← World is GodHis autobiography, book three

CHAPTER XXI

Ceylon

Colombo

CEYLON, which is also known as Lanka, has a great historical importance. It was on this island that Ravana ruled. He was killed by Rama, because he was condemned and hated for his horrible crimes against the lovers and devotees of God. Sri Ramachandra, the great Avatar, of whom the reader must be familiar by the reading of Ramayana, was an ideal king, son, husband, brother, master and friend. He by entering Ceylon has consecrated the land by the touch of His holy footsteps. The story of Ramayana is well known.

For the last five or six years the devotees of Ceylon were very eager to have us with them. Year after year we had to postpone the journey owing to various reasons apparently, but really for the one reason that the time had not arrived for it as willed by the Divine. When Ceylon devotees heard that on our return from the world tour we would touch their Island and spend more than three weeks with them, it gave them no small joy and exultation. Our visit therefore created great excitement and enthusiasm in their hearts.

Sindhi Community Centre

At the airport a large number of devotees had assembled to give us a hearty welcome, led by Sir Kantiah Vaithyanathan and Sri K. Ramachandra. We were put up in a huge building, which goes by the name “Sindhi Community Centre”, built by the Sindhi community to serve both as their temple and a place for holding religious and social functions and gatherings. We were received here by Sri Jiwatram Hridaramani, one of the prominent Sindhi merchants in Colombo. He took us upstairs to the shrine room where they have installed the holy Guru Granth Saheb on a raised pedestal, with a big framed picture of Guru Nanak Dev near it. It is well known that Guru Nanak Dev is the founder of the Sikh religion. Guru Nanak Dev was a great votary of God’s name. After we offered our Pranams at the shrine, we were taken to the rooms allotted to us on the same floor, which had a wide open veranda facing the sea directly towards the west. The place was breezy and in every way comfortable.

When we were in Colombo we followed regularly the programmes drawn up for us by Sri K. Ramachandra, the leader of the devotees in Ceylon, who had high respect for him. We had known Sri Ramachandra for a long time as he had come to Anandashram three or four times. He was a silent worker, always inspiring his assistants to do all things in a regular, disciplined manner, himself always remaining behind the scenes.

The morning and evening Bhajans were held at the Sindhi Centre premises in the open veranda which could accommodate about 100 devotees. The Bhajans were sung by girls and young men with great devotional joy and fervour. All the visitors would sit peaceful and serene, lost in the divine rapture. The one hour thus spent in morning and evening prayers stands out as the most inspiring period in the daily programme.

Our Sindhi host was all kindness and hospitality. He was loving and devout and did all acts of service in perfect humility and cheerfulness. His face used to be suffused with smiles. Our young friends, Sundaralingam and Visagaperuman, were in constant attendance on us, supplying all our needs. In short, we can say that for the devotees of Colombo the building became, during our stay there, the seat of loving and tireless service. In the afternoon Ramdas used to answer the questions of friends, in the beginning about twenty to thirty strong, who would come to meet him here. When the questions were put in a lighter vein, Ramdas dealt with them in an equally humorous strain. So we used to have a good deal of laughter. The attendance at these meetings grew larger and larger day by day.

Cast all Responsibility on God

Among the questions put to him there was one relating to the way an Ashram should be conducted. Ramdas replied to it as follows:

It is not easy to manage an Ashram. You have to face so many problems, and some of them are so difficult that you do not know how to deal with them. At this time, only God must be appealed for giving you the right cue for solving them. Man is a bungler by nature and when he finds himself in a deep mess, it is then that he sues God to come to his rescue, and God, who is all love and compassion, frees him from the predicament. This game is going on all over the world, for all people alike. Man, puny, conceited man, thinks he is clever and can get on without God, but failure and frustration hit him so hard that, willy nilly, he has to turn to God for help and refuge. It is well for us in the very first instance, knowing His sovereignty over everything, to give up our pride, seek His shelter, submit to His will and live humbly as His servants. The real way is not to assume responsibility ourselves, but to know that interests upon God and thereby get things done by Him for us. Acting on the above principles the management of an Ashram becomes easy.

Invariably, in the evenings the Bhajans and meetings were held at different places. Here the devotees assembled sang Bhajans before Ramdas delivered his speech which was translated into Tamil by Sri Ramachandra or some other friend. The meetings were attended by huge crowds of people who were spiritually inclined.

The Message of the Rishis

The first visit in Colombo was to the Ramakrishna Mission, Wellawatte, of which Sri Swami Prematmananda was the President. The devotees gathered in the main hall of the building. Here Ramdas gave a talk, in the course of which he said:

God has definitely told us that He is seated in the hearts of all beings and forms. Whenever we see any form, we must see not only the external form, but also the indwelling Reality. This is the true vision which liberates us from the sense of diversity and makes us realise the oneness of all existence. This is the message of the Rishis. It is not merely in particular holy places and solitudes that we should have this vision, but even in the market place and the bazaar we should be able to maintain the consciousness of unity in diversity. We must feel the divine presence always about us.

In his speech Ramdas drew many instances from the life of Sri Ramakrishna to show what true self-surrender meant. Sri Ramakrishna was verily the embodiment of a totally consecrated life to the Divine Mother. He was so saturated with devotion for Her that he ultimately became the very form and image of the Mother. Truly, what one intensely thinks of and meditates upon, that one becomes. Swami Prematmananda and the other Sannyasis of the Mission were courteous, kind and good to us.

Buddhist Temple, Kalaniya

Our second visit after we reached Ceylon was to an old Buddhist temple at Kalaniya, five miles from Colombo, which was built as far back as the second century B.C. The Buddha is said to have visited this place on a Vaisak Purnima day. To commemorate the Lord’s visit, the Naga king of the time built the dagoba in the third century B.C. We saw a fine marble statue of Buddha in the sanctum inside the temple and on the sides huge statues of Buddha in standing posture. Our friend, Sri Laksman Wijewardene, a Buddhist, arranged the visit and accompanied us there. The temple was recently renovated by the Wijewardene family. When we were inside the temple, we sat in meditation for a few minutes in front of the marble image, and felt great peace.

