Professional Documents
Culture Documents
JANUARY
SRI R A M A N A S R A M A M ,
1964
No. 1
TIRUVANNAMALAI
Publisher:
T. N.
Vol.
Venkataraman,
No. 1
J A N U A R Y 1964
Sri Ramanasramam,
CONTENTS
TiruvannamalaL
Page
.
Messages
14
EDITORIAL :'.
Editor ;
Arthur
Sri
Osborne,
Ramanasramam,
Tiruvannamalai.
..
17
..
20
R e m a i n W h e r e Y o u AveNagamma
.,
21
23
ASPECTS OF I S L A M !
28
Editor:
A n A g g r e s s i v e TeacherSagittarius
Ganesan,
A B e a c o n StillS. P. Mukerji
Ramanasramam,
Rs. 5 ;
Subscription:
10 sh.;
Life
Rs. 100 ;
$ 1.50.
Subscription :
10 ;
$ 30.
Single Copy :
Rs. 1.50 ;
THE
AIM
3 sh. ; ,
OF
THIS
OF A L L RELIGIONS
0.45.
JOURNAL
on request.
32
38
44
B u c h m a n and B h a g a v a n B u c h m a n i t e
..
45
A s h r a m Bulletin
,.
48
Book Reviews
,.
59
The G o l d e n Master
..
65
WILL
AVAILABLE
TO B Y
TO SEEKERS
WISDOM
THEIR
SAINTS
IN THE
CONDI-
WORLD.
31
40
OF OUR MODERN
..
30
Tiruvannamalai,
Annual
..
Tiruvannamalai,
Madras State/
Manuscripts
not published
will be
PATH,
returned
essajQs
H I S H O L I N E S S SRI J A G A D G U R U
Sharada Peetham of
Sringeri.
MAHASAMSTHANAM,
DR,
S.
RADHAKRISHNAN,
Bhavan,
New
President,
Indian
Republic,
Rashtrapati
Delhi-4,
I am glad to receive your letter and k n o w that f r o m January 1964
y o u are starting a Quarterly Journal " T h e Mountain P a t h " .
. . .
*
SRI B I S N U R A M M E D H I , Governor
*
of Madras,
Raj Bhavan,
Madras,
e v e r y success.
*
SRI V, V . GIRI, Governor
of Kerala,
#
Raj Bhavan,
Trivandrum.
MESSAGES
1264
D R . C. P. R A M A S W A M I A I Y A R , Vice-Chancellor,
" Delisle ">
15
Annamalai
University,
Ootacamund.
Sri Ramana
have
and Planning,
New
Minister,
Labour
&
Employ-
Delhi
I a m glad that the Quarterly " Mountain Path " under the e d i t o r ship of Sri A r t h u r Osborne, is being started.
success.
A s eternal and ' s a n a t h a n ' as our ancient Dharma, are the writings
about Sri R a m a n a Maharshi because he w a s a realised soul.
Everyone
SRI M. B H A K T A V A T S A L A M ,
Fort.
St. George,
Chief
Minister,
Government
of
Madras,
Madras.
T h e teachings of Sri Ramana Maharshi take their rank among the
New
Delhi.
. . . I a m glad
Quarterly journal.
to k n o w
SRI C. R A J A G O P A L A C H A R I , T. Nagar,
Madras.
that y o u
The
THE M O U N T A I N
16
MATAJI
(MOTHER
Kanhangad,
S.
KRISHNA
BAI)
OF
PATH
January
ANANDASHRAM,
Rly.
P u j y a Mataji got y o u r loving letter of the 15th instant and has noted
that y o u are starting the publication of a quarterly journal " The Mountain
Path " w h i c h will be edited b y Sri A r t h u r O s b o r n e .
. . .
She sends her good wishes and prays for the complete success of
the journal.
*
*
Bangalore.
It is heartening to observe that y o u have e m b a r k e d u p o n the p u b l i cation of a religious journal for the furtherance of the cause of spirituality,
Dissemination of ancient w i s d o m through the m e d i u m of a journal
is one of t h e easy and effective means of service available to doers of
good.
Association with elevating thoughts is the avenue to self-purification.
It provides conditions congenial to the awakening of the hidden p o t e n tialities of the h u m a n mind.
Let y o u r journal serve as a path-finder for w e a r y minds in the p i l grimage to the sacred shrine of supreme beatitude.
Blessings and best wishes.
"THE
MOUNTAIN
(A Quarterly,
PATH"
Ramanasramam)
'7
A R T E R L Y )
ARTHUR
OSBORNE
JANUARY, 1 9 6 4
T O THOSE WITH LITTLE
No, 1
DUST
[EDITORIAL]
It is related (and the story is no less to it can bring a peace of m i n d and sense
significant w h e t h e r historically true or n o t ) of w e l l being not otherwise attainable.
Mystics h a v e often had unsought glimpses
that
after
attaining
Enlightenment
the
Buddha's first impulse w a s to abide in the of a higher or the highest state ; those w h o
effulgence of Bliss without turning b a c k to are psychic h a v e o u t - o f - t h e - b o d y and other
c o n v e y the i n c o m m u n i c a b l e to mankind. experiences closed to the ordinary m a n ; but
Then he reflected :
" S o m e there are w h o all this is of little importance in the quest
are clear-sighted and do not need m y t e a c h - for Realization. Such p o w e r s or experiences
ing, and some w h o s e eyes are clouded with m a y be a help at certain stages of certain
dust w h o w i l l not heed it though given, but types of path, but they m a y also b e a h i n d b e t w e e n these t w o there are also some w i t h rance and distraction, like the sirens w h o m
but little dust in their eyes, w h o can b e Odysseus heard but against w h o m he m a d e
helped to see ; and for the sake of these I his c r e w plug their ears. If the pleasures of
will go b a c k among mankind and teach." It the physical w o r l d are seductive, those of
is for those w i t h little dust in their eyes the subtle w o r l d are certainly no less so.
Christ said that if a m a n attains the k i n g that this journal is intended.
Its purpose is to s h o w that there is a m o r e d o m of heaven all else shall b e a d d e d to
satisfactory state than that of ignorant, c o n - him ; but that is after attaining. If he seeks
fused, unguided, frustrated m o d e r n man, and all else beforehand he is not likely to attain.
a higher, m o r e satisfying and m o r e durable It is safer to h a v e one's ears plugged.
alternative for him than any p r o v i d e d b y
wealth or l u x u r y , art o r music, or the l o v e
b e t w e e n m a n and w o m a n ; that such a state
can b e attained in his lifetime, and that the
purpose of all religions has b e e n to lead m e n
towards it, although in m a n y different w a y s .
I say towards ' rather than ' to ' because
e v e n though the supreme state m a y not b e
attained in this lifetime, the m e r e approach
1
The quest is no shorter and no less a r d u ous for those w h o have such p o w e r s and
experiences than for those w h o h a v e not.
Realization is not something like music, for
w h i c h some are b y nature m o r e gifted than
others ; it is fundamentally different, since
music requires the d e v e l o p m e n t of a faculty
w h i c h is stronger in some and w e a k e r in
others, whereas Realization is the discovery
THE M O U N T A I N
18
PATH
January
THE FEW
By A R T H U R O S B O R N E
N o argument can pierce the shuttered mind.
L e t truth shine forth resplendent as the sun,
Still, crouched in their dark corner, w i l l they find
S o m e guttering candle till life's day b e done.
E v e n though w e sang like angels in their ear
T h e y w o u l d not hear.
