live

nioaintajuv,
4KI

Arunachala! Thou dost root^ out the ego of those

who meditate on Thee in the heart, Oh Arunachala!

vol. vii. no. j , July 1970

 Dazzling Sun that
swallowest up all t h e
universe in T h y rays,
with T h y Light open t h e
lotus of m y heart I pray,
Oh Arunachala ! (A QUARTERLY)
— The Marital Garland
of Letters, verse 27 Arunachala! Thou dost root out the ego of those who
44

meditate on Thee in the heart, Oh Arunachala ! "

—The Marital Garland of Letters, verse 1.
Publisher :
T. M. Venkataraman, Vol. VII JULY 1970 No. 3
President, Board of Trustees,
Sri Ramanasramam,
Tiruvannamalai.
CONTENTS
Page
EDITORIAL :
Religion in History — Arthur Osborne . 1 1 5
IN M E M O R I A M A R T H U R OSBORNE ,, 116
T o the Readers of The Mountain Path
Editor : — Mrs. Lucia Osborne .. 118
Mrs. Lucia Osborne M y Obeisance to Sri O s b o r n e — V . Ganesan 119
Sri Ramanasramaro, A n Important A n n o u n c e m e n t - 119
Tiruvannamalai. Garland of Guru's Sayings (Poem) .. 120
Paul's H y m n t o L o v e — Michael N. Nagler 121
Spaceless and Timeless (Poem)
—Wei Wu Wei 123
Reflections on Samadhi and the Sahaja State
— Prof. 17. A. Asrani ., 124
Managing Editor: A l e x a n d e r the Great (Poem) .. 128
T h e Unfailing Guidance — Zulie Nakhooda 129
V . Ganesan,
His G r a c e — Nonentity 131
Sri Ramanasramarn,
B e ' n g C o n s c i o u s — W e i Wu Wei 133
TiruvannamalaL
K n o w l e d g e (Poem)—Muruganar .. 136
Lai D e d ( L a l e s w a r i ) •—J. L . Raina 137
G l o r y of Arunachala .. 141
Extracts f r o m an article on Spiritual Director
in Judaism — Rabbi Zalman N. Schachter 144
Practising the Presence — Joel S. Goldsmith 145
Annual Subscription :
Asceticism and Solitude .. 146
INDIA Rs. 6. Arunachala (Poem) — A. K. Vattal .. 149
FOREIGN 12sh 6d $ 1.50
H o w I c a m e to the M a h a r s h i - — A p a B. Pant 150
Life Subscription : In This Y o u r Nothing I Find M y A l l
Rs. 125 £ 12-10-0 $ 30. — P. J. Saher .. 152
T h e M o n k e y Canto of the R a m a y a n a of Tulsidas
Single Copy : (Poem)—Kamta Charan Shrivatsava .. 153
Rs. 1.75 3sh. 6d. $ 0.45 Yoga Vasishta Sara .. 154
Mother and Father (Poem)—Muruganar 155
Modern Science and S e l f - K n o w l e d g e
— Sqn. Ldr. N. Vasudevan .. 156
 C O N T E N T S — ( Contd.)
€i\t fountain
Page
(A QUARTERLY)
108 Names of Sri Bhagavan 158
T h e Vedaparayana 161 The aim of this journal is to set
Book R e v i e w s 163 forth the traditional wisdom of all
A s h r a m Bulletin 168 religions and all ages, especially
Introducing . . . Smt. L a k s h m i Ranganadham & as testified to by their saints and
178 mystics, and to clarify the paths
Sri B. S. Ranganadham
available to seekers in the condi-
Letters to the Editor- 180
tions of our modern world.
L i f e M e m b e r s — Sri Ramanasramam 185
L i f e Subscribers — T h e Mountain Path 186

Contributions for publication

GRACE IN WORDS: The Verses (UPADESA SARAM)
should be addressed to * The Editor,
in Tamil reproduced on the fly-leaf facing the frontispiece
The Mountain Path, Sri Ramanas-
is the fascimile of Sri Bhagavan's own handwriting. The
ramam, Tiruvannamalai, Madras
translation is a new free rendering into English by
State'. They should be in English
Prof. K. Swaminathan.
and typed with double spacing.
Contributions not published will be
returned on request.

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The editor is not responsible for
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to December. in signed articles.
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 (§ra« in fflaxb*

STT^-yt«^T?FJ^ £wrTLo**TU) u-Jrt«*Sg£i ^nCWjpi

f j r t O ^ ^ ^ i^nm^^j^x r^rf<«5>a^T^n Q<£>««?ipj^

W /^/? unceasingly the mind

7

Scans its own form

There is nothing of the kind,
For every one " 1

TTiw pa/7? direct is open.

18. Thoughts alone make up the mind;
And of all thoughts the 'I thought is the root.
9

What is called mind is hut the notion 'I\

19. When one turns within and searches
Whence this T thought arises,
The shamed 'I' vanishes —
And wisdom's quest begins,
20. Where this T notion faded
Now there as I, as L arises
The One, the very Self,
The Infinite.
— BHAGAVAN Sri RAMANA MAHARSHI
 Editorial

RELIGION IN HISTORY
By
ARTHUR OSBORNE

"E* S S E N T I A L L Y religion is not in history. academic, the art superficial, the paths
T h e essence of religion is pure timeless technically intricate, and there is a general
awareness ; and since this is participation in decline. Or the decline m a y take t h e f o r m ,
the I m m u t a b l e it is b y its v e r y nature as in ancient G r e e c e and m o d e r n E u r o p e of
i m m u n e to history. Mentally and d o c t r i n a l - turning a w a y f r o m spiritual t o m u n d a n e
ly, h o w e v e r , the awareness is explained preoccupations.
differently in different religions.
T h e r e is another sense also in w h i c h t h e
H o w e v e r , religion as an institution c o n - decline is not unilinear ; that is that it is
trolling life in e v e r y domain — philosophy, halted periodically b y partial and t e m p o r a r y
art, literature, social life, etc. — is subject to readjustments. In Christianity o n e such
history. A s an institution e v e r y religion was the founding of monasticism ; another
changes, and the change is always a decline. the monastic r e f o r m in w h i c h St. Bernard
was a central figure ; another the founding
This is at o n c e obvious in all those r e l i -
of t h e orders of Friars, Franciscan and
gions w h i c h h a v e a k n o w n historical point
Dominican ; others also.
of origin. In e v e r y one of t h e m the point of
highest purity is during t h e life time of the A l l religions f o l l o w the same course — a
founder and the years immediately f o l l o w i n g decline arrested b y periodical restitutions.
him. Krishna declared it to A r j u n a in t h e
B h a g a v a d Gita. " I proclaimed this i m -
H o w e v e r , the subsequent course is not a perishable y o g a to Vivasvan, h e to M a n u and
simple d e c l i n e ; it is m o r e elaborate than M a n u to Ikshavaka. Thus handed d o w n b y
that. T h e r e is first the burgeoning of the tradition, the royal sages k n e w it, until it
latent possibilities that w e r e in g e r m f o r m w a s lost through long lapse of time. T o d a y
at the origin. T h e incandescent white heat this same ancient y o g a , this supreme secret,
of the origin cools d o w n to a golden g l o w , I h a v e e x p o u n d e d to y o u , because y o u are
but this lights up the landscape, revealing m y worshipper and f r i e n d . "
hitherto neglected beauties. Thus the s i m -
plicity o f the Early Church is replaced b y T h e y o g a or religion is imperishable, o n l y
the gorgeous Catholicism of Mediaeval m e n ' s understanding of it is lost t h r o u g h
Christendom with its Gothic cathedrals, its long lapse of time. Krishna declared also
Gregorian music, its c o d e of chivalry, its its restitution. " W h e n e v e r right decays and
miracle w o r k i n g saints, its initiatiq orders. w r o n g prevails I manifest myself. F o r t h e
A parallel d e v e l o p m e n t t o o k place in Islam protection of the upright, t h e destruction of
with the blossoming of the great Sufi Orders, the evil and the establishment of right I take
their poet-saints, their superb mosques, birth f r o m age to a g e . "
their miraculous p o w e r s , and in Buddhism
A readjustment n o r m a l l y means a stabili-
with the splendour of the Mahayana.
sation on a l o w e r level. That is the Hindu
During this gorgeous flowering season a doctrine of the four yugas o r ages. Similarly
religion n e v e r questions t h e superiority of in Judaeism, the rigorous and intricate
its primitive origins. W h e n this season has Mosaic l a w was necessary f o r a p e o p l e who*
run its course decrepitude sets in, as with could n o longer b e controlled b y the f o r m -
a m a n or a tree ; the doctrine b e c o m e s less A b r a h a m i c monotheism.
 IN MEMORIAM ARTHUR OSBORNE
(25-9-1906 — 8-5-1970)

The death of Mr. Arthur Osborne, which took place in Bangalore on May 8, will
be deeply mourned by Sri Bhagavan's devotees and by students of religion ail over the
world. In the April 1970 issue of The Mountain Path introducing Mrs. Osborne's article
"How I came to the Maharshi" he described it as a chapter from their joint work.
O u r Q u e s t , which he said ••
' may or may not be completed." His foreboding proved
right. N o w Mrs. Osborne has to complete the story all by herself. To the admirers of
Mr. Osborne and The Mountain Path it is a consolation to know that the brave lady has
agreed to step into the breach and for the
present take charge of the quarterly which
her husband had built up so nobly in so
short a span of time.

After taking a degree in History from

Oxford in 1927, M r . Osborne joined the
faculty of the University of Bangkok in Siam.
In 1941 during W o r l d W a r II he was arrested
and interned by the Japanese. How he had
been drawn by Rene Guenon to the traditional
wisdom of the East and how he came to the
Maharshi and found at last what he had been
seeking ail his life is beautifully described in
his book R a m a n a A r u n a c h a l a , one of the
great little classics of religious literature. This
masterpiece is made up mainly of a series of
brilliant and moving articles which he wrote to
newspapers in the steady white heat of
devotion on the morrow of Sri Bhagavan's
Mahanirvana.

His wife and three little children had

come and settled near the Ashram in 1941.
Released in 1945, Mr. Osborne came straight
to South India, put up his own charming little
bungalow near the Ashram and lived there
almost continuously - in the bright serenity of Sri Bhaga van's presence.

In deciding to tread Sri Bhagavan's path as the straightest and shortest to the summit,
Mr. Osborne expounded it with extraordinary clarity and brilliant simplicity in his writings
on Sri Bhagavan inspiring and drawing a vast number of devotees to the path all the world
over. In The Rhythm of History (Longmans) one notices the broad sweep of his historical
knowledge and his capacity for generalization and reflection as a student of world history
and of comparative reiigions. O n e of his latest works, T h e Q u e s t i o n of P r o g r e s s (Principal
Miller Endowment Lectures) delivered at Madras University and published by the Bharatiya
Vidhya Bhavan, discusses the theories of Marx and Toynbee, dwells on the special features of
Hinduism and Judaism and presents Buddhism and Christianity as still living ethnic religions.
W h i l e degeneration is the ineluctable fate of all religions, there is also the everpresent
possibility of regeneration. The Hindu doctrines, rightly interpreted, are true, complete
and valid for all times. Hinduism's s a n a t a n a quality, eternal because dynamic, is evidenced
by its long succession of saints and sages from the earliest times to Sri Ramana Maharshi.
B u d d h i s m a n d C h r i s t i a n i t y in t h e light of H i n d u i s m (Rider & Co ) presents the
wide-stretching band of the Hindu spectrum including as it does the living contents of the
religions founded by Buddha and Jesus. In T h e I n c r e d i b l e S a i B a b a , the basic identity
between Sri Sai Baba and Sri Ramana Maharshi is brought out in the few purely advaitic
utterances of Sri Sai Baba and the use of his miraculous powers is explained by emphasising
his saying: 44
1 give people what they want so that they start wanting what I want to
give them " .

Mr. Osborne's most enduring work was done on Sri Bhagavan; he edited T h e
C o l l e c t e d W o r k s of R a m a n a M a h a r s h i and w r o t e the most popular biography R a m a n a
M a h a r s h i a n d t h e P a t h of S e l f - K n o w l e d g e . These t w o works, like that admirable
compendium T e a c h i n g s of R a m a n a M a h a r s h i in H i s O w n W o r d s , were first published
by Rider & Co., and later issued in Indian editions, the biography by Jaico and the other
t w o works by Sri Ramanasramam. W h i l e he has thus written with great lucidity and always
wisely on Sri Bhagavan, many discerning readers might find that his R a m a n a A r u n a c h a l a
is the finest gem among them ail, for it deals in the most charming and persuasive manner
with Sri Bhaga van's uniqueness and universality, with his essential modernity and his deep
spiritual affinity with Gautama Buddha, with his availability and effectiveness as a guru.

As founder and first editor of the Ashram's quarterly journal, The Mountain Path,
Mr. Osborne was able to attract excellent articles from a host of eminent writers all over
the world. His own editorials succeeded in explaining in the clearest and most simple
language the most profound and precious spiritual truths. Besides these " leaders " which
w e r e connected with the special topics of each issue and which also preserved a certain
continuity of theme, he contributed to the magazine articles and poems written from
different points of view and under appropriate names, like Abdullah Qutbuddin, Sagittarius,
H. Sebastian Gubbins, Bodhichitta, Saidas and A. Rao.

In cherishing his memory it would be in the fitness of things if a generous selection

from all his writings could be brought together in a uniform series of well-edited volumes.

In Mr. Arthur Osborne's death we have lost a great editor and writer. He was
loved by all who came in contact with him personally or through his writings and it will
be hard to fill the void.

We offer our deepest sympathy and condolences to his wife and family in their
bereavement. Absorbed in Sri Ramana Arunachala may he live forever in our hearts !
118 July

To the Readers of

THE MOUNTAIN PATH

The physical death of my beloved husband and spiritual perfect companion

for over 32 years was less unexpected than might have seemed to fellow
devotees. H e prepared me for it already in 1968, while in his usual good
health, adding that his heart would give out which actually happened
in the end—on May 8, 1970. Immediately after this warning he
started preparing future issues of The Mountain Path enough to cover
the following year and editorials for another year. The present July 1970
issue carries his last editorial. After completing this tremendous work
in a comparatively short time his health broke down. Several times he was
on the point of death. I was hoping he would be with us till the end
of next year and may be fully recover as it would have ended another
of his 4-year cycles to the rhythm of which his life's pattern had run
so far. But it was not to be. A doctor friend who was present
with me till the end told me that to watch death taking place so
beautifully and peacefully was a really inspiring exparience which he will
cherish throughout life. The last words I heard in his beloved voice w e r e :
" T h a n k y o u " . Humanly the more loveable a person the greater
the heart-ache and void for those left behind but here all one has to do
is to turn to one's heart and remember only his great Release and
then serenity and peace take over. H e has not gone away, he is h e r e !

The Mountain Path will go o n . I have been asked to carry on as

I have been doing most of it already ever since Arthur's collapse in health
so as to relieve him of all concern about it. His outer activity had ceased
almost completely for the past t w o years or so except for meditation,
which should have been a real cessation of activity, so radiant was his face
in repose. W h e n asked for an opinion he would often say just to
w r i t e as I thought best and it would be all right. So I will carry
on his w o r k for the present, with Sri Bhagavan's Grace, till a more
satisfactory arrangement takes place and I hope there will be generous
cooperation on the part of contributors t o the journal, for what was easy
for my husband is hard work for me lacking his erudition and intellectual
qualities. The best I can do is to w r i t e from knowledge derived
from spiritual experience.

The Mountain Path is Sri Bhagavan's c o n c e r n !

Mrs. L U C I A OSBORNE
(Editor, The Mountain Path)

May 23, 1970

1970 119

MY OBEISANCE TO SRI OSBORNE

By
V. G A N E S A N
Managing Editor
T H A V E been d e e p l y affected b y Mr. Arthur understanding and intuition. I say ' u n d e r -
Osborne's passing a w a y . H e w a s and is standing ' since novices in the spiritual path
v e r y v e r y dear to m e and yet b y his p h y s i - like m e require sympathetic and patient
cal departure he has established m e in h i m understanding f r o m elder d e v e l o p e d souls.
and he lives in m y thoughts constantly. T h e lack of it in elders m a y lead youngsters
astray and t h r o w them into the f o l d of
I sensed ' s o m e t h i n g ' v e r y great in h i m
psuedo-gurus, w h o w o u l d flatter t h e m and
e v e n as far b a c k as 1956, the time I w a s
thus b u r y their real spiritual urge and push
d r a w n b y Sri Bhagavan to the spiritual
t h e m into the m y r e o f intellectual fallacies.
path. T h e amazing fact was that M r . O s b o r n e
I a m absolutely sure that Mr. Osborne's
immediately understood m e and t o o k m e
understanding and w i s d o m in dealing w i t h
into his fold, inspite of m y childish pranks,
m e has saved m e f r o m such fallacious
abortive emotional outbursts and spiritual
intellectual pitfalls. F o r this I b o w d o w n
immaturity. W h e n I had to l e a v e the A s h r a m
and d o obeisance to h i m !
t w i c e to seek e m p l o y m e n t elsewhere h e w a s
firm in saying each time : " I k n o w for
T h e r e are a f e w personal experiences I
certain y o u w i l l c o m e back. Y o u r p l a c e is
h a v e had w h i c h convinced m e of his saintli-
Sri Bhagavan's a b o d e . " His intuition p r o v e d
ness and spiritual greatness. T w o years b a c k
true.
I h a v e been blessed in being able to u n d e r -
A f t e r some years t h e A s h r a m journal stand M r . Osborne's great spiritual evolution
The Mountain Path w a s started. It g a v e m e and fullness. E v e r since I h a v e been, talking
an opportunity to c o m e into closer contact to m y friends about h i m as a great spiritual
w i t h M r . Osborne, w h i c h enabled m e t o genius and urging them to h a v e at least a
serve Sri B h a g a v a n and understand His glimpse of this realised m a n .
teachings better. T h u s I received f r o m h i m
great support, solace and guidance. W h a t I Thus, Arthur Osborne for me is
am today, h o w e v e r insignificant the d e v e - Arunachala-Ramana-Osborne ! M a y he e v e r
lopment, I could not h a v e been, but for his live in us and bless us a l l ! !

AN IMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENT

W e wish t o inform our readers t h a t f r o m January, 1971 it is

proposed t o reduce t h e size of THE MOUNTAIN
1
PATH f r o m Double
C r o w n 8vo t o D e m y 8vo (14 cms. x 22 cms.). This change is being made
chiefly w i t h t h e object of reducing t h e cost of production. It will
also m a k e t h e issues handy and ensure their not being damaged in
transit.
If readers have any suggestions to make we w i l l be glad
t o consider t h e m .
THE MOUNTAIN PATH, *! V. G A N E S A N ,
July I, 1970 J Managing Editor
*The decision was taken in consultation with Mr. Osborne in April, 1970 itself.
120
GARLAND OF GURU'S SAYINGS
134. T h e devotee's mind is the fond c o w h e r d
maiden
Filled with true love. T h e Heart is
L o r d Krishna
W h o kills the ego, as the bright red
blaze
Destroys the moth.
135. B e y o n d his destined length of days
Markanda lived, defying Death.
W o r s h i p of Siva, the Death of Death,
Wears out and tears the strands of
Time.
136. A n d what is Shiva-worship n o w ?
Beholding but His glorious presence
In ether, fire, air, water, earth,
Sun, m o o n and e v e r y living being,
Each apt response and timely service
T o these amounts to S h i v a - w o r s h i p
Excellent and ever-fresh.
137. W h e n the ego false
With ancient memories fraught
Is burnt up in the Heart's
Fire of A w a r e n e s s ,
T h e remnant ashes manifest
A b i d a n c e , the true f o r m
Of the Supreme.
138. T h e K i n g of kings, the Seer of seers.
Having assumed the guru's f o r m ,
Kindles through his unspoken w o r d
T h e fire of p u r e awareness
A n d calcines in the heart's crucible
T h e c o w d u n g of the c o w e r i n g self
T o sacred ashes, his sweet gift.
139. (The red auspicious m a r k
On a lady's forehead signifies
T h e flame of k n o w l e d g e w h i c h
consumes
July
Translated by Prof. K. SWAM I NATHAN
from the Tamil of Sri MURUGANAR
Heaven, earth and hell,
A s the inert ego introverted
Turns towards the Self and burns.
140. T h e r e is no deed too hard
For soul-force to accomplish ;
S o u l - f o r c e is p o w e r of l o v e divine.
T o say that numbers or w e a p o n s can d o
Something that soul-force cannot
is but the f o l l y of reliance
On the b o d y vile.
141. T h e truth they k n o w not w h o assert
That p o w e r and p e a c e are different
things.
What abides as peace within
Appears to o u t w a r d sight as p o w e r .
[What to inward sight is peace
Appears as power to outward sight.
One and the same thing both
To those that truly know.
—BHAGAVAN ]
142. T h e seeker strict in discipline
Gains divers p o w e r s of punishment.
But perfect meekness is the m a r k
Of the master of awareness true.
143. F r o m Him w h o offers all, the Self,
the w h o l e ,
W h y ask for some f e w silly siddhis ? 1 l
W h y f r o m a bounteous patron b e g
For old, stale gruel ?
144. Having reached the Sage's Feet,
That w o r l d of infinite awareness,
W h o w o u l d p r a y for siddhis ? ,
In H e a v e n w h e r e nectar flows i n
plenty
W h o w o u l d go in for old, sour gruel ?
1
Thaumaturgic powers.
1970 121

PAUL'S HYMN TO LOVE

By
M I C H A E L N. NAGLER

T I K E S w a m i Vivekananda in our o w n age, d e v o i d of feeling ; it was philosophical in

the disciples of Jesus the Christ a b s o r b - concept and contractual in practice. Agape
ed the loving impact of a perfect spiritual not only c o n v e y e d the uplifting feeling of
being and hence reveal at times the u n m i s - strong love, but it had equally strong over-*
takeable first-hand experience of their o w n tones of forbearance and respect. A s a c o n -
Realization. St. Paul, for e x a m p l e , almost crete noun, incidentally, it was used to
surely did not see Jesus in the flesh, yet h e denote the satsangs of the early
interpreted the eternal L a w for his w o r l d Christian brotherhoods.
and his time with the authentic, u n i q u e l y
thrilling v o i c e of one inspired not only b y a In the finest expression Paul g a v e to this
great teacher (Sanskrit, dchdrya, Hebrew,concept, the famous lyrical passage of Corin-
Rabbi, as they called J e s u s ) , but — through thians I. 13, English translations w i l l often
him — b y the greatest teacher of all, t h e render agape as c h a r i t y f o r
1
historical
Self. reasons : the useful and m i l d l y miraculous
p o w e r s (siddhis) w h i c h the disciples e n j o y e d
His condition speaks v e r y m u c h to our as the results of divine grace t h e y referred
o w n . He w a s a Jewish intellectual b o r n in to in G r e e k as charismata and grace itself as
the c o m m e r c i a l l y prosperous exilic c o m - charis. T h e earliest English translators, m u c h
munity of the G r e c o - R o m a n city of Tarsus, m o r e familiar with G r e e k than w e are, sim-
north of Syria. His w o r l d , too, w a s c o s m o - p l y transcribed the latter w o r d , through the
politan, intellectually oriented, politically Latin f o r m caritas, as ' charitie.' This w a s
1

agitated, and spiritually starved. Occult excellent Greek, since charis had b e e n used
mystery religions flashed into being, e x p a n d - f o r direct blessings f r o m a god since H o m e r i c
ed into w i d e but short-lived prominence, and times, but it is n o longer adequate English.
died d o w n like so m a n y w a y w a r d sparks What is Paul's agape ? This " highest w a y "
shot forth f r o m the blazing love of Jesus for of his ( G r e e k hodos, Sanskrit marga) is
mankind. This fire Paul c a m e to feel in t h e nothing m o r e nor less than bhakti y o g a . In
v e r y act of trying to q u e n c h it, and lived the first of the surviving letters w h i c h w e r e
thereafter for the sole purpose of passing it his desperate attempts to reinspire the
on to Hellenistic Judaism and the entire foundering Christian c o m m u n i t y of Corinth,
world. he speaks almost w o r d for w o r d t h e lan-
guage of the bhakti marga of the Gita :
He calls it, in the international language
he s p o k e f r o m childhood, agape. This w a s Pursue agape; y o u should strive j e a -
lously for the spiritual, but this the better
the most suitable of the three c o m m o n w o r d s
to impart divine w i s d o m . . .
for " l o v e " in the Greek of his period, erds,
agape, and philia or philotes. Eros had strong F o r better is he w h o imparts divine
w i s d o m than h e w h o m e r e l y speaks in
connotations of selfish, personal desire, parti-
inspired frenzy ( 1 4 . 1 - 5 ) .
cularly sexual, and had long been used b y
the Hellenistic poets in the sense f r o m w h i c h For better indeed is knowledge than
mechanical practice
the m o d e r n adjective d e r i v e s — - h a r d l y a
suitable t e r m for Paul's meaning in any Better than k n o w l e d g e is meditation
context, least of all for that of the ancient But better still is surrender in l o v e
Corinthians with their w e l l - k n o w n p r o p e n -
1 Charis and caritas are not really related, but
sities. Philia, on the other hand, was too the ancients thought they were.
 THE MOUNTAIN PATH July

For there follows immediate p e a c e . 2

F o r w e k n o w fragments and w e speak
of G o d f r o m fragmentary k n o w l e d g e ,
But w h e n c o m p l e t e fulfilment comes,
then will this f r a g m e n t - k n o w l e d g e pass
away (13. 9 - 1 0 ) .
Those w i l l I surely rescue f r o m t h e
fragment's c y c l e of
Birth and death, to fulness of eternal
life in m e . 3
severe f o r m of outward renunciation, for it
seems that a Buddhist m o n k burned his
b o d y in Athens during the reign ( a n d p e r -
haps in the presence) of Augustus
(cf. Josephus, B. J. vii. 8 . 7 ) .
Divine l o v e is the inspiration as w e l l as
the t h e m e of the ' h y m n to l o v e * w h i c h is
the center of the First Letter. In a sense,

of course, the letter appears as a particular

Jesus had striven, as e v e r y spiritual point in history, a confluence of t h e great
teacher, to direct the awareness of his disci- streams of G r e e k and H e b r e w civilization.
ples b e y o n d the transitory p o w e r s that m a y For it certainly descends, in this sense, f r o m
accrue f r o m even relative awareness of the Socrates' ' h y m n to l o v e ' ( e r o s ) in the
divine spirit t o the eternal spirit itself. This Symposium and also f r o m t h e o r t h o d o x L a w
explains the ambiguity of Paul's attitude to and the " prophecies " of t h e T o r a h and t h e
divine blessing, such as propheteia as a Mishna. It also recalls the literary f o r m of
living process (sphota) o r in its r e c o r d e d the 23rd Psalm, w h e n it rises to lyrical
e x a m p l e s (timrti; cf. his Chap. 14. 1 2 - 2 1 ) . heights of personification and returns to a
T h o u g h inherently better than ordinary, calmer, m o r e detached level of thought, just
w o r l d l y talk, w h a t g o o d are such gifts as the Psalm rises to and returns f r o m an
without their divine inspiration, b y w h i c h ecstasy of direct address to the L o r d . Y e t in
alone t h e y can b e put to their appropriate another sense it stands outside of history,
use in the service of G o d ' s w i l l (12. 28-30) ? itself a propheteia, an inspired revelation of
universal Truth. B y this h e encourages us t o
Similarly, against the b a c k g r o u n d of u n i - cultivate virtues, of course, but b e y o n d
versal mysticism the apostle's r e f e r e n c e t o them :
" speaking in t o n g u e s " at t h e beginning of
o u r passage b e c o m e s clear : through his l o v e
"Let me show you the most excellent
Paul and the others w e r e able to c o m m u n i -
way"
cate in w h a t e v e r language spoken b y those
eager to listen, e v e n as Sri R a m a n a Maharshi If I speak the languages of m e n and of the
c o n v e y e d the same message through t h e angels, even, but h a v e no divine l o v e , count
diverse media of English, Sanskrit, M a l a - m e as h o l l o w b r o n z e or a tinkling c y m b a l .
yalam and other languages, as w e l l as his
native Tamil. This p o w e r P a u l rightly c a l l - A n d if I can m a k e prophecies and k n o w
e d inspiration, regarding it as continuous the secrets of the universe and all t h e
sciences, and have complete faith so as t o
with the mysterious " speaking in tongues "
m o v e mountains, but do not have l o v e , I am
w h i c h w e r e not k n o w n " languages of m e n "
nothing.
but rather " o f a n g e l s " ( 1 3 . 1 ) or " i n the
s p i r i t " ( 1 4 . 2 ) . But in any case, it is l o v e ,
A n d if I can m a k e prophecies and k n o w
not languages, that must b e sought.
need m e and give o v e r m y b o d y to b e b u r n -
A n o t h e r point should b e of particular e d a w a y , but do not h a v e l o v e , I gain
interest to us : there is an old variant in nothing.
verse 3 for the w o r d kauthesdmai, " that I
b e b u r n e d , " n a m e l y kaukhesdmai, " that I L o v e fills the heart, l o v e always avails, it
boast." This alternative does not fit t h e is not l o v e w h e r e there is e n v y , not l o v e
pattern of Paul's argument, w h i c h as w e w h i c h brags or puffs with selfish pride.
h a v e seen is to replace a relative g o o d b y a
2 B.G. XII, 12 from the new translation of my
still higher, absolute one. Furthermore, teacher, Prof. Eknath Easwaran (Sadhana Records
Greeks and J e w s of Paul's audience might BMCM 701, box 381, Berkeley, California) ;
reproduced with his kind permission.
w e l l have k n o w n of self immolation as a 3 Ibid., XII, 7.
1970 SPACELESS A N D TIMELESS 123

L o v e is n e v e r ungainly, n e v e r eager for But w h e n fulfilment comes the fraction

personal profit, nor irritable, nor reckoning will b e no m o r e .
up wrongs ; As long as I was a child I spoke like a
child, I reasoned and r e c k o n e d as a child
N e v e r rejoices at injustice, but rejoices
does ; but w h e n I b e c a m e a m a n , did I n o t
w i t h the truth ;
g i v e u p childishness ?
L o v e has perfect patience, perfect faith, F o r w e are catching n o w reflections in
perfect hope, flawless endurance. b e w i l d e r m e n t , then w e shall see f a c e t o
face ; n o w I h a v e partial k n o w l e d g e , then
L o v e will never fail — w h e r e a s scriptures
shall I k n o w completely, e v e n as I a m
shall b e forgotten, tongues pass a w a y , and
known.
sciences g r o w dim.
But for the present there abides faith,
For w e k n o w fractions only, and from hope, and l o v e — these three, but far t h e
fractions m a k e our j u d g m e n t s ; best of these is love.

