Vol VIII No 1 1971 Contents "Arunachala!

Thou dost root out the ego of those who meditate on Thee in the heart, Oh Arunachala!" The !arital "arland of #etters, $erse 1% Vol% VIII &AN'A() No% 1 Vol VIII No 1 1971 *+ITO(IA# ,ad "uru is One Vol VIII No 1 1971 #ord (amana, Come Satyamangalam Venkataramana Iyer Vol VIII No 1 1971 (amana ,ad "uru Satyamangalam Venkataramana Iyer Vol VIII No 1 1971 (amana ,ad "uru Arthur Osborne Vol VIII No 1 1971 The ,ources of Classic Chinese Thought Father Thomas Merton Vol VIII No 1 1971 The ,acred ,ong of Tha-umana$ar Gladys de Meuter Vol VIII No 1 1971 ,ad "uru is within %% *.cer/ts from a ,aint0s Tal1s Prof. Madan Mohan Varma Vol VIII No 1 1971 #ife of ,aint Arunagirinathar Sadhu Parthasarathy Vol VIII No 1 1971 Awa1ening Philip Pegler Vol VIII No 1 1971 Vallimalai Tiru//uga2h ,wami Centenar- Cele3rations alyanasundaram Vol VIII No 1 1971 I Am 4ere !hamini ". Munsif Vol VIII No 1 1971 ,ri (amana5 A 6ure Channel for a 4igher 6ower Paul !runton Vol VIII No 1 1971 The Vo-age #arindranath $hattopadhyaya Vol VIII No 1 1971 "I I" %ei %u %ei Vol VIII No 1 1971 7orld as ,elf5 Its 8uestion as Answer9 Stephen &oss !rooks Vol VIII No 1 1971 The "reat "ame of 6retending 'ouglas (. #arding Vol VIII No 1 1971 "arland of "uru0s ,a-ings :6oem; Vol VIII No 1 1971 Creation and 'ncreated P. Stenius Vol VIII No 1 1971 "od, the ,elf Created and ,elf !aintaining 6rinci/le &oel S. Goldsmith Vol VIII No 1 1971 The Illusion of !atter Murdo)h erby Vol VIII No 1 1971 4ow <haga$an Came to !e Sadhu Tri*enigiri S+ami Vol VIII No 1 1971 The ,now !aiden, 'ma 4aima$ati ,SunyaVol VIII No 1 1971 "lor- of Arunachala Vol VIII No 1 1971 Arunachala &ean 'unn Vol VIII No 1 1971 )oga Vasishta ,ara Vol VIII No 1 1971 The Veda/ara-ana Vol VIII No 1 1971 7hat 7e (eall- Are! Vol VIII No 1 1971 <oo1 (e$iews Vol VIII No 1 1971 Ashram <ulletin Vol VIII No 1 1971 Introducing %%%% !rs% = !r% A% (% Nara-ana (ao Vol VIII No 1 1971 #etters to the *ditor Vol VIII No 1 1971 The >light #arindranath $hattopadhyaya "(AC* IN 7O(+,5 The Verses :.padesa Saram; in Tamil re/roduced on the fl-leaf facing the frontis/iece is the facsimile of ,ri <haga$an0s own handwriting% The translation is a new free rendering into *nglish 3- 6rof% ?% ,waminathan% Vol VIII No 1 1971 Contents Vol VIII No 1 1971 Arunachala &ean 'unn Arunachala !y &ean 'unn !- $er- first glim/se of Arunachala 3rought /eace% The im/atience which had dri$en me for the /ast wee1 sim/l- disa//eared and e$er-thing was @ust as it should 3e% It was as if I were coming home after a long and wear- @ourne-% The mind slowed down, the 3od- rela.ed and /eace /oured into me%

!- first glim/se of (amanasramam was not reall- seeing with the e-es, more li1e seeing with the heart% To me, it is 3eautiful 3e-ond all descri/tion% I dou3t if I could descri3e what the grounds and 3uildings loo1 li1e% ,uch an e./erience is 3est left without attem/ts at descri/tion% A de$otee met me at the office, I onl- learned how to /ronounce his name @ust 3efore lea$ing, he was $erhel/ful% 4e too1 me and the /eo/le who dro$e me there to the dining hall for coffee and then showed them round the Ashram while I Adisco$ered0 the !editation 4all% After lea$ing m- luggage in the guest house I returned to the !editation 4all until the 3ell rang for dinner% !- two wee1s went 3- much too fast, each da- so com/lete and /erfect that time did not e.ist until one morning I awo1e to the fact that there were onl- B da-s left of this /erfection and then the time 3ecame an enem-% I almost ruined the ne.t few da-s 3- m- grief at the thought of lea$ing% 4owe$er, the /eace of Arunachala dee/ened inside with the assurance that it does not matter %%% /eace and ha//iness are m- natural state, regardless of time or /lace% <ut now the ego finds this difficult to remem3er though and often grief returns %%% so I close m- e-es and am again sitting in the !editation 4all in the Cuiet earl- morning hours, soon the 3ell rings for the mil1 offering at <haga$an0s ,amadhi and I @oin the others there %%% then the 3ell rings for 3rea1fast and we go into the dining hall and sit Cuietl-, wra//ed in <haga$an0s 6resence %%% After 3rea1fast, 3ac1 to the !editation 4all, :it has a magnetic effect;% Now the de$otees are 3us-, /ic1ing flowers in the garden to ma1e garlands for the ,amadhi and to adorn <haga$an0s /ictures% The guest house faces Arunachala and @ust loo1ing at Arunachala is an e./erience indescri3a3le% The 4ill is radiant with /eace, fullness, @o-% It is ali$e! At other times I wal1 around the 4ill in the moonlight and the awe ins/iring silence of Arunachala s/ea1s to the heart% There is ,omething a3out that 4ill! <haga$an is /resent in a s/ecial wa- in e$er- s/ot of 4is Ashram, and in some ine./lica3le wa-, is also the Arunachala 4ill% ,o when the longing comes to return, the assurance comes that I am there% 7hen, in wea1ness, I /lead with <haga$an to /lease 3ring me 3ac1 soon, Cualified 3- a wea1, "If, it 3e Th- 7ill", 4e is here immediatel- and soon the reali2ation comes that true surrender is com/lete surrender% <haga$an0s "race and lo$e ha$e 3een /oured u/on this misera3le creature alwa-s 4e is there and the heart is not 3ig enough for 4im% The ego is such a cram/ed little thing what can it do with such lo$e 3ut as1 to 3e consumed9 Vol VIII No 1 1971 Arunachala &ean 'unn Vol VIII No 1 1971 Ashram <ulletin Ashram <ulletin +**6A! the #ight of ?nowledge A "(*AT >*,TIVA# O<,*(V*+ AT A('NAC4A#A The ?arti1ai +ee/am +a- was o3ser$ed as usual at the Ashram on >rida-, +ec% 11, with great de$otional fer$our 3- the de$otees of ,ri <haga$an from here and a3road% Along with Ashram inmates all assem3led in the $icinit- of ,ri <haga$an0s ,hrine of "race affording a full $iew of the 4ol- <eacon on to/ of Arunachala 4ill% At D /%m% the 4ol- +ee/am was lit on to/ of the 4ill and simultaneousl- amidst Vedic chants, it was lit in front of ,ri <haga$an0s /ortrait installed for the occasion% Old de$otees of ,ri <haga$an recited the Akshara Mana Malai The Marital Garland of /etters, Aruna)hala Stuti Pan)hakam and Si*apuranam% After these chantings prasad was distri3uted% Thereafter the Ashramites, as usual, went round the 4ill : giripradakshina;, chanting 0Aruna)hala Shi*a0 Aruna)hala Shi*a0%

,I"NI>ICANC* O> +**6A! The ?arthi1ai +ee/am well 1nown as the 4ol- <eacon on the 4ill on to/ of Arunachala that dominates the entire region of Tiru$annamalai has 3een a source of ins/iration and interest to man1ind o$er the ages% The Puranas e./ound the significance of the e$ent and of its origin as follows5 #ord <rahma and #ord Vishnu :re/resenting the as/ects of Creation and 6rotection; swa-ed 3- egoism had a contro$ers- as to which of them was greater% Then #ord ,hi$a, out of com/assionate "race, willed to re$eal the Truth 3- destro-ing their ego and stood 3etween them as a da22ling column of fire, which engulfed the entire uni$erse in its shining red effulgence% 4ence the names of the 4ill Aruna)halam0 Sonagiri, etc% :Aruna and Sona, meaning redE and giri, 4ill;% <oth of them were as1ed to find the to/ or 3ottom of this 4ill of fire and the one who succeeded in doing so would win the contest% Immediatel- #ord Vishnu and #ord <rahma, assuming res/ecti$el- the forms of a 3oar and a swan, 3egan to search for the 3ottom and to/ of this huge column of fire% After an endless and fruitless search 3oth of them realising their foll- 3egan to /ra- to the #ord ,hi$a in utter humilit-% Thereu/on #ord ,hi$a a//eared 3efore them in the form of a #inga and e.claimed "A 1yothi or a flame will 3e made $isi3le on e$er- kirthigai da- of the ?arthigai month on to/ of this #inga Arunachala and all those who witness it shall free themsel$es from 3ondage of 3irths and deaths and there3- attain !- >eet%" ,ince that time e$er- -ear on the kirthika da- of the ?arthigai month at Tiru$annamalai a 1yothi is lit on the 4ol- 4ill of Arunachala and a festi$al o3ser$ed 3- the inha3itants and /ilgrims who come in their thousands% To ha$e darshan of this 4ol- <eacon is considered most aus/icious% The entire region of Tiru$annamalai is #ord ,hi$a0s >orm% Therefore meditating on #ord Arunachala with a /ure and calm mind and clean 3od-, one should circumam3ulate the 4ill of the 4ol- <eacon on the said da- after the +ee/am darshan% *s/eciall- sacred is this function to the de$otees of ,ri <haga$an for he too1 a $er- 1een interest in the o3ser$ance of this festi$al, s-m3olising $ictor- of #ight o$er the dar1ness of ignorance! N*7 T(',T**, A66OINT*+ The term of office of the ,econd <oard of Trustees under the scheme of management e./ired 3- the end of 19D9% The "o$ernment of Tamil Nadu and the 4ereditar- Trustee, ,ri T% N% Ven1ataraman, thereu/on made their res/ecti$e nominations of fresh non hereditar- trustees to the new 3oard and 3- "%O% No% !,% FGHI of 19 11 197J, the following ha$e 3een a//ointed non hereditar- trustees under clause :1; of the scheme in force, for a /eriod of three -ears, on and from 1 1I 197J5 1% Thiru T%,% <adrachalam 6illai, !andi, Tiru$annamalai I% Thiru 6%,%N% Thirthagiri Chettiar, !erchant, Tiru$annamalai F% Thiru "% #a1shminarasimha (ao, <%A%, <%#%, G7, Athithotta Agraharam, Nellore, A%6% B% Thiru 6%,% Vai1unta$asa "ounder, (anganatha/uram, Vanur 6%O%, ,outh Arcot +istrict% The new <oard entered on the duties of their office, ma1ing declaration under clause :I; of the scheme, on +ec% 1G% <- a resolution of the <oard, the outgoing trustees were than1ed for their co o/eration and wor1 during their tenure of office% NAVA(AT4(I C*#*<(ATION, The Na$arathri cele3rations and /u@as were, as usual, /erformed in a festi$e mood at the Ashram% Thecommenced on Octo3er 1, the da- following !ahala-a Ama$as-a and lasted for ten da-s% On the first and concluding da-s of the festi$al the Idol of "oddess )ogam3iga was carried in /rocession with Vedic chants, around the !atru3huteswara shrine and ,ri <haga$an0s Samadhi ,hrine, through the (amana Auditorium, 3efore tem/orar- installation and reinstatement% +uring all the nine da-s of the /u@as /akshar)hana was /erformed with recitation of Sri /alita Sahasranama, and reading of 'e*i Mahatmiyam% On all the da-s Mahanyasa 1apa and abhishekam were /erformed at the shrines of !atru3huteswara and of ,ri <haga$an% The $arious alankaras :decorations; on the nine res/ecti$e nights to the Idol of "oddess )ogam3iga were

im/ressi$el- done 3- Ashram Ar)hakas% Ashramites and man- de$otees from outside also @oined in the cele3rations% The functions came to a successful conclusion on the Vi@a-adasami +a-% AN A66*A# >(O! (A!ANA ?*N+(A The 'nion !inistr- of 4ealth, 7or1s, 4ousing = 'r3an +e$elo/ment ha$e allotted to the ?endra a Cuarter acre site in a central localit- off #odi (oad% The terms of the allotment sti/ulate that the 3uildings should 3e com/leted within two -ears% The 6resident of the ?endra, ,hri !orar@i +esai, has issued an a//eal in$iting /rom/t and generous contri3utions for ena3ling the ?endra to /ut u/ within the sti/ulated /eriod a meditation room, a li3rar- and lecture hall, a se*a samiti centre and office rooms% +onations made to the ?endra will 3e e.em/t from Income ta. under ,ection HHKHJ" of the Income ta. Act, 19D1 in the hands of the donors% CheCues and drafts ma- 3e drawn in fa$our of (amana ?endra, +elhi and sent to the ,*C(*TA(), ! 9 N*TA&I NA"A(, N*7 +*#4I IF% 6I#"(I!, Signor (. Santo Potess, a staunch de$otee of ,ri <haga$an, is a renowned 6rofessor of *lectricit- at the 'ni$ersit- of Valle-, Cali, ,outh America and the author of a num3er of 3oo1s on the su3@ect used as te.t 3oo1s at the uni$ersities in his countr-% 4e was at this Ashram in 19D9 :for a reference to whom /lease see our &an% 19D9 issue, Ashram <ulletin, /% D7;% 4e writes5 "7hen I arri$ed at the Ashram for the first time in 19DH I felt an u/surge of uncontrolla3le and une./laina3le emotion caused ma- 3e 3- the great desire to come here and the difficulties of realising this $isit% A few da-s later this ga$e wa- to a feeling of calm and inner /eace% An atmos/here of serenit/er$ades Arunachala% I felt this was 4ome and was reall- ha//-% "Things ha$e changed for me two -ears after m- first $isit% This time coming here was not 3eset with difficulties% !- desire to come was as great as e$er and so was m- faith that it will materialise% Now I 1now that dee/ down in m- heart there has alwa-s 3een lo$e, faith and glad surrender to ,ri <haga$an% 7ith these feelings something that weighed hea$il- on m- mind and trou3led it has also disa//eared% "I feel a sense of ,ri <haga$an0s Omni/resence and though I would li1e Arunachala to 3e alwa-s m- home on the /h-sical /lane also I am sure now that I will not feel an- real sense of se/aration when m- duties force me to return to m- countr-% Now I ha$e the certaint- that 4e is in m- heart, that 4e is with me for e$er where$er I ma- 3e% 2Pranams to the "reat !aster who so generousl- dis/enses 4is "race! "Ver- noticea3le is also the s/irit of de$otion and ser$ice among the de$otees of ,ri (amanasramam% This, I thin1, is another form of sadhana% !- gratitude and m- lo$e goes out to e$er- one of these dedicated /eo/le, m- elder 3rothers in ,ri <haga$an% "Now I ha$e a fa$our to as1 of all of -ou5 to @oin me in m- /ra-ers to ,ri <haga$an to grant me a new $isit, this time with m- wife% Than1 -ou%" LLL Sri Surya Prakash and Sri S+ami Ar1andas "araindas :3oth referred to in our issue of Octo3er 19DD, Ashram !ulletin, /% F79; were again at the Ashram for a sta- of ten da-s in ,e/t% 7J% On his return from the Ashram, ,ri ,wami Ar@andas Naraindas has the following to sa- to our readers5 "+uring m- sta- in the Ashram last time, in 19DD I had a most @o-ous e./erience of 6eace, <liss and >elicit- in the $er- de/th of m- 3eing, which e./erience lasted for almost the entire /eriod of m- sta- of II da-s% This was something ine./lica3le e$en to m-self 3ecause I did not wor1 for it it came of its own

accordE and secondl- 3ecause it was a3solutel- a new e./erience for me I had ne$er felt it 3efore in such intensit- and de/th% I 1new it was ,ri <haga$an0s "race, m-steriousl- wor1ing, which $ouchsafed such grace% "On m- return from the Ashram, unfortunatel-, the a3o$e e./erience did not sta- /ermanentl- with me, though <haga$an, in 4is infinite "race, ga$e me a taste of it off and on% ",o, naturall-, I came 3ac1 to the Ashram this time with an e./ectant heart, ho/ing and /ra-ing that ,ri <haga$an will sim/l- shower 4is "race u/on me and not onl- gi$e me the old e./erience 3ut also 1ee/ me sta3ilised in that state% "<ut, strange as it ma- seem, nothing of the sort ha//ened% On the contrar-, for the first few da-s, m- mind was restless and most distracted, lea$ing me in a state of utter unha//iness 3ordering on miser-% I could not understand it% I e$en felt li1e running awa- from the Ashram% Then I remem3ered <haga$an ,ri (ama1rishna 6aramahamsa0s e.hortation that -ou can force -our demands on "od ado/ting e$en ra1asi) and tamasi) attitudes, if necessar-% ",o I re/aired to the Old !editation 4all and sitting in ,ri <haga$an0s /resence, I called out to him in a most challenging mood5 AI ha$e not come to /ra- to -ou in the attitude of a hel/less su//liant% I ha$e a right o$er -ou% I ha$e come to demand m- inheritance :are -ou not m- >ather9;% )ou will ha$e to /a- out and show -our "race to me% If -ou do not listen to me now, I shall not hesitate to /roclaim to all and sundr- that -ou @ust sit there li1e a heartless statue, Cuite o3li$ious to the woes of -our de$otees not heeding their entreaties for succour and hel/% ,o, -ou 3etter act Cuic1 or -our re/utation is mud%0 I went on and on in this $ein, /erha/s using stronger language which ma- not stand the light of /rint% "And lo! the miracle ha//ened! All of a sudden, the onslaught of m- words ceased, m- thoughts sto//ed com/letel- and I was su3merged in a ,ea of ,tillness, &o- and 6eace% !- mind had ceased /la-ing tric1s on me% All glor- to our 3elo$ed ,ri <haga$an!" LLL Sri I3bal ishen Aga of ?an/ur, an old de$otee of ,ri <haga$an of IG -ears standing, s/ent a month and a half in the Ashram till the IBth No$% and endeared himself to one and all% Though he is aged 7H -ears, he was mo$ing a3out li1e a -oung 3o- feeling the all /ermeating /resence of the !aster% 7hen we wanted him to /ut down in writing his e./eriences he flatl- refused sa-ing that he had come to the !aster0s a3ode to destro- his ego and not to e.hi3it or strengthen it% 4owe$er, on his arri$al at the Ashram what he told the !anaging *ditor is worthwhile re/roducing% ,ri Aga said5 "This Ashram is m- 04ome0 and hence I ha$e a 3irthright to come and sta- here% <ut s/irituall- I am fit onl- to worshi/ the door mat outside the 4all, not e$en fit to enter it% ,ri <haga$an is m- all%" 4is s/ontaneous friendliness and -outhful demeanour will 3e remem3ered 3- the inmates of the Ashram% LLL Prof. . S+aminathan, the *ditor in Chief of The $olle)ted %orks of Mahatma Gandhi , and ,ecretar- of the (amana ?endra, New +elhi, with !rs% ,waminathan, their daughter and son in law, !rs% = !r% ,ur-anandam, arri$ed in the Ashram on ,e/t% I9, after a long a3sence% 7e were ha//- to ha$e them in our midst% The- s/ent a /rofita3le time at ,ri <haga$an0s a3ode renewing also associations with old de$otees at the Ashram, ,ri !uruganar, our *ditor !rs% Os3orne, ,ri T%6% (amachandra Ai-er and others% 6rof% ,waminathan showed great interest in the /rogress of the Ashram and its @ournal, The Mountain Path, meeting those concerned with its running% The- left after a few da-s% LLL Sri A. 4. "atara1an of New +elhi, who has 3een $er- hel/ful to the Ashram in general and to The Mountain Path, in /articular, and who is a staunch de$otee of our !aster, ,ri <haga$an, s/ent a few da-s at the Ashram in the middle of Octo3er% 4e s/ent these da-s Cuietl- in meditation, a/art from meeting old de$otees at the Ashram, which he considers his s/iritual Ahome0!

LLL 'r. S. . $hatter1ee from 'ttar/ara, 7est <engal, came to 1now of ,ri !aharshi onl- in 19DD% 4e $isits the Ashram e$er- -ear% 4e was here for a wee1 in the third wee1 of +ecem3er% 4e writes5 "I would li1e to e./ress the feeling of e.hilaration and great tranCuillit- which /re$ails at the a3ode of ,ri <haga$an% One feels 4is gracious 6resence and "uidance almost tangi3l-% To conclude, I 3eg to record with all /leasure mgratitude to the Ashram which deser$es to 3e congratulated for the wa- the $isitors are loo1ed afterE as well as for the Ashram Cuarterl- @ournal, The Mountain Path, which 3ids fair to 3e the most outstanding s/iritual maga2ine written in *nglish%" LLL Sri 4amesh $handra Amin of <aroda, a life mem3er of the Ashram as well as to The Mountain Path, and a staunch de$otee of ,ri <haga$an, /aid a $isit with his friends and s/ent a wee1 here in the month of +ecem3er% 4e has the following to communicate5 "I am ha//- to $isit the Ashram with m- friends for the second time% The Ashram and the surrounding area is $i3rating with ,ri <haga$an0s 6resence e$en now% The Ashram seems to 3e managed with great care and the 6resident deser$es to 3e congratulated for ta1ing s/ecial care in maintaining its tradition%" LLL On +ecem3er IG, we had a $isit from Sri &aidayal 'almia and Smt. 'almia, New +elhi, and Sri Mathura Go+des+ar Purushottama Gos+ami1i of <rinda$an, !athura% In the e$ening the /art- of o$er fift- de$otees led 3- ,ri "oswami@i /erformed bha1an with great fer$our in the (amana Auditorium, in front of ,ri <haga$an0s ,hrine of "raceE the function was highl- a//reciated and was well attended to 3- the residents of (amana Nagar% LLL There were also, as usual, a num3er of $isitors from o$erseas countries, as also from India, as shown 3elow5 O% >% Corringan :Ireland; 6eter Viesni1 :*ngland; !ichael #e$in :',A; !ont- >isher :',A; 6hili/ 6egler :*ngland; Christo/her 6egler :*ngland; &ohn #indsa- O/ie :Ital-; !r% = !rs% 4u3ert :Ce-lon; 'ma1ant :Nadia, Africa; !r% =% !rs% 7illian &oan Mut1ows1i :',A; &ohn 6atterson :',A; 7endel "raham >ield :',A; ,u2anne <aute2 :',A; (ichard !ur/h- :',A; !r% = !rs% Charles +onal <riddell :',A; T% Na$aratnam and ,% Vi1ramasinha :Ce-lon; <hi11hu '/awi :Ce-lon; 6eter >reeman :Australia; +r% = !rs% <rauman :<elgium; ,arah >arrand :*ngland; >rederic1 "odefro- :>rance; *ric 4ochheimer :4olland; &ames !% Collette :',A; #t% Col% +r% &ames (o3inson :*ngland; 7illiam &ames !aier :',A;

7illem >rans &ohan :4olland; (o3ert #% :New Mealand; !rs% &ean "uerineau, !rs% )$onne 6oulain and (oger 4enning :>rance; Ooms !aria 6ieternella :4olland; (onald !iel1e :7est "erman-; 4enr- Aguilar, (e$% <odi/ri-a and T% ,% I3rahim :Ce-lon; &ohn *dd- :,/ain; Therese <ergmans :4olland; 7olfgang 4afner :7est "erman-; )u1i >u@ita :&a/an; 4iro-a1i 4ashimato :&a/an; !rs% Nad-a 6ant :7est "erman-; 6rof% = !rs% <runner :,wit2erland; 4enr- +enison :',A; &ohannes de (eede :Ital-; !iss !arleen <oers :4olland; >r% &os 4aagen :7est "erman-; >ather <ede "riffiths, with a "erman +octor and four nurses from Chet/ut 4os/ital !% +% Nai1 :?umta, !-sore ,tate; !em3ers of ,ri (amana !aharshi Academ- for the <lind :<angalore; +r% "% ,ur-anara-anamurthi :Tiruttani; !r% = !rs% ?% "% ?rishnaswam- :<angalore; 4% ,% )ogish :<angalore; !% 6% <anner@i :<urdwan; N% V% Nila1anta I-er :New +elhi; C% 6% 6% !enon :<om3a-; V% ,rini$asan and A% (% (agha$an :<angalore; <% C% !ruth-un@aiah :<angalore; (an@it ?umar <anner@i :Ahmeda3ad; +harm 6aul :New +elhi; ?% ,% !ani :<om3a-; (a@ago/ala I-er :<angalore; ,wami <rahmananda :(ishi1esh; !a@or "eneral I% C% ?atoch :!adras; The famil- of A% +e$ara@a !udaliar :?anchee/uram ; The famil- of 6rof% V% <% Atha$ale :<om3a-; (% C% !ahant :Indore Cit-; <edi :New +elhi; V% (ama1rishnan :New +elhi; <% +% ?el1ar :<angalore; !iss Vi@a-a 6atwardhan :6oona; N% #% &oshi :#uc1now; N% 6% ,eetharaman and his son :+elhi; C% "% Naidu and /art- :<angalore; Vegi Ven1ateswara (ao and famil- :Visha1a/atnam ; !% ,% Ananda (ao :?olar; <% ?% Chatter@i :,al1ia; !r% = !rs% +u3ash :<om3a-; +r% ,ri$atsa$a :(anchi; !iss !ohinee <u1shee :+elhi; (a$i Nara-an :<angalore; !rs% ,aro@a ?rishnan :,alem; O<IT'A() !(,% (A&A!!A# N**#A?ANTAN

+e$otees of ,ri <haga$an recei$ed with regret the sad news of !rs% (a@ammal0s demise on ,e/t% IH, after a /rotracted illness% As with all ,ri <haga$an0s bhaktas she had a /eaceful end! ,he was the eldest daughter of the late !% V% (amaswami I-er, a do-en among the old de$otees of ,ri <haga$an% Alread- as a girl of se$en she had the good fortune of coming to ,ri <haga$an in 19JH% 4er father who was then a /u3lic ser$ant at Tiru$annamalai a//roached ,ri <haga$an on the 4ill and im/lored 4im5 ",wami, &esus and other great souls came into the 7orld to redeem sinners% Is there no ho/e for me9" !o$ed 3- this intense a//eal ,ri <haga$an declared, for all man1ind as it were, "There is ho/e% )*,% There is ho/e%" ,ince then father and daughter were almost dail- $isitors and (a@ammal gained ,ri <haga$an0s "race and was treated li1e a /et% In later -ears (amaswami I-er0s famil- and the -ounger generation 3ecame eCuall- de$oted to ,ri <haga$an% #i1e the rest of her famil- (a@ammal was $er- talented in music and in fine arts :her /aintings of "oddess Varala1shmi adorn the /u@a rooms of countless homes e$en toda-;% ,he used to sing her father0s and her own man- de$otional /oems in /raise of ,ri <haga$an com/osed from time to time whene$er she felt ins/ired% ,he was also interested and acti$e in social welfare% ,he left 3ehind two sons and a daughter, also staunch de$otees of ,ri <haga$an% !a- she rest in eternal /eace at ,ri <haga$an0s #otus >eet! LLL V% T)A"A(A&A I)*( The sad news of the sudden demise of T-agara@a I-er on ,unda-, Oct% 11, in !adras, at the age of 7B, was recei$ed at the Ashram with dee/ regret% A leading ad$ocate of the !adras <ar, who functioned as the Official Assignee of !adras and rose to the /osition of 4igh Court &udge, T-agara@a I-er was a great bhakta of ,ri <haga$an and was of great assistance to the Ashram in its de$elo/ment and /rogress 3- his ad$ice and direction on man- occasions% 4e has left three sons 3ehind% 7e con$e- our sincere condolences to the 3erea$ed famil-% T4* !O'NTAIN 6AT4 #I<(A() New Additions (ssen)e of the .panishads 3- !% 6% 6andit5 +i/ti 6u3lications, ,ri Auro3indo Ashram, 6ondicherr- I% :(s% 1JK %; Vedanta5 'elight of !eing 3- 6rof% N% A% Ni1am 'ni$ersit- of !-sore, !-sore% :(s% IK %; The Pan)adasi of !haratitirtha6Vidyaranya0 An Interpretati*e (7position 3- T% !% 6% !ahade$an, !%A%, 6h%+%, Centre of Ad$anced ,tud- in 6hiloso/h-, 'ni$ersit- of !adras% :(s% 1GK %; The $on)ept of the Vya*aharika in Ad*aita Vedanta 3- T% 6% (amachandran5 Centre of Ad$anced ,tud- in 6hiloso/h-, 'ni$ersit- of !adras% :(s% 1IKGJ;% Sri 4amakrishna and #is .ni3ue Message 3- ,wami "hanananda with a foreword 3- +r% Arnold To-n3ee5 (ama1rishna Vedanta Centre, GB, 4olland 6ar1, #ondon, 7% 11, '%?% :6a/er 1JK %; Vedanta The $ulmination of Indian Thought 3- (% +% (anade5 <harati-a Vid-a <ha$an, Chow/att-, <om3a- 7% :(s% 1GK ;% The !haga*adgita5 7ith an Introductor- *ssa-, ,ans1rit Te.t, *nglish Translation and Notes 3(adha1rishnan5 "eorge Allen = 'nwin #td%, (us1in 4ouse, !useum ,treet, #ondon% :6rice in '? 1D s% net;% Talks on the Gita 3- Achar-a Vino3ha <ha$e5 ,ar$a ,e$a ,angh 6ra1ashan, (a@ghat, Varanasi 1% :(s% FK %; The Art of /ife in the !haga*ad Gita 3- 4% V% +i$atia5 <harati-a Vid-a <ha$an, <om3a- 7% :(s% I%GJ;% %omen Saints of Tamilnad 3- !% Arunachalam5 <harati-a Vid-a <ha$an, <om3a- 7% :(e% 1K %; Srimad !haga*ata :Condensed; 3- ,% ,% Cohen5 Chinma-a 6u3lications Trust, I7G, (asa//a Chett- ,t%, !adras F% Srimad !haga*atham The %isdom of God 5 Translated 3- ,wami 6ra3ha$ananda5 Ca/ricorn <oo1s, New )or1 :N 1%9G;% Guru-s Gra)e5 Autobiography of Mother rishnabai5 Translated 3- ,wami (amdas5 Anandashram, Anandashram 6%O%, ?anhangad, ,% India% :(s% GK %;

