tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-50926431346979993712024-03-15T10:29:52.068+05:30Yuva BharatiThe Voice of YouthAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/05088164316752609752noreply@blogger.comBlogger142125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-64191779528170228522024-03-15T10:24:00.009+05:302024-03-15T10:29:21.347+05:30Holika Dahan…: Yuva Bharati March 2024<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5iocWT0J9nLX48XH6f9zzfPbdm_ROHO1cFJ6VBusunAq_-bt6Wo18IwOhA6llRQaRfxIjcoLthIoV_NuJuGOumClybyeUcUzrsuU3rQgw2HU_bRFlnKGtn-uSa8uE02eSswI5ydiW7J-T9bRB9t8rBT7Swfx7YoTbeKs2GhnBkKFIQUoYokrsVEj8gf4/s1395/Cover.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1395" data-original-width="1010" height="513" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh5iocWT0J9nLX48XH6f9zzfPbdm_ROHO1cFJ6VBusunAq_-bt6Wo18IwOhA6llRQaRfxIjcoLthIoV_NuJuGOumClybyeUcUzrsuU3rQgw2HU_bRFlnKGtn-uSa8uE02eSswI5ydiW7J-T9bRB9t8rBT7Swfx7YoTbeKs2GhnBkKFIQUoYokrsVEj8gf4/w372-h513/Cover.jpg" width="372" /></a></div><br /><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> Holika Dahan…</span></b><p class="MsoNormal"><span style="font-size: medium;"><o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The story of civilisations,
around the world is replete with attempts to purify the individual’s character
and as a result evolve as a society. The role of all the religions is to
regulate, rectify and control the sub human tendencies, which Humans have by
default. The role of culture is to change this default settings so that the
future generations can step up further in their evolution. The growth of this
process defines and distinguishes a civilisation from others. Festivals play an
important role in imparting the corrections to the society. Every festival has
an intrinsic social value apart from its outward religious hues. Our Holika
Dahan is one such Festival. The purport of this Festival is that people
participating in the Holika Dahan are pledging to “burn away” their bad habits,
negative tendencies, greed, hatred towards fellow beings and renew their faith
in Bhagawan Sri Vishnu. We, as Human beings have to constantly remind ourselves
about the necessity to burn the evil and nurture the Good.<o:p></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The ancient Pagan Religions also
had similar festivals like celebration of Solstice in which they make Bonfires.
Festivals like Ostara which symbolises Fertility, Rebirth and Renewal were
celebrated by earlier Pagans are now being reinvented by Wiccans, the modern
day Pagans too. This aspect is tied to the rejuvenation of the spirit and the
celebration of life&#39;s beauty and vibrancy. It is a time for people to
come together, forget and forgive past grievances, and reconcile with one
another. It promotes harmony, unity, and the strengthening of bonds within
communities. The tradition of applying colors to each other symbolizes this
spirit of forgiveness and letting go of animosities. The spiritual reflections
and the deeper spiritual connections are the essence of this wonderful festival
of colours.</span><o:p></o:p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>V.V.Balasubramanian</span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>YB-ET</span></p><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-4227349704207252382024-02-20T17:39:00.015+05:302024-02-26T17:51:22.332+05:30Rammandir to Rashtramandir : Yuva Bharati February 2024<p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-size: x-small;"> </span><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="color: #222222;"><span class="il">Rammandir</span> to Rashtramandir</span></b></p><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUH2S00OG49i-d2A8X2Wxyfpcu64P7gPSUbbuBTnEhLNLyv99F0_JDlr5eP9t1VDabLbY8zqNRNT_tfeQQaRkzMnRtufzabqt7B_c0depG9rRcrivZ8T8Hmk4mj0dtSVgxiis4GC9427jEy_U1GB_NOq3pArR_84NLahJtCSObeGXcWWnKXjkoKheP4w/s1418/VKPT_Yuva%20Bharati%20Magazine%20February%202024%20(2).jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1418" data-original-width="1016" height="532" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjeUH2S00OG49i-d2A8X2Wxyfpcu64P7gPSUbbuBTnEhLNLyv99F0_JDlr5eP9t1VDabLbY8zqNRNT_tfeQQaRkzMnRtufzabqt7B_c0depG9rRcrivZ8T8Hmk4mj0dtSVgxiis4GC9427jEy_U1GB_NOq3pArR_84NLahJtCSObeGXcWWnKXjkoKheP4w/w381-h532/VKPT_Yuva%20Bharati%20Magazine%20February%202024%20(2).jpg" width="381" /></a></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><span>We witnessed surcharged atmosphere of enthusiasm, devotion and sense of happiness for being part of the historical moment throughout Bharat regarding the consecration of <span class="il">Ram</span> temple at Ayodhya. Many artists, writers, speakers and various people have dedicated and are still dedicating their tributes in various ways to welcome Shri Rama. Many singers were singing a song with their devotion and talent, 'Mere jhopadi ke bhag Aaj khula jayenge <span class="il">Ram</span> aayenge -The fortune of my hut will frutify today, as Rama will come in it'. That song filled the joy in the hearts of many. What is the meaning of this song? This is not the meaning that only Rama is being enshrined in the temple of his birth place. There is a deeper, almost a mystic meaning to it. </span></b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><span><br /></span></b><b><span>It is said about Shri Rama by his admirers as well as opponents that, 'Ramo Vigrahavan Dharmah - रामो विग्रहवान् धर्म:।' - If we want to see the form of Dharma, then it will be like Rama. That is, Shri Rama is the embodiment of Dharma. From life of Sri Rama we can understand and learn how to follow Dharma. Dharma is not religion, in the sense of worshipping a specific form of God, in a specific prescribed way. But Dharma is a way of life based on oneness of existence and striving to realise that oneness. Thus for a Dharmik the basis of life is truth, purity, compassion for all and cheerful performance of duties towards family, society, nation and the whole existence. Swami Vivekananda used to say, 'Dharma is the life-center of India.' And the form of Dharma is Shri Ramchandra. Therefore, Shri Rama is the concretised form of life-center of India. </span></b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><span><br /></span></b><b><span>About 500 years ago, invaders attacked Shri <span class="il">Ram</span> Janmabhoomi temple and destroyed that temple. For 500 years, many have tried, fought to establish Shri Ramchandra in the temple at his birthplace. Many brave sacrificed everything they had, even their lives for it. They kept striving to overcome the pain and negativity that had come because of destruction of the temple, by facing the situation with courage, and used all their strength to change the situation. Those who were common people gradually became victims of this pain and hence became dejected and turned away from their duties, from uprightness in life. The third type of people, denied the very existence of not just the temple but even Sri Rama to forget that inner pain. These were three ways in which the people of India faced and endured this sorrow as Sri Rama belongs to all. </span></b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><span><br /></span></b><b><span>But now, Shri Rama is again established in the temple at <span class="il">Ram</span> Janmabhoomi in Ayodhya. This has a deep, mystic and subtle meaning in the collective subconscious of the people of Bharat. The Pranapratishtha ceremony should not be considered as just one incident. There are certain mystic meanings beyond history, and logic. The song that was sung by so many since last month that, 'My hut would be very fortunate as Sri Rama will enter it today' that hut is not just any hut. That hut is our heart. The karmic poverty, negation, pain, avoiding duties, falsehood, lack of self discipline, hopelessness etc. that was there in our life due to being deprived of Sri Rama would vanish as Sri Rama would enter it.</span></b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><span><br /></span></b><b><span>Sri Rama is going to be established in our hearts also as the he is now in the temple at Ayodhya. The fate of this hut-our heart is changing and that is why just as Sri Rama is revered in the temple of Shri Ramjanmabhoomi, similarly every person of India would enshrine Sri Rama in his life too by practicing Dharma. Sri Rama will definitely be established in our hearts even if with only little effort we invoke Him with devotion and action. We all have to do that Pranapratishtha of Sri Rama in our hearts.</span></b><b><span><br /></span></b><b><span>The enthusiasm, readiness to work, discipline and commitment that we see in the life of Shri Ramchandra will be reflected in our lives too. The earlier wrong-doings, transgressions, offences that we committed against our nation, Dharma, people for last few generations would be erased with this Pranapratishtha done by each one of us in our hearts. Sri Rama has come! Sri Rama would come in our hearts too. He belongs to all.</span></b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><span><br /></span></b><b><span>Deepotsav was celebrated on 22 January, as Diwali was celebrated when Shri Ramchandra returned to Ayodhya. Similarly, we will celebrate the festival of lights by removing the darkness of Tamas, the darkness of lust, the darkness of indiscipline, the darkness of laziness in our lives. If we welcome Shri Rama in our heart, if</span></b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><span><br /></span></b><b><span> we welcome him in our life and in our work, then our life will definitely become blessed and enlightened. This <span class="il">Ram</span>-<span class="il">mandir</span> will emerge as a Rashtra-<span class="il">mandir</span>.</span></b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><span><br /></span></b><b><span>We will start our journey from <span class="il">Ram</span> <span class="il">Mandir</span> to Rashtra <span class="il">Mandir</span> if with Pranpratistha in the temple we too continue the Pranapratishtha in our hearts. Shri Ramchandra, who lived gloriously his entire life with his utmost compassion for all and commitment to duty, became an embodiment of Dharma, in the same way we will also transform and elevate our lives. This song that we sang and are still singing, 'The fortune of my hut will frutify today, as Rama come', has this deeper meaning. Our heart will now give up pettyness, selfishness, and will become a grand place to enshrine the Divine in it i.e. it will encompass the whole society rooted in practice of Dharma. Bharat thus established in Dharma will guide and benefit the mankind. </span></b></p><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span><b><br /></b></span><b><span>When we are enshrining Shri Ramchandra in our hearts, making our lives blessed, then the meaning of Dharma in our lives will not be limited only to worship, but will mean doing always that what sustains the society, to make it a caring society, a society which is based on oneness. Our nation with such elevated, caring, affluent and spritual society will guide the world to teach the deeper meaning of Dharma. If we strive like this to do Pranapratishtha of Sri Rama in our hearts, our life will become fortunate. When our life will be lived with evolved consciousness then definitely Bharat will also become a Jagat-Guru and she will teach the whole world the deeper meaning of Dharma by living it.</span></b></p></div><p style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><br /></p><div style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span></span>Nivedita Raghunath Bhide</span></b></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><b><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span>Vice President</span></b></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></div><div dir="auto" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-family: Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: x-small;"><b><br /></b></span></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-27406221971185329542024-01-20T16:42:00.003+05:302024-01-25T16:52:16.335+05:30Sri Rama: The Soul of India : Yuva Bharati January 2024<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in -37.75pt 0.0001pt 14.2pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="background-color: transparent; text-align: left;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: Times New Roman, serif; font-size: medium;"><i><b>Sri Rama: The Soul of India</b></i></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in -37.75pt 0.0001pt 14.2pt; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><br /></span></i></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin: 0in -37.75pt 0.0001pt 14.2pt; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"></span></i></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"></div><i><b><br /></b></i><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78RI0iaJNi42DiC2JfCQqsCm7UvmK8sVdKdv3UM7c6AAIZaRIVmCmDAblfsYQzgRhBTHk7RACeTwSGto_t_vjqvrIY2ihbHCKMUkcZhvlfyt66AJnUMCWPkxRAJt8id9EqiKs3gsGg8Dg831E0_ouCQB9Joz1uXbg41P7yHCZfo0BKcJysIfY60XVWSs/s1418/VKPT_Yuva%20Bharati%20Magazine%20January%202024%20(1)_Page_01.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="1418" data-original-width="1016" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi78RI0iaJNi42DiC2JfCQqsCm7UvmK8sVdKdv3UM7c6AAIZaRIVmCmDAblfsYQzgRhBTHk7RACeTwSGto_t_vjqvrIY2ihbHCKMUkcZhvlfyt66AJnUMCWPkxRAJt8id9EqiKs3gsGg8Dg831E0_ouCQB9Joz1uXbg41P7yHCZfo0BKcJysIfY60XVWSs/w286-h400/VKPT_Yuva%20Bharati%20Magazine%20January%202024%20(1)_Page_01.jpg" width="286" /></b></a><i><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The whole nation is waiting for the grand and great
moment, of the fulfilling the desires of the crores of people since the last
five hundred years for the opening of Sri Ramajanmabhoomi temple at Ayodhya on
22<sup>nd</sup> January. We publish an article that was written on the day of
Shilanyas of this historical temple.<o:p></o:p><i></i></span></b></i></blockquote><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">As on 5th August the whole country celebrates the
Shilanyas of Sri Ram Mandir at Sri Ram Janma Bhoomi, crores of hearts would be
overwhelmed, the eyes would be blurred with tears of happiness that the wait of
almost 500 years is over, a silent prayer would be offered with gratitude for
all those who died for the cause and deep satisfaction that we have lived to
see this day, an inner feeling would be experienced that celebrations of
Independence starts this year 10 days before the Independence Day. Three
incidents float my memory.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">It was one week after 6th December 1992. The
Sarvodaya leaders along with religious leaders of Kanyakumari organized a peace
meeting at Gandhi Mandapam located at sea shore. Various heads of the
religious, social, political and educational organizations were invited.
Vivekananda Kendra elders attended it, with them I too attended. It was decided
that some passages of some universal meaning would be read from Bible, Koran
and Vedas. There would be few talks, appeal for peace etc. And then with silent
prayers the meeting would be concluded. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The meeting proceeded as planned. As it was
concluded and we were about to get up, a booming voice rang, ‘What is this? You
are having a meeting in Gandhi Mandapam and concluding it without Ram Bhajan?’
The organizers got jittery, they turned and found an old man, coming towards
the gathering from the door. “Who are you?’ asked the organizers
apprehensively. ‘I am Ahamed (I hope I am remembering the name correctly) the
watchman at the Gandhi Mandapam’. Saying so, before the organizers could object
him, he started the Bhajan, ‘Raghupati Raghav Rajaram…’ All gathered, joined
him. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">It was not just singing Bhajan but what was
suppressed all this time so to say spontaneously came out. Seeing that a person
from Muslim community was leading the Ram Bhajan, the organizers though shocked
by the turn of events a bit helplessly, let the people sing Bhajan. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Actually, whatever was going on till now was so
superficial that there was heaviness in the atmosphere. But once the Bhajan
started and as all enthusiastically joined in it, the air around became light
and friendly. A common man in India whatever may be his religious affiliation
adores Rama. Sri Rama has entered in the soul of India like no other historical
personality of India. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">When I was Principal of Vivekananda Kendra
Vidyalaya, I had made it a point to take the moral science classes for all the
sections. To save my time, I used to combine the sections of each class. The
syllabus was made as to in which class what values and behavioural changes
would be stressed through stories. The stories for each class were also
decided. Whatever I wanted to tell the children would be told through the
dialogues in the mouth of the personalities in that story. Thus, the stories
would be very long. For example, for class III the Ramayana would go all
through the year. As much as children loved listening to the stories, I loved
narrating it to them. Sometimes while walking through the veranda, a child
would tell me, ‘Didi, tomorrow Friday! Your moral science period on our class’,
as if I needed a reminder! Or if a holiday comes on Wednesday the children
having the moral science period on that day would come to me and complain,
‘Didi, why all holidays are coming this year on Wednesday only?’ As if not only
time table but even the calendar was my creation! <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Once, I went to class III for the moral science
period. Before entering generally, their noise would reach me as more than 80
children of both the sections would be sitting in one class room. But that day
there was no sound at all. I was bit surprised. As I entered the class and
students greeted me with Namaste, I was stunned to see the table, chair and
place around decorated with many flowers. More than 80 pairs of shining
innocent eyes were looking at me expectantly for my response. Thinking they
might have taken the flowers from the beach garden which was looked after
tirelessly by Saraswatididi, the vanaprasthi Karyakarta and if so then later
how I would have to listen to her outburst, I asked bit worried, ‘From where
did you bring so many flowers?’ ‘From my home Didi.’ Replied all those who had
brought it. ‘But why have you covered all this with flowers?’, I asked puzzled.
