Island
(1962)
by
Aldous Huxley
The Influences of Eastern Philosophies
in Aldous Huxley's Island
by Velma Lush
In his last major work, the Island, the evils that Aldous Huxley has been warning us
about in his earlier works - over-population, coercive politics, militarism,
mechanization, the destruction of the environment and the worship of science will find
their opposites in the gentle and doomed Utopia of Pala. (Woodcock,18) Aldous Huxley used
his books to explore his struggles against personal tragedy and to search for the meaning
of human existence. His interest in eastern philosophies and mysticism began in the early
twenties with the study of Blake and Bohme. His fascination with eastern religion was one
of the reasons he departed on a world tour in 1925. The island of Pala is probably one of
the islands of the Indonesian Archipelago. In Island, Huxley's portrayal of the Palanese
beliefs demonstrate principles of Buddhism, Taoism, Hinduism and Confucianism. The
beliefs, values and struggles of a lifetime are combined to form this culmination of his
life's work.
The Palanese culture, as described in the book, started with the mingling of western
science and oriental philosophy, in the characters of Raja of the Reform and the Scottish
physician, Dr. Andrew MacPhail. The Raja had hired Dr. MacPhail to remove a tumour from
his face during the early nineteenth century. The Raja and Dr. MacPhail and their
descendants worked together "to make the best of all the worlds-the worlds already
realized within the various cultures, and beyond them, and the worlds of still unrealized
potentialities." (130) Will Farnaby, a journalist whose boss also owns Southeast Asia
Petroleum, finds himself shipwrecked on this island. Under two motivations, Farnaby asks
and is given permission to stay for a month. Farnaby, or Huxley, is genuinely interested
in learning the culture, not only for literary reasons, but to find out more about
himself. His second motive is to negotiate a lease between Southeast Asia Petroleum and
the Palanese government, for which he will earn a large sum of money. At several points
throughout the novel Farnaby feels guilty about betraying his guests. Farnaby comforts
himself with the thought that if he didn't do it, somebody else would. The forces of
history are working. (84) As in the Hindu philosophy outlined in the Bhagavad Gita when
Krishna explains to Arjuna that he is an instrument of the action, it is his fate or
destiny to fight; the same holds true for Farnaby, his destiny has brought him to Pala for
a reason.
Dr. Robert MacPhail, the grandson of the Dr. Andrew, suggests "to have a better
understanding of what was actually done to develop the Palanese culture, you start by
knowing what had to be done, what always and everywhere has to be done by anyone who has a
clear idea of what's what." (34) And so Farnaby begins his learning about Pala by
reading the underlying principles of its existence, the Notes on What's What. The Palanese
are described as Mahayanists Buddhists "shot through and through with Tantra."
(74) The first principle "Nobody needs to go anywhere else. We are all, if we only
knew it, already there" (35) shows an element of Taoist philosophy. The fictional
version of Tantra can be interpreted as Taoism; since being a Tantrik means you don't
denounce the world and try to escape into Nirvana - you accept the world and everything
about it. The Mahayanists Buddha philosophy of the Palanese aims at the passage beyond
suffering into the Clear Light of the Void of all living beings (Nirvana); while living
according to the Tao, appreciating and working with whatever happens during a person's
life on earth.
Nirvana is a blissful state or freeness of mind. You can see the true essence of
things; you can see their Reality. The Palanese are taught to understand and appreciate
life by being constantly aware of who you are in relation to all experiences. Over a
thousand birds inhabit the island mimicking the word,"Attention", reminding
people to pay attention to everything they do. From the beginning, children are taught to
do things with "the minimum of strain and maximum of awareness". (145) By the
time children are fourteen they've learned to get the best objectively and subjectively
out of any activity. (146) The Palanese make use of everything they do, everything that
happens to them, all the things they see and hear and taste and touch, as a means of
liberation. (74) By being fully aware of what you're doing, work becomes the yoga of work,
play becomes the yoga of play, everyday living becomes the yoga of everyday living. (152)
One of the means of becoming aware of yourself in relation to the universe (being
enlightened) is through "meditation." Meditation is considered "Destiny
Control" since it opens your mind to an intuitive level to a greater understanding
and awareness. The Palanese believe the Buddhist philosophy that suffering is universal,
but one-third of it is sorrow inherent of the human condition and two-thirds is homemade
as far as the universe is concerned (85). Life is full of "changes and
chances...beauties and horrors and absurdities" (26). Destiny Control cannot take
away all the pain of suffering in bereavement, for that would make a person less than
human (98). With meditation your mind can be "blue, unpossessed and open", (86)
understanding that "man is infinite as the Void." (185) The body is merely a
covering, the Hindu and Buddhist) karma, and (Taoist) mind of your loved one lives on.
In their initiation into adolescents, Palanese youth climb a dangerous rock precipice
to remind them of the presence of death and the essential precariousness of all existence.