#o+ to no+ God5 The 8oga Aphorisms of Patan1ali 5 Translated, with a new commentar- 3- ,wami 6ra3ha$ananda and Christo/her Isherwood, Vedanta 6ress, 4oll-wood, California% :N I%GJ;% 8oga 3- *rnest 7ood5 6enguin <oo1s #td%, 4armondsworth, !iddlese.% :6rice in 19DI, FKD;% 4a1a 8oga5 Study of Mind 3- ,wami &-otirma-ananda5 ,wami #alitananda, D111 ,%7% 7Bth A$enue, !iami, >loride FF1BF, ',A :N F%JJ;% Stories of Vikramaditya5 <harati-a Vid-a <ha$an% Chow/att-5 <om3a- 7% :(s% I%GJ;% Indian Philosophi)al Annual0 Volume Fi*e, 19D95 Centre of Ad$anced ,tud- in 6hiloso/h-, 'ni$ersit- of !adras% :(s% 1JK%; The Student-s Sanskrit6(nglish 'i)tionary 3- V%,% A/te5 !otilal <anarsidass, <ungalow (oad, &awaharnagar, 6< 1GHD, +elhi 7% :(s% 1IK %; The Student-s (nglish6Sanskrit 'i)tionary 3- V%,% A/te5 !otilal <anarsidass, <ungalow (oad, &awaharnagar, 6< 1GHD, +ehi 7% :(s% HK %; The Thambraparni Padayatra 3- ,adhu (amananda5 ,ri Vaishna$i ,hrine, !adras DI% :(e% 1K ; Meditation in A)tion 3- Chog-am Trung/a5 ,ham3ala 6u3lications, IJ1J ,e$enth ,t%, <er1ele-, California 9B7IJ, ',A The /anka*atara Sutra translated 3- +aiset2 Teitaro ,u2u1i% (outledge = ?egan 6aul #td%, <roadwa4ouse, DH 7B Carter #are, #ondon, *%C% B% The 'iamond Sutra0 The #eart Sutra translated and e./lained 3- *dward Con2e5 "eorge Allen = 'nwin #td%, !useum ,t%, #ondon% :6rice in '?% 1H s% net; The 7heel 6u3lications Nos 1B1 to 1G1 :Sur*i*al and arma0 S)hopenhauer and !uddhism0 The %heel of !irth and 'eath0 !rahmanism0 !uddhism and #induism;5 <uddhist 6u3lication ,ociet-, ?and-, Ce-lon% !uddhist Obser*an)es and Pra)ti)es0 The Festi*al of Vesak 5 <uddhist 6u3lication ,ociet-, ?and-, Ce-lon% The Se)ret of the Golden Flo+er translated and e./lained 3- (ichard 7ilhelm% The Message of the #ebre+ Prophets 3- An@i$el V% !atthew5 <harati-a Vid-a <ha$an, <om3a- 7% :(s% FK ; The /ife of Milarepa 3- #o32ang &i$a1e5 &ohn !urra-, #ondon% $apital and /abour :6oc1et "andhi ,eries No% 17; 3- !% ?% "andhi5 <harati-a Vid-a <ha$an, Chow/att-, <om3a- 7% :(s% IK ; #appiness and Immortality 3- 6% &% ,a3er5 "eorge Allen = 'nwin, (us1in 4ouse, !useum ,t%, #ondon% :O I%JJ, '?% onl-; LA Physi)ian-s /i*ing Thoughts 3- Carl Thene3e, !%+% :NB 9G; LMan in Ferment 3- Neil 7esson% :N G 9G; L!eyond Indi*iduality 3- Clinton (% !ee1 :N G%GJ; LThe /anguage of Ordinary (7perien)e 3- +a$id *% +enton% :N G JJ; LInstead of a !iography 3- "usta$ *% !ueller% :N G 9G; LThe 4eal %orld 3- !artin 7an1% :N B 9G; L6u3lished 3- 6hiloso/hical #i3rar-, Inc%, 1G *ast BJth ,t%, New )or1, New )or1 1JJ1D, ',A %hy India /i*es 3- T% #% Vaswani :*ast and 7est ,eries Nos% 1G7 1GH;5 "ita 6u3lishing 4ouse, 1J ,adhu Vaswani 6ath, !ira Nagar, 6oona 1% :(e% l K ; !uddhist (thi)s5 (ssen)e of !uddhism 3- 4% ,addhatissa5 "eorge Allen and 'nwin, (us1in 4ouse, !useum ,t%, #ondon% :GG s%; Se3uel to the Mysteries of God in the .ni*erse 3- 4% ,% ,/encer and others5 4% 6% Vaswani, 1 (a@1amal, 79GKF 6adam@ee 6ar1, 6oona I% :(s% 1J; The %ay or Po+er 3- Nicholas (odere-5 6hiloso/hical #i3rar-, New )or1% :N D; Simple Talks on S)ien)e of Thought 3- 4enr- Thomas 4am3lin5 The ,cience of Thought 6ress #td%, <osham 4ouse, Chichester, ,usse., *ngland% :IKD d%; The #ymns of Sankara 3- +r% T% !% 6% !ahade$an "anesh = Co% :!adras; 6$t% #td%, !adras 17% PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP 4is *ternal *.istence 4e is and there is with 4im no 3efore or after, nor a3o$e nor 3elow, nor far nor near, nor union nor di$ision, nor how nor where nor /lace% 4e is now as 4e was, 4e is the One without oneness and the ,ingle without singleness% % % % 4e is the $er- e.istence of the first and the $er- e.istence of the #ast, and the $er- e.istence of the Outward and the $er- e.istence of the Inward% ,o that there is no first nor last nor outward nor inward e.ce/t 4im, without those 3ecoming 4im or 4is 3ecoming them% 4e is not in a thing nor a thing in 4im,

whether entering in or /roceeding forth% It is necessar- that -ou 1now 4im after this fashion, not 3- learning nor 3- intellect nor 3- understanding, nor 3- imagination, nor 3- sense, nor 3- the outward e-e nor 3- the inward e-e, nor 3- /erce/tion% <- 4imself 4e sees 4imself and 3- 4imself 4e 1nows 4imself% % % % 4is $eil, that is, /henomenal e.istence, is 3ut the concealment of 4is e.istence in 4is oneness, without an- attri3ute% % % % There is no other and there is no e.istence for an- other than 4e% % % % 4e whom -ou thin1 to 3e other than "od, he is not other than "od, 3ut -ou do not 1now 4im and do not understand that -ou are seeing 4im% 4e is still (uler as well as ruled, and Creator as well as created% 4e is now as 4e was, as to 4is creati$e /ower and as to 4is so$ereignt-, not reCuiring a creature nor a su3@ect% % % % In 4is oneness there is no difference 3etween what is recent and what is originalE the recent is the result of 4is manifestation of 4imself and the original is the result of 4is remaining within 4imself% There is no e.istence sa$e 4is e.istence% I<N0 A(A<I from itab Al6A1+iba :!% ,mith0s translation; Vol VIII No 1 1971 Ashram <ulletin Vol VIII No 1 1971 <oo1 (e$iews <oo1 (e$iews T4* 7A) O> 6O7*(, A 6(ACTICA# "'I+* TO T4* TANT(IC !),TICI,! O> TI<*T5 !y &ohn !lofeld% 6u3%5 "eorge Allen = 'nwin, #ondon, 197J% IGG /ages, 1I /lates, 9 diagramsE 6rice5 BG %s% &ohn <lofeld, will 3e familiar to man- readers of this re$iew through his /re$ious 3oo1s on China : The $ity of /ingering Splendour;, Thailand :People of the Sun;, and his own s/iritual auto3iogra/h- :The %heel of /ife;, in which latter he descri3es his first contact with Ti3etan <uddhism after man- -ears of almost e.clusi$e Ch0an studies, resulting in his scholarl- translation of 4uang 6o and 4ui 4ai% 7ith the /resent 3oo1 he has ste//ed into a new realm of s/iritual e./loration, in which he was engaged during the last ten -ears and which continues to hold his attention% It ma- a//ear a far cr- from the strictlanti imaginati$e, anti ritualistic, anti traditional Ch0an :or Men; to the highl- imaginati$e, ritual /erforming and tradition conscious /ractices of the Va1rayana% And -et, if we follow the author0s s/iritual career through the a3o$e mentioned 3oo1s, a $er- significant fact is re$ealed, namel-, that in s/ite of different methods, there is more in common 3etween Men and certain as/ects of Tantrism, than generall- imagined% In <lofeld0s words5 "+es/ite enormous e.ternal differences, the Va1rayana is essentiall- close to Men" :/% F1;% In methods the- ma- 3e /oles a/art, 3ut in essence the- re$eal a common ground5 3oth are concerned more with direct e./erience than with theor-, more concerned with /ractice than with dogmaE and 3oth are con$inced that sadhana must include all as/ects of life and cannot 3e regarded as an esca/e from the world, 3ut rather as a /rocess of transformation of our awareness, 3- which this $er- world is e./erienced as an e./onent of a higher realit-% &ust as Men, the Tantri) method of meditation is not concerned with meta/h-sical s/eculations, 3ut with intuiti$e awareness and reali2ation, which /asses 3e-ond intellectual understanding or $er3al formulation% <ut while Men tries to 3-/ass the intellect 3- either ignoring it or 3leading it ad absurdum through self defeating koans, Tantri) sadhanas /roceed in a different wa- to o$ercome conce/tual thought% ?nowing that no amount of force can su//ress this flow of continual thought acti$it-, that on the contrar-, an- attem/t to sto/ it, will result in intensif-ing it, the Tantras ha$e found that the onl- wa- to o$ercome conce/tual thin1ing consists in re/lacing it with the direct e./erience of $isualisation, which ma1es use of the creati$e /ower of consciousness5 imagination% 4owe$er this /ower is creati$e onl- when it is guided or directed 3- a higher /rinci/le, an idea or an inherent law otherwise it results in a wild and chaotic growth or ne3ulous and unrelated dreamli1e fantasies which, li1e a cancer, lead to a dissolution rather than an enrichment of the mind% <oth the artist and the scientist use, what we ma- call Aguided imagination0% <ut while the former is guided 3- the laws of harmon- and aesthetic sensi3ilities, as well as 3- the nature of the medium in which he e./resses himself the latter is guided 3- the laws of nature or their a3stract formulations in logic and mathematics%

7hile imaginati$e $isualisation and an- form of inner $ision are 3anned in Men /ractice and discarded as "makyo" :lit. "the de$il0s world";, Tantri) sadhana ma1es use of it though within a strict s-stem of archet-/al s-m3ols, which do not allow the sadhaka to indulge in /ri$ate fantasies or mere hallucinations :i.e. /henomena unrelated to an- form of /s-chic or e.ternal realit-;% ">or man- /eo/le who, not 3eing s/iritual giants, conscientiousl- /ractice Men or some other austere form of m-sticism o$er the -ears without nota3le results, meditation 3ecomes more of a 3urden than a @o-" :/% F1 ;% It is here that Tantri) methods can 3ring relief through their $ast armour- of /s-chological de$ices in form of su3lime rituals, consciousness transforming s-m3ols and mantri) sounds, which "will awa1en a dee/ res/onse and lead to the achie$ement of results that eluded them 3efore% The /oint is not that the Va1rayana is su/erior to Men5 no one intimatel- acCuainted with Men could dou3t the e.cellence of its methodsE what is more dou3tful is the a3ilit- of most of us to em/lo- them successfull-%" :/% F1;% QThe Va1rayana caters to /eo/le who find it easier to use s-m3ols and conce/ts as the $er- wea/ons with which to do awa- with conce/ts, instead of tr-ing to 3anish them from the first%" :/% BF;% According to the author0s e./erience and that of other Men followers :of *astern as well as of 7estern origin;, "relati$el- few /eo/le using the direct a//roach manage to get 3e-ond the elementar- stage of stilling the mind for a little while%" :/% I17;% The reason for this seems to 3e, that whene$er meditation 3ecomes too much of an effort or com/ulsion, due to a sense of dut- or dri$en 3- the demands of monastic disci/line and routine, the most im/ortant element of meditation is missing, namel- that of @o-ful ins/iration : priti; which, according to the ancient <uddhist tradition, is the central factor and the dri$ing force in the /rocess of meditation% Instead of 3eing dri$en to the /oint of des/air 3- an insolu3le koan, the Tantri) ade/t $isualises the transcendental 3eaut- and radiance of his su/reme aim and as/iration, em3odied in the inwardl- /ercei$ed and contem/lated images of <uddhas and !odhisatt*as, re/resenting all those di$ine faculties which are dormant in his own innermost 3eing and which onl- need to 3e awa1ened, acti$ated and made /resent, in order to 3e transformed into li$ing realit-% The author, as a /ractising <uddhist ta1es great care to introduce the reader into the s-m3ols and $isualisations of the Va1rayana, which to him is "one of the lo$eliest flowers of man0s s/iritual achie$ements," as he sa-s in his >oreword% Though he e./ects that the da- will come, in which Ti3etan #amas ha$e sufficientl- mastered *uro/ean languages to gi$e an authentic account of their traditional teachings, he 3elie$es that in the meantime 7estern followers of the Va1rayana should tr- to clear u/ the grotesCue misunderstandings a3out Tantri) <uddhism, to which the traditional secrec- has gi$en rise% This is indeed an urgent matter, not onl- 3ecause of the misinter/retation and misuse of the Tantras 3- uninformed and irres/onsi3le /eo/le, 3ut also 3ecause there is a danger that the -ounger generation of Ti3etan #amas :who ha$e ne$er 1nown Ti3et as it was 3efore the Chinese in$asion, or who left at an earl- age;, e$en if themaster *uro/ean languages, the- will ha$e 3een so much alienated from their original tradition that the- are a/t to succum3 to 7estern influences :3oth morall- and s/irituall-; and that the- are no more a3le to inter/ret genuinel- the Ti3etan stand/oint% This is not a theoretical assum/tion, 3ut is 3orne out 3- facts, so that e$en the +alai #ama seems to 3e dou3tful a3out the $alue of sending -oung #amas to 7estern countries% On the other hand, those who remain true to their tradition, are not in a /osition to e./lain it in terms of 7estern mentalit- or /s-cholog-, with the result that Ti3etan <uddhism a//ears to the 7esterner as a 1ind of /rimiti$e demonolog- or at the 3est as a form of idealised /ol-theism% All the more im/ortant it is that 7esterners, who ha$e 3een in contact with Ti3etan tradition for man- -ears, should tr- to re/resent it conscientiousl- and with the utmost res/ect for the religious feelings and con$ictions of those, from whom the- acCuired their 1nowledge% That this has 3een done 3- the /resent author, constitutes the main $alue of this 3oo1% In contrast to merel- learned tomes 3- Ti3etologists, who remain aloof from their su3@ect in the ho/e of greater Ao3@ecti$it-0, <lofeld shows the Va1rayana from the /oint of $iew of a de$otee -et without surrendering his common sense or clarit- of thought% 4e is con$inced that e$en non <uddhists might find it fruitful to ado/t some of the Tantri) techniCues to their s/iritual life% >or this reason he is not content merel- to discuss the 3ac1ground and theor- of the Va1rayana, 3ut gi$es eCual s/ace to its /ractice, 3eginning with the (efuges and the different forms of worshi/ and ritual, leading u/ finall- to the actual sadhanas and their $isualisations% 4owe$er he warns the reader "that the rituals are ne$er /ractised in the ho/e of winning di$ine fa$our", 3ut that "the- are su3tle aids to a//rehension which deri$e their /ower from the m-stical corres/ondence of the outer forms with hidden /s-chic forces and with the s/ecial states of mind that result%" :/% 1F1;%

The 3oo1 is illustrated with a num3er of useful /hotogra/hs and diagrams% The frontis/iece is a 3eautiful line drawing of Vairo)ana :in Sambhoga6kaya;, though entitled "Va1rasatt*a !uddha"% In certain sadhanas Va1rasatt*a ta1es the central /lace in the mandala, i.e., the /lace of Vairo)ana, with whom he is identified in that case% Ne$ertheless, as long as the em3lems of Vairo)ana :lion throne and dharma6)akra; are dis/la-ed, Vairo)ana-s name should 3e associated with it% Va1rassatt*a can also ta1e the /lace of Aksobhya in the east of the mandala, in which case he is called Va1rasatt*a6Aksobhya, 3ecause he ta1es the iconogra/hical form of Aksobhya% In this connection I also wish to /oint out the discre/anc- 3etween diagram F< which shows the correct /osition of the fi$e 'hyani <uddhas :or &inas, as the author /refers, though this title a//lies indiscriminatelto all <uddhas, whether human or transcendental, i.e., e./erienca3le onl- in meditation R dhyanaS ; and the /arallel diagrams FA, FC and F+, in which the $ertical a.is re/resents "south" at the 3ottom and "north" on to/, as if we were dealing with a geogra/hical ma/, whereas all Ti3etan mandalas, as shown correctl- in diagram F<, ha$e the "east" at the 3ottom and the "west" on to/, while "south" and "north" are to the left and the right res/ecti$el-% 7ithout 1nowing this, no Ti3etan mandala can 3e correctl- read and understood% This as well as the s/ellings of some ,ans1rit words should 3e rectified in a new edition which, we ho/e, will soon 3ecome necessar-, as the 3oo1 deser$es to 3e read 3- all who are seriousl- interested in the wisdom and the /ractice of the Va1rayana% "The Ti3etans", as the author sa-s at the end of his 3oo1, "furnish an e.am/le of an entire nation 3ent on de$elo/ing their inner resources to an e.tent com/ara3le with 7estern man0s master- of his en$ironment% 4ow /leasant the world would 3e if all human 3eings were taught to concentrate their destructi$e energies on rooting out the ego and if the- too1 wisdom and com/assion as the onl- guiding forces of their li$es%" A >I(,T M*N (*A+*(5 )ompiled and translated by Tre*or /eggett , 6u3%5 Charles *% Tuttle Com/an-E (utland, Vermont and To1-o, &a/an, 19DJ% IFD /ages, IJ /lates% 6rice5 NF%7G :',A;% This 3oo1 which is modestl- called "A First 9en 4eader" contains such a wealth of /rofound wisdom, /ractical hints, ins/iring /oetr-, literar- and historical information, li$el- anecdotes and dialogues and charming illustrations, that it is difficult to /ut this 3oo1 down, 3efore one has read it from co$er to co$er% Though it has 3een said that Men cannot 3e defined or e./lained, that it is neither a /hiloso/h- nor a religious doctrine, one thing emerges $er- clearl- from this delightful 3oo1, namel- that Men is an attitude towards life, na-, a mode of life, which has its root in a dee/ re$erence for the common origin of all things and the /rofound interrelationshi/ of all forms of life, mirrored in the sim/lest o3@ect and the lowliest 3eing% It is a re$erence which s/rings from the $er- heart of man as a natural e./ression of his fundamental oneness with the eternal source that sustains and gi$es meaning to e$er- moment of our conscious e.istence and acti$it-% "The great acti$it- is when the world and self 3ecome one, when all things and self are seen to ha$e the same source% >rom that state of reali2ation the light is again shone to where he stands% Then e$er- moment of his hand, e$er- ste/ with his foot, s/iritualises what he meets% 4e ma1es s/iritual use of e$er- e$ent and thing% <efore and after his footfall, the 3reath of holiness is 3orn%" :>rom the Commentar- 3- Ama1u1i ,essan to 4a1uin0s ",ong of !editation"E /% 1HF;% <ut this "holiness" is not the holiness of self conscious $irtue, 3ut rather the wholeness or com/leteness of a man who has o$ercome the illusion of se/arateness without den-ing the fact of his indi$idualit-, which is as little a contradiction to his uni$ersalit- as the momentariness of his e./erience is contradiction of timeless eternit-% 7hen the *m/eror as1ed <odhidharma, "7hat is the first /rinci/le of hol- truth9 "<odhidharma said5 "Vastness, no holiness!" These three words characterise the attitude of Mahayana <uddhism and of Men in /articular, 3ecause he who e./eriences this A$astness0 in meditation or e$en onl- in a flash of intuition, 3rea1s through the illusion of se/arateness, the shell of egoit- and the $anit- of 3eing su/erior to others% >rom this e./erience true humilit- is 3orn% Once Men !aster O3a1u was seen worshi//ing the <uddha with great de$otion, and one of his disci/les, struc1 3- dou3t and wondering wh- such a great master, who was su//osed to ha$e reached the highest /ea1 of s/iritual attainment, should 3ow down 3efore the image of the <uddha li1e the sim/lest de$otee, said to the master5 "Are -ou as1ing something from the <uddha, or see1ing something concerned with the Truth9" The master re/lied5 "I ha$e nothing to as1 of the <uddha or to see1 a3out the Truth%" The disci/le as1ed again5 "Then wh- do -ou worshi/9" The master said5 "I sim/l- worshi/%" 4ere "worshi/" is a s/ontaneous

e./ression of humilit- in the /resence of Truth, em3odied in the figure of the <uddha or, as Ama1u1i ,essan adds to this dialogue5 ",im/l- to worshi/, is seeing truth!" :/% 191;% In a similar wa- it is e./lained 3- the 6rimate of the ,oto Men sect of &a/an, Ta1ashina (osen, that sitting in meditation is not onl- a means to attain satori, or to await enlightenment :which ma- or ma- not 3e reali2ed; 3ut that ":a:en is sitting with the <uddha seal manifest on 3od-, s/eech and mind, and this :a:en is the <uddha action%" :/% I9;% Thus meditation ::a:en; should not 3e moti$ated 3- the am3ition to attain kensho, insight into our true nature, or satori, a flash of illumination, in the shortest /ossi3le time an attitude that often leads to frantic efforts and almost h-sterical emotional out3ursts which threaten not so much to annihilate the ego as the sanit- of the meditator 3ut :a:en, according to Ta1ashina (osen, "is the <uddha action of the self which is a <uddha from the $er- 3eginning, and so throughout life it ne$er ceases%" "As against the $iew that <uddhahood 3egins onl- after satori, which is Men of reali2ation with a 3eginning, this is the Men of reali2ation from the 3eginning%" :/% I9;% This is the difference 3etween 4in:ai and Soto Men% The latter regards :a:en not onl- as a means to an end, 3ut as an end in itself5 a dwelling in the s/irit of <uddhahood, irres/ecti$e of whether we attain to its full reali2ation or not which after all is de/ending on our maturit-, and which can 3e forced as little as the o/ening of a 3ud and its transformation into a full 3lown flower% In the 4in:ai Men greater em/hasis is laid u/on the /ractice of koans, which are meditated u/on one after another, and "stages of satori are attained, koan 3- koan, li1e mounting the rungs of a ladder%" In this $iew, "it is onl- after the /oint of reali2ation that <uddhahood comes into e.istence%" :/% I9;% <oth methods ha$e their ad$antages, and it must 3e left to the reader to form his own o/inion% To whate$er side he ma- feel drawn, he will not /ut this 3oo1 out of his hands without ha$ing 3een greatl- enriched and without a feeling of gratitude to the translator and com/iler of these te.ts, in which ancient and modern masters of Men s/ea1 to us with a 3eaut- and directness which is onl- eCualled 3- the e.am/les of Men art and calligra/h- that enli$en this 3oo1% !*+ITATION IN ACTION5 !y $hoegyam Trungpa% 6u3%5 ,tuart = 7at1ins, #ondon, 19D9% 7B /ages% 6rice5 1G s% The Venera3le Trung/a (in/oche has alread- made a name for himself with his auto3iogra/h-, in which he ga$e a gra/hic account of his life and education in Ti3et and his ad$enturous flight to India when his countrwas in$aded 3- the hordes of Chinese Communists% After a few -ears0 sta- in India, he migrated to *ngland, and in 19D7 he founded the ,am-e #ing Ti3etan Centre in ,cotland, named after the first Ti3etan monaster-, which was 3uilt 3- "uru 6admasam3ha$a in the Hth centur- A+% This 3oo1 is a selection from tal1s which Trung/a (in/oche ga$e in this Centre and which were recorded on ta/e% The- retain the freshness and s/ontaneit- of the s/o1en word and gi$e man- $alua3le hints to students and /ractitioners of meditation, though the- do not contain an- descri/tions or indications of actual /ractices : sadhanas; or Ti3etan methods or /ersonal e./eriences, which would @ustif- the title " Meditation in A)tion"% In fact, onl- one cha/ter has 3een dedicated to meditation /ro/er, the others 3eing de$oted to more general su3@ects, li1e "The #ife and *.am/le of the <uddha" "Transmission", ""enerosit-", "6atience" "7isdom", etc% If, howe$er, one has got o$er this initial disa//ointment, one 3egins to en@o- these tal1s as what the- /ro3a3l- were intended to 3e5 a lucid and easil- understanda3le introduction into the meaning of meditation and the /reconditions for its /ractice, >rom this /oint of $iew the reader will feel richl- rewarded 3- man- e.cellent thoughts and o3ser$ations and 3- the charming /ersonalit- of the author which shines through the /ages of this 3oo1% ,/ea1ing a3out concentration, he ma1es a $er- rele$ant remar1, which is /articularl- im/ortant for 7esterners, who are a/t to ma1e concentration into a tour de for)e, thus defeating the $er- /ur/ose of meditation5 "If one tries $erhard to concentrate, then one needs the thought that is concentrating on the su3@ect and also something which ma1es that accelerate further% Thus there are two /rocesses in$ol$ed and the second /rocess is a 1ind of watchman, which ma1es sure that -ou are doing it /ro/erl-% That /art of it must 3e ta1en awa-, otherwise one ends u/ 3eing more self conscious and merel- aware that one is concentrating, rather than actuall- 3eing in a state of concentration% This 3ecomes a $icious circle% Therefore one cannot de$elo/ concentration alone, without ta1ing awa- the centralised watchfulness, tr-ing to 3e careful which is *go%" :/% DF;% This is the t-/ical "dou3le 3ind" of forced concentration% <ut the " samatha", which is here gi$en as the <uddhist eCui$alent for "concentration", is not at all misleading as our author assumes, 3ecause samatha is 3asicall-

that element of tranCuillit- which in its highest degree is re/resented 3- the term " samadhi", the state of com/lete unification or a3sor/tion% If we are a3sor3ed in a su3@ect, a thought or an e./erience, there is no trace of com/ulsion or egocentric will/ower in$ol$ed in this /rocess or state of mind, which results in *ipassana, /rofound insight, intuiti$e awareness% 7hile intellectual 1nowledge is /roduced 3- discursi$e thought, deduction and logical o/erations, *ipassana is the outcome of a /rocess of integration of su3@ect and o3@ect% This a//lies also to the "awareness of 3reathing" : anapanasati;, one of the 3asic e.ercises of <uddhist meditation, which in contrast to the usual techniCue of pranayama does not tr- to "control" 3reathing, 3- interfering with its rh-thm or forcing our will u/on it :as this is the case in #athayoga Rhatha T $iolence, forceS;, 3ut consciousl- enters into the natural rh-thm of 3reath, thus raising it to the le$el of a conscious e./erience and /rofound significance% As Trung/a (im/oche /uts it5 "The awareness is sim/l1e/t on the $erge of the mo$ement of 3reathE it @ust follows Cuite naturall- and one is not tr-ing /articularlto 3ind the mind of 3reathing%" :/% DF;% The same a//lies to our thoughts5 "One should not tr- to su//ress thoughts in meditation, 3ut one should @ust tr- to see the transitor- nature, the translucent nature of thoughts% One should not 3ecome in$ol$ed in them, nor re@ect them, 3ut sim/l- o3ser$e them and then come 3ac1 to the awareness of 3reathing% That is the 3asic meditation techniCue, and it is Cuite sim/le and direct% There should 3e no deli3erate effort, no attem/t to control and no attem/t to 3e /eaceful%" :/% DB;% In recent -ears it has 3ecome almost a fashion in 7estern countries to organise "!editation Classes", as if meditation could 3e a su3@ect of mass instruction or could 3e taught li1e /h-sics or mathematics or an- other form of intellectual 1nowledge% 7e, therefore, can onl- agree with the author, when he ends his 3oo1 with the words Q%%% as far as the details of meditation are concerned I don0t thin1 it hel/s to generalise% ,ince the techniCues de/end on the need of the /erson, the- can onl- 3e discussed indi$iduall-E one cannot conduct a class on meditation /ractice%" !editation has much in common with lo$e5 it cannot 3e forced, nor can it 3e taught or e./lained, 3ut it can 3e e./erienced and culti$ated, and it can 3e stimulated 3- those who ha$e reali2ed it and are a3le to con$esomething of the 3eaut- and harmon-, of the /eace and ha//iness the- ha$e gained% !editation ma- not ha$e an- conce/tual o3@ect -et it is a state of, as well as a means towards, the e./erience of ha//iness, su/reme 3liss :mahasukha0 ananda; and li3eration% &ust as lo$e consists in 3eing drawn towards that which is 3eautiful and lo$ea3le, in the same wa- meditation is s/ontaneousl- engendered 3- 3eing drawn towards something that ins/ires us and lifts us 3e-ond the narrow confines of our egocentric consciousness% A "uru0s tas1, therefore, is not merel- to Ateach0, 3ut to ins/ire, and this ins/iration is 3ased on /ersonal relationshi/ 3etween Guru and $hela, culminating in the act of initiation or final transmission of the s/irit, in which a /articular sadhana is to 3e /ractised% This transmission, which is in the nature of ins/iration, ser$es to awa1en the dormant faculties of the $hela-s mind and to o/en his s/iritual e-e, so that whate$er sadhana he ma- choose to follow, will 3ecome his own s/ontaneous wa-% #A!A ANA"A(I?A "OVIN+A "'('0, "(AC*5 A'TO<IO"(A64) O> !OT4*( ?(I,4NA<AI5 Translated by S+ami 4amdas% 6u3%5 Anandashram, ?anhangad, ,outh India% 17G /ages% 6rice5 (s% G% This is a most unso/histicated auto3iogra/h- de/icting a life of e.traordinar- de$otion and unselfish ser$ice, a life of !hakti and nishkama karma /ar e.cellence leading to the highest goal, the realisation of the all /er$ading Oneness% of <eing% As ,wami (amdas remar1s in the foreword, the s/ecial feature of this life stor- is that !other ?rishna3ai addresses herself entirel- to her A6a/a0 that is ,wami (amdas as her all /er$ading Sad6Guru with whom she feels identified through her /ure lo$e and the highest form of de$otion% !other ?rishna3ai dictated her life stor- to an ashramite 1nowing ?on1ani and ?annada and it was ,wami (amdas himself who translated it into *nglish as a la3our of lo$e% It was his last literar- wor1% 7hat the 3oo1 lac1s in literar- merit and structure is am/l- made u/ 3- the out/ourings of utter sincerit- and sim/licit- touching a chord in the hearts of earnest s/iritual see1ers% The 3oo1 should /ro$e of great hel/ to such as/irants% ,4A?INA4%

,CI*NC*, ,6I(IT, ,'6*(,TITION A New *nCuir- into 4uman Thought5 !y $onstantin !runner0 abridged and translated by Abraham Suhl0 re*ised and edited by %alter !ernard % 6u3%5 #ondon5% "eorge Allen and 'nwin #td% Toronto 'ni$ersit- of Toronto 6ress% 6/% GHG, >irst *d% 19DH% 6rice in '%?%5 HJs% net% The author, 3orn in "erman- in 1HDI was an e.ile in 4olland from 19FF till his death% This 3oo1 consists of e.cer/ts from his writings /u3lished in *nglish translation with the /ermission of the International Constantin <runner Institute, the 4ague, 4olland% The editor 3elie$es that in <runner0s /hiloso/h- there is wor1 of ma@or im/ort for the histor- of thought and for the cultural de$elo/ment of man1ind% The editor sa-s that /resent da- /hiloso/h- has 3een 3- and large a disa//ointment of contem/orar- man in his Cuest for truth and in his search for a dee/er meaning of life% 6ragmatism, /ositi$ism, logical anal-sis and e.istentialism ha$e not met this reCuirement% Nor has scholastic meta/h-sics for which, <runner sa-s, "the great Cuestion as to the factualit- of the A3solute e.ists and the great re/l- 3ased on factualit- is ne$er o3tained%" This is so 3ecause, he finds "meta/h-sics remains outside in the s/here of the ideatum" :s-stem of ideas concerned with relati$e realit-;, "and with this, at 3est it gets as far as the un1nown "od and the 1nown 3om3ast a3out him%" :/, FD1;% The author has $er- significant things to sa- a3out the attem/t of meta/h-sicians to /ro$e the e.istence of "od5 "The A3solute is not ca/a3le of an- /roof," he sa-s% 4e thin1s all the A/roofs0 for the e.istence of "od ha$e this /resu//osition that "od is a thingE for /roofs e.ist onl- for things in the world of thingsE so with the disa//earing faith in "od as a thing the /roofs for his e.istence lose e$er- force% 4e finds /eo/le 3ecoming Cuite silent nowada-s a3out all /roofs for the e.istence of "od% :/% FDI;% 4e confidentl- affirms5 Absolute truth one )annot ha*e but only be % :/% FDF;% To ta1e the idea of "od out of the incom/rehensi3ilit- of a3solute thought and ma1e it a su3@ect of cogniti$e 1nowledge, can lead onl- to unha//- results% The author sa-s ironicall-5 ""od is com/rehensi3le and we ha$e com/rehended him and of this he has died%" :/% F7B;% The author0s new contri3ution to /hiloso/hical thin1ing consists in his theor- of three faculties which are, according to him5 :i; 6ractical 'nderstanding in which thin1ing em3races the entire realit- of our world of things or relati$e realit-E :ii; The ,/irit the thin1ing of which is concerned with the truth of our essence, or a3solute realit-E :iii; Analogon the fictitious thin1ing of an a3solute realit- which howe$er is not true realit-E which is superstitious thought% :6/% I7 IH;% The author finds that the facult- of understanding -ields the com/lete truth of relati$e realit-, or of thingsE the facult- of s/iritual thought -ields the com/lete a3solute truth, which, surel-, is not the truth concerning an- a3solute thingsE the facult- of su/erstitious thought -ields nothing 3ut the /erfect untruth5 it consists /recisel- in the 3elief that things are a3solute, 1nowingl- or un1nowingl-% Thin1ing has two enemies, the illogical, and the unreal, or the wrong thought /rocess and the initiall- wrong, fictitious thought content% :/% I9;% The author comes to the conclusion5 "7ithout a dou3t, the A3solute Thought within us is the a3solute%" 4e turns to Indian /hiloso/h- and sa-s5 "The Atman and <rahma:n; of 4indu /hiloso/h- is also the same as our A3solute Thought that which thin1s all ideata, 3ut ne$er enters into an- such ideatum the true ,elf, thin1ing itself, which rises right through the em/irical ego out of the de/ths of consciousness%" 4e Cuotes ,andil-a as sa-ing5 ",mall as a grain of rice %%% this s/irit dwells within m- ,elfE he is %%% $aster than the hea$ens, $aster than the ether, $aster than this earth, $aster than all 3eingsE he is the self of the 3reath, he is m- ,elf :atman;% I shall unite with this Atman when I go hence% 7ho has this, trul-, has no dou3ts%" 4e refers to the more austerel- /hiloso/hical language of the .panishads in which <rahma:n; is descri3ed as Aneither large nor small, his name 3eing No, no0 : neti neti 4e*ie+er;% The wise man of the .panishads, 3not s/ea1ing in re/l- to a Cuestion a3out <rahman, indicates that AThis Atman is silence%0 According to <runner "the <uddhist dissolution in "ir*ana is entering into <rahma or Atman%" :/% FG9;% "The ultimate in /hiloso/h- is m-stical," sa-s <runner% 4e /oints out how our egoism : ahamkara; can 3e eliminated% "Our AI0 is redeemed when it no longer is an AI0 3ut an AI ,elf0 thin1ing its relati$it- on the fundament of the a3solute %%%% *$er- s/iritual man is such an 0I ,elf0%" :/% FDJ;% These s/iritual men e./ress the ine./ressi3le figurati$el-% This figurati$e e./ression, <runner sa-s, is sensed 3- the s/iritual and not 3the su/erstitious who, sensing nothing 3ut what is e.ternall- thing li1e, do not /ercei$e at all 0the ensconced immanence of the ,/irit in it0% 4ence his warning in the words of "oethe5 "Tell no one 3ut the wise%" :/% FDD;%

This is a challenging 3oo1, 3ut the challenge is su//orted 3- /rofound constructi$e thought% It should 3e widel- read, /articularl- in our countr- where the traditional insistence on a s/iritual a//roach to the A3solute will find welcome su//ort from the rethin1ing of an eminent modern /hiloso/her who is stronglo//osed to different modes of incorrect reasoning% In addition to religion and meta/h-sics <runner has a//lied his theories of faculties to science, /s-cholog-, /neumatolog- and !oralism :as distinguished from ethics;% There is am/le e$idence of "a new inCuir-" in each case% 7e congratulate all who are res/onsi3le for the /reser$ation of Constantin <runner0s writings, and the /roduction of the 3oo1 under re$iew% 7e ho/e the e./ectation of a com/lete *nglish translation of his wor1s will 3e fulfilled% 6(O>% A% C% <O,* T4* #AN"'A"* O> O(+INA() *U6*(I*NC*5 !y 'a*id (. 'enton% 6u3%5 6hiloso/hical #i3rar-, New )or1% 6rice5 N G% In this closel- argued and hea$il- documented wor1 on the /hiloso/h- of education, +r% +enton, who has alread- written much and sensi3l- on Al3ert Camus, /leads for the restoration of AsoulV to the o$erde$elo/ed and o$er $igorous A3od-V of education% 7hat is widel- de/lored as the generation ga/ and the alienation from their human sel$es of 3oth students and teachers can 3e traced to the a3sence of "clan, s/ontaneit-, $italit-, com/assion, warmth, and concern" in our educational methods and organisation% The onl- remed- is to decide Cuic1l- and manage somehow to shift from "categorical thin1ing with its steno language to ordinar- e./erience with its e.istential language"% ,teno language ma- 3e e.act, /recise, factual, /u3lic, $erifia3le, 3ut it can onl- s/ea1 of institutions% methods and constructions li1e ideas and internal com3ustion enginesE it is hel/less 3efore the li$ing /rocess called education% *.istential language is more than conce/tual or written language and uses 3od- modes, /ictorial modes, acoustic modes% !ental categories are not /rior to or more im/ortant than e.istential ha//enings% #ife is much larger than logic% In the Aad$ancedV countries of the world 6s-cholog-, 6hiloso/hand *ducation ha$e in the "solemn fooler- of scholarshi/" eliminated all ad$ertence to the /rotean, su3@ecti$e as/ects of ordinar- e./erience% The ad@ecti$e has almost eaten u/ the su3stanti$e% The one e-ed giant has turned self destructi$e% Though Camus was dri$en to atheistic humanism 3- the im/ossi3ilit- of religious 3elief, he is ne$ertheless a humanist who cannot di$orce feeling from 1nowledge% According to Camus, constructions :categories, laws, first /rinci/les;, howe$er legitimate, are not more real or $alua3le than their human constructors% "Their heart within me I can feel and I @udge that it e.ists% This world I can touch and I @udge li1ewise that it e.ists% There ends all m- 1nowledge and the rest is construction%" The feeling of a3surdit- /recedes the notion of a3surdit- and is therefore the original and essential com/onent of 1nowledge% As 7ei 7u 7ei would sa-, the human /redicament is a3surd 3ecause "I am% I am not% I laugh%" Ideas are 3ut constructions and ha$e no realit- status and -et the modern 7est mista1es 1nowledge of ideas for the whole of human 1nowledge% ,tudents are not o3@ects to 3e mani/ulated, 3ut su3@ects to 3e li$ed with as the- de$elo/ into res/onsi3le selfhood% *ducation is in a sense a moral enter/rise% The end should 3e the de$elo/ment of QlucidW, that is, moral indi$iduals% A s-stem which, 3eing im/risoned in the /ast or intellectuall- committed to some "future futilit-", sacrifices the /resent moment is "anti life" and can sur$i$e onl- where institutions and "rational ideas" are allowed to /re$ail o$er indi$idual su3@ecti$it- and human growth% +r% +enton is an "insider" struggling to get out of a $icious s-stem% <ut the 4indu 3elief is that trees and cows ha$e more wholeness than human 3eings whose "education" has s/lit the mind and star$ed the heart% ?% ,% '6ANI,4A+5 !y $. 4a1agopala)hari% (s% 1 GJ% T4* !*,,A"* O> T4* 4*<(*7 6(O64*T,5 !y A. V. Matthe+% (s% F OO%