‘Ramarajyabhishekam! Didi today there will be coronation of Srirama, so
celebration!’ I was overwhelmed. I turned my back on them as if I was seeing
the flowers and controlled myself. As I was wearing a white colour saree, I
started to remove the flowers from the chair. ‘No, Didi, that is like the
Simhasanam – throne of Sri Rama. Please do not remove the flowers.’ I could not
disregard the feelings of those tender hearts. Even today when I remember that
incident, my heart fills with joy. Sri Rama moves hearts of such tiny tots
also. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">The third incident is just few years back. Though I
had gone for Kendra work many times to Lucknow, I had not visited Ayodhya. I
had not asked for that, may be deep down I was avoiding the pain to see Ramlala
in a tattered tent. But as the work started in Gorakhpur, Ayodhya and other
places, in my one pravas (organizational tour) the visit to each branch was
planned. At Ayodhya, visit to the temple was also included in the itinerary. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Through many security gateways we had to pass. No
bag or mobiles were allowed in the hand. At last we reached a place where we
could enter the strong iron barricades to ultimately reach the temple. Due to
the varying time at each security gate the Karyakartas accompanying me were
behind and I was in the group of pilgrims who appeared to be from some interior
villages of Tamilandu. It was very hot. After walking through many barricade
lines at last we reached the last but two lines. A person near me started
asking, ‘enna da Kovil enge irukkiradu? Oh.. where is the temple.?’ One Jawan
standing little away from us spoke in Tamil loudly so as to attract our
attention. ‘Keep looking right. Do not look here and there or you would miss
the Darshan.’ There were tents for the Jawans to rest, drink water etc. Many
Jawans of various armed forces were posted at various locations. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;"><br /></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Because that Jawan had told, we did not miss the
Darshan. The tent was discoloured, tattered. While walking through barricades
if a person looks for 3-4 steps in other direction, he would miss the Darshan,
so narrow was the opening and so inconspicuous was the tent to pay attention to
it. As we moved further in the barricade towards exit, one old man in that
group said, ‘The one who protects us all, he needs to be protected here…’ The
other old person said in fatigued tone, ‘I hope in my life time, my Rama gets
the temple at his birth place.’ The simple words but they represented the
longing and waiting of so many hearts since 500 years; what tears I was trying
to hold back started flowing.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Why does this Shilanyas of Sri Rama temple at
Ramjanmabhoomi move us so much? Swami Vivekananda had said Dharma is the soul
of India and Srirama is called as ‘Ramo Vigrahvan Dharma’. Sri Rama is Dharma
incarnate. This Bhoomipoojan grips us so much because Sri Rama is deeply
embedded in the inner being of this nation. Ve Sabke Ram hai. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Let us keeping aside what caste, creed, community,
religion we belong, chant the name of Srirama, all the heaviness that our
political or ideological affiliations bring, would be gone and we would
experience the lightness as Ahamad made us feel that day. <o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Let us touch the child-like innocence in our heart
and our heart would rejoice and celebrate 5th August, as my tiny-tots that day
celebrated.<o:p></o:p></span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><o:p><b><span style="font-size: medium;"> </span></b></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="background: white; line-height: normal; margin-bottom: .0001pt; margin-bottom: 0in; margin-left: 14.2pt; margin-right: -37.75pt; margin-top: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span style="color: #222222; font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; mso-ansi-language: EN-US; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN;"><b><span style="font-size: medium;">Feel the long wait in many old hearts of all our
earlier generations in the past 500 years and we will be grateful that we are
alive to cherish this great historical moment.</span></b></span><span lang="EN-IN"><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-310873124860630942023-12-01T16:52:00.003+05:302023-12-14T17:00:01.400+05:30Gita Jayanti : Yuva Bharati December 2023<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqF7dlcpkLthldT0r3hf1dTJHmSXyGjVwxD0NGGpmaArCEgwfEHlGL5mUDQvT4NurhH38saXgA6UlFbvQbcXFrernXfpUZRZVHre0cmM-_tfA08zNF0ldQm0JHaERCkEhDJn7Dw-Gbsrk8G7TcfN_aPgrLCldp19TDSE7rqjyD8d4dF5Yue6KdF9xaIg/s1418/VKPT_Yuva%20Bharati%20Magazine%20December%202023.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1418" data-original-width="1016" height="594" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqF7dlcpkLthldT0r3hf1dTJHmSXyGjVwxD0NGGpmaArCEgwfEHlGL5mUDQvT4NurhH38saXgA6UlFbvQbcXFrernXfpUZRZVHre0cmM-_tfA08zNF0ldQm0JHaERCkEhDJn7Dw-Gbsrk8G7TcfN_aPgrLCldp19TDSE7rqjyD8d4dF5Yue6KdF9xaIg/w425-h594/VKPT_Yuva%20Bharati%20Magazine%20December%202023.jpg" width="425" /></a><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhXqF7dlcpkLthldT0r3hf1dTJHmSXyGjVwxD0NGGpmaArCEgwfEHlGL5mUDQvT4NurhH38saXgA6UlFbvQbcXFrernXfpUZRZVHre0cmM-_tfA08zNF0ldQm0JHaERCkEhDJn7Dw-Gbsrk8G7TcfN_aPgrLCldp19TDSE7rqjyD8d4dF5Yue6KdF9xaIg/s1418/VKPT_Yuva%20Bharati%20Magazine%20December%202023.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><br /></a></b></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Gita Jayanti is
an auspicious day celebrated by Hindus around the world to commemorate the
birth of the Bhagavad Gita, a sacred text that holds immense spiritual and
philosophical significance. The Bhagavad Gita, often referred to as the Gita,
is a 700-verse Hindu scripture that is part of the Indian epic Mahabharata. The
Gita Jayanti is observed on the Shukla Ekadashi, the 11th day of the waxing
moon in the month of Margashirsha, according to the Hindu calendar. This
usually falls in November or December in the Gregorian calendar. The day is
marked by various rituals, prayers, and recitation of verses from the Bhagavad
Gita.</b></div><o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b>The Bhagavad
Gita is a conversation between Prince Arjuna and the god Krishna, who serves as
his charioteer. The dialogue takes place on the battlefield of Kurukshetra just
before the great war is about to begin. Arjuna is filled with moral dilemma and
despair about fighting in the war, which involves his own relatives and
teachers on the opposing side. In response, Krishna imparts spiritual wisdom
and guidance to Arjuna, addressing profound concepts such as duty (dharma),
righteousness, devotion, and the nature of existence.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b>Gita Jayanti is
not just a celebration of the historical event of the scripture's revelation
but also an occasion to reflect on the timeless teachings of the Bhagavad Gita.
The Gita provides a comprehensive guide to leading a righteous and purposeful
life, offering insights into the nature of the self, the importance of selfless
action, and the path to spiritual realization.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b>One of the key
teachings of the Bhagavad Gita is the concept of "Karma Yoga" or the
path of selfless action. Krishna advises Arjuna to perform his duties without
attachment to the fruits of his actions. This means that individuals should
focus on doing their duty without being attached to success or failure,
recognizing that the results are not entirely within their control. This
philosophy encourages a sense of detachment, leading to a more balanced and
equanimous approach to life.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b>The Gita also
introduces the concept of "Bhakti Yoga," the path of devotion.
Krishna emphasizes the importance of surrendering to a higher power with love
and devotion. By cultivating a deep and sincere connection with the divine,
individuals can attain spiritual growth and liberation.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b>Furthermore, the
Bhagavad Gita delves into the nature of the self (atman) and the ultimate
reality (Brahman). It explores the idea that the true self is eternal and
beyond the physical body. This realization can lead to a sense of inner peace
and liberation from the cycle of birth and death (samsara).<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b>Gita Jayanti
celebrations typically involve reading and reciting verses from the Bhagavad
Gita, organizing discourses and lectures on its teachings, and engaging in
devotional activities. Many devotees also fast on this day and participate in
charity, emphasizing the importance of selfless service.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b>The teachings of
the Bhagavad Gita have transcended geographical and cultural boundaries,
influencing thinkers, philosophers, and spiritual leaders worldwide. Its
universal message continues to resonate with people facing the challenges of
modern life, offering timeless wisdom and practical guidance.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b>In addition to
its spiritual significance, the Gita has also inspired numerous commentaries
and interpretations by scholars and philosophers throughout history. Each
commentator brings their unique perspective, enriching the understanding of the
scripture and its applicability to different aspects of life.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b>Gita Jayanti
serves as a reminder of the enduring relevance of the Bhagavad Gita's teachings
in navigating the complexities of existence. It encourages individuals to
strive for self-improvement, righteousness, and a deeper connection with the
divine. As the celebration unfolds, it brings communities together in a
collective reflection on the profound wisdom encapsulated in this ancient
scripture.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-20118394720554669052023-11-01T17:05:00.047+05:302023-11-11T11:17:01.070+05:30Sadhana Diwas 2023: : Yuva Bharati November 2023<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUhyphenhyphen28ayPfH_6egaPNl8rk_HF4fdVmLNR39NdftAvdV-pyg3gplB9kKmnS6WktYyWQLLo-wpayA9M9oNX6t0WpVsZO8rng1kYHxOCnWDSCKV_SZQG2-zUXKjghzB_vc8ZMk-9T3zE-UeJCJcWptZAnzfcEJ1Vf6bJ7x7oMCrKlHSDNAdXqmPEPKCS2JQ/s1361/VKPT_Yuva%20Bharati%20Magazine%20November%202023.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1361" data-original-width="976" height="569" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhnUhyphenhyphen28ayPfH_6egaPNl8rk_HF4fdVmLNR39NdftAvdV-pyg3gplB9kKmnS6WktYyWQLLo-wpayA9M9oNX6t0WpVsZO8rng1kYHxOCnWDSCKV_SZQG2-zUXKjghzB_vc8ZMk-9T3zE-UeJCJcWptZAnzfcEJ1Vf6bJ7x7oMCrKlHSDNAdXqmPEPKCS2JQ/w407-h569/VKPT_Yuva%20Bharati%20Magazine%20November%202023.jpg" width="407" /></a></div><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b>Sadhana Diwas 2023</b></span></p><p><span face="Arial, Helvetica, sans-serif" style="background-color: white; color: #222222; font-size: small;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>This year Sadhana Diwas we shall be celebrating during the year of Vishesh Prashikshan Varsh which we have taken up as part of our Sadhana to be a best instrument of Divine.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b>It was the Divine Destiny that led Eknathji to start Vivekananda Kendra. The penance of Mother Kanyakumari and Meditation of Swami Vivekananda came to fruition in the form of Vivekananda Kendra.</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b>For a nation builder the realties are to be taken into account to chalk out a path. Mananeeya Eknathji understood the natural ethos of the Indian mind. The Indian mind by nature is spiritual, it longs for Mukti, for God- realization, for eternal peace. Society can be taken ahead on the path of least resistance only. This natural longing of Indian mind if given a deeper dimension in the present context, it would make the people vibrant. Eknathji therefore focused on the message of Swami Vivekananda: "Serve man Serve God". Swami Vivekananda had said, 'what vain gods shall we go after and yet cannot worship the god that we see all around us, the Virat (Janata Janardan?) When we have worshipped this, we shall be able to worship all other gods.'</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b>Eknathji felt that limiting God only to idols and temples and having no confidence in oneself is degrading our people. He said, "The remedy for the ills of our country, therefore, lies in launching a mighty movement of right thought sweeping the entire country. It has to be a two-pronged move. On the one hand, it is to be aimed at (1) transforming our people’s inherent God-wardness into the right spiritual urge rising out of the teachings of the Upanishads, namely, (a) each soul is potentially divine and (b) faith in God, in turn means faith in one’s self, i.e. in one’s potentiality to rise to divine heights. On the other hand, it is (2) to convert the spiritual fervour thus released into works of national reconstruction”.</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b>The realization of Sri Ramakrishna "Shivabhave Jivaseva" was given as a message "Serve man Serve God" by Swami Vivekananda. Eknathji gave an opportunity to Karyakartas like us to practice this realization of Sri Ramakrishna and message of Swami Vivekananda in an organized way. Thus Vivekananda Kendra - a spiritually oriented service mission came into being.</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b>Eknathji gave a higher dimension to service. So to do service we do not have to pray for poverty around or famines, floods or earthquakes. Awakening man to his great potential, to realize the divine within and thus to chanelise that awakened power for national reconstruction, for well- being of humanity, is spiritually - oriented service. Eknathji always insisted that our inspiration to work should be perennial. He pointed out that those who worked for the freedom of our country lost all enthusiasm, and zeal to work for nation, once we became independent. Therefore, we must have the perennial source of inspiration. It is necessary that we work to eliminate anti-national forces, to organise our society, or work to make India great, but what after that? It is not perennial source of inspiration, but to manifest the divinity in our lives and life of others is perennial drive. </b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b>If we see the history of mankind, God seem to have created each nation and culture to contribute to the evolution of man. Thus each nation has some destiny to fulfill. India, so to say, represents the soul of the human world. As long as India lives the world is safe. So only it was said "If India lives, who dies and if India dies, who lives". The very purpose of the existence of India is for the spiritual evolution of man. For the good of the world India has to come up. Swami Vivekananda had said that one vision that he saw clear before his eyes was the ancient motherland of ours rising once again more glorious than ever! Thus Eknathji said that it is God's plan that this nation has to come up to give light to the world, so Ishvara has chosen us as instrument. When we do work of national regeneration with this Bhava of instrumentality then it is Sadhana. Thus: 'Sadhana of Service.' If this 'sadhan -instrument' bhava is there then Karyakarta can never get disturbed by difficulties, nor will one deviate from the path. Sadhana Diwas is the day to remind ourselves that we are the instruments in His hands. </b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b> </b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b>On Sadhana Diwas we have to remember these thoughts.</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b>1. As we are born in India, our mission of life cannot be different from the mission of nation. Our life should be such that it helps nation in delivering its message.</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b>2. As a nation builder, we have to dive deep into our Upanishadic teachings and also see its deeper meanings relevant for the time. As Eknathji has done giving the meaning of Seva, of seeing God in oneself and around and therefore having confidence in oneself to rise to divine heights and work with that spiritual energy for the regeneration of nation. </b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b>3. We are the chosen instruments. We have to do our best, rest He would take care.</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b>4. For the well-being of the humanity, we work for the nation-rebuilding. For that we have to bring all people together so we have to see their goodness and urge to work for nation. At the same time we have to steer clear of any sectarian views whether in political, social or religious field.</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b>5. Ultimately, any philosophy boils down to what we are doing about it in our daily life. So, taking up a definite responsibility in Kendra Karya and fulfilling it, is required. The organizational responsibility can be discharged only if it is done regularly. Thus, the question that each Karyakarta should ask himself/herself is 'whether I give supreme most importance to organizational obligations so as to fulfill my Dayitva?' Thus, Sadhana means doing definite work for nation regularly for higher purpose.</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b>6. To fulfill our Dayitva, we should work hard. One is struck with the purposeful hard work done by Eknathji all his life. And, therefore, nothing was impossible for him. He could mould himself as per the need of the work. He created teams for each type of work and in each region. It requires a great Sadhana to be a part of team as well as to mould ourselves and others to work harmoniously.</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b>7. In the context of this year of Vishesh Prashikshan Varsh, can we take three sankalpas.</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b>a. We take up collectively in our Nagar or Prakalp the study of Kendra Prarthana by reading and discussing 'The Goal and The Way' for three consecutive days for 2-3 hours either preceding or succeeding Sadhana Diwas.</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b>b. For a year take up the sankalpa of Apekshit-Upasthit. ‘Whether in Kendra Varga, baithak or Prashikshan Shibirs, I shall be present come what may. For Vishesh Prashikshan Shibir which is once in 50 years, I shall attend it. In any case, no-one can get 7 days leave from their seniors. It has to be taken. And this would be my sadhana, I shall take it. If I have missed my shibir then I shall attend next shibir, but I shall undergo it. Sadhana is not an easy word. If sadhana has to be done then it has it’s cost, and I am ready to pay it.’ Can we take such Sankalpa?</b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div style="font-weight: bold; text-align: justify;"><b>c. Can our Nagars take the collective Sankalpa that in Vishesh Prashikshan Shibir, upasthity would be between 95-100%. We take such sankalpa and fulfill it, in order to really celebrate Sadhana Diwas and with Nishtha to protect our Desh and Dharma.</b></div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-weight: 700;"><br /></span></div><span style="font-weight: bold;"><div style="text-align: justify;">As celebration of Sadhana Diwas is for Shaktisamvardhan, let us with sankalpa and striving really make it so.</div></span><span> </span><p></p><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><b>Nivedita Raghunath Bhide</b></p><p><b style="text-align: right;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>(Vice-President)</b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-12442312071552759872023-10-02T12:12:00.018+05:302023-10-31T17:19:44.141+05:30Nari shakti : Yuva Bharati October 2023<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b>Nari shakti</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Jc0JE8nJ4MEA5YNzS5MoH4-Zp4Alk7kjgYXgENgRGJBXY-AUOfM5l5qFMmAYZZSrWWuFcNKmp9NVFfcUE35w3AItmzITtGrd6nxJBgTfsFpgKTLPoBFaMeq-eu5uj2XUDcwXVLpqSFXCaiYnc0SZEU2D98sEs1sQh08u6ZNT4X8Qpr1PtBv9CDP-rdw/s1453/VKPT_Yuva%20Bharati%20Magazine%20October%202023.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1453" data-original-width="1052" height="609" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh2Jc0JE8nJ4MEA5YNzS5MoH4-Zp4Alk7kjgYXgENgRGJBXY-AUOfM5l5qFMmAYZZSrWWuFcNKmp9NVFfcUE35w3AItmzITtGrd6nxJBgTfsFpgKTLPoBFaMeq-eu5uj2XUDcwXVLpqSFXCaiYnc0SZEU2D98sEs1sQh08u6ZNT4X8Qpr1PtBv9CDP-rdw/w441-h609/VKPT_Yuva%20Bharati%20Magazine%20October%202023.jpg" width="441" /></a></b></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The successful
soft landing of Chandrayaan 3 on Moon is significant on more than one count.
The Indian Space Research Organisation (ISRO) has seen the active participation
and contribution of women scientists in various roles. Women scientists at ISRO
have played pivotal roles in missions such as the Mars Orbiter Mission
(Mangalyaan) and the Chandrayaan missions. Their achievements have not only
showcased their capabilities but have also inspired young girls to pursue
careers in science and technology.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>This
surge in the presence of women in public sphere is due to the various measures
taken by the Govt to empower women. The Indian government has launched various
initiatives to promote women's empowerment, such as the Beti Bachao, Beti
Padhao (Save the Girl Child, Educate the Girl Child) campaign, the Mahila
Shakti Kendra scheme, and the Pradhan Mantri Matru Vandana Yojana (a maternity
benefit program). These initiatives aim to improve the status of women in
society, ensure their education, and provide support for maternal health.
Access to education for women has improved in India. Various scholarship
programs and reservations in educational institutions have been introduced to
encourage women's education and promote gender parity in academia. Women's
participation in the workforce has increased, with more women joining diverse
sectors of the economy. Programs like MUDRA (Micro Units Development and
Refinance Agency) have supported women entrepreneurs by providing financial
assistance for starting and expanding small businesses. Women's representation
in politics has been steadily increasing in India. The reservation of seats for
women in local government bodies (Panchayats and Municipalities) has led to
greater political participation. The Women's Reservation Bill, which seeks to
reserve one-third of seats in the Lok Sabha (the lower house of India's
parliament) and state legislatures for women, will provide more impetus to the
women empowerment drive. Bharath has always been a land which respects and
reveres women. The latest enactment will ensure that our country women will get
more opportunities at the Governance too, which they rightly deserve.</b></div></b><o:p></o:p><p></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>V.V. Balasubramanian</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>YB-ET</b></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-10542892763504180282023-09-01T11:01:00.011+05:302023-10-31T17:20:39.556+05:30Vasudaiva Kutumbakam : Yuva Bharati September 2023<p style="text-align: center;"> <span style="text-align: center;"><b>VASUDHAIVA
KUTUMBAKAM</b></span></p><span style="text-align: center;"> <b> </b><b>(Manava Dharma or
Market Forces? </b></span><div><span style="text-align: center;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>– The Choice for
Mankind)</b></span></div><div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6fHuzeqBv8Du0LN4GmS6uYxLQvK7rRS_Y2X3k7oilmAQ3z9KNghE3RWOFamho4vNLKQpL_b3cSYJLu2I2BL9qbue2-reyAGNL-hG_-dcHiFqg5uPY-A4um6CZBUr6yx34ydOhCAv1Iw2WA82dWPfpMvoZQmkv3guBaty9JilhKp6gfEIknzKbjN1YXA/s1453/YB%20Kendra%20Samachar-2_2023%20September.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1453" data-original-width="1052" height="387" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgK6fHuzeqBv8Du0LN4GmS6uYxLQvK7rRS_Y2X3k7oilmAQ3z9KNghE3RWOFamho4vNLKQpL_b3cSYJLu2I2BL9qbue2-reyAGNL-hG_-dcHiFqg5uPY-A4um6CZBUr6yx34ydOhCAv1Iw2WA82dWPfpMvoZQmkv3guBaty9JilhKp6gfEIknzKbjN1YXA/w335-h387/YB%20Kendra%20Samachar-2_2023%20September.jpg" width="335" /></a></div><div style="text-align: center;"><span style="font-size: large; text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><br /></span></div><div style="text-align: left;"><span style="text-align: justify; text-indent: 0.5in;"><b>A sublime thought has been
coming down from very ancient times and gathering momentum for centuries
together from this sacred land of Bharat. It was not just a thought but an idea
that was practised in everyday life till it became a culture and a civilisation.
