Inspiring Talks, Message 6 INSPIRING TALKS OF GURUDEV SIVANANDA – MESSAGE 6 11th September, 1948 SECULAR DUTIES, TOO Sri P. K. Subramanian wants to give up his studies and join the Ashram. ‘Swamiji, of late I am not able to read class books, for I feel immediately I take up my class books that they are not worth studying since they do not contain the element that would satisfy my hungering soul.’ ‘Beloved child! It is too early for you to renounce the world. Besides, you have got your parents. You should serve them nicely. Earn your livelihood by honest means. Work hard. At the same time, adopt the Nimitta Bhav: work as an instrument in His hands. Cultivate this. Carry on your studies also. No doubt, knowledge of this phenomenal world would not confer Moksha on you. Yet, it has got its own uses. Nothing is bad in itself; it is the use to which a particular branch of knowledge is put that matters. ‘Try to carry on your personal Sadhana also side by side. Practise my Twenty Instructions to the best of your ability. Maintain the spiritual diary and send me a copy every month. I will guide you. Always keep the goal in view. When the time comes God Himself will facilitate your renunciation. OM Namo Narayanaya.’ When the young man had left the place after prostrating with tearful eyes to Siva, Siva added: ‘So many young men are eager to renounce the world!’ ‘Yes, Swamiji,’ said a visitor: ‘Your books are so inspiring that those who read them get such a burning desire to pursue the path of Nivritti for attaining their goal, and have no further taste in worldly pursuits or studies.’ ‘That may be. But, I do not encourage juvenile enthusiasm. Often this ‘desire to renounce’ is a bubble which bursts after some time and vanishes into an airy nothing! Adwaitanandaji used to tell me the very interesting story of his own brother. ‘This young man suddenly felt himself drawn to Nivritti Marga. He neglected his studies. He used to shut himself up in a room always repeating that the world is false, and other Vedantic ideas. He thought that he had full Vairagya. His family people succeeded in due course in tempting him away from this assumed saintliness: they did this through a woman. This man changed suddenly, married this lady and is now the father of many children.’ Siva generally preaches the glory of the Nivritti Marga and also points out the worthlessness of worldly life. But, if the Sadhaka asks to be initiated into Sanyasa, Siva would quietly advise him to live the divine life in his station in the world and develop Vairagya. The talk turned to Nivritta Marga. Siva, in ‘serious humour’, said: ‘Oh, Raman. What are you thinking now? Will you resign your job and remain here itself?’ ‘Yes, Swamiji, I can do it: and that was what I was thinking of even now.’ ‘No, no. Wait for a little while more. Do your work; earn money—you have got your mother. Serve her nicely. Do not marry: if you avoid this, you have already registered your place here! Occasionally come here and practise Sadhana. Then, when the time comes, you can make this your permanent abode.’ What a strange spirit! Not the come-here-work-for-me spirit: but the spirit of doing the right thing for the other man. IMMEDIATE EFFECT ‘OM Namo Narayanaya, Judge Saheb, Avo-ji,’ greeted Siva. Judge Gauri Prasadji walked in and with great devotion bowed to Siva. He handed a cheque to Siva. ‘What is this?’ asked Siva, rather surprise to see the cheque for Rs. 2000. ‘Swamiji, it is for the construction of a Kutir in your Ashram. You see: it happened like this. Day before yesterday night after you had come and performed your ecstatic Kirtan in my humble Kutir in Swarg Ashram, myself and house-keeper had both wonderful experiences and visions. I had the vision of Light thrice during the night—an indescribably bright Jyoti. And, my grand-daughter—a young girl graduate who was greatly interested in Sankirtan, and who had passed away just a few days ago—appeared to my house-keeper in her dream and said, distinctly: ‘I want to live with my grand-father. Kindly construct a Kutir for me. I am greatly delighted that you held Swamiji’s Kirtan in your house today. I am very happy now. But I want you to construct a Kutir for me.’ I know she is fond of Kirtan. In your Bhajan Hall the Akhanda Kirtan is going on throughout the day. I want a Kutir to be constructed near the Bhajan Hall so that the girl’s soul may find peace there.’ HUMILITY! NOT I, BUT HE! After the Judge Saheb had left, Siva told me: ‘See how the cosmic will works out. That day it was even suggested that we should drop the idea of visiting Swarg Ashram, as it was raining. I would also have agreed: but I felt we should go. So, I told Narayanaswamiji that even if it rained, we should carry out our determination! This girl’s soul must have been thirsting for Kirtan. It had to be quenched.’ O, my Siva! Only you knew it: and even Indra shuddered before your vow and withdrew the clouds. SIVA’S VIRAT NAIVEDYA To Siva the world is the Virat—everyone is indeed the Lord Himself. What a delight Siva takes in distributing Prasad. Chimanlal Thakore of Ahmedabad has sent a big parcel of sweetmeats. When this is announced Siva at once jumps out of the office: ‘Bring the Prasad in buckets.’ Padmanabhan is called—for he has been injected by Siva with the same distribution instinct. P. actually is beside himself with joy. Siva and P. go round the entire Ashram. ‘Chimanlal Thakore and Mrs. Lall only know me in this respect. Every year Mrs. Lall sends a large consignment of mangoes: and Chimanlal these sweetmeats. I cannot give pinches of Prasad to anyone. I must give to MY satisfaction. And, my family is large—so, whoever sends Prasad has to send a lot.’ ‘OM Namo Narayanaya, Swamiji, come here, take this Prasad. ‘Patram, Pushpam, Phalam, Thoyam....’ Siva greets one by one and gives handfuls (with his large hand) of the Prasad. Hands are full: but Siva does not stop. ‘Take in that towel.’ ‘But, Swamiji, I will fall sick.’ ‘Oh, don’t worry. I will give you medicine.’ My turn comes. Then Siva reveals to me his secret source of joy. ‘I see Lord Narayana in everyone to whom I give the Prasad. When I give, I actually perform Naivedya to the Lord. I repeat ‘OM Namo Narayanaya’ when I meet everyone: that makes for Japa. Thus even this is converted into a potent form of Sadhana. The heart is also developed nicely.’ 12th September, 1948 JNANA GANGA SNAN Siva stopped before the Kutir in which Sivaramakrishnier was staying and called him for the morning Satsang. S. said: ‘Swamiji, I shall take my bath, perform Sandhya and then come.’ But Siva would not brook delays: S. had to accompany him. When they were returning from the class, Siva smiled and said: ‘Gangasnan is indeed very essential. It destroys your sins. It purifies your body, mind and soul. It invigorates you. You have not lost anything by foregoing your morning bath today. If you had spent your time in bath, etc., you would have missed the morning Satsang. ‘Common meditation and Japa are powerful Sadhanas. Individual Sadhana often means lethargy. A few Malas of Japa and then the pillow invites you. Even while you repeat the Mantra the mind wanders. But, in group meditation, a powerful spiritual current is generated. Everyone is benefited greatly. The mind gets more easily concentrated.’ ‘Yes, Swamiji, and the Vedantic Kirtan that you sang was most inspiring.’ ‘Even ordinary words have great power. They generate two kinds of Vrittis—the Sakthi Vritti and the Lakshana Vritti. When you utter the word ‘milk’, you think of its qualities—white colour, liquidity, etc.—this is Lakshana Vritti. Then you also think of its uses—it gives health, it is Satvic food, etc. is Sakthi Vritti. ‘When such is the case with ordinary words, what must be the power of Vedantic formula. When you repeat OM Antaratma, Nitya, Shuddha, Buddha, Nirakara Kutastha, Vyapak Swayamjyoti Poorna Para Brahma Sakshi Drishta Turiya Santam Sivam Advaitam, the Brahmakara Vritti is raised up in you. You are one day bound to realise the Supreme. ‘This is Jnana Ganga Snan. It is the most powerful purified. It at once cleans the Antahkarana and turns the mind inward. When you listen to discourses on Sadhana, your mind receives new, healthy ideas—new Samskaras are formed— evil Samskaras are eradicated—your thirst for God is intensified—you are prompted to introspect, find out your own defects and to erase them. ‘Ganga Snana is necessary, no doubt. But I only wanted to point out that you should on no account miss a bath in the Jnana Ganga. You can take a bath in the Ganges now. But, if you had missed the morning Satsang, that loss would have been irreparable.’ With a heart full of gratitude, S. prostrated to Siva. SUBTLE SELFISHNESS A visitor had failed to attend the morning class. He caught Siva’s eye in the morning: and was offering an explanation. ‘But, it is not your fault....’ Swami X entered. ‘X should have called you, awakened you and taken you with him to the Bhajan Hall. Previously I myself used to sing OM outside every Kutir, rouse everyone and take all to the morning class. ‘These visitors will naturally have the Bombay habit of sleeping till 7 a.m.’ (To X) ‘But you should have awakened them, if necessary by applying water to their eyes, waited till they got up and taken them to the Bhajan Hall. ‘Not only this—you should have prepared the ground the previous night itself. You should have told them about the morning class, about the benefits of common meditation and Japa, about the lectures that they will be able to hear and benefited by—so that they will go to bed with that Sankalpa. ‘Selfishness. That is at the root of all this. You want to go on with your own Sadhana and consider such service as this a waste of your time.’ A thorough inner search and analysis of human nature. MAYA’S SECRET DOOR With his characteristic candour Siva listened this morning when our Sastriji was narrating his experiences with other Sanyasins. About one Sanyasin, he was saying: ‘Swamiji, this Sadhu never speaks a word. He has taken the vow of Akhanda Mowna. Not only this—he does not come out of his Kutir at all.’ Siva gave a hearty laugh: ‘Then, how to see him?’ ‘People who wish to have his Darshan one by one gather on the verandah of his Kutir. When he is informed that thirty or forty people have thus collected he comes to the window of his room on the side of the verandah. Gracefully, he holds up the blind a little aside so as to provide for the visitors just a glimpse of his face. He stands in this posture for just a couple of minutes. Then he again gracefully nods his head and drops the blind.’ ‘That is all! And, a large number of people go there for this much, taking all the trouble?’ ‘Yes, Swamiji, for this Sadhu has been living like this for a considerable time now: and his own disciples have naturally woven many stories around his seclusion, Mowna, etc. and deified him, so that the credulous public feel that his Darshan is enough to confer Mukti on them.’ ‘This is all one type of spiritual trade. What is lost if he comes out, talks to people and consoles and inspires them? In a short time, he develops his egoism to a great degree. He cannot respect others: he cannot bow his head before others. He feels that he is a great man. Arrogance, self-conceit, hypocrisy and egoism of the worst sort—all creep into him one by one. He forgets his goal and loses himself in this mad business for acquiring name and fame. I think I can never do this sort of thing.’ ‘Never, Swamiji, it is just alien to your nature.’ Sastriji said to me after Siva had gone away from the office: ‘As a matter of fact, Swamiji errs on the other side—he makes himself too freely accessible: he is too outspoken and is able to keep no secrets. He is indeed child-like.’ GOVERNOR-GENERALSHIP VS. SANYASA ‘Jinnah is reported dead, Swamiji.’ Someone brought the news. Siva was pacing up and down opposite the Diamond Jubilee Hall. Sastriji was near. ‘Now, there will be much competition for his post. This will breed hatred, ill-will, quarrels!’ ‘Surely, Swamiji, everywhere there is jealousy and power politics.’ ‘It is a nuisance to hold these high posts, I think. Your life is in constant danger. So many others covet the job. They try to instigate goondas against you. Why all this trouble, fear and worry? The best thing is to take to seclusion on the banks of the Ganges: that is my opinion. There we should do Japa and Dhyana. What do you say?’ ‘Yes, Swamiji: but how many people have the wisdom to feel so with all their heart?’ POWER OF MAYA ‘It is very difficult. After many lives of Satsang and Japa only such taste comes. Maya is so powerful. Somebody sits on the banks of the Ganges and does Japa. After some time he gets tired of it and thinks that ‘eat, drink and be merry’ is the greatest philosophy. Maya does not allow him to realise that there can be real joy outside the senses. They are afraid of renunciation. They are afraid of Sadhana. And, even when they take to Sadhana, they expect immediate results. ‘Madhusudana Saraswati, who has written an inspiring and inspired commentary on the Gita, was initiated by his Guru in Gayatri and was asked to do Purascharana. He did so: but nothing happened. His Guru asked him to go on with the Purascharana. After 18 Purascharanas he got the Lord’s Darshan. He was learned, saintly, endowed with Deivi Sampath—yet he had to do so much of Japa. Then he realised that the 18 Purascharanas washed away the sins of 18 Brahmahatyas which he had done in his previous births. Then alone was he fit for His Darshan. ‘Such should be every Sadhak’s patience. But nowadays, even a determination to lead a life of renunciation throughout the life is a great thing.’ Siva did Kirtan for the peace of Mr. Jinnah’s soul. FRANKNESS Sri A. described during the Satsang the magic influence that Siva’s pen and personality had brought about in his case. He confessed before a large audience that he had tasted wine, that he was a meat-eater and that he had almost succumbed to the wiles of a girl. He changed upon some of Siva’s inspiring words which once for all turned him to the spiritual path. He took blood out of his own hand and offered it in fire with a firm resolve to give up his evil habits. Even that was not enough to put a stop to the deep-rooted evils. He then sat before the picture of his Lord Sivananda—meditated—prayed mentally for strength to conquer the evils. The impossible had been achieved within those few supreme moments of his life: devotion to the lotus feet of the Lord and the Guru had been firmly implanted in his heart. ‘This frankness is a great virtue. It will take a Sadhaka much near to God. What most Sadhakas lack is this sterling quality. Without fear of criticism, without feeling shy to confess one’s own defects in public,….boldly spoke out his past life. Everyone should cultivate this divine virtue,’ Siva told us when he came into the office after the Satsang. 14th September, 1948 NOT ONLY IN NAME Sri Sankaranarayana Iyer of Nagpur came in and prostrated to Siva. ‘OM Namo Narayanaya: what has happened now? You want to leave today?’ ‘I am leaving tomorrow, Swamiji.’ ‘When you go back, you must make a firm resolve to spread the message of divine life. You must become a dynamic worker in the divine field.’ ‘With your holy blessings, Swamiji.’ Turning to us, Siva said: ‘He belongs to the family of Appayya Dikshitar. It is not a joke to belong to this great saint’s line.’ (To Sri S.) ‘You should show by your own actions that you are worthy of this descent. There is no use merely claiming ancestry to a spiritual hero: you should deserve it.’ ‘Yes, Swamiji, I shall try my best.’ ‘Study Sanskrit—then Gita, Upanishads and Appayya Dikshita’s works also. Then start spreading his message. Be humble and simple. Some people go on tom-toming their ancestry to earn their livelihood. When people see you, they should at once recognise that Appayya Dikshita’s blood runs through your veins. You should possess such exemplary character. Nothing is impossible. If you try, God’s grace will also come and you will shine as a true descendent of Appayya.’ 15th September, 1948 NO MUKTI FOR ME ‘Sastriji, I think I will never attain Mukti. You see, worldly people are attached to their wife, children, family, property, etc. But, I am attached to service, dissemination of spiritual knowledge. Even if the thought of running away into the forest comes to me, it leaves me the next instant: for, the desire in me to work, work and work, till this body lasts: and to serve the Sadhaks in every way I can—they smother such a desire for seclusion in a trice. What can I do? I think will never get out of this chakra. I will be born again and again in this world, every time to serve the aspirants,’ said Siva to Sastriji, during a conversation on birthdays, their significance, the goal of life, etc. Today is Sastriji’s birthday. ‘But, Swamiji, this thought very rarely comes to even saints. They are concerned only about themselves: and they think that even answering aspirants’ letters, or writing books on spiritual matters based on their own experiences, etc., are against their own salvation. The spirit of service that literally possesses you is rarely found in any one else.’ ‘But, what about my Mukti?....Achchaji, I should be content to wait till I have served you all to my satisfaction and till you have all attained Mukti. Yes, that is right: I do not want to get Mukti myself till everyone leading the divine life gets salvation. Till then I shall take any number of births and join the Divine Life Society.’ PROPAGANDA IN EUROPE Menon was gazing at the infinite expanse of azure Unknowable: and trying to unravel the mysteries that it contains. Siva called him: ‘OM Namo Narayanaya, Balan Swamiji.’ ‘I am telling Sastriji that I love to do intense work, intense Seva. A little bit of seclusion, meditation and Sadhana is also necessary. See, Lord Jesus did Sadhana in seclusion for thirty years: then he came out and worked intensely for a few years—that was enough to thrill the entire world. In seclusion you gain inner Adhyatmic strength to revolutionize the entire world—and to do the work of a life-time within a couple of years. ‘That is the sort of work that I want you to do in Europe. You should go there and thrill the entire West in a couple of years: a lightning trip to the West. Dr. Atreya has written recently that Europe is more ready for the message of Vedanta than even India, America and England. Europeans are more eager to receive this message and assimilate it. Will you do it?’ ‘Swamiji, with your blessing, and inspiration, anything can be done.’ ‘The most important thing is to tell the Europeans now to lead the divine life. Most of them nowadays run after occult powers. That is really not Yoga. They imagine that only one who is able to perform miracles is a Yogi. These powers when acquired turn one’s head and magnify one’s egoism—thus taking one away from God. ‘And, when you exhort them to lead the divine life, the idea should not be to ask them to run away from their avocations in life into the Himalayan jungles, there to sit and pray to God. You should tell them in plain language that God is ever within them and that if they do not find Him there, they are not likely to find Him anywhere else. ‘Set before them the examples of such illustrious personalities like Dr. T.M.P. Mahadevan. He is a learned philosopher. He is the Head of the Department of Philosophy in the Madras University. Besides, he is working day and night for the spiritual uplift of mankind, along with Swami Rajeswaranandaji and others. The wonderful point about him is that Dr. Mahadevan is still a Brahmachary. That gives him marvellous energy. He is ever immersed in philosophy, Advaita Vedanta. Recently he toured the Andhra districts with some Sanyasins and did wonderful service there. That should be the ideal for Europeans, too.’ ‘Marvellous ideas you have given me, Swamiji.’ ‘But....’ suddenly Siva’s expression turns grave: Balanji anxiously awaits what follows this ‘but’. ‘But, you have to be careful.’ ‘Yes, Swamiji, with your blessings….’ ‘....careful lest you should get absorbed in the West. That is what happens in many cases. The Indians try to imitate the Westerners, and Western culture swallows them. Yesterday I received a letter from an American lady who says she was born to a Yogi from India.’ ‘But, Swamiji, so long as you are here to inspire us from within, I have no fear.’ ‘That is why I always insist that those who do social work should once in a way run away to places like Rishikesh: work and seclusion should go hand in hand. You should not ‘establish’ yourself in Europe. Do intense work for a couple of years; then fly back to India for seclusion and Sadhana. Then again you can go.’
Posted on: Tue, 14 Oct 2014 05:58:43 +0000
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