உ
சிவமயம்
2b. CHENKALADI SIVATHONDAN & SANTHASWAMY
During this time I got the urge to visit Santhaswamy in Chenkaladi Sivathondan Nilayam. When I arrived in Chenkaladi, lyah informed me that Santhaswamy was admitted to the hospital for a Hernia operation!
I went to see him in the hospital. When I was in the hospital there were several calls from everywhere including one from Mr K. Satchithananda from Colombo. When Mr Satchithananda asked Santhaswamy whether he needed any help/assistance in the hospital, Santhaswamy replied “Swamy has sent me Eswaran and I don’t need anything.”
I stayed with Santhaswamy in the hospital and returned to Jaffna. While I was with Swamy, Mrs Kumaraswamy (.ச. கு அம்மா ) provided me with all the things I needed in order to help him in the hospital.
After several attempts to join uniform service in Ceylon armed forces I was selected as a sub-lieutenant in the Royal Navy.
Just before joining the Royal Navy for training overseas after uniform measurements, I was advised that the selected position was no longer available.
By the grace of Appu, a major step change took place in my life which led me to continue my engineering undergraduate studies in the UK. I was received by my elder brother in London, who gave me the required guidelines to proceed with my education.
When I wrote to Santhaswamy of my safe landing in the UK, his reply was as follows:
Sivathondan Nilayam
Chenkaladi
E.P.
Ceylon
Sept 12th 69
Dear Eswaran,
Many thanks for your letter.
We were very glad to know that you had arrived safely and that you appear to have found accommodation already and that, in general, all is well.
I was very happy to read what you wrote about your feeling that you had gone to England on a definite mission. That is factually correct. You have a big responsibility, for you must show to all with whom you come into contact what Sivathondu means and what a true Sivathondan is, and you must do that by example alone – not by words and arguments, not even by speaking about Swamy (that, of course, you can do when it seems right to do so, but only to those capable of understanding, and there will be very few such people).
If you constantly keep the idea that you are there on a definite mission in the forefront of your mind, everything will go well in the best possible way, and Swamy will look after you at every turn. From time to time of course, you will encounter difficulties, but Swamy once said: “Difficulties must come in a man’s path. They are a blessing.” There is nothing whatsoever to fear. Listen only to yourself. Don’t bother what others may say or think. Swamy will direct you.
Write now and then when you feel like it and let us know how you are progressing, and if there is anything in which we can be of any assistance from here let us know.
எல்லாம் சரி.
Your fellow thondan,
Santhaswamy
P.S. Regarding exercise – going for long walks is the best thing, but you probably will not have enough time for that. Earlier, we spoke about the possibility of finding some gymnasium nearby, that will be alright provided the exercise is not too violent, that may have a bad effect in the long run. Going for a run for half an at. But you will easily arrive at a solution to this, and every other problem.
Santhswamy’s update on the opening of ladies’ madalayam in Columbuthurai is as follows:
Chenkalady
8.6.70.
Dear Eswaran,
Thank you for your letter.
I am glad all is well with you.
How much longer will you be with Smith’s Meters?
God willing, we intend to open the Madalayam for ladies at Punkankulam Rd. (very quietly) and to start work there on July 10th (ஆனி உத்தரம்).
Sellathurai Master is in India at the moment, but is expected to return before the end of the Month.
Here all is well.
With all the good wishes,
Your fellow thondan,
Santhaswamy
I always wanted to return to Ceylon and this thought forced me to focus fully on the undergraduate studies and sporting activities to become a county level champion as a target as well as a fully-fledged chartered engineer. Both I attained without missing a single day of lecture and training in the gym.
My training and engineering were provided to me by a very heavy engineering company which was making dock gates (300 – 400 tonnes) for Liverpool and Tilbury harbours and grey cast iron segments for London underground railway tunnels and shafts along with pressure vessels for San Paulo Steelworks in South America. The time cycle for making these components varied between 18-24 months per unit.
The name of the company was “Head Wrightsons “, in the North of England. The owner of the company was Sir John Wrightson who was a family friend of Santhaswamy.