Spaceless and Timeless

By
Wei W u Wei

I am not extended in space, I have no duration in time,

I have neither extension nor absence of extension,
Neither presence nor absence of duration,
Because only objects can extend, o n l y objects have duration,
A n d I am not an object.
But the absence
Of the presence and of the absence
Of space ' and ' time '
1

Is what I A M .
Therefore
I am Here,
E v e r y ' here ', but no ' w h e r e \
I am N o w ,
E v e r y ' n o w ', but no ' ever '.
See ?
What are y o u looking for ?
T h e r e is nothing to b e seen,
Either within ' m i n d ' or reflected without.
Looking ?
Y o u can't see what is looking.
Nor can y o u see m e ,
For there isn't a ' m e ' to be seen.
Why ?
Because I am the looking,
A l l looking,
A n d all that any thing could b e .
 124 July

REFLECTIONS ON SAMADHI AND THE

SAHAJA STATE

By
Prof. U . A . A S R A N I

A LGfT of confusion about Hindu Y o g a in w h i c h full spiritual or transcendental

and about Mysticism in general, and consciousness is maintained along with full
a lot of debate about them, w h i c h can b e outer awareness, but free f r o m the ego sense,
s u m m a r i s e d ' b u t can never be settled, appears This state is b e y o n d ecstasy,
to b e due to the fact that the goal of Hindu
Y o g a , as well as that of Mysticism, outside Ramana Maharshi — w h o s e dialogue
S r l

the Hindu fold, has never yet been u n i v e r - o n

P ° t has been quoted b y Mr. Osborne
t h i s i n

sally decided. M a n y authoritative writers — m e n t i o n s six ascending stages of < savi-

like Dr. Radhakrishnan and William James k a l
P ' ' n i r v i k a l p a ' samadhi, on the
a a n d

have accepted the principle that mystics, authority of Sankara's Vivekachudamani*

irrespective of age, creed or clime, speak a a
Drgdrsyaviveka.
n d
" B y constantly practis-
c o m m o n language and f o r m a c o m m o n l n
S these six types of samadhi " says Ramana
brotherhood. A l d o u s H u x l e y has built up Maharshi, " a t all times and without inter-
his Perennial Philosophy on that basis. m i s
can attain the state of natural
s l o n o n e

But what exactly is the final target, w h i c h t h o u g h t - f r e e awareness (sahaja nirvikalpa

that c o m m o n fraternity aims at, has not yet samadht). Until this state is attained, the
been defined. There are in general t w o types c o m p l e t e l y destroyed.
l s n o
Once this
t

of targets, discernible within the present life, s t a t e

attained, o n e m a y seem to others,
i s

w h i c h have been kept in v i e w b y mystics. t o s

> to e e
sleep,
a n
t it is
d h e a r e a t a n d b u

only an appearance. T h u s w e h a v e the

Since visions and sounds are also a t y p e
of samadhi '—called ' savikalpa s a m a d h i ' —
1
and since trances and ecstasies are their
accompaniments, w e m a y call this c o n c e p -
authority of such a great, recent and w e l l -
k n o w n mystic, that this is the final target ;
and that various types of samadhi including
t
highest nirvikalpa samadhi are but a
h e

tion of the target t h e samadhi t a g e t ' in

1
means to that end. Indian mystic tradition
general. In the U.S.A. the term ' Peak h
several terms in describing one w h o
a s u s e d

E x p e r i e n c e ' or ' T r a n s c e n d e n t a l E x p e r i e n c e ' h

attained this sahaja s t a t e ; t h e most
a s

usually of a spasmodic or ecstatic nature, c o m m o n is Jivanmukta.

has v e r y often been used. R. M. B u c k e has
popularised another t y p e of mystical e x p e r i - Dr. S. N. D a s g u p t a gives in his m o n u - 2

ence, w h i c h he called ' Cosmic Conscious- mental w o r k History of Indian Philosophy

ness '. Here, in India, w e c o v e r all of them ( V o l . I I ) the history of the concept of the
in the blanket term ' s a m a d h i ' w h i c h is of Jivanmukta, i.e., liberated in the b o d y .
several types (see b e l o w ) and has several A l t h o u g h this t e r m was used as such for the
stages, approached b y w e l l - k n o w n techni- first time p r o b a b l y in the Yoga Vasishtai
ques. ( S i x t h Century A . D . ? ) , the concept of it
comes m u c h earlier. T h e Chandogya Upa-,
On the basis of the teachings of his n i s h a d
^ " W h e n a 1 1 t h e d e s i r e s
of the
< Guru ' — the illustrious Sage Sri Ramana i Sankara - Commentaries on Chandogya Upa.
Maharshi — A r t h u r Osborne regards even nishad, VI. 14.2; Brahma Sutra, IV. 1.15.19 ; and
the highest s a m a d h i ' as not the ultimate
1
Sariraka Bhashya.
aim of the mystics. T h e ultimate aim, he 2 Dasgupta, S. N. — History of Indian Philosophy,
Vol. II, pp. 245-52; and Vol. IV. 99.88, 418, 486
says, is the ' s a h a j a ' or ' n a t u r a l s a m a d h i ' and 446.
1970 R E F L E C T I O N S ON
heart are quenched, then even a mortal
becomes immortal. In this condition, even
w h i l e living, he has the feeling of identity
with the Brahman.'' Sankara elaborated
this concept in his commentaries o n Chand,
Up. V I . 14-2 and Brahma Sutra IV, 1-15-10
as w e l l as in his Sariraka Bhashya. The
m o m e n t u m of past karmas m a y carry life
f o r w a r d , like the m o m e n t u m of a potter's
w h e e l in spite of the f r e e d o m of the ego
w h i c h a Jivanmukta has achieved ; but
actually he is liberated in this life itself.
• Videha M u k t i ' , i.e. liberation after death,
f o l l o w s as a natural consequence.
Dr. S. N. D a s g u p t a draws pointed attention
2
to the fact that a Jivanmukta, in spite of
his k n o w l e d g e of the essence of all nature
and phenomena, and in spite of being
neutral to all happenings, is far f r o m an
exclusive or unnatural man. Unaffected in
e v e r y w a y within himself, he can yet take
part in the enjoyment of others ; he can play
like a child and sympathise with the suffer-
ings of others. Dasgupta refers also to the
2
psychological qualities of such a sage, given
b y Yoga Vasishta and compares t h e m with
those outlined b y the Bhagavad Gita as
2
pertaining to a Sthitaprajna sage ( W e w i l l
presently see that psychologically, there is
considerable similarity b e t w e e n the t w o )
and prefers the exposition of the former.
T h e Bhagavad Gita, though it does not d e n y
such qualities 4:o a saint, yet does not mention
them either, and seems to lay stress on the
aspects of passivity and detachment in the
character of a saint.
The v e r y t h e m e of the Bhagavad Gita
revolves round the idea that even the p e r -
fect sage can and should w a g e war, if n e c e s -
sary, for the preservation of virtue and for
preventing the prevalence of vice ; nothing
could b e m o r e realistic than that. But
Dr. B. L. A t r e y a , w h o has m a d e a c o m p a r a -
tive study of Yoga Vasishta, quotes passages
indicating m o r e explicitly this* aspect of a
sage's life. T h e Yoga Vasishta itself mentions
as the fruit of its study, the Jivanmukta
state, God-consciousness and the highest bliss,
a b o v e pleasure and pain. This highly r e v e r e d
b o o k on Jnana Y o g a says : " H e ( t h e sage)
SAMADHI 125
behaves with his f e l l o w beings as the o c c a -
sion and the status of t h e person d e m a n d
without the least stain on his m i n d . . . . t o
the knave, h e appears as a knave. H e is full
of courage in the c o m p a n y of courageous
people, and shares the misery of miserable
ones ( V . 77, 1 3 - 1 4 ) . " " He regards his acti-
vities as part of the cosmic m o v e m e n t and
performs them without any desire (V.6.1)
o u t w a r d l y v e r y busy, but at heart calm and
quiet ( V I b . 9 8 . 5 ) . "
T h e Bhagavad Gita mentions the ideal or
perfect mystic state under several epithets ;
the Sthitaprajna is o n l y o n e of them. T h e
others are Sthirabuddhi, Yogarudha, Jnana-
nishta. Bhagavadbhakta (dear to G o d ) ,
Karma Yogi and Gunatita. S o m e scholars
see a difference of content or level in these
epithets ; but the same equanimity of mind-—
not m e r e frustration — tolerance of m o d e r n
psychologists but elation — tolerance as
w e l l — and the same self control, unselfish-
ness, non-attachment and f r e e d o m from
cravings, runs e v e n l y through the qualifica-
tion of those epithets. It is remarkable that
Sri Krishna thus implicitly establishes that
a K a r m a Y o g i (the mystic of a c t i o n ) , a
Bhagavad Bhakta (devotional m y s t i c ) a
Raja Y o g i ( o n e established in Y o g a ) and a
Jnani (a m a n of self-realisation) all meet
at the Summit, w h i c h is the sahaja or the
j i v a n m u k t a state. This is characteristic of
the Gita. On the w h o l e , it aims at empha-*
sising the c o m m o n target of all techniques,
instead of their differences.
S. C. Chatterji and D. A . Datta state that 4
this concept of a j i v a n m u k t a introduced b y
Sankara is shared b y the Buddhists, the Jains,
the Sankhyas and other Indian thinkers.
Mukti or Liberation in Indian mystic p a r -
lance signifies f r e e d o m f r o m all suffering and
terms like apavarga, kaivalya, etc., indicate
the same state. It has only t w o types ; o n e
before death ( j i v a n m u k t i ) and the other
after death ( v i d e h a m u k t i ) .
3 Bhagavad Gita ( I I . 54-71).
4 Chatterji, S. C. and D. M. Datta — Introduc-
tion to Indian Philosophy, p. 4 2 ; pp. 285 and 407.
126 THE MOUNTAIN PATH July

S. N. S e n g u p t a says that this concept of

2 quality — less or impersonal devotion. How->
j i v a n m u k t a is accepted b y three most p r o m i -
nent (out of s i x ) schools of Indian Philoso-^
phy, viz., the Sankhya, Y o g a , and Vedanta.
A c c o r d i n g to a description given b y Paul
Deussen it appears that the remaining three
are not w o r t h considering as regards mystic
achievement. P u r v a Mimamsa is concerned
mainly with V e d i c ritual, N y a y a m a i n l y w i t h
logic and Vaiseshika m a i n l y w i t h classifica-
tion of things under categories.
In Sankhya liberation is taken to mean
the destruction of the three-fold m i s e r y
(dukka-traya-bhighata) — compare also
Sankhya Karikas 67 and 68. A c c o r d i n g to
S. N. Dasgupta the Tattva Kaumudi tries to
base its remarks on this point on Chandogya
Upanishad. Other commentators quote
Mundaka Upanishad 11,2.8. and Bhagavad
Gita IV. 13. T h e Sankhya Sutras actually
use the term j i v a n m u k t i ' (III. 77.82). With
1
the advance of the stage of emancipation t h e
Y o g i ceases to h a v e inclinations, even
towards the process of concentration, and
there is only k n o w l e d g e . This stage of
samadhi is called * Dharma Megha
Samadhi.' A t this stage all the roots of
i g n o r a n c e . . . . b e c o m e destroyed and in such
a stage the Y o g i , though living, is emanci-
p a t e d . " ( S . N. D a s g u p t a .
2
Dharma, i . e .
right or ethical living, " r a i n s out f r o m a
Y o g i at this stage as naturally as rain drops
f r o m a c l o u d ; h e n c e the title, Dharma
Megha.")
A s regards Vedanta, with support of the
great commentator Sankara, and t h e reputed
text, Yoga Vasishta, no other authority needs
to b e quoted. A m o n g later reputed writers
V i d y a r a n y a (14th c e n t u r y ) w r o t e a treatise
called Jivanmukti Viveka.
S. N. Dasgupta, in V o l . I V of the same
b o o k , quoted extensively a b o v e ( p . 88)
shows that Madhavacharya — the founder
of a famous cult of Bhakti (i.e. devotional
or emotional m y s t i c i s m ) — also favours the
conception of Jivanmukti. O n pages 418, 428
and 445 Dasgupta gives similar r e f e r e n c e to
2
other Bhakti cult texts, confirming this c o n -
cept, and e v e n mentioning ' n i r g u n a ' i.e.,
ever, some bhaktas persist in asserting that
the technique of Bhakti itself ( d e v o t i o n to a
personal g o d ) is the real and only aim of
all mysticism, superior e v e n to Jivanmukti
or Videhamukti. Nevertheless Indian
Bhaktas are not escapists or quietists, intent
o n l y on maintaining their emotional samadhi
trances, ecstasies or visions the w h o l e day,
neglecting their w o r l d l y w o r k . T h e y believe
that with the spirit of dedication to G o d any
t y p e of w o r k or profession is equivalent to
w o r s h i p of G o d . A butcher, Sadhana b y
name, earned, during the mediaeval Bhakti
period of Indian mysticism, the appellation
of a true Bhakta ; so also some ladies doing
actual household chores. Thus with them
the spirit of dedication was the final target
and not trances or visions.
A l o n g with some Bhaktas quite a n u m b e r
of Christian and theistic Muslim mystics
claim that the goal consists in l o v e of G o d
and not in Jivanmukti. H o w e v e r , among
Indian Bhaktas the ninth and the last stage
of devotion — A t m a Nivedana — goes b e y o n d
the ' B e l o v e d O t h e r ' — into a state of c o m -
plete merging in, or . identity w i t h G o d .
W h a t e v e r m a y h a v e been the technique of
Bhakta T u k a r a m of Maharashtra, h e speaks
v e r y m u c h l i k e a Jivanmukta sage, w h e n h e
says : " Speaking I am silent ; and dead, I
am alive. A l t h o u g h among people, I am not.
M y renunciation is in e n j o y m e n t , m y n o n -
attachment is in- attachment. I h a v e b r o k e n
all bonds either w a y . " H e says : " I am n o t
what I appear ; ask G o d for an explanation
of this e n i g m a . "
5
Bhakta K a b i r , o n e of the
topmost Bhaktas of mediaeval India, has
some passage in his writings the o u t - s p o k e n -
ness of w h i c h has perhaps yet to b e e x c e l l e d
b y any other devotional mystic. H e has a
p o e m in w h i c h h e describes the state of
sahaja as excellent. In another h e says : " I t
2
is v e r y g o o d that G o d is forgotten ; a cala-
m i t y has fallen off f r o m m y h e a d . . . . M y
mind has b e c o m e as crystal clear as the water
of the Ganges. N o w G o d runs after m e ,
calling, On K a b i r ! O h K a b i r ! " N o doubt
all that is ascribed to K a b i r , m a y not b e
s The Mountain Path — January 1967, p. 81.
1970 REFLECTIONS
originally his ; but this m u c h is certain that
the creed of the mystic school w h i c h K a b i r
founded not o n l y tolerates but even a p p r e -
ciates such a ' b l a s p h e m y /
T h u s Hindu philosophic as w e l l as mystic
tradition supports the concept of the sahaja o r
j i v a n m u k t a state b y a v e r y w i d e consensus
as the acme, the perfection or the maturity
of all types of mystic effort.
Zen Buddhism and Psychoanalysis by
D. T. Suzuki, Erich F r o m m , etc., reveals that
the Satori of Z e n so contrives that all mental
activities will b e w o r k i n g in a different,
m o r e satisfying k e y ; m o r e peaceful, m o r e
full of j o y the tone of life is altered ; it
is rejuvenating. This description also indi-
cates some state akin to the Jivanmukta
state.
A l l the t w e n t y - f o u r Tirthankaras ( p r o p a -
gating leaders of f o u n d e r s ) of Jainism are
reputed to h a v e b e e n Vitaragis (above
attachments). Visesha Gatha 1332-1333 and
Uttara Dhyayan Chapter X X I I Gatha 8 g i v e
the characteristics of a vitaraga personality ;
t h e y also r e m i n d o n e strongly of those of a
j i v a n m u k t a sage. T h e Taoism of L a o T s e
(China Sixth century B.C.) also r e c o m m e n d s
a state similar to the vitaraga state as its
Summit.
Quite a large n u m b e r of Sufis have the o u t -
l o o k , that visions of G o d cannot b e the end
and aim nor can ecstasies ; these are r e g a r d -
ed b y t h e m as hurdles to b e crossed ( p p . 151,
153 and 189) . A b o v e the state of W a j a d
7 Unity w i t h Him, i.e., b e y o n d sublimation to
(ecstasy) there is a higher state recognised
b y most Sufis, w h i c h they call W u j u d (lite-^
rally it means existence, but it m a y m e a n
natural or p u r e existence like that of a j i v a n -
m u k t a ) . T h e Sufis h a v e a stage of mystic
ascent, w h i c h they call Marfat, i.e. k n o w -
ledge or realisation of the identity of t h e
little self w i t h the Haq or Reality. But Sufis
recognize even a b o v e such a realisation a
higher stage called Haquiquat (literally rea4
l i s m ; it is interpreted b y some as being
equivalent to the Jivanmukta s t a g e ) . A g a i n
Sufistic tradition recognises three stages of
Fana (i.e., m y s t i c death or extinction or
m e r g i n g ) . T h e last is m e r g i n g in G o d ; but
ON SAMADHI 127
that is not the end. T h e final stage in the
series, higher than all the three stages of
Fana is called B a q u a - b i - A l l a h , i.e., living
eternally in G o d or B a q u a - b a d - a l Fana, i.e.,
eternal life after m y s t i c death o r after
mystic m e r g i n g in G o d (^Typescript notes of
the Sufi Laher Baba of A h m e d a b a d o n t h e
Philosophy of L o v e ) . This last stage of
Baqua m a y also b e something like a return
to realism after c o m p l e t e merging into G o d .
Arthur Osborne remarks that " Dissolution of
e g o - s e n s e in a state of ecstasy is k n o w n as
F a n a . . . . b u t the final state is Baqua or
stabilization and is b e y o n d ecstasy. The
plainest evidence on this point is that of the
Sufi b o o k Kasful Mahjul. It speaks in an
oft quoted couplet of four stages of detach-
ment or renunciation ; 1. F r o m the w o r l d .
2. F r o m the fruits of piety, after death.
3. F r o m G o d Himself (reminding o n e of
Kabir's couplet : Good that God has been
forgotten). 4. F r o m detachment itself r e -
minding one of the concluding verses of
Bhartrihari's famous b o o k Vairagya Sataka;
— ' I h a v e n o w renounced renunciation itself .*
Therefore there can be no doubt that the
final stage recognised b y some Sufis at a n y
rate, is evidently a return to Jivanmukta life
and realism. Sufi poet A l Ghazali also
speaks of ' effacement f r o m effacement of the
Self'."
Jacques de Marquette states that, though
6
Christian mystics are definitely theistic, s o m e
of them at any rate h a v e gone b e y o n d d e -
pendence on G o d and b e y o n d separateness to
complete maturity, integration of personality
and realism, as m o d e r n psychologists w o u l d
put it. K a l y a n a Y o g a n u m b e r ( p . 296)
quotes f r o m St. Paul himself in this regard.
A m o n g Christian mystics absorption stages
called ' M a r r i a g e of U n i o n ' , ' T h e V o i d of
S p i r i t ' T h e Infinity of U n i t y ' and ' T h e
Prayer of Simple R e g a r d ' indicate definitely
stages of absorption or samadhi b e y o n d w e r e
visions or raptures. ' T h e soul seems to b e
G o d h i m s e l f . . . .seems to b e m o r e G o d , than
it is s o u l ' (St. John of The C r o s s ) . Several
other quotations are given in the R e p o r t of
6
Jacques de Marquette — Comparative Mysti-
cism, pp. 151, 153, 175 and 189.
128 THE MOUNTAIN PATH July

the B u c k e Memorial Society Conference, several mediaeval Christian mystics gives

January 1965 ( p p . 7 7 - 8 0 ) . A c c o r d i n g to
Evelyn Underhill even this sense of unity
with G o d yields equanimity in success and
failure. A g a i n terms like Unitive L i f e or
Perfect Justice, used b y some Christian
mystics, or w h a t Bernard Bosanquet calls
1
s a l v a t i o n ' appear to indicate states similar
to the sahaja or j i v a n m u k t a state of Hindu
yogis, with its complete return to realism, in
spite of being detached f r o m the e g o .
St. Theresa describes the highest stage of
Christian mysticism in her ' Interior Castle
— Seventh m a n s i o n ' in terms w h i c h v e r y
strongly remind one of the descriptions of
the jivanmukta state. She calls it Unitive
L i f e or Spiritual Marriage. It is not an
ecstatic state, she says, and she mentions that
the special practices of mental absorption
b e c o m e unnecessary at that stage. T h e intel-
lectual keenness and organizing capacity of
further confirmation of this similarity.
T h u s it appears b e y o n d dispute that t h e
sahaja state or jivanmukta state, is almost
universally recognized as the real a c m e or
final target of mysticism. S o m e scholars put
it as one of the t w o alternative final aims
or ends of mysticism. S o m e mystics t h e y
say choose according to their temperament
to k e e p absorbed in their quiet retreats, in
states of absorption ; w h i l e others are so
constituted that they return to n o r m a l life
and w o r k for the good of humanity. The
prevailing opinion, h o w e v e r , is that states of
absorption are a means to the final stage of
the jivanmukta. Different mystic schools
m a y differ in their techniques and the e v a -
luation of their samadhis or absorption
states ; but they appear to meet at t h e s u m -
mit of the jivanmukta state.

Alexander the Great

From Ancient Irish Poetry

Four m e n stood b y the g r a v e of a man,

T h e g r a v e of A l e x a n d e r the P r o u d :
T h e y sang w o r d s without falsehood
O v e r the prince f r o m fair Greece.

Said the first man of them :

" Yesterday there w e r e around the king
T h e m e n of the w o r l d — a sad gathering !
T h o u g h today he is alone ".

"•Yesterday the king of the b r o w n world

R o d e upon the h e a v y earth :
T h o u g h today it is the earth
That rides upon his n e c k . "

" Y e s t e r d a y , " said the third wise author,

" Philip's son o w n e d the w h o l e w o r l d :
T o d a y he has nought
Save seven feet of earth."
 1970 129

THE UNFAILING GUIDANCE

By
ZULIE NAKHOODA

T B E C A M E a w a r e of the guiding grace of

Sri Bhagavan through several crises that
I faced during a month-long trip in the
various countries of Europe.

T h e philosophy that serves as the base of

the technique is simple and preached
through the ages b y the sages and the saints,
i.e. the identification with the Paramatma, the
merging of the individual self, with the
universal Self manifested in all living c r e a -
tures and the w h o l e universe. In the m e a -
sure as w e m a k e progress on our spiritual
path the elements of discord with others
diminish and gradually one is at peace with
the w o r l d and oneself.

In this write-up I wish to relate some

personal experiences w h i c h brought m e an
awareness of the grace that is always abid-
ing with us if only w e turn to it in t h e right times of trouble and giving m e refuge in
spirit in all sincerity. T h e experiences are days of anxiety and sorrow. It accompanies
described to p a y a tribute to Sri Bhagavan m e w h e r e v e r I go as it did during m y trip
and in appreciation of the guiding light abroad last month, w h e r e several incidents
given at critical times even in matters w h i c h took place w h i c h strengthened m y faith and
might b e considered trite b y some f r o m m a d e m e a w a r e of His constant and guiding
their point of v i e w . presence.

To quote only t w o incidents :

I am one of those w h o c a m e under the
spell of Sri Bhagavan's grace after he left T h e occasion w h e n I witnessed the res-
the mortal b o d y . It w a s a photograph in the ponse to m y plea was on m y arrival in
issue of The Mountain Path that I c a m e Teheran. A s a matter of fact, I had not
across b y chance. T h e serene benignty of wanted to stop at Teheran — tired and h o m e -
the smile and the gracious and penetrating sick as I v/as — after a m o n t h a w a y f r o m
l o o k e x u d e d peace and j o y that held m e h o m e . Besides, I had received no confirma->
s p e l l - b o u n d . It was at a time of uncertainty tion about the arrangements for m y stay in
and frustration w h e n his grace entered m y Teheran f r o m the t w o p e o p l e contacted
life, and I found m y moorings. Surrender to there. But, since there w a s no immediate
this p o w e r , entity, f o r c e or whatever it m a y connecting flight to B o m b a y — I had no
b e called, changed m y circumstances and alternative but to spend t w o days in
created conditions that led m e to emotional Teheran. T h e other aggravating factor was
stability and e c o n o m i c security. Since then, the time of arrival — about 10-30 p.m. D e s -
the pictorial representation of Grace incar- pite all m y self-confidence and experience
nate, the photograph of Sri Bhagavan has of travelling alone, I must admit, I w a s
been m y beacon light bringing m e relief in nervous about the situation : a lady all b y
130 THE MOUNTAIN PATH July

herself, stranded at the airport in the m i d - turn it off as it had also b e c o m e burning hot
dle of the night, w i t h limited foreign b y then. Fortunately I slipped and the fall
e x c h a n g e and no k n o w l e d g e of the local t h r e w m e half out of the shower through the
language. A l l that I could do during t h e plastic curtain and as I pulled myself out,
flight f r o m Athens to Teheran was to p r a y parts of m y b o d y w e r e already stinging w i t h
and p r a y hard to m y never-failing resource. the scalding. This painful feeling w a s an
indication that blisters and inflammation
A n d sure enough, t h e response came. w o u l d f o l l o w . T h e feeling of discomfort, t h e
W h e n after landing I stood in the q u e u e for anxiety about h o w I shall b e able to w e a r
customs and passport checking — w o n d e r i n g m y clothes and go through the day's p r o -
what next, an Iranian officer c a m e u p , and g r a m m e e v e n leave for m y country w e r e
looking at m y saree inquired if I w a s weighing h e a v y on m y m i n d and m a k i n g m e
Mrs. N. O n m y replying in the affirmative, feel miserable. In m y small toilet bag, there
he told m e that t w o ladies w e r e waiting o u t - w a s no ointment for b u r n s — s o I tried to
side for m e and I should see them as soon contact the t w o ladies w h o m a n a g e d the
as I w a s through with the customs. What a establishment. But w i t h m y lack of k n o w -
relief it w a s to k n o w that I was not alone ledge of the G e r m a n language arid their
after all and w o u l d h a v e a roof over m y p o o r English w e m a d e n o h e a d w a y .
head in this strange city. W h e n I met the t w o
A n d then I fell b a c k o n m y last resource
ladies I did not k n o w w h o they w e r e nor at
— praying fervently to Sri B h a g a v a n and
w h o s e request they had c o m e to receive m e .
concentrating on the photograph, I let t h e
I w a s amazed to find that it was thanks t o an
healing influence of the glance of grace f r o m
unexpected source that these arrangements
the photo pass over the affected parts f o r a
had b e e n m a d e as n o n e of m y e x p e c t e d
f e w minutes. Soon I started feeling better
contacts had turned u p ! I w a s housed c o m -
and gradually the burning sensation w a s
fortably in the h o m e of the Director of an
gone. Within a quarter of an hour, I w a s
educational institution, was given an o p p o r -
able to dress and go out as scheduled. T h e
tunity to see some w e l f a r e agencies in
injury of the fall in the shower w a s also
T e h e r a n and escorted b a c k to the airport
forgotten and I was able to join t h e tour in
t o take the flight to B o m b a y .
the afternoon w h i c h took us to places l i k e
A n o t h e r incident happened in Vienna, the Vienna w o o d s , old churches and a child-
w h e r e I spent a w e e k - e n d to see an old ren's village — all of w h i c h i n v o l v e d a lot
of walking. It w a s o n l y after reaching h o m e
friend on m y w a y h o m e . I was staying at a
" P e n s i o n " a decent private establishment — four days after t h e incident and one m o r e
k n o w n to m y friend. She had a full p r o - stop on the w a y that I felt the pain and
g r a m m e f o r m e during this short stay to applied medicament. This w a s r e m a r k a b l e
m a k e it fruitful and e n j o y a b l e . T h e schedule in v i e w of the fact that the bruise was o n
for mornings, afternoons and evenings w a s the k n e e and quite severe. Under n o r m a l
handed o v e r to m e on m y arrival. It w a s circumstances this w o u l d h a v e m a d e it
on the last day, perhaps the busiest, that I impossible for m e to w a l k let alone u p and
w e n t for a shower in the morning. A s usual, d o w n as w e did that afternoon.
there was running hot and cold water and Such is the Grace of Sri R a m a n a M a h a -
the taps had to b e adjusted according to the rshi and I am grateful f o r all the e x p e r i -
required temperature. S o m e h o w , in m y ences w h i c h h a v e saved m e f r o m difficult
h u r r y to get out and b e ready in time to k e e p situations and reaffirmed m y faith in t h e
all the appointments I turned on o n l y the unfailing guidance and help that is received
hot water tap and b e f o r e I could realise what w h e n prayed for. I h o p e and p r a y that t h e
was happening, steaming hot water w a s grace of Sri Bhagavan m a y b e with m e till
pouring all over m e . I was scared and c o n - the end of m y earthly life and e v e n
fused and could not even touch the tap to thereafter !
1970 131

HIS GRACE
By
NONENTITY

T\7"HILE reading The Mountain Path

( O c t o b e r 1968) I could not resist
thinking w h y people should c o m e f o r w a r d
to record only their spiritual experiences as
a result of coming in contact with Bhagavan.
S o m e , I find, go t o the extent of giving
instructions for the practice of ' W h o a m I ? '
enquiry elaborating w h a t the Master has
already taught. I am a gross materialist and
m y approach to B h a g a v a n was p r o m p t e d b y
the highly self-centred desire t o i m p r o v e m y
material position. I am not sure whether
there are, among t h e devotees, persons w h o
had a similar yearning, but I d o not feel shy
to admit m y l o w l y interest and t o proclaim
that I h a v e been benefited b y His Grace to
this end.

