Pelcula El filo de la navaja Edmund Goulding, USA,
1946Recomiendo la pelcula El filo de la navajade Edmund Goulding,
USA, 1946 (!eRa"o#$%Edge&con
'#one(o)e#'Geneie#ne'*+i%f#u,ene%,ein%pi#ado#filme%pi#i,ual -a%ado
en la novela del mi%mo nom-#e de .illiam Some#%e,
/aug!am((a#%,01deene#ode123445i"a,16dediciem-#ede1961&fueune%c#i,o#-#i,6nico,
au,o# de novela%, en%a'o%, cuen,o% ' o-#a% de ,ea,#o* E%,a fue %u
novela m6% impo#,an,e, pu-licada en 1944, %e convi#,i7 en una de
la%novela% %upe#ven,a% del %iglo 08* Aun9ue la ma'o# pa#,e de la
novela %e de%a##ollaen Eu#opa, %u% p#incipale% pe#%onaje% %on
ame#icano% ' no -#i,6nico%* :a vida delaviado# :a##' +a##ell cam-ia
pa#a %iemp#e cuando un amigo ' colega de com-a,een,#ega %u vida po#
;l, pa#a %alva#lo* El inendiaen-u%cadelailuminaci7n* El
elemen,oau,o-iog#6ficoe%,6denuevop#e%en,e, 'a 9ue el p#o,agoni%,a
%e !a-a en#olado como volun,a#io en una unidadde aviaci7n ' /aug!am
!i"o lo p#opio en una unidad de am-ulancia% de la ?#u"Roja* :o%
,ema% del mi%,ici%mo !ind= ' el a%co p#ovocado po# la gue##a
c!oca#onalo%lec,o#e%enuno%momen,o%
en9uee%,a-aaca-andolaSegundaGue##a/undial, ' en%eguida %e !i"o una
adap,aci7n cinema,og#6fica*En %u p#oce%o c#ea,ivo ' de #ecopilaci7n
de info#maci7n pa#a %u novela, viaj7 a>ndia' vi%i,7al
g#anmae%,#oe%pi#i,ual Ramana/a!a#%!i,
9uienleimpac,7p#ofundamen,e,al pun,o 9ue pe#di7 el %en,ido en %u
p#e%encia, e%,e gu#=ve#dade#o, !om-#e po-#e,
!umilde'%an,onocomolo%ac,uale%mae%,#o%delma#@e,ing 9ue ,e co-#an
d7la#e% po# %u% en%eAan"a%* am-i;n -u%c7 lacoope#aci7n dele%c#i,o#
?!i%,op!e# >%!e#)ood, pa#a ,#aduci# uno% ve#%o% de
lo%Upani%!ad%* >%!e#)ood, fue un %eguido# de S)ami Bive@ananda '
miem-#o de laSociedad Bedan,a de ?alifo#nia del Su# (Rama@#i%!na
/i%%ion de USA&*El ve#%o 9ue a-#e %u novela pe#,enece al Ca,!a
Upani%!adDEEl camino de la %alvaci7n e% ,an difcil de #eco##e# como
el filo de una navajaF*:a=nica,#aducci7n9uecono"cofue!ec!apo#
(la"a'Gan;%, enHa#celona,1931, pe#o %; 9ue Edi,o#ial +e-ol%illo la
pu-lic7 nuevamen,e en el 0818. :a o-#ade /aug!am e% mu'
#ecomenda-le, #efleja un momen,o pe#%onal e !i%,7#ico de
lapo%,gue##a, en la eme#gencia de -u%ca# un %en,ido m6% p#ofundo a
la vida, en e%,eca%o, al
encuen,#oconlam%,icavivadela>ndiae,e#na* (o#
%upue%,onadacompa#ado con gigan,e% como Eme#%on, !o#eau, o *S*
Elio,, pe#o a-#e camino%!acia la e%pi#i,ualidad*:e%
dejoe%,epen%amien,ode/aug!ampa#a9ueveanlap#ofundidad9uealcan"7 %u
in9uie,ud e to an) ser!ous Maugham resear"her. It !s not!-e) that
Maugham( !n wr!t!ng "asua etters to *r!ends or "ohorts wh!e !n
Ind!awoudput dates wr!ttenor t)ped!nh!sownhandontheettersthat
werenota""urate. There must %e two doBen or more pu%!shed
%!ograph!es a'a!a%e on Maugham(some wr!tten %) peope that -new h!m
persona)( some resear"hed *rom the a*orement!oned un!'ers!t)
"oe"t!ons( and some *rom persona !nter'!ews w!th *am!)and *r!ends.
