The sun. [volume] (New York [N.Y.]) 1833-1916, 1893-01-29

i KnRul~ I'll lkttDE QNN kMNENAMM AMHNtEt u NI-
vine knowisdae Every one who becomes q
Rnnni must pass through the other three
stages Each stare has Its appropriate cos
i tune and rules. Tho yogi, or disciple. wears
a yellow garment: the enanf 10 enamel
pated from clothing. as well as from all
other troubles. Our author has no doubt
that Tilleinathan was q very remarkable
man. and the deep reverence with which
his disciple spoke Of him was obviously not
accorded TO tho abnormal powers which he
seems ut times to have manifested. but to the
profundity and breadth OF his teaching and
tho personal grandeur which made itself
felt through all his eccentricities. 1t was.
We are told. q common and apparently In
stinctive practice with Tflleinnthnn to
speak Of the great operations OF ma
ture. the thunder. the wind. the shin
ing Of the sun. &o.. In the first person.
1.-THE Identification with or non-diher-
entistion from the universe (which is the most
important OF e~soteric docttines) being in his
case complete. So. also. the democratic char
acter OF his teaching surpassed even Western
records. He would take q pariah dog the
most scorned OF all creatures-and place 1t
around his neck. or even let It eat out OF one
| plato with himself. One day. in Tanjore. when
importuned for instruction by five or six dis
clplss. he rose up. and saying. Follow me-"
went through the streets to the edge Of a
brook which divided the pariah village from
the town-a line which no Hindu Of caste will
ever c%ross-and. stepping over the brook. he
| bads them enter the denied ground. This or
deal. however. his follower could not endure.
| and. except one. they all left him. The one
faithful pupil. the adept with whom Mr.. Car
| penter became acquainted. 10. 1t seems. mar
| ried, and has q wife and children. Most OF
the nscetics think nothing OF abandoning
| their families when tho call comes to them.
| and OF going to the woods. perhaps mover to be
seen ngain. He. however. has not done this.
but lives on quietly for the most part in his
home at Taniore. Thirty or forty years ago
he was a kind OF confidential friend and adj
wiser to the then ~reigning Prince OF Tanjore.
and was we'll versed In traditional statecraft
and politics: even only two or three years ago
he took quite an active interest In the National
Indian Congress. His own name was originally
Ramaswamy. but he acquired the name
Buchanan. "the Grammarian." on account
OF his proficiency in Tami grammar and
philosophy. on which subject he was quite an
authority even before his initiation.
Mr.. Carpenter tells us Of his Hindu teacher.
that. besides statecraft and grammar. he WA
thoroughly conversant with matters OF the
law. and notinfreQuently tackled a question OF
this kind for the help Of q friend. Ho had
also some practical knowledge OF medicine as
we'll as Of cookery. which he considered, i'm
portant in its relation to health. It will, thus
be seen that this Guru Is q man OF good practi-
cal ability and acquaintance with the world.
and not q mere dreamer. as Is too often as
sumed In Western countries to DO the case
with all those who seek the hidden knowledge
OF the East. It is. In fact. one Of the rcmarka-
bic points OF the Hindu philosophy that practi.
al l~o-IoJ0o - ltS~ to n-orooolw sp,,,IootoJ
as a preliminary stage to initiation. A man
must be n householder before he be-
comes q yogi: and familiarity with sexual
experience. instead OF being r%eprobated. is
rather encouraged. In order that. having conc
through this experience. one may in time
pass beyond 1t. Indeed. 1t is not infreQuently
maintained that tho early marriage OF the
Hindus Is advantageous In this respect. since
n couple married at tho age OF fifteen have by
the time they are forty . Grown-up family.
launchedin lie. and. having ciroled worldly OK.
p~erience. they are then free to dedicate them.
selves to the work OF emancipation. Our au-
thor's teacher told him that during his yogi
period. which lasted ABOUT three years. his wife
was very good to him and assisted him to the
utmost Of her power. He was enjoined by his
own teacher to refrain from speech. and did
so for about o year and q hall. passing most
Of his time in fixed attitudes OF meditation.
and only clappinR his hands when he
wanted food. &c. Hardly anything shows
more strongly tho hold which re-
ligious ideas have upon the whole
people than the common willingness OF
women to help their husbands In works OF this
kind. which. besides the sore inconvenience
OF. them. often deprive tho family Of its
meana OF subsistence. and leave 1t dependent
on the help OF relations and others. Refrain
ing from speech Is not necessary In initiation.
but 1t is en;oincd In some cases. MANY prac-
Using" said the Guru to Mr.. Carpenter one
day. have not spoken for twelve years. 80
that when freed they had lost the power of
~speeck-babbled like babies-and took some
time to recover it. But for two or three years
you experience no disability. During my initi-
alton" no added. Il often wandered about
the woods all night. and many times saw
wild beasts. but they never harmed meas.
indeed. they cannot harm the initiated"
At the present time this Hindu sage lives
when at home) a secluded life. mostly ab- |
sorbed In trance conditions, his chief external
interest being no doubt the teaching Of such
people As are led to him or as he is led to in |
struct. When. however. he takes up any prac-
tical work he throws himself into it with the
power and concentration which are peculiar |
to a master. and which are the natural corol- |
laries Of the power of abstraction when health
lily used. Among their own people these Gurus |
often have small circles OF disciples who re-
ceive tho instruction of their master and. In |
return. are ever ready to attend upon his
wants. It appears that Elukhansm's mother
became his pupil and practised according
to instruction. making good progress. One
day. however. she told her son that she should
die that night. what. are you mp he said.
no." she replied. but I feelsthat I shall
die" Then he asked her what she desired to
have done with her body. "Oh. tie a rope to
1t and throw 1t out into the street." was her
reply. meaning that 1t did not master-a very
strong expression. considering. caste reguls-
lions on the subject. Nothing more was said.
but that night. at ga. NJ. as they and some
friends were sitting up. cross-legged on the
floor as usual. reading one Of the sacred books,
one Of those present said: But your mother
does not move land size was dead.
Mr.. Carpenter says finally that tho Gurus
utter independence OF external conditions
the very small amount Of food and exercise. u