2023-02-21 17:40:06 by ambuda-bot
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FOREWORD
10:1
What is the Ramayana, ask, some, with-
out its charming descriptions, its edify-
ing dialogues, its luminous excursuses?
No scholar will deny the value of these.
But the bare narrative has its own appeal.
The pathos and the human interest dwell
at the very heart of the story. The events
are the interactions of the simple tenden-
cies and passions of our nature, obscured
but little, if at all, by the splendours of
the palace or the pride, pomp and circum-
stance of glorious war. In the few pages
of this little book the philosopher will
see impressive illustrations of cause being
followed inevitably by effect, of the
strange beliefs passing under the names
of Karma, rebirth and destiny, of the
curious blending of piety and supersti-
tion, morality and custom, this world and
the next, and of the generalisations of
10:1
What is the Ramayana, ask, some, with-
out its charming descriptions, its edify-
ing dialogues, its luminous excursuses?
No scholar will deny the value of these.
But the bare narrative has its own appeal.
The pathos and the human interest dwell
at the very heart of the story. The events
are the interactions of the simple tenden-
cies and passions of our nature, obscured
but little, if at all, by the splendours of
the palace or the pride, pomp and circum-
stance of glorious war. In the few pages
of this little book the philosopher will
see impressive illustrations of cause being
followed inevitably by effect, of the
strange beliefs passing under the names
of Karma, rebirth and destiny, of the
curious blending of piety and supersti-
tion, morality and custom, this world and
the next, and of the generalisations of