Satsang Bhavan Lectures of Swami Sivananda, Message 18
44. Serve the Mother - 46. Service of the Sick - 47. An Exemplary Disciple
Chapter Five: Some Exemplars
44. Serve The Mother
On Women's Hospital Opening Day, 10th May.
A hospital exclusively for women is a dire necessity in this area. God has endowed women with an extraordinary amount of the power of endurance; and they suffer in silence.
Woman is our mother. She is the embodiment of para sakti or the supreme power. She is our guru also. We learnt our first lessons from her. It is our sacred duty, therefore, to serve her.
Major General A. N. Sharma wants to establish a medical mission with its headquarters here. He is endeavouring to have mobile dispensaries also to tour the country. There will be a very big hospital here. That hospital will have a special women's section with every facility for effectively serving our mothers. Let us pray to the Almighty that this mission will fructify soon.
In the meantime, and kind compassionate Dr. Devaki Kutty has offered her services to our hospital for a few weeks. Therefore, this camp has been organised in order to enable the women of the surrounding areas, the refugee women of Rishikesh and others to benefit themselves by the highly specialised knowledge of Dr. Devaki Kutty.
Dr. Devaki Kutty is an able doctor. She is an M.R.C.O.G. (Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists). She is a London-returned specialist in women's diseases. She is at present serving in the Lucknow Medical College. We are highly grateful and deeply indebted to her for her kind and selfless offer of her services to the Hospital for a short period.
This is the fourth camp of its kind to be held here. Previously, Dr. Lakshmi Mirchandani of Delhi came here twice and conducted a Women's Medical Relief Camp each time. Dr. Savitri of Gujarat also held a camp. This is the Fourth one. May Lord bless this camp also with success.
May God bless Dr. Devaki Kutty, our Medical Officer Dr. K. C. Roy, and Assistant Medical Officer Sri Lilavathi, with health, long life, peace, prosperity and eternal bliss.
45. A Divine Family
The glory of Devaki Kutty is the glory of Sri Ramunni Nair and Ulpalakshy. Those who have done virtuous actions in their previous birth only will get brilliant, famous children who do great service to the country. So Ramunni Nair and Ulpalakshy Amma have done great meritorious deeds in their previous births, and as a result of their tapasya and good actions God has been gracious enough to bestow upon them intelligent, brilliant children. Each one of them excels the others—Devaki Kutty in the medical line, Narayani in the musical line. God has given various talents to various people. Otherwise the world will be like a prison. It will be monotonous. Chinnamma is a M.A. in Social Science and is now specializing for Ph.D., going from house to house and studying about maternity welfare. Another son, Dr. Krishnan, M.B.B.S., is going to London for F.R.C.S. All of them are full of virtues, good conduct, behaviour, divine qualities, daivisampat. This is a blessed family, noble family, possessing generosity, munificence and other divine qualities.
Devaki Kutty is the crest jewel among women, among lady doctors. At this young age she has passed M.R.C.O.G. in England. Even men go there and come plucked. What must be her ability, her talents, I leave for you to judge. She is a professor in the Medical College, Lucknow, and her services for the last three years have been tremendous and all the women folk of Rishikesh adore her. They are like chatak bird waiting for the swati star "When will Kutty come?"
Devaki suta govinda vasudeva jagatpate. Her name is repeated. Vasudevasutam devam kamsachanooramardanam, devaki paramanandam krishnam vande jagatgurum. Again her name only is repeated,
sarvamangalamangalye, sive sarvarthasadhake,
saranye tryambake gauri narayani namostute.
(Narayani's name is repeated.)
I am daily repeating their names.
All of them are silent. These virtues make them great, not their talents—simplicity, nobility, magnanimity, spirit of service. I asked some people to give lemon juice. One man says, there is no lemon, another man, says there is no sugar. I am not able to attend myself. Without any drink, for two or three hours they serve. They work under such conditions. So may Lord bless them with faith, knowledge, devotion and wisdom. This is my fervent prayer.
Narayani will shine in the music field. The mind is entrapped by music. Music is laya yoga, kundalini yoga. It is a great help for attaining God-realisation. She will be able to draw bliss and infuse bliss in others through her music. Chinnamma will serve people through social science. So glory to the whole family. Their mother is very silent. She has never spoken a word. I do not know whether she is present in the satsang or not, because she speaks not a word. We all wish them long life, prosperity, vidya, tushti, pushti, and we request them to come every year without our invitation. Even now they have come without our invitation. Nobody has gone to Badry. If they go, my work will suffer: The spirit of selfless service is ingrained in Chinnamma, and she is also assistant to Dr. K. C. Roy. Glory to these personages. They will visit this ashram every year and do service. God will give them wisdom and they will become jivanmuktas and radiate peace and bliss. They will set an example to others, so that they may also develop the virtues—humility, spirit of service, etc. These are not easy things. People want seven servants to remove the boots, put on the coat etc. When they get some position, they forget the spirit of service. Position is an intoxicant. Power is an intoxicant. A little power or position makes you proud. It is only through God's grace that you can develop humility and this alone will help you to attain knowledge. This alone will lead you to nirvikalpa samadhi and make you free from the pains and tribulations of the three kinds of tapas. That is the goal of life. Therefore, cultivate all these virtues, service, humility. Pride is champagne. All wisdom belongs to the Hiranyagarbha, and it will flow only to such people who possess these virtues. Grace will come only to them. So follow their example. Be humble, magnanimous, gentle. Develop sincerity, generosity, purity, and integrity. Our goal is to serve, develop so many virtues which will help us to attain God-realisation. Development of these virtues is wisdom. When you possess all the divine qualities, compassion, tolerance, dhriti dhairyam, this constitutes divinity.
