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vol. viii n o. 2 apr il 1971

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Tear off these robes,expose me naked, thenrobe me with Thy Love,O h Arunachala

The Marital GarlandofLetters verse30.

Publisher :T . N. Venkataraman,

President,Board ofTrustees,S r i Ramanasramam,

Tiruvannamalai.

Editor :M r s . L u c i a OsborneS r i Ramanasramam.

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S r i Ramanasramam.Tiruvannamalai

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( A Q U A R T E R L Y )**Arunachala Thou dost root out the ego of thosewho

meditate on Thee in the heart, OhArunachala "TheMarital GarlandofLetters verse 1.

Vol. VIII APRIL 1971 No. 2

C O N T E N T SPage

E D I T O R I A L :Service as Sadhana . . 77W ho isthere toneed Enlightening?

Wei Wu Wei . . 80Earnest Efforts Never F a i lSri Bhagavan . . 81Garland ofGuru's Sayings (Poem) . . 84Life Itself isSadhana SadhuArunachala . . 85Support theNeedy (Rigveda)

Tr.byProf. A. C.Rose 87Coo l Spring (Poem) Charles G.Reeder . . 88Work asService Marie B.Byles . . 89Life ofSaint Arunagirinathar

Sadhu Parthasarathy . . 92Is DehatmaBuddhianObstacle?'Sein' . . 97Steadfast Service Prof.K. Swaminathan . . 99Memorable Days withtheSageofArunachala

SwamiDesikananda . . 102The Path ofDevotion

Prof.Madan Mohan, Varma .. 104Islam andAdvaitaArthur Osborne . . 106To Act,or Not toAct ?

SundariKrishnaswami . . 107The Torah of the V o i d (Poem)

Rabbi NahmanofBratzlav . . 109Sivathondu Ratna Navaratnam . . 110GleaningsT.P.R. . . I l lSadhana isService; Is Service Sadhana?

JohannusJ. DeReede . . 113GloryofArunachala . . 114Yoga Vasishta Sara . . 117The Vedaparayana . . 119

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C O N T E N T S (Contd.)Page

Book Reviews .. 121Ashram Bulletin .. 127Statement of Accounts for 1969 Sri Ramanasramam .. 134Introducing Sri D. S. Sastri .. 135Letters to the Editor . . 137

Contributors are requested to give the exact dataas far as possible for quotations used, i.e. sourceand page number, and also the meaning i f fromanother language. It would simplify matters.' A r t i cles should not exceed 10 pages.

Editor.

GRACE IN WORDS: The Verses ( U P A D E S A S A R A M )i n T a m i l reproduced on the fly-leaf facing the frontispieceis the facsimile of Sr i Bhagavan's own handwriting. Thetranslation is a new free rendering into English byProf. K . Swamina than.

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drace tit JUttrbs

28. Having knownone'snature one abidesAs being with nobeginning and no endIn unbrokenconsciousness and bliss.

29. Abiding in this state of blissBeyondbondage and release,Is steadfastnessInserviceof the Lord.

30 . All ego gone,Living asThat aloneIs penance good for growth,Sings Ramana, the Self.

B H A G A V A N SRI R A M A N A M A H A R S H I

1 : ' iJ l l f rh

1

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( Q U A R T E R L Y )Editor: LUCIA OSBORNE

Vol . VIII APRIL,1971 No . 2

SERVICE AS SADHANAEditorial

[Several contributors sent in articles on service so the editorial w i l l fo l low suit.l

^ C C O R D I N G to the Bhagavad Gita thisworld isaction-bound andeveryonewho

has notrealisedhistrue state isdriven helplesslytoperform actionsby theenergies bornof Nature. Forsuch action and the performance of their duty is superior to inaction.Those qualifiedfor action should not abstainfrom it 'for it is action that sets thewheelof theworld going.' Solong as a man hasnotgot theaptitude forsteadfast sadhanaandmeditationon thepathofjnana (self-enquiry),pure contemplation, surrender ordevotion,lethim practise devotiontoactionwhich wi l lleadhim on toselfless action fused with theotherpathsultimatelynotdivorced from each other.Buddhist ethics emphasise the importanceofcultivating an investigating, vigilant mind,starting fromthecommonplaceofgoing aboutone'sdailydutieswithmeticulous care. Peaceof mind results fromthesatisfactionofhavingthusperformed one's duty.

If actionisperformed in aspiritofselflessservice without thought ofreward it becomesnishkdma karma which purifies themindandissadhanaper se. Ramana Maharshi saidthatworkperformed withattachmentis ashackle,whereas work performedwithdetachment doesnot affect the doer anddoesnotcreatenewkarma. He iseven while workinginsolitude.Whatis to begivenup is notactionbut thesense ofdoership. Then itbecomes spontaneousandceasesto bebinding.

The teaching of service to mankind is asalient feature in allmajor religions. In theJudeo-Christian scriptures service tomankindis equated with servicetoGod. Christ madeit explicit speaking ofhelping the helpless:" Ver i ly I sayunto you, inasmuchas yehavedone it unto one of the least of thesemybrethren ye have doneitunto me." And evenmore so in the oftquoted saying: "Lovethy

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78 T H E M O U N T A I N P A T H Aprilneighbour as thyself." Compassion to all sentient beings and selfless service are prominentfeatures in Buddhism. In the Quran it isexpressed : " No man is atruebeliever unlesshe desires for his brother thatwhichhe desiresforhimself." Islam laysgreatstresson surrender to God and service to mankind and it isincumbent ontruebelievers to spend one-tenthof their income to relieve the distress of thepoor and needy.

Thisis the age of indiscipline and rejectionof authority enhanced by speakers orteacherswho do not seem to realise the far-reachingrepercussion of their words out of touch withthe reality of human nature in Kali Yuga.Young people and not so young, insecure inrevolt against the established order, seek ameaning to life, the truth, and above all freedom from all restraint and limitations. Onecan wel lunderstand and sympathise with theirseeking and its cause. Freedom and happinessisourtruestatewhichwe strive to gain knowinglyor unknowingly through many peregrinations like a drop of water in the ditch orrainbow heading for its source, the sea. Buttrue freedom cannot be gained by neglectingwhatever activityfalls to our lot and not pu l l ingour weight in the running of the wheel ofthe world set in motion. Thus when one abstains from work or duty under the mantle ofspiritualseeking and when onlythosetasks areperformed which are pleasant or unavoidable,inherent human inertia gains the upper hand.The mind gains neither concentration, norstrength, without voluntarily undertakendiscipline of work and duty. The accumulated energy finds an outlet in ' Wanderlust'in search of diversions this time spiritualdiversions, just as dispersive. One also comesacross an attitude of taking full advantageofwhat the rejected established order has tooffer to make life easier. Even when fortunate enough to find a path recognised as trueand valid the necessary fortitude and one-pointedness is often lacking to follow itsteadily. In contrast, meditation or spiritualdiscipline, so necessary particularly in the

beginning stages until it becomes effortless,may be more of a strain than is usual. Onthe other hand in the midst ofworldlyactivityone can always set aside time, if only a fewminutes, for meditation or sadhana whichwith practice becomes a source of relaxation.It is effort and work that lead to effortlessness and freedom of the spirit when the mindhas become purified enough to let Grace takeover. We are never out of its operation, butearnest effort is necessary to know its existence. Such effort never fails says RamanaMaharshi and those who have tried it andpersevered. Ramana Maharshi's path can bepractised in the life of the world which neednot be a hindrance nor binding. Self-enquiryand practising the Presence can be pursuedamidstworldly activity. In this light one canunderstand why Ramana Maharshi usuallyadvised young people desirous of renouncingthe world to first perform their duties in life.It may also happen that such a man late inlife may start wondering whether he had notmissed too much. Whereas one who hasundergone the trials of life knows full wel lwhat he has given up and may not have suchregrets. Of course there are exceptions, butthese are very few and far between. Whena man is ripe to devote his whole life tosadhanaor pure contemplation, things fall intoplace of their own accord and he spontaneously adoptsa life of renunciation. It is good tospend some time in an ashram or retreat torecharge the batteries, so to speak, and thenresume sadhanaand work in the world. Ianvan Ruysbroeck held that the inner mysticallife must be balanced by an outward life ofcharitable and helpful action. This expresseditself in a search for opportunities of service,especially most humble service, so vividlydescribed by Marie Byles in her article onTakuhatsu1 practised in Japan. A man gainsspiritualstrength not through a lifeofeasebutthrough voluntarily accepting the limitationsordained by duty and by determining forhimselfwhat his duty is under given circumstances.

1 See elsewhere in this issue.

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1971 S E R V I C E AS S A D H A N A 79Such an attitude frees one from the bondageof duty.

Realisation of the Self is the greatesthelpthatcan be rendered to humanity. Ajnaniorrealised man is active far more so than onecan conceive. But his action is spontaneousaction in inaction he is not touched by it,just as the sun remains untouched by all themultifarious activities due to its rising. TheverySilence of such a sageis eternal activityof benefit to the whole universe. Thejnaniseesno difference betweenhimself and others.This is expressed succinctly in the Chanand Zen Teaching of Wu Teng Hui Y u a n:"True Wisdom works for the Welfare of allbeings."

Ultimately," It matters not whether the body is

activeor inactive,Sinceall its actions end in utterinaction at lastA s all force is reduced to rest." It is pure intellectwithin methatisAlways the same, i.e., ever active andundecaying,A nd which loses nothingfrom thelossof bodyO r by want of bodily actions."Whether I am doing or notdoing,andWhethermy acts are proper orimproper,

I have nothing to desire hereN or anything desirablethatI have toexpect from them." Y O G A V A S I S H T A .

Th e Maharshi taught thatwhichever path Isfollowed it should be combinedwith action. In other words, he expected those who followed his guidance todo so in the conditions of domestic and professional life. The change has tobe made in themind,he used to say; youw i l lonlyexchange the thought ' I amahouseholder' for the thought ' l a ma sa d hu W ha t has to be done is to getri d of both and remember only 'I am'.