W h e n I was a student at T r i c h i n o p o l y o n e
of m y college mates told m e that there w a s
a Rishi at Tiruvannamalai and, in m y i g n o r - an ailing daughter w h o s e health had d e t e r i o -
ance, I could only visualise a Rishi of the rated to such an extent that she c o u l d h a r d -
line of those mentioned in the Puranas. In l y m o v e f r o m her bed. In desperation h e
1928, w h e n I had an opportunity to visit w r o t e to his friend in Tiruvannamalai, a
Tiruvannamalai, the brother of m y friend firm devotee of Sri Bhagavan requesting him
w h o w a s a school teacher there, t o o k m e to to i n v o k e His blessings for the r e c o v e r y of
the A s h r a m and I had m y first darshan of his daughter. A t midnight the relative w h o
Bhagavan. M y original picture of the w a s sleeping in the open, a f e w yards a w a y
f r o m his house, w a s a w a k e n e d b y t h e sick
Maharshi was then w i p e d out. A l t h o u g h I
daughter. He was astonished at her being
had an inborn r e v e r e n c e for great m e n I
able to w a l k b y herself u p to his bed. T h e
k n e w little of Bhagavan's teachings ; nor did
girl explained that an o l d m a n helped her
I h a v e any k n o w l e d g e of Vedanta. I had
to w a l k and led her u p to his place. S h e had
h o w e v e r a v a g u e idea of y o g a after seeing
to b e carried b a c k to her b e d . F r o m that d a y
K a d a p p a Satchidananda Paramahamsa Y o g i -
she i m p r o v e d in health. It is thirty years
swara and reading his b o o k in T a m i l during
t o d a y since this incident and she is w e l l
m y school days. T e n years later it w a s m y
and happy.
g o o d fortune that m y interest in Sri R a m a n a
was r e v i v e d through an intimate friend, a
devotee w h o had visited the A s h r a m several A t that time I was struggling as a t e m -
times. T h e flickering g l i m m e r of devotion p o r a r y g o v e r n m e n t e m p l o y e e o n a v e r y
w a s kept u p b y an aged relative, w h o w a s m e a g r e salary and w i t h great f a m i l y c o m -
also an ardent devotee. mitments. In m y desperation I w r o t e a post
card to B h a g a v a n asking for his grace and
This relative narrated a m i r a c l e w h i c h a r e p l y c a m e stating that m y letter w a s
occurred in his h o m e and this enhanced m y perused b y Him. This gave m e solace and
longing to c o m e closer to Bhagavan. He had immense j o y . A f e w m o n t h s later I r e c e i v e d
132 THE MOUNTAIN PATH July

an offer of appointment in the Central Gov-< in answer t o m y p r a y e r , the reading ceased

ernment in Delhi and I left the South for
better e m p l o y m e n t and stepped o n t h e
threshold of prosperity. Since then I a m
constantly thinking of B h a g a v a n and the
repetition of his n a m e is m y daily ritual for
the past t w e n t y years or m o r e . I consider
myself l u c k y for having had a f e w chances
of visiting the A s h r a m during Bhagavan's
life time and also a year b e f o r e his Samadhi
and a year thereafter. It w a s during o n e of
these visits that an old c o p y of Tiruchuzhi
Puranam w a s received b y Bhagavan and
this w a s being read out in the afternoon.
W h i l e some, devotees might h a v e been m e d i -
tating in His presence or listening ardently
to the reading of the Puranam, I was m e n -
tally praying for material advancement to
relieve m e of the great b u r d e n of f a m i l y life
— an unusually big f a m i l y with eight c h i l d -
ren in various stages of g r o w t h . A s though
as B h a g a v a n apparently w a s puzzled b y t h e
t e r m ' Otrai kannan r
(one-eyed man) which
occurred in the text. T h e dictionary w a s
brought and there w a s the explanation that
the w o r d referred to K u b e r a ( G o d of
w-ealth). Bhagavan seemed amused w h e n t h e
dictionary mentioned five legs for K u b e r a .
H o w did I interpret the situation ? O n e of
m y eyes w a s defective and I h a v e five sons.
T h e defective e y e deteriorated gradually
w h i l e m y status and financial position i m -
p r o v e d f r o m time to time. N o w I h a v e o n e
e y e , after enucleation of the affected e y e , but
I am not a K u b e r a yet. Nevertheless I feel
and b e l i e v e that I m a y attain that state
b e f o r e I pass a w a y . ( S o m e w h e r e I heard
that K u b e r a is o n l y the custodian of the
wealth of the devas and perhaps he does not
e n j o y that w e a l t h ! — T h i s is o n l y aside for
I cannot s h o w any weakness in m y f a i t h ) .

SRI MAHARSHI : " W h a t is time ? It posits

a state, one's recognition of it, and also the
changes w h i c h affect it. T h e interval bet-
w e e n t w o states is called time. A state c a n -
not c o m e into being unless the m i n d calls
it into existence. T h e m i n d must b e held
b y the Self. If the m i n d is not m a d e use of
there is no concept of time. T i m e and space
are in the m i n d but one's true state lies
b e y o n d the mind. T h e question of time does
not arise at all to the one established in
one's true nature."

— Talks, p. 5 5 4 .
1970 133

By
WE! W U WEI

•Consciousness is the self of which every- w h e r e b y and w h e r e o f the apparent universe

one is aware. No one is ever away from his is constructed. In this divided consciousness
self and therefore everyone is in fact self- the subjective element appears o b j e c t i v e l y
realised. as ' s e l v e s ' and the objective element
— SRI R A M A N A MAHARSHI. as ' others ' — w h i c h is other-than-self, p e r -
ceived and so cognised extended in three
" ' O T H A T w e n o r m a l l y mean b y ' conscious- spatial dimensions and one temporal w h e r e -
ness ' is consciousness-of-self or self- b y4
f o r m ' is rendered perceptible b y d u r a -
consciousness. This is divided conceptually tion.
into objectivised 'subjects' and their This consciousness is relative, divided, and
apparent • o b j e c t s b o t h psychic images, dependent upon the concepts of ' s e l f ' and
134 THE MOUNTAIN PATH July

1
o t h e r r e a s o n i n g b y t h e comparison of language of relativity, there was no diffe-
opposing qualities applied to conceptual r e n c e b e t w e e n positive and negative. M o r e -
objects b y a conceptual subject. o v e r h e lived his life in the positive
1 9

ambiance of Vedanta, although his teaching

W h a t the Maharshi indicates is nothing
was based on negation, as was that of t h e
conceptual, nothing o b j e c t i v e , nothing d i v i d -
Chinese Masters.
ed, but the integrality of being-conscious,
indivisible and absolute. Such .being-con- This is w h y h e could speak of S e l f ' as 6

scious is selfless, for ' s e l f ' is an o b j e c t i v e though it w e r e not relatively a positive

concept ; rather m a y what is implied b e i n d i - entity objectified in split-mind, and w h y he
cated in the language of relativity b y s o m e could refer to the A b s o l u t e as ' T h a t ' —
such expression as ' awareness u n a w a r e of w h i c h is the most objective w o r d in any l a n -
being aware ' — as w e m a y b e said to ' expe-i guage. H e was conditioned so to do and, to
r i e n c e ' it relatively in deep sleep. him, it m a d e n o difference since w h a t h e
spoke of in such terms was neither ' self'
Divided consciousness is our personal
nor ' other neither t h a t ' nor this '.
i 1

living or * w a k i n g ' consciousness, w h e r e a s

the Maharshi speaks of o u r impersonal, basic, T h e positive w a y is traditional in Hinduism
and integral awareness w h i c h must b e u n - as in Hinayana Buddhism, but it is a long
conscious of b e i n g - c o n s c i o u s as of any c o n - w a y r o u n d indeed, implying successive and
ceptual quality or attribute whatever. A n d innumerable ' i n c a r n a t i o n s c o m p a r e d w i t h
this consciousness remains w h a t - w e - a r e w h e n the negative w a y , of Taoist origin, termed
divided consciousness is asleep, for ' l i f e ' and b y Ch'an Buddhists the " S u d d e n S c h o o l " ,
' death ' w a k i n g ' and ' sleeping as all c o n - w h i c h w a s able to p r o d u c e ' l i b e r a t i o n ' f r o m
ceptualised and relative experience, have conditioned ' b o n d a g e ' at any m o m e n t in
o n l y that relative kind of p s e u d o - e x i s t e n c e favourable circumstances and in the hands of
w h i c h is subjected to extension in space- highly qualified Masters.
time.
It is evident also in innumerable examples
" Conciousness ", said Schroedinger in the
of the Maharshi's statements to his m o r e
language of physics, " i s a singular of w h i c h
qualified devotees, that he himself regarded
the plural is u n k n o w n " , w h i c h in m e t a -
instantaneous ' awakening' as perfectly
physical language means that b e i n g - c o n s c i -
feasible and his w o r d s sometimes seemed to
ous is neither singular nor plural, since it
i m p l y surprise that anything so simple and
cannot b e a conceptual o b j e c t relative to any
obvious should fail to b e evident. Evident
other conceptual object, but is m e r e l y a sign,
it m a y , indeed, sometimes h a v e been, but if
indication, or s y m b o l for w h a t e v e r m a y b e
the devotee w e r e still b o u n d b y positivity to
supposed to cognise w h a t e v e r m a y b e s u p -
his relative conditioning the desired fulfil-
posed to be cognisable.
ment w o u l d still b e withheld.
NOTE : We are only conscious in relativity.
Absolutely there can not be any thing to be Ill
conscious of any other thing.
T h e Maharshi, in the passage quoted, w e n t
Being conscious of being conscious is not o n to say that " Realisation consists only in
' being c o n s c i o u s ' at all. W h i c h is w h y , getting rid of the false idea that one is not
A b s o l u t e l y , there is absolutely n o difference realised. It is not anything n e w to b e
b e t w e e n the concepts of ' c o n s c i o u s n e s s ' and acquired."
* unconsciousness \
Sri Ramana's p r o n o u n c e m e n t s need no
II
confirmation f r o m other sources, but as a
T o a Maharshi, as has been pointed out, matter of historical interest o n e m a y recall
w h o basically is absolute m i n d but w h o w a s that an identical statement was m a d e b y
obliged to communicate in t h e forms and Chinese Masters such as Hui Hai and Huang
1970 BEING CONSCIOUS 135

P o , and the Maharshi himself repeated it in H o w could anything or nothing b e b o u n d

slightly different w o r d s , all the Sages i m p l y - b y what it is ? H o w could anything or
ing that the sole hindrance to ' enlighten- nothing b e freed f r o m what it is ? What
ment ' is the notion that w e could b e a n y - could there b e to b e A b s o l u t e ?
thing but ' enlightened ' already.
No w o n d e r the Masters all seemed to
Such a radical approach, so w i d e l y affirm- w o n d e r , to w o n d e r w h y w e couldn't see the
ed, surely needs closer analysis than it has obvious ! Perhaps they weren't looking in the
hitherto received ? opposite direction ? Perhaps t h e y w e r e n ' t
looking for ' t h e A b s o l u t e ' as something
It must surely b e obvious that the
relative ?
' e n l i g h t e n m e n t ' referred to could not b e a
state of m i n d or any o b j e c t i v e or relative
IV
condition w h a t e v e r , for such are subjected
to ' time ' and are impermanent. In fact the W H Y I CANNOT BE BOUND
term, as defined, could o n l y a p p l y to w h a t -
e v e r basically w e are. Nothing less, and A b o d y can b e b o u n d with chains, a p s y c h e
nothing else, could substantiate such state- can b e b o u n d b y c o m p l e x e s , a conceptualised
ments. p h e n o m e n o n can b e b o u n d , i.e. can consider
itself bound, and all can b e freed — for
A l l , then, are equivalent to stating that
' b o n d a g e ' and ' liberation ' are relative c o n -
what prevents us f r o m awareness of what
cepts also.
w e are is the — inevitably absurd — notion
that w e could b e anything e l s e ! But nothing conceptual could bind a n y -
thing but a concept. I cannot b e anything,
If n o n e of the Sages was able to tell us
for I cannot be conceived, so h o w could I b e
what that is, there must be some g o o d r e a -
bound ? T h e ' p r o p o s i t i o n ' cannot e v e n b e
son, some v e r y good reason indeed, for their
posed — since it cannot m a k e sense.
silence or forebearance. W h a t could such a
v e r y good reason b e ? Surely there could N o relative qualification whatever can b e
o n l y b e one reason w h i c h fulfills these posited of the p u r e l y nominative I.
exacting conditions, and that reason must b e P e o p l e think, and even maintain, that they
that it cannot b e expressed in, or revealed can regard 1 ' as a concept, but t h e y are
4

b y , relative language ? mistaken : the error is d u e to an abuse o f

language. I cannot b e a concept because I
So what is there that cannot be so r e v e a l - cannot conceive what is conceiving. What
ed ? Precisely the one o b j e c t ' the eye c a n - people conceive is ' m e ' , just as they conceive
1

not see, the only ' k n o w l e d g e ' that k n o w i n g ' y o u ' , both objects, and in b o t h cases t h e y
could n e v e r k n o w , the a w a r e n e s s ' of w h i c h confuse the o b j e c t with the subject, but s u b -
1

b e i n g - a w a r e n e v e r could b e aware. In other ject cannot c o n c e i v e subject except as an

w o r d s — This w h i c h relativity cannot express object — w h i c h it is not and can n e v e r b e .
relatively because it is not relative.
This simple e x a m p l e explains the m e c h a -
Is that all w e can say, as far as w e can nism of the false notion w h i c h is c o n c e i v e d
go ? A l l w e can say — no doubt, yes, but as as ' b o n d a g e ' , and w h i c h is nothing less than
far as w e can g o — no doubt at all, no. W h y ? mistaking a conceptual and relative object, a
Because it is only all w e can * s a y ' or d o ' phenomenal ' m e ' , for noumenal and a b s o -
1

— subject to the limitations of relativity. lute I.

~ A n d that is surely the answer : relatively I am notoriously invulnerable simply

' w e ' are * b o u n d ' f o r e v e r —• b y relativity. because nothing in conceptual p h e n o m e n a -
Absolutely w e have never been * b o u n d ' — lity can reach w h a t - I - a m since I am already
for there h a v e n e v e r been, absolutely, any all that it i s ! T h e r e are no t w o objects
' u s ' t o b e * b o u n d ' at a l l ! involved w h i c h could affect one another.
 THE MOUNTAIN PATH July

M o r e o v e r h o w could p h e n o m e n a l objects W h a t is there even apparently ' m y s t e r i -

extended in conceptual s p a c e - t i m e achieve o u s about all this, all this so simple a n d
J

any kind of contact with what is space-less o b v i o u s is-ness ? I n d e e d and surely, h o w

and in-temporal ? In order to m a k e contact and indeed however, could it possibly b e
t w o objects are necessary, and o n l y objects otherwise ?
are extended in s p a c e - t i m e .
V
O b j e c t s are p h e n o m e n a l manifestations in
m i n d of w h a t n o u m e n a l l y I am : therefore Let m e quote the great Huang P o :
all t h e y can ever b e is w h a t I am, and t h e y
Q U E S T I O N — " D o e s the Buddha really liberate
cannot, and h a v e n o need to, m a k e contact
sentient-beings ? "
with all they already are, ever w e r e , and
e v e r could b e . * C o n t a c t is a relative c o n -
1 A N S W E R — " F a c t u a l l y there are no sentient-
cept w h i c h , like all relative concepts, is beings to be delivered by the Thatha-
inapplicable to the absolute. gata. If even self'
6
has no objective
existence, how much less has other-
c

T h e notion of ' m e ' and ' y o u ' being in any than-self 1

9

w a y different or separated f r o m what they Thus neither 'Buddha 9

nor 'sentient-
are, w h i c h I am, is untenable even in the beings' exist objectively. . . . I assure
logic of relativity within the limitations of you that all things have been free from
w h i c h w e ' are confined in these discussions.
1
bondage since the very beginning."

T h e r e f o r e a conceptualised ' I ' is not I at T h e r e is n o o n e to b e d e l i v e r e d f o r o n l y

1

a l l ! A n d that is so because I am the source an o b j e c t could appear to b e * b o u n d \

and origin of everything w h i c h appears to
be, including the process itself of c o n c e p t u a -
lising. T h e r e f o r e I cannot b e conceptualised,
since I cannot conceptualise what is c o n c e p -
tualising w h i c h ultimately I am.
A n d ' l i b e r a t i o n ' is liberation f r o m t h e
notion of there being anything to b e ' l i b e -
rated ' — w h i c h is the notion of being ' m e '
instead of being I.

Knowledge

By
Muruganar

T h e Master showed m e and I saw

That k n o w l e d g e is the Self's sole substance.
K n o w e r , k n o w i n g and thing k n o w n
A l l are but k n o w l e d g e ; one, not m a n y .
A n d being this pure k n o w l e d g e , I
Blossom bright as all these w o r l d s .
1970 137

LAL DED (LALESWARI)

By
J. L RAIN A
(Continued from our last issue)

T A L D E D w a s a f o l l o w e r of Shaivism and aimed a stone at her j u g w h i c h b r o k e into

v e r y liberal as its e x p o n e n t w i t h an
ultram-monotheistic basis as is evident f r o m
her inspired verses. Shaivism bases its
t h e o r y on the o n e Self or Sadasiva, t r a n s -
cendent and immanent. Siva and Shakti are
o n e in their essence but different aspects of
the same Reality. T h e y are eternally i n t e r -
related. Shakti is Siva in disguise. Her
creative function acts as a f o r c e of o b s c u r a -
tion in order to create m a n y out of one.
" I w a s one and b e c a m e m a n y . I f o u n d
H i m e v e r y w h e r e visible and invisible " , says
L a i Ded.
pieces but the water, as tradition says, did
not spill out and remained motionless as if
condensed. This d u m b f o u n d e d the puzzled
husband m o r e than e v e r and on reaching
h o m e he related the story to his mother. B o t h
of them w e r e struck w i t h a w e . L a i D e d
c a m e h o m e still with the condensed water o n
her shoulder and filled all e m p t y pots w i t h
i t ; the rest w a s t h r o w n out t h r o u g h the
w i n d o w into a ditch w h i c h w a s also filled to
the b r i m . This ditch is to this d a y called
* Lalla t r a g ' but little w a t e r is f o u n d in it
now. T h e a b o v e amazing feature d r e w
c r o w d s of p e o p l e to the place.

But to return to her story : Unmindful of T h e neighbours k n e w already of the h a r d -

obstructions L a i D e d w e n t on her w a y to ships L a i D e d was undergoing at the hands
realise her great longing leading a life that of her m o t h e r - i n - l a w and t h e husband. B u t
had already b e c o m e unconventional b y then. she w a s bearing it all with great patience
A t times she w o u l d l e a v e the house at dead and even n o w a girl in Kashmir considered
of night and return n e x t m o r n i n g w h e n the to b e gentle is addressed as L a i D e d ' , o n e
4

sun rose high in the heavens to attend to w h o has d e v e l o p e d in her all great qualities.
her household duties. Often she was silent F r o m n o w on p e o p l e started coming to L a i
absorbed in herself. H e r husband, w h o s e Ded and falling at her feet in reverence.
curiosity and suspicion w e r e increasing d a y This she f o u n d disturbing, so one dark night
b y day, did not dare to accuse her o p e n l y she disappeared into a dense forest w i t h o u t
and scarcely had the c o u r a g e to speak to her. human habitation to b e with nature in all
T h e m o t h e r - i n - l a w , w h o w a s furious b y n o w , its purity and meditate in solitude. After
kept on goading and rebuking her son for a w h i l e her husband w e n t into t h e j u n g l e
his leniency. H e therefore determined t o in search of her and succeeded in bringing
f o l l o w her in the dark at night to catch her her back ; but it was impossible for her n o w
with the o b j e c t of her l o v e . W h e n she w e n t to fit into a l i f e w h i c h she had abandoned
out at night h e f o l l o w e d in her footsteps for good. She w a s roaming about, her m i n d
silently. B e h o l d ! h e w a s startled to see her fixed on her B e l o v e d , unmindful of rain and
w a l k across t h e r i v e r Vitasta w i t h o u t fear. s n o w and the hot sun, leaping f r o m o n e cliff
O n reaching t h e m i d d l e of the r i v e r she to another and caring little for w h a t t h e
bathed and returned with an earthen w o r l d had to offer.
jug full of water. This changed the
attitude of the hiding husband w h o n o w felt Seda M o l used to b e the f a m i l y priest in
he should respect her. But doubt o v e r - her parents, h o m e and it is said that. h e
w h e l m e d him all t h e same, unable to believe b e c a m e her G u r u under w h o s e instructions
the evidence of his o w n eyes. Perhaps some she had started her spiritual practices. She
j u g g l e r y w a s at play. Going behind her he w a s advanced through her constancy and
138 THE MOUNTAIN
one-pointedness and w a s nearer Infinity than
her guru. Lai D e d starts her teaching b y
relating her o w n e x p e r i e n c e :
"I went to find Him with longing in
m y eyes.
W h i l e searching I waited nights and
days.
But I beheld the sage, the w i s e
Dwelling in m y o w n abode,
A n d that m o m e n t was auspicious."
It is obvious that the O n e she f o u n d d w e l l -
ing in her o w n abode (herself) does not
refer to an earthly guru.
Lai Ded believed in self-purification
through selfless service (nishkama karma)
and was intent to help others to a life l e a d -
ing to it. She u n d o u b t e d l y attended to her
household duties and observed t h e daily
routine meticulously.
Tradition says that on a solitary occasion
w h e n Seda M o l visited L a i D e d her husband
requested him to admonish her so that she
t o o k m o r e interest in her h o m e . A discussion
ensued and the points raised w e r e to define
the best light, the best friend, the best tirtha
(sacred p l a c e ) and the most comfort-giving
state in the w o r l d . Her husband and Seda
M o l g a v e c o m m o n p l a c e replies pertaining to
w o r l d l y comforts. A f t e r listening to them
L a i Ded, i m p r o v i n g upon it, said :
T h e best light rests in ecstasy,
G o d is the best Friend,
T o trace him is the most sacred task
Leading to the most h a p p y state.
Once at the bidding of her m o t h e r - i n - l a w
L a i D e d w e n t to ask Seda M o l to attend a
religious c e r e m o n y at their house. She did
not enter the house of t h e guru but called
for h i m aloud f r o m a distance. T h e w i f e of
Seda M o l resented this m o d e of calling and
rebuking her for it, replied angrily that the
guru w a s absorbed in meditation. Lai D e d
w a s quick to r e t o r t :
a
H o w is he in m e d i t a -
tion ? H e has been hit b y the horse in t h e
pasture of Nandan Marg " . On hearing this
r e m a r k Seda M o l c a m e out and struck b y
her insight fell at her feet apologising for
PATH July
the harsh w o r d s of his w i f e . He admitted
that w h i l e he w a s in meditation h e w a s
thinking of his untamed horse left roaming
in the pasture land. It w a s a revelation t o
him that L a i D e d could read other people's
minds.
A f t e r returning f r o m the j u n g l e L a i D e d
had g r o w n careless and unmindful of o r d i -
nary things. She began to w a n d e r half-nude
often dancing and singing in divine ecstasy.
She was thus wandering about w h e n her
father-in-law m e t her and reprimanded her
severely for going about in this manner. Her
reply is revealing :
" Foulness I burnt f r o m m y soul,
M y m i n d with its, desires died,
T h e n m y n a m e of Lalla ( h a l f - n u d e )
spread abroad.
Patiently sitting on m y b e n d e d knees
I kept m y m i n d f r o m earthly passions.
T h e r e is n o y o u and I,
T h e r e is n o object for contemplation
Nor e v e n contemplation.
A l l actions h a v e been lost in f o r g e t -
fulness."
Considering the external w o r l d to b e n o t h -
ing but an illusion she justifies her n a k e d -
ness b y asking ' what garment could b e
better than to b e clad b y sky and air \ T h e n
expressing her attitude of detachment :
" Let h i m hurl abuse upon m e , let him
pronounce blame,
Let each one say to m e what pleaseth
him.
Y e s , let him worship m e w i t h t h e
offering of his soul or with flowers.
Still keep I untouched and undefiled
b y all this,
So what difference does it m a k e ? "
Lai Ded seems to h a v e c o m e to the c o n -
clusion ultimately that investigation is t h e
surest w a y of attaining salvation. S h e says :
" L a l l a has w o r n out her b o d y b y a t t e m p t -
ing to gain salvation b y g o o d w o r k s not
k n o w i n g that these lead o n l y to further
transmigration and are in vain. The only
h o p e of salvation is finding out one's identity
with the Supreme. T h e w o n d e r of it ; w h o
I am and w h o H e is ? T o doubt this identity
1970 L A L DED (LALESWARI) 139

is indeed a great d o u b t . " A n d again : , A c c o r d i n g to Shaivism the routine of daily

" F r o m what quarter did I c o m e and b y life effected in the right spirit and manner,
w h a t road. T o what quarter shall I go and involves both Karma-Mala and Mayavi-Mala.
h o w shall I k n o w the road ? In the end if T h e bad effects of the latter are minimised
I gain g o o d guidance all is w e l l . F o r thereb y Karma-Mala p e r f o r m e d as sadhana. T h e
is n o substance in an e m p t y breath." malas (impurities) appear in t h e jiva and his
limitations. T h e y can b e eradicated b y c o n -
" M y b o d y befouled with m u d , T h o u r e - stant spiritual practice till the realization
mained hidden f r o m m e . T h e livelong d a y dawns that the jiva and the S u p r e m e Being
I passed seeking for m e and T h e e . W h e n I are not different.
beheld T h e e in myself there w a s unrestrain-
ed rapture." Lai Ded says :
" W h e n b y repeated practice of Y o g a t h e
In Lai Ded's m o n i s m the advent of divine
w h o l e expanse of the visible universe ascends
G r a c e plays a prominent part nevertheless.
and b e c o m e s m e r g e d in v o i d ; w h e r e t h e
T h o u g h seekers must strive to their utmost
eternal void itself b e c o m e s dissolved t h e n
or surrender totally yet ultimately it is
nothing but Bliss remains. O, thou learned
through G r a c e that their true state of identity
ones ! This is the true doctrine."
with the S u p r e m e reveals itself. This could
b e c o m p a r e d to a d r o p of our striving m e r g - Lai D e d teaches that Truth lies in one w o r d
ing with the limitless sea of Grace, in essence O M w h i c h contains all scriptures. This is
both identical. reminiscent of T h a y u m a n a v a r ' s " o n e w o n d -
rous word" on which Self-realization
" B y the m e r c y of the S u p r e m e
hinges :
I got a w a k e n e d and as for myself
I did not meditate on anything." " O n e W o r d , a w o n d r o u s w o r d exists
W h i c h in Itself contains
" I, Lalla, wearied myself seeking for H i m .
A l l other w o r d s ; b y it is purged
I laboured and strove even b e y o n d m y
T h e soul of all its stains."
strength. I began to l o o k for H i m and I
saw that bolts w e r e on His door and in m e . A n u m b e r of miracles are associated with
A s I was longing for Him I b e c a m e fixed and the n a m e of Lai D e d but not m u c h signifi-,
there w h e r e I was I gazed u p o n H i m — cance is attached to this feature in Shaivism
myself." regarding them as an ordinary routine of
those w h o had conquered the elements of
Human efforts take one far enough to see
matter. Lai Ded disdains supernatural
b y G r a c e that they are of no avail in the end,
p o w e r s w h i c h are a temptation to a seeker
G r a c e alone reveals that the gate barred to
and m a y lead to the enhancement of his ego :
all h u m a n efforts is a gateless gate. Being
fixed that is t h e m i n d b e c o m i n g still one " W h y cool the flames, stop t h e flow of
realises that there n e v e r w e r e any b o l t s . a stream
T r u e Identity is revealed. 1
W a l k on water, fly in the air ?
T h e s e are only jugglers' feats
It is doubtful whether L a i D e d w a s c o n -
T o deceive p e o p l e . "
versant w i t h the Shaivistic philosophy in
t h e o r y but in practice Karma-Mala (the T h e verse b e l o w describing t h e a l l - p e r v a -
r o u n d of daily duties) practised in the h o u s e - siveness of the S u p r e m e is like an echo f r o m
holds of Kashmiri pandits, is c o n d u c i v e to the Bhagavad Gita:
gaining spiritual insight. Work performed
with detachment, puja, meditation, reflec- " T h o u alone art t h e heavens and T h o u
tion o n spiritual matters, listening t o t h e t h e earth
chanting o r reading of h o l y scriptures ; all A n d T h o u alone art the d a y and night
these constitute Karma-Mala. - and air, <
140 THE MOUNTAIN PATH
T h o u alone art the real offering, t h e
incense, the flowers, '
A l l things that h a v e birth, all that is.
W h a t then could I offer T h e e ?
L a i Ded's liberal outlook in Shaivism con-j
sisted in turning the Kashmiri p e o p l e a w a y
f r o m rigid ritualism t o w h i c h their religion
had degenerated under repression. She w a s
not against rituals as such but against sacri-
ficing true religion for rituals and against
animal sacrifices.
- " W i l t thou sacrifice a living being to a
lifeless idol ?
Real w o r s h i p rests in w h a t e v e r action T h e h i g h w a y r o b b e r s of desire, lust and p r i d e
you do
E v e r y w o r d spoken is the M a n t r a . "
S h e appreciated the v a l u e of idol w o r s h i p as
a s y m b o l and reminder, fulfilling t h e need
of the less e v o l v e d section of t h e people.
P u r i t y of m i n d does not depend o n e x t e r -
nalities. But if she w a s not an upholder of
rituals as the times d e m a n d e d she did not
oppose their p e r f o r m a n c e . W h a t she a d v o -
cated w a s a simple life, simple w o r s h i p and
avoiding difficult paths. It is enough to
r e m e m b e r and practice o n e mantra. W o r s h i p
of G o d according to her teaching consists in
carrying out smoothly the ordinary routine
of life in a detached manner and in a spirit
of selfless service. N o need to abandon the
world :
" W h a t use is leaving h o m e and w h y to
woods ;
B e firm in y o u r faith
That alone w i l l lead y o u to happiness.
W h a t use is turning a recluse or running
away ?
B e w i s e to k n o w Siva is always w i t h
you,
D o not r u n a w a y , times must c h a n g e . "
L a i Ded's teaching w a s clear and simple
meant predominantly for simple people. Her
p o e t r y b e c a m e popular and is quoted freely
Man can will what he does, but he cannot w i l l w h a t h e wills.
July
to this d a y b y p e o p l e of all faiths. Heir
saying influenced the c o m m o n f o l k and g a v e
t h e m courage. She tried to d r a w out their
narrowness of m i n d w a v e r i n g b e t w e e n their
traditional religion clouded with ritualism
and the n e w ideas imposed u p o n t h e m . S h e
exhorts them to r e l y on G o d and not to fear
m e n bringing t o their minds the v a l u e of
surrender. "
" Y o u r is a restless m i n d .
D o not entertain any fear in y o u r heart.
He is Himself taking care of y o u .
It is o n l y His w i l l that p r e v a i l s . "
should b e slain then the real and true L o r d
w i l l b e found. Ashes is all that is.
L a i Ded's teaching couched in such simple
language expresses her o w n experience and
is so p r o f o u n d in its simplicity as to t o u c h
the heart of the learned people also. A m o n g
her f o l l o w e r s w a s a Muslim saint Ali Sani
better k n o w n as Shah Hamdan w h o w a s
greatly influenced b y her. A n o t h e r one w a s
Sheikh N u r - u d - D i n w h o prevailed u p o n the
G o v e r n m e n t to adopt a m o r e humanistic
attitude towards the religion of t h e Kashmiri
people. L a i D e d ' s sayings and verses Lalla-
Vakyan w e r e collected and translated into
Sanskrit nearly three hundred years ago b y
the learned Rajanak Baskara Acharaya.
Another collection LaUshwari Viakhinni
w a s m a d e b y Baskara Razdan. In recent
times Sir R. C. T e m p l e was so captivated b y
L a i D e d ' s inspired songs and sayings that it
induced h i m to m a k e a thorough study of
Shaivism in the context of Indian p h i l o s o -
p h y and this w o r k h e dedicates to L a i
Ded..
T h i n e is a song that enslaveth m e ,
S o n of an alien kin and clime.
T h e living w o r d s of L a i Ded are inspiring
and that c o m i n g f r o m the depth and simpli-
city of her heart h a v e a universal timeless
appeal!
—^SCHOPENHAUER.
 1970
GLORY OF ARUNACHALA
ARUNACHALA MAHATMYAM 1
CHAPTER II
Brahma and Vishnu praise Siva — Tihe
Glory of the immovable linga of Siva
D R A H M A continued : I then chanted t h e
V e d a s w i t h all m y ( f o u r ) faces, praised
Siva and adored h i m mentally in this
manner : I prostrate constantly t o Siva b y
w h o m all this ( w o r l d ) is illumined and
supported, the Great Being, the sole origin
of the entire universe. Just as those bornj
blind cannot k n o w the sun, so also those
not f a v o u r e d b y T h y grace cannot realize
( t h e g l o r y ) of this effulgence w h i c h i l l u -
mines the entire universe. This is t h e taint-/
less earth-linga (bhulinga). It can b e p e r -
ceived o n l y b y the e y e of S e l f - k n o w l e d g e .
It can be perceived and experi-
enced o n l y b y the inner vision of T h y devo-*
tees. It is. boundless and It shines in t h e
hearts of yogis like an o b j e c t reflected in a
mirror. This is T h y ( t r u e ) f o r m , O L o r d
of the D e v a s ! O r this is Sankara's true
p o w e r (shakti). This is subtler than the
subtlest. It is not separate f r o m m y Self.
Even if there is such a separate thing it also
merges in m y Self.
Should an insignificant individual b e c o m e
favoured b y T h y G r a c e h e u n d o u b t e d l y b e -
comes great. T h e r e is nothing apart f r o m
141
p IIP
Thee. H o w then can there b e anything
greater than T h e e ? T h e r e is nothing evenj
apart f r o m m e w h o h a v e f o u n d r e f u g e in
T h e e . T h e m i n d w h i c h has surrendered t o
T h e e w i l l n e v e r consent to w a n d e r a w a y .
W h e n that is so h o w can speech praise T h e e ?
O Lord! Great G o d ! T h o u must s h o w
T h y m e r c y . T h o u that existeth e v e n b e y o n d
the w o r l d s ! T h o u must accept ( p r o t e c t ) m e
as T h y d e v o t e e in any manner agreeable to
Thee.
I praised the L o r d in this manner and
h u m b l y prostrated myself repeatedly b e f o r e
H i m and stood in his presence with clasped
hands. A t that m o m e n t t h e resonant v o i c e
of Vishnu w a s heard like t h e roaring of t h e
sea. H e sang t h e praises of Sankara again
in clear w o r d s : H a i l ! L o r d of t h e three
1 Continued from our last issue.
A CORRECTION
In the last instalment (April issue, p. 65) it was
explained that Naimisaranya' meant the wood of
(
nimi trees. Readers will kindly note the following
explanation and take it as the correct one : When
certain rishis of the Brigu Gotra, headed by
Saunaka approached Brahma the Divine Creator,
and asked him to name a place suitable for tapas
in Kali Yuga, Brahma made a wheel of kusa grass
and said this wheel will roll by itself and where
the rim falls off — that is the place to live.^ Thus
was the spot selected: nemi means the rim of
the wheel, where it got destroyed, seerna, is
naimisa.
142 THE MOUNTAIN PATH July

w o r l d s ! H a i l ! W e a r e r of t h e G a n g a ! O flooded w i t h T h y splendour, that the w o r l d s

