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MEHER
GAzETTE ~I
" MEHER ASRAMAM " : (Saidapet, Madras)
A Bi-monthly review devoted to the Propagation of Sri Bahaji's Message and of Universal Brotherhood Through Meher League. Vol. V]
N OVEMBER- DECEMBER 1936
[No.5
Where is ignorance : \'!Vhere sorrow for him who has seen the One in Many ?- Y aj ur Veda .
Subscription : Annual, Inland Re I . Foreign 2 sh . or 50 cents with postage. Single copy 3 as . or 6 cents.
•121
WHAT IS MYSTICISM?
should be governed by some laws, which remain fundamentally the same through all ages, and through all countries. "What are the experiences of a mystic?" This is a very large question and I would refer the reader to the biographies of mystics of his own religion. However, a brief answer can be gi ven by asking another question; what are the experiences of a lover? You would say, the first observation" indicate too much concentration on one person, lack of interest in others, comparative negligence of ordinary duties, sacrifices for the beloved beyond all sense of proportion, and several other features which appear rather silly to the onlookers! Exactly! A mystic also goes through all that, but his beloved is Divinity. Another difference is that the bond of relationship is infinitely stronger in this case and the sacrifices called for are very much greater. You might ask "What is the use of making all these sacrifices?" I wonder what answer you would have got if you had addressed this question to Prahlad or Majnun. A lover does not speculate in the share market for profit or loss. He just loves · Why does he love? Because he· cannot help it. He is mad; but he loves his own madness. He cannot be explained by reac:on and logic, and rejoices in this sphere, which is really beyond the region of reason or logic. What is the purpose of mystic's life? In reply may I ask what _is the purpose of a human lover? The answer is; they both seek union with the beloved. In one case, the beloved is mortal and in the other case, the Beloved is eternal. Union with the beloved brings 'bli~s· to the lover's heart in both cases. In one case, however, love is followed by separation when the belo ved leaves the mortal frame. In the other case ' the human soul obtains union with the Divine soul, (with luck) and there is no fear of separation even in death · The intervening stages are painful in the extreme but are well-known in romance and history as the trials of lovers. The path of true love, whether human or divine, does not run smoothly. The greater the sacrifices involved the greater the prize. (to be continued)
THE MUNDAKA UPANISHAD-SECOND MUNDAKA SECOND CHAPTER (Continued from page 104) 1 This self-effulgent Brahman is in the cavity {of the heart of all creatures) and is said to be moving there. He is the highest (g~eat) goal. He is the support of all. In Him all that moves, breathes and Gratitude is the most capital of all duties ·
CONTENTS PAGE Sayings of Sri Sadguru Meher Baba 111 About the Master 111 The Rahuri Phase, The 'Mad' Ashram , by Bto F. H . Dadachanji 112 Biography of Sri Meher Baba 114 Mother Dr. Besant 116 Mahatma Gandhiji 116 Editorial : The people's party 116 Practical Lessons on yoga, by Swami Sri Sivanandji 118 The wisdom of the Vedas, bv Sjt . Dbarmadeva 119 What is mysticism ? 119 The Mundaka· Upanishad 121 The advantages of a vegetarian diet 123 Saidapet Municipality 124 Thoughts for the month 125 The Harijan page 126 Meher Asramam 126 The Children Page 126 From the Master · 127 Members of Meher League 127 M eher League 127 Our exchange 128
THE MEHER GAZETTE Editor: . C. I
v .. Sam path
Aiyangar,
Late of Madras Ju.d icial S ervice)
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r
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]
O VEMBER- DE C EMBER 1936
[ N o. 5
SAYINGS OF SRI SADGURU MEHER BABA 66 67 68 69 70
Lust craves for an imal satisfacti on . Lo ve longs for spiritual .bli ss Tit-for -tat is Maya's work. To return love for hat red an d enmi ty i!1 divi nity. It is easier to forgi ve thau to forge t.
