After our marriage, the first letter Santhaswamy wrote to us is as follows:
Kaithadi
Aug:22nd 81
Dear Sivayoga and Yogi,
‘Yoga’ means union and you are now one, and so I will only send one letter in reply to your two letters, which I was very glad to receive. (To get two of anything and only pay the price of one is very good business!)
I am very happy (though not at all surprised) to hear that all goes well with you both, and particularly happy that Sivayogi seems to have settled down so quickly and easily, and to be enjoying life under such new and unaccustomed conditions.
I don’t have much news from here. Markandu Swamy seems to be enjoying good health, and it is my impression that he is now stronger than he was nearly 3 years ago when I came out here.
I saw the ear doctor again in Jaffna a week or two after you left and he said there was an infection. The hearing seems to be back to what it was when I left England. I am most grateful to you for taking me to him. His name is Chandrapal and not Somapal. I think that his initials is V. His address is ‘Suegisthan’, Achuveli, N.P.
With all good wishes to you both,
எல்லாம் சரி
Yours as ever,
Santhaswamy
Since the beginning of 1981, due to ever changing challenges and responsibilities, I neglected to take care of my body (other girl) and suffered a few weeks of “shingles” during mid 1982. When I explained my body illness to Santhaswamy, his reply was as follows:
Kaithady.
Sept 30th 82
My dear Yogis,
Thank you very much for your letters and for all the good news they brought with them.
The best news, to my mind, was that they clearly showed that you have both already understood the meaning and importance of the ‘Maha vakya’, ‘oru pollappum illai’ – in fact not simply in theory; it took me thirty years to do that and to begin to apply it in practice! That contains the secret of true happiness.
Swami said: “People have to suffer in order to get benefits. Suffering means that you are being examined for benefit.” And I think another of the blessings, arising from your recent “benefit performance”, lies in the fact that it is a reminder, and a warning, that you must “look after” both your “girls”. For, you say: “When I was very low in my body – energy condition, the virus carried out its activities very well.” But you shouldn’t allow yourself to become “very low in your body-energy condition.” That means, in the words of the dream I had on 17-2-81, that you are still “beating your wife” and “that is bad”. I am sure the ‘second girl’ and ‘second wife’ – the Yogini and “better half”- will agree with me on this!
You must never allow yourself to become a slave – to anyone or anything. That is a fundamental principle in Chellappa Swami’s and Yogaswamy’s way and of real ‘Sivathondan’. If you don’t look after your (original) “girl”, properly, you will be forced to become her ‘slave’; and you must also see that you do not become a ‘slave’ to your work, ie to ‘British Leyland’. So, I think you should explain to your ‘boss’, that it is important for all concerned that you should not over tax your body with excessive work and fail to allow it reasonable rest. And one thing I think is particularly important – especially for those who have been blessed with a strong “girl” from the outset, is exercise; for I am sure that lack of exercise, is the cause of, probably, 75% of the ailments that afflict people in modern life, most of whom have ‘sedentary jobs.’ The best form of exercise, as one grows older is walking, (I don’t mean the kind of walking boxers and athletes do for ‘training’, but simply going for good brisk walks as often as possible at your natural pace). Swami told me to walk 5 miles every day; and he himself right up to the time of his accident, when he was well over 80, was walking about Jaffna at all times of the day; and I am told, in his earlier days he used to walk for many miles at a speed, which others could not follow. And he was a ‘Yoga- swami!’ I don’t suppose you will now have the same opportunities for walking about a very extensive plant that you told me you had before, but do try to make it a practice to go for good long walks at the weekends. (You have a car and so can quite easily go out into the country). And restrain yourself from doing too much ‘overtime’.
“No news (from here) except that God is always with you “and that, therefore எல்லாம் சரி.
With love and good wishes to you both,
Yours as ever,
Santhaswamy
I explained to Santhaswamy that everything that I was carrying out in the plant was my duty and not due to any demands from my boss.
They were very competitive times! When plant performance achieved greater success, the shop floor workers had greater fringe benefits and enjoyed a very good life. When the plant performance fell below the set targets, it was the shop floor workers who got penalised immediately. I was trying to ensure the plant performance was always above the targets, which always benefitted the shop floor workers.
When I explained to Santhaswamy the above and referred it reflects Sivathondu principles, Santhaswamy replied to me with the following letter from Kaithadi:
Kaithadi
Dec 21st 82
Dear Sivayogiis,
Thank you very much for your letters.
