Sunday 29 September 2013

Majestic Mother!!!!

Mother Kali
Google Images

|| Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

 

||Aum Namo Narayanaya||

 

It is sometimes beyond expression to relate to the way the internet has revolutionised our lives. Mans' appetite for cutting edge information and breaking news seems to have found adequate satisfaction through this information highway and at times, he even suffers a bit of information indigestion due to excessive consumption. Be that as it may, apart from a little discomfort, indigestion has not lead to death in any way. The feeling of being so empowered with access to such a vast reservoir of information at your fingertips is simply remarkable and fine-tuned to a point that topics of interest appear on your desktop in an organised manner, through a process called RSS feeds.

 

RSS takes the latest headlines from different websites and pushes those headlines as they are published down to your computer for quick scanning. In my enthusiasm and excitement to experiment with this technology, I would have ticked a few boxes over a period of time. One such feed which appeared on my screen today was spring blooms available in South Africa.  My eyes and mind were served with a feast of colour and delicate beauty wonderfully exhibited by tulips to an appreciative audience. Disciplined yet mischievously soliciting attention, they invoke a chain of good emotions.  When one speaks of tulips, one immediately thinks of Holland where the flower is cultivated commercially on a massive scale. However, history traces the farming of tulips to the Ottoman Empire, Mongolia, Northern China, Siberia and Ukraine. Whilst my mind was processing all this information, I stumbled upon a spiritual idea that channeled my thoughts to the ensuing festival of Navarathri - held in glorification of the supreme consciousness in the form of the Divine Mother.

 

It is a geographical fact that Holland lies below sea level. Through ingenious engineering, the Dutch who were restricted in terms of living ground, started to reclaim land from the sea and built dykes as a means to keep the sea from flooding the land. This was complemented by windmills which powered pumps to prevent swamping. These dykes and windmills have become a landmark of Holland and have become a symbol of the Dutch nations' struggle with water.

 

The globe which is made up of 70 percent water and 30 percent land mass shall always be under threat of being engulfed by the sea. Like that... our little islands of peace and joy are constantly under threat from desires, anger, falsehood, hatred, jealousy and other uncharitable thoughts. When left unchecked, these tendencies flood and overwhelm to such an extent that our actions and behaviour deviates from the divine and becomes demonic. Such individuals become the bane of civilisation and isolate themselves into a cage of misery.

 

Seeking succor and mercy from the Lord under these trying conditions, we take refuge at the feet of the divine Mother Durga. Durga freely translated into English means a fort or impenetrable force. Mother thus forms the line of defense against these undesirable elements that erode and drown our noble qualities. As Kali, She quells the insatiable desires and subdues the ego, creating space for pure and sublime thoughts to rule the mind. Armed with special weapons and supreme Shakti, Mother reigns terror amongst the ignoble tendencies augmenting the thoughts and actions rooted in 'dharmic' and divine values to shine.

 

Now that we have the grace of Mother Durga, it is important that we also sustain and preserve this gain made against the external elements. Like the windmills which prevent the land from becoming swampy by pumping out standing water, we bow before and seek the blessings of Mother Lakshmi who is the preservative energy. As much as we may contain the attack from sense stimuli and the external world, we also have to deal with our past 'karmas' and 'samskaras'. Mother Lakshmi bestows abundance - in the form of spiritual energy, grace and knowledge which will help us to maintain a state of spiritual equilibrium.

 

This enables the devotee to be in a state of readiness to elevate his spiritual consciousness. Sri Ramakrishna looked upon the world as 'maya' and He explained that 'avidya maya' represents dark forces of creation (eg. sensual desire, selfish actions, evil passions, greed, lust and cruelty) which keep people on lower planes of consciousness. These forces are responsible for human entrapment in the cycle of birth and death, and they must be fought and vanquished.

 

'Vidya maya', on the other hand, represents higher forces of creation (eg. spiritual virtues, selfless action, enlightening qualities, kindness, purity, love, and devotion) which elevate human beings to the higher planes of consciousness.

 

After the sea is kept at bay and the swampy areas are pumped out, the land is now ready to be farmed. The fertile land provides much nutrition to the country and brings in much revenue through commercial tulip farming. The devotee in the final three days embraces the Mother in the form of Saraswati. With the mind and heart now purified, the seeds of God can now be planted and fertilised by deep devotion, and this will give rise to knowledge of the self and the nature of this creation. Suspended in awe from viewing the millions of vibrantly coloured tulips, the knowledge of the essence of the self suspends one in ecstasy and joy-indescribable, as Sri Ramakrishna always said.

