{"id":3202,"date":"2013-07-13T01:46:38","date_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:46:38","guid":{"rendered":"http:\/\/localhost\/?p=3202"},"modified":"2013-07-13T01:46:38","modified_gmt":"2013-07-13T01:46:38","slug":"42-prison-and-freedom-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\/42-prison-and-freedom-vol-writings-in-bengali-translation","title":{"rendered":"-42_Prison and Freedom.htm"},"content":{"rendered":"
\n\n\n
\n

\nPrison and Freedom<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/b><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n Men as we are, we are mostly creatures of circumstance,
\nconfined to the sensations of the outer world. Our mental
\nactivities depend upon such external sensations, even our
\nreason is unable to go beyond the limits of the material; and
\nthe joys and sorrows of life are but echoes of outward events.
\nThis slavery is due to the domination of the body. In the
\nUpanishad it has been said, "The self-born has set the doors
\nof the body outwards, therefore the soul of a man gazes
\noutward and not at the self within; hardly a wise man here
\nand there, desiring immortality turns his eye inward and sees
\nthe Self within him." Normally, the outward, physical eyes
\nwith which we observe the life of man, in that kind of seeing
\nthe body is our chief support. However much we may call the
\nEuropeans materialists, in fact all men are materialists. The
\nbody is an instrument for the fulfilment of religious life, a
\nchariot with many horses to pull it, the body-chariot on
\nwhich we ride across the ways of the world. But, admitting
\nthe false importance of the body we give such a prominence
\nto the physical mind that we find ourselves wholly entangled
\nby outward activity and superficial good and evil. The result
\nof such ignorance is life-long slavery and subordination. Joys
\nand sorrows, good and evil, affluence and danger, compel us
\nto mould our mental states in their own terms, and we too
\nfloat along the waves of desire to which we give our
\nthoughts. Greedy of enjoyment and afraid of sorrow we
\nCome to depend on others, and receiving our joy and sorrow
\nfrom others, we suffer endless misery and humiliation.
\nBecause, be it man Or nature, whoever or whatever is able to
\nexercise control over our body, or can bring it within the<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-320<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nfield of its own forces, we have to submit to that influence.
\nIts extreme example is to fall into the hands of enemies or
\nthe life of imprisonment. But the person, who, surrounded
\nby friends and boon companions, moves about freely, even
\nhis condition is just as wretched as of those who spend their
\ndays in prison. The body is the prison, the body-centred
\nintelligence, the reasoning Ignorance is the enemy that
\n<\/i>Imprisons"<\/font><\/p>\n

\nThis state of imprisonment is the perennial condition of
\nman. On the other hand, on every page of literature and
\nhistory we find the irrepressible eagerness and enthusiasm on
\nthe part of the human race to gain freedom. As in the
\npolitical and social spheres, so in the life of the individual in
\nevery age we find the same endeavour. Restraint, self-torture, indifference, stoicism. Epicureanism, asceticism. Vedanta Buddhism, Advaita, the doctrine of Maya. Raja Yoga,
\nHatha Yoga, Gita, the path of Knowledge, Devotion and
\nActivity\u2014the paths are many, the goal is the same. The aim
\nis always\u2014victory over the body, getting rid of the domina-
\ntion of the physical, the freedom of the inner life. Western
\nscientists have arrived at the conclusion that there is no
\nworld other than the physical, the subtle is based on the
\nmaterial, the subtle experiences are- but reflections of the
\nexternal experiences, man’s attempt to be free is in vain; the
\nphilosophy, religion and Vedanta are but unreal imaginings,
\nand wholly limited by the physical reality as we are, the
\nattempt to untie the knot or cross the limitations of our
\nphysical nature is an attempt doomed to fail. But the longing
\nto be free is lodged in such a deep layer of the human heart
\nthat a thousand arguments are helpless to uproot it. Man can
\nnever remain content with the conclusions of the physical
\nsciences. In all ages he has felt vaguely that the subtle
\nelements capable of conquering the physical limits are
\ndefinitely to be found in his own inner being, that there is an<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-321<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nInner Controller, a Person, for ever free and full of Delight,
\nwithin him. It is the object of religion to realise this state of
\neternal freedom and pure Delight. This object of religious
\nseeking is also the object of evolution of which science
\nspeaks. Reason or  its absence is not the real difference
\nbetween man and animals The animals have the power to
\nJudge, but in the animal body that power does not develop.
\nThe real difference between man and animal lies elsewhere:<\/font><\/p>\n

