nalism. Nirvana and quiescence are merely negatives.
The beatitude [of the new Radha-Krishnaites] is a positive something.
They do not aspire to unification with the divine essence. They prefer
hell with its torments to such unification."[115] A few years ago, at a
public meeting in Calcutta, the acknowledged leader of Hinduism,
speaking of a Hindu gentleman whose death we were lamenting, said: "God
has taken him to himself"--certainly not a Hindu statement of the
passing of a soul. Similarly, in 1882 we find one nobleman in Bengal
writing to another regarding his mother's death: "It is my prayer to God
that she may abide in eternal happiness in heaven."[116] Generations of
Hindu students I have known to find pleasure in identifying themselves
with Wordsworth's views of immortality:

"Trailing clouds of glory do we come
From God who is our home,"

and

"The faith that looks through death."

[Sidenote: Transmigration now no more than a conventional explanation of
how misfortunes befell one.]

Somewhat dreamlike Wordsworth's views may be, but his belief is clearly
not in transmigration. To the educated Hindu, who may not consciously
have rejected the idea of transmigration, the doctrine is really now no
more than a current and convenient explanation of any misfortune that
has befallen a person. "Why has it befallen him? He must have earned it
in some previous existence. It is in the debit balance of the
transactions in his lives." Such are the vague ideas floating in the
air. Upon any individual's acts or plans for the future, the idea of
transmigration seems to have no bearing whatever beyond a numbing of the
will.[117] For in theory, the Hindu's fate is just. In strict logic no
doubt the same numbing effect might be alleged about the Christian
doctrine of predestination. Even when misfortune has overtaken an
educated Hindu, I think I am justified in saying that the more frequent
thought with him is now in keeping with the new theistic belief; the
misfortune is referred to the will of God. As already said, it is a
commonplace of the unfortunate student who has failed, to ascribe his
failure to God's will.

[Sidenote: Transmigration and Predestination more properly contrasted.]

[Sidenote: Illustration from actual fact.]

There is room for the Christian thought of the Hereafter, because in
reality, as theologians know, the doctrine of transmigration stands over
against the Christian doctrine of predestinat