur, Gujarat, Belgaum, Champa, Muttra, Ajmer, Asansol, Orissa, Barisal, Calcutta, Serampore; Madras Coimbatore, Trichi and Ceylon.

STAFF - 1. Prof. V.E. Dutt M.A., B.D. of the Department of the History and Philosophy of Religion at Serampore gave 12 lectures on the Historical Development of Hinduism and 6 Readings on the Bhagavad Gita: 2. Rev. A.C. Chakravarty B.D. of the Brindaban Christian Ashram was able to give 8 out of 12 lectures (as he was wired back) on Bhakti in its different aspects. 3. Rev. S.W. Savarimutha B.A., B.D., L.T. of the Gurukul, Madras (The Lutheran Theological College) spoke on “Manickavasagara’s, Bhakti and Luther’s Faith - a study in comparison and contrast” for a week. Rev. R.C. Das M.A., of the Benares United City Mission fulfilled the Time-Table and gave: about 20 lectures on Aspects of Hindu Orthodoxy and Popular Religion touching on Caste, Idolatry, gods and goddesses etc., and suggesting suitable lines of Christian approach.

NON-CHRISTIAN TEACHERS - The following gave lectures on their own specific subjects (1) Dr. B.L. Atreya, M.A., LL.B., Ph.D. of the Philosophy Department, Hindu University, spoke on Karma and Rebirth. (2) Dr. A. Altekar M.A., D.Litt, Professor of Ancient History, Hindu University, author of several books - spoke on Women in Hinduism and Universities in Ancient India. (3) Bhikkha Jagdish Kasbyap M.A., of the Mahabodhi Society Sarnath - gave a talk on the Central teaching of Buddhism, (4) Professor G. Khosal Jain M.A. of the Jain College gave two addresses on the history and teachings of Jainism and Ahimsa. (5) Swami Adidevananda of the Ram Krishna Mission spoke on “the Message of Ram Krishna Paramahamsa” and “Swami Vivekananda and Neo-Hinduism”. (5) Shri Sriprokash - Member Central Legislature and leader of repute gave an address on Indian Christians and nationalism.

OTHER ACTIVITIES - A social gathering under the auspices of the Benares Fellowship was arranged to meet the students and staff of the Institute and other guests in the home of Shri Chandra Bhan - a leading public man of Benares - when Professor V.E. Dutt spoke on “Indian Christians and Politics.” In a session of the Benares Christian Union in the Jai Narain’s High School the same speaker gave a talk on “The Challenge of the future to Christians.” A special feature this year was a cultural evening spent in the home of Mr. and Mrs. Das when some music and dancing were given by the girls and other young artists. A meeting of the Society and of the Executive Committee was held on the occasion for which the Secretary, the Treasurer and Mrs. Gould were able to come. The morning devotions were led by the Rev. J. 8. Moon and the Staff and students of the Institute. Guided excursions were undertaken to all important cultural, religious and educational centres Recreations and games were arranged for the afternoons and evenings after dinner. The Convener is grateful for cordial co-operation and help from the non-Christian scholar and the Christian Staff who have been giving this noble service free of charge, and no less from the students who were very constructive and thoughtful in their studies. Sincere thanks of all are due to Mr. and Mrs. Moon and the family of Mr. and Mrs. Das who made guests and visitors comfortable and happy in their long stay with us. May God, bless the work done and the experience and knowledge gained to the glory of his name and the extension of his Kingdom.

R.C. DAS, (Convener).

Meetings of the Executive Committee

The Executive Committee of the C.S.S.H. met in Benares, Oct. 15th, as guests of the Revs. R.C. Das and J.S. Moon. Prof. V.E. Dutt was elected chairman and the following members were present. Dr. C.H. Hazlett, Mrs. W. Stanley Gould, Rev. R.D. Immanuel (seated in place of Rev. C.S. Thoburn), and the Secretary. An adjourned meeting was held in Allahabad, Nov. 13th, at the home of Mrs. W. Stanley Gould. The Bishop of Lucknow was elected Chairman and Drs. Murray Titus, C.H. Hazlett, Donaldson, the Revs. R.C. Das, Paul Das, and J.S. Moon, and the Secretary were present.

