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A TRIBUTE TO
CENTENARY CELEBRATION OF
BHARAT SEVASHRAM SANGHA
(1917 – 2016)
THE GREAT SAVIOUR AND NATION BUILDER
YUGACHARYA SHRIMAT SWAMI PRANAVANANDAJI MAHARAJ
FOUNDER: BHARAT SEVASHRAM SANGHA
Published by:
Swami Prashantananda
Head, Mumbai and Devbhumi Branches
Bharat Sevashram Sangha
263, Swami Pranavanandaji Marg
Sector – 31A, Vashi, Navi Mumbai – 400 703,
Maharashtra, India
© All rights reserved by Bharat Sevashram Sangha, Mumbai
First Published on: 15th Jan 2016
Printed: 2000 copies
Price – Rs.20/-
Printed by: Jyot Graphic Printers
A Tribute to
BHARAT SEVASHRAM SANGHA
On its Centenary Celebration
- COMPILED & TRANSLATED BY
- ARUNDHATI SEN
“SANGHA VANEE”
1.
What is the Goal?
Self-Realisation, Universal Emancipation
2.
What is Religion?
Self-sacrifice,
(Self-abnegation),
Adherence to truth and continence
Self-discipline,
3.
What is real Death?
Forgetfulness of the ‘Self’
4.
What is real Life?
Self-realisation, Self-remembrance and Self-consciousness
5.
What are real Virtues?
Heroism, Virility, Manliness
Emancipation
and
Aspiration
for
6.
What are real Sins?
Weakness, Fear (Defeatism), Cowardice, Meanness and
Selfishness
7.
What are real sources of Strength?
Patience, Fortitude and Endurance
8.
What are real Assets?
Self-confidence, Self-reliance and Self-respect
9.
What are real Enemies?
Indolence, Slumber, Procrastination, Inertia, Lustful
senses and Passions
10. What are real Friends?
Energy, Enthusiasm and Perseverance
What is the meaning of tolerance:The ability or willingness to tolerate the existence of opinions or behaviour
that one dislikes or disagrees with.
Oxford Dictionary states that ‘the willingness and capacity to tolerate,
forbearance and allowing of differences in religious opinion without
discrimination;
Webster Dictionary states the meaning as following:a. Capacity to endure pain or hardship: endurance, fortitude, stamina.
b. Sympathy or indulgence for beliefs or practices differing from or
conflicting with one’s own. The act of allowing something is
‘Toleration’.
c. The allowable deviation from a standard.
d. The capacity of the body to endure or become less responsive to a
substance (as a drug) or a physiological insult.
So, what we understand is basically, it is the willingness to accept others’
viewpoints. It can be religious, social, political or personal choice in different
activities of a man’s daily life. Three quarters of the world’s human population live
under strong government curbs on religion, or among serious “social hostilities”
involving faith issues, find researchers.
In our modern day society there is a rising tide of intolerance and government
restrictions on religious matters in different parts of the world. Crimes, malicious
acts and violence mostly are motivated by religious hatred or bias and in some
countries government interference with religious practices. The social hostilities
also play a major role in restricting the freedom of faith. From time to time people
from different religious groups, including Jews, Christians, Hindus,
Mohammedans, and Buddhists have faced harassment at different levels. The
social groups or individuals play a great role in bringing about tolerance in our
society. We cannot ignore the role played by the existing government of a country
as well.
In recent years India has witnessed some incidents which prove the
growing rise in intolerance among us. But, since ages, it is the Unity in Diversity
that makes our country, our motherland India, a secular country. People in
different regions respect the culture and tradition of theirs and others. People
from different religions/castes take part in each other’s’ moments of joy and
festivals. They give protection to each other during natural calamities and at
other difficult times. But at present day’s scenario’ there are sporadic incidents
occurring at different parts of our country that show a marked rise in the level of
intolerance among some people.
Prejudice and discrimination and intolerance bring about that negativity in the
mind-set of people. In order to avoid this negativity we need to go through the
scriptures of different religions and the contributions of the great saints who had
tried to enlighten the mind-set of the people of our country. It is often said that ‘the
only journey is the one within’. So, it is time for all of us to start the inner journey.
It is better to follow path laid by the great saint called Swami Pranavananda
Maharaj, the founder of Bharat Sevashram Sangha.