Yes Markandu Swamy often used to quote to me also the question Swamy shouted out to the latrine coolie: “Are you doing Sivapooja out there?” As you might say:
“Sivapooja Sivathondu service of God. That means whatever work we have to do must be done for God and not for ourselves. Swamy also said to Markandu Swamy: “Even those, who have realised the Truth, must find something congenial to do” and he himself was ‘working’ right up to the time of his ‘Samadhi’.
We have first to learn to accept gratefully the conditions in which God has placed us with the firm conviction that those are the best possible for us at any given moment of our lives, and that, if taken they should cease to be best, God will make the necessary change at the right time, or make clear to us what change should be made. So, we must do the work we have to do, whether it is cleaning lavatories or ruling a Kingdom, as well as we possibly can; and a lavatory cleaner who sincerely tries to do that is far greater than a king, who does not.
But work by itself is not Sivathondu, even if it is perfectly carried out. Swamy said: “Once you have realized the Truth you may give up work, if you want to. But, until you realize it, you must continue to work. There is no wisdom in work itself. Wisdom lies in your attitude to work.” And the truly wise man is a Sivathondan. Many people work well and hard and wholeheartedly, but in one way or another, their work is really for themselves – even work for the material benefit of others, though very praiseworthy in one sense, is often motivated primarily by desire for the good opinion of other people, or for the satisfaction of some individual picture of what they think they ought or would like, to be. But that is not Sivathondu; for that is service to themselves.
We do not know what is best for us or other people – only God knows that, and so, really to do his ‘service’ involves surrendering everything to Him and letting Him act through us, as Swamy said: “Surrender yourself to God, let Him lead you. Be the tool in His hand. Then there will be endless bliss.” Work is His ‘service’ which may mean for one man at one time in his life intense activity and for another man or the same man at another time, the practice of quiet gratitude and contemplation and Swamy said on one occasion:” Those who remain ‘Summa’ are the real benefactors of humanity. For, no two human beings are the same and so no two paths to the Truth can be the same. Swamy said, “Everyone must find out the path that suits him.”
Complete surrender to God means complete detachment. You say in your letter “My boss never asked me to do any more than what is expected from me. But “it was my own interest and love for everything.” I see the plant which led me to the state I was in.” That “interest and love” is very good in one respect that it “leads” you to a “state” in which you are unable to do everything either in your “own interest” is for “everything you see in the plant!” Swamy said to me, “Too much sleep is bad, too much work is bad. Too much of anything is bad”. If you sleep too much, that means you are too much attached to sleep, and if you work too much, it means that you are too much attached to work. But if you can gradually learn to become detached, God will tell you exactly what work you should do, how much you should do and when you should stop – even in relation to the very smallest things in your life. And only when you have succeeded in becoming detached, do you have the right to call yourself a ‘Sivathondan’.
With love and all good wishes to you both for all that is good in the New Year,
Yours as ever,
Santhaswamy.
P.S You will find all that I have written about Sivathondu and a great deal more in “Words of our Master” (and also in the ‘Prose Section’ of Natchinthanai’)
P.P.S. Markandu Swamy seems to be in good health and is just the same – Swamy said to me once – “sameness is strength!”61 Page “See everything you see as Siva. Do everything you do as Sivathondu. Give up this ‘l’ and ‘mine’.”(‘Words of our Master’) As the new body plant manager faced the challenges in launching the brand new ground up vehicle, I said to my manufacturing team as we are getting closer to Christmas that we needed some additional divine help and therefore let us display big Christmas cards in all clocks in stations and play carol songs during the break time.
My team agreed and we displayed huge Christmas cards with all the festive images on all clocks in stations.
The chairman of Jaguar cars Sir John Egan brought the Jaguar board to see the display in the plant.
The new Jaguar was launched successfully as planned.
In 1982 Santhaswamy invited his brother Sir Peter Ramsbotham and his sister Joan after the sudden death of Sir Peter’s wife Frances, for a long stay in Jaffna. This occasion was the last time that all three of them would stay close together, while continuing their research on the book ‘Lord’s Prayer’.
When I wrote of the chairman’s visit to the plant to see the display of the big Christmas cards and referring my ‘basic’ contribution to the manufacturing community at large, Santhaswamy replied as follows from Kaithadi:
Kaithadi
Jan 13th 83
My dear Yogis,
Thank you very much for your letter.
I was most impressed by what you told me about the ‘basic’ things you did in the factory and the spontaneous reaction which this ‘human touch’ evoked.