When I started my first industrial training in Head Wrightsons, I had a reply from Santhaswamy as follows:
Chenkaladi
july 13th 71
Dear Eswaran,
Many thanks for your letters.
I was very glad to hear that you had definitely started your industrial training with Head Wrightson and Co. I hope that they can give the type of training you want, for I was afraid that the kind of engineering in which they are chiefly engaged might be of too ‘heavy’ a nature for your purposes. If you are satisfied that they can provide what you require, then it will certainly be an excellent idea to try to arrange for all your training to be given there. It may be best to wait a little while to make sure about that and then you can approach the training officer and ask him to confirm that you can continue your training with Head Wrightson & Co in January. Then they will also have time to satisfy themselves that you are making the most of your opportunities and one worth training. You will probably find that when they know you well and you know them well, there will not be much difficulty. But first you must be sure, as far as is possible, that the training there is of the right kind. Is the accommodation there satisfactory? Will you be all the time at the YMCA?
Yes, you are right – on the whole the people in the North are more friendly and hospitable than those in the South. It is good that you are seeing another part of the country, and I hope you will have a happy time in addition to gaining all the engineering experience you can. I am glad that you are having a good summer this year.
It will be good if your brother can get a job near you in St. Albans. I hope he succeeds.
Sellathurai Master has not yet returned from India – at least not as far as I know. Here all is well. We are just about to start our reaping – if rain does not interfere.
எல்லாம் சரி.
Your fellow thondan,
Santhaswamy
Do what you like, but do not swerve from the path of dharma.
During the first year of my undergraduate training with Head Wrightson engineering company, Sir John Wrightson invited me to a meeting on a Monday. This message came to me on Friday and I went to my room in the YMCA in Stockton-on-Tees, thinking about my meeting on Monday. I had no experience of meeting such a personality and I wanted to take “something” and not visit him empty-handed.
Nothing came in my mind and still my mind was searching for something other than a conventional card or a gift box. That Sunday night one of my Ceylon friends who went to visit his family in Ceylon returned to YMCA and gave me a tea packet which I have never seen and said that it was a very special Ceylon tea produced for the export market only.
That tea had appeared to me as the perfect gift to fill my empty hands when I went to visit Sir John Wrightson on the following day.
When I met Sir John Wrightson for the first time on Monday, I offered him the tea packet parcel. When he opened it, he said that it was the “only tea” that he and his wife drink.
I was very pleased with his acknowledgement and then I wrote this incident to
Santhaswamy. He replied to me with the following letter:
“Swamy will certainly arrange everything in the best possible way and he will also guide us at every step if we can keep an open mind and heart. Your happy thoughts of presenting the packet of tea was a form of that. That was the right thing to do on that occasion.”
“Do what you like, but do not swerve from the path of dharma.”
During the final years of my engineering degree, I was busy writing my final year thesis in the private room allocated for me in the university library. The university careers officer came to me and asked me whether I had applied for employment opportunities with British Leyland. I said no and asked him whether they are the bus and lorry people!
He said that British Leyland is the biggest automotive manufacturer in Europe.
British Leyland car manufacturing was a mass manufacturing industry compared to my heavy engineering background. I felt that the time had come for me to switch to a faster manufacturing base experience (50/60 vehicles per hour) and agreed to face the interview on the following day for which I never applied for any position.
Another reason for my thought was based on what Lord Stokes told me during an overseas IMECHE student conference in Birdcage walk, London (1972). Lord Stokes was the President of IMECHE known as the institution of mechanical engineers and was the chairman and chief executive of British Leyland Motor Corporation.
It was a memorable meeting which took place when we were having the tea at IMECHE,
when Lord Stokes came to me and inquired of my background and told me that at that time
British Leyland was in discussion regarding the opportunity to build a manufacturing plant in Ceylon with the Prime Minister Mrs Bandaranaike.
At that time, my belief was that Lord Stokes was able to recognise me at a distance in the IMECHE conference hall due to my distinctive personality compared to other medium sized
students attending the conference.