The next gathering was at the Vivekananda Society Hall where, after Bhajan, Ramdas spoke on “Guru” and Guru-Bhakti.” Ramdas gives here an extract from the discourse. He said:

Contact with Saints Saves

The contact of great souls who have realised God is essential for your salvation. If you are a real seeker of God, then surely you will come in contact with such a great saint. When you get his contact, you must feel that you are not only blessed, but you are also saved... A realised soul alone can kindle another soul. Going to temples alone will not do. Reading books alone will not do. Our aspiration must lead us to the feet of the Guru or bring the Guru to us and liberate us. Therefore, it is a tradition in India that we should submit ourselves to the influence of a divine personality.

The Gospel of the Gita

Another day Ramdas was invited to the Hindu College where a meeting was held under the auspices of the Hindu Association of Ceylon. It happened to be the Gita Jayanti day. Appropriate to the occasion, Ramdas spoke here on the Bhagavadgita. He dealt with the Gita dividing it into three sections, the first treating of Jnana, the second of Bhakti, and the third of Karma. Summing up the gospel of the Gita, Ramdas said:

Do not run away from work

The Gita teaches us that we should not run away from the activity allotted to us by the Divine. We must do such actions without the ego-sense. We must become instruments in the hands of the divine shakti and cheerfully and willingly do everything without being affected by such actions. We have nothing to do with the results of our actions. We are simply to act at the command of the Divine Power and remain at the same time as the unaffected witness.

Glory of the Divine Mother

Next day in the morning we went to the Saiva Mangayar Kalagam, Wellawatte. The function, held at their school hall, was intended only for ladies and children. Ramdas sat before a galaxy of mothers and children who were dressed in multi-coloured sarees and frocks, presenting a variegated scene of unusual fascination. Verily, he saw the Divine Mother Herself as having assumed all these forms, seated before Her child, who has been brought here to speak a few words about Her.

Naturally, the subject Ramdas chose for his speech was “Surrender to the Divine Mother.” He introduced himself to the audience as a child of that supreme Mother. Ramdas was in an ecstatic mood and went on talking, almost breathlessly, about the love and adoration which he bore for the Divine Mother. He spoke of that supreme Mother as having become the entire universe and all beings and creatures in it. Her glories are infinite and Her power is omnipotent.

The teachers, the Head Mistress and the Principal were all overjoyed to have Ramdas in their midst. After the function was over we were shown round the school buildings. Then we also met the other younger children who were waiting for us outside, as there was no room for them inside the hall which was overcrowded during the function. These little ones were in a jubilant mood and Ramdas felt like one of them and moved about in their company as a child of their age.

Saguna Upasana

The same evening we were received with great love and devotion at the Sri Siva Subramania temple. After worship and Bhajan, Ramdas spoke to the devotees present about Saguna Upasana or worship of personal God. Here again Ramdas gives a brief summary of the speech he delivered there:

We all know that God is omniscient, omnipotent and omnipresent. As such, it is difficult for us to approach Him unless He assumes a human form. So He has assumed for our sake a Saguna Swarupa or personal form with divine qualities. He is worshipped in thousands of temples all over India and Ceylon in particular forms or images. In these temples the supreme Lord is worshipped in the form of an idol. So these images are not merely, as you see, made of metal or stone. They are the very personifications of the Divine, full of splendour, power and joy. Therefore, His Darshan means to behold Him in the entire universe. Of course, before He grants us this Nirguna Darshan or vision of the formless, attributeless Brahman, He grants us Saguna Darshan.

Initiation to Lepers

One evening Mataji, Ramdas and party were taken to the Leprosy Hospital at Hendala. There was a time when Ramdas, as commanded by God, served a few lepers in Mangalore while he was staying there in the Kadri cave. The suffering of the lepers had touched Ramdas’ heart deeply, and like an obedient servant of the Master, he used to collect food from three or four houses at His behest and going to a plain, where the lepers were residing under the shade of huge banyan trees, feed them. This scene is still vivid in Ramdas’ mind. Ramdas served the lepers looking upon them as the veritable forms of his Beloved Ram. The ecstasy born of this service was simply indescribable. When we were told that we were going to see the Leprosy Hospital, Ramdas’ heart thrilled with a mysterious feeling of anticipation.

We were taken before the patients who had gathered in one of the verandas of the hospital building. The lepers had beautifully decorated the place for our reception. We could feel how greatly elated these suffering ones were when we approached the building. This was evident from the way they were running here and there with their faces lit up with smiles. Mataji and Ramdas sat on chairs placed before the lepers, who were squatting on the floor. Ramdas spoke to them a few words of consolation, giving them the advice that no condition can be miserable for us when we are constantly in communion with God. Physical health alone cannot contribute to our happiness, but only a constant tuning of our mind with God can make us truly peaceful and joyous. Diseases are cured not so much by medicine as by God’s grace. So Ramdas exhorted them to pray to God, take His holy name and have His remembrance stamped on their minds. Ramdas’ speech was translated into Tamil by Sri Haran, Editor of Veerakesari, a Tamil daily of Colombo. As they heard Ramdas, they were visibly moved and were looking at each other with an unusual feeling of love and delight.

At the end of the talk Mataji suggested that Ramdas should initiate them with some Mantra. The question was put to them as to which Mantra they would prefer. In almost one voice they said they wanted Muruga Mantra. Accordingly, Ramdas initiated them with this Mantra, making them repeat three times: ‘Muruga’, ‘Muruga’, ‘Muruga’. When they got the Mantra, their joy knew no bounds. They clapped their hands, most of the fingers of which were eaten away by the fell disease, in a state of uncontrollable ecstasy. It was indeed a great day for them, a day of divine light and peace.