Enemies are there. We have to cultivate these virtues. Then the enemies will go away. The enemies are pride, vanity, and jealousy. According to the new theory the cause of disease is jealousy. Where there is jealousy, there is hatred. Where there is hatred, there is malice. Do not believe in bacillus. Only jealousy particles, vanity particles, that enter into the blood and cause disease. So remove all these evil qualities and become divine. Every one can become noble and attain divinity if he wills.
There is nothing in this world, though there are flowers and garlands. With all these things, there is scorpion bite, flea bite, mosquito bite, disease, old age. Janma mrityu jara vyadhi dukha doshanudarshanam—birth, death, old age, disease—all kinds of sufferings, mental torments.
Equanimity of mind, equal vision, balanced mind, this is what you study in Gita. Repeat the Lord's name and cultivate these virtues. May you all attain the goal of life, which is self-realisation, nirvikalpa samadhi, or asamprajnata samadhi. You cannot find real happiness in this world. All pleasures are mixed with pain, disease, and vices. People want to earn money, amass wealth, telling lies, cheating others and through cut throat competition.
They do not introspect, do self-analysis. Introspection, self-analysis—these are the things which will help you to become divine, and one with the cosmic consciousness.
Ramunni Nair has not spoken a word. Devaki Kutty has not expressed a single doubt. Because the antaryami is there who will solve all problems. The answer to all problems is within, not outside. Tap the source, meditate. All doubts will be solved. She has not spoken any word. God will bless her and they will become great devotees, free from all kinds of difficulties. May God remove all obstacles in their path and give them the vision of truth, cosmic consciousness, always joy, eternal peace, and perennial happiness. This is my fervent prayer.
46. Service of the Sick
One, Sri Brij Nandan Prasad, had obtained permission from Swamiji to open a homoeopathic dispensary in the ashram for giving free homoeopathic treatment to all ailing persons. Today was performed the opening ceremony of the Dispensary, with Kirtan followed by a short speech by Swamiji and distribution of Prasad. The text of Swamiji's speech is given below.
Today we are opening a homoeopathic dispensary. I declare the dispensary open today. Sri Brij Nandan Prasad is our famous homoeopathic doctor. He will give us good health, so that we may be able to earn more money, so that we may be able to do more meditation and do greater service.
Homoeopathy is not an enemy of allopathy. People consider it as an enemy of allopathy. But it is not so. When allopathy fails, people take recourse to homoeopathy. When I started the ashram all people were against me. When I put drama and music, all people were against me. Now people themselves come and dance. In the beginning everything is pooh-poohed. Homoeopathy is the best system. All systems are necessary. For Mukerji one system is necessary. For Rama Iyer another system is necessary. They say there are three or four temperaments. But there are million temperaments. Though there are four yogas, karma yoga, raja yoga and jnana yoga, there are really millions of yogas. Similarly millions of treatment are there. For some ayurveda is good. For some allopathy is good. For some homoeopathy is good. For some unani is good. Even allopathic doctors have found out that there is something miraculous, marvellous in this homoeopathy. They combine both, allopathy and homoeopathy. You may have heard of a Belgium doctor in Calcutta. He takes recourse to both these systems. Many doctors take recourse to a combination of these two systems. Whenever diseases are not cured by allopathy, they try homoeopathy. For relieving pains in the twinkling of an eye, this homoeopathy is very good.
Do not think that I am a follower of homoeopathy. In my heart of hearts I am an allopathist. One man said that swamiji is a diplomat!
We have got another homoeopathic doctor, Swami Achintyananda, and Swami Venkatesananda is the third doctor. Swami Venkatesananda will excel all others, because his heart is good, his kindness is good. Homoeopathy is a very fine system. It is not very costly. I have written an article on 'allopathic' monsters. They give several kinds of mixtures, several kinds of tablets and several kinds of injections. Homeopathy is a very simple and cheap system of treatment. Our Ram Rup Tiwari is a homoeopath. He gave me Ferrum Phos and Natrum Mur. The effect was wonderful.
They are very good for cough, fever and influenza.
