← World is GodHis autobiography, book three

CHAPTER XX

Malaya

Singapore

We were now making ourselves ready to go to Singapore which was the next place of our visit. We had invitations also from Kuala Lumpur and Penang. These are in the Malay Peninsula. The plane took us to the Singapore airport where, on landing, we were welcomed by a large group of devotees. In this group there were mainly Tamilians and Gujeratis. We were comfortably lodged in the house of a Gujerati merchant, Sri Kanubhai M. Metha. He and his family were extremely kind and hospitable to us. A big shamiana was erected in front of his house for Bhajan and other programmes. On the evening of the day we arrived, a meeting was held in this shamiana. A fairly large number of Hindus attended the function. At first Bhajan was performed by two parties—Tamilians and Gujeratis. We sat quietly listening to the sweet music glorifying God and His Name. When the Bhajan was closed Ramdas was asked by the friends to speak a few words to the assembled devotees. Ramdas spoke on Satsang and on the Divine Name.

Mahatma Gandhi’s Greatness

Next day a meeting was held at the Gandhi Memorial Hall. It was a big hall and the number of people gathered there must have been over 500. Sri R.K. Tandon, Representative of the Government of India in Singapore, presided. Ramdas talked to the audience on the object of his tour. He also spoke a few words on Mahatma Gandhi in whose memory the hall was built. He said:

To love God is to love all

Mahatmaji was a lover of God and a lover of humanity. A man who says that he loves God and does not love his brethren, is a liar. If we really have faith in God and love God, we must love our fellow-beings. Otherwise we are not sincere in our love for God. Essentially Mahatma Gandhi was a spiritually illumined saint. His life fully bears this out. We can take so many lessons from his life. He taught us how we can purify ourselves in order that God may make us instruments to serve humanity. Selfless service alone counts. If any service is done to another out of selfishness that service is of no value. Real value comes to it when we do it selflessly. We can be selfless only when we have inner illumination. Through union with God we find light and joy within and when we are thus illumined we can really serve others without expecting anything in return.

Passing on to the problem of world peace Ramdas said:

Through the awareness of the Divine alone we can really bring true peace in the world. There is no doubt, considerable effort is being made by great leaders of the world on the material plane to bring about peace and harmony. But Ramdas does not see any sign of their success. The only way left for us is to turn our mind within ourselves and find out the true and everlasting basis or the supreme source from which alone we can get true happiness and peace in the world. That basis is God who is dwelling in the hearts of every one of us. He is the Universal Spirit.

Problem of Non-Vegetarianism

Some questions were put to Ramdas by the friends in the congregation, which was made up of various classes of people, among whom, Ramdas learnt later, there was a good sprinkling of Muslims and Parsis. The questions related to meat-eating.

Meat-eating is a great problem which engages the minds of spiritual seekers all over the world. It is true, food has a great bearing upon one’s state of mind. We should avoid such food as would cause stimulation of the senses or irritation of the mind. Those who are on the spiritual path, therefore, avoid pungent, hot and stimulating foods and drinks of every kind. Meat is avoided by a certain class of seekers because it involves killing of animals. The principles of Ahimsa or non-violence have been the creed of Buddhism, Jainism, and in the present time Gandhism, if we may so call the essential truths of Gandhiji’s teachings. Among Hindus there are various sects. Some of them are strict vegetarians and some others, according to their beliefs, are permitted to take meat. It is indeed true, as the saying goes, “It does not matter what goes into our mouth, but what comes out of it does.”

When a spiritual aspirant, in his early days of discipline, struggles to bring his mind under control by eliminating from it all hankerings for the pleasures of the flesh, it is necessary that he should regulate his diet strictly. He takes the simplest food which does not cause undue disturbance in the mind, when he engages himself in prayer and meditation. In fact, in all manner of ways, the life of such an aspirant becomes extremely plain and simple. He reduces his wants to the minimum and lives a life of abstinence and renunciation. But when he advances on the path, and as his mind gets more and more collected, steady and tranquil, the rules of diet and other restrictions are relaxed. In some cases the strictness of discipline is maintained throughout the life of the seeker, even after he has found the peace of the immortal, and begins to play the role of a spiritual master to guide people in general. The followers of these great masters emphatically support the view that meat should never be taken on any consideration, and condemn people of the other classes who are given to meat-eating as their spiritual leaders had no objection to it.

