Though Christians and non-Christians are equally the creation and sons of one God, yet there is a great difference between them. Some men have a true knowledge and realisation of Him, and are transformed into His likeness and become the heirs of life and eternal happiness through living in the presence of His incarnation, Jesus Christ; others, walking in the dim light of the truth as they know it, and following the desires of their own wills, stray from the truth and deprive themselves of the blessings that are to be found in Christ.
The difference in the lives of those with and without Christ can be seen from the examination of the incidents which we now present.
It is a well-known fact that, in those lands where the Gospel has been widely preached, a noticeable change in thought has taken place, even though comparatively few have become professed followers of Christ; while the state of those countries where the Gospel has not been preached is little different from what it was in former days, when they were counted as uncivilised and altogether superstitious.
Witness
The Word of God tells us that all men are sons of God, because He is the same to all and is no respecter of any. It says that “in every nation he that feareth Him and worketh righteousness is acceptable to Him” (Acts x. 35), and it also says that “He left not Himself without witness” (Acts xiv. 17). The light of the truth which God revealed was sufficient to lead the nations back to Him, but it was not that full light of truth that was afterwards revealed in Christ, the Sun of Righteousness (Malachi iv. 2; John i. 9). Now that “the Light of the World” has come, conditions have changed, for those that are real seekers after truth have begun to follow Him in that Light, while others, whose eyes are blinded by self, have turned away from Him and walk in darkness (John iii. 19-21).
Unless man’s search for truth satisfies the craving of his religious nature he can find no rest, for when his conscience is awake, try as he may, he can never stifle its intense longing. Only those who, by deliberate neglect of God, have deadened the craving of their hearts and silenced the inner voice can know any degree of peace—but it is the peace of death.
Let us now try to find out how far those without Christ have succeeded in allaying this craving of their souls for rest.
A Bed of Spikes
Some time ago, in Hardwar, I saw a Sadhu lying on a bed of spikes. I went to him and asked: “What aim have you in wounding and torturing your body in this way?” He replied: “Don’t you know that much when you are yourself a Sadhu? It means austerity and the mortifying of the flesh. I worship God in this way, but I confess that the pricks of these spikes are not so bad as the pain I get from my sins and evil desires. My object is to crush the desires of self that I may gain salvation.” I asked: “How long have you been doing this, and how far have you succeeded in your object?” He replied: “I began this eighteen months ago, but I have not yet gained my object, nor is it possible to do it in so short a time. Many years, and indeed many births, will be necessary to accomplish it.”
Then I told him of my own experience of failure when I tried to gain salvation by my own efforts, and of how, in an instant, the Lord Jesus changed my heart and calmed my restless soul with that true peace to gain which he was expecting to torture himself through many re-births; and I added: “If, in this present birth, you cannot be successful, then what proof have you that you will gain it in any future birth? Now, not because I am in any way worthy, or have any right, but by His grace and mercy, I have been freed from the pricks of my sin and evil desires and temptations, and have yielded myself up to Him who can take away not only my sins, but the sins of the whole world (John i. 29). For, as the spikes have pierced the hands and feet of that Sinless One on behalf of sinners, so now by His sacrifice we are saved from sin and its consequences.”
When he heard this he made no attempt to agree, but said, “I can never admit that salvation can be obtained as a free gift, and in one short life.”
How difficult it is for those who have had no experience of this life in Christ to understand it or to admit that it can be true!
Hanging Head Down
Then I saw another ascetic who, with a rope tied to his feet, was being swung about from a tree with his head downwards. I went away, and after a while returned when he had been untied and had rested. I asked him what motive he had, and what profit there might be, in such trying austerity. He said: “I do not feel like saying anything just now, but, as you are a brother Sadhu, I will explain my motive in a few words. Think for a moment why people are so amazed when they see me hanging head down, when the Creator Himself has hung all mankind upside down in their mothers’ wombs. Well, this is the manner in which I perform my worship and my austerity. In the eyes of the world it is foolishness, but by acting in such a way, I want to remind myself and all men that, when we entangle ourselves in our sins, we turn ourselves upside down in the sight of God, even though, in the eyes of the world, we appear to be right side up. I want also to keep on outwardly and inwardly reforming myself until I am satisfied that at last I am right side up before God.”
I replied: “You have strange ideas. It is true the world is upside down, and its ways are also upside down, but we should not adopt their upside-down ways of doing things. How can we, by our own efforts, free ourselves from the entanglements of sin? It is a task beyond our strength. Hence the Lord of Love became man that He might set us free from our bondage (Luke iv. 18); and to set the world aright He uses as His instruments those whom He has saved and set free” (Acts xvii. 6). On this the Sadhu gave a sign that he did not wish the conversation to continue, so I rose and came away.