Creating an artificial vacuum for the mind by depriving it of its naturaloccupations is usually actually harmful. Therefore he said that difficultiesincrease greatly in the new surroundings. If, in the course of our spiritualprogress, changes in professional or family life become necessary, they wi l ltake place without our planning them.

A R T H U R O S BO R N E inThe Essential Teaching of the Maharshi.

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80 AprilWHO IS THERE TO NEED ENLIGHTENING?

ByWEI WU WEI

A s so many of the greatest Masters pointed out1 and than whichnothingismoreradical :

A s long as there is a ' you ' to imaginethat ' i t ' can be enlightened,There is then a conceptual ' you ' to experience a conceptual 'state' of'enlightenment', which is only a phantasy in mind.Whereas it is precisely the abolition of the concept of that ' you ',W h i c h reveals what-you-areand which is what is called ' enlightenment',

or which reveals 1enlightenment' as being what-you-are.For there was never any 'state' such as ' enlightenment',Nor any factual entity to experience any such 'state\

1 For example, Hui Ha i in the ninth century, and Sr i Ramana Maharshi in thetwentieth.

Atmanusandhanahas been compared to churning curds in order to makebutter, the mind being compared to the churn, the heart to the curds, and thepractice of concentrating on the Self to the process of churning. Just as butterismade by churning the curds and fire byfriction, so the natural and changelessstateof nirvikalpasamadhi is produced by unswervingvigilant concentration onthe Self,ceaseless l ike the unbroken flowof oil . This readily and spontaneouslyyieldsthatdirect, immediate, unobstructed, and universal perception of Brahman,whichis at once knowledge and experience andwhich transcends time and space.

Thisperception is Self-realisation. Achieving it cuts the knot of the heart.The false delusions of ignorance theviciousand age-long tendencies of the mindwhichcontinue this knot are destroyed. A l ldoubts are dispelled and the bondageof karma is severed.Thus in this crown-gem of discrimination has Sri Sankara described samadhior spiritual trance which is the limitless Bliss of Liberation beyond doubt andduality, and at the same time has indicated the means for its attainment. Toattain thisstateof freedom from duality is the real purpose of life, and only hewho has done so is a Jivanmukta,liberatedwhileyet alive, not one who has amere theoretical understanding of what constitutes purusharthaor the desiredend and aim of human endeavour.

From the Introduction to Vivekachudamani,by Ramana Maharshi.The CollectedWorks of Ramana Maharshi,p. 161.

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1971EARNEST EFFORTS NEVERFAIL

81

A n aristocratic lady looking veryintelligent though pensive asked: " Iam young and a grihini (housewife).There are duties of grihastha dharma(the household). Is devotion consistentwith such aposition? "

Maharshi replied: "Certainly. Whatareyou ?Y ouare not thebody. Y ouarePure Consciousness. Grihastha dharmaand the world are only phenomenaappearing on that pure consciousness.It remains unaffected. What preventsyou from being your own S e l f ? "

Devotee. Y es. I am already awareof the line of teaching ofMaharshi. Itis thequestfor theSelf. B ut mydoubtpersists ifsuch quest iscompatible withgrihastha l i f e .

Maharshi. The S e l f is always there.It is you. There is nothing but you.Nothing can be apart from you. Thequestion of compatibility or otherwisedoesnotarise.

D. I shall be more definite. Thougha stranger, I amobligedto confess thecauseof myanxiety. I amblessed withchildren. A boy a good brahmacharipassed away i n February.2 I wasgrief-stricken. I wasdisgusted with thisl i f e . Iwant todevote myself tospirituall i f e . B ut myduties as a grihini do notpermitme toleada retired l i f e . Hencemy doubt.

M . Retirement means abidance inthe Self. Nothing more.It is notleavingone set of surroundings and gettingentangled in another set, nor even

BySRIBHAGAVAN1

leaving the concrete world andbecoming involved in a mental world.

The birthof the son, his death, etc.,are seen in the S e l f only.

R e c a l l the state of sleep. We reyouaware of anything happening ? If theson or the world be real, should theynot bepresent with you insleep? Y oucannot deny your existence i n sleep.Nor canyou deny you were happy then.Y o u are the same person nowspeakingand rai sing doubts. Youare not happy,according toyou. B utyou were happyi n sleep. What has transpired i n themeantime that happiness of sleep hasbroken down? It is theriseof the ego,That is the new arrival in the jagrat(waking) state. There was no ego insleep. Thebirthof the ego iscalled thebirth of the person. There is no otherk i n d of birth. Whatever is born, is

1A n extract from Talkswith SriRamana Maharshi.2 These talks took place inSept.1936.

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82 T H E M O U N T A I N P A T H Aprilbound to die. K i l l the ego: there is nofear of recurring death for what is oncedead. The S e l f remains even after thedeath of the ego. That is B l i s sthat isImmortality.

D . How shall I reach the S e l f ?M . There is no reaching the Self. If

the S e l f were to be reached, it wouldmean that the S e l f is not now and here,but that it should be got anew. What isgot afresh, w i l l also be lost. So it w i l lbe impermanent. W hat is not permanentis not worth striving for. So I say, theS e l f is not reached. Y ou are the Self.Y o u are already That. The fact is thaty ou are ignorant of your blissful state.Ignorance supervenes and draws a v e i lover the pure B l i s s . Attempts aredirected only to remove this ignorance.This ignorance consists i n wrongknowledge. The wrong knowledgeconsists i n the false identifi cation of theS e l f with the body, the mind, etc. Thisfalse identity must go and thereremains the Self.

D . How is that to happen ?M . B y enqui ry into the Self.D . It is difficult. Can I real ise the

Self, Maharaj ? K i n d l y t e l l me. It looksso difficult.

M . Y ou are alr eady the Self.Therefore real isa tion is common toeveryone. Realisation knows no difference in the aspirants. This very doubt," C a n I re al is e? " or the feeling, " Ihave not reali sed " are the obstacles. Befree from these also.

D . But there should be the experience. Unless I have the exper ience howca n I be free from these afflictingthoughts ?

M . These are also in the mind. Theyare there because you have identified

yourself with the body. If this falseidentity drops away, ignorance vanishesand Truth is revealed.

D . Yet I feel it difficult. Ther e aredisciplesof Bhagavan who have had HisGrace and realised without any considerable difficulty. I too wish to havethat Grace. Being a woman and l i v i n gat a long distance I cannot avail myselfof Maharshi'sholy company as much asI would wish and as often as I would.Possibly I may not be able to return. Irequest Bhagavan's Grace. When I amback in my place, I want to rememberBhagavan. May Bhagavan be pleasedto grant my prayer

M . Where are you going ? Y ou arenot going anywhere. Even supposingyou are the body, has your body comefrom Lucknow to Tiruvannamala i ? Y ouhad simply sat i n the car and one conveyance or another had moved; andfinally y ou say that you have come here.T h e fact is that you are not the body.T h e S e l f does not move. The worldmoves in i t. Y ou are only what youare. There is no change i n you. So then,even after what looks l i k e departurefrom here, you are here and there andeverywhere. These scenes shift.

A s for Grace, Grace is within you.I f it is external it is useless. Grace is theSelf. Y ou are never out of its operation.Grace is always there.

D . I mean that when I rememberyour form, my mind should bestrengthened and that response shouldcome from your side too. I should notbe left to my individual efforts whichare after all only weak.

M . Grace is the Self. I have alreadysaid, " If you remember Bhagavan , youare prompted to do so by the Self." Isnot Grace already there? Is there amoment when Grace is not operating

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7977 E A R N E S T E F F O R T S N E V E R F A I L 83i n you ? Y o u r remembrance is theforerunner of Grace. Tha t is the response, that is the stimulus, that is theS e l f and that is Grace.

There is no cause for anxiety.D. Can I engagei n spiri tual practice,

even remaining in samsara ?M . Yes, certa in ly. One ought to do

so.D. Is not samsara a hindrance ? Do

not all the holy books advocate renunciation?

M . Samsara is only in your mind.The world does not speak out, saying :"I am the world". Otherwise, it mustbe ever there not excl ud ing yoursleep. Since it is not in sleep it isimpermanent. Being impermanent ithas no stamina. Having no stamina itis easily subdued by the Self. The S e l falone is permanent. Renunc ia tion isnon-identification of the S e l f with thenon-self. On the disappearance ofignorance the non-self ceases to exist.That is true renunciation.

D. W hy did you then leave yourhome in your youth ?

M . That is my prarabdha (fate).One's course of conduct in this l i f e isdetermined by one's prarabdha. M yprarabdha is this way. Y o u r prarabdhais that way.

D. Should I not also renounce ?M . If that had been your prarabdha,

the question would not have arisen.D. I should therefore remain i n the

world and engage in spiritual practice.W e l l , can I get realisation in this l i f e?

M . This has been already answered.Y o u are always the Self. Earnest effortsnever fail. Success is bound to resul t.

D. W i l l Maha rshi be pleased toextend Grace to me also

Maharshi smiled and said : " UmUm " W i t h blessings and salutations,the interview came to a close and thedevotee departed.

"Do not think, Subhuti, that the Tathagata would consider within himself : I wi l l deliver human beings. Thatwouldbe a degrading thought. Why ?Because there are really no sentient beings to be delivered by the Tathagata.Should therebe any sentient beings to be delivered by the Tathagata, it wouldmean that the Tathagata was cherishingwithin his mind arbitrary conceptionsof phenomena such as one's own self, other selves, living beings and an universal self. Even when the Tathagata refers to himself, he is not holdingwithin his mind any such arbitrary thought. On l y terrestrial human beingsthink of selfhood as being a personal profession. Subhuti, even the expression'terrestrial beings' as used by the Tathagata does not mean that there are anysuch beings. It isonly used as a figure of speech," said L o r dBuddha.

From A Buddhist Bibleby D W I G H T G O D D A R D .

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84

GARLAND OF GURU S SAYINGSApril

165. Seeing the outer and not inner beautyLeads to ruin dire.Don't rush moth-like towards external

brightnessOrplaywiththe spread, swaying cobra's

hood.1166. What else is Death

But straying from the primalstateO f immortality,2Of wholeness and abidance in the Self,Home of eternal love and bliss supremeA n d heaven of true Awareness ?

