MAY 2017
EAST AND WEST SERIES
5
The Buddha And His Message* SADHU VASWANI May 10, the full moon day of the month of Vaisakha is the Buddha Day. A thrice-sacred day. The day of his birth, his illumination, and his Nirvana. There is a temple built of flowers. The temple of the heart. From this temple I bring some flowers of love and reverence to place them at the Lotus Feet of the Blessed one. Beautiful is the Buddhist flower-ceremony. So we read in one of the ancient books of flower growing from the ground upon which walked the Blessed One. Was not Buddha himself a Flower of Humanity? With a beautiful flowerfestival opens the Buddha day in Japan and China. Processions of thousands of persons carry flowers on the Buddha Day to place them at the feet of the Master. The Lotus is the flower chosen. The Lotus, not the Rose. In Persian and Italian poetry the Rose is a symbol of the Highest. In Hindu and Buddhist art, the Lotus is the symbol chosen. The Lotus is a symbol of the sattvic Creative Life. And rightly is the Lotus associated with the Blessed one whom the scriptures name the Nirmala, the Purest One. * May 10 is sacred as Buddha Purnima.
Some years ago, I spoke of Buddha as a World-Healer. He himself, on one occasion, said he was a ‘Physician’ of the soul. They err who say he taught asceticism. Buddha did not despise the body. “The path of health,” he said, “is the path of holiness.” Equally foolish is it to condemn Buddhism as pessimism. The pessimist recognises world-sorrow; he may even have pity, but it is a pity without hope. Buddha not only saw the world-dukkha, he, also, saw the way out of the world-dukkha. Buddha was not a pessimist but a physician, showing the way out of suffering and pain, to all castes, all communities, all countries. Buddha preached not an ‘ism’, not a cult, not a creed, but the Law Universal, the Law which none may defy with impurity, the Law which unseen is yet the Master-force of all manifestation, all life.
MAY 2017
EAST AND WEST SERIES
Buddha’s emphasis was on the Law, the Dhamma. “Strive with earnestness,” he said. Buddha preached a Humanism which was rich value for modern thought and modern life. Humanism is a Doctrine of Selfknowledge. The fundamental character of an epoch is revealed by its conception of ‘self’. The epoch which closes on the French Revolution was dominated by individualistic mechanistic conception of self. The French Revolution preached equality, not realising that equality was not identity. The new epoch saw the limits of individualism, saw that the individual was not a unit but a member of an organism. But this organism was no other than ‘state’ or ‘nation’, and the world has suffered, again and again, from exaggerated worship of state or nation. Buddha taught that there was the Beyondnation, the Beyond-state. Buddha taught Humanism. You are not alone of this country or this nation. You are of Humanity. You belong to the All. Hence the duty of Seva. Service of the Poor. Service of the broken, bleeding ones of Humanity. This is Buddha’s great doctrine of maître. We have only what we sacrifice in the service of Love. Thus the message of the Buddha, as I understand, is not an ‘ism’ but an attitude, not a creed but a view point. Speculative systems were built up after Buddha passed away. But the Buddha himself offered the people not a speculative system but his own lifeexperiences. His whole being
6
vibrated in sympathy with the people. He saw them suffer and wander in the dark. He called himself a ‘physician’ of the soul. He claimed to have “attained to the immortal”. And he moved from town to town, from village to village with a message of Light, ‘Oh, the benighted should ye not search for a torch?” “Know thyself”, was the teaching of Solon and Socrates. “Conquer thyself”, was the teaching of the Buddha. The selfconquerer is mightier than the world-conquerer. So we read in one of his “Sayings”, “One may vanquish a thousand foes in war, but he who conquers himself is the greatest victor.”
