Inspiring Talks of Gurudev Sivananda
12th December, 1949
GOPAL KRISHNAN
We had intimation from the local police that Sri Jyoti Prasadji, the District Magistrate of Tehri, will be paying a visit to the Ashram in the morning.
And, he brought with him Sri Gopal Krishnan, the Finance Secretary of the U.P., Mrs. Gopala Krishnan and children.
Siva would not listen to their plea that they had just had their tea before they left Narendranagar. They took the tea as Siva’s Prasad.
All the visitors eagerly listened to the gramophone records of Siva’s speeches and Kirtans.
Four people were busy, in the meantime, assisting Siva in making his great gift of Vidya to the visitors. One Sadhak ran to fetch the books, another gave them to Siva, a third was noting down the names of the books presented, and a fourth was ready to pack them up. Thus the books were autographed, presented to the visitors and later packed up neatly in bundles—all within a few minutes.
‘You have given us a library of books,’ remarked Mrs. G., who was amazed at the rapidity with which the books flowed.
Siva autographed a few books for Sri J.P. also. ‘Perhaps I have them, Swamiji.’
‘If you have them, then give these to your friends,’ replied Siva whose zeal for dissemination of spiritual knowledge at any cost, is unequalled.
Siva then took them to the hall adjoining the office. He invited them to take their seats on the cement benches there and enjoy the lovely view of the Ganges and the Himalayas. They all sat drinking deeply the beauty of Ananda Kutir scenery, and Siva rejoiced at their joy.
‘You must come here and stay for a week. Then you will really enjoy the real beauty of the place which is filled with a kind of ineffable peace.’
‘Do you allow laymen also to stay here, Swamiji?’ asked Mrs. G.
‘Oh yes,’ replied Siva, and added after a pause, ‘the layman is the saint of the future.’ As he said this, one could readily see that he had suddenly receded far, far away from those around him, though for all outward appearances he still appeared to be standing close-by. He had travelled many planes of consciousness and reached the one where saints and sinners, men and women, animals and mankind, had all lost their individual identity and become one. He seemed to say:
‘It is all a question of awakening the consciousness. When It is veiled a man is a sinner or a layman. When It is unveiled, he is a saint.’
And, the party led by Siva wended its way up the hill. As we neared the foot of the proposed stairway to the Mandir, Siva informed J.P.: ‘There is a proposal to construct steps from here right to the Mandir up the hill,’ and added, turning to the Finance Secretary, Sri G., ‘but it is waiting for finance.’
‘An institution like this, rendering such invaluable service to the nation by the preservation of her culture, ought to get a substantial aid from the Government of the country,’ remarked Sri J.P.
Mr. and Mrs. G. evinced great interest in the Kaivalya Guha construction. It was explained to them that Siva used to meditate in the cave during the summer afternoon. ‘A lovely place—full of peace,’ remarked Mrs. G.
From a saint’s cave-dwelling the party went straight into the Ashram’s Cinema Hall where they witnessed a movie-film depicting Siva’s daily life. The entire party was agreeably surprised to see that the Ashram combined the most ancient with the most modern, so beautifully.
As we were returning from the Mandir, Padmanabhan was ready with his Speedgraphic. This disciple of Siva would not wait for the party to ‘organise themselves’ before he snapped, and there were just enough seconds for Mrs. G. to be requested to face the camera when the shutter clicked.
‘Mr. and Mrs. Gopala Krishnan would love to possess a memento of their visit to the Ashram,’ remarked Sri J.P.
‘Certainly, and to have a photograph with Swamiji amidst us is such a precious memento,’ agreed Mrs. G.
As the party bowed to take leave of Siva, he said: ‘Please take them and show them the Gita Bhavan also.’
‘You have just said what we have been thinking of, Swamiji,’ said Sri J.P., surprised that Siva should express his thoughts!
As I was taking them to where they had to board the boat, Mr. G. who had so long been silently watching everything in the Ashram, asked: ‘How long has Swamiji been here?’
‘A little over twenty-five years.’
‘This Society has been functioning here for the past twenty-five years?’
‘No, no. The Society was started by Swamiji in 1936. In 1923 Swamiji came straight from Malaya to Swarg Ashram on the other side of the Ganges where he performed intense Tapasya. He entered Rishikesh with what clothes there were on his person—and they were all that he owned. What you see here today is what has grown around him during the course of the last ten years.’
This greatly surprised the party: ‘Such growth within so short a time. What was all this before?’
‘A mere jungle.’