167. Bir th in the body is the death to fear.Avert this by the guru's graceThrough service earned.Recovering from alienation,Cling to the Self, cling firm and fast,A n d winlife's crown of immortality.

168. In the heart from falsehood freeThe jiva2 dwells. There, nowhere else,The vasanas4 also make their home.If their kindled fires keep burningIn the brain, not in the heart,The brain destroyed, they too must

cease to be.5

TranslatedbyProf.K. SWAM INATHANfromthe Tamil of Sri MURUGANAR

169. Since both the serpent6flame ascendingA n d the nectar stream downflowingSeek theheart,this is the common fountOf nectar from the mind divineA n d the fierce serpent's maddening

power.170. In whichever chakra1 one assumes

The Selfaspresent,thereitseemsto be.Such is the power of thought.But the sole centreWhere ' I ' arises and subsidesIs the heart we make so much of.

171. Whoso ignores the heart,The home of every mode of being,A n d thinks of ' I ' as seatedIn some other centre.Lingers sore bewildered there.Miss ingthe bliss oftrueSelf-knowledge.

1 The last line also means:"Or sport with thatfierce, hooded serpent,Sex."2 The lines also mean :" But straying from the perfect stateImmutable and hence immortal."3 The individual soul.4 Tendencies.5 Here Bhagavan refutes the theory that the brainor sahasrara is the seat of the jiva and itsvasanas.6 Kundalini.1 A wheel, a Y o g i c centre of concentration.

A l l scriptures without any exception proclaimthat for attaining Salvation,the mind should be subdued ; and once one knows that control of the mind istheir finalaim, it is futile to make interminable study of them. What is requiredfor such control is actual enquiry into oneself by self-interrogation ' Whoam I ? ' . . .Toenquire ' Who am Ithatam in bondage ? ' and to knowone'srealnature

is alone Liberation. To keep the mind constantly turned within and to abidethus in the Self, is alone Atma-vichara (Self-enquiry), whereas dhyana (meditation) consists in fervent contemplation of the Self. . . . The Collected Works, p. 85.

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1971LIFE ITSELF ISSADHANA

85

TT is said in the Mandukya Karika thatcreationis theverynatureof the Efful

gent Beingwhy then should we try toescape from it ? Rather should weuse it forour spiritual advancement. It was of old atendency ofthose whowere out to liveaspiritual life totake thepathofrenunciationand retirement to some quiet spot, oftenaforestorsecluded temple. Thishasbeenthetraditional path laid downforIndians sinceknowntime, whereasin theWestthemonastery wasentered and a quiet andprotectedlife away from life's allurements wassoughtasapreludetospiritualadvancement. However, times have changed. It isnow few whoare able to turn away from the worldsoentirely; conditionsfor a sannyasinare sodifficult thatit isalmost impossible for himtolive sucha life without some private sourceof income. The old idealoftotal renunciation ofall property andespeciallyofmoneyhas become almost impossible. Besides,familyobligations mayholdback for no renunciation is valid which shirks any of ourobligations. Thatwouldbeescapism andtheact ofacoward,whileaspiritualaspirant mustbeahero. He mustbepreparedtofight,notrunaway.

Modern conditions have created anotherpictureand few recognised Gurus now preachthe necessityforcomplete retirement fromtheworld. Be intheworldbutnot of theworld,the seeker is usually instructed, though nobodyshould think thatto dothisiseasy. Forallno sadhana canbeeasy. Tapasit iscalled;tapasmeansaburning away and suchaburningisliterallyafireconsumingtheegowhichnaturally resentstheprocess.

Tapas or sadhana can be carriedoutperhaps even better or more successfullylivingin theworldin ourusual surroundings

BySADHU ARUNACHALA1

than by escape, though doubtlessitisonlythestrong andbold who wi l l win out. Wi thnothing tofight against we areurged on tomake greater efforts. And we have somethingsolidtosurrender ;for thefirst lessonof anysadhana is detachment, and certainlyifwe canbe detachedwhile living intheworldwe havewon an initial victory. Actual ly whenwehave achieved complete detachment thereis nomoretodo. Sadhanaisfinished.

Ramana Maharshi taught VicharaofSelf-enquiry, but henever encouraged peopletoleave theworld or to take theochre robe.A n d what is toprevent us from practisingSelf-enquiryon every occasiongetting intoa bus, sitting downat ourdeskorperformingany one of thehundred tasks that dailyconfront us ? Whois itthat thinkshe isdoingthis ? Whois thereal' I 'behindtheapparent actor ? Atall timesandunderallconditions thisisalways possible,butunfortunately we forget. We becomesoengrossedinouracts,we soidentify ourselveswiththeactorof thepart weareplaying thatthepermanent observer behinditallisforgotten andwe sink deeper anddeeper intotheillusionswhichbindus.

But if we canonly makeahabitofSelf-remembrance,noschoolisbetterfor usthanour day-to-day life. Submittingto the discipline ofdaily life then becomes thegreatestof all Sadhanas, though this submitting mustalways be a conscious one. What do weactually gainby theconventional retirementfrom the world? Peaceful conditionsandfewer immediate temptations, maybe. Eventhisisdoubtful,for themind lefttoitselfinsuch conditions often becomes more active,and turns over and overthememoriesof the

1The late Major A. W. Chadwick.

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T H E M O U N T A I N P A T H Aprilpast : what it has done, what it might havedone and what itwould l iketo do in the future.It continues to build its castles, and to think'now I am living retired from the world'instead of ' I am living with myfamily' thusonly substituting one thought for another,which getsus nowhere. For the great enemyis the mind, whatever may be its occupation.Rather are we inclined to stagnate, for theretired life, too, has its pitfalls ; it is not soeasy as it appears to the onlooker. Materiallyit may be an ideal condition but the mind issuch an unruly horse that conditions of freedom often make it more difficult rather thaneasier to control.

Strange words for one who lives in anAshram, my friends may justly say ; strangewords, but nonetheless very true. Perhaps(after all the world is for the strong and theAshrams for those who are not able to face

life. However, by upholdinglife in the worldas Sadhana I have nowishto belittle the valueofmeditation. Without meditation nobody islikely to progress. Even the householdershoulddevote some regular timedaily to Self-enquiry,best in the early morning hours beforehe begins the duties of the day. In this way,Sri Ramana used to say, a current is startedwhich wi l l go on automatically throughout thedaythough we may be unconscious of it.

To live the lifeof the worldotherwise thanas a conscious Sadhana is nothing this iswhat the majority of human beings alreadydo but to live the life of the world consciously as the observer is everything, and thegreatest Sadhana of all. The trouble is thatwe forget to remember and so become lost inthe part we areplaying. So then let us alwaysremember that Life itself is the best Sadhana.

In reply to a question about the method of effortless and choiceless awareness as distinct from that of deliberate concentration Sri Bhagavan explained :"Effortless and choiceless awareness is our real nature. If we can attainit or be in that state, it is all right. But one cannot reach it without effort,the effort of deliberate meditation, all the age-long vasanas (inherent tenden

cies) carry the mind outward and turn it to external objects. Al l such thoughtshave to be given up and the mind turned inward. For that effort is necessaryfor most people. Of course everybody, every book says " Be quiet or s t i l l "but it is not easy. That is why all this effort is necessary. Even if we findonewho has at once achieved the mouna (silence) or Supreme state indicatedby " Be s t i l l " you may take it that the effort necessary has already beenfinished in a previous life. So that effortless and choiceless awarenessis reached only after deliberate meditation. That meditation can take any formwhich appeals to you best. See what helps you to keep away all other thoughtsand adopt thatmethod for your meditation."In this connection Bhagavan quoted from Thayumanavar. "Bliss willfollow if you are still. But however much you may tell your mind about thistruth, the mind wi l l not keep quiet. It is ihe mind which tells the mind 'Bequiet and you wi l l attain bliss'. Though all the. scriptures have said it, though

we hear about it every day from the great ones, and though even ourGuru saysit, we never are quiet, but stray into the world of maya and sense objects."That is why conscious, deliberate effort or meditation is required to attain thatmounastate or the stateof being quiet. Day by Day withBhagavan,p. 113.

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SUPPORT THE NEEDY(Rigveda X. 117)

Translated by Prof. A. C. BOSE

The Devas have not given hunger to be our death,1Even to the well-fed man death comes in many shapes.2

The wealth of the liberal never wastes away,He who gives no protection finds no consoler.

He who, possessed of food, hardens his heart againstThe weak man, craving nourishment, and suffering,

Who comes to him for help, though of old he helped him Surely such a one finds no consoler.

He is liberal who gives to one who asks for alms,To the distressed man who seeks food, wandering ;

Success comes to him in the challenge of battle.A n d for future conflicts he makes a friend for him.

He is no friend who does not give to a friend,To a comrade who comes imploring for food;

Lethim leave such a man his is not a home A n d rather seek a stranger who brings him comfort.3

Let the rich man satisfy one who seeks help,A nd let him look upon a longer pathway ;

Wealth revolves like the wheels of a chariot,Coming now to one, now to another.4

In vain does the foolish man acquire food;It is I speak the truth verily his death ; 5

He does not cherish a comrade or a friend.He is all sin whoeats all alone.

1 Hunger should not, l ike disease, be accepted as a natural cause of death.2 Men who do not have to face starvation cannot be said to be immune from death.3 a home belonging to an inhabitant of the land, bound by ties of kinship. A

home is not meant only for its members but also for others i n need of food andshelter.stranger one not belonging to the clan or the state.4 The r i c h man should take a long view of l i fe and realise he may also one daybecome poor and need another's help.5 death moral death ; pursuit of the path of sin.

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88 T H E M O U N T A I N P A T H AprilThe ploughshare ploughing produces the food,

While a man rambles along the road on foot;The Veda-knower who speaks is better than one who does not;

So the liberal kinsman surpasses the i l l iberal .6

He who has one foot outstrips the biped,The biped leaves the three-footed behind,

The quadruped comes at the biped's call,A nd stands looking where five meet together.7

Tw o hands are alike but their work is not alike.Tw o sister cows do not give milk alike.

