SAI SUDHA FEBRUARY 1945 1. BEING AND SEEMING 2. YOGA OF SYNTHESIS 3. SRI RAJESWARANANDA ON THE GITA 4. NEWS AND NOTES BEING AND SEEMING It is almost universally accepted that being good is better than seeming or barely professing to be good. Yet even among those who yield assent to this truth, vast masses profess and seem to be good without being really good. The difficulty of achieving goodness, the ease with which one can make professions and put on appearances and the eagerness natural to most to have the pleasure, honour and other advantages of popular esteem form a partial explanation for this phenomenon. The danger of painful exposure seems remote and may be cleverly averted and is therefore not a sufficient deterrent, in many cases. In just a few cases, the profession or appearances is made or put on in the hope that later on, ultimately, it may be justified by subsequent real growth or development of goodness. These reflections have an application to the popular reports that claimants have arisen here and there, to the honour (and emoluments) of being the avatar of Shirdi Sai Baba. A lady and an adult at Madras, a boy at Karur, another at Uravakonda, and other elsewhere stated deliberately that they are Sai Baba. These claims have been carefully examined and the meaning of Sai Avatar, the tests to be applied and the conclusion Sai Bhaktas have come to viz, that none of these above or any person now living can be considered to be the avatar of Sai. This naturally leads us to reflect how much better the world will be, if these and others who claim to be or Sai or saints really become Sai or saints. The greatest need of the times is the appearance of a real saviour who will draw all people to himself (i.e., through himself to God) irrespective of race, color, caste, creed, etc., and induce them to live the life of truth and love, and Banish from the earth the dreadful evils of selfish domination, self-indulgence, untruth, cruelty and hatred. A Sai reborn and working in the flesh like the Shirdi Sai may achieve great good. Will not Providence answer the cry of millions everywhere for the reappearance of such a saviour anywhere on the earth?
Are any of the persons above referred to trying to grow and develop into a Sai Avatar? Some suppose that an Avatar must be born with Vibhuti referred to in the well-known stanza i.e.,(krishna says Know that to be born out of a fraction myself (i.e., is na Avatar) which has Vibhuti (i.e. super human nature, powers, excellence, etc., ) or has (wonderful) Performance or Sri (i.e., success, beauty, splendour, etc.,) But that verse does not add that these qualities or attributes must be congenital. Great souls like Sri Krishna Chaitanya, and Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, did not show by their daily conduct and behaviour in infancy (as Sri Krishna did) any wondrous Vibhuti. One s attainment to Vibhuti may be gradual and not sudden. The history of saints (examined in books on the Psychology of Religion) abounds with instances of gradual growth of sainthood, after infancy is over. Sri Sai Baba s advice is to the same effect. If one ever meditates on me, repeats my name, sings my deeds, and is thus transform I into me, one s Karma is destroyed. (B.C.S.10) How excellent will be the results, if not only the claimants referred to above, but most of the devotees of Sai Baba tried to follow his advice and live a life that will command his approval and the esteem of the public! How few now even among Sai devotees care to follow even most ordinary moral precepts and example given by Sai Baba and other saints! YOGA OF SYNTHESIS BY SRI SWAMI SIVANANDA, Ananda Kutir, Rishikesh The Yoga of synthesis alone is suitable for this modern age. The four Yogas are inseparable. Service purifies, expands the heart. Service unifies. Love unifies. Without service and love you cannot dream of attaining Advaitic realisation or oneness even in crores of lives. Love is involved in service. Service is love in expression. You serve only when you love a man. Knowledge is diffused love and love is concentrated knowledge, Karma Yoga is always combined with Bhakti Yoga or Jnana Yoga. The Karma, Bhakti Yogin says I am an instrument in the hands of the Lord. The Karma yoga Jnani says. I am serving my own Self. I am a silent witness of my mind and the three states. 2