One thing is quite certain—in spite of the horrible austerity he was undergoing, he had not as yet been able to effect any such reformation in his life as to give him either satisfaction or peace.
Without Hope
After this I met another ascetic who in the hot weather used to sit all day long between “the five fires,” while in the cold weather he used to stand for hours in cold water. On his face, sadness and hopelessness were expressed. I had with me another man who asked him with great sympathy: “You have been torturing yourself in this way for the last five years; will you give me some idea of what you have learned from this manner of life? What good have you got from it?” The Sadhu replied: “I have no hope for any kind of benefit in this present life, and I can say nothing at all about the future, and that is all I can tell you about it.”
A Self-Withered Hand
Once when I was spending a few days in the jungles of Rikhi Kesh, in which many Sadhus live, I saw a great many people sitting round a Sadhu seated on the bank of the Ganges. The Sadhu had one hand raised above his head, and from a distance I thought he was giving his blessing to the people. When I came near, I saw that the bones of his arm were set so that he could not lower it. When he had finished his talk with the people, I asked him how his arm had become dried and fixed. He gave his reply with the great pride of one who had overcome an enemy in battle. “Sir,” he said, “with this hand I have stolen much, and have beaten many, but there came a day when I had such a great shock that the foundations of my whole life were shaken. I left my old life altogether, and decided that I would either cut off this hand or, by making it useless, give it the punishment it deserved. I consulted my guru (teacher) and, on his advice, I held it up continuously above my head till it had completely dried up, and become fixed in this position. Now I am very proud of it.”
I replied, “I admire your courage and your good intention, but I am sorry, for you have been spoiling a gift given you by God. Instead of destroying your hand you should have used it in helping others. In this way, to some extent, you could have made good the loss you caused by it. Real courage and victory consist, not in uselessly destroying your hand, but in using it to help others. My Guru, Jesus Christ, said, ‘If thy right hand causeth thee to stumble, cut it off’ (Matt. v. 30), and His meaning is, that we should so cut out from our hearts the instrument of evil that in future it should never again be available for such a purpose.”
I had barely finished speaking when he jumped at me in such a rage that there is no doubt, had his hand been of use, he would have struck me. Afterwards I respectfully pointed out to him how useless it was for him to have mutilated himself. It would have been better had he changed the intention of his heart, which was behind the hand, so that it might now move to fulfil God’s purpose in his life.
Vows of Silence
The next day I went to see another man, whom the people called Moni Bawa—a Sadhu who had taken a vow to remain silent for a number of years. This man was a real seeker after truth. For the last six years he had not uttered a word. He wrote on a slate the answer to any question I asked him. One of my questions was: “Why do you not make use of this God-given gift, for He has given you the tongue for speaking, for glorifying and worshipping Him, and for giving advice on spiritual matters? If God had intended you to remain silent He would have created you a dumb mute, and would not have given you a tongue.” Without any show of pride, he wrote his answer: “What you say is quite true, but my temper is so bad that no good ever came out of my mouth. I used to lie, and say things to hurt people’s feelings. It is nearly six years now since I spoke last, but as yet I have not gained my object. It is better to be silent than not to speak good words. Thus far no blessing has come to me, nor any special message for the people, so silence is best for me.” I talked a little longer with him, and then gave him a Gospel, which he accepted thankfully and promised to read carefully.
A Sannyasi
One day I had some conversation in Benares with an educated Hindu Sannyasi, and in the course of our talk he said: “The ancient rules laid down for the orders of Sadhus and Sannyasis are admirable. There is first the state of student, then that of householder, then, later in life, retirement from family cares to the woods, and then, in old age, the state of Sannyasis or renunciation. But the method you have adopted is very strange, for in your youth you have become a Sannyasi.”
I said: “I am not opposed to your rules, but my motive in becoming a Sadhu is very different from yours. I have not become a Sadhu because I think there is merit or salvation to be gained by so doing. My aim is that without worldly encumbrances, in the simple way of a Sadhu, I may serve Him who has saved me by His grace. Is it not right that, in the best days of my youth and strength, I should serve Him who gave His life for me?
“Besides this, what would you say about it if any of your disciples, instead of presenting you with a ripe, juicy mango, were to give you one that was only skin and stone, from which all the juice had been sucked out?” He answered: “Such behaviour would be unpardonable. It would be the height of loutishness and insult.”