O f two twins the powers are not similar,A nd two kinsmen are not equally pleasing.8

6 As people doing their duties in pursuit of their vocations are superior to those whoremain idle, so the liberal man is superior to one who shows consideration tothe nearby members of the society.7 The quantity of weal th is no indication of a man's worth. The less wealthy areoften better than the more wealthy.one foot the sun (a technical description in the Veda) .biped man. three-footed an old man with two feet and a staff.five a knot of five men (a line of five).8 This is a criticism of the kinsman who does not show the proper interest in adistressed member of the clan.

Cool Spring

ByCharles G. Reeder

Watching you drink life-watersFrom the cool spring that flowsFrom the mountain's heart, I knowThat we are going home together.

Joy, like new leaves

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1971WORK AS SERVICE

J N the January 1970 issue of The MountainPath, the very understanding reviewer of

Tenko-San's A New Road to the AncientTruthsuggests that ' doing Takuhatsu in theWest would have probably resulted in morestrikes and labour trouble'. This might wel lbe so if the menial labour offered voluntarilyconflicted with industrial awards. But Japanisa modern sophisticated country and I foundno evidence of this.

Further, the Takuhatsu that Tenko-Santaught applies to all work. Work is usuallydone for self-interest and self-gain. Tenko-San taughtthatit must be done in a spirit ofhumility and service with a constant awareness that the doer is doing it for the sake ofLight and in gratitude toLight.

Tenko-San has thousands of lay disciplesthroughout Japan and many of them were andare leaders of industry. I asked the head of theNoritake ChinaCompany how Tenko-San hadaltered his life. He saidthatTenko-San hadtaught him humility and service ; Japan lovesandrespectsthe V . I . P .; he now refused to bethis, but simply an ordinary man refusing nomenial work, and even stooping to pick upapiece of dirty paperwhichhewould formerly have scorned to do. I next met him andsome of the employees of the factory at aTakuhatsu expedition to the Nagoya Castlewhere we weeded the footpaths and cleared upthe rubbishthatpicknickers had left.

The following is the account of BunjiSaka-guchi-San, a director of the huge Kanebospinning works whose silks you wi l l find onthe counters of all the leading shops of Japan.

Sakaguchi-San was 27 years old when hejoined the branch of the Kanebo Company inTenko-San's native town. While workingtherehe heard his lectures and read his books.He says that thereafter he looked to Tenko-San for guidance, and claimedthatbecauseof

yMARIE B. BYLES

his advice and the faith imparted by him, hewas able to serve his company in a time offinancial crisis, sothat the company itself wasin a sense reborn. What follows is a paraphrasefrom a talk he gave toIttoen'smembersin the summer of 1960. He died of cancera year or so later after having been a faithfulfollowerof Tenko-San for nearly thirty years.

* * * *Owing to the depression in 1958 the

Company's books showed a deficit of onebillion yen1 over a period of six months.That is to say, a deficit had mounted at therateof six mill ionyen per day.

Obviously some revolutionary change inthe management would have to be made.Noneof themanagersclung to his position,but we could not see how a mere changeof managers would do other than lead toconfusion. What change then should wemake ?

Just at this time the labour unions decided to agitate for an increase in wages.Nonetheless we decided that the first measure was to lower wages ten per cent allround. We talked to our own labour unionand gave them our word that wages wouldbe lowered for one year only. The othernine labour unions were most indignant,and there was much anxiety even in ourown union lest we should fail to keep ourword.

The second measure we decided to takewas to close down four spinningmills,thoseat Hakata, Makatsu, Osaka and Kyoto;and the third was to give one year's leaveof absence to all employees of over fiftyyears of age. Naturally allthesemeasureswould lead to hardships.1 One thousand yen is approximately equal to2.80 American dollars.

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90 T H E M O U N T A I N P A T H AprilWe invited newspaper representatives to

our office on the second of September andtold them frankly what our plans were.Next day they came out with large headlines and comments in large type. By wayof remembrance I've kept all the newspapercuttings in a scrap book Although I knewKanebo's position among the spinningmills, the sensation among the newspaperswas beyond all my expectations. Onespoke of greatKanebo and its rationalization, saying how one of its leaders, presumably myself, talked about putting thecompany on its feet again by reducing wagesal l round, and without firing a single employee, but in point of fact the companycould not even pay its retiring allowances.It went on to say how normally the companycould borrowmillions from the banks butthatnow no bankwouldlend anything at ailbecause everyone was afraid the companywas going into liquidation. I was terriblydepressed as I read the newspapers andtears even came to my eyes.

There were many twists and turns inwhat followed. Shortly after the publicannouncement a committee was formedrepresenting the spinners of the union. Itsfour leaders came to investigate and askedto see me as the one they thought responsible. My colleague said I should notaccede to their request, thinking I might bew on over to their point of view and makesome irretrievable mistake. But Icouldnotevade seeing them By pretending I was notin the office. I saw them on my own four to one

They started by accusing me of beingthe man responsible for the distress of somany workers. I admitted my responsibility,telling them that I was always prepared todie if need be, since at any time I l ivedonlyby the permission ofLight. I went onto tellthem what I had learnedfromTenko-San, andthatunder his guidance I had doneTakuhatsu for many years. I heard afterwards that Takayama-San, the president ofthe Committee, in reporting the meeting

with me, said that for several hours theyhad heard of nothing except Ittoen.

O n the 30th of October our negotiationsended in complete agreement. Exactly theopposite happened in the tragic struggles inthe Oji Paper Manufacturing Company andthe Mi t s u i Coa l Mi n eCompany.

After that I went around to every one ofour spinning mills throughout the country,begging not only their managers but alsotheir employees who were suffering, to forgive me, and pleading with them to makeevery effort for just one year. I shouldnever have thought of doing this had it notbeen for Tenko-San.

Despite criticism we stopped taking partin the various tournaments baseball,football, volleyball ,and pursued every possible measure of economy.

By A p r i l 1959 we had reduced ourdeficit to about three hundred mill ion yen.In September, the financial crisis was over.We were in credit and we were increasingour credit at the rateof ten mill ionyen perday. We were able to fulfil all our promises to the Un i o n . Then I again wentaround to every spinning mill to thank allthe employees who had understood thedifficulties of the company so wel l and hadco-operated so loyally. The effort madeby each indidividual may have been small,but the result of allworking together wasenormous. I have always believed thathuman relationships in a mill or insociety as a whole must be based uponface to face meeting, for it isonly from thisthat love and compassion can arise.

In October 1959, we put our notices inthe newspapers that our counter measuresagainst our depressed condition had beensuccessful. Several newspaper representatives came to get further details, and theShukan Shinsho devoted several pages toreporting the matter. But all the reportswere very superficial. The writers just didnot understand that the secret of oursuccess and the rebirth of the company was

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1971 W O R K AS S E R V I C E 91due to the mutual trust that had beenengendered.

Nowmutual trust on this large scale cancome about onlywhen individuals constantlyadopt a trustful attitude in their ordinarysocialand domestic life. It can never comeby talking about it, but only by constantlytaking it for granted that other people canbe trusted, for example as between husbandand wife. For the last two years I havebeen coming home late from work. If mywife did not have impl ic i t trust in me shemight suspect that under the pretext ofoffice work, I was merely enjoyingmyselfelsewhere and our happyfamilyrelationshipwould have been destroyed.

When one is accustomed to this attitudeoftrust it can be carried over into the relationship between capital and labour. Thismeans that despite all difficulties themanagement always fulfils its promises and

does not make promises it cannot keep.Then, despite heated arguments, mutualtrust deepens. This is what happened in1958, in the KaneboSpinningCompany.* sc # ^The mutual trust that BunjiSakaguchi-San

brought into being was the result of sincerityand frankness as wel l as willingness to admitthathe was to blame and his refusal to treatany one lightly. He refused to be the V . I . P . ,that Japan expects, but went among theworkersand spoke to them asfriend to friend.His frankness won confidence and when thecompanygot out of its troubles, he saw to itthatall promises were fulfilled.

(Note : ' Sakaguchi-San story originally appearedin Hikari (Light), the official journal of Ittoen community, and is published with the permission of theelders of Ittoen. It was translated by MakotoOhashi-San and put into idiomaticEnglish by MarieB. Byles).

What is to be done OMoslems? for I do not recognize myself.I am neither Christian, nor Jew, nor Gabr, nor Moslem.I am not of the East, nor of the West, nor of the landnor of the sea ;I am not of Nature's mint, nor of the circling heavens.I am not of the earth, nor of water, nor of air, nor offire;I am not of the empyrean, nor of dust, nor of existence nor of entity.I am not of India, nor ofChina, nor of Bulgaria nor of Saqsin ;I am not of the kingdom of Iraqaan, nor of the country of Khorastan.I am not of thisworld, nor of the next, nor of Paradise, nor of Hel l;I am not ofAdam, nor of Eve, nor of Eden and Rizwan.M y place is the Placeless, my trace is the Traceless ;'T isneither body nor soul, for I belong to the soul of the Beloved.I have put duality away, I have seen that the two worlds are one ;One I seek, One I know, One I see, One I call.

J A L A L ' U D - D I N R U M I , ShamziTabriz.

