Banning Richardson - East & West meet in The Maharshi #4

[Guest guest]

...................

 

 

Two main criticisms are levelled by Westerners against the

tradition that has produced Sri Maharshi. The first is that of the

materialist and some Christians, and takes the form of a

condemnation of what may be called the Sadhu or Sannyasin

tradition. The second is specifically Christian and asserts that

lack of the doctrine of Grace vitiates Hindu teaching.

 

The first argument is scarcely worth refuting, were it not

for the fact that it is so widespread, specially in England and

North America, and till it is effectively controverted, there is

small chance of the West awakening to an understanding of

spiritual values. Taken in its crudest form it simply means that

unless one is doing something of utilitarian value he is a traitor

to the service of humanity; and Christians underline this

argument by pointing to the active work healing and

preaching which Christ carried on, as opposed to the passive

attitude of Indian mystics, the majority of whom seem

indifferent to the world. This argument is on a part with the

Western saying, “Those who can, do; those who can’t teach.”

In other words, those who have the ability to “succeed” in the

world, do so; those who can’t, turn to teaching as a profession.

Unfortunately this is to some extent true, in India as well as

in Western countries. But, in the West it is connected with a

utilitarian philosophy of life which has led to Nazism and

Communism on the one hand, and to the self- indulgent,

luxury-worshipping democracies on the other. Activity is the

basis of all life, but modern civilization has taken one particular

form of activity what may be called the “intellectual-physical”,

and made it the only recognized form of activity, thus

neglecting the spiritual basis of the civilization on which it is

founded. This has been a gradual and cumulative process which

started in the Middle Ages when the so- called re-discovery of

Greek culture resulted in the raising of Aristotle to a position

of intellectual dominance.

 

Aristotle may be termed the first scientist of Western

civilization. His conception of spirit was, like that of the

nineteenth century evolutionists, that of an attribute which

emerges out of the primeval slime. So, when medieval European

scholars turned away from the truly spiritual tradition of Plato

and his Alexandrian follower Plotinus to the scientific but

fundamentally anti-spiritual Aristotle, they sacrificed the basis

of their civilization along with a great deal of obscurantism

which admittedly had to go.

 

With the coming of the Renaissance the next inevitable

step was taken,science was separated from religion, which

meant that it became its own master, uncontrolled by

spiritual direction. Finally, in the eighteenth century, which

may be said to be the last peak of Christian civilization,

religion was separated from philosophy and the devastation

was complete.

 

The truly spiritual life became completely alien to the main

stream of civilization. Intellect, applied to the solution of

material problems, reigned supreme. Marx and Engels,

Schopenhauer, Nietzsche, Spencer, Huxley, Emerson, H. G.

Wells and George Bernard Shaw are the prophets of this age of

doom. Man’s material condition has been raised to the position

of a god, and there is no limit to the greed for ‘higher’ standards

of living, even after poverty has been abolished. There could be

only one logical outcome to such a false-based civilization- selfdestruction;

and the atom bomb is the instrument of suicide.

 

This is the civilization, these are the men that condemn the

Indian quietist tradition, who would point to Sri Bhagavan as

“inactive.” as doing less for mankind than Christ. But, according

to such standards, the artisan should be considered the highest type

of man. The carpenter and the blacksmith “do” more for mankind

than the teacher and the priest. And indeed we find this is becoming

the case more and more. Now-a-days, in England, France and

America, the factory workers are being paid more than the

professional classes. By such a standard certainly Sri Bhagavan is to

be considered not of much value. But such a standard, as I have

tried to show, is based on a completely false view of life, which is as

anti-Christ as it is anti-Sri Maharshi. “By their fruits ye shall know

them,” cannot be taken to mean “by the material goods they

produce,” but rather”by their thoughts and actions we shall know

their true nature.” And the thoughts of Sri Bhagavan have now in

his own lifetime girdled the world and set men thinking again

about the real meaning of life. This is his form of service to mankind.

Such truly creative activity dwarfs the feverish rush of lesser men

who dare to criticize Sri Ramana’s “inactivity”.

 

A disciple once asked Sri Bhagavan why he didn’t go about

and preach the truth to the people at large. He answered,

 

“How do you know I am not doing it? Does

preaching consist in mounting a platform

and haranguing the people around? Teaching

is simple communication of knowledge; it

can really be done in silence only. What do

you think of a man who listens to a sermon

for an hour and goes away without having

been impressed by it so as to change his life?

Compare him with another, who sits in a holy

presence and goes away after some time with

his outlook on life totally changed. Which is

the better, to preach loudly without effect or

to sit silently sending out Inner Force?

 

“Again, how does speech arise? There is abstract

knowledge, whence arises the ego, which in

turn gives rise to thought, and thought to

the spoken word. So the word is the great

grandson of the original source. If the word

can produce effect, judge for yourself how

much more powerful must be the preaching

through silence. But people do not

understand this simple, bare truth, the truth

of their everyday, ever present eternal

experience. This truth is that of the Self. Is

there anyone unaware of the Self? But they

do not like even to hear of this truth, whereas

they are eager to know what lies beyond,

about heaven, hell and re-incarnation.......”

 

Again, he was asked, “Does my realization help others?”

And he answered:

“Yes, and it is the best help that you can possibly

render to others. Those who have discovered

great truths have done so in the still depths

of the Self. But really there are no ‘others’ to

be helped. For the Realized Being sees only

the Self, just as the goldsmith sees only the

gold while valuing it in various jewels made

of gold. When you identify yourself with the

body, name and form are there. But when

you transcend the body-consciousness, the

‘others’ also disappear. The Realized One does

not see the world as different from Himself.”

The disciple then asked, “Would it not be better if

the saints mix with others?” And quick the

reply came, “There are no others to mix with.

The Self is the only reality...... Your duty is

TO BE and not to be this or that. ‘I AM

THAT I AM’ sums up the whole truth; the

method is summarised in ‘BE STILL.”

 

 

 

 

 

.................to be continued

 

taken from Golden Jubilee Souvenir 1896-1946