{"id":3184,"date":"2013-07-13T01:46:32","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:46:32","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=3184"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:46:32","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:46:32","slug":"34-fraternity-vol-writings-in-bengali-translation","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/01-works-of-sri-aurobindo\/02-other-editions\/writings-in-bengali-translation\/34-fraternity-vol-writings-in-bengali-translation","title":{"rendered":"-34_Fraternity.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n
\n

\n
\nFraternity <\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\nThe three ideals, or ultimate aims of modern civilisation,
\nwhich were proclaimed at the time of the French revolution,
\nare generally known in our language as the three principles of liberty equality and amity But what goes by the name of
\nfraternity in the language of the West is not amity. Amity
\ndescribes a state of mind. One who is a well-wisher of all
\nbeings and harms nobody, that benevolent person, free from
\nviolence and engaged in the well-being of all beings, is called
\n‘a friend’; amity is the state of his mind. Such a state of mind
\nis an asset to the individual; it can direct his life and work,
\nbut it cannot possibly become the mainstay of a political and
\nsocial organisation. The three principles of the French
\nrevolution are not ethical rules for guiding the life of an
\nindividual but three ties or bonds capable of remoulding the
\nstructure of society and country, a fundamental truth of
\nNature yearning to manifest itself in the external condition of
\nsociety and country. Fraternity means brotherhood.. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe French revolutionaries were very anxious to gain
\nsocial and political liberty and equality, their eyes were not
\nset so much on fraternity. Absence of fraternity is the cause
\nof incompleteness of the French revolution. This extraordinary rising established political and social liberty in
\nEurope; even political equality to some extent found a place
\nin the political organisation and legislation of a few countries. But without fraternity, social equality is impossible.
\nAnd because of the absence of fraternity Europe was
\ndeprived of social equality. The full development of these
\nthree basic principles is interdependent: fraternity is the
\nbasis of equality; without it equality cannot be established. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-232<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nOnly brotherly feeling can bring about brotherhood. There is
\nno brotherly feeling in Europe, equality and liberty are
\ntainted there. That is why in Europe chaos and revolution is
\nthe order of the day. Proudly Europe calls this chaos and
\nrevolution progress and advancement. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nWhatever brotherly feeling exists in Europe rests on the
\ncountry: "We belong to one country, we have the same
\nadvantages and disadvantages, unity, safeguards, national
\nfreedom"\u2014this knowledge is the cause of unity in Europe.
\nThere is another knowledge which stands against it: "we are
\nall men, all men should be united, division between man and
\nman is born of ignorance and is harmful; so let us give up
\nnationalism and establish a unity of the human race". A
\nconflict is going on between these two contradictory truths,
\nespecially in France, that emotional country where the great
\nideal of liberty, equality and fraternity was first proclaimed.
\nHowever, the fact is that these two truths and feelings are
\nnot contradictory. Nationalism is a truth, unity of the human
\nrace is also a truth and only harmony of these two truths
\ncan bring the highest good of humanity; if our intelligence is
\nincapable of finding that harmony and becomes attached to
\nthe conflict of principles which are not contradictory, then
\nwe must consider that intelligence a misguided rajasic intelligence. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nEurope, disgusted with political and social liberty without
\nany equality, is now racing towards Socialism. There are two
\nparties, the Anarchists and the Socialists. The Anarchist
\nsays, "Political liberty is an illusion; to establish a machine of
\ntorture in the name of government, by influential men, for
\ncrushing individual liberty on the pretext of preserving
\npolitical freedom, is a sign of this illusion; therefore, abolish
\nall kinds of government and establish genuine freedom."
\nWho will protect liberty and equality in the absence of any
\ngovernment and prevent the powerful from torturing the <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-233<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nweak? In answer to this objection the Anarchist
\nsays,  "Expand education, spread complete knowledge and brotherly feeling; knowledge and brotherly feeling will protect
\nliberty and equality. If an individual violates the brotherly
\nfeeling and brings suffering to others, he can be punished
\nwith death by anybody." The Socialist does not say the same
\nthing. He says, "Let the government remain, the govern-
\nment is useful. Let us establish society and the political
\nstructure on complete equality; when all the present defects
\nof society and of the political organisation are rectified, the
\nhuman race will be completely happy and free and full of
\nbrotherly feeling." For this reason the Socialist wants to
\nunite society; if there is no personal property but everything
\nbelongs to society\u2014as with the property of a joint family
\nbelonging not to any individual but to the family which is the
\nbody, the individual being only a limb of that body\u2014then
\ndivision will disappear from society and it will become one. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe Anarchist makes the mistake of attempting to do
\naway with the government before fraternity is established. It
\nwill be long before the brotherly feeling can come; mean-
\nwhile, abolition of the government will result in the supremacy of animal instincts on account of the extreme chaos and
\ndisorder ensuing. The king is the centre of society; formation
\nof a government enables men to avoid animality. When
\ncomplete fraternity is established then God instead of
\nemploying any earthly representative will himself rule the
\nearth and sit on the throne in every one’s heart. The reign of
\nthe Saints of the Christians, our Satyayuga, will be established. Mankind has not progressed so far as to achieve this
\nstate soon, only a partial realisation is possible. <\/font><\/p>\n

