10 Primordial Masters - 10-22
10 Primordial Masters - 10-22
10 Primordial Masters - 10-22
2
The Ten Primordial Masters
The Lives and Teachings of
The Ten Adi Gurus
Edited by Chris Marlow
1
This book is humbly offered at the Divine Lotus Feet
of the Guru of all Gurus, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi,
as an attempt to provide historical and scriptural
information about the Ten Incarnations
of the Divine Guru Principle within us.
We ask Her forgiveness for any mistakes herein.
2
Contents
Shri Adi Guru Dattatreya. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5
The Ten Primordial Masters (brief summary) . . . . . . . . . . . . 9
Introduction - the Divine Nature of the Guru . . . . . . . . . . 19
Raja Janaka . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 24
Abraham . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 39
Zarathustra . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 49
Moses . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 69
Lao Tse . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 90
Confucius . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 109
Socrates . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 136
Prophet Mohammad . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 157
Guru Nanak . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 201
Sāī Bābā of Shirdi . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 239
Appendix 1. The Symbols of the Ten Adi Gurus . . . . . 265
Appendix 2. Seats of the Adi Gurus in the Void . . . . . 269
3
Shri Mataji on the Ten Adi Gurus
“The (Ten Adi Gurus) all represent the water element which is
within us for sustaining ourselves. They tell us how to sustain
ourselves as a human being. And all of them have tried to
establish religion within us - doesn’t mean outside, but religion
as the capacity, or you can say, the quality of a man; what a
human being should be like.” 21-04-80, Caxton Hall
“To help (human beings) cross the Ocean of Illusion, they were
given guidance through this incarnation of the Primordial
Master (Âdi Guru) again and again in different lives. He was
created as the three-headed child Dattâtreya by Âdi Shakti as
Satî Anasûyâ, wife of the Sage Atreya.
He was born as Âdi Nâth who founded Jainism, one of the
oldest religions. Then He was born as Râjâ Janaka, father of
Janakî also called Sîtâ, Râma's wife. She was an Incarnation of
Âdi Shakti. He was also born as Macchindra Nâth, and again as
Zoroaster who was worshipped by the ancient Persians, and
still revered by Parsees. Earlier He had taken birth as Abraham
and later as Moses, the Fathers of Judaism. In China He was
born as Confucius and as Lao Tse, and in Greece as Socrates.
He took a very significant Incarnation as Mohammad Sahib,
the Messenger, Paigambar* and Founder of Islam, whose
daughter Fâtima was Sîtâ reborn, an Incarnation of Âdi Shakti.
Yet again He took birth as Guru Nânak, founder of the Sikh
religion whose sister was Nânakî (Janakî, Sîtâ, Fâtima).
Most recently He was born as Shrî Sâi Bâbâ of Shirdî in
Mahârâshtra where He died just over sixty years ago.
Altogether there were ten major Avatâras of Dattâtreya.”
Creation. Ch.2.
* Arabic/Urdu/Hindi for ‘messenger, prophet’
4
ADI GURU DATTATREYA
5
ADI GURU DATTATREYA
Śhrī Dattātreya1 is widely worshipped all over India. He epitomises
renunciation and detachment from all worldly ties, and grants the
highest liberation. The Ten Ādi Gurus in this book are all
Incarnations of His Principle.
“The Real Gurus are manifestations of this great Principle of
Primordial Master, Dattâtreya, who came on this Earth many-
a-times and tried to establish within us our Sustenance, our
Dharma with this Central Force of Evolution.” 06-02-81, Delhi
“Dattâtreya helps human beings to seek their salvation by crossing
the Void or Ocean of Illusion within themselves.” Creation. Ch.9.
Due to the many legends it is hard to say when His Incarnation
occurred. He narrates the Tripura Rahasya2 to Śhrī Paraśhurāma3,
the seventh incarnation of Śhrī Vishnu contemporary to Śhrī Rāma
and Rājā Janaka, c.5000 BCE. Śhrī Rāma and Sītā are said to have
visited Sage Atri and Anasūyā, Śhrī Dattātreya’s parents.
The teachings attributed to Him, such as the Tripura Rahasya, are
mainly Tantric, ie. concerning the necessity to awaken the Kuṇḍalinī
and traverse the six Chakras in order to experience union with the
Divine in Sahasrāra.
1 ‘
Dattātreya’ means ‘Given to Atri (His father)’ [Datta –‘given’, Ātreya –‘to
Atri’] It can also mean ‘Granting the state beyond the three (states)’ ie.
the Turiya –‘fourth’ state of Pure Spirit. (A-tri –‘without the three’)
2
An English translation is available to download free on symb-ol.org.
3
Paraśhurāma lived more than 5000 years and appears in the Rāmāyāna
and in the Mahābhārata 2000 years later, as Karna’s Guru.
Other Incarnations
Shri Mataji mentions that other incarnations of Shrī Dattātreya
include Macchindra-nāth (10thc. Mahārāshtra, the first of the Nine
Nāths*) and Ādi-nāth (also called Ṛiṣhabha-deva, the first Tirthankara
of Jainism. Mahāvīra was the 24th and last Tirthankara)).
Rājā Janaka
Rājā –‘king’, Janaka –‘father, generating’ (Sanskrit)
5000 BCE, Mithila, India/Nepal
Very little is known about Lao Tse, not even His real name for Lao
Tse, like ‘Sāī Bābā’ simply means ‘Old Master’.
The legend is that, after many years of government service, Lao Tse
decided to retire to the wilderness. As He was crossing the border
post mounted on a water buffalo, a guard asked Him to leave some
record of His wisdom before He departed. Three days later He
handed the guard a small manuscript of only five thousand
characters known today as the Tao Te Ching –‘Book of the Way of
Virtue’, expounding the Tao or the Way - the universal truth that
transcends the physical Universe and all mental concepts.
The Tao –‘way’ is to be found by being natural, experiencing the
unity of all creation and being at one with the Inner Self. Te –‘virtue’
is the inner essence which, like water, flows naturally and always
seeks the lowest levels.
‘Knowing others is intelligence, knowing oneself is wisdom.
Mastering others is strength, mastering oneself is true power.'
Lao-Tse
See ‘Appendix 1. The Symbols of the Ten Adi Gurus’ on page 267 for an
explanation of the significance of the symbols we use in Sahaja Yoga
and why the above symbol is appropriate for Guru Nanak.
From unknown origins, Shri Sāī Bābā appeared in Shirḍī at the age
of sixteen. He took up residence in a disused mosque and lived a
quiet life of contemplation and it took some time - and a few
miracles - before the people of Shirḍī started to recognise His
greatness.
He tried to eradicate divisions between Hindu and Muslims,
teaching about love, forgiveness, unity, charity, contentment, inner
peace, devotion to the Guru and to God, encouraging His followers
to celebrate festivals and rituals from both Hinduism and Islam. His
attention was always on achieving Self-realisation and first-hand
experience of the Divine.
Before He died in 1918 He predicted that another incarnation would
be born within seven years.
‘Never forget that you are not alone. The Divine is with you,
helping and guiding you. He is the companion who never fails,
the friend whose love comforts and strengthens. Have faith and
He will do everything for you.’ Sāī Satcharitra
Introduction 19
Dharma
The Indian word for 'religion', Dharma, means `firmly-established
duty’ and also ‘that which supports, sustains’. The Primordial
Masters taught that of all Dharma, the highest is to utter the praise
and the names of God with devotion. That is the foremost practice
of all religions and the work of the Ten Primordial Masters was to
bring knowledge of the Lord and His Power to all people.
Religion abides in every soul; it is the innermost nature of
everything that exists. It is the yearning of man to lose the sense of
separation. There is only one God; there can be only one religion:
the religion of the droplet becoming the ocean; of the flame
merging with the fire; of the incomplete soul becoming fulfilled,
receiving enlightenment and realising the Self. Not by lighting lamps
outside, but by the lamp of faith, devotion and surrender within our
own Void, can we find illumination.
A seeker without a spiritual guide is like an orphan child in the
wilderness. The word Guru can mean ‘he who lighteth the
darkness’*; when a seeker has become convinced that His intellect,
education, position, wealth and all worldly knowledge, without the
guidance of a true Guru, is actually darkness and delusion, they are
ready for the Path.
How much more blessed are we who have called the Divine Mother
Incarnate our Guru; She who has granted us awakening, spiritual
rebirth and the highest knowledge!
Introduction 20
The Path through the Void
Periodically tides of ignorance sweep the planet, reaffirming the
Divine need to send Spiritual Masters to establish Dharma, nurture
spiritual seeking and warn society against false prophets. These
Divine Messengers, experiencing communion with the Supreme
Spirit, seek to guide, help and awaken the Guru principle within
humanity. Since the dawn of civilisation enlightened souls
wandered amongst the tribes of men seeking to lift our blindness.
A spiritually oriented character is
gained over many lifetimes on the
climb towards Self-realisation.
Instruction is of two kinds: the guru
principle within us and the Teacher
who knows us better than we know
ourselves and provides wisdom and
direction.
In the scriptures, the Guru-disciple
bond is revered as the highest
relationship. The disciple’s qualities
and readiness are tested; their
obedience and surrender reflect
their earnestness to be taught. The
Guru is the guide and the goal; the Shri Sai Bābā of Shirdi –
the only Adi Guru of whom
disciple must tread the path with we have photographs.
humility and devotion; having faith
that only knowing the Spirit gives
real satisfaction and lasting
blessings.
Introduction 21
These masters revealed spiritual laws through direct knowledge of
the Ātmā –‘Self’ and communion with the All-Pervading Power of
the Divine. They knew the Divine Language of mantras, prayers and
silence; living daily at one with the Divine, not thinking or
theorising, but directly communicating the message of the Almighty
to Its creation. A seeker requires no rational learning as preparation
for spiritual experience, although rationaliy can be a useful ladder
to reach the point where it must be left behind. Intelligence should
bring us the wisdom to understand that detachment and humility
are essential to approach the Divine. Although words are important
vehicles of sacred information and rational thought, and if pursued
sincerely can lead the seeker to the gates of Truth, they cannot
enter with us; we have to pass the limits of personal effort. Mystical
experience comes only through surrender; it is a gift to experience
the boundless, pure and unconditional love of the Divine.
The Ten Primordial Masters, having the highest spiritual experience,
were attuned with the Supreme All-Pervading Power and allowed
the Divine to work through them. This often resulted in conflict with
the ‘organised religions’ of the day.
They are all one, yet their followers dispute amongst themselves
who is the greatest. Instead of a pathway to God, human beings
have often turned their religions into instruments of oppression and
subjugation of their fellow men.
Sahaja Yoga fulfils the promises of all the Prophets and Incarnations
and allows us to glimpse the depth of their experience. By humbly
accepting Shri Mataji as our Guru, She plants and nourishes the
ways of Truth in our heart. Fortunately we are forgiven our short-
comings if we have a genuine desire to purify ourselves.
Introduction 22
Common Themes
Some teachings common to all the Adi Gurus are:-
Detachment from worldly desires - All incarnations stressed
the need for Vairāgya –‘dispassion, aversion to worldly appetites’ but
the Ādi Gurus particularly emphasised the well-being of the soul
over any material concerns.
Questioning accepted norms - The path of the seeker always
runs counter to the flow of society – to swim upstream, seeking the
source where, paradoxically, the drop dissolves into the ocean!
Creating a good society - The Ten Adi Gurus are parrticularly
characterised by their concern with creating enlightened human
societies. Often being law-givers and definers of Maryādas –
‘boundaries’, religions were founded in Their names (Judaism,
Zoroastrianism, Taoism, Confucianism, Islam, Sikhism). Moses,
Confucius, Mohammad and Socrates* can be said to have defined
good behaviour for 80% of the world’s population - almost
everyone except Hindus, Sikhs and Buddhists.
The Golden Rule - ‘Do not do to others what you do not desire
for yourself.’ They stressed the primacy of ‘consideration and
concern for others’, of living in and doing some good for the world.
Equality of all people – The Adi Gurus decried divisions such as
religion and caste and emphasised the equality of men and women.
Humanity – Above all the Adi Gurus all had tremendous humanity,
loving and caring deeply for all people despite our ignorance,
wilfulness and stupidity.
* Socrates’ ideas were promoted by his pupol Plato whose philosophy,
along with that of his pupil Aristotle, formed the basis of much Christian
and western philosophy.
Introduction 23
R AJA J ANAKA
24
R AJA J ANAKA
The Śhrīmad Bhagavatam
recounts that Mahārāja
Nimi performed a great
sacrifice where He left
His body, refusing to take
another human birth. So,
to continue His dynasty,
the sages churned the
body of Nimi and a child
manifested who was
named Janaka –
‘generating’. Since, He
was not born from a
motherly body, He was
called Videha –‘liberated
from the body’.
Nepalese stamp commemorating
All the descendants of
Rājarṣhi –‘king-seer’ Janaka
the Videha dynasty were
named Janaka and, by the grace of Sage Yājñavalkya, they all
achieved enlightenment. Into this dynasty was born Sīra-dhvaja –
‘Plough-bannered’ Janaka, more commonly known as Rājā –‘King’
Janaka, the adoptive father of Śhrī Sītā. He ruled the kingdom of
Mithila, around modern-day Janakpur in Nepal.
In the Bhagavad Gītā, Śhrī Kṛiṣhṇa says: ‘By performing their
prescribed duties, King Janaka and others attained perfection’.
(III.20)
RAJA JANAKA 25
Sītā’s Birth
Rāja Janaka was a great
warrior, a great scholar
and an enlightened soul.
While still child-less He
performed a ritual
ploughing of some land to
ensure the prosperity of
the kingdom. The plough
struck a hard object
King Janaka finding Sītā while ploughing
which, when unearthed,
turned out to be a chest containing a baby girl. Rājā Janaka adopted
the girl and named her Sītā –‘furrow’.
RAJA JANAKA 26
Sage Vishwāmitra had brought Śhrī Rāma and Lakshmana to His
hermitage with the permission of their father, King Dasharatha.
These boys had the ability to destroy a demon with a single arrow,
allowing Vishwāmitra and the other sages to perform their religious
rites peacefully, protected from the demons' interference.
When the invitation to Sītā’s Swayamvara arrived Vishwāmitra took
Rāma and Lakshmana with Him and set off for Mithila.
As soon as King Janaka came to know of Vishwāmitra's arrival, He
hastened to see him, inviting Him with Śhrī Rāma and Lakshmana to
His palace with great respect. King Janaka was curious to know
about the identities of Rāma and Lakshmana and asked:
‘O Lord of the Sages, please do not hide anything from me, tell me
who are these two boys? The Supreme Lord in whose thoughts my
mind is completely engrossed, does the same Lord manifest in
these two children? My mind which has renounced everything and
is not the least disturbed by desires is behaving strangely today. The
effects which the red-legged partridge has on its heart after seeing
the Moon, I am experiencing that after seeing these two children’.
RAJA JANAKA 27
Thoughts of the
Formless Almighty
vanished from
Janaka’s mind and
were replaced by
thoughts of Śhrī
Rāma. It was only
natural because
who would run
after the unseen, if fortunate enough to see the 'real’ Incarnation?
Rājā Janaka's affection for Śhrī Rāma was boundless. After the
marriage, He accompanied Śhrī Rāma and Sītā part of the way back
to Ayodhya. Rāma’s father Daśhratha asked whether He was not
needed in His kingdom but, not willing to let Rāma go out of His
sight, Janaka refused many times to go back. After repeated
insistence of Daśhratha, He got down from the chariot with tears in
His eyes. He came towards Śhrī Rāma and said: ‘O Rāma, I do not
have words for your praise, you are the 'swan' swimming in the
Mansarovar –‘sacred lake’, likened to the minds of the sages and
Lord Mahadeva (Śhiva) for the acquirement of whom, the Yogis
abandon anger, attachment and arrogance and practice yoga’.
When Janaka heard of Rāma's fourteen year exile, He sent His spies
to Ayodhya to discover
Bharat's intentions. But He
was satisfied when He
learnt of Bharat's deep love
for Śhrī Rāma. Later He
went to Chitrakūta to see
Chitrakūta
Śhrī Rāma in exile, but He
RAJA JANAKA 28
found Bharat there also, so He could not say anything to either for
fear that it might hurt the feelings of both.
Rājā Janaka’s mystical love for Śhrī Rāma was beyond any words. He
was the supreme follower of Karma Yoga and one of the twelve
'Bhagwat’ācharyas’ –‘Divine Preceptors’.
RAJA JANAKA 29
King, I am ready to enable you to experience the knowledge of
Ātma as you desire. But this sacred knowledge cannot be taught so
easily. This palace is full of Rajo and Tamo Guna (Right and Left Side
activity). We must leave this place and enter an area of pure Sattva.’
So, they took the road out of the city towards the forest. As was the
custom whenever the emperor left His palace walls, the army
followed; but Janaka had them remain outside the forest.
Ashtavakra and Janaka entered the forest. Ashtavakra told King
Janaka: ‘I am not going to fulfil your wish unless you accept my
conditions. I may be only a boy, but I am in the position of a
preceptor; and you may be an all-powerful emperor, but you are in
the position of a disciple. Are you prepared to accept this
relationship? If you agree then you will have to
offer the traditional Guru-dakshina given by
the Shishya –‘pupil’ to the Guru. Only after
you give your offering will I start my
instruction to you.’
King Janaka told Ashtavakra: ‘The attainment
of God is the most important thing
to me, so I am prepared to give you
anything you want.’ But Ashtavakra
replied: ‘I don't want any material
thing, all I want is your mind. You must
give me your mind.’ The king
answered: ‘Alright, I offer my mind to
you. Up to now I thought that this
was my mind, but from now
onwards it will be yours.’
Ashtavakra told Janaka to
RAJA JANAKA 30
dismount and to sit down in the middle of the road with the horse
standing in front. Ashtavakra walked into the forest and sat quietly
under a tree. The soldiers waited for a long time but neither the
king nor Ashtavakra returned from the forest so they cautiously
proceeded to look for them.
On entering the forest, they found the king seated in the middle of
the road with the horse standing in front of Him. The king sat
perfectly still with eyes closed; Ashtavakra
was not to be seen. The officers were
afraid that Ashtavakra might have
exercised some magic spell over the king
to make Him lose consciousness and they
went to look for the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister came and addressed
Janaka: ‘O King! O King!’ But Janaka did
not open His eyes or move at all. The time
when the King usually took His food
passed and the king still did not stir. Evening came, but the king
continued to sit immobile on the road.
The Prime Minister sent to the city for the Queen thinking He would
surely respond to her, but when she came and addressed the king:
‘Rajah, Rajah!’ there was no response. Meanwhile the soldiers
searched the forest for Ashtavakra. There, under a tree, Ashtavakra
sat, calm and serene. The soldiers brought him to the the king but
he said: ‘Why are you all so worried? The king is safe and everything
is alright.’ But still the King sat with eyes closed, His body
completely still.
Although oblivious to the Prime Minister and the queen, when
Ashtavakra spoke the king immediately opened His eyes and
RAJA JANAKA 31
replied, ‘Swami!’ Ashtavakra asked Him: ‘When the ministers and
the queen and so many others have come, why did you not reply to
their entreaties?’
Janaka answered: ‘Thoughts, words and deeds are associated with
the mind and I offered my mind entirely to you. Therefore before I
can use the mind for anything, I need your permission. What
authority do I have to speak or use this mind in any way without
your permission and command.’ Ashtavakra said: ‘You have
attained the state of God-realisation.’
