( R egistered \ Bm1galore City.
R egistered No. 54, } Saidapet.
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THE
"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. Vol. V]
J U LY-OCTOBER
[Nos. 3 & 4
Where is ignorance : Where sorrow for him who has seen the One in Many ?- Yajur Veda.
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: II SRI MEHER SABA That is real service Where there is no thought of self at all .
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CONTENTS PAGE
Sayings of Sri Sadguru Meher Baba About the Master What is love ? by Sri Meher Baba Bi ograp hy of S ri Me her B aba . .. S ri Baba's 7th Tour to the W est Sri B aba's Tour in South India .. . Editorial : The people's party P ractical Lessons on yoga , by Swami Sri Si vanandji The wisdo m of th e Veda!', bv Sjt . Dharmadeva \ \ ' hat is mysticis m ? The Mund aka Upani sh ad The ad vanta ges of a VPgetari an diet Saidapet Mun ic ipali ty Th e Harijan page Thoughts for the month Meher Asramam Members of Meh er L eag ue M eher L eague Our exch ange
93 93 93
95 97 97 99
100 100 101 103 104 105 107 108 lQ q
109 109 110
THE M El-fER GAZETTE Editor:
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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. _ Vol. V]
JULY-OCTOBER 1936
[Nos. 3 & 4
SAYINGS OF SRI SADGURU MEHER BABA 1. 2. 3. 4, 5.
An idealist lives in the realm of imagination. A realist persists in practical achievement!;. A Mystic dwells in the divine plane. Pride is a sign of spiritual disease. Humility and Love are signs of spiritual health.
ABOUT THE MASTER Bro Dadac~unji writes from Bombay (letter dated August 12.36 ): "Am called at Nasik by Babaji on the 14th, when He too will be coming there from Meherabad. He will then go to Rahuri on the 16th." I subsequently learn that Baba is now in Rahuri, which is 20 miles from Ahmednagar.
WMAT IS LOVE ? (By Sri Meher Baba) (Continued from page 83) There are millions whf) believe in God but do not care even to see Him. They are satisfied with merely .ilmul Yakin (inteller.tual Certainty: Ed). But those who are really spiritually-minded cannot be satisfied with this intellectual certainty, which is, after all, shallow. It is True courage is the result of reasoning¡
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THE MEHER GAZETTE
far better to be spiritually res tless than to be thus satisfied. Ooe must yearn, not only after ainool Yakin (Sighted certainty), but also haque Yakin (reali zed certainty), for God can be seen and reali zed. By following the divine path (tariquet ) one can see God and there by get the sighted cPrtainty. Th e reali zed certainty i:; got by reali zing or becomin g on e with G od. Only a fe w out of millions see God, and fewer reali ze him . O ne' s s pi ritu a l progress can ne ver b?. 5teady and ce without the divine love . It is the rea l side of religion and the only el ement whi c h reve a ls or unfolds the emotionality of the spir itua path (tariquet). U nl ess aTJd until one is possessed of it, one can never1. fe e l ecsta sy, on e can ne ver behold illumination s and vision s relating to the different states of the s piritual path. The di vine lo ve knows no law . It is abo ve all rul es and regulation s , above dogmas and ritual s. Nothinf! can bind it and can set bounds to it. It is fn e, a n in finite fire , in itse lf, a nd those who burn in it become purifi ed. The tortures of th e se paration from, and longing for, the union with the belovtd sooner or later bla ze up, and thereby wipe out all smz slwra s, good a s well as bad, of the di vine lo ver . It is for this reason that one who is endow ed with di vine lo ve, w hich, be it remembered, is a God -sent g race, or a gi ft from a Sad gmu, b ecomes res tless. The trinkets of the wvrld cann ot te mp t the true di vine lo ver. A wordly -mioded ma n can ha ve no idea of the spiritual agonies of the di vine lo 1â&#x20AC;˘e r. Iâ&#x20AC;˘nag in e a m1n lying on the sands of the Sahara in the scorch ing s uu and longing for wa ter to m ois ten his parched -up lips and slake hi s thirs t. If you can properly imag ine the depth of h is longing for just a dr o p of water when he is on the point of breathing his last owing to thirs t, yo u will ge t a faint idea of th e longing of the divine -,lover for the unifi cati :ln with th e A lm ig hty. Bear it in mind that only the divin e lo ve can bring about the annihil a ti on of the Consciousness of the serarate self which gi ves self-reali zation . It goes with')ut saying that the divine love is the only true aspect of love . The other aspec ts of lo ve may be said to be more or less 1 n \'erse . Th ey mu st be done a way with if one desires to be possessed of the divine love. In other words, the renunciation of desires is a condition precedent to the gift of divine lo ve. Love as lo ve, con sid e red ab solukly, is rassive, but in its divine asp ect it i ~ ful ly ac ti ve. :\ngels ha ve lo ve but not in its di vine aspect and so they cannot real ize P aramatman .