We hope all sick people will approach Brij Nandan Prasad. He is doing selfless service. He is a Sadhak. Japa and meditation he will do on the Ganges bank. At the same time he will serve. So glory to Hanhnemann, the founder of this system. He is a rishi. He who found out dosa is a rishi. He who found out iddaly is a rishi. No one less than a rishi can find out sambar and dosa. Even so the founder of homoeopathy, Dr. Hanhnemann was a rishi. He meditated. He did tapas. In Upanishads it is found that Brahman did tapas. It means meditation with one-pointed mind. He created the dog, the cat, the caterpillar. He was not satisfied. Then he created man. Then he was satisfied. Then all devas entered into the body. They found a suitable resting place in the body. Surya (sun) dwelt in the eye. Likewise Indra, Asvinikumars and other gods entered the body and began to dwell in different places. Man only can become Brahman through tapas. Tapas is meditation. Tapas is blazing like fire on account of control of indriyas. There are various kinds of tapas like the Panchagni Tapas, etc. But the real tapas is meditation. So Hanhnemann rishi meditated and found out this Bryonia, Alpha-alpha. A small box costing Rs. 5/- contains all the important medicines required for ordinary diseases. Especially retired people should have a box of medicines. Then their hearts will expand and be ready for the reception of the divine light. Everybody should have the box. Even children and women should have the box. Gita on the one hand and this box on the other. These two will make you fit to approach God very easily. So, on this glorious day this Homoeopathic Dispensary is declared open. Anybody who wants can take medicine. All diseases take their origin in hatred, jealousy—irsha, matsarya. If you are jealous of a man who is prosperous you get disease. If you superimpose evil qualities on a man whom you do not like due to jealousy, you get disease. This is the doctrine of Hanhnemann. Disease is caused by entertaining bad thoughts.
Jealousy is an enemy of meditation. Jealousy is an enemy of samadhi. The modern doctors have invented so many names for diseases just to get money. Really it is due to jealousy, hatred, anger, etc. that diseases are caused. Anger particles, hatred particles, malice particles—these are the real causes of diseases. I am not telling you a cock and bull story. It is your own experience that when you get angry, you cannot take food, your heart is agitated, you cannot sleep well. This itself is a proof that anger is the cause, jealousy is the cause of diseases. Note this point well. Do japa. Do meditation. Free yourself from malice, and hatred. Love all, embrace all, serve all, be kind to all, pray for all. These are medicines. Pray for all. This is 'Bryonia 200.'
Now prasad will be distributed. I will request the doctor to give me some sugar capsules. Is there anybody who has got jealousy? Everybody has got jealousy. He will also give globules which will expand your heart and make you share your bank balance with the poor! May he shine as a jivanmukta!
47. An Exemplary Disciple
Farewell to Swami Sahajananda (Sri V. Srinivasan) Durban, Swamiji's speech on 10 April 1956.
We rejoice today heartily, because we have amidst us a noble personality, a spiritual personality, a bala yogi, a bala swami, Sri Swami Sahajananda. Whenever a noble function takes place, the devas are pleased. So we had a very good shower today, and now we have a cool atmosphere. So we are able to celebrate the function joyously. You may ask, "Why there is no rain of flowers?" That also there is. The devas rain flowers.
You may ask why Swamiji is giving sanyasa to young people. You may say that people should take sanyas only when all hairs have grown grey and all teeth have fallen. No. We want people at this age, with great dynamism, with abundant spiritual energy. In old age one is not able to sit in one asana for half an hour at a stretch. When all energy has been squeezed out in family life, he is not able to sit on padma asana. We need young swamis. Sankara was not an old man. Padmapada was not an old man. Young people only should take sanyasa, for they will lead a life of fortitude, endurance. They are full of strength, full of energy. We require only young people to take sanyasa and spread the message of Sankara in the West.
Swami Sahajananda is styled as the spiritual king of South Africa, Durban. He is also called the African chotta guru. He does not want anything. He is a silent worker. He is a man of renunciation, vairagya and meditation. He is a very good organizer. He has organised some twenty branches of the Divine Life Society in South Africa. His friend Bika Cheba is also good as Swami Sahajananda.
There is savikalpa samadhi, and then comes nirvikalpa samadhi, and then comes sahaja avastha. He is established in sahaja avastha. He does not forget Brahman when he is working. He has got double consciousness. He is resting in his satchidananda swarupa, and he is utilising his mind and indriyas for the good of humanity. He likes sahaja avastha. He is in sahaja avastha. In the scriptures you will find that any man who attempts to practise yoga is also a yogi and a yoga arudha, who is established in yoga, is also a yogi. So he who is attempting to be established in sahaja avastha is also a sahaja avastha yogi.
He is a strong pillar of the Divine Life Society. Yesterday Swami Jayadayalji gave a great feast for me. He asked people to bring papayas. Then he asked me, "Will you take some milk and fruits?" I said, "Bring some fruits. I don't want milk." He asked a man to bring oranges. He brought them, and I distributed them to people. Then I said, "I am a rupee-eater." I am Swami Sahajanadaji's rupee-eater. I want money for printing paper, art paper, for hospital, etc. You may think that I am exaggerating him. Maharaja Pannalalji does not have much money, but the whole Divine Life Society buildings he has built. If you ask him three thousand, immediately you will get it. I am the rupee-eater of him also. He is more than a maharaj. People who have got plenty of money cannot give two rupees.
Such a man is Kanju's prabhu! Swami Sahajananda has spent money on buildings, and for my stomach—biscuits, plenty of chocolates. He is the spiritual king of Durban, a great organiser, a great supporter, a pillar of the Divine Life Society.
He talks little. You have never seen him talking. He thinks much and does much. Such a great spiritual yogi is he. He came some years before also and remained here.