Ashtavakra told Janaka to put one foot in the stirrup and mount the
horse. By the time He had climbed up and seated himself, He had
the full experience of Ātmā.
Nachiketa
Śhrī Mataji: “Nachiketa came to
Râma's father-in-law, Janaka,
and asked Him if He could get
His Self-realisation. So Raja
Janaka said: ‘I can give you all
my kingdom but not Self-
realisation. Very difficult.’
He put Him to test, many a
times, for years, and then he
was the first who got
Realisation, at the time of Shri
Râma. He made him run up
and down, He hung a sword
on his head, did everything, and then He gave him Realisation.
But at last Nachiketa understood that this man (King Janaka)
has no attachments. He is not worried at all, neither He has
RAJA JANAKA 32
any sticking with worldly things or what we call as world. He is
like an ascetic.” 12-10-83, 26-11-84, 09-06-88.
“I will tell you a story of Raja
Janaka who was a great king in
India. He was called as Videhi
– means an ascetic. And He
was a king and whenever He
went to any Ashram the saints
used to get up and touch His
Feet.
So one disciple of a Guru got
very angry - his name was
Nachiketa - and he said, ‘How
can you all touch His Feet
when He is a king and
enjoying living like a king,
wearing a crown? How can you touch His Feet?’
So the Guru said that: ‘He is the Primordial Master. To Him it
does not matter whether He lives in a palace or on the street.’
So this Nachiketa went to Him to see. And he was very bold
and he told Him that: ‘How can you call yourself a king and
also an ascetic, allow people to call you an ascetic?’
So He told that, ‘All right, tomorrow we will go to the bath
together in a river.’ And He told him now you go into
meditation. I am going into meditation. So the people came
and told that, ‘Your palace is on fire.’ Still He was meditating.
Then they said that, ‘All your things are being burnt. Your
children and families are running away.’ Still He was
meditating. Then they came and shouted, ‘Now the fire is
coming here and all your clothes will be burnt.’
RAJA JANAKA 33
So Nachiketa ran out of the water to catch hold of his clothes
and to look after it. But He was still meditating. After
sometime He came out and Nachiketa said, ‘Aren’t you
worried about your palace being burnt, everything being
burnt?’ So He said that, ‘When you live in the realm of Divine
Power, the Brahma, that looks after you.’” 10-09-83, Rome
RAJA JANAKA 34
One night, Rājā Janaka had a dream where He lost His kingdom and
became a beggar. He was going round the streets of the city
begging for alms. The pangs of hunger made Him cry. Some kind-
hearted person gave Him some food, but, to His great sadness, even
that morsel slipped from His hand. The horror-stricken king woke
from His dream and found himself in the royal palace. He asked
himself, ‘Which is real - the dream world or the conscious world?‘
The queen who was observing Him was also perplexed. They
decided to consult the great sage Vasishtha. The sage said: ‘O king,
both are real in one sense or unreal from another point of view. You
became a beggar in the dream world and you are the king in the
conscious world. ’You’ exist in both the worlds. While they are both
unreal, ‘You’ alone are real. You are the absolute reality of the
dreaming state as well as of the conscious state’.
RAJA JANAKA 35
tell me now, I am quite
fed up with carrying this
bowl and following you
everywhere.`
Râjâ Janaka said; `First
of all tell me what you
have seen?’
Nârada; `Nothing
except this bowl of milk;
so that it won’t spill.`
Râjâ Janaka; ‘Didn’t you
see, there was a big
procession in my
honour, then there was
a court wherein there The cover of an Indian comic
was a program of depicting Nārada following Rājā
dancing? Didn’t you see Janaka with a bowl of milk
anything?’ (unaware of the dancing girls).
Nârada said; ‘No sir, I have not seen anything.’
Râjâ Janaka; `My child, likewise with Me, I also see nothing.
All the time, I just watch my attention. Where is it going?
Making sure that it won’t spill away like the milk’. ‘This sort of
attention one has to develop: Chitta Nirodh –‘restrained
attention’.” 03-04-81, UK
“No saints were ascetics, they all had wives, they all had
children. But all their attention was at the Lotus Feet of the
Mother. As Guru Nanaka has said, that a little boy is playing
with his kite, the kite is going all over and he's talking to his
friends, joking, but see the attention is on the kite. My
attention is always on your Kundalini.” 23-09-90, Switzerland
RAJA JANAKA 36
Ashtavakra Gita
“Raja Janaka had a guru called Ashtavakra and if you read His
Gita, you'll find how clearly he's described about Sahaja Yoga.”
16-10-93, New York
This Advaita –‘non-duality’ classic is a dialogue between King Janaka
and Sage Aṣhṭavakra (literally meaning ‘eight crookednesses’ due to
the eight physical deformities he was born with). Aṣhṭavakra was a
young boy of only ten years when he defeated Rājā Janaka’s
courtier Vandin in philosophical debate.
Janaka: How is knowledge to be acquired? How is liberation to be
attained? And how is dispassion to be reached? Tell me this, sir.
Ashtavakra: If you are seeking liberation, my son, shun the objects
of the senses like poison. Practice tolerance, sincerity,
compassion, contentment and truthfulness like nectar. You are
neither earth, water, fire, air or even ether. For liberation know
yourself as consisting of consciousness, the witness of these. If
only you will remain resting in consciousness, seeing yourself as
distinct from the body, then even now you will become happy,
peaceful and free from bonds.
You do not belong to the Brahmin or any other caste, you are not
at any stage, nor are you anything that the eye can see. You are
unattached and formless, the witness of everything - so be happy.
Righteousness and unrighteousness, pleasure and pain are purely
of the mind and are no concern of yours. You are neither the doer
nor the reaper of the consequences, so you are always free. You
are the one witness of everything and are always totally free. The
cause of your bondage is that you see the witness as something
other than this. Since you have been bitten by the black snake of
RAJA JANAKA 37
the self-opinion that 'I am the doer', drink the nectar of faith in
the fact that 'I am not the doer' and be happy. Burn down the
forest of ignorance with the fire of the understanding that 'I am
the One Pure Awareness' and be happy and free from distress.
That in which all this appears, imagined like the snake in a rope,
that joy, supreme joy and awareness is what you are, so be happy.
If one thinks of oneself as free, one is free and if one thinks of
oneself as bound, one is bound. Here this saying is true, ‘Thinking
makes it so.’ Your real nature is as the one perfect, free and
action-less Consciousness, the All-pervading Witness -
unattached to anything, desireless and at peace.’
Aṣhṭavakra Gītā, Ch.1 v.4-14
Further Reading
The Bṛihadaranyaka Upanṣhad, one of the earliest and longest of
the Upaniṣhads, is recited mainly by Sage Yajñavalkya, Rājā Janaka’s
preceptor, and includes their conversations on various spiritual
topics. It is its last chapter of the Śhatapatha Brahmana, the
foremost commentary on the Śhukla –‘white’ Yajur Veda.
Aṣhṭavakra Gītā. There are several English translations available on
the internet.
Rāmāyāna. There are
many stories about Rājā
Janaka in the Rāmāyana
including how He found
Śhrī Sītā while
ploughing.
RAJA JANAKA 38
A BRAHAM
39
A BRAHAM
It is not stated how, or when, Abraham came to believe in the One
God, but His experience marked the beginning of the Jewish nation
who today speak with great fondness of 'Our Father Abraham'
(Avraham Avinu).
Abraham’s firm belief in the One
Almighty God founded the great
seminal religion of Judaism
from which emerged Islam
and Christianity, together
followed by more than half of
the world’s population. He is considered
the perfect model of faith in God by Christians, Muslims and Jews.
In prayer Abraham encountered the One God who created and
controlled the whole of Creation and its history. This One Supreme
Lord was willing to enter into a covenant with Abraham and His
descendants. Following God’s commandment Abraham left the city
of Ur near Babylon and travelled a thousand miles to the town of
Hebron where God revealed to Him that His descendants would be
protected and would in time become a great nation.
Abraham is the first of the Jewish Patriarchs –‘Father-Rulers’,
followed by His son Isaac, Isaac's son Jacob and later Moses. The life
of Abraham is told in the first book of the Bible, Genesis Ch.12-25,
including the story of how God tested Abraham by asking Him to
sacrifice His son Isaac.
The painting by Rembrandt on the previous page shows Abraham
being reprieved from sacrificing His son Isaac by an angel.
ABRAHAM 40
The One God
Abram, or Abraham as God later named Him, was brought up in the
prosperous city of Ur on the banks of the Euphrates around 2000 -
1800 BCE.
He grew up with His father Terah, who was ninth in line from Noah,
and His brothers Nahor and Haran. He and His brothers loved
watching people coming and going through the city gates. People
worshipped and made sacrifices to a multitude of gods who were
believed to control nature. The main god worshipped was the
Moon, many temples to whom have been unearthed in that area.
Abram one day asked His father who was the creator of the world.
Terah had a shop selling idols and, pulling one off the shelf, told the
boy that the idol had created the world. Abram found this hard to
believe so He went and asked His uncle who told Him that the
ABRAHAM 41
Moon and stars had created the world. Unconvinced, Abram
imagined an almighty and formless power in the heavens who
created the world.
One day God spoke to Abram: ‘Now the Lord said unto Abram,
‘Get thee out of thy country and from thy kindred. and from thy
father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee; and I will make
of thee a great nation and I will bless thee and make thy name
great; and thou shalt be a blessing: and I will bless them that bless
thee and curse Him that curseth thee: and in thee shall all families
of the earth be blessed’. Genesis 12
ABRAHAM 42
In Egypt
Before entering Egypt, Abram asked Sarai to say that they were
sister and brother, because Sarai was so beautiful that He feared
the Egyptians would kill Him and take her. They lived happily until
the Pharaoh was struck with Sarai’s beauty and abducted her to be
part of His household. However God sent a plague on Pharaoh’s
house and He realised that Abram and Sarai were not brother and
sister, but husband and wife; being told in a vision that Abram was
a great prophet and not to be harmed. He called Abram and gave
Him a hundred shekels of silver as compensation and made Him
free to settle wherever He liked. After some years Abram, Lot and
their families left Egypt and returned to Canaan taking with them
the great wealth they had accrued.
The land of Canaan was not rich enough to support the large herds
of both Abraham and Lot, so they agreed to separate and Lot
headed south towards Sodom (see map p.54), one of the two cities
with which the Lord was very angry due to their ungodly behaviour.
ABRAHAM 43
Ishmael and Isaac
Although God had promised the land of Canaan to Abraham’s
progeny who would become a ‘Great Nation’, He and Sarah had no
children. They had longed for a child for many years but it seemed
that she was unable to conceive. Sarah told Abraham to go and lay
with their servant girl, Hagar, who bore a child whom they named
Ishmael. Hagar had promised to give up the child so that Abraham
and Sarah could raise him as their own son; but she was so attached
to the baby that she ran away with it. However after a few days she
returned realising that she had to keep her promise. Abraham
finally had a child at the age of eighty-six.
When Abraham was ninety-nine, three men appeared at the door of
His tent. He offered them water to wash their feet and invited them
to stay for food. They were in fact three archangels, Michael,
Gabriel and Raphael.
Michael told Abraham that, when He returned at the same time
next year, Abraham and Sarah would have a son. Sarah overheard
ABRAHAM 44
their conversation and laughed at the idea of her having a child at
such an old age. However by the time the angel returned, Sarah had
borne a child. They named him Isaac, which means laughter, as
Sarah had laughed when the angel had foretold the birth.
After the birth of Isaac, Sarah asked Abraham to banish Hagar and
Ishmael, which upset Him greatly. But God told Him to do as she
asked as Ishmael would engender a great nation.
ABRAHAM 45
He collected the wood and built a stone altar for the sacrifice. He
placed His son on the altar and Isaac, not understanding what was
going on, asked His father where the sheep was. Abraham told Isaac
that God would provide the lamb. As Abraham was about to take
the knife to Isaac’s throat, an angel appeared and told Him to stop;
explaining that it was a test of His trust in God.
ABRAHAM 46
Jacob’. Jehovah's promises to Him and to His seed have sustained
the Jewish people ever since.
His trust in God was shown by His leaving Ur and journeying with
His family to the unknown country of Canaan; but the greatest
demonstration was His willingness to sacrifice His only son Isaac in
obedience to a command from God. Abraham’s descendents
include Moses, David, Solomon, Jesus Christ, and all the other great
Jewish people who have helped to create our modern civilisation*.
ABRAHAM 47
Ancestor of Jews and Arabs
Abraham’s son, Isaac was also a great devotee of the Lord. When
old and blind He was tricked by His younger son Jacob into
promising him the birth-right, normally given to the older son Esau
was very hairy. On the advice of His mother Rebekah, Jacob covered
His arm with a goat-skin to fool the old man. Jacob is famous for
dreaming of a stairway up to Heaven (Jacob’s Ladder) where angels
passed up and down carrying out the Lord’s orders.
God gave Jacob the name Israel meaning ‘persevering in God’; His
twelve sons became the Twelve Tribes, the Children of Israel. He
gave His favourite youngest son Joseph a ‘Coat of Many Colours’
which made His brothers jealous; so they sold Him to a passing
Egyptian caravan, and told his father he had been killed by a lion.
In Egypt Joseph became a favourite of the Pharaoh after
interpreting His recurring dream and saving the country from a
terrible famine. When the famine hit neighbouring countries, Jacob
and Joseph’s eleven brothers came and settled in Egypt, where they
multiplied quickly. A later Pharaoh, probably Seth 1, fearing the
strength of the Israelites, enslaved them, setting the stage for
Moses to lead them out of bondage.
The Ka’aba at Mecca, the cube-shaped building enclosing the Black
Rock, the holiest shrine of Islam, was built by Abraham and His
eldest son Ishmael from whom the Arabs trace their ancestry. So
the tribes of both Israel and Arabia are descended from the
brothers Isaac and Ishmael and share their ancestry with Abraham.
Hence the Prophet Mohammad was a direct descendent of Ibrahim,
as He is known in Arabic; as was Jesus, who was born of the line of
David and Solomon.
ABRAHAM 48
Z ARATHUSTRA
49
Z ARATHUSTRA
Zarathustra Spitama, or Zoroaster* as He
is also called, was born in present-day
Iran probably around 1500 BCE
although suggested dates (depending
on whether you are a traditionalist
devotee or a learned scholar) vary
from 6000 to 500 BCE. He was one of
the first prophets outside India to
preach a monotheistic religion;
revealing that there was only one God,
Ahura Mazda –‘existence, consciousness’
and that life in the physical world is a battle
between good and evil.
A soul must strive to align thoughts, words and deeds with Aśha –‘
truth, righteousness, Divinity, existence,’ and resist the tendency to
Dhruj –‘deceit, falsehood, delusion’. According to a man's deeds, He
will either cross the Chinvato Peretu -‘sword bridge’ after death and
reach Heaven, or fall from it and go to the abode of the Evil One. In
the final days there will be a battle where evil will be vanquished
and the world will be purified. Ahura Mazda will judge the world,
resurrecting the dead and His Kingdom will be established on Earth.
‘Your good thoughts, good words and good deeds alone will be
your intercessors. Nothing more will be wanted. They alone will
serve you as a safe pilot to the Harbour of Heaven, as a safe guide
to the Gates of Paradise.” Zarathustra, Gathas
ZARATHUSTRA 50
The teachings of Zarathustra are collected in the Avesta, including
the Gāthas –‘songs’ and the Yasna Haptanghaiti written by
Zarathustra and some other works of law and cosmogony*. The
ancient Avestan dialect is close to Vedic Sanskrit and the Gāthas
(Sanskrit –‘gātā-‘song’) may be as old as later parts of the Vedas
(c.1800 BCE).
“The Parsee (Zoroastrian) Avesta Scriptures and the Sanskrit
Shlokas of the Hindus are all Divine words which carry Divine
Vibrations.” Creation. Ch.10.
* These are the remains of what was a huge literature which was largely
destroyed by Alexander the Great’s invasion of Persia in 334 BCE.
ZARATHUSTRA 51
Golden Star or Possessing Yellow Camels’. Arasti also had a son
Maedhyoimaha –‘Mid Moon’.
Zarathustra grew up intelligent and energetic. He was very
observant and could see the deeper meanings and causes beneath
the surface of things. He began training as a priest at the age of
seven until He was fifteen. Being naturally curious, He had many
questions for the priests and teachers but was rarely satisfied with
the answers He received.
A legend recounts that when He was nine, due to His deep and
unsatisfied curiosity about spiritual matters, a meeting was
arranged with the head priests to discuss His questions. They spent
a number of hours in debate but neither side managed to convince
or satisfy the other.
Other legends tell of how Zarathustra had to face all sorts of black
magic and powerful demons and managed to escape them.
Youth
Zarathustra spent much
of His youth in the
pastures surrounding the
town, contemplating
nature. During these
meditations many of the
questions that the priests
could not answer would
unravel themselves and
their answers would be
Western Iran
revealed to Him.
ZARATHUSTRA 52
Legend has it that when Zarathustra was fifteen, His four brothers
approached Him to divide their father’s wealth. Zarathustra only
took one item, a lamp, symbolizing the spiritual life and left His
father’s entire wealth to His brothers. At the age of twenty, He left
home for ten years, travelling in search of the Truth. He spent years
in the wilderness seeking God before His first Divine revelation.
Illumination
Early one morning, in His thirtieth
year, He went to fetch water
from the river. It was dawn; the
sky had coloured and the sun was
about to rise. As He went into the
river, Vohu Mana –‘good mind’
appeared to Him as a huge angel
and opened the portal to the
Divine Light of Ahura Mazda.
In His vision, He saw Ahura Mazda
as the Wise Lord of Creation. The
six emanations of Ahura Mazda,
the Amesha Spentas –‘Bounteous
Immortals’, are the creators and
guardians of this physical world.
He perceived the laws upon which the universe operated and
understood the relationship between Ahura Mazda, the Amesha
Spentas and the Creation. Vohu Manah and the other Amesha
Spentas instructed Zarathustra in the ways of Heaven and He
received perfect knowledge of past, present and future.
ZARATHUSTRA 53
Propagation
After His illumination, Zarathustra wanted to share His acquired
wisdom with the world, but where to start? He invited His family
and relatives and explained His new understanding to them.
When He finished, His cousin Maedyoimaha decided to join Him,
becoming His first follower; and His wife Hvovi also embraced His
teachings. His children, three boys and three girls, one by one,
accepted His philosophy as their way of life. However, according to
other records, it took ten years before His cousin accepted
Zarathustra’s teachings and become His first convert.
‘Doing good to others is not a duty; it is a joy, for it increases your
own health and happiness.’ Zarathustra
Challenges
However when He
tried to share His
teachings with the
people of the city,
Zarathustra met with
deep-rooted resistance
from the priests,
whose life and
livelihood were based
on the old religions.
Zarathustra tried many different techniques and every time He met
with renewed opposition and greater resistance. In fact, over the
next twelve years, He managed to win over only twenty-two people
to His philosophy, including His wife, six children and His cousin.
ZARATHUSTRA 54
In view of such vehement opposition from the rulers and priests of
His own land, He decided to travel to other countries. So the group
of twenty-three set off on their migration.
Everywhere they met with the same opposition, due to the self-
interest of the rulers and priests and because of the superstitious
ignorance of the people and their unwillingness to change.
Then they heard of a wise and just king in nearby Bactria, King
Vishtaspa, who might be open to new teachings.
ZARATHUSTRA 55
Zarathustra spoke eloquently and responded convincingly to all
challenges and questions. The King saw the wisdom of this man and
His teachings and embraced the religion. The King also encouraged
His subjects to listen carefully and consider the Zoroastrian religion.