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92 AprilLIFEOF SAINT ARUNAGIRINATHAR1

^ R U N A G I R I prayed to L o r d Murugaandwas granted theboonofchanting Tirup-

pugazh and other songs with fervour anddevotionand in awondrous rhythmandvoice.Among others he had a vision of the Lordstanding on the peacock, both dancing, atTiruttani,

Saint Arunagirinathar

Ancient writers onArunagirinathar praisedhim as one whocannot be equalled in theexquisite choiceofwords in the T a mi l language, in the art ofstringing them togetherandin the faultless beauty of expression. Thisgift wasbestowed by L o r d Murugaand hewas thereafter called Arutkavi meaning that

BySADHU PARTHASARATHY

his songs were divinely inspired. It was inTiruvannamalai at the sannidhi of L o r dMurugaat theentranceto thegopura thathewas commanded by the L o r d toexpresshisdevotion in song. Arunagirinathar feltunequal to the task, nothaving received theupadesaof the mantra 1 A U M'. It is from' A U M ' that speech derives its origin and itis A U M that must berecited at thebeginningand end of every Name and Mantra. TheL o r d then began the first lines insanthaT a mi l "Muthaiththaru. . . . " He thenasked Arunagirinathartoproceed further withthe song which he was then able to do.Arunagirinathar thereafter began singing LordMuruga's praises inevery shrine and beforeevery Gopura of the Arunachala TempleinTiruvannamalai andwent out singingin thestreets ofTiruvannamalai. Notcontent withthis,hebegan totravelallover Indiavisitingshrines and singing the praises of L o r dMuruga. One may say that the seed ofTiruppugazhwasplanted inArunagirinatharby the L o r d atTiruvannamalai,waswateredand manured atVayalur but it was at V a l l i -malaithattheplant began toflowerandbearfruit by the combined grace of L o r dMurugaand V a l l i (T-253). At theshrineofMurugain Vayalur near Tiruchirappalli, T a mi lNadu,the title of his songs Tiruppugazh meaninglofty or excellent was confirmed. In T i r u -chengode, Arunagirinathar expressed hisgratitude to L o r d Murugafor thepraiseandpopularityhisTiruppugazhhadreceivedin allquartersas aresultofHis blessings thoughatthe time he had sung only a few (T-384).Perhaps after he hadsung almost thesixteenthousand songsofTiruppugazh,heagain wentand stood before theL o r d ofTiruchengodetoexpress hisgratitude : "By your precious gift

1 Continued from our last issue.

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1'9?1to me of singing the song so beautifully namedTiruppugazh, I have been blessed wi th thateternal wisdomthat knows no decay or d imi nution and also wi th insight into the truthenunciated ingreat writings. Deeply sunk inignorance, this heinous sinner, by the merit ofsingingTiruppugazh has crossed the ocean ofdesire and reached a place indescribable byspeech. It has earned me great fame, hasmade me traverse the seven worlds and a merewishof mine once expressed carries the weightofa king's command. Leavingalltheseaside,how can I forget You for that very preciousgift which has taken me beyond the ocean ofsorrow, beyond the three gunas,2beyond allvasanas3 and freed mefrom rebirth for ever "(T. 113).Acclaimed as a Great Saint

Thefame of Arunagirinathar as thegreatestsaint of his time, was established on twooccasions. The first occasionaroseduring acontest wi th one Vi l l iputhura r , a learned butvery arrogant pandit, who went about theTami l country challenging every pandit to acontest ofpandityam (scholarly skil l) with thecondition that the loser should have his earscut off. In Arunagirinathar he not only met$omeone who was head and shoulders abovehim in learning, but was also the personification of the truth vidya vinayasampanne(humility and learning). Though defeatedVilliputhurar'scondition was not put to effect.That was why he is called Karunaikku Aru-nagiri(meaning Arunag i r i the embodiment ofgrace).

The next event was more dramatic. Pra-buddha Deva Raya was a devout H i ndu anda truepatron of learning. He befriended oneSambandandan, a zealous Jain, for his spiritual attainments. Sambandandan was notvery different from Vi l l iputhura r , being botharrogant and boastful about his learning. Thefame of Anmagirinathar as a greatbhakta ofL o r dMuruga reached PrabuddhaDevaRaya'sear, and hesentemissaries invitinghim to hispalace. But when Arunagirinathar did notrespond to the invitation, Prabuddha Deva

Raya invited him personally and Arunagi r i nathar, touched by his devotional nature,came to the palace and was suitably honoured.Sambandandan seeing in Arunagirinathar apotential r ival to the chieftain's favourpersuaded him to invite Arunagirinathar to acontest in which he and Arunagirinatharshould each undertake to manifest theirIshtaDevata (Personal God) before him and thathe who failed in the attemptshould leave hisdomain for good. Arunagirinathar agreed tothe proposal.

The contest took place in the courtyard ofthe Arunachaleswarar shrine and was attendedby Prabuddha Deva Raya, his consorts andother nobles. Sambandandan began his ceremonies wi th great pomp but failed. WhenArunagirinathar's turn came he sang threeTiruppugazh songs wi th such fervour anddevotionthatall were entranced by the melodyand the bhava (spiritual vibration). A r u n a girinathar's prayer was granted and Murugaburstingone of thepillarsof the Mantap opencame out of it on his peacock dancing andgave darsan to the assembled people. ButPrabuddha Deva Raya, unable to bear thebrilliance of Muruga's manifestation, lost hiseyesight. The foregoing is one of the accountsof that great event of which there are manyvariations. But the central theme derives itsauthenticity from the poem of Arunagirinatharhimself Athala Sedanarada (T. 1056).The song is a supplication to Muruga toappear on His vahana, the Peacock, bothdancing. When Muruga dances, the earthand its tallest peaks tremble, and all creationjoinsin the joyous dance.

Val l ima la i Satchidananda Swami sensed inthe song ' Devendra Sanga Vaguppu' not justa song in praise of K a l i but a maha mantracapable of conferring on him whoresortsto itas aparayanam (recitation) wi thunwaveringfaith and devotion, the power not only ofattracting God's compassion and help inmundane affairs, but also of leading him onthe path to Realisation ofParabrahman. For

2basic qualities.3latent tendencies or habits.

L I F E op S A I N T A R U N A G I R I N A T H A R

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94 T H E M O U N T A I N - P A TH Aprilthe Paramatman sends forth His Sakti theMahamayaor K a l i to create the universe ofmultitudinous names and forms and allowsHimself to be completely enveloped by Hercreations. Muruga as the Paramatmancannotbe realised unless one is able to transcendMahamaya (T. 1052). She cannot be transcended by just ignoring Her or by rejectionas an i l lusion. By love and love alone canShe be won, leading to complete absorption.This is the teaching of Arunagirinathar in'Devendrasanga Vaguppu' and the seekersafter Reality according to him and Sri Va l l i -malaiSwamican do nobetter than engageinthe study of itwith devotion and faith. Evena worldly man can resort to it for spiritualsalvation. For, by the practice of reciting itwith faith and devotion, the screen of theego-mind disappears, the bondage ofsensesisloosened and God's Grace flows unobstructeduntil lHe manifests in the Heart of the devotee.

In some books about spiritual practices adistinction is made between the paths ofbhakti and jnana. Sri Sankara is representedas the Acharya who propounded the superiorityof jnana over the other path and SriTu ls i -das as extolling the path of bhakti. Neitherof thesestatementsis validwhen taken out ofcontext. Suffice it to saythattherehas hardlybeen a great saint or sage in India who hasnot followed both paths of bhakti and jnana.Val l ima la i Satchidananda Swami is reportedto have said that where the heart predominatesover the intellect, men prefer at the startthe path of bhakti, similarly the man whoseintellect predominates over the heart prefersthe path of jnana, and the one in whomneither predominates prefers the path ofkarma. The distinction among the paths isonly apparent at the start : in the end all thepaths coalesce. Arunagirinathar being abhakta from the very beginning, emphasisesthe merit of bhakti or the emotional approachto God. " Pray to L o r d Muruga," he says," to come on a green peacock and grant youbhakti and thereafter to lead you tomoksha "(T . 312). He was a believer in kramamukti,that is to say that the ultimate state

cannot be obtained unless one practises stepby step the various disciplines of sadhana.AcharaPuja must be performed without intermissionto the chosen God orIshtaDevata.ByAchara Puja he meant thatPuja which is notaccompanied by offering the flesh of animalsor of intoxicating drinks or of bhavasandactions that are on the border-line of ethicsand morality. The object of the externalpuja to the IshtaDevata is to draw the mindawayfrom sensual pleasures and to fix it in thewell-being derived from the performance ofpuja with devotion (T. 66 & 100). " BeforeI go down the stepsof the bhakti ghat" saysArunagiri, " to bathe in the sea of ananda,the restless waves of the mind must firstsubside." (K. A l a n . 35) The attachment towealth etc., are hindrances to spiritual progress. Unless they are given up, progresstowards liberation is not possible. " Richesare like the swirlingwaters of a jungle streamthat come quickly and disappear as quickly,giving rise to alternate joy and sorrow."Addressing his mind, Arunagirinathar continues, " Why do you not run awayfrom them ?Ho w are you going to get mokshaunless youpray to L o r d Muruga? Seek His aidthatHemay use His sharp vel4 to pierce and destroythe passions that curtail the freedom of yourmind (K. A l a n . 36)." Side by side withmeditation, he advocates the practice ofashtanga yoga5 (T. 439) to attain chiitasuddhi.6 By charity, festivals and ritualworship of God, study of scriptures, controlof the senses, purity of thought and action,observance of dharma, by rendering personalservice to the Guru, one soon attains ChittaSuddhi(T. 100). Arunagirinathar's dedicationto hisIshtaDevatadid not make him narrrow-

4 Lance, Muruga's weapon.5 The Y o g a with eight limbs, viz.,yama, cultivation of principles of good conduct ; niyama,

observance of rules of good conduct; asana,posture ; pranayama, regulation of breath ;pratyahara, restraint of mind; dharana, holdin g and fixing the mind; dhyana, meditation;samadhi, fruition of meditation a state transcending the mind, can be experienced but notdescribed.6 Mental purity.