In announcing the advanced policy of The Pilgrim, Mr. Moon expressed his intention to enlarge the magazine to thirty-two pages in the immediate future. Advertisements will be accepted. He invites members to prepare and submit articles dealing with the study carried on by the Society. It is hoped that plans will be far enough along by January 1947 to devote each succeeding issue to a major field of investigation and permit a number of contributors to approach the subject from various lines of interest. The Editorial Board for 1946 is composed of the following. Rev. Marcus Ward, Bangalore; Dr. A.J. Appasamy, Palameottah; Rev. C.G. Diehl of the Church of Sweden; Dr. James E. McEldowney, Jabalpur; Mrs. W. Stanley Gould, Allahabad; Rev. R.C. Das, Benares; and Prof. V.E. Dutt, Serampore. The Editor is Ex-officio.

The Treasurer submitted his report and budget. The report was accepted pending audit. Dr. Hazlett invites members of the Executive Society to enlist new members and proposed that a Joint Secretary for South India be named in order better to promote the interests of the Society.

Gratitude was expressed to the Revs. R.C. Das, A.C. Chakravarty and the Secretary for the successful Lecture Series at Landour during May 1945. The possibility of holding similar institutes in other hill stations is to be given careful consideration. Requests for the same will be given consideration. It was recommended that the Secretary offer the services of the Society to the Landour Language School and investigate the contribution the Society can make to the proposed Orientation School which is to be opened within the next few years.

Rev. R.C. Das was congratulated on the Benares Institute held in 1944 and the session being held in 1945. He was asked to prepare a separate report for The Pilgrim.

The adjourned session of the Executive was called at Allahabad particularly to consider the relationship of the Society to the National Christian Council. At the May Executive Meeting the following Representation was prepared and later presented to Dr. Murray Titus:

The purpose of Christian Society for the study of Hinduism is to present effectively the Christian Gospel to those of the Hindu faith. At the time of its organisation and in practice the Society has made its appeal to three groups of workers; Christian Ministers and Church Leaders, Missionaries, and Theological students. It has arranged special Institutes at Benares, Summer Lecture Series, Short Courses in Educational Institutions, Conferences for workers, and has published the Quarterly, The Pilgrim. Together with these services it has constantly kept in mind the desirability of establishing a permanent centre for the study of Hinduism. In all these matters it has considered carefully and to the extent of its ability, carried out the purpose as set forth.

The Society has as its officers persons from various Churches and Missions. Among its members are Christian Leaders of many denominations, Missions and Countries. It is, therefore, both international and interdenominational. It is attempting to serve a need common to all.

The Society looks forward to the time when it may become a more effective instrument of the Christian forces in India to achieve its great purpose. It believes this can be furthered by closer affiliation with National Christian Council, which has also expressed an interest in establishing a permanent School for the study of Hinduism. The Society is eager to explore the steps which might be taken to make the Society the instrument of the N.C.C. for furthering this common end. It does not believe, for example, that there is need for two permanent Schools for the study of Hinduism, one sponsored by the N.C.C., and one by the Society. It furthermore believes that the N.C.C. is eager to use existing organisations, when possible, to further such a cause.

The Society, therefore, indicates its readiness to meet with representatives of the N.C.C. to consider ways whereby the organisation may become the effective body serving the Christian cause in India in this regard, and looking forward with it to the establishment of a permanent School for the study of Hinduism.

The establishment of the Henry Martyn School for the Study of Islamics and its present relationship with the N.C.C. Study arrangements for its financial support have proved of great value. Doubtless similar co-operation between the N.C.C. and the C.S.S.H. would bring equally valuable results.

Dr. Titus invited the Society to follow out the implications of its representation and to approach the proper committees with that in view. The following resolution was adopted:

Resolved that (1) the N.C.C. be asked to recognise the Society as its agency for the Christian Study of Hinduism and the promotion of work among Hindus, and (2) that the Executive of the Society be the Official Committee of the N.C.C. for this purpose. Resolved that the above committee be asked to explore possibilities for the establishment of a Permanent School for the Christian Study of Hinduism.

A Constitutional Committee was appointed by the May Executive. The Constitution which appears elsewhere in this issue was tentatively approved subject to revision and final approval by the Executive in its October session in 1946. Members of the Society are invited to make further recommendations.

It was proposed to invite Mr. S.J. Dorosamy to be Joint Secretary and Mr. Sevaratnam and Mr. Savarimuthu to become members on the Executive Committee.