 

There is no other way than to take refuge at the feet of God. In the Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna, Master states that a Mother shall drop her chores and run immediately to attend to a crying child. We must therefore claim that protection and grace of our Divine Mother by crying with intense tears of devotion to Her. She will come, protect us, guide us and give us liberation as it is mentioned in the famous Devi sloka, She is 'sristi', 'stithi', 'vinashanam': ie. the creator, preserver and destroyer of evil to give liberation.

 

May Mother bless us all, is my sincere prayer. Wishing you all strength and devotion during the Navarathri  festival.

 

With love and prayers always

Yogan

Sunday 22 September 2013

Proud Heritage


||Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

 

Raam Bhajan Tree
pic google images
Aum Namo Narayanaya

 

The sanghu (conch) took to the stage at 16:00 like clockwork... reverberating through the atmosphere with its celestial sound, calling on Narayana to come partake of the laid feast and bless His children. The sweetened rice, payasam and boiled chickpeas braised with onions and ghee, formed the basis of the pure and simple diet enjoyed during this holy month of Purtassi. The fresh marigold garland interspersed with mango leaves adorned the doorways, and the thiru-namam (sign of the feet of Maha Vishnu) inscribed on everything from the prayer utensils and hallways to the foreheads of the men-folk sanctified and accorded the desired respect and devotion for the prayer. After the verse calling on Narayana riding His eagle vehicle to come forth and protect us, the congregation burst out in loud chants of "Govinda Govinda Gooovinda" (The Lord who is the protector). Marvelling at this sight and reveling in the wave of devotion, I closed my eyes and simultaneously mentally bowed to our ancestors during this period of Pitr Paksh / Mahalaya Patcham for having left us this wonderful religious heritage which acts as splints keeping us on a straight path of devotion.

 

Heritage is defined as something that is inherited from the past. As a South African, I am honoured and proud to have received a shared heritage. My African heritage is endowed with the treasures of the big five; proteas; majestic mountain ranges like the Drakensberg, the Cradle of Humankind, the San and Khoi Khoi; and a country and continent that is rich in minerals pulsating with varied cultures that has huge potential. And... from my Indian ancestry, I was gifted with the glorious culture and Vedanta that can provide the world with its most sought after commodity of peace. Vedanta - which is the eternal truth that predates any form of organised doctrine or theology has survived through various onslaughts and will continue to outlive all creation as it is the intrinsic truth.

 

Many have emphasised how the world has changed from the yesteryears. But I tend to believe otherwise. The world has always been the same... full of challenges presenting hardships and its share of glory too. I feel that the difficulty has increased to date purely due to the decrease in faith over time.  The world is yet to see people of the calibre of Prahalad whose faith and devotion to the Lord is unprecedented.

 

A unique and profound heritage handed to us by the Andhra community is the festival of Raam Bhajan which is observed by many Andhras and Tamilians during the month of Purtassi in South Africa.  The prayer brings forth a very clear message in this turbulent age. It is said some 7 or 9 days before Ram Naumi, the villagers would commence their pilgrimage to Badrachalam through the dense and vast forest populated with wild animals. They would light the 'kola' lamp and sing the praises of Sri Rama and perform different dance moves to deviate their minds from fear and impending danger. As they would go from village to village, the number of devotees would increase and so would the number of lamps lighting the way.  On the day of Ram Naumi, they would reach the temple of Badrachalam and offer their love and devotion to the Lord - a sense of victory to their pilgrimage.

 

The lamp is a symbol of faith - as the devotees placed their faith in the 'kola' in leading them through the rugged terrain and dark forest, the 'kolas' placed before the 'bhajan-tree' and continuously fuelled to remain burning, reminds us to have burning faith in God. Having faith so strong that it reduces  our 'karmas' to ashes in this birth like the fuel. The circular motion highlights the life that we lead in this world: the continuous cycle of birth and death; monotonous life of pain, suffering, transient joy and happiness like a road leading to nowhere. However, if we want to raise our lives and break free from this cycle, we must then make God the centre of our lives. When the bhajan-tree (chetu) is placed in the centre of the circular dancing movement, it takes on a new found appreciation and meaning. In the same way, when we place God as the centre of our lives... the mundane, boring cycle is given a new sense of excitement  and energy. As we continue to circle the ring with burning faith and devotion, we are lost in His thoughts and name... the pains and sufferings of the world hold no relevance to our lives.

