East and West Series - January 2017 issue by East and West Series

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The New Year’s Day SADHU VASWANI

The New Year’s come: And this I pray: Be Thou my strength Just for today! For morrow’s needs I do not pray: Let me be kind Just for today! Cleanse Thou my heart, To Thee I pray: Hold Thou me fast Just for today! Teach me to serve, This, too, I pray: No fruit I seek, Just for today! Keep me unknown On life’s dark way: Yet faithful, true, Just for today! Away from crowds This let me say: Be Thou my All From day to day!

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Sadhu Vaswani – A Singer of the Holy Spirit* J. P. VASWANI

he following is Foreword to “A Study of T. L. Vaswani’s Works”, a Thesis written by Prof. R. M. Godhwani, Head of English Department, Gujarat Agricultural University, College of Agriculture, Junagadh (Gujarat). On the same Thesis, the University of Saurashtra, Rajkot, awarded Doctorate to the gifted Prof. R. M. Godhwani. — Editor With the efflux of time there is coming a wider recognition of the spiritual profundity of Sadhu T. L. Vaswani’s life and teachings in both eastern and western lands. Sadhu Vaswani was a singer of the Holy Spirit. Sometimes he was lost in a rapture of ecstasy, and songs flowed out of his lips in an endless stream.

At those times, he looked like one intoxicated, with the wine that is God. His songs in Sindhi have been brought together in a monumental volume, the Nuri Granth. The Nuri Granth is one of the biggest books in the literature of the world, enshrining the songs of a single poet. It is revered by many as a scripture: and every morning,

*January 16 & 17 is sacred as Sadhu Vaswani’s 51st Anniversary.

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before beginning the day’s work, they read from it and carry its inspiration into their daily activities. The Nuri Granth, I regard as a world-scripture with a world-message. I look forward to the day when this scripture will be translated into different languages: its message will thrill many aspiring hearts and bring peace to restless souls. Here is one of his songs translated into imperfect English: In Thy Holy Light Is the healing of my heart! At Thy Lotus Feet Is the Home of this homeless one ! With song and love And the dust divine of the Ancient Days, I come unto Thee. When, O when, may these yearning eyes Behold Thy Face And be blended with Thy Beauty, O Light of light? Sadhu Vaswani was a revolutionist in the rank of saints. He did not wear the ochre robe of the sanyasin, but his heart was rich in the true spirit of detachment which is the essence of sanyasa. He did not retire to the solitude of the Himalayas, but he carried the peace of the Himalayas, wherever he went. He lived in the midst of men and gave meaningful solutions to their problems and perplexities. His voice was soft and sweet like that of a flute. Many who heard him exclaimed: “We

have listened to the flute of Sri Krishna.” People of all sorts met him. To everyone he spoke out of his tender, compassionate heart. And even as they heard him, many troubled, turbulent hearts were comforted and the lives of some sceptics were transformed. Sadhu Vaswani was a prolific writer, the author of over a hundred books in English and over five hundred in his mothertongue, the sweet, lyrical Sindhi language. Some of his English books have been translated into the German, Indonesian, Spanish and some Indian languages. Of him it was said, many years ago, by the eminent French Savant, Mon. Paul Richard: “I have been blessed. For amidst the deserts of Sind, I have found a true Prophet, a Messenger of the New Spirit, a Saint, a Sage, and a Seer, a Rishi of New India, a leader to the Great Future, Sadhu Vaswani.” This Rishi of modern India realised the synthesis between the culture of the East and of the West. In a world in which the new eternally clashes with the old from which it has evolved, Sadhu Vaswani was a link between the ancient and the new. I always found him fired with unparalleled faith in the limitless power of the soul and of human progress, believing humanity to be on the point of new knowledge, new power and new capacities. He believed in fellowship with all creation. “The creation of God,” he said, “is bound by

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golden chains to the Feet of the One God, the One Divine Father of us all.” At His Lotus Feet are we all one, men of different religions and no-religion. No one is an alien in the Kingdom of God. All scriptures, he taught, were custodians of spiritual wisdom. Communism, too, he said, enshrined a truth: to which it owed its dynamic character. To Sadhu Vaswani, therefore, all sectarian strifes and quarrels in the name of religion were due to lack of understanding. “I belong to no sect,” he said. “I adore but One God. And my faith is, to worship the One Mystery and to do good to all!” His was not a religion of any specific creed or cult. His was a religion of life, of unity and love, of service and sacrifice. “Children of the Earth,” he often said, “ye all are one!” Sometimes I felt when coming near him that to touch the hem of his garment was to commune with God. His life had the fragrance of the rose and the benediction of the singing bird. There was a time when he rubbed shoulders with the tallest in the land. In those days his name was coupled with those of Mahatma Gandhi and Rabindranath Tagore as one of the three leaders of New India. But he chose to live a hidden life in the Hidden God. He made of his life an offering at the altar of suffering humanity. He offered himself in the service of the poor, asking for no reward. Compassion flowed out of his heart in an endless stream.