He has brought out the 'Divine Life Children's Pamphlets'. He is a man of invention. In letter heads and behind the envelopes, he has printed new sayings. In letter heads also the 'Divine Life for Children' he has brought out.
He is a thinker. He has added a small press for the dissemination of knowledge, and the 'Path to God-Realisation' is his magazine, running for three or four years. What more you expect from a small boy swami? He has done everything. He will now go with redoubled energy, charged with Himalayan vibrations and mother Ganges' grace, and will work like a lion, vedanta kesari, yoga kesari. All these titles a man deserves when he becomes a yogi. When a man becomes God, any number of titles are not enough. His devotion to teacher is unique. He has a pure heart. Such a yogi is now going from here and he will thrill the whole of Africa, and again he will come. He has a spirit of renunciation. He has given his whole property to me. Just see his noble qualities, devotion, discipline, santi, humility. When a man comes to, you and says that he is a jivanmukta, you must test him. You must ask whether he has got humility, not feigned humility, but real unostentatious humility. Then he must have compassion. If you do not find these qualities in a man who says "I am a jivanmukta", reject him as straw. These are the two cardinal, fundamental virtues of a sage. If you do not find these virtues, even if he delivers a lecture for days together on the verse: sarva dharman parityajya mamekam saranam vraja—it is useless, empty bullet shots in the air. If you find humility, that is the sign of a yogi, and he must be compassionate. His heart should melt like butter when he sees the sufferings of others. If he finds a starving man, and if he has got a tumbler of milk, he will run to him and give it to him. Of all the qualities that are enumerated in the Gita, humility (not feigned humility) and compassion are the most important. He who possesses these qualities is a yogi of the first order. These are the tests of a jivanmukta. So we all pray for his health, long life, peace, prosperity. Such a person is a rare jewel on this earth. He who is not free from selfishness is a burden on earth, but when he becomes selfless and works for relieving the human suffering, when he has dedicated his life for the service of humanity, he is a divine being on earth. Other people live in vain, they are burdens on earth. Remove this selfishness and work for the well being of humanity, for your neighbour. Then only man is a real man. Otherwise, though God has given promotion as a human being, he is only a horizontal being. So let us try to become real men on this earth, divine men, super men, with God intoxicated feeling always working for your neighbours. In working for other people, you elevate yourself. In praying for other people you pray for yourself. There is only one being, one consciousness. So let us become absolutely selfless, courageous, bold; without attachment to this body. Timid people die thousand times before their actual death owing to attachment to this body, which is nothing but a combination of the five elements. You are really Atman, the all-pervading immortal soul. Then you become Atma samrat, king on this earth, nature is ready to open her secrets to you and you enjoy the divine aiswaryas when you become selfless. When you work for the good of others, you become atma-samrat. Such a king is this swami. Glory to him. Let us follow his example.
He is a young yogi, a yoga brashta. He was a swami in his previous birth, so at such a young age his heart is full of renunciation, vairagya and meditation, which are the key to open the chambers of a heart, the atmic store. It is not so easy to get renunciation and vairagya. That man lives in vain who has got no vairagya, no renunciation, no spirit of selfless service. God has given you in this birth a little wisdom. You must utilise it for meditation and service of humanity. Service is nothing but yoga. Karma culminates in wisdom. Bhakti culminates in wisdom. Yoga and vedanta are complementary. There is no wisdom without yoga. There is no wisdom without bhakti. All are complementary. Vedanta without bhakti is dry, and bhakti without wisdom is not complete or perfect. So let us pray for the health, and long life of this small yogi full of strength. One who can transform the materialistic intellect of the whole of South Africa means what tremendous influence, what tremendous purity, what tremendous yogic power, what tremendous meditation, his spiritual aura, selfless aura! A selfish man cannot do anything in this world. In South Africa they call him as 'brother'. The other people have lived in vain who have not done atmic search, who have not done sravan, manan, and nidhidhyasan or this navavidha bhakti to attain God. Ayamatma nirakarah sarvavyapi swabhavatah, aham brahmasmi, sivoham. This should not be mere utterance of a formula, it should enter your bones and heart. You must have a feeling that there is one common consciousness. That is your birth right. You must attain this. One Atma resides in all. He has attained this. Let us pray for his long life, peace, prosperity.
Let us utilise every second in service, meditation, in chintan of God. Waste not a single minute. Realise him. Live in God. Live in Brahman, and behold the whole world as your own self. Behold! Listen! Come! There is a way to the fourth dimension. There is a way for attaining immortality. That way is 'Be good, do good. Serve, love, give, purify, meditate, realise, seek, find, enter and rest'.
Become a great yogi, not attached to this body, always thinking of this body. He who ever thinks of this body is a cobbler. A cobbler is not he who makes shoes, but he who always thinks of this body, because you are not this body. You are the Atma. Do not become a blind man, a deaf man. Open your eyes and see everywhere the self. Behind the nama rupa there is satchidananda, asti-bhati-priya. You see a tree. See the asti-bhati-priya. This is wisdom.
May Lord bless Swami Sahajananda with health, long life, peace, bliss and immortality. May Lord bless you all.