Bhakti Yoga is the fulfillment of Karma Yoga. Raja Yoga is the fulfillment of Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga Jnana. Yoga is the fulfillment if Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Raja Yoga. The practice of Raja Yoga. Even if you are a student of Vedanta you should not leave the practice of Karma Yoga. Bhakti Yoga and Raja Yoga till you attain the highest realisation, till you attain perfect conquest over Dehadysa and fear. Many ignorant, selfwilled arrogant aspirants leave the practice of Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga as soon as they start reading Brahma Sutras, Upanishads and Nyaya or Indian Logic. This is a serious blunder indeed. They will not do any prostrations before elderly Sannayasins, their Guru and the Lord in temple. They will not show any respect towards Pundits and learned persons and their Gurus. They will say Who is to show respect to whom? No Guru, no chela, chidananda rupassivoham such pseudo Vedantins have spoiled the whole world. The aspitrant falsely thinks that, Karma Yoga and Bhakti Yoga are nothing. They are inferior to Vedanta. He feels ashamed to call himself a Yogi Karma Yogi or a Bhakta, but he takes immense delight to call himself a Yogi Raj or Yogendra or a Vedanti or a Brahma Gnyani. He also wants good high sounding title like C.I.E., or K.C.S.I. poor deluded soul! Pitiable is his lot! Even if you are a student of Vedanta do not leave selfless service, worship of the Lord, Poojan, Archana, Prostration, Arghya, manasic Pooja, Rudra, study of Vishnu Sahasranama, prayer to Sun, recitation of Gayatri etc., till fear, and Dehadhyasa vanish. Study Bhagavat and note Lord Krishna s daily routine. You will b struck with wonder. The Lord of the three worlds gets up in Brahma Muhurta, meditates, offers Arghya, does prostration to elders, teachers, feeds cows and then takes his food. Sukhdeva, the highest Jnani taught Bhagavat to Parikshit. There was no world for him. How did he teach another? He had a changed angle of vision. He saw the whole world as his own Self, as a movement or vibration (spandana) within himself. The Devatas put obstacles in the path and so, you are asked to repeat Sanno mitrassam varunah, Sanno bhavatwaryama, Sannaindro brihaspatih, Sanno Vishnu rurukramah. Om Namo Brahmone namaste vaso twameva pratyaksham brahmasi, twmeva pratyaksham brahma vadishyami Ritham Vadishyashami 3
tanmamavatu tadvaktaramavatu avatu mam avatu vaktaram and salute the Brahma Vidya Gurus Narayanam Padmanabham Vasishtam saktim cha tatputra parasaram cha vyasam sukam gaudapadam Mahantam Govinda yogindramathasya sishya, Sri Sankaracharyamathasya Padmapadam cha hastamalakam cha sishyam tam thotakam varikakara manyam asmat gurum sanatatamanotosmi etc before starting the meditation. If you repeat Aditya hridayam and prayer to the sun you will have good health, strength, vigour and vitality prosecute your study of Brahma Vidya. At every step you need the help of Devatas. Therefore Saguna worship is necessary till you attain conquest ever hear dehadhyasa. Those who wish to do Lokasangraha or do some extraordinary spiritual work must obtain the grace of Mother Durga and Saraswati. All the descendants of Sri Sankara have done mother worship. Even now it is continued. Those who have done great work in the past have obtained the grace of the Mother. Further the Mother only can destroy the veil of ignorance and destroy Vrittis of impression, i.e. (you can destroy the subtle) impressions of lust, anger, hatred etc. In the mind there are three defects viz, impurities, tossing and veiling. Man thinks, feels and wills. Therefore the practice of Yoga of Synthesis is in dispensable. Modern saints, sages and Yogis are advocating this Yoga only. Yoga of Synthesis alone can hand and make you perfect. May you all have a right understanding of Yoga! May you all practice the Yoga of Synthesis.!! SRI RAJESWARANANDA ON THE GITA In the world today there is a religious earthquake. To place the higher ideals of religion into the background, being led by the artificial modes of life created by the scientific outlook of modern days based on materialistic standpoint, is to lull oneself in his own fool s paradise. Religion is no commercial commodity. Religion is no bartering principle, a sort to human speculation on the exchange market. Religion is a potent factor in leading a divine life. It is religion that walks upright by day light whereas all other sciences walk zig-zag by night. The spirit of religion does solve definitely the problem of mankind by its dynamic emphasis upon the divinity of man. Formal religion is all husk and shell. The true spiritual life lives in the eternal and is rooted in the infinite. It is the immortal Ever Now. It is a whole in every instant. Where as the phantom 4
