THE 10 PRIMORDIAL MASTERS : Introduction
THE 10 PRIMORDIAL MASTERS : Introduction
Source: CD-Rom -The 10 Incarnations of the Primordial Master -
|In[pic] |JANAKA |10,00 - |I |
| | |16,000 | |
| | |B.C. | |
| | 10,000-16,000 BC India | | |
|[pic] |ABRAHAM |2,000 B.C.|Mesopotamia |
| | 2,000 BC Mesopotamia | | |
|[pic] |MOSES |1,300 B.C.|Egypt |
| | 1,300 BC Egypt | | |
|[pic] |ZARATHUSTRA |1,000 B.C.|Persia |
| | 1,000 BC Persia | | |
|[pic] |LAO TZE |604 B.C. |China |
| | 604 BC China | | |
|[pic] |CONFUCIUS |551 B.C. |China |
| | 551 BC China | | |
|[pic] |SOCRATES |469 B.C. |Greece |
| | 469 BC Greece | | |
|[pic] |MUHAMMED |570 A.D. |Mecca |
| | 570 AD Meca | | |
|[pic] |NANAKA |1469 A.D. |India |
| | 1469 AD India | | |
| | | | |
| | | | |
| |1856 AD India | | |
|[pic] |SAI NATH 1856 |1856 A.D. |India1856 |
Nirmala Devi as a limited attempt to provide information about -The Ten Incarnations of the Primordial Master - the Divine Guru Principle.
We ask for Her forgiveness for any mistakes in inaccuracies contained herein.
The word 'religion' is a western term, the eastern word, Dharma, simply means `duty’. The Primordial Masters taught that of all Dharma, the best is to utter sincerely the praise and names of God. That is the foremost of all religions, and the work of The Ten Primordial Masters was the religion of bringing the Lord and his Power, to all people.
They taught to all people that religion abides in every soul. It is the innermost nature of everything that exists. It is the yearning of man to be perfect. As there is Only One God, there is only one religion: Of the droplet of water to become the ocean; of a flame to merge with the fire, of the incomplete man to become complete, then he must receive enlightenment and realise the self.
A seeker without a spiritual guide is like an orphan child in the wilderness. The word, Guru, means - Supreme Spiritual Light. When the seeker has developed a permanent and firm conviction - that his intellect, his education, and all knowledge of the world, without the constant inner guidance of a true Guru, is actually complete darkness which will ultimately lead to delusion.
How much more blessed are we who have been allowed to call Shri Adi Shakti as our Guru and Divine Mother who has granted us spiritual birth. The Path through the Void Can spirituality be taught? The answer is No.
The prophets are the Divine Messengers because they each experienced the sacred communion with the Holy Spirit by seeking to guide, help and awaken the guru principle within each of us.
They each went into the "cave" and "mountain" within their own heart, with only Faith and Devotion as their offerings, since the dawn of man they boldly strode amongst the many tribes of men as immeasurable spiritual masters.
Can we rid ourselves of the darkness within our hearts by lighting lamps outside? If the light of Faith and Devotion of the Guru Principle within us is not lit within our own Void, then how can we begin to strive for illumination from any outside source. Spirituality is an inherent, evolutionary quality gained by perseverance on the steep climb towards total self-realisation. Instruction is of two kinds: the inner guru principle who is within, the other is the holy, pious teacher who provides crucial lessons and direction.
Throughout the Scriptures, the guru-disciple relationship is revered as the highest relationship available to mankind. However, the disciple must first light their own lamp within, to signify their readiness and worthiness for a teacher. This readiness reflects the degree of obedience the disciple has for the teacher and the teachings. The Guru is there as a Guide; it is the disciple who has to ultimately walk the Path of their own ability and effort, being aware that only the inner "Spirit" gives spiritual gifts, and universal blessings.
It is important to remember that none of the prophets ever acquired their spiritual wisdom in a university, school, or institution. If universities could "teach" wisdom and spirituality, then the world would be very different place, because institutes of learning throughout the world have literally been churning out graduates for many hundreds of years. Yet with time the basic nature of society has not improved, in fact quite the opposite.
By observing the physical laws; prophets reveal to their followers spiritual laws through their direct communion with the Atma, and the All-Pervading Power of the Divine.
Prophets reveal the language of the Divine through mantras, prayers, and instruction rooted in cosmic vibrations inspired by Divine Illumination.
The Prophets communion with the Spirit is a unique state of "being", to be at one with the Divine, not thinking or theorising, but directly communicating the message of the Almighty to its creation.
No amount of rational learning can prepare a seeker for the ultimate spiritual experience because it is a mystic experience. While knowledge is acquired and is the achievement of the mind, wisdom is the quality that evolves to be a possession of the immortal, immaterial, and divine Soul. Spirituality is not different from religiosity.
From the lives of The Ten Primordial Prophets contained we may learn that they had the highest spiritual experiences, and were all fundamentally, and innately religious. They attuned themselves with the Supreme All Pervading Power and personally experienced its Divine Working through the different colours of the spectrum and established their different religions accordingly. They are all as One, yet their followers continue to bicker and dispute amongst themselves about who is the greater.
Worshipping our Divine Mother, with others joined for the same purpose, facilitates the hearts flight to the region of spiritual knowledge, where real guidance and knowledge, not restricted by words can be found. One day, when our hearts will beat in harmony with that of Guru then none of us can then venture to describe what will happen as we begin to truly realise our Guru.
As Sahaja Yogis we strive to become one with the World Guru for all times, Shri Mataji Nirmala Devi and ever work to reveal Her Light in this world, rejecting all falsehoods, and manifest the ultimate Truth, during our lifetime, and to best of our abilities and effort.
In other words, it is, to become a perfect Sahaja Yogi devoted to Our Guru. All other rules on this Path are only the means toward this goal. Without this , the walls of ego severely limit all personal efforts to rise above human nature. Because, all work feeds the ego, which simply assumes a more glorified and intangible nature. Sahaja Yoga as an expression of the ultimate Truth is also unique, and cannot be understood by the intellect. It does not match any preconceived human ideas.
This is why Sahaja Yoga is the final path, the path to ultimate Truth, where the seeker accepts Shri Mataji with humility as our Guru and where She quietly plants the ways of Truth in our heart.
The tranquillity of the mind achieved through meditation, the experience of the All Pervading Power must prevail so that the Soul can communicate with Shri Mataji through Her formless nature, unhindered, and seek to become one with Her. Only a spiritually enlightened mind, and not the mundane intelligence can successfully overcome the fetters of the mind, and pave the way for the soul to attune with the Spirit, then we would become The Spirit.
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THE 10 PRIMORDIAL MASTERS : 1 - King Janaka
Source: CD-Rom -The 10 Incarnations of the Primordial Master – 1 Raja Janaka
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When the sages churned the body of Nimi, a child had manifested who was named Janaka. Since, he was not born from a motherly body, hence he was also called 'Videha'.
All the descendants of his dynasty were also known as Videha and Janaka. By the grace of the sage Yagyavalkya, all of them achieved enlightenment. In this very dynasty, Sita was born to 'Seeradhwaja' Janaka.
Marriage of Rama and Sita
Seeradhwaja Janaka was a great scholar and an enlightened person. During the time of Sita's Swayamvara, a custom in ancient India in which a bride selects her bridegroom according to her choice, kings and emperors from all parts of the world were invited to the occasion. All of them had arrived there with a desire to have Sita as their bride.
Vishwamitra had brought Shri Rama and Lakshmana to his hermitage with the permission of their father, king Dashrath. The demons did not allow him and other sages to perform religious rites peacefully, so he thought that Shri Rama would protect him and all the other sages from the demons' atrocities. Vishwamitra too had received invitation from King Janaka to be present during the Swayamvara ceremony of Sita. So, he took both Rama and Lakshmana along with him and proceeded towards Mithila. On the way, Shri Rama liberated Ahilya, who had been turned into a stone because of a curse.
When all of them reached Janakpuri enjoying the magnificent natural beauty throughout their way, they took their bath in the holy Ganges and stayed in a garden to take rest.
When Janaka came to known about Vishwamitra's arrival, he immediately rushed towards the garden to see him, along with his whole family and brought him and Shri Rama and Lakshmana to his palace with great respect. After Vishwamitra took his seat and Shri Rama and Lakshmana sat near his feet, Janaka curious to know about the identities of Shri Rama and Lakshmana asked:
"O lord of the sages, please do not hide anything from me, tell me who are these two children? 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 the same after seeing these two children".
Janaka whose mind and heart was engrossed in thoughts of God, was impressed by the sight of Rama and Lakshmana. The thought of the unseen Almighty vanished from his mind and was replaced by the thoughts of Shri Rama. It was but natural because who would like to run after the unseen, if he is fortunate enough to see the 'real'.
Janaka's affection for Shri Rama was boundless. This is evident in the following incident: After marrying Sita, Shri Rama was on his, way back to Ayodhya along with the marriage procession. Janaka too came along with them to see them off. Dashrath requested him to return back to his palace. But, not willing to let Rama go out of his sight, Janaka refused many times. After repeated insistence of Dashrath, he got down from the chariot with tears in his eyes. He came towards Shri Rama and said:
"O Rama, I do not have words for your praise, you are the 'Swan' swimming in the Mansarovar, compared with the minds of the sages and Lord Mahadeva for the acquirement of whom, the Yogis (recluse) abandon anger, attachment and arrogance and practice yoga".
When Janaka came to know about Rama's exile for the period of fourteen years, he sent his spies to Ayodhya to get information regarding Bharat's intentions. But he was satisfied when he learnt about Bharat's deep love for Shri Rama. Later on, when he went to Chitrakoot to see Rama, he also found Bharat there. So he could neither say anything to Shri Rama nor he could ask anything from Bharat for he feared that it might hurt the feelings of both. Janaka had mystical love for Shri Rama which cannot be described in words. He was the supreme follower of Karma Yoga and one of the twelve 'Bhagwatacharyas'.
JANAKA, The Attainment of God
Once upon a time, king Janaka sent a message to the people in his kingdom:
"If there be amongst you a great scholar, a Pundit, a Mahatma, a Yogi, a Maharishi, a Sage, whoever he may be, let him come and teach me the knowledge of Atma." In his message he said that he expected to attain Atma Jnana, Self-knowledge, within a matter of a few moments of being properly instructed. Even while climbing onto his horse, before he was completely settled on to it, he should have attained Atma Jnana. He said: "If the person offering to teach me Atma Jnana is not able to accomplish this task of providing me an experience of instant illumination, then I don't want to see him, even if he is the greatest scholar, or the most learned person, or the highly educated person in the land."
Well, all the Pundits and Rishis were a little frightened by this requirement. They saw that this would be a severe test on their scholarship and learning, and so none dared to come forth and offer himself to instruct the king and meet the conditions that had been posed.
It was at this point that the boy Astavakra entered the kingdom. While he was going on the road towards the capital city of Mithilapuram, he met a number of people coming from there, including scholars and Pundits; all of them had long faces, looking worried and grief-ridden. Astavakra asked them what was the cause for their worry and grief. They explained to him all the things that had happened. But Astavakra couldn't understand why they should get frightened over such a small thing.
He added: "I will gladly solve this problem for the king."
So saying he directly entered the court of Janaka. He addressed the king: "My dear King, I am ready to enable you to experience the knowledge of Atma as you desire.
But this sacred knowledge cannot be taught so easily. This palace is full of Rajo Guna and Tamo Guna. We must leave this place and enter an area of pure Satva." So, they left the palace and went along the road leading out of the city towards the forest. As was the custom whenever the emperor went outside his palace walls, the army followed behind; but Janaka had them remain outside the forest.
Astavakra and Janaka entered the forest. Astavakra 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, 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 gift to the Guru, the Gurudakshina that is given by the Sishya to the Guru. Only after you give your offering to me will I start my instruction to you."
King Janaka told Astavakra: "The attainment of God is the most important thing to me, so I am prepared to give you absolutely anything you want." But Astavakra replied: "I don't want any material things from you, 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."
Astavakra told Janaka to dismount from his horse and made the horse stand in front of the king and then he told the king to sit down in the middle of the road. Astavakra walked into the forest and sat quietly under a tree. The soldiers waited for a long time. Neither the king nor Astavakra returned from the forest. The soldiers wanted to find out what had happened to them, so one by one, they proceeded to look for them.
When they went along the road leading into the forest, they found the king seated there, in the middle of the road. The horse was standing in front of the king. The king had his eyes closed and sat still almost immobile. Astavakra was not to be seen. The officers were afraid that Astavakra might have exercised some magic spell over the king and had made him lose consciousness. The went to look for the Prime Minister.
The Prime Minister came and addressed Janaka: "O King! O King! O King!" But King Janaka did not open his eyes; he did not move at all. The Prime Minister became frightened. Not only the Prime Minister but all the officials were now getting frightened, because the time when the King usually took his food and drink had passed and the king still had not stirred. In this way the day went on and evening came, but the king did not move from his position, sitting there immobile on the road.
Left with no alternative, the Prime Minister sent the chariot back to the city to bring the queen thinking that if the queen spoke to the king, he would surely respond. The queen came and addressed the king: "Rajah, Rajah, Rajah!" The king did not stir; there was absolutely no response from the king. Meanwhile the soldiers searched throughout the whole forest for Astavakra. There, under a tree, Astavakra was seated
peacefully, in absolute calm and serenity.
The soldiers caught hold of him and brought him towards the place where the king was. Astavakra told them: "Why are you all so worried? The king is safe and everything is alright." But still they insisted and brought him before the King seated on the road with his eyes closed, his body completely still. The soldier said:
"Here, look for yourself! See what has happened to the king!".
Until that time, whether the Prime Minister, or the ministers, or the queen or any of the other court officials or common people, had called out and addressed the king, he neither opened his mouth in answer nor opened his eyes in acknowledgment. But now Astavakra came and spoke to the king.
King Janaka immediately opened his eyes and replied, "Swami!"
Astavakra questioned the king: "Well, the ministers have come, and the soldiers have come, and also 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 to anyone or use this mind in any way without your permission and command."
Then Astavakra said: "You have attained the state of God-realization."
Astavakra told Janaka to put one foot in the stirrup and get up on the horse. By the time he had climbed up and seated himself on the horse and put his other foot in the stirrup, he had attained the experience of Atma. Once a person has offered his mind, and with it all his words, deeds and thoughts, then he will not have the authority or the power to perform any actions without the permission of the one to whom he has surrendered his mind.
King Janaka’s Sage
Develop a sense of proportion and a due sense of values. Love the things of the world with the love that is their due and not more. Suka, the purest of the sages and the wisest, was teaching a number of disciples including the wise emperor, Janaka. One day, Suka started his discourse late, for, Janaka had not yet come. The others resented the extra attachment that Suka bestowed on Janaka. They ascribed it to the fact that he was the emperor of the realm; they felt that their Guru was unfortunately moved by those mundane considerations. Suka knew how their imagination was weaving falsehoods and prejudices. So, he decided to cast off this envy from their hearts.
After Janaka came and the discourse lasted for sometime, Suka so managed with his mystic
powers that they could see in the far distance, near the horizon, the city of Mithila, the capital of the
emperor, caught in flames and crumbling in the conflagration.
The disciples were listening to Atma Bodha, the lesson that the Atma alone is real and that all else
is appearance, imposed on the Atma, by the fog of illusion and ignorance. Every other disciple ran off, leaving the class and the preceptor, each on his own self, afraid that the oncoming fire will burn his clothes or books. But Janaka, whose capital city was being reduced to ashes sat unmoved for he knew that what was being consumed by fire was only appearance and not reality. Suka himself asked Janaka to go and assess the damage and try to save what can be saved from the fire.
But Janaka replied that his treasure was the Jnana (wisdom) he was getting from his master and that he was unconcerned about the objective world, approachable by external instruments of knowledge.
At this Suka revealed that the fire was a make-believe, created by him to show others the depth of real scholarship earned by Janaka in contrast to their superficial learning.
King Janaka seeker after the Supreme Truth
Once emperor Janaka approached the sage Yajnavalkya and asked him, "O Sage! please let me know the facts about my previous life". The sage replied, "What is past is past. There is no use in recalling it. You have completed a journey along a road. Do not bother about the road that has been traversed. It does not help in your journey to your glory." Although the sage used many arguments to dissuade Janaka from persisting in his request, Janaka was insistent on knowing about his previous birth.
Yajnavalkya then resorted to his Divine insight and told the Emperor." Janaka, your wife in the present birth was your mother in your previous life". On hearing this, Janaka was shocked. He reflected, "What a wicked person have I been to treat my former mother as my wife! I must give up such a wicked life". From that moment be began to treat his queen as his mother, and giving up all attachments to worldly things, began to pursue spiritual wisdom.
One night, Janaka Maharaja had a dream in which he dreamt that he had 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 persons gave him some food, but to his great misfortune, even that morsel slipped down from his hand. Just then the horror-stricken king woke up from his dream. He found himself in his royal palace.
The king 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 Vasishta. The sage told, "O king, both are real in one sense but there is also 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 the conscious state". King Janaka was a seeker after the Supreme Truth (Brahmajnana).
He sought knowledge for the sake of Self-Realisation and not for the sake of creature comforts. He held an assembly of sages where he achieved fame. At that assembly, Gargi carried on a debate with the sage Yaajnavalkya. The debate was based on the scriptures. It was inconclusive. Then Gargi put a question to King Janaka, "What is the mark of a Sthitha prajna?". The king replied, "He is the one, who realises the Oneness of the Absolute". Gargi said, "If you have realised this state of Awareness, you will be conscious of Oneness alone. You are not in that state now. I wish to realise this Awareness."
Gargi said, "Oh King! I have one desire. Will you fulfil it?" "Certainly," replied Janaka. She asked him to marry her. The king said, "I have only one wife, Sunetra. I don’t wish to have any other wife." Gargi said, "You are a great Jnani. You have good eyes and your queen is a good-eyed lady. May I ask what reward you are giving to the great Yaajnavalkya?" The King said, "I shall give him whatever he asks for."
Yaajnavalkya was no doubt a great scholar but he did not have total sense-control.
Yaajnavalkya asked the king, "Give this Gargi to me in marriage. Celebrate our wedding." There was a great uproar in the hall.
The great scholars present there asked, "What is the meaning of Yaajanavalkya’s request? " Gargi then asked Yaajnavalkya, "What is the purpose of a marriage?"
Yaajnavalkya replied, "To have progeny" Gargi said, "No the wife is one-half of the husband Ardhaangi.
This means that she should pursue Dharma together with the husband as a Dharmapatni (a Righteous wife). Marriage is for the sake of pursuing Dharma. It is not for enjoying worldly pleasures. Our emperor enjoys carnal pleasures in his palace. The same is experienced by street dogs. Is that happiness? "
Ashtavakra Gita
The Advaita classic, a dialogue between King Janaka and the sage Ashtavakra.
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.
Practise 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 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 actionless consciousness, the all-pervading witness - unattached to anything, desireless and at peace. It is from illusion that you seem to be involved in samsara.
Dialogue between King Janaka and Sage Yajnavalkya
'Yajnavalkya, what serves as the light for a man?' asks Janaka.
'The light of sun, O Emperor' the sage said.
'When the sun sets, Yajnavalkya, what exactly serves as the light for a man?'
'The moon serves as the light'
'When the sun and the moon have both set, Yajnavalkya, what exactly serves as the light for a man?'
'The fire serves as his light'
'When the sun and the moon have both set, and the fire has gone out, Yajnavalkya, what exactly serves as the light for a man?'
'Speech (sound) serves as his light'
'When the sun and the moon have both set, the fire has gone out, and speech has stopped, Yajnavalkya, what exactly serves as the light a man?'
'The self serves as his light'. This is where the real inquiry into self starts.
The path of devotion: On this path one starts with the faith in possessor of the universal power (God) and thus starts with dual idea of self and the God being separate and long to be united with Him. The inquiry of where is He and how can I see Him, leads to the God within which is his own self.
Source: CD-Rom -The 10 Incarnations of the Primordial Master – 2 Abraham
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Life History
Abraham or Abraham as he was later called, was brought up in the small town of Ur of the Chaldees. There, along with everyone else, he worshipped the many gods who were believed to have control over the different parts of nature.
There Abraham encountered the One God who seemed to have control over not only the whole of nature but history as well. This same God was willing to enter into a special relationship (covenant) with Abraham and his descendants.
No-one is quite sure how, or when, Abraham stopped believing in many gods and came to believe in the one God. The time and place however are not important. What matters is that Abraham's experience marked the beginning of the Jewish nation, and Jews today speak, with great fondness, of 'Our Father Abraham' (Avrham Avinu) Although his experience cannot be dated exactly it seems to have happened sometime between 2000 BC and 1800 BC. Because of this Abraham moved from the town of Ur and travelled 1000 miles to the town of Hebron. It was in Hebron that God revealed to Abraham that his descendants would be protected and would in time become a great nation.
Abraham is often called one of the Jewish Patriarchs (Father Figure). The other two Jewish patriarchal figures are Isaac (Abraham's son) and Jacob (Isaac's son). An important event in Jewish history is the way that God tests Abraham, by asking him to sacrifice his son Isaac.
The One God
He believed that there was only one god. Even though many people believed in the opposite, Abraham was firm in his beliefs and because of them a very important religion was started, the Jewish religion. Abraham stuck with his beliefs forever.
When Abraham was a child he lived with his father, Terach, and his two brothers, Nahor and Haran. Abraham, along with his other family members, grew up in a city called Ur. Every night in Ur the gates of the city were locked in order to keep enemies out. Abraham and his two brothers loved watching people come in and out of the gates.
Abraham always wondered who the creator of the world was. So, one day he went to his father and asked him. Terach worked in a shop that sold idols, and Terach pulled an idol off the shelf and told him that the idol had created the world. Surely, Abraham did not believe his father so he went and asked his uncle. His uncle told him that the moon and the stars created the world.
Abraham was not quite sure if that was true, but he got an idea that there might be an almighty up in the heavens who created the world ... God.
God spoke to Abraham and made two promises. One, that he would curse anyone who cursed Abraham, and bless anyone who blesses Abraham.
Two, he told Abraham to go and settle in the city of Canaan with his family. Abraham travelled long and hard with many followers. Abraham and his followers found a good life in Canaan. The people of Canaan gave him the name of “The Hebrew.” It means “the man from the other side of the river.”
By now Abraham was happily married to a beautiful woman named Sarah. For all of the time that Abraham and Sarah had been married they had lived in Canaan, but one day there was a famine in Canaan, so they had to leave in order to live. They traveled south to Egypt. Before they walked into the gates of Egypt, Abraham requested that Sarah tell the pharaoh that they were sister and brother, because Sarah was so pretty and they would take her and kill Abraham.
So, Sarah did what Abraham had told her to do and they got to stay in Egypt for a very long time. Until one day when the pharaoh found out that Abraham and Sarah were not sister and brother, but husband and wife. He was very mad because while they were staying in Egypt, Sarah and the pharaoh had married! Immediately after he found out, Abraham and Sarah were thrown out Egypt.
Abraham had longed for a child for many years. Abraham and Sarah thought that her womb was closed and they could no longer have a baby, they were both very upset. They both wanted a baby very much. So, Sarah told Abraham to go and lay next to their slave, Hagar, and have a baby. Sure enough, Abraham and Hagar bore a child named Ishmael. Hagar would have to give up the child so Abraham and Sarah could raise Ishmael as their son. Hagar ran away with Ishmael. After only a few days she returned because she knew that she could not keep Ismael as her own. She had promised to give the child to Abraham and Sarah.
Finally, Abraham had gotten his dream, he finally had a child at the age of 86.
At the age of 99, Abraham and Sarah found out that they could, indeed, have a child. God told Abraham that within that year they would have a child. One day a man came to the door of Abraham’s tent and asked for some food, and Abraham, being the kind man that he was, gave the poor man some food.
The man said to Abraham that he was going to come by at the same time next year and he predicted that Abraham and Sarah will have a son. Sarah overheard their conversation from the other room and laughed at the fact of having a child at such an old age. Sure enough, when the man stopped by at the time he had promised, Abraham and Sarah had bore a child. They named him Isaac, which means laughter, because Sarah had laughed when the man mentioned having a child.
As much as Abraham had wanted a child he believed so strongly that there was only one god, and he was willing to do anything to prove his devotion.
So, one day God spoke to Abraham and told him to go up to the mountain-top and sacrifice his son, Isaac. Although reluctant, Abraham did as God had told him. Abraham had all of the wood and he had the altar, all that he needed to sacrifice his child. When Abraham put his son on the altar, and Isaac was laying there not understanding what was going on, Isaac asked Abraham where the sheep was. He did not know that his father wasn’t going to sacrifice a lamb, but his very own son, the poor boy who was laying on the altar about to be killed.
Abraham told Isaac that God was going to provide the lamb, not wanting to tell Isaac that he was going to sacrifice him. As Abraham was just moments away from sacrificing Isaac, God spoke to him, but again, and told him to stop!
Abraham listened and did what God told him to do. God told Abraham that he was not really going to make him kill Isaac. He said that it was only a test, to see how much he trusted God.
Abraham was relieved that he did not have to sacrifice the child that he had been waiting so long for. Luckily, God stopped Abraham just in time, because if God did not tell Abraham to stop at the exact moment that he did, Abraham would have killed his son. Abraham would do that because God told him to, and Abraham believed that everything God said was probably meant to be. Sarah died at a very old age and Abraham and Isaac were in mourning for a very long time, so Abraham decided that it might be easier for Isaac to marry. So, Abraham sent their servant, Eliazer, out in search of a wife for Isaac. When Eliazer got back he had a wife for Isaac, her name was Rebekah. It turns out that Rebekah was Isaac’s cousin, but they still got married.
God's Promises to Abraham
The people of Ur knew nothing of the true God. They worshipped many false gods, chief of which was the moon. The ruins of a temple built to the moon-god have been found there.
A message from God
One day Abraham received a message from Almighty God. "Now the Lord had said unto Abraham, Get thee out of thy country, and from thy kindred. and from thy father's house, unto a land that I will shew thee."
He was told to leave his own land, and his own people, and travel to a country that God would show him. I wonder how we should feel if we received such a message?
When He told Abraham to do this, God also told him:
"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".