13th December, 1949
RUINOUS EXISTENCE
Sri R. has come to the Ashram. He took Brahmacharya Diksha from Siva some years ago. He was intelligent. He had a great opinion about his own intellectual merits. He poured over books and gained a lot of theoretical knowledge of Vedanta, etc. Ashram-life held no more charm for him. He took to the life of a wandering monk. He liked it. Today he has come back.
‘You like the wandering, care-free life, I think?’ asked Siva.
‘No, Swamiji. Now I have determined to stick to your lotus feet and serve you with all my heart.’
‘Aha! It took you such a long time to realise the futility of this nomadic life? Sanyas is not an order of life which should be embraced for the sake of Namaskars or garlands or for good food. Sanyas is for those who are made of sterner stuff. Continuous peeling of the outer coverings is necessary. That is renunciation. Till you get Atma-Jnana, this process of renunciation should continue.
‘Your preaching will have no value until you acquire that inner purity born of renunciation. Renunciation alone will give you the strength to preach and power to your words. Without renunciation, you become a slave to the householders. Even the respectability which your outward appearance indicative of your Ashram in life gradually fades away.
‘Constant mixing with householders for winning their respect and admiration, a desire to preach to others without caring for the reformation of your own self, and an innate craving for comforts and a little pleasure, have robbed you of the very yearning for liberation, have incapacitated you for Sadhana. You have lost during these few years of wandering life all that you might have gained during many lives of intense Sadhana.
‘It is essential for a Sadhaka to remain for a period in seclusion and practise intense Sadhana. Work is necessary. You should serve humanity. Seclusion and Seva are possible only if you remain at an ideal place for a considerable time. A rolling stone gathers no moss. I have created the best field for you. Here you can practise both seclusion and Seva also. From this Ashram you can serve the whole world. And, yet you will ever remain alone, untainted by worldliness.
‘I am glad you have at least now recognised the mistake of leaving this place and leading a wandering life. Hereafter do not even think of such a life. Stick to this place. You have ample opportunities of effecting a rapid evolution here.’
14th December, 1949
DR. BAL KISHEN
‘Swamiji, I have been wanting to have your Darshan for a considerable time now. Sometime back I came to the house of the retired Judge living across the Ganga: and, though he himself was wanting to take me here, I had no time then to come to this Ashram. Now God has given me the opportunity.’
And, the visitor introduced himself as Dr. Bal Kishen, District Health Officer of Tehri-Garhwal.
‘As your dispensary is run by a charitable institution and is also doing wonderful work among the village-folk, it will be possible to persuade the Government to grant an annual subsidy,’ said the D.H.O.
‘All great works are accomplished through the willing and whole-hearted cooperation of several people. See, there is the Kumbha Mela. And on that account, there is Mela here of several people. The doctor, the Minister, the Municipal Chairman, the Policeman, and the Sanyasi also—all these together only can achieve the glorious work,’ remarked Siva when Dr. Bal Kishen was about to take leave of him.
Finally, Siva said: ‘You have got a period of very intense activity before you. Later you will have rest. Rest, then intense activity—alternately.’
‘Rest is a rare thing, Swamiji. Activity and tense activity, alternately,’ said the doctor.
‘Then, come here often. You will return fully re-charged with spiritual energy. You will feel more fit to do more intense work.’
CHIDANANDAJI RETURNS FROM PATNA
The party deputed by Siva to represent him at the inauguration of the Bihar Branch of the Divine Life Society by His excellency the Governor of Bihar, on the 3rd December, 1949, at Patna, has returned to the Ashram this morning.
‘You have simply thrilled the entire Patna and the whole of Bihar, too,’ greeted Siva as Chidanandaji bowed to him.
‘Throughout, by Swamiji’s grace, there has been a good response and a great eagerness on the part of the people everywhere to learn about the Ashram, the work and the Divine Life Message. The inaugural function at Patna was a great success, Swamiji.’
Vishnuji could not contain himself and interrupted with the remark: ‘Chidanandaji’s address at the inaugural function was thrilling, Swamiji. His voice was admirably suited to the mike. The whole audience of high officials of the Bihar Government and the students of the Bihar National College listened spell-bound to Chidanandaji. As Chidanandaji stood on the platform, he was like Vivekananda standing on the platform of the Parliament of Religions in Chicago.’