This was a major breakthrough for Zarathustra.
Not everyone was happy with this turn of events and the priests
plotted against Zarathustra, planting objects of black magic in His
quarters. In front of the King they accused Him of evil acts, and His
room was searched. The artefacts were discovered and Zarathustra
was imprisoned and denied food or drink.
However the King’s favourite horse went down with a deforming
disease and none of the physicians in the kingdom could offer a
cure. On hearing of this in His prison cell Zarathustra asked the King
for a chance to save His beloved steed.
Reluctantly the King agreed and Zarathustra prayed to God for help.
The horse recovered and the King realized He had misjudged
Zarathustra and embraced His teaching. The King discovered who
was behind the plot to discredit Zarathustra and punished the
priests.
The King’s embracing Zarathustra’s teaching was a turning point in
the fortunes of the Zoroastrian religion. Zarathustra went about
freely propagating His teachings in that country and soon His
message crossed the borders to neighbouring states. If
Zarathustra’s illumination was the moment of conception, this was
the birth of the Zoroastrian religion as we know it today.
Two of King Vishtaspa’s courtiers also took to the new teaching, the
brothers Frashaoshtra and Jamaspa, of the Hvogva family. They are
mentioned in the Gathas and continued to be among Zarathustra’s
ZARATHUSTRA 56
disciples until the end. Jamaspa married one of Zarathustra’s
daughters and became His successor.
In the Shahnameh –‘Book of
Kings’, an epic Iranian poem
written around 1000 CE, it is
mentioned that, while visiting
the state of Kashmar,
Zarathustra planted a Sarv –
‘cypress’ tree. This tree, which
became famous as Sarv-e-
Kashmar, survived for more
than two thousand years until
it was cut down by order of
Caliph al-Mutawaqqil in 861
CE. However the Cypress of
Abarkooh, also called the
Zoroastrian Sarv, is still Cypress of Abarkooh, reputed
preserved today. to have been planted by
Zarathustra. Scientists estimate
Character it is over 3500 years old.
While there are few details of the events of Zarathustra’s life, there
is evidence of His character from His short Divine Songs, the Gathas.
It is clear that Zarathustra was a natural man; and an exceptionally
wise and righteous person. He was an Ashu – one who has reached
the apex of Self-realisation, perfection and thenceforth immortality.
He was loving and kind, yet resolute on adhering to truth and
justice. He was wise and discerning, possessed an observant and
incisive mind. He had a clear vision and understanding of the
ZARATHUSTRA 57
physical laws and moral principles of the world and always adhered
to righteousness. In short, He was the epitome of spiritual strength.
What little biographical
material there is in the Gathas
indicates that Zarathustra was
cast out of His original home
state and wandered with His
followers and their animals.
‘To what land should I turn?
Where should I turn to go?
They hold me back from folk
and friends. Neither the
community I follow pleases
me, nor do the wrongful rulers
of the land... I know that I am
powerless. I have a few cattle
and also a few men.’
The last Gatha is composed for the marriage of Zarathustra's
daughter Pouruchista –‘Full of Wisdom’ to Jamaspa, who became
Zarathustra’s successor. Zarathustra’s six children, three boys and
three girls, may be symbolic since the number and gender equals
that of the six Amesha Spentas –‘Divine Powers’.
It was probably at court that Zarathustra composed the Gathas as
the names of the King and courtiers appear as if they were there
listening to the poems being recited. The prophet may have spent
three decades there, before His death at the age of seventy-seven.
In the later Avesta, Zarathustra is credited with having direct
dialogue with Ahura Mazda. Born into a family of priests, He had a
ZARATHUSTRA 58
natural flair for ritual and law-giving and much ritual doctrine is
attributed to him, whether He was the originator or not.
In later Zoroastrian
traditions, some of
which were not
recorded until after the
Arab conquest, His life
abounds with miracles
and Divine
interventions.
‘His mother glowed
with the divine glory
usually reserved for
kings; the soul of the
prophet was placed by
God in the sacred
Haoma plant (which He
condemned in the
Gathas – this may be the
Soma of the Vedas) and
the prophet was
conceived through the
essence of Haoma in
milk (though not of a virgin birth, but the offspring of two special, but
earthly, parents). The child laughed at His birth instead of crying and
He glowed so brightly that the villagers around Him were frightened
and tried to destroy Him. All attempts to destroy young Zarathustra
failed; fire would not burn Him nor would animals crush Him in
stampedes; He was cared for by a mother wolf in the wilderness.’
ZARATHUSTRA 59
Links with the Western World
Since ancient Greek
times the name of
Zoroaster has stood
for mysterious and
magical Eastern
wisdom. Many
esoteric texts were
written in His name
Zoroaster from Raphael’s
and Zoroaster was ‘The School of Athens’
thought of as one of
the greatest magi, or mystics. When translations of the Avesta
appeared in Europe in the 18th century, His name again became
famous; this time not for magic, but for the humanistic,
monotheistic, moral philosophy propounded in the Gathas.
Enlightenment philosophers such as Kant and Diderot take Him as a
model; Voltaire wrote a play ‘Zoroastre.’ Here was a philosopher
from ‘pagan’ antiquity who was monotheistic and moral without
any help from the Christian Church. The French composer Rameau
wrote an opera ‘Zoroastre’ and the free-thinking Mozart used the
name in ‘The Magic Flute;’ for His character Sarastro - the priest of
the Sun and Light who defeats the Queen of the Night.
The German philosopher Friedrich Nietzsche expounded His
philosophy of the Uber-mensch –‘higher man’ in His book ‘Thus
Spake Zarathustra’, although there is no identifiable Zoroastrian
teaching in the book. The German composer Richard Strauss’ tone
poem of the same name was inspired by Nietzsche’s work.
ZARATHUSTRA 60
The Life of the Spirit
Ahura Mazda, the Fravashi –‘Personal
Spirit, guardian angel’ and the Yazatas –
‘Angels, Deities’ (including the Amesha
Spenta) create and pervade the
material manifestation but remain
ineffable. The Urvan –‘soul’ is sent into
the world by the Fravashi - the
immortal Divine Principle residing in
the heart of man - to fight the battle
between good and evil and is judged
after death. The idea of reincarnation
does not figure except for a final
Judgement Day, as in Islam.
‘One need not scale the heights of the heavens, nor travel along
the highways of the world to find Ahura Mazda. With purity of
mind and holiness of heart one can find Him in one’s own heart.’
Gathas
The Amesha Spenta are the six first emanations of Ahura Mazda –
Mainya –‘creative spirit’, Vohu Manah –‘good mind’, Asha –‘truth,
righteousness’, Kshatra –‘dominion’, Armaiti –‘devotion’, Haurvatāt –
‘wholeness, health’ and Ameretāt –‘immortality’, who create this
world and rule its elements. They each have an evil opposite, the
most powerful of which is Angra Mainya, also called Ahriman, the
original prototype of the Devil. Through good thoughts, words and
deeds, by mantras and rituals, the soul strives to imbibe the
qualities of each of the Amesha Spenta and overcome their
antithesis.
ZARATHUSTRA 61
‘With an open mind, seek and listen to all the highest ideals.
Consider the most enlightened thoughts. Then choose your path,
person by person, each for oneself.’
‘Always meet petulance with gentleness and perverseness with
kindness. A gentle hand can lead even en elephant by a hair.
Reply to thine enemy with gentleness.’ Zarathustra, Gathas
ZARATHUSTRA 62
Mantras as Divine Energy
‘All flows out from the Deity and all must be absorbed in Him again.’
Through prayers the soul becomes the receptacle of a higher
spiritual consciousness, the Divine Light. Zarathustra composed the
Manthra Spenta –‘Holy Spells’ as a means of communing with Ahura
Mazda, who is Raevat-Khvarnvat -‘The Source of Endless Light’.
Mantras are rooted in Staot Yazna –‘Worship of Sacred Sounds’
where the Primordial Sound created by the First Ray of Light which
burst forth at the beginning of Creation is diffused throughout
Nature. Being at the very root of Nature, Staot –‘Primordial Sound’
brings into existence the space-time continuum.
‘Things divine are not attainable by mortals
who indulge in sensuality.’ Zarathustra
Fire
Being spiritual as well as physical, fire is
regarded as a Divinity, equated with Ahura
Mazda's own Inner Light and Life Energy. There
are parallels with the Vedic and Judaic forms of worship which also
utilise mantras and sacred fire.
Fire transmutes the physical into the spiritual. As energy it is the
source of all Creation. No Zarathusti ritual is complete without the
presence of fire. In the Gathas, Zarathustra Himself expressly seeks
a vision and a communion with Ahura Mazda through fire, which is
worshipped as the ‘Holiest Spirit’.
In Zarthushti homes and temples, the Divo – ‘Hearth Fire’ is kept
perpetually burning. It is the physical manifestation of the Divine
Light permeating time and space. Ahura Mazda, being Spirit, resides
ZARATHUSTRA 63
in the spiritual world while He
sends His Son, Fire, to adorn the
Earth and impel the Creation
towards Frasho-Kereti –‘Final
Renovation’.
‘Happiness comes to them who
bring happiness to others.’
Revelations
Zarathustra was given the Agusto-
Vacho – ‘Revelations unheard
before’ and was sent by Ahura
Mazda to reaffirm the ancient faith. He was the first prophet, to be
followed by three Saviours. When the final Saviour comes, the
world will be purged by fire and evil will be overcome in a final
great battle.
‘Be good, be kind, be humane and charitable. Love your fellows,
console the afflicted, pardon those who have done you wrong.’
Zarathustra
Passing
Legends of Zarathustra’s death include stories where Zarathustra
ascended to the skies, much like the Ascension of Jesus.
Vishtaspa, Zarathustra and their follwers fought a war against the
Homa-worshipping Turan tribe and drove their King, Aryasp, back
into the mountains. Eighteen years later Aryasp invaded Iran again,
burning and looting. It is said that Zarathustra was killed in Balkh in
present-day Afghanistan by a Turan soldier while He was praying.
ZARATHUSTRA 64
Another account is that in His seventy seventh year, Zarathustra,
one night, after His evening prayers, bid His family members
farewell and retired to bed. He passed away quietly in His sleep. In
the morning, when they noticed that He had not awakened, His
family members went to His bed-side to find His body lying
peacefully.
His son-in-law, Jamaspa, became Zoroaster's successor.
Zoroastrianism
Zarathustra's
religion, known
as Mazda-yasna –
‘worship of God’,
remained prominent in Iran until
the Arab conquest of 651 CE, which The Fravahar –
converted the Persians to Islam. To preserve the winged disc
their ancient faith, a band of Zarathushti sailed representing the
Fravashi –
across the Arabian Sea and settled in Gujarat in ‘Individual Spirit’
India, where they are known as Parsees (Persians is the symbol of
– speakers of the Farsi language). Zoroastrianism.
The figure
“I wish all of you a very happy New Year supported by
today because it is Navroz* and Navroz is the winged disc
the day when Zartosht [Zoroaster] started His may be the
emperor Darius,
work on this Earth. He was a great Sahaja Cyrus the Great
Yogi. He was an incarnation of Dattâtreya or Zoroaster
Himself.” 21-03-77, Mumbai Himself.
* Navroz –‘new day’, the Zoroastrian New Year, is still celebrated in Iran
on the spring equinox. It may have been started by Zarathustra Himself.
ZARATHUSTRA 65
However, due to the customs of marrying within the religion and
not converting others, their numbers are dwindling and recent
estimates of practicing Zoroastrians are about 120,000 world-wide,
half of whom are in India. They are successful at business due to
their public-spirited benevolence and strict moral code which
includes business practice. Many of the great manufacturing houses
of India are Parsee owned (Tata, Godrej, etc.).
Many Jewish, Christian and Islamic concepts are derived from
Zoroastrianism, such as Mashya and Mashyana, the first man and
woman, like Adam and Eve, the concepts of
Heaven and Hell, the One God
and the Evil Adversary
Ahriman, the coming of the
Saviour Saoshyant who will
be born of a virgin, the end-
of-time purge of the world
by Fire followed by the
Resurrection of the Dead;
the making afresh of the
world and the great battle
where good finally
vanquishes evil and the
Kingdom of God is established
on Earth. These beliefs
filtered down to Judaism
Gayomard, the man-headed winged during the reign of King
bull, was God’s sixth creation.
He was destroyed by the evil
Khushru (Cyrus) of Iran.
Ahriman but His seed lived on and
gave rise to the animal kingdom.
ZARATHUSTRA 66
Zoroastrians believe that all races in the world are
created by God and are equal - a typically noble and
tolerant Aryan trait. The Persian Emperor Cyrus
rebuilt the temple of the Jews after freeing them
from Babylon. For this, He is remembered with a
Jewish festival and called the ‘Anointed of the
Lord’ in the Bible. Many Jews stayed
in Iran under Cyrus and His successors
such as Darius, as equal subjects. 3rd c. Syrian portrait
Books of the Bible written after this of Zarathustra
time incorporate these Zoroastrian concepts, which thence came to
Christianity and Islam. Some scholars consider Zoroastrianism to be
the mother of all the present world religions outside India.
“Zoroaster was born five times in His country, Persia. But the
people who followed Mohammad Sahib never realised the
oneness of His preaching and that of Zoroaster, and they made
all the Persians run away to all the other countries and so many
of them came to India.” Creation. Ch.8
ZARATHUSTRA 67
second and third Zoroaster, Mârkandeya, Gagan Gadh Mahârâj
and the nine Nâths. They had the True Knowledge of the
Kundalini.” 29-12-80, India
ZARATHUSTRA 68
M OSES
69
M OSES
Moses, known in Hebrew as
Moshe, was a prophet, law-giver
and leader who, in the 13th
century BCE, delivered the Hebrew
people from Egyptian slavery.
In the Covenant Ceremony at Mt.
Sinai, where the Ten
Commandments were given, He
founded the religious community
known as Israel. As the
Michelangelo’s Moses
interpreter of the Covenant, He
“(The horns) means the open
organized the community's Sahasrara. A Guru always
religious and civil traditions. He is uses these horns to hit his
revered as the greatest of disciples to clear out their
left and right side. They have
prophets and teachers in Judaism two horns and they go on
which is called the Mosaic faith. pushing into your Void.”
His influence continues to be felt 10-02-82, India
MOSES 70
true and powerful in His religious convictions as to thrill and subdue
the minds of an entire race for millennia after His death.
Historical View
Few historical figures have engendered such disparate
interpretations as Moses. Early Jewish and Christian traditions
considered Him the author of the first five books of the Bible,
known as the Torah –‘Law, Teaching’, or Pentateuch -‘Five Books’,
which are: Genesis, Exodus, Leviticus, Numbers and Deuteronomy.
Genesis recounts the Creation up to the Children of Israel settling in
Egypt; including Adam and Eve, Noah’s Ark, the Tower of Babel and
the stories of Abraham, Isaac, Jacob and Joseph. The next four
books document the life of Moses and the law handed down to Him
by God.
The Bible is the only source of information on Moses’ life and
character, there being no other historical evidence.
MOSES 71
Archaeological evidence dates the cities of Pithom and Rameses,
built by the enslaved Hebrews near Goshen (see map on next page) at
around 1300 BCE. Excavations of towns the Hebrews destroyed in
Moab during their wanderings are dated around 1250 BCE.
Early Life
In a parallel to the
birth stories of
Lord Jesus and
Shri Krishna, there
was a decree by
Pharaoh that all
male Hebrew
babies were to be
Pharaoh’s daughter finding Moses
put to death, in an
attempt to restrict the phenomenal population growth of the
Hebrews. So Moses’ parents, Amram and Jochebed (whose other
children were Aaron and Miriam) hid Him for three months and then
set Him afloat on the Nile in a reed basket daubed with pitch.
The child was found by Pharaoh's daughter who adopted him and
reared him in the Egyptian court. The name Moses is Egyptian
meaning ‘son’ (Rameses = Ra-mose –‘son of Ra the Sun God’).
Moses' years growing up in the court are passed over in silence, but
as a prince He would have been educated in religious, civil and
military matters. The Bible says that Moses was about forty when
He visited His people presumably after discovering His Hebrew
origins. There He saw the oppression under which they laboured.
Incensed at the sight of an Egyptian taskmaster beating a Hebrew,
He killed the man and buried the body in the sand.
MOSES 72
Moses went back the next day and this time He found two Hebrews
fighting. After parting them, He attempted to mediate the
disagreement; however their response shocked him: ‘Who made
you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you
killed the Egyptian?’ His crime was no secret and soon Pharaoh
knew and sought to arrest Moses. He quickly left Egypt crossing the
Sinai wilderness to Midian in northwest Arabia.
Moses in Midian
Although no details of the flight to Midian are given in the Bible, it
would involve crossing the inhospitable Sinai Peninsula.
Like Sinuhe, an
Egyptian court
official whose
earlier flight in
1960 BCE is
recorded, Moses
would have had
to filter through
the ‘Wall of the
Ruler,’ a series of
forts on the
eastern border,
roughly where
the Suez Canal is
today; and then travel southeast through very desolate country.
While Moses was resting at a well in Midian, seven daughters of the
priest Jethro came to water their father's flocks but were
MOSES 73
obstructed by other shepherds. Moses drove off the shepherds and
helped the girls refresh the sheep and goats. When their father
learned of the incident He insisted that His daughters invite the
Egyptian to stay. Moses settled down with Jethro who gave Him
one of the daughters Zipporah as a wife and they had two sons.
Moses spent forty years tending Jethro's flocks.
One day while roaming the wilderness for pasture He came to the
base of the sacred mountain Horeb (Mt Sinai). His attention was
attracted by a flaming bush, which burned but, strangely, was not
consumed. He approached to investigate it but before He could do
so, a voice warned Him to come no closer:
‘Draw not nigh hither: put off thy shoes from off thy feet; for the
place whereon thou standest is holy ground.’
Then God spoke again, ‘I am the God of thy father, the God of
Abraham, the God of Isaac, and the God of Jacob.’ And Moses hid
His face; for He was afraid to look upon God. And the Lord said:
‘I have surely seen the affliction of my people which are in Egypt,
and have heard their cry by reason of their taskmasters; for I
know their sorrows; and I am come down to deliver them out of
the hand of the Egyptians, and to bring them up out of that land
unto a good land and a large, unto a land flowing with milk and
honey; unto the place of the Canaanites. Come now therefore,
and I will send thee unto Pharaoh, that thou mayest bring forth
my people the Children of Israel out of Egypt.’ Exodus 3
Moses did not feel equal to the task that God asked of him,
especially as He was ‘slow of speech’ – He may have had a speech
impediment – but God assured Him that His brother Aaron would
MOSES 74
accompany Him and speak for Him. God reassured Moses that in
the future He and the Hebrews would worship at this mountain.
Then Moses asked why the Hebrews would believe that God had
sent Him and what name1 of God He should tell them.
‘And God said unto Moses, ‘I am that I am’: and He said, ‘Thus
shalt thou say unto the Children of Israel, ‘I am’ hath sent me
unto you.’
Even after further assurances, Moses was still reluctant to accept
Yahweh's call. Awed by His assignment, Moses made a final
desperate plea, ‘Oh, my Lord, send, I pray, some other person’;
but God was angry at Moses: Moses would be God's representative,
but His brother Aaron would be the spokesman. God assured Moses
that those Egyptians who had sought to kill Him were 2now all dead.
Moses returned to Jethro and took leave to visit His people in Egypt,
taking His wife and sons. His brother Aaron was also instructed by
God to go into the desert and meet Moses on His way back.
