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Stray Reflections

Stray Reflections

Content

Stray Reflections, 1910
Art -art-art
The Discovery
Human Intellect
The Economics of Charity
The Existence of God
A Dialogue
The Satisfaction of Vanity
Cruel Psychology
The Power of Belief
The God of Islam
Hegel’s System of Philosophy
15th May 1910
Forms of Government
Poetry and Logical Truth
Personal Immortality
History
Metaphysics
Fanaticism
Patriotism
Justice
Muslim Solidarity
The German Nation
The Modern Hindu
Right and Might
The Future of Afghanistan
Life as Criticism of Poetry
European Christianity
Christ and Spinoza
Aristotle
The Madness of Nietzsche
Aurangzeb
The Conquest of Persia
Ghalib
The Tutelage of Nations
The Popularity of a Poem
Hegel, Ghalib, Goethe, Ghalib, Bedil and Wordsworth
Parables
The Jewish Contribution to Civilization
Mazzini
The Dependence of Science on Metaphysics
Modern Science and Democracy
The Relationship of Ideas to Their Historical Context
Polygamy
The Spiritual Ideal of the German Nation
On Loving One’s Enemies
Ideas
White Man’s Burden
Goethe’s Faust
Milton
The Soul of Oscar Wilde
Robber Nations
The Memory of Man
Amusements in Muslim Countries
The Power of Minorities
Scepticism and Religion
Arab Poetry
Wonder
The Critical Period of the Muslims of India
The Interpretation of History
Equality
The Worth of Things
The End of Education
God is Power
The Powerful Man
The Touch of Power
The Thought of the Powerful Man
Waiting for the Mehdi
The Idea of Nationality
Kant’s Categorical Imperative
To Revitalize the Dying Organism
Self-Control
Idolatry
The Wonderful History of the Muslim Community
To Reconstruct This World
Suffering
Infinity
The Poet and the World-Spirit
The Vague and the Obscure
The Gramophone of History
Sin and Piety
Virtuous People
Contemplation Without Action
Success in Life
To Become a Public Leader
A Successful Man
The Lazy Mind
The Moral Value of Suffering
The Big Library
Miracles
Democracy
Democracy and Imperialism
Moral Readers
The Young Prophets and the Muslim Woman
Poets and Politicians
A Prophet
Philosophy and Poetry
Plato and Goethe
The Most Charming Thing on Earth
Conformity Without Dogma
Sunset on the Banks of the Ravi
True Political Life
The Importance of a True Marriage
God and the Devil
Think of the Devil
Thanksgiving
The Psychologist and the Poet
The Instinct to Collect Testimonials
The Anatomy of the Human Mind
Man and Infinity
The Poet As a Human Being
The Effect of Philosophy and Poetry
Shakespeare and Goethe
The Value of the Moment
Experience and Knowledge
Common-place Facts
Horace, Montaigne and Azad
Literary Criticism
Goethe and Heine
Hafiz
Love is a Playful Child
Seeking Wisdom
The Man With a Single Idea
Art Alone is Boundless
Absolute Knowledge and Moral Growth
Flattery


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15

Personal Immortality

Personal immortality is not a state; it is a process. I think the distinction of spirit and body has done a lot of harm. Several religious systems have been based on this erroneous distinction. Man is essentially an energy, a force, or rather a combination of forces which admit of various arrangements. One definite arrangement of these forces is Personality – whether it is a purely chance arrangement does not concern me here. I accept it as a fact among other facts of nature, and try to find out whether this arrangement of forces – so dear to us – can continue as it is. Is it then possible that these forces should continue to work in the same direction as they are working in a living, healthy personality? I think it is. Let human personality be represented by a circle – which is only another way of saying that these forces result in describing a definite circle which may be obliterated by an upsettal of the arrangement of forces constituting it. How then can we manage to secure the continuance of this circle? Evidently by energising in a way calculated to assist the constitutive forces in their regular routine of work. You must give up all those modes of activity which have a tendency to dissolve personality, e.g. humility, contentment, slavish obedience, modes of human action which have been erroneously dignified by the name of virtue. On the other hand, high ambition, generosity, charity and a just pride in our traditions and power fortify the sense of personality.
Personality being the dearest possession of man must be looked upon as the ultimate good. It must work as a standard to test the worth of our actions. That is good which has a tendency to give us the sense of personality; that is bad which has a tendency to suppress and ultimately dissolve personality. By adopting a mode of life calculated to strengthen personality we are really fighting against death – a shock which may dissolve the arrangement of forces we call personality. Personal immortality then lies in our own hands. It requires an effort to secure the immortality of the person. The idea I have dropped here has far-reaching consequences. I wish I could have time to discuss the comparative value of Islam, Buddhism and Christianity from the standpoint of this idea; but unfortunately I am too busy to work out the details.

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Personal Immortality

Personal Immortality


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