These things are, to my mind, clear evidence of the spirit of real ‘Sivathondan’, which I have come to understand is precisely the spirit of real Christianity. For, as I may have told you before, almost the last words, which Swamy said to me, before his Maha Samathy were:
“In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was with God, and the Word was God (These are the opening words of St. John’s Gospel). That is my religion. I am a real Christian – not like you!”
Since then, my aim has been, first to find out what real Christianity means, and, then to try to practice it. For Swamy he also said to me much earlier: “You don’t want ‘Christianity!”” He was, I think, the only real Christian I have met, and also the only real Sivathondan; so that he could equally have said to you: “You don’t want ‘Temple anity’!”
These days of ‘Christianity’ and ‘Temple anity’ simply serve to breed more and more of the hypocrisy, which is the chief enemy of real religious life; and this real religious life is life in this ‘world, not in a hermitage in the Himalayas! Swamy said, “You must live with everybody, in the midst of everybody, but never forget your true self.” (‘Words of our Master’, p58.)
This doesn’t mean that we shouldn’t go to the Church or Temple; but it does mean that we must try to comprehend what external religious practices really mean; for the truths of a real religion are enshrined in them – they are, as it were, symbols of the Truth, which often cannot be adequately represented in words. And Swamy also said to me; “Rituals and ceremonies express philosophical truths.” (‘Words of our Master’ p101). What is needed first is understanding – blind belief is useless, and worse than useless; for it contributes an obstacle to understanding. That is why in my last letter I quoted Swamy’s words “You must think to realize. It will not come without thinking.” (‘Words of our Master’ p74)
In view of all this, it is a disgrace to England, which is supposed to be a Christian country, that your ‘operatives’ should have said that they had “never been treated like this before.” (You can tell your chairman this!). I entirely agree with what you wrote: “Now we know some of the reasons for this ‘(basic)’ problem in our society” and I think that one of the causes may be the vast size of modern industrial undertakings, and that this ‘operators’ in this old ‘family business, like Head Wrightons and Co would not have spoken in quite the same way. The ‘welfare state’, which is said to look after everyone “from the womb through the gloom to the tomb” is also another factor; for it destroys in industrial relationships, the possibility of individual kindness and charity. The word ‘charity’ is derived from the Greek word ‘cariths’, which means love, and the welfare that can only come to propagate the psychology of an ant heap! And is what Communism is doing.
The antidote is the practice of Sivathondu, and that I believe, is Swamy’s sayings to the world and perhaps the chief means for his having been taken home at this time. And this message is equally important for both the West and East; for in the East the breakup of the traditional family life has left the same need for the spirit of real charity, as has the infection of the Communist mentality in the West. But in the East at any rate is ‘Tamil Elam’ – it is as it were the opposite outlook that must be corrected – that of excessive individuality and resistance to co-operation.
I was glad to hear that your recent promotion and appointment to the car body plant means that you will have to find” a better and larger place than the one you have now”. In some places – Sheffield for instance (or was 40 years ago!) is a lovely country only a few miles from the center of the city. If the same applies to Castle Bromwich, do try if possible, to find a place outside this main industrial area.
To find a really satisfactory house is in a way more important for ‘Sakti’ than for ‘Siva’; for in this case, he will be ‘dancing’ in the factory all day, while she will be playing the role of ‘Sivakami’ as this passive onlooker, although she may, perhaps become ‘active’ in other respects, such as possibly, conducting “nursery classes/play school” in England as she did in Jaffna.
எல்லாம் பார்ப்போம்! I was very glad to hear that she plans to attend a course in ‘open university’.
எல்லாம் சரி
With love and all good wishes to you both
Yours as ever
Santhaswamy
P.S.
I think that the word ‘basic’ may be one of those which over the last 20 years or so, has acquired a somewhat new meaning in the English usage, and in that respect, I am very much out of date, having lived in Sri Lanka for so long. The definition given in the Oxford English dictionary is ‘fundamental’. Was that the exact meaning you wished to convey, when you wrote that about ‘the very basic thing which you did in the factory’? And incidentally I would be interested to hear what the other ‘basic’ things were, besides hanging up the large Christmas card.
When I wrote to Santhaswamy about our duties, he replied as follows:
Kaithadi
Jun 1st 83
My dear Yogis,
Many thanks for your letters.
I am very happy to know that all continues to go well with you both, and also that your brother and sister-in-law have been blessed with a son. Please give them my congratulations.