Abraham believed the promises that God had made, and he obeyed Him.
At length he reached the land of Israel with his wife, Sarah, and his nephew Lot.
Lot chose the best of the land and Abraham was left to find pastures for his flocks and herds in the more barren parts of the country. But God was with Abraham, and enlarged upon the promises He had made to him in Ur:
"All the land which thou seest, to thee will I give it, and to thy seed for ever. And I will make thy seed as the dust of the earth" .
The land he was promised was the land he saw - the land now call Israel. Besides this, God also promised it to Abraham's seed, or son. God promised him a 'seed', or son, who should share the land with him. He also promised that Abraham's descendants should become a great nation.
Time had gone by and Abraham was getting old. The promised son had not been given. But once more God assured him that he should have a son, and that his descendants should be as great in number as the stars in the sky. "He (Abraham) believed in the Lord; and He counted it to him for righteousness."
Abraham, like us, was not freen from sin; but he trusted in God and, because of this, God was pleased with him.
These things happened nearly 4,000 years ago, and at first they do not seem to matter very much to us.
But Abraham had a son who was greater than Isaac. The Bible speaks of "Jesus Christ the son of David, the son of Abraham."
ABRAHAM - Viewpoint of the Old Testament
Abraham may be looked upon as the starting-point or source of Old Testament religion. So that from the days of Abraham men were wont to speak of God as the God of Abraham, whilst we do not find Abraham referring in the same way to anyone before him.
So we have Abraham's servant speaking of "the God of my father Abraham". The religion of Israel does not begin with Moses, l God says to Moses: "I am the God of thy fathers, the God of Abraham" and is common in the Old Testament.
Abraham is thus selected as the first beginning or source of the religion of the children of Israel and the origin of its close connection with Jehovah, because of his faith, trust, and obedience to and in Jehovah and because of Jehovah's promises to him and to his seed.
This trust in God was shown by him when he left Haran and journeyed with his family into the unknown country of Chanaan. It was shown principally when he was willing to sacrifice his only son Isaac, in obedience to a command from God.
ABRAHAM - Viewpoint of the New Testament
The generation of Jesus Christ is traced back to Abraham by St. Matthew, according to St. Luke, he is shown to be descended according to the flesh not only from Abraham but also from Adam.
Moreover, as the New Testament traces the descent of Jesus Christ from Abraham, so it does of all the Jews
John the Baptist says:
"Do not begin to say: We have Abraham for our father, for I say to you God is able of these stones to raise up children to Abraham."
In the Bible the Jews, to whom Jesus was speaking, boast "We are the seed of Abraham", and Jesus replies (39):
"If ye be the children of Abraham, do the works of Abraham".
Shared Beginnings
Abraham, and his son, Isaac, and Isaac’s son, Jacob were the three patriarchs. A patriarch is a founding father or a leader of a certain religion.
Abraham was also the first Jew and the founder of Judaism, the Jewish religion.
The Arabs trace their ancestry to Ishmael, Abraham’s oldest son, so in the effect the tribes of Israel and those of Arabia who have been in eternal conflict are descendants from the cousins Isaac and Ishmael and share their ancestry with Abraham. Islam is one of the fastest growing religions in the world today. Unified by faith in the teachings of the Prophet Mohammed, Muslims throughout the world make a once-in-a-lifetime pilgrimage to Mecca.
The Ka'bah at Mecca, the cube-shaped building in the center of Mecca, the holiest shrine of Islam, was built by the prophet Abraham and his son Ishmael.
THE 10 PRIMORDIAL MASTERS : 3 – Mo
ses
Source: CD-Rom -The 10 Incarnations of the Primordial Master – 3 Moses
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Hebrew Moshe, Hebrew prophet, teacher, and leader who, in the 13th century BCE (before the Common Era, or BC), delivered his people from Egyptian slavery. In the Covenant ceremony at Mt. Sinai, where the Ten Commandments were promulgated, he founded the religious community known as Israel. As the interpreter of these Covenant stipulations, he was the organizer of the community's religious and civil traditions. In the Judaic tradition, he is revered as the greatest prophet and teacher, and Judaism has sometimes loosely been called Mosaism, or the Mosaic faith, in Western Christendom. His influence continues to be felt in the religious life, moral concerns, and social ethics of Western civilization, and therein lies his undying significance.
To deny or to doubt the historic personality of Moses, is to undermine and render unintelligible the subsequent history of the Israelites. Rabbinical literature teems with legends touching every event of his marvellous career: taken singly, these popular tales are purely imaginative, yet, considered in their cumulative force, they vouch for the reality of a grand and illustrious personage, of strong character, high purpose, and noble achievement, so deep, true, and efficient in his religious convictions as to thrill and subdue the minds of an entire race for centuries after his death.
The Bible furnishes the chief authentic account of this luminous life.
Historical views of Moses
Few historical figures have engendered such disparate interpretations as has Moses. Early Jewish and Christian traditions considered him the author of the Torah (“Law,” or “Teaching”), also called the Pentateuch (“Five Books”), comprising the first five books of the Bible, and some conservative groups still believe in Mosaic authorship.
Opposing this is the theory of the German scholar Martin Noth, who, while granting that Moses may have had something to do with the preparations for the conquest of Canaan, was very skeptical of the roles attributed to him by tradition.
Although recognizing a historical core beneath the Exodus and Sinai traditions, Noth believed that two different groups experienced these events and transmitted the stories independently of each other. He contended that the biblical story tracing the Hebrews from Egypt to Canaan resulted from an editor's weaving separate themes and traditions around a main character Moses, actually an obscure person from Moab.
The reconstruction of the documentary sources of the Pentateuch by literary critics is considered valid, but the sources are viewed as varying versions of one series of events (see biblical literature: The Torah [Law, Pentateuch, or Five Books of Moses]).
Other critical methods (studying the biblical text from the standpoint of literary form, oral tradition, style, redaction, and archaeology) are equally valid.
The most accurate answer to a critical problem is therefore likely to come from the convergence of various lines of evidence. The aid of critical scholarship not with standing, the sources are so sketchy that the man Moses can be portrayed only in broad outline.
The Age of Moses
According to the biblical account, Moses' parents were from the tribe of Levi, one of the groups in Egypt called Hebrews. Originally the term Hebrew had nothing to do with race or ethnic origin. It derived from Habiru, a variant spelling of Hapiru (Apiru), a designation of a class of people who made their living by hiring themselves out for various services.
The biblical Hebrews had been in Egypt for generations, but apparently they became a threat, so one of the pharaohs enslaved them. Unfortunately, the personal name of the king is not given, and scholars have disagreed as to his identity and, hence, as to the date of the events of the narrative of Moses. One theory takes literally the statement in I Kings 6:1 that the Exodus from Egypt occurred 480 years before Solomon began building the Temple in Jerusalem. This occurred in the fourth year of his reign, about 960 BCE; therefore, the Exodus would date about 1440 BCE.
This conclusion, however, is at variance with most of the biblical and archaeological evidence. The storage cities Pithom and Rameses, built for the pharaoh by the Hebrews, were located in the northeastern part of the Egyptian delta, not far from Goshen, the district in which the Hebrews lived.
Moreover, Edom and Moab, petty kingdoms in Transjordan that forced Moses to circle east of them, were not yet settled and organized. Finally, as excavations have shown, the destruction of the cities the Hebrews claimed to have captured occurred about 1250, not 1400.
In as much as tradition figured about 12 generations from Moses to Solomon, the reference to 480 years is most likely an editorial comment allowing 40 years for each generation. Since an actual generation was nearer 25 years, the most probable date for the Exodus is about 1290 BCE. If this is true, then the oppressive pharaoh noted in Exodus (1:2–2:23) was Seti I (reigned 1318–04), and the pharaoh during the Exodus was Ramses II (c. 1304–c. 1237). In short, Moses was probably born in the late 14th century BCE.
Years and Deeds
The formative years
One of the measures taken by the Egyptians to restrict the growth of the Hebrews was to order the death of all newborn Hebrew males. According to tradition, 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, found by the pharaoh's daughter while bathing, was reared in the Egyptian court. While many doubt the authenticity of this tradition, the name Moses (Hebrew Moshe) is derived from Egyptian mose (“is born”) and is found in such names as Thutmose ([The God] Thoth Is Born). Originally, it is inferred, Moses' name was longer, but the deity's name was dropped.
This could have happened when Moses returned to his people or possibly even earlier, because the shortened form Mose was very popular at that time.
Moses' years in the court are passed over in silence, but it is evident from his accomplishments later that he had instruction in religious, civil, and military matters.
During his education he learned somehow that he was a Hebrew, and his sense of concern and curiosity impelled him to visit his people. According to the biblical narrative, Moses lived 120 years and was 80 when he confronted Pharaoh, but there is no indication how old he was when he went to see the Hebrews. Later Jewish and Christian tradition assumed 40-year periods for his stay in the Egyptian court, his sojourn in Midian, and his wilderness wanderings.
Most likely Moses was about 25 when he took the inspection tour among his people.
There he saw the oppressive measures under which they laboured. When he found an Egyptian taskmaster beating a Hebrew, probably to death, he could control his sense of justice no longer. After checking to make sure that no one was in sight, he killed the tough Egyptian overlord. As a prince in the court, Moses was probably in excellent physical condition, and apparently he knew the latest methods of combat.
The flush of victory pulled Moses back the next day. He had removed one threat to his people and was determined to assist them again. This time, however, he found two Hebrews fighting. After parting them, he questioned the offender in an attempt to mediate the disagreement. Two questions jolted him: “Who made you a prince and a judge over us? Do you intend to kill me as you killed the Egyptian?” The confidence of the self-appointed deliverer turned into fear. One of his own knew his “secret” and soon Pharaoh would, too. Realizing that he would have to flee, he went to Midian (mainly in northwest Arabia).
Moses in Midian
In noting the flight to Midian the narrative says nothing of the difficulties involved. Like Sinuhe, the Egyptian court official whose flight in about 1960 BCE was narrated in a famous story, Moses undoubtedly had to filter through the “Wall of the Ruler,” a series of forts at the eastern border, approximately where the Suez Canal is now located. From there he made his way southeast through very desolate country.
Unfortunately, the Bible does not specify the part of Midian in which Moses resided.
Midian proper was east of the Gulf of Aqaba, in the northern section of Hejaz in Arabia, but there is evidence that some of the Midianite clans crossed over the Arabah (the great valley south of the Dead Sea) and settled in the eastern and southern sections of the Sinai Peninsula. While Moses was resting at a well, according to the biblical account, seven daughters of the Midianite priest Jethro came to water their father's flocks. Other shepherds arrived and drove the girls away in order to water their own flocks.
Again Moses showed his courage and prowess as a warrior because he took on the shepherds (perhaps with the girls' help) and routed them. Moses stayed on with Jethro and eventually married Zipporah, one of the daughters. In assuming the responsibility for Jethro's flocks, Moses roamed the wilderness looking for pasture.
One day at the base of a mountain, his attention was attracted by a flaming bush, but, oddly, it was not consumed. He had seen bushes brilliant with flamelike blossoms, but this phenomenon was different, and so he turned aside to investigate it. Before he could do so, he was warned to come no closer. Then he was ordered to remove his sandals because he was standing on holy ground.
Regardless of how one interprets the burning bush, the important fact is that Moses was conscious of an encounter with Deity. This God, who claimed to be the God of Abraham, Isaac, and Jacob, was calling him to deliver the Hebrews from Egypt.
Although on his own he had previously been zealous to help his own people, now that he was being commissioned to deliver them he expressed doubt concerning his qualifications.
The underlying reason was probably fear - he had fled from Seti I, and he did not relish confrontation with Ramses II. God reassured Moses that in the future he and the Hebrews would worship at this mountain. Then Moses asked to know the name of the Deity commissioning him. The God of the fathers had been known mostly as El 'Elyon (God Most High) or El Shaddai (God of the Mountain or Almighty God), but he identified himself to Moses as Yahweh and gave instructions that he was to be called by his new name from then on.
As the causative form of the verb “to be,” Yahweh means He Who Creates (Brings Into Being). This revelation enabled Moses to understand the God of the Hebrews as the sovereign Lord over nature and the nations of the world.
Even after further assurances, Moses was still reluctant to accept Yahweh's call; therefore, he pleaded for release because he was a stammerer. Yahweh acknowledged the defect but promised to help him express himself. Awed by his assignment, Moses made a final desperate plea, “Oh, my Lord, send, I pray, some other person.”
Although angry at Moses, Yahweh would not yield. Moses would still be Yahweh's representative, but his golden-tongued brother Aaron would be the spokesman.
Apparently Moses was ready to play the role of God to Pharaoh providing Aaron would serve as his prophet. He returned to Jethro and requested permission to visit his people in Egypt, but he did not disclose that he had been commissioned by Yahweh.
Moses and Pharaoh
Ramses II became king as a teenager and reigned for 67 years. He aspired to defeat the Hittites and control all of Syria, but in the fifth year of his reign Ramses walked into a Hittite trap laid for him at Kadesh, on the Orontes River in Syria. By sheer determination he fought his way out, but in the light of his purpose the battle was an
utter failure.
Yet Ramses, like all the pharaohs, claimed to be divine; therefore, the defeat had to be interpreted as a marvellous victory in which he alone subdued the Hittites. His wounded ego expressed itself in massive building operations throughout Egypt, and before his reign ended the boast of his success literally filled acres of wall space.
It was probably only a few years after the Kadesh incident that Moses and Aaron confronted Ramses with their demand, “Thus says the Lord, the God of Israel, ‘Let my people go.' ” As a god in human form Ramses was not accustomed to taking orders from lesser gods, let alone an unknown like Yahweh. “Who is the 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 a long struggle between a distrustful ruler with an outsize ego and a prophet with a new understanding of Yahweh and his power.
The Prophet MOSES
He (God) said: "Fear not, Verily! I am with you both, Hearing and Seeing. So go you both to him, and say: "Verily, we are Messengers of your Lord, so let the children of Israel go with us, and torment them not; indeed, we have come with a sign from your Lord! And peace will be upon him who follows the guidance! Truly, it has been revealed to us that the torment will be for him who denies (believes not in the Oneness of God, and in His Messengers), and turns away' (from the truth, and obedience of God)."
Moses and Aaron went together to Pharaoh and delivered their message. Moses spoke to him about God, His mercy and His Paradise and about the obligations of monotheism and His worship.
Pharaoh listened to Moses' speech with disdain. He thought that Moses was crazy because he dared to question his supreme position. Then he raised his hand and asked:
"What do you want?"
Moses answered: "I want you to send the children of Israel with us."
Pharaoh asked: "Why should I send them, as they are my slaves?"
Moses replied: "They are the slaves of God, Lord of the Worlds."
Pharaoh then inquired sarcastically if his name was Moses. Moses said "Yes."
"Are you not the Moses whom we picked up from the Nile as a helpless baby? Are you not the Moses whom we reared in this palace, who ate and drank from our provisions and whom our wealth showered with charity? Are you not the Moses who is a fugitive, the killer of an Egyptian man, if my memory does not betray me? It is said that killing is an act of disbelief. Therefore, you were a disbeliever when you killed. You are a fugitive from justice and you come to speak to me! What were you talking about Moses, I forgot?"
Moses knew that Pharaoh's mentioning his past, his upbringing, and his receiving Pharaoh's charity was Pharaoh's way of threatening him. Moses ignored his sarcasm and explained that he was not a disbeliever when he killed the Egyptian, he only went astray and God the Almighty had not yet given him the revelation at that time. He made Pharaoh understand that he fled from Egypt because he was afraid of their revenge upon him, even though the killing was an accident. He informed him that God had granted him forgiveness and made him one of the messengers.
God the Almighty revealed as part of the dialogue between Moses and Pharaoh: God said: "Nay! Go you both with Our Signs, Verily! We shall be with you, listening. And when you both come to Pharaoh, say: "We are the Messengers of 'the Lord and Cherisher of the worlds' and So allow the children of Israel to go with us."
Pharaoh said to Moses: "Did we not bring you up among us as a child? And you did dwell many years of your life with us. And you did your deed which you did (the crime of killing a man) and you are one of the ingrates."
Moses said: "I did it then, when I was an ignorant (as regards my Lord and His Message). So I fled from you when I feared you. But my Lord has granted me judgment (and wisdom), and appointed me as one of the Messengers. And this is the past favor with which you reproach me, and that you have enslaved the children of Israel."
Pharaoh said: "And what is the Lord of 'the Lord and Cherisher of the worlds'?"
Moses replied: "Lord of the heavens, and the earth, and all that is between them, if you seek to be convinced with certainty."
Pharaoh said to those around: "Do you not hear what he says?"
Moses said: "Your Lord and the Lord of your ancient fathers!"
Pharaoh said: "Verily, your Messenger who has been sent to you is a madman!"
Moses said: "Lord of the east, and the west, and all that is between them, if you did but understand!"
Pharaoh said: "If you choose an a god other than me, I will certainly put you among the prisoners."
Moses said: "Even if I bring you something manifest (and convincing)."
Pharaoh said: "Bring it forth then, if you are of the truthful!"
The degree of the conflict expressed in this dialogue reached its apex; thus, the tone of dialogue changed. Moses used a convincing intellectual argument against Pharaoh.
However, Pharaoh escaped from the circle of dialogue based on the logic and began a dialogue of another type, a type which Moses could not bear to follow; a dialogue of menacing and threatening. Pharaoh deliberately adopted the style of the absolute ruler. He asked Moses how he dared to worship God! Did he not know that Pharaoh was a god?
After declaring his divinity, Pharaoh asked Moses how he dared to worship another god. The punishment for this crime was imprisonment. It was not permitted for anyone to worship anyone other than the Pharaoh.
Moses understood that the intellectual arguments did not succeed. The calm dialogue was converted from sarcasm to mentioning charity, then to scorn, then to the threat of imprisonment.
Moses said: "Even if I bring you something manifest and convincing." Pharaoh said; "Bring it forth, then, if you are of the truthful!" So Moses threw his stick, and behold, it was a serpent, manifest. And he drew out his hand, and behold, it was white to all beholders!
Ramses increased the oppression of the Hebrews by the fiendish plan of requiring them to gather the straw binder for the bricks and still produce the same quota each day. Some of the Hebrews rebuffed Moses, and in frustration he asked Yahweh, “Why didst thou ever send me?” Moses' doubt was allayed by Yahweh's promise to take action against Pharaoh. Scholars differ widely concerning the narrative about the plagues.
Some claim that three sources have been combined, but more recent scholarship finds only the two traditions. While granting that some of the plagues had a core of historicity, older critics tended to discount the present accounts as fantastic stories with pious decorations. A recent school of research suggests that, notwithstanding some later additions, all the plagues probably had a historical core.
The basic cause, according to one interpretation, was an unusually high flooding of the Nile. The White Nile originates in the lake region of east central Africa, known today as Uganda. The flow is fairly even throughout
the year because of consistent equatorial rains.
The Blue Nile, on the other hand, originates in the headwaters of the Ethiopian highlands, and it varies from a small stream to a raging torrent.
At the time Moses was bargaining with Ramses, excessively heavy summer rains in Ethiopia washed powdery, carmine-red soil from the slopes of the hills.
During these months Moses used the plagues of the frogs, gnats, mosquitoes, cattle murrain, boils, hail, locusts, and thick darkness to increase the pressure on Ramses. At first the King was adamant.
The Hebrews were not the only disgruntled slaves, and, if he agreed to let them go, then other groups would want the same privilege. To protect his building program, he had to suppress the slave rebellion at its outset. Yet he could not discount the effect of the plagues, and grudgingly he began to acknowledge Yahweh's power.
As an expedient attempt to restore order, he offered to let the Hebrews sacrifice in Goshen. When this failed, he suggested that they make offerings to Yahweh at the edge of the Egyptian border. Moses, however, insisted on a three-day journey into the wilderness. Pharaoh countered by allowing the Hebrew men to make the journey, but this, too, was rejected. As his final offer Pharaoh agreed to let the people go. He would keep the livestock, however, as the guarantee of their return.
Moses spurned the condition, and in anger Pharaoh drove him out. After nine rounds with Pharaoh it appeared that the deliverance of the Hebrews was no nearer, but, in contrast to his earlier periods of doubt and frustration, Moses showed no despair.
Apparently he had an inner assurance that Pharaoh would not have the last word.
From Goshen to Sinai
Chapters 11–14 of Exodus comprise an exceedingly complex section, and at times the traditions have contradictory statements. The drama is more blurred than usual, and scholars vary tremendously in their interpretation of the material. One tradition notes that Pharaoh was shaken when death took his son and that he ordered the Hebrews to leave.
Another source indicates that Moses used the period of mourning for the first-born son as the occasion for fleeing secretly from the country. In either case, it is clear that Pharaoh finally had his forces pursue the Hebrews. Although tradition interpreted the Hebrew text to claim that about 2,000,000 people left Egypt, interpretation by critical methods reduces the number to 15,000 or so.
The Egyptian army cornered them at the Sea of Reeds (papyrus), which barred their exit to the east. Later Jewish tradition understood the body of water to be the Red Sea, and this erroneous interpretation persists today, even in some of the most recent English translations of the Bible. Scholars disagree as to the precise location of the Red Sea, but, since papyrus grows only in freshwater, it was most probably a shallow lake in the far northeastern corner of Egypt.
Hemmed in by the Egyptians, the people vented their complaints on Moses. According to one tradition, Moses shared their uneasiness, and he called to Yahweh for help.
Another account claims that Moses confidently challenged them to be calm and watch for Yahweh's deliverance. A strong east wind blew all night, creating a dry corridor through the lake and permitting the Hebrews to cross.
The pursuing Egyptians were destroyed when the waters returned. The timing of this natural event gave the final answer to Pharaoh's arrogant question, “Who is Yahweh?” Safely on the other side, Moses and his sister Miriam led the people in a victory song of praise to Yahweh (Ex. 15:1–21). The style of the poetry is similar to that of 14th-century.
Canaanite literature, and there is every reason to believe that the poem virtually preserves the original form of the song, with its refrain, “Sing to the Lord, for he has triumphed gloriously; the horse and his rider he has thrown into the sea.”
The route of the Hebrews is contested by scholars, but the most likely possibility is the southern route to Jabal Musa, the traditional location of Mt. Sinai (Horeb), in the granite range at the southern tip of the Sinai Peninsula. The journey there traversed some very desolate country, and Moses had to contend with bitter complaints about
the lack of water and food. Finally, however, he brought the people to “the mountain of God,” where Yahweh had appeared to him in the burning bush.
The Covenant at Sinai
During the 14th century BCE the Hittites of Asia Minor made a number of treaties with neighbouring rulers who came under their control. The agreement was not between equals, but between the Hittite king (the suzerain) and a subordinate ruler (the vassal). In the prologue the Hittite ruler described himself as “the great king,” the one granting the treaty.
Then followed a historical survey of relationships between the Hittite suzerain and his vassal. Special attention to the kindnesses shown the underling by the overlord was intended to remind the vassal of his obligation to abide by the treaty stipulations. The basic requirement was an oath of loyalty. Since Egypt was involved with the Hittites in the international politics of the time, Moses probably learned about the Hittite treaty form during his years in the Egyptian court.
The appearance of Yahweh in a terrific storm at Mt. Sinai, narrated in chapters 19 and 20 of Exodus, was a revelatory experience for Moses, just as the burning bush had been. Somehow he realized that the Hittite treaty was an accurate analogy of the relationship between Yahweh and the Hebrews. Yahweh had a claim upon them because he had delivered them.
The only proper response to his love and care would be a pledge of obedience to his will. Scholars have tended to date the Ten Commandments, or Decalogue (contained in the revelation at Sinai), after the conquest of Canaan, but there is absolutely nothing in these guidelines to indicate their origin in an agricultural context. More likely they were the stipulations in the covenant ceremony at Mt. Sinai.
Because Yahweh was proclaimed the only true God, one of the first commands was appropriately a ban against all other gods. Authorities have debated whether or not this understanding was interpreted as monotheism. Most certainly it was not the philosophical monotheism of later periods, but it was a practical monotheism in that any gods recognized by other nations were under Yahweh's control. Inasmuch as he had brought them into being and authorized their presence in his council, he was Lord over all gods and nations.
Another early command has been taken to mean a ban on making images of other gods, but originally the prohibition applied to representations of Yahweh himself.
Worship in the ancient world was unthinkable without some idol or image; the uniqueness of Moses' restriction is all the more evident. Yahweh is the unimageable
Deity who cannot be represented in material forms. Since Yahweh had revealed the meaning of his name to Moses, it was fitting that the Decalogue should also prohibit any magical or unethical use of his name. Undoubtedly the ideas underlying commands came from the religious culture of his day, but they were raised to a significantly higher level because of the holy, righteous character.
Moses realized that, if the Covenant people were to have a stable, just society, they would have to emulate their God. Concern for his creatures would mean respect for them as persons. Murder, adultery, theft, lying, and covetousness would never be legitimate because they lead to chaos and breakdown of the community. Moreover, inasmuch as Yahweh had been concerned to protect the powerless Hebrews in Egypt, they in turn would have to guarantee justice for the orphans, widows, resident aliens, and any other disadvantaged persons under their jurisdiction.
On confirmation of the Covenant, Moses and the people faced the task of living by the stipulations. This called for interpretations of the commands, and so Moses began issuing ordinances for specific situations. Many of these he drew from the case law of his day, but insight as to their selection and application probably came in the “tent of meeting” (a simple sanctuary tent pitched outside the camp), where Yahweh spoke to Moses “face to face, as a man speaks to his friend.”
Breaches of the Covenant necessitated means of atonement, which in turn meant provision of a priesthood to function at sacrifices and in worship. In short, the rudiments of the whole Hebrew cult, according to tradition, originated at Sinai. At Jethro's suggestion Moses instituted a system of judges and hearings to regulate the
civil aspects of the community. It was at Sinai, perhaps, where the people were organized into 12 tribes.
One of Moses' most remarkable characteristics was his concern for the Hebrews, in spite of their stubborn, rebellious ways. When they reverted to worshipping a golden calf, Yahweh was ready to disown them and begin anew with Moses and his descendants. Moses rejected the offer, however, and later, when pleading for the forgiveness of the people, he even asked to have his own name blotted out of Yahweh's book of remembrance if the Lord would not forgive them.