- - -- - - - - - - - - Tbe brave man is he whose noble soul subdues its fear¡
BIOGRAPHY OF SRI MEHER BABA
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Rightly bas it been said 'Qood sinyar a isba hasto dard neest• (Angels have love hut no pain or restlessness of the divine love). just a word about the two sub-branches of the divine lovP., the primal and the final. The primal is the beginning and the hnal is the endless end of the divine love. The one is the spark and the other is the flame. The course of the ri\·er of love is long, but the goal can surely be reached. {Concluded)
BIOGRAPHY OF SRI MEHER BABA {Continued from page 82) CHAPTER XII God- Realized Sriji· The great Tamil God-realized Saint Nammazhvar once exclaimed, in one of his rapturous states of ecstatic bliss, that he seemed to be all in all in God's universe which contained Heaven as well as hell. A commentator explained this to mean that to one who is God -realized Heaven and Hell make no difference. In his spiritu~l raptures he appears to the ordinary finite mind, mad. It is this ecstatic delight that St: Fr: de Sales describes thus: "This vision (called the Beatific Vision, Vide Happiness of Heaven by Rev F. j. Boudreaux) produces two transports of admiration in the blessed; one is excited by the eternal beauty which they contemplate, and the other by their O\Yn incapability of penetrating the aby!:'s of this infinite loveliness_ This is, 0 God! the happy Jot of those who enjoy thy prese!lce: what they behold in thee is wonderful but what they cannot see is still more admirable". The ordinary man cannot understand the delirium of Love to God.. The Bhagavat Gita truly says "The Jnani is to be known as My very soul." As Rishi Sandily. said "Service to God direct may end in fruit or not; service to God elect, this doubt containeth not." Let us not therefore belittle the greatness of God's own Saints. In the immediate presence of His Holiness the saint of Sakorj our dear Shri Baba became God-realized. In the month of july 1921 H . H. Shri Baba stayed with His master continuously for six months It is said that He did not at all bathe all these months, and that he had his bath only after that period~in the residence of his disciple Mr. S. A, Rahim in Bombay. It is also said that during the whole period He was in Sakori He did not lie down and take rest. During the first five months He ate very little, but in the sixth month He ate well. He was To see what is right and not to do it, is want of courage.
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then carefully attended to by Dnrgabai, the ~piritual Mother of the saint of Sakori. She was always at His service· She is one of the noblest, bene. ficent, truly-religiou~-minded ladies that graced this land of ours. Shri Baba loved and respected her as His own mother. He appreciated her kindness to Him and told one of His disciples, "My own mother has not and could not love me so much as she used to love me." The two Masters spent much time alone together. Shri Baba used to sing spiritual songs in his extremely melodious voice, and His Master was pleased with them. As Mazzini observed, "Music is the harmonious voice of creation; an echo of the invisible world; one note of the divine concord which the entire universe is destined one day to sound.• As Luther said it 'is the art of the prophets, the only art that can calm the agitations of the soul; it is one of the most magnificent and delightfu 1 presents God has given us." Shri Baba would take part in bhajans, and when he chanted hymns tears of joy would flow down the cheeks of the Sakori Saint. In December 1921. this great accepted ROD of the Master of Sakori became a Sadguru. I may be permitted to say a word here on a very great occult truth. It is a mistake to argue with a Master. As a great occultist remarked "When you have an instrument out of tune you do not argue that perhaps that is a better pitch; you tune it up." We who are on the Path should not criticize: We should be true to the Master all through. He knows what He is talking about, and a true disciple on the Path should not cultivate the bad nature of criticizing. In the probationary stage the disciple i<; tested: With the innocence of childhood he should be the Master's obedient pupil. Then he is accr.pted. He should be very careful then. Lastly, he becomes the Master's son-one with Him· This i'S a great occult truth which every spiritual aspirant should always bear in mind. \Ve know that some good souls have deviated from the path on account of 'arrogance': And, according to Hunte •'When men are most sure and arrogant they are commonly most mis· taken, giving views to passion without that proper deliberation which alone can secure them from the grossest absurdities." The Sage of Sakori told Mr. Gustadji Honsotia "Meher Baba is perfect· Follow him." He predicted that Baba would move the world, which would be benefitted at His hands· He told Mr. Sadashiv Shelke, "Meher Baba has received from me all that Sai Baba gave me." In unambiguous language He told Mr. Behramji F. Irani "Your friend is God·realized: obey Him.''