You ask: “When we always carry out our duties with an open mind, while grateful to the conditions in which God has placed us, then will it be acceptable to assume that, because of the open-mind attitude, God induces or indicates the necessary desires in our minds and assists us in achieving the same?” I would say that if you are really detached – that is to say, if you truly “surrender to God” and gratefully accept everything He has ordained for you, you will have no desires at all. Only then can “God act through you” (Words of Our Master’ p94.) and “achieve” what He desires.
You also ask: “Will it be right to assume that ‘truth’ is to understand our self and our duties, while we are fit to perform the same or until we are fit to accomplish the same?” Yes – Swamy says: “Truth is ‘I am”” (W. O. M. p 82. ); and so, if you know yourself ( in the highest sense) you know the Truth. Our ‘duties’, and, in fact all the conditions of our lives, are only ‘means’ given by God to enable us to know ourselves. It is important to keep this in mind and not regard them as ‘ends’ and so become ‘attached’ to them.
Markandu Swamy seems to be keeping in good health.
எல்லாம் சரி.
as ever,
Santhaswamy
I wrote to Santhaswamy about the Pope’s visit and the missing ‘Thiruvadi’ in the Columbuthurai Samathy Temple, his reply was as follows:
Kaithadi.
June 12th -83
My dear யோகிகள்,
I am very happy indeed to receive your letter, especially as it contained such splendid news. Congratulations on being able to be so open to Swamy’s influence and on following his guidance so well.
I was very glad to hear that the Pope was so well received, especially, it would seem from what you write, by the younger generation.
Markandu Swamy is well, but as one might expect, he seems physically to be very gradually
becoming a little weaker.
How is the ‘batting average’ this year?
Don’t think there is anything I need from England, at the moment; but if and when will certainly let you know.
Here all is well.
with all good wishes to you both,
எல்லாம் சரி
as ever
Santhaswamy
P.S.
No one can steal “Appu’s Thiruvadi”!
Later when the replacement Thiruvadi was collected by my sister Mrs Sivayogeswary Sivadasan from Chithambaram, India and brought to Columbuthurai Ashram by air, she was given a lift from Palaly airport (Jaffna airport) to the ashram by a person who volunteered to provide the lift. At that time we did not know the identity of the person, but now we know that it was Appu’s divine grace.
After Santhaswamy’s visit to Sri Lanka on 5th of December 1978, he returned on 14th of May 1984, just before Markandu Swamy’s Samathy on 29th of May 1984.
Santhaswamy on his arrival back in England, continued our communication as follows:
East Lane,
Ovington,
Nr Alresford,
Hants
Tel- 096273-2515
May 30th 84
My dear Yogis,
Many thanks for your letters.
As you can see, I am now back in England, and at the moment, am staying with my brother
at the above address.
I would very much like to come and see you both again, whenever that would be convenient. How about the weekend of June 23rd/24th?
எல்லாம் சரி
Yours as ever,
Santhaswamy
Santhaswamy visited us and we had various discussions about our garden which included potential apple tree planting. The following letter is on this subject. Santhaswamy brought a silver plate that Appu gave him and left it in our house. We always served all his meals on this plate.
This silver plate that Appu gave to Santhaswamy is now used to serve prasaadam in the shrine room on important occasions like Pooradathy for Kadiswamy, Atchuvini for Chellapa Swamy, Ayillium for Yogaswamy, Karthihai for Maarkandu Swamy, Chithirai for Subramuniya Swamy and Moolam for Santhaswamy.
East Lane,
Ovington,
Nr Alresford,
Hants. SO24 ORA
Jan 9th 1985
Dear Yogis,
Re-Apple Trees
It seems that to ensure effective cross-pollination, it is better to plant two trees of different varieties, although in many cases this is not absolutely necessary. The only thing I haven’t been able to discover is whether the fact that in your case, the two trees would be separated by the house would hinder cross-pollination. But I expect you could find out about that at the ‘nursery’ from which you would buy the plants.
If you decide to plant two trees, I would suggest ‘Worcester Pearmain’ and ‘Laxton’s Superb’. ‘Worcester Pearmain’ flowers early. The fruits should be ready for picking in the second week of September to October.