The thought has been beautifully described by the sage who is also a poet in the
famous Sanskrit Subhashita –</b></span></div></div><div><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p></o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p><i style="text-align: center;">Ayam nijab paraiveti, Ganana laghuchetasam,</i></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><i style="text-align: center;">Udaracharitanamtu, Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam</i></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><o:p> </o:p></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span><b>– Men with narrow vision
divide the world into mine and thine whereas the noble hearted look upon the
world as one single family – one’s homestead. This was not just a poet’s fancy.
But the result of an intense realisation of the Ultimate
Truth –<i>Sarvam KhalvidamBrahma</i> – All that exists is only Brahma. The entire
universe is an expression of that truth, one expressing as the many. The entire
history of India has been an attempt to express this experience in the
day-to-day life of every individual and the society. Variety and diversity of
course were there but, at the base, there was unity as well. Hence the dictum –
unity in diversity. This was reflected in every aspect of life right from the
personal to the national level. But, our far-seeing and adventurous forefathers
did not confine this wonderful experience within the frontiers of Bharat. Their
love and concern for humanity was so intense that it took them to the farthest
quarters of the world. The message of unity was spread through practice and
example and the history of the world bears testimony to the fact that the
imprint of Indian cultural ambassadors is visible in every part of the world,
felt, and seen. That was probably the most sublime period of Indian history.
Researchers who are committed only to truth have
discovered through dedicated study that even the western civilizations like the
Greek and Roman, the languages like Greek and Latin had their original home in
India and gradually spread across the continents and reached those distant
lands. It was not through military conquest but through the gradual spread of a
vibrant culture. But later on, the colonial conquerors from the west made history stand on its head and
propagated that the Indian culture and civilization were brought to this
country by the invading alien conquerors. But, let us leave the conquerors alone,
because the truth is slowly but surely emerging victorious and it is bound to establish
itself on its own strength and validity.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span><b><o:p> </o:p>After the great imperial days of
Greece and Rome, the west sank into the darkness of the Middle Ages shutting
itself out from the rest of the world. Finally when it woke up on account of the
shock of a renaissant Greek culture and started looking outward spurred by the
fervor of Christian missionary zeal and also by the ambitions of imperial
conquest, the countries of Europe started on a series of invasions subjugating
the continents of Asia and Africa. There was a systematic attempt to demolish and
destroy ancient and peaceful civilizations, existing in those parts of the world.
The devastations caused by these conquerors are writ large
across the continents. The basic cause of this kind of colonial invasions is
the world view which inspired them through their sectarian and intolerant religious
texts. It was totally in conflict with the Bharatiya world view of Vasudhaiva
Kutumbakam. The motivation of the colonisers from the west was trade and religion.
The means they employed was conquest through military power, through cunning and deceit. The last
three to four centuries – the so-called modern history – is replete with
instances of such treacherous and unprincipled conquest and annexation of territories
and people by an alien civilization. The logic of this world view, when put
into practice, has inevitably led to the present situation, where the west is
dominating the world with the slogan – the Global Market. Through military
power, through organized evangelisation, through economic exploitation, and
through intellectual manipulation, the west has established its domination over
the rest of the world. The world has been converted into a global market which
implies the operation of all the market forces with its dire consequences under
which not only the rest of the world but even the west is now reeling.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span><b><o:p> </o:p>The world as one family and
the world as a market are the two poles around which humanity stands polarised.
Home and market have widely different laws – not only different but actually conflicting.
The law that governs the home is love whereas the market is driven by the law
of cunning and competition. Home is built upon identity of feelings whereas the
market is built upon conflicting interests. The former seeks peace whereas the later
seeks profit. Home is founded on spiritual values whereas market knows only material
values. Mutual cooperation is the basis of family. Mutual exploitation is the recognised
policy that sustains the market. Market promotes vulgar consumerism whereas
home promotes restrained and value-based consumption. The big question that
faces humanity is – which of the two is the ideal to be followed, the world
view to be accepted, the way of life to be followed. The western experiment has
been tried and is found wanting and inadequate to sustain a peaceful and
prosperous world order. Humanity is at the crossroads. As many great thinkers even
from the west, like Arnold Toynbee have unambiguously pointed out, it is only
the eastern way that can bring about peace and harmony and ensure the survival of
human species on this mother earth. The choice today is between “ManavaDharma”
and “Market forces”, between a global family and a global market. In this, the vision
of India is very clear. It has been strongly and powerfully expounded by all
our renaissance leaders – a galaxy of them – the most famous representative
being Swami Vivekananda. More than 100 years ago, he put it most emphatically –
“the whole of the west is standing on a peak of a volcano. It will burst within
50 years. What will save the west is the message of the Upanishads”. This prophet’s
message unfortunately was not taken seriously and the volcano has been erupting
time and again. Honest thinkers from the west have been expressing their frustration.
Eleanor Stark has expressed this disappointment in the famous book, The Gift
Unopened. The author wrote – “Columbus discovered the soil of America. Swami
Vivekananda discovered the soul of America”. Swami Vivekananda himself at the
end of his “Paper on Hinduism” presented at the Parliament of Religions explained
beautifully what he meant by the soul of America. –</b></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span><b><o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><span><b><o:p> </o:p>“Hail, Columbia, motherland of
liberty! It has been given to thee, who never dipped her hand in her neighbor’s
blood, who never found out that the shortest way of becoming rich was by robbing
one’s neighbors, it has been given to thee to march at the vanguard of civilization
with the flag of harmony”. (Complete Works Swami VivekanandaVol-1, Page 20).
But then, the history of the world took a different turn with world wars both cold
and hot. America the liberator, herself became the predator of weaker nations. Instead
of upholding the virtues of protecting and promoting democracy and human rights,
she herself started supporting and sustaining authoritarian regimes and
military juntas. In place of religious tolerance and cultural pluralism,
America herself became the biggest promoter of evangelization and also the creator of Jihadi
fundamentalism. With evangelization and marketization and also religious
fundamentalism and terrorism raising their ugly heads, creating chaos and confusion,
the humanity is struggling to find a ray of hope and an alternate way of life.
It is here in this crucial hour that India has to play her decisive role and
assert that it is “Manava Dharma” and not “Market forces” that would lead
mankind to its glorious destiny. But, for this, India has to set a model which
the world could emulate. That is precisely the need of the hour.</b></span></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span>P. Parmeswaran<o:p></o:p></span></b></p><p class="MsoNoSpacing" style="text-align: justify;">
</p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span><span>(Late President of Vivekananda Kendra)</span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span></b></p></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-5438577394680806502023-08-01T12:32:00.006+05:302023-10-31T17:17:54.105+05:30Universal Brotherhood Day :Yuva Bharati August-2023<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHq23KdERkop8TM0rjbdDzkSRM7WbzKLlY2II4e_FafpREbK4saX-dgOfd92F4X8Nau5FoeY-IcD-OyDFnRCU83vMpxCe3Gk8N19--KLEgexlVIvDCXBgK2HQW0zuuJp46TrxBv__q_1XI7LQCHvzz3_7FgBQxECNsf-H48CPAsMvArCB6LMWJyIUAOIo/s1453/VKPT_Yuva%20Bharati%20Magazine%20August%202023%20(1)%20-%20Copy.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1453" data-original-width="1052" height="392" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhHq23KdERkop8TM0rjbdDzkSRM7WbzKLlY2II4e_FafpREbK4saX-dgOfd92F4X8Nau5FoeY-IcD-OyDFnRCU83vMpxCe3Gk8N19--KLEgexlVIvDCXBgK2HQW0zuuJp46TrxBv__q_1XI7LQCHvzz3_7FgBQxECNsf-H48CPAsMvArCB6LMWJyIUAOIo/w400-h392/VKPT_Yuva%20Bharati%20Magazine%20August%202023%20(1)%20-%20Copy.jpg" width="400" /></a></div><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b style="font-size: 11pt;">For
organisational work to grow, Mananeeya Eknathji has given us chatusutri. The
base of chatusutri is contacts, lokasampark. The broader the base of chatusutri, more trained karyakartas we ultimately get for our
work at the fourth stage called lokavyavastha. The utsava of universal
brotherhood day is more for reaching out to new contacts and renewing the
earlier contacts and involving them in our work. We celebrate Universal
Brotherhood Day to test our strength as a team as to how many people can we
bring together for a function and also to reach out to the people effectively
with the message of Swami Vivekananda.</b></div></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><b> </b></o:p></span><b style="font-size: 11pt;">This
time to organise the universal brotherhood day, sit together to think at your
own Nagar level as to what all the ways should we adopt to make the function
attractive, very solemn, impressive and in what all ways can you reach out and
get maximum number of people. As we have completed 50 years as an organization,
can we think and get the strength of minimum 500 as audience? How that can be
achieved? Let all the Karyakartas in Nagar think, plan and execute it together.
After the function is over, you can report in activity group in Telegram about
how you worked to get more than 500 audience.</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>This
whole function is to be organized to give the message of Universal Brotherhood
properly. We have to see to it that proper understanding of the message of
Swami Vivekananda given on 11 September 1893 takes place through our entire program
- the speech by the chief guest, the geet, the demonstration of Yogasana, a
Pathanatya, the introduction of the Kendra activities, etc. The uniqueness of
the message of Swami Vivekananda and its relevance of the Universal Brotherhood
- is to be presented and projected very effectively.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>The
Parliament of Religions was organized at Chicago in 1893 to proclaim how
Christianity alone was a true religion. In Parliament of Religions, everyone
while addressing was stressing as to how his religion alone is the only true
religion. This exclusive approach has led to clashes and violence in the
history of mankind. Therefore, the whole history of exclusive religions is
written in blood and extermination of communities all over the world. The
terror attack on WTC on 11 September 2001 also proved the same thing in recent
years. The world is diverse. No two men or two leaves of the same tree are
exactly the same. The mental, attitudinal growth of each person is different so
there cannot be only one path to pray to God.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Swami
Vivekananda stressed that peace for world is ensured with the approach, which
says that each religion is valid for its followers. This approach is the
inclusive approach. It is inclusive because it understands the creation as the
manifestation of One and everything in it as its parts. Therefore, each nation
or religion, man or woman, family or community should accept others (not just
tolerate) and contribute for the well-being of all. Each soul is potentially
divine. Getting rooted in one’s own divine nature makes a person realize the
Oneness of existence and brotherhood of human society. This is a message that
Sanatana Dharma has given to the world and has to continue to give to the
world. It is to remind ourselves of this mission of India and also to give this
message, that we celebrate Universal Brotherhood Day.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>But
India had forgotten her mission. To awaken us to our ordained mission Sri
Ramakrishna took birth in 1836, exactly in the year when Macaulay introduced
his ‘Minutes on Education’ to enslave our minds completely and permanently. The
Macaulay education was deliberately designed to ridicule certain aspects of our
Dharma like</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Hindus are idol
worshippers, <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">They worship
devils, <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Their languages
are very crude and unless they learn English they cannot develop, <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; mso-list: l0 level1 lfo1; text-align: justify; text-indent: -.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">India can be
saved only if Hindus give up their Dharma and accept Jesus as the only son of
God and Christianity as the only true religion. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><b> </b></o:p></span><b style="font-size: 11pt;">Sri
Ramakrishna's life was exactly to show the fallacy in each of this point.</b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Sri Ramakrishna's
whole spiritual Sadhana starts with ‘idol' worship. He showed through his
Sadhana that we Hindus do not worship idols but worship God and realize Him
through these idols as other religions do through one or other symbols. Thus,
in all his Sadhanas, he saw Only God everywhere and even after the highest
realisation his worship through idols continued. The worship of God in idols is
the necessity of the beginner and is also the understanding of the realized.
Because once the Truth is realized, one finds God in all that is around. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">The chosen deity
of Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa for the ‘idol’ worship was Kali whose terrible
form may appear as devil for those who are in the nursery of spirituality. But
he, by his Sadhana, realized She as Mother of the Universe. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;"> </span></span></span><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Sri Ramakrishna
did not know English and yet the educated scholars like Keshava Chandra Sen,
Narendranath Dutta sat at his feet to get the knowledge. He showed that
ultimate knowledge to be acquired is beyond senses and languages, beyond Nama
and Roopa or beyond time and space. <o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="margin-left: 0in; text-align: justify; text-indent: -0.25in;"><!--[if !supportLists]--><b><span style="font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; font-size: 11.0pt; mso-bidi-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols"; mso-fareast-font-family: "Noto Sans Symbols";"><span style="mso-list: Ignore;">●<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-feature-settings: normal; font-kerning: auto; font-optical-sizing: auto; font-size: 7pt; font-stretch: normal; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-variation-settings: normal; line-height: normal;">
</span></span></span><!--[endif]--><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">Sri Ramakrishna
practiced various sadhanas including praying to Jesus and Allah and yet he
remained in the Hindu Dharma nurtured by the Rishi tradition. He realized by
his spiritual practices that Jesus was a son of God but not the only son of
God. By his Sadhana of these exclusive religions he proved that the exclusive
claims of Christians and Muslims are incorrect. After undergoing all types of
spiritual practices he said, "The Hindu religion alone is the Sanatana Dharma.
The various creeds you hear nowadays have come into existence through the will
of God and will disappear again through His will. They will not last forever.
Therefore, I say, "I bow down at the feet of even the modern
devotees." The Hindu religion has always existed and will always
exist." (The Gospel of Sri Ramakrishna 6 Ed, P. 610)<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Sanatana Dharma is not about many Gods or
One God but is based on the vision that there is only God. The whole creation
is only an expression of God and God alone. This vision leads to inclusive and
universal approach as everything becomes sacred and divine.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Swami Vivekananda was a disciple of such a person.
Therefore, it was very natural that when Swami Vivekananda went to America to
participate in the Parliament of Religions he stressed that all religions are
valid. The whole Sadhana of Sri Ramakrishna was behind his words. And,
therefore, it created such an everlasting impact on Western audience.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span><span style="mso-tab-count: 1;"> </span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Romain
Rolland puts the effect in the following words. " On Monday, September 11,
1893, the first session of the Parliament was opened...but it was the young man
(Vivekananda) who represented nothing – and everything – the man belonging to
no sect, but rather to India as a whole, who drew the glance of the assembled
thousands...his speech was like a tongue of flame, it fired the souls of the
listening throng.... Each of the other orators had spoken of his God, of the
God of his sect. He – he alone – spoke of all their Gods, and embraced them all
in the Universal Being. It was the breath of Ramakrishna, breaking down the
barriers through the mouth of his great disciple... During the ensuing days he
spoke again ten or twelve times. Each time he repeated with new arguments but
with the same force of conviction his thesis of a universal religion without
limit of time or space, uniting the whole Credo of human spirit from the
enslaved fetishism of the savage to the most liberal creative affirmations of
modern science. He harmonised them into a magnificent synthesis, which...helped
all hopes to grow and flourish according to their own proper nature. <u>There was to be no other dogma but the
divinity inherent in man and his capacity of indefinite evolution..</u>.
The effect of these mighty words was immense. Over the heads of the official
representatives of the Parliament they were addressed to all and appealed to
outside thought. Vivekananda's fame at once spread abroad, and India as a whole
benefited..."</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Swami
Vivekananda, who completely surrendered himself to his most wonderful Master
Sri Ramakrishna Paramahamsa, could have easily given in to the temptation of
talking about him. But then he was there to represent all Hindus, the whole
Rishi tradition. So in the true spirit of a Hindu, his speech gave the common
principles of Hindus of all sects. In Sister Nivedita's words, "Of the
Swami's address before the Parliament of Religions, it may be said that when he
began to speak it was of 'the religious ideas of the Hindus', but when he
ended, Hinduism was created…. For it was no experience of his own that rose to
the lips of the Swami Vivekananda there. He did not even take advantage of the
occasion to tell the story of his Master. Instead of either of these, it was
the religious consciousness of India that spoke through him, the message of his
whole people, as determined by their whole past...Others stood beside the Swami
Vivekananda, on the same platform as he, as apostles of particular creeds and
churches. But it was his glory that he came to preach a religion to which each
of these was, in his own words, 'only a traveling, a coming up, of different
men, and women, through various conditions and circumstances to the same
goal".<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><o:p><b> </b></o:p></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Swamiji
who was proud of his religion and nation, which he unequivocally proclaimed
there, could have stressed the greatness of his religion alone. But then he was
there to represent the 'inclusive' and therefore, the universal aspects of
Hindu Dharma so as to guide all other religions on the path of Universality.
Though he never mentioned the name of Sri Ramakrishna or any other Rishi in his
speech, it was only their teachings that he spoke. In one of his letters he
wrote, "But there is one thing to know: Great sages come with special
messages for the world, and not for name; but their followers throw their
teachings overboard and fight over their names-this is verily the history of
the world. I do not take into any consideration whether people accept his name
or not, but I am ready to lay down my life to help his teachings, his life, and
his message spread all over the world."<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>Thus,
if anyone insists on the specific name and form of God as the only true name
and only true form then it would lead to clashes. The insistence on name and
form brings divisions. If we stress on the ‘message’ alone then Brotherhood is
possible, because any realized soul is inclusive and therefore, Universal in
approach. A really spiritual person has to be inclusive. If someone claims
spiritual status but is exclusive in his religious approach, then his claim of
spirituality is false.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><a name="_gjdgxs"></a><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;">To make whole celebration meaningful and looking
forward, we can focus on the message of Swami Vivekananda which Romain Rolland
quotes as 'the divinity inherent in man and his capacity of indefinite
evolution… ' What does it mean? To explain it in Sri Aurobindo’s terminology –
it is the inner centre that holds each individuals highest evolutionary
calling. It is the seat of what he called ‘true being’, and it is from here, he
maintained, that a power and wisdom arises that sees perfectly in every
instance what <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">is</i>, what must be done, and by what means to realise it's
ultimate purpose. These cues, he says, are typically muffled in layers of ego,
conditioning, and negative tendencies. But through persistent aspiration and
effort one can encounter the presence of true being and increasingly dwell in
it to evolve further.’</span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><b>For
India to rise and even after rising, more and more Bharatiyas have to be rooted
in one's true being. In deeper layers of meditation, when we are rooted in the
inner being we feel one with it and that strengthens the basis of brotherhood.
Can our celebrations of Universal brotherhood day, focus on these both aspects?