I replied: “Well, if in the days of our youth we waste ourselves in our own pleasures, and in the weakness of old age present only the bones and skin of our past to the service of God, will not that be to present to Him a gift of foolishness, insult and sin beyond pardon?” The Sannyasi answered: “What have we to do with the salvation of others? Each must strive for his own salvation. The pleasure, the anger, and the service of God, mean nothing to us, for salvation depends entirely on our own karma” (works).
How much better than this is the golden teaching of Christ: “Thou shalt love the Lord thy God with all thy heart, and with all thy soul, and with all thy mind and with all thy strength . . . and thou shalt love thy neighbour as thyself” (Mark xii. 30-31)! If we apply this principle our lives cannot be selfish, and between us and God there will be the relation of father and sons, and among ourselves we shall be real brothers and sisters. In this verse we have in a nutshell the Gospel teaching on salvation and the Kingdom of God.
The lives we have thus far considered are those of a few Sadhus who, unlike the ordinary run of men, devote their time entirely to spiritual and religious duties. But millions of other Hindus hold a like faith, while even such leaders as Mr. Gandhi confess that they have failed to realize God, for in his recently published autobiography he has stated: “I have not yet found Him, but I am seeking after Him”; and again he says: “It is an unbroken torture to me that I am still so far from Him.”
A Swarajist
Those who have failed to find satisfaction of heart in their own religion or through their own works are likely to become altogether indifferent to all religions or to forsake religion altogether. A Swarajist leader said to me: “As long as I did not read the Hindu religious books I was a consistent believer in Hinduism; but after studying them I lost all religion; for when I searched in the Vedas, and other books, I did not find those teachings which I had expected to find, and their widely conflicting doctrines completely confused me. Many other Hindus are similarly mystified. In my opinion, we must get away from religion altogether, and aim at getting Swaraj (Self Government), because for centuries religion, with its doctrine of Maya (illusion), has made us slaves to other nations. It is high time that we should free ourselves from this slavery.”
Then I remarked: “Sin’s slavery is by far the worst and most binding of any, so, first of all, we must free ourselves from its bondage. Before we get our birthright of Swaraj, we must give to God His right to dwell and rule in us. Then He will grant us our right, for beyond this we have none. For example, if we get this transitory Home Rule, it will be Home Ruin without Christ. Hence we must seek first the Kingdom of God, and His righteousness and all things will be added to us” (Matt. vi. 33). But my point of view had no interest for him. He only reiterated: “First of all we must get Home Rule, and then all will be free to accept whatever religion they fancy.”
A man sitting with us gave this view: “As I am neither a Hindu nor a Christian, but an adherent of Reformed Islam, I can say quite impartially that India is miles away from freedom, either political or religious. We must travel a long way, with God’s help, before we reach real freedom.”
Now let us glance at the state of a few of the followers of other religions.
A Buddhist Hermit
One day in Tibet, when I was speaking about Christian hermits, a man remarked that in their country they too had many hermits, and that in the mountain opposite there was a cave in which an ancient Lama had, for several years, been absorbed in prayer and meditation. He had had the entrance to his cave walled up, and had never left the cave. The people near-by used to take up tea and parched barley flour once every day and put it in to him through a hole in the wall. Owing to his having lived in the dark so long he had become blind, and he intended to spend the remainder of his days in the cave.
I took with me the man who had told me this and went up to see the hermit. We had to wait for some time, as he was engaged in prayer and meditation; but afterwards, at our request, he came and sat near the hole in the wall. It was impossible to see him in his dark and narrow cell, and he could not see us, but we could converse easily. At first he asked me where I came from and why I had come. Then I asked about his experience. “What,” I asked, “have you gained from this solitary meditation? As Buddha has not taught anything about God, to whom do you pray?” He said: “I look on Buddha as God and pray to him. My motive in concealing myself in this cave is not that I may obtain anything, but that I may be freed from all desire of obtaining anything. I am seeking to obtain the Nirvana—the extinction of all feelings and desires, whether of pain or of peace, but I am still in bodily and spiritual darkness, and I know not what the end will be. Yet I know that anything I lack now will be made up to me in some other re-birth.”
I replied: “The desires and feelings you have are given you by God, not that they may be crushed and extinguished, but that they may be satisfied in Him. Had it been the Creator’s will that they should have been destroyed He would not have created them. Now to kill these desires is not salvation but suicide, because they are inseparably connected with our lives. Even if you try to stamp out desire it is useless, for to desire to kill a desire is itself a desire. Then how can freedom or salvation be thus obtained, for desire is created from desire? The best way is not to stifle this craving, but to satisfy it in Him who has created it, and in this we find true salvation.” “Well,” he said, “it will be seen what will be,” and with these words he ended our interview.
