DAY 1949
Jalsa, Mumbai Aug 16/17, 2013 Fri/Sat 1: 35 AM
There was a need to search my Father’s works today, to be able to reignite curiosity in his and the concrete philosophy of his theosophical interest. For long it became his obsession, and perhaps rightly so to penetrate deep into the reason and reactions of theosophy, of why there was an attraction to it. Not just between the readers, but from those that he encountered during the time of his life. Was it this curiosity that made him respect and research WB Yeats, that great Irish poet, who himself had been not just a great admirer of this literary belief, and I say this with utmost concern, for there could be many that have never considered theosophy to be of any literary interest, but, one that incorporated its themes and learnings in his own written works - potent enough to have coerced my Father to write a thesis on his occultism, and gain what could be termed as the first Indian that attained a doctorate in English Literature from the University of Cambridge.
At that age and stage for Yeats to have interest in and learning from the influences of both the West and the East, particularly from the Indian scriptures, the Upanishads and the influence he must have had from the great minds of the initiators of this trend from the likes of Mohini Chatterji, Rabindranath Tagore and Purohit Swami, from these parts of the universe, along with those from his regions of the West .. from the Cabbala, Sweden-borg, Boehme and Blavatsky … is truly quite remarkable !
And then to have incorporated them in his poetry and written works is what his eminence is all about. It is no wonder then for me to accept the impression that aptly described my Father’s attempt to interpret it as ’ an infection of nobility’, some tincture of high breeding, a literary tact, a sureness of judgement … virtues and many other that gave relevance to the book called ..
“WB Yeats and Occultism by Harivansh Rai Bachchan”
There is much that needs attention, and much that needs to be understood in a realm which we have seldom penetrated. But verily there shall be occasion when we do …
‘Knowledge must elevate itself from the realm of truth above illusion. It is not easy to stare into the eyes of truth and keep calm.’
Good night dear Ef … I think this post may well have driven many into deep slumber ..
Amitabh Bachchan