Vji continued: ‘We had taken a lot of leaflets and magazines, Swamiji. And, Chidananandaji went on distributing them to everyone he met in the train, on the station platforms, to the railway staff, etc. We met several Engineers on the way who were returning from the Engineering University inauguration at Roorkee. Someone in the party met with an accident and Chidanandaji served him nicely. This created a great impression among them. In Patna itself, there were two miraculous experiences. A.K. Sinha’s wife was down with fever and the temperature ran up to 102. He was worried if she would be able to attend the inaugural function the next day. Chidanandaji told him: ‘She will be all right tomorrow.’ And the next morning the fever had completely left her. At the ladies’ meeting Sri A.K. Sinha’s son was thinking of requesting Chidanandaji to deliver a talk of Sthree Dharma. Strangely enough, even before he could express his idea, Chidanandaji began his speech on Sthree Dharma. Sri Sinha’s son was surprised and he said: ‘I was going to ask you to speak on this very subject, Swamiji: I do not know how you read my thought.’ On the train or bus, everywhere we went, Chidanandaji would distribute half the sweets and fruits that we purchased to the co-passengers. On the platform, he would distribute fruits purchased to the public, along with magazines and leaflets. He has great Prachar work during this trip, Swamiji.’
C. was, in the meantime, busy pulling out of the box what he brought with him: several tins of sweetmeats, etc. There were three pots of Sandila Laddus also.
‘Oh, Sandilya Laddus? Come, bring here, I will distribute them to the office people.’
Someone in the office corrected Siva. ‘But is not Sandilya Laddu, Swamiji: it is Sandila Laddu. It is made at a place called Sandila.
‘But, Sandilya suits me. It reminds me of sage Sandilya. Every time I eat these Laddus, I have an opportunity of thinking of sage Sandilya.’
JNANA YAJNA vs PROFIT
The ‘Divine Life’ magazine is running on a loss for the past two or three years. There has been a suggestion from one of the Trustees that the magazine may be suspended for a year or two till the financial position of the Society was a little better.
Siva remarked: ‘I cannot think of stopping a magazine, whatever be the loss. Actually, I am thinking of starting a few more Magazines. Because we had just started the Weekly and therefore the workers here had to bear this additional burden of work, I have commenced printing my health articles in the form of small pamphlets, though I wanted to start one health magazine. Every month I will give one pamphlet on health, and distribute copies of this. It amounts to conducting a health magazine. When we have more workers, we shall start a proper health magazine.
‘It does not matter if we incur a little loss in the beginning. How much knowledge we give the public. God will give us money when He thinks fit. We have to go on working. If today we are getting ten thousand rupees a month, it is due to the work that we did ten years ago. The effect of the increased volume of work that we have undertaken today will be seen after ten years. Money is pouring forth now. Later on, gold will flow into the Society as from an ocean. I have therefore told Ram Mohan to go on sending sample copies of the Magazine, Weekly, etc., to every address he can lay his hands on.
‘The Weekly is simply stirring the people today. People do not have the power of sustenance to keep up spiritual thoughts in their mind amidst the din and bustle of day-to-day city existence: the Weekly serves them nicely. Every week it re-awakens them. What a lot of great thoughts it conveys to them. Oh, Vishnu Swami, every day you should send specimen copies to ten or fifteen people. Go on sending free. Serve, serve and serve. Serve motivelessly. God will reward you in due time.’
15th December, 1949
SINCERE REPENTANCE
There was a suggestion that J, an inmate who has recently left the Ashram, might be requested to join Sri Narayanaswamiji in Calcutta and assist the latter in his work. This was placed before Siva, whose reply was firm and ready.
‘No, no. If they have gone away out of hatred, ill-will and anger, let them go. Do not recall them. A wicked man will behave wickedly towards everyone. If you send him to Calcutta, he will quarrel with Narayanaswamiji.
‘On the other hand, if he sincerely feels that he was wrong and that he should not have left the Ashram; if he sincerely repents for nurturing ill-feelings towards you all, then I will most readily welcome him back to the Ashram. After all it is very natural for human beings to err. It is natural for one man to misunderstand another and such misunderstanding will naturally breed some sort of ill-will and fight. But a sincere Sadhaka will reflect later on, repent for his mistake, and reform himself. If he does so, then it shows that he has good spiritual Samskaras. If he does not, then it shows that he has none.
‘If these two people have gone away, four new people of great ability have already come. Hundreds of graduates, MAs and dynamic workers are simply awaiting a call from here. God will provide us with workers. His work will go on.’
16th December, 1949
ADVICE TO DOCTORS
Dr. Garg of Mussoorie has come.