1
In the Old Testament God has two main names: Yahweh (or YHWH, also
written Jehovah) and Elohim (similar to Allah). Both names appear in
the earlier parts of the Bible. God was also known as El'Elyon –‘The Most
High’ or El Shaddai –‘God of the Mountain’, but He identified himself to
Moses as Yahweh and gave instructions to be called by this name from
then on. From the verb root ‘to be,’ Yahweh means ‘He who causes
things to be, the Creator’.
2
Moses lived for a hundred and twenty years, spending the first forty in
Egypt, the next forty in Midian and the last forty wandering in the desert
with the Israelites. The Bible states that He was four-score years (eighty)
when He confronted Pharaoh.
MOSES 75
Moses and Pharaoh
Ramses II became Pharaoh as a teenager and reigned for sixty-
seven years. He aspired to defeat the Hittites and control all of
Assyria, but in the fifth year of His reign He walked into a Hittite
trap at Kadesh in Syria. He managed to fight His way out, but the
incident dampened His ardour for conquest.
Like all pharaohs, Ramses claimed to be divine; so the defeat was
interpreted as a marvellous victory in which He subdued the
Hittites. He undertook a massive program of building throughout
Egypt and the boasts of His success filled acres of wall space.
It was some years after
the Kadesh incident that
Moses and Aaron
confronted Ramses,
saying ‘Thus says the
Lord God of Israel, ‘Let
my people go.' As a god
in human form Ramses
was not accustomed to
taking orders. ’Who is this Lord?’ He inquired, ‘that I should heed
His voice and let Israel go? I do not know the Lord and moreover
I will not let Israel go.’ Thus the stage was set for an epic
confrontation between a megalomaniac ruler and a prophet on a
mission from God.
The Plagues
God instructed Moses to ask Pharaoh to allow His people to travel
three days into the desert to sacrifice to their God. He assured
MOSES 76
Moses that Pharaoh would never agree, and that He would send
plagues upon the Egyptians, but they would still not agree, until He
sent one final disaster upon them.
Moses and Aaron went together to Pharaoh and delivered their
message. Pharaoh’s response was that if the people had time to go
into the desert for three days, they were obviously idle and He
increased their work-load. The over-seers were told not to give the
Hebrews straw to make their quota of
bricks, so that they had to forage
for straw as well and still
produce the same number
of bricks. The people
complained to Moses that
He had made matters
worse.
Following God’s
instructions Moses and
Aaron continued to
demand that the people to
be allowed to go into the
desert and sacrifice to their
God. God hardened
Pharaoh’s heart (which was
“Look how He put the
probably not too difficult in such a
hand on the Void, how
the right Nabhi, the proud man!) and He refused. Aaron
right knee, was not threw His rod on the ground where it
covered to show the became a snake: but the Egyptian
place of the Void and sorcerer-priests did the same with their
the Nabhi.”
24-11-81, Rome staffs. Even though Aaron’s snake ate
MOSES 77
up their rods, Pharaoh was not impressed and still refused.
Aaron stretched His rod over the river Nile and it turned to blood,
along with all the streams and wells. The people could find no fresh
water to drink. But still Pharaoh did not agree.
Again God spoke to Moses, Aaron stretched out His rod and a
plague of frogs* infested the land. Pharaoh finally relented but as
soon as the frogs had gone, His heart was hardened and He refused
to let the Israelites go.
Again and again Moses and Aaron predicted these abominations
and again and again Pharaoh relented only to change His mind
when the scourge was lifted. The dust of the land turned to lice*,
then swarms of flies covered everything, the horses and cattle died,
though not one of the Israelites’; then there was a mighty hail, the
like of which had never been seen before with fire running along
the ground, which killed any man or beast outside and destroyed
trees and crops; locusts consumed any vegetation still standing.
Pharaoh kept relenting while the disasters lasted, but ‘hardened His
heart’ when Moses had spoken to God and they ended.
Finally Moses predicted that in the night the first-born child of every
Egyptian family and of every beast would die. The Hebrews were
instructed to daub their door-posts and lintels with lamb’s blood, so
that the Angel of Death would pass over their houses. This became
the Feast of the Passover.
* These plagues and disasters could be caused by natural agents and have
been linked to a volcanic eruption on Santorini in the Mediterranean in
1500 BCE which destroyed the Minoan civilisation on Crete and left
archaeological traces in Egypt. This makes them no less Divine in nature
– how else would we expect God to perform His miracles?
MOSES 78
A mighty wailing went up from the Egyptians in the night and in the
morning Pharaoh called Moses and told Him and his people to leave
immediately. On God’s instructions they borrowed gold ornaments
and fine raiment from their Egyptian neighbours who now viewed
the Hebrews with great admiration and saw Moses as a god. The
people left in a hurry and their bread did not have time to rise, so
only unleavened bread is consumed at the time of Passover.
MOSES 79
“This Chakra is a flexible one. Swâdhishthân, which is actually
the Star of David. This crossing of the Void represents the
crossing of Moses, the sea that He crossed. All that is
represented here. Because the Sea of Illusion you cross is the
work of Moses Himself.“ 18-10-81, U.S.A.
Safely on the other side, Moses and His sister Miriam led the people
in a victory song of praise to Yahweh. The style of the poetry is
consistent with 14th century BCE Canaanite literature:
‘I will sing unto the Lord, for He hath triumphed gloriously: the
horse and His rider hath He thrown into the sea. The Lord is my
strength and song, and He is become my salvation: He is my God,
and I will prepare a habitation for Him, my father’s God, and I
will exalt Him.’ Exodus. 15:1–21
* Although the Bible describes the Hebrews as crossing the Sea with the
water as a wall on the left and right, there is an explanation which does
not involve massive walls of water (as in Cecil B DeMille’s magnificent
film ‘The Ten Commandments’): The left-hand branch of the Red Sea,
the Gulf of Suez, deteriorated into treacherous swamps and mangroves
where the Suez Canal is today, known as the Reed Sea. Crossing these
swamps with a large body of people would be impossible. However
following the explanation of a volcanic eruption; then before a tsunami
comes to land, the sea retreats quite dramatically, allowing the
Israelites to cross, but as the Egyptians follow, the tsunami hits and they
are annihilated.
MOSES 80
except on the Sabbath as God sent double the day before. The
Manna was small fragrant morsels, like coriander seed, and the
Israelites lived on it for their forty years of wandering in the desert.
The people still complained about the lack of water and food. After
a month Moses brought the people to ‘the Mountain of God,’
Mount Sinai, also called Horeb, where God had spoken to Moses
from the burning bush. Here He struck the rock with the rod He had
used to part the Red Sea and water flowed forth.
“All these great incarnations had a special power over water,
because in the stomach we have our Void and Nâbhî Chakra
which is made of ocean. Ocean represents the incarnations of
Âdi Guru Dattâtreya. These had great powers over oceans and
over water, like Moses. He crossed the ocean by creating a
road, which shows that the Void can be crossed with the help
of the Rûh –‘Holy Spirit’. And even Mohammed Sâhib had a
tremendous power over the ocean; Nânaka once put his hand
on a rock and water started coming out.” 23-11-80, London
MOSES 81
The Ten Commandments:
1. I am the Lord thy God, which have brought thee out of the land
of Egypt, out of the house of bondage. Thou shalt have no other
gods before Me.
2. Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any
likeness of any thing that is in Heaven above, or that is in the
Earth beneath, or that is in the water under the Earth: thou shalt
not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the Lord thy
God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon
the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that
hate me; and showing mercy unto thousands of them that love
me, and keep my commandments.
3. Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain: for the
Lord will not hold Him guiltless that taketh His name in vain.
4. Remember the Sabbath day, to keep it holy. Six days shalt thou
labour, and do all thy work: but the seventh day is the Sabbath of
the Lord thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy
son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor
thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates: for in six
days the Lord made Heaven and Earth, the sea, and all that in
them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the Lord blessed
the Sabbath day, and hallowed it.
5. Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long
upon the land which the Lord thy God giveth thee.
6. Thou shalt not kill.
7. Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8. Thou shalt not steal.
MOSES 82
9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
10. Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour’s house, thou shalt not
covet thy neighbour’s wife, nor His manservant, nor His
maidservant, nor His ox, nor His ass, nor any thing that is thy
neighbour’s.
MOSES 83
with nakedness, lasciviousness and abandon. When Moses came
down from the mountain He was enraged at the sight and threw
the stone tablets down, breaking them. The Levites, the priests of
the people, had not indulged in these debaucheries and on Moses’
instructions they went through the camp killing the worst offenders
– more than three thousand were put to death.
Moses went back up the mountain for another forty days and
nights. He pleaded with God not to destroy the Israelites and even
offered himeself as a sacrifice in their place. God relented and gave
Moses many laws and stipulations for the people to follow, as well
as a new set of tablets containing the Ten Commandments. There is
a theory that the original Ten Commandments were more subtle
than the final version created for the erring Israelites. On His return
Moses explained the Covenant between God and the Israelites. The
people agreed to follow all the the laws and conditions which God
had given to Moses, which are recorded in Exodus and Leviticus.
Moses concern for the Hebrews was unwavering, in spite of their
stubborn, complaining and rebellious ways. God said that He would
not travel with them through the desert as they were a ‘stiff-necked
people’.
The ‘Tent of the Congregation’, where Moses spoke with God, was
set apart from the camp. It housed the Tabernacle, a jewelled box
containing the Ark of the Covenant, and anyone wishing to know
the word of God could come there to ask. A pillar of smoke stood at
the doorway of the tent in the day and a pillar of fire by night. The
people would not break camp and move on until the pillar of smoke
lifted.
MOSES 84
From Sinai to the Promised Land
After leaving Mt. Sinai, the Israelites wandered in the desert for
forty years. This was necessary to cleanse the sin of worshipping the
Golden Calf and perhaps to toughen up the people who would have
to fight their way into the Promised Land.
Moses faced daily frustration and resistance. He encountered
opposition from even His closest family, Miriam and Aaron, for
marrying an Ethiopian woman rather than a Hebrew. At Kadesh-
barnea the pessimistic report of the spies who had reconnoitred the
land thwarted Moses’ desire to march north and conquer Canaan.
When He urged the people to reconsider they almost stoned Him.
But again, Moses interceded for the people with Yahweh, who
threatened to destroy them and raise up another and greater
nation.
In Transjordan the states of Edom and Moab, vassals of the
Midianites, rejected Moses' request for passage and He wisely
circled east of them and moved north to conquer Sihon, king of the
Amorites and Og, king of Bashan. Moses permitted some of the
tribes to settle in Transjordan, which evoked opposition from the
Moabites and their Midianite overlords who hired the Syrian diviner
Balaam to put a curse on the Hebrews, but instead He pronounced
a blessing. Moses responded to the enmity of the Midianites with a
successful campaign against them which opened the way to the
Promised Land.
Shortly before His death, as the Children of Israel were about to
enter the Promised Land, Moses gave three sermons recorded in
the Book of Deuteronomy. Renewing the Covenant between God
and the Israelites He reminded the people of the hardships they
MOSES 85
had faced and the promises they made to God. He talks of a future
Prophet, like to Himself, whom the people are to receive and then
bursts forth into a sublime song of praise to Yahweh and adds
prophetic blessings for each of the twelve tribes.
‘He is the Rock, His work is perfect: for all His ways are judgment:
a God of Truth and without iniquity, just and right is He.’ Deut.32
From the camp in the Jordan Valley, Moses climbed Mount Nebo,
on ‘the top of Pisgah’ and views the Promised Land which He is
cursed never to enter*; He then dies at the age of one hundred and
twenty. He is buried ‘in the valley of Moab over against Phogor’, but
‘no man knows His sepulchre’ which is ‘opposite Beth-peor’.
This is believed by Muslims to be 20km east of Jerusalem.
MOSES 86
much Yahweh had forgiven Him. He was truly humble because He
recognized that His gifts and strength came from God.
He fulfilled many roles for the people. As Yahweh's agent in the
deliverance of the Hebrews, Moses was their prophet and leader.
As instrument of the Ten Commandments and mediator of the
Covenant, He was the founder of the religous community. As
interpreter of the Covenant and the Law, He was an organizer and
legislator. As intercessor for the people, He was their priest. He
began the process of codifying and interpreting the Law*.
Moses was succeeded as leader by Joshua and in religious matters
by the priest Eleazar, the son of Aaron. Later prophets such as Elijah
and Jeremiah also spoke with God and delivered His Message as
Moses had, but they were not called on to fulfill so many roles. He
is indeed the greatest of the prophets, and a mere handful of
mankind’s great personalities of any era equal Him in influence.
He is the ideal embodiment of ‘God’s Chosen People’ outshining
other prophets, so that thirty-two centuries after His death, only
Lord Jesus Christ, the greatest culmination of the Jewish race,
whom Moses foretold, eclipses Him.
‘Since then, no prophet has risen in Israel like Moses, whom the
Lord knew face to face. . . . For no one has ever shown the mighty
power or performed the awesome deeds that Moses did in the
sight of all Israel’ Deuteronomy 34:10-12
MOSES 87
Jewish Beliefs
Judaism, known in Hebrew as Yahadut (from Yehudah –‘Judah’, the
name of the ancient kingdom and one of the twelve tribes), believes in
the perfection of the soul, which means overcoming all base desires
and obstacles to facing God. At core this involves reincarnation, but
not all Jewish people hold this belief.
Jews pray three times a day, or more, as they have prayers for all
events such as saying ‘grace’ before meals. According to the Ten
Commandments they have to observe the Shabbat –‘Sabbath’ which
runs from sunset (6pm) on Friday until three stars appear on
Saturday evening. Candles are lit a few minutes before sunset and
prayers offered. During this twenty-four hours no work or journeys
are undertaken and family meals accompanied with singing and
prayers are an important part of Shabbat.
Other Interpretations
There are other groups of people who consider themselves to be
the descendents of the Israelites, from as far afield as England to
Ethiopia, from South India to Japan! Many of these groups claim to
be the ‘Lost Tribes of Israel’, who were dispersed by later Assyrian
invasions involving the capture and deportation of many Jews.
There is a tradition in Kashmir that they are descended from Moses
and some of the Kashmiri people have a distinctly Semitic look. If
one came out of Egypt and wandered east for forty years, this is
where you would arrive.
MOSES 88
‘I was fortunate enough to meet the great Santoor player Bhajan
Sapoori and His family from Kashmir after they gave a concert for
Śhrī Mataji at Her house in
Noida in 2010. I asked them
whether they knew of the
idea of Kashmiris being
descended from Moses and
they assured me that it was
a well-known part of their Bhajan and Abhay
culture.’ Ed. Sapoori from Kashmir
MOSES 89
L AO T SE
90
L AO T SE
Lao Tse* is considered the founder of the Chinese
philosophy of Taoism. He was roughly
contemporary with Buddha and Confucius
(possibly born in 604 BCE), and lived to be
about eighty. Very little is known about Him
- not even His real name, for Lao Tse, like
‘Sāī Bābā’, means; ‘Old Master’,
‘Respected Ancient One’,
and is a title of endearment
and respect.
Life
About His life we have only a mosaic of legends, some of which are
fantastic: that He was conceived by a shooting star, carried in His
mother's womb for eighty-two years and born already a wise old
man with white hair. Other legends are more credible: that He kept
the government archives in His native state, living a simple and
unassuming life. It is said His name was Li Dan from Quren Village in
the southern state of Zhou and he was the State Archivist.
His personality is deduced from the single slim volume attributed to
Him. Some conclude that He was a solitary recluse absorbed in
meditation; others picture Him as a down-to-earth genial neighbour
with a lively sense of humour.
* Also written Lao Tzu, Lao-zi. Lao –‘old, ancient’, tse, tzu, zi –‘master,
respected one’
LAO TSE 91
Appearance
The only contemporary description is by
China's first historian Sima Qian, who
speaks of the enigmatic impression Lao Tse
gave - the depths of understanding
defying comprehension. According to
this account Confucius, intrigued by
what He had heard, visited Lao Tse
and Sima Qian’s description suggests
that the unusual man impressed Him deeply but left Him baffled.
’I know a bird can fly; I know a fish can swim; I know animals can
run. Creatures that run can be caught in nets; those that swim can
be caught in wicker traps; those that fly can be hit by arrows. But
the dragon is beyond my knowledge; it ascends into Heaven on
the clouds and the wind. Today I have seen Lao Tse and He is like
the dragon!’
He concludes by saying that Lao Tse, saddened by His people's
disinclination to cultivate natural goodness and seeking solitude for
His closing years, climbed on a water buffalo and rode westward
toward what is now Tibet.
At the Hankao Pass a gatekeeper, sensing the unusual character of
the traveller, tried to persuade Him to turn back. Failing this, He
asked if the ‘Old Boy’ would at least leave a record of His wisdom to
the civilization He was abandoning. This Lao Tse consented to do.
He retired for three days and returned with a slim volume of five
thousand characters titled Tao Te Ching, or The Way of Virtue. One
of humanity's greatest books, it can be read in half an hour or for a
lifetime and remains to this day the essential text of Taoist thought.
LAO TSE 92
Lao Tse didn't preach, organize or promote. He wrote a few pages
on request and rode off on a buffalo into the sunset. How unlike the
Buddha, who wandered the dusty roads of India for forty-five years
to enlighten the people; or Confucius, who cultivated dukes and
princes, trying to gain a foothold (or at least a hearing) for His ideas.
And yet, whether the story of Lao Tse’s life is fact or fiction, it is so
true to Taoists principles that it will remain a part of Taoism forever.
“Confucius has taught the humanity how we can improve our
relations with other human beings. But Lao-Tse in China has
very beautifully described Tao, meaning the Kundalini. And I
have had a voyage through the Yangtze River through which
Lao-Tse had gone many times. I know he was trying to show
that this river, which is the Kundalini, is flowing towards the
sea and one should not be tempted by the nature that is
around.
The nature around the Yangtze River is very, very beautiful, no
doubt, but one has to go through the river. Also there are lots
of currents, which flow and can be quite dangerous and we
need a good navigator who should take his ship across to the
point where it is nearer the sea. At that stage it becomes very
silent and extremely simple in its flow.
China has been endowed with great philosophers; I would say
the greatest was Lao-Tse, because humanism was for the
preparation of human beings for their ascent about which Lao-
Tse had spoken.... The greatest thing is that you become a
universal being; like a drop becomes the ocean. Lao Tze has
described this.” 13-09-95, International Women’s Conference, China
LAO TSE 93
Tao Te Ching - The Way and its Power
Tao is ‘way’ and Te is ‘virtue, inner
power’, so ‘Tao-Te’ can mean ‘the way
of virtue, morality, ethics’; Ching
means a ‘great book, classic’.
Translating Tao Te Ching (pronounced
‘Dao De Jīng’) as ‘The Book of Ethics’
would be misleading as in English
‘ethics’ implies intellectual principles;
but Lao Tse emphasises going beyond
mental concepts to spontaneous
actions in tune with the All-pervading
Consciousness.
The verses of the Tao Te Ching are arranged by topic which may not
be the order in which Lao Tse wrote them.
The first two lines: ‘ Tao is Tao is not Tao. Name is Name is not
Name.’ Is particularly cryptic and open to many interpretations.
LAO TSE 94
primal Tao confronts Him with life's essential
mystery, the mystery of all mysteries.
‘How clear it is! How quiet it is! It must be
something eternally existing! Of all great
things, surely Tao is the greatest.’
