• * • * • • • i # • • • • *«- ••»«*•*•••«§ r»• •» • 3* Arunachala/ Thou dost root out the ego of those who meditate on Thee in the heart, Oh Arunachala! TheMounfain Path Vol. VI APRIL 1969 No. 2 SRI RAMANASRAMAM, TIRU VAN N AM ALAI " Unasked Thou givest ; this is Thy imperishable fame. Do not belie Thy name, Oh Arunachala ! " — The Marital Garland (A QUARTERLY) of Letters, verse 22. M Arunachala! Thou dost root out the ego of those who meditate on Thee in the heart, Oh Arunachala ! " —The Marital Garland of Letters, verse 1. Publisher : T. N. Venkataraman, President, Board of Trustees, Vol. VI APRIL 1969 No. 2 Sri Ramanasramam, Tiruvannamalai. CONTENTS * Page EDITORIAL The Power of Compassion . 73 Editor : More About Naga Baba Arthur Osborne, <— Jaganath Chattopadyaya . 75 Sri Ramanasramam, Self (Poem) .. 77 Tiruvannamalai. A New Approach to Comparative Religion — Arthur Osborne .. 78 Garland of Guru's Sayings (from the Tamil of Sri Muruganar) 83 The Rama Gita — Swami Ekatmananda . 84 Wake us up !—JR. Narayana Iyer . 89 Managing Editor : The Universality of Sri Ramakrishna V. Ganesan, — Swami Vishadananda . 90 Sri Ramanasramam, Clinging to Body ? — R. Narayana Iyer . 91 Tiruvannamalai. The Subjectivity of Time — Wei Wu Wei .. 92 The Direct Path — 1 Vishnu ' 93 How I Came to the Maharshi — M. L. Bhatt . 94 Yoga Vasishta Sara — Swami Suresanunda . 96 Peak and Plateau — Prof. U. A. Asrani .. 98 City of Brahman . 100 Annual Subscription : Two Great Men Meet Bhagavan INDIA Rs. 6. —• Viswanathan .. 101 FOREIGN .. 12sh 6d $ 1.50 Into Sri Bhagavan's Fold — K. Padmardabhan 103 Time—V. Venkataraman 104 Life Subscription : The Way of Chuang Tze — Fr. Thomas Merton 105 - Rs. 125 £ 12-10-0 $ 30. AT HIS LOTUS FEET : Single Copy : I Identity with the Universal Rs. 1.75 3sh. 6d. $ 0.45 — Kavyakanta Ganapathi Muni .. 107 II The Turning Point — Natanananda .. 108 III Beyond Categories —' Sein' .. 109 CONTENTS— (Contd.) Page ®l]<> fountain f aiif The Vedaparayana — VI 110 (A QUARTERLY) The Bhagavad Gita — TV. by Prof. G. V. 113 The aim of this journal is to set Kulkarni and Arthur Osborne forth the traditional wisdom of all 116 religions and all ages, especially Book Reviews 121 as testified to by their saints and mystics, and to clarify the paths Ashram Bulletin 128 available to seekers m the condi• Introducing Sri N. Narayana Iyer 130 tions of our modern world. Yearly Account Statement GRACE IN WORDS: The Verses (UPADESA SARAM) in Tamil reproduced on the fly-leaf facing the frontispiece in the fascimile of Sri Bhagavan's own handwriting. The Contributions for publication translation is a new free rendering into English by should be addressed to ' The Editor, Prof. K. Swaminathan. 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(b) Aden, Kuwait, Hongkong, Malaysia, Indonesia, Phillipines 15s 1.80 (c) U.K., France, Belgium, Greece, Italy, Monaco, Switzerland, East, South and West Africa 22s 2.70 (d) Australia, Denmark, Netherland, THE MOUNTAIN PATH Norway, Poland, Spain, Sweden 30s 3.60 is dedicated to (e) North, Central and South America, Fiji, Hawaii, New Zealand 37s 4.50 Bhagavan Sri Ramana Maharshi %xixtt in piards Action yields fruit, For so the Lord ordains it. How can action be the Lord? It is insentient. The fruit of action passes. But action leaves behind Seed of further action Leading to an endless ocean of action ; Not at all to moksha. Disinterested action Surrendered to the Lord Purifies the mind and points The way to moksha. BHAGAVAN SRI RAMANA MAKARSHI (QUARTERLY) Editor: ARTHUR OSBORNE Voi. VI APRIL, 1969 No. 2 THE POWER OF COMPASSION Editorial £jOMPASSION is a tremendous force. why most people have not. Perhaps most Bhagavan indicated this when he people do not sit still long enough (mentally explained, on being asked about cures which still) to allow this power to awaken, in them took place when ailments were brought to at all but fritter it away in perpetual dis• his notice, that it is enough for