ABOQT THE MASTER T he dear Ma ~ t e r wa!1 in R ahur i in Hi !1 Ash ram of the Mad and Masts. Arrangeme nts have 1-J eeo mad e for the stay of H is We!1tern de votees at the Nas ik R t>t reat. At the req uest of Hi ~ devotees a visit to the west has becom e necesgary. H is iten era ry is : October
November
24th 25th 26 th 29 th lst
F ly from Karachi arri ve Bag hdad L ea ve Baghd ad Cons ta11tinople L ondon
Return journey same route. the end of November next.
l
by train
He is expec ted to return to I odia by
Gossip is the henchman of lrumour and iiCandal¡
112
THE MEHER GAZETTE
THE RAHURI PHASE THE ' MAD' ASHRAM (By Hro F. H · Dadacltanji) [Continued from page 99] BeforP. concluding this biographical s ketch, l may as well m ention the latest phase of Shri Meher Baba's activiti es. Shri B aba, for sometime past was heard to remark ve ry frequently to the mandali at Meherabad that H e wanted perfect peace a~d seclusion so that He would be taking no personal interest in the daily routine and life of the Ashrams at Meherabad and elsew here · It is always very interesting that when He is on the eve of e volv in g a n P.w plan or ushering in a new phase of activity, he initiates the idea in a very nonchalant way and then after a while, the s ubject gathe rs import and urgency to the exclusion of everything else. Emergency meetings of consultation with the important members of the mandali are held, even many times a day, to thrash out the idea and chalk out a programme. At one such meeting, Baba gave out, what he termed, His 'five-year plan' of retirement from active and personal parti cipation in Ashram life. In order to keep the A~hrams a t different centres in India functioning in a normal way and al so to ensu re maintenance to individuals and families dependent on Him, He created a trust, consisting of a panel of trustees entrusted with duties and functions according to their aptitude and calibre. All the mo veable and immoveable properties of Ashrams and retreats at different centres are vested in the above trust, which had al so at its disposal sufficient fund s to meet stipends to individuals, the recurri ng expenditure of the Ashram life, for a period covering five years. E ven the recently acquired extensive prcperty at Nasik valued at Rupees forty-thou sand, inclusive of all additions and extensions such as quarters a nd blocks of different typE's and dimensions, intended to house and accommodate Western di sciples, is incorporated in the trust referred to· Tile idea behind all this arrange· ment was to enable Baba to have more time and leisure to inaugurate an altogether new and impo(tant phase of spiritual activity, since Baba woutd have us beleive that the titi?e for universal spiritual upheaval was very near ahead· The trust mentioned above has already started functioning from the 5th of August 1936, and the very next day Baba, with a few select members of the mandali, removed to Rahuri, a town 25 miles from Meherabad, on the road between Ahmednag:n and Nasik. Gossipl has all the _blindness of a bat·
THE RA HURl PHASE
113
Although the reader has be.;ome fairly acquainted with Bab~'s diffe rent activiti es an d is by now prepared for surprises, the new activity at Rahuri is very interesting. It must have been noticed that at an early stage of His spi ritual activities, He was concerned with raw materials in the shape of boys and children ; and in order to attract them primary and secondary schools were opened at Meherabad. These in stitutions formed the background for the time being for Baba's spiritual workings and when the purpose was served, they were naturally scrapped. The second stage was in connection with the grown-ups the adult minds and average intellects. For them, festive and ceremonial occasions such as 'bhajans ', feasts, birthdays of Masters and Saint!', and other relig ious holidays were utilised. On such _o ccasions Baba was perso nally worshipped by the crowd . The poor, the diseased, the le~er s , were often bathed, feasted and clothed. And now the material that ¡Baba is handling at Rahuri is quite of a different character. The requisition is out for a good number of mad, 'mast' ( spiritually . in.tox icated) people to be gathered at Rahuri, for which purpose a few members of the manda li ha ve been specially deputed. Thi s special, and according to Baba, very important work has turned out to be a severe test of endurance and patience for those put on tbe job. The conditions pertaining to the selection, imposed by Baba, tends io make the whole work very expensive and precarious. The conditions are that the persons selected should have no relations and responsibilities, and that they should be perfectly non-violent. U ntil now the workers have succeeded in importing into Rahuri about a dozen such people, of whom half the number bas already been se nt away, these not coming up to Baba's standard and conditions of selection. These mad or ' Mast' people are attended to by Baba personally A few of the in the matter of their meals, bath and clothing etc. mandali are detained to keep guard lest these people stray away. It is a sight to see Baba humouring, bath ing, and feeding these people. Baba's stay at Rahuri is marked by complete seclusion. No interviews are granted; No' darshan' is allowed. During weekdays, Wednesday is set apa rt for a trip to Nasik by car, to return the same evening, and Thursday is reserved for a trip to Meherabad.
They'that govern must make least noise.