It was a miracle. Siva was thinking of going to Dehra Dun to get his eyes examined. We waited for the winter, and for the past one week he has been seriously thinking of going to Dehra Dun! His health has not been too well and there was some reluctance on our part to let him undertake this tiresome journey to Dehra Dun.
‘For a very long time, Swamiji, I have been studying your works: and I have chosen you as my Gurudev. It has been my ardent desire to have your Darshan. God has fulfilled it today.’
‘You are in Mussoorie?’
‘Yes, Swamiji: I practise in Mussoorie. But at present I am undergoing specialised training under one Dr. Rev. Sutherland, of the Mission Hospital, Jagadhri.’
Siva then got his glasses tested by Garg, who said that they were simple glasses and need not be changed unless they were positively useless.
‘I am very glad to hear that. You have saved me a lot of trouble. I can utilise the time I would have spent on the Dehra Dun trip to more service here itself.’
Siva then revealed the secret of his good eye-sight: ‘I am very regular in my Suryanamaskar, recitation of the Twelve Names of Surya and the Dhyana Mantra. I meditate on the rising sun. I do not take salt on Sundays. I am very regular in my Asan-Pranayam practice. Therefore, it is by the grace of Lord Surya I have good eye-sight. With good eye-sight you can do more Seva to mankind. Eye is the most important organ. Without eyesight you are as good as dead. Instead of serving others, there should be a dozen people to serve you.’
Dr. Garg described the noble qualities of Dr. Sutherland. Siva said:
‘Kindly request Dr. Sutherland on my behalf to visit this place once before he leaves for England.
He should stay here at least for a week. There is a small dispensary here which he can make use of for serving the poor people of the locality when he is here.
‘You should also come here whenever you get the opportunity. Come and stay for a week at least. You will have plenty of opportunity of rendering selfless service to the poor people. The Ashram dispensary is at your disposal. Every time some doctor-aspirant comes here, I take work from them. Dr. Mangalam, Dr. Sundari, Dr. Het Ram, Dr. Lall Dina, Dr. Prahlad—all these people when they come here automatically make the dispensary their own and begin to serve the people.
‘The medical profession is a noble profession. Through it you can very easily purify the mind and the heart. God-realisation is a matter of days and hours if you serve the patients sincerely and with Bhav. You should feel thankful to the patients for giving you the opportunity of serving them. The Bhav you can develop if you feel that you are serving the Lord Himself in the patient.
‘Never accept fees from the poor people. Serve them with all your heart and soul. Their prayer is a greater reward than even lakhs of rupees. If possible, you will have to give them special diet, milk and fruits, etc. at your own expense. Then you will have rapid self-purification.
‘I am very happy to hear of the noble qualities of Dr. Sutherland. Indeed, he is a real and practical Karma Yogi. To whichever nation or to whichever religion he might belong, he is a true Hindu, a true Brahmin and an ideal Yogi. The Lord will reveal Himself to such men very quickly. You should also strive to become like him.’
18th December, 1949
THE RAT
After the party of World Pacifists who came to meet Siva had left, there was another group of visitors from Dehra Dun—a Punjabi professor and family. This professor is one of the silent admirers of Siva, one who has for a long time been studying his works and following his teachings.
‘Swamiji, your name has become a by-word in the whole of Dehra-Dun.’
There was a discussion about the publication of books and the stocking of books, etc.
‘Here we have racks and racks of books. There is scarcity of workers, and therefore there is lack of proper supervision. Rats eat away the books. There is a great loss of good reading matter.’
‘Swamiji, please use good rat traps, catch them and leave them far, far away. There is an ointment, Swamiji: it will help you to eliminate the rat-nuisance altogether.’
‘Oh yes, sometime told me about it. It is a great sin to think of using the ointment. It kills the rats, they say. It is unthinkable. Even its manufacture should be banned. Rats may be a nuisance. But they, too, are God’s creation. We have no right to kill them. The Lord lives in them, too.’
‘Then, Swamiji, you should employ all the various methods of eliminating the rats.’
The Prophet of the Yoga of Synthesis smiled and said, ‘So here, too, you advocate the combined method.’
‘Yes, Swamiji. You should not use the same trap twice on consecutive days, without washing it thoroughly. Once a rat is caught in a trap, the next day no rat will go near this trap; they know by smell that a rat was caught in it. It should be thoroughly cleaned before being used again. The same kind of edible should not be used on successive days. Various kinds of traps may be used. The same as your Yoga of Synthesis, Swamiji. The result is sure success.’
