Meher Gazette Volume Five Number Six Alt

f<egi slered No. 54 , } S ai<.iapet .

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MEHER GAZETTE " MEHER ASRAMAM " : (Saidapet, Madras )

A Bi-month ly review devoted to the Propagation of Sri Babaji's Message and of Universal Brotherhood Through Meher League.

Vol. V]

i

J ANU A RY --F E BR U ARY 1937

[ N o. 6

':tV here is ignorance: Where sorrow for hi m who has seen the O ne in Many ?- Y aj u r V eda

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CONTENTS PAGE

129 129 129

Shri Baba's Message · Sri Baba's Say ings About the Master B irth Control } ...

The Alternativ e (Sri B aba 's views) Supplement .. , What is Mystici ~ m Editorial } Appendix Saidapet Municipality Har ijan page Ch ildren 's page Gala da y at Chett ipunyarri a •• • Thoughts for the months Meher Asrarnarn Saidapet, Madras ...

Members of Meher League Meher League Our exchange

130 132 13 2

134 136 139 142

145 146 14'/

147 147

147 14 8 148

THE MEHER GAZETTE Editor: C. V. S;::tmpath Aiyangar, (La te of Madras J udicial S erv ice )

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E difot 's Address:

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@ THE

MEHER GAZETTE A Bi-monthly review devo ted to the Propagation of Sri Babaji's Message and of Universal Brotherhood Through Meher League .

J i\ N U A R Y --路-F E B R UA R Y

Vol. V]

19 3 7

[ N o. 6

SHRI BABA'S MESSAGE 71. India is the ho rn e of spiri tuali ty, and spiri.tuality means love, peace and brotherhood.

SRI BABA'S SAYINGS 72. It is we wh o create di ffic ulties and 1t is we who must overcome them .

73.

The di ffic ulty in reali z ing G od li es in its in fi nite simplicity,

74. T ak e it as a blessin g or take it as a tes t, whatever happens happens for tl:e best.

75.

Di ffi culties teach one to be calm under the most tryin g

ci rcumstances.

ABOUT THE MASTER

(1) Shri B aba arri ved in B ombay on the 23rd N ovember 路 last and proceed ed strai ght to Nasi k.

A number of the !\-las ter's \ Vestern de\路otees wi ll come to the Asramam specially prepared for th em a t Kasik. vVrites B ro D ada路 Diet cures mo re than D octors

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THE MEHER GAZETTE

''The first group has already chanji in his letter dated 12-12-36, arri\·ed-six Americans. The ~econd arrives on the I 6th by the Conte Verde ....•. the third on the 24th--six of His English disciples." \\'e give them a hearty welcome to this" home of spirituaiity. ''

(2) Shri Sadgurn Meher Baba's birthday wiil be celebrated m Nasik on 18: h Fehruary 1937.

(3) " If a man be gracious to s trangers, it show s that he IS a citizen of the world, and hi s heart is no island, cut off from other island s, but a continent that joins them-" Bacon.

BIRTH CONTROL (Shri 1\'Ieher Baba's Views) (This is sent to us by Ere Dadachanji for publication- Ed) Birth-control in itself is good, provided the mean s utilised to practise it are mental, and not physir.al or unnatural," Shri Meher Raba.

The Birth -control movement has been a subject of much controversy and wide discuss ion in the present day world. The propounders of the movement advocate the use of chemical or physical means for checking or preventing the birth of ''unwanted children".

Much "religious" sentiment is also ushered into the discussion of this subject, b1th by the ad\·ocates and the oppo:1ents of this movement.

Each leader or person in the public eye, whose op inion has been sought, has considered the question from his or her own angle of vision or sphere of activity e. g. social. med ical, or religious: and as a Sp iritual Master and the author of a spiritual movement, Shri Meher Baba's views are solicited on this point· His opinion, based as it is on spiritual consideration, is above everything. He does not consider the question from the point of view of any spec ial or lirn itad interest, but from the point of view of the ultimate and complete well-being of the indi vidual and the society, for as he has repeatedly said, "Spirituality include!> everything", The present-day Birth -control movement can be analysed into two parts: (i) its aim and ( ii) its means . It aims at regulating the b irth of children for (a) Eugen ic (b) Economic or (c ) personal r.easons.

Do as you would be done by

BIRTH CONTROL

131

Uncontrolled breed in'! leads to the birth of di seased and weak issue, intensifies the acute ''struggle for existence'' and all the political aod economical problems (e. g. crimes, wars and po verty), which are the ine vitable outcome of rut hless comp etition, and often create for parents a responsibility wh ich they cannot adeq uately dischargeAll these con siderations are hum1n e and rationa l, and th e refo re de mand and justify ser ious attempts to reg ulate breeding · · Th e p urdy ph}•sical m eans , howe ve r, wh ic h the enthusiastic supporters of the B irth ·control movem~nt ad vocate, are found to lead to the following undesirable results :(i) \Vhi le the wealthier and th e middle classes, who can afford to support many iss ue in the ir famil ies, hav e already taken to this mania of u sing contracepti v e ~. th e really poor and the des titute, who cannot at all afford to breed children , e ithe r do not kno w enough about contraceptives or deliberately neglec t to use th e m. And the result is that the uneducated masses a rc m nlt iplying a s ev er and t he educated and the rich c lasses are b ecom ing thinn e r; and in th e a c tual result of the use of contrace pt ives, the ve ry purp ose of s ec uring c hildren only when and wh e re they wo uld be properly looked after is defe a ted by the means. (ii) Fu r ther the contrace ptives which are ad vocated on humanitar ian gro unds are generally used by the m ajo rity of the people for ser ving th eir o wn selil sh e nds and for a vo idin g the re s p:Jnsibility of bearing and bringing up children. (i ii) S in·~ e th e phy sical conseq uences of the se x-a c t can be so su ccess fully a voided t hrongh t he use of c h "! rni ::a l a 'ld ph ysic al mean s , those who ln ve n:Jt ye t b~g Ltn to b~ a w.l ke to th~ h igh ~r \·alnes, have no in centi ve to be m0de ra te in the gra ti fic at io n of pass ion : and they there fore become vi c tims to e xcessive indnlgence in the satisfaction of sex desire, which has disas trous phy sica l, mJral, and spiritual consequences. Sin ce the a dvocates of the Hirth ·c ontro l movement are content to empbas ise the need of the use of phy s ical m ean s only and entirely neglect the spiritual side of the q uestion, the younger generation is likely to become blind to the need for mental control, and might bring about its own ruin by becoming a s lave to the animal passion.