The background of the arrival of Sri Swami Pranavananda Maharaj, the founder of
Bharat Sevashram Sangha :It is said that just before the advent of dawn the night gets darker. In the 17 th & 18th
centuries, the socio-economic, political and moral conditions of India were overcast with
darkness. Indians seemed to have forgotten the glorious history of the land of the Aryans
where they belonged to since ages. And they failed to recognize that they were
gradually moving towards a dark age. It all started during the rule of the Mughals and the
British. The decline of the Mughal rule brought about the British rule in India, and
gradually it brought about the decline of the glory that was synonymous with the land of
the Aryans. With the advent of these foreign rulers, India had to face unimaginable
oppression, persecution, torture and suffering. India was in a perilous situation. Indians
were stricken with deprivation, affliction and misery. These were accompanied by lack of
knowledge, superstitions and casteism among Indians. This situation resulted in their
loss of self-confidence, self-consciousness and self-realization. So, along with the
foreign rule, the other factors like greed, corrupt and selfish mindset of upper caste
people played a major role in discriminating the lower caste people to such an extent
that the poor people went into a state of self-oblivion. And the infightings among native
rulers gave the British rulers opportunity to establish a stronghold in the land of the
Aryans. So, finally our motherland was left bleeding and tattered. The common people
subsequently had lost self-realization and self-respect and were in a complete state of
self-denial.
In the middle of the 19th century, gradually appeared a glowing light in the darkness of
Indian horizon. During this period were born some great ascetics and intellectuals with
divine grace and mental prowess. They started to emancipate the mind-set of common
people and recover the lost glory in the fields of literature, science, economy, politics as
well as spiritual well-being of the Indians. They started their journey towards bringing
about the period called `Renaissance’ in our motherland. This revival in the different
fields of science, culture, literature was the need of the hour. But there were also some
doubts. What was the role played by the poor, down-trodden and middle class people
who were forced to retreat in the background of our society? Due to lack of knowledge,
loss of self-awareness and prevalent casteism in the society, they had already lost
interest in reviving their self-esteem. They continued to live in the darkness while the
royal families and landowners remained happy with their own servile attitude. So the
people belonging to both upper strata and lower strata in the society had no intention for
self-elevation. The main aim of the royal families and land-owners was to show
allegiance and patronize the British rule. By doing so, they could get the favour of the
British Government in the long run and remain safe under their rule. So the question
remains – for whose benefit would be the revival of lost glory? The entire nation
comprising of people from different castes and creed needed to remain united and be
aware of the spirit and nationalism. In that transition period there was the need for a
great radical revolution bringing in a new era.
In the year of 1896, 29th January, on the day of full moon, in a remote village called
Bajitpur in the district of Faridpur in Bangladesh, was born the saintly preceptor with the
combined power of Buddha, Shiva and Chaitanya. This great saint advocated the
importance and power of sacrifice, knowledge and love. He was none other than
Acharya Pranavananda Maharaj. He was considered as the incarnation of Shiva, and
had dedicated his life towards humanitarian work and nation-building. His father was Sri
Vishnu Charan Bhuiya, a devout follower of Lord Shiva, who never had compromised
with any wrong doing and negativity. His mother, Sarada devi was a virtuous lady,
faithful wife and an icon of devotion, compassion and service to humanity.
Childhood Days
Acharya Swami Pranavananda was not an ordinary child. Everybody around him could
make out that there were exceptional qualities in this child. Right from his childhood
days he represented the spirit of the age and showed signs of the divine incarnation of
the age. On his birth he was named as Jainath, being born on a Wednesday he was
also fondly called `Budho’. He was a good looking and charming boy. That is why
during the rice-ceremony (Annaprasan), he was aptly named as `Vinod’. That kind of
restlessness which is common amongst children of his age was missing in this child. He
was always engrossed in his own world, the world of meditation. Gradually he was
growing up with a divine grace and as someone enjoying perpetual mental calm through
philosophic contemplation and conviction and as a perfect devotee of Lord Shiva. His
endeavour to Spiritual knowledge, his devotion to God or Atman, self-discipline and
compassion and loving nature, made others call him as `Vinod Brahmachari’ and `Vinod
Sadhu’ in and outside his school. Everybody used to respect and love him for his
magnetic personality. It was definitely something extraordinary to get so much respect
and love as a teenager. These characteristics were noticed by quite a large number of
great souls in our motherland. One such great soul was Swami Bholananda Giri, who
spoke highly of Swami Pranavananda, even when he was a teenager. From that time
onwards he decided “Pranav Dhanuh Sharohyatma Brahma Tallakshymuchchate
Apramattena Veddhavyong Sharavattanmyo Bhavet.”
