Comments & Notices 

Very important point: Master was asked if the Spiritual Experiences part of the diary should be shown to the Group Leaders, and He replied emphatically,

No – they will not be able to guide them.

He reiterated and completely affirmed on several occasions, though, all the contents of the two recent circulars on this subject (see Sat Sandesh, August 1973, ‘Circular Letter on Receptivity’, and September 1973, ‘On the New Circular – A Letter to Reno Sirrine’). He commented that the Group Leaders ought to be able to handle that work by this time.

*****

Manav Kendra is functioning in a very impressive way already. The School – the Manav Vidya Mandir – now has 78 students, all drawn from the poorest of the poor in the Dehra Dun area-kids who would have no chance whatever otherwise. At Master’s insistence, the teachers and students alike sit on the floor – to show their essential equality – and the entire School is run on the principle of Love; Master having stipulated specifically that there should be no fear.

The children are just beautiful-shining faces, bright eyes – they seem happy beyond words to be there. Whenever we would pass one of them, he or she would fold his hands and say with enormous enthusiasm, ‘Good morning, sir!’ in English.

Miss Sati, the capable and dedicated Principal, told us that Master had visited the School on four occasions, and that the children had been taken to see Him a number of times. She said that some of the children often joined her in meditation by the pool, and while not initiated or even from initiated families, many of them had revealed that they were seeing Master’s Form within.

The curriculum is standard: Hindi is the medium of instruction, but they also learn English, at Master’s wish, by first learning meaningful phrases:

God is Love;

As you think, so you become;

Be good, do good, be One,

etc.

Later they will learn how to write them. Music plays a large part, as do practical things ranging from how to brush their teeth to how to plant vegetables.

All of the students take one meal a day at Manav Kendra, and 25 of them take all their meals there. There is no telling the impact of Master’s Love on these kids – including one or two from Tibetan refugee families –, most of whom are from illiterate homes and live in an abyss of ignorance and poverty unknown to us over here. He has given them a Life. …

The free hospital is also functioning, with 200 patients a day making use of its facilities. So far, it is taking only outpatients; eventually, it will be expanded sufficiently to include bed care as well.

Needless to say, both school and hospital are totally without charge, and the effect of Manav Kendra on the life of the local poor is already immense.

R.P.

Notices

Books available soon

You will note that the Book List on the opposite page has been revised so that all the books are once again listed as available over here. This is because the Book Dept. at Sawan Ashram is not set up to handle a large number of individual orders from the West, and also because a very large number of books, sufficient to fill our needs, has been shipped already. However, they have not all arrived as yet, so please be patient and the current bottleneck should be relieved shortly.