The Practice of Art and Literature

In every expression, in every stratum of this universe, however crude or subtle, only one refrain prevails, and that refrain is the attainment of bliss. In that artistic movement towards welfare both the attainment and the bestowal of happiness find simultaneous expression. When litterateurs dedicate themselves to the service or sa'dhana' of literature, they have to let their creative genius flow in this very current: they have to cleanse all that is turbid, all that is inauspicious in individual life in the holy waters of their universal mentality, and then convey it sweetly and gracefully into the heart of humanity. Herein lies the fulfilment of their service, the consummation of their sa'dhana'.

The aim of artistic creation is to impart joy and bliss. The bestowers of this bliss, the servers of the people, cannot keep their daily lives aloof from commonplace events, mingled with pleasures and pains, smiles and tears. The children of the soil of this earth are those with whom literature must remain inseparably associated -- and the litterateur is also one of them.

People seek deliverance from the whirlpools of darkness; they aspire to illuminate their lives and minds with ever-new light. In all their actions, in all their feelings, there is an inherent tendency to move forward; therefore, if at all they are to be offered something, the creator of art cannot remain idle or inert.

Yet human beings on their journey through life may sometimes stop short in fear or apprehension. Sometimes their knees give way and they sit down fatigued and frustrated. At such times the responsibility of the gifted litterateur becomes all the more significant. And when the litterateurs sing their songs of forward movement, they have to be very cautious about one more thing: after every artistic creation they must look back carefully to determine whether those for whom they have sung their marching songs are capable of moving forward with them -- whether their thought-waves are touching the cores of the people's hearts -- whether their service is really doing good to them. In the literary world, the garland of glory goes only to those who are ever-aware of their responsibilities as litterateurs.

So artists should not only give a flawless portrayal of the present with their creative talent, but they should also continue to explore the possibilities of the future with a benevolent mind.

Good literature, in order to fulfil the demands of the time, must move in unison with society, keeping control over its speed. The litterateurs may move a step or two ahead, for they are the guides of society; but they should not move too far forward, and, of course, moving backwards is out of the question.

The majority of what is termed Sa'hitya in the world today is mere composition, not literature. Litterateurs must prove their sense of responsibility through every line of their pens. Command over language and ideas is not sufficient. Something more is needed: the power to delve deeply into any matter -- the earnest effort to identify the mind with the minds of all, to penetrate into the essence of truth (Tattvadarshii).

The thought-provoking expressions that are created with the brush of the artist and the pen of the litterateur are changeable, and so the artist and the litterateur should always keep a vigilant eye on these changing currents in society. Although the momentum of society depends on various factors, it is largely determined by psychological and cultural transformations.

For the human race, knowingly or unknowingly, is gradually building a new human culture through mutual cooperation.

Litterateurs must not remain intoxicated with the colourful spell of their imaginations, nor should they drive humanity to despair by constantly harping on the failures of the practical world, or singing the songs of frustration. Litterateurs must be closely attuned to the changes in both the psychological trends and the cultural evolution which remould the social structure.

"If none to my call pays heed,

Then alone must I proceed."

While keeping this very refrain in mind, they must continue in their relentless effort to fight against the seemingly indomitable might of hundreds and thousands of obstacles which are deeply rooted in age-old superstitions that are firmly entrenched in petty selfishness. Their pens may perhaps break into pieces, their brushes may perhaps be compelled to draw only lines of water on the canvas, and their histrionic flows may perhaps end in sheer mute stances, yet their efforts shall brook no pause. Each of their petty defeats shall be strung together as pearls in the garland of victory.

How can those persons who have no moral firmness, under whose feet the soil is not hard and strong, impart happiness to anyone with a cool, refreshing shelter? It is perhaps possible to drag on in life by sucking the blood of others like social parasites, but this will not bring fulfilment to either the litterateurs or to their readers.

The artist or litterateur who assumes the responsibility of leading humanity to the path of light from the caverns of darkness will have to heed the road signs of that path.

They are the messengers of the mute masses - the guardians of the society.

The artists who guide that collective expression towards more and subtle forms, will have to maintain an intimate relation with the psychological and cultural structures of the people

As the symbol of the hopes and desires of millions of people, they will have to hold aloft the possibilities of the next era, after transcending the limits of this one. In this undertaking there is as much responsibility as there is hard labour, not a bit less. Taking into account the natural means of expression of human aspirations, the artists will have to portray the ideal in a mode which is easily understandable by the masses.

Those voices which lack that bold heroism will simply whine and whimper doggerels in the name of poetry -- they will try to save themselves from the responsibility of reality by counting the stars in the heavens.

If an idea is likened to iron, then the dynamism of language shall be the touchstone. One must always be vigilant so that the iron will not lose contact with the touchstone. So before giving expression to any elevated idea, the litterateurs must seek out this touchstone, they must bring it under their control. Many people have ideas which do not blossom forth due to lack of mastery over language. Those who have ideas must develop their power of expression through continued practice and effort: and those who possess the power of expression must make efforts to awaken their latent insight. The litterateur must possess both expression and insight: where there is no iron, the touchstone is meaningless.

Litterateurs have to assert themselves thunderingly, giving a stirring call to the people and, setting aside all the garbage of impurities with a bold mind and with strong arms, clear the path of human emancipation. In the path of fulfilment, they must be the pioneers.

If the artist's mind can be made to touch the innermost hearts of others -- if their human sentiment can be synchronized with others' sentiments -- then alone can people determine which path will be truly beneficial for them, which road will lead to the greatest unfoldment of their potentialities. If the potentialities of individual or collective development are not clearly understood, the psychic wealth of humanity may be misused at any moment.

The conclusion of all of this is that the thought of public welfare alone should be the main criterion of all artistic and literary creation, and that thought will take form only though artistic joy - only then can subtle intellect awaken in crude minds. So when the artists or litterateurs have to march forward creating such a flow of delight, they cannot afford to cling to any fastidious notions of so-called purity or impurity, for it will retard progress. Excessive prudery, like mysophobia (fear of contamination), will obstruct their path of movement.

When artists, absorbed in the essence of love, try to convey it to the people through their language, rhetoric and subtle suggestions, the sweetness of their artistic genius reaches the apex of expression.

Infinite love is the ultimate ecstatic expression of finite love. This very sense that artists try to awaken in the popular mind -- when they devote themselves to the task of establishing the link between the finite and the infinite, between the mundane and the transcendental -- this very awareness though not purely transcendental, verily bears the highest importance in the realm of art. Through expressions which are comprehensible to ordinary intelligence, it gradually leads the sweetness of the human mind to a supra-sensible dreamland

What is scarce is not artists but patronage and encouragement. Even if we accept that the real artist does not create art in the hope of receiving encouragement from anyone, I would say that when artists, propelled by their heart's emotion, or engaged in the endeavour to lose themselves in the expression of their art, undertake to create something, even at that time it is necessary to supply them with the necessary provision for the expression of their vital force.

The greater the touch with transcendentality, the greater the success of the artist, for knowingly or unknowingly the human mind is seeking transcendentality. People yearn for the unknown: they cannot remain content with the known; thus where there is an endeavour to create art merely out of the events of daily life, it does not appeal to the intuitional faculty of the human mind.

As the symbol of the hopes and desires of millions of people, they will have to hold aloft the possibilities of the next era, after transcending the limits of this one. In this undertaking there is as much responsibility as there is hard labour, not a bit less. Taking into account the natural means of expression of human aspirations, the artists will have to portray the ideal in a mode which is easily understandable by the masses…