|| Aum Sri Ramakrishna Sharanam||
| SA FLAG- Google images |
|| Aum Namo Narayanaya||
On this very day 20 years ago, like an anxious child that is
fighting off sleep to welcome Christmas, determined and focused to ease his
appetite of mystery about his Christmas present, South Africans waited
impatiently for this day to dawn. The country was in the corridors of winter,
yet warmth radiating from the hope in the hearts of millions of disenfranchised
South Africans fell like morning dew on their faces, visible through a defined
smile representing their joy and underlying emotions. Yes, South Africa was
freed, a result of arduous and persistent dedication by selfless souls who
could only dream that one day every man will be given the dignity of being
human and be able to walk the soil of his birth without fear. But as we stood
in the reality of this freedom... it unveiled a new chapter of struggle and a
fight. In the past 20 years... many people have benefitted from the free South
Africa - sanitation, drinking water, roads, schools, incubator programmes for
business, hospitals and many other projects that have empowered previously
disadvantaged South Africans.
However as the years progress, the ideals, vision and mission
remain entrenched... but the hope of South Africans from April 27 1994 slowly
liquefied into a mirage... from the heat of dishonesty, lack of integrity,
greed, theft, sincerity and the selfless empathy and compassion that is needed
to make the ideals and vision of the fathers of our freedom a reality to all.
Slowly every day resources that should be used for the benefit of the people
are funding the exuberant lifestyles of those who have been entrusted to serve
the people. It is wrong to only single out the ruling party; however it is
easier to point out their wrong doings because of their massive presence - but
within all parties, all circles and influences of power there are opportunists
waiting to strike and give vent to their weaknesses and flaws in character.
Yesterday, a special sankalpa
was held at the Shree Veeraboga Emperumal Temple where chanting of the Maha Mrityunjaya Mantra was held for
healing South Africa; that the elections are peaceful, free and fair and that
the Lord blesses South Africa with prosperity and peace. The choice of the mantra is quite significant as it is
also known as the Maha Sanjivini Mantra
or the life-giving mantra. At a time
when the values of righteousness, truth, strength, steadfastness, compassion
etc. wither away on the oak of South Africa, we pray to the Lord of
auspiciousness - Shiva - to restore life back to this fledgling tree in Africa.
There is a very interesting story behind this mantra which has profound and relative significance to the period
we are in now. It is said that Sage Sukracharya accepted a challenge of Lord Indra
and took up a rigorous penance of hanging upside down from a tree with his face
being fanned with fumes of a fire directly beneath his hanging body. And after
Sukracharya did this for Vimsottari dasa period (twenty years), Lord Shiva
appeared before him and give him this Maha
Mrityunjaya Mantra to restore his physical condition. Hence the name, Maha Sanjivini Mantra.
Om
tryambakam yajamahe sugandhim pusti vardhanam
Urvarukamiva bandhanan mrtyor mukshiya mamritat
Urvarukamiva bandhanan mrtyor mukshiya mamritat
Meaning
Om.
We worship and adore you, O three-eyed one, O Shiva. You are sweet gladness,
the fragrance of life, which nourishes us, restores our health, and causes us
to thrive. As, in due time, the stem of the cucumber weakens, and the gourd is
freed from the vine, so free us from attachment and death, and do not withhold
immortality.
Finding ourselves in that very situation we must adopt a change in
attitude. We should never be dejected and become arm chair critics to the
problems in our society. Swami Vivekananda has reminded us always, that as we
think so we become. We must at all times project a positive attitude and become
agents of change by participating constructively in making the society ideal
and what we want it to be. We are not weak; we are lions with the strength to
create our own destiny.
The mantra given by the Lord
to the Sage glorifies the three-eyed-one. On one level, it refers to Lord
Shiva. However on a more relevant level it speaks to humans who like the Sage
have attained wisdom and knowledge (third eye). Once you have attained this
wisdom, a divine fragrance of strength, positivity and fearlessness emanates
from you that restores your ailing body and mind against the sickness and
disease of all adharmic qualities. So
much so that you will stand up fearlessly to champion the cause of
righteousness without fear. Similar to how the cucumber in due time detaches
itself from the vine... once we have attained this wisdom and knowledge; we are
detached from the cycle of pain and suffering, weakness and fear. We have
attained liberation.
Freedom is attainable, but with it comes the harder task of
sustaining it. Therefore blame lies with all citizens who upon freedom put
their legs up and decided to relax. The work had only begun. A miner who has
found gold needs to continue the struggle against the earth to sustain his
income. If he rests he may run the risk of being caved in, or being robbed of
the find by others. Liberation and freedom is a work in progress... one can
never rest until all have been freed.
Happy Freedom Day South Africa! I offer my sincere prayers to the
divine that our country be blessed with peace, happiness and prosperity. May
all citizens be patriotic to this great nation. I leave you with these cogent
words of a patriot par excellence, Swami Vivekananda: Freedom can never be reached by the weak. Throw away all weakness. Tell
your body that it is strong, tell your mind that it is strong, and have unbounded
faith and hope in yourself.
Yours patriotically
Yogan Naidoowww.google.com/+yogannaidoo
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