From Sinai to Transjordan
After leaving Mt. Sinai, Moses faced increasing resistance and frustration, according to the narrative in the book of Numbers. Apparently his virility did not diminish during these years because he took a Cushite woman as his second wife. But Miriam, with the support of Aaron, opposed the marriage. At Kadesh-barnea the pessimistic majority report of the spies who had been sent out to reconnoitre thwarted Moses' desire to march north and conquer the land of Canaan.
When he urged the people to reconsider their action they almost stoned him. But here again, according to tradition, Moses interceded for the people with Yahweh, who threatened to destroy them and raise up another and greater nation. In one instance, however, tradition recalled that Moses' anger overrode his compassion. At Meribah, probably in the area of Kadesh-barnea.
Moses addressed the complaining people as rebels and struck a rock twice in anger, whereupon water flowed forth for the thirsty people. He had been angry before in defense of Yahweh's name, honour, and cause, but this time his anger stemmed from utter frustration with his contentious people. Although tradition interpreted this lapse as the reason why Yahweh would not permit Moses to enter Canaan, the remarkable fact is that Moses was able to bear up under such continuous pressure.
In Transjordan the new states of Edom and Moab, vassals of the Midianites, rejected Moses' request for passage. 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, a decision that evoked opposition from the Moabites and their Midianite overlords. They hired the Syrian diviner Balaam to put a curse on the Hebrews, but instead he pronounced a blessing.
Some scholars interpret this as proof that Balaam was a convert to Yahwism. If this was indeed the case, he must have reverted later on, because the biblical tradition implies that Balaam incited his former employers to weaken the Hebrews by religious seduction. Moses responded to the enmity of the Midianites with a successful holy war against them not long before his death.
As his last official act Moses renewed the Sinai Covenant with those who had survived the wilderness wanderings. From his camp in the Jordan Valley, Moses climbed to a vantage point on Mt. Pisgah. There he viewed the land of promise. The Hebrews never saw him again, and the circumstances of his death and burial remain shrouded in mystery. Tradition claimed that Yahweh buried him in the valley opposite Beth-peor, the shrine of the people's apostasy.
Moses the man
Although time undoubtedly enhanced the portrait of Moses, a basic picture emerges from the sources. Five times the narratives claim that Moses kept written records (Ex. 17:14; 24:4; 34:27–28; Num. 33:2; and Deut. 31:9, 24–26). Even with a generous interpretation of the extent of these writings, they do not amount to more than a fifth of the total Pentateuch; therefore, the traditional claim of Mosaic authorship of the whole Pentateuch is untenable.
Moses formulated the Decalogue, mediated the Covenant, and began the process of rendering and codifying supplemental interpretations of the Covenant stipulations.
Undoubtedly he kept some records, and they served as the core of the growing corpus of law and tradition.
In a general sense, therefore, the first five books of the Hebrew Bible can be described as Mosaic. Without him there would have been no Israel and no collection known as Torah.
Moses was a gifted, well-trained person, but his true greatness was probably due to his personal experience of and relationship with Yahweh. This former stammering murderer understood his preservation and destiny as coming from the grace of a merciful Lord who had given him another chance. Moses had an understanding spirit and a forgiving heart because he knew how much Yahweh had forgiven him. He was truly humble because he recognized that his gifts and strength came from Yahweh.
Because of the uniqueness of his situation, Moses had to function in a number of roles. As Yahweh's agent in the deliverance of the Hebrews, he was their prophet and leader. As mediator of the Covenant, he was the founder of the community. As interpreter of the Covenant, he was an organizer and legislator. As intercessor for the people, he was their priest.
Moses had a special combination of gifts and graces that made it impossible to replace him. Although his successor, Joshua, and the priest Eleazar, the son of Aaron, tried to do so, together they did not measure up to him. Later prophets were great men who spoke out of the spirit that Moses had, but they were not called to function in so many roles. As tradition claimed, he was indeed the greatest of the prophets, and, as history shows, few of mankind's great personalities outrank him in influence.
Death and everlasting Glory
As a worthy legacy to the people for whom he has endured unparalleled hardships, Moses in his last days pronounces the three memorable discourses preserved in Deuteronomy. his chief utterance relates to a future Prophet, like to himself, whom the people are to receive.
He then bursts forth into a sublime song of praise to Jahweh and adds prophetic blessings for each of the twelve tribes. From Mount Nebo - on "the top of Phasga" -
Moses views for the last time the Promised Land, and then dies at the age of 120 years.
He is buried "in the valley of Moab over against Phogor", but no man "knows his sepulchre". His memory has ever been one of "grandeur". He is the type of Hebrew holiness, so far outshining other models that twelve centuries after his death, the only Christ Whom he foreshadowed seemed to eclipse him.
THE 10 PRIMORDIAL MASTERS : 4 - Zarathustra
Source: CD-Rom -The 10 Incarnations of the Primordial Master – 4 Zoroaster
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Introduction
The Zoroastrians of Iran were members of the Indo-European family known as the Aryans. They called themselves Zoroastrians because they believed in the teachings of the first Aryan prophet, Zarathushtra.
Zarathushtra was the first prophet to preach a monotheistic religion, and He was born in Iran about 8000 years BC. He revealed that there was only one God, Ahura Mazda and that life in the physical world was a battle between good and evil.
As per man's actions, he would either cross the "Chinvato Peretu" or the 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 would be a battle between good and evil, evil would be vanquished and the world would be purified by a bath of molten metal. Mazda would then judge the world, resurrecting the dead and His Kingdom would be established on earth.
Zarathushtra's songs are called the "Gathas" which linguistically may be older than the Indian Vedic scriptures. The Gathas are written in an ancient Avestan dialect. This is a sister language to Sanskrit of India, and Greek and Latin of the West. The reason is, the common ancestors (common to the ancient Iranians, Ancient Indians, Greeks, and Europeans) were one and the same - the Indo-European or Aryan peoples.
Surprisingly, many so-called Christian concepts actually were derived from Zoroastrian Aryan ideas which thrived in Iran for thousands of years until the Arab invasion of Iran around 1300 years ago.
Concepts such as heaven and hell, God and the evil adversary ahriman, the coming of the Saviour or Saoshyant born of a virgin, the end-time purge of the world by Fire followed by the resurrection of the dead, the making fresh of the world and the final battle between good and evil leading to the final defeat of evil. These beliefs filtered down to Judaism during the reign of King Khushru (Cyrus) of Iran.
Zoroastrians also believe that all races in the world are created by God and are equal - a true sign of the real ancient Aryan's nobility and tolerance. Cyrus, King of Iran who was an Aryan rebuilt the temple of the Jews after freeing the Jews from Babylon - for this, he is still remembered by the Jews and called the "Anointed of the Lord" in the Bible.
The Jews still celebrate that act of the true Aryans in a festival. Many Jews then stayed in Iran under Cyrus and his successors such as Darayus, as equal subjects under the King. Books of the Bible written after this stay have taken all these Zoroastrian concepts, from there they came to Christianity and other religions. There are scholars who consider Zoroastrianism as such to be the mother religion of the present day world's faiths.
In fact the edict of Cyrus proclaiming equality for all his subjects is enshrined in the United Nations today. The original Aryans were realy multicultural and tolerant of all races! So, it is probable that the Jews were influenced by the Zoroastrian faith of Iran in those days - and took on the concepts of heaven/hell, God's evil adversary, the resurrection and the final purification of the world - the virgin birth, the Saviour etc., all these concepts being Zoroastrian. There are other similarities too - certain purificatory observances such as the impurity of menstruation etc. are found in both faiths. Indeed, the very idea of the Messiah, and the very concept of Jesus could be Zoroastrian in origin.
Zarathushtra's religion was the prominent one in Iran until the conquest by the Arabs, around 1300 years ago, who converted Iran to Islam.
To preserve the Zoroastrian faith, this most ancient of faiths, indeed the "mother" faith of all mankind, a band of the Zarathushtrians sailed by boat to India about 1300 years ago, and settled in India where they were called the
Parsees (from "Pars" ie. Iran). The holy FIRE is kept in the temple as the symbol of Ahura Mazda, and priests feed the fire with sandalwood and cedar and intone the ancient sacred Mathras (verses of praise) in the ancient Aryan Avestan language. The Mathric incantations have incredible divine potent power, a power used to fight evil.
They also revere the elements of God such as water, earth, wind, and the creations of God such as the Sun, moon and stars.
The Early Years
There is very little known about the early days of Zarathushtra. The little that we do know is mainly because of the legendary stories that have been passed down through the generations by memorizing the scripture. Therefore, below, you will simply read different legendary and even mythical stories about Zarathushtra. If any of it seems too far-fetched to be real, it probably is not. We hope you enjoy these stories in the spirit that they were created:
Birth
Once upon a time, a very long time ago, in a distant land, by the banks of a river, lived a large family named Spitama (meaning Most White). The head of one branch of this family, named Hechadaspa (Stallions), had two sons: Pourushaspa (Many Horses) and Arasti (Tidy & Neat).
Pourushaspa had married a young woman named Dughdova (Milkmaid), who by this time was pregnant. It is said that when she was 5 months pregnant, she had a dream in which she saw the world was being destroyed, and she was very frightened. But then an angel came to her in her dream, and told her that she was bearing a great prophet who would be able to change the impending destruction.
Legend has it that on the 26th of March; the pregnant Dughdova gave birth to a young and healthy baby boy.
However, this was a peculiar baby, since unlike other babies, he did not cry. Instead, when this baby boy was born, he had a broad smile on his face, and his face was shining with a divine glow. His parents decided to name him Zarathushtra, (which according to one translation means Golden Light or Golden Star, and according to another means Owner of yellow or old Camels.) Arasti’s family also had a son named Maidhyoimangha or
Maedyoimaha (Mid Moon).
The Debate
Zarathushtra was growing up as a very intelligent and energetic young boy. He was very observant and had a sharp mind. He had the ability to see through the surface of things and penetrate to the depth of their cause and meaning. Because of his inquisitiveness and natural curiosity, he always had lots of questions to ask the priests and teachers of his time; however, he was rarely satisfied with the explanations that he was receiving. When he was nine years old, some of his friends arranged that he would have a meeting with the head priest of his town, and discuss the questions that he had. Zarathushtra was very much looking forward to this debate.
The story goes that on the day of the debate, Zarathushtra and the head priests spend a number of hours discussing the questions that he had. However, neither side managed to convince or satisfy the other. The depth of some of his questions had troubled the head priest, and he left the place in deep thought. Although when the head priest left, he was in good health, legend has it that on his way home, he suffered a massive heart attack and died. There are many other stories of how he had to face all sorts of magical evil powers, and how he escaped them.
Youth
Zarathushtra spent much of his youth in the surrounding pastures of his town, contemplating nature for many hours. It was during these meditations that many of the questions that the priests could not answer, would unravel themselves in ways that their answers would be revealed to him.
There is another story that says when Zarathushtra was fifteen, his four brothers approached him to divide their father’s wealth among themselves. Zarathushtra only took one item, symbolizing the spiritual life, and left the entire wealth of his father to his four brothers.
When Zarathushtra was only twenty years old, he left home for about ten years, travelling here and there, in search of Truth. And it was one early morning at the end of this time that he was illumined.
It is also said that he married a woman named Hvovi, before his illumination, although it is not known where and when.
He spent years in the wilderness communing with God before his first vision, in which Vohu Manah came to him in the form of a huge Angel. All the heavenly entities, the Amesha Spentas, instructed Zarathushtra in heaven, and he received perfect knowledge of past, present, and future. Zarathushtra's preaching to King Vishtaspa was enhanced by miracles, especially the healing of a paralyzed horse that convinced the king to accept the new religion.
Most of these motifs are familiar from the lives of other culture heroes such as Moses, and Jesus. Whether any of this literally happened is a matter for belief, not scholarship. Tradition-minded Zoroastrians do accept these legends as truth about Zarathushtra.
Unlike Mohammed's recitation of the Koran, the Gathas of Zarathushtra are not "channeled" - that is, the Gathas are regarded as the inspired composition of a poet-prophet rather than a text dictated by a heavenly being. Zarathushtra was inspired by God, through the Bounteous Immortals of Vohu Manah, Asha, and the others - but he was not a passive recipient of the divine wisdom. In accordance with Zoroastrian philosophy, he reached God through his own effort simultaneously with God's communication to him.
Zarathushtra was never regarded as divine by his followers, not even in the most extravagant legends. He remained a man like all others, though divinely gifted with inspiration and closeness to Ahura Mazda. His life is an inspiration for Zoroastrians of all persuasions, traditionalist and modern - in his innovation, loving relationship with God, and spiritual courage he is a model for all his followers. After his death.
Zarathushtra's great soul attains almost the level of a Bounteous Immortal, but still is not merged in the divinity.
Illumination
When he was thirty years old, one early morning, he went to fetch some water from the river. It was around dawn. The sky had just turned color and the sun was about to rise. As he had gone into the waters of the river, Vohu Mana (the angel of the Good Mind) appears to him, and opens the portal to the Divine Light of Ahura Mazda. This was the first moment of Illumination and the first Revelations of Zarathushtra.
In his vision, he perceived Ahura Mazda as the Wise Lord of Creation, and the six emanations of Ahura Mazda, the Amesha Spentas as the guardians and artisans of this physical world. He perceived the laws upon which the universe operated, and understood the inter-relationship between Ahura Mazda, the Amesha Spentas, and the Creation.
Perhaps we try to personify these images and abstract notions, and try to think of them as angels, but in truth, Zarathushtra understood them as the abstract notions that they were.
Propagation
After his illumination, Zarathushtra wanted to share his acquired wisdom with the world, yet he did not know where to start. He made a decision to invite all his family and relatives to listen to his teachings. And then in a family gathering, he explained his understandings to them.
When he finished explaining, his cousin, Maedyoimaha, decided to join him, and became the first follower of his teachings. And his wife Hvovi also embraced his teachings becoming his second follower. His children, one by one, decided to accept his philosophy as their way of life. (According to another record, it took his cousin ten years before he accepted to follow Zarathushtra’s teachings and become his first convert.)
Challenges
Zarathushtra then decided to share his teachings with his fellow citizens. When he started teaching others in the street of the city, he met with a deeply rooted resistance from the priests, who had based their entire life and livelihood on the old religions.
Zarathushtra tried many different techniques, and every time he met with renewed opposition and greater resistance. In fact, over the next twelve years, he only managed to win 22 people over to his philosophy, including his wife and children, and his first disciple, his cousin.
Having met such frustration, and such vehement opposition from the rulers and priests of his own land, he decided to leave his homeland for other countries. He then mobilized his followers, and the group of23 people started their migration.
To whichever land they came, and in whatever city that stayed, he tried to teach others about his philosophy, yet in every place they met with predictable opposition, partly due to the self-interested preemptive strikes of the rulers and priests, and partly because of the ignorance of the people, and their unwillingness to change.
Finally, they had heard that a of the King of a nearby country, King Vishtaspa, was a wise and just man and if there was one person in the whole world who might be open to listen to new teachings, it would be him. And they set off in that direction.
Breakthrough - King Vishtaspa
Zarathushtra was 42 when he and his followers finally reached the court of King Vishtaspa. The wise King had granted Zarathushtra an audience, but he had also invited all the priests and wise men of his court to attend and listen to Zarathushtra and question him about his philosophy. The King had wisely set the scene for a debate, if it need be.
At the debate in the court of King Vishtaspa, Zarathushtra eloquently spoke and convincingly responded to all challenges and questions. The King saw the wisdom of this man, and his teachings and embraced the religion. At the same time, the King invited his subjects to also listen carefully and choose wisely to follow the Zoroastrian religion. This was a major breakthrough for Zarathushtra.
However, the story goes on to say that Zarathushtra’s enemies then plotted against Zarathushtra and planted various objects of black magic in his quarters, and finally by accusing him of such evil acts, prompted the King to search his room. Upon finding such artifacts, Zarathushtra was imprisoned and denied to eat or drink.
Yet the story has a favorable turning, as such stories inevitably do. It is said that the King’s favorite dark horse is struck with an incurable deforming disease. None of the physicians in the kingdom can offer any cure. When Zarathushtra, who was now in prison, hears about this, he offers the King to try to cure his favorite horse.
The King reluctantly lets Zarathushtra attempt his healing techniques, which he duly does. The King then realizes the error of his judgment about Zarathushtra, and embraces his religion. The King also punishes the priests who conspired against Zarathushtra, and starts to promote the religion.
Now, these stories may seem somewhat difficult to believe. What we do know however, is that once the King embraced the religion of Zarathushtra, it was a breakthrough and a turning point in the fortunes of the Zoroastrian Religion. From that time on, Zarathushtra had the backing and support of a powerful and wise King.
He freely went about propagating his teachings throughout that land, and very soon his message crossed the borders of the country to neighboring countries. In a way, if Zarathushtra’s illumination was the conception, this was the birth of the Zoroastrian Religion, as we know it today.
Two of the earliest converts, after King Vishtaspa embraced the religion were two brothers named Frashaoshtra and Jamaspa, of the Hvogva family. These two are mentioned in the Gathas, and they continued to be among Zarathushtra’s disciples until the end.
There is yet another legendary story about a tree that Zarathushtra allegedly planted. It is also mentioned in the Shahnameh that when Zarathushtra visited Kashmar, he planted a Sarv (Cyprus tree). This tree which became
famous as Sarv-e Kashmar, is claimed to have grown for millennia, from the time of Zarathushtra until it was ordered to be cut down by Caliph al-Mutawaqqil, in the year 861 CE.
Zarathushtra’s Character
While there is much lacking in reconstructing the events of Zarathushtra’s life, there is ample evidence of Zarathushtra’s character, all be it from his very short Divine Songs, the Gathas. From the content of the Gathas it is abundantly clear that Zarathushtra was a natural man. He was an exceptionally wise and righteous person.
He was an Ashu – one who has reached the apex of self-realization, perfection, and thenceforth immortality.
He was loving and kind, yet resolute and intent on adhering to truth and justice. He was wise and discerning. Possessed a very observant and incisive mind. He had a clear vision and understanding of the physical laws and moral principles of the world, and with a super-human power adhered to righteousness. In short, he was the epitome of spiritual strength.
There is very little biographical material in the Gathas. What is there indicates that Zarathushtra was cast out of his original home, wherever that was, and forced to wander, along 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."
Zarathushtra is said to have had six children, three boys and three girls. This is not exact information, since the number and gender equals that of the six Amesha Spentas and may be only symbolic. But the last Gatha is composed for the marriage of Zarathushtra's daughter Pouruchista (Full of Wisdom) so he is known to have had at least one child. Thus Zarathushtra married into the king's court; Pouruchista, in turn, married the prime minister.
There is no exact or provable information about Zarathushtra's life at court, though it may be assumed that it was here that he composed the Gathas, and the names of king and court appear in the poetry as if, in oral recitation, they were there listening to him.
The prophet may have spent almost three decades there, before his death at age 77. One of the controversies about Zarathushtra concerns whether he was a priest. He did not live in a religious vacuum, but was born into a society that practiced the polytheistic rites of ancient Indo-Iranian religion. In the later Avesta, Zarathushtra is used as a character in dialogue with Ahura Mazda; he is featured in ritual texts and in law-texts, and great amounts of ritual and doctrine are thus attributed to him, whether he was their originator or not.
In much later Zoroastrian traditions, some of which were not recorded until centuries after the Arab conquest, the life of the Prophet 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 Z. condemned in the Gathas) and the prophet was conceived through the essence of Haoma in milk (though the birth is not a virgin birth, but the natural product 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 Zarathushtra failed; fire would not burn him nor would animals crush him in stampedes; he was cared for by a mother wolf in the wilderness.
Links with the Modern World
Ever since ancient Greek times the name of Zoroaster has stood for mysterious Eastern wisdom. In Hellenistic times many esoteric and magical texts were written using his name and Zoroaster was thought of as one of the greatest magi, or mystics.
Once the Avesta had been brought to the West in the 18th century, his name again became famous in the West - this time not for magic, but for the humanistic, monotheistic, moral philosophy found in the Gathas.
Enlightenment philosophers such as Kant and Diderot mentioned him as a model; the playwright Voltaire wrote a play called "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 called "Zoroastre" and the free-thinking Mozart used a variant of the name for his character Sarastro in "The Magic Flute;" Sarastro is the priest of the Sun and Light who defeats the Queen of the Night.
In the 20th century Nietszche was inspired by Zarathushtra's example when expounding his philosophy in THUS SPOKE ZARATHUSHTRA, though there is no identifiable Zoroastrian teaching in the Nietszche work. The German composer Richard Strauss, inspired by the Nietzsche work.
The Life of the Spirit
The word spirituality is derived from the term "spirit". "Spirit" has no size, form or weight and therefore, it cannot be described physically.
Ahura Mazda, the Divine Fravashis and the Yazatas are Divine "Spirits" having no physical existence. Their spiritual essence is present in material manifestation but the "Spirit" itself is beyond the physical.
Like "Spirit", the Soul is the purely immortal, immaterial and divine principle which resides in the heart of man.
Consequently, spirituality is the experience, the direct communion between two Divine Entities: the "Spirit" and the Soul.
Anyone who has had a spiritual experience knows that such an experience cannot be described with mere words and that spiritual experiences are much more profound relative to the psychic ones.
Different prophets have revealed different spiritual disciplines to their followers to attain spirituality. To put us in communion with Ahura Mazda, the Divine, Zarathushtra has given us the sacred "manthra spenta" which are much more than holy words and efficacious sounds written and recited in an archaic "Avestan" language, as some believe.
It is the Soul of "Ahura Mazda" it is the embodiment of Cosmic Energy originating from Ahura Mazda Who is the Source of Endless Light ("raevat-khvarnvat"). Mantras as Divine Energy Mantras are rooted in "staot yasna" which means the Primordial Sound (vibrations) created by the First Ray of Light which burst forth at the beginning of Creation, and is diffused throughout Nature. Being at the very root of Nature, "staot" brings into
existence the space-time continuum.
The utterance of the Primordial sound, transcend the space-time continuum in order to find the reciprocal resonance in the spiritual world of light. Being rooted in the natural laws of light and sound, the holy "mantra " are not subjected to the man-made rules of grammar or language; therefore, it is improper and inappropriate to explain or understand such holy words through the medium of philology alone.
Communion between the Spirit, being of the nature of Light, and the Soul is by the Primordial Sound or vibrations, its counter-part, is best achieved through the language of light and sound which is the specifically states that "mantras" are best for spirituality which will be attained by "yasna" or Union with the Divine.
The utterance of "mantra" is best for the purity of the Soul in order to attain spirituality.
Spirituality is also enhanced through prayers. During prayers, the Soul becomes the receptacle of higher spiritual consciousness and attunes itself in direct communion with the Divine through sound, motion and devotional thought vibrations which constitute the Divine Light, waves of energy.
Sound and light, both being functions of waves of energy, the Divine sounds of uttered physically are absorbed
into the rays of Divine Light instantly. The meaning behind "the utterance of the Divine prayer protects the body",
may be better understood through more enlightened science which accepts the potency of sound as "energy".
Fire
Besides the holy "mantra ", Zarathushtra has promoted Fire through which spirituality is achieved. Fire is both spiritual as well as physical. Being spiritual, Fire, is a Divinity; It is equated with Ahura Mazda's Own Inner Light and Life or Energy.
As energy, Fire transmutes the physical (matter) into the spiritual. It is the source of all Creation. No Zarathushti ritual is complete without the presence of Fire. In the Gathas, Zarathushtra Himself expressly seeks a vision and a communion with Ahura Mazda or the Divien through Fire, which is worshipped as the "Spirit Holiest".
Fire and the Primordial Sound are both Divine Energies which attune a Zarathushti to All Mighty. In all Zarthushti
homes, it is necessary to keep the "divo" or the hearth fire perpetually burning. When a Zarathushti prays in the presence of Fire they communes with Ahura Mazda Himself as science now proves that every particle of light (photon) has intelligence, and Mazda is the Lord of Wisdom.
The hearth fire are the physical manifestations of the Divine Light which permeates through time and space. Ahura Mazda, being Spirit, resides in the spiritual world while He sends His Son, Fire, to adorn the Earth and propel the entire Creation towards Frasho-Kereti. In addition to the utterance of "mantra ", performance of prayers and rituals, and the preservation of Fire, Zarathushtra has also given us the spiritual munition of purity rules also known as or the anti-pollution rules, and preservation of spiritual heritage.
Revelations
Zarathushtra was sent by Ahura Mazda to reaffirm the ancient faith. He was also given the "AGUSTO-VACHO" ie revelations unheard before. He was thus the first prophet, to be followed by three Saviours. When the final Saviour comes, the world will be purged by fire and evil destroyed in a final great battle.
Zarathushtra asked Ahura Mazda:
"O Ahura Mazda, righteous Creator of the corporeal world, who was the first person to whom You taught these teachings?
Then spoke Ahura Mazda:
"YIMA the splendid who watched over his subjects, O righteous Zarathushtra. I first did teach the Aryan religion to the Creator, prior to you.
"Yima spoke to me, and said he would like to spread the religion among mankind by teaching others. It was then that I replied:
"O Yima you are not created for this task by Me. You are not learned enough to increase the religion among mankind - you are not the Messenger of the religion.
"Yima the righteous told me then:
"O Ahura, if I am not created for the task of increasing the good religion, then I would like to advance the world, to increase it and be a righteous king and protector. I ask You this, that in my kingdom there be neither cold wind nor hot wind (neither extreme winter or summer), there be no sickness nor death. That my subjects be undying and unwanting, and gloriously happy under my reign.
"I Who am Ahura Mazda, was pleased with this. I brought Yima a weapon - a Golden plough which was dagger shaped with golden forks, to signify that his authority was divine, sanctioned by Me. He became the mightiest King (KSHAETA) the Aryans had ever known, the most righteous and most splendid Aryan man.
"When Yima's rule extended to 300 years, then the Aryan land had prospered so much that the land became full of cattle, men, dogs, birds and red flaming fire (the fires kept burning in the house of every Aryan). Place could no longer be found for cattle or men.