Also my thought was to join BL UK and ultimately to find my way to Ceylon to work in the
new manufacturing plant in Ceylon as per Lord Stokes’s revelation.
The British Leyland graduate selection process started with a day interview in the university followed by 2 days day and night interview with the senior managers of British Leyland at the Oxford Motel.
During the interview I had the opportunity to refer to my meeting with Lord Stokes a few years back, the personal director of British Leyland who interviewed me said to me that he never met Lord Stokes and commented that I have done something which he never did.
A job was offered to me as a graduate engineer based in Oxford with the manufacturing central staff.
A job that I took and retired after approximately 42 years rising to the position of operations director of Jaguar Land Rover/new model programme/prototype operations.
When I wrote to Santhaswamy about my meeting with Lord Stokes, his reply was as follows:
Chenkaladi
April 16th
1973
My dear Eswaran,
Many thanks for your letter.
Your conclusion that ‘more things are wrought by prayers than this world dreams of’ is 100% correct. Swamy said to me ‘I am the servant of all, but I don’t show it’ He will always do what we want – or more than that – he will not do what we want if that is not good for us, for he knows what is best for us and we don’t. On our side, all we need is just a little faith and a little patience – nothing more.
The account of your meetings with Lord Stokes is really remarkable, and is complete proof of what we have said – if any proof is needed. The great Sankarachariya wrote: ‘Blessed indeed is he who has gained the protective care of a perfected sage’. So guard your blessing very carefully and don’t talk about it with anyone who would not understand.
எல்லாம் சரி.
Yours as ever,
Santhaswamy
I was selected to be in the divisional staff based in Cowley, Oxford which enabled me to travel around all 38+ manufacturing plants (small car division/MINI, medium car division/ PRINCESS/AUSTIN, Triumph and large car division Jaguar Land Rover and Leyland Truck and Bus subdivision) and work with all car automotive lines in the UK. I was offered my first job with British Leyland, long before my degree results.
Sivathondan Nilayam
Chenkalady
April 15th 1974
My dear Eswaran,
Your letter arrived this morning – many thanks
I am glad that you have found a suitable job with British Leyland. They are a first class firm and have close and long standing connections with Sri Lanka, since they have supplied buses to the CTB for so many years. It would be difficult to think of a better firm for you to be with. It is all Swamy’s work! About two months ago, I wrote to Sir John Wrightson to ask him whether he could do anything to help you find a suitable job. But I have had no reply to my letter, and so I think it must have gone astray, because Swamy was arranging something much better!
Also Oxford will be an excellent place for you to live in and thus there will be plenty of opportunities there for further education in your spare time- (if you have any!).
It is a great credit to you also that you were selected in face of what must have been extremely keen competition. Well done!
I take it that they will give you a proper salary while you are with them. When will you start work and for how many years will they give you employment?
Here all is well. We completed all our sowing just before the New Year. Now we have a fair amount of threshing to do. Our crop was quite good, when we were able to obtain water from the river & channels. The purely main fed crop was of course a complete loss. But we cannot really tell the result until the paddy is actually threshed.
எல்லாம் சரி
Your fellow thondan,
Santhaswamy
When I eventually got my results, I wrote to Santhaswamy, to which he replied as follows:
Sivathondan Nilayam
Chenkaladi
E.P
Sri Lanka
My dear Eswaran,
Well done! I am very glad indeed to hear that you have passed your final examinations with flying colours, and honours on the Production side, for I understand, that is the line of engineering, in which you intend to specialise .
Now the second chapter is opening, and with Swamy’s help, I am sure that you will be equally successful in that. Swamy always laid stress on pääb. He said everything depended on that.
If you try to think what that means, both theoretically and in actual practice at every moment, and if you always try to remember Swamy and all that he said to you, you can’t go wrong and everything is bound to end in success for you. But don’t think that everything will always be ‘plain sailing’- there are bound to be difficulties, but Swamy said that those are ‘a blessing’!
I hope that you will be able to find good quarters in Oxford, and that you will be able to profit from being there in other ways additional to the training you receive in engineering.