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1971 L I F E OF S A I N T A R U N A G I R I N A T H A R 95minded. He worshippedwith devotion otherforms of God in the temples he visited andhe sang about them. There is another aspectin Arunagiri's devotion which puts him in aclass all his own. He chose as hisIshia DevataL o r dMurugawho has His abode on every h i l l top in the T a mi lcountry. He is in the midst ofmen and can be reached through devotion.Similarly, Val l i ' s abode is on the hil l calledVal l ima la i in the T a mi l country. She was toL o r d Murugawhat Radha was to SriKrishna.Murugabecame Val l i ' sconstant companion Arunagirinathar has often sung about this.Here is one such song :

" Her wondrous and animated beautyW as l ike that of a dancing peacock.Dark were Her eyes and l ivelyL i k e those of a frightened deer.She wore a thing of barkHemmed with peacock feathers,A rare piece of hunters' artW as it fancy ? She reflected tender green,Young in years, her loveliness beyond

compare."L o r dMurugawas the most popular amongst

the gods with the earliest Tamilians, and Hisimage used to be taken around the streetsofthe port of Ko r k a i on the Cauvery every dayin procession, people crowding to have Hisdarsan. Arunagirinathar in his song on L o r dMuruga praises Hisgreat compassion for alllivingcreatures, His love for the T a mi llanguage and for music and fine arts. He is thedestroyer of evil and ignorance and in chargeof the divine force ; friend and protector ofDevas and Brahmins and V e d i c Yagnas.He is most beautiful inform and colour, andHi s pre-eminent quality is that He is mosteasily pleased by true devotion and comesunfailingly to the help of His bhaktas.

"If you w i l l meditate on L o r d MurugaW i t h love single and tr ue ,. ...Y o u w i l l surely attainThat unsurpassed state of Supreme B l i s s . . "

One might wel l say that Arunagirinatharhad established a new religion for the Tami l

speaking people, the worship of L o r d Murugaby men of all castes, in their mother tongue(Tamil) to pour out their heartsin devotionand to make known their wants and sufferings and to offer puja in simple ways knownto them. The recourse to Agamic practicesand to the Sanskrit language which mostpeople did not understand was no longercompulsory. The great merit of Arunagiri towhichwe referred earlier, was thathe did notfall a victim to the fanaticism that characterises the protagonists of a new creed. Hisobject had been merely to rescue the Hindureligion from being smothered by its age-oldcreeds and rituals, so as to emerge once againas a living religion among its votaries. Hehimself made abundant use of Sanskrit wordsin his poems, affirmed his loyalty to Ved i cteachings and upheld orthodox practices. Thepath and disciplines he expounded were thoseof the Upanishads and the Yo g a Sutras ofPatanjali. Whatever his caste at birth mighthave been, Arunagiri was certainly a "TrueBrahmin", if the word "Brahmin" were tobe given its correct connotation, as referringto one who is truly and solely devoted to theattainment of Brahma Jnana.

Arunagiri started on the path of bhakti andsoonreached the Ultimate State. He was ableto perceive that all other ethical paths alsoled to the same goal ; though some appearedmore difficult than others.

" The Ultimate State " says Arunagirinathar,"cannot be experienced by persons withoutcompassion or by those engaged in endlessdiscussions or by those of asuric temperamentor byeatersof flesh of animals killed cruellyor by men of evilpropensities, who under theguise of religion go about stirring up trouble,do not mind the path of Dharma, and preachunethical paths to seekers after God.

" But if with mind overcome by love forGod, one were to approach the L o r d , Gracewil l surely be granted. Thereafter, one shouldgive up the sense of ' I ' and ' mine '. Onecan pray then to L o r d Muruga " When wi l lY c u bless me so that I may experiencethe state of anandawhich the Vedas pro-

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96 T H E M O U N T A I N P A T H Aprilclaim?" (T. 511). In another song Arunagirinathar gives an account of his own spiritualprogress. " The appointed day of Yama'scoming having passed, the desire to be alwayssporting with women having left me, mythreegunas destroyed, leaving behind the twinstates of birth and death, and having cutasunder the troubles caused by thefivesenses,Ibegan to sing the glory of Y o u r Lotus Feet.I meditated upon You, O L o r d of Tiruchen-dur, and having come to know You, wisdomdawned upon me. Oh Kanda Ve l e , havingknown Y o u ,known Youwell ,and going alongthe path of inner experience leading to theultimate state, senseof ' I am the doer' destroyed, I attained true knowledge" (T. 47).Next he sings about the temple of Mowna(Silence) which has no length or breadth andthe extent of which cannot be comprehendedby anyone, where everything becomes clear.

Arunagiri then seeks the stateofTuHyatitaor the primal Brahmicstate. " Pray tell me,O Murugaaboutthatadodeof grace which isbeyond the reach of V e d i c language, which isnot perceivable by those devoted to moralconduct and Achara Puja, notwithin the reachof those in Yog ic Nirvikalpa Samadhi . . ."(T. 1052).

Arunagirinathar in the end offers hissalutations to his L o r d and Guru for all Hehas bestowed on him. Swami Va l l ima la iSatchidananda used to recite the poem as aGuru Stuti? The writer was advised whenhe first met him : " Do not go after this orthatholyperson. Recite this poem (he wrote it ona piece ofpaper and gave it to him) and theGuru wi l l seek you of His own accord at thetime appropriate for you."

When I knew Y ou firstY o u had such a lovely formA n d I could caress Y ou ;Now You have become formlessA n d ceased to be.

When I knew You firstY o u were a bud that held

sweet promise ;Now Y ou have blossomed into

Fragrance sublime.When I knew You firstY o u were l ike a gem precious to men ;Now Y ou are the shining light within.When I knew Y ou firstY o u held Y o u r secret inside an egg ;Now Y ou have burst the shellA n d are the L i f e of lives.When I knew Y ou firstI thought Y ou caused my changing fate;Now I knowthatYou are my sole refuge.

When I knew Y ou firstY o u were my Guide and Guru;Now I know that Y ou are the Dwelle rIn the Cave of my heart.

One cannot dobetter than to conclude thisarticle with the prayer that Arunagirinatharaddressed to L o r d Muruga of Tiruchengode,a prayer that should be recited by everydevoteeonce at least every day. " I wi l l neverforget You," affirmed Arunagiri before theL o r d . " Pray come to me at the time of thisbody's death and take hold of me."( K . A l a n . 23).

That was five hundred years ago and theL o r dof Tiruchengode whose lotusfeetArunagirinathar attained, recreated anotherAruna-grinathar bereft of his great learning, butequally devoted to Him, born under the signof the StarMoolam in the month ofKartigai,in the year 1870. He was Va l l ima la iSatchidananda Swami who carried the torch ofdevotion to L o r d Muruga singing the songsofTiruppugazh in all the four directions of thecountry. H a i l to Arunagirinathar H a i l toVal l imalai Satchidananda Swami

7 Hymn to the Guru.T.= TiruppugazhK . A l a n . = Kandar Alankaram, a work of SaintArunagirinathar.

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1971IS D EH ATM BUDDHI AN OBSTACLE?

g R I R. N A R A Y A N A I Y E R , retired Sub-registrar, (for an account on whom see the

Jan. 1968 issue of The Mountain Path) oncetoldmethathe asked Sri Bhagavan about toomuchemphasis being given by Ramana-devo-tees to the discarding of the I-am-the-bodyidea and said that this was impossiblefor him since he was always aware of thisbodyand its creature comforts. Sri Bhagavangraciouslyremarked : ' Yes, yes. You cannotgiveup the I-am-the-body consciousness without being first aware of it. There is nothingwrong with that. The giving up of the ideashouldtake place by the Grace of God, for byour own effort it wi l l be very difficult.' Thisbecame a complex problem for me.

A H that we know or are made to understand is through the mechanism of the fivesenses, mind or intellect. Our actions springfrom thoughts which are conditioned by ourpastkarma. Thus it becomes aviciouscircle;which is the cause and which the effect thought or actions ? That which is presentedto ourlimitedunderstanding by the body-mindcomplex we take for truth, but paradoxicallywe have no other means of clarification.Arthur Osborne expressed it succinctly in oneof his editorials : ' . . .thatis why we finditso hard to renounce them.'

Emmanuel Kant said that the moment weknow the limits of a circle we have alreadytranscended them. So when we rightly understand the limits of this complex may we nottranscend it also ?

A s far as these limitations are concerned,what do we know about this problem exceptwhat has been communicated to us ? A l l ourefforts at any time, in any sphere are conditioned by our senses. They communicate theimpressions to the mind or intellect whichjudges them according to its level of under-

ySEIN

standing arrived at on the basis of pastimpressions. The mind-intellect recognises oraccepts known entities and is baffled by orrejects unknown ones. The past influencesthe present which becomes past for a futurepresent and so goes on the merry or not somerry-go-round.

When we come to subtle powers, they arealso fundamentally based on our senses asexperienced in dreams, and so limited tosensorialperceptions. Hence, on analysis, weconclude thateverything we know is based onthis body-mind complex and this premisecannot be rejected on the relative plane.Everything is as true as we are to ourselves,says Sri Bhagavan.

In this respect we find a concordant notein Saiva Siddhanta where the body is considered the ' temple' in which the L o r d isenshrined. Neglect or torture of the body iscondemned without giving it undue importance. Sri Bhagavan also envisages thisaspect by stressing the importance of asatvicdiet for the welfare of both body andmind. Thus in Saiva Siddhanta, dehatmabuddhiis given special significanceonly to betranscended in realisation of our true state.'The weak cannot attain the Atman. Thephysicalbody (annamayakosha)is neither tobe despised nor neglected' say the scriptures.

To a body-minded votary the idea of transcendingit is hard to envisage and he is baffled.Sr i Bhagavan saidthat it isbetter to be confused than ignorant or indifferent. A stateofconfusion may induce us to trace its source,in an attempt to clear it up. In this way wemay arrive at the understanding thatwe cannot solve the problem by our own efforts andthat the Grace of God or Guru is necessary.

1 4 I-am-the-bodyidea.

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98 T H E M O U N T A I N P A T H AprilThis becomes the incentive for sadhanathrough Self-inquiry or through devotion orsurrender, whichever suits our temperament.We divedeepto seek an answer and ultimatelyWecome to knowthatby understanding alonei t is not possible to transcend this complexity.According to the testimony of sages, Truthcan be realised by intuitive experience. Howto achieve it ? Or is it possible at all ? Wehave for authority Sri Bhagavan's saying :' I-am-the-body ' idea wi l l become extinctonlyon Self-realisation. Wi th its extinction thevasanas become extinct.' (Talks,1968 Edit ion,p. 473). This is possible through Grace butGrace is vouchsafedonlyto him who has madethe necessary effort (though the effort howevergreatis as nothing) ; a drop mergingwith thelimitless sea, in essence the same.

