Sai Sudha June 1944
SAI SUDHA
EDITIORIAL
NARAKA (June 1944)
Naraka is the hell of our popular mythology. In our puranas, the places of torment in hell are elaborately described, and punishments are detailed to fit in with all possible types of misconduct in life, Buddhist literature also describes hells in a similar fashion. Christians and Moslems also believe in hell as an abode of punishment for the wicked and the unbelieving. The Christian conception of hell has been graphically pictured, for us "by Milton as a ' dungeon horrible * heated like a furnace by
a fiery deluge, fed
With ever burning sulphur unconsumed.
In the eyes of popular religion, all over the world, hell has been always the ultima ratio of morality.
To the Vedanta, all this seems for the most part mere arthavada, the use of figurative or symbolic language. Even the hell of the puranas has been conceived, in obedience to the demands of the Vedanta, as a temporary abode of correction for expiating sins. The Upanishads speak of dark and joyless regions where the unenligtitend and the sinful go after death. But this region of darkness appears to be only a symbolic description of re-birth in undesirable forms. The Chhandogya Upanishad says : " Those whose conduct has been good will attain good birth, as a Brahmin or a Kshatriya or a Yaisya, while those whose conduct has been evil will quickly attain an evil birth like that of a dog or swine or a Chandala." (V. IV. 7). In the Kaushitaki Upanishad, it is declared that a soul is born, according to its karma and knowledge, as ' a worm or a moth or a fish or a bird or a tiger or lion or a snake or a man or in any other similar station.'
The doctrine of Karma appears to have been later than the old notion about propitious and unpropitious times of dying, which has crystallised in the tradition about deva-yana, and pitri-yana, the path of the gods and the path of the fathers. In the dim and hoary mists of antiquity, the Aryans appear to have believed that death during the northern progress of the sun was lucky and during the southern progress unlucky. Later on however these paths come to symbolise two ideals of ethics, one leading to the enduring salvation of freedom from Samsara and the other to a limited period of celestial bliss in a paradise. The Upanishads seem to interpret them in this manner. They also seem to refer to souls which pass from one life to another without any interval in the company of the gods. In a famous passage, the Brika-daranyaka says : "As a caterpillar, after reaching the end of a blade of grass, and having made another approach (to another blade as a fresh place of support) draws itself towards it, similarly the self, after throwing off this body and making another approach to another body (as a fresh source of support) draws itself towards it He whose works have been good becomes good; he whose works have been evil becomes evil." (IV-4.).
The dominant impression left by a study of the Upanishads is that they look upon this world itself as a purgatory for expiating our sins. There can indeed be no worse hell in the eyes of the philosophers than what we manufacture for ourselves in life. Our subjection to the recurring cycle of births and deaths is a bondage as full of torment as any conceivable world of horror pictured in the puranas. In the Bhagavat-Gita, Sri Krishna says i "Threefold is the pathway to hell, ruinous to the soul— desire, wrath and covetousness. Therefore, let man give up all three/* (XVI-21). In the very nest verse. He called them the three paths to darkness. It appears then, that the darkness of ignorance that subjects the soul to recurring births and deaths is the true hell. All descriptions of worlds of torment may be looked upon as figurative accounts of the sufferings of the soul in life, brought about by the working of the inexorable law of karma. If we turn away from kama* krodha and lobha, we shall avoid the threefold gateway to the only real hell that matters, By the same token, our faces will be set towards light, and in due course, we may be blessed with the salvation of moksha.
WHO IS THE MOST BUSY MAN?
by sri swami sivananda.
A Contractor says, " I am the most busy man in the world. I have taken many contracts in Delhi, Cawnpore, Allahabad and Calcutta, I have to build a three storeyed building at Calcutta, a High School at Delhi and a big temple at Allahabad. It is very difficult to get cement and other materials. I have to run here and there. There is no time for me to take my food. I am very busy. I sleep at 2 a.m. My son is very sick. I have received a telegram. I cannot attend on him."
A Doctor says, "I am the most busy man in the world. Cholera has broken out. I have to give two hundred injections, daily. I have to attend on two hundred patients in the out-patient department. I have ten serious double-pneumonia cases in the Hospital. There is no time to change my dress even, I took my food at 3 p. m., to-day. My mother-in-law came to see me. I had no time to talk to her even.
An Advocate says, I am the most busy man in the world. I have to take briefs and coach up witnesses. I must attend the High Court on Tuesday and the Small Cause Court on Wednesday and Sessions Court on Thursday. My car is out of order. I am going in tonga now. Last night I woke up till 3 a. m. I had to. refer to so many law books."
An Executive engineer says, " I am the most busy man in 'the world. This is war time. I have to supervise the construction of three bridges in Assam and special buildings in five different places. I have not answered my letters to the Superintending Engineer for the last fifteen days. I have a huge bundle of papers. I do not know what to do."