On another day the evening prayer meeting was held at the Sindhi Community Centre itself. Ramdas spoke on Self-surrender on the occasion. Self-surrender connotes complete dedication of all that we are and have to the supreme Lord of the universe and thereby we become entirely His own. This surrender gives us immediate release from the bondage of action, flooding our entire manifest being with light and joy divine. For us, thereafter, the whole world is the expression of our eternal Beloved. It is a vision and experience which cannot be comprehended by the intellect, much less expressed in the words of human language, as in the Bhagavadgita it is said that He, the supreme Being, is Achintya Rupa, the unthinkable Reality.

A Veritable Vaikunta

We had invitations for Bhajans and talks at several centres in Colombo in addition to those mentioned above. Ramdas is giving here only an account of a few outstanding ones. One day Sri K. Ramachandra invited us to his house, where he arranged for a programme of Bhajan and evening meal. The hall was full of devotees. Here Bhajan was sweetly sung by his daughters who have a special gift for music. The function was altogether a most blissful one. Ramachandra, his wife and children vied with each other in offering us their wholehearted love and hospitality. Blessed is the house of a devotee where God’s names are sung every day and service is rendered to saints jointly by all the members residing in it. Such a house is rightly called by devotees and saints as a veritable Vaikunta.

At Kollupitiya we had a meeting one evening in the Town Hall. At this place Ramdas spoke, after Bhajan, on “Devotion to God.” If at all we wish to offer our devotion to anybody, it ought to be only to God.

All Mantras speak of One God

Next morning Ramdas visited the Ramakrishna Mission for the second time to attend the special meeting convened for the sake of the children who used to come to the Ashram to attend religious classes conducted by some devoted honorary teachers of both sexes. There are over a hundred children who attend these classes in which are taught the fundamentals of all religions. They all assembled in the big hall and sat on the floor in a jovial mood. After a short Bhajan one of the devotees suggested that Ramdas should chant God’s name before the children.

Ramdas then asked the little ones what name they liked best. Some wanted Ramdas to chant “Om Sri Ram Jai Ram Jai Jai Ram,” some others wanted the name “Muruga,” while still others the Mantra “Om Namah Shivaya.” Ramdas chanted all the three Mantras and made the children sing them in chorus. There was great joy and elation when these young and innocent hearts sang with all devotion the sweet and glorious Names of God. Ramdas told them that all names are Mantras of one God,—Rama, Shiva and Muruga. They are all names of the one supreme Being and therefore they should not see any difference between them.

The same evening there was a meeting in the Vivekananda Society Hall under the auspices of the Rama Gana Sabha. Here Ramdas spoke for about three quarters of an hour on Saguna Upasana, worship of God in His personal aspect.

Next day Ramdas was invited to declare open the new hall of the Hindu College, Bambalapitiya, and to name it “Saraswati Hall.” There was a fairly large gathering of devotees. After Bhajan Ramdas spoke a few words on the importance of the right kind of Vidya or learning. He said:

Education of the heart

You know that there are, as it is said by our ancient teachers and saints, three kinds of gifts. One is the gift of devotion, the second of education and the third of food. Education is an important aid in the evolution of human life. Without education we cannot grow in the right way so that we can regulate our lives and make ourselves useful to others. Without culture we cannot prove ourselves to be useful to our fellow-beings. We should expect that institutions like this should give education not only for the advancement of the intellect, but also for the enlargement of the heart.

Clash of Ideologies

A religious grounding is essential for imparting education in schools. Without a religious background life is prone to be irregular and chaotic, which is like building a house without a firm foundation. The nations of the world are now at daggers drawn with one another because they have not discovered the underlying principle that governs the lives of all beings in the world. This principle is God who is the universal Spirit dwelling in the hearts of all of us. It is by the knowledge of this Spirit that we have to live together harmoniously and mutually love and help each other. Instead of this, owing to our isolated and separatist policies, we are now trying to exploit, conquer and possess each other’s countries.

Man, nowdays, is not ruled by the Divine within him, but by an ideology which he fondly imagines would bring peace and goodwill in the world, if adopted by all nations. So there is an unhealthy propaganda, competition, rivalry and destructive clash of ideologies. The parties forget that God is the one supreme ideal. In the light of our experience of Him alone we can join hands as brothers, work together for the common wellbeing and be instrumental in fulfilling His will in the world. This is the only effective way to bring about co-operation, harmony and peace.

The last meeting during this stay in Colombo was in the Sindhi Centre. After Bhajan, Ramdas spoke a few words to the devotees who had assembled in the beautiful hall. He emphasized the need for everyone to take God’s name constantly. God’s name is the saviour, and he who has faith in it is sure to be free from the clutches of Maya and blessed with the highest spiritual experience, namely, the vision and realisation of God.

Jaffna

We left Colombo for Jaffna by express train in the evening. Early next morning we reached Jaffna and were welcomed at the Railway station by the leading officials and citizens of the town with all love and devotion. We were lodged at the local Ramakrishna Mission Vaitheeswara Vidyalaya.

In the evening that day we attended the Bhajan and meeting held in the Vidyalaya hall. Ramdas spoke on this occasion about the purpose of the tour. Then he dealt with the basic unity of all religions and the importance of the repetition of God’s name. He stressed on the need to awaken the consciousness of human life and existence. He concluded by saying:

Think in terms of the Universal

In order to dwell in this consciousness, think always not in terms of the individual, but in terms of the universal. Do all things only for the sake of God. If you do this, gradually your ego-sense will disappear and you will realise that you are the universal Spirit—changeless, eternal and infinite. This is the goal which you have to achieve.

Next day we visited the Civil Hospital and Sanatorium at Kankesanturai about twelve miles from Jaffna. For our reception, the patients of the hospital had made elaborate decorations. They had assembled in large numbers and they greeted us with unfeigned joy. Ramdas was directly taken on arrival to a raised platform. The doctors, the patients and the visitors, all crowded round him. After a short Bhajan, Ramdas talked for a while, in the course of which he said:

Cure for all diseases

In this world of change we meet with various vicissitudes of life, both pleasant and unpleasant. We are afflicted with diseases both mental and physical. The body is stricken with diseases and the mind filled with worries. In this state of our unhappiness, turmoil and misery, there is only one way and that is to take refuge in God. God alone can remove our difficulties and diseases and bring us health, peace and prosperity.