L o r d ! Hail L o r d ! Virupaksha ! H a i l ! W e a r e r cannot b e discerned, for the Siddhas, C h a -
of the crescent m o o n ! O S a m b h u ! See h o w ranas, the Gandharvas, the D e v a s and t h e
T h y spontaneous grace is unlimited ! B y it Brahma-rishis are roaming out of the limits
T h y devotees are purified and gain w i s d o m . of swarga ( h e a v e n ) and the entire w o r l d
T h o u g h T h o u art the repository of all l e a r n - being affected b y T h y effulgence w i l l b e u n -
ing, the dispenser o f all wealth, the Ancient able to p r o d u c e m o v i n g and u n m o v i n g e n t i -
One, surrounded b y all like a father b y his ties. T h e r e f o r e T h o u must k i n d l y w i t h d r a w
p r o g e n y and have Thyself assumed all these T h y effulgence and abide as an i m m o v a b l e
forms, yet are w e incapable of adoring e v e n linga named Arunachala for the w e l f a r e of
o n e of these f o r m s with n e w h y m n s . That the w o r l d . T h e m e n w h o d e v o u t l y worship
being so, h o w can w e , O L o r d , praise T h e e this effulgent f o r m of Arunachala w i l l b e
fully ? T h o u alone knowest Thyself. O n l y superior to the Devas, Let the hosts of
with T h y grace, is it possible (to k n o w Siddhas, Brahma-rishis and the residents of
T h e e ) . Did not the w a s p seize a w o r m and all the w o r l d s b e b o r n as m e n on earth tq
metamorphose it into itself ? Similarly did h a v e the opportunity of worshipping this
not the Devas b e c o m e lords (of w e a l t h ) b y Linga. Let the celestial wishfulfilling trees
obtaining a sprinkling of Thy w e a l t h appear and g r o w here as beautiful trees b e a r -
( g r a c e ) ? Does not burning result f r o m c o n - ing fruits of various kinds. L e t t h e lions
tact w i t h fire ? Just as fire appears diffe-i and the w i l d beasts get rid of their sins
rent under different conditions of space, time w h i c h are obstacles to Liberation and w a n d e r
and action, e v e n so. T h o u , although single, about in this place in great peace. T h e sun
appearest to have different forms under d i f - w h o s e j o u r n e y varies w i t h the solstices c a n -
ferent conditions. L o r d , T h o u art G r a c e not cross over the top of this linga. O L o r d !
I t s e l f ! S a n k a r a ! R e v e a l T h y true Being, M a y T h o u b e w o r s h i p p e d with beautiful
Support of a l l ! Let the eyes of both of us garlands to the accompaniment of the sounds
e n j o y bliss. of dundhubi (a kind of d r u m ) , conches, etc.
and the songs and dances of the apsaras
Thereupon S a m b h u b e c a m e gracious to us (celestial b e a u t i e s ) . Let m e n w h o approach
w h o prostrated ourselves b e f o r e him. F r o m T h y presence obtain benefits like immortality.
the c o l u m n of fire e m e r g e d t h e b l u e - Siddhahood, superiority over others (isitvam)
throated o n e ( S i v a ) of t a w n y c o m p l e x i o n , and Liberation. O Arunachala ! Let all m e n
wearing the crescent m o o n . T h e L o r d with w h o c o m e to T h e e attain superiority o v e r
the a x e and the f a w n in ( t w o o f ) his hands, others (isitvam), p o w e r of controlling others
signed to us ( w i t h the other t w o h a n d s ) to (vasitvam), material prosperity and the
b e fearless and offered protection. L o o k i n g three kinds of supernatural p o w e r s (kala
at us h e said : Sons ! I am pleased w i t h anjanas). T h o u must proclaim T h y presence
y o u r devotion and the turning of y o u r m i n d here b y making b r o k e n limbs w h o l e , healing
to M e . M a y y o u be the creator and p r o t e c - all diseases and fulfilling all desires.
tor of the w o r l d s , I h a v e c o m e to grant
boons. A s k the boons y o u desire. Siva said " B e it so " . T h e r e u p o n Vishnu,
the L o r d of Lakshmi, saluted the L o r d of
On hearing this w e w e r e delighted and the Arunachala Hill, the granter of boons,
with folded hands each of u s prayed and prayed : E x t r e m e l y merciful o n e ! Be
accordingly. I, the creator of the three gracious to m e . L o r d of Sonagiri (Red
w o r l d s , praised like a child the invincible Hill) ! Great L o r d ! T h o u w h o hast m a n i -
f o r m with V e d i c mantras : O Lord who fested Thyself for the g o o d of the entire
graciously grantest b o o n s at all t i m e s ! w o r l d ! Just as I acquired t h e ability to p r e -
Effulgent Being ! Great G o d ! Taintless One serve the w o r l d s and b e c a m e the L o r d of
meditated u p o n b y Y o g i s ! Prostrations to Sri ( G o d d e s s of p r o s p e r i t y ) b y worshipping
T h y f o r m w h i c h always grants b o o n s g r a c i - Thee, e v e n so let all others benefit b y their
ously ! T h e sky and the interspaces are so devotion to T h e e . Those of little merit w i l l
1970 G L O R Y OF A R U N A C H A L A 143

not b e able to adore this v e r y w o n d e r f u l f o r m chala w i l l b e the Brahmins called u p b y m e

of T h i n e . L o r d ! Neither B r a h m a n o r I c o u l d ( B r a h m a ) to w h o m the Vedas w i l l b e r e -
find T h y b o u n d s . Let the m e n w h o w o r s h i p vealed. A l l the branches of learning, arts,
and adore T h e e w i t h circumambulation rare scriptures, V e d a s and A g a m a s w i l l b e
(pradakshina), prostration, dance and available here p e r m a n e n t l y and in their
songs b e c o m e free f r o m sins and attain t h e genuine entirety. Sages ( m u n i s ) , observers
aim of life. L e t those w h o w o r s h i p T h e e o f religious v o w s , ascetics with matted locks
with fasting (upavasa), v o w s (vrata), sac- etc. d w e l l in its caves shining forth w i t h
rifices (satra), personal service (upachara) the splendour of tapas in great g l o r y . He
offering of flowers etc. (puja) gain s o v e - w h o is k n o w n as ' S a d a s i v a ' (Eternal S i v a )
reignty ( o v e r o t h e r s ) . L o r d here manifest is Himself the five great murtis (manifesta-w
in the f o r m of the A r u n a H i l l ! M a y h e tions) w h i c h h a v e b e c o m e the five letters
attain t h e eight kinds of prosperity (ashta ( N a m a s i v a y a ) and the five letters based o n
aisvarya) w h o plants near this abode of Thine the letter ' A '. H e transforms himself into
a g r o v e , or erects a shelter (mantapam) or sound. It is H e w h o is w o r s h i p p e d b y t h e
digs w e l l s , tanks, etc. or studies the s c r i p - Protectors of the eight quarters (ashta dik-
tures (sastras) w i t h discrimination or c i r - palas) as the eight lingas (ashta lingas).
cumambulates (this hill) rolling o n t h e ( A l t e r n a t i v e l y ) This L i n g a is the S a c r e d
g r o u n d (antfa pradakshina) ; M a y his sins Syllable, the sacred mantra, the vital air,
l e a v e h i m at o n c e and let h i m b e c o m e pure, w o r s h i p p e d b y the eight guardians of t h e
M a y T h y devotees meditate u p o n T h y lotus eight quarters as the eight lingas (ashta
feet without forgetting either of us. lingas). It is H e w h o , in the f o r m of t h e
eight murtis grants the eight siddhis. In
" L e t it b e s o " said the W e a r e r of the Q r d e r t o U v e h e r e t h e f o r e m 0 s t a m o n g d e v a s

Crescent M o o n and assumed the f o r m of t h e a b a n d o n t h e i r r e g i o n s a n d f o r e g o e v e n t h e

i m m o v a b l e linga of Arunachala. This is w h a t d j e s liberation. r e f o r

is k n o w n as the effulgent linga (Tejolinga).

It is the origin of all the w o r l d s . It is f a m o u s In this manner the merits of the earth w h e n
in the w o r l d as Arunadri ( t h e R e d H i l l ) . A t mature are consummated as Arunadri
the t i m e of the deluge (pralaya) w h e n t h e ( A r u n a c h a l a ) manifest on it, and It grants
four oceans rise u p together and s u b m e r g e the b o o n of devotion ( b h a k t i ) to the hosts of
all the w o r l d s leaving o n l y this r e g i o n u n - devotees. Hosts of D e v a s c o m e h e r e f r o m
touched, Pushkara and t h e great clouds, the Kailasa and M o u n t M e r u and a d o r e
after flooding the three w o r l d s w i t h un-, S a m b h u , the L o r d of Sonadri w h o fulfils
b r o k e n streams of rain big as elephants' their desires,
trunks, w i l l seek rest on the slope of this
Hill. W h e n the great elements are resolved On hearing w i t h d e v o t i o n these w o r d s of
into their quintessence (prakriti) this Hill Brahma, Sanaka's m i n d w a s filled ( w i t h j o y )
will contain all the latent seeds of future < * prostrating himself b e f o r e his father h e
a n

g r o w t h unobstructed (i.e. their p o w e r s of asked him to narrate the entire essence o f

sprouting i n t a c t ) . A s soon as t h e deluge is t
Vedas.
n e

over the devotees at the H o l y Feet of A r u n a - — ( T o be continued)

" A s k of y o u r self, inquire into y o u r self, pursue y o u r self, investigate

within y o u r self and never let others tell y o u what it is, nor let it b e
explained in w o r d s " .
— D R . T. S U Z U K I quoting a Ch'an Master in
Essentials of Zen Buddhism, p. 3 2 0 .
 144 July

Extracts from an article on

SPIRITUAL DIRECTOR IN JUDAISM
By
RABBI Z A L M A N N. SCHACHTER

I V / f O S T spiritual directors deal with persons brother on tiptoe and said : " Master,
of h i g h l y dedicated calibre. Hassidic please g i v e m e a tiqun (healing p r e s c r i p -
r e b b e s e deal w i t h all kinds of persons f r o m
1
t i o n ) for m y s o u l . " " W h a t have you
e v e r y w a l k of life. So great w a s their influ- done ? " the elder brother d e m a n d e d .
ence that almost all of Eastern European " I h a v e stolen a pickle f r o m M o t h e r . "
J e w r y b e c a m e o n e large monastic com- A t this point R ' Z a l m a n A h r o n laughed :
m u n i t y . T h e h a s s i d i c conventicles in each
2
w h e r e u p o n R ' S h a l o m D o v b e r in the heat
t o w n b e c a m e the p l a c e of ecstatic transport of frustration turned to his elder brother
to G - d . T h e f e l l o w s h i p of the hassidim w a s
3
and said :
of i m m e n s e depth
" Y o u are not a r e b b e . A r e b b e never
Most of the discussions a m o n g hassidim laughs at the distress of a hasid."
centred around t h e instructions t h e y r e c e i v -
A n o t h e r time the t w o brothers w e r e
ed f r o m the r e b b e at the yehidut The
playing the same g a m e in the same posi-i
m a n y and various w a y s of describing the
tions. R ' S h a l o m D o v b e r asked f o r a t i q u n
y e h i d u t are all attempts to describe t h e
4

for not having recited the blessing after

m o m e n t of m e r g i n g of the t w o persons, r e b b e
eating an apple. R'Zalman Ahron
and hasid, in the Infinite O n e . In this sense,
replied : " F o r the next 40 days y o u are
the w o r d yehidut can b e translated as " t h e
to recite a blessing out of t h e p r a y e r
oneing of G - d - r e b b e - h a s i d . "
m a n u a l after eating any f o o d . " " Y o u d i d
In psychotherapeutic terms, the yehidut is not d o it right " the y o u n g e r b r o t h e r r e -
the counselling situation in w h i c h the hasid p r o a c h e d him, " H o w can y o u say this ? "
seeks the r e b b e ' s counsel f o r his special c o n - R'Zalman Ahron argued. " I myself
dition. This counsel w a s given in a highly w a t c h e d D a d d y through t h e k e y h o l e w h e n
structured situation ( n o t unlike t h e M o n d o a hasid asked him the same question, and
of Z e n ) . Sometimes it w a s necessary for g a v e y o u his r e p l y . " " I too w a t c h e d
the r e b b e to shock his hasid into insight and D a d d y " R ' S h a l o m D o v b e r replied. "But
enlightenment. H o w e v e r , the yehidut w a s y o u don't do it right. D a d d y always sighs
most often an occasion for compassion on the b e f o r e he a n s w e r s . "
part of the r e b b e . So strongly did c o m p a s -
This childhood g a m e p r o v e d prophetic, f o r
sion figure in the yehidut that even the
it w a s R ' S h a l o m D o v b e r w h o later b e c a m e
children of a r e b b e and hasid could not miss
r e b b e and not his elder brother. T h e yehidut
it. (there f o l l o w s a delightful e p i s o d e ) .
always ended w i t h a blessing w h i c h e x p r e s s -
O n c e the children, the sons of R ' S h m u e l ed the r e b b e ' s compassion f o r his hasid.
of L u b a v i t c h , w e r e playing at the g a m e Hasidim s a w in this blessing an apportion-,
of r e b b e and hasid. R ' Z a l m a n A h r o n , then ing of the divine energies n e e d e d to fulfil t h e
seven years old, w a s playing r e b b e , w h i l e rebbes instructions,
his y o u n g e r brother, R ' S h a l o m D o v b e r ,
1 Rebbe or Rabbi — spiritual teacher or mystic.
then five years old, p l a y e d hasid. T h e 2 Hasid—a seeker or follower of a Rebbe.
y o u n g e r brother girded his loins w i t h 3
G — D in Judaism the name of God is not
a p r a y e r sash, k n o c k e d softly at the d o o r , spoken hence the dash.
4 Yehidut — a spiritual confrontation of the
and w h e n invited to enter, approached his hasid with his rebb©.
1970 PRACTISING THE PRESENCE 145

T h e institution of the yehidut continues to protocol to c o m e to see his master like any
o u r o w n day. E v e n the President of t h e other seeker.
State of Israel, w h o considers himself a f o l - — F r o m R. M. Bucke Memorial Society
l o w e r of t h e L u b a w i t c h e r R e b b e , w a i v e d Newsletter Review.

PRACTISING THE PRESENCE

By
J O E L S. G O L D S M I T H

q p H E study of truth is the smallest part of
our life's demonstration. Far t o o m a n y
students study too m u c h . It really takes a
v e r y small statement of truth to spark our
consciousness into action, and then it is that
action that brings about the d e v e l o p m e n t o f
our spiritual consciousness. It is not w h a t w e
read that does it : it is w h a t w e d o with
w h a t w e read that does it. In other w o r d s ,
" M a n shall not l i v e b y b r e a d alone, but b y
e v e r y w o r d that proceedeth out of the m o u t h
of G o d . " That is a beautiful s t a t e m e n t ! But
reading it, and even repeating it does not
increase our spiritual consciousness. The
statement, whether w e read it or hear it, is
but a seed.
T h e w o r d of G o d , t h e truth in our c o n s -
ciousness, is w h a t w e l i v e b y . T h e r e f o r e , w e
must m a k e it a practice e v e r y f e w minutes,
e v e r y half hour, or e v e r y quarter h o u r to
pause and r e m e m b e r s o m e passage of truth,
some quotation of Scripture, some statement
out of the text b o o k that w e are studying.
W e must pause for a m o m e n t to realize,
" T h e earth is t h e L o r d ' s , and t h e fulness
thereof," or " H e performeth the thing that
is appointed for m e . " Something, s o m e m e s -
sage of G o d , some w o r d of G o d must b e
entertained in our consciousness o v e r and
o v e r throughout our days and t h r o u g h o u t
our nights, and then eventually w e find that
This, w e m a y call practising the presence
of G o d , and w h e n w e are pondering t h e w o r d
of G o d and maintaining it in our c o n s c i o u s -
ness, it is contemplative meditation. This
acts like priming the p u m p , because it takes
o n l y a f e w months of this t y p e of living until
a n e w e x p e r i e n c e comes to us, and w e find
that in m o m e n t s w h e n w e are not thinking
truth, in s o m e m o m e n t of need, a w o r d of
truth will c o m e into our consciousness f r o m
the Invisible, something that w e ourselves
did not consciously think of. W e m i g h t say
that G o d put the w o r d in our m o u t h or in
our ear.
This is the stage of spiritual consciousness
w h e n w e begin to l i v e b y Grace. A t this
point in our d e v e l o p m e n t , w h e n w e can
o p e n our ears and r e c e i v e impartations f r o m
within, w e are living b y Grace, taking n o
thought f o r our life, and w e k n o w that there
is an invisible P r e s e n c e and P o w e r , bringing
h a r m o n y into our e x p e r i e n c e without c o n s -
cious efforts. T h e n w e c o m e into the fuller
attainment of spiritual consciousness ; then
we know :
T h e Spirit of G o d d w e l l s in m e and goes
b e f o r e m e . T h e Spirit of G o d is the light
unto m y countenance. T h e Spirit of G o d
is a lamp unto m y feet. T h e Spirit of G o d
is m y high t o w e r . It is m y abiding p l a c e
and hiding place. It i m y bread, m y
s

w e are fed, clothed and housed b y those v e r y meat, m y w i n e and m y water.

passages of truth m o r e than w e are b y t h e A l l this is p r o v i d e d b y the Spirit of G o d
f o o d "we eat. W e find our business is fed, that d w e l l s in us, and w h i c h makes itself
o u r talents, or our capacities are increased k n o w n to us in the m o m e n t of t h e attain-
m o r e b y the w o r d of truth in our c o n s c i o u s - ment of some measure of spiritual c o n s c i o u s -
ness than b y any natural ability. ness.
146 July

ASCETICISM AND SOLITUDE

When Sri Manu Subedar, the author of Gitq Explained By Jnaneswar, visited
the Ashram he complained to Sri Bhagavan that most of the books were meant
for Siddhas, who have already achieved knowledge, and that these books were
not of much help to sadhakas. Thereupon Bhagavan got out the Maha Bhakta
Vijayam and read out the entire dialogue between Jnaneswar and his father
Vithoba which embodies the views of sadhakas and siddhas. Sri Manu Subedar
incorporated this dialogue in the revised edition of his book in the form of an
Appendix. This is now reproduced in The Mountain Path with some slight
alterations.
The story goes that Vithoba had gone to the forest to practise asceticism.
The king desired to see the father whose children had impressed him greatly and
sent messengers to bring him to the capital but the latter refused to come. Then
the children went to him and Jnaneswar, having climbed on the lap of his
father, engaged him in a discourse at the end of which he persuaded him to
come back to the capital.

" y i T H O B A : W o u l d one taste what had distinctions can there be any thought of
been ejected o n c e e v e n if it w a s s o m e duality ?
delicious dish ? Should not the righteous
stick always to their resolutions ? Having V.: So long as the notion ' m i n e ' persists,
retired f r o m the w o r l d can I go b a c k there, the e g o - s e n s e and the perception of duality
m i x in a loving spirit with the undiscerning as this and that will not disappear. It is
c r o w d or adore the king ? T h e forest shall 'nirvikalpa nishta
9
(a state w h i c h is free
e v e r b e m y abode and the w o r l d yours. So of concepts) that drives a w a y all notions o f
go back and live happily in the w o r l d . duality. Such nishta can b e obtained o n l y
b y f r e e d o m f r o m all sankalpas or desires and
Jnaneswar : Why do you live in the
absence of all society. So I am h e r e be^
forest ? cause the forest solitude is the proper place
for mauna nishta.
V. : M y son, what profit or pleasure is
J.: K n o w i n g one's Self and being the Self
there hereafter for m e to obtain b y going
alone is 'Brahma nishta9
and not living in
b a c k t o the w o r l d ? Going b a c k there, far
forests.
f r o m being an aid, w i l l only b e a hindrance
to salvation. This l o v e l y . forest is alone fit V . : Even though one m a y k n o w the Self
for mound nishta (silent state) and hence I in the presence of o n e ' s Guru, is it not n e c e s -
live on these slopes. sary to stay in solitude to remain fixed in
J.: T h e Brahmanishta (abidance in the that S e l f ?
S e l f ) that y o u are practising while still full J.: T r u e jnanis (enlightened m e n ) r e a -
of such distinctions as city and forest is like lized that ajnana ( e r r o r ) will not b e destroy^
trying to shut out the vision of the heavens ed, n o r the sense of * I ' and ' m i n e ' b e got
b y covering it with a canvas instead of clos-i rid of b y living alone in a forest, and doing
ing the eyes ; like a small bird thinking t o p e n a n c e and therefore practised nirvikalpa
bear the impact of thunder with its tiny samadhi with a firm m i n d , ignoring all such
feet ; like trying to acquire virtue w h i l e distinctions as city and forest, h o m e life and
engaging in acts of v i c e ; like a h a r d - h e a r t - asceticism. If that is so, w h y should y o u
e d m a n yearning for a sight of G o d ; and oppose h o m e life and l i v e in this f o r e s t ?
like achieving jnana nishta (steadfast k n o w -
l e d g e ) without getting rid of t h e ego-sense. V.: If those w h o have seen the sdkshi
In that nishta (state) w h i c h transcends all ( w i t n e s s ) and b e c o m e one with the Self, w h o
1970 ASCETICISM A N D SOLITUDE 147

is a m e r e witness of all, remain in f a m i l y during sleep is real bliss and that such a
life, it hampers their practice of samadhi, state could b e called awakened sleep ?
and t h e y lose their e x p e r i e n c e of realization
of the Self. T h e r e f o r e , those, w h o h a v e V.: Waking' and dream states will p l u n g e
attained the bliss of t h e sahaja (spontane- one in the affairs of the w o r l d and render one
o u s ) state, w i l l not dream even of engaging a p r e y to the w i l d beasts of s e n s e - p e r c e p -
in f a m i l y life. tions. Hence o n l y that samadhi w h e r e all
affairs of the w o r l d cease and w h e r e there is
J.: Sahaja nishta (spontaneous state)
a total v o i d as during sleep is the proper
consists in being f r e e both f r o m desires and
samadhi.
aversions. Can hating the t o w n and loving
the forest be such nishta ? J . : T h e best samadhi is not to remain in
a state of blankness but like meeting b l o w
V.: H o w can h e engage in the affairs of with b l o w , to engage in the affairs of the
the w o r l d w h e n there is no desire to act or w o r l d , check the sense-perceptions and b e -
not to a c t ? A n d what use is there f o r one c o m e indifferent to them b y opposing them
w h o living in the w o r l d is not fit to carry w i t h the s w o r d of steady jnana like Janaka.
o n its affairs ? O n e should not remain in a
place, w h e r e m a n y desires m i g h t arise t o V . : O n l y Suka w h o got rid of all attach-
cater to the comforts of this b o d y , w h i c h ments was able to conquer the m o n k e y - m i n d ,
catering can be c o m p a r e d to celebrating the w h i c h had accumulated m a n y vasanas ( d e e p -
marriage of a corpse. set desires) during countless generations and
not Janaka w h o , without being in the s l e e p -
J. : If one, w h o has given up all desires
like state, had steady jnana that he w a s
to engage in activities, engages in t h e p r a c -
Brahman.
tice of samadhi, is not that practice also an
activity and w h y should he w h o has this J.: T h e m i n d w a s conquered b y Janaka
occupation not h a v e also the activity of lead- only b y his w i s d o m — just as t h e m o n k e y ' s
ing a family l i f e ? m o v e m e n t s are controlled b y its master's
w a n d or stick — and not b y Suka w h o g a v e
V.: Even if samadhi is an activity, it w i l l u p all external achievements and b e t o o k
r e m o v e all thoughts and anxieties. O n t h e himself to a life in forests.
other hand, domestic life will create all kinds
V . : It is o n l y b y inhering in the seer
of thoughts and w o r r i e s resulting in grief.
that one can get rid of the seen. H o w could
J.: W h e n one is already S a t - C i t - A n a n d a o n e get rid of the seen b y being in the seen ?
(Existence-Consciousness-Bliss) w h y e n g a g e W i l l not death b e the result if, to c u r e a
in nishta sadhana (practice of steadfast- m a n of poison, poison is administered to him ?
ness) ?
J.: A s w e administer one poison as an
V.: D o not the wise say that Brahma antidote against another, so a m a n is wise
nishta consists in realising the state of sleep w h o practises imperturbable jnana against
the dangers of the sense perceptions, b o t h
while a w a k e ? If w e do not realize it h o w
external and internal, and not he w h o is
can w e e x p e r i e n c e bliss in s a m a d h i ?
always in nishta filled with the fear lest at
J.: T h e Vedas say that proper bliss any t i m e the w i l d beasts of s e n s e - o b j e c t s
comes f r o m being a m e r e witness of t h e should c o m e and attack him. T h e latter w i l l
diversions of the senses during the w a k i n g e x p e r i e n c e o n l y fear and n e v e r the s u p r e m e
state, t h e activities of the m i n d w h i l e d r e a m - bliss of B r a h m a n .
ing and of the state of v o i d or blankness
during sleep, and that state described as V.: W h a t w o u l d not t h e sense o b j e c t s do
sleep w h i l e a w a k e ( o r a w a k e n e d sleep) is to one leading the f a m i l y life w h e n t h e y are
likened t o a kite's s h a d o w w h i c h w h i l e f a l l - capable of subjecting to grief even those w h o
ing on objects is not attached to them. Can h a v e b e c o m e ascetics and are a l w a y s a b s o r b -
y o u then think that a state of blankness as e d in Samadhi nishta ? Can a dried leaf
 148 THE MOUNTAIN PATH July

that has fallen into a turbulent flood keep doing any other sadhana but m e r e l y realiz-
still in o n e place ? i n g as the result of jnana vichara (know-
J . : T h e sense organs will bring d o w n one, ledge b o r n of e n q u i r y ) that one is Brahman.
w h o has not attained firm jnana, h o w e v e r J.: If even a l i v e c o w cannot kill a tiger,
long he m a y remain introverted, and cause can a dead c o w d o so ? Similarly w h a t can
him grief. L i k e a big r o c k o n e should r e - the sense-objects do to the Self w h i c h is
main u n m o v e d amidst all sense activities and eternal, free f r o m all defects, extends e v e r y -
the unbearable sufferings that c o m e in their w h e r e and is of the nature of bliss ? L i k e
w a k e . O n l y such a m a n can experience the a fat c o w afraid to f a c e a tiger, sense-objects
bliss of Brahman. I g n o r a n c e w i l l never d i s - w i l l not dare to t r o u b l e a jnani w h o b y
appear if one is not steadily fixed in jnana. steady jnana has attained perfection. But
even if they d o , t h e y will b e extinguished
V.: H o w e v e r steadily fixed in jnana the as the c o w b y t h e tiger.
darkness of M a y a ( w o r l d l y illusion) is sure
to engulf one, unless always absorbed in V.: What if the jnani b y m i x i n g w i t h
meditation of Brahman giving u p all society. ajnanis (the ignorant) should get entangled
J.: If there is such a thing as M a y a apart in sense-objects, y i e l d to disturbances of the
f r o m Brahman, o n e w o u l d have to get rid m i n d and b e c o m e sorrow-stricken, like a
of it b y being always in nishta. It is likechaste w o m a n b e c o m i n g unchaste b y m i x i n g
fighting w i t h one's shadow w h e n considering with prostitutes ?
a non-existent M a y a and ego and declaring J.: T h e steadfast chaste w o m a n will
that one must always b e in nishta. A s maintain her chastity in spite of the c o m -
fighting with a s h a d o w w i l l result in exhaus-* pany of any n u m b e r of prostitutes. T h e u n -
tion, there w i l l b e endless trouble, if y o u steady o n e w i l l find occasion for erring e v e n
don't stay quiet in mauna realizing the u n - without any evil c o m p a n y . Similarly the
reality of Maya, but continue to eliminate : firm jnani w i l l never lose his perfect realiza-
1
not this, not this.' tion though surrounded b y any n u m b e r of
ajnanis. T h e unsteady one w i l l find occasion
V . : H o w is o n e to attain sahaja jnana
for erring even without any evil c o m p a n y ,
(spontaneous k n o w l e d g e ) without eliminat-
and will lose his jnana even w h e n in solitude.
ing the unreal, b e c o m i n g o n e - p o i n t e d in
m i n d and remaining a m e r e sakshi, u n m o v e d
Y,: H o w can one b e c o m e a sahaja jnani
b y all that takes place.
( o n e w h o remains in his natural state) if
J.: T h e m o r e w e eliminate the unreal engaged in domestic affairs?
things as ' not this, not t h i s ' the m o r e sense-
J.: T h o u g h the jnani m i x e s with ajnanis
objects will go on appearing, like w i n g e d
and acts m a n y parts w i t h them, h e will e x -
w h i t e ants that s w a r m out f r o m an anthill.
perience supreme bliss, just as a brahmin
T h e m i n d gets disturbed like a repressed
though acting the part of a scavenger on the
ball rebounding. T h e m o r e y o u remain a
stage and behaving accordingly, ever r e -
sakshi, the m o r e will the delusion ' 1 am the
mains o n l y a brahmin without b e c o m i n g a
b o d y ' , etc. assert itself like the tail of a dog
scavenger.
resuming its c u r l y shape h o w e v e r m u c h w e
t r y to k e e p it straight. So the only majestic
V . : H o w e v e r firm jnana or the spiritual
bliss of Brahman is to realise b y the jnana
insight of a m a n m a y b e , unless h e c o n -
of enquiry that one is Brahman, and that
templates at least for a t i m e e v e r y d a y that
avidya or e g o and maya or unreality are
he is Brahman, it w i l l b e v e r y difficult for
entirely illusory like the appearance of silver
him to b e c o m e a Brahmajnani.
in the m o t h e r - o f - p e a r l .
J.: Is it necessary for t h e brahmin a c t -
V.: Is it possible to conquer the grief- ing the part of a scavenger frequently to
causing s e n s e - o b j e c t s and to b e c o m e one think he is a brahmin ? W i l l he b e c o m e a
with the all-pervading blissful Self b y not scavenger if h e does not think so ? Are
 /

1970 ASCETICISM AND SOLITUDE 149

sacred strings necessary to distinguish one, k n o w l e d g e that o n e is the S u p r e m e Itself,

w h o m all the w o r l d k n o w s to b e a brahmin ? will ajnana remain even if it is b i d d e n t o
A f t e r the annihilation of the ego, ' I s h o u l d remain ? If o n e holds a cat in one's h a n d
one still retain the knot of the ego-consci- and asks the parrot to talk, w i l l it talk ?
ousness and go o n meditating ' I am A f t e r realizing that Self, Ishwara and t h e
Brahman' ? L i k e the brahmin, k n o w n b y w o r l d , etc. are all unreal, w i l l M a y a c o m e ,
the w o r l d as such, is respected as a brahmin even if it is invited ? T h e eunuch w i l l stand
b y e v e r y b o d y even w h e n h e does not w e a r a ashamed to declare himself a m a n b e f o r e a
sacred thread, o n e w h o has renounced the w o m a n w h o k n o w s his impotence. Similarly
notions of ' I ' and m i n e ' w i l l a l w a y s b e
i to one, w h o has recognized b e y o n d all doubt
respected b y all and w i l l always b e e n j o y i n g in the presence of his G u r u , that Brahman
supreme bliss of Self, even if he does not is real, w h i l e M a y a is unreal, that Brahman
practice any meditation. is transcendental, free of all thoughts:, w h i l e
Maya consists of desires and aversions, and
V.: Even w h e n equal t o Jagadisa ( t h e that one is B r a h m a n and B r a h m a n is one's
A l m i g h t y ) if o n e does not daily practise t h e Self, w h e r e are the desire or aversion,
b o n d a g e or f r e e d o m , birth or death, c o u n t r y
meditation ' I am B r a h m a n ' o n e w i l l u n -
or forest, charity, penance, renunciation o r
d o u b t e d l y b e c o m e an ajnani. T h e ego sense
f a m i l y life ? Can the p o w e r of M a y a avail
w h i c h identifies o n e with t h e b o d y , etc. w i l l
even a bit against one, w h o is like t h e e y e
n e v e r vanish.
o f a dead sheep ( w h i c h l o o k s as if it could
see w h i l e it cannot d o s o ) . Can it turn h i m
J.: W h e n there is light in one's hands w i l l
again into ajnana? Please consider deeply.
darkness remain ? Similarly if after v a n r

quishing the ignorance that o n e is t h e b o d y T h e r e u p o n V i t o b a was c o n v i n c e d and w e n t

or its internal organs one has attained the back h o m e .