7O!*N ,AINT, O> TA!I#NA+5 !y M. Aruna)halam% (s% 1%JJ% ,TO(I*, O> VI?(A!A+IT)A5 (s% I%GJ% 6u3%5 <harati-a Vid-a <ha$an, <om3a- 7% The .panishads are not /hiloso/hical treatises which can 3e read as te.t3oo1s% The- are /art of the s/iritual and mental war/ and woof of an ancient age in which s-m3ol, ritual and intuition dominated the life of the societ-% The- cannot 3e understood e.ce/t in their own 3ac1ground% ,ri (a@ago/alachari underlines this feature in his /refator- note to his selections from some of the ma@or .panishads e.g. Isha0 ena0 atha0 Taittiriya0 Mundaka0 $hhandogya and S*etas*atara % The selections /resent onl- those /ortions which ha$e no ritualist or m-stic element in them% The- 3ring to the fore the essential unit- of Creation, the oneness of the ,elf and the <rahman, the necessit- of sadhana for "od realisation which is set as the su/reme goal for man% That Truth is one all o$er the world, that the re$elation of "od follows the same ste/s among all /eo/les, is the central note struc1 3- ,ri !atthew in his scholarl- stud- of the 4e3rew 6ro/hets, Nathan, *li@ah, *lisha, Amos, 4osea, Isaiah, !icah, &eremiah, *2e1iel, etc% Throughout his e./osition of the teachings of the /ro/hets on Nature, !an, ,ociet-, Afterlife, etc% the author cites /arallel /assages from the .panishads and the Gita and ma1es his wor1 a model e.ercise in com/arati$e religion and s/iritualit-% !ost of the 3oo1s on this su3@ect are /ermeated with fear of "odE 3ut this 3oo1 has a cha/ter on "od0s #o$e, a theme which finds a concrete e./ression in the ne.t 3oo1 under re$iew, %omen Saints of Tamilnad% These are accounts of ele$en saints in the south of India who are cele3rated for their lo$e for "od, lo$e for "od in humanit-, lo$e for the #ord in the whole uni$erse% ?arai11al Ammai-ar, Tadagai, Andal, A$$ai, Alagi, 8ueens !angai-ar11arasi and ,em3i-an !a +e$i, etc% are gi$en a cha/ter each% 4istor-, legend, m-th, are all ser$ed in a @udicious and delecta3le com3ination throwing a good deal of light on the social, religious and /olitical standards of their glorious age% Stories of Vikramaditya has a wider range% It /ortra-s the scene of the classical age in Indian 4istor- when the ?shatri-a was /aramount% The s/iritual had -ielded /lace to the o))ult and there is /lent- in these stories, FI in num3er, to show how far the occult /ractices were acce/ted as /art of culti$ated life 3- that societ-% The high standards set 3- the ro-alt- of that era for itself, the freedom with which 1nowledge was sought and o3tained 3- the lait- and the firm faith of the /eo/le in ultimate "ood and (ight, are e$ident e$en to a casual reader% T4* CA## O> T4* '6ANI,4A+,5 !y 4ohit Metha, 6u3%5 <harati-a Vid-a <ha$an, <om3a- 7% 6/% FIJ% 6rice5 (s% 1G% The call of the .panishads is /erennial% >or, as the author of these discourses /oints out, the central concern of these ancient te.ts is the One (ealit- that underlines all creation, in all ages, and the wa- or wa-s in which man realises his oneness with that (ealit-% (ealised, 3ecause It cannot 3e 1nown 3- the intellect% 4e who thin1s it 1nown, reall- 1nows not of it and he who thin1s it not 1nown, is in the 1now of it% 4ow is It to 3e realised9 And where9 In the forests, awa- from the /ulsating life acti$it- of the world9 And what is the result of realising this Truth9 +isa//earance into the <e-ond9 +r% !ehta raises these and other /ertinent Cuestions in his e./osition of the main to/ics in the ma@or .panishads from the Isha to the S*etas*atara and answers them with a $iew to a//ealing to the modern mind which is stu/efied in the face of the world situation toda- and does not 1now which wa- to turn% The author o3ser$es5 "6aul Tillich, an outstanding thin1er and /hiloso/her of our times sa-s that modern man has lost one dimension of e.istence and that is the dimension of +e/th% 4e must regain that lost dimension if he is to 1now what real ha//iness is% It is with this dimension of de/th that m-sticism is /rimaril- concerned%%%% +e/th re$eals itself 3ut onlto a mind that has come to a stillness% The great .panishadi) /hiloso/h- is fundamentall- concerned with the re$elation of de/th%" :/% 9; In the course of a 3rilliant introduction, the writer underlines the uniCue character of the .panishads as li$ing $ehicles of enlightenment, recording the transmission of a great Tradition from the Teacher to the disci/le, 1ee/ing alwa-s the ear close to mother Nature, allowing full freedom to the Cuesting mind of the no$ice to e./eriment and $erif- for itself the truth of the doctrines /laced 3efore it% The e./osition follows

no set school of inter/retationE the one note that runs throughout is the affirmation of the $alue of human life and the necessit- of achie$ement here on earth, ihai*a, not elsewhere in a /aradise or a "ihil 3e-ond% T4* 4)!N, O> ,AN?A(A5 !y 'r. T. M. P. Mahade*an% 6u35 "anesh = Co%, !adras 6ri$ate #td%, !adras 17% 6/% IGD% 6rice5 (s% 1J% It is generall- su//osed that the Ad*aita is e.clusi$el- a /ath of &nana :?nowledge; and that !hakti :+e$otion; does not enter into its scheme% If it is s/o1en of at all in Ad*aita treatises, it is meant for the unri/e, e$en as arma :Action; is recommended for those who are -et to /re/are themsel$es for the main effort% In fact, howe$er, it is not so% Achar-a ,han1ara0s cele3rated h-mns to the +i$init- in se$eral forms testif- to the need and the efficac- of +e$otion in the yoga6marga% The collection of h-mns /u3lished in this $olume, with *nglish renderings and $alua3le notes 3- +r% T% !% 6% !ahade$an draws attention to this truth of the matter% In the first 4-mn to 'akshinamurti, the +i$ine is addressed as the "uru, Teacher, without whose "race and inter$ention no li3eration is /ossi3le% It contains the essence of the Ad*aita inasmuch as it em/hasises the realit- of the One ,elf in the midst of the multi/licit- of forms in creation% +r% !ahade$an ta1es care to see that the reader does not miss an- /oint of rele$ance in the laudation% 7hile on the s-m3olog- of the /ose of +a1shinamurti he notes5 "%%% the hand /ose :is; 1nown as the )inmudra, the s-m3ol of /ure consciousness% In this /ose, the thum3 and the inde. finger of the right hand are @oined at their ti/s while the other three fingers stand a/art% The significance of this /ose is that there is identit- in the midst of a//arent di$ersit-%" The second 4-mn to the Guru underlines the truth that not all learning, not all material /ros/erit-, is enough to hel/ the see1er to achie$e his o3@ect in sadhana% +e$otion and lo-alt- to the "uru are indis/ensa3le% The !ha1a Go*indam of F1 $erses is /receded 3- a traditional account of the origin of the /oem% "Achar-a ,han1ara, it is said, was wal1ing along a street in Varanasi, one da-, accom/anied 3- his disci/les% 4e heard the sound of grammatical rules 3eing recited 3- an old scholar% Ta1ing /it- on the scholar, he went u/ to him and ad$ised him not to waste his time on grammar 3ut to turn his mind to "od in worshi/ and adoration% The #ymn to Go*inda was com/osed on this occasion%" 4ere too the futilit- of all worldl- /ursuits including those of literar- scholarshi/ is e./osed and man is called to resort to the feet of the "uru who alone can show the /ath and lead him to the Immortal ,elf% The Si*ananda /ahari, 4-mn to ,hi$a, in a centur- of $erses lauds the "odhead in his as/ect of aus/iciousness, 3ene$olence% It is /o/ularl- thought that ,hi$a is onl- a destro-er, (udra the terri3le of the Veda% <ut, as the editor /oints out, this 3elief is 3aseless% (udra is also the su/reme healer, Tr-am3a1a the ,a$iour% It is interesting to note that <haga$an ,ri (amana has made a selection of ten $erses from the /oem 3ringing out the Cuintessence of the wor1% Anal-sing these ten $erses +r% !ahade$an sums u/5 "A definition of de$otion is gi$en with a/t analogies% +e$otion is constant contem/lation of "od% 7hen +e$otion fills the mind, life 3ecomes worthwhile and fruitful% There is no /oint in 3eing de$oted to what is finite and limitedE the o3@ect of true de$otion is the Infinite (ealit-, "od% #ogic cannot 3e a su3stitute for de$otion% ,1ill in the art of argumentation will not -ield ha//iness% It will onl- result in a weariness of the mind% The de$otee meets with no such 3itterness% 4e gains the su/reme ha//iness, conCuering death% *$en the gods adore him% 7hat is im/ortant is de$otion% Other considerations and conditions of life are of no conseCuence% One mali$e an-where and follow an- mode of disci/lineE true -oga is de$otion to "od% +e$otion does not consist in mere e.ternal offering of flowers, etc%, to "odE it is the heart gift that is true de$otion% One ma- 3e a de$otee in an- stage of lifeE if one surrenders oneself to "od, 4e is read- to ta1e on all the 3urdens% The end of de$otion is moksha% +e$otion to "od remo$es the dar1ness of ignorance 3- shedding the light of wisdom%" !% 6% 6AN+IT% T4* NAT'(* AN+ +*,TIN) O> !AN5 !y &. 4. 9ur)her% 6u3%5 6hiloso/hical #i3rar-, New )or1% The idea of 3od- and soul as two se/arate su3stances, which are somehow united in man, as /ro/ounded 3+escartes, has long 3een under attac1% It was referred to 3- "il3ert (-le as the theor- of the Aghost in the

machine0% !aterialists ha$e generall- 3een dis/osed to dismiss the soul as no more real than a Aghost0 and to reduce man to a 3od- which somehow /roduces thought% On the other side there are those who would reduce man to a soul or s/irit and consider the 3od- as either an accidental garment of the soul, which can 3e discarded at death, or as a mere a//earance without an- ultimate realit-% <ut there has alwa-s 3een a dee/er tradition, which considers man as essentiall- neither 3od- nor soul, 3ut as a whole, in which two /rinci/les, matter and s/irit, meet in an organic unit-% +r% Murcher shows how this conce/tion of human nature was de$elo/ed first 3- Aristotle and then 3- ,t% Thomas ACuinas in the !iddle Ages, and how it corres/onds most closel- to the conce/tion of man which is to 3e found in the <i3le% +r% Murcher de$elo/s this theor- in the light of modern thought and shows how the soul must 3e considered not as a static 3ut as a d-namic realit-% In man the two /rinci/les of matter and s/irit unite in such a wa- that through his self consciousness he 3ecomes ca/a3le of organising his 3odil- life and directing it towards its goal% The end of man is not therefore the se/aration of soul from 3od-, 3ut the gradual s/iritualisation of matter, so that the 3od- 3ecomes a As/iritual 3od-0 totall- under the control of the s/irit% This state is not something which is gi$en, 3ut something which has to 3e acCuiredE man has continuall- to create himself% +r% Murcher does not de$elo/ this idea, as full- as one might ha$e ho/ed, 3ut his essa- is stimulating and suggests a com/arison with the corres/onding Indian conce/tion of the relation of soul and 3od-% C4(I,TIANIT) AN+ <'++4I,!5 !y the Venerable !hikku !uddhadasa Indapanno% This 3oo1 is an interesting attem/t to understand Christianit- in <uddhist terms% As such it is of considera3le $alue% The author is a leading Thai <uddhist and these lectures mar1 a most welcome effort to 3rea1 down the 3arriers 3etween the two religions and to ma1e them intelligi3le to one another% <ut though the author has studied the <i3le, he seems to ha$e deri$ed his 1nowledge of actual Christianit- from 3roadcast tal1s% This leads to a good deal of misunderstanding, which could ha$e 3een cleared u/ 3- a little theological discussion% >or a <uddhist the fundamental difficult- with Christianit- lies in its conce/tion of a /ersonal "od, and if the /ersonal "od is concei$ed in /o/ular or e$en in merel- <i3lical terms, it gi$es rise to almost insu/era3le difficulties% <ut in theological terms to sa- that "od is /ersonal sim/l- means that "od is concei$ed as a3solute <eing, who is at the same time a3solute wisdom or 1nowledge and a3solute "oodness or #o$e% And e$en this statement has to 3e guarded 3- sa-ing that e$er- statement a3out "od is necessarilanalogical, and we cannot sa- an-thing /ro/erl- a3out "od e.ce/t that he is the a3solute Transcendence, 3e-ond 3oth s/eech and thought% ,uch an idea clearl- 3rings us $er- close to the <uddhist idea of Sunya or the Void% If the author had a//roached the su3@ect in this light, he would surel- ha$e found a common 3asis from which <uddhist and Christian could 3egin a meaningful dialogue% *$en so, his attem/t to e./lain Christianit- in terms of the dhamma is clearl- a ste/ in this direction and leads him to man- $alua3le insights% <ut if a serious Christian <uddhist dialogue is to 3egin, it must start from a dee/er understanding of each /oint of $iew% )et e$er- attem/t to 3rea1 down the /resent 3arrier of isolation is to 3e welcomed and we ho/e that these lectures ma- lead to further discussion at greater de/th% T4* )O"I AN+ T4* +*VOT**5 !y "inian Smart% 6u3%5 Allen and 'nwin% 6rice5 FJs% The su3title of this 3oo1 is AThe inter/la- 3etween the '/anishads and Catholic theolog-0, and it mar1s one of the first attem/ts to e./ress Christian doctrine in terms of Indian thought% Though Christianit- was originall- e./ressed in terms of 4e3rew thought in the New Testament, it $er- soon too1 on the language and thought forms of the "raeco (oman world, and Catholic theolog- has 3een e./ressed e$er since in terms of "ree1 /hiloso/h- :using words li1e su3stance, essence, nature, /erson, etc%;% <ut there is a strong feeling in India toda- that Christian theolog- should s/ea1 in Indian terms% +r% ,mart is a /rofessor at #ancaster 'ni$ersit- in *ngland and these lectures were gi$en in +elhi in 19DB% +r% ,mart studies the Indian a//roach to "od through -oga or meditation on the one hand, and through de$otion or bhakti on the other% 4e sees some forms of religion li1e Thera$ada <uddhism as dominated 3- dhyana to the e.clusion of bhakti, and others li1e certain forms of 6rotestantism dominated 3- bhakti to the e.clusion of dhyana% <ut other s-stems of religion li1e Catholicism and Orthodo.- in Christianit-, and the theism of (amanu@a and !adh$a in 4induism, as well as Mahayana <uddhism em3race 3oth dhyana and bhakti% I thin1 that +r% ,mart o$erestimates the $alue of the doctrine of (amanu@a and fails to realise the full de/th of the ad*aita of ,an1ara, 3ut his is a serious attem/t to /lace these different $alues of religion side 3- side and to e$aluate their relationshi/% It is in this 1ind of confrontation that a genuine dialogue 3etween religions can de$elo/,

which will do @ustice to the insight of each religious tradition, and at the same time elucidate that ultimate unit- in which we ma- 3elie$e all religions can unite% >AT4*( <*+* "(I>>IT4, ,C4O6*N4A'*( AN+ <'++4I,!5 !y !hikkhu "ana1i*aka% ,'(VIVA# AN+ ?A(!A5 !y . ". &ayatilleke% <oth from <uddhist 6u3lications ,ociet-, ?and-, Ce-lon% 6rices not indicated% These two 7heel 6u3lications formulate in clear and authentic terms the <uddhist conce/tion of the No3le Truth of ,uffering and its ultimate solution 3- suggesting the /ossi3ilit- of a wa- out of suffering% <oth ,cho/enhauer and <uddhism ha$e unfortunatel- 3een associated in the /u3lic mind with the theor- of /essimism, ins/iring a mood of /ensi$e melanchol"of Cele3erus and 3lac1est midnight 3orn, In ,t-gian ca$es forlorn"% <hi11hu Nana@i$a1a a3l- /ro$es that not onl- is this t-/ical o3@ection un@ust and misleading 3ut that it is shallow and $ulgar as well% ,cho/enhauer0s $iews are of /articular interest in the stud- of <uddhism as, in s/ite of his allegedl- /rofound /essimistic $iew of life which ma1es him sa- that "the 3re$it- of life, which is so constantl- lamented, ma- 3e the 3est Cualit- it /ossesses", he see1s to /ro$e that our true nature is indestructi3le and this is done with the hel/ of a /hiloso/hical s-stem which, as he himself had confessed, "could not ha$e arisen 3efore the ra-s of the .panishads, of 6lato and ?ant had con$erged in m- mind"% It ma- 3e noted that ,cho/enhauer got his +octorate for his thesis 3ased on a critical re$ision of the theorof categories in ?ant0s /hiloso/h-% 4is contention was that ?ant0s conce/tion of the whole /ro3lem of causalit- was too strongl- influenced 3- the t-/icall- *uro/ean, Aristotelian and ,cholastic tradition and that he was una3le to renounce the idea of a "first cause" 3ut still felt tem/ted to consider it in connection with the ideas of "od, of the immortalit- of the soul and of the freedom of the will as necessaril- innate in the $er- nature of human (eason% <- a/t Cuotations and com/arisons the historical orientation of Indian conce/ts in ,cho/enhauer0s /hiloso/h- is 3rought out in clear terms% 7hile the .panishads had e.erted a great influence on the sha/ing of his /hiloso/hical thoughts in his earlier stages, the <uddhist /hiloso/h- had a mar1ed influence throughout the later ela3oration of his s-stem of /hiloso/h-, and this little 3oo1 is remar1a3le for mar1ing the transition of his /hiloso/h- from a /redominantl- Vedanti) to a /re$alentl- <uddhistic orientation% The second 3oo1 on arma is a series of tal1s 3- 6rofessor &a-atille1e of the 'ni$ersit- of Ce-lon e.amining in detail the <uddhist $iew of sur$i$al% Not onl- ha$e the ma@or /ro3lems in$ol$ed in /resenting the case for sur$i$al, re3irth and arma 3een e.amined 3ut se$eral suggestions also are gi$en regarding e$idences of re3irth, such as the e./erimental and the s/ontaneous, 3- drawing a//ro/riate references from the /hiloso/hies of !c+ouggal, (hine and Ian ,te$enson% !an- of the misconce/tions /re$ailing a3out <uddhist $iews on sur$i$al are cleared 3- 6rofessor &a-atille1e who ma1es a careful stud- of the authentic earl- te.ts of <uddhism% 7ading through the wild @ungle growth of the $arious conce/ts on this su3@ect it is conclusi$el- /ro$ed that the <uddha had unam3iguousl- affirmed :i; the continuit- without identit- of indi$idualit- due to the o/eration of casual factors, :ii; the doctrine of anatta, which denied the e.istence of a /h-sical, mental, /s-cho/h-sical or inde/endent entit- within or related to the /s-cho/h-sical as/ects of /ersonalit-E and :iii; that he re@ected mere meta/h-sical s/eculation a3out /rior or future li$es which did not result in the $erification of facts a3out them% A("', V*+ANTA5 T4* C'#!INATION O> IN+IAN T4O'"4T5 !y 4. '. 4anad, 6u3%5 <harati-a Vid-a <ha$an, <om3a-7% 6/% IF1 X i.% 6rice (s% 1G%

The late +r% (% +% (anade, 1nown to students of Indian 6hiloso/h- as the author of $onstru)ti*e Sur*ey of .panishadi) Philosophy had collected ela3orate materials with a $iew to write a 3oo1 with the title mentioned a3o$e% <ut unfortunatel- he did not li$e long enough to accom/lish this tas1% (eali2ing the usefulness of the data that he had left 3ehind, ,rimati ,ita3ai (anade entrusted the wor1 of writing the 3oo1 to a committee of scholars% The 3oo1 under re$iew is the outcome of their la3our of lo$e% The aim of the 3oo1, as the title itself indicates, is to show that s/eculati$e thought which started in this countr- as earl- as the da-s of the 4ig Veda and which ran a richl- di$ersified course, found its logical fulfilment in the s-stem of /hiloso/h- 1nown as the Vedanta and es/eciall- that /articular 3ranch of it called Ad*aita Vedanta% 7ith this end in $iew +r% (anade underta1es an ela3orate and im/artial e.amination of the solutions offered 3- different schools of thought such as !uddhism0 &ainism0 "yaya0 Vaisesika0 Samkhya0 8oga and Mimamsa to the central /ro3lems of /hiloso/h- and, after e./osing their deficiencies, /oints out that the most satisfactor- solution is to 3e found in Ad*aita Vedanta% This e.amination is done in ten cha/ters% The Cosmological /ro3lem, the !eta/h-sical /ro3lem, the /ro3lem of #ogic, the */istemological /ro3lem, the /ro3lem of "od, the relation of "od to the world, Causalit- and a//earance, the /ro3lem of the ,elf, the *thical /ro3lem these are dealt with in nine cha/ters and the last discusses the nature of summum 3onum according to "yaya0 Samkhya0 Mimamsa and finall- Ad*aita Vedanta% The notes that +r% (anade had left 3ehind and which formed the 3asis for the /re/aration of the 3oo1 are /u3lished in full at the end% A $er- useful inde. 3rings u/ the rear% +r% (anade, 3eing an original thin1er, has ta1en his own line in regard to the inter/retation of certain adhikaranas and sutras of the Vedanta Sutra% A few e.am/les ma- 3e gi$en5 Antaradhikarana in Vedanta Sutra, I% ii% 1F 17 is ta1en 3oth 3- ,an1ara and (amanu@a as referring to the A6erson in the *-e0 mentioned in $handogya IV% .$% 1% <ut the author for his own reasons ta1es it as referring to anyoantaratma mentioned in Taittiriya II% G% !rahmadhikarana in Vedanta Sutra IV% i$% G is ta1en 3- ,an1ara to refer to $handogya VIII% $ii% 1 and I% <ut the author thin1s it more a//ro/riatel- refers to A sa eko brahmanah anandah0 in Taittiriya II% H% As regards the inter/retation of certain sutras also the author differs from ,an1ara and other commentators% Inter/reting Vedanta Sutra III% i$% 1 the author ta1es the word atah to mean Asomething higher0 and as1s "what higher ideal than self 1nowledge can there 3e if 1nowing <rahman is 3eing <rahman9 4ence the word atah is wrong as atmasaksatkara is the onl- Purushartha%" 4e further adds that the $handogya /assage which ,an1ara Cuotes, 04e who 1nows <rahman o$ercomes sorrow0 is inconsistent with the $iew that ,elf reali2ation alone constitutes the summum bonum% The word AatahV does not mean Asomething higher0 3ut onlAfrom0% The sutra is "purushartho atah sabdaditi badarayanah%" It means "!adarayana thin1s that li3eration is from :the 1nowledge of the ,elf /resented in the upanishads; 3ecause the *edi) te.ts declare so%" Nor is it /ro/er to sa- that the $handogya /assage is inconsistent% O$ercoming sorrow is not to 3e ta1en as a further end to 3e achie$ed 3- self 1nowledge% It is onl- another name for self 1nowledge% In ,utras IV% i$% G and D there is reference to the $iews of &aimini and Audulomin regarding the condition of the released soul% Their reconciliation is gi$en in the ne.t sutra% According to ,an1ara the reconciliation is in terms of higher and lower 1nowledge% $it or consciousness is the essential nature of the released soul while ananda and ais+arya, since the- are 3ased on dualism, are to 3e ascri3ed to the same soul at a lower le$el% <ut our author wants ,an1ara to a//l- the same rule to 3oth $it and ananda% If ananda is to 3e related to the lower le$el, there is no reason to ma1e an e.ce/tion in the case of )it% If this is done ,an1ara would ha$e o$er reached himself% This is /erha/s what the author means 3- the e./ression Aout san1aring ,an1ara0 which occurs on /age 17G% In another /lace :/% HJ; he writes5 "In this wa- we should hel/ ,an1ara out of the ditch%" It is not clear from the conte.t what is the ditch into which ,an1ara had fallen and from which our author /ro/oses to /ull him out% The two scholars, +r% V% 4% +ale and 6rof% <% (% ?ul1arani, who wrote out the cha/ters, ha$e tried their 3est to 3e faithful to +r% (anade% Their tas1 was a difficult one% The notes, though fairl- full, still reCuired to 3e e./anded, e./lained, and /ut into sha/e% ,e$eral connecting lin1s had to 3e su//lied% The s1eleton had to 3e

clothed in flesh, 3one and muscle% The- ha$e done their 3est though some ga/s are noticea3le% One could also wish that the language was a little more terse and /recise% On the whole, the 3oo1 is a $alua3le addition to the literature 3earing on Indian 6hiloso/h- in general and Vedanta in /articular% T4* A(T O> #I>* IN T4* <4A"AVA+ "ITA5 by #. V. 'i*atia% 6u3%5 <harati-a Vid-a <ha$an, <om3a-% 6/% 1GG X .i.% 6rice5 (s% I GJ% The !haga*ad Gita is uni$ersall- acclaimed as e./ounding the /erennial /hiloso/h-% Its teachings, though originall- intended to remo$e the dou3ts from the mind of Ar@una, are reall- meant for the whole of man1ind% The /assing of so man- centuries has not rendered an- of its essential tenets o3solete% Though twent- fi$e centuries ha$e /assed 3- since it was deli$ered, its rele$ance to the conditions that /re$ail todais e$en more /ronounced than e$er 3efore% <- reason of the eternal $erities which it e./ounds in sim/le and clear language, it has 3ecome the gos/el of man1ind% Treatises e./ounding its teachings are numerous% >resh 3oo1s continue to 3e /u3lished and one ne$er feels that the- are su/erfluous% The /resent 3oo1 3- 4% V% +i$atia was /u3lished in 19G1 as the second in <ha$an0s <oo1 'ni$ersit- series% >our editions of the 3oo1 ha$e 3een sold out and to meet the continuing needs of the /u3lic, the fifth edition has come out% No further /roof of the /o/ularit- of the 3oo1 is needed% In ten small cha/ters the author $er- a3l- discusses all the essential teachings of the Gita% Certain /reliminar- Cuestions and the author0s a//roach to the stud- are dealt with in cha/ters one and two% The ne.t si. cha/ters are occu/ied with setting forth the teachings of the Gita under suita3le heads li1e 6s-cholog-, */istemolog-, Cosmolog-, !eta/h-sics, *thics and (eligion% The ninth cha/ter shows that the findings of modern science are lending increasing su//ort to the teachings of the Gita% The last cha/ter e./lains $erclearl- that the teachings of the Gita are more rele$ant to the conditions /re$ailing toda- than at an/re$ious age% It is a hand- $olume which can 3e easil- gone through in a few sittings% The author has an engaging wa- of /resenting the ideas and the interest of the author ne$er flags% It is a $er- useful addition to the e.tant literature on the Gita% Though the /resent edition is the fifth, it is to 3e regretted that se$eral mis/rints still remain to 3e corrected% ,(I (A!A?(I,4NA AN+ 4I, 'NI8'* !*,,A"*5 by S+ami Ghanananda0 +ith a Fore+ord by Arnold Toynbee% 6u3%5 The (ama1rishna Vedanta Centre, #ondon% 6/% 17B X .$i% 6rice (s% 1JK % In thirteen 3rief cha/ters the author gi$es an authenticated account of ,ri (ama1rishna0s s/iritual struggles which culminated in his enlightenment% 4ow li1e a scientist he /roceeded to $erif- the truth of his illumination 3- treading other non 4indu /aths and how 3- the /rocess of what is 1nown as Aconsilience of inductions0 he was satisfied with the essential soundness of the enlightenment which he had attained all this is set forth in detail in the first se$en cha/ters% The harmon- of religions that he was a3le to teach as a conseCuence of his uniCue illumination is e./ounded in the ne.t three cha/ters% Cha/ter ele$en gi$es his message in his own words% The /ractical a//lication of the disco$er- made 3- him to the solution of the /ro3lems confronting thin1ers of toda- is ela3orated in cha/ters twel$e and thirteen% The /resentation is lucid and sim/le% 7hen occasions arise the author e./lains rele$ant as/ects of the *edanta s-stem of /hiloso/h- which form the 3ac1ground of ,ri (ama1rishna0s e./eriences% 4is e./osition of the $arious inter/retations /laced 3- different schools on the Maha*akya Tat T*am Asi, gi$en in section three of cha/ter eight, deser$es s/ecial mention% As the a$owed o3@ect of the author is to /resent ,ri (ama1rishna0s message as something AuniCue0 in human histor-, it is no matter for sur/rise that he ma1es certain claims on 3ehalf of the ,age of +a1shineswar which should not 3e too criticall- e.amined% Two or three instances ma- 3e gi$en of such untena3le claims% In /age 1IB we read5 "The greatness of ,ri (ama1rishna can 3e realised from the fact that he went to the root of the whole /ro3lem in his reconciliation of the different s-stems of /hiloso/h- 3- /ointing out the $alidit- of the different 1ind of e./eriences which form their authorit- and encouraging e$er-one to /rogress along the /ath

that suited him 3est%" 7e ha$e onl- to /oint out that long ago ,ri ,an1ara found a /lace for e$er- shade of religious and /hiloso/hical thought on the /rinci/le of adhikari bheda% In the same /age the author claims that the credit of reconciling the four -ogas, arma, !hakti, &nana and 'hyana, 3elongs to ,ri (ama1rishna alone% 7e ha$e onl- to /oint out that long ago ,ri ?rishna effected the reconciliation of the four -ogas in the Gita% It is needless to multi/l- e.am/les% In s/ite of such o$erstatements the 3oo1 is $er- reada3le% 4A66IN*,, AN+ I!!O(TA#IT)5 !y P . &. Saher% 6u3%5 "eorge Allen and 'nwin% 6rice BJs% T4* (*A# 7O(#+5 !y Martin %ank% 6u3% 6hiloso/hical #i3rar-, New )or1% 6rice5 NB%9G% !r% ,aher, who is alread- familiar to our readers 3- his 3oo1 (astern %isdom and %estern Thought :re$iewed in these /ages earlier;, has chosen in this /u3lication to gi$e the essence of "eorge "rimm0s in$estigations into the secrets of <uddhism% *$en as in the earlier 3oo1, the author has ta1en great /ains to /ro$e the underl-ing unitar- /hiloso/h- /ermeating eastern and western conce/ts, here effort is made to /ro$e that the <uddha0s teachings are not at $ariance with the maintenance of Indian /hiloso/h-% After all, it has to 3e remem3ered that the <uddha 3elongs to the mainstream of Indian thought and naturall- he was tr-ing to /in/oint the cardinal /ro3lems of ,elf in contradistinction to the ego% !r% ,aher has not gi$en -et another 3oo1 on com/arati$e religion 3ut offered to the /resent da- world of conflict and tensions, a /ractical guide to <uddhism, which alone can hel/ to master human suffering and harness his latent /owers% If science e./lores outer s/ace the secret wisdom of ancient Asia detailed in this 3oo1 hel/s one to e./lore the inner s/ace of the human /s-che, thus ena3ling the earnest as/irant to recognise within himself a new freedom to wor1 out his own destin- 3- the disco$er- of a sure criterion for determining the real 0I0 or higher ,elf% The -oga of 1nowing the ,elf offers an o//ortunit- to get clear insight into realit- which, in short is, in the author0s o/inion, 4a//iness and Immortalit-% To Cuote him5 "7e must draw internal $alues in order to li$e out the $alues of life% <ut $ital $alues cannot 3e had e.ce/t 3gi$ing u/ at least a little of our time to silentl- waiting for them in meditation% This means that the life in which ethical e.ertion is 3alanced 3- s/iritual insight must 3e a life in which action alternates with contem/lation%" To Cuite a different genre 3elongs 7an10s 3oo1 descri3ing the real world which is not merel- the deli$erance of the mind in <uddhistic /arlance 3ut an immersion of it in /ersonal, /olitical and international relations, which, according to the author, is realit- itself, the field on which /ower /la-s its games% The st-le of writing ado/ted is not onl- e.hilarating 3ut sur/rising for the general reader, as he catches here a tone and a techniCue that mo$es from the rigour of *insteinian thought to the flam3o-ance of !c#uhan, the /assion of Niet2sche, the insight of Camus and the radical des/air of ,artre% One is reminded here of !adame Nathalie ,aurautte0s conce/tion of literature as a mirror of life and her em/hasis on sensations and the ca/acit- to e./ress them to the e.clusion of almost e$er-thing else% Com/le. thoughts, s/eculations and enCuiries are @um3led u/ together and written in a st-le which is a//arentl- so lucid 3ut on closer scrutin-, it is unenigmatic as well and, as !a.well "eismar o3ser$es in the introduction, the stud- offers a third and /rofound le$el too at once @ust and true as the reflections, at once acer3ic and /ro$o1ing, e./ress in $aried wa-s man0s central need for /ower and his cra2e for social hierarch-% Although the 3oo1 is short, it is difficult to sa- whether it is sweet or sour 3ut, definitel- it is deadl- in its accurac-% The /ur/ose of the 3oo1 has $er- well 3een outlined 3- the author himself when he states5 "!- wor1 has the same /ur/ose as !achia$elli0s The Prin)e% Onl- I wish to instruct the /u3lic, not the /rinces%" A("', <'++4I,T *T4IC,, *,,*NC* O> <'++4I,!5 !y #. Saddhatissa Thera% 6u3%5 "eorge Allen = 'nwin #td%, #ondon% 6/% IJI% 6rice5 GG s% This 3oo1 fills a ga/ as the su3@ect matter of it has recei$ed rather cursor- treatment at the hands of writers on <uddhism so far% It is /articularl- a//ro/riate in this age of indisci/line and re@ection of ethical $alues% The author, an erudite and well 1nown <uddhist scholar mon1 of long standing has underta1en

