36 ESSAYS IN NATIONAL TJDEALISM.

unfinished work; it is essential that the artist should
always do his best. Oriental art is essentially clear and
defined ; its mystery does not depend on vagueness.

. Adherence to the proportions laid clown ill the sastras-
is even inculcated by imprecations :

: "If the measurements be out by even half an inch,,
the result will be loss of wealth, or death "—(Sariputra).

" One who knows amiss his craft......after his death

will fall into hell and suffer"—(Mayawiataya).

In such phrases we seem to see the f ramers of the-
<jaiion, consciously endeavouring to secure the pernranance-
of the tradition in future generations, and amongst igno-
rant ,or inferior craftsmen. We shall see later what has
been the function of tradition in Indian art. It appears,
here as an extension in. time of the idea of formal beauty
amd symbolism.

It is riot necessary for all art to be beautiful, certainly
not pretty. If art is ultimately to 'interpret God to
all of you/ it must be now beautiful, now terrible, but
always with that living quality which transcends the limit-
ed conceptions of beauty and ugliness. The personal God'
whom alone art can interpret, is in and through all
nature ; " All this Universe is strung upon Me as gems,,
tipon a thread." Nature is sometimes soft and smiling,,
sometimes also red in tooth and claw; in her both
life and death are found. Creation, preservation and
destruction are equally His work: His images may
therefore be beautiful or terrible.

In nature there are three gunas, or qualities, Sattva
(truth), Rajas (passion), and Tamas (gloom). These
qualities are always present in nature ; their relative pro-
portion determines the character of a,ny particular subject
w object. They must, therefore, enter into all ma-teiial