Those only in w h o s e heart some inkling dwells,
G r o w n o v e r though it b e , crushed d o w n , denied,
W i l l greet the pealing of the golden bells
A n d w e l c o m e truth w h e n all around deride.
Y e t sight has laid a debt u p o n their will
Not all fulfil.
THE FEW
1984
19
F o r e v e n of those w h o see, o n l y a f e w
W i l l h a v e the intrepid w i s d o m to arise
A n d barter time's false values for the true,
Making their life a valiant enterprise
T o vindicate their heritage long lost,
N o r count the cost.
A n d out of that so n o b l e f e l l o w s h i p
Questing the Graal u p o n the m o u n t a i n peaks,
W e l l is it if it m e e t the expectant l i p
Of e v e n one persistently w h o seeks.
Y e t is this quest the g l o r y and the goal
Of the a w a k e n e d soul.
on the Brihadaranyaka
Upanishad.
Kathopanishad.
THE
MOUNTAIN
By M.
(Chief
PATH
BHAKTAVATSALAM
Minister
of
Madras)
'The Mountain Path' that Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai, are publishing deserves to be a great success, since the
quarterly journal aims at setting forth and maintaining the high
spiritual and intellectual level that Bhagavan Sri Ramana
Maharshi's teaching demands.
It is evident that the ' Mountain' in the caption denotes
' Arunachala' and the ' Path' is the Ramana-Path, i.e. the Path
of Self-Enquiry.
The Mountain Arunachala is the achala tattwa, commonly
known as nischala tattwa, upon which, as the screen, runs the
entire panorama of manifestation. Seeing the pictures, forgetting
the screen, he who sees is in delusion. With the realisation that
the screen alone IS, comes the Peace of Being, born out of the
understanding of Truth. This realisation that the nischala tattwa
alone is the ever present Present, is screened off by avidya (ignorance) . This avidya, the knot between chit and achit, is cut asunder by the smruthi (recollection of the highest), also known as
druva smruthi. This smruthi (remembrance) is Arunachalasmruthi, which made the boy Venkataraman into Bhagavan Sri
Ramana Maharshi, who blessed us all with his benign Presence
for over 50 years from Tiruvannamalai.
In his pure Transcendental Existence, he imparted to us the
import of nija mouna bhava of Lord Dakshinamurthi. He was a
living commentary on the Upanishadic Truth and with his plenary
experience, he attracted the elite of all religions and creeds to
him to confirm to them that in realisation of That, as it is, is the
fulfilment of all religions and philosophies.
' The Mountain Path' will help us in this druva smruthi, perpetual recollection of the highest Truth. I trust in course of time
it will become a monthly.
The management of Sri Ramanasramam deserves to be congratulated on launching this journal, as a means of fulfilling Sri
Maharshi's Will, of making Sri Ramanasramam a centre wherefrom will radiate the Light of Sri Maharshi's teaching and also
upon choosing as its Editor Mr. Arthur Osborne who really knows
the Maharshi and his teachings and in addition has very good
experience in the field of journalism.
LETTERS
TO A
BROTHER1
Her brother
also is a great devotee but <could pay only occasional visits here, as he was the Manager of a
Bank in Madras.
Therefore Nagamma formed the habit of writing him reports of the doings
Some of these letters have been put together as a book and published
by the Ashram,* but what follows has not yet been published in English.
search
iC
published
in
22
THE M O U N T A I N
r o o m ? T h e b o d y itself is j u n k . These p e o p l e
are like some one w h o fills all the r o o m s of
his house c h o c k full of j u n k w h i c h is not
necessary for his b o d y and then complains
that there is n o r o o m for his b o d y in it. In
the same w a y they fill the mind w i t h all
sorts of vasanas and then say there i s ' n o
r o o m for the Self in it. If all the vasanas
PATH
January
NOTE OS i NAMES
to one w h o is recognized as a Divine I n c a r nation and is the same as the appellation of
the Buddha w h i c h is c o m m o n l y rendered in
English as ' The Blessed One \ It w a s usual
to address the Maharshi in the third person
as Bhagavan \ He accepted this usage and
sometimes referred to himself so. T h e accent
* S r i p r o n o u n c e d ' S h r e e ' is a Sanskrit
is on the first and last syllables, the second
honorific signifying ' blessed or ' auspicious \
being slurred over.
It has n o w lost m u c h of its meaning and
Various meanings are assigned to ' A r u n a c o m e to b e used b e f o r e names, m u c h like
* Mr.' in English. B e f o r e the name of a S w a m i chala ', the name of the sacred Hill. T h e
or h o l y place, h o w e v e r , it still has its o r i g i - third and last v o w e l s are long, the accent
being m a i n l y on the third.
nal connotation.
The
names
* Bhagavan
Sri
Ramana
M a h a r s h i ' and ' Arunachala ' w i l l occur f r e quently in this journal. W e ^are therefore
inserting a note on their meaning and p r o nunciation for those readers v/ho are not
familiar w i t h them.
9
: H T i a m edition.
/Old., p. 63/75.
3 Ibid., p. 127/160.
24
THE MOUNTAIN
being a householder.
If y o u renounce it
w i l l only substitute the thought of r e n u n c i a tion for that of f a m i l y and the environment
of the forest for that of the household. But
the mental obstacles are always there for
y o u . T h e y e v e n increase greatly in the n e w
surroundings. Change of environment is n o
help. T h e one obstacle is the mind and this
must be o v e r c o m e whether in the h o m e or
in the forest. If y o u can do it in the forest,
w h y not in the h o m e ? So w h y change the
environment ?
Y o u r efforts can b e m a d e
e v e n n o w , w h a t e v e r b e the environment.''
N o r is the Self something to b e attained at
some future date.
" No one is ever a w a y
f r o m his Self, and therefore e v e r y o n e is in
fact Self-realized ; o n l y a n d this is the
great m y s t e r y p e o p l e do not k n o w this and
w a n t to realize the Self.
Realization c o n sists o n l y in getting rid of the false idea
that one is not realized. It is not anything
n e w to b e acquired. It must already exist
or it w o u l d not b e eternal, and only w h a t
is eternal is w o r t h striving f o r . "
4
PATH
January
" Visitor:
I begin with asking myself
' W h o am I ? ' and eliminate the b o d y as
n o t - I , the breath as n o t - I , the m i n d as n o t - I ,
but then I a m unable to proceed further,
" Bhagavan : W e l l , that is all right so
far as the m i n d goes. Y o u r process is o n l y
mental
T h e Truth cannot be directly
indicated ; that is w h y this mental process
is used. Y o u see, he w h o eliminates all the
n o t - I cannot eliminate the * I \ In order to
b e able to say 1 arn not t h i s ' or ' I am
T h a t ' there must b e the ' I ' to say it. This
' I ' is only the ego or the I-thought. A f t e r
the rising u p of this I-thought all other
thoughts arise.
T h e I-thought is therefore
the root thought. If the root is pulled out
the rest is at the same time uprooted. T h e r e fore seek the root * I ' ; question yourself :
' W h o am I ? ' ; find out the source of the
' I'.
T h e n all these p r o b l e m s will vanish
and the pure Self alone w i l l r e m a i n . "
6
Why
was
the
Maharshi
so
against
thought ? W h y was he not satisfied w i t h
mental investigation ? Because it cannot see
b e y o n d itself. It is created b y the ego and
therefore cannot pierce to the Self u n d e r lying the ego. But w i l l its renunciation not
result in a mere blank ?