"I made this known to Yima, and he proceeded towards the south, towards the path of the high sun (west), increasing the land with his golden plough (conquering and cultivating the lands). The boundaries of the Aryan kingdom were thus extended in breadth, one third greater than before. The king stood as an Aryan on the mother earth, praising the country with words fit for prayer.
"When Yima's rule extended to 600 years, the state of abundance reoccurred. This led to Yima proceeding again towards the south and the west, extending the boundaries of the Aryan kingdom two thirds greater than before. Thus happened the second great migration of the Aryans.
"When Yima's rule extended to 900 years, abundance again led to Yima increasing the land with his golden plough, towards the south and west. This third great migration made the Aryan kingdom three times larger than before.
"In the first 1000 years of his rule, Yima the splendid enjoined righteous order on his Aryan subjects. He controlled invisible time itself, making it so much large in size so as to praise and spread the righteous law. "
That glorious age of the Aryans did not last for ever, O Zarathushtra! It was time for the evil one's attack. I Who am Ahura Mazda spoke then to Yima Kshaeta:
"O splendid Yima, towards the sacred Aryan land will rush evil as a severe fatal winter; evil will rush as thick snow flakes falling in increased depth. From the three directions will wild and ferocious animals attack, arriving from the most dreadful sites.
"Before this winter, any snow that fell would melt and convey the water away. Now the snow will not melt (but will form the Polar ice cap). In this place, O Yima the corporeal world will be DAMAGED. Before in this seedland the grass was so soft the footprint of even a small animal could be observed. Now, there will be no footprints discernible at all on the packed sheets of hard ice that will form.
"So, Yima; make a mighty VARA, an enclosure as long as a riding ground, with equal four sides. Here bring the families of Aryan men and women, cattle, dogs, birds and the red flaming fire.
"Inside the Vara, make water flow in a canal, one Hathra long. Keep earth inside the Vara, to grow green vegetables as food. Make cattle pens, to house the cattle of the Aryan people.
"Let love blossom unfailing in the enclosure, among the young couples therein - make for them a residence, with rooms, pillars, long extended walls and an enclosing wall."
Passing
There are a number of versions of how Zarathushtra died, all of them legendary.
Many different accounts of this martyrdom follow, including some in which supernatural forces intervene to kill the murderer of Zarathushtra. There is another version that claims Zarathushtra ascended to the skies (much like the resurrection of Jesus).
Another story claims that in his seventy seventh year, one night Zarathushtra bid his family members farewell, and after his evening prayer retired to bed. He passed away calmly and quietly in his sleep. In the morning, when his family members noticed that he had not awaken, they went to his bed side to find his body lying there in a peaceful state.
THE 10 PRIMORDIAL MASTERS : 5 - Lao Tse
Source: CD-Rom -The 10 Incarnations of the Primordial Master – 5 Lao Tse
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Early Life
According to tradition Taoism originated with a man named Lao Tzu, said to have been born about 604 B.C. He is a shadowy figure. We know nothing for certain about him and scholars wonder if there ever was such a man. We do not even know his name, for Lao Tzu-which can be translated "the Old Boy", "the Old Fellow", or "the Grand Old Master" - is obviously a title of endearment and respect.
All we really have is a mosaic of legends. Some of these 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 parts of the story do not tax our credulity: that he kept the archives in his native western state, and that around this occupation he wove a simple and unassertive life. Inferences concerning his personality derive almost entirely from a single slim volume attributed to him. From this some conclude that he was probably a solitary recluse who was absorbed in occult meditations; others picture him as down to earth - a genial neighbor with a lively sense of humor.
The only purportedly contemporary portrait, reported by China's first historian, Ssu-ma Ch'ien, speaks only of the enigmatic impression he left - the sense that he possessed depths of understanding that defied ready comprehension. According to this account Confucius, intrigued by what he had heard of Lao Tzu, once visited him.
Appearance
His description suggests that the strange man baffled him while leaving him respectful. "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 Tzu, and he is like the dragon!"
The traditional portrait concludes with the report that Lao Tzu, saddened by his people's disinclination to cultivate the natural goodness he advocated and seeking personal solitude for his closing years, he 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 truant, tried to persuade him to turn back. Failing this, he asked if the "Old Boy" would not at least leave a record of his beliefs to the civilization he was abandoning. This Lao Tzu 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 and Its Power. A testament to humanity's at-home-ness in the universe, it can be read in half an hour or a lifetime, and remains to this day the basic text of Taoist thought.
Tao Te Ching - The Way and Its Power
Lao Tzu didn't preach. He didn't organize or promote. He wrote a few pages on request, rode off on a water buffalo, and that was it as far as he was concerned.
How unlike the Buddha, who trudged the dusty roads of India for forty-five years to make his point.
How unlike Confucius, who pestered dukes and princes, trying to gain an administrative foothold (or at least a hearing) for his ideas.
Here was a man so little concerned with the success of his surmises, to say nothing of fame and fortune, that he didn't even stay around to answer questions. And yet, whether the story of his life is fact or fiction, it is so true to Taoists attitudes that it will remain a part of Taoism forever.
On the Three Meanings of Tao
On opening Taoism's bible, the Tao Te Ching, we sense at once that everything revolves around the pivotal concept of Tao itself.
Literally, this word means path, or way. There are three senses, however, in which this "way" can be understood.
First, Tao is the way of the ultimate reality. This Tao cannot be perceived or even clearly conceived, for it is too vast for human rationality to fathom. The Tao Te Ching announces in its opening line that words are not equal to it: "the Tao that can be spoken is not the true Tao." Nevertheless, this ineffable and transcendent Tao is the ground of all that follows. Above all, behind all, beneath all is the Womb from which all life springs and to which it returns.
Awed by the thought of it, the Tao Te Ching bursts recurrently into praise, for this primal Tao confronts him with life's basic 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 teasing epigram: "Those who know don't say. Those who say don't know."
Though Tao is ultimately transcendent, it is also immanent. In this secondary sense it is the way of the universe, the norm, the rhythm, the driving power in all nature, the ordering principle behind all life. Behind, but also in the midst of all life, for when Tao enters this second mode it "assume flesh" and informs all things. It "adapts its vivid essence, clarifies its manifold fullness, subdues its resplendent luster, and assumes the likeness of dust."
Basically 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," to the Tao, his One. There it marks inevitability, for when autumn comes "no leaf is spared because of its beauty, no flower because of its fragrance."
Yet, ultimately, it is benign. Graceful instead of abrupt, flowing rather than hesitant, it is infinitely generous. Giving life to all things, it may be called "the Mother of the World."
Augmented Power: Taoist Yoga
Taoist practitioners were engaged in training programs of some sort, many of them demanding - were not willing to settle for the philosophers' goal of managing their allotments of the Tao efficiently. They wanted to go beyond conserving to increasing the quota of the Tao they had to work with. In accounting terms we can say that if Philosophical Taoists worked at increasing net profits by cutting costs (reducing needless energy expenditures), Taoist adepts wanted to increase gross income.
The word ch'i cries out to be recognized as the rightful entry to this second school, for though it literally means breath, it actually means vital energy. The Taoists used it to refer to the power of the Tao that they experienced coursing through them-or not coursing because it was blocked-and their main object was to further its flow. Ch'i fascinated these Taoists. Blake registered their feelings precisely when he exclaimed, "Energy is a delight," for energy is the life force and the Taoist loved life. To be alive is good; to be more alive is better; to be always alive is best, hence the Taoist immortality cults.
To accomplish their end of maximizing ch'i, these Taoists worked with three things: matter, movement, and their minds.
What they really wanted was a increase-increase and extension of the life force, the ultimate guarantor of which would be the much-sought elixir of life that would insure physical immortality.
Breathing exercises were also developed. Working with air, the subtlest form of matter, they sought to draw ch'i from the atmosphere.
These efforts to extract ch'i from matter in its solid, liquid, and gaseous forms were supplemented by programs of bodily movement such as t'ai chi chuan, which gathers, meditation, yin/yang philosophy, and martial art into a synthesis that in this case was designed to draw ch'i from the cosmos and dislodge blocks to its internal flow. This last was the object of acupuncture as well.
Meditation
Finally, turning to the mind itself, contemplatives, many of them hermits, developed Taoist meditation. This practice involved shutting out distractions and emptying the mind to the point where the power of the Tao might bypass bodily filters and enter the self directly.
To arrive at this inwardness it was necessary to reverse all self-seeking and cultivate perfect cleanliness of thought and body. 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 are good for it. 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; yet is intangible, a thing that by reaching for cannot be got.
Remote it seems as the furthest limit of the Infinite. Yet it is not far off; every day we use its power. For the Way of the Vital Spirit fills our whole frames, yet man cannot keep track of it. It goes, yet has not departed. It comes, yet is not here. It is muted, make no note that can be heard, yet of a sudden we find that it is there in mind. Its dim and dark, showing no outward form, yet in a great stream it flowed into us at our birth.
Selflessness, cleanliness, and emotional calm are the preliminaries to arriving at full self knowledge, but they must be climaxed by deep meditation. "Bide in silence, and the radiance of the spirit shall come in and make its home." For this to happen all outward impressions must be stilled and the senses withdrawn to a completely interior point of focus. Postures paralleling the Indian asanas were recommended, and the breath must be similarly controlled; it must be as soft and light as that of an infant, or even an embryo in the womb. The result will be a condition of alert waiting known as "sitting with a blank mind."
Realisation
And when the realization arrives, what then? With it come truth, joy, and power. The climatic insight of meditational Taoism came with the impact of finality, everything at last having fallen into place. The condition could not be described as merely pleasurable. The direct perception of the source of one's awareness as "serene and immovable, like a monarch on a throne," brought joy unlike any hitherto known. The social utility of the condition, however, lay in the extraordinary power it provided over people and things, a power in fact which "could shift Heaven and Earth." A ruler who is desireless himself and has this much psychic power automatically turns his subjects from their unruly desires. He rules without even being known to rule.
“The sage relies on actionless activity; Puts himself in the background; but is always to the fore. Remains outside; but is always there. Is it not just because he does no t strive for any personal end That all his personal ends are fulfilled?“
The Mingling of the Powers Taoism, vitalizing programs for increasing one's individual ch'i, the three branches of Taoism all have the same concern - how to maximize the Tao's animating te - and the specifics of their concerns fall on a continuum. The continuum begins with interest in how life's normal allotment of ch'i can be deployed to best effect.
To be something, to know something, and to be capable of something is to rise above the superficial. A life has
substance to the degree that it incorporates the profundity of mysticism (Taoist yoga), the direct wisdom of gnosis (Philosophical Taoism), and the productive power of magic (Religious Taoism). Where these three things come together there is a "school," and in China the school this text describes is Taoism.
Tao
In a way its virtue approached from a direction opposite to that of Confucius. Confucius turned every effort to building a pattern of ideal responses that might be consciously imitated. Taoism's approach is the opposite-to get the foundations of the self in tune with Tao and let behavior flow spontaneously.
Action follows being; new action will follow new being, wiser being, stronger being. The Tao Te Ching puts this
point without wasting a word. "The way to do," it says, "is to be."
How are we to describe the action that flows from a life that is grounded directly in Tao. Nurtured by a force that
is infinitely subtle, infinitely intricate, it is a consummate gracefulness born from an abundant vitality that has no
need for abruptness or violence. One simply lets the Tao flow in and flow out again until all life becomes a dance in which there is neither feverishness nor imbalance.
Far from inaction, however, it is the embodiment of suppleness, simplicity, and freedom - a kind of pure effectiveness in which no motion is wasted on outward show. “One may move so well that a foot-print never shows, Speak so well that the tongue never slips, Reckon so well that no counter is needed.“
The natural phenomenon that the Taoists saw as bearing the closest resemblance to Tao was water. They were struck by the way it would support objects and carry them effortlessly on its tide. One who understands the basic life force knows that it will sustain one if one stops thrashing and flailing and trusts oneself to its support.
“Do you have the patience to wait till your mud settles and the water is clear? Can you remain unmoving till the right action arises by itself? “
Water, then was the closest parallel to the Tao in the natural world. They noticed the way water adapts itself to its surroundings and seeks out the lowest places. So too, “The supreme good is like water, which nourishes all things without trying to. It is content with the low places people disdain. Thus it is like the Tao.“
Yet despite the accommodations, water holds a power unknown to hard and brittle things. In a stream it follows the stones' sharp edges, only to turn them into pebbles, rounded to conform to its streamlined flow. It works its way past frontiers and under dividing walls. Its gentle current melts rocks and carries away the proud hills we call eternal.
“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 in to practice. “Infinitely supple, yet incomparably strong - these virtues of water the person who embodies this condition, says the Tao Te Ching, "works without working." Such a one acts without strain, persuades without argument, is eloquent with out flourish, and achieves results without violence, coercion, or pressure. Though the agent may be scarcely noticed, his or her influence is in fact decisive.
A leader is best when people barely know that he exists. Of a good leader, who talks little, When his work is done, his aim fulfilled, they will say, "We did this ourselves."
A final characteristic of water that makes it an appropriate is the clarity it attains through being still. "Muddy
water let stand," say the Tao Te Ching, "will clear." If you want to study the stars after being in a brightly lit
room, you must wait twenty minutes for your eyes to dilate for their new assignment. There must be similar
periods of waiting if the focal length of the mind is to readjust, withdrawing from the world's glare to the internal
recesses of the soul.
“The five colors can blind, the five tones deafen, the five tastes cloy. The race, the hunt, can drive men mad and their booty leave them no peace. Therefore a sensible man prefers the inner to the outer eye.“
Taoism Values
Still following the analogy of water, the Taoists rejected all forms of self-assertiveness and competition. The world is full of people who are determined to be somebody or give trouble. They want to get ahead, to stand out. Taoism has little use for such ambitions.
“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.“ There is a profound naturalism in Taoist thought, but it is the naturalism of a Rousseau, a Wadsworth, a Thoreau, “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."
Nature is to be befriended. Taoism seeks atonement with nature, not dominance. Its approach is ecological. This Taoist approach to nature deeply affected Chinese art. "Let the people return to the use of knotted cords. Let them obtain their food sweet, their clothing beautiful, their homes comfortable, their rustic tasks pleasurable." Travel was discouraged as pointless and conducive to idle curiosity. "The neighboring state might be so near at hand that one could hear the cocks crowing in it and dogs barking. But the people would grow old and die without ever having been there."
It was this preference for naturalness and simplicity that most separated the Taoist from the Confucian. The basic objectives of the two schools did not differ widely, but the Taoist had small patience with the Confucian approach to them.
All formalism, show, and ceremony left them cold. Confucianism here was but one instance of the human tendency to approach life in regulated mode. All calculated systems, the very attempt to arrange life in a shipshape order, is pointless.
Another Feature of Taoism is its notion of the relativity of all values and, as its correlative, the identity of opposites. Here Taoism tied in with the traditional Chinese Yin/Yang symbol.
This sums up all of life's basic opposites: good/evil, active/passive, positive/negative, light/dark, summer/winter, male/female. But though the halves are in tension, they are not flatly opposed; they complement and balance each other. Each invades the other's hemisphere and takes up its abode in the deepest recess of its partner's domain. And in the end both find themselves resolved by the circle that surrounds them, the Tao in its eternal wholeness. In the context of that wholeness, the opposites appear as no more than phases in an endless cycling process, for each turns incessantly into its opposite, exchanging places with it. Life does not move onward and upward towards a fixed pinnacle or pole. It bends back upon itself to come, full circle, to the realization that all is one and all is well.
Conclusion
Circling around each other like yin and yang themselves, Taoism and Confucianism represent the two indigenous poles of the Chinese character.
Confucius represents the classical, Lao Tzu the romantic. Confucius stresses social responsibility, Lao Tzu praises spontaneity and naturalness. Confucius' focus is on the human, Lao Tzu's on what transcends the human. As the Chinese themselves say, Confucius roams within society, Lao Tzu wanders beyond. Something in life reaches out in each of these directions, and Chinese civilization would certainly have been poorer if either had not appeared.
Of the Tao, Lao Tze wrote: “There is a being, wonderful, perfect; It existed before heaven and earth. How quiet it is! How spiritual it is! It stands alone and it does not change. It moves around and around, but does not on this account suffer. All life comes from it. It wraps everything with its love as in a garment, and yet it claims no honor, it does not demand to be Lord. I do not know its name, and so I call it Tao, the Way, and I rejoice in its Their highest achievement is to identify themselves with the Tao and let it works its magic through them power.”
> THE 10 PRIMORDIAL MASTERS : 6 - Confucius
Source: CD-Rom -The 10 Incarnations of the Primordial Master – 6 Confucius
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Introduction
Confucius had a deep study of his country’s literature and history. He had a strong conviction that just and righteous rulers only can protect the State and make the people virtuous.
His ideal was to create a race of wise rulers like King Janaka. It was with this view he wandered from State to State in search of a good ruler. Confucius devoted himself to the improvement of Society. He ever thought of the well-being of the Society. He tried his level best to contribute much to the social welfare. The collection of sayings treats mainly of social welfare, human peace and harmony in Society. He strained his every nerve in giving moral training to people.
He laid very great emphasis on cultivation of ethical virtues. He tried to remove the discordant or disturbing elements in Society. He had a strong conviction that if the superiors and elders had a blameless character, others would follow them and there would be love and universal peace everywhere. As these social thoughts ever occupied his mind, he had no time to discuss on God and life after death. Moreover, he did not find it necessary also to dwell on these subjects.
The child was named K'ung, and his disciples named him K'ung Fu-tse or Master Kung, which Jesuit missionaries Latinized into Confucius. When Master K'ung was born, we are told strange music came from a mysterious source, and a voice from the sky announced the event. It was said also that two dragons patrolled the sky for the purpose of warding off evil influences, while five old men, representing the spirits of the five planets, came down from Heaven.
Early Life
Young K'ung dedicated himself to learning at age fifteen, becoming what we would call a "universal man." He restored and edited the works of the Chinese ancients - no mean feat. At age twenty-one he began to attract pupils, teaching them ethics, philosophy, and government. It was the daily life of the sage that gave meaning to his words. He sought to restore China to the condition it had enjoyed under its first kings who were virtuous and ruled wisely, whose people knew peace and harmony. He felt his duty was to hand on the knowledge and methods of the ancients, not to create or innovate.
Undoubtedly he drank from the well of the eternal wisdom-religion, the origin and goal of man's best and highest experiences on earth and beyond. In the light of this, Master K'ung's Family of Man is the brotherhood of humanity against a universal backdrop.
Four major works - the Analects, The Great Learning, The Doctrine of the Mean, and the Works of Mencius - furnish the foundation of the Ju philosophy, the name given to the teachings of Confucius. Some nineteen works in all are credited to him as author or editor. After two millennia the teachings have come down to us by many
routes, subject to the interpretations of the teacher's disciples and their followers.
His Life
Confucius was born and died in the state of Lu. He lost his father at the age of three and grew up in straightened circumstances, under his mother's care. As a boy he liked to set up sacrificial vessels and to imitate the gestures of ritual. At the age of nineteen he married, and a son and two daughters were born to him. He was a large man of great physical strength.
At nineteen he entered the service of a noble family as superintendent of parks and herds. At thirty-two he was engaged in 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 Chou Empire, which by then had actually split into numerous warring states of various sizes, and whose capital remained solely a religious center. On this occasion he is said to have visited Lao-tzu.
At the age of fifty-one he became minister of justice and finally prime minister of Lu. Thanks to his ability, his prince became increasingly powerful. He overcame the nobles of the region and tore down the fortifications of their cities. The land prospered.
After four years of brilliant activity, Confucius gave up his position and left the country, travelling slowly, with interruptions, always in the hope of being called back.
He wandered about for twelve years, from his fifty-sixth to his sixty-eighth year. He went from state to state in the hope that somewhere he would be enabled to put his political doctrine into practice. 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 finally, at the age of sixty-eight, he 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 for him: men are without insight, quickly the years pass. He spent his last years quietly in Lu. He accepted no government position.
A profound change is said to have taken place within him.
Once a hermit had 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.
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."
Wisdom
Confucius is conscious of facing a great alter native: to retire into solitude or to live in the world and try to shape it. His decision is unequivocal: "A man cannot live with the birds and beasts. If I do not live with men, with whom shall I live?" And "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 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."
His tolerance toward the hermits only makes him more resolute in regard to his own conduct. "If the world were in order, there would be no need of me to change it."
In this devotion to man and his world, Confucius develops certain ideas that may be stressed as his basic wisdom. They relate to the nature of man, to the necessity of a social order, to the question of truth in language, to the nature of our thinking, to the absolute character , and finally to the One which holds all things together and to which all things relate. In every case, Confucius' main concern is man and human society.
The nature of Man
The nature of man is called jen. Jen is humanity and morality in one: to be human means to be in communication. The question of the nature of man is answered, first in what he is and should be; second in an account of the diversity of his existence. First: “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 jen can truly love and hate. Jen 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."
Morality
Confucius never thought himself in possession of complete knowledge and never thought such knowledge possible. "To represent what you know as knowledge and what you do not know as ignorance: that is knowledge."
Confucius is aware of the evil in the world. It is rooted in the failure of man. He 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." Nowhere does he find reliance on the
love of humanity and on horror of the inhuman. "I have seen none who loved moral worth as he loves women's beauty." When he looks around for a man who might be a ruler, he finds none. He sees no saint; even to see a superior man would be gratifying, but again there is none; there is not even a preserving man.
Yet Confucius is far from regarding the world as evil. Only the times have degenerated, as had often happened before. Accordingly: "He knows that the truth will not shine through our day."
The Great Mystery
He becomes diffident at the approach of the ultimate and seldom speaks of happiness, fate, pure virtue. When asked about death, nature, and the world order, he gave answers that left the question open but because the matter itself imposed such answers.
Confucius refrains from all direct statement on metaphysical questions. Though such an attitude may be put down as agnosticism, it does not signify indifference to the unknowable, but rather a reverence which is unwilling to transform itself into rational knowledge.
For Confucius the impulse was toward the boundless and unknowable. Confucius shared in the traditional religious conceptions. He did not doubt the existence of spirits and omens. But in all his dealing with these matters he showed remarkable aloofness and freedom from superstition. "The master never spoke of magic powers and unnatural demons." "To serve spirits other than one's own ancestors is adulation." Asked about the cult of spirits, he replied: "If you cannot serve men, how shall you serve spirits?"
Heaven
Confucius speaks of heaven. "Only heaven is great, the seasons go their course and all things come into being. But does heaven speak? ".
Confucius seldom speaks of prayer. Suppliant prayer, not to mention magic prayer, is far from him, for he implies that 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." Such maxims express Confucius' candid acceptance of death. "That some things germinate but do not flower; that some things flower that do not mature-alas, that happens." Death has no terrors.
"If you do not know life, how should you know death?"
The Golden Mean
" 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."
The root of human salvation lies in the "knowledge that influences reality. that is, in the truth of idea that are translated into an inner transforming action. What is true within takes form without.”
"Things have roots and ramifications." The absoluteness of the origin enters into the relativity of the manifestations. 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 other men."
Truth and reality can never be embodied once and for all in any unchanging state or dogmatic statements. 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."
The necessity of order
Order is necessary because it is only in human association that the essence of man is real.
"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 Tzu 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."
A second principle of order is this: Because men are so different, good government is made possible only by degrees of power. The higher the power, the more exemplary, and knowing the human, must be he who possesses it. 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 fundamental relation of the exemplary man to the people is this: "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."
A third principle of order is: Once a development has begun, direct intervention can no longer be fruitful. If it comes too late. Of course force, laws, punishment can be brought to bear, but the result will be disastrous, for those threatened with violence will evade it and hypocrisy will become universal. Great effects can be only achieved indirectly. What is present in the germ can be guided in a different direction or encouraged. Here decisive action is possible. The human source must be made to flow; it is from them that everything else follows.
When asked what is the first thing to be done in order to promote a renewal in disastrous circumstances? Confucius gave a remarkable answer:
“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.
But language is constantly misused, words are employed for meanings that do not befit them. A separation arises between being and language.
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 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."
Confucius says: "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”. In developing an idea related to Lao Tzu's nonaction, he may find his supreme authority in a saintly ruler.
Traditions
This way of looking at the old was itself something new. Past realities are transformed by present reflection. The translation of tradition into conscious principles gives rise to a new philosophy which identifies itself with the old.
The Jewish Prophets proclaimed God's revelation, Confucius the voice of antiquity.
He who surrenders is saved from the presumption of basing great demands on his own infinitesimal self. Independent thought, springing from the nothingness of mere reason, is futile: "I have gone without food and sleep in order to think; to no avail: it is better to learn."
Eternal Values
Confucius distinguishes between the good and the bad; he selects facts that are worth remembering as models to be emulated or examples to be avoided.
Moreover, he knows that in restoring what was good in the past one should not try to make something outwardly 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 imitation of the past, but repetition of the eternal true.
But this belief in a final, eternal truth derives movement from the way in which we assimilate the old. It does not bar our way but spurs us forward.
Here for the first time in history a great philosopher shows how the new, merging with the tradition flowing from the source of eternal truth, becomes the substance of our existence.
If the truth has been manifested in the past, we shall find it by investigating the past, but in so doing we must distinguish between what was true and what was false. He laid the groundwork of school education, first of all with his own private school in which he strove to shape young men into future statesmen.
With him the mode of learning and teaching becomes a fundamental problem. The aim of all learning must be practical. "If a man can recite all three hundred pieces in the Book of Odes by heart and, entrusted with the government, is unable to preform (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 are fundamental. Their essential is to shape men's nature, not to quench it.
Li - Dharma the Righteous Path
Li: Order is preserved by customs . "A nation can be guided only by custom, not by knowledge." The customs create the spirit of the whole and in turn draw their life from it. Only through the virtues of the community does the individual become a man. They are the forms which create the right frame of mind in all spheres of existence: earnestness, confidence, respect, so that the individual comes to experience the universal not as a constraint but as his own being.
His vision embraced the whole world of Chinese customs or dharma, the right way of walking, greeting, behaving in company, always in accordance with the particular situation; the rites of marriage, birth, death, and burial; the rules of administration; the customs governing work, war, the family, the priesthood, the court, the order of the days and seasons, the stages of life.