A Chinese Doctor
Once, in Peking, the subject of my address was Christ, the Universal Saviour. At the close of the meeting a Chinese doctor came to me and said: “Christ was born only some two thousand years ago, but long before that we had teachers, like Confucius, in our country: how then is it possible to say that Christ is Universal? The teaching and example of Confucius and our other teachers are sufficient for us.”
I answered: “You make a mistake when you say that Christ came only two thousand years ago. Long before His Incarnation He was in the world, but the world knew Him not; but those who knew Him were glad (John i. 10; viii. 56-58). I am not against Confucius and his teaching; but tell me in what things China, as a nation, has progressed through his teaching and example and, in particular, what benefit have you yourself received.”
He answered: “This teaching is not a morsel that can be swallowed and its effect seen at once. Its influence will slowly make itself apparent.” I replied: “Without doubt a morsel is not at once digested so that it becomes a part of our body, but at least we at once enjoy its taste, if our sense of taste has not been impaired by some sickness. Mere good doctrine is like a necklace of diamonds which, if it is placed on a sick man’s neck, has no effect on his sickness. The teaching of Christ is not only good doctrine, it is ‘spirit and life’ as well (John vi. 63), and millions and millions who have accepted Him have obtained new life through Him.”
The doctor said: “This new life and change cannot come from without; it depends on our own efforts.” I said: “It is true that the act of receiving depends on us, but we cannot get this new life through our own efforts. A bitter tree cannot of itself become sweet, but it can be grafted into a sweet tree. Similarly, sinful man, through faith, can be grafted into Christ, and Christ’s life flowing into him changes him into a new creature, and this is salvation.” But the doctor was here called away to attend a patient and our conversation ended.
A Rabbi
In Jerusalem I met a Jewish Rabbi who was liberal in his views. I asked him his opinion of Christ and of the future of the Promised Land. He said: “I myself await the appearing of the Messiah and the restoration of the Promised Land, but I know not if this longing will be fulfilled in this life or in the next. Nor can I say with certainty whether the Jesus who was crucified in this town was the Messiah, or if the Messiah is still to come. Of course, I am obliged to acknowledge that Jesus was a great prophet, whom my nation treated with extreme harshness and cruelty, and I know that even to the present day we suffer punishment for our sin of having killed Him. ‘His blood is on our heads.’”
I might put forward many other conversations and incidents of this kind, but I have given enough. Those who have had the opportunity of living in contact with the followers of different religions in other lands, and who have made a sympathetic study of their needs, bear witness that, without the touch of the Living Christ, their lives have no abiding peace and hope.
Many feel there is in their lives such a real want that they can never hope to satisfy it by any effort they may make, or by any goodness which they may achieve. How true is the Word of God, “He that hath the Son hath life, and he that hath not the Son hath not life” (1 John v. 12).
తెలుగులో సారాంశం
క్రైస్తవులు, అన్యులు ఇద్దరూ ఒకే దేవుని సృష్టి అయినప్పటికీ వారి మధ్య పెద్ద తేడా ఉందని చెబుతూ సుందర్ సింగ్ ఈ అధ్యాయాన్ని ప్రారంభిస్తారు. హరిద్వార్లో ముళ్ల పడకపై పడుకున్న ఒక సాధువు, చెట్టుకు తలకిందులుగా వేలాడిన మరో సాధువు, ఐదు మంటల మధ్య కూర్చునే ఒక తపస్వి, చేతిని ఎండిపోయేలా పైకెత్తి ఉంచిన ఒక సాధువు, ఆరేళ్లుగా మౌనవ్రతం పాటిస్తున్న మౌని బాబా, బెనారస్లోని ఒక సన్యాసి, మతాన్నే వదిలేసిన ఒక స్వరాజ్య నాయకుడు, టిబెట్లో గుహలో బంధించుకున్న ఒక బౌద్ధ సన్యాసి, పెకింగ్లోని ఒక చైనా వైద్యుడు, యెరూషలేములోని ఒక యూదు రబ్బీ — వీరందరితో తనకు జరిగిన సంభాషణలను ఆయన వివరిస్తారు. స్వశక్తితో, కఠిన తపస్సులతో పాపవిముక్తి, శాంతి పొందాలని ప్రయత్నించిన వీరెవరికీ అవి దొరకలేదని చూపిస్తూ, "కుమారుడు కలవానికి జీవము కలదు" అనే వాక్యంతో అధ్యాయాన్ని ముగిస్తారు.