It can ; that is
what happens in deep sleep.
B u t it can
also result in awakening into pure S a t - C h i t Ananda, Being-Consciousness-Bliss. This is
w h a t is called Realization.
" A b s e n c e of
thought does not m e a n a blank. There must
be some one to b e aware of that blank.
K n o w l e d g e and ignorance pertain o n l y to the
mind and are in duality, but the Self is b e y o n d them both. It is pure Light.
There
is no need for one Self to see another.
There are no t w o selves. W h a t is not Self
is m e r e n o n - S e l f and cannot see the Self.
The Self has no sight or hearing ; it lies b e y o n d them, all alone, as pure Consciousness."
9
p. 117/146-7.
9 Ibid., p. 25/23,
1964
OUTSIDE THE
nirvikalpa samadhi.
But he need not. Full
and complete Realization involves return to
f o r m a l consciousness also, with full p e r c e p tion of the outer w o r l d , not as a s e l f - s u b sistent reality but as a manifestation of the
Self. T h e m i n d and senses can still cognize ;
w h e n one says that the mind is dead, that
means o n l y that it no longer presumes to
imagine, create or originate, as it f o r m e r l y
did. This is the state the Maharshi w a s in.
It is k n o w n as sahaja
samadhi.
" T o those w h o have not realized the Self,
as w e l l as to those w h o h a v e , the w o r d ' I '
refers to the b o d y , but w i t h this difference,
that, for those w h o have not realized, the
' I ' is confined to the b o d y , whereas, f o r
those w h o h a v e realized the Self within the
b o d y , the * I ' shines as the limitless Self.
SCRIPTURES
25
Maharshi
in hi
26
THE M O U N T A I N
dent.
This is Liberation or
or Self-Realization."
Enlightenment
1 2
It is to r e m o v e this error that the M a h a r shi prescribes the enquiry ' W h o am I ? '
f r o m the v e r y start.
H e had no graded
methods.
Nor did he grade his disciples
according to seniority.
Progress w a s an
inner state w h i c h only he perceived.
The
aspirant is e x p e c t e d to understand that h e
does not k n o w his self, to investigate into
it in order t o find out w h a t it really is. H e
must see :
" I a m possessed of a w r o n g
v i e w of ' I ' .
I am a slave of a p s e u d o - I .
I should not take him for the real ' I ' or
lend him that name. This t r a g e d y of w r o n g
thinking has brought on m e the sickness of
a w r o n g ' I T h e Maharshi has prescribed
the right medicine to cure m e . I am under
the spell of the ego w h i c h has hypnotised
and enslaved m e . I myself gave it the p o w e r
to do so b y thoughtlessly bestowing m y I sense o n it. B y doing so I am helping it to
r o b m e of m y v e r y Self."
Indeed, the
Maharshi often referred to the story of
K i n g Janaka w h o , on attaining Realization,
e x c l a i m e d : " N o w I h a v e caught the thief
w h o has been robbing m e all these years ! "
W h y do I thus misplace m y I-sense ? B e cause I take sense-perceptions for true.
I
h a v e to learn to realize the true ' I ' w h i c h
underlies m i n d and senses and the w h o l e
objective world.
Man's m i n d and senses are used to c o g nize o b j e c t i v e things, but this talent is of
no use for k n o w i n g the Self, in w h i c h there
is no trace of objectivity. One cannot have
a vision of the Self or k n o w the Self as one
k n o w s another, because that w o u l d i m p l y
t w o selves in y o u , one to k n o w the other.
" Y o u speak of a vision of Siva, but a vision
always presumes an object.
That implies
the existence of a subject. T h e value of the
vision is the same as that of the seer. That
is to say the nature of the vision is on the
same plane as that of the seer."
" A vision
of G o d is only a vision of the Self o b j e c t i fied as the G o d of y o u r particular faith.
1 3
12 Ibid., p. 21/18.
13 Ibid., p. 167/213,
PATH
January
Devotee
nothing.
When
I seek
the
' I'
see
16
1964
OUTSIDE THE
SCRIPTURES
A m I w o r s e than a dog ? Steadfastly
will I track Thee out and regain Thee*
O h Arunachala.
(First of the
verse 3 9 . )
Five H y m n s to Arunachala,'
1 7
-*
ASPECTS
OF
ISLAM1
IS SUFISM ISLAMIC ?
By A B D U L L A H Q U T B U D D I N
W h e n a y o u n g Muslim, seeks initiation into
a Sufi order he w i l l b e s h o w n the silsilah,
that is the ' c h a i n ' or genealogical tree of
the order, going b a c k f r o m sheikh to sheikh
in u n b r o k e n line to the Prophet himself.
True, m a n y of these orders bear the names
of the great Sufi saints of the 11th and 12th
centuries of t h e Christian era A b d u ' l
Qadir Jilani, Mu'inuddin Chishti, Ibn A r a b i
and others ; but although these great builders
impressed their o w n character o n them, they
had themselves b e e n initiated into them and
w e r e r e - a d a p t i n g them, n o t creating n e w
ones.
If, h o w e v e r , h e then takes a b o o k on I s l a m i c history and culture f r o m the library he
w i l l p r o b a b l y read that Sufism is an a d a p tation of n e o - P l a t o n i s m and came into
Islam several centuries after the Prophet,
These t w o apparently contradictory statements m a y c o m e as a great shock to him.
W h i c h is he to believe ? The armchair h i s torian, w h o p r o b a b l y has an anti-spiritual
bias in any case, w i l l see no p r o b l e m ; he
will simply brush aside the testimony of the
silsilah as f o r g e r y .
But one w h o has felt
the intense f e r v o u r of the Sufi quest for
truth w i l l not b e l i e v e that it is based on
falsehood ; n o r could h e f o l l o w it if h e did.
A c t u a l l y the p r o b l e m melts a w a y as soon
as one r e m e m b e r s that Sufism is n o t a p h i losophy but a path, w h i c h is something
v e r y different.
A philosopher w h o studies
n e o - P l a t o n i c and Sufi philosophy does not
t h e r e b y b e c o m e a Sufi, is not e v e n training
to b e a, Sufi, does not think of himself as a
Sufi, w h i l e on the other hand a Sufi murid
or disciple is not called u p o n to study n e o Platonic or any other philosophy.
He can
if he has a bent that w a y , b u t there is no
obligation. It is important for him to u n d e r stand the basic doctrine of tawhid, Oneness,
w h i c h , as interpreted b y the Sufis, is the
t e x t s
i f
i n
i s
i s
0 n e
i s
p r 0
v a
a n c
r e
1904
IS S U F I S M I S L A M I C ?
Some
of
the
orthodox,
from
of
Islam
c o m m o n to all religions.
and denied
is a
their
phenomenon
P l e n t y of C h r i s -
A d v a i t a and
dualists w h o
attacked
have
Shankara-
is not Christian or
Vedanta
29
on Kena
Vakya.
*
as the sky ! I s w a l l o w e d
w orldly delusion. I h a v e
and k n o w n ) . T h e light is
only for the service of all.
T
TUKARAM.
ARROWS
FROM
A CHRISTIAN
BOW.1
1g
AN AGGRESSIVE TEACHER
By
SAGITTARIUS
M a n y of the l a w y e r s m a y h a v e deserved
r e b u k e for being formalistsmany l a w y e r s
do in all ages ; but they could hardly help
being antagonized b y such an onslaught.