Not once did I know him fail in answering the call of human suffering. Sadhu Vaswani saw that the one urgent need of India, and the nations, was a new type of education. “Our schools and colleges,” he said, “are prison-cells. They keep out the sunshine of Indian ideals and Indian culture. This isolation of modern India’s brain from the mighty Soul that made Aryavarta a model nation, in the long ago, this is the tragedy of our life today.” Sadhu Vaswani moved across the length and breadth of India. He went to the cities: he visited the villages. He met men and women and children. He looked into their needs. He found that the bodies of many were famished, their souls were impoverished. And he called upon the people of India to organise themselves for the service of humanity. Sadhu Vaswani pleaded for the birth of a new physical culture, a new spirit of adventure, a new love of danger and difficulty. His message to Young India was: “Be simple, be manly, be strong! And spend your strength in the service of the poor broken ones!” Sadhu Vaswani pleaded for a new peasant renaissance. “The masses form the nation,” he said. “Civilisations decay in the measure the quality of their mass-stuff is poor. The worst slavery is the slavery of the poor. How to abolish it? Land, I regard

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as the one thing needful. Redistribution of land is essential to my scheme of swaraj. Give land to the poor and teach them scientific methods of intensive agriculture and co-operative organisation.” In 1933, Sadhu Vaswani founded the “Mira Movement in Education” which has, today, its headquarters at Poona. The Movement was started in Sind and plans were afoot to develop it into a Mira University, when the “Partition” came to paralyse the best efforts of enlightened men in Sind. The Mira Movement attempts at enriching students with vital truths of modern life and at the same time making them lovers of the Indian Ideals and India’s culture, at once idealistic and spiritual. Such an education is essential to India’s social and political salvation. The emphasis in the teaching passed on in Mira Educational Institutions is that education which is a thing of the Spirit and that the end of all knowledge is service, service of the poor and lowly, the sick and afflicted ones. In this most erudite thesis on the study of Sadhu Vaswani’s works, Prof. Dr. R. M. Godhwani has paid special attention to Sadhu Vaswani’s religious, educational and philosophical views. He refers, in specific detail, to Sadhu Vaswani as an inspired poet and a writer with a biblical style. Prof. Dr. R. M. Godhwani, is the head of the

Department of English in the University of Junagadh. He is a man of that true scholarship which blends knowledge with qualities of character and both with the spirit of humility and helpfulness. He believes that life and all the bounties of life are given us as a trust to be spent in the service of the surrounding world. In this age of intellectual confusion and moral chaos, he is one of those who believes in and who seeks to build their lives in the higher, the spiritual values of life. Therefore is he eminently fitted to make a study of the life and teachings of Sadhu Vaswani, a simple, holy man of God whose life pulsated with love and compassion that was as unconditional as it was everlasting. Sadhu Vaswani believed profoundly in the values of India’s ancient culture. A vision of what India might become under the inspiration of her own spiritual culture filled his life with a new meaning and a new enthusiasm. He did so much. He opened educational institutions; he started papers; he established ashrams and satsangs, centres of spiritual culture; he opened centres of service and dispensaries for the poor. His work was inspired by the spirit of service. His service was illuminated by the love of God. Sadhu Vaswani re-worded the wisdom of the Rishis. He taught that all religions are true, that each had a value of its own. He

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taught that in all the saints and prophets shone the One Light. And he asked all to turn away from creeds and dogmas to the Religion of Life, the Religion of Self-realisation, the Religion of God -consciousness, the Religion of the One Spirit who is in all races and religions, prophets and saints. He was an eloquent prophet of unity. It is this Religion of the Spirit which the world needs today. And Sadhu Vaswani worked in the faith that this Religion of the Spirit, the Religion of the Heart, would be India’s gift to the nations in the coming days. The Religion of the Heart, he said, includes and transcends the religion of works. The Religion of the Heart blends action with meditation and service. The Religion of the Heart teaches that the chanting of hymns in temples or mosques is of little value compared to the true prayer of service and sacrifice. The Religion of the Heart is the religion of mercy to all living creatures. Implanted deep in his heart was compassion for all creatures. He was a voice of the voiceless ones. Every little thing he did was inspired by the Vision Cosmic. One of his bestsellers, a new edition of which was published some years ago, in Durban (South Africa) — is entitled, All Life is Sacred. He heard the voice of suffering. The vibrations of an invisible lyre seemed to descend on his soul from the very stars. “Kill not

animals,” he said, “kill only the animal within thee, thy little ego!” To him, as to St. Francis, birds and animals were brothers and sisters. He greeted them and poured upon them the love of his heart. Through his life and teachings, Sadhu Vaswani renewed the inner life of India and, inspired by the truth of renunciation, brother hood and love, he transformed the social life of countless men and women. The emphasis, today, is on outer things. They have their value. But Sadhu Vaswani pointed to something greater, something truly vitalising. It is the Vision of the One Life in all. Out of this Vision grows true humanism. And democracies, without the spirit of true humanism, as we have seen in the West, are in the danger of developing aggressive nationcults and imperialist ethics. And they move in a circle of violence and strife. Modern democracies have produced great leaders, great in organisation, rich in resources, in their power over the massmind. But more than leaders, more than organisers, the world needs today, men of true spiritual culture, men with understanding hearts, seers, sages, prophets, path-finders, way-showers, light bringers, torch-bearers, apostles of the ancient way. One such was Sadhu T. L. Vaswani.

