PAVLÍNA KLIMEŠOVÁ
ON THE ANNIVERSARY OF RABINDRANATH THAKUR (1861-1941)
Abstract: On the occasion of the double anniversary of Rabindranath Thakur (160 years since his
birth and 80 years since his death), this text commemorates this outstanding all-round personality
and focuses particularly on his pedagogical work: Prof. V. Lesny, who worked in Thakur‘s school
in Shantiniketan in Bengal, compared Thakur to our Jan Amos Comenius. Thakur‘s pedagogical
endeavours were also led and carried out by religious motivation. Thākura‘s spiritual philosophy, as
presented in his Sadhana is based on the Upanishads, which along with Christian influences were
the pivotal point of departure for Thākura‘s monotheistic faith. According to Sadhana, the journey
of life is a movement from imperfection to a higher state. This text reflects Thakur‘s view of evil and
imperfection as conditions for higher knowledge, which enable man to give birth to the divine or
infinite within himself. Even pain perfects and “makes us worthy to sit alongside perfection.” The
humanistic message of the Indian poet, the Nobel Laureate of 1913, has an important message for
the contemporary world.
Keywords: Rabindranath Tagore; Shantiniketan; Hinduism; Upanishads; Sadhana
THEOLOGICAL REVIEW, Vol. 92, 2021, No. 3, Number of Article 9, p. 354 – 358.
DOI: 10.14712/12117617.92.3.9