An Auditor says, " I am the most busy man in the world. I am in charge of the Military accounts now. There is not a wink of sleep for me for the last ten days. My assistant also fell ill. I have to audit the Accounts of the other division also as the auditor, has gone on leave. My head is aching."
All these people are doubtless busy in some way or other. They run about hither and thither in cars and saloons, They have no time to take food and bath in these days. They cannot masticate their food properly. They have to bolt their food hurriedly to catch the train in time. Their state is really miserable and pitiable too.
They do not know what they are exactly doing. Although they are very busy they have not done anything useful, substantial, laudable and praise-worthy-. They have not done anything which can propitiate the Lord, the Indweller the silent-witness of their mind and its activities. Some other creatures also are very busy throughout day and night.
_ The most busy man in the world is the silent Yogi who sits in Padmasan in the Himalayas. He is extremely busy though he does not move about and talk. He is very busy though he does not do any physical work. He purifies the whole world by his magnetic spiritual vibrations. He transmits soul-elevating thoughts of comfort, hope, solace, peace and spiritual strength to the different corners of the world. He changes the mentality and lower nature of deserving aspirants by his thought transference and magnetic thought currents. He lives to help the world. He is busy to help others. He has no selfish purpose to be fulfilled. He is entirely unselfish.
The fly wheel of the engine appears to be at standstill when it moves with a tremendous velocity. So is the Sattvic mind of a silent Yogi who is sitting with his crossed legs in a cave of Himalayas. Worldly people will regard him as a man of inertia but he is tremendously patient, vibrant and radiant. His Sattvic subtle mind moves with a tremendous velocity. He can do and undo things. He is omnipotent and omniscient. He can move the whole world. Worldly people cannot understand him. They cannot fathom and gauge his worth and depth of knowledge and power.
A doctor also is indeed very busy. In what way ? He is busy in filling up his pockets. He is busy in sending his bills to collect his fees, visiting fees and the fees for injections. A contractor is ever busy in collecting money for his false bills by showing third class bricks as first class bricks. A lawyer is ever busy in coaching his witnesses to tell deliberate lies. All are doubtless busy but you can now have a clear understanding of their busy nature and activities. A silent Yogi does marvellous good to the world without expecting anything in return. This is his very nature. The other busy people are really doing nothing, though they appear to be busy. Animals too are busy throughout the day and night in search of food and comforts. I leave this for the readers to judge now.
Sri Sankara, Lord Buddha, Lord Jesus were very busy though they remained silent. Whatever they have done still remain as a spiritual monument in the world. Still they inspire people. Whatever these so-called busy people have done cannot last even for a few hours. They have done more harm than good. How can selfish people who worship mammon, who are slaves of lust can do even an iota of good to the world ?
A Yogi or a Sannyasi or a Bhagayata or a Sadhu who rest-ing in his own Swaroopa or essential divine nature disseminates divine knowledge, conducts Akhanda Kirtan, trains aspirants and works for the solidarity of the world in a variety of ways is the most busy man, although he does not move about. Glory to such busy men of this world. They are a blessing to the World at large.
May this world abound with busy people like Sri Sankara, Lord Buddha, Lord Jesus and silent Yogis who can move the whole world, who can establish Dharma on the surface of the earth, and who can guide people in the path of Truth, Righteousness and Divinity !!
GLORY OF KARMA YOGA.
BY Sri Swami sivananda.
0 Karma! 0 Yoga of selfless service! 0 Nishkatnya Karma Yoga! Thou art beginningless. Thou art all-powerful. Salutations unto Thee. Upasana or worship is mental karma. Nidhidhyasan or meditation is also mental karma. 0 Karma ! these are Thy subtle forms. I cannot forget you. I cannot condemn or despise you as some vedantins, Raja yogins, and Ehaktaa do. Thou art the very foundation of all yogas. In Thee rest all other yogas. Thou hast purified my heart and helped me to attain the goal of life, the highest peak of perfection. Thou hast helped me to keep good health. Thou hast brought the wants of the-body also. In times of relaxation, thou hast comforted me in keeping the mind fully occupied and preventing evil thoughts to enter the mind.
I am speaking and will always speak of Thy glory only even on the platform of vedantins and yogins. Some vedantins speak of Thee as the means to attain Gyana. Some vedantins, yogins and bhaktas are not able to reach the goal because they have not purified their hearts "by selfless service. I can even boldly assert with all the emphasis at my command that Thon art the means as well as the end itself. When the heart is perfectly purified by Thee, knowledge dawns by itself even without sravana, manana, hidihyasan, through the special grace of the Lord, just, as the Bhakta gets initiation into the mysteries of Atma through the grace of Hiranyagarbha. Lord Hrahma initiates a Karma yogin into the mysteries of Vedanta. When I was enveloped by gross darkness, when I was a baby walking with tottering steps in the path of spirituality, you came to rescue me, refined my mind and pushed me to the heights of divine splendour and glory. Thou art my adhi guru or first teacher to open my eyes. Thou art indispensable for the maintenance of the body (sereerayatrapi). You can never bind one when he has understood Thy real nature.