Harm set, harm get.

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THE MEHE R GAZETTE

chanji 10 h is letter dated 12-I 2-36, ''The fir st group has already a rri\·ed- six Americans. The second arrives on the I 6th by the Conte Verde . ..... the third on the 24th--si x of His English disciples." \\"e give them a hearty wel come to thi s " home of s piritualit y." '

(2) on

S hri Sadguru Meher B aba's birthda y will be cel ebra ted m N asi k F ebr uar y 1937.

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(3) " If a man be gracious to stra ngers, it sho ws that he is a citi zen of the world, and hi s heart is no islan d, cut off fr om other island s, but a continent that joins them. " B acon.

BIRTH CONTROL (Shri 1\'I eher Baba's V iews) (This is sent to us by E re D adac hanj i for publication · E d) Birt h -control in itself is good, pro vided the means utilised to practise it are mental, and not physir.al or unnatural," Shri Meher Baba.

The B irth -control mo vement has been a subj ec t of much contro versy and wide discuss ion in the presen t day world. The propound ers of the mo vement ad vocate th e use of chemical or phy sical mean s for checking or pre venting the birth of ''un wanted children".

Much "rel igiou s" sentiment is also ushered into the di scussion of this subject, b?th by the ad\·ocates and the oppo~ent s of th is mo vement.

E ach leader or person in th e public eye, whose op inion has been sought, has consid ered the question from his or her own a ngle of vision or s phere of act iv ity e. g. soc ial. medica l, or religio us: and as a Spiritual Master and the author of a spiritual mo vement, S hri Meher Baba' s views are soli cited on this po int· H is opinion, based as it is on spiritH al consideration, is abo ve everything. H e does not consider the q uest ion from the point of vi ew of any s pec ial or lim ited interest, but from the point of view of the ultimate and complete we ll-being of the indi vidua l and the society, for as he has repeatedly said, " Spirituality includes e verything", The present-day B irth -cont rol mo vement can be analysed into ' two parts: (i) its aim and (ii) its means . It a ims at regulating the b irt h of ch ild ren for (a) E ugen ic (b) E conom ic or (c ) personal reasons.

Do as you wou ld be done by

132

TH E MEHER GA Z ETTE

THE ALTERNATIVE. \ V hat then 1s the · a.lt ern a ti ve ?

Th e easy phy"ical means of avo idin g iss ue a re fa r from be ing contr ib u tory to the a wa kening of man to h is real d ig nity a nd fr ee dom as a s piritual being.

Thoughtle ss and un controll ed in dul gen ce m ns t ine v ita bly lead to rea ction and spiritu a l bond age .

O nly th rou g h t he wise exerc ise of mental control is it poss ibl e fo r man t o ris e f ron t pa ssioll to p eace, fro m botr d age to jrcedo 111 , f rom m zim ality t o p u rity.

F or s pirit ual a s pirants in partic ul a r, and al so for a ll hu ma n beings ( beca use they are all pot ent ially s pi rit u:1l a s piran ts), it i s ~e x t r em e l y inad visab le to rel y upon purely ph ys ica l m ean s for the reg ul ar breed in g. The y m ust rely u pon Jlle lltal co fL fro l which will a utom atica lly resu lt in the reg ulation of b irths · They can thu s equally well ac hi eve th e h um a nita rian p u rposes of the B irthcontrol mo veme nt w ithou t incurring u po n t hemselves th e sp iritua l disas ters whi ch mus t o ve rta ke them if they m erely rely on the purely ph ys ical 111emrs ad voca t ed b y th e su p porte rs of t he mo \·ement.

Shri Me her Baba, th e re fore, thro ws li ght u po n th e much -ig nored s piritual side of the q ues ti on a nd ad voc:ttes l\ I en tal co n tro l wh ic h is not only useful for regul at in g th e m1m be r o f ch ild ren but is also indi spensible for res tor ing to m a n h is Di vin e di gnit y and s piri tua l good viz. peace , happiness and freed om.

SUPPLEMENT "The use of p hys ical m eans for pre venting the b irth of children withou t me ntal control is sr ir it nall y d isa s tro us fur an a sp irant.