GOPAL KRISHNAN
We had intimation from the local police that Sri Jyoti Prasadji, the District Magistrate of Tehri, will be paying a visit to the Ashram in the morning.
And, he brought with him Sri Gopal Krishnan, the Finance Secretary of the U.P., Mrs. Gopala Krishnan and children.
Siva would not listen to their plea that they had just had their tea before they left Narendranagar. They took the tea as Siva’s Prasad.
All the visitors eagerly listened to the gramophone records of Siva’s speeches and Kirtans.
Four people were busy, in the meantime, assisting Siva in making his great gift of Vidya to the visitors. One Sadhak ran to fetch the books, another gave them to Siva, a third was noting down the names of the books presented, and a fourth was ready to pack them up. Thus the books were autographed, presented to the visitors and later packed up neatly in bundles—all within a few minutes.
‘You have given us a library of books,’ remarked Mrs. G., who was amazed at the rapidity with which the books flowed.
Siva autographed a few books for Sri J.P. also. ‘Perhaps I have them, Swamiji.’
‘If you have them, then give these to your friends,’ replied Siva whose zeal for dissemination of spiritual knowledge at any cost, is unequalled.
Siva then took them to the hall adjoining the office. He invited them to take their seats on the cement benches there and enjoy the lovely view of the Ganges and the Himalayas. They all sat drinking deeply the beauty of Ananda Kutir scenery, and Siva rejoiced at their joy.
‘You must come here and stay for a week. Then you will really enjoy the real beauty of the place which is filled with a kind of ineffable peace.’
‘Do you allow laymen also to stay here, Swamiji?’ asked Mrs. G.
‘Oh yes,’ replied Siva, and added after a pause, ‘the layman is the saint of the future.’ As he said this, one could readily see that he had suddenly receded far, far away from those around him, though for all outward appearances he still appeared to be standing close-by. He had travelled many planes of consciousness and reached the one where saints and sinners, men and women, animals and mankind, had all lost their individual identity and become one. He seemed to say:
‘It is all a question of awakening the consciousness. When It is veiled a man is a sinner or a layman. When It is unveiled, he is a saint.’
And, the party led by Siva wended its way up the hill. As we neared the foot of the proposed stairway to the Mandir, Siva informed J.P.: ‘There is a proposal to construct steps from here right to the Mandir up the hill,’ and added, turning to the Finance Secretary, Sri G., ‘but it is waiting for finance.’
‘An institution like this, rendering such invaluable service to the nation by the preservation of her culture, ought to get a substantial aid from the Government of the country,’ remarked Sri J.P.
Mr. and Mrs. G. evinced great interest in the Kaivalya Guha construction. It was explained to them that Siva used to meditate in the cave during the summer afternoon. ‘A lovely place—full of peace,’ remarked Mrs. G.
From a saint’s cave-dwelling the party went straight into the Ashram’s Cinema Hall where they witnessed a movie-film depicting Siva’s daily life. The entire party was agreeably surprised to see that the Ashram combined the most ancient with the most modern, so beautifully.
As we were returning from the Mandir, Padmanabhan was ready with his Speedgraphic. This disciple of Siva would not wait for the party to ‘organise themselves’ before he snapped, and there were just enough seconds for Mrs. G. to be requested to face the camera when the shutter clicked.
‘Mr. and Mrs. Gopala Krishnan would love to possess a memento of their visit to the Ashram,’ remarked Sri J.P.
‘Certainly, and to have a photograph with Swamiji amidst us is such a precious memento,’ agreed Mrs. G.
As the party bowed to take leave of Siva, he said: ‘Please take them and show them the Gita Bhavan also.’
‘You have just said what we have been thinking of, Swamiji,’ said Sri J.P., surprised that Siva should express his thoughts!
As I was taking them to where they had to board the boat, Mr. G. who had so long been silently watching everything in the Ashram, asked: ‘How long has Swamiji been here?’
‘A little over twenty-five years.’
‘This Society has been functioning here for the past twenty-five years?’
‘No, no. The Society was started by Swamiji in 1936. In 1923 Swamiji came straight from Malaya to Swarg Ashram on the other side of the Ganges where he performed intense Tapasya. He entered Rishikesh with what clothes there were on his person—and they were all that he owned. What you see here today is what has grown around him during the course of the last ten years.’
This greatly surprised the party: ‘Such growth within so short a time. What was all this before?’
‘A mere jungle.’