Ramdas was then taken to the Sanatorium temple of Lord Muruga. It was a small structure, neatly kept and the pooja service was carried on every day with great faith and devotion. The patients of the hospital must indeed be deriving great spiritual solace by attending the prayers and worship in this temple.

Dynamics of the Spirit

Religion should enter into every department of our life. It is the cry nowadays that our life must be moulded purely on a secular ideal. This means we should appraise the values of life ignoring the soul. But man is not merely what he appears to be, a bundle of flesh, bones, blood and skin, and a creature living and acting under the impulses, feelings and thoughts arising from the mind. We have to recognise that beyond these exterior dynamics of the mind and body, there is within us a Spirit which is immortal, and it is by the power and guidance of this Spirit that our life should be active in its varied expressions. So in the classroom, hospital, office, market-place, factory and fields, no less than in temples, churches, mosques and monasteries, we should tune ourselves with this Spirit and divine thoughts and feelings should permeate us equally. If we fail to do so, we create nothing but ill-will, strife, jealousy and hate with the consequent confusion and disorder in society.

In the absence of God-thought we feel so exclusive and cut off from our fellow-beings that we believe we are merely individuals and that we should live only to fulfil our individual longings and desires for our own physical pleasure and comfort. The ideal on the other hand is that our life should be lived cut for the sake of others, as naturally as a tree which gives itself away in all aspects of its existence to those who wish to derive benefit from it. In other words, our life is intended for the service of all. This mode of life, this expression of our innate divine nature, this expansion of the self into the Universal for attaining perfect liberation and peace, can be possible only when God-thought rules our mind, God-love fills our heart, and God’s will governs our action making it spontaneously flow from us.

Ramdas visited also the Women’s College where we were warmly welcomed by the Principal, staff and students. In the course of his speech, he prayed God Almighty to shower His choicest blessings on all of them and grant them one-pointed devotion to Him, as such devotion alone will enable them to realise Him in their own hearts and behold Him as the entire universe.

The evening prayer meeting was held at the Perumal Kovil. After pooja all devotees sat for Bhajan in the outer yard of the temple. Here Ramdas spoke on Bhakti, in the course of which he said:

Value of Image Worship

There is nothing wrong or unnatural for the devotee to worship an image looking upon it as the very form of God. When you, with one-pointed devotion, worship the image, you will find gradually that God represented by the image takes His seat in your heart and possesses it so completely that you will have no other thought and no other activity than those concerned with Him and for His sake. Your whole life will be one of sacrifice and dedication to Him and will flow out in service to Him. You will be filled with rare bliss and peace.

Next day Ramdas was invited to the Tirunelveli Young Men’s Hindu Association where, after Bhajan, he gave a short speech on “True Devotion to God.” Stressing the importance of the Name he said:

A link with God

A great saint has said that he who has got God’s name on his lips is a Jivan-mukta, because continuous remembrance of God eliminates the ego-sense and grants him the realisation of his immortal, changeless Self. Name is a link between the devotee and God. It brings the devotee face to face with God and enables him to attain the knowledge of his oneness with Him.

That evening again Ramdas delivered a discourse on “God-realisation” at the meeting held in the Town Hall under the auspices of the Hindu Sanmarga Sangham. Concluding the speech Ramdas said:

Ramdas feels certain that these words of his will go deep down into your hearts and awaken you to the awareness of the Divine. You are all verily the embodiments of God, because God dwells within you, and so it is easy for you to remember Him, feel conscious of Him and thereafter live, move and have your being in Him.

During our stay in Jaffna we were invited to several houses for our meals by friends, of whom Dr. C. Guruswamy and Sri M. Srikantha were two. Sri S. Ambikapakan, the Principal of the Vaitheeswara Vidyalaya, was very kind to us. He arranged our programmes and all along was extremely helpful to us in carrying them out.

Anuradhapura

We left for Anuradhapura after three days’ stay in Jaffna. Anuradhapura is a place of historical importance, because it was the seat of the Government of about ninety kings who once ruled over Ceylon. There can be seen even now the royal palaces and also many temples in ruins. Our short stay did not admit of our going out to see these monuments. We had a meeting here in the evening in the Vivekananda Society. After the usual Bhajan, Ramdas spoke on “The Aim of Human Life.” Towards the end of the speech he said:

Saints’ mission in the world

Love and devotion for God can spring in our heart only through the contact of saints. It is they who infuse in us faith in God and inspire us to take His holy Name. They are more gracious, loving and kind to us than our earthly father and mother, who are concerned only about our physical welfare. But the saints are more eager to see that we are liberated from the thraldom of Karma and attain the supreme goal—God. That is, they are concerned more with our spiritual welfare. Their mission in this world is to awaken the slumbering souls from ignorance and take them towards the Divine and make their lives blessed. Therefore, we have to contact saints, get inspiration from them, take God’s name constantly, live a pure life and ultimately find God within us and behold God everywhere in the universe. When we behold God everywhere, our life will be filled with divine bliss and peace. If we achieve this goal we will have used this precious gift of human life to the best account. Therefore, in conclusion, Ramdas advises you to have pure devotion for God, think of Him, finally realise Him, and make your life blessed.