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44. Serve the Mother - 46. Service of the Sick - 47. An Exemplary Disciple
Chapter Five: Some Exemplars
44. Serve The Mother
On Women's Hospital Opening Day, 10th May.
A hospital exclusively for women is a dire necessity in this area. God has endowed women with an extraordinary amount of the power of endurance; and they suffer in silence.
Woman is our mother. She is the embodiment of para sakti or the supreme power. She is our guru also. We learnt our first lessons from her. It is our sacred duty, therefore, to serve her.
Major General A. N. Sharma wants to establish a medical mission with its headquarters here. He is endeavouring to have mobile dispensaries also to tour the country. There will be a very big hospital here. That hospital will have a special women's section with every facility for effectively serving our mothers. Let us pray to the Almighty that this mission will fructify soon.
In the meantime, and kind compassionate Dr. Devaki Kutty has offered her services to our hospital for a few weeks. Therefore, this camp has been organised in order to enable the women of the surrounding areas, the refugee women of Rishikesh and others to benefit themselves by the highly specialised knowledge of Dr. Devaki Kutty.
Dr. Devaki Kutty is an able doctor. She is an M.R.C.O.G. (Member of the Royal College of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists). She is a London-returned specialist in women's diseases. She is at present serving in the Lucknow Medical College. We are highly grateful and deeply indebted to her for her kind and selfless offer of her services to the Hospital for a short period.
This is the fourth camp of its kind to be held here. Previously, Dr. Lakshmi Mirchandani of Delhi came here twice and conducted a Women's Medical Relief Camp each time. Dr. Savitri of Gujarat also held a camp. This is the Fourth one. May Lord bless this camp also with success.
May God bless Dr. Devaki Kutty, our Medical Officer Dr. K. C. Roy, and Assistant Medical Officer Sri Lilavathi, with health, long life, peace, prosperity and eternal bliss.
45. A Divine Family
The glory of Devaki Kutty is the glory of Sri Ramunni Nair and Ulpalakshy. Those who have done virtuous actions in their previous birth only will get brilliant, famous children who do great service to the country. So Ramunni Nair and Ulpalakshy Amma have done great meritorious deeds in their previous births, and as a result of their tapasya and good actions God has been gracious enough to bestow upon them intelligent, brilliant children. Each one of them excels the others—Devaki Kutty in the medical line, Narayani in the musical line. God has given various talents to various people. Otherwise the world will be like a prison. It will be monotonous. Chinnamma is a M.A. in Social Science and is now specializing for Ph.D., going from house to house and studying about maternity welfare. Another son, Dr. Krishnan, M.B.B.S., is going to London for F.R.C.S. All of them are full of virtues, good conduct, behaviour, divine qualities, daivisampat. This is a blessed family, noble family, possessing generosity, munificence and other divine qualities.
Devaki Kutty is the crest jewel among women, among lady doctors. At this young age she has passed M.R.C.O.G. in England. Even men go there and come plucked. What must be her ability, her talents, I leave for you to judge. She is a professor in the Medical College, Lucknow, and her services for the last three years have been tremendous and all the women folk of Rishikesh adore her. They are like chatak bird waiting for the swati star "When will Kutty come?"
Devaki suta govinda vasudeva jagatpate. Her name is repeated. Vasudevasutam devam kamsachanooramardanam, devaki paramanandam krishnam vande jagatgurum. Again her name only is repeated,
sarvamangalamangalye, sive sarvarthasadhake,
saranye tryambake gauri narayani namostute.
(Narayani's name is repeated.)
I am daily repeating their names.
All of them are silent. These virtues make them great, not their talents—simplicity, nobility, magnanimity, spirit of service. I asked some people to give lemon juice. One man says, there is no lemon, another man, says there is no sugar. I am not able to attend myself. Without any drink, for two or three hours they serve. They work under such conditions. So may Lord bless them with faith, knowledge, devotion and wisdom. This is my fervent prayer.
Narayani will shine in the music field. The mind is entrapped by music. Music is laya yoga, kundalini yoga. It is a great help for attaining God-realisation. She will be able to draw bliss and infuse bliss in others through her music. Chinnamma will serve people through social science. So glory to the whole family. Their mother is very silent. She has never spoken a word. I do not know whether she is present in the satsang or not, because she speaks not a word. We all wish them long life, prosperity, vidya, tushti, pushti, and we request them to come every year without our invitation. Even now they have come without our invitation. Nobody has gone to Badry. If they go, my work will suffer: The spirit of selfless service is ingrained in Chinnamma, and she is also assistant to Dr. K. C. Roy. Glory to these personages. They will visit this ashram every year and do service. God will give them wisdom and they will become jivanmuktas and radiate peace and bliss. They will set an example to others, so that they may also develop the virtues—humility, spirit of service, etc. These are not easy things. People want seven servants to remove the boots, put on the coat etc. When they get some position, they forget the spirit of service. Position is an intoxicant. Power is an intoxicant. A little power or position makes you proud. It is only through God's grace that you can develop humility and this alone will help you to attain knowledge. This alone will lead you to nirvikalpa samadhi and make you free from the pains and tribulations of the three kinds of tapas. That is the goal of life. Therefore, cultivate all these virtues, service, humility. Pride is champagne. All wisdom belongs to the Hiranyagarbha, and it will flow only to such people who possess these virtues. Grace will come only to them. So follow their example. Be humble, magnanimous, gentle. Develop sincerity, generosity, purity, and integrity. Our goal is to serve, develop so many virtues which will help us to attain God-realisation. Development of these virtues is wisdom. When you possess all the divine qualities, compassion, tolerance, dhriti dhairyam, this constitutes divinity.