According to Sri Bhagavan the transcendence of the I-am-the-body idea can bebestachievedthrough self-enquiry (vichara)"Whoa m i ? " " To whom is this problem ? " Wehave to transcend it from the level of ourevolution. It brings to mind Sri Bhagavan'ssuggestion to retain the I-thought in order todestroy all other thoughts, itself finally to beconsumed in realising the Self.

Sr i Bhagavan said on another occasion :"The body is a mental projection ; the mindis the ego ; and the ego rises from the Self.For whom is the body or birth ? So long asthere is a sense of separation there wi l l beafflicting thoughts. If the original source isregained and thesenseof separation is put anend to, thereis Peace." (Talks, 1968 Edit ion,p. 364).

According to a Sufi saint, paradise is onlya stageon the waywhiletheworldis the roadthat leads to the abode of love. For thepurpose of attaining Godhood the humanstate is traditionally considered higher thanthatof an angel.

To attain Self-realisation the ' I-am-the-body ' idea has to be transcended. Everythinghas a purpose in thisworld. The bodyconsciousness leads on investigation to the comprehension that the all-conscious Self is itssubstratum. The body also played a part in,

Sr i Bhagavan's Realisation revealing thatware not the body but the immortalSelf. Asexplained in the Prig Drisya Viveka of San-kara, translated by Sri Bhagavan into T a m i l ;(i ) identification of the ego with the reflectedconsciousness is natural or innate and (i i) theidentification of the egowith the body is duetopast karma. So it is not in our power todiscard instantly what we have ourselvesaccumulated or imagine ourselves to haveaccumulated, after intellectual understandinghas come. The body-mind complex suppliesal lour experience and remains the only meansor approach towards transcending it. SriBhagavan clearly says that the appearance ofthe Self as world is 4in order thatyou mightseek it. Y o u r eyes cannot see themselves.Place a mirror before them and they seethemselves. Similarly with the creation.'(Talks, 1968 Edit ion, p. 227).

Sr i Bhagavan explains : " One should notidentify oneself withappearances ; one shouldnever relinquish one's Self. Thisis the propermeans for destruction of themind (ego) whichis of the nature of seeing the body as self,and which is the cause of all misery andobstacles."

This applies also to the subtle and causalbodies as, according to Sri Bhagavan, it is onthe gross body that the other bodies subsist.In the false belief of the ' I-am-the-body' areincludedall the three bodies consisting of thefive sheaths. And destruction of the falsebelief of selfhood in the gross body is itselfthe destruction of the false belief of selfhoodin the other bodies. So enquiry is the meansto removal of the false belief of selfhood inal l the threebodies.

To conclude : dehatmahuddhihas relativeimportance as an instrument towards transcendingitself and realising itstruenature. Inthis light we can understand why it is said inthe Puranas thatany being in any of the fourteen worlds has to be born on this earth to getLiberation. "In no other birth can the jivaattain knowledge of Truth. A human birthis the stepping stone to the path of Libera-jtion," says the Visvasara Tantra,

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1971STEADFASTSERVICE

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100 T H E M O U N T A I N P A T H Aprilas the fruit of a good life and the seed of abetterone. When His light shines on us, workceases to be work. The right hand of theeternal goodness feels no strain and claims nocredit. Appar, the supreme poet of daasyabhaava (attitude of service) declares : " Hisduty is to support His slave. My duty is toserve and be content." The sweetest singeramong the 63 Saints, he found his joy in workand the feet of his Master in thosehe lovedand served :

" A s fire in fuel or butter in m i l k , the jewel oflight stands hidden. Plant the rod of kinshipand, with the rope of feeling, churn and churnaway. And there He shines in front "

The kinship is nothing tentative or temporary, nothing conditional on a quidpro quo.Complete surrender is imaged by the royaldevotee, Kulasekhara, who says : " Thoughyou seem to slay me? yet wi l l I trustin you."Sufferingand sorrow are only passing shadowsand cannot alter the loyal love of the K ingwho sings :

"Even if you do not stop giving me pain, I w i l lc l ing to Y o u r Feet as the c h i l d clings to itsmother though she may push it away in a fit ofanger; as the chaste wife clings to her husbandthough he may misbehave ; as the patient clingsto the surgeon who cuts and cauterises his flesh;as a bird clings to the ship's mast in mid-ocean ;as wealth clings to one who spurns it but lovesyou "

The unchanging certitude of loyalty isfigured in the leaven which " a woman tookand hid inthree measures of meal," the dropof curd in a pot full of mi lk. The slightestelement, remaining itself and refusing to giveup its virtue, converts the rest to the samequality. Where failure in human relationsoccurs, the explanation is to be sought inoneself. As St. Paul says : " A l l things worktogether for good to them thatlove God."The ideal of the steadfast servant, sodearand familiar to T a mi l students, has been describedagain by Sri Muruganar, the greatestofcontemporary T a mi l poets, who recreates forus all the beauty of our older poetry. Obey

ingits living idiomand prosody, he brings outwith clarity and emphasis the prayerful moodof a man of action turning to a higher poweraway from the threatsand temptations offeredby superficial, though apparently dynamicprogrammes.

Here is a rough rendering of his Irai PaniNitral (Steadfastness in the Lord's service) :

Whichever way I wentI heard your praise, O Happy One,A n d to your feet surrenderedM y body, wealth and l i fe .I cried :"Ocean of virtue, mountain-high,Show me the way to happiness."Ramana just, majestic, said :"Stand s t i l l . Stay where you are."Digging or soaring, V i s h n u and BrahmaCould f ind you not at all.A n d I trudging, trudging towards divers goals,Was worn thin.I cried :" T e l l me how to merge in the FeetBeyond the knowledge of l i f e . "Said Ramana pure, secure:"Be s t i l l . Rest as you are."Passing, passing through various births,Driven on and on by the force of deeds,I cried :"Show me the way, my Friend, my Master,Show me the way to reach you."Said Ramana, L o r d of Wisdom and Welfare :"Be not angry; be not glad.Gather your mind to oneness,A n d be guided by the Grace of the L o r d . "L i k e a picture sprawling on paper,Rootless I ramifiedA n d cried :" T e l l me how to cut the surface."Ramana, Master of Wisdom, said :"Steady and bright,L i k e the flame in a pitcher,Burn in the grace of the L o r d .Be s t i l l . F u l f i l His W i l l . "I cried :" L o r d and Master, te l l me howTo make good deedsprevailAgainst deluding evi l deeds."M y Father dear, my Ramana said r" Undesiring, unabhorring,

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1971 S T E A D F A S T S E R V I C E 101Untroubled in the centre standing,M o v e only as you may be movedBy the Grace of the L o r d . "I cried :" M i g h t y Master of Works,Creating, preserving, destroying,T e l l me the means of salvation."Ramana, wise and virtuous, said :"Watching word and thought,W a l k as you are guidedBy the Grace of the L o r d who dwellsIn the lotus of your heart."I cried :" T e l l me how to endThe strong, inveterate deedsThat torment and force me backInto the torrid current of births."Sa id Ramana, best and brightest of teachers:" W a l k i n g the straight path fixed of old.Join and be enjoined byThe Grace of the L o r d of joyous awareness."I cried :" 0 rain-cloud with compassion big j

Teach me truly the trickO f escaping alive from the flood of births."Sa id Ramana, L o r d of Wisdom and Welfare :" L i k e not, loath not true nor false.Stand in the centre and beImpelled by the Grace of the L o r d . "I cried :

A l l forms I see are forms of You .Yet none of the Gods know you aright.T e l l me firmly what to do "Sa id Ramana, L o r d of Wisdom and Welfare :"A way there is to escapeThe hungry current of births,T o reach the shore and be safe.Join and be one with.The Grace of the L o r d . "I cried :"Best of Masters You who shoneIn the kurunda tree's coo l shade.T o teach your devotee of Vaadavur,F u l l and clear, lay bare to meThe secret of Self-knowledge "Sa id Ramana, my Father, my K i n g :"Be as you are your Self "

We are indeed present inpresence everywhere. The rest is bosh.P A U L R E P S .

The real is the void in which essentially there is not a thing ; the seemingis the realm of forms in which there are myriads of appearances; the realcomprising the seeming is the real shifting to the seeming; (straying fromprinciple and turning to activity), the seeming comprising the real is the returnof i l lusion to the real (rejecting the seeming and returning to the real), andinclusive integration is response from the invisible, free from existence andbeing neither pure nor impure and neither real nor seeming. This is that iscalled the immaterial and profound Great Tao of the non-grasping True Sect.

- Ch'an and Zen Teaching,Second Seriesby Mu T E N G HUI Y U A N ( C H A R L E S L U K ) .

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102

MEMORABLE DAYS WITH THE SAGE OFARUNACHALA

April

^HE highest ideal for man is to realise God,his real Self. Three prerequisites for

fulfilling this sublime purpose of life are : ahuman body as it is only in such astatethatwe can work out our destiny and practisesadhana,the desire to be free and the helpof a guru who has crossed the ocean ofdelusion. This objective unfolds itself commensuratewithour spiritual effort and growth.

It was Grace and good fortune thatbroughtme to the presence of Bhagavan Sri Ramanain 1927. On entering the Ashram I saw theMaharshi seated on a couch with nothingmore on than a loin-cloth and appearing togaze at some distant void. He was surrounded by devotees sitting at his feet and thewhole scenewas reminiscent ofsagesof yore.I stood for a while in his presence. Helooked at me casually and I made by nam as-karams. He made kind enquiries where Icame from and about my stay. Next morning I went to the Ashram and sat before theMaharshi in meditation. The mind was quietand not wavering. Sri Maharshi remained

BySwami DESIKANANDA

sitting on the couch as usual apparentlygazingat the Hil l .