Trincomalee

After only a day’s stay at Anuradhapura we proceeded to Trincomalee, where we were the guests of Sri R. Ratnasingham. A prayer meeting was held the same evening at the Ramakrishna Mission Hindu College. Ramdas spoke here after Bhajan on “How to Become True Devotees and Servants of God.” He said:

Teachings of World Prophets

We must look upon all beings in the world as our brothers and sisters. All man-made distinctions based upon religion, caste, creed, colour and nationality must disappear. God of all people, of all nations and all religions, is one and the same. We are His children. Recognize Him in this relationship and love each other. The great teachers of the world taught us the same way. Buddha taught us that we should purify ourselves and have compassion towards all living creatures. Jesus Christ asked us to love all beings as we love ourselves. Krishna taught us to see the Divine in each and everybody in the world. Prophet Mohammed taught us to submit to the will of God and become His instruments so that we can carry out His will in the world. If we only follow the teachings of these great spiritual masters, we have no reason to quarrel among ourselves on any account.

Next morning, after the prayer meeting at Ratnasingham’s house, we went to the Swami Malai temple on the sea-coast. This temple is situated on a high rock facing the ocean. It was a charming spot, commanding an extensive view of the sea and the surrounding hills. We entered the temple and after witnessing the worship there, went to the rock at the edge of the sea, where also we saw the pooja performed by the priests. It was indeed a holy place and the solemnity of the pooja was such that all the devotees who had gathered there were filled with unusual devotional fervour.

Sivananda Tapovan

In the evening we visited the Divine Life Society, Sivananda Tapovan, an institution recently started and managed by Swami Sivananda-Satchidananda, a sannyasini disciple of Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati of Rishikesh. The weather was cloudy portending heavy rainfall. Ramdas was first asked to open a small Ayurvedic Dispensary in a thatched hut. We went inside and found the place quite neat. There was Bhajan and Arati before the photograph of Sri Swami Sivananda Saraswati. The Ayurvedic physician and his wife were enthusiastic in their anticipation of serving the patients with love and care. It was altogether a very edifying sight.

The rains now started. The hall where the meeting was held was not closed on two sides, the roof standing on pillars wide apart from each other. This allowed freely the rain water to rush in. The rain was accompanied also by furious winds. When we took our seat on the raised platform, we had a good shower-bath. After some arrangements were made to prevent the rain from dashing on us, the function started with the usual Pada-puja and Bhajan. Then Ramdas was asked to speak. He spoke about the relationship of a disciple with his Guru. He dissected this relationship and discussed it threadbare, giving advice to those who honour the Guru outwardly, but do not live up to his expectations of acting according to his instructions in their day-to-day life. Ramdas is giving here some important extracts from it:

Disciples’ duty to Gurus

The Guru’s heart is so soft that he is always eager that all those who have taken refuge in him are made free from their lower nature and perfectly happy, both inwardly and outwardly. He is pouring his grace in abundance on his devotees and tirelessly instructing them as to how they should live and act in order to have the vision of Divinity within and without. It is not enough if they simply say they are the disciples of such and such a saint. They must follow his teachings. Guru’s grace can flow into them only if they carry out his words and thus please him. But, unfortunately, we see today a different picture. Often we doubt whether we are right in calling ourselves the devotees of a great saint. Still we take pride in doing so, when we have not developed an iota of the lofty qualities we should cultivate by our contact with the illumined personality of the Guru. Our duty therefore is to obey implicitly the advice of the Guru and act up to it. We thereby cleanse ourselves of all our impurities and make ourselves fit to realize the Divine within us and achieve immortality.

Our return drive from this Ashram was somewhat exciting. It was raining heavily and the provisional road newly made to approach the Ashram soon became muddy. The car in which we sat got stuck up in the mud and had to be pulled out by a dozen strong men. It was all hard work but accompanied with considerable merriment.

Batticaloa

Next day after passing through Polonnaruwa we reached Batticaloa. Here we were the guests of a solicitor friend, Sri K. V. M. Subramaniam. The following day there was a function in the Vivekananda Vidyalaya where, after Bhajan, Ramdas talked on “Self-surrender.” He said:

Actions and events are themselves neither good nor bad. We take certain situations as for our good and we are happy. At other times we consider certain situations as bad and we are unhappy. When we know that all things happen by the will of the divine Being who is all love and compassion, we shall be always contented and happy. In this state of contentment and peace, as a result of complete surrender to His will, our life will flow out in selfless service to all.

We were taken in the evening in a procession through the streets of Batticaloa to the Town Hall, where Ramdas spoke on “The object of Human Life.” In the course of the speech Ramdas said:

God is the Universal Spirit

God is really without name or form. He is universal consciousness, Spirit or Truth. He may be called by any name which you hold dear. Muslims call Him Allah; Hindus call Him Rama, Krishna or Shiva; Christians call Him Jehovah or Jesus; Buddhists call the highest as Nirvana. If the devotee of any one of these teachers is true to God, he will keep His Name constantly on his lips and attune his life with the divine life. All differences that are prevailing now will disappear if this is understood and observed by all. Each religion will respect the other religions. By that we shall be able to create the much-needed world brotherhood.

Without knowing that the sole purpose of his life is to realise God, man is clinging to lesser aims and spends his whole life in fulfilling them. If, giving up the thought of God, he pursues the ephemeral pleasures, he is simply wasting away his precious life. By forgetting God, he gets caught in the toils of Maya and leads a care-worn, hectic and chaotic life. If he wishes to have harmony, peace and joy, he should devote his life for God and God alone.

Lepers given Ganesh Mantra

Another day we visited a Leper Hospital at Mantivu, a small island. About seven or eight of us crossed the sea by a boat with the cool breeze blowing over us. It was God’s wish that we should have something like a boating trip after the life in a busy city. We reached the island and the leaders of our party took us to the building facing the sea where the doctors have their offices and consulting rooms. All the lepers of that colony were standing in two rows, and we walked up the path between them. We could see in their faces a bright smile which was a sign of their welcome to us. They considered our visit to them as an event of such great importance that they celebrated it with fireworks. After stopping for a few minutes in this building, we were led to the temple of Ganesha about two hundred yards in the interior, where the patients also followed us. Ramdas gave here a brief talk to the assembled patients, at the end of which, at their request, he initiated them all with Ganesh Mantra.