Enemies are there. We have to cultivate these virtues. Then the enemies will go away. The enemies are pride, vanity, and jealousy. According to the new theory the cause of disease is jealousy. Where there is jealousy, there is hatred. Where there is hatred, there is malice. Do not believe in bacillus. Only jealousy particles, vanity particles, that enter into the blood and cause disease. So remove all these evil qualities and become divine. Every one can become noble and attain divinity if he wills.
There is nothing in this world, though there are flowers and garlands. With all these things, there is scorpion bite, flea bite, mosquito bite, disease, old age. Janma mrityu jara vyadhi dukha doshanudarshanam—birth, death, old age, disease—all kinds of sufferings, mental torments.
Equanimity of mind, equal vision, balanced mind, this is what you study in Gita. Repeat the Lord's name and cultivate these virtues. May you all attain the goal of life, which is self-realisation, nirvikalpa samadhi, or asamprajnata samadhi. You cannot find real happiness in this world. All pleasures are mixed with pain, disease, and vices. People want to earn money, amass wealth, telling lies, cheating others and through cut throat competition.
They do not introspect, do self-analysis. Introspection, self-analysis—these are the things which will help you to become divine, and one with the cosmic consciousness.
Ramunni Nair has not spoken a word. Devaki Kutty has not expressed a single doubt. Because the antaryami is there who will solve all problems. The answer to all problems is within, not outside. Tap the source, meditate. All doubts will be solved. She has not spoken any word. God will bless her and they will become great devotees, free from all kinds of difficulties. May God remove all obstacles in their path and give them the vision of truth, cosmic consciousness, always joy, eternal peace, and perennial happiness. This is my fervent prayer.
46. Service of the Sick
One, Sri Brij Nandan Prasad, had obtained permission from Swamiji to open a homoeopathic dispensary in the ashram for giving free homoeopathic treatment to all ailing persons. Today was performed the opening ceremony of the Dispensary, with Kirtan followed by a short speech by Swamiji and distribution of Prasad. The text of Swamiji's speech is given below.
Today we are opening a homoeopathic dispensary. I declare the dispensary open today. Sri Brij Nandan Prasad is our famous homoeopathic doctor. He will give us good health, so that we may be able to earn more money, so that we may be able to do more meditation and do greater service.
Homoeopathy is not an enemy of allopathy. People consider it as an enemy of allopathy. But it is not so. When allopathy fails, people take recourse to homoeopathy. When I started the ashram all people were against me. When I put drama and music, all people were against me. Now people themselves come and dance. In the beginning everything is pooh-poohed. Homoeopathy is the best system. All systems are necessary. For Mukerji one system is necessary. For Rama Iyer another system is necessary. They say there are three or four temperaments. But there are million temperaments. Though there are four yogas, karma yoga, raja yoga and jnana yoga, there are really millions of yogas. Similarly millions of treatment are there. For some ayurveda is good. For some allopathy is good. For some homoeopathy is good. For some unani is good. Even allopathic doctors have found out that there is something miraculous, marvellous in this homoeopathy. They combine both, allopathy and homoeopathy. You may have heard of a Belgium doctor in Calcutta. He takes recourse to both these systems. Many doctors take recourse to a combination of these two systems. Whenever diseases are not cured by allopathy, they try homoeopathy. For relieving pains in the twinkling of an eye, this homoeopathy is very good.
Do not think that I am a follower of homoeopathy. In my heart of hearts I am an allopathist. One man said that swamiji is a diplomat!
We have got another homoeopathic doctor, Swami Achintyananda, and Swami Venkatesananda is the third doctor. Swami Venkatesananda will excel all others, because his heart is good, his kindness is good. Homoeopathy is a very fine system. It is not very costly. I have written an article on 'allopathic' monsters. They give several kinds of mixtures, several kinds of tablets and several kinds of injections. Homeopathy is a very simple and cheap system of treatment. Our Ram Rup Tiwari is a homoeopath. He gave me Ferrum Phos and Natrum Mur. The effect was wonderful.
They are very good for cough, fever and influenza.