a complete submission to the body is what constitutes the<\/font><\/p>\n

animal state, while in the conquest of the body and the effort<\/font><\/p>\n

lit inner freedom lies manhood! This freedom is the<\/font><\/p>\n

chief goal of religion, this is what it calls mukti.<\/i> It is for the
\nsake of mukti<\/i> that through knowledge we try to find out the
\nmental guide of the body and life who lives within, or
\nthrough action-devotion try to surrender to it our body, mind
\nand life. The central ethical injunction in the Gita\u2014yogas-
\nthah kuru karmāni’\u2014<\/i>this freedom is the yoga of the Gita.
\nWhen the interior joys and sorrows, instead of depending on
\nexternal good and evil, well-being and danger, become self-
\ngenerated, self-propelled, self-bound, then the normal human condition is reversed, and the outer life can be modelled
\non the inner, the bondage of action slackens. The ideal
\nperson of the Gita renounces the desire for the fruit of action
\nand practises active renunciation in the supreme Person,
\nPurushottama. He is "duhkhesvanudvignamanāh sukhesv
\nvigatasprhah"2;<\/i> attaining an inner freedom he enjoys self-
\ndelight and self-control. Unlike the normal human individual
\nhe does not seek any external refuge out of fear or sorrow
\nborn of greed for pleasure, he does not accept his joys and
\nsorrows from others and yet is free of the bondage of action.<\/font><\/p>\n