Some %!ograph!es s!mp) used ea"h other as the!r sour"es( and o*
wh!"h!* thus done !n su"h a manner( a gradua degrad!ng o* a""urate
!n*ormat!on o""urs.Da'!d Codman( perhaps the most respe"ted and
*oremost author on th!ngs Ramana(and who !n'ar!a%) presents the
most thorough resear"h( %a"-up( and a""ura") !nh!swor-s(
hasoneo*the%est pagesonthenet
regard!ngthemeet!ng%etweenMaughamandRamana. Inh!sart!"e(
wh!"he:poundsonthemeet!ngandthet!m!ng o* the meet!ng(Somerset
Maugham and The Razors !dge( Codman hason) one "!"- through !n- and
that one !n- !s to m) page on who the person Larr)Darre rea) was !n
rea !*e. Maugham&s !t!near) !s *a!r) we do"umented !* one
*errets out the !n*ormat!on. =earr!'ed !n Dom%a) %) sh!p !n ;anuar)
$./0. En h!s 25th %!rthda)( ;anuar) 4F( $./0hewas!nMaduraat
thesouthernt!po*Ind!a. 9romMadurahewent northtoMadras( then a *ew
hours %) "ar to T!ru'annamaa! and the Ashrama. Then %a"- toMadras
and on to =)dera%ad( D!dar( and Nagpur. D) 9e%ruar) 42( $./0 he was
!n3a"utta( then Denares( a short %oat tr!p on the Canges( then on
to New De! arr!'!ngthere %) Mar"h $F( $./0. =e then returned to
Dom%a) %e!ng enterta!ned !n a '!s!t
toSh!N!sargadattaMahara+(adis"i#leofandoneo*twoma+or*oowerso*(
thegreatest o* the ,un-nown, Ind!an sages( Shr! Sadguru
S!ddharameshwar Mahara+.S!ddharameshwar had d!ed !n $./2( a )ear
and a ha* %e*ore Maugham arr!'ed !nInd!a. Maugham( awa)s the
"onsummate resear"her( had hoped to meet %oth o* theSadguru&s
ma+or d!s"!pes( Sr! N!sargadatta and( espe"!a) so( Sr! Ran+!t
Mahara+%e"ause o* a "onne"t!on -nown %) Ran+!t that e:!sted %etween
S!ddharameshwarandthepersonMaughamwastowr!tea%out
!nh!sno'eTheRazor'sEdge( a"onne"t!on -nown as $ihangam Marg . A
meet!ng w!th Sr! Ran+!twas not to %e. =owe'er( the wr!ter d!d meet
w!th N!sargadatta se'era t!mes !n andaround h!s smo-e shop that
mar-eted bidis( a handmade "ountr) "!garette he sod*or a !'!ng.
Athough I ne'er met N!sargadatta( !n an !nterest!ng turn o* e'ents(
I d!d!n *a"t meet h!s des!gnated su""essor( a ong t!me N!sargadatta
*oower and onet!me Sr! Ramana de'otee( an Amer!"an woman named %ean
&unn. Maugham departed Ind!a %) sh!p to Napes( Ita) Mar"h /$(
$./0. =e ne'er went%a"-. Word War II !nterupted an) pans to do so
and a*ter the war the opportun!t)ne'er re-presented !tse*.