"A man is awakened by the Odes, strengthened and perfected by music. Mere form, like mere knowledge, has no value without the originality that fulfills 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 drew no distinction between custom, morality, and justice and thus perceived their common root all the more clearly. Nor did he distinguish between ethical obligation and aesthetic considerations involving no responsibility, between the good and the beautiful. The beautiful is not beautiful unless it is good, while the good to be good must be beautiful.
Music
For Confucius, music, side by side with the li, was a primary factor in education. The spirit of the community is formed by the music it hears; in music the individual finds the themes that order his life.
Nature and formation
Confucius assents to all that is natural. To each thing he assigns its order, its measure, its place, and rejects nothing. He advocates self-mastery, not asceticism. Nature requires to be shaped, but violence can only harm it. Even hatred and anger have their place. The good man can love and hate in the right way. For example: "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
For Confucius human interaction is the life element. "The superior man does not neglect his neighbors. But in our association with men, we encounter both good and bad. Have no friend who is not your equal," says Confucius, he declares: "The superior man honours the worthy and tolerates all men." But in his dealings with others 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."
Human relations are governed by the following fundamental attitudes. Toward the ages of life: "let me respect the tranquility of the ages; let me be loyal to my friends; let me love children tenderly." The right conduct 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”.
Government
Government is the center of men's lives and all other considerations derive from it. Confucius sees a polarity between what must be made and what must grow. Good government is possible only in a sound social condition, moulded by the li, the right music, the right modes of human interaction. Such a condition can only grow. But though it cannot be made, it may be fostered, or impeded.
Laws are a means of government. But only to a limited degree do they bring results. And intrinsically, they are harmful.
Example is better than law. For where the laws govern, 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. A government cannot do without confidence. "If the people have no confidence, all government is impossible." But in planning its policy, a government cannot begin with the demand for confidence. Confidence cannot be demanded but must be brought to grow spontaneously. As to policy, above all "make the people prosperous." The next most important thing is to "educate them."
Leadership
“Good government requires a good prince. He taps the natural sources of wealth. He chooses carefully what work the people should undertake; then they do not grumble.
He is superior without being haughty; whether dealing with many or few, with great or small, he is not disdainful. He commands respect without a show of force. Like the polestar, he stands fast and lets everything move around him in its order. Because he desires the good, the people become good. If the authorities love good conduct, the people will be easy to handle. If a ruler is right in his own person, he has no need to command, things are done without commanding."
"Do nothing overhastily; 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.”
Such intervention in historical reality is subject to two main principles: (1) A capable man must stand in the right place. "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.“
These principles contain an element of Socrates's belief that human conditions will not improve until philosophers become kings or kings philosophers. Confucius spent his whole life looking for a prince to whom he might lend his intelligence. But in vain.
The superior man
All goodness, truth, beauty are combined in the ideal of the superior man (Chun-tzu). Noble both in birth and endowment, he has the manners of a gentleman and the wisdom of a sage.
The superior man is no saint. The saint is born; he is what he is; the superior man becomes what he is through self-discipline. "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. “
He investigates, he questions critically, he ponders the truth and resolutely acts on it. "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 character, cast of thought, gestures of the superior man are described. He is contrasted with the inferior man. The superior man is concerned with justice, the inferior man with profit.
The superior man is quiet and serene, the inferior man always full of anxiety. The superior man is congenial though never stooping to vulgarity; the inferior man is vulgar without being congenial.
The superior man is dignified without arrogance; the inferior man is arrogant without dignity. The superior man is steadfast in distress; the inferior man in distress loses all control of himself. The superior man goes searching for himself; the inferior man goes searching in others.
The superior man strives upward; the inferior man strives downward. The superior man is independent. He can endure long misfortune as well as long prosperity, and he lives free from fear. He suffers from his own inability, not from others' failure to understand him. He is slow in words and quick in action. He is careful not to let his words outshine his deeds: first act, then speak accordingly.
The superior man does not waste himself on what is distant, on what is absent. He stands in the here and now, in the real situation. "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."
Doctrine
"How abundantly do spiritual beings display the powers that belong to them! We look for them, but do not see them; we listen to, but do not hear them; yet they enter into all things, and there is nothing without them "Confucius was a superior man that he wrote about - far ahead of the pack - who loved the ancients and humanity and who had a spiritual message so simple and direct, its words can still work magic.
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 Great Teacher he tried to illustrate illustrious virtue, to renovate the people, and to rest in the highest excellence. Things have their root 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 every thing besides. This is to say every living thing is a seed of divinity at its heart - a divine truth. From purity and innocence it must enter into the worlds of matter and learn all the lessons that life has to offer. By the light of intelligence and self-consciousness it must rise again to the divine state.
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 enough 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
enough.”
Learning
According to his teaching, man’s chief end is to know and make the most of himself as a member of Society. He preached to his disciples and the people the principles of good life and social harmony.
Confucius said: "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."
Confucius said: "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." Confucius laid great stress on the cultivation of character, purity of heart and conduct. He exhorted the people to develop a good character first, which is a priceless jewel and which is the best of all virtues.
The nature of man, according to Confucius, is fundamentally good inclined towards goodness. Perfection of goodness can be found in sages and saints. Every man lead a virtuous life, possess a noble character, and do his duty unselfishly with sincerity and truthfulness. He who is endowed with a good character and divine virtue is a princely type of man. 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.
Sayings
“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.”
“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. 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", he said, "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".
Conclusion
In the "Great Learning" Confucius revealed the process, step by step, by which self-realisation is attained and by which it flows over into the common life to serve the state and bless mankind. Confucius sets it forth is as follows:
Investigation of phenomena, Learning, Sincerity, Rectitude of purpose, Self-development, Family-discipline, Local self-government, and Universal self-government.
There are three religions in China: Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. Confucius and Lao-Tze founder of Taoism, were contemporaries. They are sages and philosophers. Lao-Tze was fifty-three years older than Confucius. They met each other. Socrates and Buddha also were the contemporaries of Confucius.
Lao-tse taught the Tao - the Way, a mysticism embodying the highest principles which could not but lead the soul upward. He and Confucius never claimed originality, seeking only to restore to man the knowledge that he is an immortal soul, rooted in spirit or goodness and destined for godhood.
THE 10 PRIMORDIAL MASTERS : 7 - Socrates
Source: CD-Rom -The 10 Incarnations of the Primordial Master – 7 Socrates
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Socrates Early Life
As the heir of a wealthy Athenian sculptor, Socrates used his financial independence as an opportunity to invent the practice of philosophical dialogue.
Since he wrote nothing of his own, we are dependent upon contemporary writers like Aristophanes and Xenophon for our information about his life. After dignified service as a soldier in the Peloponnesian War, he lived for the rest of his life in Athens and devoted nearly all of his time to free-wheeling discussion with its aristocratic young citizens, insistently questioning their confidence in the truth of popular opinions.
Socrates declined to accept payment for his work with 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.
Our best sources of information about Socrates's philosophical views are the early dialogues of his student Plato, who attempted to provide a faithful picture of the methods and teachings of the master. Here the extended conversations of Socrates aim at understanding and, therefore, achieving virtue through the careful application of a dialectical method that uses critical inquiry to undermine the plausibility of widely-held doctrines.
Socrates systematically refutes the superficial notion of piety or moral rectitude defended by a confident young man. Plato's Apologhma (Apology) is an account of Socrates's unsuccessful speech in his own defense before the Athenian jury; it includes a detailed description of the motives and goals of philosophical activity as he practiced it.
During Socrates's imprisonment he responded to friendly efforts to secure his escape by seriously debating whether or not an individual citizen can ever be justified in refusing to obey the laws of the state.
Socrates investigated the nature of virtue, defending the doctrine of recollection as an explanation of our most significant knowledge and maintaining that knowledge and virtue are so closely related that no human agent ever knowingly chooses evil.
Improper conduct is a product of ignorance rather than of weakness of the will.
Socrates despite his foundational place in the history of ideas, actually wrote nothing.
Most of our knowledge of him comes from the works of Plato.
The Apology of Socrates
The most accurate of Plato's writings on Socrates is probably the The Apology. It is Plato's account of Socrates's defense at his trial in 399 BC the word "apology" comes from the Greek word for "defense-speech" and does not mean what we would think of as an apology. It is clear, however, that Plato dressed up Socrates's speech to turn it into a justification for Socrates's life and his death. In it, Plato outlines some of Socrates's most famous 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 wrote nothing because he felt that knowledge was a living, interactive thing. Socrates' method of philosophical inquiry consisted in questioning people on the positions they asserted and working them through questions into a contradiction, thus proving to them that their original assertion was wrong. Socrates himself never takes a position; in The Apology he radically and skeptically claims to know nothing at all except that he knows nothing.
Socrates and Plato refer to this method of questioning as elenchus, which means something like "cross-examination"
The Socratic elenchus eventually gave rise to dialectic, the idea that truth needs to be pursued by modifying one's position through questioning and conflict with opposing ideas. It is this idea of the truth being pursued, rather than discovered, that characterizes Socratic thought and much of our world view today.
The Western notion of dialectic is somewhat Socratic in nature in that it is conceived of as an ongoing process. Although Socrates in The Apology claims to have discovered no other truth than that he knows no truth, the Socrates of Plato's other earlier dialogues is of the opinion that truth is somehow attainable through this process of elenchus .
The Athenians, with the exception of Plato, thought of Socrates as a Sophist, a designation he seems to have bitterly resented. He was, however, very similar in thought to the Sophists. Like the Sophists, he was unconcerned with physical or metaphysical questions; the issue of primary importance was ethics, living a good life.
He appeared to be a sophist because he seems to tear down every ethical position he's confronted with; he never offers alternatives after he's torn down other people's ideas.
Philisophy
The one positive statement that Socrates made is a definition of virtue:
"virtue is knowledge if one knows the good, one will always do the good. It follows, then, that anyone who does anything wrong doesn't really know what the good is.”
This, for Socrates, justifies tearing down people's moral positions, for if they have the wrong ideas about virtue, morality, love, or any other ethical idea, they can't be trusted to do the right thing.
The trial
The trial of Socrates took place in 399 BC when he was nearly 70. The charges were that he refused to recognise the official gods of the state, that he introduced new gods and that he corrupted the young.
There was a vivid political background to the trial, but this does not mean that the charges were a sham and that the trial was really a political one. Politics, religion and education were all intertwined in the matter, and, however you looked at it, Socrates was saying the wrong things at the wrong time.
In 404, five years before the trial, a 27-year war between Athens and Sparta had ended with the defeat of Athens. The Athenian democracy was overthrown and replaced by a group of men, subsequently known as the Thirty Tyrants, who were installed by Sparta. In the course of earning their name, the Tyrants murdered so many people that they lasted for only a year, though it was not until 401 that democracy was fully restored. Understandably, the democrats were still feeling rather insecure in 399. There were plenty of reasons to be uneasy about the presence of Socrates in the city.
It was felt that intellectuals were weakening Athenian society by undermining its traditional views and 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 disbelieved in the traditional gods - he seemed to deny the charge, but not convincingly - there was no doubt that he had an unorthodox approach to divinity.
The way he talked about his daimonion, his "guardian spirit'' or personal "divine sign'', gave reasonable cause for concern that he did indeed "introduce new gods'', as the indictment put it. That would have been a grievous sin against the shaky democracy. The state alone had the power to say what was a suitable object for religious veneration; it had its own procedures for officially recognising gods, and anyone who ignored them was in effect challenging the legitimacy of the democratic state.
All of this Socrates was up against when he faced the 500 Athenian citizens who were to judge him.
Plato was at the trial; the Apology or defence-speech of Socrates which he wrote a few years afterwards was probably his first work.
Socrates knew that his judges were already prejudiced against him and set out to correct these false impressions. He is not, he says, a man who teaches for money, like the professional "Sophists''. This seems to have been true enough: he did not charge a fee. He also dismissed the slander that he taught people how to win arguments by trickery when they were in the wrong. Far from it.
This is the main theme of the Apology, which is more of a general defence of his way of life than a rebuttal of the official charges. The nub of this defence is Socrates's claim that he has positively benefited the Athenians by subjecting them to his philosophical cross-examinations, but that they have failed to realise this and merely been angered by it, which is why he has ended up on trial for his life.
Socrates says that he is fulfilling the wishes of the gods when he goes about and argues with people.
The Oracle
A friend of his once 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 a frightful 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 interrogating all sorts of people who had a reputation for wisdom or specialised knowledge. But he was always disappointed, because it seemed that there was nobody whose alleged wisdom could stand up to his questioning. He was always able to refute the efforts of others to establish some thesis of theirs, usually by highlighting some unwelcome and unexpected consequences of their views. He also questioned poets, but they could not even elucidate their poems to his satisfaction.
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. At any rate 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 must 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
In other words, the superior wisdom of Socrates lies in the fact that he alone is aware of how little he knows. He aptly describes himself as an intellectual midwife, whose questioning delivers the thoughts of others into the light of day.
But this skill in elucidation and debate, which he obviously has in abundance, is not a form of real wisdom so far as Socrates is concerned. Real wisdom is perfect knowledge about ethical subjects, about how to live.
When Socrates claims ignorance, he means ignorance about the foundations of morality; he is not asserting any general sort of scepticism about everyday matters of fact. His concern is solely with ethical reflection, and he cannot with a clear conscience abandon his mission to encourage it 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 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.
Nevertheless that is how it is. His pious references to the wisdom of God are apt to disguise how unconventional his attitude to divinity was.
When he says that only God has wisdom. The Delphic oracle was as authentic a voice of God as any available: yet Socrates did not just accept what it says but instead set out "to check the truth of it''.
He says elsewhere that "it has always been my nature never to accept advice from any of my friends unless reflection shows that it is the best course that reason offers"; he seems to have adopted exactly the same approach to the advice of God.
Presented with the divine pronouncement that no man is wiser than Socrates, he refuses to take this at face value until he has satisfied himself that a true meaning can be found for it.
He seems to be speaking in a roundabout way when he refers to his mission as divine, because the Delphic oracle did not explicitly tell him to go forth and philosophise. He does at one point say 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''. He probably came closest to the heart of the matter when he said "I want you to think of my adventures as a sort of pilgrimage undertaken to establish the truth of the oracle once for all''.
It was his conscience and intelligence which told him to interrogate those who believed themselves to be wise. He could claim that this "helps the cause of God'' because such activities do help to confirm the Delphic pronouncement that nobody is wiser than Socrates. But the talk of God is largely a gloss, which serves to mark Socrates' high moral purpose and to win the approval of his hearers. His basic motive for philosophising was simply that it was him the right thing to do.
Guardian Angel
Socrates says he is influenced in his actions by what he calls his daimonion, a guardian spirit or voice which has been with him since childhood. This seems to have been the unorthodox divinity or "new gods'' referred to in the charges against him.
Once again the advice of the daimonion is treated as advice to be reasoned with before it is endorsed, like the counsel of friends or the words of the Delphic oracle. The voice of the daimonion is pretty clearly what we would call the voice of cautious conscience. He says that "when it comes it always dissuades me from what I am proposing to do, and never urges me on''.
The guardian spirit warned him off any involvement in politics, he says, because if he had made a public figure of himself, he would have been killed long before he could have done much good. That is why he chose to minister to 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.
This persuasion seems to have been rather strident at times. He implies that the Athenians 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 thought to truth and understanding and the perfection of your soul''. He must have particularly annoyed them when he said, during his trial, that he thought he was doing the Athenians "the greatest possible service'' in showing them the errors of their ways.
This was at a stage of the proceedings when he had already been voted guilty and was required to argue for 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 suchlike; 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''. He ends this part of the speech by suggesting a fine instead, at the instigation of Plato and other friends who offer to pay it for him. But the Athenians had already lost their patience. They voted for the death penalty by a larger majority than that by which they had found him guilty. This means that some of them, having previously found him innocent, were so enraged by his cheek that they either changed their minds or else decided to get rid of him anyway.
One story has it that 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, trying to comfort him. Would you rather I was put to death justly?
Socrates Spirituality
Socrates thought that what happens after death in the Phaedo, which purports to give Socrates's last words before he drank hemlock in prison, he produces an array of proofs for the immortality of the soul.
He thought that the soul was separable from the body, that it existed before birth and that it would definitely continue to exist after death. Under Pythagorean influence, he held that while it was tied to a physical body during life it led a defiled and inferior existence from which it needed to be "purified'' and "freed from the shackles of the body''. What the good man can hope to enjoy after death is reunification, or at least communion, with those incorporeal higher forms of existence that are conventionally called "the divine''.
The philosopher, in particular, should regard the whole of his life as a preparation for the blissful release of death. As we have seen, Socrates lived a poor and unconventional life that was certainly unworldly.
Socrates pursued the virtues because he felt morally obliged to, here and now. Earthly life imposed its own duties, brought its own blessings and was not simply a preparation for something else. One belief about virtue is that the pursuit of goodness is not only a matter of acting in certain ways but also an intellectual project.
Socrates believed that coming to understand the virtues was a necessary precondition for possessing them. A man could not be truly virtuous unless he knew what virtue was, and the only way he might be able to get this knowledge was by examining accounts of the particular virtues. That is why Socrates went around questioning people and arguing with them.
Socrates saw the search for definitions as a means to an end, namely the exercise of virtue. Socrates' questioning really amounted to and what it ought to aim at.
Socrates had a egalitarian approach to knowledge and virtue. His most famous quote would have to be “The unexamined life is not worth living“.
This is not a fate to which he meant to condemn all but a chosen few. Anybody could examine his own life and ideas and thus lead a worthwhile existence.
Socrates would happily question and argue with anybody, cobbler or king, and for him this was all that philosophy was.
In one of his dialogues, uses a geometrical example to argue that knowledge of the Forms, which for him meant all the important sorts 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 which the soul was disembodied and could encounter the Forms directly.
Thus one does not strictly speaking learn these truths at all: one works to remember them. When a soul is born into a body, the knowledge which it previously enjoyed slips from memory: as Wordsworth wrote in his Intimations of Immortality, "our birth is but a sleep and a forgetting''.
Socrates' questions to the slave are indeed leading ones (and the diagrams help, too), yet it is nevertheless true that the slave comes to see the answer for himself. He has not simply been told it as one might be told how many feet there are in a yard or what the capital of Greece is. He has come to appreciate something through his own intellectual faculties. So Socrates can modestly make his usual claim that he has not handed over any knowledge himself but has just acted as a midwife to bring it out of somebody else. And there is another thing: as Socrates points out, in order for the slave to know this piece of mathematics properly, it is not quite enough for him to work through the example just once:
At present these opinions [of the slave’s] being newly aroused, have a dreamlike quality. But if the same questions are put to him on many occasions and in different ways, you can see that in the end he will have a knowledge on the subject as accurate as anybody's...
This knowledge will not come from teaching but from questioning. He will recover it for himself.
Repeated doses of Socratic questioning are called for. In other words, what the slave needs is exactly the sort of treatment that the real Socrates offered the largely ungrateful Athenians. As he says in the Apology, if anyone claims to know about goodness "I shall question him and examine him and test him''. Thus in his fanciful story of assisted recollection, Plato has given us a striking illustration of the sort of thing Socrates was doing when he claimed to help other people deliver their own opinions. It is as if Socrates were drawing out and firming up some knowledge that was already there.
Socratic Way of Life
For Socratic strength of mind was needed for the pursuit of happiness and held that happiness was to be found not in satisfying desires, but in losing them. As demonstrated by Socrates' indifference to wealth and comfort, and turned this into an ascetic philosophy. Socrates, after all, had said that nothing could harm a good man and that so long as one was good, nothing else in life mattered at all. Socrates never denied that wealth or possessions were, in their proper place, a better thing to have than to lack.
His apparent indifference to them was largely a by-product of the demanding search for virtue and a healthy soul.
While Socrates was quite prepared to ignore ordinary ways and values when his principles demanded it. If something was neither virtuous nor wicked, then it did not make the slightest difference whether one did it or not.
As can be imagined, this was a powerful recipe for freedom, freed of the desire for possessions, and liberated from conventional behaviour, the wise man could wander around declaiming against society's matesialistic ways..
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THE 10 PRIMORDIAL MASTERS : 8 - Prophet Mohammed
Source: CD-Rom -The 10 Incarnations of the Primordial Master – 8 Mohammed
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Appearance
Muhammad was of a height a little above the average. He was of sturdy build with long muscular limbs and tapering fingers. The hair of his head was long and thick with some waves in them. His forehead was large and prominent, his eyelashes were long and thick, his nose was sloping, his mouth was somewhat large and his teeth were well set. His cheeks were spare and he had a pleasant smile. His eyes were large and black with a touch of brown. His beard was thick and at the time of his death, he had seventeen gray hairs in it. He had a thin line of fine hair over his neck and chest. He was fair of complexion and altogether was so handsome that Abu Bakr composed this couplet on him:
"as there is no darkness in the moonlit night so is Mustafa, the well-wisher, bright."
His gait was firm and he walked so fast that others found it difficult to keep pace with him. His face was genial but at times, when he was deep in thought, there there were long periods of silence, yet he always kept himself busy with something. He did not speak unnecessarily and what he said was always to the point and without any padding. At times he would make his meaning clear by slowly repeating what he had said. His laugh was mostly a smile. He kept his feelings under firm control - when annoyed, he would turn aside or keep silent, when pleased he would lower his eyes (Shamail Tirmizi).
Dress
His dress generally consisted of a shirt, tamad (trousers), a sheet thrown round the sholders and a turban. On rare occasions, he would put on costly robes presented to him by foreign emissaries in the later part of his life (Ahmed, Musnad, Hafiz Bin Qaiyyam).
His blanket had several patches (Tirmizi). He had very few spare clothes, but he kept them spotlessy clean (Bukhari).
On an occasion he enquired of a person in dirty clothes whether he had any income. Upon getting a reply in the affirmative, he observed, "When Allah has blessed you with His bounty, your appearence should reflect it."
He used to observe: "Cleanliness is piety".
Lifestyle
In the desert of Arabia was Mohammad born. The name means highly praised. He is greatest mind among all the sons of Arabia.much more than all the poets and kings that preceded him in that impenetrable desert of red sand.
From the desert of Arabia a new world was fashioned by the mighty spirit of Mohammad - a new life, a new culture, a new civilization, a new kingdom which extended from Morocco to Indies and influenced the thought and life of three continents - Asia, Africa and Europe.
When speaking about the holy Quran there is probably in the world no other book which has remained twelve centuries with so pure text. The account of Mohammad and Islam which were published in Europe before the beginning of 19th century are now to be regarded as literary curiosities.
The theory of Islam and Sword for instance is not heard now frequently in any quarter worth the name. The principle of Islam that there is no compulsion in religion is well known. A pernicious tenet has been imputed to Mohammadans, the duty of extirpating all the religions by sword.
This charge based on ignorance and bigotry and is refuted by the Quran, by the history of Musalman conquerors and by their public and legal toleration of Christian worship.
The great success of Mohammad's life had been effected by sheer moral force, without a stroke of sword.
But in pure self-defense, after repeated efforts of conciliation had utterly failed, circumstances dragged him into the battlefield. But the prophet of Islam changed the whole strategy of the battlefield.
The total number of casualties in all the wars that took place during his lifetime when the whole Arabian Peninsula came under his banner, does not exceed a few hundreds in all. But even on the battlefield he taught the Arab barbarians to pray, to pray not individually, but in congregation to God the Almighty.
During the dust and storm of warfare whenever the time for prayer came, and it comes five times a every day, the congregation prayer had not to be postponed even on the battlefield. A party had to be engaged in bowing their heads before God while other was engaged with the enemy. After finishing the prayers, the two parties had to exchange their positions.
The Prophet of Islam taught the waring tribes self-control and discipline to the extent of praying even on the battlefield. In an aged of barbarism, the Battlefield itself was humanized and strict instructions were issued not to cheat, not to break trust, not to mutilate, not to kill a child or woman or an old man, not to hew down date palm nor burn it, not to cut a fruit tree, not to molest any person engaged in worship.
His own treatment with his bitterest enemies is the noblest example for his followers. At the conquest of Mecca, he stood at the zenith of his power.
The city which had refused to listen to his mission, which had tortured him and his followers, which had driven him and his people into exile and which had unrelentingly persecuted and boycotted him even when he had taken refuge in a place more than 200 miles away, that city now lay at his feet.
By the laws of war he could have justly avenged all the cruelties inflicted on him and his people. But what treatment did he accord to them? Mohammad's heart flowed with affection and he declared, "This day, there is no REPROOF against you and you are all free." "This day" he proclaimed, "I trample under my feet all distinctions between man and man, all hatred between man and man."
This was one of the chief objects why he permitted war in self defense, that is to unite human beings. And when once this object was achieved, even his worst enemies were pardoned.
Mode of living
His house was but a hut with walls of unbaked clay and a thatched roof of palm leaves covered by camel skin. He had separate apartments for his wives, a small room for each made of similar materials. His own apartment contained a rope cot, a pillow stuffed with palm leaves, the skin of some animal spread on the floor and a water bag of leather and some weapons. These were all his earthly belongings, besides a camel, a horse, and an ass and some land which he had aquired in the later part of his life. Once a few of his disciples, noticing the imprint of his mattress on his body, wished to give him a softer bed but he politely declined the offer saying, "What have I to do with worldly things. My connection with the world is like that of a traveller resting for a while underneath the shade of a tree and then moving on."
Amr Ibn Al-Harith, a brother in law of the prophet, says that when the prophet died, he did not leave a cent, a slave man or woman, or any property except his white mule, his weapons and a piece of land which he had dedicated for the good of the community. He advised the people to live simple lives and himself practised great austerities. Even when he had become the virtual king of Arabia, he lived an austere life bordering on privation. His wife Aiysha says that there was hardly a day in his life when he had two square meals. When he died there was nothing in his house except a few seeds of barley left from a mound of the grain.
He had declared unlawful for himself and his family anything given by the people by way of zakat or sadaqa (types of charity). He was so particular about this that he would not appoint any member of his family as a zakat collector.
His manners and disposition
"By the grace of Allah, you are gentle towards the people; if you had been stern and ill-tempered, they would have dispersed from round about you"
About himself the prophet said
"Allah has sent me as an apostle so that I may demonstrate perfection of character, refinement of manners and loftiness of deportment."