A Matter of Necessity

There is thus a sharp conflict of opinion even among great souls on this question. If Ramdas is asked what his opinion on the matter is, he can only say that it is a matter of individual habit, temperament, convenience and necessity whether a man should eat meat or not. Although Ramdas, for himself, is not in favour of meat-eating, he does not, in any way, dislike a person who eats meat.

Now, by his going round the world and visiting many countries in which he met all classes of people, he found that a large majority of the population of the world is given to meat-eating. Even in countries like Japan, Hongkong, Thailand, Burma, Malaya and Ceylon, quite a considerable number of the followers of Buddha are taking meat as their natural article of food. Europe and America are, of course, the principal meat-eating countries. There are, here and there in Europe, societies formed with the sole object of changing the minds of people from meat-eating to vegetarianism on humanitarian grounds. In the course of our Wanderings we came in contact with many groups of spiritual! seekers who were meat-eaters, but we found all the same that they were spiritually advanced and lived a life of purity, peace and charity. Here Ramdas may extract a reply that he gave to a question on the subject in Singapore:

Even plants have life

Are we not killing lives even if we are pure vegetarians? You must have heard of Dr. Bose who has found by experiments that everything in the world has life. Even vegetables have life and feeling. He showed by injecting a sugar solution to a plant, the plant manifested joy just like a man who was given some sweets. When he injected a kind of poison, the plant immediately started showing signs of agony as a man or animal would do before death, and gradually faded and died.

So we see clearly there is life in everything in the world and we cannot make out which to eat and which not to eat. We wonder where to draw a line of demarcation. We say we are at the head of creation. We must avoid massacring or killing out of hate. Animals kill other animals for food, but human beings range themselves against each other for waging wars out of hatred. If we stop these wars there will be so much misery averted and so much happiness created in this world.

We have in India the great problem of cow protection. But if we go to the households of Hindus, who profess to worship cows, we see how miserably they are kept. They are not taken proper care of. First let us look after the animals which are under our care and charge. In Europe and America people do not talk about vegetarianism. It may not be possible for them because they are used to taking meat as food. In Kashmir you will find even Brahmins are given to meat eating, because of the cold weather, perhaps. You cannot have a hard and fast rule applicable to all people on this globe. It is a matter of habit, custom and need of the person.

The True Criterion

Ramdas may add God does not judge you by what you eat but by what you are; whether you are kind and compassionate towards those who are in distress; whether your heart is free from selfishness and filled with pure love and devotion for Him; whether you are ready to serve your fellow-beings and love them like your nearest kith and kin; whether you are prepared to sacrifice yourself to the utmost for bringing relief, light and joy to the hearts of those who are afflicted. This is the criterion for judging whether a man is really a true servant of God who has realised Him.

A man may be a strict vegetarian, a punctual temple-goer, may praise God regularly every morning and evening, may read the scriptures with all concentration, put on the signs and robes of a great believer of God, yet he may at heart be harbouring not good thoughts for his neighbours, may be utterly selfish, a slave of his lower passions, and an all-round inflictor of pain and misery upon others for the sake of gaining some material advantage for himself. God sees into our hearts and through our actions. Our heart must be in tune with love, and action flow from it in a spirit of selfless service. He is the true man of God who has no thought of himself, but ever has consideration for others and tries to make them happy, foregoing his own comforts and amenities.

There was a complaint at the meeting that the microphone through which Ramdas spoke to the assembly did not function well. However, the people who gathered there were happy because where we are united in the name of God, there is created always an atmosphere vibrating with divine peace and joy.

