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Sitaram · Site Admin Joined: 14 Sep 2005 Posts: 1079

(9-3-2000)

A few months ago, someone suggested that I read Somerset Maugham's
novel "The Razor's Edge" because they felt that the novel's protagonist
was in many ways very similar to me.

Recently, the movie version of "The Razor's Edge" aired on Public
Television.

Of course, I made a special point to watch it, because I had become very
curious as to what it might possibly be about, and whether I would see
myself at all in the character.

The story is about a young man of modest means (from a small
inheritance, $3000 per year, but in the early 1900's that was a lot.... even
in the 1950's families could live on that sum). He became engaged to a
young woman who associated with a wealthy upper class, but was not
herself wealthy.

His main goal was to travel the world in search of wisdom and knowledge
regarding the fundamental philosophical questions of life. His young
fiancee wanted him to settle down at a practical career so that they might
become prosperous and enjoy the finer material things of life.

He realizes that they are not suited to each other, so they break off their
engagement. She marries a man who is more career/investments
oriented, and who also has some considerable wealth. The man leaves
America to live in Paris, study, contemplate, and have a variety of
adventures with more earthy and 'down to earth' people.

He seems to take jobs as a laborer, or at least socialize with laborers and
longshoremen. He spends several weeks playing cards with a flamboyant,
rough and tumble man who is rumored to cheat at the game.

One night, during a card game, the this card-shark tells our hero that he
once went to India to visit a "holy man". He describes this holy man as
most remarkable because it is not by anything he says or teaches that he
helps people, but merely by his presence.

Of course, this "holy man", who remains unnamed in the movie, was in
real life Ramana Maharshi, whom Somerset Maugham visited for a week.

When our hero asks the card shark why he was moved to visit India, he
answers that he is always travelling about, trying to escape someone
whom he has wronged. In every port and city, he constantly expects at
any moment to feel a hand on his shoulder and find that he has been
tracked down and discovered.

Our hero asks the card shark "Wouldn't it be better to stop running and
face your punishment?"

"Oh, no.", he answers, "it is not punishment I would have to face, for I
could easily face execution or imprisonment. It is love and forgiveness
which I must face, and which I cannot endure. For, you see, it is no
person whom I have wronged, but it is God. God is the one who
relentlessly pursues me and whom I forever flee. For I am a de-frocked
priest."

Now, getting back to the real life pilgrimage of Somerset Maugham to
Ramana Maharshi:

On Maugham 's first day at the Ashram, he wandered by the room where
Ramana Maharshi was seated with his devotees. Maugham did not enter
the room, for he was wearing big klunky boots, which he did not feel like
removing (and he would not be allowed in with boots or shoes on). So
Maugham simply peeked in the room to observe the scene, and then went
up to his room. Maharshi Ramana was aware of his visitor, and the next
day went to Maugham's room for a private meeting. As was Ramana's
practice, he simply sat in silence gazing at Maugham. Maugham became
slightly uneasy and nervous after the first minute or two, and asked "Is
there anything that I should be doing now. Is something supposed to
happen?" (an understandable western apprehension and expectation).
Appearantly, at some point during the visit, Maugham became quite
overcome for some reason and fainted briefly. Maugham returned to
England, but before leaving, requested that any books or literature
available from the Ashram be forwarded to him in England.

Of course the scene in the novel/movie, "The Razor's Edge", depicts the
"holy man", not as Ramana Maharshi looked and acted, but as a more
"western" and verbal holy man with a long flowing beard and a library of
books.

The holy man sends our hero up to a hut in the mountains to meditate for
some weeks, hinting that "sometimes strange things happen when alone
in those mountains", and adding "but what happens depends on YOU."

Some weeks later, the Holy Man goes to visit him in the mountain hut, and
our hero relates his experience: "at the moment of dawn, when night
turns to day, I experienced a oneness with God." The holy man tells him
to return to his country and his people, and that this experience of
oneness will remain with him for the rest of his life.

Well I could tell you more about the movie, but this post is sufficiently
long. I did see an incredible similarity between the character in the book
and myself, although the book's character had fewer flaws and
shortcoming than I have.

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