The Voice of Coomaraswamy

Ananda Coomaraswamy was an extraordinary individual. It is right that we Indians should celebrate his centenary not only because we want to honour a great man who has left a treasure of writings on various subjects which are of the essence of truth but also because so many who did not know of him or his writings will have a chance to know of his contributions when we honour his memory. Writers, painters, sculptors and composers leave something behind as a heritage for many generations to come and we are fortunate to be able to study these–unlike the dancers and musicians whose art fortunately has merely to be a memory and an inspiration.

All great people who have a message to give learn the Truth by their intuition and not merely by the trading and education that they received in schools, colleges or universities, Such are born for a purpose of which they and their parents are unaware. When the time comes and the mind becomes mature, the inner nature asserts itself and finds a channel for their message, I am sure the parents of Ananda Coomaraswamy could not have expected him to write such profound literature particularly on the ancient and traditional arts, crafts and philosophy of the East, particularly India. Having been brought up in England, with British education and Christian by religion, he might have been a through English gentlemen with all the pride of a member of the Indian Civil Service. But the soul was searching for something else! 

When I first saw him at the Boston Museum I was deeply impressed by this Indian whose eyes had a mystical expression and whose personality seemed so much like that of an Indian sage. It was only after meeting him I discovered all that he was. I remembered the first book of his which I had read, “The Gospel of the Buddha.” This book was a favourite of mine because I felt he understood the Buddha and it was not merely a book of analysis, facts and figures which ultimately destroys. I felt inspired to read his other books not only because of the impression created by this book but because Coomaraswamy seemed to be sensitive to the deep truths of our art and ancient wisdom.

All great people discover something new, not necessarily new to the world but to them and to succeeding ages, a new experience. This experience comes as a revelation and, therefore, its presentation becomes vivid and important to others. It is this discovery of the real that is so wonderful. It may be in a new philosophical expression, or in poetry, or it may be in the creative beauty of dance or music. It all depends on the mission for which a person is born. To discover this, an insight or intuition is of tremendous importance. Ananda Coomaraswamy’s contribution seems to me to point out to people what the normal eyes cannot see. Again and again a voice is heard that says “Do not be carried away by mere superficialities. Do not imitate. Do not throwaway what is precious in your own environment for we may never regain it.” This to me was the voice of Ananda Coomaraswamy.

To me he was a real Indian and far way in the West he represented the highest values of Indian thought. The cultural ambassadorship from the East to the Wast had begun even during his time. Tagore and he, as well as others in the cultural field, independently expressed abhorrence of cheap imitations of the West which ruined our art.

What we have to be proud of these days are the great ruins in which our country abounds. Even the statues and bronzes with arms and legs broken are more beautiful than what is produced today. In this Ananda Coomaraswamy saw an eternal truth; that a true artist must see a divine vision before he creates the forms. Highest spiritual insight combined with a great creative ability and skill together produced the art forms of India, while today only the skill and creative genius remain. This was the unique feature of Indian and Eastern art that he discovered. This insight led him even into such fields of art, as dance. It is indeed surprising how he was able to see the real nature of our dance even at a time when it was hardly known outside the temples and the small circles of South India. In his book “The Mirror of Gesture”, a translation of “Abhinaya Darpana”, there are a few photographs of Tiruvalur Gnanam, one of the most famous dancers of her day. She was not a beauty in the ordinary sense of the word but beauty shone through her music, gestures and “abhinaya” which conquered the flesh. No ordinary person would have noticed all this in someone whom the modern world would call ugly. What would he say of the dance of today, where publicity and flashness are counted greater than sincerity and spiritual values?

A great turning point in Indian cultural history was the British period, particularly the Edwardian period, which was a very poor period artistically. It was at that time that Indian crafts came under Western influence, when harmoniums took the place of tamburas and ugly China embroideries, frocks and frills took the place of our lovely weaving and crafts. Today if Coomaraswamy were to live here I am sure he would make a call to Indians to appreciate the exquisite skill of our workmen–even more to apply good taste to every detail of daily life. Today the imitation of fashions from elsewhere and the lack of spiritual grace in our art would have made such people as Coomaraswamy and Tagore equally unhappy. Yet both were universal in their attitude and spirit. To understand and develop the genius of our country does not mean that one cannot appreciate genius elsewhere. On the other hand it gives a greater perception of art as an expression of the soul in any time or place. All true artists are universal in character.

Ananda Coomaraswamy, though he wrote and worked for the true place of art, was not himself an artist. But to understand art and to have insight into the cultural life of a nation, of a people is also equally an art. In this he was an artist, while Tagore was both a messenger for modern times and a poet as well.

To be a signpost in all these fields is a great service to the world, for such gives eyes to those who are blind and ears to those who are deaf. But the world is still unable to perceive the truth behind the many forms of life. The Western world is conscious of India’s deep wisdom but does not realise that the garb of a Sanyasi is less important than the attitude of mind. On the other hand India is attracted by Western “Culture.” I can reiterate the same question asked by Coomaraswamy;

“Is the compelling upsurge within the country going by the name of Renaissance and Revival strong enough for the gigantic task before it–the conversion of generations of aliens in their own surroundings, into Indian?”

How true is the statement for today! No revival or rebuilding is possible without the essential spirit of religion for this alone has produced such art that has lasted in beauty for thousands of years. Religion (not necessarily formal) but the inner spirit that identifies an individual with the Highest in whatever name that Highest is called–Krishna, Buddha, Rama or any other–is the mainspring of art which will never die. With this and a complete impersonality of a self forgotten, our forefathers created figures of Nataraja, the Buddha, Devi and many others. These images in mere stone or metal express more than our flesh and bone, only because of the perfect blending of form and spirit. The individual who recognises this is the true messenger for the new age and for all ages. I pay homage to Ananda Coomaraswamy who recognised it, revered it and lived for it. Truth is never old and this truth is important today as it was a hundred years ago.
–Courtesy: All India Radio, Madras