The following morning we went to see a garden containing bizarre painted wooden figures signifying some Chinese idols on which, it appeared, a rich man of the place had lavishly spent a lot of wealth. But the scenes we saw were altogether far from edifying. They would go only to amuse and entertain children who possess a queer and eccentric taste. Singapore presents to the world a multifaced picture of life and activity. All the nations of the world are represented in this populous and popular city. It has a picturesque harbour, besides being clean and neat in its appearance.

Ramakrishna Mission

The same evening we went to the local Sri Ramakrishna Mission where we met three Sannyasis. Swami Vitasokanandaji took the party to the beautiful shrine in the upstairs of the Mission main building which can be rightly called a temple. We saw here a fine statue of Sri Ramakrishna in marble, exactly resembling him. It looked as if Ramakrishna himself, having become smaller in stature, was sitting on the raised dais inside the temple. We went directly to the shrine and prostrated before Sri Ramakrishna’s image. The Swamiji then took us round the other buildings connected with the Mission and explained to us the various activities carried on therein. We saw the school where orphan children were imparted education and also the boarding homes in which they were accommodated and fed. All the arrangements were made with great love and care on the part of the presiding Sannyasis. A great work of this nature can be done only by those who have dedicated their lives to God and humanity. Their love for children is pure and spontaneous and their minds are not fettered by worldly ties and attractions. They love God and love their fellow-beings. Any outstanding work for the good of the world can be possible only for such intrepid souls who have made service their sole aim and purpose in life. God is the one Master who can truly inspire a person with this spirit of utter dedication.

From the boarding home we were led by the Swamis to the hall below the shrine on the ground floor where usually lectures and discourses were held. The hall was full and on a raised platform Swami Vitasokanandaji and Ramdas sat near each other. The Swamiji spoke for some time on the attainment of Jnana or Moksha. His learned speech having ended, Ramdas was asked to speak. He did so for about three-quarters of an hour on Sri Ramakrishna, holding him up as the loftiest ideal of true devotion and self-surrender. Ramdas was carried away by the enthusiasm created in his heart by the contemplation, with all reverence, of Sri Ramakrishna. Sri Ramakrishna is a unique incarnation of Divinity. What he has done to the world at large cannot be explained in words, even by his admirer who is gifted with the highest intelligence. Such a one can only bow down before him, mentally visualizing his radiant figure. Seek not to understand or judge saints. They are only to be worshipped. The one hour we spent in the Ramakrishna Mission was an hour of eternal value, for we were filled with unusual rapture and joy.

Ramdas spoke of Sri Ramakrishna as an incarnation and dealt with his personal and impersonal aspects, describing the Sadhana which Ramakrishna practised. He said:

Be like children

Ramakrishna was the child of the Divine Mother. The Divine Mother is the Divine Shakti responsible for all manifestations and activities. That power is the one Deity to which we have to surrender ourselves completely, thus freeing ourselves from ego-sense. When we are free from it, we become child-like. To be child-like is not to be childish. We must be entirely free from lust, greed and wrath and the pairs of opposites of likes and dislikes. We must be pure in thought, word and deed. Our purity must be like that of the crystal. The idea of sex must be transcended and the distinction between man and woman must go. This is possible only when we do not see diversity, but perceive the whole world as the manifestation of the one universal Spirit.

At the close of the speech Ramdas was asked some questions. The questions and answers are given below:

By God’s will

Q: Was there any special reason for the change in your life in 1922?

Ramdas: The only reason was that God’s grace came to him. Everything happens by His grace and if we know this, then we will not have to search out for reasons for the things that happen.

Q: What made you start on this world tour?

Ramdas: The previous answer is the answer to this question also. By God’s will Ramdas started on the tour. By God’s will he visited various places. By God’s will he has come here and by God’s will he is leaving this place for Kuala Lumpur tomorrow.

This answer evoked roars of laughter.

No conflict between Dvaita and Advaita

Q: Why should there be conflicts between the Dvaitic and Advaitic followers?