It is our good fortune that we have in our midst a Master who is a personification of Love. 1 have utter trust in Him, because I strongly Courage in danger is half the battle.
SRI BABA'S 7th TOUR TO THE WEST
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feel that I have been in close association with him through many lives. I emphatically say to all my brothers and sisters who wish to be on the. Path "Do not play with occultism. Do not think that you know all about a subject. Confidence alone will help you." (To be continued.)
SRI BABA'S 7th TOUR TO THE WEST (Bro. Chanji) (Continued from page 80) 14th July.
A few vjsitors came to day, and although Baba had a lot of things to do prior to 'His departure from here on the 16th He saw them for half an hour¡ The rest of the day He was again very busy in discussing things about the picture and in explaining things about future arrange¡ ments to \Vater and his family. The day of parting was approaching, and ~or those who love Baba so deeply the parting or even the very thougllt of it is so sad. 15th July.
The last day. Even the usual 'good mornings' were so full of sadness. All were silent, as if the tongue refnsed to stir. But the silence spoke the inner voice. Every one depended on Baba's instruction<> for future action and one can ima;tine how tiresome tl'le task must be for Baba to instruct all individually (there were about 50 of them) with a different problem of his or her own. But the Divine Shepherd has to feed His sheep, and how willingly He does it! Tho3e who have experience of it alone know
Finis
SRI BABA'S TOUR IN StOUTH INDIA Diary (January to June) (Bro. Cha11ji) The Master, with a party of few select ones, had been to the south of India for about six months. During His tours in the South He visited Madras, Bangalore, Pondicherry, Ooty, Coonoor, Mysore, and some interesting places of religious and spiritual importance in the Mysore State, Conscience is the root of all true courage.
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THEMEHER GAZETTE
( Hassan,Belur, Chickmagalur, Baba Budan hills). He had been in secluc;ion all the while. The tour, however, bad a special purpose, in view of some important work the Master intends to do on this side in future. He bas seen various interesting sites with a view to establish one of His ideal ashrams (a spiritual retreat) which He wishes to found in some places in India and abroad, to bring about a blending of the East and \Vest on cultural and spiritual basis, where people of all nations will live under His personal instructiom, guidance and help. A great scheme is ahead, plans for which are laid out already. Many of His Western devotees have been eager to come over to India and stay with Him in His Ashrama• which they say has been the dream of their lives. With a view to make adequate arrangements for these aspirants , in India, under the personal guidance of the Master, it is quite probable He might proceed to the West, on a short visit. Besides, His dear devotees in the \IVest have bE>en repeatedly inviting Him to go there, And He might, if convenient and arranged, pay a short visit, probably in September. If, however, the Master does not go, He will send for some of the select ones who want to come to India. Anyway, the Master's plan for establishing a retreat in India as proposed is definite, and the first contingent of His western devotees will be in India positively by the end of this year. They will stay at Nasik (Bombay Presidency) in a retreat established in ideal surroundings. Details of this plan will be published later on. The Master Himself has decided for the present to reside in a quiet abode by the side of the river in Rahuri, in Ahmednagar District, on the Dhond-Manmad section of the G. I. P. Railway. with a few of His disciples. His Ashram and establishment at Meherabad (Ahmed nagar) will remain there as it is, with all the mandali staying there and doing the duties assigned to them. Until now the Master personally looked after all the affairs of the mandali-a duty too tiresome and tedious. But now a private Trust has been created from amongst His Eastern and Western di-;ciples, who wi!J act as Trustees and conduct all the financial and general affairs pertaining to the boarding and lodging of the mandali on lines laid down by the Master. Of course the truc:t will be conducted under His personal super vision. The Master's latest exposition on the important subjects of 'Meditation' and the 'Divine Theme' for meditation is in the press and · will be dist.ributed free to all aspirants . . Some important subjects
If a man wouldjbe brave let him obey his conscience·
EDITORIAL
99
have also been explained by the Holy Master, and these will be published in this maga?-ine from time to time.