Outwardly, clarity of thought and inwardly rooted in Atman which frees us from
our petty ego. </b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: 11.0pt;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Nivedita Raghunath Bhide</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b>(Vice-President)</b></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-50486019734318361062023-07-01T14:04:00.025+05:302023-07-14T14:23:50.842+05:30Gurupoornima: Yuva Bharati - July 2023<p> </p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b></b></span></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWJegSaXxuqePXNdZ71qDWiMyymP3SZhcf7cx2xfYr9zdtn2yj-8UgxMr4bDUbJ9CZYqzjmVGw1EOZVzWEIB9w_cwhIn-GbY-pZeiwft2bO5BC_xRQHzlkmzWhzU_KQjTBEfvFZNGgJXxo1NILWXAoJqTtgKGqOdjNWkBfIbghSdklHGPwidGqOlJkSk/s2835/Yuva%20Bharati%20Magazine%20July%202023.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2835" data-original-width="2032" height="483" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhcWJegSaXxuqePXNdZ71qDWiMyymP3SZhcf7cx2xfYr9zdtn2yj-8UgxMr4bDUbJ9CZYqzjmVGw1EOZVzWEIB9w_cwhIn-GbY-pZeiwft2bO5BC_xRQHzlkmzWhzU_KQjTBEfvFZNGgJXxo1NILWXAoJqTtgKGqOdjNWkBfIbghSdklHGPwidGqOlJkSk/w346-h483/Yuva%20Bharati%20Magazine%20July%202023.jpg" width="346" /></a></b></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>The
Gurupoornima for this year is on 3rd July. Gurupoornima is an occasion to
remind ourselves that we are doing the work of Isvara – ‘<i>Isvaraprityartham</i>’
or as we say in Kendra Prarthana '<i>nijaparamahitartham</i>' - nija means in
this context for one's own Self as well as for the society. The Self refers
here to the divinity within i.e. we have taken up this work for manifesting the
divinity within and for worshiping the divine which is pervading everywhere in
our society and in nature.</b></div><o:p></o:p></b><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>The Jayanti
of Maharishi Veda Vyasa is celebrated since time immemorial in our country as
Gurupoornima. His whole life was to organize the Vedas and our Vedic heritage
in such a way that its continuity and purposefulness is maintained. The message
of Oneness given by Vedas is essential for the well-being of the world which is
getting disintegrated because of excessive materialism and individualism. The
humanity for its further spiritual evolution needs this Vedic Vision of
Oneness. It is the work of Ishvara. But to be able to do that we Indians need
to shake off our confused understanding of Dharma which is limited at present
only to religious practices; we also need to shake off whatever lethargy,
jealousy and selfishness that has entered due to the invasions and the colonial
rule. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>Since the
testing times of invasions and more since the time of Swami Vivekananda,
various organized efforts are being taken up, for establishing Dharma.
Vivekananda Kendra is also one such effort. While explaining Swami
Vivekananda’s message, Mananeeya Eknathji used to tell that, “Intense practice
of Dharma means experiencing the presence of God in one’s own self and in the
world. That makes one conscious of the divine within and urges him to work for
its unfoldment and enables him to grow spiritually. Simultaneously, it
generates in him a sense of oneness with God’s creation and, consequently, an
intense fellow-feeling for the members of his own species – the human race –
and prompts him to work with zest for human welfare and progress… If, and as
long as, the spiritual awakening intensifies on these lines, it is dynamic and
full of tremendous potentialities for the transformation of humanity into
higher and higher planes of existence. But, if it remains limited to rituals,
forms of worship and offerings to God, or prayers and praises addressed to Him,
it becomes static and has hardly any role to play in human advancement.” Being
aware of the need of the society, Eknathji envisaged a thought movement which
would take into account the natural god-wardness of our people and channelize
it in man-wardness for practicing Dharma which helps one manifest one’s
divinity and also propels him to work for the society. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>For
Eknathji, the Memorial for Swami Vivekananda was not limited to the one at the
Rock but he wanted a vibrant memorial to Swami Vivekananda ‘in an organized
efforts’ so that India becomes capable in delivering her mission. Therefore,
Eknathji founded Vivekananda Kendra, a spiritually oriented service mission.
Explaining about the need of such organization Eknathji said, “The remedy for
the ills of our country, therefore, lies in launching a mighty movement of
right thought sweeping the entire country. It has to be a two-pronged move. On
the one hand, it is to be aimed at (1) transforming our people’s inherent
God-wardness into the right spiritual urge rising out of the teachings of the
Upanishads, namely, (a) each soul is potentially divine and (b) faith in God,
in turn means faith in one’s self, i.e. in one’s potentiality to rise to divine
heights. On the other hand, it is (2) to convert the spiritual fervour thus
released into works of national reconstruction." <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>To continue
with vigour such spiritually oriented work, a timeless source of inspiration
and guidance is required. A source which represents all that India has stood
for; a source to which Karyakarta has to surrender and also can draw succour
for oneself; a source which can motivate a karyakarta coming from any region
and tradition of India; a source which would link Karyakartas to the hoary past
of our ancient land and yet has the potentiality to embrace the whole world is
to be accepted. Obviously a personality howsoever great could not be chosen for
the same. In this Ishwariya Karya – God’s work -who should be our guide other
than Ishwara? Our Kendra prayer also focuses on <i>Tavaivakaryartham Iha
Upajatah</i> – we are born to do Your work only. Our guide in doing this work
of God is none other than God Himself. How is God understood? How will He speak
to us? <i>Tasya Vachakah Pranavah</i> says Patanjali. The God speaks to us
through Omkar. Omkar is verily the expression of God. Thus, Omkar Upasana is
necessary for those who work for the well-being of the whole universe.
Therefore, in Vivekananda Kendra, Omkar is our Guru. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>Omkar
encompasses all the names and forms of God. When we say God is our guide what
do we mean? God is not going to tell us directly to do this or do that. The
whole universe has come out of Omkar, thus God has manifested as this universe.
Swami Vivekananda says, “When He is less manifested, it is called darkness,
evil; and when He is more manifested, it is called light. That is all. Good and
evil are only a question of degree: more manifested or less manifested. …The
difference is only in degree. It is all a manifestation of that Atman; He is
being manifested in everything; only, when the manifestation is (covered) very
thickly we call it evil; and when it is (covered) very thinly, we call it good.
It is the best, when all covering goes away. So everything that is in the
universe is to be meditated upon in that sense alone, that we can see it as all
good, because it is the best.” <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>Where there
is thought for others, service of others, absence of selfishness, absence of
jealousy; Ishwara is manifested more explicitly. Thus, Ishwara is manifested in
our Karya, our dayitva and also in the team of Karyakartas with whom we work. When
we worship our Guru, it means actually we are reiterating our resolve to be steadfast
to our goal, to work in an organized way. Therefore, Omkar as our Guru gives us
the understanding that individual opinions are to be submitted for collective
wisdom; the collective decisions are taken as the guidance of God; each
Karyakarta becomes precious to all; organizational functioning and discipline
is followed as sacred Sadhana. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>Omkar means
affirmation, creation, inclusive approach and self-effacement. Thus, every
Karyakarta by Omkar Upasana strives for self-effacement and is constructive and
positive in his approach. Omkar Upasana has been followed in India since time
immemorial and thus India has been inclusive in her approach. To maintain and
nurture this all inclusive and all-embracing spiritual tradition of India many
Rishis, saints, warriors have lived and died for it. Thus, Omkar Upasana also
means all those personalities, incidents become the source of inspiration for
us to keep the flame of this spiritual land alive and vibrant. <o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in; text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>In this
'Vishesh Prashikshan Varsha', celebrating Gurupurnima gives added significance
as it enables us to inculcate the vision and values with which we should work.
We can focus this year on the practice of self-enrichment as we celebrate
Gurupoornima in our branch centers so as to strengthen ourselves as a right
instrument in the hands of God. </b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>Some of the quotes picked from different
sources that we can ponder upon for self enrichment are : </b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>The best way to change the world is in
concentric circles: start with yourself and work your way out from there.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>The other best way to change the world, start
celebrating others' success, and learning to listen.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>You're never ready for what you have to do.
You just do it. That makes you ready.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>Success is better when credit is shared with
the team. </b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>Learn to listen. Opportunity sometimes knocks
very softly.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>The myth is that there isn't enough time.
There is plenty of time. There isn't enough focus with the time you have. You
win by directing your attention toward better things.</b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><b><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;">It's hard to remember that this day will never
come again. That the time is now and the place is here and that there are no
second chances at a single moment. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman", "serif"; font-size: 12pt;"> </span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b>A happy life consists not in the absence of
hardships, but in the mastery of hardships.</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b><br /></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0.0001pt; text-align: right;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"><span> </span>Nivedita Raghunath Bhide</b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; margin-bottom: 0in;"><span lang="EN-IN" style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman"; mso-fareast-language: EN-IN; mso-font-kerning: 0pt; mso-ligatures: none;"></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: right;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b>(Vice-President)</b><o:p></o:p></span></p><b style="font-family: "Times New Roman"; font-size: medium;"></b><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-61781431993762345932023-06-01T17:30:00.010+05:302023-06-06T09:58:00.722+05:30 It's India’s story, not just Kerala’s… : Yuva Bharati - June 2023<p style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1418" data-original-width="1016" height="635" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiW_mmkeWZgjy3w3439OfTRK--LWAEkFTvQhdFaY4icV_0WXbm0P5LoAzWvHB8QfS5UtbbYNq6L3ZYDkFKGj4U38GiQUPE-ObthqH79wbpL-r_ZYOf01xsvrWFkSp81nmwPK4tx4NkgbkCpE59oK-nFQXm_5bM3ErKGA3X6ckELE3Nfp21Ussw6Z2h8/w387-h635/cover.jpg" width="387" /></b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The release of the Movie “The Kerala Story” kicked up a controversy
recently. The movie showing the darker sides of the proselytizing face of Islam
is bound to raise many dissenting voices. This is not unexpected in a society
where tyrants like Tipu Sultan are glorified. The movie centers around the
alleged religious indoctrination in Kerala and how Hindu and Christian girls
are being targeted by radical Islamic clerics. The film claims that these women
were converted to Islam and later sent to countries like Yemen and Syria, “to
fight for the cause of Islam”. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: medium;">The liberals in Kerala which includes two major political parties who
are opposed to this movie stating that it spreads hate and false information
intended to defame Muslims and Kerala. One of their arguments in opposing the
movie is that the movie peddles a very big number as the women who have been
converted and sent to other countries to fight the religious war. They say that
the number is far less and not in thousands as alleged in the Film. Even the
liberals who are the campaign managers for the anti-India forces are not able
to outrightly deny it. Let us assume that the numbers are less as argued by the
liberals. Does it reduce the enormity of issue? The fact that these elements
are having a free hand in a culturally rooted state like Kerala to hoodwink the
women in the guise of Love, convert them to their religion for the sake of
Marriage, brainwash them in the name of imparting religious teaching and then
transport them to hostile territories which are not safe for even men, proves
that these fundamentalist elements are having enough scope and support in our
country to operate and carry out their designs. Whether the number is ten or
ten thousand, it is something to worry about. And this is not something that is
confined to Kerala alone. The borders of our cultural nation are breached and
we hear the sad stories from every other state.<o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: medium;">There is a question which the Hindu society has to ponder about. How a
person who was brought up in a culture for twenty years, is made turn up
against it within six months or one year? They even go to the extent of working
against the country and killing their own brethren. Does this mean that the
campaign by the fundamentalists is so powerful and compelling? We have to a
soul searching here.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>Anybody in his sane
elements will reject these fundamentalist doctrines for their sheer absence of
Logic and its ruthless intention to hurt others who do not subscribe to their
point of view. Then what is that which lures them?<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>What can our society do to avert this? The
absence of connect to their cultural roots and heritage is the main reason for
this. We have to groom our kids to be proud of our culture. This is an uphill
task, but a task of civilizational importance, because the narrative which is
popular among our youth make them shun all the symbols of our culture. It
starts from small things like the Bindi on the Fore head or our ethnic dresses,
or the rituals one should follow, to the Indian way of life, our medicines, our
art forms, our value systems. Our youth are ready to shun them for embracing
the alternatives from the west. This situation must be reversed. Swami
Vivekananda once said that, we must think hundred times before rejecting
anything from our culture and should think thousand times before accepting
anything from other cultures. <o:p></o:p></span></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: medium;">We as a society are duty bound to make them feel proud about their own
heritage, because it is now or never.</span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b> V.V.Balasubramanian</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><span style="font-size: medium;"></span></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>YB-ET</b></p><br /><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-68580402062012206462023-05-01T15:03:00.008+05:302023-10-31T17:21:00.468+05:30Progress to the destined role. : May 2023<p> <br /></p><h2 style="text-align: center;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Progress to the destined role.</span></h2>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>Vishwa Guru<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQWsj0X6Yx2fJm3PxtVY9tiOxdIiNlp41tpqGTIT2QdxElOTJB78auQaAsEPJO52g8tuveZ8n1MxeGNpQPr6ASNnB8dUKeN4NTCGDzZrrZX41nelxrOzkvBmrQ5tLCxtbZ3MMm_p4-LfkXqbsZNxlz9BIzdars2zr_xxuBNMOjbPqALzqo43JEDQy/s2835/May%202023..jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><b><img border="0" data-original-height="2835" data-original-width="2067" height="536" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjyQWsj0X6Yx2fJm3PxtVY9tiOxdIiNlp41tpqGTIT2QdxElOTJB78auQaAsEPJO52g8tuveZ8n1MxeGNpQPr6ASNnB8dUKeN4NTCGDzZrrZX41nelxrOzkvBmrQ5tLCxtbZ3MMm_p4-LfkXqbsZNxlz9BIzdars2zr_xxuBNMOjbPqALzqo43JEDQy/w391-h536/May%202023..jpg" width="391" /></b></a></div><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Many of us would have heard the terms Bharat, the Jagat Guru or India,
the Vishwa Guru, uttered by our boudhik pramukhs in the Hindu organizations.
These terms are being dismissed by our liberal society as cliched or mere rhetoric
propagated by the right wing. But during the second week of April, we heard
this term from totally unexpected quarters. It came from the deputy foreign
minister of Ukraine Emine Dzhaparova. She while requesting India to intervene
and play a greater role in bringing peace to the war-torn country of Her’s,
also said that Ukraine views India as a Vishwaguru. For the first time in many
years, we got to know about how other countries view us. She also said that our
country has an important civilizational voice and Ukraine shares a common path
with us as we promote values. This is in tune with the rising popularity of
India as a Global Power.</b></div></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>We witnessed in recent times how our country managed to wriggle out of problems
like the Pandemic and the problematic economic condition the world is currently
in. While many around the world thought that India is one country which may
find it difficult to handle such crisis because of its huge population, we
proved to them wrong as we not only managed the crisis but also reached out
with help to other countries. India’s image has improved globally through these
endeavors, that too in spite of the farcical coverage by the biased western
media. Our Prime Minister Sri Modi ji also chided the western media for this
biased approach. The recent G20 presidency is another good opportunity for
India to showcase her economic progress as well as the rich cultural heritage.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>However, while we head the G20 summit and we are being hailed by foreign
ministers and countries and even after helping the United states by supplying
crucial medicines during the pandemic, when it comes to Indian students trying
to study in foreign countries with the help of scholarships, many universities
view our nation as a third world country and it lays down rules that the
student who wishes to study in that particular university has to have taken up
some leadership role apart from studies in order to qualify for the scholarship
programs. It puts them in a spot where they have to prove their credentials
which students from few other countries will not be needing to. This shows that
we must not settle with the praise we are getting as there are developments and
improvements which need to be done and it is high time, we take back the glory
our country once had.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>Students should be able to study whatever they want, wherever they want
and that should happen because of the fact that India is really a vishwaguru
and not because India is a third world country in the eyes of other countries’
education systems. The New Education policy which will be implemented from the 2023
- 2024 academic year could be the first step to that reform and the recent
scrapping of chapters about Mughal invaders portrayed as emperors is a good
step to denounce the false narrative and teach India’s future leaders, the
correct history and history as it happened and not as how it was told to us
through these false narratives. It would be great to see our country take its
rightful place globally as it is high time we bounce back from the countless
years of invasion and colonization. To do that we must take all the praise and
recognition we are receiving and move forward using them as motivation rather
than slowing down.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span>V.V.Balasubramanian</b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>YB-ET</b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-44007706842698568972023-04-01T14:11:00.006+05:302023-04-01T14:11:00.204+05:30Vasudaiva Kutumbakam… :April 2023<p style="text-align: justify;"><b> </b></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiDHIkTrZn4E0F0yGC9yqcit_R9Lpq59I3yYLy_vVznN1Rxf-RO6mfkYYm4_GwPvDz0757KXz1bSnJZQYgHiw-FHhtbZtr7-VW1yYiOoDuO0U4N8Exco5-h0WmtAogYLzeVC2jkrqTFIzHn_RFs2ALAi6YGOMRPJQXctqvBhESoQJFyovjmiFSlE6/s5787/April%2023.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5787" data-original-width="4219" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhRiDHIkTrZn4E0F0yGC9yqcit_R9Lpq59I3yYLy_vVznN1Rxf-RO6mfkYYm4_GwPvDz0757KXz1bSnJZQYgHiw-FHhtbZtr7-VW1yYiOoDuO0U4N8Exco5-h0WmtAogYLzeVC2jkrqTFIzHn_RFs2ALAi6YGOMRPJQXctqvBhESoQJFyovjmiFSlE6/w291-h400/April%2023.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b>India has taken up the
responsibility of presidentship for the G20 summit for the year 2023. This is a
premier forum intended for International economic cooperation. It plays an
important role in shaping the governance on all major international economic issues.
Being the biggest democracy and home to 1.4 billion people India befits the
role in more ways than one, though the responsibility comes to every one of the
member countries by rotation. The logo for this year’s summit is Vasudaiva
Kutumbakam, One earth, One family, One future. As one of the oldest surviving
civilizations of the world and a country with a rich plurality, this message is
not another jargon but one that comes from India’s vast civilizational
experience. This message is also the one which is the need of the hour. We
demonstrated this message through our action during Covid Pandemic crisis, with
our Vaccine diplomacy. The Logo and the Theme together convey this much needed
message in a powerful manner.<span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>They
represent the Indian Vedantic ideal of living in Harmony with the Nature and
fellow beings. <o:p></o:p></b></span><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">While we gear ourselves to
celebrate the humanity with measures that can sustain and foster happiness for
all, we do hear some detestable voices in some parts of our country. In the
last couple of months there is a rise in the voice against the migrant workers
in Tamilnadu. This is not just against the ethos of our plural culture but also
against the Constitution. Our constitution Guarantees safety to each and every
citizen through its article 19 (1)(e) which says that every citizen of India
has the right to reside and settle in any part of India. The hue and cry is not
just against the people who are in the white collar job, but also against the
poor workers who migrate to other parts of India for their survival. These
protests completely hide the fact that there is very minimal workforce
available in the state. The business community is forced to seek the workforce
from other parts of the country. No one would prefer to employ a labour who is
not conversant with the local language. But in spite of hardships faced in the
working environment, the migrant workers quickly adapt to the new
circumstances, learning the local language, and bridging the gap between them
and their employer. The same vested interests who protest now will be mute when
the issue of illegal immigrants is raised. For them an illegal immigrant, who
is inimical to the sovereignty of our nation is more acceptable than their own
countrymen. The abhorrent voices raised just in time when we gear ourselves up
to deliver the Universal Brotherhood message to the world from a responsible
position is not a mere coincidence. This only shows that the path ahead in our journey
towards the ideal is full of challenges. The strength of falsehood lies in its
power to propagate, while the strength of truth is inherent in its message.