B ut is it pe rmi ss ible fo r a n as r ir;J.n t to use , in incr e a~i n g d egree , menta l control a lo l! g "·ith th e p hy s ical m e;J. ns , if h e cons iders that he cannot und erta ke th e re s pon sibil ity o f c hi ldre n, an d if he does not in any way slac ke n . hi s att e mr ts at m en ta l c on tro l and s ub lim a tion, and if he s incerely uses th e phys ical m ean s pro v isi onally, and intends to give th em up as soon as po ssi b le?" " B irth -co ntrol mus t be cs sell hally sclf-c ol!l ro l (mental control ), There sho u ld be 110 second a id to i t . A nd physical m eans, und er no circu m s tan ces, con s id era t io ns or conditions, would be adv isable.

a11d I!Othi llft else.

If one is not prepared to und ertake the res pon sibility of children there is only on e cour se le ft for him. He mns t remain a bachelor-a true bach elor in the real se nse of th e wo rd · For mental control, although e x trem ely d ifficult in p ra c ti cP, is not im p o s~; ible. B ut in trying

*o

P rac t ic e ma kes perfect

S U PPL E l'vi E NT

133

utilise any means other than m ental , e ven with the moti ve of developing the mental through the ph ysica l, on e does no t atta in self -control, much as he desire s it . O n th e contrar y, bein g a ddi c ted to the physical means , he tries to justify himse if all t he mo re in th e util ising of th e physical means, and becomes a vic tim to the ha b it ra th er ~ han effe::ting a de velopmen t in se lf -control · To ex pl a in it s t ill mor e cl earl y. what happens in th e u se of ph ys ica l m ea ns is tha t w hil e one thi nks that he is usi ng th e m a s a prel im ina r y ste p b efore the ment a l con trol is fu lly de ve loped, he a c tua lly gets addi cted to t hem an d b eco mes a sl ave of th e ha bit of us ing t hem. And t ho ugh b e m a y re m ai n unde r 1 ft ~ d elu s iOn th at h e is l ry£ng to dcv dop lll !! n ia l col/ t rol t hroug h t he physical m eans, he is, in r ea lity, a ll th o:. w hile los ing grad u a lly.

I n s hort, m e ntal power is und e rmin ed by re liance on t he ph ysica l m ea ns. Therefore the ch an ces of one 's deve lopi ng self -cont rol t h rou gh phys ica l m ea ns a re' absolutely rc/llol e· O n th e con trar y, th ere is al wa y s the ri sk of being a pre y to the a ni m al pa ss ion, a nd he nce phys ical me1. ns a re, 1111 d e r n o co ll dit ions, ad visa ble, crcn f rom the be st of m otiv es , P re venti ng birth of c hildren t h rou gh ph ys ica l m ean s is mos t di sas trous from the spiritual point of vie w. an d is pos itively de trimen ta l to the de velopment of self-control.

As a S pi ritual l\J a ste r, Shri Me h er D aba would ad vi se s f rict celibacy, bnt it is ex t re me ly di ffi cu lt though not impossibl e · Hen ce very fe w pra c: tis e it. A nd so, for ot hfl rs, who can not obser ve stri c t celibacy, t he next bes t course, he would a d •:is fl , is to 111 a rry, rather than rema in a ba ch elor a nd fly like a bee from flo wer to fl ower. If in marriage, one learn s to con tro l a nima l pass ion, well a nd good.

If he cannot control it, li e ll l li SI let 11 af 11rc trd ·c £is O'<''lt co 11 rsc (rathe r than use any unn at ura l m eans) a 11d bear the c o l t sc q u c ~t c c s of sl! oll l d cr i Hg th e rcsj>o n s i hility for 11 j>b ri 11 g w g of t /1e c lu'l d rc ll an ti e ven suffer for that. Th is res pons ibilit y m us t be a cc:ep ted ill di·v idually , a nd should also be s hared collcctit•cly with oth ers . B ut wh ile he foll o ws the natural course, he sh ou ld a lso t ry, s ide by s id e, to de ve lop Lo ve, so that in course of tim e, L ove 1''0llld p ret•m 'l a11d l 11 st 1co 11 ld go f or good · Thu s mental con t rol can b e a c hi e \·ed wit hout depending on phys ical means .

If the phy s ica l m ean s of Bi r-th -control are rul ed out as spiritually undesirable, the onl y a lternati ve to reg ula te birt hs of ch ildren is to rely on menta l control: Compl e te m ental control is a ch ie ved by very few persons ; and fa ilure in m ental c o n~rol s eems to affec t women more seriously than m en. F or any s nch fa il ures, woman m-ay ha ve to underO ne li e makes many

134

THE MEHER GAZETTE

take the troubles and responsibility of bearing and rearing children, whereas man remains free from any such troubles or responsibility.

Exclusive reliance upon mental control, therefore, seems to be unfair from the woman's point of view; and the use of physical means avoids this injustice.

The injustice is not real but only appa-rent. It is true that the woman has to undertake the trouble and the responsibility of bearing and rearin~ children, but she also~has the compensating j~y of feeding and fondling them. The joy of motherhood is much greater than the joy of father-hood. Further, the man also has to face and share his responsibility towards children.

In average cases, the general responsibility (economical, educational etc.) of the father is much greater than that of the mother. Cases where the mother alone can adequately discharge parental responsibility are extremely rare. Therefore even in rhe event of failure in ·mental control, there need not be any injustice in the distribution of parental responsibility which should be mutually shared by man as well as woman.

In some cases man is likely to be inconsiderate since his eventual moral responsibility towards children is capable of being shirked.

Woman is not likely to be thus inconsiderate since she cannot avoid the physical consequences and the corresponding responsibility. \Vhy should then woman co-operate with man in this unequal enterprise ?