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The GreatSouled Gandhi* SADHU VASWANI

Five continents paid homage to Gandhi. An American journalist said of him: “His influence is immeasurable.” But these words are, to my mind, an under-estimate of his tremendous power. Gandhi became, and through him India became, great in the life of the world. Gandhi had a genius for action. A great philosopher of Europe, Schopenhauer, discusses the question: “What is genius?” Schopenhauer says: “I see genius in the

world of intellect.” But there is genius, also, in the world of will. Gandhi was a man of tremendous will. Of him the French scholar, Professor Martineau, wrote: “We must honestly admit that Gandhi gave the whole world the example of one of the strongest wills that humanity has ever seen.” Yes, it was a mighty will Gandhi had. But there is something higher than might. Gandhi’s will was not only mighty: it was sanctified. For Gandhi had surrendered his will to the Lord. Gandhi’s life was a life of yagna. Arjuna’s will was joined to the will of Sri Krishna: and Arjuna’s life become

*January 30 is sacred as Mahatma Gandhi’s Martyrdom Day.

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heroic, fruitful. Gandhi’s will was surrendered at the Lotus Feet of the Lord: and so this man, small in size, shook the mighty British empire as none else could do. I think of Gandhi as “the man with a lantern” in the story. Some of you, perhaps, know that little story of the man who had, in his hands, a lantern. And with the lantern in his hand, he went from house to house, from cottage to cottage, saying: “Where art thou, my brother? Still asleep?” There was magic in his words. And when he said, “Where art thou, my brother?” the men, half asleep, woke up and answered: “I am here! I am here!” And one by one, they rose and followed the light of this man, this simple man with a lantern in his hand. One by one, men awoke: one by one, men and women arose, saying: “We follow thee!” So it happened in the case of Mahatma Gandhi. When Gandhi appeared on the Indian scene, so many of us were living a life of ease and indifference. He came, he, in whom the spirit of India revealed itself, Gandhi came! He went from village to village, from cottage to cottage, and in answer to his affectionate call, the people woke from

slumber and said: “We are here, Master! to follow thee!” An English journal, reviewing Gandhi’s My Experiments with Truth, wrote some years ago: “India was fortunate in getting Gandhi’s guidance. And under his simple leadership, India marched on to independence.” How significant these words, “simple leadership”! Yes, simple was he and humble, and a lover of God was he, and a servant of man and a teacher of humanity. May he become an inspiration to many in India! Painfully have I noticed that we are forgetting him. For what is it to remember? To remember is to follow in the footsteps of the beloved. Some of us call him “Master”, and then, with tear-touched eyes, I say to myself: “Where, O Gandhi, where art thou in our daily life?” In our daily life and living are we simple? Are we humble? Do we think of the village-folk? Do we share the riches of our life with the poor? May many in many parts of India follow in the foot steps of Mahatma Gandhi and bring forward the day quickly when India may, again, be a teacher of humanity, a servant of all the nations of the earth! *(From an address.)

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The Voice of Vivekananda* J. P. VASWANI

he following extempore speech was delivered by Dada J. P. Vaswani at the Global Vision 2000 held at the Capital Center, Washington from Aug. 6-8, celebrating the Centenary of Swami Vivekananda's Universal Vedantic Message. — Editor Swami Vivekananda! There is an inspiration in his name: there is a music in his memory! He was a symbol of India’s deathless culture which stands for the supremacy of the Atman, the Spirit. In his hands he held a torch. On his lips was the live coal of inspiration. He thrilled those that heard him. He carried with himself a tremendous power of the Spirit. He was a man of fire. There was fire in his words, in his heart and in his soul. COME UP, O LIONS! He appeared at a time when millions in Europe and America considered the Hindus to be heathens and condemned the Hindu religion as paganism. With the roar of a lion, Swami Vivekananda said to the Christians of America: “Hinduism is the only religion which tells you that you are not a sinner, that you are not doomed to burn eternally in the fires of hell. It is a sin to call man a sinner. Come up, O lions, and shake off the delusion that you are sheep. You are souls immortal, spirits

free, blest and eternal. You are not matter, you are not bodies. Matter is your servant, you are not the servants of matter.” When he was asked: “Swamiji, have you come to America to convert us to a new belief?” He laughed as he answered: “In this country I do not come to convert you to a new belief. I want you to keep your own belief. I want to make the Methodist a better Methodist, a Presbyterian a better Presbyterian, a Unitarian a better Unitarian.” In the heart of Swami Vivekananda there was no sense of separateness. He recognised the great truths of world religions. In a lecture before the Ethical Society of Brooklyn, he said: “We Hindus not only

* January 12 is sacred as Swami Vivekananda’s Birth Anniversary.

