Iremember a visit I paid to a quiet, beautiful vihara in Ceylon, some years ago. I felt purified: my soul was enriched.
On one of the walls, in a big Hall in the vihara, I saw several paintings done by a master artist. In the centre stood the gracious figure of the Buddha. I gazed, again and again, at the radiant face of the Lord. An ancient Buddhist scripture truly says:
How bright doth shine the sun by day!
The moon illuminates the night:
A saint looks beautiful and bright:
The Buddha shines and shows the Way!
Which way? The way of peace, the way of light and love.
In the picture the Lord shows the way of peace: to whom?
Two kings of two realms with their armies stood on the banks of the river Rohini. The armies were there, to fight. But one hundred and sixty thousand women were there, too: they were weeping, for their children, their husbands, their brothers and fathers, their near and dear ones. For war means slaughter!
What for did the two armies wish to fight and slay? For water: each army claiming for its king the river Rohini.
The Buddha had a nobler conception of kingship. The word for king in Pali is khattriya and the word means “protector”, “guardian”. Yes — a true king should be a “protector”, a “guardian” of his people. A khattriya should be a standardbearer of peace. For as in war is the slaying of children and husbands and brothers and fathers, in peace is the healing and health of the people.
The Buddha sees the two armies ranged, one against the other, on the banks of the Rohini, prepared to fight for water. Swiftly stands the Buddha between the kings of the two armies.
“How much, O king, is water worth?” asks the Buddha.
And each king says: “O Blessed one! water is worth very little!”
“How much,” asks Buddha, “is this earth worth?”
And each king says: “O Blessed One, the earth is of great worth!”
“And how much,” asks the Buddha, “are the kings worth?”
“Great is their worth,” answers each king.
“And how much are your queens worth?” asked the Blessed One.
“The queens,” said each, “are worth much: I love my queens greatly!”
“And how much worth are the lives of your soldiers who are here to fight and slay one another?” asks the Buddha.
And each king says: “Precious to me is the life of every one of my soldiers: precious is their life-blood!”
Then saith the Buddha: “O ye wise king! why then are ye out to destroy each other, and your queens so dear to you, and these soldiers whose lifeblood is precious to you,—for the sake of a little water which floweth into the sea? And is not peace better than letting flow a river of blood?”
Contd. on page 14
The night before last I dreamt a dream! And methinks, there came to me a message from the “Dreamland”. I asked –“Where is the Home of the Rishis?” And I saw myself standing before a tapobana, and it said to me – “Here!”
The more I think of the Vedic – Upanishadic age, the more I understand how great was that age in human evolution. The people then were nearer Nature and had clearer intuitions. The Aryans of that age could, therefore, know better the deeper values of life – the True, the Good, the Beautiful. They were more spiritual and more vital. They were nearer the Divine centre of life, the Divine Shakti.
They knew truths by an inner sense – by meditation which was easier then than it is in the noisy crowded life of today – by spontaneous intuition and spiritual appreciation.
Man is becoming more complex, more “civilized” and, therefore, more mechanized, more materialised. So, his finer senses, the inner senses – may we call them the “senses” of the Soul – have suffered. With the result that he finds it difficult to read the open secret of life.
The Rishis were Teachers, “Masters” of Wisdom. It was taught to them by no books. No books can teach Wisdom. It was taught to them direct by the spirit of things and life. The Rishis received spiritual vibrations; these were clothed in words and originally inscribed on barks of trees. The ancient mantras preserved for us in the pages of the Vedas and the Upanishads – misunderstood by so many – are, I humbly submit, for the healing of the nations.
In the ashramas was evolved a synthesis of culture and religion which has, I believe,
a great value for the modern world. I do not deny evolution. Darwin and Spencer are great names in history. Homage to them! They have opened new chapters in science and sociology. But what prove they? The body has evolved; it has become softer, more “sensitive” to pleasure and pain. The mind or “manas” has evolved; it has become more observant of the material environment, more adaptive to material conditions. But what of Intuition? The Inner Sense? The sense of Immediacy? Of life as distinguished from mechanism? Of direct contact with the Divine Centre as distinguished from adjustment of means to materials ends? What of the vital sense of communion with the Whole? The sense of the Infinite? It seems to me the Inner Sense was much better evolved in the ancient ashramas. They took up the problems of culture of the Inner Senses, with an earnestness, an onepointedness, an energy of self-abnegation and selfdedication so rare in these days of mechanical values and commercial materialism.
The ashramas were situated in lonely nature-spots. Away from the maddening crowds! Away from the currents of confusion which flow into our agitated, excited cities. The ashramas were situated in beautiful spots, blessed by nature-spirits. The ashramas were colleges of concentration. In the ashramas were developed a culture of concentration – not of books. Out of meditation have rolled the great books of Humanity. By a culture of concentration unrivalled, I believe, in human history, the Rishis discovered paths of approach to the Infinite from within. These paths, the inner routes to reality, were set forth in systems of yoga.