In the exercise of mystical contemplation leave behind the senses

and the activities of the intellect . . . that thou mayest arise as far as
thou mayest, b y u n k n o w i n g towards union with H i m w h o transcends all
being and all k n o w l e d g e .
— The Mystical Theology, Ch. 2.
* * * *
Patanjali: Success is near for the v e r y energetic.
T h e success of yogis varies according to whether the means adopted
are mild, m e d i u m or intense.
* * * *
H u m a n birth : In no other birth can the jiva attain k n o w l e d g e of
the Truth. A h u m a n birth is the stepping-stone to the path of Liberation.
— Visvasura Tantra.
150 July

H O W I CAME TO THE MAHARSHI

By
A P A B. PANT 1

J M E T Sri B h a g a v a n Ramana Maharshi in

1937 through Sri Maurice F r y d m a n . W e
spent a c o u p l e of nights at Sri Ramanasra->
m a m in Tiruvannamalai. I w e l l r e m e m b e r
the d a y w e reached there. T h e r e was some
kind of festival and t h e hall where
Bhagavan used to g i v e his darshan was
overflowing. W e just could not even get in.
W e f o u n d a seat in a corner and fell silent.
In a minute or t w o , I felt that there w a s a
radiance alight, that w a s filling the w h o l e
Hall. It w a s so quiet, so still and yet there
was plenty of m o v e m e n t and whispering and
mumbling all around. It was as if the c o n -
flicts in the m i n d and its operations w e r e
being seen in a totally different perspective.
T h e impression was so indelible.

In the evening w e had prasad with Sri

Bhagavan. W e all sat on the ground and
ate the same food. Bhagavan was c o m p l e -
tely still and quiet ; no conversation w h a t -
soever. I had just returned f r o m England
and this w a s a bit strange for m e as I w a s
anxious t o engage in some kind of argu-
ment and conversation. I had d o n e a course
of philosophy and thought I k n e w m a n y of
the answers to the eternal questions. I
wanted to put these b e f o r e Bhagavan.
But s o m e h o w in his presence, I did not feel
like opening m y m o u t h .

A t night, as it w a s hot, w e slept in the n o b o d y w h o w a s speaking or arguing. In

o p e n . I w a s sure I could not sleep at all. any case, h e said, this is not allowed after
T h e r e w a s so m u c h of turmoil and noise all 9 o'clock, as e v e r y b o d y goes to sleep or
around us in the A s h r a m . People were meditates!
arguing, e v e n shouting at each other. T h e r e
I w a s stunned ! I w a s sure I had not slept
w a s running and banging of doors. The
a w i n k and h e r e w a s Maurice saying that
w h o l e night it was impossible to sleep. I did
n o b o d y had opened his m o u t h ! ! T h e n , it
not k n o w that in an A s h r a m l i k e this p e o p l e
dawned on me. Bhagavan had given
w o u l d b e a l l o w e d to speak so loud at night.
m e a message. H e had spoken w i t h o u t
In the morning I spoke to Sri Maurice speaking that the m i n d creates and is chat-
tering and arguing illusions and that unless
F r y d m a n about this noise. H e said, w h a t
noise? There was n o noise w h a t s o e v e r ; i He is now the High Commissioner for India
everything w a s v e r y peaceful. T h e r e was in the U.K.
1970 ARUNACHALA

one goes b e y o n d this turmoil there can b e T h e same evening, as I w a s going t o sit
no living in T r u t h or Liberation (Mukti). d o w n for the evening meal, M a u r i c e said
H e had given m e in a flash the message that to B h a g a v a n that I d i d an exercise of
" A w a r e n e s s is a l l " . m y father's, called the Surya Namaskar.
Bhagavan l o o k e d at m e v e r y straight and
N e x t day, w e w e r e again sitting in t h e
said : " Let m e see h o w y o u do it " . So there,
Hall and Maurice w a s asking H i m s o m e
in front of all the people just before dinner I
questions. Bhagavan was sitting quiet,
did 12 Surya Namaskars with breathing and
nodding his head as h e did sometimes as if
mantras as m y father had taught m e ,
reflecting an inner vibration, so c o m p l e t e l y
Bhagavan smilingly said : " Y e s , it is a good
full of j o y and radiance but did not answer
ejxercise to b e d o n e after y o u h a v e been:
Maurice's questions. T h e n , at o n e stage, H e
sitting for hours in meditation and y o u r
said laughing : " T h e s e all, each one of
knees and other joints feel a little stiff." I
them, is a Buddha, but t h e y just do not
never used to d o any meditation at "that
k n o w it. If t h e y w o u l d only k n o w that they
time. But I k n o w n o w that it was these
are Buddhas, always, there will b e n o p r o -
w o r d s w h i c h kept m e on the Surya Namas-
blem ! ! "
kars and led m e t o daily meditation.
Of course, all this happened nearly 30
years ago and it is o n l y n o w after a long H o w can one speak of Bhagavan, w h e n
period of experimentation and e x p e r i e n c e w h a t o n e has to do is to e x p e r i e n c e Silence !
that o n e reaches this understanding. " Awareness is all '.
1

Arunachala

By
A. K. Vatal
Nothing abides,
T h e shapes and dreams of m a n y - s p l e n d o u r e d things,
T i m e - s t r i c k e n ; grasping lives and scented loves,
Desires that garner matter and then swing
T h e trinket w o r l d s around, A l l , pain enclosed —
Since all must end, A stilling sadness rings
T h e streaming m o v e m e n t . W h a t e v e r comes, goes.
Nothing abides.

T h o u alone abide,
O Arunachala Siva
O p e n to all hearts. L a m b e n t grace and peace
And mounded benediction! T h y rocks w r o u g h t
F r o m Stillness. T h y luminous caves e'er seek
T h e star-linked souls. T h o u guide to those w h o sought
S u p r e m e Enlightenment. E'en t h e G o d s cease —
But T h o u , T h o u alone abide !
 152
IN THIS YOUR NOTHING I FIND MY ALL
" D U R E Being is transcendental. That means
the I is outside the realm of conceptual
thought ( a t a k k a v a c a r a ) . If our I, e v e n
prior to death, is atakkavacara then the
question : " what w i l l h a p p e n to m e after
death ? " is, metaphysically and logically,
unaskable. T h e k n o w l e d g e of the ontological
constitution of m y I cannot b e of additional
but only of the residuary-legatee t y p e . S u p -
pose I want m o r e space in m y r o o m then I
cannot fetch it f r o m outside as I could a
chair. I can o n l y have m o r e space in m y
r o o m b y r e m o v i n g the objects already there
until only p u r e space (as a kind of residuary
legatee) remains. T h e discarding of all
thoughts, all signs, all characteristics reveals
P u r e Being. Having no distinctive traits it
is hardly distinguishable f r o m its opposite,
Non-Being. T h e important point is that P u r e
Being is something m o r e than a m e r e sum
of all things having Being, just as Being is
something m o r e than the total of all things
in existence. H e r e Jean Gebser has coined
an important term, systase. It means! a c o n -
vergence of a series of perceptions into a
unity that is greater than t h e sum of its
parts ; an integrated w h o l e is supposed to
h a v e a m o r e c o m p l e x Being. A n integral
insight Into systase gives us according to
Gebser, synairese. T h i s means an -insight
into the reality of Being through the a c q u i -
sition of a n e w kind of consciousness ; this
intensified consciousness n e e d not b e m y s t i -
cal. A c c o r d i n g to Gebser all things are t r a n s -
parent the m o m e n t w e perceive them in their
essential wholeness (Ganzhebt). It is n o t
indispensable to b e a mystic to p e r c e i v e that
w e live in a transparent w o r l d ; the essen-
tial reality reveals itself to mystics and n o n -
mystics alike. This revelation of t r a n s -
parence is called diaphanierung w h i c h means
here the perception of t h e presence of a n y -
thing simultaneously i n all its aspects b o t h
past and present. This is t h e official o n t o -
l o g y of the expressionist school o n the C o n -
July
By
P. J . S A H E R
tinent and, is as such also called expression
nistische phaenomenologie.
A similar o n t o l o g y is to b e found in
chassidism, the East-European m o v e m e n t of
Jewish religious revival w h i c h started at the
beginning of the eighteenth century and
whose exponent was the late Martin B u b e r .
A central idea of chassidism is the unity of
G o d and Nature. T h e ablest exponent of this
v i e w w a s the Maggid v o n Mesertisch t o
w h o m all p h e n o m e n a are so m a n y dresses
put on b y divinity. T h e G o d h e a d is the
inmost essence of all things, even those w e
otherwise c o n d e m n as filth. T h e devotee
must, therefore, t r y to see t h r o u g h things
until he perceives their core ; for t h e inmost
core of all things is divine. T h e innermost
Being of all existence is G o d . That is also
the o n t o l o g y of Vedanta and Taoism,
T h e secret of immortality is the insight
that Being transcends T i m e . W h a t is t h e
correlation b e t w e e n Being and T i m e ? — a n d
h o w does it affect our attitude to death ?
That has b e e n the main content of Western
philosophy as represented b y H e i d e g g e r and
of Indian philosophy as represented b y Radha-*
krishnan. F o r Heidegger, all existence is
in b o n d a g e to T i m e . This gives rise to the
radical insecurity of being w h i c h plagues
m a n in the f o r m of the fear that death c o u l d
at any t i m e upset his p r o g r a m m e . But this
insecurity should goad us into discovering
the immortal i n us. A s Dr. Radhakrishnan
puts i t : " I n t h e uncertainty of life w e feel
a distant certainty through w h i c h alone this
uncertainty is m a d e possible."
T h e angst of the existentialists can b e
conquered b y a direct e x p e r i e n c e of the
unchanging element of P u r e Being through
a process similar t o w h a t St. T h o m a s
Aquinas called cognito del experimentalis.
In such a direct experience m a n realizes
1970 MONKEY CANTO OF THE RAMAYANA OF TULSIDAS 153

that : ' time is not all, that death is not all, principle is the defeat o f death and the
that it is possible to circumvent t h e time renewal of life. W h e n the spirit is affirmed,
process \ Faith in such a n o n - o b j e c t dread is annulled.

T h e Monkey Canto of the Ramayana of Tulsidas

By
Kamta Charan Shrivatsava

(We give below the translation of a passage from the Kishkinda Kanda of
Ramacharitamanasa, otherwise known as Tulsi Ramayana. It is a rainy day in
Kishkinda, the land of the monkeys. Sri Rama has crowned Sugriva king of
the monkeys and in a mood of relaxation addresses his younger brother,
Lakshmana. The observations are profound and similes drawn from nature make
them more interesting.)

Thunderous clouds thick in the heavens detonate

M y heart is all a - t r e m b l e b y love's absence desolate.
T h e lightning-flash does not in the clouds remain.
Ill-endures like the l o v e of ignoble m e n .
T h e clouds earth-prone b r e a k into rain
G i v e in like the wise w h e n t h e y k n o w l e d g e gain.
T h e assaults of the rain-drops the hills endure
A s saints the vituperations of the impure.
T h e rain-swollen streams with an abandon go
L i k e the i l l - b r e d w h e n a little wealth they k n o w .
Water puddles m i x e d with earth foul and m u d d y b e c o m e
A s the souls to illusion's enticements s u c c u m b
T h e drops of water swelling into tanks
A s virtues c o m e to the noble ranks.
T h e waters of the rivers to the sea course
Rest there like the soul without remorse.
Grass c r o w d i n g o n the green earth confounds the w a y
L i k e contentious h y p o c r i s y over-laying what the scriptures say.
T h e frogs all around please with their croaking note
A s b o y s intoning the Vedas in groups b y rote.
M a n y a tree n e w leaves accretes
L i k e the initiate's heart w h e n it discrimination greets.
' A r k and f. J a w a s ' hot weather plants lose their leaves
f

A s in k i n g d o m s w e l l ruled evil nothing achieves

N o dust the eye of search can see
A s w h e r e obtains fell anger n o virtue can ever b e .
With crops rich-blest the earth in g l o r y shines
L i k e the o p u l e n c e of the benevolent w h i c h to others inclines.
T h e g l o w w o r m s in clusters the dark nights c r o w d
A s though in session sit the p r o u d .
Bounds and bridges break d o w n b y the long h e a v y rains
A s w h e n free w o m e n go w r o n g if nothing restrains.
Skilful farmers are ridding their fields of all w e e d s
A s wise m e n folly, passion and pride with their deeds.
 1 5 4
July

YOGA VASISHTA SARA 1

THE ESSENCE OF YOGA VASISHTA ......

Based on a translation made by S W A M ! S U R E S A N A N D A

CHAPTER VII

(METHOD OF PURIFICATION)

1. O Raghava, b e o u t w a r d l y active but

inwardly inactive, o u t w a r d l y a doer but i n -
w a r d l y a non-doer, and thus p l a y y o u r part
in the w o r l d .

2. O Raghava, abandon all desires i n -

wardly, b e free f r o m attachments and latent
impressions, do everything o u t w a r d l y and
thus p l a y y o u r part in the w o r l d .

3. O Raghava, adopt a comprehensive

v i e w , characterised b y t h e abandonment of
all objects of contemplation, live in y o u r
innate Self, liberated e v e n while alive
(jivanmukta), and thus play v o u r part in
the w o r l d .

4. B u r n the forest of duality with the fire

of the conviction, ' I am the one P u r e
C o n s c i o u s n e s s ' and remain happy.

5. Y o u are b o u n d firmly on all sides b y

the idea, ' I am the b o d y '. Cut that b o n d
b y the s w o r d of k n o w l e d g e ' I am Conscious-
ness ' and be happy.

6. Discarding the attachment to non-Self,

regarding the w o r l d as a partless ( w h o l e )
concentrated and with attention turned i n -
ward remain as pure Consciousness.

7. Remain always as pure Consciousness

10. Eliminate one concept b y another and
which is y o u r constant ( t r u e ) nature b e y o n d
the m i n d b y the m i n d and abide in the Self.
the states of w a k i n g , dream and deep sleep.
Is this so difficult, O H o l y m a n ?
8. O m i g h t y - a r m e d , b e always free f r o m
11. Sever the m i n d , w h i c h has on account
mental concepts like the heart of a r o c k
of its cares b e c o m e red hot, with the m i n d
though not insentient like it.
w h i c h is like iron sharpened b y the study
9. D o not be that w h i c h is understood, n o r of scriptures.
the o n e w h o understands. A b a n d o n all c o n -
cepts and remain what y o u are. i Continued from our last issue.
1970 MOTHER AND FATHER

12. O Raghava, what have y o u to do with called avidya (nescience) appears v e r y real
this inert and d u m b b o d y ? W h y do y o u to them (lit. struts about b e f o r e t h e m ) .
feel helpless and miserable b y j o y s and
sorrows o n account of it ? 16. It is again strange that w h i l e the
S u p r e m e Brahman is forgotten b y m e n t h e
13. W h a t a vast difference b e t w e e n t h e idea ' this is m i n e ' called avidya is firmly
flesh, b l o o d , etc ( c o m p o s i n g the b o d y ) and held b y them (lit. strongly confronts t h e m ) .
y o u the e m b o d i m e n t of consciousness ! Even
after k n o w i n g this w h y do y o u not abandon 17. W h e n y o u do y o u r w o r k do it w i t h -
the idea of Self in this b o d y ? out attachment e v e n as a crystal w h i c h
reflects the o b j e c t s b e f o r e it (but is not
14. T h e m e r e k n o w l e d g e that this b o d y is affected b y t h e m ) .
like a piece of w o o d or a clod of earth
enables one to realize the S u p r e m e Self. 18. T h e conviction that everything is
Brahman leads one to Liberation. There-
15. H o w strange that, w h i l e the real fore reject entirely the idea of duality w h i c h
Brahman is forgotten b y m e n , the unreal is ignorance. R e j e c t it entirely.

M o t h e r and Father

By
Muruganar

Mother He is and father too,

A p t for e v e r y kind of kinship,
Y e s , apt and m o r e than apt.
He is the w o m b f r o m w h i c h are b o r n
A l l m o v i n g things and things unmoving.
Dear child He is and cherished wealth,
Rich learning, w i s d o m ripe ;
Blessed b y the mouths that daily chant
V e d i c hymns to m i g h t y Rudra,
H e dwells in the mind's e y e
A n d the bright u n b r o k e n sky,
T h e light of lights that-shines within
T h e deep heart's core ;
Venkata,
A l l in O n e and One in all,
T r u e seer in w h o m all T r u t h is seen,
Merciful, liberal giver of grace
Miraculously strong to save.
Y e s , He is Mother and Father too.
 July
156

MODERN SCIENCE AND SELF-KNOWLEDGE

By
Sqn. Ldr. N. V A S U D E V A N

QRI R A M A N A M A H A R S H I v e r y rarely
referred to m o d e r n science. It m a y b e
because most devotees sought Sri B h a g a -
van's guidance to clear their doubts on the
traditional w i s d o m of religious teachings as
they understood them. W h a t e v e r the ques-
tions and h o w e v e r they w e r e put to him, his
answers w e r e always c o n d u c i v e to creating
the quest of the Self and thereby turning
people inwards towards the Self. It is
illuminating to note that Sri Bhagavan's
answers to questions on m o d e r n sciences
w e r e homing beacons to S e l f - k n o w l e d g e .

A y o u n g science graduate asked Sri Bha^

gavan about " the blank wall of ignorance "
w h i c h the scientist encounters while s e a r c h -
ing for the ultimate truth of the universe.
( S e e Chapter 3 of Maha Yoga). Before c o n -
sidering Sri Bhagavan's answer let us
e x a m i n e the scientist's predicament.

T h e scientist's conception of substance is

o n l y ' c o n c r e t e ' so long as he does not
analyse it. For a long time, he thought that
the * c o n c r e t e ' and the ' r e a l ' w e r e almost
s y n o n y m o u s until he began to realize that
m a n y of the supposed attributes of the
substance w e r e m e r e projections of his o w n
sense impressions outwards into the external
world. H e has chased the solid substance
f r o m the elements to the atom. T h e atom is
not left in p e a c e until it is split into electrons
and protons. A n d behold the fascinating
spectacle n o w ! T h e protons remain in the
centre, w h i l e the electrons escape f r o m the
orbit of o n e atom to that of another,
" sometimes b y steps, sometimes with a rush,
caught in a cul-de-sac of meta-stability,
hesitating b e f o r e forbidden passages." S o m e -
thing similar to a scene during the annual
festival in a t e m p l e in Kerala. Save, of
course, this difference, t h e presiding deity
within the atom is b e y o n d scientific d i s c e r n -
ment.
What should the scientist do ? Sit back and
silently p r a y :
From the unreal lead me to the real,
From darkness lead me to light,
From death lead me to immortality !
Oh, yes, the scientist did m a k e an earnest
effort to find out what is real. T h e quest for
the real continues unabated. M o r e about
space is k n o w n ; a listening w a t c h is kept
in the U.S.A. in w h a t is assumed to b e the
natural f r e q u e n c y of the Universe expecting
intelligence f r o m outer space ; shortly w e
m a y e x p l o r e and exploit the m o o n and
planets. But w e are unlikely to k n o w the
truth about Reality. For, w e k n o w already,
thanks to Einstein, that space " means
nothing apart f r o m our perception of objects
and time means nothing apart f r o m our
experience of events. S p a c e begins to appear
m e r e l y as a fiction created b y our o w n
minds . . . " ( F r o m * the New Background
1970 M O D E R N SCIENCE A N D SELF-KNOWLEDGE 157

of Science' b y Sir James J e a n s ) . A n d what in p u r e Being or Consciousness or Self. A t

about objects themselves ? T h e y are e q u a l - its m a x i m u m resonance the m i n d subsides
l y fictitious creations of our minds. A n e l e c - completely in p u r e Consciousness. This is
tron or p r o t o n m a y m e r e l y be " a region " S e l f - k n o w l e d g e , or k n o w l e d g e of Reality.
f r o m w h i c h e n e r g y m a y radiate . . . to put
it bluntly something u n k n o w n is doing w e T h e great Ramana says : " T h e Self,
don't k n o w w h a t / w h i c h is k n o w l e d g e , is t h e only Reality.
K n o w l e d g e of multiplicity is false k n o w -
N o w let us consider Sri Bhagavan's r e p l y ledge. This false k n o w l e d g e , w h i c h is really
to the science graduate. H e said that w h e n ignorance, cannot exist apart f r o m t h e Self,
one seeks to k n o w anything other than o n e - w h i c h is K n o w l e d g e - R e a l i t y . T h e variety of
self without caring t o k n o w the truth of gold ornaments is unreal since n o n e of them
oneself, the k n o w l e d g e o n e obtains cannot can exist without the gold of w h i c h they are
possibly b e right k n o w l e d g e . (Maha Ydga, all m a d e . "
Ch. 3 ) .
V e r y well, the m o d e r n science has r e c o g - " I f the first person, 1 \ exists, then the
1

nised the mind as a w o r k e r of illusion. W h e n second and third persons, ' y o u ' and h e ' ,
1

does the m i n d w e a v e fanciful images ? W h e n will also exist. B y enquiring into the nature
it emerges through the brain and the senses. of the I, the I perishes. W i t h it ' y o u ' and
In that m o d e , t h e gross names and forms are ' ' h e ' also perish. T h e resultant state w h i c h
cognized. Since it cannot r e m a i n steady at shines as absolute Being is one's natural
this m o d e ( f o r instance deep s l e e p ) , it is not state, the Self."
its natural m o d e ; to put it scientifically, it
" T o those w h o h a v e not realized the Self
is not in its resonant state.
as w e l l as to those w h o have, the w o r l d is
T o bring the m i n d to its m a x i m u m reson- real. But to those w h o h a v e not realized
ance, it should b e m a d e to function at its ( l i k e the m o d e r n scientist, for e x a m p l e )
m o d e of least " r e s i s t i v i t y " . Since e v e r y Truth is adapted to the measure of the world,
thought can occur o n l y after the rise of the whereas to those that h a v e Truth shines as
" I " thought, this thought can w e l l serve as the formless perfection and as the Substra-
the triggering pulse to take the mind to its tum of the world. This is all the difference
resonant state. In this state the m i n d inheres between t h e m . "

OUR NEXT ISSUE

It is proposed t o ' devote the next issue of The Mountain Path

(October, 1970) exclusively to the memory of Arthur Osborne, with
special articles on him. Excerpts from Mr. Osborne's writings will also
be reprinted.
 /

158 July

108 NAMES OF SRI BHAGAVAN

The 108 names in praise of Sri Bhagavan given below were composed by Sri
Visvanathan (introduced to our readers in our issue of January 1967). They
are chanted daily at the Samadhi Shrine of; Sri Bhagavan during the pujas along
with offerings of flowers. The English version is based upon translations made by
Dr. T. M. P. Mahadevan and Sri Viswanathan Irmrelf;

1. Mahdsena mahomsena jdtah

Born of the effulgence of Mahasena
( S u b r a h m a n y a , foremost of jnanis)
2. Sri Ramanti
Sri Ramana ( O n e w h o delights in his
o w n Self)
3. Guruh
Revealer of the ultimate reality.
4. Akhanda samviddkdrah
A w a r e n e s s absolute
5. Mahoujah
Of great spiritual brilliance
6. Karanodbhavah
Born with a purpose
7. Jagadditavatdrah
W h o s e advent is for the welfare of
the w o r l d 16. Mahdsaktinipdtena prabuddhah
8. Sri Bhumindthasthaldttitah W h o got awakened b y the descent of
Born at the holy place of Bhuminatha Grace
( n a m e of &iva at Tiruchuzhi) 17. Paramdrthavit
9. Pardsarakulottamah W h o thereby recognized the ultimate
Scion of the line of Parasara reality
10. Sundardryatapah Phalam 18. Tivrdh
Fruition of the austerities of the n o b l e Alert
Sundaram Iyer 19. Pitrupaddnveshi
11. Kamaniya sucharitrah W h o searched for his Father ( A r u n a -
Of charming, benevolent w a y s chala — Siva)
12. Sahdydmba sdhuyavdn 20. Indumoulina pitrumdn
W h o had the grace of mother S a h a y a - W h o s e Father was crescent-crested
valli ( N a m e of Sakti at Tiruchizhi) Siva
13. SondchalamahoUnarrvdnCisah 21. Piturddeiatah Sona Sailam pmptah
W h o s e mind was m e r g e d in the light Who reached Arunachala at the
of Arunachala behest of his Father
14. Svarnahcmtakdh 22. Tapdmayah
T h e one w h o s e palms bear auspicious G l o w i n g with tapas. (Attunement
marks with the D i v i n e )
15. sreemad dwadamnta mahasthale 23. Uddseenah
labdha vidyddayah Indifferent (to everything m u n d a n e )
W h o got illumined at the Great H o l y 24. Mahd Yogi
P l a c e Dwadasantha (12th Centre of Great Y o g i (Established in Maha
Shakti, i.e. M a d u r a i ) Yoga)
1970 108 N A M E S OF SRI B H A G A V A N 159

25. Mahotsdhah . ' 45. Paramdchdryah

Of great enthusiasm T h e great Preceptor
26. Kusdgradhih 46. Suprasannah
Of v e r y sharp intellect (as sharp as V e r y gracious
the tip of a blade of kusa grass) 47. Abhayapradah
27. Santa sankalpa samrambhah R e m o v e r of fear
In w h o m all turbulence of thought 48. Dakshindsyanibhah
was set at rest W h o resembles Dakshinamurti
28. Susandrik 49. Dheerah
Of auspicious clear vision Personification of dignity (the H e r o )
29. Savitd 50. Dakshindbhimukhah
Sun of awareness Facing South ( o r gracious to the
30. Sthirah earnest)
Established (in the Self of all) 51. Svardt
31. Tapah kshapita sarvdngah Self-luminous
W h o s e b o d y was emaciated b y the 52. Maharshih
rigour of tapas Great Seer
32. Phulldmbuja vildchanah 53. Bhagavdn
Whose eyes were blooming like A b o d e of auspiciousness
lotuses ( T h e one with lotus eyes in 54. idyah
bloom) Adorable.
33. Chandrikdsita ham sree manditdnana 55. Bhumdvidyd visdradah
mandalah Seer of B h u m a ( B r a h m a ) V i d y a
W h o s e f a c e shone with a beautiful 56. Vimalah
m o o n - l i k e smile Immaculate
34. Chutavdtydm mmaseenah 57. Dirgha darsi
W h o sat peacefully in the m a n g o tree Of vision u n h a m p e r e d
grove 58. Aptah
35. Churnitdkhila vibhramah Ever-present friend
W h o had destroyed all infatuation 59. Rijumdrga Pradarsakah
36. V e d a Veddnta tatvajna Revealer of the straight path
T h e k n o w e r of the T r u t h of V e d a and 60. Samadrik
Vedanta Seer of the same (in all, the one with
37. Chinmudri equal v i s i o n )
W h o revealed Reality in silence ( T h e 61. Satyadrik
one with the chinmudra) Seer of reality
38. Trigunatigah
62. Satyah
Who had transcended the three
Reality itself
gunas
63. Prasantah
39. Virupdksha guhavasah
Established in supreme peace
D w e l l e r in the Virupaksha cave
64. Amita vikramah
40. Virdjadachalakritih
Of prowess unlimited
Of resplendent peaceful f o r m
65. Sukumdrah
41. Uddeeptanayanah
T h e o n e of beautiful f o r m
With shining eyes
42. Purnah 66. Sadanandah
All-pervading Ever blissful.
43. Rachitdchala tdndavah 67. Mridu bhdshi
Motionless dancer Of sweet and soft speech
44. Gambheerah 68. Daydrnavah
Of great depth Ocean of G r a c e
160 THE MOUNTAIN PATH July

69. Sri sondchala hridbhuta Skanddsrama 87. Pdvakojjvalah

nikhetanah Resplendent like fire
W h o d w e l t in Skandashram, heart of 88. Darsanddaghasamhdri
Arunachala R e m o v e r of evil b y a glance
70. Saddarsandpadeshtd 89. Mounena svdtma bodhakah
Teacher of Existence A b s o l u t e (Sad- R e v e a l e r of the Self in silence
Darsana) 90. Hrichchdntikara sdnnidhyah
W h o s e v e r y presence brings peace
71. Sadbhakta brinda parivritah
91. Smarandd bandha mochakah
Surrounded b y earnest devotees
W h o s e r e m e m b r a n c e cuts asunder all
72. Ganesa munibhringena sevitdnghri
bonds
sardruhah 92. Antasthimira chanddmsuh
W h o s e lotus feet w e r e sought b y the T h e Sun annihilating all darkness
Ascetic Poet Ganapathi M u n i 93. Samsdrdrnava tdrakah
73. Gitdpadesa sdrddi grantha sumchinna W h o m a k e s the sea of transmigration
samsayah fordable
Dispeller of all doubts through his 94. Sdnadreesd stuti drashta
teaching such as ' T h e Essence of T h e seer w h o composed the hymns in
the Gitaj' praise of Arunachala
74. Varndsrama matdtitah 95. Hdrda Vidyd Prakdsakah
W h o had transcended all distinctions Revealer of the w i s d o m in the Heart
of varna and asrama (stages in 96. Avichyuta nija prajnah
life) W h o does not s w e r v e f r o m A w a r e n e s s
75. Rasajnah Absolute
K n o w e r of the Essence 97. Naisarcfika malm tapah
Of spontaneous inherence in the Self
76. Soumyah
98. Kamandalu dharah
Benevolent
Bearer of a Kamandalu (ascetic's
77. Atmavan
water-pot)
W h o had gained the Self
99. Subhra koupina vasanah
78. Sarvdvanimatasthdndm dradhyah W h o wears a mere l o i n - c l o t h
A d o r e d b y the votaries of all faiths 100. Guhah
79. Sarvasadguni D w e l l e r in the cave of the Heart
Embodiment of all auspicious traits (Subrahmanya)
( g o o d qualities) 101. Dandapdnih
80. Atmdramah Bearer of the staff ( o f j n a n a )
W h o revels in the Self 102. Kripdpurnah
81. Mahdbhdgah Full of Grace.
Of natural greatness 103. Bhawroga bhishagvctrah
Physician healing the disease of p r i -
82. Mdtru mukti vidhdyakah
m e v a l nescience
Liberator of his m o t h e r (from the
104. Skanddh
cycle of births)
T h e manifestation of Siva ( S k a n d a )
83. Vinatah
105. Devdtmah
Utterly h u m b l e
T h e supreme shining o n e
84. Vinutdh 106. Amartyah
Glorified b y all Immortal
85. Viprah 107. Sendnih
Seer-sage L e a d e r of the h o s t s — ( S u b r a h m a n y a )
86. Munindrah 108. Purushottamah
L o r d of Munis Supreme Person
 003
5> 3

SRI RUDRAM

(Continued from our last issue)

to
SECTION III

Repeated prostrations to the subduer of foes, the

smiter of foes, the foremost among those w h o smite
their foes.
Repeated prostrations to the exalted one, the
wearer of the sword.
Repeated prostrations to Thee ;that appearest as
those w h o bear arms and those w h o bear b o w s .
Repeated prostrations to Thee that appearest as
those w h o string their b o w s and those w h o place
arrows on their b o w s .
Repeated prostrations to T h e e that appearest as
those w h o pull the b o w string and those w h o shoot
arrows.
TO
Repeated prostrations to T h e e that appearest as
those w h o shoot at targets, and those w h o split the
targets.
Repeated prostrations to T h e e that appearest as
those w h o are seated and those w h o are lying d o w n .
Repeated prostrations to T h e e that appearest as
those w h o are asleep and those w h o are a w a k e .
Repeated prostrations to T h e e that appearest as
those w h o are standing and those w h o are running.
Repeated prostrations to T h e e that appearest as
those w h o are in assemblies and those w h o are the
heads of assemblies.
Repeated prostrations to T h e e that appearest as
horses and as riders of horses.