life, fickle and feeling, lives in the changing and is buried in the mire of matter and mind. It is there fore an incessant dying, living in dying. Religion is the saintliness of the saints, the wisdom of the wise, and the strength of the strong. It is the most Great Peace, the healing of the individuals and the nations as well. It moves the world, all nations and all races, to one and only Selfhood, beyond both brotherhood of man and the fatherhood of God. It cannot but be in short the one hope of a broken bewildered humanity of the present day. It cannot but heal the wounds of the world. The Gitas of Sri Krishna are twenty-four in number, one for each of the letters of the Gayatri mantra. But of them the Bhagavad Gita and Uttar Gita have become well known in the world. It seems the Bhagavad Gita has been translated and interpreted into several hundreds of languages. Spirituality in the Gita is more spectacular renunciation of the external. The ultimate fact in the world is man. The ultimate fact in man is God. The ultimate fact of God realisation through renunciation of I and mine through discrimination of the real and the unreal and through intuition of the One and Only Absolute Reality. The wisdom of Selfhood (godhead) for which man hungers incessantly does not lie within the limits of his little ego. The egoistic self cannot contain it. It lies beyond, in and through all means and ends, in Oneness, in native and naked Consciousness, which is at once intimate and immediate, where knowing and being is knowledge. Concentration, contemplation and meditation on the substance of even one or tow verses of the Gita every dawn and dusk will go a great in instilling Divine Nectar in the life of an individual. If a perusal of these few lines could kinds up a spirit of aspiration and lead one on to take to the sincere and solemn study of the Bhagavad Gita in detail, well worth while would be the fulfillment of the purpose of this humble article. CORRESPONDENCE TO THE EDITOR, SAI SUHDA Sir, A young gentleman from Rayalaseema has come to these parts, (Masulipatnam, ventrapragada and other places) and is giving out that he is Sri Sai Baba himself. He is attracting large crowds. It is necessary, in the interest of all the devotees of Sri Sai Baba, that Eminent Bhaktas like Pujya Sri Sri B.V.Narasimha Swami Varu and Pujya Sri Sri S.B.Kesavayya Garu should 5
ascertain the truth in the claim made by the young gentleman, and publish a statement in the Sai Sudha for the guidance of all the devotees of Sri Sai Baba. If the gentleman is really the incarnation of Sai Baba, all glory to him and he deserves to be worshipped in every way. But if his claim is not true, I am afraid; the Sai movement itself will come into contempt. I feel that matters should be clarified at an early date. K.N.CHOWDARI, B.A., B.L. The above letter was sent also to the Sunday Times. Sri B.V.N.Swami has sent his reply to the Sunday Times. What he says now, has already appeared in Sai Sudha (for July 1944 and is printed in the Glimpses of Sai Baba chapter XXXIV... (To summarise what has been said there) the short answer is (1) There is no person whom any well known and well informed Sai Bhaktas can identify with Sai Baba of Shirdi, i.e. so far as most know, Sai Baba has not taken avatar now either in the young gentleman named Satyanarana of Puttapurtti or Uravakonda or in any other person. Note:- If one refers to God and Sai as the same, and if he terms his particular Guru, god or Sai, this is unobjectionable. Acharya devo Bhava is the scriptural direction. It is only in this sense that any Gurus now living can be worshipped as Sai or God. NEWS AND NOTES Calcutta 1. 80-12-44. Sai Bhakta Samaj celebrated the Jayanthi of Bhagwan Sri Ramana Maharshi. Mr.T.K.Rajagopalier and P.Suppiah Pillai delivered speeches on the life and teachings of the Maharshi. A paper written by a son of Mr.J.N. Basu was also read. 2. The first year anniversary of the foundation of the Bangiya Sadguru Sai Sanmelan was celebrated on Monday the 1 st January 1945 at the residence of Mr.J.N.Basu, M.A. A.I.C.& W.A. the founder, at 1/24A Prince Ghulam Mohammed Road, Calcutta. After puja the annual meeting was held under the president ship of Mr.P.Gopalaswami Iyer. Regional Committee member for Bengal of the all India Bhakta Samaj. The Honorary Secretary read the report of the activities of the Sanmelan during the year 1944. Sai devotees delivered speeches on Sri Babaji s miracles and Sai propaganda among the Bengalis. Special mention should be made of the speech of Mr.Dikshit nephew of Kaka Dixit (i.e.h.s.dixit). 6
