How to Live with Virtue: Rammurti Baiji and The Eighteen "Ities"

Rammurti Baiji spoke these words in English:

"Serenity. Regularity. Absence of Vanity. Sincerity. Simplicity. Veracity. Equanimity. Fixity. Non-Irritability. Adaptability. Humility. Tenacity. Integrity. Nobility. Magnanimity. Charity. Generosity. Purity. Immortality."

This is from Sri Swami Sivananda:

"For everyone's success in life and especially for an aspirant's success in spiritual life, it is essential that he should develop certain cardinal virtues. Virtue is strength, power and the key to peace. A virtuous man is ever happy, peaceful and prosperous. People ask me for the specific mention of the virtues that one should develop. The Song of Eighteen "Ities" enumerates the virtues that one should cultivate.

Take up any one virtue and develop it to a very high degree of perfection; eradicate in toto its opposite evil quality even in its most subtle form. Meditate on these virtues, on their benefits and the methods of cultivating them. Here is the Song of Eighteen "Ities":

1. SERENITY

Be tranquil within. Let that inner peace and joy radiate through a serene countenance. A serene countenance is peaceful, smiling and serious and does not betray any violent emotions. It is like the surface of a still lake.

2. REGULARITY

Be regular in your daily habits, and in your work and spiritual practices. Get up at a particular time. Be clock-like in your daily activities. You will be free from worry, fear, anxiety, haphazard and shabby work. You will do the right thing at the right moment.

3. ABSENCE OF VANITY

Do not boast of your birth, position, qualifications and spiritual attainments. Praise others. See good in all. Treat even the lowliest creatures as your equal and with respect.

4. SINCERITY

Let your words agree with the thoughts; let your actions agree with your words. Let there be harmony among your thoughts, words and actions.

5. SIMPLICITY

Be artless. Be simple in your speech. Do not twist words and topics. Be plain; avoid diplomacy, cunningness and crookedness. Be simple in your dress. Be simple in your food.

6. VERACITY

Be truthful. Stick to your promises. Do not exaggerate. Do not twist facts. Think twice before you speak. Speak truthfully. Speak sweetly. Be precise in what you say.

7. EQUANIMITY

Be calm. Bear insult patiently. Bear injury, suffering, failures and disrespect calmly. Do not be elated by praise, pleasure, success and honor. Look upon both with equal vision. Behave alike towards friends and foes. Never let anything disturb your inner peace.

8. FIXITY

Remember that you cannot achieve anything if you are fickle-minded. Choose your goal or ideal and remember it always. Never let it go out of mind even for a moment.

9. NON-IRRITABILITY

Irritability is the precursor of violent outbursts of anger. Watch carefully for the disturbance in the mental equilibrium. Watch for the ripples of anger that might rise in the lake of the mind. Quell them then and there. Do not allow them to assume greater proportions. Then you will attain peace.

10. ADAPTABILITY

Understand well the nature of people with whom you come into contact. Adjust your mode of approach to them. Adjust yourself in such a way as to be pleasing to them. Joyfully bear with the eccentricities of others. Always react in a harmonious manner. Serve all and love all. Have the feeling that the Lord dwells in the hearts of all as the Self of all.

11. HUMILITY

Respect everybody. Bow with folded hands before all. Do not talk in a loud voice before elders and venerable persons. Look at the toes while you walk. See the Lord in all and feel that you are His servant and so the servant of all. Consider none as inferior to you.

12. TENACITY

This is the natural friend of fixity. Once you have fixed your aim and chosen your path, stick to it. Do not waver. Be steadfast. Never compromise on your fundamental principles. Have the attitude: "I may give up my life but I will not swerve from the path; I will not break my vows."

13. INTEGRITY

Develop an integral personality. Tie all the loose ends of your character. Become a man of high moral principles. Lead a life of righteousness. Let righteousness waft its sweet fragrance from you. Everyone will trust you, obey you, respect you and revere you.

14. NOBILITY

Shun mean-mindedness as dung and poison. Never look into the defects of others. Always appreciate the good qualities of everyone. Be dignified in bearing. Never stoop to ignoble thoughts, words and actions.

15. MAGNANIMITY

Take a broad view of things. Ignore the faults of others: Be great and noble-minded in whatever you do. Avoid silly talk and childish prattle. Let not the mind dwell on little things and insignificant things.

16. CHARITY

Give, give and give. This is the secret of abundance. Radiate thoughts of goodness and love. Forgive the faults of others. Bless the man who injures you. Share what you have with others. Disseminate spiritual knowledge to one and all. Use the material wealth, knowledge and spiritual wisdom that you possess as a divine trust.