EDITORIAL. THE PEOPLE'S PARTY. l The much-wanted party) As George Macdonald said "God's thoughts, his will, his love his judgments are all man's home. To think his thoughts, to choose his will, to love his love~, to judge his judgments, and thu s to know that be is in us, is to be at home." The Maharajah Saheb of Pitthapuram, though an aristocrat, is a gentleman who understands that life is fruitful in the ratio in which it is To him the first of all laid out in noble action or patient perseverance. virtues is innocence, and the next is modesty. This is possible only for a truly God-saturated man. Most appropriately, therefore, he invoked His blessings before and after he delivered his it)augural speech in Victoria Public Hall, Madras, in August last, which was characterized by glowing fervour and reason-tempered earnestness. Vve ha ve known him for a long time as one with indomitable courage and fee ling that he has a work to do at all costs "in the presence of the Omnipre~ent and 0 mniscient God." To Him "Politics divorced from a high moral purpose becomes the paltry squabble for power in which humanity can feel no interest." Such a gentleman is the leader of such a party as the much-wanted People's party at a criticlal period of our constitutional history. The Yuvarajah Saheb, the brilliant worthy son of a great father, said "To me and to every member of the party there is one motto 'LabJria lest Oria-Work is worship,' and added "with this ideal ever shining before our eyes as our guiding star we well set to work.'' He believes in the fundamental unity of all sections of people. Every child knows what he and his noble father have been doing in the cause of education, temperance, and untouc:hability. vVe have no doubt that the People's party is destined to do something tangible for the betterment of this unhappy country which is now torn by communal dissension. We are stKe that under the experienced captainship of our friend Mr. s. Muthia Mudalliar C. I. E. this seaworthy boat will reach its ha\¡en avoiding all shoals on its way. We pray for the success of the People's party. - -- - -- -Courage from hearts and not from numbers grows.
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THE MEMER GAZETTE
PRACTICAL LESSONS ON YOGA. By Swami Sri Sivanandji· 8· How can a tiny lens produce a big image of a mountain? A small image is produced by the lens, the retina and the optic centre. It is the mind that develops and enlarges it. All the pictures do already exist in the mind• What you perceive as a big mountain outside is only the mental image plus some external, un · knowable something. If you say 'There is nothing outside' why do you run after food and water when y.Ju artl hungry and thirsty ?' If everything is within you you should get satisfaction from hunger and thirst from within only. But it is not the case. There is something outside, call it V ivarta of Brahman, Vilas of Maya, Kshamatkar of Avidya, pari1tama of Vishnu, electrical waves of scientists, combination of anus of K'l.nad or tattwa vilas. It does not matter much.
9· Thought is a great force· Thought has tremendous power· It can be transmitted from one man to another man. A beneficial thought can hP.al and help another m'l.n• Thought culture is an exact science· You can move the world through thought force. The powerful thoughts of great sages and Rishis of yore are still recorded iu the akasa (akasic records)· Yogins who have clairvoyant vision can perceive those thought-images. They can read them· You are surrounded by an ocean of thought. You are floating in the ocean of thought. You are absorbing certain thoughts and repelling certain thoughts in the thought. world. 10. Every one has his own thought-world · Through practice of Yama, Niyama, pranayama, and meditation you can change impure thoughts into subtle pure thoughts. Meditation fills the mind with cheerful, powerful, sattvic thoughts· (To be continued)
THE WISDOM OF THE VEDAS: VEDIC YAJNAS AND ANIMAL SACRIFICES' By Sjt. Dhatmadeva Siddhantalattkara (Hotzs) (Continued from page 85) As for the term "Ashvamedh~" it is explained in the Shatapath Brahmana, which is an anthorit:~.tive co:nmeotary on the Yajur Veda, as Courage must arise from a sense of duty.
WHAT IS MYSTICISM
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"Rashtram va i\shvamedhah" (5hatapath 12·1·6-3) ie, proper administration of a country or kingdom is called Ashvamedha· Maharshi Gargyayana has explained this term as follows: "Jnaatva Brahma Yatha Yogyam Yacchanyabhyashch daapanam. Asvamedhah para yajnah Bhukti M ukti pradaayakah," ( ie, By Ash vamedha is meant the acquisition and propagation of th e knowledge of God a s the word As h va means knowled ge etymologically. Regarding G omedha, it is worthy of note that the word Gomez occurs in the Parsi script ure'; and all Western commentaries are un· animous in explaining it as "ti lling th e r: round;" for, the word 'go' means 'earth' besides 'cow'· Tbe main rec1so•1 given by them for so explaining the word is th at Z Jroa'i ter h:d th 3 gr e:J.t est veneration for cows and that the protection of cow~ was one of his missions· Is it not strang~ that these very schol ar5 forget that in the whole of the Vedic and Sanskrit literature the word 'Aghnyna, is used for cow, whicq means that which is never to be slaughtered, ·and that the word 'go' is used in Sanskrit for earth, speech, senses et c besides cow, and 'Medha' m eans purification and unifir.atio n? VVhy should they then misinterpret it a s killing of cow s and not the tilling the grounu or purifying the speech by the correct use of words? Maharo.hi Gargay:wa in his Pranavavada explains it in this latter sense, Says he " Gomedhastaavat shabdamedha ityavagamyate G;mivanim medhaya1. Samyojanam iti tadai thaat. Shabda sastra] na!la matrasya Sarvebhyah pradaanameva Gomedho yajnah." [i.e.," Go" mean£ speech and "medha" means to unite with intellect or t0 use it properly. Therefore by" Gomedha" is meant to study Grammer and teach it to others.] By "Naramedha" is meant to create unity among men · ("The cremation of the body of a dead person in accordance with the principle laid down in the Ve(las is called Naramedha"-'Light of truth' p 343-Ed ). (To be continued)
WHAT IS MYSTICISM? By Mr. R. R . Khanna M· Sc. Registrar, L uclmo'i.fl University. Mysticism is a fascinating subject to read or write about; for even those who have not set their eyes or heart on a living mystic write True courage is cool and calm.