13th December, 1949
RUINOUS EXISTENCE
Sri R. has come to the Ashram. He took Brahmacharya Diksha from Siva some years ago. He was intelligent. He had a great opinion about his own intellectual merits. He poured over books and gained a lot of theoretical knowledge of Vedanta, etc. Ashram-life held no more charm for him. He took to the life of a wandering monk. He liked it. Today he has come back.
‘You like the wandering, care-free life, I think?’ asked Siva.
‘No, Swamiji. Now I have determined to stick to your lotus feet and serve you with all my heart.’
‘Aha! It took you such a long time to realise the futility of this nomadic life? Sanyas is not an order of life which should be embraced for the sake of Namaskars or garlands or for good food. Sanyas is for those who are made of sterner stuff. Continuous peeling of the outer coverings is necessary. That is renunciation. Till you get Atma-Jnana, this process of renunciation should continue.
‘Your preaching will have no value until you acquire that inner purity born of renunciation. Renunciation alone will give you the strength to preach and power to your words. Without renunciation, you become a slave to the householders. Even the respectability which your outward appearance indicative of your Ashram in life gradually fades away.
‘Constant mixing with householders for winning their respect and admiration, a desire to preach to others without caring for the reformation of your own self, and an innate craving for comforts and a little pleasure, have robbed you of the very yearning for liberation, have incapacitated you for Sadhana. You have lost during these few years of wandering life all that you might have gained during many lives of intense Sadhana.
‘It is essential for a Sadhaka to remain for a period in seclusion and practise intense Sadhana. Work is necessary. You should serve humanity. Seclusion and Seva are possible only if you remain at an ideal place for a considerable time. A rolling stone gathers no moss. I have created the best field for you. Here you can practise both seclusion and Seva also. From this Ashram you can serve the whole world. And, yet you will ever remain alone, untainted by worldliness.
‘I am glad you have at least now recognised the mistake of leaving this place and leading a wandering life. Hereafter do not even think of such a life. Stick to this place. You have ample opportunities of effecting a rapid evolution here.’
14th December, 1949
DR. BAL KISHEN
‘Swamiji, I have been wanting to have your Darshan for a considerable time now. Sometime back I came to the house of the retired Judge living across the Ganga: and, though he himself was wanting to take me here, I had no time then to come to this Ashram. Now God has given me the opportunity.’
And, the visitor introduced himself as Dr. Bal Kishen, District Health Officer of Tehri-Garhwal.
‘As your dispensary is run by a charitable institution and is also doing wonderful work among the village-folk, it will be possible to persuade the Government to grant an annual subsidy,’ said the D.H.O.
‘All great works are accomplished through the willing and whole-hearted cooperation of several people. See, there is the Kumbha Mela. And on that account, there is Mela here of several people. The doctor, the Minister, the Municipal Chairman, the Policeman, and the Sanyasi also—all these together only can achieve the glorious work,’ remarked Siva when Dr. Bal Kishen was about to take leave of him.
Finally, Siva said: ‘You have got a period of very intense activity before you. Later you will have rest. Rest, then intense activity—alternately.’
‘Rest is a rare thing, Swamiji. Activity and tense activity, alternately,’ said the doctor.
‘Then, come here often. You will return fully re-charged with spiritual energy. You will feel more fit to do more intense work.’
CHIDANANDAJI RETURNS FROM PATNA
The party deputed by Siva to represent him at the inauguration of the Bihar Branch of the Divine Life Society by His excellency the Governor of Bihar, on the 3rd December, 1949, at Patna, has returned to the Ashram this morning.
‘You have simply thrilled the entire Patna and the whole of Bihar, too,’ greeted Siva as Chidanandaji bowed to him.
‘Throughout, by Swamiji’s grace, there has been a good response and a great eagerness on the part of the people everywhere to learn about the Ashram, the work and the Divine Life Message. The inaugural function at Patna was a great success, Swamiji.’
Vishnuji could not contain himself and interrupted with the remark: ‘Chidanandaji’s address at the inaugural function was thrilling, Swamiji. His voice was admirably suited to the mike. The whole audience of high officials of the Bihar Government and the students of the Bihar National College listened spell-bound to Chidanandaji. As Chidanandaji stood on the platform, he was like Vivekananda standing on the platform of the Parliament of Religions in Chicago.’