\n <\/p>\n

\n‘ Fixed in yoga do thy actions. Gita,<\/i> II, 48.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\n2 He whose mind is undisturbed in the midst of sorrows and amid
\npleasures is free from desires. Gita,<\/i> II, 56.<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-322<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nRather in the battle between Gods and Titans, it is the man,
\nsent by God, greatly controlled, a mightily puissant protagonist, beyond anger and fear, he the man of yogic action
\nwho helps to usher in a political or religious revolution, or by
\npreserving the established state and religious order, fulfills in
\na non-attached spirit God’s own work; he is the superior
\nperson of whom the Gita speaks.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nIn the modern times we have arrived at a point of transition between the new and the old. Man is ever moving
\nforward to his goal, from time to time one has to leave the
\nplains and ascend the heights, and it is during these periods
\nof ascent that revolutions occur in the state, society, religion
\nas well as in the intellectual spheres. In the present times
\nthere is a preparation, if nothing else, to move towards the
\nsubtle from the physical. Because of the minute examination
\nand finding of the laws of the physical universe by western
\nscientists, the outlying plains surrounding the upward Way
\nhave been cleared. The knowers of the West are taking their
\nfirst step in the Vast, inner worlds, many are tempted by the
\nhope of conquest. Apart from this there are other visible
\nsigns\u2014such as the quick spread of Theosophy, the welcome
\ngiven to Vedanta in America, the partial and indirect influence of India in western philosophy and modes of thinking.
\nBut the most remarkable sign is the sudden and unexpected
\nemergence of India. By claiming the role of world teacher,
\nthe Indians are rising to inaugurate a new age. If the
\nwesterners are deprived of the help from India they will not
\nbe able to succeed in their efforts at progress. Just as in the
\ncultivation of the supreme means to the flowering of the
\ninner life no country had excelled India in the Knowledge of
\nBrahman or Self (tattvajnāna),<\/i> and yoga, similarly the
\npurification of the nature, control over the senses, the power
\nof Brahman-realisation, the energy born of askesis, tapasya,
\n<\/i>and the lesson of non-attached activity as yoga, these too are<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-323<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nIndia’s very own. To acquire by ignoring the outward joys I
\nand sorrows the inner freedom is possible only for the 
\nIndian, the Indian alone is capable of undertaking activity in
\na spirit of non-attachment, while the sacrifice of ego and
\nindifference in action are acknowledged as the highest aim of
\nher education and culture and are the seed of her national
\ncharacter.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nThe truth of this view I first realised in the Alipore jail.
\nThose who live there are usually thieves, robbers, murderers. Though we were
\nforbidden to speak with the convicts, in practice this rule was not strictly observed. Apart
\nfrom that there were the cook, the waterman, the sweeper,
\nthe cleaner, with whom one could not help coming into
\ncontact, and many times we would speak freely with each
\nother. Those who were arrested with me for the same
\noffence, they too were described in such unspeakable adjectives as heartless murderers. If there is any place where the
\nIndian character has to be looked upon with eyes of contempt, if it is possible to see it at its worst, lowest and most
\nhateful state, then Alipore Jail is that place; imprisonment at
\nAlipore is that inferior and degenerate state. In such a place
\nI spent twelve months like this. Thanks to my experience of
\nthese twelve months I have been able to return to the world
\nof action with tenfold hope, with a fixed notion about Indian
\nsuperiority, with redoubled respect for human character, the
\nfuture progress and well-being of the motherland and the
\nhuman race. This is not due to my inherent optimism or
\nexcessive trust. Sri jut Bipinchandra Pal had felt the same
\nway in the Buxar Jail, in the Alipore Jail Dr. Daly, who had
\nserved here earlier, supported this view. Dr. Daly was a
\ngenerous and wise person, experienced in the ways of men,
\nthe worst elements of human nature were present to him
\nevery day, yet he used to tell me: "The more I see and hear<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-324<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nof Indian gentlemen or the poor folk, men who are distinguished in society or the convicts in a prison, I am convinced
\nthat in quality and character you are much superior to us.
\nLooking at these lads has further confirmed me in my
\njudgement. Who can judge from their behaviour, character
\nand other high qualities that they are anarchists or assassins ?
\nInstead of finding in them cruelty, wildness, restlessness or
\nimpropriety I find the opposite virtues." Of course thieves
\nand robbers don’t turn into holy men while they are serving a
\nterm in prison. The British prison is not a place for reform of
\ncharacter, on the contrary, for the ordinary convict it is but
\nan instrument for the degradation of character and man-
\nhood. They remain the thieves and robbers that they had
\nbeen before being sent to goal; they continue to steal even in
\nthe prison, in the midst of the strict prohibitory rules they
\nmanage to indulge in addiction, continue to cheat. But what
\nof that? The humanity of the Indian survives every loss;<\/font><\/p>\n