Thus we get to know about the saint who in his young age was already practising
austerities and was into meditation right from his childhood days. His deep love towards
spirituality, meditation and simple lifestyle in his young age sowed the seeds of future
actions taken up by him as the founder of Bharat Sevashram Sangha. He wandered
through dense forests, the cremation grounds and other remote places away from the
hustle and bustle of daily life in order to meditate and immerse himself entirely into
spirituality.
Initiation of Brahmachari, Vinod towards service of mankind
Vinod was loved by everyone in his school. The principal of the school was a religious
minded person. He also loved Vinod from the core of his heart and used to praise him
for his nature. He could sense the spiritual aspect in Vinod’s nature. So, one fine day he
advised him to take `Diksha’ (initiation to a religious practice or order) from a Guru
(preceptor or teacher). But Vinod questioned “How can a person be a preceptor” ? That
question itself was so thought provoking! The one who himself was the incarnation of
Shiva could never be in need of a preceptor. But Vinod did not argue with him and
agreed to take the plunge. He immediately left for Gorakhpur to take the initiation from
Saint Gambhirnathji who had set up his temple there. And the great saint met Vinod and
immediately realized that there was some unique spark hidden in this young man. He
explained to him the importance and need of initiation for future progress and actions.
Gambhirnathji realized that in future this young sage named Vinod, would do wonderful
work towards emancipation of mankind. He had that insight to make out that Vinod had
some extraordinary spark and ideas in him. So he allowed him to endeavour arduously
to worship God all by himself, away from other disciples. He also kept on guiding him
from time to time.
Brahmachari Vinod immersed himself in the practice of religious austerities. His main aim
was to become the true worshipper of God. He was determined to achieve success in
knowing and realizing the Ultimate Being, the God even if it had to be at the cost of his
health. This happened in between 1913 and 1916. It was in the year of 1916, on the full
moon day (of Bengali month of `Poush’) he absorbed himself in deep meditation in order
to attain the divine grace. In the same year (1916), on another day of full moon (Bengali
month of Magh), he succeeded in attaining divine grace through austere religious
practice and became one with the Supreme Being. When this realization dawned upon
him, he was in a state of trance, in that state of semi consciousness he said “time has
come for the great awakening, great union and emancipation.”
During that period, when he was still practicing brahmacharya and attained the divine
grace, he founded “Bharat Sevashram Sangha”. It was a thought provoking idea to name
this organization as “Bharat Sevashram Sangha”. He then explained the importance of
this name. According to him, this organization would be like a second Buddhist holy
order to propagate unity and mental prowess. So this Association would give its heart
and soul towards rebuilding our nation and awakening the sense of nationality among all
Indians. It would work in the entire country to achieve success. Hence, the word `Bharat’
was added. He also stated that, since it would revolve round the Vedic ideologies and
follow the tenets of Vedas, the word Sangha (Association) was included. And the main
aim would be to serve the entire nation and all the members of its society. Hence the
word `Seva’ (Service) was added in the name.
Initiation of Brahmachari Vinod towards asceticism :In 1924 at Prayag Kumbh Mela, Swami Govindananda Giri initiated Brahmachari Vinod
to take to ascetic mendicancy. That time onwards he came to be known as Swami
Pranavananda.
Welfare work had been carried out by this organization long before it was named as
“Bharat Sevashram Sangha”. During natural calamities like cyclone, torrential rain,
earthquake, famine this organization always stand by the people and help them to
restore their lost ground. They always undertake several activities towards welfare of
humanity in general, be it in the remote parts of Sundarban or helping underprivileged
and poor people to be financially self-sufficient or conduct relief work to the cyclone-hit
people of erstwhile East Bengal (now Bangladesh). They bring together people to set up
small scale industries which will help to better the standard of poor people and
underprivileged ones. In the flood hit parts of North Bengal they carry out relief work.
With the establishment of Brahmacharya Vidyalaya they have started imparting
education on morality and Vedic scriptures. At present this organization is running
schools from primary level to higher levels till colleges in different parts of India,
especially in underdeveloped regions of Assam, Jharkhand and Orissa. They have
established schools also in West Bengal, Gujarat, Chattisgarh, Himachal Pradesh and
Uttarakhand.