‘Laxton’s Superb’ is a ‘descendant’ of ‘Cox’s Orange Pippin’ and is, in my opinion, just as good, if not better. It flowers later than ‘Worcester Pearmain’. The fruit should be ready for picking in the fourth week of September, and the season for use is from November to March. ‘Laxton’s Superb’ requires a high nitrogen content in the soil. ‘Worcester Pearmain’ needs less nitrogen, but more potash. The soil for all apple trees should be well drained.
The usual season for planting is between November and March. November planting gives the following year’s growth a better start. ‘Container grown’ trees can be planted at any time, except in frosty weather.
I think ‘dwarf-bush’ varieties would be best for your purposes. But here again your ‘nursery
man’, I am sure, will be able to give you good advice.
Swamy said: “No thanks! No thanks!”. So “no thanks!” for another most enjoyable visit to
‘New Leasows’ and an excellent celebration of and the efforts of two
outstanding chefs.
With love to you both,
Yours as ever,
Santhaswamy
Santhaswamy continued the discussion on various plants and shrubs.
East Lane,
Ovington,
Nr Alresford,
Hants.
March 15th 85
Dear Sivayogi,
I found your letter awaiting me when I returned here yesterday after having been away for the last three weeks. Thank you very much for it
I am afraid I will not be able to stay with you during the last week of March, as you suggest, because the book we are having printed at Alresford will, (we hope), be completed about that time and I shall have to be here to check all the final arrangements.
I am glad you are getting to work on the garden and shall look forward to seeing the results of your labour later on in the year. Are your dahlias alright? My brother’s were all destroyed by the exceptionally hard frosts we had, even though they had all been taken out and kept in a potting shed.
Please wish Sivayogi the best of luck in her exams.
Have you done anything more with regard to your ideas of teaching small children?
எல்லாம் சரி
With love,
Yours as ever,
Santhaswamy
Midford Place
Midford
Bath BA2 7BX
Tel: (0225) – 837762
May 11th 85
My dear Yogis,
Many thanks for your letters and for your kind invitation to stay with you during your holiday in May. I would like to come, as you suggest, on May 25th and stay until the 28th. My brother has suggested that you might drive me over to East Lane on the 28th, arriving in time for lunch, and then stay there for a couple of nights and return to Walmley on the 30th, if that suits you.
I shall be staying here until the 25th, when if it is convenient, you could perhaps pick me up at Didcot station, as before.
I asked Don about your idea of turfing the lawn instead of sowing it, and he agreed that turf would be better, if properly laid, provided you make sure of getting good turf. If you buy ordinary ‘meadow turf’, you will immediately introduce weeds which will be very difficult to eradicate. But you may find good turf rather expensive to buy; that was why he recommended sowing.
Have you heard the results of the examination yet?
I am glad you are both keeping well and am much looking forward to meeting again on the 25th (D.V),
எல்லாம் சரி
With love,
As always,
Santhaswamy
Santhaswamy came with the gardener Don and spent some time with us.
East Lane,
Ovington,
Nr Alresford,
Hants. SO24 ORA
(Telephone No: 096273 2662)
July 31st 1985
My dear Yogis,
Your telegram appears to have gone astray, because my brother says he never received it.
But he very much appreciates the fact of your having sent it and has asked me to thank you for it.
And I must also thank you both most warmly for the very happy time we had at Walmley last week, and for being so kind to Don, who thoroughly enjoyed his stay and was particularly inspired by his visit to the Jaguar Body Plant.
எல்லாம் சரி
With love to you both,
Yours as ever,
Santhaswamy
Throughout Santhaswamy’s stay in Sivathondan Nilayam, Chenkalady, E.P., Sri Lanka, lyah (Sri Vijayanda Sharma) too stayed in the Sivathondan Nilayam, while carrying out regular Poojas and helping Santhaswamy with his farming duties. Santhaswamy left Chenkaladi in May 1977 and lyah left during 1980. Iyah ended up in Switzerland in 1985. Santhaswamy requested me and Sivayogi to pay a visit to Switzerland and tell him all about it as outlined below:
Midford Place
Midford
Near Bath
Avon BA2 7BX
Sept. 19th 85
Dear Eswaran,
I think it would be an excellent thing, if you could pay a short visit to Switzerland and see lyer both for his sake, for Sivayogis’, for yours and for mine, and I would like to pay for the expenses of your trip. I have promised to stay with Mary for the next few weeks; otherwise I would have gone with you. But, if it is not too convenient, perhaps you will be able to come to Oxford and tell me all about your visit, on your way back after your return.
எல்லாம் சரி
With love to you both,
Yours as ever,
Santhaswamy