The 11 th Divine Life Sadhana Week The 11th divine Life Sadhana Week was conducted at Sivanandasharam, H.Q. of the Divine Life society from 25 th to 31 st December. The Programme containing a variety Of Sadhana items such as Akhanda Kirtan, Common meditation Jap Mantrra writing, asana and Paranayams, Prayers and Sai Songs was carried out successfully, culminating in Prayer and Havan for world-peace and welfare. In addition to short and practical talks by various sadhakas the inspiring feature was the series of discourses by Sri Swami Sivanandaji in which he illuminated the hearers with the light of Self and instilled into them the spirit of selfless service to humanity. Recognising fully the needs of the times Sri Swamiji affirmed that Service and Shanti. Work and Worship are not mutually opposed but fulfil each other and pointed out the necessity replacing the negative idea of renunciation by the positive perception and service of God in man. A dynamic synthesis of devotion, knowledge and disinterested action was ideal he held out the assemble. Bezwada On Vykunta Ekadasi night 25 th December 1944 there was a puja performance for Sri Sai Baba in the house of Mr.S.Narayana Murti, Rtd. Head Draftsman P.W.D. Narayana nilayam, Bezwada, and also a Bhajana of Sri Sai Baba till 12 O clock in th night. Prayers with songs were offered to Baba by a party of ladies and gentlemen together with a good number of Children. Prasadam and Udhi were distributed. J.KRISHNAMURTY, Secretary. Sri Vijaya wada Sai Mandali. A.I.S.Samaj Prachara The President has requested Sri S.B.Kesavaih of Penukonda to do Sai Prachara on behalf of A.I.S.S., and more or less on lines adopted by A.I.S.S. till now. Sri S.B.K.(already a member of managing committee)has agreed. Egmore. A new Sai Samaj was started here on 25-1-45 with blessings of B.V.N. Swami who delivered the inaugural address. Office bearers: Mrs. S.N.Sastri- President Dr. V.V.Rao Secretary; Executive Committee- Baba Jan, R.A.Iyer, 7
V.S.Iyer; S.Srinivasan. Its office is, Fengu Reddy Road, Egmore. Its main work is Poor feeding, and Prayer. Higher and Highest aims and Sadhana under Sai Baba A few there, are, who are fed up with all Pujas; Miracles and temporal gifts of Sai, who are really serious in their desire to have help through Sai Baba, or in any other way- for spiritual progress. Some of these are gathering in quiet circles and meet as often as they find it convenient in places not open to the public. If any one is anxious to join there, he has to address President A.I.S.S. Mylapore and if he wants the letter to be private he must mark it private. All letters not so marked are opened by some others at the office, through addressed to the President, even by name. Claimant to Sai Avatar Sri Puttapartti or Uravakonda Satyanarayana, a young man claiming to be an avatar of Sri Sai Baba visited Madras about the middle of January 1945 and resided for a very short while at Aravamudu gardens lane, Egmore. A number of visitors were attracted to him. The claimant did not visit the Sai Mandirs in the city e.g. 126 Brodies Road Mylapore, or 30, Nili Virasamy Chetty Street Triplicane, where devotees gather everyday. He appears to read though to a slight extent and he impressed a very few by that power. But some ardent Sai Bhaktas visited him and found his total inability to read mind or state their past and present correctly. Two of these gave him a friendly advice, that in view of his patent shortcomings, it would be better for him to quit Madras. That very same day, he left Madras. A.I.S.Samaj Notice A general body meeting of A.I.S.S. will take place at 6-30 P.M. on Sunday 25-2- 1945 at the Sai Mandir, to consider (a) the amendments to rules as proposed to be amended by the managing committee (printed copies of which are available at A.I.S.S. free) and (b) the further amendment of the rules defining the functions and scope of the managing committee in such a way as to allow government servants to work on that committee (e.g. to limit the functions of the committee by excluding the making of collections etc., from their scope and creating a Financial Committee which alone should have that function.) 8