But its ineffability cannot be denied, so
we are taunted, time and again, by
Taoism's epigram:
‘Those who know don't speak. Those
who speak don't know.’
Though transcendent, Tao is also immanent. In this sense it is the
Way of the Universe, the rhythm, the driving power in all nature,
the ordering principle behind all life. Behind, but also in the midst of
all life, for in this second mode Tao ‘assumes flesh’ and informs all
things. It ‘adapts its vivid essence, clarifies its manifold fullness,
subdues its resplendent lustre and assumes the likeness of dust.’
Being Spirit rather than Matter, it cannot be exhausted; the more it
is drawn upon, the more it flows, for it is ‘that fountain ever on’.
When autumn comes ‘no leaf is spared because of its beauty, No
flower because of its fragrance.’ Yet, ultimately, it is benign.
Graceful rather than abrupt, more flowing than hesitant, it is
infinitely generous. Giving life to all things, it may be called ‘the
Mother of the World’.
LAO TSE 95
Tao is also the Way of the Wise Man, the path of harmony and
surrender. Like the reed which bends in the wind, the Wise Man
does not resist the forces of life but, by being adaptable and
flexible, gains from them.
‘The Tao that can be spoken is not the eternal Tao;
The Name that can be named is not the eternal Name
The Nameless is the Origin of Heaven and Earth;
The Named is the Mother of ten thousand things.
Free of desire, one observes its wonders;
Full of desire, one sees the manifestations.
These two have the same source but differ in name;
The unity is said to be the mystery, mystery of mysteries,
the door to all wonders.’ First verse, Tao Te Ching
LAO TSE 96
Te
We could equate Tao with Spirit and Te with
the Kundalini, but there are limitations to this
interpretation. ‘Virtue’ is often used to
translate Te - virtue in the sense of inherent
quality or natural power. It is the
‘Mysterious Female’, the ‘Valley Spirit’ in
which one abides as a natural state. One
must know how to act but not to seek action.
‘Bearing without possession, achieving without arrogance,
uplifting without domination, this is called the mystic virtue.’
‘Know the masculine, but hold to the feminine,
Be the watercourse of the world. Being the watercourse of the
world, the eternal virtue does not depart,
Return to the state of the infant,
Know the white (Yang), but hold to the black (Yin),
Be the standard of the world. Being the standard of the world, the
eternal virtue does not deviate,
Return to the state of the boundless,
Know honour, but hold to humility,
Be the valley of the world. Being the valley of the world, the
eternal virtue shall be sufficient,
Return to the state of uncarved wood,
Plain wood splits, then becomes tools,
The sages utilize them, and then become leaders,
Thus the greater whole is undivided,’
LAO TSE 97
Meditation
Taoist meditation involves shutting out distractions and emptying
the mind to the point where the power of the Tao bypasses mental
filters and enter the Self directly.
To arrive at this inwardness. self-seeking is reversed and perfect
cleanliness of thought and body cultivated. Pure spirit can be
known only in a life that is ‘garnished and swept.’ Only where all is
clean will it reveal itself; therefore ‘put self aside.’ Perturbing
emotions must likewise be quelled. Ruffling the surface of the mind,
they prevent introspection from seeing past
them to the springs of consciousness
beneath. Desire and revulsion, grief and
joy, delight and annoyance - each must
subside if the mind is to return to its
original purity, for in the end only peace
and stillness is the Natural State. Let
anxiety be dispelled and harmony
between the mind and its cosmic
source will come unsought.
It is close at hand, stands indeed at our very side; and yet is
intangible, a thing that, by reaching for it, cannot be grasped. It
goes, yet has not departed. It comes, yet is not here. It makes no
note that can be heard, yet of a sudden it is there in mind. It is dim
and dark, with no outward form, yet it flows as a great stream.
Selflessness, inner cleanliness and emotional calm are the
preliminaries to arriving at full self-knowledge, climaxed by deep
meditation. ’Bide in silence and the radiance of the spirit shall
come in and make its home.’
LAO TSE 98
Outward impressions are stilled and the senses withdrawn to an
interior point of focus. ’Muddy water allowed to stand,’ says the
Tao Te Ching, ’will clear.’
Postures paralleling Yoga Āsanas were recommended and breath-
control; it must be as soft and light as that of an infant, or even an
embryo in the womb. The result will be a state of alertness known
as ‘sitting with a blank mind’, ‘returning to the state of the uncarved
block’ or the ‘unwritten paper’.
Realisation
It is said that only He who ‘carries water and chops wood’ can attain
realisation, implying a natural person living a natural life. The direct
perception of the source of one's awareness as ‘serene and
immovable, like a monarch on a throne,’ brings joy unlike any
other. Once connected to the whole the Wise Man ‘could shift
Heaven and Earth.’ A ruler who is desireless automatically liberates
His subjects from their unruly desires; ruling without even being
known to rule.
‘The sage relies on action-less activity; puts himself in the
background; but is always to the fore. Remains outside; but is
always there. Is it just because he does not strive for any personal
end, that all his personal ends are fulfilled?‘
LAO TSE 99
’The way to do is to be.’ Tao is a gracefulness and vitality that flows
in and flows out until all is a dance without striving or imbalance.
Far from inaction, it is the embodiment of simplicity and freedom -
with nothing wasted on outward show.
‘The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things
without effort. It is content with the low places people disdain.
Thus it is like the Tao.’
Have you the patience to wait: ‘Till your
mud settles and the water is
clear? Can you remain
unmoving till the right
action arises by itself?’
‘Nothing in the world is
as soft and yielding as
water. Yet for dissolving
the hard and inflexible,
nothing can surpass it.’
‘The soft overcomes the
hard; the gentle
overcomes the rigid.
Everyone knows this is true,
but few can put it into practice.’
One who embodies these virtues of water, says the Tao Te Ching,
‘works without working, acts without strain, persuades without
argument, is eloquent without flourish and achieves results
without violence, coercion, or pressure’. The less the agent is
noticed, the more decisive their influence.
Taoist Values
Like water, the self needs no assertion. The world is full of people
determined to stand out, to be somebody, to get ahead.
‘He who stands on tiptoe doesn't stand firm. He who rushes ahead
doesn't go far. He who tries to shine dims his own light.‘
‘Those who would take over the earth and shape it to their will
never, I notice, succeed. The earth is like a vessel so sacred that at
the mere approach of the profane it is marred; and when they
reach out their fingers it is gone.’
Taoism seeks at-one-ment with nature, not dominance, which
deeply influenced Chinese art.
‘Let the people return to the use of knotted cords, their food
sweet, their clothing beautiful, their homes comfortable, their
rustic tasks pleasurable.’
Travel is pointless and conducive to idle curiosity. ’The
neighbouring state might be so near that one could hear the cocks
Zen Buddhism
Zen Buddhism is a combination of the subtle understanding of
Taoism with the equally subtle truths of Buddhism which came to
China within a few hundred years. The legend of Bodhidharma (5th
Century CE) bringing Buddhism to China (and establishing the Shaolin
Monastery and Kung Fu martial arts) may have some truth in it, but
there are records of Han Dynasty rulers embracing Buddhism
before the time of Christ.
Known in China as Chan Buddhism, this blend of Mahayana
Buddhism and Taoism spread to Vietnam, Korea and Japan where
Zen developed. One of the main practices is Za-zen –‘just sitting’,
stilling the mind and emotions until a thoughtless state is achieved
and one enters into communion with the Ultimate Reality.
Further Reading
Tao Te Ching: (1) Gia-fu Feng and Jane English (1972) – the classic
edition with some beautiful photographs. (2) Stephen Addiss and
Stanley Lombardo (1993) – shorter and more direct translations. (3)
Derek Lin (1994) – clear with some useful commentary. There are
many other English translations.
Zen Flesh, Zen Bones, by Paul Reps (1935) Penguin. A small
collection of Zen and other eastern texts recommenmded by Shri
Mataji. The last section is a Hindu treatise where Lord Śhiva
explains to Śhrī Pārvatī twenty-four ways to remain thoughtless.
Chuang Tse: Huangbo (Huang Po): Other Zen Masters: Various
English translations are available in print or on the internet.
CONFUCIUS 110
Early Life
Confucius was born in 551
BCE* in the state of Lu in
north-eastern China into the
ancient royal family of
Shang. His father took a
young wife at an advanced
age as He had only
daughters, and Confucius
was the result of this union.
He lost His father at the age
of three and grew up poor
under His mother's care. As a
boy He liked to set up
sacrificial vessels and to
imitate the gestures of ritual.
He grew to be a large man of great physical strength.
He was given the name Kong Chiu (family name first) and His
students called Him Kong Fu-tse or Kong-tse –‘Master Kong’.
When Master Kong was born, we are told, mysterious music was
heard with no apparent source and a voice from the sky announced
the event. Two dragons patrolled the sky to ward off evil influences,
while five old men, representing the spirits of the five planets, came
down from Heaven.
CONFUCIUS 111
By the age of fifteen young Kong had dedicated himself to learning
and becoming a ‘Universal Man.’ At nineteen He entered the
service of the powerful Li family as superintendent of parks and
herds.
He married soon after and had a son and two daughters. At thirty-
two He was teaching the ancient ritual to a minister's sons. At
thirty-three He went to Lo-yang, the imperial capital, to study the
customs and traditions of the Zhou Empire, which had split into
numerous warring states* and whose capital remained solely a
religious centre. On this occasion He is said to have visited Lao-tse.
Later Life
By the age of fifty He had risen in the government to the post of
minister of crime and justice in the state of Lu which was nominally
ruled by the Duke of Lu.
However the three main families under the Duke of Lu - the Ming,
Shi and Li families - were vying with each other for power and had
fortified their cities. Conficius wished to restore the rule of the Duke
and encouraged the three families to tear down their fortifications
and live peacefully together. In spite of promises made, only the
Ming family razed the walls of their city.
* This was around the beginning of the ‘Warring States’ period of Chinese
history (479–221 BCE) and the end of the ‘Spring and Autumn’ period
(771-480 BCE) whose name comes from the ‘Spring and Autumn Annals’
– a history of the period compiled by Confucius Himself (551-479 BCE).
After Mencius (c.300 BCE) Confucius’ ideas became more widely
accepted and from 220 BCE there followed two millennia of relatively
peaceful and unified development of Chinese culture.
CONFUCIUS 112
As a result of Confucius’ efforts the Duke of Lu was becoming
increasingly powerful; this worried the neigbouring states who sent
a hundred fine horses and eighty dancing girls as a present to him.
To His dismay the Duke became obsessed with riding and
womanising and neglected his duties to the state, so Confucius
decided to leave. He had also made powerful enemies especially Li
Huan, head of the Li family.
Not wishing to embarrass the Duke by openly resigning He waited
until a minor mistake was made – He was not allocated His share of
ritual food – and then left the state.
He wandered for twelve years,
from His fifty-sixth to His sixty-
eighth year. He went from
state to state in the hope of
finding a noble ruler with
whom He could put His
political doctrine into practice,
but found none who lived up
to His ideal of a Superior Man.
In all the years He never lost
confidence in His calling as
political mentor and orderer of
the Empire, though
occasionally He cried out: ‘Let
me go home, let me go home.’
When He finally returned to His native state, He lamented in a
poem that after all His wanderings in nine provinces there was still
no goal in sight: men are without insight, quickly the years pass.
CONFUCIUS 113
He spent His last years as a teacher, instilling in His students the
virtues required for being a good administrator and had seventy-
seven main disciples and three thousand pupils altogether, many of
whom got good posts in government as they were known to be
honourable, benevolent and trustworthy.
A profound change is said to have taken place within Him at the
end. A hermit had once said of him: ‘Is that not the man who knows
that striving is without hope
and yet goes on?’ All
through the years this had
been Confucius' greatness.
But now He was old and
strove no more.
‘Old age, believe me, is a
good and pleasant thing. It
is true you are gently
shouldered off the stage,
but then you are given such
a comfortable front stall as
a spectator.’
One morning Confucius felt
the approach of death. He
walked about the courtyard,
humming the words: ‘The
great mountain must
collapse, the mighty beam
must break and the wise
man wither like a plant.’
CONFUCIUS 114
Confucius the Traditionalist?
Confucius claimed that He had invented nothing new and was
merely a transmitter of ancient wisdom. However His teaching was
radical in many ways and harked back to an ideal that had probably
never existed. The main reasons He is thought to be a traditionalist
are:-
CONFUCIUS 115
Mencius (Meng-zi) – Meng-zi (c.300 BCE)was a fourth generation
follower who expounded and developed Confucius’ ideas. Known in
China as the ‘Second Sage’ (after Confucius) his book is a record of
conversations he had with and the counsel he gave to the rulers of
many states which he visited.
The Great Learning and The Doctrine of the Mean – these two
books are chapters of the Li-jing –‘Classic of Rituals’ (see below)
which were elaborated and expanded by Zhu Xi (c.1170 CE).
Confucius restored and edited the works of the Chinese ancients,
particularly the Five Classics listed below. Some nineteen works in
all are credited to Him as author or editor.
The Five Classics are:-
I Ching (Yi Jing) –‘Book of Changes’. Also used as a manual of
divination, this book of wisdom had existed for at least a thousand
years before Confucius put it into its present form. Much of
Confucius’ teachings and concepts can be traced to this book,
considered the greatest embodiment of ancient Chinese wisdom.
Shu-jing – ‘Book of History, Classic of Documents’. This contains
accounts of four previous eras of China’s past from shadowy
mythology up to the Zhou dynasty (c.700 BCE).
Shi-jing – ‘Book of Poetry’ (Classic of Odes)
Xiao-jing – ‘Book of Filial Piety’
Li-jing –‘Book of Rites’
The main qualification for those seeking Chinese government posts
for two thousand years, until the beginning of the twentieth
century, was to be proficient in the Four Books and Five Classics.
CONFUCIUS 116
Jun-zi – ‘The Superior Man’
The idea of the ‘Superior Man’, ‘Gentleman’ or ‘Noble Person’ (the
word Jun-zi has no gender) is a common theme in Chinese philosophy
and is used by Lao-zi, Chuang-zi, etc.. He is one who possesses the
five main virtues but primarily Ren –‘humanity’ – that which
separates man from the animals.
Confucius ‘had no opinions, no bias, no obstinacy; the superior
man is not absolutely for or against anything in the world. He
supports only what is right, he is not partisan but for all. He
preserves his openness. When he does not understand something,
he is reticent. He is firm in character, but not obstinate, congenial
without stooping to vulgarity, self-confident but not self-
righteous.’
‘To have the truth is the path of Heaven, to seek the truth is the
path of men. He who has the truth finds the right action without
pains, achieves success without reflection. But he who seeks the
truth chooses the good and holds it fast.’
’Perhaps others can do it the first time; I must do it ten times;
perhaps others can do it the tenth time; I must do it a thousand
times. But he who really has the perseverance to go this way - be
he foolish, he will become clear headed; be he weak, he will
become strong.’
’The superior man's path is like a long journey; you must begin
from right here. The superior man's path begins with the
concerns of the common man and woman, but it reaches into the
distance, penetrating Heaven and Earth.’
CONFUCIUS 117
‘Wisdom, compassion and courage are the three universally
recognized moral qualities of men.’
‘No one can be regarded as a superior man who does not know the
calling of Heaven; no one can be regarded as mature who does not
know the laws of conduct, no one can know men who does not
understand their words. Morality is the love of mankind; wisdom is
the knowledge of men. But in all this we have lost sight of the One’.
‘The way to become a superior man is to set one’s affections on
what is right, to love learning, which is the source of knowledge
and virtue, with which nothing else can be compared. When
righteousness is pursued with sincerity and a mind free from self-
deception, the heart becomes rectified.’
CONFUCIUS 118
Ren – ‘Humanity, Benevolence’
‘A man must become a man. For man is not like the animals
which are as they are, whose instincts govern their existence
without conscious thought; he is a task to himself. Men actively
shape their life together and, transcending all instinct, build it on
their human obligation’.
‘Humanity underlies every particular good. Only he who is in Ren
can truly love and hate. Ren is all embracing, not a virtue among
others, but the soul of all virtues. It is described through its
particular manifestations: piety, wisdom and learning,
righteousness. The ethical man puts the difficulty first and the
reward last.’
‘Without feelings of respect, what is there to distinguish men
from beasts?’
When asked for a definition of Ren, Confucius was evasive and gave
different examples at different times; saying a person with good
Ren would speak carefully and modestly (12.3); be resolute and firm
(12.20), courageous (14.4), free from worry, unhappiness, and
insecurity (9.28; 6.21); moderate their desires and return to
propriety (12.1); be respectful, tolerant, diligent, trustworthy and
kind (17.6); and love others (12.22).
He believed that devotion to one’s parents and older siblings was
the basis of developing Ren.
CONFUCIUS 119
Yi – ‘Righteousness, Morality’
Confucius laments: ‘That good predispositions are not cultivated,
that what men have learned is not effectual, that men know their
duty and are not drawn to it, that men have faults and are unable
to correct them: these are things that grieve me.’
’I have seen none who loved moral worth as he loves women's
beauty.’
Yet Confucius is far from regarding the world as evil; only the times
have degenerated, as had often happened before.
‘He knows that the truth will not shine throughout the day.’
Li – ‘Ritual Propriety’
‘A man is awakened by the Book of Odes, strengthened and
perfected by music. Mere form, like mere knowledge, has no
value without the originality that fulfils it, without the humanity
that is enacted in it. A man who does not love his fellow man -
what will avail him?’
‘He who overcomes his self and takes upon himself the
restrictions of the Li - the laws of custom - he becomes a man.
Although righteousness is essential, in practicing it the superior
man is guided by the Li. There must be a balance between the Li
and the content of a man's original nature. He in whom the
content predominates is uncouth; he in whom the form
predominates is a scribe. In the practice of the forms, the essential
is freedom and lightness, but the freedom must be regulated by
the rhythm of set rules.’
CONFUCIUS 120
’A nation can be guided only by custom, not by knowledge.’
Confucius believed that strict adherence to Li helped to develop the
self-discipline necessary for Ren.
CONFUCIUS 121
‘The perfecting of one’s self is the fundamental base of all progress
and all moral development.’
‘To see what is right, and not to do it, is want of courage or of
principle.’
‘If I am walking with two other men, each of them will serve as
my teacher. I will pick out the good points of the one and imitate
them, and the bad points of the other and correct them in myself.’
‘Fine words and an insinuating appearance are seldom associated
with true virtue.’
‘Our greatest glory is not in never falling, but in rising every time
we fall.’
‘Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance.’
CONFUCIUS 122
The Middle Path
‘Because the innermost is revealed and
everything is decided here at the source,
the greatest attention must be devoted to
measure and mean.’
‘Nothing is more obvious than what is
secret, nothing more evident than what is
most hidden; therefore the superior man is
attentive to what he is for himself alone.’
‘To be magnanimous and mild in teaching
and not to punish those who behave badly:
that is the strength of the south. To sleep
and die in the stable without having to:
that is the strength of the north. But the
superior man stands in the middle and
bends to neither side.’
Human salvation lies in: ‘The knowledge that influences reality;
that is, in the truth of ideas that are translated into an inner
transforming action. What is true within takes form without.’
‘Things have roots and ramifications. If the root is good, if it is
knowledge, reality, then the ideas become true, consciousness
becomes right, the man is cultivated and further, the house will
be well regulated, the state in order, the world at peace. From the
Son of Heaven to the common man, education is the root. He who
cannot teach the members of the household cannot teach others.’
