Theosophy and Life's Deeper Problems: Being the Four Convention Lectures Delivered in Bombay at the Fortieth Anniversary of the Theosophical Society, December, 1915Besant, Annie
Religion
Theosophy and Life's Deeper Problems: Being the Four Convention Lectures Delivered in Bombay at the Fortieth Anniversary of the Theosophical Society, December, 1915
Besant, Annie
Theosophy
And remember that in this matter, the Indian States under their own
Princes are showing the way in which Education should be developed.
H. H. the Nizam, the Ruler of Hyderabad, was first of the Indian
Princes who gave the order that in every State school in his realm
religion should be taught. The religion of Islām to the Musalmāns,
the Hinḍū religion to the Hinḍūs. And he took our textbooks from the
Central Hinḍū College in order that his Hinḍū subjects might be
taught along liberal orthodox lines; it was a Musalmān Minister of
Education who sent out the decree that through the kingdom of Hyderabad
every child should be trained in his father's religion, and that
religious education should be a part of the duty of the State. And
then, H. H. the Maharaja of Mysore took up the same line, and in the
State Schools of Mysore, religion is an integral part of education. So
it is in some of the Rājput States; so it is in some of the Kathiawar
States; and these Indian Princes are showing the way to a religious
education, that shall be National without being sectarian, that shall
not proselytise, that shall not turn boys away from their ancestral
faith, but shall respect the religion of the parents, and bring up the
children in the faith into which they were born. But you see how the
realisation of this needs the charity of the great Vaishya caste, in
order that the money may be available which shall make the schools
under National control the equals of the Government establishments.
Then, in that caste system, you come to the Kṣhaṭṭriya, from whom
more was demanded than from the Vaishya. He had the right to splendour;
he had the right to enjoy; he had the right to wealth; but on one
condition: he must be willing to sacrifice everything, if the safety
of the people demanded it. From him was asked the offering of limb,
the offering of life. If he ruled, he must be first in the battle
as well as first in the pageant, and he must learn to give up life,
family, love, and all that makes life joyous, if the people were in
need of protection, and if the order of the State were threatened.
And then came the Brāhmaṇa, the teacher, the wise man, the educator
of the people. He was not to be wealthy save in wisdom; he was not
to gratify desires, but was to be the mouth of God, pure in conduct,
ascetic in life; he was to show that the wise man needed not wealth,
and that the duty of wisdom was to teach the people. A splendid theory,
carried out for many ages. All is in confusion now. The ḍharmas of the
castes have broken into pieces, and with the ḍharmas the reality has
disappeared. And so the Brāhmaṇa the elder brother, is a lawyer, a
merchant, a physician, or anything else, an engine driver sometimes,
but seldom a teacher from a sense of ḍharma. And with the old duty, the
old reverence has passed away; for only when the elders live up to
their duties can the youngers be asked to give them reverence. And so
now, Indian Society has to be rebuilt.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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