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"Meher Asramam " : Saidapet, (Madras).
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A Bi-monthly review devoted to the Propagation of Sri Babaji's Message and of Universal Brotherhood Through Meher League.
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MEHER GAZETTE S
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Vol. Ill]
NOVEMBER- DECEMBER 1934
[No.5
vVhere is ig norance: \"!here sorrow for him who has seen t he One in l\'l any? Yajur Y.·da.
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SRI MEHER BABA That is real service vVhere there is no though t of sel f at a ll. SRI ME H E R B ABA .
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CONTENTS.
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S PECIAL MESSAGE OF MASTER SRI MEHER BABA NEWS ABOUT THE HOLY MAST ER I NVOCATION TO ADONA! SRI MEHER BABA'S 7TH Tou~ TO T HE WEST ••• BIOGRAPHY OF H. H. SRI MEHER BABA MY MAST ER-BY BRO. F. H. DADACHANJ I ABOUT THE MA STER EDITORIAL POEMS TO T HE BEL OVED MASTER PRACTICAL LESSONS 0~ Y OGA T HE M UNDAKA UPANISHAD TtiE C HILDREN's PAGE THE LADIES' PAGE THE HARIJAN PAGE MEHER ASRAMAM , SAIDAPET MEHER L EAGUE MEMBERS OF MEHER L EAGUE OUR EXCHANGE
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E ditor : C. V. Sampath Aiyangar (Late of Madras J udicial Service.)
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@ THE
MEHER GAZETTE A Bi-monthly review devoted to the Propagation of Sri Babaji's Message and of Universal Brotherhood Through Meher League.
NOVEMBER-DECEMBER
VoL. III]
[No. 5
MESSAGE SENT BY OUR DEAR MASTER ON THE EVE OF HIS DEPARTURE TO THE WEST ON 15TH NOVEMBER 1934.
THOSE w·Ho ARE UNITED IN LOVE KNOW NO SEPARATION. VVHEREVERIAM,WHEREVER
YOU ARE, I .AM ALWAYS WITH YOU. MY LOVE .AND BLESSINGS TO YOU ALL. (SD). M. S. I RAN I
(N.B.-THE MASTER NOW SIGNS HIS NAME.
ED.)
THE MEHER GAZETTE
98
[1934
NEWS ABOUT THE HOLY MASTER. Our dear Master left Bombay on h;s eighth tour to the West by S. S. Tuscania on 15th November 1934. I received from Port Said a letter that the voyage was smooth and comfortable, that the Master would arrive in London on the 3.!Jth ultimo, that He would be there till the 5th instant, and that He might arrive in New York about the 12th. He may be in America till February. We send our respectful salutations l,nd sincere love to the beloved Master.
INVOCATION TO ADONAI. BY BRO. FRATER S.S.H.F. (AMERICA). I invoke Thee to come forth, 0 God of All-Life, All-Wisdom, All-Power, All-Love, and All-Splendour, to protect me and bless in this and in an my )audable undertakings. !"am one with Thee, 0 Adonai, because Thou hast Thy being in me. Let Thy Light shine effulgently within me to guide me and make plain my Path this day. 0 Most Adorable Being, illuminate Thou my will and make my courage indomitable. Let all thoughts of fear be dissipated into nothingness.¡ Let me overcome all negative conditions. Let me give complete expression to all Thy Divine Attributes within_me and attain to conscious union with Thee. Thou hast given me dominion over the Spirits of Earth, Water, Air and Fire, and in Thy 'Holy Name, 0, Most Powerful Adonai, I command their obedience now and always. Through the Power of all Thy Mighty and Aooraable Names I bind all Evil Spirits, that they do me. no harm whatever. (To be continued).
SRI
BABA~S
7th TOUR TO THE WEST.
June-July 1934
(Diary of Bro. Chanji) [Continued from page 77] In sh{)rt, both these backbones of the film project, with their years of exp:!rience in the line, seem to have fa!len in with Baba. His personal contact a:od influence ha!. worked in them wonderfully and brought about a change ¡in both. They have now learnt through personal experience to understand Him and His ways. Inspired by the confidence aroused in them through Baba's love and contact, they are bOth now after it, working hard, day aDd might, to make this picture the only one of its kind, with their wonderful experie11ces of technique in the art of picture production. The heart is a mirror, and vexa.tioo the rust on it.
1034]
SRI BABA'S SEVENTH TOUR TO THE WEST
99
N and E with Mrs. E. D represent Baba in the west, looking after the business side of the concern on behalf of Baba. Their splendid efforts to raise funds in face of extreme financial difficulties, sacrificing their own interests for Baba's work and sacred cause, are really admirable, and speak of their immense love and devotion for Baba. Baba's visit, however short, has thus worked and brought about a marked progress in the materialization of the picture scheme, having aroused confidence in all the chief workers, working departmentally, with great enthusiasm, inspired by the confidence through personal contact with Baba. The experience of the two principal figures in this scheme~Dr. V and P-of the former as a writer, director, artist and poet, and of the latter as a producer with a distin. guishing talent for techniques and art of the picture production, are really amazing. And with the love that Baba's personal contact has inspired in them, there is no doubt about their whole-hearted co-operation. \Vith new energy and inspiration that they will always have henceforth th ~octgh Baba's spiritn1l help, let us hope that their combined efforts will produce a result in the form of a picture that will prove worthy of the hands that worked it out and of the Holy spirit that inspired it, and whose Guiding Hand ever worked behind it. The interesting details of the meetings and conversations are too many to mention in a short diary. Baba intended to see K. V. when He left India, explain to him the details of the Chart and the spiritual theme to enable him to finis.h the incomplete scenario, and then return to India immediately till the film project materialized. But events since transpired which neeessitated the presence of N, and then of E and P, who were all called from America, and as a result of this meeting of all the principal figures, co-workers in the film production, q~ite contrary to all expectations, the project has materialized too splendidly.