M a n y of the Pharisees m a y h a v e been
hypocrites, but w e k n o w n f r o m surviving
Jewish accounts that some at least of them
w e r e m e n of integrity and devotion sincerely
trying to perpetuate all that was best in
the Jewish tradition.
M o r e o v e r , Christ's saying that all w h o
w e r e not for him w e r e against him implied
that they w e r e deliberately being treated as
enemies. T o recognize the n e w teaching and
Teacher must have required such integrity
and understanding that there w e r e b o u n d to
b e quite a n u m b e r w h o did notpriests,
l a w y e r s , ordinary people and a wholesale
denunciation of them seems unnecessarily
aggressive to those steeped in any Eastern
tradition.
Buddha rejected the Brahmin
m o n o p o l y of w i s d o m as firmly as Christ did
that of the Pharisees, but he never d e n o u n c ed them ; he simply accepted n o n - B r a h m i n s
into his Order o n the same footing as
Brahmins.
It was not only what Christ taught that
was aggressive but the circumstances h e
chose for teaching it in. B u d d h a w a n d e r e d
quietly about the country, teaching those
w h o w o u l d listen.
T h e Maharshi did note v e n do that ; he stayed at his A s h r a m c
Tiruvannamalai and if any c a m e and asked
questions he answered them.
But Jesus
w e n t and taught in the great T e m p l e c
Jerusalem during the most c r o w d e d festiv?
of the J e w i s h year and w h i l e doing i
mingled his o w n teaching w i t h violei
3 St. Luke, ch. X I , v. 46-48.
A BEACON
1964
v. 3.
v. 27-28.
STILL
31
A BEACON STILL
By S. P. M U K H E R J I
We
find
FATHER L A Z A R U S
The w o r d O r t h o d o x y * comes f r o m t w o
G r e e k w o r d s meaning ' r i g h t glory.'
So
O r t h o d o x y means right w o r s h i p , and that
implies right belief and right thinking. W e
are reminded of w h a t our L o r d said to the
Samaritan w o m a n :
" G o d is spirit, and
His worshippers must w o r s h i p H i m in spirit
and in truth." (John 4 : 2 4 ) .
T h e O r t h o d o x C h u r c h is v e r y rich in
d o g m a , doctrine, dogmatic belief. W h e r e does
this revealed truth c o m e f r o m ?
Orthodox
d o g m a comes f r o m H o l y Tradition and H o l y
Scripture, and is to b e f o u n d largely in the
Church Service b o o k s . I suppose the O r t h o d o x Service b o o k s are the richest in the
w o r l d , and these services are based p r i m a rily o n the twin sources I have just m e n t i o n ed. In a sense there is only o n e source, for
H o l y Scripture is really part of H o l y T r a d i tion. It is a f o r m of written tradition. In
the life of the Church, and in the life of
the individual, tradition comes first.
From
A d a m for m a n y centuries there w e r e no
books. Religion w a s dependent o n the t r a ditions handed d o w n f r o m father to son.
Even in N e w Testament times, our L o r d
w r o t e nothing.
H o w did t h e Apostles and
early Christians get their faith and k n o w ledge. B y tradition handed o n b y w o r d of
mouth. It was not until 397 A . D . that the
Canon of the N e w Testament w a s fixed as
w e h a v e it today. A n d in the life of the
individual, each of us gets his first k n o w ledge of life and religion n o r m a l l y f r o m his
parents. L o n g b e f o r e w e can read w e learn
f r o m their lives and lips.
So the A p o s t l e
Paul says :. " H o l d the traditions w h i c h y o u
h a v e been taught b y w o r d or l e t t e r " (2
Thess. 2 : 1 5 ; 1 Cor, 1 1 : 2 ) .
'
(ii)
" The
devils
also
believe,
and
t r e m b l e , " i.e. they are
terrified,
having neither h o p e nor l o v e , but
believing that what w e l o v e and h o p e
for v/ill c o m e true (Jas. 2 : 1 9 ) ;
1964
SPIRITUAL
TRADITIONS
OF G R E E K
ORTHODOX
CHURCH
ever
34
THE MOUNTAIN
PATH
January
1964
SPIRITUAL
TRADITIONS
OF G R E E K
ORTHODOX
CHURCH
35
2 It will
(Editor).
not seem
strange to Hindu
readers.
36
THE M O U N T A I N
PATH
January
A s m a n is soul and b o d y , so O r t h o d o x
w o r s h i p requires the h o m a g e of both, an
O l d Testament ideal, of course : " That y o u
m a y w o r s h i p the L o r d our G o d b y e v e r y thing that y o u d o " (Josh. 4 : 2 4 ) .
Says
St. Isaac the S y r i a n :
" E v e r y p r a y e r in
w h i c h the b o d y does not participate and b y
1964
SPIRITUAL
TRADITIONS
OF G R E E K
ORTHODOX
CHURCH
37
to forget so He puts it e v e r y w h e r e .
Every
tree, e v e r y telegraph pole is a cross. W h a t
a b o o k is to a literate person, a picture is
to an illiterate. It brings him u n d e r s t a n d ing.
A n d w e b e l i e v e in the C o m m u n i o n of the
Saints, because there is n o w n o death and
all are alive to G o d . W e ask the Saints to
p r a y for us, and w e p r a y for those w h o are
not yet saints.
Now
TUKARAM.
T h e attainment of Self b y
on the Taittiriya
Upanishad.
A VISIT T O ANANDASHRAM
IN THE LIFETIME OF SWAMI RAMDAS
By
UNNAMULAI
1964
A VISIT TO A N A N D A S H R A M
39
OSBORNE
had the eternal symbolism of the l o v e
Radha and Krishna for their theme !
of
Before attempting an answer, there is a n other question that interweaves with this.
What- is the attitude of religion to art ? A t
their origin religions seem to agree in either
ignoring or deprecating art. T h e Quran f o r bids representational art and speaks s c o r n fully of poets.
T h e T a o - T e - K i n g declares
that the five senses dull the m i n d and that
the Sage, therefore, is not deluded b y them
but aims at what is of benefit. Both Christ
and Buddha completely ignore art and
poetry in their teaching, as do also their
immediate followers.
In fact all religions
that h a v e a k n o w n historical origin run the
same course :
f r o m an austere, bare p r i mitivism w h e n art is deprecated or ignored
to a gorgeous mediaevalism a f e w centuries
later, w h e n religion burgeons out into a
luxurious g l o w of beauty, even though man's
private life is still hard c o m p a r e d w i t h t h e
comforts and conveniences of our secular
world.
Once again, the obvious answerthat the
religions b e c a m e untrue to their origins
is superficial and does not fit the case. T h e
foremost purpose of a religion is to guide
those w h o will adventure out of the a p p a rent reality of this life to the clear-sighted
bliss or ecstatic rapture of the Sage or Saint,
through w h o m w a v e s of Grace flow d o w n wards and outwards to the less aspiring b e lievers.
So long as this continues to be
done a religion is w e l l rooted in its origins ;
so long as a tree bears g o o d fruit it is a
healthy tree. Religions w h i c h could p r o d u c e
a St. Francis and an Eckhart, an A b d u l
Qadir and an Ibn A r a b i , a Shankara and a
Ramanuja, an Ashvaghosha and a Hui Neng,
were not untrue to their origins ; the paths
w e r e still o p e n and guides w h o had trodden
1964
THE R E L A T I O N S B E T W E E N R E L I G I O N A N D A R T
4!
42
January
SARAH
See how Grace is fallen on me !