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tolerate but we accept every religion, praying in the mosque of the Muslim, worshipping before the fire of the Zoroastrians, and kneeling before the Cross of the Christians, knowing that so many religions are but so many attempts of the human soul to grasp and realise the Infinite.” So, Swami Vivekananda understood the value of Islam and its message of social equality. He entered into the heart of the message of Christ. Is it not also a message of spiritual advaita? “I and my father are one,” said Jesus. He also said: “Ye are Gods!” And again: “Be ye perfect, even as your Father in Heaven is perfect!” Alas! The Jews of his generation understood him not. Has the West understood him yet? No! To be able to understand Jesus, one must be imbued with the spirit of the East. Above all, Vivekananda realised the value of Higher Hinduism. He called it Vedanta. He wished to make it a worldforce. ARISE! AWAKE! Vivekananda said: “With God, you can sail over the seas. Without God, you cannot cross over the threshold.” With God, Vivekananda went over the seas. With God, Vivekananda crossed the continents and re-proclaimed the Wisdom of the Rishis. “Arise! Awake! And stop not until the goal is reached!” was his trumpet-call to the Hindus. Also to India, Europe and America.

Today, man stands on a planet of limitless promise. Today man has reached a zenith of technological brilliance. Man’s rockets go flying past the distant planets. He has been able to station satellites in space. Yet is he confused about his own real being and purpose. He is faced with a terrible loneliness, and his heart is stirred by a thousand fears which he cannot name. Man boasts that he has been able to control the forces of nature: when will he learn to control himself? Today, wherever you turn, there is passion for power, the lust for fame, the greed of gold. Today, there is the dance of desires. This dance of desires is the dance of death. And civilisation has already begun to crumble beneath the burden of its own weight. PICTURES OF GOD A new civilisation is to be born. This new civilisation must be built in something which is greater, nobler by far than mere secular socialism. Swami Vivekananda has been described as a socialist by some, by others as a humanist. Yet, what he practised and taught cannot be called socialism or humanism. For these two schools of thought do not uphold the oneness of all souls and the solidarity of man. Swami Vivekananda urged that everyone is divine and that man must serve his fellow-men, beholding in them pictures of God, images of the Eternal. Swami Vivekananda gave a new

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mantra to humanity: “Atmano mokshartham jagaddhitaya ca”. The words mean: “Our own spiritual freedom and the welfare of the world.” These twin ideals must not be separated from each other. These twin ideals must go hand in hand. One’s own spiritual freedom. Swami Vivekananda said: “Freedom is the watch word. Be free! A free body, a free mind and a free soul! That is what I have felt all my life. I would rather be doing evil freely than be doing good under bondage!” And there can be no true freedom without spirituality. As one grows in spirituality, he will grow in self knowledge. As one grows in self knowledge, he will unfold the tremendous powers of the Spirit, that lie locked up within him. Within every man are these tremendous powers of the Spirit, immense energies of the Eternal. They need to be released. Swami Vivekananda said: “Power will come and glory will come, and goodness will come and purity will come as the sleeping soul awakes.” CREATION IS ONE FAMILY Yes, power will come and glory will come, and goodness will come and purity will come when the sleeping soul is roused to self-conscious activity. But this power and glory are not meant to be kept for oneself alone. Power and glory must be spent in the service of the surrounding world — in service of the less fortunate ones, the poor and broken ones, the forsaken and

forlorn, the lowly and the lost, the unwanted and unloved, who cry in this world of travail and pain. To Swami Vivekananda, service of man was worship of God. His was the religion of unity and love, of service and sacrifice. How true it is that religions are worth no more than a straw, if they do not teach man to love God and to serve the God in-man. For, within every man, howsoever poor he be, howsoever miserable, frustrated, defeated in life, there dwelleth God. Every man is a living tabernacle of God, a living, moving shrine, a living, moving temple of God. This is true Vedanta — that I behold myself in my brother. I and my brother are one! There is no separation. On one occasion, Swami Vivekananda, said: “Love every man as your own self and not as your brother, as Christianity teaches.” Brotherhood should be superceded by universal selfhood. Not universal brotherhood, but universal selfhood is our motto: This is true service-not service done as charity, not service done as maharbani, but service done as though I am doing it to my own self, service done as worship of God who dwells in all. And this day, as we are gathered together to offer the homage of our hearts to one of the greatest men of all time, let us move one step forward. Vedanta teaches that there is but one life in all. This one life sleeps in the mineral and the stone, this one life stirs in the vegetable and the plant, this one life dreams