7th July: Baht arrived in Zurich . (Switzerland) on the 7th. He stayed here till the 16th. He leaves here on the 16th for Marseil!es, and sails from there on the 20th for India by the P. & 0. linerS. S. Strathanaver, arriving in Bombay on the 2nd of August. This visit to the West, though mainly intended for the materialization of the picture project, has, side by side, W?rked to bring many new interesting ancl interested -visitors and aspirants of Truth to Baba forming new contacts that in future will surely prove of help in Baba's work and cause in the \Vest. Three receptions were given in honour of Baba by His Ardent devotees in London, the first by Countess K. P. where some of her friends and acquaintances in the "higher circle ",-very good souls and seekers of Truth-met Baba, and were so deeply touched and impressed. Another at Mr. Krishna Veer (the Proprietor of the Kohinoor Restaurant) at his residence where Baba was very lovingly received by Mr. and Mrs. Krishna Veer and their family, and had a fine treat of delicious Indian dishes. The third was in the Office of the Circle Editorial Committee, at Charing Cross, where Baba saw about fifty people for about two The language of true love is understood by all creatures.
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THE MEHER GAZETTE
[1934
hours-fine, loving an1 lovable souls, and sincere seeker~. Then, Baba was also invited for lunch at the Kohinoor Restaurant by His devotees in London, and a very nice gathering of a select few, about forty, ardent admirers and devotees, had lunch with Him at the same table. The lunch was of course in name, the real "spiritual" lunch was the one they all had in being with Him for an hour under the same roof and on the same table, a very rareyrivilege indeed, since Baba's visit is strictly private, and He sees very, very few. (There were several others on the waiting list, but their meeting had to be postponed to a future date when Baba would be in London next). This contact proved of immense good to all who had the good fortune to have it, giving wonderful experiences to the new comers, and a new life and light to all.
CHAPTER IX
BIOGRAPHY OF HIS HOLINESS SRI MEHER EABA. THE MAN-GOD. Sri Baha speaking of the mystical side of Self-realization !'aid as follows: When the Soul makes itself free from all manifoldness and duality, the Sole Unity that is God answers truly to the Oneness of the soul. And the mystical Journeys, which a pilgrim has to undergo, aided solely and wholly by love, are three: The first begins with gnosis and ends with the complete passing away or the total annihilation (Fana) of the lower self and the entire severance from all phenomenal existence. The second begins at the moment when the self-annihilation is succeeded py 'abiding' (Baka), or when the union of the soul with God takes place. This union has been briefly explained by ¡the expression, ' Anal Hak '-I am God. The Aspirant, when he attains to this union, becomes the emblem ot Perfection and real izes that he is the very Universal Infinite Existence. The third Journey begins from the state of" I am God" and ends at the station of Perfect manhood (Kutub or Sadguru). To him gnosis (Tarikat or Adyatma marg), Divine knowledge (Marefat or Atmagnyan), and self-annihilation (Fana or Atman laya or Nirvana) are .as the rivers of his ocean, whereby h~ helps whomsoever he wishesâ&#x20AC;˘ . A pilgrim, while undergoing these three Journeys, has to pass through various worlds, planes and stations. Each of these stations has peculiarities of its own,-the obstacles, sufferings, experiences being of different types- The Master speaks of seven planes, the seventh being " Godhood ". Theosophy speaks .of seven planes and worlds (Divine World, Monadic, God resisteth the proud, but giveth grace to the humble.
1934]
BIOGRAPHY OF SRI MEHER BABA
101
Spiritual, Intuitional, Mental, Emotional or Astral and Physical). Baba says ¡ that the Aspirant is a Yogi or Rahrav in the planes 1 to 3, a Mahayogi in the fourth plane, a Vali in the fifth, and a Pir in the sixth. The states of Rahravs, Valis, Mahayogis, Birs. and Sants, are all under the domain of duality, imperfection, and in the Jivatman position. It is only when the soul transcends the mental sphere and gets the final Fana, i.e., the complete and permanent annihilation of the lower self, that the soul can be said to be free and fit to become one with God, who is the only Truth ar;d the Reality in Existence. It is, therefore, clear that the Spiritual Aspirant has to make three Journeys in order to reach the State of Satguruship, viz,(i) From Gnosis or Tarikat to the annihilation of the lower self or Fana. (ii) From this annihilation to Immortality or Balm. (iii) and from Immortality to Man-Godship or Kutubiyat or Sadguruship. The completion of the second Journey signifies spiritual perfection. Tl:o3e who, after becoming perfectly superconscious, do not undert .. ke the th ircl journey, and do not give up their body are called Majzoob or Paramahamsas. The difference between a Majzoob and a Kutub or a l'aramahamsa and a Sadguru is this: For the former the creation does not exist at all. For the latter the creation is existing plus the state of "I am God", but to him the creation exists only as the pure imagination of individual egoes and nothing more. The completion of the third journey brings about the restoration of the gross and subtle consciousness, without interfering in any way with the retention of Superconsciousness. Sadgurus or Kutubs are not only Superconscious but also creation-conscious. They are God-men and may be called Godincarnates. Those who arc in the physical sphere can grasp only those things which are within the scope of intellect. Those who are io.1 Pr ,,na and Mana Loka lYogis or Spiritually semi-advanced persons) can read the minds and hearts of all those, who are not more advanced than they wrth their higher powers: but they are under the domain of intellect. Sad gurus are beyond Mind and Intellect and know the ins and'outs of the Universe through their Dnyan. Mujzoobs are beyond Mind and Intellect, but as they cannot come down, they are conscious only of the Self. These are the words of the Master. gist of this Chapter.