Akkarapattu and Kalmunai

One evening we went to Akkarapattu, where a teacher of the Ramakrishna Mission School, Sri K. Natarajan, who was at once its founder and head-master, had arranged a function. Ramdas spoke here on “Bhakti”, freely quoting from the Paramahamsa’s teachings. He said:

Bhakta becomes Bhagawan

The object of devotion should be to realise God in our heart and allow Him to fill all parts of our being with His light and power. This done, our hearts will be overflowing with divine love towards all beings in the world. Our eyes will see only God everywhere. Our hands will work only for the good of everybody and we will ultimately become the very embodiments of God, filled with bliss and ever surcharged with ecstasy. In this state, the difference between the Bhakta and Bhagawan will disappear. The Bhakta, by constant remembrance of and surrender to God, becomes God himself. So when you constantly think of God, you become His very image. Then it is you enjoy immortal joy and peace.

On return from this place we halted for the night at Kalmunai at the house of an Executive Engineer, Sri A. Sambasivam. He and his wife were very kind and hospitable to us. His wife had heard of Mataji and Ramdas through Sri K. Ramachandra, read Ramdas’ books and was worshipping his and Mataji’s photographs. She was overflowing with joy to find us as guests in her house. God’s ways are wonderful. He takes us to such places where there is love and devotion for Him. Next morning we went to the Ramakrishna Mission School, where Ramdas delivered a discourse on the greatness of God’s name. He said:

Devotion is Bliss

By doing Sadhana it does not mean that we are going to get happiness or Moksha only after we are dead, or at a later date. The very act of devotion to God and the consequent union with Him grants us bliss from moment to moment. The instant we step on the path of devotion and take His Name with all love and faith we get pure joy and peace. Therefore, those who know the power of the Name say that it is sweeter than nectar.

Krishnabai Ladies’ League

In the evening we went from Kalmunai to Kalladi Uppodai, a place near Batticaloa. Here the public were so enthusiastic about our arrival that they took us in a grand procession along the streets with Nadaswaram music. All the houses on the road-side were gaily decorated and lights, flowers, coconuts and incense sticks were placed at their entrances. It took over an hour for us to reach the Vivekananda Vidyalaya where the meeting was to be held. Sri Swami Natarajananda, the General Manager of all Ramakrishna Mission Schools in Ceylon, was already there to welcome us. After Bhajan, addresses were read in English and Tamil. Ramdas spoke here on “Devotion.” Some prominent ladies of the place also gave loving expression to their deep feelings over our visit. Among them one lady announced about the starting of a new Ladies’ League, which they had named Krishnabai Ladies’ League. Practically they started the League in honour of the visit of Mataji to their place. The object of the organisation, as explained by the lady who announced about it, was selfless service of the helpless, poor and suffering. This laudable aim would surely be fulfilled by the blessings of God. We wished it all success.

Badulla

We returned to Batticaloa late in the evening. Next morning we left that place for Badulla by car. As our cars gradually ascended the curved roads which led to higher altitudes, we witnessed on two sides deep valleys and high mountains all covered with tea shrubs. Vast tea estates were visible wherever we cast our eyes. We were reminded of our trips from Mysore to Mercara and from Mysore to Ooty. We went higher and higher up and reached Badulla. The curves and bends we had to negotiate in our journey were not a pleasant experience to some of the party. Here we were the guests of Sri C. Kanagaratnam. A Bhajan and meeting programme was arranged in the local college hall.

Pure and Impure Forms of Buddhism

Before we started for the college, a Buddhist monk named Bhikku Jnana Satta, a Czechoslovakian, came to see Ramdas. He said that he had heard about Ramdas’ visit and wanted to talk to him for a short while. In the course of the conversation, which covered the main events in the life of Buddha, Ramdas asked him whether it was true that, as a result of some soup given to Buddha when he was resting under a tree, he became ill and passed away. Ramdas also expressed his view that the soup was not of pork, as wrongly stated by European writers in their translation of the Lord’s life from the original Pali text, but that it was the soup of a poisonous variety of mushroom. The monk agreed with Ramdas in thinking that it was not pork but mushroom soup. Then Ramdas asked him how it was that in Japan, Burma, Bangkok and, may be, also in Ceylon, the Buddhists were given to meat-eating, while Buddha stood for absolute Ahimsa. That was the Dharma he preached during his lifetime and the message conveyed by his disciples to several parts of the eastern hemisphere.

A Possible Explanation

The monk replied that the Japanese, Chinese and Burmese Buddhists are not practising real Buddhism, but a mixture of Buddhism with a decadent Hinduism. Soon after the disciples of Buddha preached his gospel in Japan, China and other neighbouring countries and returned to India, some of the enthusiasts among the followers of Buddha from these countries came to India to take with them the scriptures which contained the message of Buddha. Instead of taking only the Buddhist scriptures, they also got some books which contained certain teachings of a decadent Hinduism. This they may have done by mistake. Whatever it be, they and their countrymen believed that these teachings too were of Buddha and started practising them. Hence pure Buddhism is not generally practised in Japan and other places. Whatever may be the truth of this explanation, the forms of worship adopted by the so-called Buddhists of Japan, China, Burma and other places are, indeed, highly distorted and perverted expressions of the great and pure teachings of Lord Buddha.

As Ramdas has already mentioned, there is a certain class of Buddhists in Japan who practise pure Buddhism, known as Zen Buddhism. They say they derive inspiration directly from the Bodhisattwa—the original principle or essence of Truth which has manifested itself from time to time as Buddhas for guiding humanity to the goal of Nirvana. The impure form of Buddhism prevalent in Japan and other places has nothing to do with this revival of pure Buddhism.