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in the animal and wakes up in man. Creation is one family and, in this one family of creation, birds and animals are man’s younger brothers and sisters. It is the duty, the responsibility of man to give the love of his heart to his younger brothers and sisters, to guard them, to protect them, against the cruel knife of the butcher. O, the sin of daily slaughter in our soulless cities. Some of you may regard me as a fanatic, but, believe me, the day is coming, sure as the sun rises in the East, when meat-eating will be condemned as murder. My beloved Master and Mentor, Sadhu Vaswani said: “I have seen God’s image shining in birds and animals. And for me not to love birds and animals would be not to love the Lord. These hands are given us to help and heal, not to hurt or harm, to bless and not to butcher, to serve and not to slaughter. These hearts are given us to love and not to hate. ANIMAL RIGHTS Are you aware, that on an average, a person eats about 750 animals in a lifetime? 750 animals to everyone of whom life is as dear as it is to those who eat them up. The time is come when we must decide, once and for all that all types of exploitation must cease. We must recognise the moral inviolability of the individual — both human and non-human. Just as the black people do not exist as resources for the whites, just as women do not exist as resources for men, even so animals do not exist as

resources for human beings. All types of human tyranny must cease, if we are to have peace on earth. Today, I hear so much talk of animal-welfare. Animal welfare is not the answer: we must have animal rights. Men have their rights: do animals have no rights? Men have their rights: do they not have their duties, responsibilities towards the animal kingdom? I believe the time is come when we must get together and formulate a charter of animal rights and a charter of man’s duties towards the animals. And the very first fundamental right of an animal is the right to live. No man can take away that which he cannot give. And as we cannot give life to a dead creature, we have no right to take away the life of a living one. I must not keep you longer. Let me close with the very words with which Swami Vivekananda closed the chapter of his life on earth. A little before he passed away, Swami Vivekananda said: “It may be, that I shall find it good to get outside my body — to cast it off like a worn-out garment. But I shall not cease from working. I shall inspire men everywhere until the world shall know that it is one with God.” May these words continue to ring in the hearts of some of us like a temple-bell: “I shall not cease from working. I shall inspire men everywhere until the world shall know that it is one with God! Uttishta! Jagrata! Arise! Awake, and stop not until the goal is reached!”

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The more I think of Guru Gobind Singh, the more I repeat to myself the words: “The Guru did so much for me: what am I doing for him?” His life was a yagna, a sacrifice for India to the Eternal. I think of him as the Guru of the Dark Night. He bore his cross heroically. He went into great agony and he shared his agony with his disciples, his countrymen. He bore his agony and shared it in silence. Again and again have I thought of the silence of the Guru in the last, closing, crowning period of his blessed life. He kept his heart as a sanctuary for the Hidden Word of the Holy Spirit. In his little “Abchal Nagar”, the City of the Eternal, he communed with God in silence and love. Only one language he spake in that last period of his agony and isolation, only one language. He spake it in silence. We may hear it only in silence, the language of love.

In tattered garments he travelled from place to place and then stayed in the little “Abchal Nagar”. He travelled as a pilgrim: he stayed there as a pilgrim. And in silence he wrought the wonder of his work and the wonder of his life. In silence, too he communed with God. What wondrous songs he sang! We still may sing them and find that they nourish our interior life. They nourished his inner life, a life radiant with strength and serenity, with service and interior peace — a life rich in suffering and sacrifice, in the love of God and the love of the poor, broken bleeding ones.

Guru Gobind Singh: Son of the Eternal Flame* SADHU VASWANI

* January 5 is sacred as Guru Gobindsingh Jayanti.

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Guru Gobind Singh asked, one day, for a cup of water. And a nobleman’s son offered him water in a shining cup. He was a young man: he was handsome: his hands were clean. But the Guru returned the cup, and the young man looked wonderingly in the Guru’s eyes. Then said the great Guru: “O young man! Your cup is shining and your looks are handsome and your hands are clean. But they have not laboured in the service of the saints. Make your hands pure first! And they will be purified through humility. Cast aside all caste-pride! Be pure! Be a servant of the poor ones! And I shall drink water in your cup.” Far from crowds of men it was his privilege to live in the closing period of his life. With infinite love in his heart for his beloved but broken, bleeding India, he lived. Often he moved out alone and sat in a forest, praying, shedding tears, offering his sufferings as a continuous yagna to the Yagneshwara, the Eternal Spirit that has been the moving Spirit of India’s history, from century to century. He was a poet: he was a prophet: he was a seer: he was a scholar: he was a singer: he was a hero: he was a patriot of the purest ray serene. And to lowly acts of service he bent his hands to labour and earn his daily bread. In that last period of his life, of which I seldom can think without tears in my eyes, he