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THE MEHER GAZETTE
books on mysticism based on wide reading . My excuse for attempting this article is that I have come into intimate personal contact with mystics of the highest order. I do uot claim to have read much on this fascinating subject but I have seen a good deal of it on the practic::tl side. This lack of reading may be both an advantage and a disadvantage; a disadvantage, because, what I am going to say, may ha ve nothing what e ver to do with mystici sm as known to scholars. On the con trary it may be an ad vantage because I am not influenced by second hand op inions of others. I will therefore start wit h an ap0logy: and may ha ve to end with regret for having was ted the reader's tim e. But for the present I feel that the effort is worth makin g; because th e ac tua l e xperiences of one man may be of some help to another, wh 1, ma y b '! s till struggling along the Path · Most readers will ask what is this Path , with a ca pital 'P'? It is the Di vine Path. \V hen a man fall s in love with a woman for the first time h is friend s see a change coming over him . Those of us who ha ve gone through a similar experi ence ha ve some appreciation of what bas happened . They s ympath ise with him · Others whose hearts are stiil unfam iliar with th e shafts of lo ve may deride the new lover: some m ay even pity him· But eac h one deals with him according to his own personal experi ence. The n ew lover' s heart has been filled with emotions; the ma:1 of cold logic and hard fac ts is now seen under a new influence. S ome friend s may eve n tell him t'lat his brain h·a s softened . Altogether, the true lover presents the pi ctu re of a cra z. y fellow partially unhinged in mind ; perhaps too fr equently a bsorbed in one direction· He may s ucceed in hiding h is own feel ings from strangers, but people who know him will be able to !:'ee the change· Those who ha ve never loved may ask" \Vh a t is this love"? Can it be described adequately in words? Can we describe it in philosophical terms to a ma n who has never ex peri enced it before? Can cold reason interpret lo ve to a man who has never fallen in lo ve? The answer is 'no', an emphatic ' no' · But all of us who hear love songs or read oi roman ce enj oy these all the same· There is someth ing attractive about 'love' which aP.peals to e very one of us young or old· It is interes ting to read and write love appeals· The best or highest form of literatu re-poetry-has been written under the inspiration of 'love' · Most of us can understand human love, but few can understand 'Divine love' · P erhaps yon will say "All love is Divine"· Yes, so it i ~; but "Di vine lo ve" is in some respec ts similar to, and in others different from, human lo ve · (To be continued) Cc urage consists in seeing and conquering danger.
103
THE MUNDAKA UPANISHAD: THE SECOND MUNDAKA. FIRST CHAPTER (Continued from P age 87) 7. From Him a re born various De vas, Sadhyas, men, quadrupeds birds, the prana, the apana, paddy, barley, tapas, sraddha, truth, brahmacbaryam, and Vidhi ·
(D evas: Di vine men, Kings . Sadhya s: Great being;; who can be conquered by goodne ss · P rrm a and Apmw: The vital forte s that go forward and descend from the navel to the anus in our body. They are five in number: Prmw, Apm z~ , Vy ana, Udm ta and S a mana· T apas (au sterit y) : The threefold tapas and threefold S hmddha (de votion) are described in the B hagava t G ita . Chapter XV II.) Brahmacharya m (vow of continency. ) Of this Sadhu Vaswa ni wri tes thus: The emphasis in the teachin g of the Rish is is on purity, not celibacy. Most of the Rishis were married · Marriage is a sacrament, according to the teaching of the R ishis. _'\nd the thought is emphasised that brahmacharya should be practised in marriage also· Marriage is referred to as grahasthaasrama: 'asrama' me ans ':~. sphere of di scipline'. The married life should be a school of self discipline . N ot a bed of roses but a sphere of service and self-denial B rahmacharya means literally, "Moving with God" ·
Vidh.i (a sacred command, a sacred precept or rule, injunctionas contained i11 the Vedas. 8 . From Him a re born the seven pranas or organs of sense, the seven flames . the objects of th e senses, the seven ho mas (oblations, ie the knowledge of the sense obj ects,) and the se ven lokas where th; pram ts move seated in the heart (the se ven seats of the senses): Always seven· {Seven pranas: two eyes, two ears, two nostril!', mouth. Flames: Powers of the senses by which objects are cogoised.) 9. From H im proceed all the oceans and mountains: From Him flow all the rivers of every kind : From Him come all herbs and juices, by which the a ntantma (subtle body is encircled by the gross elements, (bhutas) , (Rasas or juices are six in number : bitter, sweet, sour, saline pungent, astringent) ---------------~------ ------------
This s pan of life was ~nt for lofty duties.
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THE MEHER GAZETTE
10. All this is Pnrusha- Karma (work), tapas (austerities) the immortal Brahmam· Oh my child, he who knows this (Purusha) as seated in the cavity of the heart, cuts the knot of Avidya (Ignorance) here· (Eha·here, ie even in this life·
All his karma will
be washed
(End of the first Chapter) (To be Continued)
THE ADVANTAGES OF A VEGETARIAN DIET. 1.
It is a tzatural diet .
Dr- Sylvester Graham says "Comparative anatomy proves that man is naturally a frugivorous animal, formed to subsist upon fruits, Geeds, and farinaceous vegetables.'' 2· It gives health and strength . Dr· R- H· Perks says "I regard the adoption of a non-carnivorous diet as the indispensable first step in the development of a healthier and fuller life on:all planes of man's beingphyiical, intellectual and spiritual·" 3.
It is a cheap diet·
Dr· B · W· Richardson says: ''All the processes of catching an inferior animal, of breeding it, rearing it, keeping it, killing it, dressing it and selling it mean no more and no less than an entirely additional expenditure throughout for bring· ·ing into what we have taught to consider an acceptable form of food • the veritable food which the animal itself found, without any such preparation, in the vegetable world·" 4· It is a humane diet. It may be said that we destroy vegetable life· But as a great occui!st observed /'That is much more primitive, and has not the acute sentiency of the animal.
s.
It is a fit diet for intellectual work .
Says Sir John Sinclair: Vegetable food has a happy influence on the powers of the mind-'' ~Nicola Tesla says "That we can subsist on plant foocl and perform our work to advantage is not a theory but a well-demonstrated fact"· The path of duty
~u
what is near.
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SAIDAPET MUNICIPALITY
Therefore says Sri Baba "Vegetarian food and milk assist the development of the divine nature in man, whereas eggs, meat, alcoholic drinks, and fish tend to excite the animal nature in man." (To be continued) SAIDAPET MUNICIPALITY . (olla podrida) Scene. (In a hut in the slums)
Husband: I was told that a great man said that neither piety, virtue nor liberty can long flourish in a community where the education of youth and the masses is neglected · I agree . Our children are reading in the Municipal school&· E very year the chairman and the vice-chairman have been changing the text books or some of them for reasons best known to themselves· Last year one of the councillors objected to this · Education was free but we have to~ pay school fees for the last few years. How can I spend so much money for the education of all these children-books- -fees-note books!!! I do not know which mahan will make education free, compulsory, and cheap! Wife: Yes, dear. We are poor. These are not days for the poor. God gives many children only for the poor. Why not He give a dozen children to the chairman, and a dozen to our Vice-chairman? Then only they will understand our difficulties. Unless we have a chairman who can understand things properly at least so far as education is concerned nothing good will result. He does not think even as I do. I am afraid that -we cannot expect anything good in this matter from our two friends and their adherents in the council · They are only after electric lights, rubber-tyred carts etc, etc, etc· Husband: where am I to go for money? Though humble I tell our friends "Love thyself last. Be just and fear not. Let all the ends thou aimest at be thy Country's, thy God's, and truth's?". I shall try my best to earn some money for our children's fees and books. If I cannot get it, they cannot go to school. Wife: Ah! what a pity! Is this the fate of all poor people in this Municipality? A mother's curse on those who are re!=ponsible for this state of affairs. (Exeunt·) The duty of man is plain and simple.