considera3le research and /resents clearl- his theme5 the historical 3ac1ground of <uddhism, the life of the <uddha, the significance of the refuges, of the <uddhist ATrinit-0, the grou/s of /rece/ts, the traditional rules of training, etc% and finall- the most im/ortant as/ect of ethics in their relation to the ultimate goal, "ir*ana% 4is statements are enhanced with Cuotations translated from the original te.ts% 7hile /ointing out that ethics re/resent the first stage in the <uddhist wa- of life the author also stresses the significance of /ractising these $irtues resulting in a 3etter understanding and a mental $ision that would lead a man to the Cuest for a higher life trul- worth- of his attention% The Aroads to /ower0 are so called Afor theare forming 3- wa- of /re/aration the roads to /ower constituting the fruition of the 6ath0 which leads to the cessation of suffering% <uddhist ethics em/hasise the im/ortance of $igilance or the culti$ation of an in$estigating mind starting from the common/lace of going a3out one0s duties% 'ltimatel- it should end in the shortcut of self enCuir-% The 3oo1 is $er- informati$e and of s/ecial a//eal 3oth to the scholar and s/iritual see1er% #% O% 6*(IO+ICA#, )O"A #I>*5 !onthl- @ournal of Ananda Ashrama, <o. HI, 6ondicherr- 1% Annual ,u3scri/tion (s% 1J inlandE N D or O F foreign% This maga2ine is /articularl- informati$e on -ogic e.ercises, -ogic thera/-, pranayama, diet, etc% It aims at unification of 3od-, emotions, mind and s/irit% A num3er of articles are 3- ,ri ,wami "itananda who /ersonall- trains at his Ashram those who enrol themsel$es for a course on -ogic thera/-% ,A!A)A &OT4I5 !onthl- @ournal of the ,i$ananda Ta/o$anam, !adurai D% Annual ,u3scri/tion5 (s% G inlandE (s% 1J outside India% A 3ilingual @ournal in Tamil and *nglish, dedicated to ,ri ,wami ,i$ananda of (ishi1esh% Vol VIII No 1 1971 <oo1 (e$iews Vol VIII No 1 1971 Creation and 'ncreated P. Stenius Creation and 'ncreated !y P. Stenius As long as man li$es in time and multi/licit- he concei$es e$er-thing according to these $alues and as long as he is identified with an e.ternalised mind e$er-thing seems to 3e e.ternal and material, including his own 3eing% 7e cannot imagine infinit- or timelessness, 3ut we are also not content to thin1 of a limited uni$erse% The limitation of the uni$erse corres/onds to the limitation of the mind% The ultimate conclusion is how insufficient reason is to sol$e the fundamental /ro3lems which rise in the same mind% The solution of the fundamental /ro3lems cannot 3e within the range of discursi$e and anal-tical thought% ,cience o/erates within this s/here of the limited mind, as Cuestions, inter/retations and conclusions are made with the same mind or reason% *$en the highest scientific achie$ements, such as for instance the conclusions of *instein or &eans, who concei$e the uni$erse as energ- or idea, is a thought itself% The 3orderline of thought is that e$er-thing is thought% <ut 3ehind thought is something more, which cannot 3e reached 3- reason or o3@ecti$e e./eriments as one has to dissol$e thought itself which is im/ossi3le with thought% 7ho is the one who thin1s9 7hen /ro3lems arise e$en so called world /ro3lems the- do so for the indi$idual, first and last% !an is 3ound to the life of the senses and tries to find solutions in the same realm% 4e is chained to the transient

realm of time and multi/licit-, differentiation, wrong identification and a3o$e all desires and their aftermath of /leasure and /ain% *$er- Cualit- has its counter/art in this world and no $alue is lasting% This is the sla$er- of man his Aeternal damnation0 so long as he mo$es in this direction 3eing 3ound 3- the world of the senses under the swa- of 3irth and death, gro/ing in ignorance and ne$er finding /erfect ha//iness e$er-one consciousl- or unconsciousl- is longing for% Onl- when one realises one0s true state of <eing can one esca/e time and death% <ecause to li$e in time is to 3e 3ound 3- it death% "If -ou do not transcend time, how can -ou esca/e the gri/ of death9" as1s ,ri Ananda !a-ee !a% <ut she adds5 "4e who see1s "od will find 4im and for him who has found "od death will die%" ,ome /eo/le will argue against this 0see1ing0 sa-ing that we are alread- there and since "od is omni/otent man can do nothing on his own to remo$e the $eil hiding his real state or rather to realise that there ne$er was e$en a $eil so real and 3linding at /resent% One should lead an ethical life and 3e watchful in a detached sort of wa- and Truth will re$eal Itself in the end% This 1ind of reasoning is an e.am/le of the confusion arising from different angles of insight, using an argument from one le$el of a//roach and not a//l-ing it to the status Cuo% This is a sort of esca/ism% 7e ma- understand the /ro3lem from the final /oint of $iew 3ut is that enough9 If in ordinar- life we /lan and ma1e effort for limited o3@ects there is no reason e.ce/t /erha/s the inherent inertia and sheer la2iness to refrain from ma1ing effort when it comes to the s/iritual life% 7e ha$e to start from where we are% 'ltimatelthe *ternal cannot 3e attained 3- an- effort or acti$it- in itself, as It is 3e-ond all notion and creation although gi$ing rise to them% <ut man himself has created this $eil of ignorance and limitation and there3gone astra-, conseCuentl- he himself has to undo this dar1ness hiding that *ternal ,/irit within himself% That lost >reedom can 3e regained 3ut great effort in some form or other, is needed to reach the effortless state of 6erfection% "+i$ine "race is essential for (eali2ation% % % % <ut such "race is $ouchsafed onl- to him who is a true de$otee or yogin, who has stri$en hard arid unceasingl- on the /ath towards freedom" sa-s ,ri (amana !aharshi% PPPPPP "O+, the ,elf Created and ,elf !aintaining 6rinci/le !y &oel S. Goldsmith 4ere is a stor- a3out a /rofessor who was wor1ing on a /ro@ect in connection with h-drogen% 4e was addressing a grou/ of scientists and /h-sicists on some new /hase of the e./eriment, and he 3egan 3- sa-ing that he 1new that there were some of them who still 3elie$ed in "od% "<ut I must tell -ou that for -ou to understand this e./eriment and the higher e./eriments in nuclear fission, -ou must understand that there is no "od% And not onl- must -ou understand it, 3ut -ou must 3elie$e it% I am not telling -ou this from a religious stand/oint5 I am s/ea1ing to -ou from the stand/oint of what I ha$e /ro$ed in the la3orator-% There is no "od and -ou can dro/ all that nonsense here and now% I ha$e /ro$ed that e$er-thing that e.ists in this world is formed of h-drogen% *$er-thing there is, is a form of h-drogen, h-drogen in some form, sha/e or manner, h-drogen and nothing 3ut h-drogen% There is nothing e.istent that is not com/osed of h-drogen%" One of the scientists% loo1ed u/ and said to him, "<ut 6rofessor, where does the h-drogen come from9" "Oh," he said, "that is self created and self sustained%" And this man commented, QI thought that was "od%" At that the /rofessor stood stoc1 still and said, ")ou are right% 7hate$er name -ou gi$e it, it is self manifested, self sustained, and self createdE it is the Infinite%" And he himself was con$inced% There is "od, if 3- "od we mean that which created itself, that which sustains Itself unto eternit-% And the truth is that e$er-thing that e.ists is a form of "od, a form of a self created, self maintained ,u3stance 3an- name that we want to gi$e it%

If that /rofessor could understand that there is a self created and a self maintained ,u3stance, he must ha$e understood also then that the su3stance of all form must 3e eternal, immortal and go$erned 3- that same self creating, self created and self maintaining 6rinci/le or ,u3stance% ,urel- we should 3e a3le to go as far as this learned man and agree with that% 7e must recognise that the organs and functions of the 3od-, the food we eat, the air we 3reathe, or the rain that falls or the snow or the wind is of the self created and self maintained ,u3stance and Acti$it- which he called h-drogen, 3ut which we call "od% And 3ecause of that there is no e$il in an- one of those things% This 3rings us to the highest law of m-sticismE there is onl- one 6ower in this uni$erse, all good, and there is nothing e$il% 7e can ma1e an-thing e$il in our e./erience 3- thin1ing it so% <ut that does not mean that it is of itself e$il% On the contrar-, if we can /osit a /rinci/le of a self created and self maintaining and infinite ,u3stance, then we must logicall- go the ne.t ste/ and sa- that it is the onl- ,u3stance% Vol VIII No 1 1971 Creation and 'ncreated P. Stenius Vol VIII No 1 1971 *+ITO(IA# ,ad "uru is One ,ad "uru Is One *ditorial
RThere is a strange /relude leading u/ to this editorial% A de$otee friend, a <engali engineer, ,% 6% !u1her@ee, who settled down here with his wife after ,ri <haga$an0s !ahasamadhi met us one e$ening on our wa- home from the Ashram meditation hall and told us with some e.citement a3out a $i$id dream he had had the /re$ious night% In this dream he was shown an article signed 3- Arthur in the all /er$ading /resence of ,ri <haga$an though he was not Cuite sure whether he saw 4is form or not% Its title ,A+ "'(' I, ON* im/rinted itself on his mindE it was so distinct% 4e thought this was a sure indication that such an article should 3e written% Arthur full- agreed and ne.t morning we sent a note as1ing him to /ut his dream down in writing which he did% ,ince Arthur did not manage to write the article it de$ol$es on me to do so now as 3est as I can with "race and su//ort%S

7ho is the Sad6Guru9 (amana !aharshi sa-s that "od, "uru and ,elf are one and the same% The Sad6Guru is within a3iding alwa-s in the /rofound de/ths of the ,elf% All sadhana is meant to remo$e the ignorant idea that he is outside, that we are se/arate from the ,elf so that we ma- disco$er in the end first intellectualland then as li$ing truth that the see1er himself ne$er was an-thing else 3ut that which he was see1ing with so much effort% ,till this seemingl- unnecessar- effort is a $ital condition in one0s sadhana till it 3ecomes effortless% The Sad6Guru for whom there is no AothernessV ne$ertheless stresses this condition% "+i$ine "race is $ouchsafed to him onl- who has stri$en hard and one /ointedl-%" In an editorial on the s/iritual !aster as a factor in religious e./erience :Newsletter (e$iew of the <uc1e !emorial ,ociet-, Autumn 19D7; the guru is referred to as a "s/ecialised hel/er"% 6resuma3l- the s/ecialised hel/er refers to the second 1ind of guru mentioned in the article AThe Two ?inds of "uru0 in the same Newsletter (e$iew and in The Mountain Path%1 ,uch a guru has 3een $ested with the authorit- and function of directing without ha$ing himself 3ro1en free from the illusion of the indi$idual state% 4e is com/ared to a not /erfectl- clean /i/eline 3ringing the waters of life to thirst- men, a3le to Cuench their thirst u/ to a /oint not without danger of germs and sic1ness%
1 &ul- 19D9 issue, /% 1FB%

The scri/tures declare that the *nlightened who has attained ,u/reme ?nowledge is <rahman 4imself% The s/iritual !aster or Sad6Guru is the *nlightened and not merel- a factor in religious e./erience 3ut the innermost essence of all 3eings% To a bhakta 4e is the <elo$ed in the inmost recess of the s/iritual heart% 7hen the mind dissol$ed in lo$e merges in the <elo$ed, the ,elf re$eals Itself as It is in A3solute Consciousness% AThe real "uru is in the heart0, sa-s (amana !aharshi, Athe tas1 of the outer "uru is onl- to turn -ou inward to the "uru in the heart%0 The outer "uru in the form of a human /s-chosomatic instrument guides one 3ac1 to the ,elf within% And this can 3e e./erienced% 4ere is an e.tract from AOur 8uest0 in /re/aration5

"In the earl- -ears long 3efore I e$er heard or read these words, long 3efore the rele$ant 3oo1s on ,ri <haga$an were written we were sitting one e$ening in the hall as was usual after the Vedi) chanting was o$er% It used to 3e a trul- wonderful hour of /erfect silence Aour cares thrown among the lilies0% ,ri <haga$an calls such ,ilence the eternal flow of language, o3structed 3- words, more /otent and $ast than all the sastras /ut together% ,o eager were the de$otees not to miss this 3est hour of the da- that when Ashram Sar*adhikari ga$e an order much later for women to lea$e the /remises 3efore dar1, one of them, a >rench woman sat down among the men in man0s gar3% ,he used to sha$e her head occasionall-% 7ell, usuall- one would sit down and meditate with closed e-es 3ut that e$ening I could not turn them awa- from <haga$an0s face so mo$ingl- 3eautiful, so /ure and radiant it was, gri//ing the heart with its innocence and wisdom% Could an-thing, an-one 3e dearer, nearer9 ,uddenl- in a moment of indescri3a3le tenderness 4e was in mheart% 4e 3ecame m- heartE whether still seated on the couch or not I do not 1now, 3ut I do 1now that 4e was the $er- core of m- 3eing, the I A!% And so 4e alwa-s is 3ut we do not alwa-s 1now% #ater I came across such statements with a thrill of recognition that it was so, that it was true%" In other traditions this truth is couched in different terms 3ut it means the same% In the Si*a Puranam ,aint !anic1a$achagar /ra-s for an un3ro1en state of e./erience adoring the feet of 4im Awho is reall- not a/art from me in m- heart not e$en for a moment0% The form of the Sad6Guru is a sort of deco-% Out of com/assion 4e assumes a form and name% ,ri <haga$an sa-s5 ")ou imagine 4im to 3e li1e -ourself with a 3od-% 4is wor1 lies within% The "uru who is "od or ,elf incarnate, who is immanent, out of "race ta1es /it- on the de$otee and manifests 4imself and guides in the right /ath until he realises the ,elf within% The "uru is 3oth within and without so 4e creates conditions to dri$e -ou inwards and e.erts a /ull from within %%% " In the $erses selected 3- ,ri <haga$an ,aint Tha-umana$ar sa-s5 %%% AIn order to enlighten me "race too1 sha/e% In e$er- res/ect li1e m-self, eating and slee/ing, suffering and en@o-ing, 3earing a name and 3orn somewhere, it a//eared as the silent "uru, li1e a deer used to deco- another of its s/ecies%0 *nticement also comes in% In another $erse Tha-umana$ar sa-s that when o$er/owered 3- the infinite *./anse :A3solute Consciousness;, all ours will /ros/er, nothing will suffer, all underta1ings will succeed to /erfection% !ost of the trou3les and suffering cro/ u/ in relation or from our relationshi/ with Aours0 and when underta1ings do not succeed% This assurance that all will 3e well with Aours0, etc%, can 3e a great incenti$e on the relati$e /lane and /erfectl- $alid% As we are so is the world which is onl- a reflection of the inner state% 7hen o$er/owered 3- the infinite *./anse all will 3e harmon- without conce/ts of otherness% The im/act of the Sad6Guru-s manifestation $aries commensurate with the state of those who a//roach 4im% The more the heart is em/t- of cares, an.ieties, /reoccu/ations, in fact em/t- of thoughts, the more ca/acious the $essel to ta1e what it can carr- from the limitless sea of "race% 4e has the /ower to lift sorrow and flood the heart with /eace in ,ilence% There is no need to tell 4im% 4e 1nows our state the Sad6Guru who is One in all hearts% >or some 4is sim/le direct utterances are li1e rain fallen on the /arched earth to ma1e the seeds of their longing germinate in sadhana% The Sad6Guru-s "race is li1e a hand e.tended to hel/ one out of the water of samsara :mundane e.istence with all its trou3les;% !a- 3e the hand is e.tended when the see1er is almost read- or nearl- out of the water 3ut ma- still sli/ 3ac1 without such su//ort% Again it ma- 3e this final touch which results in moksha :li3eration;% ,uch cases are 1nown% On one occasion 4e refused a mother0s re/eated reCuests to 3less her child 3- /utting his hand on its head% 7hen she left ,ri <haga$an remar1ed5 "+oes she not 1now that if I touched the child0s head it would get moksha9" Moksha also means /h-sical death% The "race of the Sad6Guru can hel/ a see1er to get glim/ses of ultimate (ealit- 3ut the see1er must also do his /art% ,ome need more encouragement than others% After such an e./erience the mind ma- turn awafrom the /ursuit of fleeting /leasures towards regaining this ,u3lime state% The Sad6Guru shows the wahow to still the mind so that wa$es of thought cease to rise and then the e./erience will well u/ again and can stead- itself% *./ounding doctrine is not the /rimar- function of the "uru% 4e ma- do so in re/l- to Cuestions% A!an- men can utter words of wisdom, few men can /ractise it themsel$es0 : #itopadesa;% In the aliyuga there are manwho are 1een to dis/la- their 1nowledge% No3od- can lead further than 3e himself has gone nor lead to the

summit when still on the /ath see1ing or lost in his guru enhanced ego% Their tal1 will 3e food for the mind 3ut cannot infuse strength or transform whereas the "uru0s silence and the $er- same words uttered 3- 4im or read directl- as faithfull- recorded in 3oo1s are /otent e$en if not full- understood at the time% #i1e a seed thrown into the ground it will germinate in due course% In this light one can understand wh- ,ri <haga$an /aid such meticulous attention and care to his words recorded in /rint and wh- he said that one has to 3e /ro/erl- initiated for a mantra to 3e effecti$e% ,ri <haga$an ga$e the assurance that 4is guidance and contact will continue as 3efore e$en after 4is form has $anished% 4ow9 ""race is e$er /resent, "race is the ,elf, -ou are ne$er out of its o/eration% All -ou ha$e to do is to merge in the heart and surrender% All that is necessar- is to 1now its e.istence% *arnest effort ne$er fails%" The Sad6Guru or "race is li1e an eternal s/ring dammed 3- our ignorance, /redis/ositions, conce/ts etc% ,ri <haga$an sa-s5 QY the moment -ou effect su3sidence or merger of the mind into its source, "race rushes forth s/outing as from a s/ring, from within -ou%W 7hat is needed is to realise the unrealit- of the o3struction 3- steadfast right effort as indicated 3- the "uru% If one turns to 4im in the heart 4e will do 4is /art and set one on the /ath leading to the realisation of the all /er$ading Oneness of <eing% (amana Sad6Guru is identified with Arunachala of which it is said in the Skanda Purana5 "This is the 3eacon of #ight :te1o6linga; the origin of all the worlds, here standing as Arunachala on earth% *$en when the whole earth sin1s down in the waters of dissolution, this region will remain unaffected%" The 'nchangea3le amid change it is an e$erlasting s/ring and will ne$er run dr-% It 3estows /eace and well 3eing on all who a//roach it% The influence and radiance of Arunachala (amana s/reads far and wide% All will find what the- need% 4e is the eternal all sufficient "uru, the ,elf leading to the ,elf% Those who turn to 4im and follow 4is teaching 3- the enCuir- A7ho am I90 or surrender or 3- an- other /ath indicated 3- 4im according to the a/titude of the see1er, will find 4im e$er /resent, e$er watchful, e$er hel/ful as 3efore% Now it is easier than 3efore% +id not Christ sa-5 "<lessed are those who ha$e seen and 3elie$e 3ut more 3lessed are those who ha$e not seen and 3elie$e%" This is the age of indisci/line and un3elief% Those who re@ect the "uru do not reach 3e-ond the /h-sical form% Their own ,elf, the core of their 3eing is the Sad6Guru, "od or the ,elf so how can 4e 3e re@ected9 >or the Sad6Guru who is the 'ni$ersal ,elf there is no coming or going, no change or 3ecoming, no here or there, onl- the changeless 4*(* and NO7% 4ere in the heart of man who see1s 4im% "O3eisance and /raise 3e to the Sad6Guru who for countless generations has 3een within me and guiding, me"I and then as (amana relinCuished his outer form when the inner "uru was awa1ened in the heart as an e$er /resent li$ing "uide to hasten the remo$al of non e.istent miser- and grant e$er /resent Moksha :#i3eration; to those who see1%
I ai*alya "a*aneeta.

PPPPPPPPPPPPPP #ord (amana, Come! !y Satyamangalam Venkataramana Iyer

:A few $erses translated from a Tamil /oem com/osed -ears ago 3- this de$otee who had the "race of ,ri <haga$an;

+awn is rising on the 4ill, ,weet (amana, come! #ord Arunachala, come! In the 3ush the 1oel sings, +ear !aster (amana, come! #ord of ?nowledge, come!

The conch 3lows, the stars are dim, ,weet (amana, come! #ord "od of "ods, come! The coc1s crow, the 3irds chir/, It is alread- time, come! The night has fled, come! #o$e on the summit of ?nowledge, 6ast /leasure, /ast /ain, come! <lissful ,ilence, come! Vol VIII No 1 1971 *+ITO(IA# ,ad "uru is One Vol VIII No 1 1971 "arland of "uru0s ,a-ings :6oem; "arland Of "uru0s ,a-ings Translated by Prof. . S+aminathan from the Tamil of Sri Muruganar IGB% 7hat is the 3od<ut the malad- original, !other of all other maladies9 To la3our hard for 3od-0s /ermanence Is wasting water on the desert sands Or welcoming and cherishing, Not dreading, a disease% 1GG% #o$ing the ego $enomous, though false, That source of e$er- dire disease, >ools for their 3odies0 /reser$ation 6erform untiring tapas, As if consuming medicines To aggra$ate an ailment% 1GD% Instead of resting in consummate mouna ,ecured through tapas /ure, To stri$e to sta3ilise the 3odIs ins/issate foll-, #i1e longing and struggling hard To /ile u/ /o$ert-% 1G7% O hero stern /ersisting in -our tapas +o the world0s /raise and worshi/, Its eager /ra-ers for -our fa$ours, 6lease -our heart9 ?now that these are maya-s golden 3aits ,/read to entice -ou% 1GH% ,ome are through former deeds 3orn fortunate And naturall- disdain the /leasures Of this world and the ne.t% It is to these That true Awareness comes with ease% 1G9% >orsa1e me not, m- friend +etachment, *$er let me call -ou mineE

>or -ou destro- the densest dar1ness, The dar1ness of desires, ?indling the flame of 1nowledge% 1DJ% >riendshi/ e$en with a fiend One ma- not end% And -ou, m- friend +etachment, e$er -ou ward off% *$il from me and 1ee/ me 3ound To enduring Truth% ,uch is -our $irtue% *strangement from -ou would 3e worse Than all the world0s hostilit-% 1D1% 7hate$er notion ma- arise, Not to let it li$e or grow, <ut to turn it That $er- instant, firm and stern <ac1 to its source and merge it there, This is ro3ust, intense +etachment% 1DI% >rom the mind0s fortress held 3- foes Issue innumera3le memoriesE 7ith the wonder wea/on of ,elf enCuir,la- each thought as it comes out Into the o/en, till at last )ou ha$e retrie$ed The citadel of -our own 4eart% 1DF% Awareness clear and /ure is nothing 3ut ,eeing the world /ercei$ed as nothing Other than the /ercei$er% !ind indrawn and /lanted in the heart, +eeming this world as a mere seeming And re@ection of it is detachment% 1DB% !en of old in wonder stared At lifeli1e /ictures which re$ealed Angr- or alluring gods% <ut such riotous colours cause much harm% True 3eaut- is the clear, serene Calmness of inner /urit-% Vol VIII No 1 1971 "arland of "uru0s ,a-ings :6oem; Vol VIII No 1 1971 "lor- of Arunachala "lor- Of Arunachala Arunachala !ahatm-am ;$ontinued from our &uly <=>? issue@ Cha/ter III ,/ar$ati Arri$es at ?anchi to do 6enance for "etting (id of the ,in of Co$ering ,i$a0s *-es ,ana1a addressed <rahma thus5 O <haga$an! 4a$ing o3tained the "race of ,i$a through -our 1indness who are the "uru of the world, it has 3een /ossi3le for me to hear the glor- of Arunadri :Arunachala;% It is wonderful% It destro-s all sins% 7ho else worshi//ed ,onadri :Arunachalam;, the 3estower of 3oons9 The

3eginningless and endless ,i$a himself stands as the ,ona 4ill for granting -ou the fruit of -our /enance% One o3tains #i3eration e$en 3- sa-ing A,onadri0 once% All desires are fulfilled :when one stands; 3efore it% All sins are destro-ed% That name is the nectar which flows from the sound A,i$a0% That is itself the worshi/ of ,i$a, the stor- of ,i$a% On hearing this the "randfather :<ramha;, the #ord of the celestial 3eings, saluted the #ord of Arunachala, the em3odiment of com/assion and resumed his narrati$e% Child! 4ear the ancient stor- how in former da-s "oddess 6ar$ati sought shelter with the #ord of Arunachala and gained /eace% Once u/on a time on !ount ?ailas, the mountain of delight, the great #ord ,i$a and "oddess 6ar$ati were there sitting on a res/lendent throne% That /lace was filled with the scent of fine flowers and incense% <ees swarmed and hummed among the hanging clusters of flowers% ,1anda0s mounts /eacoc1s s/read out their feathers dancing% *le/hants were there and the mount of 6ar$ati the lion% 4osts of Apsaras :celestial damsels; sang and dancedE the 6rotectors of the 8uarters stood in front in an attitude of worshi/E sages sang the h-mns of the 4ig, the 8a1us and the Sama VedasE !ramharishis, 'e*as, Siddhas, 4a1arishis, Ganas of $arious 1inds smeared with the sacred ashes and hol- de$otees of ,i$a wearing 3eads of rudraksha stood aroundE the *eena :a stringed musical instrument;, the *enu :the flute;, the mridangam :a small drum; and other aus/icious musical instruments sent forth their musicE the 3ells rang their sound mi.ed with the chanting of the di$ine Vedas% #ord ,i$a, the ocean of merc-, had assumed a /ure, res/lendent, aus/icious and di$ine form to 3less his de$otees% After granting the 3oons desired 3- 'e*as, 4ishis and other hosts of de$otees and dismissing them #ord ,i$a re@oiced in the com/an- of "oddess 'ma :6ar$ati; on 3e@ewelled mantapas, in Cuadrangles and lo$el/onds, on their 3an1s, on to/s of mountains and in /lantain gro$es% A cool and refreshing 3ree2e from the "anga, suffused with the scent of 3looming lotuses, 3lew gentl-% The great "od /leased "oddess 'ma who was 3eautiful as goddess (ati and full of aus/icious Cualities and no3le traits% In a @o-ous mood the goddess who thought that her #ord0s attention was entirel- centred on her sli//ed /la-full- 3ehind him and in s/ort co$ering fondl- the three e-es of ,am3hu, the #ord of the 7orld, with her two hands resem3ling lotus /etals as1ed merril-, A7ho is it90 As soon as the three e-es :the !oon, the ,un and >ire; were co$ered, a dismal dar1ness s/read o$er the uni$erse for millions of -ears 3ecause half a trice for ,i$a is aeons for us% The dar1ness /roduced 3- the /la-fulness of the "oddess /ro$ed to 3e the cause of the destruction of the worldsE for in the dense dar1ness no acti$ities were /ossi3le and conseCuentl- the 3eings /erished without gi$ing 3irth to new generations% The 'e*as 3ecame inacti$e and the Vedas could not 3e chanted% ,eeing this state of affairs, the e$er glorious Siddhas wondered at the untimel- dissolution of the uni$erse and 3- their yogi) /owers found out what had ha//ened, 3ut still could not understand wh- e$en the #ord allowed such a state to continue% <- this unforeseen dar1ness matters went out of hand and what was to 3ecome of the tapas of those who 3- their merits and austerities had acCuired em/ires and 3irths as 'e*as, etc%9 The- could not en@o- the fruits of their tapas% No sacrifices could 3e /erformed nor worshi/ of the gods either% The-, the e$er glorious Siddhas saluted ,am3hu with de$otion and /ra-ed to him5 ,alutations to ,am3hu the origin of the uni$erse and the ,u/reme Immanent <eing% The /ower : sakti; which is not a/art from -ou s/ortfull- creates, sustains and dissol$es the uni$erse% ,he : Sakti; is half of -ou% ,i$a and Sakti together constitute a single form% The "reat "od is One% There is nothing different from -ou% An untimel- deluge has now o$erta1en the worlds on account of the "oddess0s s/ort% <ut -our com/assion is s/ontaneous% !a- it re$eal itself now for the well 3eing of the uni$erse% In the course of half a trice that -our s/lendour was withdrawn the world has 3een destro-ed for us for millions of -ears% Therefore, O ,adasi$a :*ternal ,i$a;! ala :Time;! *m3odiment of Com/assion! <e merciful and /ra- sto/ this s/ort! In res/onse to this /ra-er of de$otees and Siddhas, ,i$a the em3odiment of com/assion said5 A"owri! #ea$e m- e-es alone%0 Immediatel- the "oddess remo$ed the o3struction to the !oon, ,un and >ire in the form of the e-es of 4ara% #ight /er$aded the worlds% On as1ing the Siddhas who stood in an attitude of worshi/ A4ow much time has ela/sed9V the- said A4alf a second for -ou and millions of -ears for us%0 On hearing this the #ord who is an ocean of com/assion turned with a smile to his 3elo$ed and graciousl- s/o1e some words on dharma and artha% A>oolish One! )ou ha$e acted thoughtlessl- in this manner! It is not /ro/er that -ou who are the !other of the world should do an-thing to dissol$e it% At the a//ointed time onl- I am the One to do it% )ou ha$e 3- -our foll- /roduced an untimel- deluge : i.e. end of the worlds;% 4ow can -ou, the

em3odiment of lo$e, /erform acts which cause /ain to -our creation9 )ou who are com/assion itself should not e$en for s/ort do an-thing to hurt others%0 On hearing ,am3hu sa- this, 'ma :6ar$ati; stric1en with remorse /ra-ed to 1now what to do in e./iation of this fault of hers% At this #ord ,i$a was /leased with the re/entance and de$otion of the goddess and said5 A7hat /enance can 3e /rescri3ed for -ou lea$ing me out9 <esides -ou follow the /ath of dharma% Srutis :Vedas;, Smritis :scri/tures 3ased on the Vedas;, karmas :rituals;, kalpas :code of $irtues;, $arious 3ranches of learning, the 'e*as, etc% are all -our forms% )ou who are the em3odiment of m- /ower and who desire to recreate the world are not different from m-self% ATherefore I shall /rescri3e a /enance for -ou in accordance with /re$ailing /ractice% On scrutin- of the Srutis and Smritis it is seen that dharma is of si. 1inds% The woman who is discarded 3- those 3elonging to her should not 3e /rotected 3- her hus3and% I cannot remain without -ou e$en for a moment% <eing the uni$ersal ,elf, I shall m-self go through the austerities% #et the entire world 3ecome sacred 3- the glor- of -our /enance% 6eo/le will 3e relie$ed of all trou3les 3- contact with -our lotus feet, 3- seeing -ou the /erformer of austerities, 3- association with -ou which is so sanctif-ing% !a- -ou /erform meritorious acts for the growth of the karmabhoomi :earth which is said to 3e the /lace most suited for /erforming religious rites;% 6eo/le will acCuire firm faith in dharma 3- seeing -our method of doing /enance% There is no dou3t a3out it% )our grace will ma1e the earth reali2e its goal which is the maintenance of dharma, "oddess! The timeless Vedas declare -ou to 3e the All% AThe cit- 1nown as ?anchee/uri is hea$en on earth% A little /enance done there -ields 3oundless results% *$en 'e*as, saints and others desire to li$e there% There flows the hol- ri$er, the ?am/a which washes awathe sins of all the /eo/le in its $icinit-% At that /lace there is a di$ine mango tree which is alwa-s shad- and full of lea$es and fruit% #omas :fire offerings;, 1apas :re/etition of sacred names;, and the least good action /erformed under its shade -ield 3oundless merit% A!a- the man- grou/s of celestial 3eings headed 3- Vishnu surround and worshi/ -ou% I shall also remain there in the lotus of -our heart in m- formless state as the A3solute 6ure <eing% Therefore -ou need not suffer the /angs of se/aration from me%0 On hearing this the "oddess with her com/anions /roceeded at once to the 3an1s of the ?am/a to do /enance% There she saw the /ure and hol- waters of the ?am/a worshi//ed 3- hosts of sages and a magnificent mango tree full of fruit and flowers among which 1oels sang and s/orted% ,he wondered at all this and meditating on the "reat #ord again /ra-ed to him% 4er 3od- tortured 3- the fire of se/aration from her lord immediatel- 3ecame emaciated as if she had alread- done /enance% Turning to Vi@a-a, who stood near her, "oddess "owri, stric1en with the grief of se/aration and uncontrolla3le sorrow s/o1e thus5 AThose who /erform austerities with the o3@ect of worshi//ing ,i$a directl- see1 this sin destro-ing mango tree and alwa-s li$e here% This well 1nown and fruitful (kamra :lit. mango tree which 3ears one fruit; increases m/ain of se/aration% 4ow am I to 3ear this se/aration from ,i$a when I am tormented in this manner9 The sure remed- for this must 3e to remem3er and concentrate in the heart on the wearer of the crescent moon%0 ;To be )ontinued@ PPPPPPPPPP Sri !haga*an5 )es, all 1inds of thoughts arise in meditation% That is onl- rightE for, what lies hidden in -ou is 3rought out% 'nless it rises u/, how can it 3e destro-ed9 I. Vol VIII No 1 1971 "lor- of Arunachala Vol VIII No 1 1971 4ow <haga$an Came to !e Sadhu Tri*enigiri S+ami 4ow <haga$an Came To !e !y Sadhu Tri*enigiri S+ami Talks +ith Sri 4amana Maharshi