Ramdas: There should not be. Dvaita and Advaita are only stages in our spiritual evolution. We start with Dvaita, then we reach Visishtadvaita and finally Advaita. We-can be one with God, we can be separate from Him, and we can be in Him and He in us. All these aspects belong to the same series of realization and we need not see any contradiction among the three. A devotee, although one with God, wants to remain a devotee to praise Him, sing of Him and enjoy Him.

Buddha, The Great Inspirer

The same evening there was another meeting at the Buddhist Union. In a well-ventilated and beautifully built hall was installed a charming image of Lord Buddha. The hall was pervaded with the spirit of peace. Here lectures are delivered by saints and savants who are invited from time to time to speak. This time the audience was sparse as it was drizzling and the weather was inclement. The Buddhist friends who invited us were kind and courteous. After we were shown some pictures of great Buddhists connected with this institution, Ramdas was asked to take the chair, and before a microphone he delivered his discourse, while the people in the hall squatted on the floor. Ramdas spoke about Buddha.

Buddha was indeed one of the great inspirers of Ramdas when he was walking on the spiritual path. Buddha’s teachings and influence have dominated over Ramdas’ thought and life. Buddha is an incarnation of absolute purity, love and service. He was and still is a torchlight to humanity pointing the way that leads to perfect liberation from the bondage of Maya or illusion.

As he went on talking about Buddha, Ramdas felt that he was wafted to an exalted and sublime plane. Words flowed out of his mouth in an unending stream, recounting the glorious nature, qualities and attainments of Lord Buddha. Ramdas was talking not so much for anyone to hear him as for his own joy and ecstasy. Ramdas spoke of the vision he had of Lord Buddha’s calm, serene and illumined face several years ago, and how it had left an abiding impression on Ramdas’ heart. Buddha is indeed a great saviour and liberator and millions of people in several parts of the world look up to Him as their great leader and master. Ramdas closed his discourse saying, “So let us all be grateful to that great Avatar, Buddha, who came to the world for the redemption of mankind. May His grace ever pour on us and shine in our heart!”

Our next visit was to Sri Dandayudhapani Temple in which Lord Subramania is worshipped. We were welcomed here with the usual temple honours. It is managed by South Indians. The authorities got a special Pooja performed on the occasion. After a group prayer and distribution of Prasad we returned to Uttam Niwas, the house in which we resided. That evening there was again Bhajan in the shamiana in front of the house. Ramdas had to speak to the audience this time both in English and Hindi—Hindi for the benefit of the Gujerati ladies who did not know English. The principal persons who arranged the programmes here and guided and helped us in all manner of ways were Narasimhan, Krishnan, Uttam Ram and Kanubhai. Altogether our stay in Singapore was very joyful.

Kuala Lumpur

From Singapore we flew to Kuala Lumpur. It was only an hour’s flight, We were directly taken by the devotees of the place to Vivekananda Ashram, at the entrance of which hundreds of devotees were waiting to welcome us. Ramdas sat in the big hall of the Ashram and all the devotees sat on carpets and mats. After the formalities of welcome and a short but thrilling Bhajan, Ramdas was asked to speak. Again, after an hour, in the same place there was a reception by the Divine Life Society, followed by Bhajan and a speech. We then went upstairs to the shrine where Pooja was performed by a priest. One rare thing we saw here was a cotton shirt which was worn by Swami Vivekananda. When the Poojari held it out before us, all the assembled devotees reverently touched it.

The same evening Ramdas went to the house of a devotee in Klang, about 25 miles from Kuala Lumpur. When he found Ramdas in his house, which he never expected, he was beside himself with joy, as also all members of his family. After the usual Padapooja and distribution of Prasad we returned to the hotel.

An hour later we went to the meeting held at the Vivekananda Tamil School. The function here was really a grand affair. The big hall was full to overflowing. Although it had been raining heavily for the last three days, that day particularly the sky was clear, enabling large crowds of people to attend the function and listen to Ramdas’ talk without inconvenience. Here also Ramdas made a long speech which he concluded with the following words:

You are Satchidananda

Every one of you is the very embodiment of Divinity. Your true being is Sat-Chit Ananda-absolute Existence, Consciousness and Bliss. You have forgotten about this truth. Therefore, remember it by taking the holy and powerful Name of the Reality until your mind disappears and you stand revealed as the Truth itself and enjoy as Ramdas has been enjoying that infinite bliss which never exhausts itself.