Inconsiderateness is not necessary in this situation; and it can be avoided if the father as well as the mother are both fully conscious of . their mutual responsibility· Since they are joined together by spiritual links, they should co-operatively endeavour to attain mental control : and in the event of any failure in mental control, they should cheerfully and willingly discharge the joint responsibility of parenthood· But re liance on physical means is disastrous to both from the spiritual point of view •

WHAT IS MYSTICISM?

By Mr· R. R · Khamta, M.Sc. (Continued from page 121-Concluded) What use is a mystic to his fellow-men? A living mystic serves as a beacon light in the stormy sea and prevents many ship-wrecks in the lives of human beings . Even a dead mystic helps all those who appeal to him, for light on the divine path, through ages and ages, in everwidening circles. This is not poetical exaggeration, but actual facts Time and tide wait for no man

WHAT IS MYSTICISM ?

135

personally experienced by one whose training and outlook are entirely scientific and analytical· You might ask, "Then, how do you prove your conclusions?" I have observed that human beings receive shocks in life: some shocks are light in character; others are unbearable. On critical occasions in life human beings are driven back to fundamentals. \liJhen they find poor consolation in words and hooks, and no relief from their grief anywhere, if they are lucky, they may be led into the presence of a truly "holy man"· Th is holy man (if true) will invariably give them imm~;diate relief: and something more , the holy man will give 'faith in God', You rnay vigorously protest saying: " N o, No, I have seen many holy men-they are nothing but frauds!' ' I have no quarrel with you. I am only talking of the true man whom you have not met, but I have. To revert th en, a relationship of love grow~ up between the holy man and the afflicted mind. They meet frequently.

In the meetings a new sense of faith in God is developed, the wrong values of material life are gradually eliminated, the pain is relieved and the once-unfortunate man grows into a true de votee. His previous surroundings refused to give him solace. A mystic not only gives him peace of mind, but also a new outlook of love and faith, which transforms him, lifting him from the sordid plane of selfishness to a loving plane of self-denial and self-.:1bnegation . Hundreds and thousands of persons come to mystics in their miserable moments and go back with a new life of faith, love and service.

To a mystic, and his visitors, there is no doubt whatever· that God exists and that He is the master: all-knowing and all -powerful• They also lm.ow from ~;ractical experience that He can rel ieve all pain (mental or physical) in the twinkling of an eye; all therefore seek to establish a Jiving relationship with Him. God demonstrates to these new devotees, by internal evidence (insp iration), that their worship now consi£ts in the worship of the "mystic" through whose personality God has manifested Himself to them. As the contact between the Master and the seeker grows deeper, this relationship is kept up even when their bodies are maintained at distances of thousan~s of miles from each other. The pain in one of them becomes known to the other automatically. The onlookers call it " Telepathy"· Thus, a mystic's life is one long series of sacrifices for and in the name of God. \liJhenever a seeker appeals to his Master, the mystic , even at a distance of thousands of miles or at an interval of many years be finds a ready response.

"How is that possible?" You might ask. My answer is ''God answers for the mysfic. God is Omnipresent. He can answer for H is lover Time is money

136

THE MEHER GAZETTE

and He does." This also explains bow even a dead my!'itc helps humanity through agesThe world therefore owes a debt to the "mystics" which cannot be repaid. Founders of all true religions were at heart "mystics" lovers of God, intense lovers of God: for His love they bore all possible privations without a protest.

Ail reverence to them.

Aclmo ~v l e dg e m e nt: I owe everything to my Master: H is Holiness Swami Bhola Nath Ji Maharaj and have great pl easure in acknowledging with a deep sense of gratitude his innumerable kindnesses during the last six years.

Editorial.]

Birth Control

The opinion gi ve n by great persons on this point is, that the question of birth-control con side red ' from the spiritual point of view should be effected only by m in d-control, and not by physical means.

There can be no two opinion s on thi s aspect of the question.

But there is the other side of the shield. says in the immortal Gita,

As Lord Sri Krishna

"One perchance, in thousand s of men, stri ves for perfection; and one per chance , among the blessed ones, striving thus, knows me in reality" This has been true at all times. It is also true that in times of Avatars, those, who are closely attached to the Masters can make a big jump in evolution· Vve are not now con cerned '" ith those few exceptional cases. '\Vhat about the ninetynine percent of the people who cannot cut short the long Path of Evolu t ion on account of the constant state of struggle and strife ? What about those peo ple till they arrive at the higher stage, where perfect peace is necessary for that higher growth ? They ha ve been thrown here by the Lords of Karma, and unfortunately they do not take all the opportunities available in this life to rise in .evolution. They cannot curb their passions. Some of them know the· e vil effects of their acts but will persist in doing evil ; while many are ignorant of the e vil effects of what they do.

They are the producers of unwanted children: souls with bad karma are born as these unwanted children. It is true that we cannot alter our previous karma given to us' as 'p rara bdlw ' karma. But we should not forget the words of a great occulti st - "The amount of the debt to be paid cannot be altered- The karma whi ch comes calls for a certain amount of suffering on our part ; but as it ca·n be increased, so it can be decreased : By an effort of our own we can apply new force and A soft answer turns away wrath

WHAT IS MYSTICISM?