Vji continued: ‘We had taken a lot of leaflets and magazines, Swamiji. And, Chidananandaji went on distributing them to everyone he met in the train, on the station platforms, to the railway staff, etc. We met several Engineers on the way who were returning from the Engineering University inauguration at Roorkee. Someone in the party met with an accident and Chidanandaji served him nicely. This created a great impression among them. In Patna itself, there were two miraculous experiences. A.K. Sinha’s wife was down with fever and the temperature ran up to 102. He was worried if she would be able to attend the inaugural function the next day. Chidanandaji told him: ‘She will be all right tomorrow.’ And the next morning the fever had completely left her. At the ladies’ meeting Sri A.K. Sinha’s son was thinking of requesting Chidanandaji to deliver a talk of Sthree Dharma. Strangely enough, even before he could express his idea, Chidanandaji began his speech on Sthree Dharma. Sri Sinha’s son was surprised and he said: ‘I was going to ask you to speak on this very subject, Swamiji: I do not know how you read my thought.’ On the train or bus, everywhere we went, Chidanandaji would distribute half the sweets and fruits that we purchased to the co-passengers. On the platform, he would distribute fruits purchased to the public, along with magazines and leaflets. He has great Prachar work during this trip, Swamiji.’
C. was, in the meantime, busy pulling out of the box what he brought with him: several tins of sweetmeats, etc. There were three pots of Sandila Laddus also.
‘Oh, Sandilya Laddus? Come, bring here, I will distribute them to the office people.’
Someone in the office corrected Siva. ‘But is not Sandilya Laddu, Swamiji: it is Sandila Laddu. It is made at a place called Sandila.
‘But, Sandilya suits me. It reminds me of sage Sandilya. Every time I eat these Laddus, I have an opportunity of thinking of sage Sandilya.’
JNANA YAJNA vs PROFIT
The ‘Divine Life’ magazine is running on a loss for the past two or three years. There has been a suggestion from one of the Trustees that the magazine may be suspended for a year or two till the financial position of the Society was a little better.
Siva remarked: ‘I cannot think of stopping a magazine, whatever be the loss. Actually, I am thinking of starting a few more Magazines. Because we had just started the Weekly and therefore the workers here had to bear this additional burden of work, I have commenced printing my health articles in the form of small pamphlets, though I wanted to start one health magazine. Every month I will give one pamphlet on health, and distribute copies of this. It amounts to conducting a health magazine. When we have more workers, we shall start a proper health magazine.
‘It does not matter if we incur a little loss in the beginning. How much knowledge we give the public. God will give us money when He thinks fit. We have to go on working. If today we are getting ten thousand rupees a month, it is due to the work that we did ten years ago. The effect of the increased volume of work that we have undertaken today will be seen after ten years. Money is pouring forth now. Later on, gold will flow into the Society as from an ocean. I have therefore told Ram Mohan to go on sending sample copies of the Magazine, Weekly, etc., to every address he can lay his hands on.
‘The Weekly is simply stirring the people today. People do not have the power of sustenance to keep up spiritual thoughts in their mind amidst the din and bustle of day-to-day city existence: the Weekly serves them nicely. Every week it re-awakens them. What a lot of great thoughts it conveys to them. Oh, Vishnu Swami, every day you should send specimen copies to ten or fifteen people. Go on sending free. Serve, serve and serve. Serve motivelessly. God will reward you in due time.’
15th December, 1949
SINCERE REPENTANCE
There was a suggestion that J, an inmate who has recently left the Ashram, might be requested to join Sri Narayanaswamiji in Calcutta and assist the latter in his work. This was placed before Siva, whose reply was firm and ready.
‘No, no. If they have gone away out of hatred, ill-will and anger, let them go. Do not recall them. A wicked man will behave wickedly towards everyone. If you send him to Calcutta, he will quarrel with Narayanaswamiji.
‘On the other hand, if he sincerely feels that he was wrong and that he should not have left the Ashram; if he sincerely repents for nurturing ill-feelings towards you all, then I will most readily welcome him back to the Ashram. After all it is very natural for human beings to err. It is natural for one man to misunderstand another and such misunderstanding will naturally breed some sort of ill-will and fight. But a sincere Sadhaka will reflect later on, repent for his mistake, and reform himself. If he does so, then it shows that he has good spiritual Samskaras. If he does not, then it shows that he has none.
‘If these two people have gone away, four new people of great ability have already come. Hundreds of graduates, MAs and dynamic workers are simply awaiting a call from here. God will provide us with workers. His work will go on.’
16th December, 1949
ADVICE TO DOCTORS
Dr. Garg of Mussoorie has come.