They will enable us to understand the
Every aspirant ought to bear in mind that he must be balanced. He must endeavour to develop in himself all good qualities so that he may cross the several stages in his evolution. Mere intellectual development may become dangerous if love and sympathy are neglected. Love . and sympathy, without intellect, may lead one into foolish actions. There is th e need of knowledge and There is no grief like hate.
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[1934
Love. Self-realization is not possible without these two essentials. With these, God is eas'ily comprehensible, It was why the purely intellectual Jewish philosopher asserted "God is incomprehensible: not even the whole universe much less the human mind, can contain the conception, of Him. We know that He is, we cannot know what He is. We may see the manifestations of Him in His works; but it is monstrous folly to go behind His works and inquire into His essence." Sadgurus, who have realized the Truth, understand God. The late Prof. William James of the Harward University said : "For my own part, I have finally found myself compelled to give up the logic fairly, s=~.uarely and irrevocably. It has an imperishable use in human life, but that use is not to make us theoretically acquainted with the essential nature of reality. Reality, 'life, experience, concreteness, immediacy, use what word you will, exceeds our logic, overflows and surrounds it.". Great scientists like Eddington have stated that the scientific method of approaching the great question of Truth cannot be the only one. The eminent scientist Sir Oliver Lodge, in his valuable book, "The substance of Faith allied with .S cience", approaches the question most reverentially and says that of our own knowledge we are unable to realise the meaning of origination or of maint2nance. Sri Baba stated, "If you realize only a small portion of what I call the Highest knowledge, you will experience great bliss. It will bring down heaven jnto your heart. Every object will give you joy and will reveal t~e story of its existence". It is only God-realized persons that can teach what they realized from personal experience. B1-1t this Highest experience can only be personal. There is nothing in this matter which can be 1 shown'; That must be experiwced and 'seen': The demand of some foolish, intellectual so-call~d Aspirants that they should be shown evidence of this Highest knowledge is meaningless. They should work out their. awn salvation on the Path patiently and with great.humility. They may achie\¡e this in one life or many Jives, but it is their b11siness. The Masters will help them, but the Realization ca:n never be anything but Self-Realization. This is what is taught tersely in Mandukya-Upanishad. It is stated therein that the sacred syllable 1 OM' (A-U-M) is assuredly ..,Para Brahman", that the Atman is Brahman, and that this Atman is fourfooted. The first f ¡ ot is the Vaiswmzara, whose plane is in the waking state, whose consciousne~s is outWard, and who rs the enjoyerof the gross- The Taijas, whose field ).c; the dreaming life, whose consciousness is inward, who enjoys mental impressions only, is the second foot. l'he Praina, whose existence is in deep-sleep plane, who is verily the enjoyer of bliss, is the third foot. Then comes the transcendental unitary state of Supreme Bliss, which is the fourth syllableless state. Says this wonderful Sruti "By his own self, he enters the Self." This is Self. realization. There is. no pain like passion.
,
1934]
MY MASTER
103
I have no doubt that Sri Baba is a God-realized Master. He says, as Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa said," Whatever I teach, I have seen." We have seen that with the help of His Guru He became God-realized. Sri Meher l:!aba, in the highest plane, became unconscious of the gross and subtle worlds. He had no appetite for food, nor did He sleep. His eyes were always wide open. His parents, who could not understand the real state of affairs, were greatly perplexed and put Him under the treatment of the best doctors. They were not able to do anything for their -patient. (To be continued)
MY MASTER. (As OTHERS SEE HIM) (BY BROTHER
F. H.
DADACHANJI)
[Continued from page 83] And these two were not the only ones who felt the Divine Jove and personal contact of the Holy Being so deep. There were many others, who in their very first visit with Him for a few moments, mostly in silence, felt His presence and touch in a way _they never before felt in their lives. It was, as they themselves expressed, "a moment of supreme bliss in their life to be ushered into the room filled or rather surcharged with Love Divine that Baba radiated every moment," and which literally held all who came in His influence " tongue-tied and spell-bound". Let us read what their hearts poured out, in their own words :
(i) "The day of days remains present through all. The beanty is that Shri Baba penetrates even the commonest things. I find myself still dumb. . In contemplation,he appears as the" flaming Rose" on the Tree of Life, and the flame is amber gold ............ ". (ii) " Now that I have seen the Flower ef Humanity, I know what the goal of life is, and shall never again falter or linger on the way. Whether we come or go, in time or space, we know your great l_ove encompasses us, and our thoughts and Jove will be with you constantly from now on. Yours in devotion .... . .... . ..... ". (iii) "That you wish to have me come to you and that you love me is a joy to me. There is no deceit ¡like sense.
