Notes to Poem: This Treasure Was Meant for You

Notes to Poem:
This Treasure Was Meant for You

Peter Y. Chou
WisdomPortal.com

Preface: While cleaning my apartment and throwing away old magazines and computer printouts, I found three books Emerson and Vedanta (1918), Plato and Vedic Idealism (1922), and The Vedanta Philosophy (1901), all purchased at Cohasett's Vedanta Centre in 1971. Sandwiched in the Emerson book, was a youthful photo of Mataji and her obituary from the New York Times (9-16-1995). A flood of wonderful memories of my visits there inspired this poem.

Commentary on Poem: "This Treasure Was Meant for You"

One Sunday in 1971, Larry Rosenberg and I
took a bus from Boston to Cohasset, Mass.
Vedanta Centre to see Mataji Gayatri Devi
as part of our quest for enlightenment.

Larry Rosenberg
Vedanta Centre, Cohasset Massachusetts

I was living in Cambridge, Massachusetts (1970-1977), and doing post-doctoral research in Gerald D. Fasman's lab at Brandeis University predicting protein structures. One day, I saw a flyer on campus "Teachings of G.I. Gurdjieff and Higher Education"— Lecture by Larry Rosenberg, Department of Sociology. Gurdjieff was one of those mystic gurus never taught in the universities. I went to the lecture and noticed many students excited about the topic, asking for more references after his talk. I introduced myself as a postdoc in Gerald Fasman's lab in biochemistry. He asked whether I've read Titus Burckhardt. I told him Burckhardt's book on Alchemy is one of my favorites. He gave me a big hug, and we became good friends. We'd take the train at Porter Square, Cambridge to Waltham, Brandeis University, frequently. He wondered how did I come across so many spiritual books. I told him it was Anthony Damiani who recommended them to me when I went to his bookshop while working on my doctorate at Cornell. Larry would buy many of those books for his own library. We also went guru-hunting on weekends, attending lectures by Swamis and Zen Masters in the Boston area.

Mataji in Venice
with Paul Brunton When I was studying the perennial philosophy with Anthony Damiani in his bookshop The American Brahmin, he focused more on jnana yoga, path of knowledge, favored by Paul Brunton and Ramana Maharshi. Some of the Cornell co-eds felt it was too intellectual, so Anthony suggested they visit Mataji's Vedanta Centre in Cohasset. After they went, many described their ecstastic experiences,
saying when Mataji rang the bell after their meditation was over, they wept. Anthony said Mataji's approach was bhakti yoga, path of devotion, suited to those with more emotional bent. When Ramana was asked to compare the two yogas, he said "The jnana yogi goes into meditation with knowledge and comes out with tears. The bhakti yogi goes into meditation with tears, and comes out with knoweledge." I was curious about Mataji's teachings and in 1970 went with Anthony's wife Ella May, and two of our study group ladies (one was Terry) to Cohasset. I enjoyed the trip, asking the ladies how they met their husbands. When no gurus were coming to Boston, I told Larry that we go visit Mataji in Cohasset.
Photo Sources: Larry Rosenberg (tricycle.org); Vedanta Centre (vedantacentre.org); PB & Mataji in Venice (paulbrunton.org)

Mataji's sermon that day focused on
not getting rid of our ego. She says
"Mahatma Gandhi had a strong ego
to win India Independence from Britain.

Vedanta Centre Chapel
where Mataji gave Sunday sermon
Mahatma Gandhi
India 204 (8-15-1948) The trend in meditation is to get rid of one's personal ego
so one will experience enlightenment and the cosmic self. However, Mataji told us not to proceed in that direction.
She cited Mahatma Gandhi whom she followed, saying
he had a strong ego to accomplish the task of getting India Independence from Great Britain. One summer in 1973,
my brother-in-law David drove my sister, his 3-year-old son André, my parents and me for a camping trip to Plymouth Rock and Cape Cod. When my sister asked me "How come
all the gurus are men?" I suggested seeing Mataji. So David drove to Cohasset. Margaret asked Mataji about her guru.
Mataji said "Gandhi was my guru. I admired his actions and learned a lot from him." I still recall Mataji's sweet smile
and reverence as she spoke about her Teacher. Einstein admired Gandhi greatly and had a photo of him on his wall.
Photo Sources: Vedanta Centre Chapel (allhindutemples.com); Mahatma Gandhi (indiastamp.blogspot.com)

We need a strong ego to get things done."
Then she shared a story from the morning—
"I marvelled at a tiny ladybug crawling
on a leaf— we need to be attentive

Ladybug crawling on leaf
Ladybug crawling on leaf
After her historical story about Gandhi,
telling us lazy people have weak egos,
and a strong ego is needed to get things done, Mataji shared a story from her morning walk. Seeing a tiny ladybug crawling across a leaf,
she marvelled at the small creature and told
us to be more attentive to all of nature's
wonders— "big or small". Later, Herriot's
All Creatures Great & Small became a best seller, shown in film (1975) and TV (1978).

Photo Sources: Ladybug on leaf (cmkt-image-prd.global.ssl.fastly.net); Ladybug on leaf (pexels.com)

to all of God's creatures— big or small."
After lunch, I went to their bookshop
and bought a youthful Mataji photo
meditating under a tree for 25¢.