Next morning I again returned to theAshram to sit at his feet as I found I couldeasily concentrate in his presence and haveprogressively longer spells of undisturbedmeditation such as I have never been able toachieve before anywhere else. When I toldthe Maharshi about it and how enjoyable itwas, he asked me whether I was sleeping atthe time of meditation. On my replying inthe negative he laughed and enquired aboutmy method of meditating, which was to concentrate on a light in the heart and offer aflower to my Ishtam(chosen God) wheneverthe mind wavered as instructed by His Ho l i nessSwami Sivanandaji Maharaj, second president of Ramakrishna Math Miss ion . TheMaharshi said it was all right for me and Icould continue in this way.

The third day after a lengthy meditation infront of the Maharshi I told him about apicture of Jesus I had seen in a church,surrounded by all sorts of animals at peacewith one another. He replied that this wasdue to the fact of animosity having been conquered by the sage. Even snakes would notharm anybodyherein this Ashram and addedthat in the presence ofsages evilnaturewouldbe conquered and friendliness prevail. Thatishow the rishis of old used to live in forestsand caves unharmed by w i ld creatures.

A visitor asked the Maharshi in the evening if he saw any form of God in meditation.He replied smiling that the Self or Atman isour realnatureand has no form. He quoteda verse of Sankaracharya : "Y o u are not thebody, you are not the mind,sensesorbuddhi.Y ou are beyond all these." You are the

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1971 M E M O R A B L E D A Y S W I T H THE S A G E OF A R U N A C H A L A 103Atman. When one becomes perfected inmeditation having discarded all desires andmerges in the Self the mind loses itself without any objectivity. The mind then is nomind. The mind losing itself in Atman iswhat is called samadhi. This is the realnatureof man and sublime happiness.

Th e highest goal of man is to enquire Whoam I? and realize the Self. If a human beingdoes not try to realize this he lives in vain.Thisstateinwhichhe enjoys the highest peaceand happiness is dearer than anything else intheworld. It is in all beings in the innermostheart. Unless one realizes this state one willhave to be born and die again and again. Inthis real state one goes beyond grief andsorrow. It makes a man immortal.

Youngas I was I found itdifficult to followthis teaching and asked for clarification whenI returned to the Ashram next morning. Thiswas the first time I addressed the Maharshi asBhagavan. He repliedthat the path was indeed difficult, as difficult as walking on arazor's edge, but sincere effort is sure to bringresult. " Y ou (meaning me) could meditatefor two or three hours not because of thislife's practice but as a result of effort inpastlives."

The fifth day of my visit I saw a youngwomanwithasmallbaby seated at Bhagavan'sfeet sobbing bitterly. She had recently lost herhusband and was grief-stricken. Bhagavanlooked at her with compassion and toldher :"Husband,wifeand children are for the body.G o home and know who you are. Go homeand do not weep." The words of a jnanihave power to transform. ' Home ' can alsomean spiritual Home, the Source. Hiscommand " Go home and know who you are"might have taken effect in aheartone-pointedand purified by sorrow. In the case ofanother young woman, Echammal, heartbroken at the loss of her entire family,Bhagavan's very Silencewas enough to effect the

transformation and lift her grief (as recordedin Ramana Maharshi and the Path ofSelf-Knowledge).

The remaining days went off as usual.Bhagavan's routine was to sit on the couchmostly in silence t i l l noon and the same afterfood and a little rest. He used to lookthrough the mail twice a day and go for ashortwalkon the H i l l . He said on one occasionthatsincetherewas no mind at alltherewas also no concept of anything, A l lwas onefull expanse in peace and happiness. Hequickly added that we cannot even say oneexpanse as there was no second. He wasimmersed in Sat-Chit-Ananda (Existence Consciousness B l i ss ) . Now hisnaturewasthatalways.

WhenI was ready to leave I toldBhagavanso on the ninth day of my stay. Kneelingbefore him I wept profusely. He remarked :" You can stay on. Nobody asked you to go."However I took leave of him the next dayand he toldme to continue my meditation asusual and that everything wi l l be all right inthe course of time.

By Bhagavan's Grace not onlywas I drawninto the fold of a sage who had the highestrealization but was helped in every way toexperience periods of supreme peace andbliss.Thisindeed forms the sheetanchor of my lifethatwas,thatis andthat wi l l be. The silentministration of Bhagavan wi l l indeed remainan eternal spring of spiritual joy and peace.

It is but appropriate that I close thisaccountwith salutations to Bhagavan Ramanawho keeps on inspiring ever increasing numbers of seekers as time goes on.

How gracious art Thou L o r d Dakshinamurthy,T o have blessed mankind by Thy ministration

in human form,T o Bhagavan who is but the form ofSatyam, Sivamand SundaramD o I offer my salutations again and again.Om Tat Sat.

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104THE PATH OF DEVOTION

April

QOME intellectuals tend to scoff at devoteesand the path of devotion. It is partly

due to the faults of many of us who cal l ourselves devotees or follow the path of devotionwithout understanding its full significance.Some of us content ourselves with a certaindegree of emotional gratification. Some seekto have their lurking desires fulfilled throughthe agency of the High Power. That Powersustains them also, and responds to theirprayers, for noneis excludedfromIts all-pervasive beneficence; It guides their onwardevolution. However, the true spiritual seekeris one who, having realised the fleetingnatureof the phenomenal world, one-pointedly seeksTruthalone or longs for the L o r d of the universefollowing the path ofjignasa(enquiry)or bhakti (love of God), respectively. Thisshort article humbly seeks to spotlight thenatureoftruebhakti as one of the majorpathsto spiritual fulfilment.

Himself a jnana avatara, who attainedRealisationthrough a sudden experience of thetrue ' I ' , Bhagavan naturally, first and foremost, blazed the trail of Self-enquiry, ' Whoam I ?'. Nevertheless, he was, indeed, aperfect bhakta,even as he was a perfectjriani.His FiveHymnsto Arunachalathe ' Father 'who drew him into Himself while he was aboy of sixteen are a masterpiece of devotion. To quote just a few of them :

" As a lode-stone attracts iron,magnetizing it andholding it fast, so do Thou to me,

O h Arunachala" I came to feed on Thee, but Thou hast fed

on me ; now there is Peace, O Arunachala"Tear off these robes, expose me naked,then robe me with Thy L o v e , Oh Arunachala" R a i n Thy Mercy on me ere Thy Knowledge

burn me to ashes, Oh Arunachala" A s snow in water, let me melt as Love in Thee,

w ho art Love Itself, Oh Arunachala

ByProf. MADAN MOHAN VARMA

According to him, self-surrender is themaster-key of a devotee's sadhana. If thedevotee is sincere, He to whom he surrenderswi l l never fail him. In thatprecious bookletWho Am II he says, " The indefinablepower of the L o r dordains, moves and controlsevery thingthat happens . . . Knowing fullwel l thatthe train carries all the weight, whyindeed should we, the passengers travelling onit, carry the smallindividualarticles of luggageon our laps to our great discomfort, insteadof putting them aside and sitting at perfectease? "

Among some of his other observationsbearing on the subject are :

" There is a power (Sakti) which moves you andme and a l l ; surrender your ego at the feet ofthatMother."

" Surrender yourself unreservedly and the HigherPower w i l l reveal Itself."

"True surrender is love of God for the sake oflove and nothing else."

"Bhakti is the mother of Jnana."" When the love of God or Self is manifest, it is

Bhakti; when it is in secret, it is Jnana."" One-pointed thought of God is Bhakti, one-pointed experience of Self is Jnana. Thereshould be one alone, whether we call it GodorSelf:'

Once, when observing a few learned SouthIndian friends engaged in a hot argumentamongst themselves in the Old H a l l of theAshram, to the effect that there was indeedno point injnanisandbhaktasquarrellingbetween themselves, I a neophyte in theAshram,interjected, " But jnanis and bhaktasneverquarrel; it ispseudo-jnanisand pseudo-bhak-taswho quarrel." Bhagavan, who had beensitting quite indifferent on his couch, lookingtowards the window opening out to the sky,swiftly turned around toward uswith a broadsmileand approvingly remarked, "Yes, yes "

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1971 T H E P A T H OF D E V O T I O N 105Many other saints and mystics Hindu, burns the ego, devotion or self-surrender melts

Musl imand Christian have sworn by devo- the ego.tion and surrender to the L o r d . Loveof God Let me conclude with the following soul-permeated the lives of Chaitanya, Nanak, stirring words1 of Swami Parmananda Pur i ,M i r a , Rabiya, Namdev, Ramakrishna, and which bring into focus the right attitudeothers. befitting a devotee:

The Bhakti Sutra of Narada, an ancientcomprehensive thesis on Bhakti, throws aflood of light on different phases of a devotee's approach to the L o r d and stages of theevolution of his devotion.

The Bhagavata, a veritable scripture onBhakti, resoundswith singing the glory of theL o r d and the glory of His devotees.

True devotion, however,means intense loveof God ; and self-surrender meansself-giving,not self-grabbing, however subtle. "Theessenceof bhaktisadhanais the givingofselfto the Supreme," said Sri Krishna Prem, adevotee par excellence. Just as self-enquiry

"H e who has truly given his l i fe, soul and bodyto the service of the Master must not think ofhis own w i l l , but should sacrifice his own w i l lat the command of the Master. This is calledtrue self-sacrifice. Otherwise, as long as wecan fulfi l our own desires by serving the Master,we serve H im, but the moment it interferes withour satisfaction, we do not. This is not self-resignation. On the contrary, it is selfishness. . . ."Ours is to give up al l egotism and say 4NahamNaham Tuhu \ Tuhu f " (Not I, not I f It isa l l Thou ) "

1 Selected from an article entitled " Self-Surrender published in Ananda Varta, Shree Shree MaAnandamayee Ashram, Varanasi .

Be in a domain where neither good nor evil exists ; both of them belongto the world of created things ; in the presence of Unity there is neither command nor prohibition.

A l l this talk and turmoil and noise and movement is outside of the ve i l ;within the veil is silence and calm and rest.

Dost thou hear how there comes a voice from the brooks of runningw