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[1934
I cannot .now com~ in the flesn, but my sp_irit turps towards- the-.Sun that calls him, towards the South. I send you the greetings of my spirit, and my humble and reverent love. And I ask you to help me by all .the power of yonr magnificent spirit, for I need you ... . .............. ". · (iv) " I have established )'our image in my heart, dear and beloved Sir ......... ". (v)
"Very dear and Perfect teacher, The image glows Ti1e face is bathed in filtered moonbeams The eyes are holy, hushed RUd waiting, And my hear~ is heavy with unshed tears .. , ............ ". (vi) " This is to thank the Master and you for the kindness extended me on Saturday, and I am still wondering if it .w as a dream . Realizing there is not a word that would be written by me that is not already known by Him, why it will simply be my wish and constant desire to be worthy to be "used" by that Highest wisdom of which my Imowledge is far less than a child in its mother's arms ............ ". (vii) Mrs. A. . . is coming to Harmon to-morrow afternoon . . . and I am coming with her. Would it be possible for us to see Meher Baba during the late afternoon ! It would be wonderful to have another contact before he leaves, and I would be so happy to have another blessing . ........ .... .. It was one of the most wonderful moments of my life when I felt His sympathy and kindness, and I can never thank you enough ......... for giving me the opportunity. \Vith Jove to you and J .... and my profound respects to Me her Baba ............ ". "It made me unhappy to leave the House of Love and your presence. 1 haye longed to be there. in your love · illuminat.i ng presence, but when the longing was greatest I have thought most deeply of you, and have been · helped and sustained ........ .I have been through another difficult testing which I am sure you know about. I thought of you and Jove flooded my being, and all is welJ .............. .! want to help in your work ......... and hope I may be able to prepare the centre for your coming in the Spring ............... ".
The ooe thing needful is Faith and Bhakti.
ABOUT THE MASTER
1934]
105
ABOUT THE MASTER. (From the' London Forum '- Continued from page 86.) The s pirit of Anti Christ", the Manifesto runs, "is with us stronger than ever. It is flourishing in a tired, disillusioned world, in interna tiona l relationships, governments, politics, business, and in the home . . .. The world has lost confidence in its leaders . .. .. Ne ith er conferences nor leagues can cure human ills that spring from w idespread s piritual ineffic iency." Shri Meher Baba writes: "Organized efforts, such as the League of N a tions, world conferences, and Peace Pacts are made in the hope of solv ing the world problem s which face a ll nat ions to-day. B ut a ll such efforts have onl y a very part ial success on account of th e prevai ling ma terial ism, a nd because th ese efforts ig nore the s piritua l character and potentiali ties of man." Agai n, the Circle booklet says : "There exists a t the present mom ent a Un ivera l d issati sfaction and an indescri bable long ing for something that w ill end the terri bl e chaos aad mi sery that overshadows th e world just now. He is going to satisfy th is long ing and lead the world to real hap piness. "The di sorders in the world without are a reflec tion of th e di sorders wi thin. Shri Meher Baba w ill enable mankind to solve their inner p robl ems by awakening the di vine elements within them ".
A Tremendous Spiritual Impulse Needed. Once more the m anifes to decla res : " T here is leadership tha t is Godconfiden t , because it trusts no t in itself but in G od, a nd H is gui dance. Such leadersh ip is our insta nt need ... .. .. .. . . .a d ictatorship of the H oly S piri t." Compare w ith thi s the a nswer g iven in "S hri Meher Baba " to the question "Wha t is his mi ss ion? " ¡'It is to make mankind rea lize, not onl y th rough intel lect, but by ac tual experience, the O ne In fi ni te S elf which is in a ll. Before we ca n a tta in to everlasting peace and experience constant joy, we m us t reali se the God within ourselves and in everything we see a nd meet. Shri Meher Baba has a tta ined to that realiza tion. The whole pur pose of His inca rnat ion is to help others to attain to like realiza tion. He has come to awaken. B y the power o f Di v ine L ove which flo ws from H im continua ll y, H e transfo rms the consc iousness of those who come to Him for libera tion, that they m ay know, through experience, wha t the philosophers have tried to teach theoretica lly throug h the ages . . . ". Continuing, the manifesto declares: " Changed lives a re th e raw ma teria l of the new world-order". He who longs for Him, finds Hi m .