realised the dignity and meaning of manual labour. He realised that labour was worship. And he realised that they are truly blessed of whom God accepts the yagna of suffering and isolation of agony and tears. With the last benediction of his earth life, he left to his disciples the Book Beloved, the Granth Sahib, the Guru Granth Saheb, saying : “The bani, Word, is the Master, the Guru, now.” Yes, the living spirit of the Gurus speaketh in the words of this Ever-living Book, this inspired testament of the Sikh Faith. When I read even a part of it in holy silence or in the presence of a few disciples, I say to myself: “Is not this Book a revelation of the Akal Purukh to us all who are lost in the maya of life?” Guru Gobind Singh healed Bharata by sparks of the divine fire that flowed into him from the Eternal Flame. He, the wearer of the blue robe, the deliverer of India’s millions, the guardian or the Sacred Idea for which, I believe, stands the Sikh Faith, does he not still lead his beloved Sikhs to guard the purpose of India’s history? He was not an enemy of Islam. His bani clearly indicates that he saw the Divine Spirit, the one Akal Purukh, in the Koran, no less than in the Vedas. But he noted with deep regret, that Aurangzeb and his advisers had lost the beauty of the essential vision of Islam enshrined in

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the sacred Name Allah. Guru Gobind Singh, also, realised that the great teaching of the rishis, enshrined in the Vedas and other Hindu scriptures, had suffered, on account of the ritualism and caste-distinctions or rigid organisations. Guru Gobind Singh, therefore, emphasised that alike for the Muslim and the Hindu the urgent need was dhyanam; meditation, and bhakti, Devotion to God and the Gurus, service of the poor and broken ones. What was needed was Nama, life in Nama, life of devotion and service. What was needed was not a creed but a realisation. For the end of life is, indeed, a revelation or man as an image of God. Man’s pilgrimage, he saw, as the first great Teacher of the Sikh Faith, Guru Nanak, had seen with radiant eyes, was to the Satya Loka, the Realm of Truth, the Abode of Eternal Life. I believe that if the Living Word, the bani of ten Gurus and the Saints, the Seers and Sages of India and humanity, of all climes and races could re-inspire the Sikh Faith, it would indeed become a living faith and its message would thrill India again from end to end. This may not be until we enter with sympathy into the child-like spirit of the Sikh village — folk and their great Teachers, the Sikh Gurus, the Saints and the Bhaktas of India.

In Guru Gobind Singh there was a beautiful blend of the lion-heart of Aryan India and the dhyana and love and service and sacrifice of India’s seers and sages. And Guru Gobind Singh, as a seer himself, understood that the way to restore India to a new national health, a new shakti, was Nama-dhyanam. In the words of Sri Sukhmani, he said: “Sarba roga ka aukhad Nam, the Word!” Yes, India will not be healed by imitation or western industrialism and American technology. India’s healing is in the Word, the Nama, the Name Eternal. This devotion to Nama will, I believe, lead to a new renaissance of India’s life. Yes, in the shakti of Nama India’s millions, who lie today prostrate in passivity, will arise from their sleep and India will peal forth her message of oneness, of living unity, of peace and spiritual fellowship to nations of the East and nations of the West. Like Guru Nanak, Guru Gobind Singh drew together all the castes into one brother hood: and the rich and the poor combined to form one fraternity, one mighty union of service and sacrifice, a living witness to one God. Guru Gobind Singh’s dream, in building the Khalsa, was this divine dream of building a new race of humanity nourished by love. Are we truly penitents today? Are we true pilgrims to his

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shrine? Do we sincerely seek to be his servants in pure devotion? Then let us ask ourselves, are we ready to follow him with the love of God in our hearts, with deep humility and reverence for the poor? So much he did for us: what shall we do for him, the beloved of our heart? I have, again and again, thought of that Tree in the Forest of Dam Dam under whose branches the great Guru sat in meditation, from morn till night. That Tree has become to me mentally a symbol of the Temple, where I should love to sit and meditate and commune with the Spirit and pray for the pouring out of a new benediction on our broken, bleeding India that has yet to achieve the Freedom that heals. We still are groping in the

dark and, it may be, we have to face other storms, in the coming days. But above the roaring of the gale is the Spirit, the Spirit that was radiant in the life of Guru Gobind Singh, the Spirit that has become luminous in not a few of India’s truly great ones since the passing of the great Guru. Above the roaring of the gale, above the shouts and tumults of the storms we may have yet to face, is the mighty Spirit that saith: “Fear not! I am with you!” And so, new harvests will come, and India will bear witness to the peace for which the nations cry with a piteous cry today. So believe I. And so in my lonely heart the cry awakes: “Come rains, The welcome rains!”

Religion consisteth not in wearing a garb: Nor in having matted hair and long nails, Nor in wearing ashes on the body, Nor in dyeing the raiment. Thinkest thou yoga can be had by dwelling in the forest? Then the bird would be a yogi! Consider that frogs and fishes, too, bathe at places of pilgrimage! Alas! Thou endurest pain to deceive men. Do thou shalt know the Divine, And thou shalt drink the amrita (supreme nectar).