We hope all sick people will approach Brij Nandan Prasad. He is doing selfless service. He is a Sadhak. Japa and meditation he will do on the Ganges bank. At the same time he will serve. So glory to Hanhnemann, the founder of this system. He is a rishi. He who found out dosa is a rishi. He who found out iddaly is a rishi. No one less than a rishi can find out sambar and dosa. Even so the founder of homoeopathy, Dr. Hanhnemann was a rishi. He meditated. He did tapas. In Upanishads it is found that Brahman did tapas. It means meditation with one-pointed mind. He created the dog, the cat, the caterpillar. He was not satisfied. Then he created man. Then he was satisfied. Then all devas entered into the body. They found a suitable resting place in the body. Surya (sun) dwelt in the eye. Likewise Indra, Asvinikumars and other gods entered the body and began to dwell in different places. Man only can become Brahman through tapas. Tapas is meditation. Tapas is blazing like fire on account of control of indriyas. There are various kinds of tapas like the Panchagni Tapas, etc. But the real tapas is meditation. So Hanhnemann rishi meditated and found out this Bryonia, Alpha-alpha. A small box costing Rs. 5/- contains all the important medicines required for ordinary diseases. Especially retired people should have a box of medicines. Then their hearts will expand and be ready for the reception of the divine light. Everybody should have the box. Even children and women should have the box. Gita on the one hand and this box on the other. These two will make you fit to approach God very easily. So, on this glorious day this Homoeopathic Dispensary is declared open. Anybody who wants can take medicine. All diseases take their origin in hatred, jealousy—irsha, matsarya. If you are jealous of a man who is prosperous you get disease. If you superimpose evil qualities on a man whom you do not like due to jealousy, you get disease. This is the doctrine of Hanhnemann. Disease is caused by entertaining bad thoughts.
Jealousy is an enemy of meditation. Jealousy is an enemy of samadhi. The modern doctors have invented so many names for diseases just to get money. Really it is due to jealousy, hatred, anger, etc. that diseases are caused. Anger particles, hatred particles, malice particles—these are the real causes of diseases. I am not telling you a cock and bull story. It is your own experience that when you get angry, you cannot take food, your heart is agitated, you cannot sleep well. This itself is a proof that anger is the cause, jealousy is the cause of diseases. Note this point well. Do japa. Do meditation. Free yourself from malice, and hatred. Love all, embrace all, serve all, be kind to all, pray for all. These are medicines. Pray for all. This is 'Bryonia 200.'
Now prasad will be distributed. I will request the doctor to give me some sugar capsules. Is there anybody who has got jealousy? Everybody has got jealousy. He will also give globules which will expand your heart and make you share your bank balance with the poor! May he shine as a jivanmukta!
47. An Exemplary Disciple
Farewell to Swami Sahajananda (Sri V. Srinivasan) Durban, Swamiji's speech on 10 April 1956.
We rejoice today heartily, because we have amidst us a noble personality, a spiritual personality, a bala yogi, a bala swami, Sri Swami Sahajananda. Whenever a noble function takes place, the devas are pleased. So we had a very good shower today, and now we have a cool atmosphere. So we are able to celebrate the function joyously. You may ask, "Why there is no rain of flowers?" That also there is. The devas rain flowers.
You may ask why Swamiji is giving sanyasa to young people. You may say that people should take sanyas only when all hairs have grown grey and all teeth have fallen. No. We want people at this age, with great dynamism, with abundant spiritual energy. In old age one is not able to sit in one asana for half an hour at a stretch. When all energy has been squeezed out in family life, he is not able to sit on padma asana. We need young swamis. Sankara was not an old man. Padmapada was not an old man. Young people only should take sanyasa, for they will lead a life of fortitude, endurance. They are full of strength, full of energy. We require only young people to take sanyasa and spread the message of Sankara in the West.
Swami Sahajananda is styled as the spiritual king of South Africa, Durban. He is also called the African chotta guru. He does not want anything. He is a silent worker. He is a man of renunciation, vairagya and meditation. He is a very good organizer. He has organised some twenty branches of the Divine Life Society in South Africa. His friend Bika Cheba is also good as Swami Sahajananda.
There is savikalpa samadhi, and then comes nirvikalpa samadhi, and then comes sahaja avastha. He is established in sahaja avastha. He does not forget Brahman when he is working. He has got double consciousness. He is resting in his satchidananda swarupa, and he is utilising his mind and indriyas for the good of humanity. He likes sahaja avastha. He is in sahaja avastha. In the scriptures you will find that any man who attempts to practise yoga is also a yogi and a yoga arudha, who is established in yoga, is also a yogi. So he who is attempting to be established in sahaja avastha is also a sahaja avastha yogi.
He is a strong pillar of the Divine Life Society. Yesterday Swami Jayadayalji gave a great feast for me. He asked people to bring papayas. Then he asked me, "Will you take some milk and fruits?" I said, "Bring some fruits. I don't want milk." He asked a man to bring oranges. He brought them, and I distributed them to people. Then I said, "I am a rupee-eater." I am Swami Sahajanadaji's rupee-eater. I want money for printing paper, art paper, for hospital, etc. You may think that I am exaggerating him. Maharaja Pannalalji does not have much money, but the whole Divine Life Society buildings he has built. If you ask him three thousand, immediately you will get it. I am the rupee-eater of him also. He is more than a maharaj. People who have got plenty of money cannot give two rupees.
Such a man is Kanju's prabhu! Swami Sahajananda has spent money on buildings, and for my stomach—biscuits, plenty of chocolates. He is the spiritual king of Durban, a great organiser, a great supporter, a pillar of the Divine Life Society.
He talks little. You have never seen him talking. He thinks much and does much. Such a great spiritual yogi is he. He came some years before also and remained here.
