Belgium

Brussels

WE reached Brussels in the afternoon. At the airport we were welcomed by two Belgian couples—Mr. and Mrs. Haesaerts, who had invited us to Belgium when they came to see us at Geneva, and Mr. and Mrs. Coulon whom also we had met there. Mr. and Mrs. Haesaerts took us to their house where we felt quite at home. We were treated with great hospitality and, throughout the period we were with them, the lady was all joy and laughter. Her husband also was kind and affectionate. Their two children, a girl and a boy, were coming to our rooms frequently during the day and liked to remain with us. They were ever willing to serve us and get us whatever we wanted. In many ways these children poured out their innocent love on us.

The meetings here were held in an upstair room of an outhouse in the same compound. Sometimes the small room was overcrowded. The questions asked here were mostly of an intellectual nature relating to war and the possibility of God’s existence. Here are a few of them:

Way to World Peace

Q: People are prepared to fight all over the world and there is no good preaching.

Ramdas: The solution rests, as Ramdas told you just now, in our perfectly loving everybody and remaining non-violent towards all. If we set the example we shall make others also free from hatred. Example is better than precept. Ramdas does not go about preaching anybody, but when they put him questions he has to tell them that there can be peace in the world only if we love each other. By so doing we get happiness for ourselves and give happiness to others. The way to attain this happiness is by eradicating all ill-will and hatred from our heart. Then only we can love others in the true sense of the term and by that love develop harmony in our heart and harmony outside.

Find Peace Within

Q: Shall we have a day when we have such type of peace in the world?

Ramdas: Ours is to strive for peace, and in striving so we shall be happy. When we try jointly through the grace of God and our prayers to Him to bring about peace in the world, peace is bound to come. We must try to get rid of our petty jealousies so that the world catastrophe may be avoided. But what happens now is that people have no faith in God. God is not far away from us. He is within our heart and He is absolute peace. When we tune our mind with absolute peace, we naturally create an atmosphere of peace around us. Individual as well as collective effort is necessary. Individuals should try to find peace within themselves and all such individuals in all parts of the world should jointly try to bring peace and this will definitely have its effect.

Q: What should be our attitude if we are forced to join the war?

Ramdas: Refuse to wage war and face the consequences. It would be better to be killed than to kill our brethren.

Q: What do you think of the theory of Avatar? Do you believe that Christ was an Avatar?

Ramdas: Ramdas does believe in Avatars and takes Jesus as one of them.

At the meetings Mr. Coulon was often the interpreter, as also our hostess. Ramdas spent a happy time with the visitors.

For the two days we lived in Belgium we had our lunch at Mr. Coulon’s place, where his wife treated us with warm affection and hospitality. Whenever we were in their house, this lady used to be in a state of exultation, her face suffused with smiles.