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THE MEHER GAZETTE
[1934
Note in this connection the statement in regard to some of the effects which have arisen out of contact with Shri Meher Baba: "The internal benefits have been in the form of s piritua l experiences, glim pses and visions of life beyond this material existence, which have transformed th eir lives and changed their outlook". (To be continued)
Editorial] Mass Education. I t is a thou<>and pities tha t nobody in this coun try approaches the di ffic ult and in trica te s ubject of education from the correc t stand po int. Ev ery adult in this coun try un fortun ate ly assumes an attitude of an expert on education, and g ives express ion to wh a t he thinks is the only solution of all the Indianeducation-p rob lem s. Compare thi s wi th what bonafid e educa ti on- experts a re doing in EngLmd, Amer ica a nd other self-gov erning coun tri es . O ur poor chil dren are the v ic tim s of tile ever-chang in g experimen ts of our w ise-ac res here. The cart load s of note- hooks which a ch il d of eight or nine is asked to take to th e sch ool every day staggers an y person with commonsense l T he introduc tion of new text books, at the w him a nd fancy of Headma sters, every year to pl ease or encourage the several publi sh ers- E ng li sh and Indian- , who are a leg ion, a t th e cos t of the poor parents, is another bugbear, wh ich mus t be made to disapp.::ar as early as poss ible. vV llen educationi sts like Dr. Ben i Prasad ha ve conc lus ively prov ed that the benefits of educat ion can be re ndered secu re only by th e uni versa lit y of ed uca tion, it is absurd to make educa tion very costl y, and tal<e it beyond the reach of even the middle classes . H e said tha t educat ion should ¡be a co nt inuous process from the nursery to th e Univ ers ity s tage, th a t it should not be regarded as ending w ith childh ood, tha t it mus t continue in to adolescence, and th a t above all "the present day primary and secondary s tages mus t be li nked more closel y into a s ing le w hole", I may preface my observat ions by say ing tha t fo r, a t least, the nex t twenty ye u s only Indian -pa triots, w ho ha ve v is itP.d the \ Vest a nd s tudied there the t duca tional pro blems fro lli th e l11 dimt sl a 11dpoillf s houl d be appo inted here in the educ:'l.tiona l fie ld. 1t is unfortuna te but true, th a t most of th e westerneducated Indians retum to our belove d Motherland with s wollen heads a nd treat everythi ,,g Indian w ith contumely. \Vestern methods may be adopt ed hu e 11111 fa tis mutandis w ith ad vantage to suit Indian conditions . .-\n India n Collector ser iously s ugges ted that a slaug hter of the innocent s in exam ina tions is necessa ry to put an end to the unnecessary m anu facture of gradua tes, to their unem ployment, and to the ma nufac ture of undes ira ble polit ical busy-bodi es l T his is not the way to meet a very important and serious ques tion as E ducat ion a nd U nemp loyment. E ve ry one s hould be gi ven the op por tuni ty of hav ing hig her educat ion. Th e pruning kn ife should not g¡o into the hands of heartless peopl e like the Indian Coll ector. In aH weathers cling to the name of the Lord,
1934]
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Education, as Dr. Prasad said the other day in Allahabad, consists in a harmonious developmont a ll round , a synthesis of play and work, of thought and action, of freedom and discipline, of strong indi viduality and habits of co-operation: And, I may be permitted to add in consonance with Truth, which is knowledge of unity in multi plicity, and Ind ian Culture. Give th a t kind of education, improve the econom ic condi tion of the country, and drive away the demon-pove rty from the land, one need not th en say that higher education is only intended for the fa voured few like the blessed learned Collec tor. Dr. Beni Prasad sol ves many of these questions in a practical way. tempted to quote his sage suggestions :-
I am
"Along with econom ic ameliorati Gn, un iversa l education would lift soc iety out of the misery, ignorance a nd bickerings which a re the lot of the vast majority to-d ay", "The mass of the people had fe w wants and low purchas in g power. The remedy was in liquida ti ng poverty, a conce rted effort to im prove ag ~ic ulture , to open up communications and to industriali se the country. As these progress, technical education woul d prove useful. Mass education wo uld come in to raise the level of enli ghtenment and to a wa ken the amb iti on for a hi g her s tandard of li ving, shorter hours of la bour a nd a w ide r margin of leisure for creative use. It w ill evoke new demands and help to enl arge the scope of the economic demand", Thi s is the way to sol ve the que 3tion . To thro w obstacles in the way of persons a nx ious to reap the be11efit s of hig he r education is Find ways a nd means of providing em ployment to th e educated, cowardly. but by no m ea ns take away the a mbros ia from the li ps of the poor. Mass education a nd economi c a meli orat ion are th e only keys by whi ch many of our p rob lems can easil y be solved. Every true Karm a Yog in shou ld do something in thi s direc tion. We a re ta lking too much : let us beg in to ac t.
POEMS To Baba ( l) T here is no thin g but you, I know thi s ! Your light infiltra tes every ray,Your P resence permeates my being , And turns the cl oud s of darkness into day.
(2) You think m y thoughts, you regulate M y hear t beat. You a,ni mate my senses, stir my soul ,Your powe r moves the muscles of my body, Your Cha ngeless Purpose holds me to my goal. Tread 1he pat b of T ruth .
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THE MEHER GAZETTE
(3) Within, without, above, below, Around me! In fellow-man, and bird and cloud and tree You are,-and I wait your promised Blessing, When heart and mind shall blend in ecstasy ! jEAN-AMERICA.
Emancipation. [Another allegory to the relation of the Master and the discipie]
(I) l. Within the nutritive efements: Inside the shell of an egg There arose a crystalised centre¡ Responsive to the environment. Z. Like the peeps in the twilight
Of a cloudy day drawing near night. Was his awareness CDf his tiny world; And he knew not the limitless space.
3. One day, there arose in his mind A desire to break through hi's prison. As the lake ruffled by a breeze \Vas his mind restfess with aspiration .. 4'. In bitter anguish he cried for freedom, But to0' fraif was he to break his shell.. In bitter anguish he cried and cried As in a wilderness of impregnabfe solitude. (II)
5. There was a mighty bird ontside; Her abode was in the dizzy heights Of the rising peak of a mountain, And the crosser of the skies was she. 6. rn the midst of her whirling flights, Round the dizzy heights of the mountain~ She heard that feeble cry of anguish Faint as rt was wi-th unrelieved despair.
7. Renouncing the joys of the heavens Like the arrow of a mighty hunter SwiHly she descended on the earth Drawn by her love for the li¡ttle ene. Live in Om.
1934]
PRACTICAL LESSONS IN YOGA
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8. Gently she sat upon that egg With her snow-white wings unfurled. Warding off the inclemencies of weather And giving the warmth of her love.