SECTION IV

Repeated prostrations to T h e e that appearest as 00

the p o w e r f u l Ganas (like the Seven M o t h e r s ) and
the terrific goddesses (like D u r g a ) .
Repeated prostrations to Thee that appearest as an
assembly of various communities and their leader.
Repeated prostrations to T h e e that appearest as
the Ganas ( d i v i n e attendants) and their leader.

4
Repeated prostrations to T h e e that appearest as
shapely and unshapely beings.
162 THE MOUNTAIN PATH July

Repeated prostrations to T h e e that appear- Repeated prostrations to Thee that appear-

est as great m e n and also as m e n of mean est as potters and blacksmiths.
abilities. Repeated prostrations to Thee that a p p e a r -
Repeated prostrations to T h e e that appear- est as hunters w h o catch birds in nets and
est as those w h o ride in chariots and those as fishermen.
without chariots. Repeated prostrations to T h e e that appear-
Repeated prostrations to T h e e that a p p e a r - est as makers of a r r o w s and as m a k e r s of
est as chariots of inferior and the most b o w s .
superior quality among them. Repeated prostrations to T h e e that appear-
Repeated prostrations to T h e e that appear- est as hunters of animals and as those w h o
est as armies and their leaders. lead dogs.
Repeated prostrations to T h e e that appear- Repeated prostrations to T h e e that appear -
est as charioteers and those w h o hold the est as dogs and as those w h o keep dogs.
reins p r o p e r l y (in the right m a n n e r ) .
Repeated prostrations to T h e e that a p p e a r -
est as carpenters and chariot-makers. ( T o be continued)

T h e reason cannot attain to H i m or name Him or k n o w Him . . . nor

can any affirmation or negation b e applied to H i m . . . He transcends all
affirmation as the perfect and u n i q u e Cause of all things, and all n e g a -
tion b y the p r e - e m i n e n c e of His simple and absolute nature, free f r o m
e v e r y limitation and b e y o n d them all.
— The Mystical Theology, Ch. 5.

If, then, a m a n sees himself b e c o m e one with the One, he has in

himself a likeness of the O n e ; and if h e passes out of himself as an
i m a g e to its archtype, he has reached the end of his journey. This m a y
b e called the flight of the alone to t h e A l o n e ,
— PLOTINUS. Enneads VI, 9, 9-11.

*
Our L o r d speaks thus to e v e r y loving soul : " I was made m a n for
y o u r sake. If y o u are not m a d e G o d for m e , y o u w r o n g m e . "
— ECKHART.

A f t e r an experience, for w h i c h w o r d s fail one, a devotee asked

Ramana Maharshi : " H o w can I express m y gratitude to y o u ? " and H e
replied that true gratitude w i l l be s h o w n b y r e m e m b e r i n g the Self as
constantly as possible.
 1970
ADVAITA VEDANTA: A PHILOSOPHICAL
RECONSTRUCTION: By Eliot Deutsch:
East-West Center Press. Price $6.00.
This book is a very valuable addition to the
extant literature bearing on Advaita Vedanta. It
is written with much insight and deep under-
standing. Within the brief compass of just one
hundred and ten pages, it gives a cogent and
clear account of the fundamentals of the system.
The author has drawn from his intensive study
of the great classics like Sri Sankara's commen-
taries on the Upanishads, the Vedanta Sutras,
Sureswara's Naishkarmya Siddhi, Vachaspati's
Bhamati and so forth.
The sub-title describes the book as a * philoso-
phical reconstruction'. The author defines ' r e -
construction ' as ' an effort to formulate syste-
matically one's understanding of what is of uni-
versal philosophical interest.' 'The reconstruc-
tion of Advaita Vedanta that we propose to
undertake' he writes in the Introduction ' is a
recreative presentation of an Eastern philosophy
in which the philosophy is lifted somewhat out
of its historical and traditional context and is
treated as a system of thought and path of spiri-
tual experience capable of being understood by
any student of philosophy.' He is convinced that
the attempt will not distort or modernise the
system.
He adds that the exegetical dimension -of the
Vedanta is of very little importance to Western
students of philosophy who do not accept the
authority of the Veda. Their criterion of philo-
sophical truth is whether a system of thought is
consistent with human experience.
Eschewing, therefore, both Sruti and Anubhava,
the author seeks to present the system as a
purely intellectual one based solely on reason.
Even so, it is quite capable of standing its ground.
Sri Sankara himself has said this in the introduc-
tion he has written to the ' Agama Prakarana ' of
Sri Gaudapada's Mandukya Karika. Herein per-
haps lies the essential soundness of Advaita
Vedanta that it can vindicate itself in three
independent ways. Sruti (Scriptural authority),
163
Yukti
mm(logical analysis), or Anubhava (experi-
ence), any one of these by itself is quite sufficient
to support it. Sri Sankara has shown that Sruti by
itself or yukti by itself can place the system on an
unassailable basis. The experience of Sri Rama-
krishna Paramahamsa and Sri Ramana Maharshi
have proved conclusively that Advaita Vedanta
is the clumination of pure, unsophisticated
Anubhava.
Besides the Introduction, the book consists of
eight chapters. The concept of Brahman, both
Nirguna and Saguna, is set forth in the firstt chap-,
ter. The levels of being or orders of reality,
paramartika (absolute), vyavaharika (conven-
tional) and pratibhasika (illusory), together with
the criterion employed in the division are explain-
ed in the second. The relation between Brahman
and the world is discussed in the third. Brahman
and the world belong to two different orders of
being and consequently there can be no causal
relation between them. The world, therefore, is
neither a product nor a manifestation of Brahman
but a superimposition on it due to foundational
ignorance. When we rise to true enlightenment
the world will simply disappear leaving intact its
'substratum, namely, Brahman. By the interpre-
tation of the Mahavakya Tat Tvam Asi' and the
6
analysis of the states of waking, dream, dream-
less sleep and Turiya, the author shows that the
finite self (jiva) is in essence non-different from
Brahman. All this is explained in Chapter IV.
Karma and the allied doctrines of transmigration
are set forth in the next chapter. In the author's
opinion, both are undemonstrable by any of the
pramanas (valid means of knowledge). They are
to be treated as a convenient fiction' which is
1
however useful in explaining the inequalities of
life. Advaita Epistemology and Logic, form the
topic of Chapter VI. The ethical discipline neces-
sary to attain the elightenment is set forth in the
seventh. The last chapter gives some account
of the path of knowledge and the nature of
release.
At the end of the study, one's feeling is that
it is undoubtedly a very profitable one, though
 164 THE MOUNTAIN PATH July

one misses some very important topics like the In the second course of lectures the main aim
Advaita Theory of Error, the impossibility of of the author is to give the direct lie to Christian
Janaka-Karma-Samucchaya and the compatibility missionaries who used to criticise Hindu Ethics as
of the operation of Prarabdha Karma even in the world-negating and consequently being indifferent
state of Jivanmukti. These topics are quite rele- to human suffering and neglecting social service.
vant to the main theme of Advaita Vedanta and To prove his contention the author draws freely
hence cannot be dismissed as having an exegeti- from the Vedas, the Upanishads, the Git a, the
cal or historical importance only. Ramayana, the Mahabharata, the Puranas and so
With regard to the author's distrust of Sruti as forth. He concludes by drawing pointed atten-
a pramana, closer examination will show that tion to the relief work carried on by the Rama-
there is nothing either illogical or dogmatic in krishna Mission and the liberation movement of
accepting it. The eternal verities, as they occurred Mahatma Gandhi.
to the purified mind of the sages of the past, are Some repetitions are noticeable in the book.
enshrined in it. They are demonstrable in the Many misprints in the book could have been
experience of sadhakas. avoided.
And again in Page 104 he writes : e
Sadhana As a source-book, it is highly valuable.
Chatushtaya is clearly not one that any merely
M. K. VENKATARAMA IYER.
rational person can follow Advaita Vedanta is
clearly aristocratic in its contention that truth or
THE PHILOSOPHY OF SWAMI RAMATIRTHA :
genuine knowledge is available only to the few
By H. Maheshwari, M.A., Ph.D. P u b : M/s
who are willing and able to undertake all the
Shivalal Agarwala & Company, Agra-3. Pp. 192.
arduous demands that its quest entails.' Here
Price : Rs. 15.00.
again we cannot agree with the author. The
central contention of Advaita Vedanta, as of the The philosophy of Swami Rama Tirtha is
Upanishads, is that absolute liberation or Moksha Advaita Vedanta. But for him this philosophy
is the birthright of all. But no one can expect was not a system of ideas. Advaita Vedanta of
it to be served to him on a silver platter. One Rama Tirtha was an awareness in the depth of
must deserve it. Discipline and effort are there- his being to which he responded with lyrical
fore necessary. It is no doubt arduous but the ecstasy and in terms of which he attempted to
prize is very great. live his daily life. Dr. Maheshwari has done well
On the whole, the book is very informative and by giving a biography of Rama Tirtha as an
deserves careful study. The printing and the get- introduction to his philosophy.
up are very attractive. Some misprints have The premonistic name of the Swami was Tirtha
remained undetected. Rama. He was born in 1873 in a Go sain family in
the Punjab. Struggling hard against poverty in
HINDU IDEALS: By K. Balasubramania Iyer. his school life and early college period, he passed
Pub: Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay-7. his B.A. examination in 1893. He stood first in
Pages 103-f-xiv. Price : Rs. 2.50. the first class, and was awarded scholarships with
This book is a reprint of two courses of lec- the help of which he prosecuted his M.A. studies
tures delivered by the author under two endow- in Mathematics in the Government College,
ments of the Madras University. The first course Lahore. At this time he practised ascetic disci-
relates to the Purusharthas as understood and pline to which he had shown leanings since his
elaborated by the ancient Hindu thinkers and the boyhood, and started studying Hindu scriptures.
second to ' Humanitarian Ideals/ In the first He also read Hafiz an Sadi in the original Persian.
course of lectures the author defines the term Having been admitted to the M.A. degree in
Purushartha, mentions their number and brings 1895 he joined the staff of the Forman Christian
out the sequence underlying the order in which College as Professor of Mathematics. In 1897 he
they are stated. He explains that dharma and met the Sankaracharya of Dwaraka Peetha and
artha are sadhana purusharthas. Proceeding he received from him his initiation into Advaita
says that while artha and kama are subservient Vedanta. He now took to Vedantic studies, aim-
to dharma, dharma itself is preliminary to Moksha ing at " the realisation of his own inner God-
which is the summum bonum of human endeav- head." Soon after he met Sri Swami Vivekananda,
ours. Apt though exclusive quotations are given disciple of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa (not
from a very wide range of literature, Sanskrit, Swami Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, as the author
Tamil and English. A little more independent says on p. 1), who had addressed the Parliament
exposition would have been welcome. of Religions in U.S.A. in 1893 as a Hindu
1970 BOOK REVIEWS 165

delegate. In 1898 Tirtha Rama formed an associa- mere rational approach. He takes not of the differ-
tion with Vedantic studies as its main activity. ent facets of the Swami's personality. «' His
Next year he joined the staff of the Government sadhana ", he says, is not an exclusive practice with*
Oriental College, Lahore. Here he exerted much ascetic privations or other worldly concentrations,
influence on others. In 1901 he became a sannyasin, but a sincere and truthful undertaking for a total
and inverted his name from Tirtha Rama to self-culture aiming at spiritual self-perfection"
Rama 'Tirtha. He now began to speak in religious which, besides discriminative knowledge, includes
conferences as a preacher of Vedanta. In 1902 he moral purity, catholicity of the heart, good acts,
visited Japan and addressed meetings. After a devotion, love and self-transcendence, (p. 183).
time he left for U.S.A. without any plan. There, The author deserves congratulations for his
having stayed for some time with an Indian resi- exhaustive study of much of the available mate-
dent, he lived as a guest of an American who rial and the conclusions he has drawn from it.
became attached to him, and stayed in the States
for a year and half more. He was regarded as a SOME ASPECTS OF SUN WORSHIP IN
' living Christ' by suffering people who received ANCIENT INDIA: By Kalyan Kumar Gan-
surprising cure for their ailments from him. He guli, M.A., Premchand Raychand Scholar,
lectured at universities, churches and other insti- D.Phil. Pub.: Abhedananda Academy of
tutions, on Vedanta, and was highly appreciated. Culture, Calcutta-5, 1965. Pp. 60. Price: Rs. 10.
He returned to India in 1904 and took to silent The author says : " I have felt that the Vedic and
contemplation. He thought of reconstructing post-Vedic religious orders have not been studied
Indian life on a universal basis and planned his in a proper manner and in their true perspec-
magnum opus on the Veda and Vedanta philo- tive." This, he thinks, has " l e d to misconceptions
sophy. But his life was cut short by drowning in about the evolution of traditional religious ideas
the Ganges while bathing (17th October 1906). from the time of the Rigveda right upto the
Vedanta philosophy came to Rama Tirtha as present". But his own * proper manner' does not
the fulfilment of his emotional cravings and appear to be quite academic. For instance, his
spiritual aspirations and gave him a dynamic opinion that the Rigveda was a document orga-
H

purpose in life and an optimistic attitude to it. nised or collected under the behest of some
f<< When viewed from the stand-point of God-self ", persons for some purpose of their o w n " needs
he has said, *' the whole world becomes an effu- more than a bare statement to make it acceptable.
sion of Beauty, expression of joy, outpouring of In the book there are several such statements
bliss." (p. 50). Dr. Maheshwari finds in Rama including the following: " T h e Bull was held in
Tirtha a sort of reconciliation between Sankara's veneration by the Harappans " and also by •*'• the
and Ramanuja's concepts of Advaita philosophy: Vedic Indians ", and '* in the Rigveda itself Surya
" His absolutism involves Sankara-Mayawada is mentioned in a number of hymns as the most
even though his mysticism breathes Ramanuja- exultant Deity who manifests himself as the sun".
Lilavada. The world, consequently, from the Some of his readers may expect the learned
ontological point of view is false, and the world author to write another book in which his thesis
as manifestation is divine" . (p. 57). will receive more convincing support from the
Similarly Rama Tirtha finds the Supreme Self material on which it is based.
(Atman) behind the empirical self. So he sings : PROF. A. C. BOSE.
"Divinity is the synonym of my true Self. What
a vision ! What a truth, what a grand f a c t ! " JOURNEYS IN BELIEF: Edited by Bernard
(p. 67). He also realises that according to Dixon; Pub.: George Allen and Unwin Ltd.,
Vedanta, «* God, the Governing Law without, and London. Pp. 239. Price in U.K. 28s nett.
Self the impelling force within, are the same ". This book which is a record of religious experi-
(p. 81). The Swami stresses the universality of ences and changes in beliefs of a number of
Vedanta as religion by saying that, unlike the people highlights their inherent hunger for truth,
religions which go after the teachings of indivi- or God and that men are not satisfied to live by
duals, <' Vedanta has no affiliation to a person or "bread alone ". It seeks expression in intellec-
a teacher or a sect, etc." It is truth, the end of tual analysis and meditation and often in drama-
knowledge. It is universal truth and not a mono- tic conversions. Particularly interesting is the
poly of a particular religion — " truth that could case of Douglas Hyde who had been an active
be discovered by any one anywhere". (p. 98). communist for a number of years and who had
Dr. Maheshwari's presentation of Swami Rama the courage to admit that he was wrong by
Tirtha as man and as philosopher rightly avoids a exposing the weaknesses and inconsistencies of
166 THE MOUNTAIN
the communist doctrine and to become a
Catholic. The account of the course taken by the
process of change in his basic belief is revealing.
He came to the conclusion from his own experi-
ence that it means mission '* one half of reality "
when one denies the spiritual side of Man and
ignores the Grace of God at work in the world.
Then there is Hector Hawton who broke the bond
binding him to the Catholic church and gives an
equally interesting account of what caused the
erosion of his seemingly so solid and impregnable
faith. He quotes Andrew Boyle, a Catholic
contributor to The God I Want writing : " I would
rather spend eternity in hell than in the company
of a divine sadist capable of consigning any crea-
ture of his to perdition ". This dogma of hell and
perdition has been a stumbling block to many
though by intellectual investigation and reflection
one might discover that it is the state of our
minds which creates for us, heaven and hell.
It is quite fascinating to follow these Journeys
in Belief highlighting this flowing of God to men
and of men to God as for instance in the story
of Richard Acland who writes: " I n trying to
describe it elsewhere, I have said a trumpet blast
from all the orchestra of heaven ; a sudden rush-
ing wind through all the interestices among the
molecules of the body. These are symbolic
approximations. The essentials are that this was
no unreal supposition dreamed up in one's
imagination ; it was a real event, physically felt
by the whole self. The part which is incommuni-
cable is that through such an event Someone/
Something from outside has said : Now, as never
before, you have been touched by Truth. And it
is impossible to doubt it." Such an experience
less fragmentary, steadied by meditation might
reveal the "Someone/Something" not from
outside but coming from the core of our being,
all-pervasive.
GEMS FROM THE TANTRAS (KULARNAVA) :
By M. P. Pandit. Pub,: Ganesh & Co. (Madras)
Private Ltd., Madras-17. Pp. 106. Price: Rs. 6.
Sri M. P. Pandit who has selected these gems
from the Kularnava Tantra is too well known to
the readers of The Mountain Path to need special
introduction.
His scholarship, erudition and devotion to the
task he has undertaken of explaining the delicate
and elusive theme of Tantrism to the prejudiced
modern mind find expression in these eclectic
selections accompanied by English translations
and his lucid commentaries. These selections
represent a more universal aspect of Tantrism of
particular interest to students of Tantra and also
PATH July
to all spiritual seekers who may really find in
them gems lighting up their sadhana.
'"The natural state of communion is the high-
est ; meditation and concentration are the middle ;
japa and chants of praise lower ; ritual and outer
worship are the lowest." (p. 18). This reminds
one of Sri Ramana's verse in Upadesa Samm:
This is certain; worship, incantations and
meditation. are performed respectively with the
body, the voice and the mind and are in this
ascending order of value." (v. 4 ) .
Gems from the Tantras is one more labour of
love on the part of the author.
QUINTESSENCE OF SRI V I D Y A : The Maha-
manustava of Sri T. V. Kapali Sastriar, by S.
Shankaranarayanan. Pub.: Dipti Publications,
Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Pondicherry-2. Pp. 61.
Price: Rs. 6.
Quintessence of Sri Vidya is the title given to
the hymn MahamanUstava consisting of 32 verses
composed by the late Kapali Sastriar, a well-
known Tantrist. Sri Shankaranarayanan has
translated this hymn into English and appended
an explanatory note to each verse. He has also
provided a long introduction explaining the
importance of Sri Vidya in the Tantric discipline.
As stated by Sri M. P. Pandit in his Preface to
the book, the hymn is not only a laudation of
Sri Vidya, which is the Same as the Mother Crea-
trix Lalita Tripurasundari, but shows also the
path that leads to the Truth embodied by her and
the way of treading it. The explanatory notes
help the reader in understanding the fundamental
truth of the essential oneness pervading multi-
plicity to which this Vidya gives expression in the
formlessness and form of the Mother and her
guiding grace. *' It is she (Kamakala) who
reigns as the eternal portion in the microcosm."
EVER OVERFLOWING BUT NOT SPILLING
OUT: By Alone, Pub : Rayrikar & Sons Ltd., 361
Shukravar Peth, Poona-2. Pp. 282. Price : Rs. 5.
Overflowing is synonymous with spilling out
but not so with the author of this book. This
is reflected in the contents also, which follows
naturally ' along the teachings of J. Krishna-
m u r t i I f a man has a following and teaches he
takes on the role of a guru even if he not only
rejects gurus ad hoc but says that they have
brought in all the miseries in this world. One
may get a glimpse of ultimate realization with-
out striving as happened in the case of Tenny-
son and others. Having had such an experience
a man might try desperately to regain it, being
his natural sublime state, but the more he strives
1970 BOOK
the less he is likely to succeed unless he strives*
in the right way along the teachings of a realiz-
ed man, a jnam who can point the way and lead
along the path he has trodden. The mind must
be stilled so that this experience might come again
and be held longer till it can be brought about
at will and till it stabilises itself. Only a true
Guru has the power of infusing Grace for such
striving. Such an experience may be a turning
point for some to start their sadhana in all earnest.
Others consider themselves mistakenly as having
reached the goal. Striving would be an obstacle,
* Just be as you are' is their motto. The trouble
is that we are just as we are with all our limita-
tions and vasanas inherited from countless ages.
They have to be eradicated to still the mind. This
is the greatest effort a human being is capable of.
One state is a reflection of another. Ordinarily
great effort is expended to achieve effortlessness
in limited objects such as sport, music, etc. etc.,
how much more so when the goal is limitless,
the realization of our sublime state veiled only
by ignorance, by our * conditioning'. Our effort
should be to reject our conditioning and ignor-
ance and not the guru who shows us how to do it.
The author with his obviously admirable quali-
ties of heart and so obviously a bhakta confesses
himself also a devotee of Sri Ramana Maharshi
and cannot help speaking of saints and gurus as
' good men ' trying to help. May Sri Ramana's
Grace help him to ' l o o k ' in and find the living
inner guru who is the core of his being and
cannot be rejected. The outer guru can lead to
the inner.
THE ART OF PLAYING MRIDANGAM, A PER-
CUSSION INSTRUMENT IN KARNATAKA
MUSIC : By Kalaisikhamani Tinniam Venkata-
rama Iyer, Bharati Vijayam Press, Triplicane,
Madras-5. (Copies obtainable from the author,
27 Muthukalathi Chetty Street, Triplicane,
Madras-5.) Price: Rs. 6.
Music is called the Ghandarva Veda, the art of
the Gods. There are spiritual sadhanas based
Enlightened m e n differ in their behaviour.
the nature of their fructifying karma ; but there is no difference in their
k n o w l e d g e of A t m a n . T h e sage is not p e r p l e x e d o v e r such a question.
REVIEWS 167
mainly on sound such is its power. Music in the
form of bhajans played a considerable part in the
spiritual life of such sages as Kabir, Thyagaraja,
Mirabai and many more. Rhythmic harmony in
music can be very helpful in stilling the mind,
hence the expression 'breathtaking'. The author
of this book writes lovingly about the mridangam,
an instrument par excellence for enhancing the
value of Karnataka music by providing inspired
rhythmic accompaniment. According to experts
in the field this book gives a clear and easy to
follow systematic description of the traditional
exercises for playing this instrument and should
prove useful to those desiring to acquire this art.
An advanced course will follow inspired by the
encouragement from music lovers. The book has
been well edited by Sri R. Venkatarathnam, a
disciple of the author.
SHAKINAH.
S ANKARA'S CLARIFICATION OF CERTAIN
VEDANTIC CONCEPTS: By Swami Satchi-
danandendra Sarasvati. Pub.: Adhyatma
Prakasha Karyalaya, Holenarsipur (Mysore).
Pp. 107. Price : Rs. 1.50.
In this exposition of certain important concepts
like the Atman, Vidya, Avidya, Maya, Ishvara
etc. the author seeks to prove that commentators
like Vachaspati, Prakashatman and even lumi-
naries like Appaya Dikshitar did not grasp their
connotation correctly. It is an old controversy
what Sankara meant or must have meant and
certainly, the last word has not been said on the
subject.
In describing upasana as « creative imagination *
(p. 103), the writer is less than fair to the disci-
pline of inner culturing that has come to be
designated by that name. One does not imagine
things in this practice ; one develops the cons-
ciousness in such a way that the Reality is either
contacted or realised. It is a concrete growth
towards the Real.
M. P. PANDIT.
This difference is due to
— Panchadasi of V i d y a r a n y a .
 SRI RAMANA AUDITORIUM INAUGURATED
A VERY large gathering of devotees and visitors from all over joined the
functions held on May 3, 1970, the 20th anniversary day of Sri Bhagavan's
Bmhmanvrvana and the two preceding days. The opening function of the Audito-
rium synchronised with the Aradhana Day.
ON the preceding two days Ganapathi
Vasthu Santhi and Navagraha Homam,
Homam,
func-
tions preliminary to the opening of the Auditorium,
were performed. On 3rd May, the Aradhana Day,
the functions commenced with the recital of
" Ramana Sad-Guru" song at 5 a.m. and Tamil
Parayanam. Mahannyasa was commenced and
done as usual. The newly constructed Auditorium
and Meditation Hall in front of Sri Bhagavan's
Shrine was kept closed to be declared open at
9 a.m. by Sri Santananda Swamigal of
Sendhamangalam Avadhuta Swamigal's Adhish-
tanam at Pudukottai who was invited to grace
the occasion.
On arrival he was received in traditional style
with Poorna Kumbham by Vaidiks. Sri T. N.
Venkataraman, President and Sri K. Padmanabhan
met the Swamiji at the entrance and after
introducing the Ashramites took him to Sri
Mathrubhuteswarar Shrine where Aarti was
performed. He was conducted to the main
entrance of the Auditorium at the appointed
time. In reverential mood and prayer Sri Santa-
nanda Swamigal opened the entrance and follow-
ON SRI BHAGAVAN'S ARADHANA DAY
ed by the entire gathering entered into the Audi-
torium. He walked on straight to Sri Bhagavan's'
Shrine of Grace where worship was offered with
Aarti. After this he viewed the construction and
took his seat on a dais erected for the occasion
in the Auditorium. The vast gathering settled
down to hear him.
On behalf of the President, members of the
management of Sri Ramanasramam, members of
the Auditorium Committee and the large gather-
ing of devotees, Sri T. P. Ramachandra Iyer wel-
comed Sri Santananda Swamigal. Conveying the
happiness of all who had assembled in having
Swamiji in their midst he said words of formal
welcome were least significant before Sri Bhaga-
van's Shrine and His ever permeating Presence.
Holy Arunachala was traditionally known to be
regarded as the Lord Himself, ever present, and
all-pervading. Sri T. P. R. described the genesis
and completion of the new construction by the
determined endeavours of the President and
Board of Management with the devoted efforts of
the architect, engineers and the workers and by
the sustained efforts of Sri V. Ganesan, Managing
1970 ASHRAM
Sri Santananda Swami's speech, full of devotion to Sri Bhagavan,
is listened with rapt attention.
Editor, The Mountain Path, He narrated the
history of the completion of the Mother's Shrine,
Sri Bhagavan's Shrine of Grace and the Samadhi
Mantapam of Sri Niranjanananda Swamigal. Sri
T. P. R. referred to the spontaneous assistance
rendered by various devotees and donors to the
new construction. He referred in particular to
the tireless efforts of Sri V. Ganesan. The Souvenir
Ramana Jyoti successfully brought out by him
largely aided the Building Fund.
In recognition of the valuable advice and
assistance of the Architect Sri K. Subbarayan,
Sri K. Padmanabhan, Engineer and the Contrac-
tor Sri Chinnappa Naidu along with Sri Raghava,
Sri Dikshit, Sri Seshagiri (Engineers) and Sri
Anjaneyalu, Chief Mason, they were individually
presented to Sri Santananda Swamigal who bless-
ed them and gave away respective mementos
presented to them by the Ashram while Dr.
T. N. Krishnaswamy read out their respective
names.
Swami Santananda then addressed the gather-
ing. He began with the prayer recital:
" Ramana Sadguru Ramana Sadguru
Ramana Sadguru Pahimam
Ramana Sadguru Ramana Sadguru
Ramana Sadguru Rakshamam."
The devotees assembled also joined in the recital.
It is rare, the Swamiji said to have human birth
BULLETIN 169
and yet strangely enough we see that Santi
(peace) is so wanting only in human beings.
There seems more peace in the animal kingdom
and still more among birds and plants. He felt
greatly touched by the dynamic peace in the
atmosphere of Sri Bhagavan's Shrine and Presence
and was reminded of his earlier days of associa-
tion with this place. In those days Bhagavan's
abode was on the Hill.
" The one Bhagavan I saw then is the same
Bhagavan I see now in the many hearts and
faces before me. When I opened this Hall
and approached the Shrine through this vast
Auditorium I felt the gates of my heart open
and experienced His Presence as before. Indeed
Sri Bhagavan has opened the hearts of all in His
Presence. Without any distinctions of any kind
as to caste and wealth Sri Bhagavan has given to
one and all the quintessence of all Vedantic
Sastras in the easiest assimilable manner. Should
we not imbibe it ? If there is one to feed us
through the mouth and he does so, should we
not at least gulp the food down? What use is it
if we cannot do even that ? But even to such who
will not take much trouble Sri Bhagavan's Grace
will flow and help, provided they do not swerve
from Truth and pray to Him." Here Swamiji
quoted from Thirumanthimm and from Siva-
pur anam (conveying the idea that you can
worship His Feet by His Grace alone).
 170 THE MOUNTAIN PATH July

Sri Swamiji added " A l l of you are really
blessed and those who had the great fortune of
serving Him are already blessed. It is rare to
gain the opportunity of rendering personal service
to the Guru, which is enough to ensure one's
deliverance if one is only God-minded." Sri
Swamiji concluded with the prayer recital of Sri
Arunachala Pancha Ratna.
Sri S. P. Mukherji thanked the Swamiji for his
presence and address and the President and
management of the Ashram for undertaking the
task of constructing the hall. He specially con-
gratulated Sri V. Ganesan for his great efforts to
bring out the Souvenir volume Ramana Jyoti and
the members of the committee for aiding him in
this regard, and their continued interest and
assistance.
Simultaneously with these proceedings the
Mahabhishekam was performed at Sri Bhagavan's
Shrine. There was Upanishad Parayanam and
Archana was done ending with Mangala Aarti.
Feeding the poor on a large scale was done in
addition to feeding visitors and devotees.
Swami Santananda had his bhiksha at the
Ashram with devotees and was presented with
Holy Prasad and Bhagavan's books and photo-
graph before he left in the evening.