Fallen because of social abuses, crushed out because of loss
\nof humanity, on the outside are the distortions of dark,
\ndubious, shameful emotions, yet, within, the nearly vanished
\nhumanity seems to save itself in hiding, thanks to the inborn
\nvirtue of the Indians, it expresses itself time and again in
\ntheir speech and act. Those who, having seen the filth
\noutside, turn away their face in contempt, only they can say
\nthat they have failed to find in them the least trace of
\nhumanity. But one who has given up the pride of holiness
\nand looks at them with one’s own natural clear vision will
\nnever agree to such a view. After six months of imprison-
\nment in the Buxar jail Srijut Bipinchandra Pal had seen God among the thieves
\nand robbers, which he had openly confessed in an Uttarpara meeting. In the Alipore Jail itself I too
\ncould realise this fundamental truth of Hinduism for the first
\ntime among the thieves, robbers and killers, in the human
\nbody I could realise the divine Presence.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-325<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nIn this country who knows how many hundreds of innocent people are undergoing hellish long-term imprisonment
\nand working out the misdeeds of their past lives towards a
\nheavenlier way ahead? But see the average Westerner, who
\nis not purified by religious emotions and is not of a godly
\nnature; how these people fare in such tests, those who live in
\nthe western countries or are familiar with their literature
\nexpressive of western mentality and character can easily
\ninfer. In a similar situation either their tearful earthly hearts
\nwith their depressive anger and sorrow move towards hell’s
\nmurk and, because of the contagion of companions, adopt
\ntheir cruelty and low ways, else, because of the extreme
\npressure of weaknesses, lose strength and reasoning power
\nso that what survives is only a remnant of humanity.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nLet me speak of an innocent person at Alipore. As an
\naccused in a dacoity case he had been sentenced to ten years’
\nrigorous imprisonment. A cowherd by profession, un-educated, without anything to do with reading or writing, his
\nonly support was his faith in God and patience worthy of an
\nAryan and other noble qualities. Faced with this old man’s ,
\nattitude towards life, my pride of learning and forbearance
\nwas completely shattered. There was a serene and simple
\nfriendliness written in the old man’s eyes, his talk was always
\nfull of amiability and friendliness. At times he would speak
\nof his sufferings, even though he was innocent of the charges
\nand speak of his wife and children, he even wondered where
\nGod would bring him release so that he could meet them, but
\nnever did I find him depressed or restless. Waiting for God’s
\nGrace, he spent his days quietly doing his duties in the
\nprison. All his efforts and thoughts were not concerned
\nabout himself, but about the well-being of others. His sense
\nof kindness and sympathy for the sorrowing frequently came
\nout in his speech, serving others was the law of his being. The
\nnoble qualities were further set off by his humility. Knowing<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-326<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nthat he had a heart thousand times nobler than mine I would
\nfeel ashamed at his humility, to have to accept the old man’s
\nservices embrassed me, but he would not be held back so
\neasily. He was all the time anxious about my comfort. As
\nwith me\u2014so with the others, his kindly attention and
\nhumble service and respect seemed to be much greater
\nespecially for the innocent and miserable ones. Yet on his
\nface and in his conduct there glowed a natural serene gravity
\nand majesty. He had a great love for the country too. I shall
\nalways remember the white-whiskered serene visage of this
\nold convict full of kindness and generosity. Even in these
\ndays of decline among the Indian peasantry\u2014whom we
\ndescribe as uneducated, "small people", chhotolok\u2014<\/i>may be
\nfound such representatives of the Indian race. India’s future
\nis hopeful only because of this. The educated youth and the
\nunlettered peasantry, the future of India lies with these two
\nclasses. The future Aryan race will be a blend of the two. <\/font><\/p>\n

\nI have spoken about an uneducated peasant. Let me now
\nspeak of two educated young men. These were the two
\nKavirajs of Harrison Road, Nagendranath and Dharani.’
\nThe manner in which, quietly and contentedly, they too
\nsuffered this sudden mishap, this unjust punishment, was
\nastounding. I could never find in them the slightest anger or
\ncensure or annoyance over those for whose fault they had to
\npass their youth in a hellish prison. They were devoid of the glory of modern
\neducation, a knowledge of western languages and familiarity with western learning. The mother-
\ntongue was their only stay, but among the English-educated
\ngroup I have found few men of comparable calibre. Instead<\/font><\/p>\n

\n    ‘ Thinking that the police had come to know of the bombs Ullaskar, one
\nof the conspirators, had removed a packet containing bombs to his friend
\nNagendranath’s house, who did not know anything about its content. Later,<\/font>
\n<\/font><\/p>\n