Satyam Eva </span><span style="font-family: "Tahoma","sans-serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"></span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;">Jayate.<o:p></o:p></span></b></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span>V.V.Balasubramanian.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p><p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; line-height: 107%; mso-ansi-language: EN-US;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <br /></span> YB-ET</b></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-24677279624076895112023-03-01T17:38:00.003+05:302023-03-28T14:11:12.752+05:30The Spirit of Holi…<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCJJOoSlgczFAfhSGLkvVObO372g0Icgy1BmWCPYnKmHUDicnN_gsxlsEAGjgufRe1929eZsdChMVtYJqjB70ZQgXjqqWNs7BdWGqEWlAGEo-Mqh6wgrSBRMsjkTM5iyxnYq5o_tr20enC7DOLAEgb3dUBvK7FrioAW58P9hXvXbxGg-OUAqM1hnx/s1890/March%202023.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1378" height="344" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWCJJOoSlgczFAfhSGLkvVObO372g0Icgy1BmWCPYnKmHUDicnN_gsxlsEAGjgufRe1929eZsdChMVtYJqjB70ZQgXjqqWNs7BdWGqEWlAGEo-Mqh6wgrSBRMsjkTM5iyxnYq5o_tr20enC7DOLAEgb3dUBvK7FrioAW58P9hXvXbxGg-OUAqM1hnx/w250-h344/March%202023.jpg" width="250" /></a></div>Just like the Bhogi festival in Tamilnadu, people in other parts of our country celebrate Holi, a festival which symbolizes the victory of Good over Evil. People throughout India celebrate this colorful festival with great zeal and enthusiasm. As one of the oldest festivals, there are many interesting stories associated with the festival's origin as one moves across the different states from North to South and East to West. Holi is famous as Basant Utsav in rural India. Gulal, abeer and pichkaris are synonymous with the festival. Elaborate plans are made to throw colors at the near and dear ones. Everybody wants to be the first one to color the other. In the ensuing battle of colors, everybody is drowned not just in colors of gulal but also in love and mirth. People love to drench others and themselves in colored water. </b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b>But amidst all these festivities we should not forget the real spirit of this festival, which is to destroy the evils within oneself. While taking the festival to the next generation along with its puranic references is important, this symbolism should also be told to them. It marks the end of winter and beginning of spring. It marks the beginning of blossoming and fertility. All our festivals are in one way or the other intended to purify us internally. The vratas, japas and other elaborate processes which we undergo in each and every festival are meant for this self unfoldment only. Many of our festivals are celebrated with great pomp and buoyancy with the society. However splendorous they are, they still are for our personal refinement. Likewise, Holika Dahan also should remind us of getting rid of our negative emotions like Ego, Selfishness, wickedness, Greed, Lust and excessive indulgence in materialistic pleasures. Tradition and Culture will have meaning and bear fruits when we remember and imbibe the spirit behind observing them. This will not only help us but will also ensure that the legacy is carried on without any generation loss.</b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></div><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><b><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>V.V.Balasubramanian</div><div class="separator" style="clear: both;"> YB-ET</div></b></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-59981639353374225432023-02-01T17:06:00.008+05:302023-03-13T17:38:10.561+05:30Somnath: The Spirit of Sanatana and Invincible Bharat : February 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0as-HGBxWUS1jwfVeCYh82CeWooVTI74j28xp9hV6vhRcGw-_VB96G0xJhEVXR1phIjCZhUZR-UHs7lKfnTjbSJ7nINOrXoiFRj11uGyCzOKSfqN_H9iAFZyhUaDfVn-ETWEgQvGGylru3NLH2saYG0PNbyA62TNNwVrTa5bDBwjHW2NzNUUJNPJ/s2835/FEB%2023-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="2835" data-original-width="2067" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg0as-HGBxWUS1jwfVeCYh82CeWooVTI74j28xp9hV6vhRcGw-_VB96G0xJhEVXR1phIjCZhUZR-UHs7lKfnTjbSJ7nINOrXoiFRj11uGyCzOKSfqN_H9iAFZyhUaDfVn-ETWEgQvGGylru3NLH2saYG0PNbyA62TNNwVrTa5bDBwjHW2NzNUUJNPJ/w291-h400/FEB%2023-1.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><b> Though one can read about Somnath from various angles in this volume, howsoever what Somnath really stands for? Somnath temple represents the spirit of Sanatana Bharat and the invincible Bharat.</b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The wealth of Somnath attracted many greedy invaders. But it was not just wealth that motivated them. Actually, they were possessed by their exclusive religious ideology which taught them that their god was the only true god and others worshiped just idols. Thus their gods are false gods worth to be destroyed. They believed so much in their fallacy that they thought that if they break the 'idols', the 'idolators' will lose their faith. They did not know that Hindus worship Bhagawan in all the forms. We worship the One who is formless, who is ever present in all the forms and thus even if the forms are broken, the formless continues to exist everywhere, pervading everything. It is like the space in the pot. If the pot is broken, the space continues to exist. The eternal is always present.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Those who hold on to Eternal, cannot be wiped out at the destruction of the ethereal or apparent. This fact, the invaders just failed to understand and so they thought that if the temples were broken, these Hindus would be finished. They did not know that they were attacking India at a very superficial level. And thus the moment the invaders turned their back or as the Hindus gathered back their strength, again and again the grand temples arose. India thus holding on to the Eternal became invincible. The temple of Somnath symbolises the eternal and invincible Bharat.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Someone might ask that if India is Sanatana and invincible, why was there such degradation? Swami Vivekananda answers, 'There have been periods of decay and degradation. I do not attach much importance to them; we all know that. Such periods have been necessary. A mighty tree produces a beautiful ripe fruit. That fruit falls on the ground, it decays and rots, and out of that decay springs the root and the future tree, perhaps mightier than the first one. This period of decay through which we have passed was all the more necessary. Out of this decay is coming the India of the future; it is sprouting, its first leaves are already out; and a mighty, gigantic tree, the Urdhvamula, is here, already beginning to appear...'</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Thus the intervening period of degradation was necessary for India to rise again more glorious to respond to the problems of humanity. To manifest the invincibility of India, to make her great again, to enable India to fulfill her ordained mission, Swami Vivekananda emphasized mainly on three things. Firstly, realizing that Dharma is the life center of India, we should practice Dharma vibrantly. Secondly, to unify the scattered spiritual forces of our nation focus on the life-giving common principles of our Dharma so that these are internalized. And thirdly, the need of the organized efforts to enable India to her ordained mission of helping humanity to evolve spiritually.</b></p><p><b>Dharma: The life center of India</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Dharma is the life-center of India. Swami Vivekanand explains this, 'We have seen that our vigour, our strength, nay, our national life is in our Dharma. I am not going to discuss now whether it is right or not, whether it is correct or not, 'whether it is beneficial or not in the long run, to have this vitality in Dharma, but for good or evil it is there; you cannot get out of it, you have it now and for ever, and you have to stand by it, even if you have not the same faith that I have in our Dharma. You are bound by it, and if you give it up, you are smashed to pieces. That is the life of our race and that must be strengthened. You have withstood the shocks of centuries simply because you took great care of it, you sacrificed everything else for it. Your forefathers underwent everything boldly, even death itself, but preserved their Dharma. Temple after temple was broken down by the foreign conqueror, but no sooner had the wave passed than the spire of the temple rose up again. Some of these old temples of Southern India and those like Somnâth of Gujarat will teach you volumes of wisdom, will give you a keener insight into the history of the race than any amount of books. Mark how these temples bear the marks of a hundred attacks and a hundred regenerations, continually destroyed and continually springing up out of the ruins, rejuvenated and strong as ever! That is the national mind, that is the national life-current. Follow it and it leads to glory. Give it up and you die; death will be the only result, annihilation the only effect, the moment you step beyond that life-current. I do not mean to say that other things are not necessary. I do not mean to say that political or social improvements are not necessary, but what I mean is this, and I want you to bear it in mind, that they are secondary here and that Dharma is primary.' </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></p><p><b>Uniting the Scattered Spiritual Forces</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b> How do we bring together the scattered strength in India? Swami Vivekananda said, 'The one common ground that we have is our sacred tradition, our Dharma. That is the only common ground, and upon that we shall have to build. In Europe, political ideas form the national unity. In Asia, Dharmik ideals form the national unity. The unity in Dharma, therefore, is absolutely necessary as the first condition of the future of India. There must be the recognition of one Dharma throughout the length and breadth of this land. What do I mean by one Dharma? Not in the sense of one religion as held among the Christians, or the Mohammedans, or the Buddhists. We know that our Dharma has certain common grounds, common to all our sects, however varying their conclusions may be, however different their claims may be. So there are certain common grounds; and within their limitation this Dharma of ours admits of a marvellous variation, an infinite amount of liberty to think and live our own lives. We all know that, at least those of us who have thought; and what we want is to bring out these lifegiving common principles of our Dharma, and let every man, woman, and child, throughout the length and breadth of this country, understand them, know them, and try to bring them out in their lives. This is the first step; and, therefore, it has to be taken.'</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>He further says, 'We see how in Asia, and especially in India, race difficulties, linguistic difficulties, social difficulties, national difficulties, all melt away before this unifying power of Dharma. We know that to the Indian mind there is nothing higher than Dharmik ideals, that this is the keynote of Indian life, and we can only work in the line of least resistance.'</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>In the speech 'Common bases of Hinduism' given by Swami Vivekananda we read about these life-giving principles. In Spite of the various sampradaya, the principles which are common are to us all are: God is everywhere, the existence is interconnected and interdependent; the manifested existence is without beginning and without end, it just disappears and appears again but is not destroyed; man is not body but Atman; man takes many births as per his karma; death is not an end to existence but just giving up the body to take another one; Atman is ever pure, eternal and immortal; the purpose of human life is to know Atman, our real Self; Dharma is not in believing but in being and becoming.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></p><p><b>The need of organized efforts</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Swami Vivekananda wanted us to organize to serve the needy and deprived persons in the society at the same time to rejuvenate our motherland. To attack on our temples, like Somnath, we could give a befitting reply only when we organized. The attacks on our civilization and Dharma continue even today though the nature of it is different. The attacks are more at thought level. Thus we need to organize to respond to those attacks. But the organizing ourself is not reactionary in nature. Even if the attacks are not there, we need to organize and work for raising the mankind to the higher consciousness, as only that can solve many problems facing humanity like, disintegration, degradation of nature, excessive individualism, crass selfishness and fanaticism that come out of exclusive religious ideologies. For all this we have to refocus on and internalise our life-giving principles. The thought that led to the formation of Vivekananda Kendra is based on these life giving principles. As Atman is our real Swaroopa, we must have conviction in our Atmic strength, which is eternal. Then while working for the society, whatever might be the problems we shall not crumble. The more we are rooted in our Atman, more we shall feel affinity, oneness with all. And thus working for Dharma, serving others without any apparent expectations like fame, money and power or subtle expectations like satisfaction of ego etc., will become spontaneous. In short, if we hold on to the Eternal, we become invincible; no change in situations, relationships, health status, behaviour of others, our own mental afflictions can deter us from the work for Dharma. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>In the book 'Spiritualising Life' Mananeeya Eknathji explains how a Kendra karyakarta should hold on to the unchangeable, the eternal in him so that he can face all the challenges. He says, 'To change the atmosphere, you must have an element of ‘Unchangeable’ in you. The gravitational pulls are so much that unless you are extraordinarily conscious of your own duty and your own role you will be undone in no time. If you have to change the atmosphere there must be some element of ‘unchangeable’ in you. Others change within two minutes, whereas you take five minutes. But you also change. You also don’t have resistance. The question is of only degrees. People fall a victim within 10 minutes and you fall a victim after 20 minutes. How the change could be brought about? So it means there must be at least a few persons who stand out and take upon themselves the responsibilities of bringing about a change in the society. Those who feel ordained to do it; those who feel called upon to do it; what should be their nature, what may be their quality? If in them there is something, some element that makes them different from others, and especially in the society where things are going wrong and only few people are there who can deliver the goods then more responsibilities lie upon them.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>'Self-propelled workers do not know going back. Today in our country the situation is like this. Suppose a ton of wet fuel is put on the small fire, it will not be the fuel which will begin to burn. It will be the fire which will get extinguished. There may be fire. But then if the timber is wet, if the wet fuel is going to fall upon that small glow, fire would not be enough to set off the power of the whole lot of fuel. The timber will extinguish the fire. The fire will not burn them. This is the position. So you must have extra-ordinary inspiration in you. Then alone you can bring about a change. So when we say we are preparing a cadre of workers that means specialized cadre who are outstanding, and ordinarily whatever happens those laws are not applicable to them. There is something extra-ordinary in them. Then alone we can think of bringing about a change. We are out to build a team of self-propelled workers. Once they are set in motion, they go ahead. They do not know going back. They don’t have depressions. They don’t know ups and downs. Straight way they must go ahead. They are self-propelled. They never reach a point of exhaustion. This quality of making oneself self-propelled is the most important quality required of a worker if something great is to be achieved. Just as I said earlier that when we set out one should not say that well his capacity to go ahead is only for one year, two years. After two years, he will reach a breaking point. ‘It may be said of all others. But it should not be said of myself. I should not be belonging to that category. I should be self- propelled. Others may require a push.’</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>This is the spirit of Somnath that if we hold on to the unchangeable, to the eternal, if we hold on to the Atomic power within us, then we can face any challenging situation and we are not crumbled by the challenges of time or place. When we take the darshan of Somnath if we remember this, then as Swami Vivekananda says, 'the temple of Somnath will teach you the volumes of wisdom', we shall really have the insight in the secret of Sanatana and invincible Bharat.<br /></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b> To conclude it in the words of Swami Vivekananda, 'Life is short, but the soul is immortal and eternal, and one thing being certain, death, let us therefore take up a great ideal and give up our whole life to it. Let this be our determination, and may He, the Lord, who "comes again and again for the salvation of His own people", to quote from our scriptures — may the great Krishna Bless us and lead us all to the fulfilment of our aims!' </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><br /></b></p><p><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Nivedita Raghunath Bhide</b></p><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-50981624211524593552023-01-02T17:24:00.002+05:302023-03-13T17:30:21.980+05:30Samartha Bharat Parva and Vivekananda Jayanti : January 2023<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXu_pbzpzWdLSin-N8jb7A02KF8dQvjX-zhFgnRgC9mYxoZ0WkU9G6PuOd8nvLHgnNbpG1G9axPoCAxcjdx3Lndh01-aX2ZSffuTPNjOCtcqNliv7KuFWhID97dJF0eDXXWZEleSEK0I52Vf4GrT5DLN625ZvMRhcTtJtlBIEL4jb0-tgmw-Agn5Xb/s1890/January%202023%20proof.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1378" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgXu_pbzpzWdLSin-N8jb7A02KF8dQvjX-zhFgnRgC9mYxoZ0WkU9G6PuOd8nvLHgnNbpG1G9axPoCAxcjdx3Lndh01-aX2ZSffuTPNjOCtcqNliv7KuFWhID97dJF0eDXXWZEleSEK0I52Vf4GrT5DLN625ZvMRhcTtJtlBIEL4jb0-tgmw-Agn5Xb/w291-h400/January%202023%20proof.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Vivekananda Kendra celebrates Samartha Bharat Parva from 25th December to 12th January. Swami Vivekananda started his historical meditation on the Rock on 25th December 1892. He meditated there for three days and nights. His meditation was not for his own salvation but for the upliftment of Mother India. What was the content of his meditation and what was its culmination? </b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The salient points of meditation of Swami Vivekananda on Rock at Kanyakumari: </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Each nation has a destiny to fulfill, a message to deliver, a mission to accomplish. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. The mission of India is to guide the world in spirituality.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Spirituality is a way of life based on the vision of Oneness, on the interconnected and interdependent view of the universe.