EASTERN CULTURE.

Manawatu Standard, Volume LVIII, Issue 41, 17 January 1938, Page 6

EASTERN CULTURE.

The significance of Indian culture in its various aspects in the light of the present world situation was emphasised at the last session of the Indian Cultural Conference, held last month. Sir Sarbapalli Radhakrishnan, in his presidential address, observed that Eastern civilisation had endured centuries of wars, pestilence and human misrule, and still survived. No Western civilisation had lived over a thousand years. The West, it is contended, by its great scientific achievements, has made the world outwardly into one, has provided it with all the material appliances essential for the development of world culture, but it has not touched the basis of culture, the configuration of life and mind. Perhaps it is too materialistic. The contact between India and the West, according to Sir Sarbapalli, became closer after Alexander’s invasion. Then in the circle where Christian Gospels were formulated, Indian religious ideals were quite familiar. Curious resemblances could be found between the Gospel story and Buddhist parables which were centuries older than the Gospels. It was again obvious that during the days of the Roman Empire, Indian religious ideals were well known to the followers of the early Church. The next stage in the process was Yasco da Gama’s discovery of the sea route to India in 1495, which attracted the cupidity of the AVestern nations, and the subsequent victory of England over other European . nations. Since then, the increasing influence of Eastern thought on AYestern civilisation, through English translations, was well known. This effect could be traced to a realisation that civilisation of the East—lndia and China —which was built upon passivism, tolerance, non-aggression and cultivation of inner life, was lon o’-lived; while that based on ambition and adventure, aggression and courage, was shortlived.