137

change what would be the effect of a direct blow into one that glances off ............... " if we understand this and act accordingly we have the benefit of it 路 But ninety percent of us act otherwise. What then is the duty of those who know towards those brothers and sisters who act ignorantly and stupidly. Karma is a law of nature and thP. late Dr. Annie Besant observed'' when you offer yourself as a candidate for rapid progress, those who administer the laws of karma may, by your consent, which you have given, mod ify the apparatus, so to speak, exhaust itself upo:: you in a shorter time. Your w ill is the rsal cause of the alteration i n the apparat us". The italics are mine. Those who understand and act according to this great L1.w are men on the Path路 They know that God hac; a plan and that ic; evolution. They work for it. A great Master said "Those who are on His side know why they are here and what they should do, and they are trying to do it; all the others do not yet know what they should do, and so they often act foolishly". Referring to the latter class Dr. Besant said "Instead of execrating that man for his selfishness the wiser part would be to pity him for his ignorance".

Arjuna truly says in the Gita that Mind is restless, turbulent, strong and unyielding, and that be regarded it quite as hard to control as the wind. Says the Lord in reply "without doubt the mind is restless and difficult to control; but by practice and Vairagya (dispassion) it may be governed". (Vi. 34 & 35) The word 'practice' connotes that it would take a long time before one is able to control it, and tbat the practice is done under the immediate guidance of a Master.

Sri Babaji's conclusion is "Birth control must be essentially seJf.control (mental control) and nothing else. There should be no second aid to it, and physical means, under no circumstances, considerations or conditions, would be advisable." So says Mahatmaji.

True this severe Truth should be impressed on everybody. But something less severe should be placed before the unfortunate many s::> that they may not, in the words of Gita, fallen I from both the paths of knowledge and action, like a rent cloud, perish. To say that there is no other remedy than the severe one does not completely solve this question of questions. What then is the remedy for the person who is far away from the Path?

As Manu says both state and society should give proper free compulsory ed'ucation to all children, emphasizing the virtue of brahma路 charya. As Sadhu Vaswani says "The emphasis in the teaching of the It is never too late to learn路

138

THE MEHER GAZETTE

Rishis is on purity, not celibacy. Most of the Rishis were married• Marriage is a sacrament according to the teaching of the Rishis. And the thought is emphasized that brahmacharya should b'e practised in marriage also; Marriage is referred to as Grahastha Asrama." Proper education in tbe early stages of life is the only panacea for all ills. Children should be told the evils of a reckless I if e. Their food should be regulated. Stimulants should be avoided. The State and parents . mm;t take particular care of their children· We now go to the principal point for conc;ideration, and it is this.

Whether the contraceptives prescribed and sold by all and sundry are desirable. Many persons who cannot be said to be fools advocate their use. We need not discuss here what they are- The points for consideration are:(i) (ii)

Whether they may be used.

If so, how?

It is evident that they are used only by those who cannot control their minds, and unfortunately they are many. It is clear that this class of persons are suffering from uncontrollable sexual passion· I submit that this must be treated as a disease. When a person is suffering from hernia he go~s to a Certified doctor and gets himself treated. He must be one th~t can perform herniotomy successfully.

So these contraceptives must be in the hands of only doctor-specialists, They should not be allowed to be sold in the market by any Dick and Harry for a cheap price. The Doctors, by law, may be allowed to sell them only to those who are necessarily in wal'lt of them after satisfying themselves of the necessity· Persons suffering from dreadful serious diseases, when they go for treatment, should be segregated and should not be allowed the use of contraceptivec; till they are completely cured· These sanctions will eventually educate the second class of people in the intelligent use of contracept.ives, who may in the long run give them up.

To sum up, the only sane ad'vice in this matter is 'control yourself'. To the majority who cannot control themselves the state must give its helping hand. It should control the use of all stimulants. It should help its subjects in this matter as a father his erring child· The uncontrollable sexual passion must be treated as a disease by expert .licensed physicians . A gentleman confessed to me "I gave up all !'timulants. I now find it easy to control myself". Contraceptives Fortune favours the brave·

APPENDIX

139

should not be allowed to be sold cheap by all and sundry. They are advertised in many cheap journals, and I know many young men and women are spoilt by the indiscriminate use of them· It may be asked how poor people can have the benefit of it• Are not poor people of villages having the benefit of licensed doctors' advice?

We are going to have provincial autonomy. It will be an Indian Government: The men at the helm must be such as could tackle such an important question as the one under consideration. Other Governments have been taking much interest in the welfare of their subjects.

I have not stated anything fantastic. Our people who are entrusted with power should, in this matter, concert such measures as would help Indians to solve this question of questions. Remember the words of Swami Dayananda Saraswathi that that country alone prospers where brahmacharya is properly taught attd practised.

May not the opinion on this important point be, i.

Evolve a healthy system of marriage.

ii. Control your minds, and be true brahmacharis and brahma charinis before and after marriage.