 

We have seen how Prahalad who went through so much of torture and pain -but immersed in the name of Hari, chanting Aum Namo Narayanaya- passed through those obstacles like a hot knife through butter. There is no shortcut or escape from the arms of 'karma'. The obituaries in the newspapers are not only filled with Hindu names. Everybody will have to face the brunt of their karmic action, but it can be eased through intense faith in and devotion to God. That is the lesson we can take from this glorious heritage that is handed down to us by our forefathers. "Face the brutes", Swami Vivekananda was told by a Swami whilst He was being tormented by wild monkeys.

 

In the same manner, we must have no fear for the challenges of life; we must arm ourselves with intense faith, devotion and love that will reduce the intensity of mandatory karmic action that we have to face.

 

May He who pervades the whole universe and worshipped as Perumal in this month, bless us with unwavering faith and devotion to His lotus feet.

 

With love and prayers always

Yogan

Sunday 15 September 2013

Purutassi- Purity,Peace,Perfection


||Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||
Vivekananda Peace Concert
picture- Swami Vimokshananda G+

 

||Aum Namo Narayanaya||

 

 

Every cell of my body remains suspended in ovation for the members of the KZN Philharmonic Orchestra and to Swami Saradaprabhanandaji Maharaj and His team of dedicated devotees from the Phoenix sub-centre who raised the bar in Africa with regards to the 150th Birth Anniversary celebrations of Swami Vivekananda. In true Swamiji-style - the scintillating, sensational and stellar performance broke all the barriers of conventionalism and mediocrity... leaving the audience spellbound and enthralled as they put to tune many of the favourite songs assembled and played out by 65 professional musicians.

 

Boarding the bus at Tongaat, buildings slowly became a blurred line as the bus steadfastly and hastily proceeded to the Durban City Hall, where expectations were to be fulfilled by the much anticipated programme. The close to two thousand attendees were efficiently and smoothly directed to their seats by elegantly clad officials for precise and punctual raise of the curtains. The screeching tyres, blaring horns and noise of the outside was left outside when the concert hall filled with a symphony of mellifluous notes slowly starting to undo all the tension, anxiety and agitation... restoring peace and tranquility to our minds.  Following on the back of Swamiji's famous speech at the World Parliament of Religions on 11th September 1893, this concert came as an encore of Swamiji's clarion call for unity and peace.

 

There shall be no peace in the world until every mind is at peace. Treaties, declarations and memorandums cannot bring peace to the world, until every mind bathes in the peace and joy  of the self. Therefore this concert which was aptly wedged between the anniversary of Swami Vivekananda's famous speech, the anniversary of the assassination of freedom hero Steve Biko and the ensuing festival of Purutassi  shares with us a very profound message.

 

Like how through friction in the instruments which, when unchecked could easily produce an undesirable din painful to the ear ('asu' : out-of-tune)... yet through careful arrangement, planning and execution could move one to the realms of Vaikunta (heavens), that is ('su' : in-tune). When the notes are well arranged and in tune we refer to it being 'in-su' (in-tune).  Hence when the mind is full of clutter and harbours and nourishes base thoughts like lust, greed, anger and hatred we refer to such a mind as 'asuric'. A person with such a mind will never be in peace and will always be agitated and troubled. Yet those who keep their minds filled with pure noble ideals; a mind strengthened by pure values and immersed in God, they are always in joy and bliss.

 

The month of Purutassi provides an opportunity to tilt the balance in the mind between 'suric' and 'asuric'. Hindus of South Indian descent throughout the world are in preparation to embark on a month-long period of austerities and sacrifices in honour of Lord Venketeshwara or Perumal as He is referred to in Tamil Nadu.

 

Swami Vivekananda took to the world stage and declared that “we are all potentially divine beings” and that the world is a gymnasium where we come to work out all our past "karmas" until we are able to manifest our divine nature. It is rather unfortunate though, that man has become so preoccupied with "artha" and "kama" (wealth and pleasure) that he has made little progress in understanding himself. In this high-tech age we have become arm-chair citizens. We think like how we ‘remote-control’ almost everything or utilise our fancy gadgets to conduct most of our activities from the comfort of our couches, that liberation and realisation will also come at the touch of a button.

