Page:Speeches And Writings MKGandhi.djvu/407

 age was less than the average of so many European nations. I do not know whether that statement by him whom, with pride, I consider to be my political Guru, has really foundation in fact, but I do believe that there is much to be said to justify it in so far as educated India is concerned ; not because we, the educated portion of the community, have blundered, but because we have been creatures of circumstances. Be that as it may, this is the maxim of life which I have accepted, namely, that no work done by any man, no matter how great he is, will really prosper unless he has religious backing. But what is religion ? The question will be immediately asked. I for one, would answer : Not the religion which you will get after reading all the scriptures of the world; it is not really a grasp by the brain, but it is a heart-grasp. It is a thing which is not alien to us, but it is a thing which has to be evolved out of us. It is always within us, with some consciously so : with the others quite unconsciously. But it is there ; and whether we wake up this religions instinct in us through outside assistance or by inward growth, no matter how it is done, it has got to be done if we want to do anything in the right manner and anything that is going to persist.

Our Scriptures have laid down certain rules as maxims of life and as axioms which we have to take for granted as self-demonstrated truths. The Shastras tell us that without living, according to these maxims, we are incapable even of having a reasonable perception of relgion. Believing in these implicity for all these long years and having actually endeavoured to have deemed it necessary to seek the association of those

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