The ashramas were centres of tapasya. For the truth was realised that body, mind, and intuition must be disciplined before the Divine Mysteries could reveal themselves and the pilgrim became a Rishi, an Initiate, a Master, a Seer. The programme of tapasya, of selfdiscipline included (1) fasting,
(2) brahmacharya, (3) upasana,
(4) nature-communion, and (5)
seva of lower animals and men in need.
Let me say no more of this fivefold programme. Let me say but this; tapasya was not the end but a means to the end. The end was joy, was ecstasy, was Ananda. It was realised that the final word of life was not sorrow but Bliss. For Brahman is Bliss; and the world is in quest of happiness; for the world is seeking God. Modern India is restless. The modern world is in anguish. Nations wander from violence to violence. The solution of the problems of modern democracies alike in East and West lies not in abolishing religion but in new applications of the great truths of religion. Great was Napoleon – an instrument of the World-Shakti that sometimes rides a storm to purify and rebuild. But infinitely greater were the Initiates, the Rishis who saw that man was much more than an economic animal. Man is of the Eternal. Therefore, the Sermon on the Mount still holds the secret of the New Civilisation.
Therefore, humanity’s hope is still in a religion of the Rishis. Nietzsche’s name is associated with a doctrine of a “superman”. Nietzsche, it seems to me, was strong on the side of criticism; but he was weak on the side of construction or synthesis; and he missed the secret of the Superman. Thus, he writes: “Slaves can adore a God who makes himself man and humbles himself. But the strong adore only their own ascent to the superman – the endless progression of human beauty, human grandeur, and human power!” Here is a flash of genius. But in saying that “the strong adore only their own ascent to the superman,” Nietzsche shows a poor conception of the Rishis’ doctrine of Shakti. The truly strong are those who adore a strength diviner than their own. The truly strong are humble. But Nietzsche’s “superman” is an embodiment of aggressive power exploiting others in the interests of an “aristocratic” ideal. Nietzsche’s “superman” is an egoist. And egoism, let me humbly submit, is a malady
of the modern. Montague was an egoist. So was Rousseau. Read the opening words of his “Confessions”: “I am like no man that I have ever seen. I dare to believe I am unlike any man that exists.” Superior to Nietzsche’s is Confucius’ conception of the “superior man” (Kun-tji) – the model “gentleman” – the very reverse of Nietzsche’s “superman”. In the wisdom and lives of the Rishis we have, I humbly submit, a picture of the true “superman”.
I believe a new cycle is coming. The present is a cycle of science turned, again and again, to destructive ends. The new cycle will be a cycle of science illumined by the wisdom that builds. A cycle of unification, of synthesis. May I name it symbolically a new cycle of Krishna’s Flute? The dominating civilisations of the West are combative and powerintoxicated. “Be aggressive” –says Nietzsche. “Be brotherly” –is the message of the Rishis. In it is the voice of the Future. And only in a New Brotherly Civilisation is the hope of our broken, bleeding world.
IN QUEST OF True Wealth
IN QUEST OF True Wealth
DADA J. P. VASWANI
DADA J. P. VASWANI
Mitha bolan, nih chalan
Hathau bhi kuchch dey, Rab tinaa dey paas, Vo jhungal kiyun dhondhey.
In translation, this beautiful verse means:
Speak gently, Walk humbly, Give something in charity.
Then you need not to the forest go,
For the Lord is with you already!
If you do these three things dutifully, then there is no need for you to go to a forest and meditate. There is no need for you to go in quest of God. For God, the source of joy and
happiness will come in quest of you – and meet you.
In India, we have the beautiful tradition of greeting everyone we meet with folded hands and the reverential greeting: Namaste! It is the God within the human form that we salute thus.
If Lord Krishna Himself resides in the people we meet, why should we talk harshly to Him? Should we not be soft, gentle, reverential and sweet to the Lord? Each one of us is an image of Lord Krishna. We
should speak to each other reverently, gently and sweetly. Even if you disagree with others, and want to refute their arguments, you can do so with humility in your heart. You may disagree to comply with their requests, but you can do all this without hurting anyone, without creating discord, without using harsh words. You can negotiate with the most stubborn and egoistic individuals, using your personal charm and gentle words. This behavior will come to you naturally, if you realise that Sri Krishna is within every one. Automatically your attitude will change and you will be reverent, considerate and gentle with others.
Harsh words cause deeper wounds than sticks and stones. The poet-saint, Thiruvalluvar, tells us: Burnt flesh and skin heal sooner or later, but the wounds inflicted by a harsh tongue never, ever heal. Why should we be guilty of inflicting such wounds? Therefore, let us resolve to speak gently, softly, sweetly.
A king once put a question to the noblemen sitting in his darbar (court): What is the sweetest thing on earth?