— Guru Gobind Singh

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LAUGH YOUR WAY TO HEALTH How do two programmers make money? One writes viruses, the other anti-viruses. *** An elderly man remembers the good old days: “When I was young, my mom could send me to a shop with a single $, and I would bring back 5 pounds of potatoes, 2 loaves bread, a bottle of milk, a piece of cheese and biscuits. Nowadays that’s impossible – there are simply too many security cameras.” *** Doctor: “Your recovery was a miracle!” Patient: “Thank God! Now I don’t have to pay you.” Office Executive: “Sir, can I have a day off next week to visit my mother-in-law?” Boss: “Certainly not!” Office Executive: “Thank you so much sir! I knew you would be understanding.” *** Guy: Where do you live? Girl: Indore, you? Guy: Mostly outdoor. *** Astrologer: Do you want to know about your husband’s future?

Wife: Rubbish, I will decide his future! You just tell me his past. *** Two well went to restaurant...

dressed lawyers an expensive

Ordered 2 drinks and then got sandwiches from their briefcases and began to eat them... Waitress: Sorry Sir!!! But you can’t eat your OWN food here... Its against the rules ... The lawyers quietly looked at each other and EXCHANGED their sandwiches & continued their meals !!! *** A cop stops a drunk man and asks: “How high are you?” The drunk man replies, “That is wrong English. You should say, HI HOW ARE YOU?” *** A husband read an article to his wife about how many words women use a day… 30,000 to a man’s 15,000. The wife replied, “The reason has to be because we have to repeat everything to men… The husband then turned to his wife and asked, “What?”

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Children’s Corner Story: True Wealth Once upon a time, there lived a very rich and wealthy man in a big town. He led a luxurious life. He always boasted about his wealth to his friends and relatives. His son was studying in a distant city and he returned home for vacation. The rich man wanted to show off to his son how rich he was. But his son wasn’t fond of a luxurious lifestyle. However, the rich man wanted to make his son realise that his lifestyle was extremely rich and that poor people suffered a lot. He planned a day’s visit to the entire town to show him the life of the poor people. The father and the son took a chariot and visited the entire town. They returned home after two days. The father was happy that his son was very quiet after seeing the poor people honouring the rich man and after witnessing the sufferings of the poor due to lack of facilities. The rich man asked his son, “Dear boy, how was the trip? Have you enjoyed it?” “Yes my dad, it was a great trip with you,” the son replied. “So, what did you learn from the trip?” the father asked. The son was silent.

“Finally you have realised how the poor suffer and how they actually live,” said the father. “No father,” replied the son. He added, “We have only two dogs, they have 10 dogs. We have a big pool in our garden, but they have a massive bay without any end! We have luxurious and expensive lights imported from various countries, but they have countless stars lighting their nights. We have a house on a small piece of land, but they have abundant fields that go beyond the horizon. We are protected by huge and strong walls around our property, but they bond with each other and surround themselves with their fellow beings. We have to buy food from them, but they are so rich that they can cultivate their own food.” The rich father was stunned and speechless, on hearing his son’s words. Finally the son added, “Dad, thank you so much for showing me who is rich and who is poor. Thank you for letting me understand how poor we really are!” Moral: True wealth is not measured by money and property! True wealth is created in good friendships and compassionate relationships.

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Recipes for the Month ITALIAN EGGPLANT AND TOMATO APPETIZER

Freshly ground black pepper....................¼ tsp (1 ml) Chopped fresh basil................................. 2 tsp (40 ml) Grated parmesan cheese Chopped fresh parsley ............................ 2 tsp (40 ml) For Dumplings: Old potatoes.................................500 g (17½ ounces) Self-raising flour..............................1½ cups (375 ml) Salt...........................................................½ tsp (2 ml) Nutmeg.....................................................¼ tsp (1 ml) Milk ......................................................... 1 tsp (20 ml)

Ingredients: Medium eggplants, washed........................................2 Oil (not olive oil).................................. 1 cup (250 ml) Olive oil.................................................¼ cup (60 ml) Yellow asafoetida powder...............¼ teaspoon (1 ml) Ripe tomatoes, peeled, seeded, and chopped............3 Tomato paste........................................... 1 tsp (20 ml) Water...................................................½ cup (125 ml) Salt............................................................ 1 tsp (5 ml) Freshly ground black pepper ...................½ tsp (1 ml) Method: 1. Cut the eggplants into ½ cm (¼ inch) slices. Cut each slice into strips 6 cm (2½ inches) long and ½ cm (¼ inch) wide. 2. Heat the oil in a frying pan over moderately high heat. When the oil is hot, add enough eggplant strips to fill the frying pan. Shallow-fry the eggplant until it becomes soft. Remove the eggplant from the pan with a slotted spoon and drain. 3. Heat the olive oil in another frying pan over moderate heat. When the oil is hot, add asafoetida, tomatoes, tomato paste, and water. Cook uncovered for 10 minutes or until the sauce is thick. 4. Add the salt and pepper, mix well, and carefully add the eggplant. Serve either hot or cold. POTATO DUMPLINGS WITH TOMATO SAUCE (GNOCCHI) Ingredients: For Sauce: Olive oil................................................... 3 tsp (60 ml) Yellow asafoetida powder.........................¼ tsp (1 ml) Tomatoes – blanched, peeled, and pureed..........................3½ cups (875 ml) Salt............................................................ 1 tsp (5 ml)