Photo of Mataji After a vegetarian lunch, I explored their bookshop
and found a youthful photo of Mataji meditating
under a tree which I bought for 25¢. This may
the same tree her uncle Swami Paramananda
posed (below). Gayatri Devi came to America
at 19 in 1925. She became the first Indian
woman ordained to teach Vedanta in the West
in 1927. Recognizing the depth of her illumination,
Swami Paramananda empowered her as his spiritual
successor. Mataji served as the spiritual leader for
55 years at Vedanta Centre until her death in 1995.
Photo Source: Youthful photo of Mataji (wisdomportal.com)

Purchased two hardcovers for 75¢
by her uncle Swami Paramananda—
Emerson and Vedanta (1918) and
Plato and Vedic Idealism(1924).

Swami Paramananda
(1868-1940)
Emerson & Vedanta
Cover (1918)
Title page of
Emerson & Vedanta
Plato and Vedic
Idealism (1924)
Title page of Plato
and Vedic Idealism

Swami Paramananda (1884-1940) was the youngest disciple of Vivekananda, ordained as a monk before the age of 18.
He was sent to America in 1906 to assist the New York Vedanta Society. In 1909, he established the Vedanta Centre in Cohasset, Mass. Learned that Chester Carlson, inventor of xerography, was interested in Vedanta & Zen, and supported
the Vedanta Centre for many years. Since Emerson and Plato are two of my spiritual mentors, I was delighted finding Paramananda's books on them. I've scanned both of these original hardcover books and their title pages above. Quote
from Emerson & Vedanta, p. 64— "There can be little question that Emerson was strongly imbued with the spirit of
the Upanishads when he wrote his essay on Over-Soul. The title itself indicates it, for "Over-Soul" is almost a literal translation of the Sanskrit word Param-Atman (Supreme Self). The very expressions, as well as the thought contained
in the essay, are all akin to those found in the Indo-Aryan Scriptures. But this does not imply that they were borrowed. Emerson undoubtedly drew his inspirtation from the Vedas; yet it was his own spiritual genius which enabled him to
grasp the lofty ideals they proclaim, and give them out with such masterful power." Quote: Plato and Vedi Idealism,
p. 43— (Allegory of the Cave in Plato's Chapter VII of The Republic): "So is it with a man who has reached the stage
of direct apprehension of Principles— above all, the Principle of Ultimate Good. This man in Vedic classification is
called the Rishi or seer, the man of vision, while the prisoner is the lettered scholar, the man of opinion or intellectual
grasp only. This higher knowledge, Plato explains, cannot be sought "im perception at all, but in that other process, however called, in which the mind is alone and engaged with being."
Photo Sources: Swami Paramananda (vedantacentre.org); Emerson & Vedanta (wisdomportal.com); Title Page: Emerson & Vedanta (wisdomportal.com); Plato and Vedic Idealism (wisdomportal.com); Title Page: Plato and Vedic Idealism (wisdomportal.com)

Surprised to find The Vedanta Philosophy—
Swami Vivekananda's Q&A at Harvard's
Philosophy Department on March 25, 1896
published in 1901 for 25¢.

The Vedanta Philosophy
by Vivekananda (1901) Overjoyed to find this slim 50-pages book The Vedanta Philosophy by Swami Vivekananda,
published by the New York Vedanta Society (1901) at its original price of 25¢ (Online copy).
Q: In the state of concentration does the truth of these principles become evident? A: "The Yogis claim a great deal. They claim that by concentration of the mind, every truth in the universe becomes evident to the mind, both external and internal truth... Religion always
takes three steps. The first is dualism. Then man gets to a higher state, partial non-dualism. And at last he finds he is one with the universe." (p. 18) Q: Wha is the special process by which one will come to know the Absolute? A: There are two processes. One is the positive, and the other the negative. The positive is that through which the whole universe is going— that of love. If this circle of love is increased indefinitely, we reach the one universal love.
The other is the Neti, Neti— 'not this, not this'— stopping every wave in the mind which tries to draw it out; and at last the mind dies, as it were, and the real discloses itself. We call that super-consciousness or Samadhi." (p. 19) "Each soul is a circle whose circumference is nowhere (limitless) but whose centre is in some body. Death is but a change of centre.
God is a circle whose circumference is nowhere, and whose centre is everywhere. When
we get out of the limited centre of the body, we shall realize God, our true Self." (p. 34)

Photo Source: The Vedanta Philosophy (wisdomportal.com)

I showed this book to Mataji, saying
this rare volume should be kept in their library.
She smiled telling me to put a quarter in the box—
"You found it— this treasure was meant for you."

Swami Vivekananda
(1863-1902) I admire Vivekananda greatly, learning about him from Anthony Damiani in 1968
when attending his Wednesday seminars on metaphysics at his American Brahmin bookshop in downtown Ithaca while working on my chemistry doctorate at Cornell.
I honored Vivekananda with a web page "Vivekananda & Vedanta Philosophy"
(11-28-2001). At the 1893 World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, while religious leaders touted their religion as the best to reach God, Vivekananda opened his address
with "Sisters and Brothers of America" before being interrupted by a standing ovation
that lasted two minutes from a crowd of 7000. He spoke warmly of all religions, not
claiming the Hindus have the best answer. His speeches were considered the best
at the Conference. When touring New York City, he was tired speaking only to the rich
and famous. He went to Harlem and spoke to the downtrodden. Rich ladies with mink coats followed Vivekananda to Harlem and sat on sidewalks to hear him speak. In 1885, Ramakrishna induced Vivekananda to experience Nirvikalpa Samadhi or mergence with God, and after his death, Vivekananda founded the Ramakrishna Mission (1887). Since Paramananda was Vivekananda's youngest disciple & Gayatri Devi was selected to lead the Vedanta Centre, I was fortunate to study with such an illustrious spiritual lineage.
Photo Source: Vivekananda (culturalindia.net)

— Peter Y. Chou
Mountain View, 2-7-2018