Reformation Work At Holy Places in India
To carry out reformation work at holy places is one of the major welfare activities carried
out by this organization. The holy places in India happen to be the lifeline for Indians as
far as their religion, culture and social integration is concerned. In the past, these holy
places were taken over by a group of hypocrites who resorted to all sorts of deceitfulness
and insincerity. Gradually these places came under control of agents who had no
respect for religion but only interested in amassing wealth in a most detestable manner.
Bharat Sevashram Sangha came forward to eliminate all such immoral activities that
posed such a problem for the pilgrims. In this respect Swami Pranavananda is regarded
as the pioneer who took the initiative to make these holy places peaceful and free of the
immoral activities.
Health Care Activities
It is often said that for a nation as well as for an individual, health is wealth. A nation
would have been paralysed if her health care system is not taken care of. Right from his
childhood days Swami Pranavananda used to take care of his health and practiced yoga
regularly. He had inspired the youth in our society to practice yoga in order to remain fit.
He believed that a weak nation is like a non-existent nation, powerless and spineless. In
order to eliminate ill-health and weakness Bharat Sevashram Sangha has set up several
primary health care centres and 56 mobile health care vans which travel in remote
places in our country. Side by side they run hospital for lepers, eye hospitals and
different other specialized health centres. Only primary health centres cannot be
sufficient for this kind of activities. So a project has been undertaken to set up a
specialized hospital with all modern amenities. Such a hospital with 500 beds is under
construction now and simultaneously treatment of the patients is being carried out too.
Spread of Indian Culture, Education and Religion
In different parts of the world, e.g. Myanmar, Singapore, several countries of Africa,
London, U.S.A., Canada, West Indies, Fijii, Nepal and Bangladesh they carry out
projects for the well-being of humanity and propagate Indian culture and religion.
The Role played by Swami Pranavananda during Freedom Struggle
When the freedom struggle was at its peak, Swamiji took initiatives to reach out to
people to help whichever way was possible. He kept the door of his Ashram open for
those people and his heart bled seeing the sufferings inflicted on the young Indians.
Those young men used to take not only shelter from him but also guidance to achieve
freedom. Swamiji always said that our motherland should be freed from the clutches of
British Rule. One should not be afraid to die for the cause of the motherland. Side by
side, one should strive for proper nation building and perform duties pertaining to one’s
caste or race. To take the country forward and carry out progress and developmental
projects, the need of the hour should be proper governance by strong-willed people. And
for this, whole-hearted dedication, honesty and selfless attitude should be the criterion
amongst the Indians. To serve the motherland they need to be united. Integration,
uprightness and honesty would help them achieve success.
The Britishers had put Swamiji in jail in connection to freedom struggle. He was happy to
be jailed for the cause of his motherland. He could have easily freed himself with his
profound knowledge in yoga, but he never resorted to that.
Publication of Sri Sri Sanghabani – the New-Age Veda
With his profound knowledge and deep meditation he realised that it was time to
emancipate people of India. He had already gathered spiritual knowledge and the
knowledge about the true self and the Ultimate Being. And that revelation of Swamiji was
published in the form of a book called “Sanghabani”. The Revelationist himself told his
followers that this book had been compiled on the basis of theosophical and
philosophical essence of the Vedas and Puranas. This book would be popular
universally, irrespective of geographical boundaries. It would make people from different
communities, caste or religion realize the concept of Universal Truth. The book plays the
role of a guiding force for the people and inspire them to get that spiritual knowledge
about divinity. Reading and realizing the contents of such books enhances the moral
sense and the capacity to distinguish between right and wrong.
Sanghabani has that universal appeal, it deals with the philosophy of life, it is necessary
for the sustenance of life. This literature is like a spring of nectar that enriches the mind
of the reader. It does not propagate anything negative about any religion. Reading this
literature has a positive effect on the mind of the readers and dispels all darkness from
the mind. It enlightens the mind of the readers and gives him immense satisfaction while
reading about the Supreme Being. And finally he is able to fathom the heavenly bliss
and gets ecstatic.
Sri Sri Sanghabani not only shows the path towards spiritualism, it also guides us
towards leading a virtuous life with good conduct and peaceful co-existence in society.
For almost hundred years this Sanghabani remains the guiding force for carrying on
humanitarian activities in our country. It is regarded as a sacred treatise and a valued
literature for us. The eternal truth behind our existence and the Supreme Being has been
revealed through fifteen questions.
The First Question : - What should be the Aim ?
