SCULPTURED PORTRAIT OF RABINDRA NATH TAGORE L. S. KURILOV USSR Embassy, New Delhi Rabindranath Tagore. This name is known all over the world. The great Indian writer was one of those whose work, though deeply national, belongs to all mankind. Many masters of the chisel and brush have striven to reproduce the likeness of this titan of Indian literature. The sculptured portrait made by Zair Azgur of Byelorussia was displayed at the USSR Art Show in Moscow, and was highly praised by visitors to the exhibition. It has now gained world renown. Cut out of gabbro marble, it was exhibited at the Brussels fair and was awarded a Silver Medal. The story behind its creation is very interesting. The sculptor met Tagore for the first and only time in 1930 during the latter's visit to the Soviet Union. "Ever since, the image of the great Indian stirred my imagination," said Zair Azgur. "I started work on the portrait many times, but was never satisfied with the results.” It was only many years later when Zair Azgur became a wellknown sculptor and a member of the Soviet Academy of Fine Arts that he produced a likeness of Tagore that satisfied him. The sculptured portrait of Rabindranath Tagore is the Soviet people's tribute of love and respect for the great Indian thinker, fighter and poet. Reviews and Notices of Books Philosophy and Psychology in the Abbidhamma by Dr. H. V. Guenther, Ph.D., published by Bhikshu G. Prajnananda, Lucknow, U.P., 1957. The Pali tradition records that the Buddha preached the Abhidhamma to the Tavatimsa gods, while residing among them on the Paṇḍukambala rock at the root of the Paricchattaka tree in the heaven of the Tāvatimsa gods during his visit to his mother there. Subsequently, he preached it to Sāriputra who used to meet the Buddha when he came down to the Mānassarovara for meals. Sāriputra then handed it down to Bhadrajit and by successive succession of disciples, it reached Revata and others. It took its final shape in the Third Council held during the reign of king Aśoka. The Kashmirian Vaibhaṣikas, however, maintain that the Buddha delivered his sermons to different persons, at different places, and at different times. They were later on collected by the Arhats and Srāvakas and were worked into Abhidhamma texts by them. The Abhidhamma deals with the four ultimate categories-citta (consciousness), cetasika (mental properties), rūpa (material qualities) and nibbana-and their amplifications. In other words, it is concerned with nāmarūpa. It teaches us how to give up all categories of concepts (paññatti) and to find out the reality of nămarupa from these concepts. The book under review contains five chapters. It deals with the teachings of Buddhist Philosophy and Psychology embodied in the Abhidhamma treatises. In the first chapter the author has discussed the meaning and scope of the Abhidhamma. The second deals with citta-caitta (mind and its states), the third with dhyāna (meditation), the fourth with rūpa (material aggregates), while the fifth treats of marga (path). The author has consulted most of the valuable works on the subject-both Pali and Sanskrit. In his preface to the work he has stated that he has fully utilized the works of Buddhaghosa, Asanga and Vasubandhu, the three authors of outstanding merit. His treatment of the subject-matter is lucid and elegant. His scholarship, clear grasp of fundamentals and fine mode of presentation are evident in every chapter of the work. His is indeed a valuable contribution to the Abhidhamma literature. ANUKUL CHANDRA BANERJER Ourselves POST GRADUATE TEACHING AND RE3BARUH IN APPLIED PSYCHOLOGY A letter dated 24th May, 1960, from the Secretary, University Grants Commission, states that the Commission have agreed to the implementation of a scheme for the development of Post-Graduate teaching and research in the Department of Applied Psychology. According to this scheme a Professor in Industrial Psychology and a Reader in Social Psychology will be appointed by the University. DEVELOPMENT OF THE ASUTOSH MUSEUM Assistant Educational Advisor to the Government of India has written a letter, dated 7th May, 1960, to the Registrar of the University requesting that the proposal for financial assistance from the Ministry of Scientific Research and Cultural Affairs, Government of India, for the development of the Asutosh Museum of the University regarding equipment, publication and extension of space of existing building may be submitted without delay. It is further stated in the letter that the Ministry has granted a sum of Rs. 60,000/- for the development of the Asutosh Museum. The Curator, Sri D. P. Ghosh, has submitted proposals for the development of the Museum during 1960-61 on the basis of the Government of India Grant. PRAMATHANATH BANERJEA PRIZE-FUND Sri Binayendranath Banerjea, a former student and Lecturer in the Economics Department of the University, has sent a cheque for Rs. 3,000/- towards the creation of a Pramathanath Banerjea Prizefund, in honour of the scholar and public man who held the Minto Chair in Economics in the University for more than 15 years. The donor says that his humble contribution is to be treated only as the nucleus of an endowment fund which may be augmented by the gifts of other students and co-workers of Dr. Pramathanath Banerjea. It has been decided that an annual Prize will be awarded to a PostGraduate student who secures the highest marks in the Indian Economics paper in the M.A. Examination in Economics. matter of satisfaction that Dr. Banerjea is still amongst us. 13-2016P-V It is a |