The sudden beauty of my rhymes
A sign made plain for all to see ;
As the Lord wrought in ancient times
With that gaunt patriarch's aged wife.
Sarah, who through all her life
Had been a barren tree.
Had this power come in youthful years,
A bastard brood my rhymes had been,
Begotten of desires and fears,
Or pompous words that little mean.
That shameful wandering denied,
I stayed perforce a faithful bride,
Whose bridgegroom now appears.
To turn m y rhymes to worldly things
Now would be a bitter shame,
Like a worthless wife who brings
Disgrace upon her husband's name.
There is not even the desire ;
No lesser theme can him inspire
Who of the highest sings.
1964
43
i Ch. IV, v. 7.
on the Brahma
Sutra,
1-1-12.
T UK ARAM.
"I
BUCHMANITE
w e e n men of g o o d will in all religions. H i m self, h e was a devout Christian, but that did
not m e a n that he wanted to m a k e Indians
and Japanese, Buddhists and Muslims, C h r i s tians. He wanted them to b e c o m e g o o d m e n ,
sincere m e n , m e n one could trust w i t h
one's m o n e y , with one's secrets, w i t h one's
daughter, m e n of g o o d will, eager to help
w h e r e help was needed, not bearing malice
or spreading slander, not gloating o v e r a n o ther's misfortune or resenting past injuries.
In m a n y , if not most, cases the best i n s t r u ment for recalling a m a n to a life of right
conduct is the religion he k n e w in childhood
and still sees around him ; therefore Moral
Rearmament can generally achieve better
results b y strengthening a m a n in his o w n
religion than b y coaxing him to another. Its
reluctance to proselytise does not mean that
it is indifferent to religion ; on the contrary,
it values religious faith a b o v e all, but it sees
that in the present urgent w o r k of r e b u i l d ing the dykes and holding b a c k the flood all
religions can help. A f t e r all, h o w e v e r great
the differences b e t w e e n them, all religions
do forbid falsehood and violent pursuit of
one's o w n interests, hatred and e n v y and
self-indulgence, and do sponsor a w a y of
life that could b e called moral and that Moral
Rearmament could a p p r o v e of.
One of the criticisms levelled at M R A is
that it is not intellectual, it has no p h i l o sophy. That is the w h o l e paradox. It is the
inevitable result of its refusal to b e c o m e a
sect or a religion. A s soon as it draws u p
any philosophy or code of beliefs for itself,
h o w e v e r b r o a d and general, it b e c o m e s a
creed and is w a l l e d off f r o m other creeds,
whereas its purpose is to build bridges not
walls.
I v e r y m u c h doubt whether Guru Nanak,
the founder of Sikhism, ever intended to
found a religion. The Granth Sahib, the h o l y
46
THE MOUNTAIN P A T H
January
964
BUCHMAN AND
BHAGAVAN
47
nity it was the same, though m o r e c o n c e a l ed. One a n o n y m o u s 14th century classic,
' T h e Cloud of U n k n o w i n g
even describes
its f o r m of training in some detail. C h a racteristically, the author prefaces it with a
stern warning to those w h o are not pledged
to the training but m e r e l y inquisitive not to
read it.
A n d t o - d a y ? T o - d a y the religions have
g r o w n ineffectual in their vertical training
no less than in their horizontal. That is not
to say that n o b o d y ever obeys the moral
injunctions of his religion or undergoes s p i r i tual training, but b y and large the hedges
are d o w n and the ladders broken, A n d just
as F r a n k B u c h m a n instituted a m o r a l d i s c i p line independent of any religion on the h o r i zontal plane, so did Ramana Maharshi a
spiritual discipline on the vertical. He was
w e l l versed in Hindu philosophy, but in e x plaining to n o n - H i n d u s h e used neither
Sanskrit terminology nor Hindu philosophical
concepts but simply told them to seek the
essential self of them ; just as B u c h m a n w a s
a devout Christian b u t n e v e r tried to thrust
his Christianity on others.
I have no doubt that if some one had c o m e
and told Frank B u c h m a n : " I am f o l l o w i n g
the moral injunctions of m y religion and I
feel that that is enough. I don't feel that I
need Moral R e a r m a m e n t , " he w o u l d h a v e
replied : " S p l e n d i d ! I wish m o r e people
could say that." Similarly, I have no doubt
that if some one w h o was f o l l o w i n g a t r a d i tional discipline under a realized guru in
his o w n religion had told the Maharshi so,
the Maharshi w o u l d have a p p r o v e d just as
fully. But such cases must b e v e r y rare.
W h a t paths are still valid, and w h e r e are the
guides ? There are some w h o t r y to f o l l o w
guides w h o are not realized m e n , but that
c a n t take them far ; it is not m u c h better
than play-acting. S w a m i Brahmananda ( w h o
was the principal successor to Sri R a m a krishna in the training of disciples, as S w a m i
Vivekananda w a s in organization and p r o p a g a n d a ) has expressed this v e r y clearly.
" Ordinary people understand b y the term
' Guru ' a person w h o whispers some mantra
48
January
S o far as the opposite influence is c o n c e r n ed, the Maharshi's training does naturally
presume high moral standards. Being a w a r
on the ego, it is ipso facto a w a r on egoism.
Arthur Osborne explains that succinctly in
The Teachings
of Ramana Maharshi in His
Own Words. " Sin and evil of e v e r y kind are
the result of egoism unrestrained b y c o n s i deration for the injury caused to others or
the deleterious effect on the sinner's o w n
character. Religions guard against them b y
moral and disciplinary codes and emotional
appeals, seeking to keep the ego within
bounds and prevent its trespassing into f o r bidden places. H o w e v e r , a spiritual path that
is so radical and direct as to d e n y the ego
itself does not need to attend specifically to
the various excesses of egoism. A l l egoism
has to b e renounced. Therefore n o n - d u a l i t y
turns the attack on the ego itself, not o n its
specific manifestations."
on the Gita
X I I I , 2.
^Bulletin
THE G R E A T TRANSITION
' On Friday (April 14th, 1950) the doctors and
attendants knew it was the last day.
In the
morning he again bade them go and meditate.
About noon, when liquid fcod was brought for
him, he asked the time, punctual as ever, but
then
added,
" But
henceforth
time
doesn't
matter."
' Delicately expressing recognition of their long
years of service, he said to the attendants, " The
English have a word * thanks' but we only say
santosham
(I am pleased)
After
Apprehension held
50
deep breath, and no more. There was no struggle, no spasm, no other sign of death : only that
the next breath did not come.
' For a few moments people stood bewildered.
The singing continued. The French press-photographer came up to me (Editor) and asked at what
precise minute it had happened. Resenting it as
journalistic callousness, I replied brusquely that
I did not know, and then I suddenly recalled
Sri Bhagavan's unfailing courtesy and answered
precisely that it was 8.47. He said, and I could
hear now that he was excited, that he had been
pacing the road outside and at that very moment
an enormous star had trailed slowly across the
sky.
Many had seen it, even as far as Madras,
and felt what it portended.
It passed to the
north-east towards the peak of Arunachala.
' After the first numbness there was a wild burst
of grief.
The body was carried out on the
veranda in a sitting posture.
Men and women
crowded up to the veranda railing to see.
A
woman fainted.
Others sobbed aloud.
' The body was placed garlanded upon a couch
in the hall and the devotees thronged there and
sat around it.
One had expected the face to
be rock-like in samadhi, but found it instead so
marked by pain that it gripped one's heart. Only
gradually during the night the air of mysterious
composure returned to it.