Commemoration of Bhagavan's
20th Mahasamadhi
In London

The small meeting hall at Friends House, London, a Quaker Centre, was
crowded to capacity on Tuesday the 14th of April 1970 by the devotees and
admirers of Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi. They had gathered under the
chairmanship of Mr. Apa B. Pant, the High Commissioner for India, to com-
memorate the 20th Mahasamadhi of Sri Bhagavan.

OFthetheBhagavan
eleven speakers at least seven had met
at Sri Ramanasramam during
his life time. The eighth one, Madame Waleria
Sikora, a Polish lady, was, it can be said, in touch
with Him when she was in Middle East desert
a and itypadesh of a great master. This in itself must
during the war years and the Bhagavan was in
Tiruvannamalai.
A large garlanded portrait of the Bhagavan,
received from Sri Ramanasramam, was by the side
of Chairman Pant, who told the delighted gather-
ing that he will find for it a place of honour in the
precincts of the India House building in Aldwych.
This was his spontaneous response to the sugges-
tion made by Dr. C. H. Sharma, a devotee of Sri
Bhagavan, who also urged the High Commissioner
to find a corner in the Mission for a library deal-
ing wUh the life and work of the Bhagavan. The
High Commissioner's response to this admirable
suggestion was also prompt. He said, " Why a
small corner ? We will have a big library. If any
one gives us the books we will accept them. If
not the Indian Government will buy them. We
have money for this kind of work."
Swami Avyaktananda, head of the Vedanta
Movement in Britain, radiated joy, peace and
goodwill during his brief speech. By his mere
presence throughout the meeting and by that of
Swami Bhavyananda, head of the Ramakrishna
Vedanta Centre in London, we were privileged to
catch a glimpse of the state of being which results
from a dedicated life as well as from the darshan
have inspired many in the audience to press on
even more fervently and devotedly with their
own sadhana. Bhikshu Nirmalananda of the
Gandhi Mission Society of Madras, who had
arrived in London two days before the meeting,
described his visit to Sri Ramanasramam during
the lifetime of the Bhagavan. We were amused to
hear a picturesque and lively description of his
life during the exciting days of the Swaraj
Movement, enriched as it was by the opportuni-
ties available then of meeting the great souls who
graced ' India's soil such as his own master
Gandhiji, the Bhagavan, Sri Aurobindo and the
poet Tagore.
Maung Maung Ji, a life-long theosophist and a
Buddhist preacher in London, presented a joyful
beaming face which belied his seventy years. We
were delighted to hear of his childhood spent in
the company of Krishnamurti as a protege of
Annie Besant, as well as his visit to the Bhagavan
as a very young boy. The Bhagavan advised him
that far more profitable than pouring over printed
 1970 ASHRAM
words, however sacred their subject matter, was
the practice of virtuous living.
An unusual account was given by Madame
Waleria Sikora, a Polish lady of radiant appear-
ance. She spoke with the simplicity and Sponta-
neity one can imagine finding in her conversa-
tion with intimate friends. Her story was both
remarkable and memorable. She referred to the
time she spent during the last war working with
the forces in the desert as a member of General
Sikorski's Polish Army and told the audience
how one day in a vision an Indian appeared by
her side at the foot of a staircase at the top of
which stood the book of wisdom" Her com-
panion proceeded to lead her to the top before
disappearing. She described this astonishing
occurrence to her superior officer, a Polish
General, who promptly showed her several photo-
graphs. He asked her if the visionary Indian
resembled any shown there. She unhesitatingly
picked out one face and her listeners at the meet-
ing knew who that was long before she held up
BULLETIN 171
the selfsame photograph of the Bhagavan in his
48
Ramana Arunachala" pose. This has been with
her ever since. Since then he has appeared to her
at different times and she knows that He is)
guiding her in her work.
Indeed every one, including Lord Sorensen,
Chairman of the World Congress of Faiths,
Mrs. Meherangiz Munsifs, a staunch Bahai,
Mr. Francis Watson, Dr. C. H. Sharma, Mr. Vishnu
Dev Narain, of the Hindu Centre and Mr. Paul
Warwick had a fascinating and inspiring story to
tell. While Lord Sorensen described the Bhagavan
as the authentic saint of Arunachala, Mr. Warwick,
who is connected with an ashram group in Man-
chester, spoke with conviction of the importance
which the practice of Atma Vichara has for him.
It was encouraging to hear of the dedication of
his friends in Manchester, confirming the con-
stantly increasing interest in spiritual practices
in the western world, particularly those originat-
ing in Asia.
Mr. Pant, the Chairman, had introduced the
speakers who provided much variety in nationa-
lity, appearance and personality. He himself, quite
apart from his distinguished position in London,
had an especially appropriate qualification for
presiding over the meeting since he had visited
Tiruvannamalai himself. He spoke as one who,
despite his involvement in international affairs,
has never lost touch with the spiritual heritage
of his native land. It seemed perfectly obvious
that he should offer to the sponsors of the com-
memoration meeting a room in India House to
house" the portrait and to start a Ramana
library.
The readers of The Mountain Path would like
to know something of one of the speakers who
did not speak because modesty held him back.
This was a most unusual young man called John
Champneys. It is rare enough for a 20-year-old
English boy to feel attracted to the spiritual
message of an Indian Rishi and to be filled with
a longing to visit his ashram. In John's case there
is a unique factor because a childhood illness has
left him confined to a wheelchair. Despite this
enormous setback he has managed to obtain a
place at the University and we are convinced that
his determination combined with Sri Bhagavan's
Grace, will enable him to make the journey to
Arunachala.
At the end of the meeting one devotee had this
to say: We cannot imagine anyone present feel-
ing unresponsive to the lure of Arunachala-Siva,
that enchanted name which soared from the tape-
recorder and reverberated around the room,
 172 THE MOUNTAIN PATH July

mingling with the smell of incense sticks as A t Ramana Kendra, Delhi

darkness fell outside, Arunachala calling us back
to our spiritual home. The Bhagavan's beautiful Gurupuja was celebrated on April 19 at Vina-
smile in the portrait seemed to beckon us too yaka Mandir, Sarojini Nagar, with Vedaparayana,
and it is almost certain that more than one earnest recitation of Upadesa Sara, and singing of songs
prayer reached out to him, asking for permission by and on Bhagavan.
to visit Tiruvannamalai in the very near future. An * echo' meeting was held on May 3rd to
The wonderful atmosphere was such that we have mark the opening of the Auditorium at Sri Rama-
no doubts about His response." nasramam. The weekly satsangs were held in
various parts of Delhi.
The meeting concluded on a happy note. It was * * *
struck by Miss Nel Halina Noel, one of the spon-
sors who, as soon as the Chairman Pant con- On June 14, Brahmasri Sukhabrahmam Rama-
cluded his observations, took the platform. swami Sastrigal gave a discourse on Bhagavan
and the Advaitic tradition. Quoting profusely
She said, " I stand before you at the suggestion from the Upanishads, the Puranas and the Tamil
of the sponsors to say how grateful we are to His poet-saints, the learned lecturer brought out the
Excellency and other speakers who have contri- uniqueness of Bhagavan's realization and its
buted to the success of this commemoration innumerable links with Northern and Southern
gathering. Before this meeting, for months I have Saivism.
been thinking where do we go from here ? After
the excellent tributes to the Sage of the A t Kolhapur
Ramanashram, I felt we should give a practical Dharma-Tatva or Satsang Mandal of Kolhapur
shape to the Ramana Maharshi's message. I think celebrated on the 3rd May, the 20th Brahma
this evening we have a good opportunity to lay a Nirvana Day of Sri Bhagavan in a very informal
foundation for such a project. With the co-opera- and fitting way in the evening. The programme
tion of His Excellency and others I hope we can was as under:
set up an organisation which will look after the (i) collective meditation;
Ramana Maharshi Library."
(ii) talks on Maharshi's message and its value
Then this is what Miss Noel added: " The by Sri G. S. Kulkarni and Sri G. M.
library and the portrait of the Bhagavan at India Kodolikar;
House are excellent things but my dream goes (iii) reading of a prayer-pamphlet on
further than that. Would it be possible to send ' Sad-Guru' published on the occasion
one person every year, to the Ashram for a stay by Prof. G. V. Kulkarni.
of say three or six months — if not more ? We Everyone present could feel the Master's presence
are glad the Indian High Commissioner will on the occasion. May His Grace continue !
accept the beautiful portrait of Ramana Maharshi
which was sent by the Ashram which deserves A t Madurai
special thanks for the support given to the spon-
Sri Bhagavan's 20th Aradhana was performed as
sors for many months to make this meeting a
usual at Sri Ramana Mandiram in Madurai on the
success."
3rd May 1970. The celebrations commenced with
Miss Noel ended with this note : " I believe Vedic chants at 6 a.m. with Upanishad paraya-
where there is a will there is a way and I do nams. Special pooj as were performed at the
believe all the three points I have mentioned are shrine with Sahasranama archanas and nei-
possible of fulfilment. The world today needs the vedyams. Prasadam was distributed.
creation of better understanding. I think one of The celebrations were continued till the 7th
the methods is to exchange ideas. We have to May, by devotees of Sri Bhagavan and the
spread somehow the teachings of Ramana members of the Divine Life Society on a grand
Maharshi and do everything possible to consoli- scale. A large gathering took part in which
date people with each other." Sri A. R. Raghavan, Sri Sowmya Narayanan and
Sri Ramanaprasad spoke on Bhagavan's life and
The High Commissioner nodded — almost to teachings.
say " W e agree with you, Miss Noel."
A t Nellore
At the conclusion of the meeting refreshments
were provided to the accompaniment of taped The Ramana Goshti of Nellore observed the
hymns from the Sri Ramanasramam. 20th Aradhana day of Sri Bhagavan on the
 1970 ASHRAM BULLETIN 173

gazh Sabha arrived at the Ashram on the even-

ing of 5th April 1970. For an hour and half they
gave a musical recital of Thiruppugazh songs with
devotional fervour in the old meditation hall
before Sri Bhagavan's couch and in an atmosphere
of His all pervading Presence. After its conclu-
sion, Sadhu Parthasarathy spoke from his own
personal knowledge about the life and activities
of Sri Vallimalai Swamigal with special reference
to the Vallimalai Swami's devotion to and con-
tacts with Sri Bhagavan.
On Tuesday 7th April 1970 the yugadhi day
Sadhu Parthasarathy had a sahasranama
archana done at Sri Bhagavan's Shrine and offered
worship to Devi with Aarti at mother's shrine.
This was followed by a Bhajan by the members
accompanying him, at the meditation hall. The
entire party had biksha at the ashram with
Asramites and visitors.
In the evening Sri Parthasarathy, went round
the Ashram Campus noticing the several improve-
ments and changes effected, since he last visited
Gurupuja at Belgaum. this place 18 years ago, and called on Sri T. P.R.
at his quarters. He also saw Sri Muruganar and
3rd May 1970, at the Ramana Kutir. Many devotees Sri Ramana Padananda. Sri Parthasarathy and
took part in the functions including Sri G. L. his party left on the 8th morning having
Narasimharao and G. V. Subbaramiah. The func- obviously spent a happy time here.
tion was gone through with much devotion.
Major I. J. Taneja, who regularly spends his
A t Belgaum yearly holidays at our Ashram engaging himself
Bhagavan's 20th Mahasamadhi day was celeb- in sadhana as enjoined
rated at Sambra, Belgaum, on May 3. Many by our Master, was at
devotees, including some from Londa, participat- the Ashram for a
ed. After Vedaparayana and Upadesa Sara, songs month in May. He is
by Bhagavan, Kavyakanta Ganapati Muni, Muru- now employed in
ganar, Janaki Mata, Sadhu Om, Dr. Padmanabhan Assam, a long distance
and others were sung. Col. B. G. Vellal gave a from our Ashram!
talk on purity of mind and intellect as the con- While here, as usual,
dition for absorbing and reflecting Bhagavan's he went round the Hill
teachings. daily. He told the
Managing Editor how
A t Ramana Bhakta Sabha, Madras he got this time the
experience of oneness
Guru puja was celebrated on May 10 at Dhar- of Arunachala-Ramana-
malayam, 94, Mowbrays Road, Alwarpet, Madras. Self, which made him
After Vedaparayana and Upadesa sara, Dr. T. N. serene and happy. He
Ramachandran, Tagore Professor, Madras Univer- was requested to note
sity, gave a talk on Bhagavan and the Vedantic down his spiritual Major I. J . Taneja
tradition. experiences for the
benefit of our readers. For him, he said, Aruna-
chala is not merely a spiritual home but the real
Home itself!
PILGRIMS

Sadhu Pavthasarathy of Sri Vaishnavi Shrine Smt. Suri Nagamma (introduced to our readers
Thirumullaivayal, together with the members of in the issue of July 1965, p. 207) who also visits
the Vallimalai Satchithananda Swami Thiruppu- the Ashram every year without fail, was amidst
174 THE M O U N T A I N PATH July

us for nearly three months. Her presence in the
Ashram gave spiritual encouragement to those
who came in closer contact with her. This time,
while here, she was engaged, in cooperation with
Sri Krishna Bhikshu and Sri G. L. Narasimha-
rao, in preparing the Telugu version of the
Collected Works of Ramanu Maharshi, edited by
Arthur Osborne,
and other important original
works of Sri Maharshi
in Telugu. Her personal
reminiscences, anecdotes
and accounts of Sri
Bhagavan's Grace and
human aspect, were real-
ly thrilling and strength-
ening one's spiritual
fervour. How fortunate
were those who had the
opportunity to be here
in such close proximity
Mis s Julie Wellings
imbibing His spiritual
by the President; and a few books on Sri Mahar-
shi were presented to her.
Horst Rutkowski a German devotee left for
Germany in the third week of May after a stay
of nearly three years in the Ashram. He writes
as follows:
Dear President & Dear Ganesan !
I am thanking you both for your kind
permission to stay such a long time in this
Ashram. It was a hard time of sadhana but
full of grace for me. And now I will be able
to continue my spiritual practice in Germany.
Once more thank you for everything.
of the States was intro-
t

radiance and ejoying also duced to Sri Bhagavan's teachings by Mrs. Bar-
Smt. Nagamma His Grace, in human bara Rose (referred to in our issue of April '70,
form, was the pleasant p. 105) and has been staying at the Ashram
reaction of one of the devotees at the Ashram on for the past few
hearing the reminiscences of Smt. Nagamma ! months, presently occupy-
ing Ramana Shanti } the
house donated to the
Ashram by Mrs. Rose. She
is sincere in her sadhana
Sri Rani Padmavathi Devi, Maharani of Khaira-
as enjoined by Sri Bhaga-
garh (Member of Parliament) and her brother-
van and she will continue
in-law, Sri Raja Shankaf Pratap Singh, Raja
to stay here for some time
Sahib of Chichchli (als M.P.), visited the
more. She writes:
0

Ashram on the 11th June, breaking their journey

from Madras to Bangalore, for a few hours which
they spent meditating in the Nirvana Room and
1
" We do not understand
the Old Hall. The Maharani told the Managing what it is that has hap-
EdUor that she has been a devotee of Sri Bhagavan pened to cause you to M i s s
Julie Wellings
since 1945 and had His darshan several times. wish to spend so much
She visited the Ashram also after His Maha- time in an ashram," so write my parents. I too
nirvana, she knows Upadesa Saram by heart and do not really understand how it has come about
follows Sri Bhagavan's teachings always. She that I should be so fortunate as to have come to
mentioned how the chain around her neck attach- this place. Such is the will of Sri Bhagavan and
ed with the locket of Sri Bhagavan was lost thrice how can some one like me hope to understand it ?
and all three times she got it back to her great But being here is truely a blessing. Such joy
delight and in mysterious circumstances. The fills the heart as one prostrates before the samadhi
Maharani intends to construct a Guest House like or on the occasions when one is privileged to
the Khanna's Guest House, in which they were circumambulate Arunachala in the company of
accommodated, and donate it to the Ashram. She other devotees, or indeed, whenever the mind
is very eager to be at the Ashram on the Deepam turns to Bhagavan. Continually I give thanks to
Day (11-12-1970) ; she is most welcome ! Bhagavan for being so kind to one so ignorant.
His guidance is unfailing and all-inclusive. Reliev-
ed of the burden of making decisions or plans, the
mind can be applied to the task of enquiring into
On May 30th Smt. Tarakeshwari Siriha, M.P., the source of all the thoughts which afflict it.
accompanied by Smt. T. N. Ananthanayaki, M.L.A., And as the thoughts subside the presence of Bha-
visited the Ashram and paid her homage to gavan is felt in the heart. Om Sri Ramana
Sri Bhagavan. She was shown round the Ashram Maharshi Satguru Maharajiki Jai! 9
1970 ASHRAM
OBITUARY
The Last Rites For M r . Osborne
The news of Arthur Osborne's passing away was
received with profound sorrow early next morn-
ing on Saturday the 9th May 1970 by all the
residents and devotees of Sri Ramanaramam and
Ramana Nagar. It was known that his health
was not as good as usual the last two years but
only a few days before he and Mrs. Osborne left
for Bangalore to spend the hottest month in a
cooler climate they went round the Hill of Aruna-
chala (pradakshina) Sh miles barefoot. It was
a full-moon night and those who met them on
the way found him looking even brighter than
usual though weak. The news of his passing away
within a few days of reaching Bangalore was
therefore as shocking as it was sudden and cast
a gloom on all of us. His death was very peace-
ful without a sign of struggle. The intervals bet-
ween his breaths started lengthening till they
ceased at about 2.35 p.m. on Friday the 8th of
May 1970. The body was brought to Tiruvanna-
malai the same evening first to the ashram then
to their residence.
All the asramites, the President of the Board of
Trustees Sri T. N. Venkataraman, Sri V. Ganesan
the managing editor of The Mountain Path, devo-
tees and friends came to express their sorrow,
condolences and sympathy with Mrs. Osborne in
her bereavement and to pay their last respects.
The body was buried in the garden of the
Osbornes' residence according to Hindu rites as is
done usually for sadhus, adorned with holy
vibhuti, kum-kum and flowers while Sri Kunju
Swami and Sri T . P . R . solemnly recited Sri Bha-
gavan's Akshara Mana Malai as they did for Sri
Bhagavan, other devotees joining in the chanting.
Amidst these chantings the remains were laid into
The Mandalabhishekam to the Samadhi of
Arthur Osborne, on the 48th day after his
passing away, was performed on June 24,
1970 in the presence of the ashramites and
visitors, including Sri T. N. Venkataraman,
Ashram President, the Managing Editor,
Ganesh and of course, Mrs. Osborne, Editor,
The Mountain Path, in an atmosphere
great serenity. The Samadhi was covered
with flowers and garlands. Sri T. P. Rama-
chandra Iyer, Sri Ramaswami Pillai, Sri
JCunju Swami and others sang Aksharamana
Malai, Arunachala Pancharatnam and
Puranam. A biksha was offered at the
Ashram to the devotees.
BULLETIN 175
the grave in an atmosphere of great serenity which
continues.
Thus ended the earthly life of a great devotee
of Sri Bhagavan, a great Editor and writer who
not only expounded Sri Bhagavan's teaching to the
world his books having been translated into seve-
ral languages in the West and East, but who also
lived His teaching. His great qualities of mind
and heart and extraordinary loveable satvic nature
enabled him to become a true seeker of the highest
order awaking a feeling of peace and love in those
who came into contact with him. Absorbed as he
is in Sri Bhagavan may he live for ever in our
hearts !
Condolence Meeting A t Ramana Kendra
At a largely attended meeting of the Ramana
Kendra held in C-III Air Port Lane on 16-5-1970,
Professor K. Swaminathan and Shri Ramdhari
Sinha Dinkar spoke at length of Mr. Osborne's
intellectual and literary qualities and of his devo-
tion to Bhagavan. The following resolution moved
by Shri M. L. Sondhi, M.P., was unanimously
passed, all the members standing in silence for
two minutes :
This meeting of Ramana Kendra, Delhi, e x -
presses its profound sorrow at the passing away
of Mr. Arthur Osborne, Editor, The Mountain
Path, and places on record its high apprecia-
tion of his devoted and eminently successful
efforts, through his many books and articles, to
make the message and teachings of Bhagavan
Ramana Maharshi more widely known and
better understood throughout the world.
A t Madurai
The news of the passing away of Mr. Arthur
Osborne, Editor of The Mountain Path was r e -
ceived with sorrow by devotees of Sri Bhagavan
at Ramana Mandiram and the members of the
Divine Life Society. To express their sorrow and
for the peace of the departed soul, a Prayer meet-
ing was arranged and held on 11th May in the
evening. Prayers were offered with recitals from
the Gifta.
of
Sri A. R. Raghavan, Sri K. Vanamamalai spoke
recounting the great qualities of head and heart
of the late Mr. Osborne and conveyed their deep
condolences to friends and members of the bereav-
Siva ed family. Before the end, as a mark of respect
two minutes Silence was observed by all assembl-
ed.
* * * *
 176 THE MOUNTAIN
Prof. G . V. Subbaramayya
An ardent old devotee of Sri Bhagavan,
Sri G. V. Subbaramayya (introduced to our readers
in July 1968 issue p. 235.) passed away at Nellore
on May 16, 1970,
and the sad news
was received by all
devotees and ashra-
mites with deep
regret. He was con-
scious to the last
and the end was
peaceful and sudden.
A keen student of
English literature he
took his degree in
1922 and became a
lecturer and later
on Principal of the
P . B . N . College at
Prof. G. V. Subbaramayya Nidubrolu. Profici-
ent in his own
mother tongue, Telugu and in Sanskrit, as much as
in English, his writings included a poetical render-
ing of Kalidasa's great lyric Megha-Dhuta
Telugu verse and a collection of his English
poems in two volumes. He first came in touch
with Sri Bhagavan in 1933 which proved a turn-
ing point in his spiritual life and progress. He
imbibed Sri Bhagavan's teachings strengthened
by his frequent visits to Tiruvannamalai and
spread it among the members of his family and
a large circle of friends. A good conversationalist
he used to draw Sri Bhagavan spontaneously Into
talks over a variety of topics. He has translated
Sri Bhagavan's teachings into English notably the
Ramana Gita in verse. By virtue of his associa-
tion with Sri Bhagavan and the teaching he
imbibed he became a familiar figure in Andhra
Pradesh where, in his retirement he was spread-
ing Sri Bhagavan's Gospel in various places. After
1963 he set himself the task of rendering The
Andhra Maha Bharatam into English verse and
has almost completed it receiving the blessings of
Sri Kanchi Kamakoti Sankaracharya and the
eminent scholar and statesman, Sri C. Rajagopa-
lachari.
May he rest in eternal peace at Sri Bhagavan's
Lotus Feet. All the ashramites convey their
sympathy to the members of the bereaved family.
Sri B. M. S. Naidu
Sri. B. M. S. Naidu passed away at his resi-
dence in Bangalore, on the 10th May 1970, after
a short illness. News of his sad demise was
PATH July
communicated by his son Gopalji and was receiv-
ed with great regret by us and all the ashramites
and devotees of Sri Bhagavan. One of the oldest
devotees of Bhagavan, he came from a pious fami-
ly, traditionally devoted to sages and saints. Firm-
ly devoted to Sri Bhagavan from very early times
and to his last days he was a very popular figure,
widely known in Bangalore as a centre for all
information about Sri Bhagavan and Ashram
activities. He made extensive religious tours,
visiting many holy places and meeting several
sadhus and great personages. He made his resi-
dence at Bangalore a veritable home for spiritual
activities devoid of distinctions, where Bhajans
and Discourses were frequently conducted. As
an Automobile Engineer he was having his own
workshop, dealing in sales and service. Great
concerns like The Rolls Royce and Bentleys were
represented by him. We convey our deep sympa-
thy for the bereaved family, and share their grief.
We pray for his eternal rest in peace at Sri Bha-
gavan's Lotus Feet.
Shri Nanik G . Motwane
in Shri Nanik G. Motwane, a devotee of Sri Bha-
gavan, an industrialist and noted freedom fighter
died at his residence in Bombay on March 12, 1970
after a long illness. He was 68.
Mr. Motwane who was a social worker, a volun-
teer in the Congress, and active supporter of
Mahatma Gandhi developed the ' Chicago Radio '
loudspeaker system, which later became * The
Voice of India ' of the freedom movement.
After partition, Mr. Motwane devoted himself
to the rehabilitation of refugees. He was a Rota-
rian and a member of numerous organizations.
Mr. Motwane is survived by his wife, four sons
and two daughters. May his soul rest in peace !
THE MOUNTAIN PATH LIBRARY
N e w Additions
Concentration — An Approach to Meditation — by
Ernest Wood. The Theosophical Publishing
House, Wheaton, 111., U.S.A. Price : $1.25.
East and West Series (Nos. 147-148) — T h e
Bhagavad Gita — English Translation and
Explanatory Notes by T. L. Vaswani. Gita
Publishing House, Mira Nagar. 10, Sadhu
Vaswani Path, Poona-1, India. Price : Rs. 2.50.
East and West Series (Nos. 149-151) — The
Bhagavad Gita — English Translation and
Explanatory Notes by T. L. Vaswani. Gita
Publishing House, Mira Nagar. 10, Sadhu
Vaswani Path, Poona-1, India. Price : Rs. 2.50.
1970 ASHRAM BULLETIN 177

Echoes from Orient — by William Q. Judge. Women in Ancient India — Bodhi Leaves, No. B 47,
Theosophy Company, Bombay. Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Ceylon.
The Voice of the Silence — Translated and Indian Philosophical Annual — Vol. IV, 1968 —
Annotated by " H. P. B. " Theosophy Com- Centre of Advanced Study in Philosophy,
pany, Bombay. University of Madras., Price : Rs. 10.
The Yogi and the Devotee — by Ninian Smart.
George Allen & Unwin Ltd. Price in U.K.
30s. nett.
Advaita Vedanta —A Philosophical Reconstruc-
tion— by Eliot Deutsch. East-West Center
Press, Honolulu. Price : $ 6.00.
Christianity and Buddhism — Sinclaire Thompson
Memorial Lecture, Fifth Series by The Ven.
Bhikku Buddhadasa Indapanno. Sublime Life
Mission, 5/1, Atsadan Road, Bangkok.
No Religion — by Buddhadasabhikku. Sublime Life
Mission. 5/1, Atsadan Road, Bangkok.
Hindu Ideals — by K. Balasubramania Iyer. Bhara-
tiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay. Price : Rs. 2.50.
Stories as told by Swami Ramdas— By Swami
Ramdas. Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan, Bombay.
Price": Rs. 2.50.
In Quest of God — by Swami Ramdas. Bharatiya
Vidya Bhavan, Bombay. Price: Rs. 2.50.
God-Experience — by Swami Ramdas. Bharatiya
Vidya Bhavan, Bombay. Price : Rs. 2.50.
The Date of the Maha Bharata War and the
Kali Yugadhi — b y Prof. K. Srinivasa Ragha- M/s. Motwane Pvt. Ltd., donated a loudspeaker
van, Srinivasanagar, Tambaram. set to Sri Ramana Auditorium. Sri P. B. Kotak
and Sri P. V. Somasundaram (extreme left)
The Way to Happiness — Bodhi Leaves, No. B 46,
received it in Bombay from Sri Motwane (extreme
Buddhist Publication Society, Kandy, Ceylon. right) on behalf of the Ashram.