7hen I was in Tiruchendur in 19FI it came to m- mind that I should regard all women as m- mother or Valli if I was intent on leading a s/iritual life% One e$ening, I went to the ,hrine of ,ri ,u3raman-a and stood for half an hour 3efore the Moola*ar :main deit-; and the following words flashed into mconsciousness5 "4ere I am a "od who does not tal1% "o to Tiru$annamalaiE !aharishi is a "od who tal1s%" This was how !aharshi0s "race manifested itself to me% I had not e$en seen !aharshi then% In +ecem3er 19FI, I wrote to (amanasramam and got the re/l- con$e-ing <haga$an0s upadesa that the 3od- is the result of prarabdha :accumulated karma; and the @o-s and sorrows relating to it are ine$ita3le and the- can 3e 3orne easil- if we /ut the 3urden on "od% In 19FF, one da-, Va1il ,ri Vai1untam Ven1atarama I-er suddenl- s/o1e to me a3out !aharshi and ga$e me a co/- of 4amana Vi1ayam in Tamil% I read it and when I came to the /art when his mother was cr-ing 3efore him to urge him to return home I was cho1ed with tears% Then m- mother made the following ins/ired utterance% "!alaia//an calls -ouE go to 4im% This /ath will result in the sal$ation of twent- se$en generations of -our famil-% This is the upadesa :teaching; of !other Truth% "o along this /ath% An- o3stacle -ou meet, regard as Maya :illusion;% )ou will soon 3e li3erated%" ,o sa-ing, I was gi$en upadesa of Maha*akyam and arana6Pan)haksharam :Vedi) truth of <rahman;% In >e3ruar- 19FF I wrote to the Ashram again and got a /rom/t re/l-% <haga$an0s upadesa gi$en in it was as follows5 "Sat*i) food will 1ee/ the mind clear and hel/ meditation% This is the e./erience of sadhaks% *at to a//ease hunger and not to satisf- taste or cra$ingE this will in due course lead to the control of the senses% Then continued and concentrated meditation will result in annihilation of desires% "It is the Atman that acti$ates the mind and 3reath% 7atching the 3reath will result in ke*ala kumbakam :sto//ing of 3reath;% Control of 3reath will lead to tem/orar- control of the mind and *i)e *ersa% Intense and constant 1apa :re/etition of a sacred s-lla3le; will lead to a1apa :non re/etition;% ,ound 3eing su3tler than form, 1apa is /refera3le to murthi1 dhyana or worshi/% A4A! <(A4!A,!I :I am <rahman; is the 3est% To those who see1 the source of the 0I0 no other mantra or upasana :meditation; is needed%"
1 Image or form%

7ithin a month after the recei/t of this, I /roceeded to (amanasramam to sta- there /ermanentl-% One da- I decided to s/end the nights for one mandalaI in the /resence of <haga$an% On the 1Gth da- I had a dream5 The attendant !adha$an had an e/ile/tic attac1 and gras/ed suddenl- m- hand% I cried for hel/ to <haga$an who /ulled awa- !adha$an0s hand, and ga$e me mil1 to drin1% 7hen I wo1e u/ I still had the taste of the mil1 in m- mouthE I felt I had drun1 the Amil1 of wisdom%0 >rom then onward m- mind turned inwards% One morning while cutting $egeta3les, I wanted to do giripradakshina :circumam3ulation of the 4ill; and as1ed <haga$an0s /ermission% +e$otees near3- made signs /leading to <haga$an not to let me go% <haga$an said, "is pradakshina a sankalpa :intention;9 #et him go%" I said, "No% I decided last night to go with some3od-% That is all%" <haga$an, "Oh! )ou alread- made the sankalpa% Sankalpa leads to samsara% >ulfil the sankalpa% )ou need not cut $egeta3les%" I too1 it as an upadesa :teaching; not to ma1e sankalpas thereafter% Another morning when I was cutting $egeta3les with <haga$an, he said5 ",undaram! Ta1e this hurricane light and /ic1 u/ the mangoes that ha$e fallen from the tree%" I said ")es", 3ut continued cutting u/ the $egeta3les% <haga$an said, ",undaram! Attend to what 0I0 said first% It is from Ame0 that e$er-thing rises% Attend to it first%" I too1 this as an adesh and upadeshF to ma1e the enCuir- "7ho am I9" !- friends also felt so% One da- the attendant !adha$an was 3inding a 3oo1% A de$otee wanted a 3oo1 from the li3rar-% <haga$an as1ed !adha$an to get it sa-ing, ")ou do m- wor1E I will do -our wor1%" And <haga$an too1 the 3oo1 and went on with the 3inding while !adha$an got the li3rar- 3oo1% A de$otee inter/reted this as follows5 "!wor1 means loo1ing after the needs which arise in the minds of de$otees for an-thing from <haga$an% )our

wor1 is to get li3eration which is not /ossi3le without <haga$an0s "race and hel/%" <haga$an heard this comment and said "4um! 4um! That is what it is!W Once when meditating in the /resence of <haga$an, the mind /ersisted in wandering% I couldn0t control it% ,o l ga$e u/ meditation and o/ened m- e-es% <haga$an at once sat u/ and said, "Oh! )ou a3andon it thin1ing it is the s+abha*a :ha3it; of the mind to wander% 7hate$er we /ractise 3ecomes the s+abha*a% If control is /ractised /ersistentl- that will 3ecome the s+abha*a%" )et another upadesa for me!
I A c-cle of BH da-s% F Ad$ice and instruction%

PPPPPPPPPPPPPP It is natural to an age li1e ours to @udge the influence of a Teacher 3- the written records he lea$esE 3ut this -ardstic1 does not alwa-s measure true% 7e ha$e no writings of the <uddha% Christ wrote nothing% 7hen #ao Tsu declared his life wor1 finished and rode awa- to the west, he also had written nothing% The warden of the 6ass of 4an ?ow, through which he had to ride, 3egged him to set down his teaching, so he sta-ed at the gatewa- to the town and wrote the Tao Te ing, which 3ecame the scri/ture of Taoism% In the case of (amana !aharshi there are /u3lished wor1s 3ut his essential teaching was in silence which continues now as 3efore in the hearts of those who turn to 4im% I% Vol VIII No 1 1971 4ow <haga$an Came to !e Sadhu Tri*enigiri S+ami Vol VIII No 1 1971 "I I" %ei %u %ei "I IW !y %ei %u %ei The !aharshi is recorded as ha$ing said "7ho does not 1now it9 )ou sa- 0I0, and ne$ertheless -ou sa- that -ou do not 1now the AI0% Can an-one 3e ignorant of himself9 Is it not comicall- im/ossi3le %%%% In the case of this 0I0, alwa-s /resent una$oida3le, how could -ou 3e ignorant of it9" To whoe$er in sees the meaning of this it a//ears to 3e a su3limel- sim/le and o3$ious statement, whereas to whoe$er does not, and howe$er cle$er he ma- 3e, it cannot ma1e sense% (easoning 3- mind di$ided into su3@ect and o3@ect, no matter how 3rilliant the reasoner, he must 1now that su3@ect could ne$er see or 1now itself as an o3@ect, an- more than an e-e can see itself, than hearing can hear hearing, or loo1ing can see loo1ing% )et to undi$ided mind, directl- a//ercei$ing, short circuiting relati$e reasoning, the meaning is immediatel- e$ident, as it was to the !aharshi% #et us consider this /ro3lem in another conte.t, for instance in <uddhism% There is a famous statement which /oints out that the <uddha taught for B9 -ears, 3ut that no word was e$er s/o1en 3- "autama the <uddha% Toda- we could sa- that Na/oleon fought man- 3attles, and that ,ha1es/eare wrote man- /la-s, 3ut that no 3attle was e$er fought 3- a Na/oleon nor was an- /la- e$er written 3- a ,ha1es/eare% As in the Vedantist case, to an-one totall- identified with a conce/tual o3@ect :a 3od- mind;, reasoning relati$el-, the statement seems to 3e incom/rehensi3le, -et it is in fact such a /rofound and re$elatorstatement that it might 3e said that whoe$er cannot see its truth cannot ha$e reached the threshold of understanding% In 3oth cases, howe$er, the e./lanation ma- 3e e$ident% (elati$e reasoning, 3- mind di$ided into su3@ect and o3@ect, creates a conce/tual uni$erse, a $ast structure of images in mind, entirel- 3ased on relati$it-, conce/tuall- e.tended in s/ace time, and s/urious li1e an- dream or hallucination, slee/ing or wa1ing% ,uch is our world of 0li$ing0 and 0d-ing0 as /seudo indi$idual entities% +irectl-, immediatel- in seeing, undi$ided mind needs no conce/ts in order to understand, for then cognition is a3solute and not relati$e, so that what A(T4'( O,<O(N*%

relati$el- a//ears to 3e nonsense, a3solutel- ma- 3e a//ercei$ed to 3e truth, and what a3solutel- is truth ma- a//ear relati$el- to 3e nonsense% (elati$el-, in 3ondage to di$ided mind, no identified indi$idual could /ossi3l- 1now what he is as AI0, since in order to do so he would ha$e to see himself as an o3@ect and what he is cannot ha$e an- o3@ecti$e Cualitwhate$er, 3ut the moment he is free from such identification he remains what he is, and all that he is, which is re/resented 3- the ci/her AI0% 4e is /ure noumenalit-, timeless and s/aceless, in which all /henomenalitinheres and to which it is transcendent% The moment I thin1 that I am 0this0 or Athat0 I am Ame0 and 3ound% There has ne$er 3een a Aone0 /resent or a3sent so how could there 3e an 0other09 PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP 7orld as ,elf5 Its 8uestion as Answer9 !y Stephen &oss !rooks ,omeone ga$e me a 1e- and said it was the 1e- to T4* CIT) I as1ed what cit-9 Cit- as1ed what 1e-9 ?e- as1ed what me9 Other words awa- golden 1e-! Onl- I can <* this wa- % % % The onl- /ur/ose for m-self is ,elf is m- answer and m- answer is a fisherman who sa-s 0if -ou scra/e -our 3oat in the winter it will mo$e faster all summer0 then disa//ears in 4is net% !- answer is a 1ite fl-er who lets go of the gong m- heart soaring free of its life line self thread so that the silence that li$es in me can 3e li$ed% !- answer is a /attern, the wea$er and the wo$en and something else, when the magic three will 1now it is One will 3elie$e in One will 3ecome the ON* then /ast and future will <* the 6resent we will 3e nothing and around us in our mirror we will see onl- the ,elf /ower s/inning in e$er- changing relation, mandalas loo1ing at themsel$es white dwarfs mo$ing to a /oint% PPPPPPPPPPPP In a 4urrThe (a33i of <erdiche$ saw a man hurr-ing along the street, loo1ing neither right nor left% "7h- are -ou rushing so9" he as1ed him% "I am after m- li$elihood," the man re/lied%

"And how do -ou 1now," continued the (a33i, "that -our li$elihood is running on 3efore -ou, so that -ou ha$e to rush after it9 6erha/s it is 3ehind -ou, and all -ou need do to encounter it is to stand still 3ut -ou are running awa- from it!" I% Vol VIII No 1 1971 "I I" %ei %u %ei Vol VIII No 1 1971 Introducing %%%% !rs% = !r% A% (% Nara-ana (ao Introducing%%%%% !rs% = !r% A% (% Nara-ana (ao ,ri A% (% Nara-ana (ao and !rs% Nara-ana (ao are old and well 1nown de$otees of ,ri <haga$an since 19BJ% ,ri Nara-ana (ao0s wor1 as ,u/erintending *ngineer at !ettur +am often too1 him to Tiru$annamalai in those da-s and in the course of his $isits he used to dro/ in at the Ashram and ha$e darshan of ,ri <haga$an% <ut he did not feel an- s/ecial satisfaction or 3enefit from these $isits% #ater when he was transferred to !adras he found that his friend ,ri +% ,% ,astri :refer to his article #o+ I $ame to the Maharshi in &anuar-, I9D7 issue, /% GG; was going freCuentl- to the Ashram deri$ing con sidera3le /eace of mind% 4e learnt from him that one has to a//roach ,ri <haga$an with humilit- and earnestness in order to feel his "race% Thereu/on ,ri Nara-ana (ao went again to the Ashram, this time not in the course of official duties 3ut with the sole o3@ect of see1ing ,ri <haga$an0s "race% 4is wife accom/anied him% This was in the 3eginning of 19B9% After s/ending the first few da-s in silent /ra-er and meditation ,ri Nara-ana (ao and his wife met ,ri <haga$an one da- alone 3- chance% The- /rostrated 3efore him and sought his 3lessings% ,ri <haga$an loo1ed at them in silence and a feeling of /eace and ha//iness flooded their hearts% The- sta-ed on for a few more da-s in the Ashram en@o-ing this /eace and serenit- and then went 3ac1 to !adras confident that thehad 3een ta1en u/ 3- ,ri <haga$an and 4is "race would sustain them% Thereafter the- were drawn again and again to the Ashram and the s/iritual u/lift from some e.traordinar- e./eriences which the- attri3uted to ,ri <haga$an0s "race strengthened their faith in 4im% +uring the last da-s of ,ri <haga$an 3oth of them sta-ed at the Ashram for a fortnight a3sor3ed in /ra-er and meditation% ,ri Nara-ana (ao was $er- hel/ful to the Ashram in numerous wa-s at this critical time% ,ince the Mahasamadhi of ,ri <haga$an in 19GJ he and his wife ha$e 3een $isiting the Ashram on all im/ortant occasions li1e &ayanthi and Aradhana of ,ri <haga$an often accom/anied 3- their famil- and grandchildren all of whom ha$e 3een 3rought u/ as de$otees of ,ri <haga$an% Pu1a to ,ri <haga$an is 3eing /erformed regularl- in their house in !adras on the first Thursda- of e$ermonth well attended 3- their relati$es and friends% The- ha$e also 3uilt a tem/le dedicated to "od under 4is as/ect of Ananta/admana3ha at "andhinagar in !adras after ,ri Nara-ana (ao retired from ser$ice in 19GH% 4e was also $er- hel/ful to our !anaging *ditor in a /ractical wa- with his $alua3le ad$ice and guidance% Vol VIII No 1 1971 Introducing %%%% !rs% = !r% A% (% Nara-ana (ao Vol VIII No 1 1971 #etters to the *ditor #etters to the *ditor 4I, CONTIN'*+ 6(*,*NC* +uring m- 3rief :se$en da-; $isit to the Ashram I found true /eace and inner ,ilence and a certain e./erience of the continuing /resence of ,ri <haga$an% #ong ma- -our maga2ine thri$e and hel/ the s/iritual as/irant% !A(TIN <'<*(, Tales of the #asidim 6 The (arly Musters.

&% 4*A(N :(e$% ,ingh (e@ong, Cho 1e Order, ?orean Men ,ect;, #os Angeles% Many *isitors e7perien)e the )ertainty of 4amana6Aruna)hala-s Presen)e and guidan)e here. #e is all6 per*asi*e and not limited to this pla)eA but on a relati*e plane the nearer the Sour)e the stronger the *ibrations and support 6 ('ITO4. ON#) AI0 I, "O+ &oel "oldsmith sa-s in the &anuar- 197J issue of The Mountain Path5 "There ma- e$er 3e those on earth who ma- du/licate the wor1 of the !aster and show forth "od0s all ness in its com/leteness% 7e do not 1now of its e$er ha$ing 3een done% % % The higher a /erson goes in s/iritual awareness the further he retires from the human scene%" And then again on /age FF % % % % % "&esus, who was /ro3a3l- the last of the !asters on earth to re$eal the AI0 % % % I ta1e strong e.ce/tion to these statements % % % I would li1e to 1now -our comments a3out this in -our ne.t issue of The Mountain Path% +(% +% C% !*4(OT(A, Ne-$eli% &oel Goldsmith +rites from the standpoint of a $hristian. (*en so he modified his *ie+s later strongly influen)ed by Sri !haga*an-s tea)hing and +as on his +ay here +hen he suddenly died in /ondon. #e also says in the same arti)le5 B"ot only $hrist &esus but all the great spiritual lights of the ages re*eal that the only ,I- is GodA and that God as indi*idual !eing is li*ing its life as you and me. The )orre)t sense of ,I- +ill eliminate e*ery problem from the fa)e of the earth.B In some )ases spiritual masters retire from the human s)ene. A sage or 1nani benefits the +hole of humanity by his Silen)e0 by 1ust !eing 6 ('ITO4. I A! "O+ ?indl- enlighten me as to (amana !aharshi0s testimon- of &esus Christ% I will 3e highl- than1ful to -ou for the same% (A&A(AT4NA!, 4-dera3ad% 4amana Maharshi ga*e the true signifi)an)e of $hristianity0 designating5 The $ross is the body. %hen the ego is )ru)ified and it perishes0 +hat sur*i*es is the Absolute !eing ;God@0 BI and my Father are OneB and this glorious sur*i*al is )alled resurre)tion. #e also said that the +hole of Vedanta is )ontained in the !ibli)al saying5 -!e still and kno+ that I am God.- 6 ('ITO4. ON T4* ,6I(IT'A# 4*A(T One contri3utor under the /seudon-m AAlone0 has made a statement that he had the e./erience of the s/iritual heart on the right side % % % !- dou3t is how the s/iritual heart which contains the whole uni$erse can 3e felt as /h-sical heart3eats % % % V% (A!ANAT4AN, Ananta/ur% II I am ho/ing that -ou will 3e good enough to hel/ me 3- clarif-ing a few /oints concerning the s/iritual /ractice taught 3- (amana !aharshi% >irstl-, e.actl- what did (amana mean 3- meditation u/on the s/iritual heart on the right side9 7as this to 3e a se/arate /ractice from the *i)hara9 And if so was the /ractitioner to use imager- in concentrating on the

heart9 Is one su//osed to feel 0I0 as emanating from the heart during meditation9 has the heart meditation to 3e of eCual im/ortance and intensit- as the *i)hara9 Also I ha$e heard that if one is doing *i)hara and see1ing (amana0s "race there is the /ractice of meditating u/on the s/iritual e-e 3etween the e-e3rows with the incantation "Om (amana Om" % % % Is this correct9 And lastl-, if one can tr- the difficult /rocess of clarif-ing Atma *i)hara with words, what I would li1e to 1now is should the /ractitioner of *i)hara ha$e a feeling for the A90 at the end of the enCuir- A7ho am I90 I as1 this since constant re/etition of the enCuir- can sometimes ma1e A7ho am I90 more of a mantra than a Cuestion% And also when (amana instructs us to 1ee/ our attention on where the 0I thought0 is coming from, what e.actl- does he mean9 ,hould one concentrate on the sound 0I0 when thin1ing of AI0 or u/on the mind as a whole9 An-thing -ou can tell me that ma- clarif- the a3o$e will 3e dee/l- a//reciated% 7ith m- 3est wishes for continued success% >(*+ AC?*(!AN, ,anta Cru2, California% III I shall feel grateful if -ou let me 1now the significance of concentrating in sadhana on the right side of the chest resulting in a feeling of $i3ration% If an indi$idual can $acate his mind of all thoughts is he still reCuired to /ursue the enCuir- 07ho am I90 Is it not sufficient while 1ee/ing one0s mind free from thoughts intro$erted to 1ee/ it fi.ed on the right side of the chest% ?indl- do re/l- as I am sure -ou can% <% C% ,4A(!A, Chandigarh% This reply refers to the three pre)eding letters +hi)h ha*e )ommon points. Meditation on the spiritual heart on the right side5 means )on)entrating or listening to it fully attenti*e. Its *ibration or heart beats +ill manifest +ith time. A pla)e is assigned to it as a fo)using point and it is as real as +e are real to oursel*es though it )annot be said to ha*e any lo)ation in or out sin)e it is all6per*asi*e. In the Vedas the heart is used to denote the pla)e +hen)e the notion -I- springs. Sri !haga*an said that +hen one seeks the Self one6pointedly the #eart +ill play its part automati)ally. It is the seat of realisation and )annot be said to be either in or out. As a preliminary one )an )larify the *i)hara intelle)tually. 8ou )annot say you are your name0 your body0 your mind0 your brain0 et).0 et).A -yours- +hoseC 8ou are not +hat is yours or your possessions. -%ho Am IC- then. The en3uiry should not be repeated like a mantra. #a*ing turned in+ards +ith this 3uest one-s +hole being is in a state of intuiti*e alertness and *igilan)e. The intensity )an mount to the point that it be)omes a matter of utmost urgen)y. The same applies to the tyranny of thoughts to inter)epting them. %hen)e and ho+ do thoughts ariseC There is no ans+er in so many +ords to these en3uiries. "o ans+er the mind )an gi*e +ill be right. "o suggesti*e replies are to be gi*en nor imagery or )on)epts used. If perse*ered the ans+er +ill )ome of itself and +hen it does there +ill be no room for doubt. %hile intuiti*ely alert it may be helpful to )on)entrate or listen to the spiritual heart. %hen thoughts arise then the *i)hara tomes in and again 1ust this intuiti*e alertness and *igilan)e ha*ing asked the 3uestion. One is not supposed to imagine or feel the -I- as emanating from some+here nor does one )on)entrate on sound or mind or think anything0 not e*en -I-. %hen +a*es of thought )ease to rise the Self +ill re*eal Itself as It Is e*en if at first only in a glimpse of a split se)ond of (ternity and then sadhana to still the mind begins in real earnest for an earnest seeker. 4amana Maharshi ne*er asked anyone to meditate on the spiritual eye bet+een the eyebro+s. #e a)tually +arned against it saying that it may lead to manifestation of lights and *isions and that the safest pla)e is the spiritual heart. The mind +ants *ariety e*en in sadhana. Apart front the *i)hara or meditation on the spiritual heart or both fused0 )hanting the name of God or 4amana )an help )on)entration parti)ularly +hen it is done +ith great de*otion. Then It be)omes the !elo*ed. The greater the yearning the more the response. It )omes +ith pra)ti)e.

If the mind )an be kept free from thoughts nothing else is needed. !ut in su)h a state doubts do not arise. Perhaps there is still the thought that there are no thoughts. This also must go. (n3uiry and ;or@ )on)entration on the spiritual heart lead to )essation of thought 6 ('ITO4. VI,4I,TA+VAITA AN+ ,64'(ANA % % % The late ,ri Os3orne ga$e sim/le answers to tough Cuestions and had in the readers0 e-es assumed the s-m3ol of a $alid genuine inter/reter of ,ri <haga$an0s teaching% AThe dewdro/ sli/s into the shining sea%0 (e/lies are reCuested to the following Cuestions ,omeone raised a Cuestion as to what is Vishistad*aita and Sphurana% ?indl- throw some light% 4ow does a tree a//ear to a &nani9 As a ,u/erim/osition on the ,elf or something else9 7hich /ast annuals are a$aila3le and what is their cost9 ,% #% T4AT4', ,imla% Vishistad*aita is a modified form of non6duality or 3ualified monism +hose protagonists think that indi*iduality is ne)essary to e7perien)e !liss and it should not be lost. A)tually the loss of indi*iduality a))ording to Ad*aita pertains only to limitations and )onditioning. In 4ealisation e*erything is gained. One )ould say that the limited troublesome indi*iduality be)omes limitless0 all6per*asi*e I"'IVI'.A/IT8 in the inherent state of perfe)t harmony and !liss. There is only one )ons)iousness ,I AM-. As a result of a sudden emotion like fear or sho)k the mind gets intro*erted and one6pointed and a sort of *ibration6a+areness is felt in the heart )entre0 the more so the more the mind had be)ome attenuated through pre*ious sadhana. In this light one )an understand +hy in 9en pra)ti)e a roshi administers a sudden sho)k like hitting a dis)iple +ith a sti)k or thro+ing him into +ater at the right moment +hen the mind is ready to ,break through- in sudden enlightenment. Sri !haga*an says also that sphurana is the foretaste of realisation. In a state of su)h intro*ersion the mind is merged in the heart so there is no differentiation bet+een sub1e)t and ob1e)t. For a &nani e*erything is the Self0 so a tree +ill be seen by him as a manifestation or form of the Self. ,!rahman sleeps in the stone.The follo+ing annuals of The Mountain Path are a*ailable !ound Volumes for <=D>0 <=DE0 <=D= and <=>?5 ea)h *olume 6 in)lusi*e of postage 6 in India 4s. <?F6 or Foreign5 G <6H6? or I J.?? 6 ('ITO4. AN IN+*,C(I<A<#* VI<(ATION % % % ,ri Arthur Os3orne reflected indeed the radiance of his !aster through his wonderful writings %%% 6lease e./lain to me at length through -our in$alua3le @ournal what sphurana is% Is it a feeling of /eace or $i3ration within9 >rom m- 3o-hood I ha$e in m- head a 0hum0 which resem3les the sound of a fast rotating d-namo% All these -ears I was under the im/ression that e$er-3od- has this as a matter of course until $er- recentl- it was /ointed out to me as sphurana% I am told to hold on to this Ahum0 in meditation and without the mind sli//ing from it when it will lead me to the ,elf% Is it so9 A dou3t assails me% That is if the mind meditates on this 0hum0 will it not amount to the mind getting e.tro$erted9 I shall also 3e than1ful if -ou will 1indl- e./lain what ,ri <haga$an meant when re/l-ing to a de$otee that the su3@ect and o3@ect /roceed from sphurana9 ,IVA6(A"A,A!, !ani/a-, Ce-lon%

See the reply abo*e +ith referen)e to sphurana. It is an indes)ribable *ibration in the heart )entre rather than a ,hum- felt in the head. %hen hearing the humming sound ask yourself +ho hearsA or try to hear in it ,A.M- +hi)h is the substratum of all sound. Pra)ti)e +hi)he*er is easier for you or both. %hen meditating it is more ad*isable not to )on)entrate oil anything audible or )on)eptual. Meditation leads to freedom from all )on)epts or thoughts. There is also the dualisti) approa)h to monism re)ognised by sages for those for +hom the most dire)t path is too diffi)ult 6 ('ITO4. (*!*!<*( 4I! IN T4* 4*A(T 6lease 3e 1ind enough to answer the Cueries as noted 3elow and /lease gi$e me the names of all the 3oo1s 3Arthur Os3orne% I freCuentl- remem3er the name of "od, and "andhi said that 4am "am is a cure for all diseases 3ut to mutter sur/rise the $oices, the whistling, hissing sounds in m- ear ha$e not ceased% 7hat should 3e done if a /erson is incontinent :3ladder; and wants to utter "od0s Name all da-% It is not /ossi3le for me 3ecause I cannot change m- clothes so freCuentl- %%%% I ho/e -ou will gi$e me -our ad$ice in the cases reCuested a3o$e% +r% T% 6% "'6TA, (angoon% If you are in the habit of uttering the name of God in a ritualisti) +ay and think that you are pre*ented from doing so be)ause of your disability then you )an simply remember God-s name in your heart in silen)e. #e is al+ays there +hate*er the state of your body. Moreo*er the impurities you speak of aren-t they in your body e*en +hen there is )ontinen)eC So there is not so mu)h differen)e after all. One )an al+ays remember God-s name under any )ir)umstan)es. 8ou do not e7ist apart from God. 4itual is good for some and +ill lead to the path of 1nana0 bhakti or surrender. "othing happens by a))ident. Perhaps you are ready to turn in+ards and your disability may help you to do so. The substratum of all sound is A.M. If you )ould penetrate to it and hear it in the +histling0 hissing sounds in your ear they may )ease to be a disturban)e. As a do)tor you kno+ that su)h sounds are usually due to high blood6pressure. Sri !haga*an re)ommended a satt*i) diet. It should redu)ed both pressure and sound and is a help in sadhana. This is pie)emeal )on)ern +ith disease. 4amana Maharshi says that the +hole body is a troublesome o*ergro+th and a disease. Identifi)ation +ith it hides our real inherent state of bliss and harmony. %hy not turn your attention to trans)ending the limitations of the body by follo+ing the path indi)ated by the GuruC The books of Arthur Osborne are as follo+s5 (amana !aharshi and the 6ath of ,elf ?nowledge0 ;4ider K $o.0 /ondon@. The Teachings of (amana !aharshi in 4is Own 7ords0 ;4ider K $o.0 /ondon K Sri 4amanasramam@. The Collected 7or1s of (amana !aharshi0 ;4ider K $o.0 /ondon K Sri 4amanasramam@. (amana Arunachala0 ;Sri 4amanasramam@. <uddhism and Christianit- in the #ight of 4induism0 ;#ut)hinsons Group0 /ondon@. The 8uestion of 6rogress0 ;!haratiya Vidya !ha*an0 !ombay@. The Incredi3le ,ai <a3a and The (h-thm of 4istor-0 ;Orient /ongmans0 "e+ 'elhi@. ('ITO4% ?OV4A!

I want to tell -ou how es/eciall- hel/ful I found the /iece called 0*nCuire0 in the &anuar- issue of The Mountain Path as I ha$e felt that an- form of words sort of gets in the wa-, 3ut to urge oneself to A1now thus0 wor1s 3etter% % % % 7hat would 3e the ,ans1rit for A7ho am I90 % % % 7ith $er- sincere than1s for the whole of The Mountain Path% <A(<A(A <I(C4, *din3urgh% Sri !haga*an )alled Silen)e the most elo3uent spee)h obstru)ted by +ords. o-ham ;ko6aham@ is the Sanskrit for ,%ho am ICL /anguage is of little importan)e in Self6en3uiryA it is an almost +ordless inner 3uest0 an urge to find ,%ho I am- really 6 ('ITO4. CONC*6T O> "O+, A #I!ITATION In &anuar- 197J issue, /age BG, 7ei 7u 7ei sa-s "If -ou create mental conce/ts of "od such mental conce/ts must ine$ita3l- /re$ent -ou from a//ercei$ing what "od is%" If -ou thin1 this sa-ing needs an e./lanation for thousands of as/irants li1e me 3e /leased to e./lain it% I wonder if one could /roceed without some sort of mental conce/tion of "od% "AN!*"A(, "wallor% 8ou +ill )on)ede that God is +ithout limitations of any kind or #e +ould not be God. %hate*er )on)ept you )reate of God be)omes a limitation. 4eality trans)ends all )on)epts in)luding that of God. It is beyond e7pression. %hen a de*otee asked Sri !haga*an to sho+ hint #is real form0 the )ou)h on +hi)h #e +as seated be)ame empty. After a month or so the de*otee mustered enough )ourage to ask for an e7planation and the reply +as5 B8ou asked to see my real form0 you sa+ its disappearan)e. I am formless.B Many find it easier to start +ith a mental )on)ept of God and +ith time trans)end it. This dualisti) approa)h to the Oneness of !eing is *alid and re)ognised by sages 6 ('ITO4 % ,6I(IT'A# 4*A#IN"5 IT, ,I"NI>ICANC* % % % !rs% A% 6igott Cuotes in her article a3out her $isit to Tiru$annamalai5 "Tal1ing a3out it one da-, I as1ed (amana !aharshi if we could use s/iritual /ower for healing% 4e remar1ed5 A 8es0 if you think it +orth+hile 0 3ut added it reCuired a great deal of force which might 3e used more /rofita3l- in other directions%" I am /u22led 3- the underlined words% ,urel- the healing of mind and 3od- is worthwhile% Or is there some other significance which I ha$e missed9 % % % I would welcome -our comment % % % and am greatl- loo1ing forward to -our e./lanation% I am $er- interested in healing 3- /ra-er and the la-ing of hands% I am a mem3er of a little grou/ which is de$oted to this form of healing and we are a3le to hel/ man- sufferers 3oth in mind and 3od-% % % % ('NI, !c!AT4I*(, Victoria, Australia% %hat Sri !haga*an meant +as that all our troubles )ome from identifi)ation +ith the body. The body itself is a superimposition and disease. #e said. If instead of paying pie)emeal attention to its ills +e go to the root of the trouble0 trying to realise our true state +hi)h trans)ends the body0 all +ill be +ell. On the other hand the body is used as a *ehi)le in sadhana0 so it should be kept in a reasonable good state +ithout gi*ing it undue importan)e. Sri !haga*an en*isaged this aspe)t also +hen ad*ising sadhakas to adopt a satt*i) diet0 good both for body and mind. The !haga*ad Gita ad*ises moderation in taking )are of the bodily needs the same as the middle +ay of !uddhism. If you pra)tise spiritual healing as selfless ser*i)e ;nishkama karma@ it purifies the mind and is also an indire)t path in sadhana. &oel Goldsmith says that it is the )ons)iousness of the Oneness of all life that does the healing. If spiritual regeneration is the primary ob1e)t of healing the rest +ill also follo+ 6 ('ITO4. A(T4'( O,<O(N* N'!<*(5

A66(*CIATION, I 7e send -ou these few lines in order to e./ress our a//reciation of the trul- outstanding num3er :Octo3er, 197J; of The Mountain Path, which we recentl- recei$ed and are still reading with /rofound interest% It is indeed a memora3le num3er which will not easil- 3e forgotten%%%% These admira3le articles em/hasise that the notion that there could 3e an-thing to 3e 3orn or to die 3ut what a//ears to 3e 3orn and to die would 3e Cuite unworth- of disci/les or ,ri <haga$an% Also li1e man- others, I am sure, we were delighted to 1now so much more a3out dear Arthur, and see how widel- his great Cualities were a//reciated% 7ishing -ou the continued success, which we are sure will 3e -ours, in the arduous tas1 which -ou ha$e so 3ra$el- underta1en, and in which -ou can count on the co o/eration of so man- friends% T*(*NC* = NATA,4A "(A), !onte Carlo% II 7e recei$ed The Mountain Path two da-s ago and I ha$e 3een reading and re reading the *ditorial% It is a dee/l- thought out s-m/osium on death%%%% I did not e./ect to read such an editorial after ,ri Os3orne who was a3solutel- uniCueY% In fact I felt while reading his editorials and his re/lies to letters that he was <haga$an0s $oice clear trans/arent writing without the least intrusion of the /ersonal element%%%% )our li$es ha$e 3een so close and com/lementar-%%%% 7e are ha//- and confident in the future of The Mountain Path% ,ri Os3orne li$es in -ou and 3oth of -ou in ,ri <haga$an% ,'N+A! ?(I,4NA,7A!I, !-sore% III %%% #et this 3e an e./ression of the warmest gratitude for the writings of the late Arthur Os3orne5 The editorials, the /oems and the answers to letters, ha$e gi$en, are gi$ing and will continue to gi$e hel/ that is Cuite immeasura3le% #i1e (amana, Arthur Os3orne has not left us% 4e has nowhere to go% 7ill -ou /lease con$e- to !rs% Os3orne a $er- lo$ing welcome as the new lad- editor and assure her that we in seeming far awa- New Mealand ha$e a3solute confidence in her and com/lete faith in the guiding hand of (amana !aharshi% I would li1e to close with a Cuotation from !ilton% 0Nothing is here for tears Nothing to wail Nothing 3ut well and fair%0 OI(OA "#I!!*(, (*!'*(A, Auc1land% IV !r% Os3orne0s greatness la- in 3eing so much li1e his !aster direct, with austere reasoning lit 3- the inner truth% 4is wor1s 3ecause of the a3sence in them of em/t- sentimentalism and $er3osit- com/leted the !aharshi0s teachings 3- ma1ing these acce/ta3le to men and women of this age and of all countries% !ONICA <O,*, <om3a-% V

