|| Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||
|| Aum Namo Narayanaya||
As daybreak steadily creeps into an earlier timeslot on a daily basis... accordingly, lots of frowns are starting to ease into smiles as people feel the stronghold of Winter fade into the anticipated Spring. It is not as though we have much to complain about in sunny Durban where the temperatures dare not venture into the deep single digits. My KwaZulu-tempered-body however received a devastating shock as it was plunged into the midst of the Botswana-Winter last week. I had the blessed opportunity to travel to Gaborone with Revered Swami Vimokshanandaji Maharaj on the eve of Guru Purnima celebrations, along with a few other devotees, to commemorate the 150th Birth Anniversary of Swami Vivekananda.
Apart from my intolerance to the harsh cold -quite relative obviously- I turned green with envy watching many residents strolling about casually adorned like we would do here in the summer months, I have much adoration for the country and her people. Set against the backdrop of the African canvas, it bears many similarities to our South Africa. Bubbling and gurgling like an active volcano, it seems ready to erupt into action and prosperity. I was also very intrigued with the small city of Gaborone playing host to the most beautiful and inspiring temples which at times left me wondering if I was in India. We always say that God is omnipresent referring to His spiritual permeation of the universe... however I now believe it in the literal sense as well, when I was able to worship the majestic and glorious Balaji bedecked in His Tirumala finery in the midst of the African Delta.
Although we enjoyed every moment of the tour... when I questioned some of the devotees as to whether they would reside in this beautiful country, in an unhesitant voice they replied no. Upon my return home as I sat, gathered and reminisced my experiences over the 4 days which got me thinking. I wondered how that many people will not leave their hometown even at the temptation of wealth and glamour to another place. There is no “one size fits all” and each person will live his life as per his temperament. Some enjoy nature’s wonders whilst others prefer mans wonders.
I was given the task to address the youth of Botswana and on one day even the adults. It was indeed a wonderful experience especially meeting the Minister in the Presidency, the Minister of Agriculture and the High commission of India. But it was my one on one interaction with the youth outside these programs which presented a wonderful perspective. It occurred to me that the challenge of expressing the rich heritage of Hindu Dharma was not exclusive to our country but also within the Indian Hindu nationals. The youth of the world are caught up the wave of this world. The thrill, excitement and glamour of the world appeals to them more that ancient heritage and traditions of our culture. Can we brandish them for that? There is the fear they will drown if we make them counteract the wave. In order words they will rebel and become antagonistic.
The idea is to harness the wave, teach them to surf the wave, not to lay siege by it. Youth should be like the professional surfer - ride the wave to his delight, yet not be drenched by it. That may seem like a daunting task for our leaders and scholars as we try to take our civilisation into the millennium era.
The saving grace comes from the tongue of Swami Vivekananda who presented to the world and especially the youth, the essence of the ancient Vedic traditions that can be practiced whilst enjoying the flavours of this world and proclaiming proudly that you are a Hindu.
I have captured the essence of Swamiji's teachings into the 3 E’s for success in this time. The first being education. Education forms the backbone of any successful life. It is essential and is the basic right of every youth. It is the only way to remove poverty from the world. The second is to be enterprising. Youth need to understand that their education is the mechanism to earn a living and that corruption and stealing will not take them far in life. They must find innovative dharmic ways to earn money. We notice that today many youth have been educated and have become very wealthy and that’s where the process stops.
The last E is to ensure that we inculcate the great and wonderful values from our Vedic traditions so that they become empathetic. If they feel within them the pain and suffering of others, make efforts and avail resources for their emancipation... -even if that youth does not perform a single pooja, or wave a single aarthi in a temple- consider him to be the greatest ambassador of our Vedic tradition. He can raise his head and proclaim to be proudly Hindu.
That was the greatness of Swami Vivekananda! He took all the Vedas, Upanishads, Gita and Tirrukurral and distilled them into one word. He gave Hinduism this new name, especially for us living in this time, and that one word is "unselfishness".
Everyone shall travel their life’s path by their own temperament but if we can teach this one concept to our youth and citizens, we need not teach anything else, because all else shall settle into its place all by itself.
May we practice that one religion relevant in this age... that is love for all and unselfishness, is my sincere prayer. My salutations and sastanga pranaams to my Gurudev, Srimat Swami Atmastanandaji Maharaj on the occasion of Guru Purnima.
With love and prayers always
Yogan
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