Ramana J y o t i
The Ramana Jyoti Souvenir Committee which met on the Aradhana Day (3-5-1970) perused
the Audit Report on Ramana Jyoti accounts and approved of it. A sum of Rs. 61,107.61 which was
the net surplus over expenses in publishing the Souvenir was transferred to Sri Ramana Audi-
torium Account. As requested by the Souvenir Committee we are publishing hereunder a copy of
the Audit Report.
SRI RAMANA JYOTI SOUVENIR ACCOUNT
Income and Expenditure Account for the period ended ApM 24, 1970

EXPENDITURE
Rs. P. Rs. P.
To Expenses including Printing 11,021 94 By Donations 1,603 34
To Postage 1,031 53 By Donations for Printing 8,500 00
To Surplus to Auditorium Account 61,107 61 By Donations for Art Page 29,298 69
By Advertisements 32,963 50
By Sale of Souvenir Copies 795 55

Total 73,161 08 Total 73,161 08

Examined and found correct

Bangalore, (Sd.) J. SRINIVASAN,
April 29, 1970. Chartered Accountant.
 178 July

INTRODUCING
Smt. L A K S H M I RANGANADHAM
and Sri B. S. R A N G A N A D H A M

SRI B. S. RANGANADHAM and his wife

LAKSHMI are old devotees of Sri Bhagavan. It
was Lakshmi who was first drawn to Him. Her
mother, who was of a pious disposition, desired to
live near and under the protection of a saint. On
the advice of her third son, Sri Satyanarayana
Rao, who was a teacher at Vellore and a devotee
of Sri Bhagavan, she came to Tiruvannamalai in
1930 and began to live in a house in the town
with her daughter, Lakshmi and son, Sri Nara-
simha Rao.i All of them used to go to the Ashram
daily to have darshan of Sri Bhagavan and to
render what assistance they could there.
Sri Narasimha Rao, is a lawyer, assisted Sri
Niranjanananda Swami, the then Sarvadhikari, in
all his office correspondence and other works. This
led to an intimate contact with Sri Bhagavan who
took particular interest not only in him but also
in his mother and Lakshmi. He helped Lakshmi
to gradually pick up Tamil by making her read
books like Ribhu Gita and Bhakta Vijayam in
his presence. In those days the Old Hall was
not generally crowded. Once when Lakshmi was
making ornamental patterns on the floor (rangoli
or kolam) Sri Kavyakantha Ganapathi Muni
noticed her. He turned to Sri Bhagavan with an
enquiring look. Sri Bhagavan then said: " Y e s ,
yes, this is Lakshmi who has been responsible Smt. & Sri Ranganadham with Sri Bhagavan
for drawing all the members of her family to
this place." On another occasion when Sri Bha- the mind to hold on firmly to the Lotus Feet of
gavan's sister, Athai and her husband were setting Sri Bhagavan.
out on a pilgrimage to Rameswaram, Sri Bhaga-
van asked her, " What are you going to do about Lakshmi's husband, Sri B. S. Ranganadham, a
this child ? " Thinking that He was referring to retired Executive Engineer in the service of the
Alagammal, the child of the now President, who Governments of Madras and Andhra Pradesh, is
was standing near, she said : " Her parents are also a staunch devotee of Sri Bhagavan. He was
here to look after her." At this Sri Bhagavan used to be addressed affectionately as Alludu or
said that he did not refer to Alagammal but to son-in-law by Sri Bhagavan and the other
Lakshmi who was standing behind her, looking inmates of the Ashram. Sri Bhagavan used to
gentle and innocent. Athai immediately rose to say that his devotion was antarungika, that is of
the occasion and replied: " Why, she is under the heart. It was Sri Ranganadham who carried
your care ! " Such incidents show not only Sri the large portrait of Sri Bhagavan to Madurai and
Bhagavan's grace but also His affection and human installed it ceremoniously in the Ramana Mandi-
interest in Lakshmi. ram.2 For the past few years he and his wife

Lakshmi's great devotion to Sri Bhagavan made 1

her compose several poems and verses in Telugu
on Him. One of these poems is Sri Ramana
Vijayam, a life-sketch of Sri Bhagavan. Another
is Ramana Manasam of 108 verses advising the
He is G.L.N, who occasionally contributes
short articles on Sri Bhagavan.
2 at 11, Chokkappa Naicken Street, Madurai,
the place where Sri Bhagavan had the Experience
of the Self.
1970 WORSHIP OF SRI CHAKRA 179

have been bearing the cost of preparing kumkum
required for worship in the Ashram. Sri Ranga-
nadham has always placed his technical know-
ledge at the disposal of the Ashram. He render-
ed particular service at the time of the construc-
tion and consecration of the Shrines of Sri Bhaga-
van's Mother and His own and the new Ramana
Auditorium. He was for a time member of the
Committee for the management of the Ashram,
which functioned before the present Board of
Trustees came into existence and also its Secre-
tary. He was likewise one of the Trustees appoint-
ed by the Government of Madras for the period
1967-1969.
As has been indicated already not only Lakshmi
but Lakshmi's entire family are devotees of Sri
Bhagavan. Sri Sambasiva Rao, her eldest brother
(see the Ashram Bulletin of January, 1964 issue)
always helped the Ashram in legal and other
important matters. It was he who was chosen by
Sri Bhagavan to place a mark in Sri Bhagavan's
Will in place of His signature in 1938. He was
the Secretary of the Ashram managing commit-
tee from the time of the Mahanirvana of Sri
Bhagavan till his death in 1962. Sri Satyanara-
yana, another brother of Lakshmi, breathed his
last almost in the presence of Sri Bhagavan.
Another brother, Sri Subba Rao, used to celebrate
Sri Bhagavan's Jayanthi at Nellore every year
with procession carrying a large photograph of
Sri Bhagavan. The procession still continues,
though Sri Subba Rao is no more now. The
mother of Lakshmi used to be addressed affec-
tionately as ' mother ' by Sri Bhagavan.
The unique devotion of the family has been
glorified by Sri Pranavananda Saraswathi of
Vellore, a long-standing devotee who wrote Seve-
ral books on Sri Bhagavan in Telugu, in one of
his Telugu songs in the following words :
<' O Ramana ! Thou art the Refuge and
Saviour of the Griddalururs
(the name of the family) "

W o r s h i p of Sri Chakra

A respectable and orthodox gentleman asked about Sri Chakra.

Sri Maharshi replied : " It has a deep significance. There are
43 corners with sacred syllables in them. Its w o r s h i p is a m e t h o d for
concentration of mind. T h e mind is w o n t to m o v e externally. It must
b e checked and turned within. Its habit is to d w e l l on names and
forms, for all external objects possess names and forms. S u c h names
and f o r m s are m a d e s y m b o l i c of mental conceptions in order to divert
the m i n d f r o m external objects and m a k e it dv/ell within itself. The
idols, mantras, yantras, etc., are all meant to g i v e f o o d to the m i n d in
its introvert state, so that it m a y later b e c o m e capable of being con^,
centrated, after w h i c h the superb state is reached automatically. ,,

— f r o m Talks, p. 380.
 180 July

to the EDITOR

R E M E M B E R HIM The Collected Works of Ramana Maharshi contain

everything Ramana Maharshi himself wrote or
We are a little group having read your book translated from scriptures and His instructions
' Ramana Maharichi' (in French). It really inte- taken down by devotees.
rested and pleased us very much. We, per- EDITOR.
sonally, dream to go and visit Tiruvannamalai and v.,-.-.* * *
all the sites you mentioned, but unfortunately we
are very far. Anyway, who knows? S U R R E N D E R T O H I M
I tried the meditation the way Mr. Paul Brun- Excuse me that I did not renew my subscrip-
ton advices in his book The Secret Path but my tion for The Mountain Path earlier. In fact the
constant journeys required by my job stopped my last months I did not read at all any spiritual
first efforts. Do you think you can help me (or books. I only meditated, because I was and am
us) with may be just a few tips ? Have you in great trouble due to the poor health of my
written other books ? Can we obtain them husband. He was operated some weeks ago in
through Rider & Co ? the stomach and now after 6 weeks in hospi-
Awaiting with interest and thanking you in tal he is at home, has great pains, cannot sleep
advance for your answer. and has lost in weight very much, now weighs
Veuillez bien excuser mon Anglais. only ca. 45 kg. Besides the trouble with my
CARLOS SEROR-MORILLO. husband and my ill son, who also is at home I
have much office work (in order to earn my
The teaching of Ramana Maharshi can be fol- living), household-work and in the evening I
lowed in the life of the world. Just set aside have the Yoga classes. In spite of all this I
a regular time mornings and evenings for your meditate regularly and hope that the illuminated
spiritual practices. The best time is at dawn and Yogis and Masters will help me because I am
before going to sleep. If you are very busy you very sincere in my spiritual sadhana. Do please
can begin with a few minutes and gradually send me The Mountain Path for the year 1970.
increase the time. You do not say what path Please remember my husband in your prayers
suits you or your group. To begin with simply that he may soon recover
try to remember that Ramana Maharshi is the
EUGENIA BASILEWSKY,
living inner Guru in your heart seeking you even
Sweden.
more than you seek Him. However busy you are
you can always take off a few minutes to think Please accept our heartfelt sympathy in your
of Ramana Maharshi of Arunachala (both are the great trouble. It must be hard indeed for you
same). The first sloka (verse) in The Five Hymns to have a sick husband and son at home and to
to Sri Arunachala composed by Ramana Maharshi have to work for your living and still manage
says : to attend yo\ftr Yoga classes.
(a) Arunachala! Thou dost rout out the ego of Try to remember that this life is only a dream
those who meditate on Thee in the heart, from which you may awaken one day just as
Oh, Arunachala! you wake from a night's dream. The only diffe-
(b) Arunachala! ThoiM dost rout out the ego rence is that life is a more sustained prolonged
of those who dwell on their spiritual identity dream. While it lasts it is good, even if very
with Thee, Oh, Arunachala! difficult, to try to accept whatever comes in a
 1970 LETTERS T O T H E EDITOR 181

spirit of surrender in full faith that whatever -pie thank God when good and pleasant things
happens has a purpose and does not last and that happen to them but they should also thank God
Bhagavan knows. Suffering may also be help- for what they consider bad things happening to
ful in preparing us to receive Grace crnd them, which is what you and your wife seem to
make us more onepointed. You just do whatever be doing and shows a spirit of true surrender.
seems necessary to the best of your ability and Bhagavan knows what is good for us and even
leave the results to Bhagavan Sri Ramana a misfortune can be a blessing in disguise either
Maharshi. Surrender all your burdens to Him. to strengthen our detachment or wipe off some
He will bear them for you. His is all-pervasive of Our bad karma and prepare us for an act of
and contains also all the illumined Yogis and Grace. Your attitude is spiritual and praise*
Masters. The more you remember and think of worthy and so long as we are in order with our-
Him the better it will be fot you and your family. selves there is no need to be disturbed by the
May Sri Bhagavan bless you and gUide you to opinion of others.
real peace ! As to your sadhana you could devote a regular
EDITOR. •* time for it morning and evening; the best time
is at dawn and sunset or just before going to*
* * *
sleep. If you have been [practising nama-japa
HAVE FAITH IN HIM you may continue doing so. It would also be very
I am requesting your suggestions and comments helpful to meditate on Sri Bhagavan and remem-
on the following experience I had. I was visit- ber Him if possible during working hours. He
ing your Ashram in October 1969 for the first will protect you and guide you towards lasting
time with my family and remained there for two happiness and peace. Just have full faith and
days. It left a great impression on me and I am trust in Him and all will be well.
highly attracted to Sri Bhagavan. Daily our EDITOR.
conversation and thoughts turn to Him. I b e - * * *
came an annual member of your Ashram and
The Mountain Path. On the 25th December '69 LEAVE E V E R Y T H I N G T O HIM
we performed Sri Bhagavan's Jayanthi simply I am in need of a solution of a strange type
with a few devotees in my house, a discussion on and am narrating it briefly. I have been twice
his teachings and bhajan at night. initiated (diksha) by two different persons. A
On the 12th of January I met with a serious third person, a Mahatma Sidh Tantrik comes into
incident when I was on leave for seven days, and contact with me and this Mahatma orders me to
my house was burgled and I lost Rs. 5000 mate- rename the first diksha which I did (Visarjan)
rials including all clothing and provisions and in the Narmada with a Sankalpa in March 1962.
nothing was left in the house. But this calamity Thereafter my miseries began; health, wealth,
did not affect me or my wife and we simply happiness all have vanished and to this date I
take it a sign of Grace of Sri Bhagavan and our am suffering inspite of a lot of puja f bhajan, japa,
concentration has become greater after this. But dhyan, etc. etc. but to no effect.
my friends and some of my colleagues, who dis- Will you please suggest to me some Sidh
believe, are trying to disturb my calmness by Tantrik who may very kindly rid me of this sin ?
urging me to take action about this incident.
It is a very very long story of suffering which
Dear Sir, your editorial in the January issue I do not deem fit to trouble you with in broken
on concentration and detachment has greatly English, but I suppose I have put the point clearly
impressed me. I consider that you are best qua- and I hope and beg of you to do the needful.
lified to clear my doubts and lead me to the right With wide open mouth (sic) I shall be await-
and correct path. Kindly advise me on medita-
ing your kind reply.
tion and sadhana during this kind of obstruction
N. N. PALERYA,
under such conditions. I made up my mind to
Narsinghpore.
become a Life member of the Ashram. (This he
had done already).
Sri Krishna says in the BHAGAVAD GITA :
CH. JAGANNADHA RAO,
" I undertake to protect and secure the welfare
Bhadrak, Orissa.
of those who without otherness meditate
We sympathise with the incident of robbery in on Me."
yovkr house. However it is good to remember You can apply this also to Sri Ramana Maharshi
what Sri Bhagavan said on the subject of cases or Rama or your Ishta devata. There is only one
of distress coming to' devotees; namely that peo- God under various aspects. Why not leave off
182 THE MOUNTAIN PATH July

all your other practices and concentrate on GodX < Bahih pranayama (external control) is for one
in your heart as Sri Ramana Maharshi or Krishna' not endowed with strength to control the mind.
or Rama. They are one and the same. You Pranayama need not be exactly as prescribed in
can also do japa. You will be liberated from Hatha Yoga. If engaged in japa, dhyana, bhakti
what you consider to be your sin which is not
t etc. just a little control of breath will suffice to
a sin, since you obeyed only the instructions of cdntrol the mind. The mind is the rider and the
someone you believed to be a Mahatma in good breath the horse. Pranayama is a check on the
faith. Nobody can harm you if you turn to God horse. By that check the rider is checked.
in all faith and pray from the heart for pro- To watch the breath may be one way of doing
tection like a child turning to its father. He pranayama. The mind abstracted from other
will hear the prayer of a sincere devotee in dis- activities is engaged in watching the breath. That
tress. Ramana Maharshi can deal with all your controls the bweath; and in its turn the mind is
Mahatmas and Sidh tantrikas. Don't you worry. controlled.
EDITOR. If unable to do so, rechaka and puraka need
* * * not be practised. Breath may be retained a short
while in japa, dhyana etc. Then, too good results
THE SOURCE will follow.
In all your writings on Bhagavan's teaching we Regulation of breath is prescribed for making
find that one must concentrate on the right side the mind quiescent. Quiescence lasts only so long
of the chest while asking the question Who Am as the breath is controlled. So it is not per-
I ? Can we go beyond our bodily consciousness manent. Control of mind spontaneously effects
if we concentrate inside our body like that. control of breath. A more advanced man will
Kindly let me know what is your experience. naturally go direct to control of mind without
Excuse me for the trouble.
wasting time in practising control of breath. One
RAMANA DAS,
should not stop with pranayama as an aid for
Dharwar. controlling the mind but proceed further.
The spiritual heart is on the right side and is * * *
not like the physical organ. You\ may take it as
a focussing point to dive inwards and may find
GURU'S GUIDANCE
an immense- darkness or all-pervading Light and
Although it may be true that, ultimately one
thus ultimately reach the very Source. This takes
has to discover or realize things for oneself,
one not only beyond bodily consciousness but to
because the true Guru must be found within,
Infinity.
hence doubts be silenced in due course, never-
EDITOR.
theless as a beginning sadhaka, I cannot but feel
the need for personal counsel. Therefore, my
ON PRANAYAMA following questions:
(a) In my letter dated January 20th to Sri
I shall be much obliged if you kindly put some
Venkataraman I asked whether it is right to accept
light on Pmnayama and its process. How is it help-
other gurus beside my chosen ideal, Sri Rama-
ful in meditation ? I shall be highly grateful if
krishna, regarding Him as the embodiment of
you please do me the favour of supplying the
Truth.
January issue of The Mountain Path.
K. D. SHARMA, Now I realize I should not have asked that
Dalhousie. question, for the answer has already been given
by Sri Ramana Maharshi in the TALKS : Pages
Breath control properly performed increases 20-21 & 4 6 : God, Guru and Self are idenHcal f

one's strength. Sri Bhagavan said that control of after all. Only the forms appearing before us
breath may be internal or external. The ant ah are different. But what I actually meant to ask is,
pranayama (the internal breath-regulation) is as whether H. Inayat Khan (Sufi) is a true spiritual
follows: guru or not. To be frank, I admit in some res-
Naham chinta (I-am-not the body idea) is pects I am not certain, though as a whole I feel
rechaka (exhalation) his teachings to be really inspired by the spirit
Koham (Who Am I ?) is puraka (inhalation) of Truth. In the same way, I have once thought
Soham (I am He) is kumbhaka (retention of that pranayama and hatha yoga were right for
breath) me, but now I realize it must be abandoned as
Doing thus, the breath becomes automatically being unsuitable for me. I am now trying to
controlled. harmonize the ways of bhakti, jnana and karma-
2970 LETTERS T O T H E EDITOR 183

yoga, with emphasis on love (the heart) and replies have also been aswered by reading the
making nama-japa (repeating mentally the name column of THE LETTERS TO THE EDITOR. If there are
of Ramakrishna), while trying to visualize him too many letters, some are held over for the next
in the region of the heart. I find it difficult to do issues. All sincere queries will be dealt with in
so, therefore I picture him in front of me, and due course.
also I rather prefer talking to him (like the To return to your letter. It is better to follow
prayers of Christians) and practising " recollected- one Guru absorbing at the same time the teach-
ness" during the whole day. At present I dis- ings of other genuine spiritual masters, who leave
like japa, but am told to continue steadily for no doubt in your mind, and taking from them
several years and see then. . . , I believe I have whatever helps you on your chosen path. When
not told any <' secrets " for these are common to climbing to the summit of a mountain only one
beginners, I suppose. Anyway, I hope you do not path is chosen availing oneself on the way of
mind giving me some advice, for I believe you whatever helps to keep up one's strength and
have Seen or realized much more than mere determination. Esoterically the teachings of
glimpses of Truth, genuine masters is the same in essence though
.(b)" As regards dharma or religious duty (or sometimes differing in form and lead to the same
should dharma be regarded as a preliminary goal. There is no necessity for* you to try to har-
stage: in order to purify the heart, rooting out monize the ways df bhakti, jnana and karma-
attachments to sense enjoyment, passions like yoga. If you practise one of these paths one-
anger, and above all, to become less selfish ?) I pointedly and sincerely the other two will spon-
often wonder what " the ideal householder" is taneously become harmonized with your chosen
like ? I have been told of the example of Nag path as they are not exclusive of each other.
Mahasay, but he, as well as Sri Ramakrishna, There is no .true love without wisdom nor true
were householders in name only, having in fact wisdom without love; and NISHKAMA KARMA
lived as sannyasins. The example of Sri Rama- follows in their wake when such a situation arises
nuja (leaving his wife in an angry mood) is even even if one does not go out of the way to prac-
less inspiring, although it may be right for ripe tise it.
souls. And king Janaka was, in fact, already a Practising NAMA-JAPA helps to purify the heart.
jnanin and could therefore live in this world If you\ dislike it, try to visualise your Guru whom
while not being of it. But what is the right way you seem to love as your chosen ideal, in your
of living for an aspirant, still identified with the japa and it may enhance your devotion and
b o d y ? . . . . . . I , know that bhoga (sense- become a pleasure to practise. The more you
pleasure) should be renounced in order to have remember and meditate on the Self which is the
real yoga (the two cannot be combined) and the only reality underlying all forms and names
ultimate goal of a* householder also is to abso- the less desires for sense pleasures will
lutely abstain from sex (brahmacharya) as a assail you.
condition sine qua non for every true seeker. . . . The dharma of a householder is to have a
(c) My third question is a trivial one. . . . . . . . family and children and look after their welfare.
Doesn't the " American author and translator of After two or three children a true spiritual seeker
Tibetan manuscripts" refer to Mr. Evans-Wentz will adopt BRAHMACHARYA and turn his energy
and n6t (as stated by Mrs. Piggot) to Mr. Paul towards transcending samsam and attaining
Brunton? Probably the footnote would be correct Realisation.
on page 4. The Americann author and translator of Tibetan
Forgive me if causing you trouble. I would be manuscripts refers to Evans-Wentz and not to
grateful if you could throw some light on the Paul Brunton.
above. EDITOR.
' HENRI WINARDI, * * *
Bogor, Indonesia. ON THE RIGHT PATH
It is perfectly in order to ask questions and for I read with interest your editorial: Concentra-
advice when in doubt while doing sadhana. Many tion and Detachment. Para 5 of your editorial
such letters come from all comers of the world should give much hope and encouragement to
and we consider it as service to Sri Bhagavan to persons who for various reasons go astray un-
reply to them in the spirit of His teaching with fortunately. You have indeed correctly Stated
His Grace. Those which might be helpful to other " . . . but on the other hand a flow of Grace may
sadhakas are being published in our magazine be released far in excess of what practice seems
and a number of devotees have told us that their to account for." The case of Sage Arunagiri-
 184 THE MOUNTAIN PATH July

nadhar, who as a result of a sudden revulsion ago, and which you printed in the last number
attempted to commit suicide by falling from the of The Mountain Path (Jan. 1970, Page 4 ) . You
top-most height of the gopuram of Sri Aruna- gave all the essentials pertaining to the Maharshi
chaleswara temple at Tiruvannamalai, is an and left out all the frills.
example of that unaccounted Grace of the Lord.
One thing I would like to mention (not impor-
His deeds from all accounts were such as not to
tant but just to set the record straight). It was
invoke blessings and yet Anmagirinadhar became
Dr. Evans Wentz who was at the Ashram at the
one among the great Saivaite Saints who is
same time I w a s ; we had many pleasant talks.
remembered and worshipped by many to this day.
Paul Brunton was the man who told me about
As vouchsafed by many readers, foreign as
the Maharshi after I had read his book Search
well as Indian, I am sure such editorials give
in Secret India in 1932. That sparked me to
added colour, dignity and seriousness to The
go " in search " of myself. That was many years
Mountain Path. They, to my mind, contribute to
ago, and yet it seems like yesterday ! Again
the popularity which is the prime reason for its
thank you for your kindness and trouble.
acceptability even to a stray reader. Moreover,
articles are so arranged that the reader does not MAUD A. PIGGOTT,
lose interest and continuity of thought as care is Hollywood, U.S.A.
taken to select and put articles of almost similar * * *
ideas seriatim.
May Bhagavan in His Grace bestow on you
A M E M O R A B L E VISIT
and your family excellent health long life and
vigour for continued active participation in The writer of this letter is the niece of the
bringing out The Mountain Path. world-famous Dutch painter van Gogh, an
M. C . MENON, authoress of standing and a prominent social
New Delhi. worker who came to India on the invitation of
the government.
Thank you for your appreciation and kind
wishes. Actually cases are known of people with
. . . It was a great and wonderful experience
much graver misdeeds to their discredit than
for me to be in your home and to feel the atmo-
Arunagirinadhar, who became great saints. What
sphere you have been building up during so
about Valmiki who was a robber and murderer to
many years of dedication and love.
begin with. Another one is Angulimaia, who was
even worse and utterly without mercy he used to
Even now I am engaged almost the whole day
mutilate his victims by cutting off their fingers
as people are in our modern way of life in cities
and wearing them as a necklace. Under the
and I feel homesickness for my stay in Tiruvanna-
influence of the Buddha who went to him without
malai. I felt quiet and content, light and cheerful
any fear, he became a saint and attained
when being with you and visiting the Ashram
enlightenment. Such people have usually great
and climbing the Mountain. I was also happy to
courage and determination turned in the wrong
be in Pondicherry but it is quite different from
direction and when put on the right path the
your place.
results will come accordingly. A sage knows the
potentiality of a man and whatever his duty.
I do hope to come back again if I will be
EDITOR. allowed, but I doubt if I will get this great
* * * opportunity again. If not I will always keep a
very sweet wonderful memory of my visit to you
AN APPRECIATION with my dear brother, Sharma. I do hope that I
This is just a note to thank you so very much can keep this feeling of happiness experienced in
for your sympathetic editing of the reminiscen- your place
ces of our dear Maharshi that I sent you a. while MARIA SCHROEDER VAN GOGH.

W h a t e v e r happiness is experienced is a reflection of t h e bliss o f

Brahman. W h e n the vritti is directed to t h e contemplation of t h e Self
within, t h e reflection of happiness is unclouded.
— Panchadasi of V i d y a r a n y a .
1970
Sri Ram an as ram am 1
Dr. S. Sivasithambaram, Doha, Arabian Gulf
Avichalbhai Shivshankar Mehta, Dar Es Salaam,
East Africa
F. M. Clift, Auckland, New Zealand
Gerard Casey, Timav, Kenya
Henry S. Denison, Hollywood, U.S.A.
John Dawson, Englewood, U.S.A.
Mrs. R. Wilson, Colombo, Ceylon
Klaus Loosen, Osterath, West Germany
Sri Ramanasramam
Prof. T. F. Bidari, Belgaum, Mysore State
R. Palaniswami Gownder, Pudupalayam,
Tamil Nadu
Penmetcha Subba Raju, Jinnur, A. P.
Satyavati G. Shah, Baroda, Gujarat
V. Balasundram, Madras, Tamil Nadu
V. Ramaswamy, Bombay
Smt. Mahalakshmi, Belguam, Mysore State
Dr. Dharma Chatterji, New Delhi
Dr. Santa Ramachandran, Thanjavur, Tamil Nadu P. V. Menon, Bombay
Ranjit K. Banerjee, Ahmedabad, Gujarat
M. S. Seshadri, Mathur Agraharam, Kerala
Dattatreya Balakrishna Ketkar, Bombay
Narra Tirupathi Rayadu, Gannavaram, A.P.
N. N. Taunk, Jamshedpur
V. S. V. Mani, Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu
G. Ramamurthy, Tiruvidaimarudur, Tamil Nadu
P. H. Mantri, Bombay
Rohitkumar C. Desai, Bombay
K. B. Dabke, Bombay
N. K. Saran, Bombay
K. G. Krishnaswamy, Bangalore
D. H. Chandrasekhariya and D. H. Rudra Sastry, P. K. Veloo, Ramana Nagar, Tamil Nadu
Bangalore
J. Ramakrishna Reddy, Ramagundam, A.P.
Smt. Sumathi Narayanan, Secunderabad, A.P.
N. Suseelamma, Kurnool, Andhra Pradesh
B. V. Dasappa, Bangalore
Makam Adinarayana Chetty, Madanapalle, A.P.
Morarji K. Thacker, Katrasgarh, Bihar
B. N. Nagendranath, Bangalore
Vithaldas Purushottamdas Asher, Bombay
C. H. Jagannatha Rao, Bhadrak, Orissa
185
Life Members—Foreign
J. R. Eales White, Brighton, U.K.
Mrs. Jean Banning, Honolulu, U.S.A.
Mrs. Helene Brunner, Cortaillod, Switzerland
Surendar M. Jain, Cambridge, U.S.A.
Miss Judi D. Rosner, Chicago, U.S.A.
R. A. Woods, Southall, U.K.
Use & Gerd Ledermann, Obi Obi, Australia.
Suresh Chandra Chaganlal Solanki, Luanshya,
Zambia
Life Members—Indian
Dr. R. L. Paranjpe, Nagpur
N. Ramanathan, Bombay
K. L . Ramachandra, Bangalore
A. K. Kulkarni, Bangalore,
Muchherla Achhamma, Madanapalle, A.P.
S. Subba Rao, Secunderabad, Andhra Pradesh
Dr. A. Subhadra, Madras.
G. V. Deshpande, Coimbatore, Tamil Nadu
Dr. Laxmanrao Nadgir, Mysore
Smt. Lakshmi Devi Raj, Hyderabad, A.P.
Maharani Sahiba of Mandi, Poona, Maharashtra
Dr. P. J. Deoras, Bombay
N. Venkataraman, Madurai, Tamil Nadu
Sri & Smt. R. L. Koppikar, Cuttack, Orissa
Sri & Smt. B. L. Koppikar, Bombay
J. Lakshmanaswamy, Madras
Maganlal Bhatt, Chandigarh, Punjab
Dr. H. C. Visveswarayya, New Delhi
A. K. S. Prakasa Rao, Khader, U.P.
Mrs. Ingrid Guha, Madras
R. Krishnaswamy, Mysore
K. B. S. Rao, Erode, Tamil Nadu
Lanki Reddy Krishna Reddy, Tenali, A.P.
K. Appa Rao, Bhadrak, Orissa
Jai Singh, Dehra Dun, U.P.
S. Venkataraman, New Delhi
i Continued from our July, 1969 issue, giving
further additions of the Life Members of the
Ashram and the Life Subscribers of The Mountain
Path enrolled afresh after June, 1969. .
 THE MOUNTAIN PATH

Pushpa Kumar Dixit, Indore, Madhya Pradesh P. Rajagopal, Bangalore

M. R. Sarma, Bangalore Tolaram Pohumal Uttamchandani, Poona
Dr. (Mrs.) V. Jayalakshmi, Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu T. V. Raghava, Mysore
N. Ganapathy, Calcutta D. J. Buxey, Bombay
N. Vikram, Bangalore D. B. Sastri, Coonoor, Tamil Nadu

The Mountain Path

Miss Julie Wellings, U.S.A.
Subramani Lakshman, Labasa, Fiji
David Padwa, New York City, U.S.A.
V. Ekambaram, Vaddukoddai, Ceylon
Gerard Casey, Timau, Kenya
V. Venkatesan, Tacoma, U.S.A.
Dr. S. Sivasithambaram, Doha, Arabian Gulf
Dr. A. Doraisamy, Colombo, Ceylon
Prof. Vayuananda, Rio de Janeiro, South America
Miss Hermine J. Gerth, Adelphi, U.S.A.
Mrs. Myrtle Howe, Seattle, U.S.A.
G. Guffroy Sr., Hengelo, Holland
Mrs. Renate W. De Blum, Buenos Aires, Argentina
Life Subscribers—Foreign
Mrs. Karin Finger, Tahoe City, U.S.A.
Mrs. Barbara Birch, Edinburgh, Scotland
Frank C. Becker, Manduran, Australia
Mohinder Pall Chatrath, Nairobi, Kenya
R. A. Woods, Southall, U.K.
David Bushier, Brooklyn, U.S.A.
Mrs. Pamela Winifred and Mrs. Michael Beale
Chettleborough, Pinner, U.K.
Fred Clements, Scotch Plains, U.S.A.
Olgierd Starza Majewski, London, U.K.
Hale Sherland, Port Coquitlam, Canada
Mrs, Siglinde Gerlach, Berlin, West Germany
A Devotee, Buenos Aires, Argentina, S. America

The Mountain Path

Ramesh Chandra Amin, Baroda, Gujarat
Bh. Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha Raju, Jinnur,
Andhra Pradesh
K. B. Dabke, Bombay, Maharashtra
T. R. Nagaraja, Mysore
V. Shivram, Madras, Tamil Nadu
N. K. Saran, Bombay
Mrs. Leila Punshi, Bombay
Dr. (Mrs.) M. B. Kagal, New Delhi
Ranvir Khanna, Bombay
Life Subscribers—Indian
Navin Chandra Khanna, Jabalpur, M. P.
Suresh Chandra Khanna, Patna
Mr. & Mrs. Ajaya Kapur, Kanpur, U.P.
Ram Krishan Sharma, Gurdaspur, Punjab
Gopal Rao Shirale, Madras, Tamil Nadu
M. T. Tijoriwala, Bombay
Smt. Sumathi Narayanan, Secunderabad, A P .
P. M. Tolani, Bombay
Kamta Singh, Semrikhankot, U P .
V. S. V. Mani, Tuticorin, Tamil Nadu

AN APPEAL
The devotees who are not yet Life Members of the Ashram are requested to become one by
remitting a sum of Rs. 100/- (for India only) or £ 10-0-0 or $ 30.00, to the PRESIDENT, SRI RAMA-
NASRAMAM, TIRUVANNAMALAI, S.INDIA, by a cheque or draft on any bank in the world, in favour of
SRI RAMANASRAMAM.
Likewise, it is also requested of the devotees, who are not yet Life Subscribers of our journal,
THE MOUNTAIN PATH, to become one by remitting a sum of Rs. 125/- (for India only), or £ 12-10-0
or $ 30/-, to the MANAGING EDITOR, THE MOUNTAIN PATH, SRI RAMANASRAMAM, S. INDIA, by a cheque or
draft on any bank in the world, in favour of THE MOUNTAIN PATH.