 

Just as it is necessary to clean our brassware and other jewellery that oxidises on contact with the atmosphere; it is necessary to cleanse the mind, heart and intellect that are dulled by contact with worldly activities. Man has become mechanical in his life and utterly controlled by the senses. Hence this period of austerities, fasting and sacrifices helps to cleanse and focus the mind away from the senses and dwell on the inner divine reality of ours. It is a time when we can try to act according to our true nature - that is to live by truth, to show compassion, to exhibit peace through our actions and love all as the very manifestation of God. This can be accomplished by regular prayer, silent meditation and contemplation on Narayana as the centre of our beings.

 

One should not miss the opportunity to feed the poor, help the sick and spread peace and love in the name of Govinda. We must also pray for strength of mind and the will to be able to continue these practices even beyond the month of Purutassi. As we prepare to clean our households, bring out the new kitchen utensils and make the external environment as pure as possible for the observance of Purutassi; let us also cleanse and prepare the heart, body and mind to shine with the brilliance and purity of Govinda who is the in-dweller of our hearts.

 

May that all-pervading Narayana who is worshipped as Venketeshwara in this month bestow His grace upon the world and help us His ignorant children to raise our consciousness to the divine level, is my sincere prayer. Let us all help each other and eradicate the 'asuric' tendencies and develop men and women with pure intellect and elevated minds suspended in love and unity... so that the golden age of peace, harmony and love shall begin now in our time. I wish all devotees and seekers of the self who are observing this holy month, strength and peace.

 

With love and prayers always

Yogan

Sunday 8 September 2013

Live Like Ganga


||Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

 ||Aum Namo Narayanaya||
Swami Sivananda
google images

 

Thousands of dancing flames as far as the eye can see... waved in harmony to the tune of an aarthi that glorifies the Mother Ganga. For a moment, night turns to day and the mind is lost in a realm far from all your troubles and worries.... Her waves like little hands extending to receive the offerings of the pious devotees. In order to experience this, a trip to India is necessary. But, devotees in South Africa have the blessed opportunity to experience the purity and grace of Mother Ganga at the Sivananda Cultural Centre in Tongaat. Thousands of devotees and well wishers converged on the Sivananda Ashram situated on a tranquil farm in Tongaat overlooking the serene Indian Ocean to attend the Sivananda Ganga Conference to commemorate the 126th Birth Anniversary of the founding Guru, Swami Sivananda. The Indian Ocean which is shared by both India and South Africa forms the umbilical cord that nurtures great spiritual thoughts and ideas from the spiritual capital of the world, India.  The rituals to the Ganges regarded as sacred by humble devotees are sometimes scoffed by onlookers as absurd. I recollect my fond memories of the Ganges from my room window at Belur Math where I witnessed the gentle transition of Her tides -and rest assured with a little understanding of Her symbolism-, I am certain the sceptics will adopt a new-found reverence for Her.

 

Like Swami Vimokshananda always reminds us... mythology has a very integral role to play in conveying the profound spiritual philosophies from the ancient Vedic times to the current with little distortion. It’s up to the receptive seeker of greater truths to unpack the philosophy from these stories.  The origin of Ganga Ma as a story in itself is bound to attract the listener to its every detail.

 

Once, a King called Sagara was performing a special sacrifice which entailed a white horse who was left free to roam followed by his army. Wherever the horse went, that kingdom was to give the horse freedom and make special gifts to the King in supplication. If they failed to do so, Sagara could challenge them. Knowing his great might and power, all complied. In fear of losing  his own throne, Indra Deva (in disguise) led the horse away to Sage Kapila Muni’s ashram. The Sage was in deep meditation. Upon searching for the horse everywhere -the King's army made up of 60 000 of his own sons- finally found the horse at the ashram. In anger and fury they started to insult the Sage. In all the commotion the Sage opened his eyes and immediately all the army in his gaze were reduced to ashes. Upon hearing of the untimely death of his sons -for which they will now roam the earth as ghosts- the King sought the advice of Sage Kapila. The gracious Sage said their only hope was for Ganga Ma to descend from the heavens and wash their ashes.

 

The King immediately crowned his grandson as King and left for the Himalayas to perform penance to bring Mother to Earth. He was unsuccessful and seven generations later his descendant Bhagiratha was successful in obtaining his wish from Brahma. Brahma however warned that if she (Ganga) came to earth with her force, the earth would be shattered. For this he asked Bhagiratha to pray to Lord Shiva to soften the fall - to which he agreed.