iii· Give up all stimulants and avoid everything that would excite animal pas!.ion. iv· Let sexual passion be treated by experts appointed by the state as a disease and contraceptives be recommended and sold, when necessary, only by them· v· Let the state actively help its children in solving the prob· lems of this science of life· APPENDIX I said in the article, referring to the duty of the slate "It should control the use of all stimulants". A stimulant is an 'exciting drug'that which excites one to more vigorous action. The word connotes that one's nerves become weak and some drug is required to apply stimulus to them. It is therefore clear that if the nerves do not become weak there will be no necessity to use a stimulant. The stimulants that are generally used are Alcohol, Tobacco, Ganja, Opium, Tea and Coffee, condiments and spices, and Betel and Betelnut, I shall briefly say a few words on each of these enemies to health. There is no doubt that these stimulants excite the sexual passions of a person, and it is Experience is

a dear School

140

THE MEHER GAZETTE

idle to contend that the question of birth control has nothing to do with the use of these poisonous things. I shall quote a few pas~ages in support of my statement that these stimulants excite sexual passion, (i) "Alcobol inflames the passions, thus making the temptation to sexual sins unusually strong": ( ii) "Alcohol decreases the power of control, thus making the resisting of temptation especially difficult" . (iii) ''Even a moderate use of those" (alcohol, opium etc) ''i5harm ful, especially in tropical countries like India. They. are of no avail permanently to relieve physical and mental strain" (Verdict of many doctors. ''The statesman-Friday February 22-1918) (iv) Tobacco contains a powerful narcotic poison, nicotine.

"It is particularly a heart poison". (Pereira's Materia Medica p 567) Each Cigarette when smoked, develops an amount of furfural equal to that present in two ounces of whiskey" (Dr D. H. Kress M.D.) "Acrolein Is one of the most terrible drugs in its effect on the human body. The burning of ordinary cigarette paper always produces aerolein" (Thomas A Edison) •'After twenty-four years of experience in teaching hygiene and physical education, I am convinced that tobacco is injurious to growing youths" (Professor G · L. Meylan of Columbia University) R. S. Cummings M. D. says that the use of tobacco (Cigarettes, Snuff, Smoking a pipe, Smoking cigars, and Chewing)should be given up .

'K' writes recently in the Sunday Times that Snuff and Coffee together is a bad combim.tion for the brain, and gives the experience of a judicial officer. There can be no doubt about it (issue dated 27-9-36)

Tea.

It contains theine tan•zin Volatile oil

2% 15%

4%

"Theine is an alkaloid and a powerful drug ...... It haE both a · stimulating and narcotic effect'' (Dr Olsen M· D.) Mind your own business

APPENDIX

141

''Tannic acid (tannin) is a powerful astringent.

It precipitates pepsin and coagulates albumen, impairs digestion, stops peristalf'is and causes constipation. Its continued use disorders digestion, irritates the mu.:ous membranes, and produces emaciation . '' ('Food facts' by H·

s.

Anderson)

';The effect of the tea habit on the nervous sys tem is to overstim .... ate :1nd then depress it.''

(Practical dietetics by Professor Thompson M. D. of Cornell University u. S, A.} "The pernicious drug (tea) bids fair to

overwhelm the nation' (Mahatma Gandhi)

"My experience leads me to take a decided stand against stimulants and narcotics of all kinds, from tea and coffee on the one hand, to tobacco and alcoholic drinks on the other."

(Dr Nansen, the Arctic explorer) Tea and coffee contain alkaloids injurious to the nerves and stomach . I never drink either" (Mr Eugene Sandow) Coffee contains:Caffeine Tannin Volatile oil

75% 5%

13%

"Caffeine, the active principle of coffee. is a virulent poison"· ''Worse evils are wrought by the hemp - drugs - bhang, ganja and hashish· Their effects are maddening"· (The Right Hon'ble Mr Samuel Smith M· P.) Opium- "This drug poison"· (Professor Irving Fisher)

''It weaknes the nerves"· Highly spiced foods give rise to varied disorders of the digestive system· Mahatmaji, speaking in Madras in 1917, said thm:I may say this, unless we take our minds off th is habit (slavery to the palate) and unless we shut our eyes to the tea-shops and the coffee-shops and all these kitchens, and unless we are Eatisfied with foods that are nece!'sary for the proper maintenance of our physical An idle tllan is ~ devil' s ~workshop

142

THE MEHER GAZETTE

health, and unless we are prep ared to rid ourselves of stim ulati11g, heating and ex citing con diments that we mix ~oith our food, we will certainly 1tot be able to control the overabundent, tumec~ssary and exc itin g stimulatiou that we m ay have.

Golden words these·.

The italics are mine.

According to the Ayurvedic Sastra, "Tamboolam Kamadeepanam" betel excites animal propensities.

"Pan is very stimulating and constipating", Dr. Bhattacharya Young persons are not allowed to use pansupari.

"Pan excites animal passions" (Brahmaboibortta Purana) I have quoted only a few authorities · It cannot ire gainsaid that mittd control w ill not be Possible for one who u ses these stimulants. · A person who cannot gi ve up these stimulants (and it is very difficult to give them up) cannot control his mind. Hence the importance of brahmacharya as taught by our ancient Rishis.

SAIDAPET

MUNICIPALITY

(Oil a podrida l (Continued from page 126)

(I) A short open letter to the Collector of Chingleput Dt. Sir, I, as the leader of the minority members of Saidapet Municipal Council called the Democrat ic party, request you, as the Head of the D istrict, to impartially understand the real state of affairs in the Municipal Council before coming to a definite conclusion.

We of the Democratic party are not mere hewers of wood and drawers of water, but persons who command the respect of the peopleTaking advantage of a temporary majority the Vice -Chairman has been ruling the roast, and the pliable chairman is content to be second fiddle.

They unnecessarily introduce communal hatred on the sly when they foolishly think that would serve their purpose. The unfortunate dispute Reckless youth makes rueful

a~e

SAIDAPET MUNICIPALITY

143

in the council arose at the time of the passing of the last ill -conceived budget, which we opposed tooth and nail, and that is not yet approved of by the Government! The generous Chairman wanted Rs 20 more as his allowance over and above the Rs. 40 he has been drawing, but unfortunately the Government vetoed it.