(III) 9. Again and again the little one Appealed to his friend for freedom. But the crosser of the skies outside Knew well the risks of premature release. 10. With voice the little one cried "I aspire to see you face to face ! " "I am with you, my dear child" ~'hisper e d the voice of Love outside. 11. For days and nights the little one Thought of his friend outside, Until he grew into her likeness Through the love he received and gave. 12. Then the Beloved broke his prison shell To spend a few days of mutual happiness, And in due time, away they flew together Beyond the ken of mortal eyes. Prof. C.
D. DESHMUKH M.A. PH.D.
PRACTICAL LESSONS ON YOGA. (BY SWAMI SRI S!VANANDAJI).
Continued from page 88. 22. If the physical instrument Eye is not in good working order owing to cataract or any other disea~e, you cannot have perception of an object. The Eye may be alright, but if the centre of the vi sion, that is situated in the Occipital cave of the brain at the back of th e skull, does not function properly owing to the di sease of this particular lobe of th e b rain, in that c;ase also you can hardly have perception of any object. The eye and the centre of the vision may be in a sound condition, but if the mind is not linked with the centre and the external eye you can hardly have perception of any object. Sometimes a man says" I did not hear, I did not see. Ivfy mind was elsewhere". This you will find in your daily life. 23. The one mind a ssuâ&#x20AC;˘nes the three other form s, Buddhi, Chitta and Ahankara. According to the different functions it performs (Vrithi bheda), just as one man is a Judge in Courts, president in a Sabha, slorekeeper in stores, and General Secretary in a Managing Committee. Feel His presence everywhere.
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24. Manas is Sankalpa¡ Vikalpa-Atmak (willing and doubting}. " It thinks whether to go to a place or not, whether to do this or not, whether this is good or bad". The mind is of a doubting nature. 25. Buddhi or intellect is Nischayatanak (certitude) or Adhyasayatmak. It is the determining faculty. It is the light that determines. One way or the other I must go to Debra Dun by this evening train. I must do this work. This is good. 26 . Chitta does the function of Anusandhan and Dharma. The function of memory also belongs to Chitta. According to Yoga philosophy Chitta is the mind stuff, and the mind, intellect and egoism are various processes in the mind stuff. 27. Aha11kara is the self arrogating principle. It does the function of ' Abhimana '. It creates 'mamata' (mineness). This is the root cause for all human sufferings. All vrithis hang up on this one' Aham Vrithi ',"I" thought. It is the root cause for human ignorance.
28. Modification of the mind is known as Parinama. When milk is changed into curd, it is al so a PariHama. Even so the mind gets modified into a vritti by assuming the form of the object it perceives. 29. Knowledge or perception is a kind of transformation (parinama) of the mind. 30. Sa twa, Rajas and Tamas are the three gunas or qualities of the mind. Rajas is passion or activity. Tamas is inertia or darkness. By checking Rajas and Tamas you can increase the Satwa. When the Satwa is increased the mind becomes steady like the flame of a lamp in a windless place. He who is Satwic can do real concentration and meditation, and can enter into Samadhi easily.
Satwa is purity or light or koowledge.
31. A Rajasic man loves power and objects of sense. does vicious actions on account of ignorance.
A Tamasic man
32. Satwa cannot stand by it~elf. 1t is mixed with disturbing Rajas and Tamas. When there is preponderance of Satwa, Rajas and Tamas get controlled. They lurk themselves. 33. \\'here there is increase of Satwa, there are brightness, lightness, Joy, purity, stre.ngth, peace and illumination. 34. Your important duty is to iocrease Satwa and control the senses and the m~nd. Other duties are secondary (Gowna) only. A sensible man only can Wlderstand th)s point. 35. Yoga is a complete suppression of the tendency of the mind to trailsform itself into objects, thoughts etc. It demands continuous and steady practice: Then comes unlimited strength, peace, and knowledge. (To be continued) Never miss the goal.
1934]
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THE MUNDAKA UPANISHAD. The word' Mundaka' is derived from the root mund=to shave. He who understands this Upanishad is shaved, that is liberated from all Samskaras. This Upanishad contains three parts, each of which is divided into two Khaudas or sections.
First Mundaka. (First Chapter). 1. Brahma, the Creator of the Universe and the protector of the world, the best of all Shining Ones, manifested Himself. He told (taught Atharvan, his eldest son) the knowledge of Brahman, which is the foundation of all knowledge.
2. Atharvan taught, formerly that knowledge of Brahman, which Brahma had told him, to Angira. Angira taught the same to Satyavaha of Bharadwaja gotra-Bharadwaja (Satyavaha) gave that knowledge, which had been traditionally obtained, to Angiras. [It is clear from the Sruti itself that the knowledge of Brahman was transmitted by the manifested Brahman. In other words, it was Revealed.] 3. Sounaka, the great householder, approached, according to rules, Angiras, and asked him, "Well, Venerable Sir, what being known, all becomes known? [The learned questioner Sounaka, who has passed the stage of grihasta desires to understand the First Princ iple of the Why and Wherefore of Things]. 4. He (Angiras) said to him (Sounaka) : There are two kinds of knowledge to be known-thus say the knowers of Brahman. They are tht: higher and lower knowledge. [The higher is the knowledge of Brahman ; the lower is the that is of the intellect which will lead to the higher].
knowledg~
Cf. What Sri Krishna says in .Chap. VII of the Gita. He describes His Para and Apam Prakriti (Higher and lo wer Prakriti) slukas 5 and 4. In the lower we see multiplicity (Rhinna). The higher prakriti is One, the lifeelement (Jivabhutam). The knowledge of the one is the higher and the knowledge of the other is the lower]. 5. Of these, the lower knowledge comprehends these: the Rig Veda, the Yajus, the Sarna Veda, the Yajur Veda, the Atharva Veda, phonetics, kalpa, grammar, etymology, prosody, and astronomy. The higher is the continuation of this -¡bY which the Imperishable (Brahman) is comprehended. [It is absurd to say that the one knowledge is lower and should be rejected. When we say 'lower ' we say in continuation there is something 'higher'. A person should begin with phonetics and reach the splendid heights of the VedasThey deal with everything worth knowing by mortal man . Then he ascends to the Highest knowledge. That is what Sri Krishna says in Chapter 2 Slo!;:a 46.] The Kingdom of Heaven is within yuu.