Answer:- The ultimate freedom and spiritual knowledge. The Upanishads advises to
know one’s own `Self’ :- (Atmanam Vidhi), the first step towards knowing the eternal
Truth: The God, is to know one’s own self. Otherwise that eternal freedom is not
possible. That is why our great saint said with firm conviction, that visiting temple,
mosque or church does not get you to the path of Ultimate Truth. In this present age the
only way to know that Truth is through selfless service towards our society. That is more
important than visiting holy places with rosary in hands. Selfless service helps one
experience the intrinsic nature of spirituality and gradually leads him towards knowledge
of `Self’. Bharat Sevashram Sangha believes in that kind of selfless service towards
human society and its aim is “Atmanam Moksharthaya Jagatdhitaya Cha”.
Acharya Swami Pranavananda advocated this freedom with a group of young people
who were ready to relinquish and sacrifice their life for the sake of mankind. The Acharya
carried out several activities for the enlightenment of common people and became the
savior of humanity. He was the leading force in propagating humanism. And thus the
Sangha carried out relief operations in different parts of our country during natural
calamities and stood by the side of affected people like a pillar of strength.
Second Question And Its Answer :- What is Religion ?
Sacrifice, discipline, self-restraint, truth, study about the Absolute Being and abstinence
from worldly pleasures.
Religion has been discussed in different ways in different scriptures. Various types of
rites and rituals have been highlighted in those scriptures. But these variations resulted
in lack of tolerance among different communities. Hatred, intolerance and different
negative attitudes have clouded the minds of people. That is why Acharya Swami
Pranavananda Maharaj stated that religion cannot be confined within the limits of temple,
mosque or church or scriptures. Religion exists in sacrifice, truth, self-restraint and study
of the Absolute Being and abstinence from worldly pleasures. The reality about religion
lies in the above mentioned principles which help in purifying one’s own mindset and
attitude. Self-restraint leads to realization of ultimate freedom. To achieve this one
needs to practise discipline and abstinence from worldly pleasures. Sacrifice leads to
spiritual and philosophical consciousness. With this practice one can attain the state of
Brahmacharya and then gain the knowledge about God. One has to devote himself
totally into the realization of the Absolute Being, then only he can understand the real
meaning of Religion. The founder of Bharat Sevashram Sangha wanted to see that
people realize the true meaning of Religion in its right perspective. And on the basis of
the daily activities, through universal brotherhood and righteousness one can achieve
success. So he continued to work till his last days towards motivating the people in
achieving that state of realization.
Sacrifice
The power and dignity of sacrifice has been explained in all scriptures. The opposite of
sacrifice is enjoyment of worldly pleasures and luxury. In this kind of enjoyment one can
get instant pleasure and happiness, but its end result is utter sufferings. This attachment
to worldly pleasures leads to problems like fatigue, anxiety, disturbances, mental and
physical illness and finally may lead to death of the person himself. If one follows the
path of luxury and worldly pleasures, he can never attain that state of freedom and can
never realize the true meaning of Absolute Divinity. Through self-restraint and discipline
one can achieve success. And that is why, it is written in every scripture that sacrifice is
the most integral part of Religion. It is not possible to do welfare work for the benefit of
society and our nation without following the path of sacrifice. For this reason, the
Acharya had founded the Bharat Sevashram Sangha and incorporated a group of people
who were ready to sacrifice everything for the cause of their motherland. Religion
remains incomplete without sacrifice. Swamiji was successful in motivating a group of
young people and initiated them towards a greater cause. This group of young people
were doing their best in achieving the goal spearheaded by the great saint. Till date the
Sangha continues to do all kinds of good work which will benefit our society and our
motherland.
Self-Restraint
To control our five senses and to remain conscious about our mind, both ego and
intellect are of utmost importance. It is not possible to gain the ultimate peace and
happiness as long as the external and internal senses are put under control. That is why
Acharya Swamiji always stressed on the importance of mental and physical prowess and
peace of mind. One has to subdue passions and inherent vices and control internal and
external senses. Self-restraint begets mental and physical prowess as well as inner
peace. Without arduous endeavour no one can achieve this goal, universal or spiritual.
Truth
Attainment of divine grace, spiritual salvation is possible when one follows the path of
fundamental truth. This resolution can be taken up by being true to one’s own self. That
awareness can be achieved through this path of fundamental truth. This is the reason
why the saints have always prayed to the Supreme Being.
“Asato Ma Satgamaya”. Acharya Swamiji has said that one who remains unperturbed,
focussed and faithful towards his devotion will meet with success in achieving his goal.
