A shimmer of clarity

Written with flair and fluidity, Jairam Ramesh's latest book reintroduces a seminal work to a modern audience.

Sometimes you wonder how aspects of Buddhism like mindfulness have found its way into mainstream Western life and you wouldn’t be wrong if you attribute it, like many things Oriental, to the 1960s’ American counterculture.

For someone academically oriented or seriously pursuing spirituality though, the connection to Sir Edwin Arnold’s work, ‘Light Of Asia’, published in the late 19th century may be apparent, but even they would find it hard to gauge the breathtaking extent of its influence and impact. Until, perhaps, they pick up Jairam Ramesh’s latest book, Light Of Asia: The Poem That Defined Buddha, and learn that Sir Edwin also triggered widespread revival of Buddhism both in its country of origin and overseas.

The former central minister’s work is a strenuous scholarly effort, evident from the long list of sources he quotes, right from books to newspaper/journal articles. The rigour is necessary since the subject in question is more than a century old and it’d be otherwise harder to objectively authenticate the significance of Sir Arnold’s work.

But the brain sweat does little to dull the writing, which shimmers with clarity and purpose, and, importantly, urges the reader to go on reading. Also, for all his research, this book is one more in the ever-lengthening list of works that establishes Jairam Ramesh as a writer blessed with lucid fluidity.

In the first few pages, you’ll learn how this poem on Buddha “immediately took England by storm” after its release in July 1879 (“thereafter America and Europe too were stirred by it”). True to its name, the light sparked off a wildfire of interest in Buddhism throughout the world.

It is not surprising to read about the poem touching spiritual leaders like Swamy Vivekananda or Madame Blavatsky, but Light Of Asia’s appeal was far-reaching to the extent that it captured the imagination of political leaders like Mahatma Gandhi, yet to be the leader he became, the future Prime Minister Jawaharlal Nehru and the man credited with designing the Indian Constitution Dr Babasaheb Ambedkar, who converted to Buddhism on October 14, 1956.

A lasting influence

The book reveals that it had a deeper influence on at least 11 literary luminaries, five of whom — Rudyard Kipling, Rabindranath Tagore, WB Yeats, Ivan Bunin, and TS Eliot — are Nobel laureates. Most importantly, it moved the Sri Lankan founder of the Mahabodhi Society Anagarika Dharmapala to the extent that he played a pivotal role in wresting back control of Bodh Gaya from the local Hindus with Sir Edwin’s backing.

At its core, ‘Light Of Asia’ is a “biography” of the poem and the most authentic account of the poet’s life. As Jairam writes: “for all his many-sided accomplishments, Arnold has attracted only one serious biographer so far, and that was way back in 1957. I, therefore, set out to throw fresh light on who Sir Edwin Arnold was, how his life unfolded, how his relationship with India evolved and why he came to write The Light of Asia, which proved to be a work of such seminal importance, an enduring milestone in the world’s rediscovery of an ancient philosophy and faith.”

The book accounts how the “quintessentially Victorian” man and a “remarkable polyglot” was besotted by India, its culture and religions and how his fame and political influence was significant in spreading Buddhism, although his contributions to Hinduism through works like ‘The Song Celestial’, a translation of the Bhagavad Gita, Jayadeva’s Gita Govinda and other works are equally significant.

Meticulous work

From Jairam’s book, we come to know that Arnold’s poem presents a desirable amalgam of Buddhist philosophy that puts values like love, peace and human life above rituals or fixations over afterlife.

Wrapped in spiritual practices like mindfulness that has proximity to psychology and a human representation of an enlightened being, it’s not surprising that Arnold’s poem captured the imagination of a wide range of peoples and cultures.

The book is particularly meticulous in recording Arnold’s enduring legacy in India’s social movements, evident from the wide array of influential works in all Indian languages that are either a direct translation or carry a heavy influence of ‘Light Of Asia’. From Buddhadeb Charit, a play by the “father of modern Bengali theatre” Girish Chandra Ghosh, to the translation of the poem by Nalapat Narayana Menon in Malayalam, and Mayadhar Mansinha’s Odiya play, ‘Light Of Asia’ has its presence across India.

Many, like Tamil social reformers Iyothee Thass and P Lakshmi Narasu, would use Buddhist influence to fight casteism and rid the Indian society of the evils of oppression. Research theses by Visiya Pinthongvijayakul, Gitanjali Surendran, and numerous others make it clear that Light Of Asia continues to remain a significant work even in the 21st century.

Ramesh’s Light Of Asia is vitally important in terms of reintroducing a seminal 19th century work to the modern audience at a time when debates on caste and religion are raging in the country. It will offer much-needed intellectual clarity and ammunition to warriors who fight caste oppressions that continue to plague us to this very day.