At the end of the climb, the children are introduced to the moksha medicine or
revelation of life. As outlined in the Wisdom of China and India, Enlightenment or
Nirvana, is divesting oneself of the illusions of the sensory world and constantly rising
to a higher conception of an ideal world. (Yutang 550) The moksha medicine is
described as the banquet of enlightenment, while meditation is considered dinner. During
the moksha ceremony, the Lord of the Dance, Shiva-Nataraja, dances in all worlds,
the world of the senses, the world of matter, the world of endless coming and passing
away, and the world of Clear Light. (170) The flame can be considered representative of
the "Tao" or thread that holds all the universe together. With the ceremony, the
people understand the nature of their existence, the "One in plurality, the Emptiness
that is all, the Suchness totally present in every appearance."(170)
Nevertheless, the Lord Shiva is described as a man-made image. Everyone is taught that
worshipping symbols will not get prayers answered. (183) The Old Raja wanted children to
understand that Gods are all homemade, and that it's people who pull their strings and
thus give them the power to pull ours. To demonstrate this idea, the scarecrows in the
fields are images of Buddha and the Christian God the Father. If prayers are answered, it
is because in this "odd and psychological world, ideas have a tendency if you
concentrate your mind on them to get realized." (184) The Palanese, like the
Confucian, believe the standard of goodness is not to be sought in heaven, but in one's
fellowman. Palanese culture is "to be judged by what all the members of the
community, the ordinary as well as the extraordinary." (177) Knowledge of the past
and what works is incorporated to make a better society. The Confucian ideal based on
ethics and man's function in this world to serve society has created Pala, "a
federation of self-governing units, geographical units, professional units, economic
units" with room for initiative and democracy but no place for a dictatorship."
(149) The Palanese believe that balance, (known as the "middle way" in Buddhism)
with no excesses is the rule in nature and ought to be rule among people. They only
manufacture enough products to maintain their community with just enough exports to get
what they need from the outside world. All industries work on a part time system so that
people can change jobs. All aspects of the society is based on human satisfactions first.
As in Hinduism and Buddhism, people on Pala have no right to destroy or hurt any other
living being. Babies are stroked while they are being fed and while being stroked, they
are introduced to animals they want the child to love. As the King of Snakes wrapped
himself around the Buddha to protect him from the wind and the rain, so babies are nursed
by their mothers wrapped in the coils of a cobra snake. "Good Being" results in
"Good Doing", the right thoughts and actions towards all is part of the Buddhist
philosophy in the Palanese culture. The Palanese believe by acting in a compassionate
manner to other living beings will result in them acting compassionately towards you. Dr.
Andrew MacPhail admits there has never been such an ideal society, but it also does not
mean that the people of Pala are fools for trying. (35)
As with the Tathagatas in the Buddhist philosophy, the older people can provide the
children with the techniques and opportunities of this life on Pala, it remains with them
to decide whether they will co-operate. (173) The last Raja had married a princess of
Rendang. Rani detests the life on Pala and influences her son, Murugan, so that when he
comes of age he takes on the militaristic philosophy of the neighbouring Rendang. By
making every man, woman and child as perfectly free and happy is a false happiness, an
indulgence of the Lower Self, the Rani, told Farnaby.(55) In the Hindu and Buddhist
philosophy, once a person realizes he is a part of the omnipresent Self, he takes an
humble view of his individual or "lower self" and ceases to quest for things in
this world. Desires, such as sexual lust, is considered immoral in the Buddhist and Hindu
philosophy. In the Palanese culture, the interpretation of love and compassion for all is
achieved through "maithuana", the art of love making. Adolescents are taught the
yoga of love as an attempt to regain paradise by awareness of your self and not-self.
According to the Palanese culture, there is no such thing as sacred love or profane love,
Buddaness or enlightment is in "love." (74) This may be combination of the
Taoist philosophy that we learn to appreciate life on earth and the modern day influences
of having sex.
The Palanese believe in making the best of all worlds.As well as understanding that
people are a part of the universe, they are also taught to understand themselves
individually. As in the Hindu Panchantra, children explore themselves through
animal fables. Taoists believe that in every man, there is a clever person, a know-it-all,
but each person must reach beyond these parts of his personality to the basically good
"inner nature". In the Palanese society, science and religion are combined to
reach this inner self. For example, the Palanese found there were two types of children
who would become dominant adults. Pills are used to control the personality of one type
and the other is taught to engage in tasks that enable him to work off his aggressions.
The Taoist appreciates the value of scientific knowledge about the universe and believes
it increases his understanding of the "Tao." However, the "Taoist"
would not use science to change a person, nor as a means to change the intelligence of
society, as the Palanese did - that would be interfering with the laws of nature.
In the end, the Taoist "non-interference" philosophy is one of the reasons
for the doom of their society. The Palanese are pacifists with no army and so give up
their island to the neighbouring Rendang without a struggle. Will Farnaby betrays the
Palanese by arranging a oil deal, thus prompting the young Raja Murugan to arrange the
coup with Colonel Dippa of Rendang. Ironically, this happens at the same time that Will,
through his experiences with these beautiful people, has become convinced that Pala is the
ideal society.
Island is a book filled with reflections and thoughts of Huxley's lifetime.
Huxley's experimenting with drugs, especially mescalin, had convinced him of the
transcendent meaning of the universe. Death and suffering, he had seen during his
lifetime, loses their sting in Island "by believing that life is to be lived out in
awareness of itself and of the light beyond it." (Woodcock 282) The Palanese had
built a society on humanism and rationality. Population is under control, overconsumption
and mass production is not the key of industry; science is used to better mankind rather
than destroy it. Nobody is richer than anyone else. The people are compassionate concerned
for the betterment of mankind; however it is the evilness of militarism and capitalism
that wins out. The young Raja has been tempted by the world of technology and progress.
"The serpent tempted me and I did eat" (134) is just one of the cynical
analogies, Huxley has made to Christianity. The portrayal of Huxley's character, developed
throughout the book to appreciate the society, comes too late; greed had prompted him to
betray the Palanese. Huxley's pessimism and cynical attitude towards mankind wins out.
"The work of a hundred years are destroyed in one single night." (294)