Than1fulness too dee/ for words and @o- flood m- 3eing as I re read these letters in the s/ecial issue witnessing to the light the saint de/arted in 3od- 1indle in countless hearts here and in far lands% It is all 4is will, 4is "race% The editorial mantle has fallen on the right shoulders% (% ,% AI)A(% VI !a- I congratulate -ou on the a/t choice of the dar1 colour of the front co$er and the selection of !r% Os3orne0s /ortrait in the Octo3er issue%%%% 7hene$er I loo1 at the /ortrait I am touched 3- the serenit-, calm and detachment of a realised 3eing% 4is stead- e-es seem to reflect the radiance of ,ri (amana, his "uru% I li1e the editorial on +eath and would li1e, if -ou /ermit me, to translate it in "u@arati for our 8uarterl-%%%% !a- "od gi$e -ou strength to carr- on%%%% &% <% A!IN, Nairo3i, ?en-a% Anything from The Mountain Path )an be reprodu)ed +ith due a)kno+ledgement0 and +ith prior intimation to the (ditor. The s)ope of this )olumn does not permit to publish all the messages of heart6+arming good+ill0 en)ouragement and *ery kind thoughts on the +ings of +hi)h The Mountain Path +ill )ontinue to )arry its message +ith Gra)e0 Guidan)e and Support. Thank you. There +ere also a number of 3ueries about ,Our Muest-. For the present the pressure of +ork does not allo+ to get on +ith it0 but it +ill be finished as soon as possible 6 ('ITO4. IT0, ,(I <4A"AVAN0, CONC*(N! !r% Os3orne undou3tedl- li$es in our hearts% 4ow I wish he also /h-sicall- li$ed with us and with those -et Cuite -oung to 1now his worth% "Thus this most ,ecret ?nowledge has 3een taught 3- !e, O sinless one% On 1nowing this a man 3ecomes wise, Oh <harata, and all his duties are accom/lished" : !haga*ad Gita, Ch% UV, $% IJ;% 7ithout /re@udice of an- 1ind I wonder if there is not one other man in *ngland who could lend himself to continue !r% Os3orne0s wor1 at least for another decade0s flight on The Mountain Path%%%% ?% "% (AT4NA!, <om3a-% There is su)h a possibility +hi)h may materialise at the right time. Mean+hile the present (ditor is an instrument filling a gap. /et us keep in mind that The Mountain Path is Sri !haga*an-s )on)ern 6 ('ITO4. PPPPPPPPP The >light <- 4arindranath Chatto/adh-a-a !- soul is as a 3ird that ta1es a di/ In the cool sweet waters of -our "race All suddenl- from cho1ing dar1 it sli/s Through -our one loo1, into a hol- /lace% 7here nought can cast a shadow, naught of death +are enter with its idle coloured lures <efore -our /resence lo, 3reath after 3reath, !- soul, in one high stead- flight, endures% O s1- of merc-! do not let m- flight "row wear-, do not let m- wings grow tired% +raw me eternall- into the light

>or which I ha$e through m-riad 3irths as/ired% Vol VIII No 1 1971 #etters to the *ditor Vol VIII No 1 1971 #ife of ,aint Arunagirinathar Sadhu Parthasarathy #ife of ,aint Arunagirinathar !y Sadhu Parthasarathy One should not see1 the source of hol- ri$ers or /ro3e into the /ast of great saints is the wholesome ad$ice often gi$en to the curious% >or, the unins/iring sight of the source of a 3ig ri$er or the 1nowledge of the unsa$our- /ast of a great saint tends to dim their real merits% *$en so a traditional sanctit- is attached to the source of hol- ri$ers and the miracle of "od is in$o1ed for the transformation of one, often assumed to 3e a worthless sinner, into a saint% The traditional account of Arunagirinathar0s life 3efore his emergence as a great saint is reminiscent of this% Arunagirinathar was 3orn in Tiru$annamalai and s/ent the greater /art of his life there% 4e was the son of a dasi or courtesan 3- name !uthu% As he grew u/ to manhood, he found the com/an- of courtesans more to his li1ing than leading a life of dharma%1 7hen his /arents were dead, all the /ro/erties that he inherited from them were sCuandered to /a- for his lust% 4e had a sister called Adi who was $er- fond of him not withstanding his faults% 4e too1 ad$antage of her affection and 3efore long, her mone-, her @ewels and all her /ossessions were also sCuandered for /resents to courtesans% 4is 3od- ra/idl- lost its -outh and 3ecame full of diseases% The 3etter class of courtesans 3egan to @eer at him and shun his com/an-, 3ut his lust /ersisted% At a time when his sister had nothing left e.ce/t the clothes she wore, he as1ed her as usual for mone-% ,he re/lied, "if -our lust is so irresisti3le, there is onl- m- 3od- left for -our satisfaction%" These words /ierced his heart to the core% 4e recollected in a moment all the wasted -ears of his life and the realisation of the utter failure to fulfil its di$ine /ur/ose filled him with des/air% To continue li$ing with the memor- of the /ast clinging to him was un3eara3le% 4e decided to /ut an end to his life% 4e clim3ed the Vallala "o/uram of the Arunachala tem/le and @um/ed down to dash himself to death on the stones 3eneath% 4e was sa$ed 3#ord !uruga as recorded later in more detail%
1 (ighteousness

The truth of the traditional account is contradicted 3- Arunagiri0s reference to himself in his com/ositions% In some of his songs he refers to his father, mother and wife and other relati$es :T F9I, B1F;% One macontrast this with the stor- of ,at-a1ama in the .panishads% 7hen ,at-a1ama a//roached !aharshi "autama /ra-ing to 3e ta1en as his disci/le, "autama as1ed the Cuestion, "7hat is -our :father0s; gotra9" ,at-a1ama truthfull- re/lied, "<efore coming here, I as1ed m- mother the same Cuestion% ,he said in re/lA7hile -oung and wandering as a housemaid here and there, I 3egot -ou% 4ow then can I 1now% )ou are ,at-a1ama, I am &a3ala% ,o, -ou are ,at-a1ama &a3ala%0 The "uru said, ")ou told the truth, so -ou are a real 3rahmin% I will initiate -ou%" There is another account /artl- 3ased on old inscri/tions, /artl- on contem/orar- lite rar- wor1s and the rest on guesswor1% The real o3@ection to the acce/tance of this account does not hinge u/on the caste of Arunagiri 3ut on the fact that no mention is made of his Tiru//uga2h and of his great de$otion to #ord !uruga in Salu*a Abhyudayam% In the account gi$en 3- (a@anatha, the dates and certain other facts seem to agree, 3ut it is difficult to ignore the omission of Tiru//uga2h and his de$otion to #ord !uruga 3- Arunagiri without which his life would ha$e had no claim to greatness% One is therefore led to conclude that Arunagirinathar cannot 3e identified with an- certaint- with an- 1nown historical /erson of the time% The e.act date of 3irth of Arunagiri is not 1nown, 3ut from incidental e$idences a//earing in Arunagiri0s own com/ositions and 3- relating them to certain 1nown data found in inscri/tions and in contem/orar- records, a fairl- accurate assessment of the -ears in which he li$ed can 3e made% Arunagirinathar0s *arl- #ife If a correct assessment of Arunagiri0s /ersonalit- in his earl- -ears is made from his own com/ositions, the following facts emerge% Arunagirinathar was the traditional t-/e of a de$out 4indu% #ord !uruga was the

famil- "od of his ancestors :T FGH and 11I7;% 4is learning es/eciall- of s/iritual literature must ha$e 3een acCuired in his earl- -ears and it was 3oth $ast and dee/% In the Tamil language he e.celled in e./ression and learning% In his com/ositions he e.hi3ited familiarit- with the 3est 1nown Tamil wor1s such as Te*aram0 Panniru Tirumarai or Sai*am0 'i*ya Prabandham0 Sangam literature, ural0 aarikai0 .la0 (a)el0 alambakam0 o*ai0 Sindu0 Madal0 Malai0 !harani0 'uthu and amasutra%I 4e could also write in Tamil e.tem/ore /oetr- and this talent he used 3efore his transformation for writing eulogies of rich men to o3tain /resents of mone- from them :T 1BD = B9B;% 4is com/ositions a3ound in the use of ,ans1rit words and the- also show that he was familiar with Ithihasas, Puranas and also to some e.tent with wor1s li1e the Gita and .panishads% 4is ArchanaF on #ord !uruga mostl- in ,ans1rit :T 1JJ = 1J1 ; is sufficient /roof of his familiarit- with that language% 'nless he was 3orn in a famil- whose traditions were such that e$er-oung male mem3er recei$ed the highest cultural and religious education from his earl- -ears, it would not ha$e 3een /ossi3le for Arunagirinathar to acCuire the $ast learning that he e.hi3ited% That he was leading a dissolute life for some -ears after he attained to manhood he confesses in man- of his /oems% ,ome ha$e /ut forward the theor- that the references to a life of lust in his /oems should not 3e ta1en literall-, 3ut should 3e treated as ad$ice for the 3enefit of others% This a//ears too far fetched to 3e acce/ta3le to reason% On the other hand, to conclude as some ha$e done, that he was a totall- de/ra$ed /erson, lost not onl- to all sense of decenc-, 3ut e$en to a sense of right and wrong and de$oid of an- de$otion to "od, is to /aint an eCuallfalse /icture of him% 7e ha$e to ta1e into consideration the moral standards of the time in which he li$ed% The con$entional religious life of the 4indu and his la/ses from con$entional moralit- were not considered incom/ati3le with each other% In Arunagirinathar0s da-s, se. relationshi/ with /rofessional women within limits was treated as human wea1ness onl- and was not loo1ed down as moral de/ra$it-% To Arunagirinathar howe$er, the lure of se. had 3ecome almost an o3session or mor3idit-% <ut his life of de3aucher- could not ha$e lasted $er- long% It /ro$ed to 3e a costl- indulgence and he was soon reduced to a life of /enur- and 3ecame $er- de@ected :T B9B, HGJ;% In song :T F9I; he s/ea1s with /oignant emotion a3out his des/ica3le state, "(idiculed and @eered at 3- wife, 3- the /eo/le of the town, 3- the /u3lic women of the /laceE mfather and m- relations 3eing disgusted 3- m- conduct, e$er-one scolding me or indulging in loose tal1s a3out me, and 3eing treated as a des/ica3le /erson 3- the $er- /eo/le whom I had lo$ed, m- mind 3ecame confused and full of gloom% I thought within m-self, AIs it for this that I o3tained this human 3od- which is a treasure indeedV9W The first sign of "od0s grace and com/assion came to Arunagiri after a Mahatma s/o1e to him and ad$ised him to meditate on the si. faced "od ,hanmuga as his Ishta 'e*ataB :T 1JJD;% 4e attem/ted to s/end some hours in meditation facing the image of !uruga installed in the gopurams :towers;, 3ut his will, wea1ened 3- his immoral life, lac1ed the strength to /ersist in the attem/t% The crisis in his life came to a clima.% 4e decided to commit suicide and gi$e u/ his 3od- at the feet of #ord !uruga 3- @um/ing to death from the high tower of the gopuram dedicated to the #ord, the ,i. faced "od% At the critical moment #ord !uruga a//eared standing on a dancing /eacoc1, halted him midwa- and too1 /ossession of him :thaduthu atkondan; :T F9B, GJ9, 11F;%
I A cross section of the more im/ortant Tamil literature of his times% F Names of the #ord chanted during worshi/%

4ere one must /ause for a moment% 7as Arunagirinathar0s decision to end his life 3orn of mere disgust and frustration a sim/le attem/t at suicide in order to /ut an end to suffering which can no longer 3e endured9 In the Sastras it is said that the state of the mind of a /erson at the last moment when life is a3out to de/art from the 3od- is $er- im/ortant from the /oint of $iew of his re3irth% If one were to utter the name of Nara -ana or ,i$a with concentration at the moment of death, one is assured of Moksha or release from re3irth% Arunagirinathar had realised in utter des/air that nothing was left for him 3ut to surrender mind and 3od- to the #ord% Oh mind of mine Trust not the 3odThat infernal machine Turning out /leasure and /ain, <rahma who sits on the lotus Created it to 3ind the mind% Oh mind of mine >ree th-self from fear

To see1 himE endea$our 6atientl- and steadil-% #et us go to 4im ,how our lo$e and surrender% Oh mind of mine It0s good -ou decided to surrender% ,ee 4im on his /eacoc1 Vahana 4e has now ta1en charge of -ou% +ou3t not, there is no "reater ,tate% +well on his 4ol- Names Alwa-s, !ainda! ?umara! :T% FFJ; A shatriya warrior of old, goes to the 3attlefield with the assurance that if he were to die there, he would attain moksha% ,imilarl-, a great !hakta is /re/ared to sacrifice his life for the sa1e of "od in the 3elief that the sacrifice will 3e acce/ted and he will attain li3eration% #ord !uruga came to the rescue of his de$otee who was in the act of @um/ing to his death, halted him midwa- and sa$ed him not onl- from death 3ut acce/ted him as dear to 4im% This resulted in a com/lete transformation of his nature%
B One0s chosen deit-%

inkini thith theme0 thith thith The an1lets on the dancing feet @ingled, A sound that to other sounds Closed 3- hearing% The ?adam3a garland that 4e wore ,uffused me with its clo-ing fragrance And m- 3reath was held% 4is moon li1e countenance and tender smile Caused such cheer and ecstasThat m- mind was lost% >or a moment 4e loo1ed at me, A cool liCuid light /oured out >rom 4is long e-es% It filled m- heart tasting li1e nectar And I was lost to 4im for e$er% :T% 1D; Arunagirinathar0s transformation thereafter was $er- ra/id% As Omar said, ""od is the su3tle alchemist who in a trice life0s leaden metal into gold transmutes%" 4is 3od- shed all its diseases :T GDH; and his mind was immersed increasingl- in #ord !uruga% This ha//ened in the great tem/le in Tiru$annamalai% ")ou ha$e ta1en me to a state 3e-ond descri/tion" sa-s Arunagirinathar :?% Alan% 1J;% #ord !uruga acce/ted his surrender at 4is feet and 3estow ed on him the mudrasG of Vel and /eacoc1 in order that he ma- Cualif- to sing Thiru//uga2h :T HGJ;% 4e got Prana*a .padesaD at Chidam3aram :T 1DI;%
G !ar1s im/ressed on the 3od-% D Initiation into the mantra Om% T T Tiru//uga2h% ?% Alan% T andar Alankaram, a wor1 of Arunagirinathar

:To he continued; PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP

Awa1ening !y Philip Pegler The gate has now closed on a glow of golden light, A radiance of soft, $i3rant 3liss *nfolding in the de/ths of gentle delight, A dee/, still dee/er /eace O/ening the doors of <eing% #o! 4e enters% That One, whose a3sence Oft 3rings o$erwhelming /ain of se/aration, <itter tears of -earning, And then sweetness of di$ine consolation% #o! 4e comes% <haga$an e$er m- #o$e *nter dear >riend% <e seated in the shrine of the heart >ore$er% If not fore$er toda)et some da-! Vol VIII No 1 1971 #ife of ,aint Arunagirinathar Sadhu Parthasarathy Vol VIII No 1 1971 (amana ,ad "uru Arthur Osborne (amana ,ad "uru1 !y Arthur Osborne There was alwa-s some m-ster- a3out the upadesa or s/iritual guidance of ,ri <haga$an% 4e did not gi$e diksha or initiation in the usual wa- of la-ing on hands or gi$ing the disci/le a mantram to re/eat% 4owe$er that did not mean that he ignored the necessit- for initiation% On the contrar- he e./licitl- stated that a mantram /ic1ed u/ casuall- would not 3e effecti$e 3ut that the user must 3e dul- initiated into it 3- one with authorit-% It also did not mean that he was unconcerned with the guidance of as/irants% In fact that was the one thing that he was o3$iousl- concerned with% 4e did not a//ro$e of Cuestions of theor- as1ed for mental grati fication, 3ut Cuestions of sadhana or /ractice he alwa-s answered full- and graciousl-% There was no air of indolence at the Ashram 3ut an intense acti$it-, one might sa- the acti$it- of a s/iritual factor-, with the de$otees en gaged in sadhana and <haga$an su/er$ising and guiding each one with meticulous though silent care% All 1new that the- were the disci/les and he the "uru% In /ri$ate he s/o1e to them as the "uru and sometimes ga$e instructions for their sadhana% In each case the sadhana under his guidance dated from some act or word of initiation, usuall- concealed% 7hen as1ed whether he was a "uru and ga$e initia tion he alwa-s a$oided a direct re/l-% 4ad his re/l- 3een 0no0 he most certainl- would ha$e said 0no0% <ut had he said 0-es0 he would immediatel- ha$e 3een 3esieged 3- demands for initiation and he would ha$e 3een dri$en to ma1e a distinction 3etween true de$otees and those who $isited him with out su3mitting in their heart and see1ing his guidance% And his com/assionate lo$e was too great and his wisdom too shrewd to act in a wathat would lead some to thin1 that he ran1ed them higher than others% Indeed, he did not, since he saw the ,elf in all% 7hen as1ed whether he ga$e initiation, <haga$an0s most usual re/l- was that there are three t-/es of initiation5 3- s/eech, 3- loo1 and 3- silence% This left the 3urden of understanding u/on the enCuirer% It is an old tradition, the three t-/es 3eing s-m3olised 3- the 3ird, which needs to sit on its eggs in order to hatch them, the fish which needs onl- to loo1 at them, and the tortoise which needs onl- to thin1 of them% Initiation 3- silence is most natural to the 1nana6marga% ,ome formalists did indeed lea$e and see1 initiation elsewhere and <haga$an did nothing to detain them% Those with understanding remained% 4e said to one of them, !a@or Chadwic15 "If it had 3een necessar- for -ou to see1 a "uru elsewhere -ou would ha$e gone awa- long ago%"

1 (e/roduced from 4amana6Aruna)hala, /% DG% 6u3%5 ,ri (amanasramam, Tiru$annamalai%

4e was the Sad6Guru, the &i*anmukta, the /erfect &nani for whom there are no others 3ut onl- the ,elf and therefore no relationshi/ can 3e /ostulated% 4e sometimes reminded his de$otees that the outer "uru is onla form ta1en out of consideration for the disci/le0s ignorance and ser$es to turn him inward to disco$er the inner "uru, who is the ,elf% Normall- ,/iritual !asters ha$e written o/enl- a3out theor- 3ut ha$e 3een more reser$ed a3out the techniCue the- /rescri3ed, lest an- should attem/t it without due authorisation and do themsel$es harm% <haga$an, howe$er, /roclaimed the /ath o/enl- in s/eech and writing% This inno$ation accords with the silent initiation that he was 3ringing to the world% On an- who turned to him in their heart the silent initiation might descend, in whate$er /lace the- might 3e, and an- such could learn from the 3oo1s the techniCue to 3e used% Indeed, <haga$an has sometimes reminded de$otees that e$en the @ourne- to Tiru$annamalai is onlillusor-, the real /ilgrimage ha$ing to 3e made in the heart, and has referred them to the /u3lished accounts of the /ath to 3e followed% This leads on to another Cuestion5 whether the direct /ath o/ened 3- <haga$an was for his lifetime onl- or is still o/en to those who see1% A "uru is necessar- for e$er- see1er, as <haga$an himself has saidE he added howe$er, that the "uru need not necessaril- ta1e human form% 7hen he said this it a//lied onl- to a $errare case, 3ut his guidance has made what was true to him true for his de$otees also% 4is whole wor1 differs from the normal mode of s/iritual guidance% Throughout the ages there ha$e 3een /arallel initiatic streams flowing to the Ocean, each within its own 3an1s, 3ut now, in the aliyuga, man- ha$e /etered out in the desert or marshes or dwindled to a tric1le, and it is to this state of affairs that <haga$an has 3rought the re/lwith a lifeline thrown out to all who turn to him% If the method is unusual, it is onl- necessar- to remem3er that it is <haga$an who is the doer, and then to o3@ect would 3e to ma1e oneself ridiculous% It would 3e li1e the &ews who re@ected Christ 3ecause he did not come in the form the- e./ected% And if <haga$an could dis/ense with the usual mode of initiation and guidance during his lifetime, wh- not afterwards9 The conditions which called for the inno$ation still e.ist% 7hen as1ed whether a 1i*anmukta continues to /erform an- function after /h-sical death, <haga$an re/lied that in some cases it is so% 7hen his /h-sical death was imminent and de$otees com/lained that he was lea$ing them without guidance, he re/lied5 ")ou attach too much im/ortance to the 3od-," indicating there3- that his discarding it would not /ut an end to their guidance% In re/l- to a Cuestion 3- +r% !asala$ala, retired !edical Officer of <ho/al ,tate, <haga$an re/lied, as recorded 3- +e$ara@a !udaliar in 'ay by 'ay +ith !haga*an5 ""uru is not the /h-sical form, so contact will continue e$en after the /h-sical form of the "uru $anishes%" <efore his death he said5 "The- sa- I am d-ing, 3ut I am not going awa-% 7here could I go9 I am here%" This is a sim/le doctrinal statement 3ecause the &nani is uni$ersal and there is no here or there for him, no coming and going in the 4*(* and NO7 of eternit-E 3ut it was alwa-s <haga$an0s wa- to ma1e a doctrinal statement, which together with its uni$ersal truth, would answer the /articular needs of the de$otees% Though we ma- lea$e him in our 3lindness, he cannot lea$e us, for he is the ,elf% (ight u/ to the end <haga$an showed a continued interest in the continued /u3lication of the 3oo1s, re$ising a new edition during the last few wee1s of his life% And -et the $er- /ur/ose of the 3oo1s was to s/read the 1nowledge of *i)hara, the /ath of ,elf enCuir-, and if that was to 3e no longer accessi3le there would 3e no further need for them% 4is de$otees 1now that he is still the "uru% The- ha$e felt the continuance of a guidance not onl- as /otent 3ut as su3tle and detailed as 3efore% >or those who see1 to turn to him it is 3est to sa- as he did to those who Cuestioned the heart centre of which he s/o1e that it is not discussion that is needed 3ut trial% #et them in$o1e his "race and stri$e in the wa- he /rescri3ed and the- will find out for themsel$es whether the "race and guidance of the "uru are forthcoming%

That desolate night when a 3rilliant star trailed slowl- across the s1- at the $er- moment of his lea$ing the 3od-, there was neither the frantic grief nor the des/air that had 3een e./ected, 3ut instead all were assuring each other that he was still there% *ach one felt in his heart the continued 6resence% Those whom one had thought would need consolation were a3le to console others% That whole night the 3od- that <haga$an had worn and discarded was e./osed to the $iew of the de$otees in the Ashram hall% There was grief and wee/ing, 3ut underneath it there was a strange /eace that onl<haga$an himself could ha$e im/lanted% >ew had reali2ed how 3elo$ed he was in the neigh3ouring town of Tiru$annamalai, 3ut all through the night $ast crowds came and /assed through the Ashram hall in grief and awe, to ha$e a last darshan of the /h-sical form of the sage% #ong /rocessions wal1ed to and from the town singing AArunachala ,i$a0% In the da-s that followed, the strong con$iction of his continued 6resence 3ore u/ the de$otees and held most of them together% The silent meditation and the morning and e$ening chanting of the Vedas continue 3efore the ,amadhi of <haga$an as the- did in his 3odil- /resence% Now as then, access is for all, whate$er their caste or religion% The s/iritual su//ort that comes in sitting 3efore the ,amadhi is not onl- as strong 3ut as sweet and su3tle as it was 3efore the 3odil- /resence% To all those who turn to <haga$an in their hearts the res/onse is e$en more immediate, the su//ort more /owerful% Not onl- that :for that is true where$er the- ma- 3e; 3ut the s/iritual re$italisation that the- used to deri$e from a $isit to Tiru$annamalai still continues, e$en though the 3elo$ed face is hidden% <haga$an alwa-s 3ade us see1 the Inner "uru% The lo$e that we 3ore to the outer "uru hel/ed us to do so, and -et, in a wa-, it im/eded% Now he has ta1en u/ his a3ode in our hearts% !ore than e$er, we ha$e to discard our im/urities in order to disco$er 4im, the ,elf, the *ssence of our <eingE more than e$er he assists us to do so% 4e is the Sad6Guru who teaches in ,ilence% +a1shinamurthi : Arunagiri 8ogi; is said to dwell on the north slo/e of the sacred Arunachala 4ill read- to gi$e the /otent silent upadesa :teaching; to an- who came, 3ut the s/ot is inaccessi3le% ,ri (amana is +a1shinamurthi% 4e has made accessi3le the direct /ath that was hidden for now the "race radiates from his a3ode Arunachala% The 3od-0s death has, /erha/s, 3rought a3out one change% 4e alwa-s said5 "As1 -ourself5 7ho am I9" 3ut he also said ",u3mit to me and I will stri1e down the ego%" Now the Cuest of the ,elf in the heart and su3mission to <haga$an in the heart ha$e 3ecome the same% The fusion of &nana and !hakti has 3ecome more /erfect% "7ho can e$er find Thee9 The e-e of the e-e art Thou, and without e-es Thou seest, Oh Arunachala% ">rom m- home Thou didst entice me, then stealing into m- heart, didst draw me gentl- into Thine% ,uch is Th- "race, Oh Arunachala% "I ha$e 3etra-ed Th- secret wor1ings% <e not offended! ,how me Th- "race now o/enl-, Oh Arunachala%" ;The Marital Garland of /etters0 **. <H and =>6=E@
&nana6marga or &nana T the /ath of 1nowledge &i*anmukta T the *nlightened :&nani; ali 8uga T the dar1 age 'arshan T seeing a hol- man or image Samadhi T a state of com/lete a3sor/tion in meditation or a gra$e !hakti T the /ath of de$otion

Vol VIII No 1 1971 (amana ,ad "uru Arthur Osborne Vol VIII No 1 1971 (amana ,ad "uru Satyamangalam Venkataramana Iyer

(amana ,ad "uru1 !y Satyamangalam Venkataramana Iyer

RA free rendering in *nglish 3- 6rof% ?% ,waminathan of a few $erses of another /oem%S

4ail, hail, (amana Sad6Guru, (o-al (amana Sad6Guru! 4e whom the gods of hea$en adore 7as 3orn a 3a3e in Tiruchu2hi 7hen <eaut-I did with <eaut-I 3lend The formless One too1 human form% 7ithin a ca$e in Aruna 4ill 7here 7isdom dwells 4e came to dwell% 4e mastered maya and destro-ed The senses false alluring 3onds +e$oid of karma-s tric1- coils% A3sor3ed in Arunachala !- "uru the 3elo$ed One 4e is the wish fulfilling tree In human form em3odied "race% YYYYYYY% "old hued, 4e #ord ,i$a 4imself Of matted loc1s% 4e is the One 7hose "uru was none other Than his own A3solute ,elf% The elements fi$e 4e /er$ades <e-ond the fi$e fold 3od-% To such As come for comfort to 4is >eet 4e gi$es the ?nowledge that ends grief%
1 ,ri <haga$an used occasionall- to @oin in the singing of this song 3- de$otees /ointing out that (amana Sad6Guru was not @ust the D foot 3od- of his% I ,ri <haga$an0s mother was named Alagu :Tamil for 3eaut-; and his father ,undaram :,ans1rit for 3eaut-;%

Vol VIII No 1 1971 (amana ,ad "uru Satyamangalam Venkataramana Iyer Vol VIII No 1 1971 ,ad "uru is within %% *.cer/ts from a ,aint0s Tal1s Prof. Madan Mohan Varma *.cer/ts >rom a ,aint0s Tal1s Translated from #indi by Prof. Madan Mohan Varma The Voice of ,ilence can onl- 3e heard in Mauna :cessation of thought;, which leads to Muk Satsang :communion of the ,ilence;% 7ith the disintegrating of the atom of 0I0 the sadhaka 3ecomes one with 8oga0 &nana and #o$e% The 6eace of "od is a state not of the indi$idual mind 3ut of a mind freed of indi$idualit-% Our true state is effortless awareness% *ffort is $isi3le onl- in the 3eginning stages of sadhaka%

The 0I0 in realit- is nothing 3ut a -earning of the wa$e for !other Ocean in which is its true 3eing% "od is the Ocean, we are 3ut wa$es, small or great% The 6ower that dwells in the giant wa$e or in the small wa$e ali1e is not in the wa$e 3ut in the Ocean of which it is a wa$e% To 1now that is to disco$er the infinite in the finite and thus to reali2e the unit- underl-ing all di$ersit-% 7h- do our e-es not see *ternal <eaut-9 <ecause the- content themsel$es with the fleeting forms of 3eaut-% 7h- does not the mind find eternal rasa :3liss;9 <ecause it contents itself with /assing /leasures% It is im/ossi3le to 3e detached from the world while one is attached to one0s 3od-% A fundamental test of one0s /rogress on the s/iritual /ath is the measure of one0s desirelessness% ,elf surrender is the 1e- to "od reali2ation% *$er- man surrenders himself to someone% The difference is that the theist surrenders to the One and the materialist surrenders himself to man-E the former fulfils his real want, and the latter runs after innumera3le shadows of desires% (eal want once fulfilled ceases to 3e, whereas desires arise again and again% The last offering at the altar of #o$e is the surrender of AI0 and Amine0% #et the de$otee who 3egs for fa$ours 3eg for the <estower of fa$ours 4imself, so that he would not ha$e to 3eg again and again% Our dee/est $ices are those which are 3orn of a consciousness of $irtue% An- $irtue which is trans/lanted on the AI0 or on which the 0I0 is trans/lanted, 3ecomes the mother of man- a $ice% (ight action is 3etter than wrong actionE 3etter than right action is the feeling of non doershi/% There are two t-/es of ser$ers those who flow li1e the "anges in the sight of all, and those who stand motionless 3ehind the scene li1e the 4imala-as 3ut secretl- feed all the ri$ers emanating therefrom% !en generall- treat sadhana as a /art of their life% The thoughtful as/irant, howe$er, treats his life itself as sadhana% Vol VIII No 1 1971 ,ad "uru is within %% *.cer/ts from a ,aint0s Tal1s Prof. Madan Mohan Varma Vol VIII No 1 1971 ,ad "uru is 7ithin ,ad "uru is 7ithin ,ri !aharshi was concerned rather with the /ractical wor1 of training as/irants than with e./ounding theor-% The theor- had im/ortance, 3ut onl- as a 3asis for /ractice% The de$otees had the freedom of argument with ,ri <haga$an% There were, howe$er, some who desired a definite statement that ,ri <haga$an was a "uru, 3ut this he would not ma1e% 7hen a de$otee /ressed him once more for a confirmation he turned to the attendant and said humorousl-5 Q#et him get a document from the su3 registrar and ta1e it to the office and get the office stam/ on it!W In the following con$ersation :ta1en from Talks +ith Sri 4amana Maharshi; he im/lied clearl- enough that he was to 3e regarded as the $isi3le "uru% <- "uru <haga$an alwa-s meant Sad6Guru and that too in its highest meaning as nothing less than one who has reali2ed his identit- with the ,elf and a3ides therein constantl-% It ma- 3e said 3- some that the doctrine of "od manifested as "uru was all right for those who had the good fortune to meet <haga$an in his lifetime, 3ut what of those who see1 a "uru now9 It will 3e recalled that <haga$an confirmed that the "uru need not necessaril- 3e in human form% 4e himself had no human "uru% &ust as, with ,elf enCuir-, he created a new /ath suita3le to the conditions of the modern world, a /ath that can 3e followed without an- outward forms, in$isi3l-, while conforming to the outer conditions of modern life, so also he 3rought to men the /ossi3ilit- of silent, formless initiation, reCuiring no /h-sical "uru% 4e often confirmed that the truest u/adesa was 3- silence onl-% (amana Sad6 Guru-s silence is all /owerful e$en now%