 

Feeling satisfied that his job was accomplished, Bhagiratha led Ganga to the spot to liberate his ancestors. Ganga noted for being the restless and mischievous maiden... whilst following Bhagiratha, came across Sage Jahnu’s ashram. Inquisitive to know the happenings, she ventured towards the huts and started to flood the site. The Sage, livid by this intrusion, took a sip of the waters and by the power of his mantra swallowed the entire river. This made Bhagiratha very distraught and he pleaded with Sage Jahnu to release her to accomplish the mission. The compassionate Sage then released her and she then also came to be known as Jahnvi (daughter of Sage Jahnu). The mission was successfully completed when the pure waters of Ma Ganga touched the ashes of King Sagar's sons' and released them to liberation. There she entered the vast ocean at the point called Ganga Sagar.

 

The question then arises in the curious mind... What makes the Ganges so special? She like any other glacier river starts in the icy mountains and meanders its way to the mighty ocean. Yet through millennia, the water of the Ganges has been the treasure of Gods, Saints and Sages. Her banks are sought after real estate for ashrams and hermitages.  At points along her 2200km length, She is worshipped, used for irrigation, dammed, powers the many cities through hydro-electric plants, used in industrial processes, is the carrier of corpses and sewage, is the breeding ground for pests and scum and is also home to various species of fish and other aquatic life. The description fits many other rivers in the world but the Ganges is special to India and venerated by billions of Hindus who understand that She is more than just a river, but a symbolic representation of our pure nature itself.

 

From one mass of indistinguishable melting snow... pure and white, drops become little streams until they join to become the river, flowing through the pure regions of the Gangeatic  planes. Then through populated and polluted  cities, She finally enters the Bay of Bengal at Ganga Sagar. Amritsya Putrahe -the Vedas proclaim- immortal children of God, we come from that pure source of Brahman, taking up various roles on this earth. Through the course of our life, by our association, we are revered and respected by society and/or polluted by 'adharmic' tendencies... but our goal is the same: the ocean of bliss - Satchidananda(truth, absolute ,bliss).

 

As much as the Ganga is polluted at various places, the water is still used for pooja; bathing and drinking at the various ashrams after undergoing purification. Her waters are given great sanctity by the austerities of thousands of great Saints who performed immense 'tapasya' and austerities along Her banks. Although we may be polluted by our associations and society pressure, we must perform sadhana; japa and meditation on a regular basis to help purify our mind and help us develop devotion and purity. Like Mother Ganga, although we undergo all these personal trials and tribulations we must also be selfless and serve and support the various 'dharmic' activities of our communities... and help bring peace and joy to all.

 

Sri Ramakrishna said: "As all rivers flowing crooked or straight finally find their way to the ocean, therefore all rivers are the same, but that river which provides sustenance and service to mankind finds a special place in their heart."

 

Therefore, as Swami Vivekananda beautifully said: "all are potentially divine", the task then is to manifest that divinity and bring light and love to humanity. Then we transform from a river to the Ganga.

 

We pay our homage to Pujya Swami Sahajananda, who like Bhagiratha, brought Ganga from India to South Africa to inspire us all. May we all become tributaries of Ganga Ma, is my sincere prayer.

 

With love and prayers always

Yogan


 

*Pranaams to Sri Swami Sivananda on His  126th Birth Anniversary (today) and a blessed Ganesha Chaturthi / Vinayaga Saturthi to all for tomorrow.

Sunday 1 September 2013

Sri Krishna the "A" (Avatar) bomb of spirituality


Happy Spring
Google images
||Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||

 ||Aum Namo Narayanaya||

 

I went to bed on Friday night with a huge smile, as the heavens gave some life support in the form of rains to resuscitate the lands that were infected with winter. Injecting freshness and energy into the air by way of lightning and thunder, the canvas was being prepared. Yesterday, as I got up, I was greeted with a surprise when I noticed that all the cars were laden with dust and dirt - a clear indication that nature had taken its role as the artist and was cleaning its brush in preparation to fill the landscape with exotic blooms, new foliage , stunning canopies and inspiring avenues. Happy Spring everyone! Let new impetus, cheers and hues fill your lives.