He has brought out the 'Divine Life Children's Pamphlets'. He is a man of invention. In letter heads and behind the envelopes, he has printed new sayings. In letter heads also the 'Divine Life for Children' he has brought out.
He is a thinker. He has added a small press for the dissemination of knowledge, and the 'Path to God-Realisation' is his magazine, running for three or four years. What more you expect from a small boy swami? He has done everything. He will now go with redoubled energy, charged with Himalayan vibrations and mother Ganges' grace, and will work like a lion, vedanta kesari, yoga kesari. All these titles a man deserves when he becomes a yogi. When a man becomes God, any number of titles are not enough. His devotion to teacher is unique. He has a pure heart. Such a yogi is now going from here and he will thrill the whole of Africa, and again he will come. He has a spirit of renunciation. He has given his whole property to me. Just see his noble qualities, devotion, discipline, santi, humility. When a man comes to, you and says that he is a jivanmukta, you must test him. You must ask whether he has got humility, not feigned humility, but real unostentatious humility. Then he must have compassion. If you do not find these qualities in a man who says "I am a jivanmukta", reject him as straw. These are the two cardinal, fundamental virtues of a sage. If you do not find these virtues, even if he delivers a lecture for days together on the verse: sarva dharman parityajya mamekam saranam vraja—it is useless, empty bullet shots in the air. If you find humility, that is the sign of a yogi, and he must be compassionate. His heart should melt like butter when he sees the sufferings of others. If he finds a starving man, and if he has got a tumbler of milk, he will run to him and give it to him. Of all the qualities that are enumerated in the Gita, humility (not feigned humility) and compassion are the most important. He who possesses these qualities is a yogi of the first order. These are the tests of a jivanmukta. So we all pray for his health, long life, peace, prosperity. Such a person is a rare jewel on this earth. He who is not free from selfishness is a burden on earth, but when he becomes selfless and works for relieving the human suffering, when he has dedicated his life for the service of humanity, he is a divine being on earth. Other people live in vain, they are burdens on earth. Remove this selfishness and work for the well being of humanity, for your neighbour. Then only man is a real man. Otherwise, though God has given promotion as a human being, he is only a horizontal being. So let us try to become real men on this earth, divine men, super men, with God intoxicated feeling always working for your neighbours. In working for other people, you elevate yourself. In praying for other people you pray for yourself. There is only one being, one consciousness. So let us become absolutely selfless, courageous, bold; without attachment to this body. Timid people die thousand times before their actual death owing to attachment to this body, which is nothing but a combination of the five elements. You are really Atman, the all-pervading immortal soul. Then you become Atma samrat, king on this earth, nature is ready to open her secrets to you and you enjoy the divine aiswaryas when you become selfless. When you work for the good of others, you become atma-samrat. Such a king is this swami. Glory to him. Let us follow his example.
He is a young yogi, a yoga brashta. He was a swami in his previous birth, so at such a young age his heart is full of renunciation, vairagya and meditation, which are the key to open the chambers of a heart, the atmic store. It is not so easy to get renunciation and vairagya. That man lives in vain who has got no vairagya, no renunciation, no spirit of selfless service. God has given you in this birth a little wisdom. You must utilise it for meditation and service of humanity. Service is nothing but yoga. Karma culminates in wisdom. Bhakti culminates in wisdom. Yoga and vedanta are complementary. There is no wisdom without yoga. There is no wisdom without bhakti. All are complementary. Vedanta without bhakti is dry, and bhakti without wisdom is not complete or perfect. So let us pray for the health, and long life of this small yogi full of strength. One who can transform the materialistic intellect of the whole of South Africa means what tremendous influence, what tremendous purity, what tremendous yogic power, what tremendous meditation, his spiritual aura, selfless aura! A selfish man cannot do anything in this world. In South Africa they call him as 'brother'. The other people have lived in vain who have not done atmic search, who have not done sravan, manan, and nidhidhyasan or this navavidha bhakti to attain God. Ayamatma nirakarah sarvavyapi swabhavatah, aham brahmasmi, sivoham. This should not be mere utterance of a formula, it should enter your bones and heart. You must have a feeling that there is one common consciousness. That is your birth right. You must attain this. One Atma resides in all. He has attained this. Let us pray for his long life, peace, prosperity.
Let us utilise every second in service, meditation, in chintan of God. Waste not a single minute. Realise him. Live in God. Live in Brahman, and behold the whole world as your own self. Behold! Listen! Come! There is a way to the fourth dimension. There is a way for attaining immortality. That way is 'Be good, do good. Serve, love, give, purify, meditate, realise, seek, find, enter and rest'.
Become a great yogi, not attached to this body, always thinking of this body. He who ever thinks of this body is a cobbler. A cobbler is not he who makes shoes, but he who always thinks of this body, because you are not this body. You are the Atma. Do not become a blind man, a deaf man. Open your eyes and see everywhere the self. Behind the nama rupa there is satchidananda, asti-bhati-priya. You see a tree. See the asti-bhati-priya. This is wisdom.
May Lord bless Swami Sahajananda with health, long life, peace, bliss and immortality. May Lord bless you all.
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