A(T4'( O,<O(N*% 'e*otee5 Can ,ri <haga$an hel/ us to realise the Truth9 !haga*an5 4el/ is alwa-s there% '.5 Then there is no need to as1 Cuestions% I do not feel the e$er /resent hel/% M.5 ,urrender and -ou will find it% '.5 I am alwa-s at -our feet% 7ill <haga$an gi$e us some .padesa to follow9 Otherwise how can I get the hel/ li$ing DJJ miles awa-9 M.5 That Sadguru is within% '.5 Sadguru is necessar- to guide me to understand it% M.5 That Sadguru is within% '.5 I want a $isi3le "uru% M.5 That $isi3le "uru sa-s that 4e is within% '.5 Can I throw m-self at the merc- of the Sadguru9 M.5 )es% Instructions are necessar- onl- so long as one has not surrendered oneself% Maharshi5 The highest form of "race is ,I#*NC*% It is also the highest s/iritual instruction%%%% All other modes of instruction are deri$ed from silence and are therefore secondar-% ,ilence is the /rimar- form% If the "uru is silent the see1er0s mind gets /urified 3- itself% PPPPPPPPPPPPPPPP It must 3e remem3ered that $er3al e./lanations are not the real teachingE the- are /reliminar- e./lanations which are eas- to understand 3ut whose understanding does not in itself enlighten the heart% The real wor1 is the awa1ening of ,elf awareness in the heart, and this is made /ossi3le 3- the /owerful -et su3tle action of the silent "race of the "uru% A(T4'( O,<O(N*, Vol VIII No 1 1971 ,ad "uru is 7ithin Vol VIII No 1 1971 ,ri (amana5 A 6ure Channel for a 4igher 6ower Paul !runton ,ri (amana5 A 6ure Channel for a 4igher 6ower !y Paul !runton >ort- -ears ha$e /assed since I wal1ed into his a3ode and saw the !aharshi half reclining, half sitting on a tiger s1in co$ered couch% After such a long /eriod most memories of the /ast 3ecome somewhat faded, if the- do not lose their e.istence altogether% <ut I can truthfull- declare that, in his case, nothing of the 1ind has ha//ened% On the contrar-, his face, e./ression, figure and surroundings are as $i$id now as the- were then% 7hat is e$en more im/ortant to me is that at least during m- dail- /eriods of meditation the feeling of his radiant /resence is as actual and as immediate toda- as it was on that first da-% ,o /owerful an im/ression could not ha$e 3een made, nor continued through the numerous $icissitudes of an incarnation which has ta1en me around the world, if the !aharshi had 3een an ordinar- -ogi much less an ordinar- man% I ha$e met do2ens of -ogis, in their *astern and 7estern $arieties, and man- e.ce/tional /ersons% 7hate$er status is assigned to him 3- his followers, or whate$er indifference is shown to him 3others, m- own /osition is inde/endent and un3iassed% It is 3ased u/on our /ri$ate tal1s in those earl- da-s when such things were still /ossi3le, 3efore fame 3rought crowdsE u/on o3ser$ations of, and con$ersations with, those who were around himE u/on his historical recordE and finall- u/on m- own /ersonal e./eriences, whate$er the- are worth% '/on all this e$idence one fact is incontro$erti3l- clear that he was a /ure channel for a 4igher 6ower% This ca/acit- of his to /ut his own self consciousness aside and to let himself 3e suffused 3- this 6ower, is not to 3e confounded with what is commonl- called in the 7est, s/iritualistic mediumshi/% >or no s/irit of a

de/arted /erson e$er s/o1e through him5 on the contrar-, the silence which fell u/on us at such times was 3oth e.traordinar- and e.Cuisite% No /h-sical /henomena of an occult 1ind was e$er witnessed thenE nothing at all ha//ened outwardl-% <ut those who were not stee/ed too far in materialism to recognise what was ha//ening within him and within themsel$es at the time, or those who were not congealed too stiffl- in sus/icion or criticism to 3e /assi$e and sensiti$e intuiti$el-, felt a distinct and strange change in the mental atmos/here% It was u/lifting and ins/iringE for the time 3eing it /ushed them out of their little sel$es, e$en if onl- /artiall-% This change came e$er- da-, and mostl- during the e$ening /eriods when the !aharshi fell into a dee/ contem/lation% No one dared to s/ea1 then and all con$ersations were 3rought to an end% A gra$e sacredness /ermeated the entire scene and e$o1ed homage, re$erence, e$en awe% <ut 3efore the sun0s de/arture 3rought a3out this remar1a3le transformation, and for most of the da-, the !aharshi 3eha$ed, ate and s/o1e li1e a /erfectl- normal human 3eing% That there was some 1ind of a /artici/ation in a worldless di$ine /la- during those e$enings each to the e.tent of his own res/onse was the feeling with which some of us arose when it all ended% That the !aharshi was the /rinci/al actor was true enough on the $isi3le /lane% <ut there was something more % % In his own teachings ,ri (amana !aharshi often Cuoted, whether in association or confirmation, the writings of the first Achar-a ,han1ara, who li$ed more than a thousand -ears ago% 4e considered them unCuestiona3l- authoritati$e% 4e e$en translated some of them from one Indian language to another% In the tem/le of Chingle/ut I inter$iewed 4is 4oliness the ,han1ara Achar-a of ?ama1oti 6eetam, a linear successor of the first "uru% 7hen the meeting was concluded 3ut 3efore I left, I too1 the chance to as1 a /ersonal Cuestion% A disci/le of the !aharshi had come to me and wanted to ta1e me to his "uru% None of those I as1ed could tell me an-thing a3out him, nor had e$en heard of him% I was undecided whether to ma1e the @ourne- or not% 4is 4oliness immediatel- urged me to go, and /romised satisfaction% 4e is still ali$e and still acti$e in the religious world of ,outhern India% ,ometimes, as I loo1ed at the figure of (amana !aharshi on the couch, I wondered if he would e$er come to *ngland% If so, how would he 3e dressed, how would he 3eha$e in those teeming #ondon streets, how eat, li$e and wor19 <ut he was uninterested in tra$elling and so he ne$er came, not in the /h-sical 3od-5 what did come was his s/irit and mind, which ha$e awa1ened sufficient interest among the *nglish% Again and again he ga$e us this teaching, that the real !aharshi was not the 3od- which /eo/le sawE it was the inner 3eing% Those who ne$er made the @ourne- to India during his life time ma- ta1e comfort in this thought that it is /ossi3le to in$o1e his /resence where$er the- are, and to feel its realit- in the heart% PPPPPPPPPPP The Vo-age !y #arindranath $hattopadhyaya A weariness hath cre/t into mine oar, The rudd- da- is dee/ening round m- sailE <lac1 storm clouds in m- hea$ens 3rood no more, No more the thunder crac1, the ra$aging gale% !- lonel- 3oat is resting on the dee/ #aden with the dream of coming dawn 'nder its 1eel the waters lie li1e slee/ Their restless and dishe$elled wa$es withdrawn% O !-ster- of /eace! no sense of stir, No foolish haste, nor need for hollow s/eechE

All suddenl- the an.ious tra$eller ,eems to ha$e reached some shore 3e-ond his reach% Vol VIII No 1 1971 ,ri (amana5 A 6ure Channel for a 4igher 6ower Paul !runton Vol VIII No 1 1971 The "reat "ame of 6retending 'ouglas (. #arding The "reat "ame Of 6retending !y 'ouglas (. #arding
Maharshi5 There is no greater a3surdit- than this that we see1 to gain the (ealit- that we are%%%% It is ridiculous% A da- will dawn when -ou -ourself will laugh at -our /ast efforts% 7hat will 3e on that da- is also here and now% 'is)iple5 ,o it0s a great game of /retending9 Maharshi5 )es%

It is an odd and $er- significant fact that, e$er since man 3ecame full- human, he has Cueried his humanness% and as1ed himself who he reall- is% And the more mature and self aware he 3ecomes the more insistentl- the Cuestion comes u/% 7h- this curious dou3t, this seemingl- inesca/a3le o3session, this uni$ersal /ro3lem a3out his identit-9 On the face of it, no such /ro3lem e.istsE or, if it e.ists, it0s no more than a semantic muddle% 4ow could a man fail to 3e a man9 If I0m not the /erson descri3ed in m- /ass/ort, who on earth could I 3e9 7hat alternati$es offer themsel$es9 7ell, o3$iousl-, if I am a thing at all, I am a man, and not a 3eetle or a stone or a /lant or a star or an atom% In /ractice, accordingl-, there are onl- two serious alternati$es5 either I am this man6thing or no6thing% Or :to /ut the alternati$es rather more traditionall-; either I am in realit- the human 3eing I a//ear to others to 3e, or else I am not a human 3eing, or an- 1ind of 3eing or thing whate$er, 3ut that undifferentiated <eing or No thing which has $ariousl- 3een called the Void, Clarit-, the One #ight, the ,elf, !rahman6Atman, ,/irit, (ealit-, Consciousness, the ?ingdom of 4ea$en, and so on howe$er -ou name it, it0s as non human as it0s /ossi3le to 3e% ,uch is m- two wa- choice, for I can find no credi3le third /ossi3ilit-% Certainl- there is no $agueness a3out it5 the contrast is as shar/ as it is immense% On the one hand IVm offered a small, local, mortal, fault-, 3o.ed in thing, a minute and 3rief fragment of the worldE while on the other I0m offered the unlimited, changeless, Cualit-less, /erfect ,ource and Container and *ssence of the world, with the world itself thrown in for good measure% !ore 3riefl-, shall I 3e a /art or the 7hole9 Am I to 3e in the uni$erse or is the uni$erse to 3e in me9 This is no tri$ial matter% It0s 3ound to ma1e all the difference in the world to me which of these two I choose, which of them I elect to 3e, or rather disco$er m-self to 3eE and to /ut off for another da- this crucial decision would 3e irres/onsi3le and a3surd, e$en suicidal% Of all the man- $arieties of madness this surel- is the maddest refusing or neglecting to go into and settle this clear cut Cuestion of who I am es/eciall- now the Cuestion has 3een /lainl- /ut to me, and the alternati$es ha$e 3een reduced to two, thus ma1ing the issue Cuite definite% Nor can I delegate m- res/onsi3ilit-% The issue is one which I ha$e to settle for m-self, since no one else is in a /osition to sa- how it is with me right here% Others lac1 inside informationE I ha$e it 3ecause I am it, I coincide with m-self% I am the sole and final authorit- on what it0s li1e 3eing this first /erson singular, /resent tense% Therefore I ha$e to /ut aside all I0$e read and 3een told, and @ust loo1, as if for the first time in all honest- and sim/licit-, at m-self for m-self% *ncouraging me to do @ust this are the great sages% Is it hard for me to see who I am9 !aharshi re/lies5 "It would 3e a3surd if to loo1 at outside things were eas- and to loo1 within were difficult% It0s the other wa- round%" Is it then difficult for me to realise what I see9 !aharshi re/lies5 ")ou are it% All that0s necessar- is to dro/ the thought 0I ha$en0t realised0%" And what is the nature of this realisation9 !aharshi re/lies5 "The a3surdit- is to thin1 that one is this or that% 0I am0 alone is, not AI am so and so0% 7hen e.istence is unCualified it is right, when it is /articularised it is wrong% That is the whole truth%" "4a$ing any form or sha/e is the trou3le5 @ust 3e -ourself5 @ust 3e%" "The thought AI am a man0 is unnatural% AI am0 is natural% 7h- do -ou Cualif- it with Aa man09" To an enCuirer who /oints out that the <i3le teaches that man is 3orn in sin, !aharshi gi$es a drastic answer indeed5 "The man is sin!" It isn0t nearl- enough to think, or e$en to feel, that one isn0t this /articular man, or an- man, or an-thing at all% On the contrar-, it0s thin1ing which is our trou3le% this conce/tual fog we wor1 u/ to hide what is sim/l-

gi$enE and an-wa- what we thin1 toda- we are Cuite li1el- to den- tomorrow% Our tas1 is to sto/ thin1ing @ust long enough to loo1 at who0s loo1ing% As for feeling, it $aries li1e *nglish weather5 we can rarel- ha$e it how and when we want it, and e$en then it0s notoriousl- dece/ti$e% No, neither thin1ing nor feeling is relia3le or conclusi$e% Onl- seeing is 3elie$ing% That0s wh- the seers are called seers and not thin1ers or feelers the- insist that the truth of who one is shines forth 3rilliantl- of itself and needs no assistance from the thin1ing and feeling mind5 the ,elf is self luminous, as clearl- $isi3le as a goose3err- in the /alm of one0s hand% Thus !aharshi again5 ",ee the seer within%" "The ,u/reme is hearsa- 3ut the indi$idual e./eriences himself directl-% )ou can ma1e use onl- of direct e./erience, therefore see who -ou are%" "#ea$e off all this $er3iage! <e as -ou are% ,ee who -ou are and remain as the ,elf, free from 3irth, going, coming and returning%" It is seeing which con$inces, and which :unli1e thought and feeling; can 3e had at will% 7hat is to 3e seen is e$er /resent, and e$er a3le to ins/ect itself% At no time is it im/ossi3le, or e$en difficult, to see who one is /ro$ided one wants to% The trou3le is that the first /erson has 3ecome so used to so terri3l- good at /utting on this act of third /erson and /la-ing the /art of 3eing a man that it is $er- hard to Acome off it0 and 3ecome /erfectl- sincere and natural again% The game starts $er- earl- in life% The small child soon starts im/ressing u/on his central >ormlessness which is Cuite neutral, fluid li1e molten wa. features which aren0t his at all 3ut 3elong out there to his com/anions% One of the main reasons is that he fears 3eing odd, 3eing e.cluded from the clu3% Thus the two little girls who were 3rought u/ 3- wol$es near !idna/ore were /ersuaded the- were wol$es and 3eha$ed @ust li1e the other mem3ers of the /ac1, @ust as :con$ersel-; animal /ets reared solel- 3humans 3ecome mem3ers of the famil- and ha$e little time for their own s/ecies% In A% A% !ilne0s /oem, Christo/her (o3in has four chairs in his nurser-5 in the first, he is an e./lorerE in the second, a great 3ig roaring lionE in the third, a shi/ at seaE and in the fourth, @ust for fun, a human 3eing5 7hene$er I sit in a high chair >or 3rea1fast or dinner or tea, I tr- to /retend that it0s m- chair And that I am a 3a3- of three% In the other chairs, a//arentl-, it was Cuite eas- 3eing a lion or a shi/E it was /retending to 3e human that was difficult! At the age of three or less, Christo/her (o3in is at least as li1el- to 3e a lion /retending he0s a little 3o- as a little 3o- /retending he0s a lion% <ut the game of /retending to 3e a 3o-, of feigning humanit-, soon ta1es /recedence, if onl- 3ecause it0s the one his /arents insist on /la-ing with him% "Now 3e a good 3o-," the- sa-% And all too soon he 3ecomes, if not a good 3o-, at least a 3o-% 4e learns to see himself through their e-es and to /retend to 3e what the- e./ect him to 3e% And of course this suits his 3oo1 too, for it /rogressi$el- conceals the fact that he, as the uniCue first /erson, is totall- different from all those third /ersons out there% This wandering from his true station in order to 3ecome a thing, a human 3eing, is ine$ita3leE it is his /ass/ort into human societ-, and eagerl- he gras/s it% <ut the /rice of socialism is high and rising all the while% As life goes on, he gets 3etter and 3etter at /retending to 3e what others see him as, more and more self decei$ed and self alienated, more and more /articularised, more and more narrowed down from his first general <eing to 3eing a $er- s/ecial /erson indeed% To start with, he @ust isE then he is a little 3o- with a nameE then he is a distincti$e /erson going outside himself he $iews himself as tall or short, fair or dar1, handsome or homel-% And then, growing u/ to manhood, he further reduces to a social t-/e and @o3 holder, a role /la-er, a s/ecialist, and /erha/s in the end little more than an ela3orate actor% Ta1e, for instance, the waiter in a >rench cafe, so well descri3ed 3- ,artre% 4is mo$ements are a little too /recise and ra/id, his interest in the customers0 reCuirements a little too solicitous, his mo$ements rather @er1- and mechanical, the 3alance of his tra- unnecessaril- /recarious% "All his 3eha$iour seems to us a game%%%% 4e is /la-ing, he is amusing himself% <ut what is he /la-ing9 7e need not watch long 3efore we can e./lain it5 he is /la-ing at being a waiter in a cafe%" ,artre0s waiter isn0t an unusuall- false or affected /erson5 in fact, his s/ecial trou3le isn0t that he0s /retending 3ut that the /retence isn0t Cuite cle$er enough it doesn0t con$ince% <ut it does ser$e to /oint and underline the a3surdit- all Anormal0 ci$ilised adults li$e 3- the a3surdit- of seeing oneself onl- as others see one :or rather, as one ho/es or fears the- do; and refusing to see oneself as one sees oneself, right here and now% Anstra-ing from one0s home here, to $iew one0s a//earance out there and identif- onl- with that, is to den- the central (ealit-, to 3e false to one0s intrinsic Nature, and in a word to 3e unreal% *$en if I don0t regard m-self as @ust a waiter :or 3utcher or 3a1er or candlestic1 ma1er or whate$er;, e$en if I do sometimes thin1

of m-self as Aa man for a that0, still I0m ma1ing m-self out to 3e what I certainl- am not here, in the /lace where there ne$er has 3een a man and ne$er will 3e% The result ma- not 3e so /ainful or ridiculous to others, 3ut it is immeasura3l- damaging to me, 3ecause it is ma1ing 3elie$e that I am the e.act o//osite of what I am% It is imagining m-self to 3e a thing, a solid lum/, a 3od-, right here which is im/ossi3le% Indeed it is, in !aharshi0s uncom/romising language, fatal% "The /erson soa1ed in I am the 3od- idea is the greatest sinner and a suicide%" And how do we get such an idea9 7e $iew oursel$es as the 3od- 3- going outside and loo1ing at oursel$es from out there% "The 3od- identit- is due to wandering of the mind%%%% ,ee1 -our ,ource, merge in the ,elf and remain all alone%" The true disci/le does what he0s ad$ised to do, and loo1s for himself at himself without /re@udice% 4e minds his own 3usiness, which is his own (ealit- situated /recisel- where he is, now /erfectl- o3$ious and /erfectl- accessi3le to him and to no outsider% And what does he find9 7ell, I can0t answer for an-3od- else% 7hat it0s li1e 3eing -ou is -our affair and not for me to tell -ou% 7hat I ha$e to do is see how it is here, @ust now% And I swear I can find here no thing whate$er, no solid o3@ect at the mid /oint of m- uni$erse, no flesh and 3lood house or 3o. here in which I0m shut u/, 3ut onl- this mar$ellous *m/tiness or A3sence or #ight or Clarit- or O/enness% And this 7ide o/enness, so far from 3eing mere $acanc-, is at this moment $isi3l- full to the 3rim with the clouds and trees and flowers outside m- window, and the chairs and ta3les and car/et in this room, and these legs and this arm and hand and /en and /a/er on which these words are now forming themsel$es% Insofar as I am at all, I am at large in this familiar scene, re/lete with this assem3l- of coloured and mo$ing sha/es that is now /resenting itself5 all these are in me, are me% 7hat I am here for, the /ur/ose of m- life, is to sto/ the great game of /retending, @ust loo1, and 3e !-self% Nothing could 3e sim/ler, or more urgent% PPPPPPPPPPPPPP In a monaster- near the 3order of Ti3et I found a /ortrait of m-self% ,omeone in saffron told me that it was called the 7heel of #ife, the round of e.istence, 3ut it was m-self /ainted crude and clear5 the /ig, the lion, the sna1e, the coc1, all animals, angels, demons, titans, gods and men, all hea$en and hell, all /leasures and /ains, all that went to ma1e me and all as it were, within the round of m-self, within the wall, e.actl- as I had found it% All that I could 3e was within the enclosure of m-self, all that I could do would onl- turn the 7heel around and around% There was no wa- out% I would go on, now u/, now down, ne$er ceasing, ne$er changing% The mechanism was /erfect% The 7heel of #ife is the o3@ecti$isation of the delusion in the mind of man% I% Vol VIII No 1 1971 The "reat "ame of 6retending 'ouglas (. #arding Vol VIII No 1 1971 The Illusion of !atter Murdo)h erby The Illusion Of !atter !y Murdo)h erby There is ,/ace% It is e$er-where% It can transfer energ-, such as light and heat, across millions and thousands of millions of miles% I will re/resent it as /arallel lines% The energ- is transferred as wa$es% In fact all matter can 3e re/resented as wa$es, though at other times it can 3e re/resented as /rotons, electrons and neutrons% I will now re/resent some matter as wa$es in s/ace% It is a ta3le% It is matter which can 3e e.amined as /rotons, electrons and neutrons% 7e are also /rotons, electrons and neutrons and the ta3le is solid to us% If the wa$es were to return to the state of energ- then the solid form of matter would disa//ear or in other words if >igure I was stretched so that all the wa$es were straightened out where would the solid ta3le 3e then9 Or the *arth, or -ou or me9 <*N ,4A4N :a modern writer;%

,/ace at rest is ,/ace% ,/ace in action is !atter% ,ri (ama1rishna 6aramahamsa in one of his sa-ings had it that5 Shakti :+i$ine energ-; in action is Maya% Shakti in 6otenc- is <rahman% Vol VIII No 1 1971 The Illusion of !atter Murdo)h erby Vol VIII No 1 1971 The ,acred ,ong of Tha-umana$ar Gladys de Meuter The ,acred ,ong of Tha-umana$ar !y Gladys 'e Meuter 6ious and learned man ?edilia//a 6illai was /alace su/erintendent to the (a@ah of Trichino/ol-, Vi@a-a (anga Cho11anatha% <lessed with one child, Chidam3aram, ?edilia//a 6illai /ra-ed for another son at the shrine of #ord Tha-umaneshwar, situated on the sacred hill of ,aragiri% 7hen his wish was granted, ?edilia//a named his second 3orn Tha-umana$ar% The 3o- dis/la-ed a /ious dis/osition at an earl- age, accom/an-ing his father regularl- to the (oc1 Tem/le% 4andsome and highl- intelligent, Tha-umana$ar mastered 3efore the age of si.teen the Puranas, .panishads, Itihasas and other im/ortant wor1s in ,ans1rit and Tamil% 4is holiness and 3rilliant intellect were 1nown to ?ing Cho11anatha who 3ade him assume his father0s duties as ,u/erintendent when ?edilia//a 6illai died% This Tha-umana$ar undertoo1 to do onl- u/on the insistence of the ?ing, for his heart was set on the religious life% At court the 6undits recognised his su/erior 1nowledge which discouraged useless argumentation and theological wrangling 3- ad$ising the 6undits 0to see1 out the Truth0% As the -outh ad$anced in wisdom there came u/on him an ardent longing for a 6erfect Teacher who would remo$e the clouds of ignorance from his heart and lead him to the "oal of Truth% This -earning increased within him until one da- his secret /ra-er was answered 3- the arri$al at the (oc1 Tem/le of the ,age Arul Nandi ,i$achariar, 1nown as Mouna Guru, the ,ilent Teacher% Tha-umana$ar was drawn towards the ,ilent ,age from whom he recei$ed initiation% ,o great was his lo$e for "uru that he wished to relinCuish his worldl- duties and follow him, 3ut the ,age 3ade him remain where he was% >irml- 3ut gentl- the !aster told Tha-umana$ar5 Asumma iru0 Z 03e still0% The words made a /rofound im/ression on the -outh who o3edientl- carried on his wor1 at ?ing Cho11anatha0s court% It ha//ened that one da- Tha-umana$ar recei$ed from his ro-al /atron the gift of a costl- shawl% '/on lea$ing the /alace Tha-umana$ar came u/on an old woman shi$ering with cold as she 3egged for alms% !o$ed 3- com/assion the -outh /laced the shawl a3out the old woman0s shoulders sa-ing, "!other, /lease acce/t this shawl% )our need for it is greater than mine%" 7hen news of this reached the ?ing he sent for Tha-umana$ar and demanded to 1now wh- his /rincel- gift had 3een handed o$er to an old woman of low caste% Tha-umana$ar re/lied5 AO 1ing, I 3ehold neither old age nor caste, I saw onl- the image of the 'ni$ersal !other% The shawl has returned to its rightful owner%0 6ondering these words the ?ing suffered a change of heart and 3ecame merciful to the /oor and need-%

'/on the death of ?ing Cho11anatha, Tha-umana$ar agreed to ser$e in office for a short while further, 3ut he was forced to lea$e the /alace in secret when the 8ueen 3ecame enamoured of him% Arri$ing at the ad@oining 1ingdom of (amnad, the hol- man was welcomed 3- its ruler who /ro$ided him with a Cuiet garden in which to /ursue his s/iritual e.ercises% The state of (amnad was in the throes of a se$ere drought when Tha-umana$ar too1 u/ his a3ode there% ,ic1ness, star$ation, suffering /re$ailed e$er-where% !o$ed 3- the /light of those a3out him Tha-umana$ar raised his hands hea$enwards and sent forth a h-mn of /raise to #ord ,i$a, ending with the words, AO clouds, /our down the life gi$ing rain u/on the thirst- earth%0 7hen Tha-umana$ar fell silent, the /atter of rain heralded the arri$al of new life to stric1en (amnad% The resurgence of ho/e and health was accom/anied 3- an out/ouring of "race for those whose hearts were athirst for s/iritual sustenance% ,ee1ing out the hol- man in his Cuiet gro$e, the- went awa- from his gracious /resence refreshed% 7hen Tha-umana$ar0s 3rother learned of his wherea3outs, he came to (amnad and urged him to return to Vedaran-am, their /arents0 home% There, Tha-umana$ar married in com/liance with the wishes of his "uru% 4is wife died shortl- after the 3irth of their son ?anagasa3ha/athi 6illai, and Tha-umana$ar too1 tender charge of the infant until he achie$ed maturit-% 4a$ing faithfull- carried out the instructions gi$en him 3- his !aster, Tha-umana$ar -earned for his 3elo$ed Mouna Guru who had /romised to initiate him into the higher 8oga when the time was ri/e% As if in answer to the lo$ing heart call of his de$otee, the ,ilent Teacher arri$ed at Vedaran-am to com/lete his initiation% 4e then instructed Tha-umana$ar to ta1e u/ the life of an ascetic, which his hol- disci/le accordingl- /roceeded to do, tra$elling from one sacred shrine to another, while the <liss within his 3eing found e./ression in ins/ired song% Tha-umana$ar made /ilgrimages to the hol- /laces of !adurai, Chidam3aram, Tiru$annamalai in ,outh India, com/osing the while h-mns of /raise to #ord ,i$a as +a1shinamurti and "race manifesting as Mouna Guru% 4e settled down at (amnad after his tra$els and there a grou/ of earnest disci/les gathered a3out him% The- sang songs of <liss which their !aster com/osed, sending forth the thrilling tale of hea$enl- lo$e among the /eo/le% Two /rominent disci/les Arula--a and ?odi11arai ,wami, recorded the words of their "uru, while ?anagasa3a/athi 6illai too1 re$erent care of his father0s songs and /salms which num3ered o$er fourteen hundred% The com/ositions of Tha-umana$ar are /ermeated 3- light and 3eaut-, testif-ing to that hea$enl- lo$e which teaches that 3oth the householder0s life and that of the ascetic are to 3e regarded as sacred% In the words of the ,age5 A+ear Ones, the householder who controls his mind is indeed a Mahayogi, while the ascetic who allows himself to 3e ensla$ed 3- the senses remains ignorant% The detached heart considers 3oth home life and ascetic life as sacred%0 Tha-umana$ar laid great em/hasis on "race as 3eing a "ift of the #ord, one which 1indles a flame within the heart of the de$otee, causing him to see1 out Truth with increasing fer$our and determination% The tender lo$e which formed this &ewel of "race could 3e illustrated in two wa-s5 that of the 1itten 3eing carried 3- its mother, or that of the -oung mon1e- clinging to its mother% In the former case the de$otee surrenders himself to the Com/assionate #o$e of "uru, allowing the +i$ine 7ill to ta1e com/lete charge of his life% Satsang or de$otion to ,aints and ,ages was taught 3- Tha-umana$ar to 3e a safe and eas- /ath to the goal of s/iritual life0 and in the songs of the ,age this is 3eautifull- e./ressed in words of stirring sincerit-% The A7ondrous 7ord0 on which hinged Tha-umana$ar0s ,elf (eali2ation s/ar1les with uniCue fire among the gems of the ,age0s teachings0 for it is the ,ecret 7ord heard 3- the inner ear when the eloCuent language

of the +i$ine ,ilence is at last understood a language transcending the realms of s/eech and thought, conferring u/on the /urified heart 1nowledge of Athings unuttera3le, dear%0 (adiating the singleness of Vision of the !aharshi, Tha-umana$ar taught5 AThe dualistic a//roach which s/iritual as/irants ma1e use of at the start, /rogressi$el- leads to 6erfection, and unit- with the ,u/reme <eing% The e./erience of the *nlightened has declared this a//roach to 3e sensi3le and true and in agreement with s/iritual teachings% All saints acce/t this dualistic a//roach to monism %%%% 0If therefore I regard Thee as m- True ,elf surel- in due course I must 3ecome T4AT% Thou wilt "race me in whate$er form I worshi/ Thee in m- heart% There is no lac1 of /aths therefore to realise Thee%0 7hen this gentle ,age died in 17BI, his disci/les made his wor1s 1nown throughout Tamilnad, teaching their "uru0s songs to those who lo$ed Truth% ,*#*CT*+ 6O*!, A7hat is T4AT which cannot 3e said to 3e dwelling "hereW or "there", 3ut illumineth all as light and 3eing of the essence of "race im/arts /erfect <liss C A7hat is T4AT which has 3rought forth all the millions of worlds ordaining that the- ha$e their 3eing in Its own "race while 3eing Itself the #ife within all li$es90 07hat is T4AT which transcends mind and s/eech90 A7hat is T4AT which transcends all sectarianism while allowing man- religions to assert5 "4e is ours 4e is ours", and confer and argue in unending discord90 A7hat is T4AT which remains nonetheless ?nowledge A3solute0 <liss A3solute, *.istence A3solute90 A7hat is T4AT which although *$er /resent Thought, transcends the acti$ities of thin1ing and forgetting90 ACognisant that these and all things are manifestations of ,u/reme ,ilence, let us adore T4AT%0 AConflicting 3eliefs share in common One onl- "od, All /owerful TheeE According to the need of each, Thou choosest To a//ear with distinctness, without a difference% As ri$ers run to the ,ea0 so do all 3eliefs merge Into Thee, O ,ea of "reat ,ilence%0 O ,u/reme #ord0 The <liss state must surel- ensue If Thou wouldst ma1e me worth- to ser$e Th- de$otees% O ,u/reme #ord, Thou art the shoreless ,ea of <liss 7hich rises in wondrous glor- in the hearts Of de$otees who ha$e entered the ,ilence% 7hen, oh when0 shall I tread the straight 6ath of sages who ha$e transcended the twisting 7a- of useless dissensions and dogmatic wrangling% One 7O(+, a wondrous word e.ists 7hich in Itself contains All other wordsA 3- it is /urged The soul of all its stains% It is the 7O(+ 3- "uru gi$en% One 7O(+, immo$a3le "oal

,teadfast as a mountain to/% Towards which @ourne-s the soul% <eside it all other words are Valueless, $oid of aim% #i1e /awns mo$ed at random, !o$ed in a /ur/oseless game% The grace of gi$ing, the gain of holiness, 4ea$enl- wisdom, and might a3o$e all s/eech% The soul0s @o-ous home, 4ea$en itself, All these O mind, lie within th- reach% <- that one 7O(+ "uru s/o1e unto me !e still, m- mind, be still '/on the word 3- the ,ilent One s/o1en (est thou tranCuil, restrain the 7a-ward will% "od alone is true wisdom 7here neither one nor twain can 3eE Now am I in dar1est night, 7hen will dawn the da- for me, 7hen will dawn the da-C #ord of "race, 3estower of 3lessed ,ilence, Thou art lo$e to those that lo$e Thee% #ord of "race, 3estower of 3lessed ,ilence, Thou didst ena3le me to 1now m-self% ?nowing m-self, the me e.isted no more% I cannot worshi/ in Th- Tem/le, And 3efore Th- s-m3ols 3ow% Or offer Thee dew 1issed 3lossoms, >or in the 3lossom0s heart art Thou% 4ow /lace m- /alms together9 <end m- 3od- to worshi/ Thee9 All this is im/erfect ser$ice ,ince Thou, #ord, indwellest in me% The $astness of the ether, Thou art, The elements, the /rimal sound, The four Vedas and their "oal, The ,earch 3e-ond all see1ing found% The sacred Cuest, its 1e- and secretE Of all seeing Thou art the sight, Of all 1nowing Thou art the 1nowledge, Of sense and sight, the inner light% The word and its meaning% >orm of the secret, sa$ing Call, O source of "race <liss 3e-ond thought% +ancing @o-ousl- in 4igh 7isdom 4all% 7ho 3uilt this dar1 a3ode for m- home9 7here onl- flashes of truth ma- come, !a1ing of m- 1nowledge 3ut a small sum9 7ho mar1ed u/on m- 3row that I should 1ee/ This 1nowledge carefull- hidden dee/ #i1e a treasure within m- heart9 >or awhile to slee/% 4ow was I lulled into thin1ing Atwould last for e-e This 3od- which I nurture da- 3- da-,

Ignoring the soul0s @o- which 1nows no deca-9 <- m- cra$ing for worldl- good, did the- in$est me9 >ather, mother, how came the- to 3e /ossessed 3- me9 The 3urden must on others rest% Are all to 3lame9 Is it the fruit of li$es long gone9 Is it the fault of circumstances or m- own9 7here lies the 3lame9 The reason remains un1nown% <e-ond m- 1nowing, O +i$ine <liss that fills All /laces, e$en the lowliest with unheard thrills Of &o-! Thou 1nowest m- man- ills% ,*#*CT*+ ,ON", A)ou ha$e witnessed the crows in$iting their own 1ind to /arta1e in a common meal% If this 3e the case among 3irds and in regard to sim/le food, with what great /leasure and warmth should we gather together the whole of humanit- to /arta1e of the su/reme felicit- of "od (eali2ation, 3efore the /assing awa- of our /h-sical 3odies%0 [7hate$er the e-e 3eholdeth is Thou% 7hate$er the hand doeth is Th- homage% 7hate$er the mouth s/ea1eth is Th- /raise% The earth, elements and all li$ing things are manifestations of Th- "race, O #ord! 0The #ight which has no 3eginning -et is the 3eginning, 7hich shines within me as Intelligence, <liss, !anifested 3efore me as the ,ilent Teacher and made 1nown to me things incommunica3le% The secrets 4e made 1nown to me, how ma- 1 re/eat them9 <- 4is art I was /laced alone, with naught else 3eside me% 4e made me su/remel- ha//-, and 4e too1 me unto 4imself% A,e$er all attachments, clea$e to !e within,0 4e instructed me% 4ow ma- I tell what I 3enefited 3- clea$ing, to 4im9 4e made 1nown to me things unuttera3le, dear% #ong did I roam, led on 3- miser-, until m- #ord !anifested to me and made me 4is de$oted ,er$ant 3- 3anishing the demon of cra$ing% As I learnt to master the senses, m- lo$e for 4im Increased% In ecstatic ,ilence 4e made me one with 4im, And I was rendered s/eechless% Thus commingled, m- caste 3ecame lost to me and custom I shattered% To mention it would dis/el m- @o-% In Truth, 4e is no ordinar- earthl- lo$er, 3ut m- /rotector and "od% As water o$erflows its 3an1s, so tears of *cstas- flowed from m- e-esE m- heart melting with +i$ine lo$e, 4is wonderful act thrilled me% A6ut awa- from thee whate$er th- heart /ercei$eth o3@ecti$el- as real or unreal,0 so m- #ord instructed me and 4e too1 me unto 4imself% AThou art neither the earth nor the elements% 6onder this% Thou art neither the e.ternal organs nor the innermost senses% Thou art the Intelligence which searcheth and 1noweth% These words lo$ingl- s/o1en 3- the #ord im/art @o- indeed! 4e is lo$e to those who lo$e 4im% !- #ord is true% <lissful is 4e, The ,ilent One !aster most gracious, 4e /laced 4is feet u/on m- head, whereu/on m- mind died% Thus did 4e confer ,elf ?nowledge% I reflected5 A4ow came 3irth and death to adhere to me90 The- s/routed from the delusi$e, /erfidious !ind whose acti$ities are thin1ing and forgetting% ,aid 4e5 A<ehold all things 3- the #ight of "race%0