' All that night devotees sat in the large hall
and townsfolk passed through in awed silence
Processions streamed from the town and back
singing
' ArunachalaSiva'.
Some
of
the
devotees in the hall
sang songs of praise
and grief; others sat
silent. What was most
noticeable was not the
grief
but
the
calm
beneath it, for
they
were men and women
deprived of him whose
Grace had been the
very meaning of their
life. Already that first
night and much mere
during the days that
followed,
it
became
clear how vital had
been his words :
" I
am not going away.
Where
could
I go ?
January
I am here."
The word here' does not imply
any limitation but rather that the Self is, that
there is no going, no changing, for That which
is Universal.
Nevertheless, as devotees felt the
inner Presence of Bhagavan and as they felt the
continued Divine Presence at Tiruvannamalai,
they began to regard it as a promise full of love
and solicitude.
4
PRESENCE
' The crowds dispersed and the Ashram seemed an abandoned place, like a grate with the
fire gone out. And yet there was not the wild
grief and despair that has so often followed the
departure of a Spiritual Master from earth. The
normality that had been so pronounced still continued. It began to be apparent with what care
and compassion Sri Bhagavan had prepared his
1964
ASHRAM
BULLETIN
51
AN APPEAL
The Managing Committee of SRI R A M A N A S R A M A M has now resolved to open a
roll of Donors and Life Members, the contribution being Rs. 1,000/- and upwards for
the former and Rs. 100/- and upwards for
the latter ( 100 & $300 and 10 & $ 30).
Such contributions will be deposited
Bank and the interest realised thereon
lised for the upkeep of the Ashram
for providing facilities for its members
visitors.
in a
utiand
and
' True, his Presence is not confined to Tiruvannamalai. It never was. The devotees, wherever
they may be, find his Grace and support, his
inner Presence, not merely as potent but even
more potent now than before. And yet, now as
before, the solace of a visit to Tiruvannamalai
sinks into the soul and residence there has a
beauty hard to describe.
NO RETURN
' There have been Saints who have promised to
return to earth for the renewed guidance of their
devotees in life after life, but Sri Bhagavan was
the complete Jnani in whom there is not even
that vestige of an ego that may indicate rebirth,
and the devotees understood this. His promise was
different. " I am not going away. Where could I
go ? I am here." Not even " I shall be here " but
" I am here ", for to the Jnani there is no change,
no time, no difference of past and future, no going
away, only the eternal " Now " in which the whole
of time is poised, the universal, spaceless " Here ".
January
52
What he affirmed was his continued, uninterrupted Presence, his continued guidance. Long ago he
had told Sivaprakasam Pillai, " H e who has won
the Grace of the Guru shall undoubtedly be saved
and never forsaken," and when devotees spoke
during the last sickness as though he was forsaking them and pleaded their weakness and continued need of him he retorted, as already mentioned, " You attach too much importance to the
body."
' They quickly discovered how true this was.
More than ever he has become the Inner Guru.
Those who depended on him feel his guidance
mere actively, more potently, now. Their thoughts
are riveted on him more constantly. The vichara,
leading to the Inner Guru, has grown easier and
more accessible. Meditation brings a more immediate flow of Grace. The repercussion of actions,
good and bad alike, is more swift and strong.
SHRINE A N D A S H R A M
Naturally, there are not the same crowds at
the Maharshi's Ashram at Tiruvannamalai that
there were during his lifetime. Many of these
were visitors eager to have a sight of the holy
man. Many also, especially from Western countries, were intellectuals, students of philosophy or
psychology, who came to pose academic questions.
It is possible that a higher percentage of these
who come now are genuine seekers or true devotees.
1
' The tomb of the Maharshi was made just outside the old meditation hall where he sat with his
devotees for so many years. The beginnings have
been made of a shrine over it of beautiful polished black and grey stone from Arunachala, but
funds are awaited to complete it.
' There is no spiritual head of the Ashram in
human form. The Presence of the Maharshi is so
powerful and pervading that it would be a redun1 Ramana Maharshi and the Path of
Self-Knowledge, pp. 185-192, by Arthur Osborne, Rider & Co.
The
Sarvadhikari
A S H R A M BULLETIN
1964
53
DR.
T.
M.
P.
A Sketch of Maharshi's
MAHADEVAN.
pp.
6-8.
THE
54
MOUNTAIN PATH
LETTERS
FROM
SRI
RAMANASRAMAM:
Translated from the Telugu original of Soori
Nagamma, a lady devotee:
Delightful pen
pictures of day-to-day life of the Maharshi.
bringing out His humour, humanity and Universal love.
M A H A R S H I ' S GOSPEL ; Books I and I I : Talks
with the Maharshi by several disciples on many
important problems of Sadhaks.
Practical advice throughout.
MAHA YOGA :
By " WHO " . A treatise of supreme interest to every student of Advaita,
lucidly
explaining
Sri Ramana
Maharshi's
teachings in the light of Upanishadic lore.
M Y RECOLLECTIONS OF B H A G A V A N : By
the author of " Day by Day with Bhagavan
A delightful and instructive book describing
the Magic of Bhagavan's Personality and Grace.
POEMS OF R A M A N A M A H A R S H I :
Rendered
into English by Sadhu Arunachala (Maj. A. W .
Chadwick).
RAMANA
ARUNACHALA :
By
ARTHUR OSBORNE.
By
D R . T.
M.
P.
MAHADEVAN :
REFLECTIONS
ON
"TALKS
WITH
SRI
RAMANA MAHARSHI" :
By S. S. COHEN.
author of " G U R U
RAMANA'\
Elucidating
various important points raised during the
T A L K S with the Maharshi.
A helpful guide
to Sadhaks.
A
SADHU'S
MAHARSHI:
REMINISCENCES
By
SADHU
OF
SPIRITUAL
Maharshi's
nananda.
the title "
dialogue.
January
INSTRUCTION:
Being
the
teaching given to his disciple NataPublished originally in Tamil with
Upadesa Manjari" in the form of a
Revised translation.
SRI M A H A R S H I :
A brief Sketch of the Sage's
life with 1 1 7 illustrations of the Master in different periods of life, various personalities who
came into touch with him, the different spots
he lived in etc. A valuable album to treasure.
SRI R A M A N A , the SAGE OF A R U N A G I R I :
A
subjective study of the Maharshi's Life, by
" Aksharajna"
with a supplement containing
valuable extracts from the Maharshi's teachings.
SRI R A M A N A G I T A :
Containing the teachings
of the Maharshi composed into 3 0 0 Sanskrit
verses
( 1 8 Chapters)
by Sri Kavyakanta
GANAPATI M U N I with English translation by
Prof. G. V . Subbaramayya. Contains very useful hints on Bhakti, Yoga and Jnana Mar gas
with special stress on the Maharshi's unique
method of " Self-Enquiry " .
T A L K S W I T H SRI R A M A N A M A H A R S H I :
A
faithful record of talks with the Maharshi by
numerous devotees, some of them from far-off
lands, on their personal spiritual problems.
The records cover a period of about four years.
1 9 3 5 to 1 9 3 9 .
TECHNIQUE OF M A H A Y O G A :
A handy and
practical guide to Sadhaks treading the Path of
Self-Enquiry, written from the personal experience by N. R. NARAYANA
THUS S P A K E R A M A N A :
the sayings of Bhagavan.
IYER.
RAMANA
ARUNACHALA
(Maj.