Next morning we again went to the same school. The children were filled with great enthusiasm and joy. They all came out of their classes and assembled on the plain in front for a group photograph, our party standing in the midst of them. It was a delightful sight to see children—boys and girls of various ages—gathered together with their hearts filled with love and devotion. Gladness was visible in their lustrous eyes.

From the school we went to the Selangor Buddhist temple where we met the Ven’ble Dhammananda. In fact, Ramdas paid a surprise visit to this temple as the monk was not informed of the exact time of Ramdas’ visit. The monk was all love and affection.

One predominant feature in Ramdas’ tour was that everywhere he was welcomed with sincere and unfeigned love and kindness by everyone whom he visited, whether the person be a monk, a householder, a professor, a devotee or a spiritual aspirant, of whatever creed, colour or country. This kind of uniformly loving treatment he received shows that God alone dwells in the hearts of all beings, and the love that was poured on him was from the inexhaustible source—-God.

Next we paid a visit to the Shiva’s temple at Sentul. The Batu caves were high up on a hill above 250 steps. We did not go up, but only looked at them from the foot of the hill.

The afternoon function in the Vivekananda Ashram that day was exclusively for children. About 60 children sat in front of Ramdas and chanted prayers and in all their innocence and bubbling enthusiasm, asked Ramdas to tell them some stories. Ramdas was also in a cheerful mood as he was unusually exhilarated. He gave out stories after stories to the delectation of the children who listened to them with rapt attention. He spoke in English and a friend of the place translated his talk into easy Tamil. He narrated the stories of Dhruva, Prahlada and Nachiketa, the child-bhaktas who had realised God by their simple and sincere prayers.

Shuddha Samajam

The same evening we went on invitation to the Shuddha Samajam, situated at a pretty great height on a hill. Swami Satyanandaji is the head of this Ashram. He is a disciple of Yogi Shuddhananda Bharati. So the Ashram is run in the latter’s name. The Samajam building was very beautifully decorated. We had to climb up about fifty steps before we entered the building.

Swami Satyanandaji and hundreds of other devotees led us from the bottom of the hill up the steps to the Ashram. The hall was full of people belonging to various religions like Christianity, Islam, Sikhism and Hinduism. After prayers and Bhajan, Ramdas was asked to deliver a message to the assembled devotees. Ramdas spoke on Universal Love and Brotherhood. He expressed delight in finding himself speaking in a hall which provides a common platform for the devotees of all the great religions of the world. He was also glad that the meeting was held in a spirit of universal brotherhood based upon the acceptance of one God as the God of all religions. He said in the course of his address:

Value of Collective Prayer

The united effort of us all should be utilised to pray to God in one voice. We shall thereby be releasing a force to produce harmony and peace. God’s grace is necessary for us at this time. It is therefore important that we should join hands together to whatever country or race we belong. We must unite, love each other, and produce an atmosphere of goodwill and peace in the world, based upon the knowledge of the divine Spirit that pervades everywhere and controls all things.

We then went round seeing various other buildings in which orphans and helpless children were given free education, boarding and lodging.

Do not Fight in the Name of God

We returned to the City for attending a meeting at the Maha-mariamman Temple. The gathering here was extraordinarily big. Here Ramdas talked only of the Divine Mother and how we can become fit to receive Her infinite grace. Ramdas said:

We have gathered here tonight in the temple of the Divine Mother under Her benign protection and grace. Let us from this moment onward feel that we are all Her children and thereby love each other in the light of this knowledge, sinking all our differences. We find differences among religions. Followers of one religion say that their religion alone is true and all other religions are false. In the same religion, again, there are differences. Take for instance Hinduism in which there are many sects fighting with one another. Even people who worship the same God, say Shiva, are quarrelling among themselves on petty grounds. Among the Vaishnavites also there are acute differences and consequent clashes, each party saying, ‘this is my temple, this is my ashram and so on’—all quarrelling in the name of God, instead of uniting together. There is only one God who is the Father and Mother of us all and we are His children. In the name of such a God that we, His children, should fight among ourselves is indeed deplorable. Therefore, Ramdas’ prayer to you all is that you should sink all differences, love each other, live harmoniously, go to each other’s temple or Ashram, attain universal love and thereby feel God’s presence within you and everywhere about you.

Then we went to another temple of Lord Subramania where, after worship and prayer, Ramdas spoke a few words advising those gathered there not to pray for material and perishable things which do not give them real happiness, but to pray to God only that He may lead them from the unreal to the Real, from darkness to Light, and from death to Immortality. This was the last programme in Kuala Lumpur.

Among the devotees of Kuala Lumpur we have to make special mention of two, Sri M. Chinniah and Sri S. Boteju, who along with a committee of members, were responsible for making suitable arrangements for our stay and also for preparing the programme. They saw to it that all the programmes were punctually carried out and they served the party with great love and devotion.

Penang: A Comedy of Errors

We left Kuala Lumpur next morning by air for Penang. There were many devotees at the airport to receive us. Some amusement was caused here by a rumour that Ramdas was coming with an American disciple named Rani Lalita Devi. As no American lady was found in the party, they were all surprised. They thought that Mataji was that lady, but it was disconcerting for them to find that Mataji did not speak English. It was all a comedy of errors. At first our host Sri D. Baboo was in sore perplexity, but when the actual facts became known to him, he laughed over it. There were such instances also in other parts of the world we visited. The Pressmen and other friends who casually met us were committing many ridiculous blunders about our individual status and relationship with each other. That such mistakes should happen was nothing unusual.

The first meeting at Penang was held in the local Gujerati school which was run on the upstairs of a huge building on the ground floor of which was a line of shops and business houses. A Gujerati friend, who met us at the airport, arranged for this function. There were a number of Gujerati men and women and also children present. After Bhajan, Ramdas talked here on “Devotion to God.” He emphasized that a truly unselfish devotee alone can attain real peace and joy. So devotion for God should be perfectly free from any tinge of desire for earthly things. Devotion for devotion’s sake, for knowing or seeing God, alone is true devotion.

That evening we had a meeting at the Theosophical Society which was located in the house of the President of the Society, Dr. C. H. Yeang. All the friends assembled there were members of the Society. Although the gathering was not a large one, the members were intently listening to Ramdas’ discourse, and it was evident that they were all spiritual aspirants. At the end of the speech questions and answers followed, of which the following are some:

Renounce attachment

Q: Is it necessary to renounce the world to have the final state of realisation?

Ramdas: You have to renounce attachment to the world, but not the world. Nobody can renounce the world. Even if a man goes to the forest, the world is there with him.

Guru, not God, liberator

Q: Is it true the Guru comes to the aspirant automatically?

Ramdas: How you realise God is that you crave for Him and you long for somebody to take you out of the darkness so that you may remember God and realise Him. With this keen aspiration you pray to God for guidance. When this cry comes from the innermost core of your heart, the Guru comes to you, or you happen to go to the Guru. There must be hunger in your heart for getting somebody to guide you. Then God Himself comes in the form of the Guru to liberate you. It is said even God cannot grant Moksha, but only the Guru can. To give Moksha is the right of the Guru. God can give you all material wealth and prosperity but not liberation.

Next day Ramdas had to address the Rotarians at their Club. As at St. Paul, the Rotarians here also met together once in a week as a social gathering when they had a formal talk, and then free conversation accompanied by a lunch. Our party had gone there after our lunch at Sri Baboo’s place, and so we had only some cool drinks and biscuits. Ramdas spoke here for about ten minutes.