In the college hall the meeting was held under the auspices of the Saiva Paripalana Sangham. Here Ramdas spoke on “Divine Love.” He held that love is the greatest principle we should practise in our daily life. In expounding the various aspects of love Ramdas was carried away by the subject to such an extent that a continuous flow of words issued from him, and the entire audience sat still listening to him. The monk, Bhikku Jnana Satta, was also sitting by Ramdas’ side on the rostrum. After Ramdas’ speech was over, the monk translated the speech to that part of the audience which did not know English or Tamil in fluent Sinhalese. We could not understand his speech, but we noted there was a profuse sprinkling in it of the word “Maitri” which means love. He seemed to have held out to the audience that love was the one great virtue which Buddha exhorted his disciples to cultivate. Buddha’s words “Give love for hate” are still ringing in Ramdas’ heart.

Punduloya: Sita’s Asoka Vana

Our next place of halt was Punduloya. Here again we had to go motoring over winding roads gradually ascending up the mountains and reaching the height of Nuwara Eliya. Nearby is the celebrated place called Sitalaya where Sita, the consort of Sri Rama, was kept captive by the tyrant Ravana in the Asoka Vana. Here there is a temple of Sita. When we visited the temple, we were reminded of the episode in the Ramayana describing how Sita was forcibly carried off by Ravana, brought to Lanka and kept in that place. We went inside the temple to pay our homage to the Divine Mother who is represented by an image, before which we stood in a prayerful mood while pooja was performed. Although we spent only ten to fifteen minutes inside the temple, we felt blessed and delighted.

From Sitalaya we proceeded to our destination in Punduloya and were the guests of Sri K. Kumaravel, the proprietor of a Tea Estate and Factory. Here we went to the Ganesh temple and the Government school where, as usual, Bhajans were held, and Ramdas spoke a few words to the people who consisted mostly of factory workers. He spoke about the transitory nature of the world and the importance of remembering God for attaining everlasting peace and joy.

A Dreamland of Devotion

From the school we were taken to the Sheen Estate temple. It was raining heavily. Here we met a spectacle of devotional enthusiasm which baffles description. The devotees of the place, who were anxiously looking forward to our arrival, had made elaborate decorations. All along the two sides of the road were hung tender coconut leaf festoons, with which were woven flowers of various tints, and at a distance of less than a yard on both sides of the road, through which we passed, were placed low stools on which were seen a water-pot with a coconut on it, a burning brass lamp, flowers, rice, etc. All along the way was also spread new cloth stitched together into a continuous piece, reaching up to the very door of the temple, for us to walk upon. On either side of the road, behind the decorations stood in rows crowds of devotees expectantly awaiting our arrival. Indian music was also played. We passed through the road amidst the din of voices and fireworks. We appeared to have entered a dreamland which revealed the unusual degree to which devotional fervour of the people could reach.

Soon we found ourselves inside a small temple before the image of Ganesh. Only a few people could stand inside the temple. But there was a great rush which caused some confusion. Yet, in that confusion there was a thrill or vibration of a rare spiritual ecstasy. After the pooja was over we went to a hall where the devotees had assembled for the meeting. After the usual formalities, Ramdas was asked to speak to the audience on some religious subject. On that occasion Ramdas’ heart was glowing with great emotion, as it was welling up with a rare love and joy. Ramdas is giving here an extract from the speech.

God is within you

You know that your joy and enthusiasm have come out from your own hearts. So you must understand that the God that you seek, the God of real happiness and peace, is dwelling in the hearts of all of you. We who have come to you, are merely instrumental in invoking that divine Spirit within you and make you not only aware of it, but also enjoy blissful union with it. The inherent beauty and fragrance of the lotus flower is revealed in the presence of the sun, but the beauty and fragrance belong to the lotus itself. So it is that God who is all bliss, love, purity and peace is residing in your hearts.

Sannyas Day Message

During our stay in Punduloya, on the 27th December, the devotees observed Ramdas’ Sannyas Day. In the evening there was Bhajan in the house of Kumaravel for a longer period than usual, after which Ramdas was asked to deliver a message. That day Ramdas was not in a mood to talk for a long time, but when he once started, he could stop only after about an hour. Words flowed out of his mouth in a continuous stream and he went on and on. There were only about twenty devotees sitting before him, while he was speaking, seated on a cushioned cot. The friends listened to him with rapt attention. Some extracts from this speech also are given below:

Ramana Maharshi, it appears, said that he did no sadhana. The moment he left home and went to Arunachala, he felt that he was free. He was lost in an infinite expanse of divine existence and thereafter he lived in that state till the very last. He got this experience without any effort, because this state is not to be got by effort, but through the dawn of knowledge in a mysterious way. We may call it divine grace, or it may be as a result of the efforts done in a previous life. Whatever that be, when knowledge comes, we are lost in the radiance of the supreme Reality, which is universal, infinite and eternal, and thereafter we live in that state perennially.

Guru is the Divine Doctor

The more you repeat His name, the more you become conscious of Him within you. The dark forces are conquered and the mind becomes still, pure and transparent. Then the radiance, peace and joy of the Divine reveal themselves and you become like a glass case in which a brilliant light is kept. Otherwise, you are like a mud vessel inside which a lamp is burning. The mud vessel being opaque, the light does not shine out. You must make this human vehicle perfectly transparent and luminous with the light of God.

Ignorance is disease. Realisation is health. We must cure ourselves of that ignorance by taking the proper remedy for it from the divine doctor. Guru is the divine doctor who makes us free by giving us the knowledge of the Self, of our real existence and being. What is the medicine? God’s name! Let us always keep it on our tongue. It will purify us through and through, and dispelling ignorance from the heart, will grant us knowledge of the Divine and fill us with bliss and joy.

Next day we paid a visit to the Tea Factory of Kumaravel which was in the close vicinity of his bungalow. We were shown round all the departments in the factory where tea leaves are brought in and through various processes are turned stage by stage into the finished product which is packed into plywood boxes for transport. All the workers were highly pleased to see us. They welcomed us with great love and devotion.