There is no happiness higher than Peace! — Buddha Buddha’s message of Brotherhood of Humanity, of Love for all beings, of purity, selfrestraint and peace became the Liberator of Asia and sent her out on a world mission. Buddha’s message initiated a new Renaissance in India, China and Japan, in Syria and Central Asia. India under Buddha’s leadership, became a bearer to the nations of a Religion of Humanity. In the modern era, Buddha’s Humanism has inspired thinkers and sages like Schopenhauer, Comte and Emerson. Precious to me more than words may tell is the message of the Buddha as a witness to a New Civilisation of Ahimsa, the hope of a broken, bleeding humanity.
MAY 2017
EAST AND WEST SERIES
9
A Lover Of Silence* J. P. VASWANI Sister
Shanti!
There
is
a
fragrance in her memory and a sweetness in her name. Shanti was a true child of
which cast a spell on many who saw her. There Sadhu
came,
Vaswani
one a
day,
rich
to
man,
God. She was a pure soul, pure
saying: “My son has recently
as a pearl, in the words of Sadhu
returned
Vaswani. Fair was her face and
after
charming was her figure, and
Engineering. He has a well-paid
regal was her bearing. She lived
post in an industrial concern.
and moved as a princess, a child
I am looking out for a suitable
of the Eternal King. And out of
bride for him. I can think of none
her exuded a wondrous influence
better than Shanti.�
from
acquiring
* May 15-16 are sacred as Anniversary days of Sister Shanti.
a
England, degree
in
MAY 2017
EAST AND WEST SERIES
Sadhu Vaswani said to him: “I shall feel happy if dear Shanti gives her consent. I shall give her a lakh of rupees as my wedding present.” When the proposal was presented to Shanti, she gave her answer in the words of a song of Saint Mira: Mira is Thy bride, Beloved! Protect me then; Guard Thou Mira’s honour, Lord! At Thy Lotus Feet Do I shelter seek! My refuge art Thou, Beloved! Shanti aspired to live at the Lotus Feet of the Lord, the Purest of the Pure. And each day she prayed for strength to dedicate herself, her heart and all its love, to the Lord and to Sadhu Vaswani who was, to her, a manifestation of the Lord. One day, Sadhu Vaswani said to her: “Tell me my child, what is your deepest aspiration?” And Shanti answered: “To become a bride of God” “Then you must go into yourself,” said Sadhu Vaswani to her, “and chant the Holy Name!” And, again and again, she retired in silence into the depths within her. Is not our life, with its vain pursuits after pleasure and power, its struggle and strivings, its activities and ambitions, a life of wandering? “Sit silent,” said Sadhu Vaswani, “and commune
10
with the Lord in Love!” And the way to communion is the way of repeating the Holy Name. The Name of God was on dear Shanti's lips, and in her heart. She chanted the Name while walking or working, at meals, in bed, here, there, everywhere! Shanti loved silence. For hours together, she would sit in a silence-corner, repeating the Holy Name. She would wake up in the middle of the night, when most of us were asleep, and with tear-touched eyes commune with the Beloved within her heart. At times, her spirit would burst forth into a song: Inebriate with love am I; And no one knows of the love Born within me. Sing thou, my heart! Sing thou of the Lotus Feet Of the Ageless, Ancient One! Beloved! all that is on earth below, And in the skies above, And between the earth and sky, Will pass away! So be not vain Of thy body and thy brain! Of dust are they: To dust will they return! O wanderer! Wander no more! Thy way is not to wander thus! The way is still to sing the Name In love at Thy Lotus Feet!