The king firmly said to his courtiers, “I do not want a text book answer. Your answer should come from your own experience.” One
of the courtiers seated there answered, “The sweetest thing in this world is honey.” The second courtier said, “The sweetest thing is unrefined sugar-candy.” The third person answered, “The sweetest thing is sugar.” The fourth answer was, “Malai barfi.” The fifth was, “Icecream.” And many such answers were given. The king then posed a second question, “Which is the most bitter thing in the world?” “Poison,” replied someone. The king immediately chided the person, “Have you ever taken poison? Have you ever experienced its effect? I said, the answers should come from your own experience. A person who has taken poison, cannot be alive.”
There were many answers such as karela (bitter gourd), copper sulphate and so on. At last, one man gave an answer which pleased the king greatly. He said, “Your majesty, the answer to both your questions is one and the same: it is the human tongue. Man can have a sweet tongue or a sharp tongue. A sweet tongue is soothing; it is like a balm. It is the sweetest thing. A sharp tongue hurts and harms. It is the bitterest thing in the world.” The king was very pleased with the answer and rewarded the man for the same.
The second thing necessary for us, is humility of the heart. Be humble; be humble as a blade of grass. Once Gurudev Sadhu Vaswani was asked: What kind of persons would you like to associate with? Rich and famous, intelligent and scholarly, elitist and sophisticated, or beautiful and charming? Sadhu Vaswani with a magical smile replied, “My heart moves out to those who are humble. For the humble are pure at heart. They are the loved ones.” Therefore, let us learn to be humble and earn the grace of God.
Speak softly. Be humble. Be pure. No matter what your status in life; no matter how rich and powerful you are; no matter how influential your connections may be, be humble. Treat all those below you with kindness and gentleness.
King James the Second, was a powerful monarch of England. Once, some of his important papers were missing. He searched for them high and low, but could not find them. Calling his personal attendant, he asked him if he had seen the papers. The personal attendant replied, “Your Majesty, I do not know anything about the papers. I have not seen them at all!” Hearing this, the King flew into a rage. He slapped the
attendant hard, and said, “How dare you call yourself my attendant, if you cannot keep track of my personal papers?” The poor attendant was abashed. He bowed low before the king and said, “My Lord, please forgive me.” The servant was in no way responsible for the loss of the papers. But he knew that the king had the authority to punish him. Three days later, the King’s minister brought some documents for the king’s perusal. The King opened the file and was surprised to find those needed papers inside. The King recalled that he had sent these very documents to his minister with the instruction, to read them carefully and make a gist of the same, for his perusal. The King also recalled, how furious he had been with his personal attendant for apparently misplacing the documents. Immediately, he called his attendant and in the very presence of his minister, the King asked the attendant for forgiveness. The attendant was taken aback. “Your Majesty,” he exclaimed, “you are the monarch of this country. I am but a humble servant. Who am I to forgive you?” “No, no,” the King insisted, “unless you forgive me for my harsh behaviour, God will not pardon me. You were innocent. Even if you
had made the mistake, I had no right to slap you.” The King somehow convinced the attendant to say, “Your Majesty, I forgive you.” James, the Second, was truly a noble King. He practiced humility in daily life.
There is a saying, that truth triumphs. Satyameva Jayate. Victory belongs to Truth. Hence, some people argue, that if they are speaking the truth, they can speak it loudly, firmly, and authoritatively. But, the fact is that truth can be best conveyed in a soft, gentle way. Truth is humble! Therefore, while speaking the truth we should never be arrogant. Guru Arjun Dev, in Sri Sukhmani Sahib, says, “The true Brahmagnani is one who lives in humility.” A true Brahmagnani is pure as a lily and humble as ashes and dust. He immerses himself in austerity and lives a life of simplicity.
The third thing that all of us must follow is to give whatever we can in charity. You may give little, you may give much, but give you must. Share your wealth with those less fortunate than you. Sadhu Vaswani used to say, “I have but one tongue. If I had a million tongues, I would still utter the one word – give, give, give!”
Look at Nature. It always gives. It gives and gives and
ever gives. Think of the tree. It gives fruit to others. Does it ever eat its own fruit? Think of the river. Does it ever drink its own water? A river flows, to slake the thirst of people. It calls out to men and women, “Come hither! Quench your thirst in my flowing waters!” Indeed, one of the primordial laws of Nature is to give.
“If you don’t have anything to give, at least give everyone a sweet smile.” A ‘smile’ is something that remains with us, even after we have beamed it to someone. No one can snatch it away from us. It is a precious asset, that remains with us, even when we have given it away. It brings us joy and spreads smiles all around us.
Give, give, give! Give today, give now, for tomorrow may be too late! If you keep postponing your good intentions for the morrow, and if death overtakes you, you will have to leave behind all the wealth you have accumulated.
Man cannot carry anything with him beyond death. To earn ‘true wealth’, you must practise three things: (i) Speak sweetly; (ii) walk humbly;
(iii) give alms with your own hands.
