A teacher of yoga

Mr K S Rajah was one of my oldest friends in Singapore - indeed it was so long ago that we met for the first time at some function connected with the Law, that I remember neither the date nor the occasion. At first I knew him as a distinguished member of the legal fraternity and had no idea that 'the outstretched hand' of fate was leading us both along separate but parallel pilgrim paths towards Sri Aurobindo and the Mother. Eventually we became companions on the way of their Integral Yoga, sharing a deep interest in the life and work of Sri Aurobindo and a mutual love for his great epic 'Savitri'.

During the years that we served together on the Committee of the Sri Aurobindo Society of Singapore I came to know Mr Rajah and his delightful family better. They were always dedicated supporters of the Society's formal and informal gatherings. The many 'brunches' hosted by the Rajah family at Sian Tuan Avenue were eagerly looked forward to. (On one such memorable occasion I took along a guest from abroad who later wrote to me recalling ''a wonderful warmth and hospitality, an atmosphere of almost spiritual joy''.)

As Chairman of the Society, K.S. Rajah brought to that office a humility, tolerance and kindness straight from the heart, in addition to the sound judgment he had displayed throughout a legal career culminating in his appointment to the High Court of Singapore. It was a privilege to sit next to him during the Society's celebration of the Mother's birthday earlier this year. Our Chairman had just been released from hospital where he had undergone major surgery, and his head was swathed in bandages, yet his expression was serene, and the words he spoke full of encouragement and hope. As I sat there listening, something I had read long before about the tradition of Karma yoga came into my mind. We journey through many lives in our quest for the Divine, and those who do well may be rewarded on the way by wealth or high office and the respect of their peers. But for some the highest possible reward is granted - to become a teacher of yoga!

I realised then that our dear Mr Rajah, not just through his careful study but by his living example, could count among his life's many achievements the greatest of them all - quietly, without fanfare or fuss, he had become 'a teacher of yoga'.


Sonia Dyne,
Former Chairperson,
Sri Aurobindo Society, Singapore