MAY 2017
EAST AND WEST SERIES
11
Wisdom From Sadhu Vaswani Q: How may I best serve India? A: No elaborate program is necessary. Not even a big organisation. So live and work each day as to win some of those you work with and come in contact with in work or travel, to the vision of a new India. Win your own little group to the vision and you will help in building a new, a free nation. Q: What is the secret of happiness? A: You will not be happy by possessing things. If you will be
truly happy, do the Will of God in daily life. This is not an easy task. You must do tapasya. You must bear your cross. Suffering purifies. And none was truly happy who did not purify himself. Q: What is the use of prayer? A: Prayer is concentrated thought and aspiration. The soul is coloured by them. They shape the character of life. Personally, I pray, too, because prayer links me with higher vibrations and so, step by step, we rise
MAY 2017
EAST AND WEST SERIES
through prayer to yoga, which is communion with the Light. Q: Which is the best religion? A: I know of no religion higher than the religion of Unity and Love, of Service and Sacrifice. So many creeds and sects! What will save civilisation is a vision of the Great Whole. It is the vision of Love. To set up cults and sects is to cut up the Great God into fragments. When will the warring world learn to worship the Lord of Love? Q: What is wrong, you think, with current education? A: It is good that current education emphasises the value of reflective thinking and technical achievements and the scientific conquest of nature. But is it not a fact that with the growth of science, technics, and the spirit reflective, there has been the growth, too, of menace to life and liberty? Consider what havoc poisonous gases and deadly scientific war-weapons have caused in recent wars. It is the moral vision one misses in current education. Is the moral code of the modern educated man better than that of the age of Sri Rama as reflected in the Ramayana? Today we reflect only to inflict pain on others: we use science and technics to achieve selfish ends: we
12
organise to wreck and destroy. See what man has made of man! Q: What is Shradha? A: Emphasis is put on Shradha (Faith) in the Gita. But it is pointed out that Shradha is not blind belief: shradha is not blind acceptance of tradition, a book: shradha is not clinging to a creed; shradha is the heartapproach to Truth. The man of shradha purifies his heart, and so awakes the Buddhi-centre wherein is reflected the light of the Soul. And as the buddhicentre awakens, the man of shradha hears the Voice— the Mystic Voice, the Voice of Silence. And he who hears the Voice is faithful to it in all his doings through the wilderness of the world. Along ways covered with flaming fires he will walk, but will not deny the Voice. Though He slays him, yet will he trust in Him! Q: What, in brief, is the fascination of the Gita to your mind? A: The Gita fascinates me for three things: 1) The Gita gives a Science of seership. 2) The Gita shows a Way of Life. 3) The Gita looks on work not as a hindrance to but as a vehicle of the Highest.
MAY 2017
EAST AND WEST SERIES
13
Every Breath is Precious YOUR PRECIOUS TIME J. P. VASWANI Man's most precious possession is life. Many of us, alas, squander it after things which have no real, abiding value. Blessed is the man who dedicates his life to God and becomes a servant of His suffering children. Will you be that man? — J. P. Vaswani Time is the most precious of all our possessions. Therefore, let us not remain idle, even for a single moment. Let us see that no precious moment is thrown away; let us take care of every moment, every minute. Let us not imagine that great accomplishments and heroic deeds are what we need to show to the world. Little things are precious to the Lord. In an age intoxicated with “ambition” and the mad rush for “bigness”,
Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani taught us that little things, little deeds of kindness matter the most. “Sow little seeds of loves” he urged us “and you will reap a rich destiny. Be a little one and through you He will reflect His Light – the Light of Eternity!” I repeat this for emphasis: Time is the most precious of all possessions. Time is our capital. Every minute, every moment, is precious. There is a Chinese proverb which says: “An inch of
MAY 2017
EAST AND WEST SERIES