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. India since ages has understood, owned, nourished and developed this vision, by developing a social order based on it. But due to various reasons this effort was interfered with. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>5. The repeated foreign invasions in a way, set in fatigue, impaired the self-confidence of the nation as well as blurred the vision and knowledge of its purpose. The dynamic spirit was lost and what remained were only the rigid forms. So though we continued to be a Dharmik society apparently, the nation degenerated. Swami Vivekananda asked himself, ' What is it that I should do for the regeneration of India’. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>6. A capable India was necessary in the interest of the society. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Swamiji sitting on the Rock for three days and three nights on 25, 26 and 27th of December 1892, meditated on this state of India and came to the conclusion that it was not the Dharma of India which was responsible for the degeneration of India. Our lack of understanding of our Dharma and the lack of the dynamic application of the eternal truths in our life led to degeneration. The degeneration in turn led to loss of confidence in oneself, in one’s traditions and culture. The way out was to take a gigantic plan of man-making, of creating men with capital M. He wanted to awaken the dormant spirit of our countrymen and organize them into a powerful nation. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Thus this meditation on the Rock which started on 25th December 1892 became the forerunner of a new era for India. India got back her confidence and also a way out for regeneration. To build a developed India, an awakened India, a powerful India to accomplish her mission, we need to know about her strength and potentiality. Therefore, it was decided that we should take up the period starting from 25th December to 12th January - the birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda - to be celebrated as Samartha Bharat Parva. In this celebration the main thrust is to awaken Indians to India and her strength. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Being the victim of media, we are not able to see the inherent strength as well as the actual achievements of India in various fields in the past and also in present. The celebration during this period is to focus on that. First January– the day that we celebrate as Kalpataru day comes during Samartha Bharat Parva. We can focus on how Sri Ramakrishna was born to protect and propagate Sanatana Dharma. If we take care of protection of Sanatana Dharma then we too would not lack anything – 'Dharmo rakshati rakshitah'– that is Sanatana Dharma is the Kalpataru for all of us. The India’s regeneration is possible only if we forget our own individual interest and give the primary importance for the nation. Exactly this is what Swami Vivekananda did while sitting on the Rock. He did not meditate for his own salvation but for the upliftment of India. Thus he became the cause for setting in motion the process of regeneration of India. Since then, many great persons have contributed and accelerated this process. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>We have to increase the pace of our work to thwart the incessant designs of anti-national forces to fragment our nation or provoke mutual jealousy or to make Indian youth despise India or to lose confidence in India. The youth of India have tremendous potential that is untapped, unopened because this confidence is not awakened. The youth also have the inherent capacity to respond to the call of sacrifice and service if they are appealed properly. The examples of sacrifice move them. During Samartha Bharat Parva we can also focus on the examples of sacrifice in the past and present, also the security personnel which gave their life protecting the Parliament against the attack of the terrorist or at Kargil, Galwan or the surgical strike of Indian army at Balakote. The focus of the program should be on awakening the confidence and patriotism of the people by taking right information to them either through the CD show or through the exhibition, lectures etc. We have to also formulate the program which would awaken the desire of the youth to dedicate themselves for the nation, to strive for great achievements and to feel as part of the society. Bringing youth together in camps, making them to participate in competitions related to culture, etc can be the focus of the program. Unfortunately, we see that the youth get attracted towards the celebration of 1st January as the New Year day by taking to drinks and indulging in unwanted bash which degrades them further. Therefore, we have to organize the program very powerfully so as to wean away the youth from destructive program and channelize their energies in nation-building. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>On 1st December, India has taken over the Presidency of G20. In the logo of G20 as designed by Government of India, first time the thought that world is a family and not just market is being introduced. It is remarkable to note that Swami Vivekananda had immense faith in potentialities of India. Thus, in spite of the poverty, ignorance, degeneration and the oppressive British rule, Swami Vivekananda said with conviction, 'I do not see into the future; nor do I care to see. But one vision I see dear as life before me: that the ancient Mother has awakened once more, sitting on Her throne rejuvenated, more glorious than ever. Proclaim Her to all the world with the voice of peace and benediction.’ </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Today it is an undeniable fact that India is emerging as a great power, we have to motivate the youth to know about it and hasten her emergence as a powerful nation. But it is also to be seen that the power of India is in the hands of Hindu society which has made India a distinct nation. For that, the Hindus would have to be organized. The youth who get motivated through our programs should also be inspired to get associated with Kendra for working in organized way for the nation. Therefore, the planning of the celebration of Samartha Bharat Parva should also include about in what way the new persons coming in contacts with Kendra, would be associated with Kendra in the coming days. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Swami Vivekananda Jayanti on 12th January 2023 should be a grand program. Azadi ka Amrit Mahotsava also can be linked with that. As you are aware that Vivekananda Kendra is part of the core team of C20 i.e. Civil Society 20. C20 is one of the few verticals that works and organizes seminars, symposiums with international organisations to send recommendations to the world leaders of G20. The work of Vivekananda Kendra is increasingly being noticed at various levels, we too have to fulfill the needs and expectations of our society by properly utilising the occasions like Swami Vivekananda Jayanti by reaching out to many, involving many and serving many more.</b></p><p><br /></p><p><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Nivedita Raghunath Bhide</b></p><br /><div><br /></div>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-49655951424789116512022-12-01T14:12:00.003+05:302023-03-13T15:15:56.778+05:30Gita Jayanti December 2022<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_wbX6AfibV8zmbDgcCVOj8NpLd_4WB18HcAtp3Ir6abF44XD4_AdQYJ6ehkdRv_74mY4KRq0a9LMKmD0Qqd7qqsml8QS-zWHhNWoEZIxQEVET2CWgj2Q6uMmqQrQIG9atVrivn7GtCCUhq2wO31ZEXK1Fb1sOtarjUeuOysIy9G02_wLvuC63Mhe/s1890/dec22.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="1890" data-original-width="1378" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH_wbX6AfibV8zmbDgcCVOj8NpLd_4WB18HcAtp3Ir6abF44XD4_AdQYJ6ehkdRv_74mY4KRq0a9LMKmD0Qqd7qqsml8QS-zWHhNWoEZIxQEVET2CWgj2Q6uMmqQrQIG9atVrivn7GtCCUhq2wO31ZEXK1Fb1sOtarjUeuOysIy9G02_wLvuC63Mhe/w291-h400/dec22.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> This year Gita Jayanti is on 3rd December. We celebrate this festival by inviting the families for the program. Gita Jayanti is a festival in which we focus on the message of Sri Krishna. The message of Sri Krishna was not at all different from the Vedic knowledge. But the eternal principles as enunciated in the Vedas were explained in the then context by Sri Krishna in such a way that it has become an ever relevant message for humanity. He also synthesized the apparently varying dimensions in the Sanatana Principles of Vedas. Thus, the study of Bhagavadgita gives us the integrated view of principles for life as well as it shows us that how the dynamic re-interpretation of the principles like Dharma, Yagna, Yoga etc., are needed in every age. </div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;">As we know, this work of focusing on the relevant and deeper meaning of our age old tradition is very much required. Eknathji wrote about how Swami Vivekananda guided us in seeing God all around us and how to worship Him meaningfully. He wrote, "Swami Vivekananda was the foremost among the modern religious teachers who strove to take out religion from that static condition into which it had degenerated over the centuries, and drew the attention of the people to its real role. He pointed out in no uncertain terms that ceremonies and forms are not the essence of religion but that it lies rather in the realization of a higher life. He said, 'We may study all the books that are in the world, yet we may not understand a word of religion or of God. …Religion is not in doctrines or dogmas, nor in intellectual argumentation. It is realisation in the heart of hearts; it is touching God; it is feeling, realising that I am a spirit in relation with Universal Spirit and all its great manifestations.' To those who lost themselves only in forms and rituals, turning their back on the people and the misery that had befallen them, he said, 'What vain gods shall we go after and yet cannot worship the god that we see all around us, the Virat (Janata Janardan)? When we have worshipped this, we shall be able to worship all other gods.'</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Sri Krishna refers in 12th chapter and also in 14th chapter the Sanatana Dharma as the Amrit Dharma. The families in which this Amrit Dharma is known, cherished and practiced are Amrit Parivar. Since few years, in Vivekananda Kendra we have been focusing on the work of Amrit Parivar. This year the article in Kendra Samachar is also on Amrit Pariwar. That article is also attached. Thus, during the celebrations, on Gita Jayanti, group discussions can be held on various aspects of that article. In the concluding the following messages of Sri Krishna from Bhagavadgita can be shared by the speaker, so as to continue to contemplate over it for the coming year. Celebration of Gita Jayanti should not be limited for the day but selecting few messages of Gita, all through the year we should contemplate, internalize and practice these messages.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">The message of Gita </p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Eternal principals </p><p style="text-align: justify;">mattaḥ parataraṁ nānyat kiñchid asti dhanañjaya</p><p style="text-align: justify;">mayi sarvam idaṁ protaṁ sūtremaṇi-gaṇā iva VII.7 – Everything is Bhagavan, therefore sacred and is to be respected. The whole universe is interconnected, interrelated and interdependent. Though all of us are apparently different, we are connected to each other by Bhagavan as the thread connects the beads. No one can progress and be happy at the cost of others. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">devān bhāvayatānena te devā bhāvayantu vaḥ</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>parasparaṁ bhāvayantaḥ śhreyaḥ param avāpsyatha III.11- Thus nourishing one another, caring for one another, attain the sustainable development and eternal happiness. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">karmaṇaiva hi sansiddhim āsthitā janakādayaḥ</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>loka-saṅgraham evāpisampaśhyan kartum arhasi III.20 – The purpose of your birth is to help humanity to progress on spiritual path.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">tasmāttvamuttiṣhṭha yaśho labhasva</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>jitvā śhatrūn bhuṅkṣhva rājyaṁ <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>samṛiddham</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>mayaivaite nihatāḥ pūrvam eva</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>nimitta-mātraṁ bhava savyasāchin XI.33 – You are merely a chosen instrument of Bhagavan for spiritual evolution of humanity; so do whatever work you are expected to do. Our Dayitva, our Dharma is our connection with Ishvara. More we fulfill our dayitva, Dharma with selflessness, more we get connected with Ishvara.</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Way to live </p><p style="text-align: justify;">klaibyaṁ mā sma gamaḥ pārtha naitat tvayyupapadyate</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>kṣhudraṁ hṛidaya-daurbalyaṁtyaktvottiṣhṭha parantapa II.3 - <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Never yield to weakness of heart. <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>Exert yourself to do the right thing. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">uddhared ātmanātmānaṁ nātmānam avasādayet</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>ātmaiva hyātmano bandhurātmaiva ripur ātmanaḥ VI.5 – Lift </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>up yourself with your own efforts. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>You alone are your friend and you </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>are your enemy, too. None else. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">karmaṇy-evādhikāras te mā phaleṣhu kadāchana</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>mā karma-phala-hetur bhūrmā te saṅgo ’stvakarmaṇi II.47 </p><p style="text-align: justify;">– You have to choose that action which maintains the harmony of the collectivity around you, like the family, society, nation and universe. You have only the right to choose such action but not demand specific fruits of action. After doing your best, accept whatever comes to you as Prasada from God. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">tasmād asaktaḥ satataṁ kāryaṁ karma samāchara</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>asakto hyācharan karma paramāpnoti pūruṣhaḥ III.19 – Therefore always employ yourself relentlessly with all Shraddha and excellence, in the performance of action which is your duty. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">yataḥ pravṛittir bhūtānāṁ yena sarvam idaṁ tatam</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>sva-karmaṇā tam abhyarchya <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>siddhiṁ vindati mānavaḥ XVIII.46 - The Bhagavan is everywhere; worship him by doing your duty to your family, society and nation and the whole creation as best as you can. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">śhrī bhagavān uvācha</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>asanśhayaṁ mahā-bāho mano durnigrahaṁ chalam</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>abhyāsena tu kaunteya <span style="white-space: pre;"> </span> vairāgyeṇa cha gṛihyate VI.35 – The mind, which tends to be selfish should be brought back again and again to do Karmayoga. It is undoubtedly difficult but by your constant practice and dispassionate awareness about this fleeting world, it is restrained. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Yuktaharaviharasya VI.17 – For being one with the Divine, be moderate in your food, recreation, work and sleep. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Yudhyasva Vigatajwarah III.30 – Even if you have to fight as a duty, do it without mental agitation. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">Assurances By Bhagavan Srikrishna</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Shraddhavan labhate jnanam IV.39 – Have Shraddha in the path told be Me, be ever ready to learn and to practice self-control. You will surely get Jnanam. </p><p style="text-align: justify;">kṣhipraṁ bhavati dharmātmā śhaśhvach-chhāntiṁ nigachchhati</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>kaunteya pratijānīhi na me bhaktaḥ praṇaśhyati IX.31 – Know for certain that My devotee is never perished.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">ananyāśh chintayanto māṁ ye janāḥ paryupāsate</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>teṣhāṁ nityābhiyuktānāṁ yoga-</p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="white-space: pre;"> </span>kṣhemaṁ vahāmyaham IX.22 – I shall look after your well-being. You shall always get whatever is needed for your further growth. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;">The Result </p><p style="text-align: justify;">yatra yogeśhvaraḥ kṛiṣhṇo yatra pārtho dhanur-dharaḥ</p><p style="text-align: justify;">tatra śhrīr vijayo bhūtir dhruvā nītir matir mama XVIII.78 – Wherever in a society there is Krishna, the Lord of Yoga – the vision of Oneness of the universe-, and Partha, the archer - men of action doing their duties-, in that society there is prosperity, victory, all round well-being and steady and sound policy.” </p><p style="text-align: justify;">To focus on how this knowledge is very much relevant in today’s world, on how the problems of the modern world are actually bringing the humanity to the wisdom of Sanatana Dharma.</p><p style="text-align: justify;">Thus, increasing the confidence of our people in themselves as well as in our Dharma. And also motivating them to work for the protection and propagation of our culture. </p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Nivedita Raghunath Bhide</p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-27931865821339587802022-11-01T15:03:00.001+05:302023-03-29T17:42:04.199+05:30Only a Mother Can… : November 2022<p><br /></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: left;"><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: justify;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzffFXW3JsFGy2ksOFxDYuJiyXJPjNuYfJmAhlbDjcVnT7ip2LyF_kDJIuiJwiHF0cL5c7W0R4V38ufyCiXjVKv0L3e5v3JJ-KGvETy7uigHOTcNZS7HuYhwyNsGiODqBWJXdVDGBY2WSZdIH4EgAXtu6FXK_qaGf7GWRs-pKgh0nMdZ3UFDW8gBAv/s5787/November%202022.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5787" data-original-width="4219" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgzffFXW3JsFGy2ksOFxDYuJiyXJPjNuYfJmAhlbDjcVnT7ip2LyF_kDJIuiJwiHF0cL5c7W0R4V38ufyCiXjVKv0L3e5v3JJ-KGvETy7uigHOTcNZS7HuYhwyNsGiODqBWJXdVDGBY2WSZdIH4EgAXtu6FXK_qaGf7GWRs-pKgh0nMdZ3UFDW8gBAv/w291-h400/November%202022.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: left;"><b><span style="text-align: justify;">Vivekananda Kendra has taken up </span>a nation-wide program, called Amruth Parivar, which means
ideal family. The purpose of this program is to make the families more
compliant with the Cultural heritage of our motherland and be in sync with the
Spiritual Moorings of our Dharma. Ideal families will in turn mould the society
into an ideal one. But within the family the vital cog who influences and
determines the wellbeing of a family is invariably the mother or the eldest
woman in the family. So the role of shaping our Nation starts with making the
mother understand her responsibility. The personality of a child will flourish
in a family where the child can get a secure atmosphere and positive
relationship with people. This is especially important during the growing
years. The child’s window of learning will be wide open during these years.
During this learning phase the mother’s relationship with the child is crucial.