ASHRAM
1964
BULLETIN
MAHARSHI
A N D THE P A T H OF
SELF-KNOWLEDGE :
By
and Jaico
COLLECTED
SHI :
WORKS
ARTHUR
OSBORNE.
Publishing
O F RAMANA
MAHAR-
London
malai).
Tiruvanna-
TEACHINGS OF R A M A N A M A H A R S H I IN HIS
OWN
WORDS:
Edited
by
ARTHUR
OSBORNE.
only
the Sarvadhikari
but a number of
MAJOR
ALAN
CHADWICK
January
GRIDALUR
SAMBASIVA
RAO
V.
V.
1
NARAYANASWAMI
Narayanaswami Iyer,
Chellam
Iyer \
the
IYER
popularly known
cashier
of
the
as
Ashram
1964
ASHRAM
who served the Ashram for 17 years, also passed away this year.
A number of new people have come and new
houses been built to add to our small colony.
There is also a constant flow of visitors from
India and abroad, the majority of whom nowadays are people who never saw Bhagavan in his
lifetime.
Apart from private residences, two new guest
houses have also been put up, thanks to the
donations of Sri K. Padmanabhan and Sri H. C.
Khanna. This is particularly useful for lady visitors, as they are not allowed to stay in the
Ashram premises.
For single-men a number'
of self-contained rooms have been built.
Work is proceeding with a shrine and meditation-hall over the Maharshi's Samadhi Shrine.
The plan is ambitious but the work has to keep
pace with available funds.
LIFE MEMBERS SRI
RAMANASRAMAM
H. C. Khanna, Kanpur.
D. Subbanna, Bangalore.
K. S. N. Rao, New Delhi.
M. Sadasiva Setty, Chikmagalur.
A. R. Narayana Rao, Madras.
V. Venkatakrishniah, Nellore.
C. Padmanabha Rao, Tirupathi.
G. Sesha Reddi, Nellore.
Y. Ramakrishna Prasad, Madras.
Narendra C . Amin, Man galore.
A. R. Natarajan, Bangalore.
Vegi Venkateswara Rao, Visakhapatnam.
G. V. Subbaramayya, Nidubrolu.
Penmacha Jegannatha Raju, Jirmur.
* A. K. Ramachandra Iyer, Madras.
Bh. Venkata Lakshmi Narasimha Raju, Jinnur.
Rayavarapu Sankarayya, Nellore.
A . Dasaradha Rami Reddi, Nellore.
M. Suryanarayana Iyer, Nellore.
R. V. Raghavan, Calcutta.
S. Krishnamurthy, Neyveli.
T. R. G. Krishnan, Bangalore.
Tupili Ramana Reddy, Nellore.
Mr. & Mrs. Suresh Chandra Khanna, Kanpur.
THE JOURNAL, ITS BIRTH
A short note might be added on the genesis of
' The Mountain Pathsince
this also is Ashram
news. It had been felt long back, even in the
lifetime of Bhagavan, that there should be
an Ashram journal.
It was even suggested to
him, but he did not respond; his face showed
no interest, so the matter was allowed to drop.
BULLETIN
57
Bhagavan very seldom said no, but so tremendous was the power of his presence that if he
did not show interest and encouragement none
would presume to undertake a project.
After he left the body the idea was again considered but again came to nothing. It was mentioned to the present editor who replied, as he
then felt, that he had neither the ability nor
the interest to undertake such a task.
As late as September 1963 it occurred independently to both the editor and the managing editor that there should be an Ashram news bulletin
published annually at the time of Sri Bhagayan's
Jayanti (birth anniversary) and distributed free
to devotees, as so many who were not able to
come here liked to be kept in touch with developments.
A preliminary draught of this was
written and shown to a member of the Ashram
managing committee, and he immediately suggested that it should be not an annual but a quarterly and should contain articles also. That, of
course, raised questions of writing, organization
and finance.
In a clear intuition from Bhagavan it occurred
to those concerned that this was the solution,
that the time had now come and an Ashram
journal was now appropriate, and before the end
of September the project of ' The Mountain Path'
was agreed upon. There are times when nothing
goes right, the wheels are not greased, a project
cannot move forward,; this was just the opposite.
From the very beginning every one cooperated, and gladly, not grudgingly.
Blessings
and messages of goodwill flowed in the immediate financial problems were surmounted, the
printer took the work up in a spirit of service
to Bhagavan, with a short but impressive puja
a newly constructed office was opened for the
journal at the Ashram, people contributed articles,
encouragement came from all sides, hundreds of
people took out advance subscriptions, purely
on trust, so that in December, a bare three
months from its first conception, it is already a
full grown reality.
If we feel confidence now
that it is due to come before the public, it is not
confidence in our own work or powers but in the
Grace of Bhagavan which we feel so strongly to
be on this venture.
THE M O U N T A I N P A T H LIFE SUBSCRIBERS
V. Subramanian, Durgapur.
B. S. Ranganathan, Nellore.
Dr. T. N. Krishnaswami, Madras.
Miss Elezabeth Merston, Sri Ramananagar.
K. K. Nambiar, Bombay.
58
January
THE M O U N T A I N PATH.
SRI
K. Gopalrao, Bombay.
V. Seshadri, Calcutta.
Lieut. D. Subbanna, Bangalore.
Bhupen Champaklal, Bombay.
G. J. Yorke, Gloucester, England.
Mrs. Banoo J. H. Ruttonjee, Hong Kong.
Dinshaw S. Paowalla, Hong Kong.
Miss Gertrude Fugert, Mum h, Germany.
Trudel Elasaesser, Waldhof, Germany.
Prof. Dr. Friedrich W . Funke, Seelscheid, Germany.
Louise Trachsler, Coppet, Switzerland.
Henri Hartung, Paris.
RAMANASRAMAM
SRI R A M A N A S R A M A M ,
CHARITIES
TIRUVANNAMALAI
AN ANNOUNCEMENT
" SRI R A M A N A S R A M A M C H A R I T I E S , T I R U V A N N A M A L A I " is a n e w l y registered
b o d y under the Societies Registration A c t X X I of 1860 w i t h the f o l l o w i n g objects :
1. To construct an A u d i t o r i u m and L i b r a r y and a Reading R o o m .
2. T o h o l d discourses periodically, sometimes daily, on Indian Philosophy
Culture including those relating to B h a g a v a n Sri Ramana Maharshi.
3.
and
Knowledge.
4. T o house b o o k s and periodicals on Eastern and Western Philosophy and d e p i c t ing different cultural aspects of life in India and other countries.
5.
T o run a school w h e r e the students are taught Sanskrit, English, Tamil, Vedas
and Upanishads and Mathematics etc. and lodging.
BOOK REVIEWS
GOD-EXPERIENCE :
van's
Book
By Swami Ramdas
University,
Chaupatty,
(Bha-
Bombay.
Editor.
THE MOUNTAIN P A T H
60
THE W A Y OF L I G H T :
By T. V . Kapali Sastri.
Sastri
was
disciple
of
Ganapati
hymns
Sri
to
Gitabesides
the Maharshi,
composing
while
Kapali
on the Maharshi's
at
January
Allahabad
University.
However,
his
many
series
find
interest
(in Marathi
in
his
books
In parti-
'Pathway
to
literature, in Kannada
literature and in Hindi literature, all three published in a uniform edition with this life of him)
giving accounts of the lives, experiences and teachings of the saints.
More than all this, however, he was a lifelong
sadhaka
or
seeker.