The whole matter is a !'Orrv tale, and we only pray that you may come to a conclusion only after seeing both sides of the shield.

"All is not gold that outward sheweth bright" ~ L y d gate ) . This Mun icipality is burdened with a debt of a!Jout 2t lacs of rupees, and you will see how recklessly and autocratically the maj or it y has been carrying on the Munic ipal administration in spite of our vigorous protests. Nero is fiddling while Rome is burning· A strong rate payers' association has been formed at the instance of almost all the respectable rate payers of the town in order to put an end to the vagaries of the council by creating an inc· endent public opinion. Please read all the reports connected with the last budget, and make independent enquiries. We are prepared to prove satisfactorily every allegation made by us· I have the honour to be Sir, Your most obedient servant, C. V. Sampath Aiyangar (Leader of the Democratic party in the Council)

(2) MRRy P. Jayachendra Naidu Garu, the disappointed ViceChairman, waxed eloquent in the 30th November meeting, in incoherent expressions, and complained of the " Olla prodrida " page in Meher Gazette. " Olla prodrida " page will continue till the Augean stable is thoroughly cleaned. There can be no doubt that the vote of censure (I do not attach .1ny importance to it for obvious reasons) proposed by the sapient Mr. Rangabhashyam Chettiar is realy a vote against himself and his devoted friends, for the clubbing of all the adhoc Committees is really agai1tst commot£ se1tse and just ice, and th is is the universal sane VIeW,

Says an Arabian proverb : " A fool may be known by six things: anger, without cause ; speech, without profit ; change, without progrec;s ; A stitch in time saves nine

144

THE MEHER GAZETTE

inquiry, without object ; putting trust in a stranger and mistaking foes for friends."

(3) To the sane world I put the

follow in~

questions --

(i) \ Vhen there are a number of ad hoc committees functioning, is it not against commonsen se to abol ish them and have only one committee in stead ? (ii) JF. it not unjust to abolish important ad hoc committees and make the Vice -Chairman the supreme Dictator of the one committee ? (iii) Is there not any other Councillor than the Vice-Chairman and humble myself capable of conducting the several ad hoc committees ?

Any sane person will sayii 111

It is against commonsense.

It is unjust, There are other members.

My propositions were therefore correct, and the vote of censure stupid and stands condemned on the face of it.

Et tu Brute! My dear Chairman¡ What a sensible man you are to reject my request to note the objections of the democratic party in your proceedings ! You do not give any satisfactory reason. Can autocracy go further ? How long will it last ?

"0 Judgment ! thou art fled to brutish beasts, And men have lost their reason."

As Confucius ~ays "If a man take no thought about what is distant, he will find sorrow near at band¡" I remind you of Buxton's Remember this words "In life, as in chess, forethought wins." man tram.

(5) My dear Janab Khadir Hussain Sahib. You remember you put me the question in the Council "How many schools are there in Saidapet Municipality ?" ! This question reminded me of a saying and an interesting fable:(1}

Empty vessels make much sound.

( 2 ) A vain ass one day began to bray at a lion, and to make faces at him in a rude and darini{ manner ~ The lion turned carelessly

Despise school and remain a fool

HARIJAN PAGE

145

away. "Ob, well," said he, "] eer on, if it pleases you-it does me no harm, after all.

But pray, Ma~ter Ass, listen to me : it is only because you are so much beneath my notice that I have not taken the trouble to destroy you ·" The author adds the moral,-we need not mind the rude conduct of people who do not know when we know it cannot hurt us.

Your sincere well-wisher, C. V. Sampath Aiyangar.

(6) H is with much pleasure that I announce that a strong ratepayers' association was started, with its office in Meher Asramam, on 27-12-36 at the instance of the most influential rate-payers of Saidapet Municipality · Unfortunately there bas been in the Municipa Council two parties who have been playing at cwss purposes for the last twenty years and more, with the result that the illiterate rate-payers have been made to bleed freely. There was no public opinion properly so called in the town, and the affairs of the Municipalitv has pretty well gone to rack and ruin. When there is a factious opposition to deal with it is foolish to dally with it· It is wisdom to take the bull by the horns, and so it was thought that the only way to grapple courageously with the situation is to have a strong rate-payers' association, create public opinion, and bit the nail on the head - Let us strive for the truth and against temptations.

HARIJAN PAGE The proclamation of the largf'-hearted and far-seeing Maharajah of Travancore throwing open all the state -managed temples to our brothers -the so called Harijans - is a historic event. This is a death blow to the curse of untouchability. ·we offer our heart-felt congratulations to the young but sagacious Ruler. News comes from Quilon (Cocbin) that the Chief of Elamana Maton, who is a very orthodox Nambudiri Brahmin opened his temples to the Harijans. He allowed a big procession consisting of caste Hindus and Harijans to enter his temples and offer puja. It is interesting to note that the Maharaja of Mysore invited Harijans to attend the darbar recently held in Mysore The great reformer Acharya Ramanuja upheld the right of Harijans to enter the sacred temple in Melkote. Why should then short-sighted Orthodoxy raise frivolous objections in this very simple and important matter ?

