Eliot's Suggestion for the Moral Degeneration of the Modern Civilization
Eliot recommends the wisdom of India for the spiritual salvation of modern humanity. Once in ancient time there was total failure of rain in India and when the confused and perplexed people prayed to the Divine or God. He spoke to them in thunder, ‘Da, Da, Da’, thus indicating to them the three-fold way of deliverance and spiritual salvation.
The
first ‘Da’ means Datta, ‘to give’. We must give ourselves over to some noble
cause. It is only by such dedication, by such giving oneself to some noble cause,
that humanity has progressed. The second ‘Da’ means Dayadhvam i.e. ‘to
sympathise’. ‘Sympathy’ means going over to others or spiritual harmony with
others. We must come out of the prison of self, symbolised by the turning of
the key, and realise our oneness with others. The third ‘Da’ means ‘Damyata’
i.e. ‘self-control’ and discipline. Discipline does not mean loss of freedom,
rather it makes the journey of life easier and more smooth. A disciplined heart
is like a boat that sails easily and smoothly under expert guidance on a calm
sea. Spiritual discipline implies control over sensuous desires and then life
becomes a gay adventure. According to Eliot, these three virtues are necessary
for the survival of humanity.
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