Here is a beautiful book.
The author describes it in his Preface as the religious experience of an Indian friend, a follower of the Gleam. And while he is still following it he shuns publicity. When death will have put a term to his following, then will come the time for the work of his life to begin. So, in ae cordance with his wishes, J have avoided saying anything which would give a clue to his identity. And if what I have said should enable some few to discover it, I beg of them out of respect for him they will keep their discovery to themselves, But all I have said about him is perfectly true. Be is not a fictitious but a genuine, living person. And I have named him for the purposes of this book Nija Svabhawva, because it is his real self that is here set forth."
So one is deprived at the outset of the pleasure of speculation as to the personality of the man. It must not be openly indulged, at any rate: which is matter for regret. For, whereas in most of the modern philosophic and ligious books the human details of the life of the philosopher or ascetic do not call for curious inquiry, here the details of the growth of the religious life are of such cumulative interest that the reader must feel a desire to know everything possible of the earthly life of the man. The reasons given in the Preface for the are not convincing.
However, this is not a book of which one would wish to quarrel over the form It is so-fine a gift in any form. One gathers' that Niji_ Svabhava and Sir Francis Younghusband worked out, are working out, their religion together. However and in how much each may have influenced the other, it is obviously: the author's own faith he is here confessing. And it is a very beautiful faith.
To give an outline description of it in a short review is impossible. Any sith attempt could only give a false impression of the whole conception. In matters of religion any new thought must find itself in disagr-ement with many if not all of the pre vailing sorts. And disagreement is the last thing this book even suggests. There are, of course, details which will net be generalimatariat to the whole body of it. ly accepted, but each seem im-
Te seems safe to say that any person of whnitever religious belief must find great joy and benefit from the reading of the book. For the most cherished of all their tenets are here also cherished and more beyond. There are four chapters inserted in the book which may seem to have little to do with the story of the search for religion as in it. They we explained in the Preface in these words And he (Nija Svabhava) has asked me to add to the story of his own spiritual adventures a description of other men's efforts. For he holds it of importance that people should realize how earnestly men in every country are reaching after pure and true religion. And to iNustrate how widely-spread are these efforts he has selected as examples a [Mohammedan, a Hindu of the old school, a Hindu of the new school, and a Chris-
The four chapters give each a short life of "The Bab," "Rama Kyishna," '"Keshub Chunder Sea," and the English lady the author of "The Golden Fountain." These follow the main matter of the book, the description of "his own spiritual adventures." At the end of these four chapters the author says area few of the numerous instances of men and women of the present time who have sought true religion. And now Svabhava, instead of writing a book, has compressed into the compass of the next two chapters and the Hpilogue the gist both, of what he has thought and of what he has felt up to.the present stage of his search."
Of the 23 pages from here to the end of the book it is difficult to speak calmly. Perhaps it will be best to quote the two opening paragraphs "For many a year had I followed The Gleam, firstly over the mountains, then crossing the deserts and into the forests and into the homes of the humblest and highest. And this was my vision, With eye of the soul I now looked on the World and the World as a whole. And I saw how she changed without cezap.
Yet I felt that at heart she was ever the same. Firm sim and intention each feature revealed.
And her aim was apparent. To better herself through her off-Spring. was clearly her purpose. And joy in the effort shone forth in her eyes and overspread her whole face_ It might be her features would sometimes express either anger or sorrow, pain, grief, or remorse. these transient moods were no true indication "of Mother-World's nature. The truest and deepest, the lasting and real, was her motherly love, forward-reaching. intent on the good of her children."
And so, a Jong crescendo, to the end.
Beautiful thoughts must be beautifully expressed. These last chapters, written in a prose form, ere poetry of a very high order. They are also the expression of a religion of Love, inspired and inspiring.
Text read from the printed page and cleaned; old type leaves the occasional error.