time is an inch of gold. But an inch of gold cannot buy an inch of time.” We realise the value of the moment only when the last moment arrives. Alexander, the world conqueror, was defeated by a tiny insect. He died of malarial fever from a mosquito bite. As he lay dying in his white tent, he asked: “Is there anyone who will give me a healthy breath of his life? In exchange I will give him my whole empire.” There was no answer. Alexander exclaimed: “I wasted millions upon millions of my breaths in carving out an empire in exchange of which I cannot get a single breath!” We must be very careful about our time. We must use it creatively and never forget that every moment is just the right time to do a right thing. If we wait for more opportune moments, we may have to wait till eternity. Take care of your moments and the years will take care of themselves. Therefore, we must fix a goal. So many of us, alas, are just drifting, knowing not where we are going. Time is neutral. It could be used either constructively or destructively. Therefore, let us fix a goal — secular or spiritual — and each day strive to draw closer to the goal. Fortunately for me, I felt drawn to my beloved Master and mentor at a comparatively
14
early age. I was a college student when I felt the pull. I felt drawn to Sadhu Vaswani even as an iron filing feels drawn to a magnet. At his feet I learnt the supreme lesson that life and all the bounties of life are given to us as a loan to be passed on to those whose need is greater than ours. We are here to help each other. The day on which I have not helped someone in need — a brother here, a sister there, a bird here, an animal there — is a lost day, indeed. Sadhu Vaswani was a prophet of the revolution that is coming — the revolution of love. He revealed to us our kinship with all who suffer, our partnership with those in pain. You and the others are not apart from each other, he said; you and others are parts of the One Whole. He lived in this vision of unity. One day, Sadhu Vaswani was in a village. The village-folk looked at his large, luminous, love-filled eyes and wondered who he was. “Are you a Hindu or a Muslim?” they asked him. And he answered: “I know not who I am!” “Do you believe in the mosque or in the temple?” they questioned. “I know not,” he said, “I only know that I and my brother are one. Children of the One God are we all. And this, too, I know that salvation is neither in Kashi nor in Mecca. Whether you go to the Ganga or
MAY 2017
EAST AND WEST SERIES
to the Jamuna, you carry heavy fetters on your feet, if you have not love in your hearts.” Sadhu Vaswani made love and loving service of humanity the goal of his life. He walked his chosen way – the little way— to fulfil his aspiration. Yes, the way of love is the “little way”. It is the way of the little ones, the way which simple folk, such as we are, can tread. It is the way of bhakti, devotion, surrender to the Lord. It is the way of longing, deep yearning for the soul's Beloved. As a miser longs for gold, as a lover longs for his beloved, as a child longs for its mother, even so, said Sri Ramakrishna Paramahansa, must you long for the Lord. The longing of the heart breaks forth into tears. And as Sant Tukaram exclaims: “Blessed are they who have tears in their eyes. The tears of bhakti are more precious than the holy waters of the Ganga, Jamuna and Godavari.” I beseech you to be aware that every breath of life is precious! Spend every moment, every minute in the consciousness that life is a gift from God. It is only through the human birth that we can achieve self-realisation, and return to God, to abide forever in moksha, our ultimate liberation. “What will be left of all the fearing and wanting associated with your problematic life
15
situation that every day takes up most of your attention?” asks Eckhart Tolle. “A dash, one or two inches long, between the date of birth and date of death on your gravestone.” Let us Contemplate with Sant Kabir: Chalti Chakki Dekh Kar, Diya Kabira Roye, Do Paatan Ke Beech Mein, Sabit Bacha Na Koye! Looking at the grinding stone, Kabir laments, that in the duel of grinding wheels, nothing stays intact... Trapped between the dualities of day and night, life and death, joy and sorrow, in the endless grinding wheels of life, (Chalti Chakki), all that we see is perishable and all that we have is impermanent. Jeevat Samjhe Jeevat Bujhe, Jeevat He Karo Aas, Jeevat Karam Ki Fansi Na Kaati, Mue Mukti Ki Aas Alive you may see, alive you may know; so find your liberation while you are still alive. If you cannot cut away the noose of your attachments when you are alive, death will not bring you liberation. We need to awaken while we are still alive here on earth: we need to cut off attachments that tie us down to this world. We can only do this when we are alive, and seek liberation in life; for death by itself is not a liberator.