With all good wishes
எல்லாம் சரி
Your fellow thondan,
Santhaswamy
P.S Send me your new address as soon as you know it.
From the divisional staff, I was sent to the Jaguar/Daimler plant in Coventry.
Santhaswamy left Chenkaladi Sivathondan after handing back the administration to Sivathondan board on 6th May 1977 and returned to England.
I received a letter from Santhaswamy, when I redirected his letters to his London address from Sri Lanka, he replied to me with status of Chenkaladi Sivathondan Nilayam as follows:
4, St. Andrews Road
London. N.W. 11
28-9-1977.
My dear Eswaran,
Thank you for your last letter, enclosing one sent from Ceylon.
I hope and trust that all is still well with you. I was sorry I was not here last month, when you telephoned, as Mrs Satchithananda told me.
I had a letter from lyer over a month ago, in which he also told me that the ashram at Chenkaladi had not been affected by the recent disturbances. But since then, I have heard nothing, nor have I heard anything from Sellathurai Master. I hope that everything has quietened down there now. Have you had any recent news from that side?
From here there is really no news and so there is nothing much to say in this letter! But they say- ‘no news is good news!’
Mr Satchithananda is expected over here at the beginning of next month (D. V)
எல்லாம் சரி
with all good wishes,
Your fellow thondan,
Santhaswamy
Santhaswamy had been receiving letters from his friends in Sri Lanka about Markandu Swamy’s well being and Markandu Swamy’s inquiries about Santhaswamy.
These communications prompted Santhaswamy to return to Markandu Swamy in Kaithadi on 5th December 1978.
Perhaps Santhaswamy never planned to stay for a long period when he returned to Kaithadi and was in need of a particular type of razor blades from the UK. I sent the blades for him and his reply for that was as follows:
Kaithadi
Nov 3rd 79
Dear Eswaran,
The razor blades arrived safely today. Many thanks for sending such a bountiful supply – I think I shall be in a position to buy them for myself in England long before it is exhausted!
எல்லாம் சரி.
With all good wishes to you both,
Yours as ever,
Santhaswamy
Mr Bramananda visited me in the UK during the summer of 1980. On his return to Sri Lanka, he met Santhaswamy in Jaffna, Sri Lanka. Santhaswamy wrote to me on his meeting Mr Bramananda as follows:
c/o C. Muthukumaraswamy,
Kaithadi South
Kaithadi P.O.
Northern Province
Sri Lanka.
Oct 27th 80
Dear Eswaran,
The other day I ran into Brahmanda in the Jaffna bazaar. He told me that he had met you when he was in England and that you had said you intended to pay a visit to Sri Lanka in December. That will be very good and I shall look forward to seeing you then, provided of course that I am still here – and at the moment it looks as if I probably shall be.
At the beginning of July I sent you the book, containing Swamy’s sayings in Tamil, which I had promised to give you when I was in England. I hope it reached you alright. If it didn’t, let me know and I will send another copy.
No news from here; but all is well. Markandu Swamy seems to be keeping in good health, but he doesn’t talk at all, though he still sings Natchinthanai, when any visitors come.
I hope all is going well with you in your new appointment.
எல்லாம் சரி.
Yours as ever,
Santhaswamy
In December 1980 I got engaged to Sivayogi on 17/12/1980 in Jaffna. The following day, 18/12/80 my uncle Assai lyah (Mr. Thirunavukarasu) wanted me to join him to serve refreshments to a group of American devotees led by one of Appu’s disciples Subramuniya Swamy of Hawaii who were on their pilgrimage to Sri Lanka. That was the first time I met Subramuniya Swamy of Hawaii and on his return to the USA Subramuniya Swamy corresponded with me.After this meeting I did not have the opportunity to meet Subramuniya Swamy in person but Subramuniya Swamy’s correspondence always reached me in Coventry.