114
THE :MEHER GAZETTE BIOGRAPHY OF SHRI MEHER BABA (continued from page 97)
CHAPTER XIII (The re-incarnat ion s of the Master) When a few disciples of Sriji including myself were with Him 1n Bro Khan Bahadur B. D. Pudumji 's residence in Bombay, we saw a beautiful life size paintin g of Sivaji and his· sword, preserved with care and reveren ce by our brother· Vl/e were then told by Sri Babaji himself that He was Sivaji in th a t birth, which was Hi s last but one birth, It will therefore be interesting to know something about 're-incarnation', and the last two li ves of the Mas ter . A sensible Englishman writes " When so many people are pessimists, having little trust in man or God ; when so many drirt along lazily, or rush along madly bunting after a su ccess of small importance (which , when achieved. proves to be failure), there is urgent need of a theory offering us reasons for trust in God and man, and motives for sensible work, at on ce both energetic and calm· Tb e fi rst step is to feel hopeful· The second step is to fe el responsible." He then says that the th eory of reincarnation " is likely to give us a sen se of in fi ni te hope and of infi nite responsibility ; it is likely to rna~ us helpers of ourselves an d of others, if we assume it to be a certain established fa ct. and ac t according ly. " To every thinkin g mind it is clear that the soul in the body manifests itself in connection with th e material universe using this body as its vehicle, and the soul itself bas a separate exi stence. \\'hen we say that 'life is short' we mean that the life of the body is short. The soul does not die- it is immortal. It was why Lord Sri Krishna impressed on his disciple Arjuna that the wise grieve neither for the living nor the dead (2-ll ). Thi s earth life is gi\•en to us for the purpose of progress, and for the unfoldment of the powers of the embodied soul. Lord Sri Krishna says 'As are childhood, youth, and old age, in this body, to the embodied soul, so also is the attaining of another body. Wise souls ( Dhiraha) are not deluded in this matter' (2-13). Our life here is osly a day at school, and nobody will be sorry when he is pro~11oted from one class to another· He is dead so far as The best of all governments is that which teaches us to govern ourselves·
BIOGRAPHY OF SHRI MEHER BABA
115
his lower class is concerned, but be lives in the higher class with all his experiences of his lower class· A person on the Path understands three important points : " i
Nothing short of absolute perfection is expected of him in
regard to this development• n iii
All power with regard to it is in his own hands· He has all eternity before him io which to attain this perfection, but the sooner it is gained, the happier and more useful will be be.''
As the late Dr. Besant said " Evolution consists of an evolving life, passing from form to form as it evoh·es, and storing up in itself the experience gained through the forms; the reincarnation of the human soul is not the introduction of a new principle into evolution, but the adaptation of the universal principle to meet the conditions rendered necessary by the individualization of the continuously evolving life." Life is continuous. As the Gita says . " As a man removes worn-out clothes, and puts on new ones, the embodied soul casts off worn-out bodies and enters new ones.'' Are we sorry when . we remove dirty worn· out garments? No. We will be quite happy in our new garments provided we took care to see they were carefully stitched : But it is clear that there is no change in the real man (soul ) who wears the garment. The soul goes on till it exhausts· all experiences, the outcome of desires. Thi s is the story of him who desires Ci ti nu Kamayamanaha - Brihad- aranyako -panishad.) Then what is reincarmation, It is the re-embodiment of the soul in thh; world of samsara over and over again as long as it has desires. Mr. Eustace Miles notes some of the limitations of this theory or proposition.
"i
li does not teJI us how long an interval elapses between one life and another, whether 150 years or only a minute·
ii
The theory is open to serious objections, especially to the possibility or certainty of exceptions; for instance, when the disciples asked Jesus whether a certain man had been born blind because of his own mistakes made in previom: Jives (for he could not have made them in this life, if he had been born blind!) or because of his parents' mistakes, 1esus did not say that the two theories were generally All good government must begin in the home·
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THE MEHER GAZETTE abs nrd; he said that in this case there was a different exp lanation." There is another point also to be considered ; iii
Whether human beings may become re- incarnated as mmerals, plants or animals. (To be continued) MOTHER Dr. BESANT
I pay homage to Mother Besant. her sayings :
Let us meditate on some of
When a man has seen the One, the very desire for the things of the senses dies out in him. ii
Remember that all difficulties constitute opportunities for the would-be occultist.
iii
Never lower your ideal ; that is fatal.
iv
You must be true all through and it is not easy to make oneself so in thought and word and deed.
v
Your thought ought always to result in action . a rule.
Make that
MAHATMA GANDHIJI He is the noblest man Ji ving. In the words cif Shakespeare,-" His life is gentle, and the elements So mixed in him that Nature might stand up And say to all the world, ' This is a man !" Our homage to him.
EDITORIAL THE PEOPLE'S PARTY
(1) Mr¡ P. T Rajan, the Development minister, in his speech which he recently made in Mangalore is reported to have stated,:"Ignoring the People's party, which had a tumultous birth the previcus evening, there were two parties in the field, the ] ustj ce and the
It is useless to make good laws for bad people•
EDITORIAL.
THE PEOPLE'S PARTY
117
Congress路" The italics are mine. It is to be regretted that a responsible minister should in dP.spair use words that be does not understand. ' Tumultous' means riotous, uproariou ~ . violent, disturbed路 It is common knowledge under what conditions, and in what circumstances the minister's party came into existence . Verily the epithet may appropriately be applied to it. The lead er of the People's Party is, if we may 'say so, a Raja Rishi. Th is is no flattery as we do not stand under any obligations to him . This part of the Country wanted a leader who bad the courage to 5ay " Politics di vorced from a high moral purpose becomes the paltry squabbl e for power in which humanity can feel no interest 路" We do not think that the other leaders have the courage to say so. There was absolutely no tumult, no communal commotion, no physical disturbance, and no outpouring of billingsgate when this muchwanted party came into existence. Our friend the minister may ignore this party : but every patriotic Indian cannot afford to ignore it. The party will take our friend' s curse as a benediction; for we can ignore his curse.
(2) The Hon. Nawab Mirza Yar Jung Bahadur, the Chief Justice of the Hyderabad High Court and Chairman of the Temperance Committee in his broadcast speech said : "Four crores of rupees were !'unk by the people of this state in the purchase of this wasteful and unnecessary luxury in one year. How much it would have affected the earning capacity and the economic condition of those who wasted this money, and how much of pain, misery and moral degradation it wo~'d have brought in its trail could This observation applies to the condition of one only be imagined. " State. But it equal ly appl ies to the whole of India. Isl am prohibits drink: and it is a follow~r of Islam that had the courage to speak the drink-Truth. 'vVill our ministers meditate on this observation for at lea s~ ten minutes a day ?
(3) Mr . T. I. Mardy, ex-M.P. and former Secretary of India ParliaCommittee in the course of a radio talk on Birth Control, said, "If India has the moral courage to reject artificial methods and has not the will power to control sexuality by natural methods then India must at once set about it to enforce the only practicable alternative to birth men~ary
Public sentiment is more than law路
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THE MEHER GAZETTE
control, That is, India must abolish her mass illiteracy, enforce effective primary education full and free for all boys and girls as a birthright; and at the same time carry out nation-wide rural upliftment as these two reforms must go hand in glove." No better advice can be given to Indians and their ministers at this critical period of their history. But under our present vVithout mass education nothing is possible. ministers there is nothing like mass education: On the other hand even primary education in Madras presidency is made very costly and it is only rich man's business - Vve have personal experience of this unfortunate affair·
PRACTICAL LESSONS ON YOGA S wami Sri S ivammdji . (Continued from page 100) 11 Will-power is more powerful than thought-power. power is soul-power (Atma Bhal) . The will-power of a \¥estern tist is Jess powerful than the will-power of an Eastern Yogi or a There is a tinge of impurity (selfishness or desire for power) ~ccultist .
WillocculJnani. in an
12 Thought is a mental force. It is a force like gravitation, cohesion or attraction, but it is a higher power. Gravitation etc belong Gravitation is a gross force· · Thought is a to the physical plane· It is the highest subtle force. Soul-power belongs to Atmic plane· power. 13 Eth ical power that is obtained by the practice of yama and moral virtues, is more powerful than intellectual power· Soul-power is more powerful than ethical power. Gandh iji has ethical power. But Sri Sankara and Yajna valkya had soul-power through self-realisation (Atma Joana). man.
14 An intellectual giant or a philosopher may be an immoral But an ethical or spiritual man can never, never be immoral.
15 Create a protecting au ra around you, which will not allow evil thought from outside to enter the mind. This can be done by auto suggestion, will-power, strong imagination, pranayama, prayer and meditation. Think "I have created an auric shell around me . No evil thoughts can affect me now· I am quite safe ." It is to self-government that we owe what we are•
WISDOM OF THE VEDAS
119
16 Just as there are steps in the ascending stair-case, so also there are steps in yogic samadhi· Savitarka, nirvitarka, ~avichara, nilvir.hara, sananda, sasmita are all steps in the ladder of yoga. One has to master all these lower samadhis before he reaches the final asamprajtlata samadhi. (To be continued.)
THE WISDOM OF THE VEDAS : VEDIC YAJNAS AND ANIMAL SACRIFICES By Sjt Dharmadeva Siddhantalankara (Hans) (Continued from pa~te 101)
It is generally believed that Lord Gautama Buddha was the first to raise his voice against animal sacrifices : But it is significant that in the Brahman Dhammik ·Sutta speaking about the practices of the ancient Brahmans be emphatically stated that they never u~ed to kill animals in It was only in the yagnas and their sacrifices were quite non-violent. the reign of a king lkshwaku that they became greedy, interpolated Ven:es in the ancient books sanctioning animal sacrifices and began to perform them with the result that the number of diseases rose up from 3 to 101. It is clear therc:fore that even according to Lord Buddha the Vedas did not sanction animal .sacrifices nor the ancient Brahmins practise them. It is the duty of every right-thinking person, therefore, to condemn them strongly and to cultivate the spirit of service and sacrifice, performing benevolent actions selflessly with the object of bringing about the welfare of the whole world, [Finis]
WHAT IS MYSTICISM? By Mr. R. R. Khanna, M.Sc. (Continued from page 102) Let us revert to the question ''What is mysticism " ? A mystic is a human being who has fallen in love with God· A mystic usually gets the first vision of God through some human form. He sees God operating through some Personality. To begin with, this Personality may be the spiritual presence of some Great Soul, who left the body years ago; it may be some li ving Personality, still in human form. In He that would govern others, first should be the master of himself.
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THE MEHER GAZETTE
either case the seeker sees Divinity operating through one Personality· His mind is filled with love and emotions bordering on maclness, in bondage to thi s Personality, whom I shall call the Master· The seeker now feels the influence of a new magic spell, stronger than anything he has experienced before; a nr::w life of joy and bliss comes to him, so differ~nt from the sordid material life of selfishness and pain with which he was familiar before. He now shrinks from his old surroundings, having found something new and attractive. Human beings get attached to one such Master by strong bonds of love unknown to ordinary mortal s. This bondage bas no sex appeal whatsoever; it is a union of the hearts. The coming together of the seeker and the Master !n human form is pleasant~r to them than all the joys of heaven, whereas their separation brings the pain of hell. Their exchange of glances is worth more to them than l<ingdoms. Friends of the seeker are unable to appreciate this queer phenomenon . They are unable to see Divinity in the Master. But the seeker and the Master understand each other as nobody else can. "What is Mystic:ism?" The laws which govern the lives of the Master and the seeker, injtheir spiritual relationship, their experiences on the path, their eventual spiritual union, their services to humanity, should in my opinion be termed Mysticism. Prof. N. N. Sen Gupta, Head of the Department of Philosophy at the Lucknow U niversity, once delivered an extension lecture on" The Psychology of Mysticism", at which I had the privilege to be present. The professor brought with him a large bundle of books to prove to the audience, by quotations frcm the texts, that (1)
Mystics have been known a mong all religions.
{2}
Mystics have been known in ali countries and in all ages; in pre·historic as well as comparatively modern times.
(3)
The experiences of these mystics have been found to be fundamentally similar; although philosophers have found it con ~ enient to divide them into six stages of mystic evolution.
It is not my purpose to reproduce that instructi ve lecture, but I must say, that it gave me great pleasure to learn (from the evidence of books) that fundamental unity of mysticism runs through all religions, through all countries and through all known times of which record is a\·ailable. For documentary evidence, I am grateful to Prof. Sen Gupta. It was not surprising to me, however, that the relationship of man with God
Cicero calls gratitude the mother of virtues•
•121
WHAT IS MYSTICISM ?
should be governed by some laws, which remain fundamentally the same through all ages, and through all countries. "What are the experiences of a mystic? " This is a very large question and I would refer the reader to the biographies of mystics of his own religion. H owever, a brief answer can be gi ven by asking another question ; what are the experiences of a lover? You would say, the first observation-. indicate too much concentration on one person, lack of interest in others, comparati ve negli gence of ordinary duties, sacrifices for the beloved beyond all sense of proportion, and several other features which appear rather s illy to the onlookers! Exactly! A mystic also goes through all that, but his belo ved is Divinity. Another difference is that the bond of relationship is infinitely stronger in this case and the sacrifices called for are very much greater. You might ask "What is the use of making all these sacrifices?" I wonder what answer you would have got if you had addressed this question to Prahlad or Majnun. A lover does not speculate in the share market for profit or loss. He just loves - W hy does he love? Because he· cannot help it. He is mad ; but he loves his own madness. He cannot be explained by rea ~ on and logic, and rejoices in th is sphere, which is really beyond the region of reason or logic. What is the purpose of mystic's life? In reply may I ask what is the purpose of a human lover ? The answer is; they both seek union with the beloved. In one case, the beloved is mortal and in the other case, the B eloved is eternal. Union with the beloved brings 'bli!ls' to the lover's heart in both cases. In one case, ho wever, love is followed by separation when the belo ved leaves the mortal frame. In the other case ' the human soul obtains union with the Divine soul, (with luck) and there is no fear of separation even in death - The intervening stages are pai nful in the extreme but are well-known in romance and history as the trials of lovers. The path of true love, whether human or div ine, does not run smoothly. The greater the sacrifices involved the greater the prize. (to be continued)
THE MUNDAKA UPANISHAD-SECOND MUNDAKA SECOND CHAPTER (Continued from page 104) Th is self-efful gent Brahman is in the cavity {of the heart of all creatures) and is said to be moving there. He is the highest (g~eat) goal. He is the support of all. In H im all that mo ves, breathes and Gratitude is the most capital of all duties ·
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THE MEHER GAZETTE
closes the eyes is fixed. Know that He is the Sat (Para Brahman) and He is the best A-sat (the phenomenal universe~. He is to be adored. and beyond the intellect of all beings. [The Sruti clearly says that the eternal Brahman is the highegt to · be adored. The person on the Path is told that it cannot be known by the intellect of ordinary men. The person on the Path is the Sruti's child (Somya-chapter, mantra 10). _It can be realised only by the person mentioned in mantra 10·. By intellect alone the Para Brahman cannot be understood. It must be realised says this mantra. How it can b~ realised is the subject matter of the following mantrams.] 2 That which is luminous, that which is more subtle than the subtlest, in which all the worlds god their inhabitant!' are fixed-That is the imperishable Brahman. That is Prana, speech and Mind. That is Truth and that is immortal. Oh sowmya, know that it should be realised ( veddavyam= should be pierced) by concentration of the mind (Viddi). [It is only by control of the mind and realizing the universal One-ness that onP- can understand That. One should realise that there is one life; by c:ontrol of speech we can realise the Oneness; by feeling Universal brotherhood the Mind can realise the immortal Truth. All these arrows are necessary to the aspirant archer who desires to hit the mark. This is the process.]
3 Taking as his bow the great weapon of the Upanishad, fix on it the arrow, sharpened by devotion. Oh beloved, Having drawn it with the mind fixed on it (Brahman), know that the aim is that imperishable Brahman. [With mind fixed on Oneness realize the imperishable Onenessthe Brahman. This idea is more clearly explained in the next mantram.] 4 The · Pranava (OM) is the bow; the atma is the arrow; And the Brahman is said to be the aim. This aim shall be pierc~d by him whose attention is fixed on it. Then he will become of the same nature as the Brahman like the arrow (the arrow gets into the aim which it pierced). [The word 'Apramattena' carefully, with attention fixed on it-is very important. By 'discrimination' we have to understand the sat and a -sat and fix our mind on the sat. If this is not done the aspirant belo\•ed cannot hit the mark. vVithout control of the mind amidst excitement it is not possible to realise One-ness. Unless we conquer Grateful and good are synonymous terms·
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THE MEHER GAZETTE
closes the eyes is fixed. Know that He is the Sat (Para Brahman) and A-sat (the phenomenal universe~. He is to be adored. He is the best and beyond the intellect of all beings. [The Sruti cl·early says that the eternal Brahman is the highegt to · be adored. The person on the Path is told that it cannot be known by the intellect of ordinary men. The person on the Path is the Sruti's child (Somya-chapter, mantra 10). _It can be realised only by the person mentioned in mantra 10·. By intellect alone the Para Brahman cannot be understood. It must be realised says this mantra. How it can be realised is the subject matter of the following mantrams.] 2 That which is luminous, that which is more subtle than the subtlest, in which all the worlds llnd their inhabitant!! are fixed-That is the imperishable Brahman. That is Prana, speech and Mind. That is Truth and that is immortal. Oh sowmya, know that it should be realised ( veddavyam= should be pierced) by concentration of the mind (Viddi). [It is only by control of the mind and realizing the universal One-ness that onr. can understand That. One should realise that there is one life; by c-:ontrol of speech we can realise the Oneness; by feeling Universal brotherhood the Mind can realise the immortal Truth. All these arrows are necessary to the aspirant archer who desires to hit the mark. This is the process.] 