MAY 2017
EAST AND WEST SERIES
Children’s Corner WORD GAMES Choose the answer that Best Completes the Analogy 1: Herb is to cows as A: Stable is to horses
B: Oinks is to Pigs
C: Woodpecker is to Birds
D: School is to Fish
2: Atlas is to Maps as A: Magazine is to Books
B: Librarian is to Library
C: Library is to Pages
D: Dictionary is to Words
3: Cow is to Mammal as A: Bird is to Feather
B: Chicken is to Bird
C: Lunch is to Dinner
D: Yolk is to Egg
4: Long is to short as A: Tree is to Tall
B: Wide is to Narrow
C: Large is to Big
D: Tiny is to Small
5: Watch is to Movie as A: Choir is to Song
B: Basketball is to Game
C: Read is to Book
D: Ball is to Recess
6: Dog is to paw as A: Arm is to Leg
B: Baby is to Colt
C: Horse is to Hoof
D: Toe is to Foot
7: Goldfish is to Aquarium as A: Farm is to Silo
B: Barn is to House
C: Garage is to Room
D: Horse is to Barn
8: Doctor is to Hospital as A: Swim is to Pool
B: Furniture is to Desk
C: Teacher is to School
D: Student is to Teacher
9: House is to Man as A: Garage is to Cars
B: Library is to Books
C: Hive is to Bees
D: Chicken is to Egg
10: Wood is to Furniture as A: Plastic is to Bottle
B: Stove is to Cook
C: Water is to Juice
D: Leaves are to trees
36
MAY 2017
EAST AND WEST SERIES
37
ARITHMAGONS The number in each square is equal to the sum of the numbers in the circles on either side. Fill in the missing numbers.
Answer Key: Word Game: 1: D, 2: D, 3: B, 4: B, 5: C, 6: C, 7: D, 8: C, 9: C, 10: A Arithmagons:
MAY 2017
EAST AND WEST SERIES
38
LAUGH YOUR WAY TO HEALTH Johnny: Dad, what is a weapon? Father: Well, Son, that's something you fight with. Johnny: Is Mom your weapon? *** I asked my wife, “Where do you want to go for our anniversary?” She said, “Somewhere I have never been!” I told her, “How about the kitchen?” *** Mohan (to the doctor): "Doctor, can you diagnose my illness?" Doctor: "Your eyesight seems to be poor." Mohan: "How did you come to that conclusion?" Doctor: "You seemed to have missed noticing the sign, hung outside. This is a veterinary hospital." *** During their 50th anniversary wedding celebration at a banquet in their honor, my Dad was asked to give a brief account of the benefits achieved from being married for so long. My father stood up, thought for a long moment, then said, "Well, I've learned that marriage is the best teacher of all. It teaches you loyalty, meekness, forbearance, self-restraint, forgiveness, and...." he paused. "And?" someone cried out from the back of the room. "...and a great many other qualities you wouldn't have needed if you'd stayed single!" my father exclaimed. The room erupted in laughter. ***
My grandpa started walking five miles a day when he was 60. Now he’s 97 years old and we have no idea where he is. *** A pastor was saying farewell to his congregation at the Church doors for the last time. He shook the hand of an elderly lady as she walked out. She said "Your successor won't be as good as you." "Nonsense", said the pastor, in a flattered tone. "No, really", said the old lady, "I've been here under five different ministers, and each new one has been worse than the last." *** A teacher asked her students to use the word "beans" in a sentence. "My father grows beans," said one girl. "My mother cooks beans," said a boy. A third student spoke up, "We are all human beans" *** Mr. and Mrs. Brown had two sons. One was named Mind Your Own Business and the other was named Trouble. One day the two boys decided to play hide and seek. Trouble hid while Mind Your Own Business counted to one hundred. Mind Your Own Business began looking for his brother behind garbage cans and bushes. Then he started looking in and under cars until a police man approached him and asked, "What are you doing?" "Playing a game," the boy replied. "What is your name?" the officer questioned. "Mind Your Own Business." Furious the policeman inquired, "Are you looking for trouble?" The boy replied, "Why, yes."