By nature he was gentle and kind hearted, always inclined to be gracious and to overlook the faults of others. Politeness and courtesy, compassion and tenderness, simplicity and humility, sympathy and sincerity were some of the keynotes of his character. In the cause of right and justice he could be resolute and severe but more often than not, his severity was tempered with generosity. He had charming manners which won him the affection of his followers and secured their devotion. Though virtual king of Arabia and an apostle of Allah, he never assumed an air of superiority. Not that he had to conceal any such vein by practice and artifice: with fear of Allah, sincere humility was ingrained in his heart. He used to say, "I am a Prophet of Allah but I do not know what will be my end."
In one of his sermons calculated to instil the fear of Allah and the day of reckoning in the hearts of men, he said, "O people of Quraish be prepared for the hereafter, I cannot save you from the punishment of Allah; O Bani Abd Manaf, I cannot save you from Allah; O Abbas, son of Abdul Mutalib, I cannot protect you either; O Fatima, daughter of Muhammad, even you I cannot save."
He used to pray, "O Allah! I am but a man. If I hurt any one in any manner, then forgive me and do not punish me."
He always received people with courtesy and showed respect to older people and stated:
"To honor an old man is to show respect to Allah."
He would not deny courtesy even to wicked persons. It is stated that a person came to his house and asked permission for admission. The prophet remarked that he was not a good person but might be admitted. When he came in and while he remained in the house, he was shown full courtesy. When he left Aiysha said, "You did not think well of this man, but you treated him so well."
The prophet replied, "He is a bad person in the sight of Allah who does not behave courteously and people shun his company because of his bad manners."
He was always the first to greet another and would not withdraw his hand from a handshake till the other man withdrew his. If one wanted to say something in his ears, he would not turn away till one had finished . He did not like people to get up for him and used to say, "Let him who likes people to stand up in his honour, he should seek a place in hell."
He would himself, however, stand up when any dignitary came to him. He had stood up to receive the wet nurse who had reared him in infancy and had spread his own sheet for her. His foster brother was given similar treatment. He avoided sitting at a prominent place in a gathering, so much so that people coming in had difficulty in spotting him and had to ask which was the Prophet . Quite frequently uncouth bedouins accosted him in their own gruff and impolite manner but he never took offence.
He used to visit the poorest of ailing persons and exhorted all muslims to do likewise. He would sit with the humblest of persons saying that righteousness alone was the criterion of one's superiority over another. He invariably invited people be they slaves, servants or the poorest believers, to partake with him of his scanty meals.
Whenever he visited a person he would first greet him and then take his permission to enter the house. He advised the people to follow this etiquette and not to get annoyed if anyone declined to give permission, for it was quite likely the person concerned was busy otherwise and did not mean any disrespect.
There was no type of household work too low or too undignified for him.
"He always joined in household work and would at times mend his clothes, repair his shoes and sweep the floor. He would milk, tether, and feed his animals and do the household shopping."
He would not hesitate to do the menial work of others, particularly of orphans and widows. Once when there was no male member in the house of the companion Kabab Bin Arat who had gone to the battlefield, he used to go to his house daily and milk his cattle for the inhabitants.
Children
He was especially fond of children and used to get into the spirit of childish games in their company. He would have fun with the children who had come back from Abyssinia and tried to speak in Abyssinian with them.
It was his practice to give lifts on his camel to children when he returned from journeys. He would pick up children in his arms, play with them, and kiss them. A companion, recalling his childhood, said, "In my childhood I used to fell dates by throwing stones at palm trees. Somebody took me to the Prophet who advised me to pick up the dates lying on the ground but not to fell them with stones. He then patted me and blessed me."
Daily routine
The Prophet had carefully apportioned his time according to the demands on him for
1. offering worship to Allah
2. public affairs, and
3. personal matters.
After the early morning prayers he would remain sitting in the mosque reciting praises of Allah till the sun rose and more people collected. He would then preach to them. After the sermons were over, he would talk genially with the people, inquire about their welfare and even exchange jokes with them. Taxes and revenues were also distributed at this time. He would then offer chaste prayers and go home and get busy with household work . He would again return to the mosque for the mid-day and afternoon prayers, listen to the problems of the people and give solace and guidance to them. After the afternoon prayers, he would visit each of his wives and, after the evening prayers, his wives would collect at one place and he would have his dinner. After the night prayers, he would recite some suras of the Quran and before going to bed would pray:
"O Allah, I die and live with thy name on my lips."
On getting up he would say, "All praise to Allah Who has given me life after death and towards Whom is the return."
He used to brush his teeth five times a day, before each of the daily prayers. He was not fastidious about his bed: sometimes he slept on his cot, sometimes on a skin or ordinary matress, and sometimes on the ground.
On friday he used to give sermons after the weekly "Jumma" prayers.
He was not annoyed if anyone interrupted him during the sermons for anything. It is stated that once, while he was delivering his sermon, a bedouin approached him and said, "O messenger of Allah, I am a traveller and am ignorant of my religion." The prophet got down from the pulpit, explained the salient features of Islam to him and then resumed the sermon.
On another occasion his grandson Husain, still a child, came tumbling to him while he was delivering a sermon. He descended and took him in his lap and then continued the sermon.
Trust in Allah
Muhammad preached to the people to trust in Allah (swt). His whole life was a sublime example of the precept. In the loneliness of Makkah, in the midst of persecution and danger, in adversity and tribulations, and in the thick of enemies in the battles of Uhud and Hunain, complete faith and trust in Allah appears as the dominant feature in his life. However great the danger that confronted him, he never lost hope and never allowed himself to be unduly agitated.
Abu Talib knew the feelings of the Quraish when the Prophet started his mission. He also knew the lengths to which the Quraish could go, and requested the Prophet to abandon his mission, but the latter calmly replied, "Dear uncle, do not go by my loneliness. Truth will not go unsupported for long. The whole of Arabia and beyond will one day espouse its cause."
When the attitude of the Quraish became more threatening, Abu Talib again begged his nephew to renounce his mission but the Prophet's reply was:
"O my uncle, if they placed the sun in my right hand and the moon in my left, to force me to renounce my work, verily I would not desist thereform until Allah made manifest His cause, or I perished in the attempt."
To another well-wisher, he said, "Allah will not leave me forelorn."
A dejected and oppressed disciple was comforted with the words:
"By Allah, the day is near when this faith will reach its pinnacle and none will have to fear anyone except Allah."
It was the same trust in Allah which emboldened the prophet to say his prayers openly in the haram in the teeth of opposition. The Quraish were once collected there and were conspiring to put an end to his life.
His young daughter Fatima, who happened to overhear their talk rushed weeping to her father and told him of the designs of the Quraish. He consoled her, did his ablutions and went to the Kaaba to say prayers.
There was only consternation among the Quraish when they saw him.
Then leaving his house for Madinah he asked Ali to sleep on his bed and told him, "Do not worry, no one will be able to do you any harm"
Even though the enemies had surrounded the house, he left the house reciting the Quranic verse:
"We have set a barricade before them and a barricade behind them and (thus) have covered them so that they see not" .
Abu Bakr was frightened when pursuers came close to the cavern in which he and Prophet Muhammad were hiding during their flight, but the Prophet heartened him, "Grieve not. Allah is with us."
A guard was kept at the Prophet's house in Madinah because of the danger that surrounded him but he had it withdrawn when the Quranic verse was revealed:
"Allah will protect you from the people"
A man was caught waiting in ambush to assault the Prophet but he was directed to be released with the words,
"Even if this man wanted to kill me, he could not."
A Jewess from Khaibar had put poison in the Prophet's food. He spat it out after taking a morsel but a disciple who had his fill died the next day. The Jewess was brought before the prophet who questioned her:
"Why did you do this?" "To kill you," was her defiant reply. She was told, "Allah would not have allowed you to do it."
In the battle of Uhud when the rear guard action of the Makkan army had disorganised the Muslim army and had turned the tables, the Prophet stood as firm as a rock even though he had suffered personal injuries. When Abu Sufiyan taunted the Muslims and shouted "Victory to hubal!", the Prophet asked Umar to shout back, "Allah is our protector and friend. You have no protector and friend. Allah is Great, Magnificent."
Again in the battle of Hunain, when the unexpected assault of the army had swept the Muslim force off its feet and a defeat seemed imminent, the Prophet did not yield ground. With trust in Allah he showed such courage that the Muslim army rallied behind him to win a signal victory.
Justice
The Prophet asked people to be just and kind. As the supreme judge and arbiter, as the leader of men, as general of a rising power, as a reformer and apostle, he had always to deal with men and their affairs. He had often to deal with mutually inimical and warring tribes when showing justice to one carried the danger of antagonizing the other, and yet he never deviated from the path of justice. In administering justice, he made no distinction between believers and non believers, friends and foes, high and low. From numerous instances reported in the traditions, a few are given below.
A woman of the Makhzoom family with good connections was found guilty of theft. For the prestige of the Quraish, some prominent people including Asama Bin Zaid interceded to save her from punishment. The Prophet refused to condone the crime and expressed displeasure 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 Muhammad's (My) daughter Fatima would have committed theft, her hand would have been severed."
The Jews, in spite of their hostility to the Prophet, were so impressed by his impartiallity and sense of justice that they used to bring their cases to him, and he decided them according to Jewish law.
Once, while he was distributing the spoils of war, people flocked around him and one man almost fell upon him. He pushed the men with a stick causing a slight abrasion. He was so sorry about this that he told the man that he could have his revenge, but the man said, "O messenger of Allah, I forgive you."
In his fatal illness, the Prophet proclaimed in a concourse 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. A hush fell on the crowd. One man came forward to claim a few dirhams which were paid at once.
Equality
Muhammad asked people to shun notions of racial, family or any other form of superiority based on mundane things and said that righteousness alone was the criterion of one's superiority over another. It has already been shown how he mixed with everyone on equal terms, how he ate with slaves, servants and the poorest on the same sheet (a practice that is still followed in Arabia), how he refused all privileges and worked like any ordinary laborer. Two instances may, however, be quoted here:
Once the Prophet visited Saad Bin Abadah. While returning Saad sent his son Quais with him.
The Prophet asked Quais to mount his camel with him. Quais hesitated out of respect but the Prophet insisted: "Either mount the camel or go back." Quais decided to go back.
On another occasion he was travelling on his camel over hilly terrain with a disciple, Uqba Bin Aamir. After going some distance, he asked Uqba to ride the camel, but Uqba thought this would be showing disrespect to the Prophet.
But the Prophet insisted and he had to comply. The Prophet himself walked on foot as he did not want to put too much load on the animal.
During a halt on a journey, the companions apportioned work among themselves for preparing food. The Prophet took upon himself the task of collecting firewood. His companions pleaded that they would do it and that he need not take the trouble, but he replied, "It is true, but I do not like to attribute any distinction to myself. Allah does not like the man who considers himself superior to his companions."
Kindness to animals
The Prophet not only preached to the people to show kindness to each other but also to all living souls. 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 over-loaded or ill-fed he would pull up the owner and say, "Fear Allah in your treatment of animals."
As his army marched towards Makkah to conquer it, they passed a female dog with puppies. The Prophet not only gave orders that they should not be disturbed, but posted a man to see that this was done.
He stated, "Verily, there is heavenly reward for every act of kindness done to a living animal." Love for the poor The Prophet enjoined upon Muslims to treat the poor kindly and to help them with alms, in other ways. He said:
"He is not a perfect muslim who eats his fill and lets his neighbour go hungry."
He asked, "Do you love your Creator? Then love your fellow beings first."
Monopoly is unlawful in Islam and he preached that "It is difficult for a man laden with riches to climb the steep path that leads to bliss."
He did not prohibit or discourage the acquisition of wealth but insisted that it be lawfully acquired by honest means and that a portion of it would go to the poor. He advised his followers "To give the labourer his wages before his perspiration dried up."
To his wife he said, "O Aysha, love the poor and let them come to you and Allah will draw you near to Himself."
One or two instances of the Prophet's concern for the poor may be given here. A Madinan, Ibad Bin Sharjil, was once starving. He entered an orchard and picked some fruit.
A debtor, Jabir Bin Abdullah, was being harassed by his creditor as he could not clear his debt owing to the failure of his date crop. The Prophet went with Jabir to the house of the creditor and pleaded with him to give Jabir some more time but the creditor was not prepared to oblige.
The Prophet then went to the oasis and having seen for himself that the crop was really poor, he again approached the creditor with no better result. He then rested for some time and approached the creditor for a third time but the latter was adamant. The Prophet went again to the orchard and asked Jabir to pluck the dates. As Allah would have it, the collection not only sufficed to clear the dues but left something to spare .
His love for the poor was so deep that he used to pray: "O Allah, keep me poor in my life and at my death and raise me at resurrection among those who are poor."
While Mohammed was serving a sick slave, the latter asked, "Has my master sent you to look after me?"
"Yes," said Mohammed, "the master of masters has sent me to serve you."
One day, a dying dog approached a follower of Mohammed. The man had no means with which to procure water for the dog, for wells in the desert dry up quickly. He noticed a small pool of muddy water in the vicinity. He tore his shirt, soaked it in the water, placed the dog in his lap and moistened its mouth with the wet cloth. Another Arab who saw this went to the Prophet and said, "One of your followers has touched a filthy animal, a dog, and should therefore not be allowed back here again." Mohammed questioned, "What was he doing to the dog?"
"I do not know, but I saw him moistening its mouth with a torn piece of cloth dipped in muddy water," replied the man.
"He is a better Muslim than you are, because he is kind to animals," said the Prophet.
When Mohammed was in Mecca once, a poor shepherd from the hills came to worship in the mosque. He worshipped in his own simple way, performing the necessary ablution, kissing the stone and bowing before the sacred spot. Tears flowed from his eyes as he prayed: "O adorable Lord of love, show me Thy face. Let me be thy servant. Let me mend Thy shoes, apply oil to Thy hair, wash Thy soiled clothes and bring Thee daily the milk of my goat. Let me kiss Thy hand and shampoo Thy sacred Feet. Let me sweep Thy room."
Such simple words of the honest and straightforward shepherd offended the priests who stood near him. They said to him, "What blasphemy is this ? There is no need of such gifts for the omnipotent Lord."
They were ready to drive him out of the temple, when the Prophet called them to him and asked, "When you are in distant lands, in which direction do you turn your faces ?"
"We turn our faces to Mecca," they answered in reply.
He further asked, "When you are within this sacred walls, in which direction do you turn your faces ?"
"All is holy here," they replied. "It does not matter which way we turn."
The Prophet then said, "Your answer is beautiful indeed. Within the mosque it does not matter how you pray, as long as you have love and reverence. This poor shepherd's simple prayer entered directly into the ears of Allah more clearly than yours, as it was uttered from his heart with intense love, faith, sincerity and reverence.”
"Make room for God's poor lover near me. Let no one be ashamed to have his company. He is humble, pure and exalted soul."
Universal Brotherhood
The principles of universal brotherhood and doctrine of the equality of mankind which he proclaimed represents one very great contribution of Mohammad to the social uplift of humanity. All great religions have preached the same doctrine but the prophet of Islam had put this theory into actual practice and its value will be fully recognized, perhaps centuries hence, when international consciousness being awakened, racial prejudices may disappear and greater brotherhood of humanity came into existence.
It was one of the first religions that preached and practiced democracy; for in the mosque, when the minaret is sounded and the worshipers are gathered together, the democracy of Islam is embodied five times a day when the peasant and the king kneel side by side and proclaim, God alone is great."
There is a great indivisible unity of Islam that makes a man instinctively a brother. When you meet an Egyptian, an Algerian and Indian and a Turk in London, it matters not that Egypt is the motherland of one and India is the motherland of another.
Mahatma Gandhi, in his inimitable style, says "Some one has said that Europeans in South Africa dread the advent Islam - Islam that civilised Spain, Islam that took the torch light to Morocco and preached to the world the Gospel of brotherhood. The Europeans of South Africa dread the Advent of Islam. They may claim equality with the white races. They may well dread it, if brotherhood is a sin. If it is equality of coloured races then their dread is well founded."
Haj
Every year, during the Haj, the world witnesses the spectacle of this international Exhibition of Islam in levelling all distinctions of race, colour and rank. Europeans, African, Arabian, Persian, Indians and Chinese all meet together in Medina as members of one divine family, but they are clad in one dress every person in two simple pieces of white seamless cloth, one piece round the loin the other piece over the shoulders, bare head without pomp or ceremony, repeating "Here am I O God; at thy command; thou art one and alone; Here am I."
Thus there remains nothing to differentiate the high from the low and every pilgrim carries home the impression of the international significance of Islam. The league of nations founded by prophet of Islam put the principle of international unity of human brotherhood on such Universal foundations as to show other nations the fact the notion universal brotherhood.
Consider the state of Bilal, a Negro Slave, in the days of the prophet of Islam nearly 14 centuries ago. The office of calling Muslims to prayer was considered to be of status in the early days of Islam and it was offered to this Negro slave. After the conquest of Mecca, the Prophet ordered him to call for prayer and the Negro slave, with his black color and his thick lips, stood over the roof of the holy mosque at Mecca called the Ka'ba the most historic and the holiest mosque in the Islamic world, when some proud Arabs painfully cried loud, "Oh, this black Negro Slave, woe be to him. He stands on the roof of holy Ka'ba to call for prayer." At that moment, the prophet announced to the world, this verse of the holy QURAN for the first time.
"O mankind, surely we have created you, families and tribes, so you may know one another. Surely, the most honourable of you with God is the most righteous among you. Surely, God is Knowing, Aware."
And these words of the holy Quran created such a mighty transformation that the Caliph of Islam, the purest of Arabs by birth, offered their daughter in marriage to this Negro Slave, and whenever, the second Caliph of Islam, known to history as Umar the great, the commander of faithful, saw this Negro slave, he immediately stood in reverence and welcomed him by "Here come our master; Here come our lord."
Goethe, the greatest of German poets, speaking about the Holy Quran declared that, "This book will go on exercising through all ages a most potent influence."
Equality of women
It is this same democratic spirit of Islam that emancipated women from the bondage of man.
Islam teaches the inherent sinlessness of man. It teaches that man and woman have come from the same essence, posses the same soul and have been equipped with equal capabilities for intellectual, spiritual and moral attainment."
The Arabs had a very strong tradition that one who can smite with the spear and can wield the sword would inherit. But Islam came as the defender of the weaker sex and entitled women to share the inheritance of their parents. It gave women, centuries ago 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 maintained rights granted to them."
Law
Islam is not directly concerned with political and economic systems, but indirectly and in so far as political and economic affairs influence man's conduct, it does lay down some very important principles to govern economic life. It maintains the balance between exaggerated opposites and has always in view the building of character which is the basis of civilization. This is secured by its law of inheritance, by an organized system of charity known as Zakat, and by regarding as illegal all anti-social practices in the economic field like monopoly, usury, securing of predetermined unearned income and increments, cornering markets, creating monopolies, creating an artificial scarcity of any commodity.
Gambling is illegal. Contribution to schools, to places of worship, hospitals, digging of wells, opening of orphanages are highest acts of virtue. Orphanages have sprung for the first time, it is said, under the teaching of the prophet of Islam. The world owes its orphanages to this prophet born an orphan. Mohammad was the natural voice of humanity, of pity and equity, dwelling in the heart of this son of nature.
The Great Man
It was once said a great man should be judged by three tests.
Was he found to be of true metel by his contemporaries? Was he great enough to raise above the standards of his age? Did he leave anything as permanent legacy to the world at large? This list may be further extended but all these three tests of greatness are eminently satisfied to the highest degree in case of prophet Mohammad.
Historical records show that all the contemporaries of Mohammad both friends foes, acknowledged his qualities, the spotless honesty, the noble virtues, the absolute sincerity and every trustworthiness of the apostle of Islam in all walks of life and in every sphere of human activity. Even the Jews and those who did not believe in his message, adopted him as the arbiter in their personal disputes by virtue of his perfect impartiality. Even those who did not believe in his message but the best of them saw that a new light had dawned on him and they hastened him to seek the enlightenment.
It is a notable feature in the history of prophet of Islam that his nearest relation, his beloved cousin and his bosom friends, who know him most intimately, were not thoroughly imbued with the truth of his mission and were convinced of the genuineness of his divine inspiration.
He had not studied philosophy in the school of Athens of Rome, Persia, India, or China. Yet, He could proclaim the highest truths of eternal value to mankind. Illiterate himself, he could yet speak with an eloquence and fervour which moved men. Born an orphan blessed with no worldly goods, he was loved by all. He had studied at no military academy; yet he could organise his forces against tremendous odds and gained victories through the moral forces which he marshalled. Gifted men with genius for preaching are rare. Descartes included the perfect preacher among the rarest kind in the world.
Head of the state as well as the Church, he was Caesar and Pope in one; but, he was pope without the pope's claims, and Caesar without the legions of Caesar, without an standing army, without a bodyguard, without a palace, without a fixed revenue. If ever any man had the right to say that he ruled by a right divine it was Mohammad, for he had all the power without instruments and without its support. He cared not for dressing of power. The simplicity of his private life was in keeping with his public life.
After the fall of Mecca, more than one million square miles of land lay at his feet, Lord of Arabia, he mended his own shoes and coarse woolen garments, milked the goats, swept the hearth, kindled the fire and attended the other menial offices of the family. The entire town of Medina where he lived grew wealthy in the later days of his life. Everywhere there was gold and silver in plenty and yet in those days of prosperity many weeks would elapse without a fire being kindled in the hearth of the king of Arabia, His food being dates and water.
His family would go hungry many nights successively because they could not get anything to eat in the evening. He slept on no soften bed but on a palm mat, after a long busy day to spend most of his night in prayer before his creator asking Him to grant him strength to discharge his duties.
On the day of his death his only assets were few coins a part of which went to satisfy a debt and rest was given to a needy person who came to his house for charity. The clothes in which he breathed his last had many patches. The house from where light had spread to the world was in darkness because there was no oil in the lamp.
Circumstances changed, but the prophet of God did not. In victory or in defeat, in power or in adversity, in affluence or in indigence, he is the same man, disclosed the same character. Like all the ways and laws of God, the Prophets of God was unchangeable.
An honest man, as the saying goes, is the noblest work of God, Mohammad was more than honest. He was human to the marrow of his bones. Human sympathy, human love was the music of his soul. To serve man, to elevate man, to purify man, to educate man, in a word to humanize man - this was the object of his mission, the be-all and end all of his life. In thought, in word, in action he had the good of humanity as his sole inspiration, his sole guiding principle.
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He turned the attention of his followers towards the study of nature and its laws, to understand them and appreciate the Glory of God.
The Quran 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."
Attributes of God
As regards the attributes of God, Islam adopts here as in other things too, the law of golden mean. It avoids on the one hand, the view of God which divests the divine being of every attribute and rejects, on the other, the view which likens him to things material. The Quran says, on the one hand, there is nothing which is like him, on the other, it affirms that he is Seeing, Hearing, Knowing.
He is the King who is without a stain of fault or deficiency, the mighty ship of His power floats upon the ocean of justice and equity. He is the Beneficent, the Merciful. He is the Guardian over all. Islam does not stop with this positive statement. It adds further the negative aspects of problem.
He is guardian over everything. He is the meander of every breakage.
He is the restorer of every loss. There is no God but the One God, above any need, the maker of bodies, creator of souls, the Lord of the day of judgment, and in short, in the words of Quran, to him belong all excellent qualities.
Regarding the position of man in relation to the Universe, the Quran says:
"God has made subservient to you whatever is on the earth or in universe. You are destined to rule over the Universe."
But in relation to God, the Quran says:
"O man God has bestowed on you excellent faculties and has created life and death to put you to test in order to see whose actions are good and who has deviated from the right path."
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.”
On understanding
“Devotion alone does not please God. It is only that part of devotion which is offered to God together with understanding that God accepts. There are no returns for prayers, charity and visiting holy places, unless they are accompanied by understanding. “
On Actions
“All actions are judged by the intentions that impel them.“
On Forgiveness
"Do not say: ‘If the people do me good, I will do them good; and if the people torment me, I will torment them in return." Tell yourself instead that if people do you good, you will do good to them, and if they torment you, you will not reciprocate by tormenting them.
On Jihad
“The best jihad is that undertaken to conquer the self. The ink that the intellectual uses is holier than the blood of the martyr. “
On the Quran
The Quran talks of five things: lawful things, unlawful things, clear and constructive principles, mysteries, and examples. Take the lawful as things that can be done, the unlawful things as those which are forbidden, follow the principles, believe in the mysteries, and take the lessons that the examples teach.
On Knowledge
It is better to give more time to learning than to give more time to praying. It is better to teach someone for one hour in the night than to pray all night.
The four sayings of Prophet Mohammed which form the essence 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”
There are no returns for prayers, charity and visiting holy places, unless they are accompanied by understanding. “Makes every man taste of what he has done, be subjugated to a course of treatment of the spiritual diseases which they have brought about with their own hands.“
“Beware, it is terrible ordeal. Bodily pain is torture, you can bear somehow. Spiritual pain is hell, you will find it almost unbearable. Fight in this life itself the tendencies of the spirit prone to evil, tempting to lead you into iniquities ways. Reach the next stage when the self-accusing sprit in your conscience is awakened and the soul is anxious to attain moral excellence and revolt against disobedience. This will lead you to the final stage of the soul at rest, contented with God, finding its happiness and delight in him alone. The soul no more stumbles. The stage of struggle passes away.“
“Truth is victorious and falsehood lays down its arms. All complexes will then be resolved. Your house will not be divided against itself. Your personality will get integrated round the central core of submission to the will of God and complete surrender to his divine purpose. All hidden energies will then be released. The soul then will have peace. God will then address you.”
"O thou soul that art at rest, and restest fully contented with thy Lord return to thy Lord. He pleased with thee and thou pleased with him; So enter among my servants and enter into my paradise."
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THE 10 PRIMORDIAL MASTERS : 9 - Guru Nanak
Source: CD-Rom -The 10 Incarnations of the Primordial Master – 9- Guru Nanak
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“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 had 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. Nanak, by praising the True Name I have obtained the perfect Lord.”