3 Taking as his bow the great weapon of the Upanishad, fix on it the arrow, sharpened by devotion. Oh beloved, Having drawn it with the mind fixed on it (Brahman), know that the aim is that imperishable Brahman. [With mind fixed on Oneness realize the imperishable Onenessthe Brahman. This idea is more clearly explained in the next mantram.] 4 The · Pranava (OM) is the bow; the atma is the arrow; And the Brahll?an is said to be the aim. This aim shall be pierced by him whose attention is fixed on it. Then he will become of the same nature as the Brahman like the arrow (the arrow gets into the aim which it pierced). [The word 'Apramattena' carefully, with attention fixed on it-is very important. By 'discrimination' we have to understand the sat and a -sat and fix our mind on the sat. If this is not done the aspirant belo\·ed cannot hit the mark. vVithout control of the mind amidst excitement it is not possible to realise One-ness. Unless we conquer Grateful and good are synonymous terms·
ADVANTAGES OF A VEGETARIAN DIET
12~
the flesh-matter, control of the mind is absolutely impossible. Persons who want stimulants (coffee, tea, tobacco, alchohol etc) to do any work and cannot control the mind quite independently can never hope to have any results spiritually. Person s who are victi m s to stimulants are therefore doomed. It is through bad habits that nerves are weakened. It is true that the poisonou3 stimulants stimulate the ner ves temporarily. That they are useleqs and dangerou s is clear from the fact that soon after depress ion is produced, and the victim wants the stimulant again . Such a person can never control th e mind . T he weak nerves must be strengthened by natural methods- taking well-regulated food and exercise and shastraic medicines, when absolutely necessary .] (To be continued)
THE ADVANTAGE S OF A VEGETARIAN DIET (Con tinued from page 105) 6
l t is a non -stimulating diet.
Henry s. Salt says " It cannot be mer e accident that vegetarians are almost invariably abstainers from alcoh ol and tobacco. Flesheating and alcoholi sm a re closely allied , and tha t the drink cra\·e die<> a natural death when a stimulating diet is withdraY:'o • " The question of birth control becomes very difficult in the case of those who ~ake stimulating-meat-food. To them mindl control is absolutely impossible. 7 On economical and physiological grounds vegetarian diet must be preferred to meat-food · For very good reasons Swami Dayanand Saraswati condemns meat-eating- He says that Ahimsa (Harm lessness) is the fi rst virtue that a spiritual aspirant should possess. He quotes from scriptures to show that the killing of animals for food is a great sin . A vegetarian diet is therefore a satvic and therefore a spiritual diet· Dr. F - Hartman says: " It will be plain to every one who investi gates the laws of the higher life, that the loading of the human organism with animal substan ces w.ill not facilitate its penetration by the light of the divine spirit. The first step to the acq'ni:;ition of spiritual refigement is the abandonment of animal food. 8
It is certainly a pre ventive and curati ve diet. He enjoys much who is thankful for little.
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THE MEHER GAZETTE
Sir B . W. Richardson said "Jn respect to the propagation of disease it seems just to declare that the danger is much less and much more easily preventible on the vegetarian than on the animal diet. " Dr. A. P. Buchan prohibited animal food in cases of consumption• In large meat-eatiug countries cancer mortality is very high. Vegetarians who are true brahmacharis and brahmacbarinees keep sound health till old age. (To be continued)
SAIDAPET MUNICIPALITY (Oll a podrida) [Continued from page 107]
(1) I am very happy to state that the Government was pleased to allow the appeal of the Head master of the Municipal Boys' school setting aside the iniquitous order of the so·called majority in the Council against him. Thus almost all the important objections I had taken in my dissenting note to the unworka ble budget passed by the so·called majority were upheld by the Government· Will the' ]arks' (The Cabal) now at least get commonsense and like the Ostrich bury their heads in shame ?
(2) An open letter to Mr. P. Jayachar.dra Naidu garu B.A. & B.L., the lucky Vice-Chairman. My dear brother, (In Law) May I rem ind you of the very interesting fable "The F ox and the Goat." A fox and a goat were very thirsty and got down into a well to drink. They drank as much as they wanted. The goat then bleated " How can we get out of this?" The cunning fo x said " stand upon your hind legs with your fore feet against the wall. I shall climb up to your horns, and then jump out and draw you after me. " The simple goat did as he w~s bidden, and the fox sprang out of the well. It then laughed and said "you fool, if you had half as much brain as you have beard, you would have bethought yourself how to get out of the well before you got in. The poor goat upbraided and pleased by turns, but the fo x ran away. " You understand the simile. You are an A grateful mind is both a great and a happy mind ·
·~
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SAIDAPET MUNICIPALITY
adept in making s-imple folks change from one side to the other, these not knowing how they are taken in. They change as pne side or the other happens to suit their need! Sane people understand all this, and it ill becomes a budding lawyer to chuckle over this performance· Secrecy will not help any public worker . Says Johnson "where secrecy or mystery begins, vice or roguery is not far off." It is a crime to do a thing under the rose in public affairs. A straight line is shortest in morals as well as in geometry, says Rabel. My dear friend, prefer loss before unjust gain : for that brings grief but once ; this forever (Chilo).