MAY 2017
EAST AND WEST SERIES
39
Recipes For The Month VEGETARIAN TANDOORI KEBABS COOKING TIME: 8 MINS PREPARATION TIME: 30 MINS SERVES: 4-6
Ingredients: 225g paneer, cubed into........... 1 ½" cubes 150g fried tofu puffs, cubed into.........1 ½" pieces 150g cassava (or potato), peeled, cubed into 1 ½ inch pieces and boiled until al dente 100g baby button mushrooms, wiped clean For the tandoori paste: Whole coriander seeds.........................1 tsp Black peppercorns.................................... 6 Dried Kashmiri chillies............................. 2 Fine cornmeal......................................2 tsp Cassia bark........................................1 inch Cumin seeds..................................... 1½ tsp Star anise.................................................. 1 Cloves........................................................ 4 Seeds of 4 cardamom pods Concentrated tomato puree...............5 tbsp Cloves garlic, crushed............................... 3
Ginger, minced....................................2 tsp Dark brown sugar..............................2 tbsp Juice of 2 lemons Salt or to taste................................. 2-3 tsp Plain Greek yoghurt..........................1 tbsp Method: • To make the paste: Combine the coriander seeds, peppercorns, Kashmiri chillies, cassia bark, cumin seeds, star anise, cloves, cardamom seeds and cornmeal in a dry frying pan. • Gently toast the spices on a low heat, moving around constantly until aromatic (3-5 minutes). Don’t let the spices catch and scorch. • Place the dry-roasted spices in a pestle and mortar or in a small blender and grind to a fine powder. • Add the tomato puree, sugar, salt, lemon juice, garlic, yoghurt and ginger and blend again until smooth. Add 3-5 tbsp water if needed. • Bring a pan of salted water to the boil and add the cubed paneer and tofu. Gently boil for 4 minutes and drain. This softens them up for the marinade. • Combine the paneer and tofu, along with the cassava (or potatoes) and mushrooms with the tandoori paste and combine gently. Refrigerate for 1 hour to 24 hours depending on the time you have. • Skewer the ingredients onto metal
MAY 2017
EAST AND WEST SERIES
skewers or soaked wooden skewers and place over hot coals, turning until deliciously charred. INDIAN POTATO SALAD COOKING TIME: 20 MINS PREPARATION TIME: 5 MINS SERVES: 4
40
for 30 seconds and then add the turmeric, mustard seeds, cumin seeds, curry leaves, cardamom seeds, salt and pepper. • Add the potatoes and stir. Add the sour cream and water, stir and bring to a boil for 15 minutes, until the potatoes are cooked through. They are done when the sauce has thickened and the potatoes are tender. NON-ALCOHOLIC SANGRIA
Ingredients Rapeseed oil (sarason ka tel)............2 tbsp Chopped garlic...................................... 10g Chopped red onion...................... 40 to 75g Tomato, chopped...................................... 1 Turmeric...............................................1 tsp Brown mustard seeds..........................1 tsp Pinch cumin seeds Dried curry leaves..............................2 tbsp Cardamom seeds............................... ½ tsp Pinch of salt Freshly ground black pepper Baby red potatoes, washed and cut into quarters ............................................. 450g Sour cream......................................... 235g Water................................................ 250ml Method • Heat the oil in a large skillet over a medium-high heat and add the garlic and onion. Cook for 2 to 3 minutes, then add the chopped tomato and stir. Cook
Ingredients: Fresh orange juice........................ 2 glasses Fresh grape juice (black).............. 8 glasses Small apple cubed.................................... 1 Orange cut into pieces.............................. 1 Lemon....................................................... 1 Sugar.................................................½ cup Soda.................................................2 litres Ice Method: • Mix the sugar, the orange juice and the grape juice in a big jar. • Add the lemon and orange in segments. Also, add the apple, cut in cubes. • Mix well until the sugar dissolves. Add the soda. • Add ice cubes just before serving.