\nto save his friend, Ullaskar gave a true confession. But the police did not
\nrelease the brothers.<\/font> <\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-327<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nof complaining to either man or God, both of them had
\naccepted the punishment with a smile. Both brothers were
\nsadhaks<\/i> but their natures were different. Nagendra was
\nsteady, grave, intelligent. He was very fond of godly conversation and religious topics. When we had been kept in
\nsolitary confinement the jail authorities had permitted us, at
\nthe end of the day’s labour, to read books. Nagendra who
\nhad asked for the Gita had been given the Bible instead. In
\nthe witness box he would tell me of his feelings on reading
\nthe Bible. Nagendra hadn’t read the Gita but I noticed with
\nSurprise that instead of speaking about the Bible he was
\nexpressing the inner sense of the Gita’s verse\u2014once in a
\nwhile it even appeared as if the sublime and divine state-
\nments of Krishna at Kurukshetra were coming out of the
\nsame lotus lips of Vasudeva in the Alipore dock. Without
\nreading the Gita to be able to realise in the Bible the spirit of
\nequality, renunciation of the desire for fruit, to see the
\nDivine in all things, etc., is the index of a not negligible inner
\nlife or spiritual capacity, sādhanā.<\/i> Dharani was not as
\nintelligent as Nagendra, but he was obedient and tender by
\nnature, temperamentally a devotee. He was always wrapt up
\nin the idea of Divine Motherhood, and looking at the Grace
\nthat shone on his face, his innocent laughter and gentle
\ndevotional attitude it was hard to realise that we were
\nconfined in a jail. Knowing these men, who can say that the
\nBengali is low and despicable? This power, this manhood,
\nthis sacred fire is only hidden amidst the ashes.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nThey were both innocent. Imprisoned without any fault of
\ntheir own, by their own qualities or by virtue of their training
\nthey had been able to reject the supremacy of external joys
\nand sorrows and suceeded in preserving the freedom of their
\ninner life. But the virtues of the national character came out
\neven among the real offenders. I stayed in Alipore for twelve
\nmonths, and excepting one or two all the convicts, the<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-328<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\nthieves, the dacoits and the murderers with whom we had
\ncome in contact, we received from all and sundry good
\nbehaviour and helpfulness. Rather it was among those spoilt
\nby modern education that these qualities seemed to be
\nlacking. Modern education may have many virtues to recommend itself, but civility and selfless service form no part of
\nthese. The kindness and sympathy that are such valuable
\nelements of an Aryan education, I found that even among
\nthe thieves and robbers. The sweeper, the cleaner, the
\nwaterman, they all had to share, for no fault of their own,
\npart of the misery and hardship of our solitary confinement,
\nbut they never expressed to us their anger or annoyance on
\nthat score. At times they ventilated their distress before the
\nnative jailors, but they would also cheerfully pray for our
\nrelease from detention. A Mohammedan convict used to
\nlove the accused like his own children and at the time of
\nparting he could not restrain from shedding tears. Pointing
\nout their suffering and humiliation as the price of patriotism
\nhe would tell others and express his sorrow by saying,
\n"Look, these are gentlemen, sons of the rich, and this their
\nsuffering is because they have tried to help the poor and the
\ndistressed." Those who vaunt about western culture, I would
\nlike to ask them: Is this self-control, charity, generosity,
\ngratitude, godly love for others to be found among the lower
\norder of criminals, the thieves and robbers of England? In
\nfact, Europe is the land of enjoyment, India of sacrifice. The
\nGita describes two kinds of creatures\u2014deva<\/i> and asura.<\/i> The
\nIndian is intrinsically of the deva<\/i> kind, the western of the
\nasura.<\/i> But in this age of deep darkness (ghor kali)<\/i> because of
\nthe disappearance of Aryan education, due to the predominance of inertia, in our national decline, we are acquiring the
\ninferior qualities of the asura<\/i> while the westerners, because
\nof their national progress and the evolution of manhood are
\nacquiring the qualities of the deva. But in spite of this, in their<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-329<\/font><\/p>\n

\n

\ndeva<\/i> qualities something of the asura<\/i> and in our asuric<\/i> qualities something of the deva<\/i> can be imperfectly glimpsed.
\nAmong them those who are the cream, even they cannot
\nwholly get rid of the asuric<\/i> qualities. When one compares the
\ninferior specimens of both cultures, the truth comes out quite<\/font><\/p>\n

\nstrikingly.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nThere is much to be written on this topic, but I forbear forbear of the lengthiness of the article. But those persons in
\nwhose bearing I have seen this inner freedom, while I was in
\nthe prison, they are the prototypes of the god ward emotions.
\ndevabhava.<\/i> I have an idea of writing in future an article or
\nthis subject.<\/font><\/p>\n

\nPage-330<\/font><\/td>\n<\/tr>\n<\/table>\n<\/div>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Prison and Freedom    Men as we are, we are mostly creatures of circumstance, confined to the sensations of the outer world. Our mental activities…<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[64],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-3202","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-writings-in-bengali-translation","wpcat-64-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3202","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=3202"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/3202\/revisions"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=3202"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=3202"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/worksofthemotherandsriaurobindo.org\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=3202"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}