the Spiritual traction. Perhaps also, of those who are Master to turn his mind in any direction and awake enough to generate it, most impede " the automatic divine activity begins." its flow by constant interference. It should This is a very important explanation. It be, as Bhagavan said, ' automatic ' ; to try indicates that it is not a question of one to direct its flow can impede it. individual using certain power that he possesses to help other individuals but of a That is why I prefer the term ' com• natural, impersonal harmonising force passion ' to ' love ' for this force. The term working, when unimpeded, to remove . dis• ' love ' is more apt to include an element of harmonies. It was doubtless far more possessiveness, and possessiveness, being potent with Bhagavan than with ordinary egoistic, impedes the working of the power- people, but it was the same force working current. All egoism does. That includes, of on the same principle ; the difference was course, desire, even the desire to help or one of degree not of kind. What is needed cure. When Bhagavan was asked about is to turn one's mind calmly but steadily in Christ's miracles he replied with the a certain direction, say in the direction of counter-question : " Did he think it was he one who is in sickness or misfortune. This, who was performing them ? " We have the if unimpeded, sets up a sort of current or answer in Christ's saying : " Of my own self vibration which can be felt, and what I can do nothing." Many healers have found Bhagavan called " the automatic divine that the moment they try to appropriate the activity " begins. The question to be asked power or to will it into existence or say for is not so much why some people have the whom or in what way it shall be used it ability to awaken and harness this power as disappear?. 74 THE MOUNTAIN PATH April This was the secret (an open secret, for cealment and their enemies discussed how he offered it to all) of the extraordinary to find them, the wise Vidura declared that cures obtained by the late Joel Goldsmith. there would be signs enough where the I found the following passage in confirma• saintly Yudhishthira lived. " The rains will tion of it in a Taoist book written as far back be regular there. The land will have an as 1914 and sent it to Joel, who was delight• excellent harvest . the flowers will smell ed. " . if meditation is aimed at curing sweeter for his presence, the fruits will be an illness the practiser should forget all more juicy and more luscious, the cows will about the thought of curing it, and if it is yield sweeter milk where Yudhishthira for improving health he should forget all dwells." (Mahabharata, p. 288, by Kamala about the idea of improvement, because Subramaniam, Bharatiya Vidya Bhavan.) when mind and objects are forgotten every• An example, though perhaps on a small thing will be void and the result thus scale, of this responsiveness of nature to the achieved will be the proper one ... If the harmony of heaven is to be seen in such a thoughts or curing an illness and of im• phenomenon as ' green fingers ', or in the proving health are clung to, the mind will healing touch or in the natural good fortune be stirred and no result can be expected." which attends one who refrains from fretting (By the Taoist Master Yin Shih Tsu, from and trying to force his own pattern on his book published in 1914, quoted by events. The more unobstructed by self will Charles Luk in The Secrets of Chinese the power remains the more it will flourish. Meditation, p. 180, Rider & Co.). On the other hand it is natural to use some Furthermore, it is generally recognized by canalisation when cases demanding com• people who have the power either to influ• passion are brought before one. It is neces• ence or to foretell events that they should sary, even while doing so, to retain a cer• never use such powers in their own inter• tain aloofness so as to prevent the canalisa• ests.