Method: 1. Heat the olive oil in a heavy 4-litre/quart saucepan over moderate heat until hot but not smoking. Sauté the asafoetida in the hot oil. Add the tomatoes, salt, pepper, and basil; stirring occasionally, simmer the sauce for about 30 minutes or until reduced somewhat. Remove from the heat, cover, and keep warm. 2. Meanwhile, peel and quarter the potatoes and boil them in a saucepan of slightly salted water until very tender. Drain well and push the potatoes through a fine sieve into a bowl. Add the sifted flour, salt, nutmeg, and milk. Mix well. Turn the mixture out onto a lightly floured surface. Knead for 2 minutes. 3. Take one-quarter of the mixture and form it into a roll on a floured surface. The roll should be 2.5 cm (1-inch) in diameter. Repeat with the remaining dough. Cut the rolls into 1.25 cm (½ inch) gnocchi lengths. 4. With two fingers, press each gnocchi against a cheese grater (medium holes) to roughen the surface on one side, at the same time making a dent in the other side where the fingers press. This gives the traditional gnocchi shape. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi. 5. Place one-quarter of the gnocchi into a large saucepan of boiling salted water over full heat. The gnocchi will go straight to the bottom of the pan and then start to float to the top. When the last dumpling rises to the top, boil for 1 minute; then remove them from the pan with a slotted spoon. Repeat with the remaining gnocchi in batches. Add the gnocchi to the prepared tomato sauce and simmer uncovered for 5 minutes over low heat. Place the gnocchi in a serving bowl and spoon over half the sauce. Serve the remaining sauce and grated parmesan cheese separately. Garnish with chopped parsley.

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Simple Rules Of Health 13 Things You Should Know About Boosting Your Energy 1. A little workout goes a long way. A 2008 study from the University of Georgia, US, revealed that after only 20 minutes of low-intensity exercise on a stationary bike (comparable to a leisurely walk), participants who had initially reported persistent tiredness had 65 per cent lower fatigue scores. 2. Laughter may well be the best medicine. Research from the University of NebraskaLincoln, US, suggests that exposure to humour – even 12 short minutes of it – can increase your energy. Have a funny online video on standby to get you through that afternoon slump. 3. Skip the nightcap. While alcohol reduces the amount of time it takes to nod off, studies have shown that it interferes with REM sleep, the restorative stage in which memories are stored and dreaming occurs.

4. Include breakfast. during

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energy, which needs replacing. “You’re already waking up at a

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deficit,” says Lovneet Batra, a clinical nutritionist from New Delhi. Try including yogurt, sprouts, flax seeds or chia seeds. 5. Snacking can sustain energy levels, Batra says – provided you’re reaching for nutritious foods. Try nuts or roasted chana; the fibre will help hold you over until you next eat. 6. At mealtimes, “Your best source of energy is fat,” says Dr Jonny Bowden, a nutrition specialist based in California and co-author of Smart Fat. Incorporate foods like avocados and walnuts into your diet. 7. Stress is an energy zapper – feeling sluggish might be your body’s response to tension. The National Institute of Mental Health suggests activities like meditation, yoga and tai chi to help deal with agitation. 8. Fatigue and lack of night time rest go hand-in-hand. “Everybody has a baseline sleep requirement that is nonnegotiable,” says Dr James MacFarlane, the Toronto-based director of education and clinical consultant at MedSleep clinic. Most of us need somewhere between 6.5 and 8.5 hours to remain alert throughout the day. 9. To reboot, go outside. A study in the Journal of Environmental Psychology suggests that being surrounded by trees and fresh air, for as little

as 15 minutes, is linked with greater feelings of vitality. 10. Soak up some rays. Research published in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives states that the vitamin D from sunlight can improve not only your energy, but also your mood and sleep quality. 11. Dehydration – severe or mild – leaves us feeling tired. Drink plenty of fluids and eat fresh produce such as melon, which contains high concentrations of water. 12. If coffee makes you jittery, try tea instead. The drink’s combination of caffeine and L-theanine, an amino acid that has a relaxing effect on the brain, can make tea both energising and calming. 13. Gum may do more than just freshen your breath. In 2012, a group of researchers at Coventry University in England put participants in a dark room for 11 minutes on three separate occasions. In the first instance, they chewed gum; in the second, they didn’t; and in the third, they mimicked chewing. Chewing gum reduced the extent of daytime sleepiness. This might be because the act causes “heightened cerebral activity” or due to the “arousing effects” of mint. Now, that’s something to chew on.

East And West Series

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