Sadhana

Sadhana: The Realisation of Life (1916) is a collection of essays by Rabindranath Tagore. Published after Tagore received the 1913 Nobel Prize in Literature, Sadhana: The Realisation of Life contains the author's thoughts on selfhood, the universe, morality, and beauty. Inspired by the Upanishads, the sacred foundational texts of Hinduism, Tagore's collection bridges the gap between East and West, ancient and modern, in its search for universal truth. "The west seems to take a pride in thinking that it is subduing nature [...] This sentiment is the product of the city-wall habit and training of mind. For in the city life man naturally directs the concentrated light of his mental vision upon his own life and works, and this creates an artificial dissociation between himself and the Universal Nature within whose bosom he lies." In this collection of essays, Tagore is at his philosophical, poetic best, reflecting earnestly and with ease on matters public and private.