My wife Sivayogi was named by Appu. Sivayogi’s parents Mr and Mrs Sivarajah were devotees of Appu. During Sivayogi’s mother’s confinement in Manipay hospital, her mother’s health was a cause for concern, and the close family were called to report to the hospital urgently. When the family was driven to the hospital from Jaffna town, at the clock tower roundabout, Appu stopped the car and got into the car. When inquired Appu said that he was also joining the family at the hospital. Appu blessed the mother for safe delivery and named the child as Sivayogi.
Appu prescribed a selection of medicines from Kasthuriar surgery. The doctor himself brought the medicine to the hospital, and Sivayogi was delivered successfully.
Santhaswamy wanted me to dispatch some books to his Chenkaladi friends. When I did so, Santhaswamy sent a letter as follows:
Kaithadi
Feb 7th 81
Dear Eswaran,
I think British Leyland’s Packing Despatch and Delivery Services are really excellent! I never expected the things I asked you to buy for me to arrive so quickly. Thank you very much indeed for sending them.
Thank you also for sending the books to Vinasithambi and his mother. I had a telegram from them a few days ago, saying that they had reached him safely.
I expect that having been away for more than a month, you will be even busier than normal during the next few months. So don’t write, unless you have some important development or unless you have something important to say. I will do the same, and am looking forward to meeting again when you come to fetch your bride in May or June – if I am still here then.
As you say “By the grace of Swamy everything will work out all right,” and I would add – “Everything is alright.”எல்லாம் சரி .
With all good wishes
Yours as ever,
Santhaswamy
On my return to the UK after my engagement with Sivayogi, I was promoted to lead the Jaguar Trim and Final Assembly Plant in Coventry by the chairman Sir John Egan.
Sir John Egan was promoting Jaguar Sales in the USA and wanted a high focus through final assembly plant in Coventry.
“The trim and final assembly plants became a showcase for the USA dealers.”
A royal route was created for the dealers to walk around the plant in order to “touch and feel the Jaguar finish in the plant.”
The above activities demanded changes to the plant layout and assembly process along with trade union discussions and negotiations, leading to a significant amount of my personal time spent in the plant.
During this time, I received a letter from Santhaswamy from Kaithady about a dream that he had on 17th February 1981.
The letter is as follows:
c/o Mr C.Muthukumaraswamy,
Kaithadi South,
Kaithadi P. O
NP
Sri Lanka
17th February 1981
Dear Eswaran,
Last night I was dreaming about you. I can’t remember anything of the dream, but I woke up from it at 11 30pm with the words “He (i.e. you) is beating his wife, but that is bad”.
This may well have been simply one of these meaningless dreams that one so often has and cannot make much sense out of it. But possibly you can … that is why I am sending it to you. If you can’t, forget about it.
எல்லாம் சரி
As ever, Santhaswamy
PS
Swamy said to me “Body is your girl. You must look after your girl!”
And on another occasion, “you are married to your body, body is your wife”. Are you looking after your “girl” properly?
Later I was sent to Jaguar body plant in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham in order to launch the next generation of Jaguar bodies. Sir William Lyons was the owner and founder of Jaguar, who launched all the Jaguar bodies up to and including Jaguar series III derivatives prior to my appointment to the body plant in Castle Bromwich, Birmingham.
Before I was offered the body plant manager’s job, in order to launch the new generation of Jaguar Cars, the personnel director said to me that I was going to be responsible for 3000+ local people and how I would react if they refused to accept my orders because I was not a local person!
My reply to the personnel director was that I come from a country where the men and women of the same race, colour and background fight amongst themselves for their rights and I will be surprised if no one of the 3,000+ personnel did not refuse to accept my orders.
It was entirely up to me to manage every situation and lead from the front which I did and never had any issues in managing the multitude of people in my working life.
I got married on 21st May 1981 and continued to travel to Jaguar body plant from Coventry to Birmingham.
On 28/5/1981 Santhaswamy took my mother, Sivayogi and myself to Selvasannithy Ashram, where Santhaswamy used to spend time with German Swamy (Gowribala) and We all had lunch in the Ashram.
On our return to the UK, I continued to travel to the Jaguar body plant from Coventry to Birmingham.
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:
