Much refreshed, we lit our pipes and settled ourselves to
wait for our delinquents.
Shortly after sunrise an Indian track inspector trundled in on a handcar
propelled by two natives. He was a suave and corpulent person with a
very large umbrella and beautiful silken garments. The natives upset the
handcar off the track, and the newcomer settled himself for an enjoyable
morning. He and the babu discussed ethics and metaphysical philosophy
for three solid hours. Evidently they came from different parts of
India, and their only common language was English. Through the thin
partition in the station building we could hear plainly every word. It
was very interesting. Especially did we chortle with delight when the
inspector began one of his arguments somewhat as follows:--
"Now the two English who are here. They possess great sums of
wealth"--F. nudged me delightedly--"and they have weapons to kill, and
much with which to do things, yet their savage minds--"
It was plain, rank, eavesdropping, but most illuminating, thus to get at
first hand the Eastern point of view as to ourselves; to hear the
bloodless, gentle shell of Indian philosophy described by believers.
They discussed the most minute and impractical points, and involved
themselves in the most uncompromising dilemmas.
Thus the gist of one argument was as follows: "All sexual intercourse is
sin, but the race must go forward by means of sexual intercourse;
therefore the race is conceived in sin and is sinful; but it is a great
sin for me, as an individual, not to carry forward the race, since the
Divine Will decrees that in some way the race is necessary to it.
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