#ac1ing in understanding I stro$e to see with m- senses, discriminating% I 3eheld onl- dar1ness 3lind to e$en m-self, the seer 7h- did it ha//en thus9 ,aid 4e5 ACease to identif- me and thee in th- heart as two% Cease to discriminate%0 The esctas- im/arted 3this 3est of all sa-ings cannot 3e descri3ed% The light of *cstas- engulfed me, and I who am less than an atom, en@o-ed 6ure >ullness which neither cometh nor goeth% #o, the wonder of it! Thoughts emerged T4*(* thoughts dissol$ed T4*(* and were rendered /ure% All states ha$e their 3eing T4*(*% T4*(*, seer 3eholding no second I A!% 7hen thou hast seen the infinite glor- of Sat6$hit6Ananda, e$er-where, does there remain a Ahere0 or Athere09 +oes there e.ist a Aone0 or a Atwo09 Is there a )es or No9 If thou desirest <liss, remain still as 6ure ,/irit then wilt thou ?now% Thus, instructed our #ord, the "oal of the Vedas% ,*#*CT*+ T*AC4IN", *$er-one ha$ing 3een trou3led 3- the a//earance of the 0I0 or indi$idual ego, there s/ontaneousl- emerges the di$ersif-ing agenc- which is the uni$ersal !a-a% 7ho can adeCuatel- /ortra- the conseCuent de/th of sorrow9 It manifests as the /h-sical 3od-, the senses 3oth interior and e.teriorE as the all /er$ading ether, as fire, air, earth and waterE as forest, mountain, gigantic $isions li1e hills, su3tle and /h-sical memor-, forgetfulness, and so onE rising u/ li1e wa$es which 3atter at a man, 3ringing with them /ain and /leasure which are the fruits of his /ast actions, also attendant are their cures such as religions, creeds, truth see1ers and their sanctions and testimonies contained within different sciences and logicall- e./ounded greater in num3er than the fine sands on the seashore% ,heaf u/on sheaf of unaccounta3le miseries s/ontaneousl- arise% 4ow to u/root them radicall-, as though consuming a hill of cam/hor where no residue remains9 To wor1 this miracle and in order to enlighten me, "race manifested in a sha/e li1e m- own% <orn somewhere, 3earer of a name, eating, slee/ing, e./eriencing en@o-ment and /ain% &ust as a deer is used to deco- another of its 1ind, so "race came as the ,ilent "uru% And too1 /ossession of m- 3od-, goods, m- life itself consistentl- eliminating all, teaching5 A)ou are neither the fi$e senses, the fi$e elements, the lim3s, the mind, nor their attri3utes% )ou are not these collecti$el-% )ou are not the /h-sical shell, neither 1nowledge nor ignorance% )ou are 6ristine Conscious ness, unassociated, @ust as the cr-stal reflects the 3ac1ground to the 3eholder "uru is onl- -our inherent nature re$ealing Truth when -ou are in readiness to recei$e it% ,hould -ou 3e forced to attain *ternal <liss Consciousness, indwelling all, har1en to m- words5 A!a- -ou attain to the a3ode of the 6ure 4eart and there remain fore$er! !a- dense ignorance de/art from -ou! !a<liss Consciousness 3e -ours! !a- -ou 3e li3erated!0 Thus did the "uru address me% Conferring true 1nowledge of the uniCue and natural ,ilence which eliminates 3ondage and in which there is no ego, meditation, s/ace, time, direction, elimination, di$ersification, e./ression, association in which there does not e.ist the /henomena of da- and nightE of 3eginning or end, of interior, middle, nor an aggregate of these% "race further re$eals that, although these are all eliminated AIt0 remains not as a Void, 3ut as e$erlasting, natural <*IN" 3e-ond descri/tion% AIt0 does not manifest as ego, 3ut remains the (*A#IT) which engulfs ignorance as da- dissol$es nightE a3sor3ing unhindered all 1nowledgeE transforming the indi$idual into Itself% ,elf effulgent, It shines in ,ilence% 7ith its rising AIt0 hinders the a//earing of anotherE all else is o3literated li1e 3urning cam/hor which is dis/ersed without there remaining a flic1er or glow% <e-ond the sense AIt0 shinesE detached from the 1nower, 1nowledge or 1nown and -et 0It0 is there% 7ho can s/ea1 of AIt0, and to whom9 7hen AIt0 emerges, indi$idualit- is transmuted It s/ea1s for Itself%

The- sa- that to remain without thought is to 3e onl- AI0% To remain fi.ed in that state is itself "race% It signifies sur$i$al after the dissolution of the ego% <liss which is the ,elf then manifests% There is naught else% >reedom from re3irth is attained onl- 3- those who ha$e achie$ed this <liss state% On the single word which is /owerful and uniCue, renounce all cra$ing which is onl- latenc- manifesting its im/urities as home, offs/ring and relati$es% A single word /re/ares the wa- for man- more% #i1ewise, a word clean ses all im/urities% This is certain% It is e$ident that the master0s word clears awa- all confusion and dou3ts, whereas 3and-ing with other words is li1e /la-ing chess without a chess3oard% >or -ou there is no re3irth% )ou ha$e 3ecome aware that the ,elf has 3een manifested to -ou 3- words rendered /rogressi$el- sweeter, li1e the successi$e segments of sugarcane% )ou reCuire no more words% ,im/l- remain as the Infinite <liss (adiance of the ,elf, from which -ou are not se/arate% )ou /ossess 1nowledge that the e/hemeral 3od- is im/ermanent% Onl- "race is agreea3le and true% Of what use has 3een -our accumulated reading if -ou cannot remain fi.ed in "race9 )our learning is mere non sense% )ou fail to reali2e that -our learning is nonsense% 7ords are useless% >ollow their trail and cling to their meaning% (etain a firm hold, li1e a mon1e-% )ou will recei$e 1nowledge that -our station lies 3e-ond night and da-% #et -our $oice sound li1e a clarion then, so that all ma- hear% 7h- do -ou wander a3out li1e a lost dog see1ing somewhere to sta-, things to own and wor1s to /erform9 Come here, -ou ha$e now 3een found% +o not fear, although -our mind is still filled with ignorance% The desireless state is -our home, to 3e rooted there is what reall- mattersE then the whole world will see1 to ser$e -ou% Ancient ,ages li1e ,ana1a were fi.ed in that state% +o li1e the ele/hant in rut and 3rea1 awafrom the chains that confine -ou% )ou ha$e disco$ered that all the worlds are as the water in a mirage% 4a$ing gone to their end e.amine them% 7hat is left9 Is it not the m-sterious *ssence9 <e T4AT therefore and remain there% AcCuire true 1nowledge of -ourself and resol$e that whate$er -ou ma- 3e, -ou are T4AT onl-% +o not go forth as something else and cease useless tal1% #a- firm hold of the mind% Cease thin1ing% A3stain from confronting an-thing% *$er-thing will resol$e into the *ssenceE acCuire 1nowledge of things as the- trul- are% AAs the- trul- are0 does not signif- that -ou should thin1 of them as 3ecoming (ealit-% ?ee/ the mind /ure% Cast awa- the illusion created 3- the mind% In the words of the stainless sages who ha$e renounced all, go 3e-ond night and da-, /lunge into the wide Ocean of <liss merging within it, so that 3ereft of s/eech -ou are o$er/owered 3- tears and Cui$ering% <ow down and ma1e 1nown that the world is illusor-% 7hen -ou are o$erwhelmed 3- the Infinite *./anse with neither 3eginning, middle nor end, there is non dual <liss (eali2ation% <ecause of the failure to /ercei$e the world and the indi$idual as the One (ealit-, -ou were told to infer the e.istence of the ,u/reme <eing 3- whom all is created and maintainedE it is difficult to understand howe$er, that on their dissolution e$en the ,u/reme <eing remains as 6ure Consciousness onl-% ,ilence was therefore en@oined% All this howe$er is in -our mindE do not 3e an.ious% <ehind the mind is the seat of re$elation which is "uru there can 3e nothing without "race% !anifesting as the #ord of ,ilence, -ou showed me the ,-m3ol of ,ilence, teaching that "The onl- (ealit- is the state of ,tillness without thoughts of AI0 and A-ou0%" In s/ite of this "race, AI0 again manifested and grew, identified m-self with the mind and stra-ed hel/less and forlorn, self deluded fool that I am! The ,acred ,ong of Tha-umana$ar, 3orn in the ,ilence of uns/ea1a3le <liss tells anew of that ageless, deathless #o$e which em3races all things and re@ects none% In thrilling accents of truth, Tha-umana$ar sings ra/turousl-5 A7ith antici/ator- "race 4e made me 4is own, ma1ing me #IV* 3- #OV*! 0

PPPPPPPPPPPP As stars, a fault of $ision, as a lam/, A moc1 show, dew dro/s or a 3u33le, A dream, a lightning flash or cloud ,o should one $iew what is conditioned% I% Vol VIII No 1 1971 The ,acred ,ong of Tha-umana$ar Gladys de Meuter Vol VIII No 1 1971 The ,now !aiden, 'ma 4aima$ati ,SunyaThe ,now !aiden, 'ma 4aima$ati !y ,SunyaL Alread- in ancient times when the 4imala-as came into 3eing, the- were the a3ode of "ods% Then as now, ,i$a, the ?ing of ?ings and destro-er of ignorance, was here with his 1indred, radiating calm 3enediction and stilled in Saha1a SamadhiE and the children of men recognised and worshi//ed him then, @ust as the fellow /ilgrims of toda- are aware of the truth of ,i$a0s realit-, when once the- ha$e had the darshan of their ,elf in the grandeur, the $astness and the unsullied /urit- of ,ri 4imala-a% Once u/on a time aeons ago, the #ord ,i$a was, as usual, in a state of /ure contem/lation, and his cr-stal clarit- reflected all the actualities in the /henomenal world% 4e saw through mere facts and forms to the realit- within all things, 3e-ond $eils and /risons and delusi$e 3ondage% 4e li3erated the /ure #ife flow 3his d-namic ,ilence% Among the 8ueens of the 4imala-as was the lo$el- daughter of the ,now, who li$ed and ser$ed the ?ing of ?ings, 3ut who also lo$ed herself and su3tl- wanted the admiration and the attention of her #ord% *ach dashe 3rought him delicious fruit and nectar and a warm sun li1e smile% <ut the ?ing of ?ings heeded not% 4e saw her no more than the golden eagles and the fleeting cloudlets in the 3lue and green $alle- 3elow5 for 6ure #o$e 1nows no degree% One da-, in her desire to 3e noticed and wanted, and lo$ed as gi$er, the Cueen dressed her regal 3eaut- in all the wondrous, softl- changing hues, which he had gathered from the $alle-s and mountains around, and from the gem coloured and sun suffused 4imala-an dawns and sunsets% In order to attract her #ord and to "do him good", she dec1ed her e.Cuisite form with /earls and diadems of mar$ellous rare gems, and with 3eads e$en more colourful than those worn 3- the hill women here toda-% 4er ru3ies and diamonds, emeralds and sa//hires radiated li1e a clear dawn o$er ?inching @unga and thus, in entrancing lo$eliness, e.Cuisitel- tender and innocent loo1ing, she disguised her su3tle, unconscious guile, and her terri3le feminine will to gi$e and to get, in a smile which was reflected far into India and Ti3et and all o$er Ne/al% Confident of her /ower, and sure of $ictor-, the ro-al daughter of the ,now a//roached the ?ing of ?ings carr-ing sun 1issed a//les and other luscious fruit from the $alle-s% And she called in a $oice, sweeter than heard melodies, "!- #ord ,i$a! <ehold, I ,er$e!" As ,i$a was aroused from his /rofound 4imala-an contem/lation, the roof of the earth Cua1ed, then crac1ed, while a$alanches of snow rushed from his hair into the 3lue $alle- and swelled the sil$er- streams% At first the ?ing of ?ings stared unseeingl- at the a//les of rare 1nowledge and at the lo$el-, 3ut gem 3edec1ed and $ain daughter of ,ri 4imala-a% 4e was onl- her *ssence, her (ealit-, the mani @ewel withinE 3ut slowl- he emerged into the $ision of forms and of mere facts, and in dualit- consciousness discerned the charm of the CueenE and he also saw that she was not na1ed, not sim/le, not (eal% >rom the Va1ra)hedika Sutra.

And 3ehind her stood the winged ?ing of #o$e, lifting a huge 3ow of 3ees and /ointing an arrow of ru3ies directl- at ,i$a0s ro-al heart% The 8ueen also felt the little "od and, in the trium/h and ecstas- of her a//roaching $ictor-, she drew nearer to ser$e her ?ingE when suddenl-, as ,i$a loo1ed into the e-es of the #o$e "od, there was a tremendous crash, and lo! the 3ow and arrow and all the 8ueen0s finer- flew into millions of fragments and were scattered o$er all the 4imala-as% And ,i$a awo1e from the Maya to /ure awareness, and he no longer saw that ro-al daughter of the ,now, e.ce/t as /ure essence% Again he merged into Saha1a Samadhi and real #ife /la- while the erstwhile so alluring 8ueen turned ashen gre- in desolation and des/air% All seemed lost, all her guile, her gi$ing and her gaud were of no a$ail, and she so33ed so /rofusel- that the se$en ri$ers o$erflowed their 3rims, and the #otus la1e !anasarowar :clear sea of unruffled calm; 3ecame slightl- cho//- and salt% <ut the daughter of the ,now realised her falseness, her clo-ing egoism, and how her truth, :in the greed and stress of her emotion;, had 3ecome elastic, 3lin1ered and 3lurred% >or a while she hugged her hurt and her feminine truth and she nourished her lie 3- ego /it-% <ut all was not lost5 ,i$a had focused the $irgin soul within the 3edec1ed form (o-alt-, and it awo1e into conscious awareness, li1e the slee/ing 3eaut- in all of us ma- awa1e at the glance of the *ternal% The contrite 8ueen was reall- 3ra$e and she decided5 "I will ma1e a good death and 3e 3orn again worth- of ser$ing the ?ing of ?ings in true sim/licit- and in na1ed 3eaut-% 'nnoticed I ma- ser$e him in a lo$e which shall 1now no tr-ing, no want and no fear% I shall alwa-s 3e near m- #ord, clear enough to see 4im e$er-where% "I shall radiate the /ure #o$e, which 1nows no degree and needs no reci/rocit- or reward% I shall 3e m- ,elf, Natural in sim/le dignit-%" ,o it ha//ened 3eautifull-5 the 8ueen died into life and 3ecame the ,now !aiden, 'ma 4aima$ati, whose ,ilence is radiant ,un-ata% #i1e ,ri Omananda@i she sings softl- in 4imala-an rh-thm5 #o! Th- $ast ,elf we name 3ut do not 1now, And in the naming 3rea1 the m-stic s/ell% O ,i$a! If the ,ilence is th- 4-mn, Teach us to sing it well% The 3lue nec1ed ,i$a, destro-er of ignorance is e$er in 4imala-an contem/lation, dancing his cosmic rh-thm of transmutation and change of formsE and "the form of the Shakti is all Ananda%" !utel- radiates the #o$e which 1nows neither fear nor degreeE and the children of man /ic1 u/ the fragments of an arrow and of all the scattered finer- of the 4imala-an 8ueen who now shines the freer in /urit- and @o-ous grace as the ,now !aiden, 'ma 4aima$ati% ,ri 4imala-a still has grandeur, $astness and a richness of delicate gem colours, which ma1e ,i$a0s realm a no3le crown of our worldl- consciousness% 4is snow- ranges frame our $ast /anorama in translucent /urit-, and 'ma 4aima$ati smiles in gorgeous sunsets and in hea$enl- dawns% <ut the little #o$e "od still /la-s his im/ish tric1s, though he has 3een in$isi3le here in 4imala-as e$er since #ord ,i$a loo1ed into his e-es with a lo$e that was /urer than his own% PPPPPPPP Sri !haga*an5 Time is onl- an idea% There is onl- (ealit-% 7hate$er -ou thin1 it is, it a//ears to 3e% If -ou call it time, it is time% If -ou call it e.istence, it is e.istence, and so on% After calling it time, -ou di$ide it into

da-s and nights, months, -ears, hours, minutes, etc% Time is immaterial for the /ath of 1nowledge% <ut some of these rules and disci/lines are good for 3eginners% Talks +ith Sri 4amana Maharshi Vol VIII No 1 1971 The ,ources of Classic Chinese Thought Father Thomas Merton The ,ources of Classic Chinese Thought !y Father Thomas Merton <uddhism has 3een the most im/ortant /o/ular religion in China, for it 3rought to the masses a definite message of sal$ationE 3ut it has not influenced Chinese thought as much as /rimiti$e Taoism or, es/eciallConfucianism% As <uddhism is a relati$el- late arri$al we shall not 3e concerned with it in this essa-% It does not 3elong to the classic creati$e /eriod of Chinese /hiloso/h-% The greatest, most uni$ersal, most Acatholic0 and most influential school of Chinese thought is the &u school, founded 3- ?ung T2u, or !aster ?ung, whose name was latini2ed 3- earl- missionaries as Confucius% 7e shall call him ?ung T2u, and if we ha$e occasion to refer to his greatest disci/le, 1nown to the 7est as !encius, we shall call him 3- his Chinese name5 !eng T2u% ,ince #ao T2u, the m-stic and father of Taoism, e$identl- did not interest the earl- &esuits, he ne$er 3ecame #aotius% Ne$ertheless his fascinating wor1, the Tao Te $hing :The 7a- and its 6ower; has /erha/s 3een more often translated than an- other Chinese classic% ?ung T2u and #ao T2u li$ed in the Dth centur- <C :though in the case of #ao T2u no date and no 3iogra/hical fact can e$er 3e ta1en as certain;% This made them contem/oraries with "autama <uddha in India, 6-thagoras in "reece and, in Israel, the /ro/hets of the e.ile li1e &eremiah, *2e1iel and +eutero Isaiah% The Aclassic /eriod0 of earl- Chinese thought e.tended down through the so called "/eriod of the warring states" until the third centur- and the esta3lishment of a unified China% This unification of China was to a great e.tent the wor1 of the "#egalists" who 3rought the great /eriod of Chinese thought to a close and, /erha/s, did more than an-one else to create a societ- that would guarantee the formalisation and e$en the ossification of classic thought for centuries to come% At an- rate, 3- the third centur- the reall- great de$elo/ment of Chinese /hiloso/h- ceased, and what followed was to 3e little more than scholastic ela3oration or s/oradic m-stical re$olt% ?ung wrote nothing himself, and did not consider himself an originator 3ut rather as a defender of the unwritten traditions of the archaic /ast% Indeed when we loo1 at /rehistoric China through the e-es of ?ung T2u, and consider the 3oo1 of /rimiti$e Odes collected 3- him, we are astonished at the de/th and so/histication of the culture which he sought to /reser$e in its highest and most /erfect form through ages which, he thought, would /ro3a3l- 3e ages of decadence% #ao T2u e$identl- shared ?ung T2u0s re$erence for the /ast, 3ut he went 3ac1 e$en further into the archaic world and was sus/icious of an- s-stematisation or social order as "artificial"% In his mind, go$ernment, /olitics and e$en ethical s-stems, no matter how good the- might 3e in themsel$es, were a /er$ersion of man0s natural sim/licit-% The- made men com/etiti$e, self centred, aggressi$e, and ultimatel- this led him into o3session with delusi$e ideas a3out himself% >rom these delusions came hatreds, schisms, factions, wars and the destruction of societ-% #ao T2u0s ideal of societ- was the small /rimiti$e state consisting of nothing more than a few $illages, inha3ited 3- sim/le, self forgetful men in com/lete harmon- with the hidden, ineffa3le Tao% It was when the "reat Tao declined That there a//eared humanit- and righteousness% It was when 1nowledge and intelligence arose That there a//eared much h-/ocris-% It was when the si. relations lost their harmonThat there was tal1 of filial /iet- and /aternal affection% It was when the countr- fell into chaos and confusion That there was tal1 of lo-alt- and trustworthiness%

Those who cannot co/e with the /arado.ical sim/licit- of this archaic and m-stical $iew of the world imagine that #ao T2u is scorning humanit- and righteousness :the foundation stones of the Confucian ethics;% On the contrar-, he is tr-ing to /reach a doctrine which to westerners seems fantasticall- su3tle5 that the realit- of humanit- and righteousness is right there in front of -our nose if onl- -ou will /ractise them without self conscious reflection, or self congratulation, and without ma1ing a fuss o$er ethical theor-% In other words, reflection and self consciousness are what 3egin the $itiation of true moral acti$it- according to #ao T2u% As soon as one 3ecomes aware of doing good and a$oiding e$il he is no longer /erfectl- good% *thical rationalisation ma1es /ossi3le that schi2oid di$ision 3etween words and acts, 3etween thoughts and deeds, which :as 4amlet well 1new; finall- reduces honest acti$it- to com/lete hel/lessness, or else la-s the wa- o/en for /olitical or religious croo1s to do all the e$il the- li1e in the name of "righteousness"% >or #ao T2u, if one were to 3e righteous he should first of all fl- all thought of righteousness, and /ut out of his mind an- conce/t of himself as an ideal "righteous man"% 4e who 1nows glor- 3ut 1ee/s to disgrace <ecomes the $alle- of the world% <eing the $alle- of the world 4e finds contentment in constant $irtue, 4e returns to the uncar$ed 3loc1% The cutting u/ of the uncar$ed 3loc1 results in $essels, 7hich in the hands of the sage 3ecome officers, Trul-, "a great cutter does not cut %%%"1 This 1ind of thought is definitel- left of centre% And there is no den-ing it is dangerous% The onl- one who can safel- follow #ao T2u is the man who is alread- so to s/ea1 a saint and a sage% Indeed that is the im/licit assum/tion made 3- Taoism5 it is a /hiloso/h- that would ha$e wor1ed fine in the "arden of *den, and if Adam and *$e had stuc1 to the Tao there would ha$e 3een little difficult- for the rest of us in doing so% <ut from the moment a man is immersed in confusion, and carried awa- 3- the /assions and eccentricities of a 3ewildered and iniCuitous societ-, he has little ho/e of finding himself merel- 3- shutting his e-es and following the Tao% The Tao ma- 3e within him, 3ut he is com/letel- out of touch with it, @ust as he is out of touch with his own inmost self% (eco$er- of the Tao is im/ossi3le without a com/lete transformation, a change of heart which Christianit- would call metanoia% Men of course en$isaged this /ro3lem, and studied how to arri$e at satori, to the e./losi$e redisco$er- of the hidden and lost realit- within us%
1 8uotations from the Tao Te $hing are ta1en from ,ources of Chinese Tradition%

PPPPPPPPP Nothing at all (a33i Aaron was as1ed what he had learnt from his teacher the "reat !aggid, "Nothing at all" he said% And when the- /ressed him to e./lain what he meant 3- that, he added5 "The nothing at all is what I learnt% I learnt the meaning of nothingness% I learnt that I am nothing at all and that I A! notwithstanding%" I% !A(TIN <'<*(, Tales of the #asidim 6 The (arly Masters.

Vol VIII No 1 1971 The ,ources of Classic Chinese Thought Father Thomas Merton Vol VIII No 1 1971 The Veda/ara-ana The Veda/ara-ana ,ri (udram ,ection V ;$ontinued from our &uly <=>? issue@

6rostrations to the Originator of the 'ni$erse and the (emo$er of life0s sorrows% 6rostrations to the destro-er of sins and the #ord of 3eings% 6rostrations to the 3lue throated one and the white throated :ash smeared; one% 6rostrations to the one with the matted loc1s and the one with the full- sha$ed head% 6rostrations to the thousand e-ed one and the one with the hundred 3ows% 6rostrations to the dweller on the mountains and the one who is in the form of the all /er$ading Vishnu% 6rostrations to the one in the form of the rain clouds and the one who 3ears arrows% 6rostrations to the short one and one who is in the form of a dwarf% 6rostrations to the one of gigantic stature and the one who is the re/ositor- of $irtues% 6rostrations to the ancient one and the one who is renowned% 6rostrations to the /rimordial one and the foremost one% 6rostrations to the omni/resent one and the fast mo$ing one% 6rostrations to the dweller in the swift streams and the dweller in the floods% 6rostrations to the dweller in the wa$es and the dweller in still waters% 6rostrations to the dweller in 3roo1s and the dweller on islands% VI 6rostrations to one who is the elder and one who is the -ounger% 6rostrations to the first 3orn :4iran-agar3ha; and the last 3orn :the world destro-ing fire;% 6rostrations to the middle aged one and the -outhful one% 6rostrations to the one who is 3orn from the hind /ortion :of animals; and the one who a//ears as the roots of trees% 6rostrations to the one 3orn as human 3eings and the one 3orn as other 3eings% 6rostrations to the one 3orn in the world of )ama :the god of death; and the one 3orn in the hea$enl- world :s*arga;% 6rostrations to the dweller in the field of cro/s and the dweller on the threshing floor% 6rostrations to the one who is /raised 3- the Vedas and the one who is the end of the Vedas% 6rostrations to the one in the sha/e of forest trees and the one who is in the form of /lants and cree/ers in thic1ets% 6rostrations to the one in the form of sound and the one in the form of the echo% 6rostrations to the one in the form of fast mo$ing armies and the one in the form of fast chariots%

6rostrations to the 3ra$e one and the one who /unishes the wic1ed% 6rostrations to the one who wears the armour and the one whose chariot has a s/eciall- /rotected /art in it% 6rostrations to the one who wears a head dress and the one who is /rotected 3- a charm% 6rostrations to the renowned one and the one whose arm- is renowned% PPPPPPPPPPPPP 7hat 7e (eall- Are! 7e gi$e here 3elow the fundamental tenets of an ancient Chinese !editation ,ect C40AN T,'N" from The Path to Sudden Attainment. 1% 6henomena of an- 1ind whate$er e.ist onl- in what for want of a 3etter term is called the mind% I% The mind is s-non-mous with the ultimate realit- underl-ing the a//earances of /henomena% This ultimate realit- is no other than the <odhi mind, or mind of the <uddha% 7e are therefore identical with the <uddhas in their highest as/ect as the su/reme and uni$ersal <od- of the #aw : 'harmakaya;% F% Thus there is no such thing as attaining the state of <uddhahood5 we ha$e 3ut to understand what we reallare% B% It follows that it is useless to loo1 outwards to the <uddhas for *nlightenment% 7e must loo1 into our own minds and tr- to discern their true nature% If we are a3le to /ercei$e this, we /ercei$e the nature of the <uddhas and of the uni$erse, for the- are all one% G% ,ince all /henomena e.ist onl- in the mind, it follows that distinctions 3etween this and that, including distinctions 3etween AI0 and A-ou0, are false, e.ce/t in a relati$e sense, 3ecause m- mind and -our mind are identical with the uni$ersal mind% D% 'ltimate realit- is something entirel- 3e-ond descri/tion, and cannot 3e thought of in terms of e.istence and non e.istence% >or con$enience sa1e it has 3een identified with mind, 3ut in fact e$en mind is a relati$e term and cannot 3e said to ha$e an- a3solute e.istence% 7% 7e should, therefore, tr- to $isualise e$er-thing as mind and then rid oursel$es of e$en that conce/t% In this wa- we shall a//roach an understanding of the nature of ultimate realit-% Vol VIII No 1 1971 The Veda/ara-ana Vol VIII No 1 1971 Vallimalai Tiru//uga2h ,wami Centenar- Cele3rations Vallimalai Tiru//uga2h ,wami alyanasundaram

Centenar- Cele3rations
!y alyanasundaram Another saint dee/l- de$oted to #ord !uruga :#ord ,u3ramania; was ,ri Vallimalai ,acchitananda ,wami, also 1nown as ,ri Tiru//uga2h ,wami, whose 3irth centenar- was cele3rated at ,ri Vaishna$i ,hrine :,ri ,adhu 6arthasarath-0s Ashram; near !adras, on No$em3er IG of this -ear% ,ri Vallimalai ,wami made it his life mission to sing and s/read Tiru//uga2h, the famous de$otional songs of ,aint Arunagirinathar, with such fer$our and 3eaut- of rendering that the- are 1nown and sung toda- all o$er India% ,ri <haga$an said once of Tiru//uga2h that these songs sung with real de$otion "3ring tears to one0s e-es"! ,ri Vallimalai ,wami was 3orn in 6oonachi in Coim3atore district of Tamil Nadu% 4is /arents were orthodo. <rahmins% 4is father /assed awa- when Ardhanari, which was his name in secular life, was fi$e -ears old% 4e was 3rought u/ 3- an uncle and since he did not e$ince much interest in stud-ing, his uncle a//renticed

him to the head coo1 in the /alace of the !ahara@a of !-sore and there he 3ecame not onl- an e./ert in the culinar- art 3ut also an athlete and wrestler% 4e was married twice, the second time when he was si.teenE while attending the marriage of a relati$e, @ust /rior to the ceremon- the intended 3ridegroom suffered an attac1 of e/ile/s- and so Ardhanari was /re$ailed u/on to ta1e his /lace! In 19JH, he went to 6alani where he was cured from e.cruciating, long standing stomach trou3le% Once while there he heard, during a festi$al, a de*adasi :tem/le dancer; sing with so much s/iritual fer$our that he went into ecstas- and had a /re glim/se of reali2ation which changed his life% 7hen he learnt that the song in Cuestion was Tiru//uga2h of ,aint Arunagirinathar he resol$ed to learn Tamil and there3- Tiru//uga2h% This he did within a few months, although almost illiterate to 3egin with! On his wa- 3ac1 from a /ilgrimage he $isited <haga$an ,ri (amana !aharshi at Tiru$annamalai where he also met ,ri ,eshadri ,wami% On first 3eholding ,ri !aharshi on the 4ill of Arunachala he had another ecstatic e./erience and saw in 4im onl- the #ord of 6alani :#ord !uruga;% 4e sta-ed there for o$er two months and s/ent most of his time singing Tiru//uga2h in front of ,ri <haga$an who made corrections whene$er necessar-% #ater he too1 sannyasa and went on another /ilgrimage wandering a3out the 4imala-as% 4e returned to Arunachala 3ut after sta-ing ten da-s u/ the 4ill with ,ri <haga$an, he was directed 3- 4im to go down% 6u22led and worried he o3e-ed the command and on the wa- met ,ri ,eshadri ,wami who 3ecame his guru% 4e directed him to go to the 4ill of Vallimalai and settle there and to ado/t Tiru//uga2h as his mahamantra :great all sufficient mantra; without an- further need for e.ternal pu1as% At Vallimalai he settled in a natural ca$e and /ractised intense sadhana% The /ro/agation of Tiru//uga2h 3ecame his mission in life and he did this so successfull- that these sacred chantings were resumed throughout Tamil Nadu% The songs were arranged 3- him in suita3le seCuences to conform to $arious rites and ado/ted in all im/ortant shrines of #ord !uruga% At this time the ,wami had a $ision of "oddess Valli :the consort of #ord !uruga; or Pongi, in the form of a $er- -oung girl who enthralled him with her song from Tiruppuga:h% 4e seemed to ha$e de$elo/ed yogi) /owers 3- then, which he used onl- to hel/ others% A num3er of miracles are attri3uted to him in connection with feeding the /oor also% On another occasion it seems that #ord !uruga a//eared to him in the form of a 3eggar who Cuoted an a//ro/riate Tiruppuga:h illustrati$e of the effacement of AI0 and Amine0 as the surest wa- to #i3eration% The ,wami /assed awa- on the IGth No$em3er, 19GJ and was 3uried in the ca$e which was his dwelling% <efore gi$ing u/ his 3od- the ,wami entrusted the res/onsi3ilit- of worshi//ing Valli or Pongi to his staunch de$otee, ,ri ,% 6arthasarath- :now ,adhu 6arthasarath-; who installed the image of the 'e*i in a small tem/le 3uilt on his estate at Tirumullai$a-al, near !adras, which is $isited 3- man- de$otees e$en toda-% PPPPPPPPPPPPP I am here !y !hamini ". Munsif Oh (amana! )ou sa- "I am here!W ,o wh- should I fear9 The world is 3ut a dream )ou sa- to those in its stream% )ears ha$e /assed since )ou left% This /h-sical form for e$er is gone <ut something, something in m- heart is /rone To feel )ou 3lissfull- 3- change uncleft% Though awa-, awa- )ou seem to 3e The ha//iest moments I /ass with Thee The 3od-, the mind far awa- from me

>or a moment I0m with Thee, with Thee all One% Vol VIII No 1 1971 Vallimalai Tiru//uga2h ,wami Centenar- Cele3rations Vol VIII No 1 1971 )oga Vasishta ,ara )oga Vasishta ,ara 1 The *ssence of )oga Vasishta !ased on the translation made by S+ami Suresananda Cha/ter VIII 7orshi/ of The ,elf 1% If -ou se/arate -ourself from the 3od- and a3ide at ease in Consciousness -ou will 3ecome one :the sole (ealit-;, e$er-thing else a//earing :insignificant; li1e grass% I% After 1nowing that 3- which -ou 1now this :world; turn the mind inward and then -ou will see clearl:i.e. reali2e; the effulgence of the ,elf% F% O (agha$a, that 3- which -ou recognise sound, taste, form and smell, 1now that as -our ,elf, the ,u/reme <rahman, the #ord of lords% B% O (agha$a, that in which 3eings $i3rate, that which creates them, 1now that ,elf to 3e -our real ,elf% G% After re@ecting, through reasoning, all that can 3e 1nown as Anon truthV what remains as /ure Consciousness regard that as -our real ,elf% D% ?nowledge is not se/arate from -ou and that which is 1nown is not se/arate from 1nowledge% 4ence there is nothing other than the ,elf, nothing se/arate :from it;% 7% AAll that <rahma, Vishnu, ,hi$a, Indra and others alwa-s do is done 3- me, the em3odiment of ConsciousnessV thin1 in this manner% H% AI am the whole uni$erse% I am the undeca-ing ,u/reme ,elf% There is neither /ast nor future a/art from meV reflect in this manner% 9% A*$er-thing is the One <rahman, /ure Consciousness, the ,elf of all, indi$isi3le and immuta3leV reflect in this manner% 1J% AThere is neither I nor an- other thing% Onl- <rahman e.ists alwa-s full of 3liss e$er-where%V meditate on this calml-% 11% The sense of /ercei$er and /ercei$ed is common to all em3odied 3eings, 3ut the )ogi worshi/s the One ,elf% Vol VIII No 1 1971 )oga Vasishta ,ara alyanasundaram