- Guru Nanak, Pauri
Premonition of his Birth
In the Hindu epic the Rig Veda In Mandala 7, Ush 5, Mantra 5 of Guru Nanak and the clan he belongs to is recorded "For the preaching of religious ways and the earning of good karma, there will manifest Guru Nanak from the clan of the Veithees" In the Bhavekhath Purana "Baavekhath" means "future foretelling". There are also places where the advent of Guru Nanak is directly alluded to.
"In the Kali Yuga when goodness in the world is deteriorating there will appear a Prophet from the Beithi clan named Nanak who from birth will be endowed with extra-ordinary spiritual power. He will preach on the nobility of life and the eradication of the sinful ways"
"The Guru of the prophets, Brahma, Vishnu and Shiv ji is God almighty himself. This very Creator will manifest itself as a human, in the form of one whose name will be Nanak”
Also recorded is the following detailed assertiveness about Nanak and the type of mission and work he shall perform. It appears to emanate from the Godhead itself.
"The Kali Yuga shall dawn on Earth with radical mainisfestation of destruction of Karma and Dharma to such an extent that every situation shall be colored by sinful activities. At that distressful moment, the Creator shall send down a spiritual luminary in the form of Nanak from the Khatria clan.
He will spread the message of Naam, the Holy life Force, by introducing the primacy of meditation and thus washing clean the sinful ways by the waters of love."
In the Vishnnu Purana there is recorded an dialogue between Vishnu and the Rishi Umbreek. Vishnu is said to have informed Umbreek that he will once again take birth in the Kali Yuga. The Rishi then enquired when about will that be and what will be your name then? Vishnu replied that this will happen when the Kali Yuga has proceeded for 4500 years and that I will take birth in the Shatri Sooraj Bansi clan, when I will be named, Nanak "Sri NANAK will once again appear in the world in a variety of incarnations; this is for sure, this is for sure, this is for sure."
It was during the time when the world was plunged into the dark world of ignorance, feudal tyranny and oppression, religious and cultural strife, that Siri Guru Nanak Dev, the founder of Sikhism, took his birth. Celestial music resounded in heaven. Almighty host of gods, thus, hailed his birth, God has come to save the trouble peace of the people of all communities. He came to preach brotherhood and humanitarianism irrespective of caste, creed, colour nor economic status. He brought vision of a common humanity to a society which had become a place of violence and strife. He had faith in humanity. For him, love of God implied love for his creation. Service of humanity indicates one's love for God.
Like many of Primordial Masters, Guru Nanak's birth was accompanied by supernatural signs and by celestial music. He lived his childhood in freedom of nature, but manifested very soon an exceptional tendency to mediation and isolation, refusing the company of his contemporaries.
Guru Nanak Dev's life was to serve as a beacon light for his age. He was a great seer, saint and mystic. He was a prolific poet and a unique singer of God's laudation. A prophet of peace, love, truth and renaissance. Guru Nanak Dev served his life is a bridge between two shores of the river of unity.
His Life
The founder of the Sikh religion, Guru Nanak was born on April 15, 1469 in the Western Punjab village of Talwandi. He was born to a simple Hindu family. His father Mehta Kalian Das was an accountant in the employment of the local Muslim authorities.
A priceless jewel, a shining star, a divine light, Guru Nanak Dev shone amongst his peers from his very early childhood. His wise questions and spiritual leanings surprised all those who came in contact with him at home and in school. When he was sent to school,
Guru Nanak Dev said to his teacher, "Teach me, only this one large lesson of life. Tell me of the Creator, and the wonder of these Great World". He confounded the school teachers by asking such questions. But to he utter surprise of the teachers and others, Guru Nanak Dev gained proficiency in Sanskrit, Persian and the local language.
From an early age Guru Nanak made friends with both Hindu and Muslim children and was very inquisitive about the meaning of life. At the age of six he was sent to the village school teacher for schooling in reading and writing in Hindi and mathematics.
He was then schooled in the study of Muslim literature and learned Persian and Arabic.
At age 13 it was time for Guru Nanak to be invested with the sacred thread according to the traditional Hindu custom. At the ceremony which was attended by family and friends and to the disappointment of his family Guru Nanak refused to accept the sacred cotton thread from the Hindu priest. He sang the following poem;
"Let mercy be the cotton, contentment the thread, Continence the knot and truth the twist. O priest! If you have such a thread, Do give it to me. It'll not wear out, nor get soiled, nor burnt, nor lost. Says Nanak, blessed are those who go about wearing such a thread"
Guru Nanak Dev's father thought of initiating him in business undertakings.
He gave him a few silver coins to bring some articles from the town, which could be sold in Talwandi for profit. On the way, Guru Nanak Dev came across some needy saints, and spent the money in feeding and clothing them. He returned empty-handed. His father was enraged by his reply that he had struck the "True Bargain".
As a young man herding the family cattle, Guru Nanak would spend long hours absorbed in meditation and in religious discussions with Muslim and Hindu holy men who lived in the forests surrounding the village. Thinking that if bound in marriage Guru Nanak might start taking interest in household affairs a suitable match was found for him.
At age 16 he was married to Sulakhani daughter of a pious merchant.
Guru Nanak did not object as he felt that married life did not conflict with spiritual pursuits. Guru Nanak was happily married, he loved his wife and eventually had two sons Sri Chand in 1494 and Lakshmi Chand three years later
These words are enshrined at the beginning of the Sikh Holy Scriptures, the Guru Granth Sahib. Guru Nanak did not believe in a Trinity of Gods, or the belief that God can be born into human form.
After three days Guru Nanak appeared at the same spot from where he had disappeared. He was no longer the same person he had been, there was a divine light in his eyes and his face was resplendent. He remained in a trance and said nothing. He gave up his job and distributed all of his belongings to the poor.
He first spoke the verse which is now called the Mool Mantra - the primordal Mantra which appears at the commencement of every Chapter the Sacred Scripture of the Sikhs. It is one of the most comprehensive definitions of God and is amongst the most powerful of all the world's Mantras.
"The True One and only Omnipresent Immortal Essence of Reality. The Creator, the Omniscient and Omnipotent, the Incomprehensible (the fearless). Before all Beginnings and after all Endings. Beyond Time, Space and Form (and enmity). Free from the cycle of Births and Deaths, the Self-manifested. The Loving Merciful Enlightener (Realised with His Grace through total Submission to His Will)."
When he broke his silence he uttered "There is no Hindu, no Muslim". Daulat Khan asked what he meant when he said to Guru Nanak, "Perhaps the Hindus were no longer Hindus but the Muslims remain devout to their faith."
Guru Nanak replied, "Let God's grace be the mosque, and devotion the prayer mat. Let the Quran be the good conduct. Let modesty be compassion, good manners fasting, you should be a Muslim the like of this. Let good deeds be your Kaaba and truth be your mentor.
Your Kalma be your creed and prayer, God would then vindicate your honour."
The Great Pilgrimage
Guru Nanak was thirty years old at this time in 1499. The next stage of his life began with extensive travels to spread the message of God. Accompanied by his Muslim rabab player Mardana for company, Guru Nanak undertook long journeys to convey his message to the people in the form of musical hymns.
Guru Nanak choose this medium to propagate his message because it was easily understood by the population of the time. Wherever he traveled he used the local language to convey his message to the people. He traveled throughout the Indian Subcontinent and further east, west, and north to spread his mission. Wherever he went he set up local cells called manjis, where his followers could gather to recite
hymns and meditate.
Once when Guru Nanak came to the small town of Saidpur in West Punjab he choose to stay there with Lalo, a low caste carpenter. At the same time the local chief of the town Malik Bhago, who was quite wealthy and a very proud man was holding a feast to which all holy men were invited. When Malik Bhago found out that Guru Nanak would not attend his feast but instead partook of the simple fare of his host Lalo, he was quite angry and had the Guru brought to him for questioning.
When asked why he didn't join in the feast, the Guru sent for the meal served by Malik Bhago and also some of the simple meal served by Lalo. Holding these in separate hands he squeezed them, blood appeared out of the rich food of Malik Bhago, while milk oozed out of
Lalos simple fare. Malik Bhago was put to shame and realized that his riches had been amassed by exploiting the poor, while what Lalo offered was the milk of hard earned honest work.
These long journeys gave Guru Nanak Dev a keen insight of the human character and accordingly, he adopted impressive and effective methods in persuasion of his Divine mission. His attractive rationalism brought about amazing transformations in the life and character of all those who came in contact with him. At Lahore, Duni Chand - a wealthy Khatri, who was a money-monger, money grubber and enmeshed in money matters, once came to see Guru Nanak Dev. By giving him a needle the Guru said, "Duni Chand, keep it with thee and give it back to me in the next world. "Surprisingly Duni Chand replied," Master, this needle I shall not be able to carry with me after death, how shall then I return it to you?" The Guru then asked, "What use then, Duni Chand, are thy millions to thee?'
Duni Chand was changed and he became Guru Nanak Dev's follower. According to the advice of the Guru, he distributed most of his wealth amongst the needy and the poor.
At Sultanpur, the Qazi took strong exception to Guru Nanak Dev's sayings that there was no Hindu and no Musalman. He invited Guru Nanak Dev to the mosque for offering namaz.
When Knob, Nawab Quasi and others were offering prayer, the Guru simply remained standing. That added to his fury but he was surprised when the Guru told him that though he was physically offering the namaz his heart was looking after the foal his mare had delivered that morning.The Nawab at heart was wandering in Kabul with his men busy in the horse-trade. Guru Nanak Dev then advised them that true worship is a matter of the heart and not of formal ritualism. According to Guru Nanak Dev "There can be no worship without performing good deed."
After Guru Nanak Dev visited Tibet and Mansarover Lake, he passed through Leh and Ladakh. There is a legend that a demon who was a terror to animals and human being dwelled in that region. He was supposed to have devoured an animal or a human daily. When the Guru reached there, everyone was convinced of his omnipotence and begged him to save them from that terror. Guru Nanak Dev agreed. He and his disciples went to a place called Nimmu and settled there. In the middle of the Kirtan the demon came forth, but was repelled by the deep spiritual brightness emanating from the Guru's face. The demon was furious. Since he could not come near Guru Nanak Dev, he began to hurl stones and rocks at him from a distance. However, none of these could hurt the Guru.
He also opposed any sort of distinctions in humanity. He professed that noble character rather than noble birth is the real test of human greatness :
“What power has caste? It is the righteousness that is tested. Whosoever tastes poison, Will die, no matter what his caste is.”
Guru Nanak Dev also raised his voice for the uplift and parity of the down-trodden, low-caste elements of the human society and that of the womenfolk. He had complete sympathy for the so called downtrodden people. He flayed those who were responsible for their notorious plight and asserted .Guru Nanak Dev exalted the status of woman by saying :
"It is from women, the condemned one, that we are conceived and it is from her that we are born. It is to the women that we are engaged and married. It is the woman who is our life - long friend and it is she who keeps our race going. It is women again who is sought when one loses one's previous wife. It is woman through whom we establish our social ties. Then why denounce her form whom even kings and great men are born."
Another time while camped out at a town during the rainy season, several devotees would come to the Guru on a regular basis. One of them while on the way to see the Guru, came across a prostitute and was allured by her. Thereafter he would leave home on the pretext of going to see the Guru, but instead visited the prostitute. A few days later his friend who daily came to pay homage to the Guru was pricked by a thorn, while his neighbor, who visited the prostitute, found a gold coin in the street.
The incident bewildered the Guru's devotee who came every day religiously. He mentioned it in the morning prayer meeting where Guru Nanak heard it and was amused. He told the Sikh;
"Your friend was destined to come across a treasure but due to his evil ways, it has been reduced to a single coin. While on the account of your past karma you were to have been impaled with a stake, but having reformed yourself, you have been let off with the mere prick of a thorn."
When the Guru visited Kurukshetra in Haryana, a big fair was being held at the holy tank to celebrate the solar eclipse. There were a large number of pilgrims all over the country. On his arrival at the fair, Guru Nanak had Mardana cook them a meat dish of a deer presented to them by one of his followers. Upon finding that meat was being cooked on the holy premises, a large angry crowd gathered in anger to attack the Guru for what they thought amounted to sacrilege. Upon hearing the angry crowd Guru Nanak responded;
"Only fools argue whether to eat meat or not. They don't understand truth nor do they meditate on it. Who can define what is meat and what is plant? Who knows where the sin lies, being a vegetarian or a non-vegetarian?"
When Guru Nanak stopped at Hardwar a pilgrimage center on the Ganges river he found a large gathering of devotees. They were taking ritual baths in the holy river and offering water to the sun. When the Guru asked "Why do you throw water like that?" The pilgrims replied that they were offering it to their ancestors.
Guru Nanak upon hearing this started throwing water in the opposite direction towards the west. When the pilgrims asked him what he was doing, Guru Nanak replied "I am sending water to my farm which is dry". They asked, "How will water reach you crops so far away?". Guru Nanak replied, "If your water can reach your ancestors in the region of the sun, why can't mine reach my fields a short distance away?" The pilgrims realized their folly and fell at the Gurus feet.
On an eastern journey Guru Nanak visited Gorakhmata where he discussed the true meaning of asceticism with some yogis;
"Asceticism doesn't lie in ascetic robes, or in walking staff, nor in the ashes. Asceticism doesn't lie in the earring, nor in the shaven head, nor blowing a conch."
"Asceticism lies in remaining pure amidst impurities. Asceticism doesn't lie in mere words; He is an ascetic who treats everyone alike."
Asceticism doesn't lie in visiting burial places, It lies not in wandering about, nor in bathing at places of pilgrimage. Asceticism is to remain pure amidst impurities. “After his first long journey, Guru Nanak returned home after twelve years of propagating his message. He then set out on a second journey travelling as far south as Sri Lanka. On his return north he founded a settlement known as Kartharpur (the Abode of God) on the western banks of the Ravi river. Guru Nanak would one day settle down here in his old age.
It was also here that he met a young devotee who would later go on to serve five of the following Gurus, Baba Buddha (the revered old one). On his third great journey Guru Nanak traveled as far north as Tibet. Wherever Guru Nanak traveled he always wore a combination of styles worn by Hindu and Muslim holy men and was always asked whether he was a Hindu or Muslim.
Guru Nanak visited Sheikh Ibrahim the muslim successor of Baba Farid the great Sufi dervish of the twelfth century at Ajodhan.
When asked by Ibrahim which of the two religions was the true way to attain God, Guru Nanak
replied;
"If there is one God, then there is only His way to attain Him, not another. One must follow that way and reject the other. Worship not him who is born only to die, but Him who is eternal and is contained in the whole universe."
On his fourth great journey in life Guru Nanak dressed in the blue garb of a Muslim pilgrim traveled to the west and visited Mecca, Medina and Baghdad. Arriving at Mecca, Guru Nanak fell asleep with his feet pointing towards the holy Kabba. When the watchman on his night rounds noticed this he kicked the Guru, saying, "How dare you turn your feet towards the house of God".
At this Guru Nanak woke up and said, "Good man, I am weary after a long journey. Kindly turn my feet in the direction where God is not."
When pilgrims and the holy men of the shrine gathered to hear Guru Nanak and question him, he sang in Persian;
"I beseech you, O Lord! pray grant me a hearing. You are the truthful, the great, the merciful, and the faultless Creator. I know for certain, this world must perish, And death must come, I know this and nothing else. Neither wife, nor son, nor father, nor brothers shall be able to help. I must go in the end, none can undo what is my fate. I have spend days and nights in vanity, contemplating evil. Never have I thought of good; this is what I am. I am ill-starred, miserly, careless, short-sighted, and rude. But says Nanak, I am yours, the dust of the feet of your servants."
While in Baghdad contradicting the Muslim priests views that their were only seven upper and as many lower regions Guru Nanak shouted out his own prayer saying, "There are worlds and more worlds below them and there are a hundred thousand skies over them. No one has been able to find the limits and boundaries of God. If there be any account of God, than alone the mortal can write the same; but God's account does not finish and the mortal himself dies while still writing. Nanak says that one should call Him great, and God Himself knows His ownself."
In 1916 a tablet with the following inscription was uncovered in Baghdad, "In memory of the Guru, the holy Baba Nanak, King of holy men, this monument has been raised anew with the help of the seven saints." The date on the tablet A.D. 1520- 1521.
On his return journey home he stopped at Saidpur in western Punjab during the invasion of the first Mughal Emperor Babar. On seeing the extent of the massacre by the invaders, Mardana asked Guru Nanak why so many innocent people were put to death along with those few who were guilty. Guru Nanak told Mardana to wait under a banyan tree and after a while he would return to answer his question.
While sitting under the tree Mardana was suddenly bitten by an ant. In anger Mardana killed as many ants as he could with his feet. Guru Nanak said to him, "You know now Mardana, why do the innocents suffer along with the guilty?"
Guru Nanak and Mardana were both taken prisoner by the Mughal's. While in jail Guru Nanak sang a divine hymn about the senseless slaughter of the innocents by the Mughal invaders. Upon hearing it the jailer reported it to his king.
Babar sent for the Guru and upon hearing him realized that Guru Nanak was a great religious figure. He asked for the Gurus forgiveness and set him free offering him a pouch of hashish. Guru Nanak refused saying the he was already intoxicated with the love and name of God.
After having spent a lifetime of traveling abroad and setting up missions, an aged Guru Nanak returned home to Punjab. He settled down at Kartharpur with his wife and sons. Pilgrims came from far and near to hear the hymns and preaching of the Master.
Here his followers would gather in the mornings and afternoons for religious services. He believed in a castless society without any distinctions based on birthright, religion or sex. He institutionalized the common kitchen called langar in Sikhism. Here all can sit together and share a common meal, whether they were kings or beggars.
While working the fields one day in 1532 Guru Nanak was approached by a new devotee who said, "I am Lehna," Guru Nanak looked at him and replied, "So you have arrived Lehna-the creditor. I have been waiting for you all these days. I must pay your debt." ("Lehna" in Punjabi means debt or creditor).
Lehna was a great devotee of the Hindu God Durga. One day having hearing about Guru Nanak and his teachings, he decided to visit and see the Guru for himself. Once Lehna met Guru Nanak he left his previous beliefs and became an ardent disciple of the Guru. Lehna's devotion to Guru Nanak was absolute, when he was not working on the farm, he would devote his spare time to the contemplation of God.
Over time he became Guru Nanak's most ardent disciple. Guru Nanak put his followers to many tests to see who was the most faithful. Once while accompanied by Lehna and his two sons Guru Nanak came across what looked like a corpse covered with a sheet. "Who would eat it?" asked Guru Nanak unexpectedly. His sons refused, thinking that their father was not in his senses.
Lehna though agreed and as he removed the cover he found that it was a tray of sacred food. Lehna first offered it to Guru Nanak and his sons and then partook of the leftovers himself. Guru Nanak on seeing this replied;
"Lehna, you were blessed with the sacred food because you could share it with others. If the people use the wealth bestowed on them by God for themselves alone or for treasuring it, it is like a corpse. But if they decide to share it with others, it becomes sacred food. You have known the secret. You are my image."
Guru Nanak then blessed Lehna with his ang (hand) and gave him a new name, Angad, saying "you are a part of my body". Guru Nanak placed five coins and a coconut in front of Guru Angad and then bowed before him. He then had Bahi Budhha anoint Angad with a saffron mark on his forehead. When Guru Nanak gathered his followers together for prayers he invited Angad to occupy the seat of the Guru. Thus Guru Angad was ordained as the successor to Guru Nanak. His end was near, the Hindus said we will cremate you, the Muslims said we will bury you.
"You place flowers on either side, Hindus on my right, Muslims on my left. Those whose flowers remain fresh tomorrow will have their way."
Then came the day of destiny. The Guru prepared to depart from the world of mortals and his return to the Eternal Home. He addressed the disciples who had assemble around him .
"The appointed hour hath come.
The hour of marriage and union with the Spouse divine.
Assemble ye, my Comrades:
Cluster round me and lift up your merry notes:
Sing the praises of the Divine, Comforting Lord.
Anoint the Bride,
Pour oil on her forehead,
Give her your blessings,
And pray that she may meet her Lord,
And he happy with him for aye.
Sing Ye, my friends, the praises of the Spouse;
For the appointed hour of union hath come."
He then asked them to prey and lay down covering himself with a sheet. Thus on September 22, 1539 in the early hours of the morning Guru Nanak merged with the eternal light of the Creator. When the followers lifted the sheet they found nothing except the flowers which were all fresh. The Hindus took theirs and cremated them,
while the Muslims took their flowers and buried them.
Thus having spread the words of reform throughout his lifetime, Guru Nanak successfully challenged and questioned the existing religious tenants and laid the foundations of Sikhism.
Shri Mataji’s Quotes on Guru Nanak
“We can say on Guru principal Nanak Sahib came. Even in His time so many could not know their Spirit. He was breaking his head advising the people. He had taken human form but still he was not recognized. I was with Him (Guru Nanak Ji), in fact with all of Them."
Shri Nirmala Devi Delhi, India — August 18, 1979
“Then a great personality like Guru Nanaka came on this Earth and He said that, that all these nonsensical things are not what Kundalini is: "The Kundalini is your Mother and She rises without any trouble through different Chakras."
"And the one who supported Him and explained Sahaja Yoga in a very good way was the great personality of Kabira. And Kabira had described everything about Kundalini but in poetry. But human beings have a great sense of how to twist and turn everything into something that's just the opposite. Like he talked of the Kundalini and called Kundalini as Surti. He lived in Bihar and he preached about it in Bihar; and there people called tabacco as Surti! So you can imagine how people twist the Truth into just the opposite to call tabacco as Surti."
"So this has happened with every great Incarnation who came on this Earth."
Shri Nirmala Devi Delhi
“One day I was travelling from London and there was one Indian lady who came to see Me and she 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 Nanak's family and all the people in his family are just the opposite to what Shri Guru Nanak was."
So I said, "Because they worship Shri Ganesha." So she said that, "In our family nobody worships Shri Ganesh." I said, "It cannot be possible? How is it?" They believe in the Nirakar, the formless God of Chaitanya. I said, "But who is the Source of that Chaitanya? Why don't they find out who is the Source? So they said that Nanaka has only talked up to this point.
He's not talked about the source. I said, "Better find out. Because in this book maybe some things have been taken away."
And then somebody gave me a passage where he had described the innocence, the Deity of Shri Ganesha also. He had described that the whole creation was done by the Mother and not by the Father. It’s very surprising because is for people who don't believe in the forms of God, always talk of Father, not of the Mother. It is true also about Christianity, also about Islam, also about the Jews."
Shri Nirmala Devi Ganesha Puja, September 10, 1995, Cabella Italy
Guru Nanak about Shri Mataji
Obeisance, obeisance to Him, the Primal, the Immaculate, without beginning, without end, constant through all ages. The One Mother existed Alone in some mysterious way and She created the Three deities. One was the Creator, one the Sustainer and one the Destroyer. The world moves as He ordains and as He pleases. He see all, but no one sees Him; this is a great wonder.”
Sri Guru Granth Sahib
> THE 10 PRIMORDIAL MASTERS : 10 - Sai Baba
Source: CD-Rom -The 10 Incarnations of the Primordial Master – 10 Sai Baba
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Sai Baba of Sherdi grew into importance, he conquered Samsar (worldly existence), which is the most difficult task, crossing the ocean of illusion. Peace or mental calm was His ornament; He was the repository of wisdom; He had no love for perishable things, and was always engrossed in self-realization, this was His sole concern.
He felt no pleasure in the things of this world or of the world beyond. His heart was as clear as a mirror, and His speech always rained nectar. The rich or poor people were the same to Him. He did not know or care for honour or dishonour. He was the Lord of all beings. He spoke freely and mixed with all people, saw the actings and dances of Nautchgirls and heard Gajjal songs. Still, He swerved not an inch from his mental equilibrium.
The name of Allah was always on His lips. While the world awoke, He slept; and while the world slept, He was vigilant. His abdomen (Inside) was as calm as the deep sea. His Ashram could not be determined, nor His actions could be definitely determined, and though He lived in one place, He knew all the transactions of the
world.
He told daily hundreds of stories, still He swerved not an inch from His vow of silence. He always leaned against the wall in the Masjid or walked morning, noon and evening towards still He at all times abided in the Self. Though a Siddha, He acted like a Sadhaka. He was meek, humble and egoless, and pleased all. Such was Sai Baba, and as the soil of Shirdi was trodden by Sai Baba’s Feet, it attained extraordinary importance.
He was always engrossed in His Self as ‘Existence, Knowledge and Bliss.’ Shirdi was His centre; but His field of action extended far wide. Thus the fame of Sai Baba spread, far, and wide, and people from all parts came to take His darshana and be blessed. By mere darshan, minds of people, whether, pure or impure, would become
at once quiet. They got here the same sort of unparalleled joy. Consider what a devotee says in this respect.
Sai Baba First Advent in Shirdi
Nobody knew the parents, birth or birth-place of Sai Baba. Many inquiries were made, many questions were put to Baba and others regarding these items, but no satisfactory answer or information has yet been obtained. Practically we know nothing about these matters.
Namdev and Kabir were not born like ordinary mortals. They were found as infants in mother-of-pearls, Namdev being found on the bank Bhimrathi river by Gonayee, and Kabir on the bank Bhagirathi river by Tamal. As a young lad of sixteen under a Neem tree in Shirdi, he seemed to be full of the knowledge of Brahman. He had no desire for worldly objects even in dream. He kicked out Maya; and Mukti (deliverance) was serving at His feet.
During his youth he was described thus. “This young lad, fair, smart and very handsome, was first seen under the Neem tree, seated in an Asan. The people of the village were wonder-struck to see such a young lad practising hard penance, not minding heat and cold. By day he associated with none, by night he was afraid of
nobody. People were wondering and asking, whence this young chap had turned up. His form and features were so beautiful that a mere look endeared Him to all.
He went to nobody’s door, always sat near the Neem tree. Outwardly he looked very young; but by His action he
was really a Great Soul. He was the embodiment of dispassion and was an enigma to all. One day it so happened, that God Khandoba possessed the body of some devotee and people began to ask Him, "Deva (God), you please enquire what blessed father’s son is this lad and whence did He come".
God Khandoba asked them to bring a pick-axe and dig in a particular place. When it was dug, bricks were found underneath a flat stone. When the stone was removed, a corridor led to a cellar where cow-mouth-shaped structures, wooden boards, necklaces were seen. Khandoba said - "This lad practiced penance here for 12 years."