CONFUCIUS 123
The Golden Rule
‘Do to no one what you would not wish others to do to you. In
acting on this rule be bound by a sense of equality. Do not display
to your inferiors what you hate in your superiors. Do not offer
your neighbours on the left what you hate in your neighbours on
the right. The lover of mankind strengthens men, for he himself
wishes to be strengthened; he helps men toward success, for he
himself wishes to achieve success.’
But when Lao Tse taught that one should repay hostility with good
deeds, Confucius answered:
‘With what then shall we reward good deeds? No, reward
hostility with justice and good deeds with good deeds.’
CONFUCIUS 124
‘Do nothing over-hastily; that will not succeed. Do not consider
the small advantage, for no great work can prosper in this way, a
statesman must govern with the consent and understanding of the
people.’
’If a man possesses the throne but lacks the necessary strength of
mind, he should not venture to make changes. Similarly, if he has
strength of mind but not the highest authority, he should not
venture to make changes. The political conditions must be such as
to make effective action, the true statesman remains in hiding. He
waits. He refuses to compound with evil, to enter into relations
with base people.’
He must ‘march in advance of the people and encourage them. He
must not be weary.’
Those who are capable of self-mastery, who have learned to do
what is good and to know what they are doing, will always be few.
The people, on the other hand, ‘can be led to follow something;
they may not be led to understand it.’
‘The essence of the prince is the wind, the essence of the crowd is
the grass. If the wind blows over it, the grass must incline.’ Order
is possible only through authority. Thus the man capable of
governing is independent of public opinion. ’Where all hate, he
must examine; where all love, he must examine.’
‘Words must be set aright. What inheres in words should be
brought out. The prince should be a prince, the father a father,
the man a man.’
‘He who has the inner being also has the words; he who has
words does not always have the inner being.’ ‘If words are not
CONFUCIUS 125
right, judgments are not clear; works do not prosper; punishments
do not strike the right man and the people do not know where to
set hand and foot.
Therefore the superior man chooses words that can be employed
without doubt and forms judgments that can be converted into
actions without fear of doubt. The superior man tolerates no
imprecision in his speech.’
Heaven
’Only Heaven is great, the seasons go their course and all things
come into being. But does Heaven speak?’
CONFUCIUS 126
For Confucius, His whole life is prayer:
’If only the heart follows the path of truth, you need not pray, the
gods will protect you.’
‘Death and life are the will of Heaven; from the beginning all men
have had to die. That some things germinate but do not flower;
that some things flower that do not mature - alas, that happens.’
‘If you do not know life, how should you know death?’
Traditions
Unlike other Prophets who proclaimed God's revelation, Confucius
claimed to be merely the voice of antiquity. However His way of
formalising tradition into conscious principles gave rise to a
philosophy which was new although identified with the old. He who
surrenders to tradition is saved from the presumption of having his
own ideas. Confucius considered independent thought, springing
from mere reason, to be futile: ‘I have gone without food and sleep
in order to think; to no avail: it is better to learn.’
Eternal Values
Confucius selects facts that are worth remembering either as
models to be emulated or examples to be avoided.
He knows that in restoring what was good in the past one should
not try to make something identical. ’A man born in our days who
returns to the ways of antiquity is a fool and brings misfortune
upon himself.’ What He advocates is not an imitation of the past,
but a restoration of the eternally true. He laid the groundwork of
CONFUCIUS 127
school education, primarily with His own school in which He strove
to shape young men into future statesmen.
’If a man can recite all three hundred pieces in the Book of Odes
by heart and, entrusted with the government, is unable to
perform his duties or if,
sent abroad as an
ambassador, he is
incapable of replying on
his own, where is the
good of all his learning?’
Manners and music
shape men's nature, not
subdue it.
The good man can love
and hate in the right
way. ‘He hates those
who themselves are base
and slander those who
are above them; he hates
the bold who know no
morality; he hates the
reckless, bigoted
fanatics.’
Social Life
’The superior man does not neglect his neighbours. But in our
association with men, we encounter both good and bad.’
CONFUCIUS 128
‘Have no friend who is not your equal,’
‘The superior man honours the worthy and tolerates all men.’
But the superior man keeps his wits about him: ‘He may let others
lie to him but not make a fool of him. The superior man
encourages what is beautiful in men; what makes a place beautiful
is the humanity that dwells there. He who is able to choose and
does not settle among humane people is not wise.’
‘Let me respect the tranquillity of the aged; let me be loyal to my
friends; let me love children tenderly.’
Toward parents: ‘if respect is absent, wherein should we differ
from the beasts?’ A son must cover up His father's mistakes.
Toward friends, ‘Take no friends that are not at least as good as
yourself, loyally admonish one another and tactfully set one
another right.’ Friends can be relied on: ‘Even if the season be cold,
we know that pines and cypress are evergreen.’
Toward the authorities: ‘A good official serves his prince in the
right way; if that is impossible, he withdraws. He will not
circumvent the prince but oppose him openly’; ‘he will speak
cautiously.’
Towards subordinates ‘The superior man gives his servants no
ground for complaint that he makes insufficient use of them, but
he does not expect perfection; he takes men's abilities into
account and does not dismiss old and trusted servants without
grave cause’.
CONFUCIUS 129
Government
Laws and punishments bring only
limited results, good example is
better; for where the laws are
enforced, the people are
shameless in evading punishment.
But where example governs,
the people have a sense of
shame and improve.
When an appeal is
made to the laws, it
means that something
is not in order.
’When it comes to hearing complaints, I am no better than
anyone else. What interests me is to see that no complaint arises.’
A good government must be concerned with three things: sufficient
food, a sufficient army and the confidence of the people. ’If the
people have no confidence, all government is impossible.’ ‘Make
the people prosperous. The next most important thing is to
educate them.’
Doctrine
‘Up to this stage the individual has been busy only with his own
improvement; but the cultivation of the person influences
primarily those around him and ultimately the whole empire.
Everyone, therefore, should carefully cultivate his person, having
a due regard for others besides himself.
CONFUCIUS 130
Each man must guard his words and watch his conduct. He must
fly all that is base and disquieting and must take benevolence as
his dwelling-place, righteousness as his road, propriety as his
garment, wisdom as his lamp and faithfulness as his charm.
Dignity, reverence, loyalty and faithfulness make up the qualities
of a cultivated man. His dignity separates him from the crowd,
being reverent, he is beloved; being loyal, he is submitted to; and,
being faithful, he is trusted.’
‘The ancients when they wished to exemplify illustrious virtue
throughout the empire, first ordered well their states.
Desiring to maintain well their states, they first regulated their
families. Wishing to regulate their families they first rectified
their purposes.
Wishing to rectify their purposes they first sought to think
sincerely. Wishing to think sincerely, they first extended their
knowledge as widely as possible. This they did by investigation of
things.
By investigation of things, their knowledge became extensive;
their knowledge being extensive, their thoughts became sincere;
their thoughts being sincere, their purposes were rectified; their
purposes being rectified, they cultivated themselves; they being
cultivated, their families were regulated; their families being
regulated, their states were rightly governed; their states being
rightly governed, the empire was thereby tranquil and
prosperous’.
How abundantly do spiritual beings display the powers that
belong to them! We look for them, but do not see them; we listen
CONFUCIUS 131
to, but do not hear them; yet they enter into all things and there
is nothing without them’
To restore China to its Golden Age, Confucius gave the formula for
restoring harmony to the family of man. ’My doctrine is that of an
all-pervading Unity.’ As a Teacher He tried to illustrate virtue, to
renovate the people and to remain in the highest excellence.
‘Things have their roots and their completion. To know what is
first and what is last will lead near to what is taught in the Great
Learning. From the Emperor down to the mass of the people, all
must consider the cultivation of the person the root of everything
besides.’
Confucius observes that men commonly miss the mark in their
strivings: ‘I know now why the
moral law is not practiced. The
wise mistake moral law for
something higher than what
it really is; and the foolish do
not know what moral law
really is. I know now why
the moral law is not
understood; the noble
natures want to live
too high, high
above their moral
ordinary self; and
ignoble natures
do not live high Statue at a Confucian
temple in Shanghai
enough.’
CONFUCIUS 132
Learning
‘A virtuous man has three awes:—(l) Awe for Heaven’s decree, (2)
Awe for great men and (3) Awe for saints’ words. When
worshipping God, one must feel as if He were visibly present.’
‘There was Tao, a way or road of righteousness, only when fathers
were fathers, when sons were sons, when rulers were rulers and
when ministers were ministers.’
‘The princely man sticks to virtue and the inferior man clings to
material comfort. The princely man is just, while the inferior man
expects rewards and favours. The princely man is dignified, noble,
magnanimous and humble while the inferior man is mean, proud,
crooked and arrogant.
The Master said, ‘My children, why do you not study the Book of
Poetry? The Odes serve to stimulate the mind. They may be used
for purposes of self-contemplation. They teach the art of
sociability. They show how to regulate feelings of resentment.
From them you learn the more immediate duty of serving one’s
father, and the remoter one of serving one’s prince.’
The Path
Confucius was conscious of the spiritual dilemma: to retire into
solitude or to live in the world and try to shape it. His decision was
unequivocal: ‘A man cannot live with the birds and beasts. If I do
not live with men, with whom shall I live?’; ‘He who is concerned
only with the purity of his own life ruins the great human
relations. In evil times it may seem as though nothing else
CONFUCIUS 133
remains but to go into seclusion and attend to one's own personal
salvation’.
Of two hermits Confucius says: ‘In their private lives they found
purity; in their retirement they found what the circumstances
demanded. I am different. For me there is nothing that is possible
or impossible under all circumstances. If the world were in order,
there would be no need of me to change it.’
Confucianism
Confucius, Lao-tze and Buddha, the
founders of the three religions of China,
were roughly contemporaries (c.550
BCE). While they are all in a sense
atheistic in that they did not talk about
God, their approaches to the purpose of
life differ widely but blend together to
create the subtlety of the Chinese
character. Lao-tse and Confucius never Meng-zi
claimed originality, seeking only to (Mencius)
restore to man the ancient wisdom and knowledge of c.300 BCE
His immortal soul.
On his death at the age of seventy-two Confucius was a well-known
and well-respected teacher but it was not until two hundred years
later that His followers, particularly Meng-zi (Mencius) made His
ideas widely accepted. His sayings and teachings were codified into
the Analects and Meng-zi, who is known as the ‘Second Sage’ (after
Confucius) further elaborated His teachings through his discourses.
CONFUCIUS 134
After some periods of greater and lesser acceptance, Confucius
became established as the wisest of teachers and China, Japan,
Korea and Vietnam remained the most stable, cultured and
prosperous societies that the world has known so far; until the
arrival of the Western barbarians (English, French, etc.) with their
materialistic and ego-oriented culture.
Confucianism developed in many stages but particularly during 8th –
12th c. (Tang, Song and Ming dynasties) into Neo-Confucianism, which
aimed to become more rational and ethical to get away from the
superstitions associated with Buddhism.
Many philosophers and sociologists believe that if we could implant
Confucius’ wisdom into our modern societies a more balanced,
humane and benevolent life would be possible for the whole world.
However capitalism rules and those with wealth and power are still
not seeking to become Superior Men.
CONFUCIUS 135
S OCRATES
S OCRATES
As the heir to a wealthy sculptor, Socrates (469-399 BCE) used His
financial independence to engage His fellow Athenians in
philosophical discussion. In a society devoted to beauty, wealth and
pleasure, Socrates stressed the importance of seeking the welfare
of the soul. It is said He was a short ugly man – a fact He refers to
Himself – but He must have had a great charm about Him.
After distinguished service as a soldier in the Peloponnesian War
(431-421 BCE), He spent the rest of His life in Athens devoting much
of His time to discussion in the market-place, mainly with the
aristocratic youth, insistently questioning their confidence in the
truth of popular opinions and encouraging them to do the same.
Ultimately this led to His trial and death.
Socrates accepted no payment from His students, many of whom
were fanatically loyal to Him. Their parents, however, were often
displeased with His influence and His association with opponents of
the democratic regime made Him a controversial political figure.
SOCRATES 137
“Abraham had problems of people who were very ignorant
and Moses had problem with very indulgent people.
Gradually, at the time of Socrates people had evolved so He
could talk to them about something of wisdom, of honesty, of
righteousness, of peace. Socrates talked in a very open way, in
an open discussion; that shows that the people could
understand what He was saying. But still He was given poison
and He was killed.” 24-05-89, Greece
1
Dialectics is a method of finding the truth by dialogue using reasoned
arguments between two or more people holding opposing views.
2
‘Recollection’ is the notion that we already know everything of moral
value and just have to remember it.
SOCRATES 138
virtue are so closely related that no-one ever knowingly chooses
evil. Improper conduct is a product of ignorance rather than of
weakness of the will.
The little other information we have about His life comes from His
disciple Xenophon (430-354 BCE) who describes Socrates’ trial and
Apology in ‘Memorabilia’. In Aristophanes’ play ‘The Clouds’ (424
BCE) Socrates is caricatured as an atheistic sophist.
SOCRATES 139
Attitude to Women
In the Greece of His time women were not expected to take part in
public life but were relegated to the kitchen and the bedroom.
Socrates however admired the intelligence and ability of women
and proposed that His students could learn much from some with
whom He Himself had studied. He felt that women had a place in
politics and public life, but could remain wholly domestic if they so
chose.
The Oracle
A friend went to the oracle at Delphi and asked if there was any
man wiser than Socrates. ’No’, came back the answer, which threw
Socrates into confusion - or so He says. For He always held that He
was not wise at all. ‘After puzzling about it for some time, I set
myself at last with considerable reluctance to check the truth of it.’
He did so by interviewing
people who had a
reputation for wisdom or
specialised knowledge.
But He was always
disappointed, because
there was nobody whose
wisdom could withstand Archaeological remains of Delphi
which Shri Mataji called the
His questioning. He was
‘Navel of the Universe’
always able to baffle their
efforts to establish a thesis by exposing some unwelcome and
unexpected consequence of their views. He also questioned poets,
but they could not even elucidate their poems to His satisfaction.
SOCRATES 140
After one such encounter: ‘I reflected as I walked away, Well, I am
certainly wiser than this man. It is only too likely that neither of
us has any knowledge to boast of, but he thinks that he knows
something which he does not know, whereas I am quite conscious
of my ignorance. It seems that I am wiser than he is to this small
extent, that I do not think that I know what I do not know.’
Then it dawned on Him what the Oracle may have meant:
‘Whenever I succeed in disproving another person's claim to
wisdom in a given subject, the bystanders assume that I know
everything about that subject myself. But the truth of the matter,
gentlemen, is pretty certainly this, that real wisdom is the
property of God and this Oracle is His way of telling us that
human wisdom has little or no value.’
Wisdom
Socrates describes himself as an intellectual midwife, whose
questioning delivers the thoughts of others into the light of day. But
He does not consider this skill in elucidation and debate a form of
real wisdom. Real wisdom is perfect knowledge about ethical
subjects, about the difference between right and wrong.
The ignorance that Socrates claims is about the foundations of
morality; not about everyday matters of fact. He cannot with a clear
conscience abandon His mission to encourage ethical reflection in
others: ‘If I say that this would be disobedience to God and that is
why I cannot `mind my own business,' you will not believe that I
am serious. If on the other hand I tell you that to let no day pass
without discussing goodness and all the other subjects about
SOCRATES 141
which you hear me talking and examining both myself and others
is really the very best thing that a man can do and that life
without this sort of examination is not worth living, you will be
even less inclined to believe me.’
“Socrates had said that there are Deities within us and we have
to look after those Deities. We have to keep them pleased.”
13-06-80, London
His references to the wisdom of God disguise His unconventional
attitude to divinity. He says that only God has wisdom. The Delphic
oracle was as authentic a voice of God as any available: yet Socrates
did not accept its sayings but set out ‘to check the truth of it’.
‘It has always been my nature never to accept any advice from my
friends unless reflection shows that it is the best course that
reason offers’; the same approach He adopted to the advice of God.
He says that His mission to argue and question was undertaken `in
obedience to God's commands given in oracles and dreams and in
every other way that any divine dispensation has ever impressed a
duty upon man.'
‘I want you to think of my adventures as a sort of pilgrimage
undertaken to establish the truth of the oracle once for all.’
He could claim that questioning others `helps the cause of God'
because it confirms the Delphic pronouncement that nobody is
wiser than Socrates. This talk of God may gain the approbation of
His hearers but His motive for philosophising was simply that it was
the right thing to do.
SOCRATES 142
Guardian Angel
Socrates says He is influenced in His
actions by His Daimonion, a
guardian spirit or voice which has
been with Him since childhood. This
is likely the unorthodox divinity or
`new gods' referred to in the charges
against Him. Again the advice of the
Daimonion is to be reasoned with before
it is endorsed. He says that ‘when it comes
it always dissuades me from what I am
proposing to do and never urges me on’.
His Daimonion warned Him off any involvement in
politics, He says, because, had He made a public figure of Himself,
He would have been put to death long before He could have done
any good. So He chose to work with the people privately.
‘I spend all my time going about trying to persuade you, young
and old, to make your first and chief concern not for your bodies
nor for your possessions, but for the highest welfare of your souls,
proclaiming as I go; ‘Wealth does not bring goodness, but
goodness brings wealth and every other blessing, both to the
individual and to the state.’
Socrates was nicknamed ‘the Gadfly’ – an annoyingly persistent
pest!
He tells the Athenians that they should be `ashamed that you give
your attention to acquiring as much money as possible and
similarly with reputation and honour and give no attention or
SOCRATES 143
thought to truth and understanding and the perfection of your
soul'. He must have particularly goaded them when, during His trial,
He said He was doing the Athenians `the greatest possible service'
in showing them the errors of their ways.
Socrates believed that an understanding of the virtues was a
necessary precondition for possessing them. A man could not be
truly virtuous without knowing what virtue is and the way to this
knowledge was by examining accounts of the particular virtues. The
search for definition was a means to gain virtue.
Socrates’ egalitarian approach meant He would happily question
and argue with anybody, cobbler or king. His most famous quote
‘The unexamined life is not worth living’ is not a lifestyle for just a
chosen few: every soul should examine His own life and ideas to
lead a more worthwhile existence.
In one of His dialogues with a slave,
He uses a geometrical example to
argue that knowledge of the
Forms, which meant all the
important kinds of knowledge, is
acquired before birth. The truths
of pure reason, such as
those of mathematics,
are not discovered
afresh but are
painstakingly
recollected from a
previous existence in Statue of Socrates
which the disembodied outside the present-day
soul encountered the Academy of Athens
SOCRATES 144
Forms directly. The word ‘education’ means not to put something
into someone but to ‘draw out’.
When born into a body, the knowledge a soul previously enjoyed
slips from memory: as in Wordsworth’s ‘Our birth is but a sleep and
a forgetting’ (Intimations of Immortality). Socrates’ questions to the
slave are indeed leading (and the diagrams help, too), yet the slave
arrives at the answer by himself. He has not simply been informed
as one might be told the number of feet in a yard or the capital of
Greece. He has come to appreciate something through His own
intellectual faculties.
So Socrates can make His usual claim that He has not handed over
any knowledge but has acted as a midwife to bring it out in another
person. He adds that, for the slave to know this piece of
mathematics properly, he must work through the example many
times. At present the slave’s knowledge has a dream-like quality,
but eventually his knowledge will become firm.
As He says in the Apology, if anyone claims to know about goodness
‘I shall question him and examine him and test him'.
SOCRATES 145
Socrates might eschew commonly accepted values when His
principles demanded it, but if something was neither virtuous nor
wicked, then it did not matter whether one did it or not.
