Sadhu T L Vaswani
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Philosophy
Compassion
Dada JP Vaswani, Nov 25, 2019: The Times of India
Men of God have appeared in all climes and countries, races and religions. They have appeared among us to reveal God’s love to humanity and to lead erring humanity back to God. TL Vaswani, was one such man born on November 25, 1879, in Hyderabad-Sindh, a town that has given birth to many saints, dervishes and Fakirs. Popularly known as Sadhu Vaswani, he was a modern day saint, visionary idealist, far-sighted educationist and a great spiritual leader admired by many.
Sadhu Vaswani, my gurudev, was a messiah of love and compassion. His compassion was not restricted to human beings. It extended to all beings, even to trees and flowers. He could not resign himself to the sufferings of animals at the hands of the butcher. “For me, not to love birds and animals would be not to love the Lord,” he said. “For his children are birds and animals, no less than human beings.”
Those days, there was a shed in Mira’s School compound, which had become the dwelling place of a few lambs and goats, a cow and some cocks rescued by Sadhu Vaswani from the jaws of death as they were being driven to the slaughter house. “No price is too great to save a single life!”
he once told me. On another such occasion, i found Sadhu Vaswani’s large crystal eyes sparkling with a light. And as i looked into the depths of that wondrous light, i involuntarily exclaimed, “Are you Sadhu Vaswani or are you God?”
He believed that to commune with the Earth Spirit is to have a new feeling for the animal world. The “lower” animals are then seen to be children of Mother Earth. To treat them harshly is wrong. To take them to the slaughter house is a sin. An angel of compassion and sensitivity, he was nevertheless forthright in condemning animal slaughter. “O, the sin of daily slaughter in our heartless cities!” he exclaimed, more in sorrow than in anger, adding words that will continue to touch the conscience of humanity for generations to come: “Believe me, meat-eating will one day be condemned as murder!”
The jiva, or the lifeprinciple, is what Sadhu Vaswani saw as the will to live, which is manifested in all creation. Thus ahimsa, non-violence, to him was nothing but “the harmony of my will-to-live with the will-to-live of other creatures”. It was in this belief that he asserted, “Ahimsa is profound surrender of myself for the sake of life in others ... I must do nothing to wound the jiva in other creatures. I must be true to the principle of the will-to-live.”
Once, a group of educated Indians tried to tell Sadhu Vaswani that the methods of the modern slaughterhouse were ‘humane’ and ‘painless’. “As well might we speak of humane murder!” was his reply to them. He was a voice of the voiceless ones, those dumb, defenceless children of God who, alas, are being slain by the million in our soulless cities everyday! His uncompromising, unceasing, persistent call to the world was, “Stop all slaughter!”
Sadhu Vaswani’s birthday, is observed as International Meatless Day and Animal Rights Day. Every year, on this day, millions of people all over the world, pledge to abstain from food of violence, in sacred memory of the saint to whom every living creature was holy.
Love Frees You From Greed And Discontent
August 3, 2018: The Times of India
An ancient Tao thought says: “Choose a job you love — and you won’t have to work a day in your life!” The first secret of success is: Don’t work just for wages, work for the love of God. You can work too, for the love of humanity, or for the love of work itself. Your work then becomes a source of joy and delight.
There is much talk about vocational education today. The word ‘vocation’ is derived from the Latin root which means ‘to call’. Let your work be a calling. Let your work be a labour of love, something that you love to do, and something that you enjoy doing, much more than just a source of monetary benefit. Labour of love leads to fulfilment.
In cities when people are assigned work, they always ask: “What’s in it for me?” or “What do i get for this?” People work only for wages; they have forgotten what it is to view work as a source of delight. So work has become a cause of so much boredom for some and frustration for many.
Andrew Carnegie tells us that there are three types of people. The first type: those who do as little work as possible. The second type: those who do only what their work stipulates, nothing more. But the third type comprises those who do their duty, and a little more. They are not bound by the clock. If there is work to be done, they will do it, and more.
In the Bhagwad Gita, Krishna expounds on the doctrine of karma yoga. He tells Arjuna: “Remember, to work you have the right, but not to the fruit thereof.” You must work, you must put in your best efforts, and you must not slacken your endeavours. But you must not be disappointed if you do not get the result you seek.
Perhaps many of you find this unacceptable. You will ask me, “But what about my just compensation? How can anyone work without wages in this world of growing needs?” Indeed, work and wages go together. They are two sides of the same coin. Whether you work for wages or otherwise, wages are sure to fall into your lap. I am talking about your attitude to work. It is your attitude that will make your life a success or otherwise. And your work should be an expression of your love. Those of us who work only for wages will never experience real joy. And when you love your work, you will find it a joy forever.
There is no happiness in wealth, but there is considerable wealth in the experience of happiness. I urge you, stop working simply for wages; start working for love. Many of us tend to equate success with money: more and more money, more material acquisitions. The truth is, external achievements and monetary wealth cannot constitute true success, nor can they guarantee happiness. Power, prestige, position, designations, perks, social influence, all these are in the outer realm. They touch the fringe of life; they don’t enter the depths within.
What then is success all about? Success is the ability to be happy and make others happy, the ability to love and be loved, and the ability to remain in peaceful harmony with yourself, with those around you and with God’s cosmic laws.