A Karma-yogi is either a Karma-bhakta yogi or Karmaa gyana yogi. He works with either the bhav of a Bhakta or Gyan
Gita speaks of thy glory in glowing terms " Yoga is skill in action," " Yoga by action is better than renunciation of action," 'Children not sages, speak: of the sankhya and karma yoga as different; he who is duly established in one obtains the fruits of both. That place which is gained by the sankhyas is reached by the karma yogis also. He seeth who seeth that the sankhya and karma yoga are one.'
Sri Sankara never condemned selfless service or nishkamya karma yoga. He condemned the performance of rituals with selfish motives. He had in view, while preparing his commentary, the purpose of chiefly combating the baneful effects which blind ritualistic had brought to bear upon Hinduism. He himself was the greatest karma yogin which the world has ever produced.
How can a sage who rejoices in the welfare of all beings (Sarva bhuta hite ratha) remain quite without serving them ?
Certain qualities such as kindness, mercy, tolerance equal vision, humility which are aids to gyana, can be cultivated through selfless service and service alone.
Glory to Karma yoga ! Glory to Karma Yogins ! The world is in dire need of Karma-gnana-yogins but not of mere Mayavadins or lip vedantins who always indulge in vedantic gossipping only but who do not turn out something very practical and useful to the world at large.
LIFE OF SAI BABA
(drama in tamil)
In aid of the Building Fund of the All India Sai Samaj, the members of the Triplicane Dramatic Society enacted the ' Life of Baba' (in Tamil) on Sunday the 30th April 1944, at the Easika Eanjani Sabha Hall, Mylapore, The Hon'ble Justice Diwan Bahadur C. N. Kuppuswamy lyer presided,
Long before the scheduled time, the hall was packed to capacity and the drama commenced punctually at 5-20 p.m. Dr. V. Eamamurtby, m.b., B.s played the main role of Sree Baba, Sri S. Eamiah as the Moulana, Sri P. B. Sreenivasan as Mahalsapatby, Sri N. V. Sreenivasan as Kulkarni, Sri A. S. Narasimhan, b.a., as Devidoss and Sri K. Natarajan as Lakshmi Bai. The actors selected were suitable for the roles played by them and it was a pleasure that there was a good team spirit among the actors and each actor contribuied his share in full to the crowning success of the Drama. Though the drama was first of its kind in the whole of India, Dr. V. Kamainurthy appeared tiue to the portrait that made the spectators to worship Baba (on the stage).
The story reached its climax when Baba left his soul to meet Allah promising to return in three days and there was pin-drop silence in the auditorium. On his return to normal life after bis visit to Allah, Baba on the stage was greeted with flowers from the auditorium. Comedian Seenu and Sri S. Eamiah were the most suited to their roles as Kulkarni and the fanatic Moulana respectively and they easily got the appreciation of the spectators. The arguments between Moulana and Devidoss were very impressive. mb. V. L. Sarma b.a. who played the role of Bannu Mayee and Mr. Natarajan as Lakshmi Bai are equally seasoned
actors.. The light "effects on the stage required some more"im-provement but the slight blanks in that line will be improved next time. The scenes were quite good. The standard of music was high and pleasing. The Drama in short was a complete success and the members of the Triplicane Dramatic Society have to be really thanked for their splendid performance. The story has been adapted nicely to the stage touching all the important incidents in Baha's Life. The Triplicane Dramatic Society with its talented actors and the Doctor for the portrayal of Baba will be able to mark success everywhere they enact the Drama ' Life of Baba.' The Drama started at 5-20.p.M. and closed 9-40 P.M.
During the interval Sri B.V. Narasimhaswamy, in garlanding the president for day thanked for being present in the Drama in spite of his various engagements. He delivered a short speech on the greatness of Baba and congratulated the actors Sri R.V.Narayana Swamy lyer, m,a., l.t,, who was in charge of the stage arrangements He congragulated the Orchestra headed by Sri S. V. Eanga (of Ananda who played on harmonium. In the end Swamiji announced a donation of Rs. 100/- from the President of the day, Rs. 101/- from the Sayee Company. The President of the Day thanked the Samaj for the honour done to him and spoke how Sai Baba blends the different communities, Hindus, Muslims and Christians in one and bade them to attain the grace of God treating them all alike.He suggested that Baba is the reincarnation of Ramakrishna He' in his appeal to everybody, said that they should put faith in Baba and follow his advice. He congratulated Dr. V. Ramamurthy on his marvellous acting and that Baba has taken his shape again in him and that the spectators were given the privilege to see Baba on the stage.
At the end of the performance, each actor was presented with a locket and Swamiji placed Udhi on everyone's forehead as a mark of his appreciation. The Drama was a great success and we may place for information of the Sayee Devotees that the gross proceeds amount to Es. 1,479/- towards Building Fund.