(3) ''The whole of Saidapet is anxiously waiting to see what this Council is going to do in this very important matter. Is it going to discharge its duty fearlessly and conscientiously, or going to break the hearts of helpless men and bring disgrace on this already discredited body ? Dear brothers, my last appeal to you is this ; Let us I walked away give up our discreditable prejudices in this matter· from the committee because I sincerely felt that it committed the most egregious mistake i!l recommending the slaughter of the teachers even after they were told that the matter was under correspondence with the Government. I am sure that the ' paternal Government will help the teachers because they cannot afford to be as heartless as the Committee. Do not be inconsistent and make yourself the laughing stock of the sensible world. Rise to the occasion, reject the :ftrocious recommendation of the Committee· " After my speech almost all the Councillors were in favour of the resolution. It was at this phychological mcment the Chairman adjourned the meeting to the next day for obvious reasons· (To be continued)
THOUGHTS FOR THE MONTH 1· He enjoys much who is thankful for little; a grateful mind Seeker. is both a great and a happy mind.
2. 0 Lord, who lends me life, lend me a heart replete with thankfulness· Shakespeare•
He who received a benefit should never forget it.
THE MEHER GAZETTE
126
THE HARIJAN PAGE lt is a lhonsar.d pities that the Caste Disabilities Bill of Rao Bahadur M. C. Rajah could not become law without delay. The Bill only aimed at ensuring that our brothers and sisters of the so-called Only a few depressed classes would be treated like human beings. misguided so-called Sanatanists were against the Bill. Still they make much noise, and the present government seems to be afra.id of them ! It is cowardice, We have no doubt that if a plebiscite were taken the Bill will be supported by an overwhelming maj ority路 If fallen India wishes to rise (it is not too late yet) the three curses of mass illiteracy, drink and untouchability must disappear. Will this millennium come?
MEHER ASRAMAM Saidapet, Madras. Members of Meher League may assemble here and spend some time in meditation. They meditate and practise the virtue of Tolerance in November and Magnaltimity in December.
2. Earnest spiritual aspirants may go to the some time in that quiet place.
a~ramam
and spend
THE CHILDREN PAGE Master A. K. Kasthuri (reading in form IV, B of St Joseph's Indian High School, l:hngalore) sends me ten "things never to do" [from the Children's Encyclopedia] I. Never cross the road immediately in front of a vehicle, though there may seem plenty of time to spare. 2. Never run into directions.
the road without first looking in both
3. Never hesitate ~fter starting to cross the road, nor step back when the driver of a vehicle probably thinks you are going on路 4.
Never cycle between two vehicles; they may close
10
upon
you. 5. Never pretend to stab people with a knife. and be hurt路
They may move
He who bestows should never remember it路
MEHER LEAGUE 6. 7. 8. 9. 10.
Never Never Never Never Never
127
stand too near the edge of a river or canal. run about with an open knife or knitting needles. put knitting-needles or crochet-hooks in the pocket. pull a chair from under anyone about to sit down. leave anything, such as a brush or pail, on the stairs.
(To be continued)
FROM THE MASTER 29-10 36· To-day we recei ved a letter from Karachi, dated 23rd October, from Bra Dadachanj i, wherein he says,-
" ...... At the moment of His departure Babaji wishes to convey to all His dear bhaktas in India His Love and Blessings ...... "
MEMBERS OF MEHER LEAGUE BROTHE RS
397 398 399 400 401
Swami Atmananda. C· M. Paripurnam· T . M. Vijiarangam Pillai. C. Govindachari. A. Srihari Raman.
N. B.-We regret to record the death of brother C. Govinda Chari· May his sQul rest in peace·
MEHER LEAGUE When H is 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. He only is great who has the habits of greatness•
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THE MEHER GAZETTE
iv. That the League should spread the message of our Divine Lord Meher Babaji viz, Universal Brotherhood. His Holiness Sri Meher Babaji is the patron of the League. President: C. V. Sampath Iyangar, Vice¡President: M. Vadivelu Mndaliar, Treasurer: C. V. Ramanujacbarlu. S ecretaries : 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, Saokarapuram, Bangalore City. [N. B.-All members are requested to inform the Editor of their change of address, if any. Ed.]
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TEACHING
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