Then the people began to question the lad about this. He put them off the scent by telling them that it was His Guru’s place, His holy Watan and requested them to guard it well. The people then closed the corridor as before. As Ashwattha and Audumbar trees are held sacred, Baba regarded this Neem tree equally sacred and loved it most.
Young Life
There lived in the Aurangabad District (Nizam State), in a village called Dhoop, a well-to-do Mahomedan gentleman by name Chand Patil. While he was making a trip to Aurangabad, he lost his mare. For two long months, he made a diligent search but could get no trace of the lost mare. After being disappointed, he returned from Aurangabad with the saddle on his back. After travelling four Koss and a half, he came, on the way, to a mango tree under the foot of which sat a young man. He had a cap on His head, wore Kafni (long robe) and had a "Satka" (short stick) under His arm-pit and He was preparing to smoke a Chilim (pipe). On seeing Chand Patil pass by the way, He called out to him and asked him to have a smoke and to rest a little.
The Fakir asked him about the saddle. Chand Patil replied that it was of his mare which was lost. The queer fellow or Fakir asked him to make a search in the Nala close by. He went and the wonder of wonders! he found out the mare. He thought that this Fakir was not an ordinary man, but an Avalia (a great saint).
He returned to the Fakir with the mare. The Chilim was ready for being smoked, but two things were wanting; (1) fire to light the pipe, and (2) water to wet the chhapi (piece of cloth through which smoke is drawn up).
The Fakir took His prong and thrust it forcibly into the ground and out came a live burning coal, which He put on the pipe.
Then He dashed the Satka on the ground, from whence water began to ooze. The chhapi was wetted with that water, was then wrung out and wrapped round the pipe. Thus everything being complete, the Fakir smoked the Chilim and then gave it also to Chand Patil.
On seeing all this, Chand Patil was wonderstruck. He requested the Fakir to come to his home and accept his hospitality. Next day He went to the Patil’s house and stayed there for some time.
The Patil was a village - officer of Dhoop. His wife’s brother’s son was to be married and the bride was from Shirdi. So Patil made preparations to start for Shirdi for the marriage. The Fakir also accompanied the marriage-party. The marriage went off without any hitch, the party returned to Dhoop, except the Fakir alone stayed in Shirdi, and remained there forever.
Contact with Other Saints
Sai Baba began to stay in a deserted Masjid. One Saint named Devidas was living in Shirdi many years before Baba came there. Baba liked his company. He stayed with him in the Maruti temple, in the Chavadi, and
some time lived alone.
Then came another Saint by name Jankidas. Baba spent most of His time in talking with him, or Jankidas went to Baba’s residence. So also one Vaishya house-holder Saint, from Puntambe by name Gangagir always frequented Shirdi. When he first saw Sai Baba, carrying pitchers of water in both hands, for watering the garden, he was amazed and said openly, "Blessed is Shirdi, that it got this precious Jewel. This man is carrying water to-day; but He is not an ordinary fellow. As this land (Shirdi) was lucky and meritorious, it secured this Jewel."
So also one famous Saint by name Anandnath of Yewala Math, a disciple of Akkalkot Maharaj came to Shirdi with some Shirdi people. When he saw Sai Baba, he said openly, "This is a precious Diamond in reality. Though he looks like an ordinary man, he is not a ‘gar’ (ordinary stone) but a Diamond. You will realize this in the near future." Saying this he returned to Yewala. This was said while Sai Baba was a youngster.
Baba’s Dress and Daily Routine
In his young days, Sai Baba grew hair on His head; never had His head shaved. He dressed like an athlete. When He went to Rahata (3 miles from Shirdi), He brought with Him small plants of Merry Gold, and after cleaning, he planted and watered them.
A devotee by name Vaman Tatya supplied Him daily with two earthen pitchers. With these Baba Himself used to
water the plants. He drew water from the well and carried the pitchers on His shoulders. In the evening the pitchers were kept at the foot of the Neem tree. As soon as they were placed there, they were broken, as they were made of raw earth and not baked. Next day, Tatya supplied two fresh pitchers. This course went on for 3 years; and with Sai Baba’s toil and labour, there grew a flower-garden.
Way of Life
Sai Baba did not mix and speak with the people. He only gave answers when he was questioned. By day he always sat under the Neem tree, sometimes under the shade of a branch of a Babul tree near the stream at the outskirts of the village. He used a Satka (short stick), which He always kept with Him. The piece of white cloth on the head was twisted like matted hair, and flowed down from the left ear on the back. He wore no shoes, no sandals. A piece of sack-cloth was His seat for most of the day.
He wore a coupin (waist-cloth-band) and for warding off cold he always sat in front of a Dhuni (sacred fire) facing south with His left hand resting on the wooden railing. In that Dhuni, He offered as oblation; egoism, desires and all thoughts and always uttered Allah Malik (God is the sole owner).
Turning Water into Oil
Sai Baba was very fond of lights. He used to borrow oil from shop-keepers, and keep lamps burning the whole night in the Masjid and temple. This went on for some time.
The Banias, who supplied oil gratis, once met together and decided not to give Him oil. When, as usual, Baba went to ask for oil, they all gave Him a distinct No.
Unperturbed, Baba returned to the Masjid and kept the dry wicks in the lamps. The banias were watching Him with curiosity. Baba took the Tumrel (tin pot) which contained very little (a few drops) of oil, put water into it and drank it and forced it fall in the container. After consecrating the tin-pot in this way, He again took water in the tin-pot and filled all the lamps with it and lighted them. To the surprise and dismay of the watching Banias, the lamps began to burn and kept burning the whole night. The Banias repented and apologized. Baba forgave them and asked them to be more truthful in future.
Gentle Man
He always walked, talked and laughed with them and always uttered with His tongue ‘Allah Malik’ (God is the sole owner). He never liked discussion or arguments. He was always calm and controlled, though irritable at times, always preached full Vedanta and nobody knew till the last Who was Baba. Princes and poor people
were treated alike by Him. He knew the inmost secrets of all, and when He gave expression to them, all were surprised. He was the repository of all knowledge, still He feigned ignorance. He also disliked honour. Such
were the characteristics of Sai Baba. Though, He had a human body, His deeds testified to his connection with Godhood.
People were immensely benefited by having a darshana of Baba. Some became hale and hearty; wicked people were turned into good ones. Leprosy was cured in some cases, many had their desires fulfilled, some blind men had back their sight and the lame walked. Nobody could see the end of His extraordinary greatness.
His fame spread far and wide, and pilgrims from all sides flocked to Shirdi. Baba sat always near the Dhuni and eased Himself there, and always sat in meditation.
He used to tie a white turban on his head; and wear a clean Dhotar round his waist, and a shirt on his body. This was his dress in the beginning.
Shri Sai Satcharitra
During his lifetime Sai Baba authorised the writing Shri Sai Satcharitra with the aim of enabling description of his miracles would be interesting, and instructive to His devotees; and would aid to remove their sins, and so began to write of the sacred life and teachings of Sai Baba. The life of the saint is neither logical nor dialectical. It shows us the true and great path.
The stories, parables, and teachings of Sai Baba give peace and happiness to the people, who are afflicted with sorrows and heavily loaded with miseries of this worldly existence, and bestow knowledge and wisdom, both in the worldly and in spiritual domains.
"Let him make a collection of stories and experiences, keep notes and memos; I will help him. He is only an outward instrument. I should write Myself My autobiography and satisfy the wishes of My devotees. He should get rid of his ego, place it at My feet. He who acts like this in life, him I help the most. What of My life-stories? I serve him in his house in all possible ways. When his ego is completely annihilated and there is left no trace of it, I Myself shall enter into him and shall Myself write My own life. Hearing my stories and teachings will create faith in devotees’ hearts and they will easily get self-realization and Bliss; let there be no insistence on establishing one’s own view, no attempt to refute other’s opinions, no discussions of pros and cons of any subject."
About the need for a Guru
Next day after Hemadpant’s meeting with Sai Baba, Kakasaheb went to Baba and asked whether he should leave Shirdi. Baba Said, "Yes". Then someone asked -"Baba, where to go?" Baba said, "High up." Then the man said, "How is the way?"
Baba said, "There are many ways leading there; there is one way also from here (Shirdi). The way is difficult. There are tigers and wolves in the jungles on the way." I asked - "But Baba, what if we take a guide with us?" Baba answered, - "Then there is no difficulty. The guide will take you straight to your destination, avoiding wolves, tigers and ditches etc. on the way. If there be no guide, there is the danger of your being lost in the jungles or falling into ditches."
Sai Baba’s Sanction and Promise
"I fully agree with you regarding the writing of Sat Charita. You do your duty, don’t be afraid in the least, steady your mind and have faith in My words. If my Leelas are written, the Avidya (nescience) will vanish and if they are attentively, and devoutly listened to, the consciousness of the worldly existence will abate, and strong waves of devotion, and love will rise up and if one dives deep into My Leelas, he would get precious jewels of knowledge."
"If a man utters My name with love, I shall fulfill all his wishes, increase his devotion. And if he sings earnestly My life and My deeds, him I shall beset in front and back and on all sides. Those devotees, who are attached to Me, heart and soul, will naturally feel happiness, when they hear these stories. Believe Me that if anybody sings My Leelas, I will give him infinite joy and everlasting contentment. It is My special characteristic to free any
person, who surrenders completely to Me, and who does worship Me faithfully, and who remembers Me, and meditates on Me constantly. How can they be conscious of worldly objects and sensations, who utter My name, who worship Me, who think of My stories and My life and who thus always remember Me? I shall draw out My
devotees from the jaws of Death. If My stories are listened to, all the diseases will be got rid of. So, hear My stories with respect; and think and meditate on them, assimilate them. This is the way of happiness and contentment. The pride and egoism of My devotees will vanish, the mind of the hearers will be set at rest; and if it has wholehearted and complete faith, it will be one with Supreme Consciousness. The simple remembrance of My name as ‘Sai, Sai’ will do away with sins of speech and hearing".
"He will get some other job, but now he should serve Me and be happy. His dishes will be ever full and never empty. He should turn all his attention towards Me and avoid the company of atheists, irreligious and wicked people. He should be meek and humble towards all and worship Me heart and soul. If he does this, he will get eternal happiness".
"Be wherever you like, do whatever you choose, remember this well that all what you do is known to Me. I am the Inner Ruler of all and seated in their hearts. I envelope all the creatures, the movable and immovable world. I am the Controller - the wire-puller of the show of this Universe. I am the mother - origin of all beings - the Harmony of three Gunas, the propeller of all senses, the Creator, Preserver and Destroyer. Nothing will harm him, who turns his attention towards Me, but Maya will lash or whip him who forgets Me. All the insects, ants, the visible, movable and immovable world, is My Body or Form".
Baba’s All-pervasiveness and Mercy
In the year 1910 A.D., Baba was sitting near the Dhuni on Divali holiday and warming Himself. He
was pushing fire-wood into the Dhuni, which was brightly burning. A little later, instead of pushing
logs of woods, Baba pushed His arm into the Dhuni; the arm was scorched and burnt immediately. This
was noticed by the servant Madhava. They at once ran to Baba, clasping Baba by His waist from
behind dragged Him forcible back ward and asked, "Deva, for what have You done this?" Then Baba
came to His senses and replied, "The wife of a blacksmith at some distant place, was working the
bellows of a furnace her husband called her. Forgetting that her child was on her waist, she ran hastily and the child slipped into the furnace. I immediately thrust My hand into the furnace and saved the child. I do not mind My arm being burnt, but I am glad that the life of the child is saved."
Sagun Manifestation of Brahman
Though Sai Baba looked like a man, three cubits and a half in length, still He dwelt in the hearts of all. Inwardly,
he was unattached and indifferent, but outwardly, He longed for public welfare. Inwardly most disinterested, He looked outwardly full of desires, for the sake of His devotees. Inwardly an abode of peace, he looked outwardly restless. Inwardly He had the state of Brahman, outwardly He acted like a devil. Inwardly He had the state of Brahman, He got entangled with the world. Sometimes He looked on all with affection, and at times He threw stones at them; sometimes He scolded them, while at times He embraced them and was calm, composed, tolerant and well-balanced. He always abided and was engrossed in the Self and was well-disposed towards His Bhaktas.
He always sat on one Asan and never travelled. His 'band' was a small stick, which He always carried in His hand. He was calm, being thought-free. He never cared for wealth and fame and lived on begging. Such a life He led. He always uttered 'Allah Malik' (God the real owner).
Entire and unbroken was His love for the Bhaktas. He was the mine or store-house for self-knowledge and full of Divine Bliss. Such was the Divine Form of Sai Baba, boundless, endless and undifferentiated. One principle which envelopes the whole universe, (from a stone pillar to Brahma) incarnated in Sai Baba. The really
meritorious and fortunate people got this treasure-trove in their hands, while those people who not knowing the real worth of Sai Baba took or take Him to be a man, a mere human being, were and are indeed miserable.
Baba's Mission and Advice
The split between the two communities - Hindus and Mahomedans had widened and Sai Baba came to bridge the gulf.
His constant advice to all was to this effect. "Rama (the God of the Hindus) and Rahim (the God of the Mahomedans) were one and the same; there was not the slightest difference between them; then why should their devotees and quarrel among themselves? You ignorant folk, children, join hands and bring both the communities together, act sanely and thus you will gain your object of national unity. It is not good to dispute and argue. So don't argue, don't emulate others. Always consider your interest and welfare. The Lord will protect you. Yoga, sacrifice, penance, and knowledge are the means to attain God. If you do not succeed in this by any means, vain is your birth. If any one does any evil unto you, to do not retaliate. If you can do anything, do some good unto other."
Sai Baba Sadguru
There are many false Gurus, who go about and make a show of their spirtituality, they blow mantras into the ears of their disciples and extract money from them. They profess to teach piety and religion to their disciples, but are themselves impious and irreligious. Sai Baba never thought of making the least show of His worth (piety).
Body-consciousness, He had none, but He had great love for the disciples.
The true Guru by their advice develop the good qualities in us, purify our hearts and set us on the path of salvation, dispels our sense of difference, and estalishes us in Unity by making us realize "Thou art that". Sai Baba did not impart to us wordly knowledge, but he fixed us in our Nature, The Self and carried us beyond the ocean of worldly existence, He is the Sadguru.
He saw Divinity in all beings. Friends and foes were alike to Him. Disinterested and equal-balanced, He obliged the evil-doers. He was the same in prosperity and adversity. No doubt, ever touched Him. Though He possessed the human body, He was not in the least attached to His body or house. Though He looked embodied, He was disembodied and free in this every aspect of his life.
Though He ate, he had no taste and though He saw, He never felt any interest in what He saw. Regarding passion, He was as perfect a celibate as Hanuman. He was not attached to anything. He was pure consciousness, the resting place of desire, anger, and other feelings. In short, He was disinterested, free and perfect.
Sai Baba as Sagun Brahman
There are two aspects of God or Brahman: (1) the Unmanifested (Nirgun) and (2) the Manifested (Sagun). The Nirgun is formless, while the Sagun is with form, though both denote the same Brahman. Some prefer to worship the former, some the latter.
As stated in the Gita (chapter XII) the worship of the latter is easy and preferable. As man has got a form (body, senses, etc.), it is natural and easy for him to worship the God with form. Our love and devotion do not develop unless we worship Sagun Brahman for a certain period of time, and as we advance; he leads us to the worship
(meditation) of Nirgun Brahman.
Baba's Control over the Elements
Once at evening time, there was a terrible storm at Shirdi. The sky was overcast with thick black clouds. The winds began to blow forcibly; the clouds roared and the lighting began to flash, and the rains began to descend in torrents. In a short time, the whole place was flooded with water, All the creatures, birds, beasts and men
got terribly frightened; and they all flocked to the Masjid for shelter.
There are many local deities in Shirdi, but none of them came to their help. So they all prayed to Baba - their God, Who was fond of their devotion, to intercede and quell the storm. Baba was much moved. He came out and standing at the edge of the Masjid, addressed the storm in a loud and thunderous voice - "Stop, stop your fury and be calm." In a few minutes the rains subsided, the winds ceased to blow, and the storm came to a stop. Then the moon rose in the sky, and the people then went back home well-pleased.
On another occasion at noon the fire in the Dhuni began to burn brightly, its flames were seen to be reaching the rafters above. The people who were sitting in the Masjid did not know what to do. They dared not to ask Baba to pour water or do anything to quench the flames. But Baba soon came to realize, what was happening. He took up His Satka (short stick) and dashed it against a pillar in front, saying - "Get down, Be calm." At each stroke of the Satka, the flames began to lower and slow down; and in a few minutes the Dhuni became calm and normal.
Maya
After philosophising about the Self-Existent Brahman, His Power (Maya) to create this world and the world created, and stating that all these three are ultimately one and the same, the author quotes Sai Baba’s words:
"There will never be any dearth or scarcity, regarding food and clothes, in any devotees’ homes. It is my special
characteristic, that I always look to, and provide, for the welfare of those devotees, who worship Me whole-heartedly with their minds ever fixed on Me. Lord Krishna has also said the same in the Gita. Therefore, strive not much for food and clothes. If you want anything, beg of the Lord, leave worldly honours, try to get Lord’s grace and blessings, and be honoured in His Court. Do not be deluded by worldly honour. The form of the Deity should be firmly fixed in the mind. Let all the senses and mind be ever devoted to the worship of the Lord, let there be no attraction for any other thing; fix the mind in remembering Me always, so that it will not wander elsewhere, towards body, wealth and home. Then it will be calm, peaceful and care-free. This is the sign of the mind, being well engaged in good company. If the mind is vagrant, it cannot be called well-merged."
The Inscrutable Power of Maya
He was ever content and never cared for anything. He said, "Though I have become a Fakir, have no house or wife, and though leaving off all cares, I have stayed at one place, the inevitable Maya teases Me often. Though I forgot Myself I cannot forget Her. She always envelops Me. This Maya (illusive power) of the Lord (Shri Hari) teases God Brahma and others; then what to speak of a poor Fakir like Me? Those who take refuge in the Lord will be freed from Her clutches with his grace".
"Those who are fortunate and whose demerits have vanished; take to My worship. If you always say 'Sai, Sai' I shall take you over the seven seas; believe in these words, and you will be certainly benefited. I do not need any paraphernalia of worship - either eight-fold or sixteen-fold. I rest there where there is full devotion".
Dakshina
It is a well-known fact that Baba always asked for Dakshina from people who went to see Him. Somebody may ask a question, "If Baba was a Fakir and perfectly non-attached, why should he ask for Dakshina and care for money?"
The Shastras laid it down that, when one goes to see God, King, Saint or Guru, he should not go empty-handed. He should offer something, preferably coin or money. In this connection we may notice the precepts recommended by the Upanishads. Baba collected money by Dakshina. He would distribute the entire amount the same day, and the next morning He would become a poor Fakir as usual. In short, Baba's main object in taking Dakshina, from His devotees was to teach them the lessons of Renunciation and Purification.
He did not ask Dakshina from all. If some gave Dakshina without being asked, He sometimes accepted it; and at other times He refused it. He asked it from certain devotees only. He never demanded it, from those devotees, who thought in their minds that Baba should ask them for it, and then they should pay it. If anybody offered it against His wish, He never touched it, and if he kept it there, He asked him to take it away. He asked for small or big amounts from devotees, according to their wish, devotion and convenience. He asked it, even from women and children. He never asked all the rich for it, nor from all 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."
Self-Realisation
A seeker after a long journey went to the Masjid, saw Sai Baba, fell at His Feet and said, "Baba, hearing that You show the Brahman to all who come over here without any delay, I have come here all the way from my distant place. I am much fatigued by the journey and if I get the Brahman from You, my troubles will be well-paid and
rewarded." Baba then replied, "Oh, My dear friend, do not be anxious, I shall immediately show you the Brahman; all My dealings are in cash and never on credit. So many people come to Me, and ask for wealth, health, power, honour, position, cure of diseases and other temporal matters. Rare is the person, who comes here to Me and asks for Brahma-Jnana. There is no dearth of persons asking for wordly things, but as persons interested in spiritual matters are very rare, I think it a lucky and auspicious moment, when persons like you
come and press Me for Brahma-Jnana. So I show to you with pleasure, the Brahman with all its accompaniments and complications."
"Oh my dear friend, did you not understand all the procedure that I went through, sitting in this place, for enabling you to see the Brahman? It is, in short this. For seeing Brahman one has to give five things, i.e. surrender five things viz.
(1) Five Pranas (vital forces), (2) Five senses (five of action and five of perception), (3) mind, (4) intellect and (5) ego. This path of Brahma-Jnana of self-realization is 'as hard as to tread on the edge of a razor'.
Sai Baba then gave rather a long discourse on the subject, the purport and qualifications needed for for Brahma-Jnana or Self-Realization Mumuksha or intense desire to get free.
(1) Virakti or a feeling of disgust with the things of this world and the next. Unless a man feels disgusted with the things, emoluments and honors, which his action would bring in this world and the next, he has no right to enter into the spiritual realm.
(2) Antarmukhata (introversion). Our senses have been created by God with a tendency to move outward and so, man always looks outside himself and not inside. He who wants self-realization and immortal life, must turn his gaze inwards, and look to his inner Self.
(3) Catharsis from (Purging away of) sins. Unless a man has turned away from wickedness, and stopped from doing wrong, and has entirely composed himself and unless his mind is at rest, he cannot gain self-realization, even by means of knowledge.
(4) Right Conduct. Unless, a man leads a life of truth, penance and insight, a life of celibacy, he cannot get God-realization.
(5) Preferring Shreyas, (the Good) to Preyas (the Pleasant). There are two sorts of things viz., the Good and the Pleasant; the former deals with spiritual affairs, and the latter with mundane matters. Both these approach man for acceptance. He has to think and choose one of them. The wise man prefers the Good to the Pleasant; but the unwise, through greed and attachment, chooses the Pleasant.
(6) Control of the mind and the senses. The body is the chariot and the Self is its master; intellect is the charioteer and the mind is the reins; the senses are the horses and sense-objects their paths. He who has no understanding and whose mind is unrestrained, his senses unmanageable like the vicious horses of a charioteer, does not reach his destination (get realization), but goes through the round of births and deaths; but he who has understanding and whose mind is restrained, his senses being under control, like the good horse of a charioteer, reaches that place, i.e., the state of self-realization, when he is not born again. The man, who has understanding as his charioteer (guide) and is able to rein his mind, reaches the end of the journey, which is the supreme abode of the all-pervading, Vishnu (lord).
(7) Purification of the mind. Unless a man discharges satisfactorily and disinterestedly the duties of his station in life, his mind will not be purified and, unless his mind is purified, he cannot get self-realization. It is only in the purified mind that Viveka (discrimination between the Unreal and the Real), and Vairagya (Non-attachment to the unreal) crop up and lead on the self-realization. Unless egoism is dropped, avarice got rid of, and the mind made desireless (pure), self-realization is not possible. The idea that 'I am the body' is a great delusion, and
attachment to this idea is the cause of bondage. Leave off this idea and attachment therefore, if you want to get to the Self-realization.
(8) The necessity of a Guru. The knowledge of the self is so subtle and mystic, that no one could, by his own individual effort ever hope to attain it. So the help of another person-Teacher, who has himself got self-realization is absolutely necessary. What others cannot give with great labour and pains, can be easily gained with the help of such a Teacher; for he has walked on the path himself and can easily take the disciple, step by step on the ladder of spiritual progress.
(9) Lastly the Lord's Grace is the most essential thing. When the Lord is pleased with any body, He gives him Viveka and Vairagya; and takes him safe beyond the ocean of mundane existence, "The Self cannot be gained by the study of Vedas, nor by intellect, nor by much learning. He, whom the Self chooses, by him It is gained. To him the Self reveals Its nature", says the Katha Upanishad.
After the dissertation was over, Baba turned to the gentleman and said - "Well sir, there is in your pocket the Brahma (or Mammon) in the form of fifty-times five(Rs.250/-) rupees; please take that out." The gentleman took out from his pocket the bundle of currency notes, and to his great surprise found, on counting them, that there were 25 notes of 10 rupees each, Seeing this ominiscience of Baba, he was moved and fell at Baba's Feet and craved for His blessings. Then Baba said to him, "Roll up your bundle of Brahma viz. Currency notes. Unless you get rid completely of your avarice or greed, your will not get the real Brahma. How can be, whose mind is engrossed in wealth, progeny and prosperity, expect to know the Brahma, without removing away his attachment for the same? The illusion of attachment or the love for money is a deep eddy (whirlpool) of pain full of crocodiles in the form of conceit and jealousy. He, who is desireless, can alone cross this whirlpool. Greed and Brahma are as poles asunder, they are eternally opposed to each other. Where there is greed, there is no room for thought or meditation of the Brahma. Then how can a greedy man get dispassion and salvation? For a greedy man there is no peace, neither contentment, nor certainty (steadiness). If there be even a little trace of greed in mind, all the Sadhanas (spiritual endeavors) are of no avail. Even the knowledge of a well-read man, who is not free from the desire of the fruit or reward of his actions, and who has got no disgust for the same, is useless and can't help him in getting self-realization.
The teachings of a Guru are of no use to a man, who is full of egoism, and who always thinks about the sense-objects. Purification of mind is absolutely necessary; without it, all our spiritual endeavors are nothing, but useless show and pomp. It is, therefore, better for one to take only what he can digest and assimilate.
My treasury is full, and I can give anyone, what he wants, but I have to see whether he is qualified to receive what I give. If you listen to Me carefully, you will be certainly benefited. Sitting in this Masjid, I never speak any untruth."
There are many Saints, who leaving their houses, stay in forest, caves or hermitages and remaining in solitude, try to get liberation or salvation for themselves. They do not care for other people, and are always self-absorbed. Sai Baba did not retreat not shun the world. He had no home, no wife, no progency, nor any relations, near or
distant. Still, He lived in the world (society). He begged His bread from four or five houses, always lived at the foot of the (Neem) tree, carried on wordly dealings, and taught all the people how to act. and behave in this world.
He was Sat Guru who, after attaining God-vision, strive for the welfare of the people.
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