THE MEHER GAZETTE
106
(2) An open letter to Mr · Janab enterprising councillor, Saidapet·
Khadir
Hussain Sahib,
the
My dear friend . I
The Holy Q uran says,i Shun ye the word of falsehood 11 111
( XX II.31)
Conceal not true testimony t Il ·283) Be true and just-Stand fast to truth and justice (lV.l34)
tv The Men of truth and the women of truth shall fmd a ri ch reward (XXXII I .35) v They enjoin (CIII.3)
truth and steadfastnesc;
upon each other
vi For verily God does not love the treacherous (VIII.60) vii Live peacefully with one another (V III ·!) 1[. There is no mean work save that which is sordidly selfish; no irreligious work, save that which is morally wrong. E· H. Chapin .
III· They are the weakest · minded and that most love change . Ruskin . VI· Few things are brought calm and prudent forethought·
to
a
the hardest-hearted successful
issue
by
Thucydides. Meditate on these pearls and see whether you were right when you somersaulted even ~w i t hout noti ce from the democratic party to the other side· Tell me wheth er yon were hurt any where in this inglorious escapade. Do you believe in the Judgment day? I shall stop here. Good-bye.
(3) (Continued from page 90 ) 11
In seconding the resolution of Mr· Gnanapral<asam I stated as follows:-
It is common knowledge that this unfortunate country has the unenviable position of the least literate country in the world· The ignorance of the masses is stupendons. A great spirit11al leader said 11 Education .should be the main source of comfort in life . Without Duty to God-duty to one's neighbour.
107
THE HARl}AN PAGE
education a man is a mere sa va~te·" Unless local bodies help 'he Government in removing illiteracy, what can the well-intentioned Government do? This Municipaiity recently passed a resolution th it attempts should be made to remove illiteracy within its limits in five years· Tlte teachers are poorly paid, and their salaries had already been sufficiently retrenched. To cut them down further will be attrocious and suicida 1 The profession of education is the noblest of professions, but the senseless recommendation of th!i Committee has made it the sorriest of trades· Mr· T· Sivararnasetu Pillai, the special officer appointed in 1932, expressed his opinion thus: "The transactions of the ear-marked accounts as the water and drainage and elementary education account need not be taken into account as they are self-sufficient."
It is notorious that the committee which has recommended illcrease of the Chairman's allowa11ce jro11~ Rs · 40 to R s· 60, and retention of supernnmerary appointments. has thought fit to l<ill goose that laid the golden egg ! We have sufficient reasons that this been done on account of personal spite.
the the the has
The present question is under correspondence with the Government· Our letter to the Government explains why the teachers were allowed salar~s in excess of the maximum pay fixed in the new scale of the Government. In this connection G · 0 · No · 14 L- E · Dated 3-1-24 may be read along with G. 0. No· 509G Land M. Dated 7-12 ·33· (To be continued. )
(4) It may be stated here that the Government have replied that they would pass suitable orders on the inconsiderate bn~et of the Council, to which we took strong exception.
THE HARIJAN PAGE The so called Sanatanist says "Shastras and trad ition do not allow us to join the Harijans. And so, how can we ?" That the true Shastras contain such a heartless injunction is a myti;}. Granted it is so we say we need not be slavish sticklers to the ordinary rules which prescribe for one's selfish gratification. I-I ere is a very great authority for our contention• Every Southern Indian knows Kurattazhvar, the father of Kurattazhvan· The father lost his wife. He then thought thus: "If I Reverence the highest.
THE MEHER GAZETTE
108
marry again it will not suit my son. If I do not marry it will be aginst the Sastras, which requirP. that one ought to be house holder or a sanyasi. Shall I please myself or my son?" and concluded "I shall by remaining unmarried be more serviceable to him who is making for holiness, than be a slavish stickler to the ordinary rules which prescribe for one's selfish gratification." tSee Bhag. Vish: Book V p 2298) This important incident must silence all our friends who do not readly understand what they say. "All the god! y are to be honoured irrespecti\¡e of social bearings," say all those who know.
THOUGHTS FOR THE MONTH 1. courage.
Courage ought to be guided by skill, and skill armed with Sir P. Sidney¡
2. Courage is, on all hands, considered as an essential of high character. Fronde. 3.
Grieve not, 0 Panda va, thou art born for a divine state. Bhagavat Gita.
4. The strong must cease to be greedy, and the weak must learn to be bold. Tagore.
MEHER ASRAMAM (Saidapet, Madras)
1. Members cf Meher League may assemble here and spend some time in meditation. They meditate on and practise the virtue of Courtesy in May, Compassion in June, Patie nce In july, Co11trol of speech in August, Courage in September, Discret ion in October.
! . lLrnest spiritual aspirants may go to the Asramam and spend some time i.J tl: .t quiet place.