A burnt child drf'ads the fire•

146

THE MEHER GAZETTE

We have no doubt that education- Mass Education --is the only panacea for the uplift of our depressed brothers and sisters . The Maharajah of Pittapur and his worthy son Yu varajah have been doing It was only the other the ir best for the se neglected children of the soil. day that the Yu\·araJ ah. while opening the Village Panchayat Meher S chool at Chettipunyam (Ch ingleput Taluk) said "You ha ve told me that this school is adm itting A.varna a nd Savarna children and I am delighted to know tha t, in this orthodo x vill age, you do not bel ie\·e in any such unfair and discriminating di stinction . I wish you alJ luck and I fervently hope that this school of yours will send forth into the world a better type of villagers and a better type of citizens."

CHILDREN'S PAGE

{I) Dear children, listen to the wise rema rks of the educationist Mr. C. R. Reddi , Vi ce-Chancellor of the Andhra Uni versity, who has prepared a sch eme for the development of his U niversity. He says, " If people have not the heart and the c;ririt to devote themselves to culture for its own sake, it is a s ign that the race has decayed. The Great U nh·ersities of Bol ogna, Paris, O xford and Cambridge were not bu~lt by people who bad equated their lives to mon ey.

On the contrary, it is the monk is h and sanyasi tradition s tha t were the causes of their' great success, and of Nalanda in our own noble past. Paradnical as it might sound, it is th e disintere sted devoti on of the Great Profe ssors in the W est to Sciences that has resulted in their material progres£. For all progress, including material rests on s pi ritual foundations. And if that foundl ti on is lackiog in India, we cann ot have real Uni versi ties b ut only ~;:la ces wh ere some reta il traffi c: in kn owledge created by other peop le is carri ed on a nd at exorbitant rate s of pay• Secular pomp is not the same as acade'11ic circumstance ."

E \·ery word in these remarks is true. A true teache r should not equate his life to m')ney. As the first mantra in I sa -Upanishad says one should not attach m uch im ;>ortance to money. Then only will be perceive one-ness in Di versity, which is the Trut:1. This is ReaLz ation of the Truth.

Will educationists like Mr. Reddi set an example ? E xample i3 better than precept.

- - -- - 'vVhere there is a will there is a way·

THOUGHTS FOR THE MONTHS

147

(From Master A. [{. [{astlmri) {Continmrl from page 127) 11. Never snatch a knife, either a table-knife or a pen-knife, from another person. Vve may cut either him or ourselves.

12. Never blow down a lamp-chimney to extingui!'h the flame13. Never take a ligbt where there is a :>me II of gas.

14. Ne ve r read by candle light or a fli ckering gaslight or by firelight or in a movin1{ train or tram or while walking.

15. Never point a gun at any one for fun.

(To be continued;

GALA DAY AT CHETTIPUNYAM, (Chingleput Dt.!

On 9th December 1936 the Sil ver jubilee Road was opened by Sub-collector Mr.]. \N. Pntchard I. C. S· and Meher School by the Yuvarajah Sahib of Pithapurarn- The School was named after Sadguru Meher Baba· Its pr esent qrength is about 70 The special feature of the school is that the avarna and savarna children read and mingle with one another freely .

Nearly 300 men and women, includin~ the so -called avarnas, were sumptuously fed·

THOUGHTS FOR THE MONTHS 1. Truth and Law are two eye~; tbe All is truth; Faith (in truth) is the Life; Lustre ( of Truth) is the bead· Thi s is the unlimited sacrifice and the eternal fi ve-fold oblation.

(Atharva Veda lX-5-21) 2. May my truth and through sacrifice .

my Faith be dedi cated to and

thrive

(Yajur Veda XVIII·5)

MEHER ASRAMAM SAIDAPET, l\IADRAS I. Members of Meher L eague may a ssemble here and spend some time in meditati on - Th ey medidate an d practi se the virtue of Devotion, in Januarv, an d "Equilibrium" in February.

2· Earnest s pi ritua l as pir ::: nts may go there a nd spend some time in that quiet pl ace und er th e tree plan ted by the Master .

3. At present the bran ch office of the ' P eo ple 's Party' and Saidapet Rate-pa ye r ~ ' as ~ o ·~ iati o n, are located here .

MEMBERS OF MEHER LEAGUE BROTHEH S

402 403 404 405 406

lVJ . C . Subra maniam.

T . V . Va ithian a than .

T · v. l<r ic ]wa s wami .

A . Varad a ppa chetty .

Ard ~ shir EJalji Bengali.

A word for the wise, but a w:·1ip tor th e fool ·

148

THE MEHER GAZETTE

MEHER LEAGUE When His Holiness Sri Sadguru Meher Babaji graced Saidapet with His Presence the follow ing resolutions, among others, were passed in His immediate presence:i. That a League called "Meher League" be formed with the object of promoting U ni versa! Brotherhood. ii. That all persons, who are aged 15 and above might become members of the League.

111.

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 our Divine L'Jrd Me her Babaj i viz, U ni versa! Brotherhood.

His Holiness Sri Meher Babaji is the patron of the League.

President: C. V · Sam path Aiyangar, Vice-President: M· Vadivelu Mudaliar, Treasurer: C . V. Ramanujacharlu · Secretaries: Sister V · T · L:~.kshmi, :\:! ·A· L -T·, M· R · A·S · K· S· Sriniva!'an.

N, B. Those who wish to join Meher League may apply to:C· v . Sampath Aiyangar, 66, 3rd Cross Road, Sankarapuram, Bangalore City·

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Edited and Publi~hed by Mr. C. V. Sampath Aiyengar, the President of Mehcr Legue, 66, 3rd Cross f{oad, Sankarapuram, Bangalore City .