It was a miracle. Siva was thinking of going to Dehra Dun to get his eyes examined. We waited for the winter, and for the past one week he has been seriously thinking of going to Dehra Dun! His health has not been too well and there was some reluctance on our part to let him undertake this tiresome journey to Dehra Dun.
‘For a very long time, Swamiji, I have been studying your works: and I have chosen you as my Gurudev. It has been my ardent desire to have your Darshan. God has fulfilled it today.’
‘You are in Mussoorie?’
‘Yes, Swamiji: I practise in Mussoorie. But at present I am undergoing specialised training under one Dr. Rev. Sutherland, of the Mission Hospital, Jagadhri.’
Siva then got his glasses tested by Garg, who said that they were simple glasses and need not be changed unless they were positively useless.
‘I am very glad to hear that. You have saved me a lot of trouble. I can utilise the time I would have spent on the Dehra Dun trip to more service here itself.’
Siva then revealed the secret of his good eye-sight: ‘I am very regular in my Suryanamaskar, recitation of the Twelve Names of Surya and the Dhyana Mantra. I meditate on the rising sun. I do not take salt on Sundays. I am very regular in my Asan-Pranayam practice. Therefore, it is by the grace of Lord Surya I have good eye-sight. With good eye-sight you can do more Seva to mankind. Eye is the most important organ. Without eyesight you are as good as dead. Instead of serving others, there should be a dozen people to serve you.’
Dr. Garg described the noble qualities of Dr. Sutherland. Siva said:
‘Kindly request Dr. Sutherland on my behalf to visit this place once before he leaves for England.
He should stay here at least for a week. There is a small dispensary here which he can make use of for serving the poor people of the locality when he is here.
‘You should also come here whenever you get the opportunity. Come and stay for a week at least. You will have plenty of opportunity of rendering selfless service to the poor people. The Ashram dispensary is at your disposal. Every time some doctor-aspirant comes here, I take work from them. Dr. Mangalam, Dr. Sundari, Dr. Het Ram, Dr. Lall Dina, Dr. Prahlad—all these people when they come here automatically make the dispensary their own and begin to serve the people.
‘The medical profession is a noble profession. Through it you can very easily purify the mind and the heart. God-realisation is a matter of days and hours if you serve the patients sincerely and with Bhav. You should feel thankful to the patients for giving you the opportunity of serving them. The Bhav you can develop if you feel that you are serving the Lord Himself in the patient.
‘Never accept fees from the poor people. Serve them with all your heart and soul. Their prayer is a greater reward than even lakhs of rupees. If possible, you will have to give them special diet, milk and fruits, etc. at your own expense. Then you will have rapid self-purification.
‘I am very happy to hear of the noble qualities of Dr. Sutherland. Indeed, he is a real and practical Karma Yogi. To whichever nation or to whichever religion he might belong, he is a true Hindu, a true Brahmin and an ideal Yogi. The Lord will reveal Himself to such men very quickly. You should also strive to become like him.’
18th December, 1949
THE RAT
After the party of World Pacifists who came to meet Siva had left, there was another group of visitors from Dehra Dun—a Punjabi professor and family. This professor is one of the silent admirers of Siva, one who has for a long time been studying his works and following his teachings.
‘Swamiji, your name has become a by-word in the whole of Dehra-Dun.’
There was a discussion about the publication of books and the stocking of books, etc.
‘Here we have racks and racks of books. There is scarcity of workers, and therefore there is lack of proper supervision. Rats eat away the books. There is a great loss of good reading matter.’
‘Swamiji, please use good rat traps, catch them and leave them far, far away. There is an ointment, Swamiji: it will help you to eliminate the rat-nuisance altogether.’
‘Oh yes, sometime told me about it. It is a great sin to think of using the ointment. It kills the rats, they say. It is unthinkable. Even its manufacture should be banned. Rats may be a nuisance. But they, too, are God’s creation. We have no right to kill them. The Lord lives in them, too.’
‘Then, Swamiji, you should employ all the various methods of eliminating the rats.’
The Prophet of the Yoga of Synthesis smiled and said, ‘So here, too, you advocate the combined method.’
‘Yes, Swamiji. You should not use the same trap twice on consecutive days, without washing it thoroughly. Once a rat is caught in a trap, the next day no rat will go near this trap; they know by smell that a rat was caught in it. It should be thoroughly cleaned before being used again. The same kind of edible should not be used on successive days. Various kinds of traps may be used. The same as your Yoga of Synthesis, Swamiji. The result is sure success.’
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