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6. That wh ich is inv isible, uugraspable, without ongm, without form. without eyes and ears, without hands and feet, eternal, of manifold expressions, all-pervading, subtle, the undecayi-ng, the source of all creation,.- him, the sages 'behobd everywhere.
era be
continued:)
THE CHILDREN'S PAGE. In addre ssing the conYocation of the Un iversity vf Mysme this year, Srr H . Suhrawardy said:" Much of the backwardness and ineffic iency of our peop!e mi ght be dir ect ly traced to the lack of their physical fitness. On acct:mnt of tneir Iow vi talit y, they fall easy ~ i c tim s to infectious di-seases and th ere is a constant drain l!>n their poor reserve of vitality. Great a ttent ion w ill have to be paid i¡n school s and cvlleges to the build ing np of the phys ical manh ol!>d of the comntry. PhysK:al fitness is, to my m ind, th e first conditi-on of mtell'ectna! efficiency aud men tar alertness ". These remarks ha-ve to be wri;tten rn fetters of gofd . UnJess Ch rl'dren are properly nouri-shed physicaf exercise alone w ill not do them any g()od. Last tim e we qooted Mr. W a lter E!Irofs d'ictum ' ' M ilk puts beef ill yon". He said in substance, dri'nk mill< and becom e a Cabrnet lVf rnioster. He is a responsib!e Min ister of the Governm ent of Great B rita in. He has made arrangements-for supp!yin g milk for all ch ildren. The healthy child vf to-day will become the useful healthy citi-zen of to-morrow. Our immorta:l B hagavat Gita tells ns what kind s l!>f food we should take to be healthy. They are : "The foods which increase vitality, energy. strength, health, cheerfulness and ap pet rte, wh ;ch are saYoury and oleag inoms, substantiab . and agreeabl e". (17"8). Jt also says that those who foolishly pract ice severe austerit ies no t enjoined by the S astra (Gita rtself), tmtllre the G od dwell ing: m their bodies (17. 5 and 6). Milk is the best food whi ch every one should take. The Chjld of to-day is the man vf to-morrow. We want s trong and stalwa rt men and women hke Mr. E tliot. Will Municipal ities in Ind ia consider thi s point serilSly, and arrange to supply m ilk at least fm the poor children Feading i-n thei r school s as an experim ent? In all such cases it ts crrm inal to say" no money ". W iil our Mrnrsters go to England and undergo a s ~x - month s training under Mr. \ Valter Elliot?
Di,vilnity is a hving dynamic thi ng.
1934]
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THE LADIES' PAGE. 1. T he la te Madam Curie is the famous discoverer of radium. MMe. Eve Curie, her daugh ter, is as great a scientist as her mother. We are told that she d iscovered art ifici al radium. T he civ iliza tion of the ancient Hindus is the oldest known to us. T hey were the discoverers of the decimal system . L aterly they lost their inventive power. vVhen w ill our Mother India produce women-sci ent ists like Madam Curie a nd her daugh ter? 2. T he g reat law-g iver Manu emphat ically states that w here women are honoured there men w ill pros per. In the Vedic period women were treated as equa ls of men, and they were hi ghly educated . Educa tion is the panacea for all ills. I t is very interesting to note that literacy of women has gone up from 44 to 92 per cent in thirteen years in Russ ia, and the wom an-d rudge is extinc t t here. W hen shall we say the same thing in Ind ia ? 3. It is refreshing to note that our sisters in Madras have issued a mani festo to the candidates seek ing the votes of wom en, a nd are determ ined to vote for the candidate who would support soc ial reform. S ome of t he questions in the m a n ifesto are these :(i) Wi ll you try to establish equality of ri gh ts and opportunities between mea a nd women ? (ii) W ill you secure for every g irl and boy educat ion through schemes of compul sory prim a ry education ? (iii) W ill you suppor t a ll schemes for the expa ns ion and development of g irls' education, and liberal gra nts for girl s' sc hools , both primary and st:condary ? (iv) Wi ll you work to secure the abolition of c hild -marriage by suitable a mendments to the Sarada Act and by enforc ing its p rov i~i ons , and to rai se th e age of consent both wit !. in marriage and out of marriage ? (v) Wi ll you suppo rt and encourage Swadeshi ? (v i} \ iV ill you work fo r th e remova l of untoucha bil ity ? (vii ) \ Nill you support our demand for a full responsible self-government or Dom inion Status for Ind ia ? My dear sisters, S ri Babaj i Showers His choices t blessings on you.
