Sadhu Vaswani’s entire teaching may be summed up in the two words, “Recollection” and “Compassion”.
Recollection expresses itself, among other things, in little acts of compassion: for, in this world, service of the poor is worship of God. Sadhu Vaswani often said: “There is holier music in silent service of the poor and lowly than in all the gorgeous chanting of temple priests.”
Sadhu Vaswani was a born orator. He addressed large crowds of men and women. They heard him: they marvelled at his words. He awoke new aspirations in the hearts of those that listened to him. When he spoke, he filled the hall with the rich music of his words and the richer music of his heart.
He was a prolific writer, in English and in the sweet, lyrical Sindhi language. In his writings an unknown world unfolded itself before us: new dimensions filled us with unbounded wonder. In his life was the aspiration to meet God in sunshine and in rain. He preached the great truth of salvation through communion with the common man. Dear to him as children of the One Eternal Life were the “disinherited” and the “downtrodden”.
Sadhu Vaswani was a disciple of the Flute and a worshipper of the Cross. He had experienced the rapture of the visions of unity — of all races and all religions in the One Spirit. “There are,” he said, “so many who can believe only one thing at a time. I am so made as to rejoice in the many and behold the beauty of the One in the many.”
In his eyes I saw the Light of a pilgrim to the eternal city of love. Sadhu Vaswani was well aware of the tragedy around him, of poverty and exploitation, of violence and wars, of impurity and hatred, of the cruelty of man to birds and animals.
Sadhu Vaswani’s emphasis was on life– with its two fold message: (1) adore the Eternal and (2) dedicate your life to the service of the broken, bleeding children of the Earth. The secret of the true life, he summed up in these simple words: “Repeat the Name of God and give sympathy and love to all creation!”
*November 25, Sadhu Vaswani’s Birthday, is observed as International Meatless Day & Animal Rights Day.
Dada J P Vaswani is a humanitarian, philosopher, educator, acclaimed writer, powerful orator, messiah of ahimsa, and non-sectarian spiritual leader