James E. McEldowney, Secretary.

Appendix

Revised Proposed Constitution of the Christian Society for the Study of Hinduism

A. Name. The name of the Society is as above.

B. Purpose. The purpose of the Society is to work toward the effective presentation of the Christian Gospel to adherents of both popular and philosophic Hinduism. The Society aims to provide a basis of fellowship for those interested in this task.

To carry out this purpose the Society proposes: -

1. To work for the establishment of a permanent centre for the study of Hinduism,
2. To conduct an annual institute in Benares, and as soon as possible in other centres of Hinduism, especially in South India,
3. To arrange shorter lecture series in hill stations, at Theological Colleges, Christian institutions, and elsewhere for Christian workers,
4. To encourage research and assist “in publishing relevant findings,
5. To publish The Pilgrim as a quarterly journal, the purpose of which shall be to keep the public informed of the work of the Society, and provide a useful literature in the field,

C. Membership. Membership in the Society is open to all Christians on payment of the fee determined by the Society.

D. Representative Council

1. Membership.

   1. Each mission or Church body having fifteen or more members in the Society or which as an organisation contributes Rs. 50 or more annually is privileged to send one representative as a member of the Council.
   2. Patrons of the Society.
   3. One representative from each of the Theological Colleges.
   4. Members of the Executive Committee not otherwise included in the above.

2. Officers. The officers of the Council serve also as the officers of the Society and include the Chairman (who is chairman of the annual Council meeting), Vice Presidents, (including representatives from each of the Theological Colleges), Secretary and Treasurer.

3. Annual Meeting.

   1. The Annual Meeting shall be held at the time and place set by the Executive. At least one month’s notice shall be given to the members.

   2. Business.

      1. To hear and approve the minutes of the last meeting

      2. To hear and approve the reports of the Society as presented by the officers and such other reports as shall be ordered by the Council or, Executive Committee

      3. To elect a nominating committee whose duty it is to present nominations at the succeeding general meeting.

      4. To hear the nominations made by the previously elected nominations committee nominations may also be made from the floor and elect

         1. The officers for the ensuing year;
         2. Five members to serve on the Executive Committee

      5. To hear lectures on subjects vital to the purposes of the Society

      6. To transact such other business as shall promote the interests of the Society.

V. Executive Committee.

1. Membership: Ex-officio - the Editor of the Pilgrim, the Convener of the Benares institute, the Secretary, the Treasurer, one member elected from both the National Christian Council and the Henry Martyn School of Islamics, and five members elected at large by the Representative Council.
2. Meetings. The Executive shall meet at least twice a year, one meeting to take place at the seat of the Annual Representative Council Meeting.
3. Business. To bring into realisation the purposes set forth by the Society and serve as an interim committee of the Council with power to act.

6. Amendments. Proposed amendments shall be published in the previous issues of The Pilgrim prior to the Annual Meeting of the Representative Council. A two-thirds vote of those present at the Council meeting is needed for the adoption of an amendment.

Notice

1. Around the Doljatra (Swing) Festival on the 17th March 1946, a Retreat Conference of Christian Sadhus, Sanyasis and independent evangelists as well as leaders of Christian Ashrams will be held at the Christian Ashram of Rev. A.C. Chakravarty in Brindaban. It is hoped a distinguished Christian leader will preside. The Conference will last for a week or ten days. There will be devotional study of the word of God, a comparative estimate of Hinduism and Christianity on a small scale, visiting and witnessing at the various shrines in addition to discussion of the vital problems relating to the ideals of Ashram and Sanyas. Expenses will be up to Rs. 2/- a day per head. Earnest Hindu enquirers and other Christians interested in, and sympathetic to these matters will be very welcome. Names and addresses of persons desiring to attend should be sent to the undersigned.
2. In the months of May and June the Khristkul Ashram at Almora will be in session. It is also hoped that a few evangelists may visit Haridwar sometime in the summer. A study course in Hinduism is being arranged at the Y.M.C.A. in Calcutta to be held before Easter.

Fuller particulars may be had from -

RAMKATORA, Benares Cantonment R.C. DAS

Edited and published by Rev. J. 8. Moon, Benares

Printed by Anglo-Oriental Press, Jangambari, Benares