17. GENEROSITY

In whatever you give be liberal. Have a large heart. Do not be miserly. Take delight in the joy of others, in making them happy. Generosity is a sister-virtue of charity. It is the fulfilment of charity, magnanimity and nobility.

18. PURITY

Be pure at heart. Eradicate lust, anger and greed. Be pure in your thoughts. Think of God always. Think of the well-being of all. Be pure in your words; never utter harsh, unkind words. Be pure in body. Keep it clean and healthy. Let the dress and surroundings be clean. Observe the rules of physical, moral and spiritual hygiene.

These eighteen "Ities" will pave the way for you to march into the kingdom of God. They will open for you the gates of immortality. You will achieve great success in this life itself. A man who possesses these qualities in a very large measure is a saint indeed, who will be respected, adored and worshiped by one and all."

To these, Baiji adds Immortality. 

Rammurti Baiji's Birthday Satsang

Rammurti Baiji's birthday happened to fall on a Sunday, so Gautum Baiji arranged to have many of the devotees perform in her honor during Satsang.

There was a lot of singing, piano, guitar, and tabla. You could really feel a strong sense of community, and many people expressed how much Rammurti Baiji meant to their lives.

For all the devotees who weren't present at this particular event, know that you were there. You are always a part of the family, as you know. JSCA

More photos to come.

Baiji Satsang: Be Intentional, or the River Will Take You

At Sunday satsang, Gautum baiji also said:

"When in pain, do we remember to address the God within us?

Just as a candle flame always goes up no matter which way you tilt it, the same can be said for the spirit inside of us, no matter what is happening with us.

Always try to connect with the holy power.

And we must ask ourselves, 'What is our goal in life? Where am I going?'

Maybe the answer is 'I don't know. I don't think like that.'

If we don't know where we're going, we will certainly get to a place we didn't ask for.

The Princess and Her Necklace

During satsang today, Gautum Baiji said:

"You can purify your body with water. 

You can purify your mind with truth.

You can purify your intellect by knowledge.

You can purify your knowledge with understanding. And everything depends on our understanding.

Once there was a queen who enjoyed spending time in her garden. One day she returned to the palace to find that her necklace was missing from her neck. It must have broken and fallen in the garden.

The necklace was extremely valuable, and the queen knew the king would be angry if he knew it was missing, so she sent her maid to go find it.

But the maid came back empty-handed, so the queen knew she had to tell the king.

When the king heard the news, he wasted no time. He assembled all of his guards, his field workers, his kitchen staff and even some peasants to immediately go through the garden and search plant by plant, bush by bush for the necklace. 

But they searched all day and found nothing. So the king ordered everyone to look harder.

Finally a peasant saw something sparkly in a pond. He yelled to another peasant, 'I think that's the necklace!'

'Well go get it!' said the other peasant. So the first one waded into the water to retrieve it.

But for some reason, he's not able to grasp it, no matter what he does.

The king himself is summoned to the pond. He watches as more of his men go into the water and also fail to obtain the necklace they can all clearly see! They are perplexed and frustrated by this. 

An old wise man wandered by and learned of their dilemma. He thought for a moment and said:

'This reminds me of something that happened to me as a boy. I would go outside with my mother, look up at the moon and say "I want the moon! Can you give it to me?" She said yes, and brought me a bucket full of water. In it I could clearly see the moon reflected in the water.'

Then everyone looked down at the pond and realized they were looking at a reflection. They looked up and there, on a branch in a nearby tree, hung the beautiful necklace.

All scriptures are a reflection of truth, an indication. We tend to only chase the reflection.

If our body is a temple of God, and if we want to see the light, where else do we need to go than within? 

Someone who goes within, who meditates, might be asked by another, "Why go within? What's wrong with going to church or temple for wisdom and light? What's the difference between the inside vs. the outside?"

The answer is the difference between the reflection and the necklace, the map versus the treasure. An idea and the truth.

The Baijis

We’re lucky to have two wonderful baijis (nuns) running the Ashram. They are more spiritual than religious, and they welcome anyone’s input that is positive and empowering. They believe a good idea can come from anywhere.

They wear the saffron robes of those who have renounced the material life and are devoted to service to others. I am very humbled by that distinction, which ironically makes we want to do anything for them.

They are also Mahatmas, which are defined as people who are held in the highest esteem for wisdom and saintliness. I’m still learning how profound this is, and I feel privileged to be in their company.

They’re also a lot of fun. More on that later.

For more on the baijis, click here.