THE HARIJAN PAG E. A great Master says tha t because God is L ove, you, if you \\¡ou ld become one w ith Him, m ust be filled with perfect unselfishn ess and love also. Mother D r. Besan t em phatica lly said "I speak to yo u from m y own experience. L earn to love all, wi thout asking anyt hing in retur n. and wh en you do tha t you w ill Man is d iv ine.
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find plenty of people to love you; but so long as you keep on grabbing, their natural instinct is to draw back". This is an important lesson which no one should ever forget. It is because we treat some of our brothers worse than brutes that the latter wish to get out of the fold of Hinduism. It was pointed out in one of the conferences of the Ezhavas that most of their disadvantages and troubles were the result of their having embraced Hinduism, and that within Hinduism their position was that of the untouchables. There is no religion in the world as tolerant as Hinduism. But the so-called religious leaders were and are responsible for the horrors committed in its name. Sri Baba said "India became depressed with the establishment of the depressed classes. When the depressed classes will be elevated, India will find herself to be one of the greatest, in the world ". Then what should we do ? He says, " So long as people will continue attending to the empty !'bows of customs and ceremonials, they will fail to grasp the essence or substance of religion. Though creeds and theologies are many, rei ig ion is strictly speaking only one, and this one religion includes in its essence sublime character, mental purity, love to God, and longing to realize the Truth . In order that this religion may be applicable to all, caste-class tyranny, and priest craft must be eradicated root and branch". This is His 37th Birthday Message. If we do not listen to it and profit by it, we will commit Himalayan blunders. Manu says "The Sudra becomes a brahmin and a Brahmana a sudra (by conduct). Know this same rule applies to him who is born of the Kshatriya or of the Vaisya" (X. 65). He also says "The Brahmana who, not having studied the Vedas, labors elsewhere, becomes a sudra in that very life with his descendants ". (ii. 157, 168). M ahabharata says : " Truth, gift, forgiveness, good conduct, gentleness, austerity, and mercy, where these are seen, 0 King of serpents, he is called a Brahmana.
" If these marks exist in a Sudra, and are not in the Dwijas, the Sudra ;s not a Suclra, v.or the Brahmana a Brahmin. " Where tl¡e conduct is shown, 0 Serpent, he is cafled a Brahmana; where this is not, 0 Serpent, he should be called a Sudra ". (Vana parva). The Vishnu-Bhagavata says "what is said as to the marks of conduct indicative of a man's varna, if those marks are found in another, designate him by the varna of his marks": The Commentator Sridhara Swami adds," and not hy their birth alone". This is Hinduism and Sanataua Dharma. The true religion is not responsible for the vagaries of some misguided fanatics. We assure Mr. V. K. Velay11dhan, who is a Bachelor of Laws that we are ready to embrace the Ezhavas as Hi11dus. If he is a sens}ble gentleman he should reform what he thinks is bad, but must not get out of the Hind1:1 fold. Immortality is the only thing that matters.
MEHER ASRAMAM
1934]
115
MEHER ASRAMAM. Saidapet: (Madras) 1. Members of Meher League Assemble here at 8 A. M on the 1st Sunday of every month, and spend an hour in prayer and meditation. They meditate on, and practise, the virtue of" Magnanimity" this month. 2. E a rnest spiritual aspirants may go to the Asramam at any time and meditate in that quiet place.
MEHER LEAGUE. When Hi s Holiness Sri Sadguru Meher Babaji g raced Saidapet with His Presence the follow ing resolutions, among others, were passed in His immedi a te presence:i. That a League call ed" Meher L eague" be fo rmed with the object of promoting Universal Brotherhood. ii. That all person s, who are aged 15 and above mig ht become membc:.rs of the League. iii. That the only condition for becoming a member is th a t he or she should undertake in writing to promote Universal Brotherhood in thought. word and deed. iv. Tha t the League should spread the message of our Di vine Lord Meher Babaji v iz. , Universal Brotherhood. His Holiness Sri Meher Babaji is the patron of the L eague. President: C.V. Sampath Aiyangar, Vice路President: M. Vadi ve lu Mudaliar. T reasurer: C. V. Ramanujacharlu.
Secretaries : Sister V. T. L akshmi M.A. L .T ., M.R .A.S.
K. S. Srinivasan. (N.B.--Those who wi sh to join Meh er League may apply to): -C. V. Sampath Aiyangar, 66 , 3rd Cross Road, Sankarapuram, Bangalore City, or V. T. Lakshmi, M.A., L.T., M.R .A.s. (same address as above) .
MEMBERS OF 'MEHER LEAGUE'路 BROTHERS.
320. 321. 322. 323 .
K. A. Kulkarni . N. A. Kulkarni. S. M. Hira manek. Anant R. Aj rekar.
- - -- -- -- 路
Walk in th e light.
路 - -----~---
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BROTHERS.
324. 325. 326. 327. 3:28 . 329.
P. V. Chandra. S. Panchanadan. K. Visvanadha Sastri. V. Ramachandra Murthi. ]. S . Chinnaswami Naidu. G . S. Rajaram Rao.
330. R. B. Kri shna. [N.B.-All members a re requested to inform th e Editor of the change, if any, of th eir addresses.- Ed.]
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i~~~~~OOlll!®!ll!®ll~OO!J~t!@l!O~: ~ Prin ted at The Bolar Prin ti n g Work, , G4, J ccn is R o:td, S<tida pct an d PuLiishcu 1Jv C. y, Samput h Aiy a n gar, t he Presid ent o! l\[eh er League, Meher Asm mam , Saidapct , (Ma d ras) E d itor ; C. V. Sam pa t h Aiy a ngar,