This was a powerful recipe for freedom; to be detached from the
desire for possessions and liberated from conventional behaviour;
the wise man could wander at will declaiming against society's
materialistic ways.
The Trial
Socrates’ trial took place in 399 BCE when He was nearly seventy.
The charges were that He refused to recognise the official gods of
the state, that He introduced new gods and that He corrupted the
youth.
The turbulent political background to the trial does not mean that
the charges were baseless and the trial purely political. Politics,
religion and education were all intertwined and Socrates was
stirring up trouble at the wrong time.
Athens had enjoyed great prosperity under the thirty year rule of
Pericles (461 - 429 BCE) but five years before the trial, a 27-year war
with Sparta ended with the overthrow of the Athenian democracy.
The Thirty Tyrants, installed by Sparta, put so many people to death
that they lasted only a year, though it was not until 401 BCE that
democracy was fully restored. Understandably, the democrats were
still insecure in 399 and there were reasons to be uneasy about
Socrates’ influence in the city.
Athenian society felt threatened by intellectuals and Sophists
under-mining traditional values. Well might a man who captivated
idle youths with His questioning about justice have aroused
suspicion. And whatever truth there was to the rumour that
SOCRATES 146
Socrates disbelieved in the traditional gods - He seemed to deny the
charge, though not convincingly - there was no doubt that He had
an unorthodox approach to Divinity.
His talk of His `guardian spirit' or `divine sign', gave reasonable
cause that He did indeed `introduce new gods'. That would have
been a grievous sin against the shaky democracy who alone
dictated what was a suitable object for religious veneration; anyone
ignoring them was challenging the legitimacy of the state.
All this was against Socrates as He faced the five hundred Athenian
citizens who were to judge Him. His disciples Plato and Xenophon
were there and both wrote an account of the trial and the Apology.
Socrates knew that His judges were already prejudiced against Him
and set out to correct their false impressions. He is not, He says, a
SOCRATES 147
man who teaches for money, like the professional Sophists. He also
dismissed the slander that He taught people how to win arguments
by trickery when they were in the wrong; far from it.
The Apology is more a defence of His way of life than a rebuttal of
the official charges. Socrates claims that He has positively benefited
the Athenians by subjecting them to His philosophical cross-
examinations; but they have failed to appreciate this and merely
been angered by it; hence He has ended up on trial for His life. He is
fulfilling the wishes of the gods when arguing with people.
However Socrates was
found guilty by a
majority vote and was
awarded the courtesy
of choosing a suitable
penalty, to counter
the prosecution's
proposal that He be
put to death.
Typically, He treats
this responsibility
with irony. What He
actually deserves for
doing the Athenians
such a service, He says, is not a punishment but a reward. He
suggests free meals for life at the expense of the state. Such an
honour was usually reserved for victors at the Olympic games and
great heroes; He has earned it even more than they have, He says,
because `these people give you the semblance of success, but I
give you the reality.’
SOCRATES 148
He ends by suggesting, at the instigation of Plato and other friends,
a fine instead, which they offer to pay for Him.
But the Athenians had lost their patience. They voted for the death
penalty by a larger majority than that by which they had found Him
guilty! His punishment was to die by drinking hemlock, a plant
extract that causes first paralysis and then death.
As Socrates was leaving the court, a devoted but dim admirer called
Apollodorus moaned that the hardest thing for Him to bear was
that Socrates was being put to death unjustly. ‘What?’ said Socrates
‘Would you rather I was put to death justly?’
SOCRATES 149
Socrates’ Philosophy in the ‘Apology’
Philosophy –‘Love of Wisdom’ [philos –‘love, liking’, sophia –‘wisdom,
knowledge’] is a Greek word probably coined by Pythagoras (570 BCE).
Originally philosophy covered all aspects of learning but later came
to denote metaphysical or spiritual knowledge or speculation.
Of Plato's writings about Socrates’ philosophy, the Apology is
probably the most accurate. ‘Apology’ is the Greek for a ‘defence-
speech’ and Socrates was certainly not saying ‘sorry’! He justifies
His life and actions, outlining His main philosophical ideas: the
necessity of doing what one thinks is right even in the face of
universal opposition and the need to pursue knowledge even when
opposed.
Socrates' method is to question people and lead them into a
contradiction, which proves that their ideas are unsound. He
Himself never takes a firm position; in fact He claims to know
nothing except that He knows nothing.
SOCRATES 150
He refers to this method of questioning as ‘Elenchus’, meaning
something like ‘cross-examination’. The Socratic Elenchus gave rise
to dialectic, where truth is pursued by modifying one's position
through questioning with conflicting ideas. It is this idea of the truth
being pursued, rather than discovered, that characterizes Socratic
thought and much of our world view today.
“Socrates is the master of logic; the whole logic system comes
from Him.” 24-05-89, Athens
SOCRATES 151
Socrates’ Spirituality in the ‘Phaedo’
In the Phaedo, which gives His last words before He drank hemlock,
Plato gives Socrates’ thoughts on what happens after death. He
produces an array of proofs for the immortality of the soul,
explaining that the soul is separable from the body, existing before
birth and continuing after death.
“Socrates has told us that we leave our body for the second life
and that when we live as human beings on this Earth, we have
to keep ourselves in such a way that we do not spoil our
being.” 13-06-80, London
SOCRATES 152
The Republic
Several of Plato’s books survived the ‘Dark Ages’, the period after
the fall of Rome when much of Europe’s ancient culture was
destroyed by marauding barbarians. In his most famous book ‘The
Republic’, Socrates is the main protagonist and discusses notions of
justice, a just man and a just state. Although the ideas in the
Republic are widely held to be those of Plato, they are put into the
mouth of Socrates and we do not know whether He was their
originator or not.
His utopian republic Kallipolis –‘ideal city’, is ruled by a philosopher-
king who is born into an elite and educated and given some
governmental roles up to the age of fifty before finally becoming
king. Having an understanding of the Forms, the ideals behind
everyday reality, he can guide society towards achieving them.
“A benevolent ruler, in the form of a philosopher king (as put
forward by Socrates) is the ideal person to be the head of
government. Such a person must be an extremely wise,
detached personality, without any desires for lust, power and
money. There have been such persons in the recent past,
people like Mahatma Gandhi, Ataturk, Kemal Pasha, Anwar al-
Sadat, Lal Bahadur Shastri, Ho Chi Minh, Martin Luther King,
Nelson Mandela, Dag Hammarksjold and Mujibur Rahman.”
Meta Modern Era. Ch.3
The Parthenon –
one of the most
subtle pieces of
architecture
ever built.
SOCRATES 153
“As Shri Râma, Vishnu came to enlighten human social and
political consciousness as the true model of what Plato,
thousand of years later, would call `the philosopher king'.”
Creation Ch.2
Some ideas like the banning of personal possessions or the state
regulation of reproduction where the children do not know who
their parents are, seem too idealistic to be practical today.
Socrates proposes that a person’s soul is composed of three
‘selves’; the Appetitive (base desires), the Spirited (passions, ego) and
the Rational (intellect, intelligence) which correspond with Left, Right
and Centre channels. The welfare of the soul depends on all the
selves agreeing to be ruled by the Rational and acting in harmony.
The Soul is Immortal moving from birth to birth seeking perfection.
In the Theory of Forms, Socrates (via Plato) proposes that there are
ideal forms behind the illusory reality which we experience. The
Forms are perfect and unchanging, unlike the physical objects
which imitate them; dogs, human beings, mountains, colors,
courage, love, goodness, etc.
He gives the Allegory of the
Cave where chained humans
see only the shadows of
objects cast on the cave
wall. The philosopher frees
himself of the chains and
emerges into the bright light
of reality.
SOCRATES 154
The Socratic Method
Bringing a person to an understanding of
the truth by the use of his own reasoning
teaches more effectively than simply
imparting the right answer. The Socratic
Method is used in law schools to develop
critical thinking – to come up with more
questions than answers. It is a powerful tool
to question conditionings.
The essence of the scientific method, whose roots lie with Socrates’
thought, is that to be able to prove something one must be able to
disprove it. A learned Sahaja Yogi once gave a talk where He
explained why the benefits of Sahaja Yoga cannot be proven
scientifically. The proposition that ‘Meditation makes you healthier’
is unprovable as, if a person’s health does not get better, one can
say ‘He didn’t meditate properly’ – there is no way to prove that He
did!
SOCRATES 155
Pupils and Followers - Plato
The writings of Plato (427-347 BCE) influenced
both Islamic and European thought and became
the basis of Christian philosophy. Western
philosophy has famously been described as
‘merely a series of footnotes to Plato’. He
founded the Academy in Athens (387 BCE), the
first European centre for higher education.
Aristotle
Aristotle (384-322 BCE) has been called the
‘Father of Logic, Father of Ethics, of
Metaphysics, Science, Psychology....’ and
many other disciplines. He was taken as an
authority by Christian and Islamic philosophers
and scientists and some of his (incorrect)
theories survived up to the 19th century.
He studied under Plato at the Academy in Athens until Plato’s
death when Aristotle was thirty-seven. He then became the
tutor of Alexander although his influence on the head-strong
boy may not have been very great. His philosophy was a
synthesis of Socrates and other Athenians, such as Pythagoras,
but he was the great pioneer of logic and science and one of the
main thinkers leading to our modern ‘scientific’ viewpoint that
everything in this creation has a rational explanation.
SOCRATES 156
T HE P ROPHET M OHAMMAD
157
T HE P ROPHET M OHAMMAD
The Prophet Mohammad1 (May Peace Be Upon Him2) was born in
Makkah (Mecca) in Arabia in 570 CE. Out of this desert tribeland
arose a new civilization inspired by this great soul, extending from
Morocco to India and beyond, influencing the culture, attitudes and
aspirations of three
continents. At a time of
widespread superstition
and idol-worship He
taught humanity to have
faith in and worship the
One Formless All-
pervading Allah. One and
a half millennia later
Islam is still the fastest
growing religion in the World. Political map of Arabia at the
time of Mohammad’s birth.
1
Arabic words have three letter roots (H-M-D –‘praise’ as in Hamīd –
‘praising’) Adding Mo or Mu before means ‘one who…’ so Mo-H-M-D is
‘one who is to be praised’; Muslim is ‘one who submits’ from S-L-M –
‘submit, surrender’ as in Islam -‘surrender’. Mohammad –‘praise-worthy’ is
also spelt Muhammad, Mohammed, Mohamad, Muhamad,
Muhammet, Mahmud and other local variants, and is the most
commonly used boy’s name in the world at present.
2
Muslims will not write or speak the name of the Prophet without adding
‘Peace be Upon Him’ (PBUH) or in Arabic ‘Salla’Allahu ‘alayhi wa-salla’
(SAWS) -‘May Allah honour Him and grant Him peace’. For the sake of
brevity, this book will not continue this tradition but we ask forgiveness
if this offends anyone.
had to take to the battlefield. But even here the Prophet of Islam
changed the attitudes and the behaviour. He taught His Followersto
pray during battle and follow strict rules of conduct in warfare.
Within a hundred years Islam spread all across North Africa and the
Persian Empire, including most of Spain, what are now Pakistan and
Uzbekistan reaching the Caspian, Ural and Black Seas. This was a
dynamic and prosperous empire with tremendous developments in
art, music, architecture, mathematics, science and medicine,
predating the Renaissance by several hundred years.
Character
Mohammad was a well-built man, of great physical beauty, with
thick black wavy hair and beard and a very winning smile. He
walked so fast that others found it hard to keep up. His friend and
successor Abu Bakr said of Him: ‘As there is no darkness in the
moonlit night so is Mustafa, the Well-wisher, bright.’
His manner was genial but, when deep in thought, there could be
long periods of silence. He always kept himself busy and did not
speak unnecessarily; what He said was to the point and without
padding; sometimes He would clarify His meaning by slowly
repeating what He had said.
Life
Born at dawn c.570 CE1 in Mecca, now in Saudi Arabia, Mohammad
was orphaned at the age of six2 and was raised by His paternal
uncle Abu Talib. His tribe, the Quraysh, was an important one which
had the care of the Ka’aba – the Holy Shrine surrounding the Black
Rock in Mecca. This was built by Abraham and His son Ishmael, and
Mohammad was their direct descendent.
As a man Mohammad worked as a merchant and was hired by the
wealthy widow Khadīja, one of the most successful traders in
Mecca. She had heard of His reputation for honesty and
truthfulness, and had received some revelations that Mohammad
1
Mawlid –‘the Birth of the Prophet’ is celebrated on the 12th (Sunni) or 17th
(Shi’a) day of the third *month Rabi-ul-Awwal –‘the First Spring’.
Rāmadan –‘Scorching Heat’, the month of fasting, is the ninth month.
(See next page)
2
Mohammad’s Father Abdullah died before He was born and His Mother
Aminah died when He was six.
Wives
Having been strictly monogamous during the twenty-five years of
marriage to Khadīja, Mohammad made several matches after
settling in Medina.
After the death of
Khadīja, Mohammad
married Sawda, the
widow of one of the early
Muslims, who was about
thirty years old. His third
and fourth wives were the
daughters of His friends
and followers Abu Bakr
and Umar.
Warfare
The Prophet of Islam taught the warring tribes self-control and
discipline to the extent of praying on the battlefield. One part of the
army would bow their heads before God while the other engaged
the enemy; then they would exchange positions. In an age of
barbarism, the battlefield itself became humanized and strict
instructions were issued not to cheat, not to break trust, not to
mutilate, not to kill a child, a woman or an old man, not to hew
down date palm nor burn it, not to cut a fruit tree nor to molest any
person engaged in worship.
The total number of casualties in all the battles that took place
during His lifetime, when the whole Arabian Peninsula came under
His banner, does not exceed a few hundred in all.
He accepted the surrender of Mecca, the city which had refused His
message, tortured and driven out Him and His followers, and had
unrelentingly persecuted them in Medina. By the laws of war in that
time He could have justly avenged all the cruelties inflicted on Him
and His people. But Mohammad's heart flowed with forgiveness
and He declared, ‘This day, there is no reproof against you and you
are all free. This day I trample under my feet all distinctions
between man and man, all hatred between man and man.’
Death
Three months later, after four days of intense stomach pains and
severe headaches, Mohammad died quite suddenly on 8th June 632.
The demise of such a vigorous and dynamic man at the early age of
sixty-two suggests that He was poisoned. Several attempts to
poison Him by the Qurayshi Meccans and disaffected tribes such as
the expelled Jews had already been foiled.
“Muslims are very fanatical people. I would say Mohammad
Sahib was the least fanatic personality. He suffered so much, I
think, in that incarnation, no Guru has suffered as much as He
has. Ultimately He was given poison; He was killed.”
00-03-75, Delhi
In His final illness, the Prophet said to those assembled at His house
that if He owed anything to anyone the person concerned could
claim it; if He had ever hurt anyone's person, honour or property,
He could have His price while He was yet in this world. One man
came forward to claim a few dirhams which were paid at once.
Children
He was fond of children and
would get into the spirit of
childish games with them. He
used to give the children lifts on
His camel when He returned from journeys. He would pick them up
in His arms, play with them and kiss them.
Daily Routine
The Prophet apportioned His time carefully according to:
1. Offering worship to Allah.
2. Public affairs.
3. Personal matters.
After the early morning prayers He would remain in the mosque
reciting praises of Allah till the sun rose and more people collected.
He would preach a sermon and then talk with the people, inquiring
about their welfare and even exchanging jokes. Taxes and revenues
were distributed at this time. After offering prayers, He would go
home and get busy with household work.
Justice
The Prophet had often to deal with
warring tribes where showing justice to
one might antagonize the other and yet
He never deviated from the truth. He
made no distinction between believers and
non-believers, friends and foes, high or low.
A Quraysh woman with good connections was guilty of theft. Some
prominent people interceded to save her from punishment. The
Prophet refused to condone the crime, saying, ‘Many a community
ruined itself in the past as they only punished the poor and
ignored the offences of the exalted. By Allah, if Mohammad's
daughter Fatima had committed theft, her hand would have been
severed.’ The Medina Jews, in spite of not accepting the new
religion, were so impressed by His impartiality and sense of justice
that they would bring their cases for Him to decide according to
Jewish law.
Kindness to Animals
The Prophet enjoined on the people to show kindness to all living
beings. He forbade the practice of cutting tails and manes of horses,
of branding animals at any soft spot and of keeping horses saddled
unnecessarily. If He saw any animal overloaded or ill-fed He would
pull up the owner and say, ‘Fear Allah in your treatment of
animals. Verily, there is Heavenly reward for every act of
kindness done to a living animal.’
One day, a dying dog approached one of Mohammad’s followers.
There was no well nearby but, seeing a muddy puddle, he tore His
shirt, soaked it in the water, placed the dog in His lap and
Hajj
Every year, during the Hajj, all distinctions of race, colour and rank
are levelled. African, Arab, Indian, European and Chinese meet
together in Mecca as members of one Divine family, clad in the
same dress - two pieces of white seamless cloth, one round the
loins, the other over the shoulders, bare headed, without pomp or
ceremony, repeating ‘Here am I, O God; at Thy command; Thou art
One and Alone; Here am I.’
Equality of Women
Islam teaches that man and woman come from the same essence,
possess the same soul and are equipped with equal capabilities for
intellectual, spiritual and moral attainment. There is a strong Arab
tradition that only one who can smite with the spear and wield the
sword should inherit but Islam came as the defender of the weaker
sex and entitled women to a share of the inheritance of their
parents. It gave women, centuries ago, the right of owning
property. The Prophet of Islam had proclaimed that:
‘Woman are twin halves of men. The rights of women are sacred.
See that women keep the rights granted to them.’
Law
There are four sayings of Prophet Mohammad which form the basis
of Islamic Law:
1. Actions are judged by their intentions.
2. A sincere Muslim does not pay heed to anything that is not
connected with Him.
3. A true believer wishes for others what He wishes for himself.
4. Some things are clearly lawful and some things are clearly
unlawful. But there are some which don't fall clearly in either
category and it is better to stay away from them.
Economics
The Principles of Islam do not separate legal, educational, political
and economic systems from religion and cover all aspects of life.
Sharia Law lays down some important principles to govern
economic life. It discourages extremes and has always in view the
building of good character as the basis of a good society. This is
secured by its laws of inheritance, by an organized system of charity
known as Zakat and by regarding as illegal all anti-social economic
practices like money-lending, unearned incomes, cornering markets
and creating monopolies or artificial scarcities of a commodity.
The Qur’ān
The Qur’ān says, ‘God did not
create the Heavens and the Earth and
all that is between them in play. He
did not create them all but with the
truth. But most men do not know.’
On Truth: ‘The real man of truth is the one who is true in his
thought, true in his deeds and true in his work.’
‘You should always endeavour to reach the highest point in virtue
and truth. A person who always speaks the truth should not stoop
to cursing people. Do not tell lies; speak only the truth, even if it
is bitter and might hurt other people.’
Hadith
The life, deeds and sayings of the
Prophet are recorded
in the Hadith, also
known as the
Sunnah, which are
several books
written after His
death. One of the
most reliable is the
Bukhari Hadith,
Jihad
‘The best jihad is that undertaken to conquer the self.’
‘The ink of the intellectual is holier than the blood of the martyr.’
Scholars and mystics throughout the ages have taken different
viewpoints about the call to fight non-believers. The vast majority
of Muslims believe that such action is only required in times of
extreme danger for self-preservation, as was the case when
Mohammad and His followers lived in Medina.