Ramakrishna Ashram and Orphanage

The same evening there was a huge gathering at the Ramakrishna Ashram and Orphanage in the open space before a thatched house, which provisionally accommodated the institution. Large clouds were hovering in the sky threatening a heavy shower any time. The people assembled were anxious for the success of the function, and God in his mysterious way dispersed the clouds. So we had bright weather when the proceedings started. Ramdas talked here also about Sri Ramakrishna, his unique love, devotion and surrender to the divine Mother. Then Ramdas dealt with the six forms of Bhakti. He concluded the speech with the following peroration:

Therefore, whenever we go to temples or other places of worship, whether we sit for any practice of meditation, bhajan or japa, we must have in our mind only one thought or one desire, and that is to have the vision or Darshan of God—nothing else. This does not mean that we should give up worldly life, but our heart must be with God and we must do all actions with a view to achieve our goal of God-realisation.

Another meeting the same evening was held at the Hu Yew Seah School hall. It was a fine hall, well ventilated and lighted, but being in the thick of the town with busy thoroughfare all round, we had to put up with a lot of noise and disturbance. Here some Sikh friends came with tabla and harmonium and sang soothing songs of Guru Nanak Dev. After Bhajan, Ramdas spoke on God-realisation both in English and Hindi, the latter for the sake of those who knew only that language.

Next day we paid a round of visits to different temples, both Hindu and Buddhist. Everywhere we were welcomed and treated with love and devotion. Ramdas spent a longer period at the Sikh Gurudwara. The visit, not being prearranged, not more than half a dozen Sikhs were present. They held prayer and read the Holy Guru Granth Saheb. Then Ramdas spoke a few words in Hindi. The function concluded with the distribution of Prasad.

A God-given Privilege

One great advantage which Ramdas has been enjoying all through his life is that he can freely enter any house, temple, monastery or church, to whatever sect, creed or religion they might belong, wherein the Almighty is meditated upon, prayed to and worshipped with or without images. This supreme privilege is granted to Ramdas because God does not will it that he should belong to any religion or religious association as such. He is simply the child of the universal God, the God of all nations and countries in the world. Every place of worship has an attraction for him and he goes into it with a heart full of devotion to the divine Master in whose name the spiritual institution is founded and conducted. God is indeed gracious in that Ramdas has been given this vision of looking upon the entire humanity as the manifestation of his supreme Beloved. Humanity is verily one huge form and image of God. The universe is He, in His form of Virat, and all beings, creatures and things are He. In fact, there is nothing and none but He.

Baboo and his wife are genuine devotees leading the householder’s life. Both are spiritual aspirants of a very high order. Their joy knew no bounds when they learnt that we agreed to be their guests. Both husband and wife were all love and service to us. Practically the whole of their house was laid at our disposal. It was a nice, neat and well-ordered house, where the air was full of devotional fervour. During our stay there, every morning a pretty large number of devotees of the place would throng into their small sitting room. Altogether the two days we spent with them was blissful.

A Child in Meditation

Dr. Yeang is another ardent and sincere aspirant whose life flows in the service of the ailing and distressed. His heart is with the poor. Really, it is not enough that we hold prayers, attend religious meetings, worship in temples, or do meditations, but it is essential that our life should express that inner faith and devotion to the supreme Lord of the universe in acts of charity and selfless service to those who are in need and trouble. Love, when it is real, cannot but inspire the person who possesses it to a life of unselfish and spontaneous dedication of all his energies for the uplift and happiness of the people at large.

Dr. Yeang is, as we have been told by many who had known him, a great force for good in Penang. We have been presented by him with a picture of his little son sitting in the pose of meditation. The picture is so lovely and represents very well the innocence and devotional spirit which are characteristic of a true devotee who meditates on God. It is obvious here that the child has taken after his parents, whose deep religious feeling is reflected on the face of the child.

We returned by air to Singapore, whence we flew to Colombo next morning. It has been calculated and noted down by Swami Satchidananda that since leaving Bombay we had to turn our watches back by 24 hours by the time we reached Colombo. Thus we completed one round of the globe.