MAY 2017
EAST AND WEST SERIES
41
Simple Rules Of Health Foods To Help You Overcome Acidity SEEMA MATTOO Acidity can strike anytime, making you feel uncomfortable with all that gas in the stomach and heart burn. The reasons for this might be many, with the most common being long gap between meals, having too much of spicy food and tea/coffee regularly. So while the wrong food can trigger this problem, there are certain foods, easily available in the kitchen which help you get rid of acidity instantly. 1. Banana: Banana is perhaps the best natural antacids that guards against acidity. Rich in potassium, it is advisable to eat one banana every day and if you have long gaps in between meals, banana is the best snack option. So pick up this fruit as and when you feel discomfort and heartburn. 2. Basil: Basil leaves have soothing properties to give you instant relief from acidity. Chew on a few basil leaves or boil 3-4 basil leaves in a cup of water and let it simmer for a few minutes. Sip on it frequently till you feel better. 3. Buttermilk: Considered to having sattvic properties in Ayurveda, buttermilk contains lactic acid that actually helps regularise acidity in the stomach. Remember, to have a glass of buttermilk after eating a heavy or spicy meal and for best results sprinkle black pepper or cumin seeds powder in it. You can also add curry leaves for flavour.
4. Coconut water, helps turn your body’s pH level from acidic to alkaline while also protecting the stomach from harmful effects of further acid production. 5. Cold Milk: If you are not lactose intolerant, drinking cold milk can help stabilise gastric juices in the stomach. Since it is rich in calcium, it also prevents the build-up of excess acid in the stomach. It is thus one of the simplest remedies when you have an acidity attack. Just reach out for a glass of cold milk and drink it right away. 6. Fennel Seeds: No wonder many Indians have a habit of chewing on saunf after meals, since it works best to prevent acidity. You can also have fennel tea to keep the digestive tract healthy and reduce the feeling of indigestion and bloating. 7. Cardamom: Cardamom or elaichi stimulates digestion and helps relieve stomach spasms by soothing the inner lining of the stomach. This helps ward off the bad effects of excess acid produced in the stomach. Whenever you feel a bout of acidity striking, take two pods of cardamom, crush them coarsely and boil them in water. Cool and drink the juice to get instant relief. 8. Jaggery with its high magnesium content helps boost intestinal strength, thus aiding digestion. Make it a habit to suck on a piece of jaggery after your meal, to cool off your stomach.
East And West Series
Since 1954 A Monthly Journal for Self-improvement, Self-knowledge, Self-realisation
Annual Subscription In India: Rs.100/Outside India: Snail Mail: $ 10 or ÂŁ 7.50 Air Mail: $ 20.00 or ÂŁ 15 Contact: East And West Series 10, Sadhu Vaswani Path, Pune - 411 001, (India). Tel: 020-40064450 Email: eastandwestseries@sadhuvaswani.org
You may subscribe by sending a demand draft (DD), money order, cheque at par or through our online website www.dadavaswanisbooks.org
R.N.I . 31599/60
Registered No. PCE/011/2015-2017 License to post without pre-payment WPP-88 Posted at G.P.O Pune From 24th to 30th of every month
Years ago, I visited Anuradhapura, in far-off Lanka. I saw, in a statue, Buddha seated “erect like a flame in a windless place,” his eyes closed, his hands folded, a picture of peace — Buddha seated in calm in the midst of storm. And I recalled the picture of the true yogi in the Gita. “As a lamp in a windless place flickers not”, says Krishna unto his disciple Arjuna, “so is this deemed to be a likeness of the yogi of restrained mind, who practices yoga of the self.” In the world’s history, ancient or modern, there has not appeared another who received, in his own life-time, the reverent homage of millions, as did this “yogi who practiced the yoga of the self.”
— Sadhu Vaswani Space donated by a well Wisher who believes with Dada J. P. Vaswani that the restlessness of the mind is one of the most fundamental problems that the aspirant must overcome.