Have patience with the lowest.
L09
"MEMBERS OF MEHER LEAGUE" BROTHERS:
391 M.S. Ramaswamaiya. 392 Surpur V. Lakshmana Rao· 393 R. Vencatesa Murthy, M· A. 394 N. Vencatanarasiah. 395 K. Rama Rao· 396 Sister Nagamma.
MEHER LEAGUE When His Holiness Sri Sadguru Meher Babaji graced Saidapet with His Presence the following resolutions, among others, were passed in His immediate presence:i. That a League called "Meher League" be formed with the object of promoting Universal Brotherhood. ii, That all persons, who are aged 15 and above might become members of the League. iii. That the only condition for becoming a member is that he or she should undertake in writing to promote Universal Brotherhood in thought, word and deed. iv. That the League should spread the message of Lord Meher Babaji viz, Universal Brotherhood. .....
His Holiness Sri Meher Babaji is the patron President:
OlX
Divine
of the League.
C. V. Sampath Aiyangar,
Vice-President:
M. Vadivelu Mndaliar,
Treasurer: C. V. Ramanujacbarlu. Secretaries : Sister V. T. Lakshmi, M.A. L.T., M.R .A.s. K. S. Srinivasan. N. B.
Those who wish to join Meher League may apply to:-
C. V. Sampath Aiyangar, 66, 3rd Cross Road, Sankarapuram, Bangalore City.
Let performance of the meanest duty be thy religion.
ANANDASHRAM (Founder: S W A M I R AM DASl
·THE VISION. An international monthly devoted to the reli gi on of Love and Servi ce based on the s piritual ex perience s of S a ges a nd S ain ts of the world-mod e rn and ancient; s tand s for the U n iversal cun ce pt of G od and the harmon y of all F ait hs Inl a nd - .. .
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THE MESSAGE A M ON T HL Y JOUR NA L FOR THB NEW AGECon ta ins insp ir in g ;uti cles h y th e E d •tor, Swami Ramda ~ , T . L. Vis vani and oth e rs; soul . s t irr ing poems by H er bert Porter; Yoga by S wa m i S ivananda ; R e ligion of t he ancien t world by 1\-Tiss Boon C lark etc. Special Feature : Sri A urobindo Ghose's co m men tar y on the Gita (an un ique opportuni t y.) ... R -. I 8 0 Annual Suhsr ript io n
Apply to, The Manager , ''Message," Gorakbpur .
Peace of Mind. Have you fo und Pea r e o f Mi nd or Las t ~n g Ha ppi ne ss .? If not, read the works of G urumahara j Swami B ho la N a th, wh o calls hi mse lf S ervant of the Earth, b u t is Ava tar o f mode rn t i me ~ . Founde r o f Di v ine Lo ve S ociety and A uth or of R a ys of Li ght (Engli sh or Hindi R ~ . 1-8) P ayam -i-M oha bba t !U rdu , Rs. 2 ) Z a hu r- i H aqi q uat (U rd u R s . 3) won· derful for P eace of Mi nd . Pr iceless J e wel s for s pir it ua l prog ress . A\·ailable from Mr· R . R · K hanna, R eg is tra r, Lucknow U nive rs ity, L uclm o w ·
IMPORTANT SPIRITUAL BOOKS I
SRI MEHER BABA Hi s P hiloso p hy a nd Teachi ngs ( 120 pages w ith a Charm ing Ar t illus trati on) By A. K . Abd ulla.
( Price 12 annas only, postage extra. ) II
£RI MEHER BABA Th e P erf ect Ma f ter Q•1e st ion s ar.d Ans we rs (Publ ished b y the Circle E d itorial C ommittee , London)
Price 6 pence (6 annas), postage extra.
III THE SAYINGS OF SRI MEHER BABA ( vVith notes a nd a gl ossa ry ) Publ ished b y the C irclP E·litorial C omm itt"e, Lo ndon
Price 3 pence (3 annas), poetage extra.
APPlY to-
s.
R. K. Irani, M eher Asramam, Meherabad, Ah mednagar, India. or M eher Asramam, Saidapet, Madras, India.
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MY MASTER AND HIS TEACHING
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C. D. DESHMUKH,
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M.A., Ph.D .,
with a fo reword by
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~ ~ ~~~~·~~-~~**~~~~*~~~~«~~»~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~ -~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Print ed by Mr. B. C . Hanumaiya at the Vokkaligara Sangha Press, B. Cit)' . Edited and P ublisheu by Mr. C . V . Sam path Aiyengar, the President o£ Me her League, 66, 3rd Cross R oad , Sankarapuram, Bangalore City .