Madness of Divine Love

The same evening we left Punduloya for Hatton by car. On the way we made a halt at Kotagala estate, where we expected to meet some fifty of the estate workers and spend with them about five minutes. But when we approached the place we saw not fifty, but over a thousand people—-a seething mass of human beings waiting for us! A provisional pandal had been erected for us to sit for a while, so that the workers can have darshan. After we took our seats the workers started touching Ramdas’ and Mataji’s feet.

Soon there was confusion due to the great rush for touching the feet. The prospect was not very rosy. If we had continued sitting there, there would have been a tremendous melee in which hundreds would have received injuries, and the time of five minutes would have lengthened into an hour. In order to avoid all this we slipped out by the back way from the raised seat and got into the car. The devotees soon surrounded the car and held on to it so that the car, even when it was started, could not move forward. After great persuasion and appeals the estate workers allowed the car to proceed. The enthusiasm and the devotional zeal of these workers was simply marvellous.

Man’s heart is a repository of divine love. Only under favourable conditions this love manifests itself, and when it once starts to flow out, we cannot gauge to what extent it will flood him and overpower him by its strong and powerful current. In fact, one is swept away and he loses himself in it, oftentimes not knowing what he is actually doing. It is this love that turns the so-called sane and discreet man into a mad devotee of God. The world, without understanding this, taunts him, persecutes him and goes to the length of even killing him!

Hatton and Nawalapitiya

We reached Hatton in the evening and straightaway went to the Sripada College hall for the meeting. Ramdas talked here on “Devotion to God.” After the function we went to stay with Dr. S. Ariyaratnam. There many visitors came and put Ramdas all kinds of questions on spiritual subjects. In the afternoon next day we left Hatton and in an hour reached Rambupitiya, where we were put up in the house of Sri C. Subramaniam. From there we visited the Kathiresan temple and went to the Kathiresan College in Nawalapitiya where the bhajan and meeting were held. Here Ramdas spoke on “God and Man’s relation to Him.” He said among other things:

Separation is due to ignorance

Verily, we and God are never separate. It is through ignorance we feel we are separate from Him. When we are free from ignorance we know that we are not only one with Him, but also that we have always been one with Him. Once Sri Rama asked his great devotee Hanuman, who he was. Then Hanuman replied that as body he was Ramachandra’s servant, as Jiva he was a part of Rama and as Atman he was Rama himself. So, essentially, our self is not different from God.

At all the other places Ramdas’ speeches were translated into Tamil for the benefit of those in the audience who did not know English.

While we were staying here, in response to the invitation of Sri N. Muthiah, the Editor of the Tamil monthly Atma Jyoti, at Nawalapitiya, we climbed up the hill to reach the Atma Jyoti Nilayam. It is a small, neat and beautiful house where the editing and publishing of the monthly are carried on. The pooja, archan, bhajan and other items in the programme here were performed with so much devotion that all the devotees who assembled there had no end of joy. Really, when we gather together in the name of God for singing His glories and attuning our lives with His eternal radiance, we cannot but transcend earthly planes and dwell in a consciousness in which there is nothing but rapture, ecstasy and bliss. So, on such occasions we remain in a high state of intoxication by drinking this nectar—Love Divine.

Kandy

From Rambukpitiya we came to Kandy on our way back to Colombo. In Kandy we had an hour’s programme. A meeting was held at the Pushpadana School hall under the auspices of the Saiva Mahasabha, Kandy. After bhajan, Ramdas talked here on “The Purpose of Human Life.”

Colombo again: Parting message

At last we returned to Colombo and were again guests at the Sindhi Community Centre. The Colombo devotees were keenly awaiting our arrival after an absence of nearly sixteen days. The Sindhi Centre became once more a beehive humming with activity, devotees coming and going from early morning till late in the night. There were bhajans, talks, poojas, all going on in regular succession on this last day of our stay in Ceylon.

We were invited by Sir Kantiah Vaithiyanathan to his residence for bhajan and evening meal. Although holding the high position of a Minister in the Ceylon Government, Sir Kantiah is extremely humble and pious, his wife also following him on the path. It was he who first welcomed us to Colombo when we alighted from the aeroplane. He lent his moral and spiritual support to the devotees of Colombo in regard to the innumerable programmes they carried out headed by Ramachandra during our one month’s stay in Ceylon. One rarely finds men in high positions who are meek and sincere devotees of God. Among such, Kantiah Vaithiyanathan is a bright example.

The last meeting in Colombo was held in the Sindhi Community Centre. Here, after bhajan, Ramdas gave his parting message to the devotees on the glory of the Divine name. The following are some extracts therefrom:

Name is God

Name is the precious jewel which we should not lose when we have once gained it. If we take it, we must do so with all our heart, with all love and faith in its power. Sages and saints are never tired of singing the glories of the Name. You may find this out for yourself. Sit still and sing the Name and get your mind inebriated with its sweetness. You will find your whole body is permeated with a strange ecstasy in which your ego-sense and all low desires disappear completely and you are thoroughly purified. If you continue doing this practice, you will be established in that sublime state. You will become the very image of God.

Ramdas’ parting message to you is that you should take to the repetition of God’s name. It is not enough to praise the Name by singing songs about it. You must act according to the teachings of the great saints. You should attempt to keep the Name constantly on your lips while walking, sitting or doing any other physical work. Gradually, you will find the Name takes possession of you. It is not that you take possession of the Name, but the Name takes possession of you. Then you will see how your mind refuses to wander here and there. It gets absorbed in the Name and derives immense peace and joy. Contact of the Name is contact of God, because Name and God are not different. Name is God and God is Name!

At the time of our final departure from Colombo, all the devotees gathered at the airport. It was really a very hard wrench for them to be separated from us as it was for us to part from them. At the airport Swami Prematmananda, Kantiah Vaithiyanathan, Ramachandra, Jiwatram Hridaramani and a host of other devotees of both sexes were present to give us a hearty send-off. The plane started and we gradually rose up in the sky casting a long, loving and lingering look through the aeroplane window at the huge crowd of devotees gazing at us from the airport.