A Short Brief: Romain Rolland the great French savant, novelist, dramatist, essayist, and mystic---Romain Rolland (1866 - 1944) was awarded Nobel Prize for Literature in 1915.
He was born in Clamecy, Nièvre, France. His family was of mixed stock including both wealthy townspeople and poorer labourers.
Romain Rolland went to University in 1886 where he studied philosophy, however he didn't enjoy the rigid nature of the philospohy syllabus and so left before he had finished his course. Instead he received a degree in history. After university he spent a couple of years in Italy, greatly admiring Italian art and the great masterpieces.
On returning to France he took up a posts teaching at various university's including the Sorbonne. However his heart was never in teaching, he prefered to be a writer. Therefore he quit his teaching post to dedicate his time to writing.
Rolland was my nature introverted he didn't make close friendships but absorbed himself in his writing. During the German occupation of France from 1940 he led a life of isolation and was very much a loner.
Romain Rolland was a lifelong pacifist. He was a great admirer of Gandhi and in 1924 wrote a book on Gandhi. This book was important for both himself and for Gandhi's reputation in Europe. The 2 men were able to meet in 1931. Throughout his life Romain Rolland retained a keen interest in Indian spirituality. He also wrote a biography of the great Hindu Saint Sri Ramakrishna. Romain Rolland was also a keen admirer of Sri Aurobindo a leading Indian nationalist and later teacher of Yoga.
Romain Rolland died on Dec 30,1944 in Vezelay.
Quotes of Romain Rolland
"If there is one place on the face of the earth where all the dreams of living men have found a home from the very earliest days when man began the dream of existence, it is India....For more than 30 centuries, the tree of vision, with all its thousand branches and their millions of twigs, has sprung from this torrid land, the burning womb of the Gods. It renews itself tirelessly showing no signs of decay."
- Romain Rolland From: Life of Ramakrishna
"The true Vedantic spirit does not start out with a system of preconceived ideas. It possesses absolute liberty and unrivalled courage among religions with regard to the facts to be observed and the diverse hypotheses it has laid down for their coordination. Never having been hampered by a priestly order, each man has been entirely free to search wherever he pleased for the spiritual explanation of the spectacle of the universe."
- Romain Rolland From: Life of Vivekananda
"The greatest book is not the one whose message engraves itself on the brain - but the one whose vital impact opens up other viewpoints, and from writer to reader spreads the fire that is fed by the various essences, until it becomes a vast conflagration leaping from forest to forest."
-Romain Rolland
Romain Rolland on Sri Aurobindo:
‘Here comes Aurobindo, the completest synthesis that has been realized to this day of the genius of Asia and the genius of Europe.’...
‘in his hand, in firm unrelaxed grip, the bow of creative energy.’
Romain Rolland on Sri Ramakrishna
"I am bringing to Europe, as yet unaware of it, the fruit of a new autumn, a new message of the Soul, the symphony of India, bearing the name of Ramakrishna. "
“And in the life of Ramakrishna, the Man-Gods, I am about to relate the life of this Jacob's ladder, whereon the twofold unbroken line of the Divine in man ascends and descends between heaven and earth.'
Ramakrishna is the younger brother of our Christ. It is always the same Man - the son of Man, the Eternal, Our Son, Our God reborn. With each return he reveals himself a little more fully, and more enriched by the Universe.
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