“There are two important things in the life of Mohammed
Sâhib. The first one is called as Mi’raj –‘ascent’ which is nothing
but the awakening of the Kundalini, absolutely clearly. And the
second one He has talked about is Jihad. Jihad means killing
your bad things, killing your bad nature, killing all the shad-
ripu –‘six enemies’ within you.” 25-12-01, Ganapatipule
2
The Battle of Karbala between Yazid’s and Hussain’s followers in 680,
created the final split between Sunni and Shi’a Muslims.
‘Me, the bard out of work, the Lord has applied to His Service.
In the very beginning He gave me the order
To sing His praises night and day.
The Master summoned the minstrel to His true court.
He clothed me with the robe of His true honour and eulogy.
Since then the True Name has become my ambrosial food.
They, who under the Guru’s instruction, eat this food
To their satisfaction, obtain peace.
By singing the Guru’s hymns,
I, the minstrel, spread the Lord’s Glory.
Nânak, by praising the True Name
I have obtained the Perfect Lord.’ - Gurū Nānak, Pauri
* In Punjabi, unlike Sanskrit, the word Gurū has a long ū at the end.
Early Life
There are many Janamsakhi’s –‘life stories’, books about Gurū
Nānak’s life written many years after His death. In these His life has
become infused with many legends and miracles, although He
Himself firmly eschewed any manifestation of occult powers.
Nānak was born at a time when northern India was ruled by the
Muslim Lodhi dynasty1 who encouraged Hindus to convert to Islam
by imposing heavy taxes and discriminatory laws. Hindu society was
dominated by the rigid caste system and both Hinduism and Islam
were full of ritualism and superstition. Nānak’s father, Mehta
Kalyan, was an accountant employed by the local Muslim ruler. For
many years he and his wife Tripta were childless; so, being a devout
Hindu, he undertook a pilgrimage to invoke the Divine blessing.
At the holy site of Kedarnāth he was told by a sage to abandon his
pilgrimage as God would bless him with children. He returned to his
village of Talwandi (now in Pakistan) and a year later the couple
1
Northwest India had been under Muslim rule since Mahmud Ghazni’s
invasion of the Punjab in 1001 CE
2
Gurū Nānak’s Birthday, a public holiday in India, is celebrated in
November on the full moon in the month of Kartik (starting on the new
moon between Oct 14 - Nov 12). This may be the date of Gurū Nānak’s
enlightenment in the forest.
* ‘Naam’ means much more than mere repetition of the Name of God. It
implies devotion, surrender and meditation on the Divine Nature.
Wahegurū –‘wonderful teacher’ is one of the main Names of God.
Braham Das was won over by the Guru’s holiness and wisdom and
devoted his life to spreading the message.
Gurū Nānak’s journey took Him to the Mansarover Lake (Mount
Kailāsh). He admonished a group of ascetics who had moved there
to escape persecution, for abandoning a difficult life. In Tibet His
teachings gave comfort to certain persecuted tribes who still make
a yearly pilgrimage to the Golden Temple in Amritsar.
“One day I was travelling and one Indian lady came to see Me
and said, ‘I was surprised to see your disciples. Their faces were
shining with such light. I've never seen any disciples like that.’ I
asked her, ‘Who are you?’ She said, ‘I'm married in Guru
Nânak's family and all the people in His family are just the
opposite to what Shri Guru Nânak was.’ So I said, ‘Because
they worship Shri Ganesha.’ She said, ‘In our family nobody
worships Shri Ganesh.’ I said, ‘It cannot be possible? How is it?
They believe in the Nirâkâr, the formless God of Chaitanya.
But who is the Source of that Chaitanya?’
“If you read His (Guru Nanak’s) talks then you will be surprised
that he has always talked of Sahaja. He has said “Sahaja
samâdhi lago." (‘meditation is effortless’) He has said, ‘Why go
to forest to find Him, He is always there with you just like
there is a fragrance in a flower and just as the reflection is there
in a mirror, in the same way God is residing in you eternally;
seek Him within.’ He is just inside, achieve Him inside.”
09-12-73, Delhi
“Mohammad Sahib Himself was born as our great Guru, Guru
Nanaka. Guru Nanak was not (just) a human being; He was
not only a Paigambar –‘Messenger of God’ but He was the
reincarnation of Âdi Guru, the Primordial Master, He was a
Divine personality. He also has said that it is the Primordial
Mother who has created the Universe. At that time in this
country people were following a ritualistic, nonsensical Hindu
religion which was very much departed from the real ancient
religion of Upanishads.” 22-02-82, Delhi
Further Reading:
Max Macauliffe – Life of Guru Nanak. Macauliffe, a senior
British administrator in India, converted to Sikhism in 1860 and
spent the last thirty years of his life translating the holy books into
English and raising awareness of the Sikh religion in the west. This
biography is one of the most factual and contains translations of
many of Guru Nanak’s songs. Download free at symb-ol.org.
Kushwant Singh – History of the Sikhs, vol.1. Kushwant Singh, a
well-known Sikh writer (and joke-collector!) gives a pleasingly
devotional and inspiring rendition of Guru Nanak’s life in Volume 1.
Harish Dhillon – Guru Nanak. (Spiritual Masters Series) Adding
some historical and imaginative detail, Dhillon weaves a very
readable account of Guru Nanak’s life with a summary of His
teaching and Sikh worship at the end.
First Meeting
Chand Patil was the head-man of Dhoop village in Mahārāshtra. On
a trip to near-by Aurangabad, he lost his mare and for two months
made a diligent but fruitless search for the animal. Disappointed, he
was on his way home from Aurangabad carrying the saddle when
he came came upon a young man in a long robe seated under a
mango tree. The young fakir –‘ascetic’ invited Chand Patil to share a
chillum –‘pipe’ with him and rest a little.
On being asked about the saddle on his shoulder, Chand Patil
explained that it belonged to his lost mare. The fakir suggestd that
he search around the stream close by. He went and - wonder of
wonders! - there was the mare. He surmised that this fakir was no
ordinary man.
Gentle Man
He walked, talked and laughed with
the towns-folk, muttering ‘Allah
Malik’ –‘God is the King’. He disliked
discussions or arguments and
remained calm and controlled,
though irritable at times, treating
princes and poor people alike. He
always preached full Advaita
Vedānta –‘non-dualistic Hinduism’
but advocated a path of purity and
devotion for both Hindus and
Muslims. He knew the innermost
secrets of all and often surprised devotees with His insight.
He would sometimes feign ignorance and once allowed an arrogant
local ‘Guru’ to treat Him as his disciple, organizing and bossing Him
around for eighteen months, while Bābā restrained the anger of His
devotees. Finally the man reaslized his foolishness and begged
Bābā’s forgiveness.
Grinding Wheat
In His later years Bābā used to grind wheat in a small hand mill (two
round stones, the upper with a hole in the middle and an off-centre hole
for the turning stick). In the same way that He threw negativity into
the Dhuni –‘sacred fire’, it was a way of clearing out problems.
Once during an outbreak of cholera Bābā had a winnowing fan full
of wheat, laid a cloth on the floor, put the mill on top and started
grinding. Four ladies present pushed to the front of the crowd that
had gathered and, nudging Bābā out of the way, took over the
work*. At first He got angry but then smiled and allowed them to
continue. Thinking that Bābā had no need of flour as He lived on
alms, the ladies started to divide up the flour to take it home. Bābā
went wild, accused them of thieving and they were abashed. He
told them to take the wheat and scatter it all around the outskirts
of the town, which they did. Soon after the cholera epidemic
subsided.
* In rural Maharashtra they are not in the habit of asking before doing
something. The editor lived there for a few years and can tell some
illustrative tales which seem surprising to our western conditionings
about politeness!
Dakshina
Sometimes Bābā asked for Dakshina (the fee or offering to a Guru)
from those who went to see Him. One may ask: ‘If Bābā was
perfectly non-attached, why would He care for money and ask for
Dakshina?’ According to the scriptures, when one goes to see God,
a King, a Saint or a Guru, one should not go empty-handed. Bābā
took Dakshina out of love for His devotees so that they fulfilled
their dharma and learned non-attachment. Bābā would distribute
the entire amount the same day and the next morning be a
penniless fakir as usual.
He did not ask Dakshina from all. If some gave without being asked,
He sometimes accepted it and at other times refused it. He asked it
from certain devotees only. If anybody offered it unwillingly, He
never touched it and would ask them to take it away. The amount
He asked for could be small or large and He asked even from
women and children. It was not always the rich He asked, nor
always the poor.
‘If you spread your palms with devotion before Me, I am
immediately with you, day and night. Though, I am here bodily,
still I know what you do; beyond the seven seas.
Go wherever you will, over the wide world, I am with you. My
abode is in your heart and I am within you. Always worship Me,
who is seated in your heart, as well as in the hearts of all beings,
Blessed and fortunate, indeed, is he who knows Me thus.’
Finally....
In August of 1918 Sāī Bābā told His
devotees that He would be leaving
His body soon. Shortly after, He
developed a high fever and
stopped eating. His devotees read
to Him from holy scriptures as He
lay and finally on 15th October, on
the day of Dussehra, He passed
away. It is said that before He
passed He announced that He
would return, that there would be another incarnation, within
seven years.
“Just be silent and be witnesses. As Sâî Bâbâ has said, ‘Saburî’ -
patience, it comes in.” 02-04-76, Delhi
Further Reading
Sāī Satcharitra. This wonderful collection of the stories, teachings
and miracles of Sāī Bābā, in very readable English, is available to
download free at symb-ol.org (Sacred Books page). 332 pages.
Rājā Janaka
As one of the founding fathers of Sanātana Dharma
– ‘the Eternal Religion’ – the proper name by which
Hinduism is known – Rājā Janaka’s symbol is the
Oṁ. He is featured in the Upaniṣhads which form
Vedānta –‘final knowledge’ - the philosophical basis of Hinduism.
One of the recurring themes of the Upanishads is the significance of
Om and the importance of understanding and chanting it.
Abraham
Abraham founded Judaism by receiving and
obeying instructions from the One Formless God.
He is the first patriarch of the Jewish nation and the
ancestor of both Jews and Arabs. The Star of David, the
symbol of Judaism, is His symbol.
The star is composed of the upward triangle of spiritual aspiration
superimposed on the downward triangle of material attachment,
representing the dichotomy of our lives on Earth. Originally known
as the Shield of David or Seal of Solomon it was used to ward off
evil and is featured on the Israeli flag.
Zarathustra (Zoroaster)
Ahura Mazda –‘Formless God’ is worshipped
through mantras and the sacred fire, which is
always kept burning in Zoroastrian temples.
Zarathustra explained the use of all the elements in aiding our
spiritual growth.
265
Moses
Moses was given the Ten Commandments by God
on Mt. Sinai during the Israelites forty years of
wandering in the desert and the two tablets with
the Hebrew numbers 1-10 on are His symbol.
While not strictly adhering to all the Ten Commandments* in Sahaja
Yoga, we recognise that the Nābhī has ten valencies which must be
fulfilled to satisfy our Dharma and allow the Kundalini to rise.
* For example Commandments Two and Four ‘Thou shalt not make any
graven images’ and ‘Remember the Sabbath day to keep it holy’.
Lao-Tse (Lao-Zi)
As He expounded the Tao -’way’ of balance, the Yin-
Yang symbol represents Lao-tse. Yin (black) is the
feminine, passive and inertial principle (Left Side) and
Yang (white) is the restless masculine energy (Right Side), whose
interplay creates the material and mental worlds we inhabit. They
each have the other at their heart and are united by the circle.
Confucius (Kong-zi)
Confucius is a Latinisation by
Jesuit missionaries of Kong-Fuzi-us
[Kong –family name, Fuzi –‘teacher’, –
us nominative ending in Latin] and in
China He is called Kong-zi –‘Master Kong’. As the
spiritual preceptor of government, society and culture in China,
Japan, Korea and Vietnam for more than two thousand years,
Confucius’ symbol is His own name (Kong-zi) in Chines pictograms.
266
Socrates
Socrates’ symbol is the Greek capital S, the letter
Sigma. As well as the first letter of His name, it is
also a mathematical symbol meaning ‘the sum of‘,
showing the link between mathematics and
philosophy which was so dear to the Greek philosophers.
Prophet Mohammad
The symbol we use for the
Prophet Mohammad is the
crescent moon and star*,
widely used in Islam.
The crescent moon is the Spirit and the star
(Venus) is the Kuṇḍalinī. Their union connects us
with Allah, the Supreme Spirit, to give Self- A mosque finial.
realization and knowledge of the Ultimate Reality. More often a
simple crescent
* This is normally a C-shaped crescent (waning moon) is used.
although a D-shaped crescent is sometimes used.
The crescent was used as an Islamic symbol from c.1400 CE onwards but
the crescent and star only became widely adopted in Islam after use by
the Ottoman Turks around 1770 CE.
The colour green, often associated
with Islam, is said to have been
Mohammad’s favourite and He
wore a green robe and turban.
267
Gurū Nānak
Although the Sikh
Khanda symbol
(below) is often used
in Sahaja Yoga as a
symbol for Gurū Nānak, the ‘Ik Oñkār’
–‘One Om’ is more appropriate. This
widely used Sikh symbol is the first two
words of the Mool –‘root’ Mantra, the
Punjabi praise written by Gurū Nānak
that starts every Sikh recitation and
ceremony. Ik Oñkār –‘One Oṁ’
in a Gurdwara (Sikh
The Khanda symbol is used as a temple) window in
symbol of the Sikh nation. With India. The script is
its knife, discus and swords it is Gurmukhi (Punjabi).
more appropriate for Guru Gobind Singh, the last of the Sikh Gurus
who brought together and militarised the Sikh nation to counter the
Mughal emperor Aurangzeb’s attempts to eradicate them. Guru
Nanak was a man of peace who possibly never held a sword.
268
Appendix 2. Seats of the Adi Gurus in the Void
The drawing below (cleaned up a bit) was made by a Sahaja Yogi in
2011 based on some comments Shri Mataji made:-
The Adi Gurus are arranged in possible chronological order,
although Zarathustra (c.1500 BCE) may have come between
Abraham (c.1800 BCE) and Moses (c.1250 BCE). In Her book
269
‘Creation’ (Ch.3) Shri Mataji mentions Zoroaster and says “Earlier
He had taken birth as Abraham and later as Moses”.
The correspondence given (assuming we have interpreted the
shorthand correctly) is:
Left Side
1) Rājā Janaka Left Lung
2) Abraham Stomach
3) Moses Spleen (‘Speedometer’, Gṛuhalakṣhmī/Left Nābhī)
4) Zarathustra Left Kidney
5) Lao Tse Anus
Right Side
6) Confucius Urinary Bladder
7) Socrates Right Kidney
8) Mohammad Gall Bladder
9) Guru Nanak Liver
10) Sāī Nāth Right Lung
Anatomically the Liver and Gall Bladder are on the right side and the
Stomach and Spleen are on the left of the abdomen. The intestines
do not get a ruler unless thay are grouped with the stomach.
It is possible that, on the Right Side of the Void, the arrows should
also be rotating clockwise as this is the chronological order of the
incarnations (and the way they are numbered). Vibrationally it feels
better to be rubbing or bandhanning the Void clockwise (viewed
from in front).
270
Negative emotions generally have their roots in the Void.
Worshipping the Ādi Gurus would help to overcome these.
Anger – Liver and Gall Bladder (Right Side - Fire element)
Fear – Kidneys and Bladder (Left Side – Water element)
Grief, sadness – Lungs and Intestines (Air element)
Worry, over-thinking – Stomach, Spleen and Pancreas (Earth element)
The Six Enemies (like the Seven Deadly Sins; lust, anger, greed,
jealousy, pride and delusion) are more associated with the six lower
chakras.
Symmetry
The left : right pairing seems to work well:
(1) Janaka : Sāī Bābā (Indian - oldest and latest)
(2) Moses : Mohammad (descendants of Abraham, founders of
Judaism and Islam)
(3) Lao Tse : Confucius (Chinese)
(4) Zarathustra : Socrates (Middle Eastern philosophers)
(5) Not-so-obvious pair of Abraham : Guru Nanak (founders of
Judaism and Sikhism)
Ādi Guru Dattātreya appears to be seated in the Heart (which is very
anatomically drawn!) It may be that He rules the Viṣḥṇu Granthi
which allows the Kuṇḍalinī to rise from the Void up to the Heart (He
was an incarnation of Śhrī Viṣhṇu). He judges whether we are worthy
to enter the higher states of blessedness.
271
Ekādaśha Rudras
The Ekādaśha Rudras –‘eleven destroying powers’ have their seats in
the Void and Shri Mataji often talked about them in Her Guru Puja
talks. It may be that each of the Ādi Gurus has a connection with
one of the Rudras if we include Ādi Guru Dattātreya as the
eleventh.
The two main catches of Ekādaśha Rudras are drugs and false gurus.
The Ekādaśha Rudras are also across the top of the forehead
(hairline) which is the Void area in the Sahasrāra. The ten Adi Gurus
may also have their seats on the forehead. Ādi Guru Dattātreya
would seem to be the central point with the sides swapped as for
Āgñyā (Left Side on Right and vice versa). The centre Ekādaśha Rudra is
the Viśhuddhī point in Sahasrāra (Shrī Kṛiṣhṇa and Dattātreya were
both incarnations of Śhrī Viṣhṇu).
The location of the Rudra Granthi is in this vicinity and perhaps Śhrī
Dattātreya who rules the Viśhṇu Granthi in the Void rules the Rudra
Granthi in the Sahasrāra. Being an incarnation of all three Trimūrtis,
Brahmā, Viṣhṇu and Rudra, He may be taken as the controller of all
three Granthis.
“The Sat–‘true’ Gurus taught us the rules of Dharma to keep this
delicate mechanism fit for Kundalinî rising.” 31-03-81, Sydney
“A Sat Guru is one who gives you the connection with God.”
28-12-86, Maharashtra
272
‘Researches in Sahaja Yoga’
‘Researches in Sahaja Yoga’ (RiSY) is a series of books on topics
connected with Sahaja Yoga, researched through Shri Mataji’s talks
and other scriptures, and through meditation.
Books published or planned in the series so far include:
1. Om Namaste Ganapataye
- a detailed translation of the Ganesha Atharva Sheersha.
2. Shrī Lalitā Sahasranāma
- the Thousand Names of the Supreme Goddess.
3. The Three Worlds
- an investigation into the Three-fold Nature of Creation.
4. Shrī Chakra - the symbolism of the Yantra of the Supreme Goddess.
5. Bīja Mantras.
6. Navarātri – prayers, praises and hymns.
7. The Ten Primordial Masters
- the Lives and Teachings of the Ten Adi Gurus.
8. Shri Mataji’s 108 Names – with a detailed commentary.
9. The Sahaja Yoga Joke Book
– a collection of humour by Shri Mataji and other Sahaja Yogis.
The books can be downloaded free from the symb-ol.org website.
Some are available to order in print from lulu.com.
After covering print costs, profits from the sale of all
‘Researches in Sahaja Yoga’ books go to Sahaj projects.
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“So you have to study. For
example, there are Jews with
us, let them study Torah and
see where is Sahaja Yoga in
their written law? Find it
out. If you are Christians
read the Bible, find out. You
should read Gîtâ, you should
read Upanishads and you
should be masters.
You'll find that Sahaj Yoga is
such a light that you will
know what it is. We have
got the Devi's names and the
Sahasranâmas. Read them
and try to understand the meaning of that, how far it goes.
That's how the depth of your knowledge will increase and your
Sahaj Yoga will tell you what is right and what is wrong.”
23-11-80, London.
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