 

Today is juxtaposed between vibrant life and utter devastation. The month of August carries the burden of epoch moments that history will carry for eternity. On 6 August 1945, the world witnessed the devastation of the first atomic bomb, followed 3 days later by another, creating unprecedented devastation in Japan. To this day even when one goes through the archives of the pictures of that day, it still holds the potential to weaken one at the knees and make the heart cringe. Such has been our course of history -event after event highlighting man's gluttony for "karmani" and "kanchani" (pleasure and wealth). In the pursuit of such... man has killed man, enslaved man and tortured man... and through these hardships many heroes were created. In this month of August, date 28th, in the year 1964 - the oppression in America brought to the fore a great hero. Dr Martin Luther King like the Gandhi's and Mandela’s of the world, fought for the freedom and liberty of the oppressed from men who in pursuit of the two K’s trample their own kind. But there is a time that even these heroes cannot contain the moral and social decay; the total anarchy and lawlessness. When the world goes topsy-turvy against enemies that are not visible, creation deploys an atomic bomb of another kind called the "Avataar".  On 28 August 2013, we celebrated the appearance of Krishna Bhagavan who came to annihilate ignorance, weakness and restore "dharma" and order in society.

 

On the eve of Janmashtami, I was literally reduced to tears when I came across a few YouTube videos where leaders from other faiths were capitalising on the ignorance of many Hindus and placing them in such an embarrassing situation... forcing many to convert to their religion. I found no reason for such an act other than the pursuit of power by increasing their congregation numbers and followers. If everybody of the varied religion is born, lives, suffers, enjoys and dies - it proves that there is a universal, impartial energy that presides over us. Watching these videos contributed instantly to neutralise the good vibrations that were created since the beginning of Gita Week. I felt utterly sad and disappointed and questioned Swamiji(Vivekananda) as to how He could allow such things to happen in the world.

 

Swamiji who never fails to answer... presented to my mind in the few remaining awaking moments before Janmashtami an episode from the Mahabharata which instantly revitalised my mood and cleared my mind clouded with despondency.

 

The war between the Pandavas and the Kauravas was now looming, and Arjuna was tasked to go to Dwaraka to seek the assistance of Krishna. When Arjuna reached Dwaraka, he found to his surprise that Duryodhana was also camping to seek help from Sri Krishna. His purpose was to ask for Sri Krishna's army to fight on his side. The next day, Duryodhana reached the palace of Sri Krishna and was told to wait for a while as Sri Krishna was asleep. Soon Arjuna also went. Duryodhana took his seat at the head of the Lord, while Arjuna sat at the Holy Feet. In a while, Sri Krishna opened His eyes to see His dear friend and disciple at His feet. Said the Lord: "O Arjuna, what brings you here so early in the morning?"

 

But Duryodhana could not wait, he intervened and said: "O Krishna, I have come before Arjuna. Therefore, please speak to me first."

 

The Lord jested, "But I saw Arjuna first. Let him talk to me first."

 

But the sober Arjuna himself told the Lord, "No, Duryodhana is right. He has come before me. Let him put forward his purpose of visit."

 

Thus given chance, Duryodhana asked of Sri Krishna to fight on his side. Sri Krishna said: "But Duryodhana I have vowed not to pick up arms in this war. But the army can be on your side. Decide what do you want, me or my army."

 

The foolish Duryodhana thought... "There is no use of Sri Krishna if He is not fighting, I will ask for His huge army." Thus the army of Sri Krishna went to the side of Kauravas. Arjuna was pleased for all the Pandavas wanted was the gracious Lord on their side. He thanked Duryodhana for his choice.

 

We all know the result of the war. The Pandavas, by the mere grace of Sri Krishna was able to wipe out the entire Kaurava army which had a battalion of hundreds-of-thousands.  Clouded and blinded by the pursuit of power and greed we forget our true nature and the relationship of every other entity in relationship with us. Power and wealth is not about gathering a huge army and conquering treasuries, but as Swami Vivekananda said: "It is about realising the potential divinity within every one of us and ensuring that the divinity is the driver behind every action and thought... and no matter which religion you belong to this will be the only truth which everyone will realise one day."

 

May through the grace of the World Teacher (Jagat Guru) Sri Krishna... everyone understand his /her true nature as "satchidananda".  And as we await to celebrate that epoch speech of Swamiji on 11th September, where He presented to the world the eternal universal message  of Vedanta... sectarianism, bigotry, and it’s horrible descendant fanaticism... have long possessed this beautiful earth. They have filled the earth with violence, drenched it often with human blood, destroyed civilisation, and sent whole nations to despair. Had it not been for these horrible demons, human society would be far more advanced than it is now. But their time will come; and I fervently hope that the bell that tolled this morning in honour of this convention may be the death-knell of all fanaticism, of all persecutions with the sword or with the pen, and of all uncharitable feelings between persons wending their way to the same goal.

 

With love and prayers always

Yogan
www.sudarshanavidya.blogspot.com