He
was
disciple
of
the
Name.
therein
joyed
accessible
than in
the direct
said
through
and
of
himself:
"I
throughto m y
Tantric
path
of
Kapali Sastri
am
Tantric
marrow I was a
spiritual
experiences.
Indeed,
he
mediate
It
successor,
he himself
became
a guru,
Divine Name.
to their Ashram
at Pondicherry.
There
" By occult
It is on this last phase of his life that his disciple, M. S. Deshpande, most concentrates, referring to him reverentially as Gurudev.
training one can enter the Psychic world and e x plore it as one does a country " instead of being
told:
There
is
no
doubt
about
does not
powers
give
come
jected.
them
a thought,"
spontaneously
or:
they
" Even if
should be r e -
the
saintliness
of
Ramana
Maharshi
Nevertheless, a followdown by
cannot
Bhagavan
but wonder
at
this
What do they
matter ?
pursuit of Moksha
As
Sastri
he
grew
began
(Liberation)."
older
to
and more
give
advice
mature,
and
Kapali
guidance
to
made up
of fragments
of diary
This book
RANADE'S
Deshpande.
LIFE
OF
(Bhavan's
Chaupatty, Bombay-7.
LIGHT:
Book
There
seen.
form
is
still
the
By M.
S.
University,
of
seer-sight-
from
Supreme
Identity.
LIFE A N D
TEACHING
OF
BRAMAGNA
By Swami Prabuddhananda.
may
be
Rs. 5.50).
greater publicity.
advanced
It
to
Advaita
(Identity).
gave
were
the
fused
MA:
Book
(Oxford
trinity
enjoyed
and corres-
of
most
The
instructions
profound,
but
disciples
and
would
not
let
them
she
she
re-
a dozen
write
about
BOOK
1964
REVIEWS
SWAMI V I V E K A N A N D A :
ter of His Life.
(Oxford
Book
A Forgotten
Chap-
Park
St.,
Calcutta-16.
Rs. 10).
Even before setting forth for America and fame,
Swami Vivekananda was already a dominating
figure.
He travelled, often on foot, the l e n g h
and breadth of India, impressing high and low
alike with his eloquence and magnetism.
One
of his first friends and staunchest disciples was
the Raja of Khetri. Mr. Sharma has discovered
and edited a considerable correspondence between them in the archives of the former princely state. This will be a welcome addition to the
libraries of all students of the Swami.
ESSAYS
IN
PHILOSOPHY:
Presented
to
Dr. T. M. P. Mahadevan on his Fiftieth Birthday. (Ganesh, Madras. Rs. 25).
Prof. Mahadevan, Head of the Philosophy D e partment of Madras University, is an Advaitin
among
the
philosophers
and
a
philosopher
among the Advaitins. While a profound student
of Sanskrit and of classical Indian philosophy, he
is also thoroughly at home with Western philosophy, with whose exponents he can argue on
their own terms. He is, however, grounded in
the Eastern concept that philosophy is to be not
merely learned but lived.
Therefore he is not
only a professor of philosophy but also a devotee of Ramana Maharshi.
The 52 essays, contributed by as many writers,
in
this presentation
range
over
the
field
Buddhist philosophy.
volume
of
fittingly
Hindu,
therefore
Western
and
61
articles he wrote.
as Tayumanavar.
62
THE MOUNTAIN P A T H
West's
greatest
Mediaeval
poet,
showing
his
January
apparent effect
sara."
in the
apparent world of
sam-
stage by stage.
The
The second tries to avoid being too explicit on
a concealed topic:
of
the world.
and
book is
based
mainly
on
the
Chinese
intrinsic
understanding,
it is based on the
For^ author's own perception.
those, however, who follow the Jnana-marga
He calls it ' The Negative W a y ' because it pro(Path of Knowledge), seeing the whole universe
ceeds not by asserting what is but what, includas a projection of the mind, the same applies that
of the individual:
tion, is not.
self
Sages
rating the tattvas that envelop the Self and e x amining them instead of casting them away.
He
should consider the phenomenal world with r e ference to himself merely as a dream."3
symbolism
swastika
of
the
spiral
and
the pyramid,
that constant
the universe
gradually
the
away at the
true
tears a man's
mind
conditioned
and
orientates
it
to
true
ing.
A S K THE A W A K E N E D , THE N E G A T I V E W A Y :
By Wei W u Wei. (Routledge and Kegan Paul,
30s.)
previous
two
books,
' Fingers
Pointing
It is written in the same style, that is the ancient form of sutras rather than the modern form
of logical deduction.
Examples :
no
skin
the
book is the
refusal
to
make
author's
any
com-
Constantly he
jective reality:
SOME
CHRISTIAN
Dupont.
FESTIVALS:
By
Elfrida
the
traditional
What,
what
for
festivals
instance,
Lammastide ?
is
What
Thursday commemorate ?
of
their
Candlemas ?
does
Maundy
W h y are
Who was
Claus
Christmas ?
and
how
did
he
become
Father
Christ
possible
without
to strive
knowing
any
in
of
the way
these
of
things.
Nevertheless, for a member of a Christian community they give a warmth and colour and sense
of belonging.
independent
after
It is quite
has
consistent
Santa
author's
Skin
characterises
ruthless,
onion.
cross, helps
hammering
What
an
as stripping
existence.
Form
as
it
the
for
instance,
beginning:
" It
fell
about
the
Lammastide."
In this book
the festivals
are described in a
padding,
and with
sense of
reverence.
BOOK REVIEWS
1964
Christians.
THE
UPANISHADS:
Nikhilananda.
Translated
by
Swami
ISLAM :
63
QUTBUDDIN.
VALMIKI
MAHA
RAMAYANA
OR Y O G A
V A S I S H T A : Translated by S. V. Ganapathi.
Published by the translator at 9-D, Edward
Elliotts Road, Madras-4.
This is the translator's second volume on Nirvana. The first volume was published in Tamil
in 1948. Sage Vasishta presents to Sri Rama the
state of Nirvana through many illustrations and
anecdotes. Typical of them is the following :
" T h e r e is no trace of the sprout in the seed.
The essence of seed pervades the seed ; likewise
the world phenomena are not experienced in
Brahman. Brahman is without substance, form or
activity. Hence the world cannot be derived from
Brahman. Expecting to see the world in Brahman
is like expecting Mount Meru within the Atom.
The wise as well as the ignorant perceive the
world phenomena. The wise know they are all
subject to constant changes and dissolution. They
are dependent upon our imagination and are mere
percepts. Hence we cannot call them Real or u n real. They appear before us like dreams and
disappear when wisdom dawns." " Discard all
doubts and with a courage bordering on recklessness, be a Great Doer, a Great Enjoyer and a
Great Renouncer. Then one is established in great
Renunciation."
It may be a useful book for those on the Path
of Knowledge as taught by Bhagavan Sri Ramana
Maharshi. The English is passable.
T. K. S.
THE MOUNTAIN
64
THE INCREDIBLE SAI B A B A :
borne.
By Arthur O s -
PATH
January
THE R H Y T H M OF H I S T O R Y :
By Arthur O s borne. (Orient Longmans. Rs. 2.75)
give
P.
PANDIT.
P.
PANDIT.
THE
(Composed
in the
by
Ashram
death
GOLDEN
the
Hall,
eminent
crowded
had claimed
poet
with
MASTER
Harindranath
devotees
the body
Chattopadhyaya
on the
of Sri
night
when
Ramana.)