\n The Socialist errs in trying to establish fraternity on equality, instead of establishing equality on fraternity. It is  possible to have fraternity without having equality; but <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-234<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nequality without fraternity cannot last and it will
\nbe destroyed by dissension, quarrels and inordinate greed for
\npower. First we must have complete fraternity and then only
\ncomplete equality. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe brotherly feeling is an outward condition: if we
\n<\/b>all
\nremain full of brotherly feeling, have one common property,
\none common good and one common effort, that is fraternity.
\nThe external condition is based on the inner state. Love for
\nthe brother infuses life into fraternity and makes it real.  There must be a basis even for that brotherly love. We are
\nchildren of one Mother, compatriots; this feeling can provide
\nthe basis for a kind of brotherly love; though this feeling becomes a basis of political unity, social unity cannot be
\nachieved in this way. We have to go still deeper: just as we all
\nhave to overpass our own mothers in order to worship the
\nMother of our compatriots, in the same way we have to
\ntranscend and realise the Universal Mother. We have to
\ntranscend the partial Shakti in order to reach the Shakti in
\nher completeness. But, just as in our adoration of Mother
\nIndia, though we overpass our physical mother yet we do not
\nforget her, in the same way, in our adoration of the
\nUniversal Mother we shall transcend Mother India and not
\nforget her. She too is Kali, she top is the Mother. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nOnly religion provides a basis for fraternity. All the
\nreligions say, "We are one, division is born of ignorance and
\njealousy." Love is the central teaching of all religions. Our
\nreligion also says, "We are all one, the dividing intellect is a
\nsign of ignorance, the sage should look on all with an equal
\neye and perceive the one soul, one Narayan equally established in everyone." Universal love comes from this equality
\nfull of devotion. But this knowledge which is the highest goal
\nof humanity will spread everywhere only at the final stage of
\nour journey; meanwhile we have to realise it partially within,
\nand without, in the family, society, country, in every being. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-235<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nMan is always endeavouring to give an enduring form
\nto fraternity by creating family, clan, society, country, and binding them
\nfirmly by laws and scriptures. Up till now that effort has failed. The basis
\nexists and so does the form. But what is needed is some inexhaustible force
\nwhich will preserve the life of fraternity, so that the basis remains unimpaired
\nand the form becomes everlasting or is continually renewed. God has not yet manifested that Force. He
\nhas come down as Rama, Krishna, Chaitanya, Ramakrishna
\nand is preparing to transform the selfish heart of man into a
\nfit receptacle of love. How far is that day when He shall
\ndescend again and make this earth a paradise by spreading
\neternal love and bliss and implanting it in the heart of man! <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-236<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

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