CA: I cannot answer this question. I do not divide the essence of man into European, Asian, etc. Each human being, in the final analysis, wants to live, to work, to love, be happy and to have a family. Each is afraid of death, disease, poverty, the vagaries of fate, prison or prosecution. The same parameters apply to a person, be he from the Philippines, Indonesia or Australia. What barriers do you have in mind? As far as music or other aesthetic expressions are concerned—they can be different. Are you implying that ? KS : No. Of course, the aesthetic expression of one who has been brought up on Japanese art is different from one who, say, has a European sensibility. But I am talking of something different I feel that even the approach to all the facts that you have enumerated differs between the East and the West CA: How are they different ? I am right now watching your life. Kids are running around like anywhere else. They express their feelings for the father. There must be problems at school or in studies. So! It is a different thing when one gets out of the mundane, day-to-day sphere into the sphere of culture and art That is when the differences in spirit emerge. KS : But isn't this spirit the very essence of culture ? CA: How can it be the base ? They say that there is a certain category of people in America who live well and are engaged in business or something. It is said that they dont like to read serious stuff or listen to serious music-This is not the same thing as being backward or a philistine. They are content with light music, sport and TV. Why should they read Marquez or any other serious writer? So then ? It is only when we free ourselves from the clutches of the mundane that we start seeking spiritual values. We begin to think of culture, literature, art or religion. And do you know when this American will wake up to this ? When he falls ill We have a saying: He who has no headache has no need for God. But when this man gets a headache then he moans: 'Oh, God! Help me! I am dying! What'll happen to me? To my family?' It is then that he leaps up and begins his search—but till that time everything is going fine for him. What is flourishing at the present moment is hedonism, i.e., a good life, a good wife . KS : Is it the same in your country ? CA: Yes, everywhere. KS : And what about consumerism? CA: Consumerism. That's it! The type of consumerism which exists these days is like an invasion on things. Man in his turn is being devoured and overpowered by products. This attack has to be met with a counter-attack—the cerebral invasion- Only then can we get out of this morass. 14 Translated by Kalpana Sahni