This will impact the child’s growth in social, emotional, physical and
cognitive spheres.</b></div></b></div><p></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b>Among all the
aspects the most important one which a person has to imbibe to becomea ideal
social being is to be selfless. Who else other than a mother can be more suited
to teach this value to her son or daughter? The very essence of Motherhood
starts from the virtue of being selfless. Mother embodies selflessness in all
her activities. Unbridled love is the reason for this selflessness exhibited by
Mothers. Seeing the world through this wonderful prism of love is what every
Mother should teach her child. Vision of Oneness will fructify when it is
blended with this Vision of Love, the vision of Motherhood and without Love one
cannot fully comprehend the vision of Oneness.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b>The crisis in
the western world is mainly an outcome of the crisis in the society due to
broken families. With the noose of globalisation around our neck, the danger is
impending on our society too. At the right time Kendra has taken up this
program of making <span style="mso-spacerun: yes;"> </span>families value based
one. We should ensure that this program reaches each and every Village in our
Country.<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: left;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>V.V.Balasubramanian<o:p></o:p></b></span></p>
<p class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;"><span lang="EN-IN"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>YB-ET</b><o:p></o:p></span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-7934164246914086182022-10-01T14:34:00.004+05:302023-03-29T17:43:19.053+05:30Festival of Womanhood :October 2022<p></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULAnxFClUzIB9BpxchEWzCRA9Ne91pnCViY3q3p--VWpuC0YA_yyEoT_wB4Q34nhdctVPk5ZdM6ITbmLmhUJd_ft6-1Mroveijaco7XafGwcodOQZjVgLPHDWfK-LuZjF2pBpU_wH7vyE4XzWKX8IzgAPd-LhQ6GBcvi7R1A_ukCcRElqhw-PB7bg/s680/sep%2022.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="496" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgULAnxFClUzIB9BpxchEWzCRA9Ne91pnCViY3q3p--VWpuC0YA_yyEoT_wB4Q34nhdctVPk5ZdM6ITbmLmhUJd_ft6-1Mroveijaco7XafGwcodOQZjVgLPHDWfK-LuZjF2pBpU_wH7vyE4XzWKX8IzgAPd-LhQ6GBcvi7R1A_ukCcRElqhw-PB7bg/w291-h400/sep%2022.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b> Festive season is around and the next five to six weeks streets in India will be reverberating with the Sounds of the festivals. Cutting across the society these festivals touch everyone, irrespective of the</b></div></b><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>social strata. We will all be gearing ourselves up for these festivals which come one after another.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Dussehra, karva Chauth, Diwali all bring the bonhomie which propel the society towards richer harmony. These festivals have brought our communities together by providing not just the economic fillip but also emphasising the superior position of women in our society. Elsewhere in the world women are treated like objects to be enjoyed and exploited. But the reverence and position women ought to enjoy is exemplified in our culture through these festivals. These age old festivals reiterate the fact that women were enjoying a very exalted position in ancient India. In Hindu pantheon of gods every god has a goddess, implying that the male and female principles work together in the universe. Without freedom one cannot pursue any meaningful spirituality. If we feel that the present Indian society is short of it then we must do a soul searching to find out where we went wrong. The values are there for us to imbibe and follow. Unlike our sisters in the middle east where women are killed for not properly adhering to the Burkha system, Indian women are far better placed. India is the only Country at present, where God is worshipped in the female form. In the Mahabharata we read the incidents where Sulabha, a great women Yogi, came to the court of King Janaka and showed her prowess and wisdom, which she acquired through Yoga. In Hindu tradition mother and Motherhood are considered as superior to even Heaven.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Our festivals should pave a path for a grand revival of that hoary tradition. The nine days where the Goddess of wisdom, Goddess of wealth and Goddess of Valour are worshipped is the right time to remind ourselves about the slipped positions and the need to reclaim them.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span></span>V.V.Balasubramanian</b></p><p></p><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></b></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>YB-ET</b></div></b><p></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-62762873104897544912022-09-01T13:01:00.007+05:302023-03-29T17:44:21.814+05:30Amrit Parivar : September 2022<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPplwEnJuuh3vPr2Gg1mAdB5KHm3OZrwGP3RdsGm24TsudHGJ1HBAu_c3k8EaM-9I4pk6FOKke7clKYlIrHFEZWGmObkKGKhmWwPyL9ipVq-jQNAxHwzzSlAwP7H7lUtkDc7Ivqu2xxtS8fmPgmoi1uvd0MjmkvrqWrMGMPjP7HPgcgWolRYrJL_-/s680/sep%2022.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="496" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjRPplwEnJuuh3vPr2Gg1mAdB5KHm3OZrwGP3RdsGm24TsudHGJ1HBAu_c3k8EaM-9I4pk6FOKke7clKYlIrHFEZWGmObkKGKhmWwPyL9ipVq-jQNAxHwzzSlAwP7H7lUtkDc7Ivqu2xxtS8fmPgmoi1uvd0MjmkvrqWrMGMPjP7HPgcgWolRYrJL_-/w291-h400/sep%2022.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><b>Swami Vivekananda reminded India that the purpose of India was not only for herself but she has to guide the world with her knowledge which she has nurtured for thousands of years and a way of life based on the Vision of Oneness. He said, each nation has a message to deliver, a destiny to fulfil, a mission to accomplish. So, what has been the destiny of India? The destiny of India has been the spiritual evolution of man. India sees the whole existence as interconnected, interrelated and interdependent. India sees man as potentially divine and the aim of human life is for the manifestation of that divinity by contributing for the harmony of the collectives like family, society, nation and the whole creation. </b><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The philosophy of India thus helps humanity to live in tune with nature; to accept the latest researches of the science and to make man evolve spiritually. The Hindu civilization is based on eternal laws of existence. As told by Swami Vivekananda, India has become immortal as the nature of the soul because it is here that the Rishi-s discovered the immortality of the soul. It is here that the way of life was developed which is based on eternal principles of existence which guide man to manifest the divinity within and also to behave with others, interact with others with the feeling of Oneness and to live harmoniously with the collectives like family, society, nation and the whole creation. The way of life needed for a man to manifest the divinity was termed as Dharma. Dharma is not religion. Dharma is not just limited to certain religious activities like worship, fasting, japa etc. In Bhagavad Geeta, in the last shloka of the 12th chapter, Bhagavan Shri Krishna calls this Dharma as Amrita Dharma that is immortal Dharma. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>India has faced maximum invasions and the rules of adharmic forces which led to the exploitation and destruction of its various systems like village, temple, education, commerce etc. We see in the history of the world that those countries which had to face such barbaric invasions or which had faced colonial rule lost their identity, their culture but we see that India has survived; her tradition has survived. How was it possible? The reason is that though the various systems were broken, one system could continue and that was family system. The Amrita Dharma was nurtured in the Amrita Family and therefore India survived most barbarous invasions including the fleecing colonial rule. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Family is the basic unit of a society, therefore, if in the family the thoughts which build and nourish the nation are nurtured then the nation functions vibrantly. Hence, our Rishi-s had said Dhanyo Grihastha Aashram – Blessed is the Grihastha Aashrama. Why? Because if families are taken care of, then the society, nation also are taken care of. If Grihastha Aashram is moulded properly, then the other Aashram-s also would be vibrant. Today, when we see challenging situations in our country, our focus should be to promote nourishing of Amrit Dharma in the families. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Vivekananda Kendra is working with the objectives of Man making and Nation building. Generally, the man making efforts in Vivekananda Kendra are focused on the individuals through the Vargas in the Karyapaddhati. But if the families are imbued with national consciousness then at least few generations are taken care of. Therefore, since few years the discussions on Hindu griha were conducted in various Kendra Meetings. The basis of Indian Culture is Oneness. For a family to be strong and socially caring, the Oneness is to be nurtured in the family. Geeta is the best spiritual wisdom to nurture the Oneness. Therefore, it was decided, that the Geeta Jayanti should become the festival for the families as participants. Because, it was felt that Geeta is to be understood, studied and lived from the childhood. So, a family is the best place to study, understand, practice and live Geeta. Since few years, Vivekananda Kendra started celebrating Geeta Jayanti by organizing the family workshops, family get togethers, Kutumba Sammelanam on GeetaJayanti. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>But seeing the current various cultural attacks, the need is felt for the sustained work among the families so that they are aware and able to protect the Sanatana Dharma, the Amrita Dharma of our nation. Only by holding on to it, the families would be able to face the cultural attacks and disintegration that comes with excessive materialism and extreme individualism. And that is how Amrita Parivar work is taken up by Vivekananda Kendra since last year. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>We can see that there are many tangible and intangible invasions on family like materialism, individualism, modernity which means irreverence to everything, self-centeredness, narrow focus on one’s own happiness and disregard to the higher and larger aspects of collective life, etc. These thought currents are changing the ambience of the family. The change in ambience of the family is seen in many fields such as food habits, living habits, the uprightness about earning money by right means, the use of electric gadgets, the insistence on marks and certificates alone and not the character. All this have affected capacity of the family to mould the children. Just to give one example the traditional festivals were occasions to come together and to worship and enjoy the homemade sweets; but today on the festival days hoteling, sending cards has become a common sight. The guests were happily welcomed in the families. The rooms were not marked as bedrooms for different persons in the family. The whole house belonged to all. But today that is not the case. At times family members feel that their space gets invaded when guests come and the guests also get feeling as if they are invading the space of the family members and so are un-welcomed. ‘Atithi Devo Bhava’ may become only the saying and not remain a practice. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Today, the electric gadgets which are supposed to bring the world nearer or connect the persons have actually increased the distance between the family members. Each one is busy with his own mobile, laptop or tablet etc. Before things go out of the hand, it is necessary that the focus should be brought on the family, and the purpose of the married life be imbibed and fulfilled. In what all dimensions the family should grow, evolve, develop, that also needs to be seen. And to achieve that, various meaningful practices are to be consciously followed in the family. Family is the basic unit of the society, so the thoughts which are nurtured in the families, gradually, become the nature of the society and the nature of the Nation.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>There was a time when family ambience was such that automatically children would grow up with values, with an uprightness of character, with the knowledge about one’s own culture and tradition. It was possible because apart from the parents, there would be grandparents, uncles and aunts in the family and so the value of caring and sharing was naturally nurtured. It was easier or we can say effortlessly the children would learn to live with restraint because so many members would be in the family that anything and everything was needed to be shared. But today, with nuclear family and with deliberate invasions through medias, this value of caring and sharing needs to be instilled consciously. As both the parents are working and children are just one or two, instead of instilling values, the parents unconsciously pamper the children. To compensate the time that they do not give to the children, they shower the children with various material objects as and when demanded by them. Instead of character-building, the children grow in ‘entitled’ mode. This spoils their future life, relationships etc. and that in ultimate run impacts the society, nation and families. Old age homes, destitute homes, orphanages are signs of declined families, failed society and of ungrateful generation. Thus, we need to go to the roots of the topic. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The vision of Oneness which is the basis of our culture is to be inculcated by the repeated Swadhyaya of books like Gita, Upanishads, Sant literature etc. in the family. Unless the Oneness is inculcated, the practice of values would not be sustained. These books are not to be studied at the fag end of life but they are to be studied for knowing clearly the purpose and principles of life and to practice it in life. For that reason, as one grows, since childhood, such books are to be studied. There cannot be a better place than family for learning this. Family is not just kutumba comprised of the closely related members of the family but it is also a parivar, which includes our clan, community, locality, society, pet animals, nature, etc. Focus should therefore be on Parivar. When the Oneness is inculcated well in the Parivar, then the whole world becomes Kutumba – Vasudhaiva Kutumbakam. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Geeta tells us to understand the total picture and in that whatever be our role, it is to be fulfilled as our duty. Geeta inspires man to do his duty. It is in the family, that child learns from the elders to do one's duty sincerely. But what are our duties to the family members, to the society, to the nation, to the whole creation can be understood only if our vision about the existence is clear. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Bhagavad Geeta gives that vision. Geeta says – </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>“Atmaupamyenasarvatra samampashyatiyo0rjuna.”(VI.32). Look at everything as the expression of the Self. ‘Prajapati created the mankind and along with that Yagna, so that man could prosper and all the desires of the man would be fulfilled (III.10). Then, he told that, “With this Yagna you nourish the Gods (the bigger collectives of the Self like family, society, nation, nature and Inner being) and may those Gods nourish you; thus nourishing one another, you shall, attain the Highest Good.” (III.11) </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>What does Yagna mean? Yagna is any self-sacrificing work, undertaken in the spirit of self-dedication for the well-being of all. Yagna is any action for oneself, family, community, society, nation, creation into which individual is ready to pour himself entirely in the spirit of service and dedication. Yagna is nurturing and strengthening the expanding layers of existence of the Self like family, community, society, nation, the whole creation and the Divine Inner Being.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Yagna- the spirit of self-dedicated activities, the link with the Virat is seen everywhere: The Sun shines, the moon gleams, the sea throbs, the earth bears, trees flower and bear fruits – all in a spirit of sacrifice and self-dedicated motherly love with never even a trace of attachment or any kind of self-arrogating motives. The whole world of cosmic powers and nature’s phenomena function instinctively in the service of all. When human life is developed and multiplied at all levels; we can easily recognise different degrees of Yagna-activities, which keep up the harmonious growth of existence. Thus, Yagna implies that any achievement is possible if a person knows how to act in the discipline of co-operation with larger collectives.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Individual gets nurtured in family; hence, his expansion of consciousness to bigger collectives is possible primarily in the family. Family is an expanded and organic existence of an individual. Similarly, the expanded form of family is community and so family works in harmony with the community. Expanded form of community is society therefore, community works to nurture the society. The enlarged form of society is nation and therefore, the purpose of society is to re-build and develop the nation. The purpose of existence of the nation is to contribute for theadvancement of whole creation, because nation is the part of the world. The whole creation is the expression of the Self or Paramatman. Therefore, the real development and expansion of an individual is ultimately realising one’s real nature as Paramatman. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The goal of human life is to be one with the Paramatman which has manifested in all these collectives and is also beyond all this. Living a life and striving to be one with this all –pervading divinity is Yoga. The way to do it, is Yagna. A person with a vision of Oneness can appreciate the Oneness underlying all the diversities and therefore cherish the diversities and does not denounce it. Similarly, the Yagna way or Yoga way of life alone can add to the harmony and prosperity of the existence. India has to give to the world this message of Oneness of the existence. Today we see that India is facing many dangers from outside and from within. The ‘national will’ needs to be strengthened in facing these difficulties. The awareness about the purpose of our country and also the problems that we are facing needs to be built up in the families. In the context of this whole philosophy of Ekatma Darshan, it is evident that the family is not just the collection of individuals but it is the basic unit of the society with three objectives. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>The purpose of family is striving for Dharma, Artha, Kama, Moksha.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Family is meant for the propagation of Sanatana Dharma means for social well-being based on Oneness.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Family is for Prajanana that is prakarshena Janana means contributing a generation which is physically, mentally, intellectually, culturally and spiritually better than the earlier generation. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>In short, family is a basic unit where man-making and nation-building is possible. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Aashrama means striving entirely for the Objectives. The meaning of Grihasthashrama is - a stage of married life - where man exerts to achieve the above three objectives. If we focus on our families to actualize these three objectives, then we can very easily face the cultural invasion. A Parivar where the tradition of immortal (Amrit) culture and Dharma is practiced is Amrit Parivar. A family that is striving to work for the three objectives can be seen in these five dimensions. The Amrit Parivar should be five dimensional – Panchamukhi as given below (5-S) </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>1. Sukhi – Happy, contented. The basis of family is love for each other, feeling of Oneness with all where each is for all and all are for each. Only such a family would be a happy family. When we stay together, naturally there are some collisions, disagreements, discords. But if love is there, we accept our people as they are and interpersonal relationship is healthy. That acceptance and affection for all, makes the family in a real sense happy. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>2. Swastha – Healthy. Proper eating habits, the practices of regular exercises, regular physical work, work culture, cleanliness, inclusive and positive attitude for all etc. would keep all the members in the family healthy. Even if someone falls sick that sickness is not seen as a burden but the love and care of the family cures the person. Apart from this physical understanding of Swastha, another higher and subtler dimension is the family is rooted in ‘Swa’ in one’s tradition and culture and in Oneness.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>3. Sampanna- Not lacking economically. All financial needs are fulfilled. Sampanna is not necessarily rich. Sampanna is where you do not feel you are lacking (Vipanna) something. You are contented in earning money through right means and do not hanker for more and more through wrong means. Very rich persons also could be Vipanna and not Sampanna if they are not satisfied with what they have. Apollonius Tyanaeus, a Greek Philosopher in the first century had said that, ‘In India I found a race of mortals living on the Earth, but not adhering to it, inhabiting cities but not being fixed to it, possessing everything but possessed by nothing.’ Thus, Sampanna is one which is affluent but not addicted to wealth. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>4. Samskar-ksham – Able to mould children with proper values of life. One of the main purposes of family is to contribute better children for the society. For that the atmosphere in the family should be such that children inculcate proper values. It was said that Prajatantu ma Vyavatchesi – The family line should be continued and should not be broken. The modern science says that to keep population stable, the fertility rate should be 2.1 children. China had adopted one child policy for the sake of material development. But today it stands at the fear of decline of the population and ageing population even though they have withdrawn the one child policy and are encouraging to have more children. The Jananam that is giving birth to children is important but still important is the family should be able to mould the children properly. The practices, festivals, interaction in the family should be such that the children are properly moulded to carry forward the Amrit tradition. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>5. Samaj Dharana– Working and contributing for the well-being of the society with national consciousness without expecting anything in return. As the expanding form of the family is society, a family should contribute physically, monetarily and psychologically for the well-being of the society. To do that decidedly family would have to curtail its own needs with respect to time and money but that has to be done as in the well-being of the society lies the well-being of the family. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>A family cannot say that it would have only some dimensions like say Sukhi and Sampanna and not others. It cannot be. All five dimensions are interlinked with each other. Therefore, Amrit Parivar should be striving for all these five dimensions simultaneously. The vision of Oneness and the values are inculcated only through the proper practices that are followed in the family and not through lectures. Family needs to strengthen the practices that help in achieving this five-fold development of the family. It also needs to contemplate on the practices that need to be adopted newly so that the it can be Amrit Parivar, nurturing the Amrit tradition. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>To trigger the thinking on what all practices in which all areas are to be looked into, Sri Vijay Kaushalji Maharaj has given six ‘Bha’ to be focussed upon in the family to protect our culture. These are:</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Bhasha – Language. What language do we use in the home? Are our children proficient in our languages? Is our language courteous, soft, cultured? Are the children in our house culturally literate enough to understand the cultural anecdotes, proverbs? Do we also have at least a workable knowledge of Sanskrit? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Bhusha – Dressing. How do the persons in the family dress inside the house and also outside? It is said that ‘bathe for oneself and dress for others.’ For festivals are we particular about dressing traditionally? Can frequency of traditional dressing be increased if every day it is not worn? Is the dressing reflecting our values or is more getting in the trap of branded clothing, exposure or attention-seeking? Are our clothes more ostentatious or decent? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Bhajan – Relating oneself with Ishvara. Does the family have weekly bhajans? Is there a practice to get up before stipulated time, complete bath before stipulated time by all and pray to Ishvara either together or individually as each one’s timings in the morning to go for schools, colleges or offices may not align? For us, even India represents Devi Durga. So, the bhajan does not mean only singling some Bhajans but it also means revering our nation and knowing and relating to her culture. So, how is the knowledge of the family members about India, her Culture? What practices are adopted so that on regular basis the knowledge is enhanced and so the family members do not fall prey to the cultural invasions. Can in a family, all members sit together at least once a week and discuss and understand about our culture and the invasions on it and the ways not to fall prey to it? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Bhojan – Food. The way it is cooked and eaten. The type and amount of food eaten is directly related to diseases. Is our family gradually falling into the habit of frequent hoteling and getting hotel food delivered at home? It is noticed that these foods contribute to obesity, diabetics, hyper-tension, heart-attacks and many more diseases. Food even impacts our thinking. What corrective measures can a family take to minimize such eating? If wife is also a working woman, then what help all other family members including her husband are rendering her so that home-cooked food is staple food in the family?</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Bhavan – Home. The ambience of the home. Are there inspiring portraits on the walls? What magazines come to our homes? What are the practices of the family that are followed regularly? Is there a place where one can pray, meditate or do swadhyaya? How is the family atmosphere and the interactions of the family members specially the old, are they taken care of properly and do they or any member in the family feel neglected</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Bhraman – Outings. What places do we visit? What are the places do we frequent? Do we go to temple at least once a week? Do we take the children to visit the places of great heroes, places where good service is rendered etc.? Are there practices like visiting every year some place of pilgrimage including the places where good works are undertaken? Is the love for nature inculcated in children by visiting such places and contributing for its upkeep through physical work? Does family go for sight seeing or pilgrimage? </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Thus Amrit Parivar is one where all these dimensions are understood and practices decided and developed to achieve the three objectives of Grihastha Aashrama. As family is connected with the society, therefore, the next step is, such Amrit Parivar should strive to reach out to at least 5 to 10 other families to make them Amrit Parivar. It helps in many ways. If a group/ sankul of 10 Parivars thus become very close knit, it helps the children to experience the extended family. It creates a safe and secure locality for the children to grow. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>When situations deteriorate instead of blaming others it is wise to start from where we are and that is why let us start from our families. Step by step in the direction of the goal and each moment spent in nurturing Amrit Parivar would surely take us to awakened and capable Bharat which can guide the world spiritually. </b></p><p><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <br /> <b> </b></span><b>- Mananeeya Nivedita Raghunath Bhide</b></p><p><b> Vice President,</b></p><p><b> Vivekananda Kendra</b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-19982052706417658502022-08-01T12:39:00.002+05:302023-03-13T14:27:53.499+05:30Remembering our heroes : August-2022<p style="text-align: justify;"><b><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeYrL8glDZdaq_lQ4ABmpSm7xk529P8nzDbkx1LlgYSwZ4uvm_J6AVzgiP-k60MAEP3yQuI0Etrx-Qx_j_ViuG4eqxull_q4oWtFDhYTek8uGOFwBbsxMkAye5cTGidMFFRt4eteB3p1oXZ6y81na0953fScxskPuGo8TQ9a22Uc7uc8_eqFuF7KW/s680/Aug%2022.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em; text-align: justify;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="496" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiWeYrL8glDZdaq_lQ4ABmpSm7xk529P8nzDbkx1LlgYSwZ4uvm_J6AVzgiP-k60MAEP3yQuI0Etrx-Qx_j_ViuG4eqxull_q4oWtFDhYTek8uGOFwBbsxMkAye5cTGidMFFRt4eteB3p1oXZ6y81na0953fScxskPuGo8TQ9a22Uc7uc8_eqFuF7KW/w291-h400/Aug%2022.jpg" width="291" /></a></b>This year is a special one. This is the 75th year of our freedom. It gives a reason and an opportunity to recall the great sacrifices made by our Freedom fighters. There is a reason why we should recall and remember them and their sacrifices. The governance in India started winding down after the second world war. It became certain that the British will not continue to rule 0ur country for a long time in future. But when they will go and in what state they will leave our country became uncertain. Knowing the potentialities of our country Britain didn’t want to leave us without any chaos. This is because they didn’t want us become their nemesis in the future. The last couple of years of their rule were spent solely in creating an atmosphere of utter chaos in the civil society. When we got freedom, the situation was not a comfortable one to rule. Soon after the independence India was forced into a war with its erstwhile part and new enemy Pakistan. The war lasted for more than an year. Then in 1962 Our country was again forced into a war with the Chinese. Both these wars were not our making. This unexpected war left our country in bruises. Before we could recover from the vagaries of this war within three years, in 1965 we waged a war with Pakistan again. Then again in 1971 a war with Pakistan which left them battered. Knowing very well that cannot beat us in regular war, they carried on covert war after that, instigating many secessionist movements like the Khalistan. This was till 1999, when they again indulged in their usual audacity when they sent their men as mercenaries to attack us in Kargil. The antagonism between Hindus and Muslims was one of the most significant works of the British administration. It has impacted the way our country is being administered in the last 7 decades. Not only the Hindu - Muslim divide but also the fractures in our society among Hindus themselves was also engineered to perfection during the British days. Thus, the administration in independent India was not a path filled with roses. Insurgencies, narco-terrorism, secessionist movements, cyber terrorism, caste and communal politics, the hostile atmosphere among various communities which was engineered to create dissension in the society, linguistic chauvinism, regional parochialism, all these are intended to undermine the sovereignty of our country. It will be difficult for the administration to handle these threats on its own. The civil society’s support is needed to tackle all these. The single antidote which will help us fight all these is Nationalism. There is no better source of infusing Nationalism to our people than recalling the valiant stories of the freedom struggle. The remarkable incidents which shaped the freedom struggle are to be retold to our younger generations time and again. We should also remember to tell them about the unsung heroes of our freedom movement. We should make them understand that it is a concerted effort by people from all parts of our country. The internal and external security of our Nation can be safeguarded in the times to come, only by doing this mammoth task of re igniting the patriotic fervour among our people.</b></p><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b></b></div></b><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></span></span></span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span><span><span><span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span> </span></span></span></span>V.V.Balasubramanian</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b> YB-ET</b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-60412702509924138412022-07-01T12:20:00.002+05:302023-03-13T14:23:57.036+05:30Guru Purnima :July 2022<p style="text-align: justify;"><b></b></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><b><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjoo_KOrZJ3w0JyWBpwJg2uCcOhNnAUkupY3LeTSN_UJbc8fQb0ViHraFExeKL1bw24WWTySaEKRmLt-WDvfYmdEMdpjsF9KGEF4NHrcRDy20EglK2Wtf86iupAS39ltvCl8zSE0UPnPLzUVTzi-DIKiWqh5PBHneJZte57B29t8iQorVsOzYEYpzf/s680/july%202022%20new.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="496" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhjoo_KOrZJ3w0JyWBpwJg2uCcOhNnAUkupY3LeTSN_UJbc8fQb0ViHraFExeKL1bw24WWTySaEKRmLt-WDvfYmdEMdpjsF9KGEF4NHrcRDy20EglK2Wtf86iupAS39ltvCl8zSE0UPnPLzUVTzi-DIKiWqh5PBHneJZte57B29t8iQorVsOzYEYpzf/w291-h400/july%202022%20new.jpg" width="291" /></a></b></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b>Man is a veritable dynamo of enormous spiritual power, says Swami Vivekananda. This spiritual power is normally latent. We need a Guru to unfold this power and also to harness it in a proper way. Our society has always laid a great emphasis on the relationship between Guru and Sishya. It is not something akin to the contemporary teacher student relationship. Our traditional system provided for not just educational support but also emotional and spiritual guidance from the Guru to the shishya. It is a divine bond which has withstood several millennia of uninterrupted continuity. Though the political landscape has seen several changes in the past this tradition has survived without any changes.</b></div></b><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>This tradition is said to be one which starts from the Mahadeva himself. For Example the invocation sloka for the smarthas says that,</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b> Sadasiva samarambham Sankaracharya madhyamam asmad acarya paryantam vande guru paramparam</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Meaning salutation to the lineage starting with lord Sadasiva, with Adi Sankara in the middle and continuing up to my immediate teacher. Veda Vyasa carried the mantle from Lord Shiva himself and he is considered as the first Human Guru. It will not be an over statement if we say that our nation was designed and sustained by our Guru tradition. Because the duty of a Guru is to make every student aware of his divine nature. This will refine them and make them good subjects. A society will change when all its individuals get transformed. When the society becomes good, the Nation becomes good. So to transform a Nation the work should start from the individual. In this guru’s influence becomes a tremendous value addition to the whole of humanity. This applies to the contemporary world too. The present-day world’s crisis is very much a creation of character deterioration. To come out of this problem we have to take refuge in the great teachings of our Gurus. If we want to see a resurgent world tomorrow, then this is the course which we have to follow for sure. This is one of the burning desires of Swami Vivekananda who wanted to see our country back in her saddle as the Jagat Guru. The voice of peace and benediction will flow from her for the benefit of the entire Humanity.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span></span>V.V.Balasubramanian</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>YB-ET</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-89580029173486145722022-06-01T12:13:00.001+05:302023-03-13T14:24:09.154+05:30Yoga for Universal Motherhood : June 2022<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; direction: rtl; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfMuTj74Y1rC9H0LlYwAezX_o1iu_zJ4IZ4u1S8tp3HmBfMw3ITFN79lWNcO4Evbzhl7cqVX5yyorNxNs0FWWZWNyDlbIq41P7cHNWUga2L4ojZbH1rAF5Jox8bQ-oGo63KkeHfITcPiQI2ZSfmMPbfmvhsC4uNYvGlByK4ainPjj0I0GtEj2WCIn/s680/JUJE%202022.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="680" data-original-width="496" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinfMuTj74Y1rC9H0LlYwAezX_o1iu_zJ4IZ4u1S8tp3HmBfMw3ITFN79lWNcO4Evbzhl7cqVX5yyorNxNs0FWWZWNyDlbIq41P7cHNWUga2L4ojZbH1rAF5Jox8bQ-oGo63KkeHfITcPiQI2ZSfmMPbfmvhsC4uNYvGlByK4ainPjj0I0GtEj2WCIn/s320/JUJE%202022.jpg" width="233" /></a></div><b><div style="text-align: justify;"><b> “Asato ma sadgamaya, tamaso ma jyotirgamaya, mrithyor ma amritham gamaya..” These are three simple but profoundly meaningful utterances or ‘keys’ our Seers have supplied for total emancipation of man, for his ascent to Divinity. Swami Vivekananda has, in his own inimitable way, expressed them for our easier understanding, stressing on ‘expansion’ which is the central theme of Yoga. To quote Swami Vivekananda- “Expansion is life, contraction is death, Knowledge is life, ignorance is death, Love is expansion, hatred is death”.</b></div></b><p></p><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>This expansion from the micro to the macro level is the essence of human life, exemplified by all the four Yogas- Karma, Bhakti, Raja, Jnana yogas. If a woman can understand this essence of Yoga and model her life based on that she would raise herself into a Universal Mother- the ultimate goal of womanhood.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Normally a woman is steeped in plurality and duality- projecting herself to attract attention and adoration. Marriage changes a wee bit of this attitude as she learns to share her joys and sorrows with her husband, the love for whom becomes the very essence of her being. There starts her journey from plurality and duality towards oneness or Advaita, the crest jewel of human thought. When she attains motherhood, her ‘duality’ slowly starts melting away and to the extent she is unselfish in her love and identified with her family- through love, sacrifice and service, her motherhood starts blossoming effortlessly, spontaneously, ie, she sets herself on the path of expansion, transforming herself into a Yogini. Selfish motivations which characterized her earlier life drop away as love in its purest form starts engulfing her. As she starts tasting the glory of true motherhood, divinity manifests in her slowly but surely elevating her on the ladder of evolution. She is on the way to acquire the halo of “SRI MATA”. That is not all. Her ‘Yoga’ is still not complete. She has to discover another dimension in her life- “Devakaryasamudyata”, ever engaged in upholding Satya and Dharma, the cardinal principles of Sanatana Dharma. This is the ‘devakarya’, entrusted specially to the mothers. It is they who should make Advaita satya practical in life through her love, sacrifice and service and pass these cardinal values on to the next generation. It is then that she becomes worthy of being the Queen of her home. Next elevation is, she is recognized as Simhasaneswari- the Queen Empress adored by the world at large for her universal qualities. This amazing evolution of an ordinary girl through wifehood, motherhood and on to Divine Motherhood is the most glorious of all Yogas. This supreme Yoga is what we see exemplified in the life of Holy Mother Sarada Devi, the Divine Consort of Sri Ramakrishna. </b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>Every woman has in her sparks of Lakshmi, Saraswathi and Parvathi. It is up to her to make them sparkle in her life- through her actions, words and thoughts, creating wealth, knowledge and happiness all around. The woman who has mastered this great Yoga of the ‘Science and Art’ of being a true woman is indeed the rarest of being. All glory to Motherhood.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span>Dr M Lakshmi Kumari</b></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-91300484311371282872022-05-02T12:01:00.001+05:302023-03-13T14:24:21.372+05:30Swamiji’s role in inspiring people to fight for the freedom.: May 2022<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: right;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUuju9b_R4wtoWjXihfKXkMhUaJ_vtPYLk21Xe5jB1q8Q8QAjNE60s7rd7aNdiCIy62mfzXttM-97Yk0zQpWoZuT5KAQiUMiS-6mAbOEHeZBE6Qib8sztFxw9sPwNMlgQywjGaqLyJ3sGEv7bSsG2eswd-BordGIDlHi3CjWjD6rpl4nMvkVIQnQB/s5787/May--2022.jpg" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5787" data-original-width="4219" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhDUuju9b_R4wtoWjXihfKXkMhUaJ_vtPYLk21Xe5jB1q8Q8QAjNE60s7rd7aNdiCIy62mfzXttM-97Yk0zQpWoZuT5KAQiUMiS-6mAbOEHeZBE6Qib8sztFxw9sPwNMlgQywjGaqLyJ3sGEv7bSsG2eswd-BordGIDlHi3CjWjD6rpl4nMvkVIQnQB/w291-h400/May--2022.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><div style="text-align: justify;"> <b>Whenever a discussion happens about Swami Vivekananda’s impact on Indian Society a question will get posed invariably about the role os Swamiji in the freedom struggle. While it is settled without any doubt that many of the freedom fighters were actually inspired by the thoughts of Swamiji, and as a result they got themselves involved in the freedom struggle, we will see what his contributions are. During those days our country was impoverished by the frequent artificial famines created by the British authorities, that our people lacked the mental and the physical energy and financial resources to carry the fight straight to the powerful imperial kingdom. Swamiji said that, if India were to get freedom immediately, there were too few proper men to protect it or realize its value. So Swamiji stressed on man-making as the foremost necessity for national rebuilding. Without a properly trained army one cannot wage a war. So Swamiji’s prime focus was on building Men with Character. He wanted Men to be Courageous, Selfless, Honest and Intelligent. As a result of Swamiji’s work and campaign several Leaders endowed with such qualities came on to the Political arena to fight against the British. People like Bala Gangadhar Tilak, Mahatma Gandhi, Netaji were a few examples. Mahatma Gandhi said that his patriotism increased several times after reading the books of Swami Vivekananda. Bengal was at the forefront of the freedom struggle those days. Lot of youth were inspired by Swamiji’s message and they plunged into the freedom movement. But Swamiji being a Sanyasi didn’t stop at mere political freedom. His message is not just for the Bonded Countrymen, but for the entire Humanity. Swamiji said:</b></div><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>“The idea of freedom is the only true idea of salvation--freedom from everything, the senses, whether of pleasure or pain, from good as well as evil. More than this, we must be free from death; and to be free from death, we must be free from life. Life is but a dream of death. Where there is life, there will be death; so get away from life if you would be get rid of death. “</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b>This which is a part of his lectures, published as ‘Lectures from Colombo to Almora’, demonstrate his nationalistic fervour and spiritual ideology. All freedom fighters in jail had one copy with them to ignite the patriotism in their mind. The situation was so influential that it created terror in the minds of the Britishers and British govt wanted to ban and close Ramakrishna mission. However, it was saved due to the divine intervention of holy mother, Sarada. She clarified to the British authorities that Mission was a spiritual organisation and it has got nothing to do with politics. We now enjoy the political freedom. But culturally and spiritually we are still under slavery. As a never ending fountain of inspiration Swamiji is still the solution for coming out of this mental slavery.</b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span></b></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><b><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> <span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> </span><span> V</span></span>.V. Balasubramanian</b></p><p style="text-align: right;"><b>YB-ET</b><br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-46490030250018631692022-04-01T17:21:00.002+05:302022-04-01T17:21:18.708+05:30Operation Ganga <blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><blockquote style="border: none; margin: 0px 0px 0px 40px; padding: 0px; text-align: left;"><p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWkb520z9lANofS5BlYyMVkTUwoVUtL6tTXhii6nA39fxcUSbQIi36azmTtAjuKspxkZkiqVnwo0s4P9CACCNOvBP2qUPue8cfqlaNRroU2t0nN57o5JZa6_qA0Lcr7Bq1BN923L5kuOiHaH5usa3mbBvOlzBtZqZHQhAIRiO74yEe2RWdNA09ZQ6L/s5787/april%20%202022.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5787" data-original-width="4219" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhWkb520z9lANofS5BlYyMVkTUwoVUtL6tTXhii6nA39fxcUSbQIi36azmTtAjuKspxkZkiqVnwo0s4P9CACCNOvBP2qUPue8cfqlaNRroU2t0nN57o5JZa6_qA0Lcr7Bq1BN923L5kuOiHaH5usa3mbBvOlzBtZqZHQhAIRiO74yEe2RWdNA09ZQ6L/w291-h400/april%20%202022.jpg" width="291" /></a></div><p></p></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote></blockquote><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">When Russia started invading Ukraine it shook the not just the life of Ukrainians, but also the Indians who have gone there to study. It is said that there are around twenty thousand Indians who are living there, among them around eighteen thousand are students. Indians comprise the largest group of among the International students who are studying in Ukraine. We account for nearly 24% of their International students. Indian embassy gave warnings and asked our students to leave much in advance. But unfortunately, the students didn’t heed the call given by our embassy. As a result, when the situation deteriorated the task of rescuing our nationals from Ukraine became tough. Our external affairs ministry swung into action swiftly and what followed was a script which will make even a Hollywood adventure movie pale in comparison. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: medium;">For the first time in the history of Wars, a country which is in War with another one, heeded to the request made by another country which is not involved in the fight. When India requested for a cease fire Russia immediately agreed and also helped in rescuing our students. India didn’t take any side in this issue. But it sent several tranches of humanitarian aid to the affected country. These contained medical equipment and relief materials and these were delivered via Romania, Slovakia and Poland. Unlike India, many other countries left their people in the lurch, during this crisis. The excellent rapport which our Prime Minister has with many of today’s global leaders actually paved way for this evacuation operation to become successful. India's evacuation programme, Operation Ganga, has been the most active among all nations which have their citizens in Ukraine. Once upon a time, people from all over the world used to flock towards India in their pursuit of Knowledge. We have done very little since Independence in improving the quality of our educational system and Institutions. Its high time we bring it back to its old glory. Indian students shouldn’t feel the need to go overseas for their studies. The onus is on us to bring back such glory days.</span></p><p style="text-align: right;">V.V.Balasubramanian</p><p style="text-align: right;">YB-ET<br /></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-5092643134697999371.post-59559612080621177462022-02-18T12:56:00.005+05:302022-02-18T12:56:53.938+05:30The Conversion Menace<p style="text-align: justify;"></p><div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDgDCmvxhDLNAUED9OiHg2C71pKnF00BxWWx3WuyZav52vkj7cRiza-IXodrstuaHEdTc21_FFW0qvw3NOeN0JggDKdKeCDw44wBwA86J3SZM78UuV4000K7tzZf97ERnPsGfwRWGoRH6gKQo-ApG8gX1lPCTOhoDH1m-JC0QbD9bP9rLvI35Laiba=s5787" imageanchor="1" style="clear: right; float: right; margin-bottom: 1em; margin-left: 1em;"><img border="0" data-original-height="5787" data-original-width="4219" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/a/AVvXsEhDgDCmvxhDLNAUED9OiHg2C71pKnF00BxWWx3WuyZav52vkj7cRiza-IXodrstuaHEdTc21_FFW0qvw3NOeN0JggDKdKeCDw44wBwA86J3SZM78UuV4000K7tzZf97ERnPsGfwRWGoRH6gKQo-ApG8gX1lPCTOhoDH1m-JC0QbD9bP9rLvI35Laiba=w291-h400" width="291" /></a></div><span style="font-family: arial;"> A twelfth standard student died due to harassment meted to her because she resisted the attempts made to convert her by her school authorities, has created an uproar among the people of Tamilnadu. Though the mainstream media is as usual silent about this incident, the social media is raging with anger with hashtags like #justiceforlavanya is trending all over India. A video of the victim wherein she accuses her school authorities for forcing her to get converted is also doing rounds in the social media. But even with this death statement in hand the law enforcing agencies in the state have not arrested any one from the school and instead they are trying to close the case as another suicide case. Lavanya was studying 12th standard in the Sacred Heart Higher Secondary School which is located in Thirukkatupalli in Thanjavur, Tamilnadu. She faced mental and physical torture from the authorities of her school after refusing to convert into a Christian. The school said that she could continue her studies only if she changes her religion, according to reports.</span><p></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">This brings to light the most vexing question our society has been asking since Independence. The need to protect the Hindu religious identity in the face of aggressive attempts by the Abrahamic faiths to convert them. It is to be noted that even during the British rule some of the princely states like Kota, Bikaner, Jodhpur, Raigarh, Patna, Surguja, Udaipur, and Kalahandi had such rules which prohibited the missionaries from indulging in overt measures to convert people. It is an irony that a free secular democratic state is finding it difficult to protect its cultural roots. Many a times in our Parliament, attempts were made to bring in laws to prohibit forcible conversions, but couldn’t succeed. Such attempts were made in the year 1954 and 1979, but due to lack of political support they couldn’t get through. It was told that law and order is a state subject and hence Central Government cannot legislate to regulate that. But barring a few State governments others are not inclined to enact such laws as it will cost them the minority votes. The result, Hindus are left without any protection against the predatory religions. To make the States come forward in enacting such a law, the Hindus much muster their strength and pressurise the respective State Governments to act against this menace. For doing that Hindus must organise themselves first. </span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;">Most of the Hindus have a syndrome called Ostrich syndrome. It is nothing but hiding oneself from the happenings around him or from the truth. They think that such an approach will insulate them from the evils going around them. The only way to tackle the predator is to get united and organised.</span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: arial;"><br />V.V.Balasubramanian</span></p><p style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: arial;"></span></p><p style="text-align: right;"><span style="font-family: arial;">YB-ET</span></p>Unknownnoreply@blogger.com0