Swamiji himself became successful in attaining divine grace through austere religious
practices. Religion does not exist in absence of truth. The same path was followed by
both Rama and Buddha.
Brahmacharya
The act of carrying on one’s duty in the valour and right spirit is what comprises of
Brahmacharya. Lacking in prowess or spiritedness is equal to lifelessness. Humanity
revolves round valour or prowess. One can achieve success in the right path through
right spirit. That right spirit should be felt from inside, that humaneness should come
from within, from the realm of the mind. Then only one can employ oneself diligently in
achieving his goal. The vastness of Brahmacharya does not include worldly pleasures
and luxury. Even the very thought, sight or willingness to get some taste of such
pleasures goes against Brahmacharya. One has to practise Brahmacharya diligently in
order to attain knowledge about God, and should be well versed in Vedantic Philosophy.
No one is able to build his character in the right way if he does not follow the principles of
Brahmacharya . For this reason, Swami Pranavananda Maharaj practised Brahmacharya
throughout his life.
The Third Question :- What is the state of Ultimate Death - Self Oblivion ?
Swamiji always said that in order to get the absolute knowledge and thus attain the state
of emancipation; one should be aware of one’s own self and should never immerse
himself into self-oblivion. Death means the state when human body ceases to live, but
the soul, which happens to be the conscious, immortal guide of every human being is not
an inseparable part of human body. It is immortal, spiritual and immaterial part of man.
One should make proper effort to know his own self, the soul. That knowledge helps one
to know the Ultimate Truth : The God, The Supreme Being. The normal tendency of
human being is to forget this fact that he has to strive whole heartedly in his life time to
come out of his ignorance and attachments towards worldly pleasures and should
instead try to get the knowledge of the Supreme Being. Self-oblivion ushers to all sorts
of troubles for the human being. That forgetfulness is tantamount to Ultimate death.
Bharat Sevashram Sangha is striving day and night towards enlightening people about
the real knowledge, about the rich cultural heritage of India, its philosophy, religion and
moral duties of Indians.
Fourth Question :- What is Life ?
Knowledge about God and Atman and self-realization. Acharya Pranavananda Maharaj
told us to acquire knowledge of scriptures and one’s own self and the Supreme Being
and to take guidance from one’s preceptor. Then only one can attain the true knowledge
and gets to realize one’s own self. A person can win over Ultimate death when this selfrealization dawns upon him.
Fifth Question :- What is Virtue ?
Heroism, conscience and humanity.
Whatever revolves round the path towards self-realization is virtuous and holy. For this
reason Acharya Swamiji always worked towards enriching the mind-set of his followers
and disciples and strived for betterment of society. He never had laid stress on hollow,
meaningless rituals. He gave importance on continuous endeavour to achieve one’s
goal. He taught that heroic deeds should be given priority by people and then only they
can overcome all obstacles in life. Heroic deeds do not comprise of suppression of the
poor and needy, neither in showing one’s muscle-power. The path towards selfrealization is full of obstacles and difficulty but that should not pose a problem for the
person who is determined to attain that knowledge.
Nobody can attain that Supreme Knowledge unless and until the negative traits in the
mind are overcome and totally ignored. All the animal instincts have to be wiped out from
the mind and gradually the person may see the light at the end of the tunnel. He will then
be considered as a human being in the true sense. When a person becomes
conscientious and is aware of his mental faculties, thoughts and feelings, then he can
strive for ultimate emancipation and finally achieve that state of salvation.
Sixth Question:- What is Deadly Sin ?
Weakness, Cowardice, Selfishness, Meanness
All over the world, whether it is physical, mental, spiritual, societal, or even national, all
these traits, e.g. weakness, selfishness, cowardice or meanness play vital role in
carrying out negative activities. That is the reason these traits are considered as deadly
sins. These negative traits put obstacles in the path of attaining the ultimate knowledge,
i.e. to know the Ultimate Truth, the God. A person whose mind is clouded by these traits
can never attain such knowledge. Acharya Swamiji advised his youth brigade to follow
the path of positivity with the help of good conscience, humane behaviour and heroic
activities and thus to enrich the society and the nation.
Seventh Question:- What is the Ultimate Vigour ?
Patience, endurance, steadfastness.
Physical prowess is not the only necessity to attain one’s goal in life. It is the mental
prowess that plays a vital role in making a person achieve success. Time and again this
has been proved as true by ancient scriptures and modern science. To achieve success
in attaining one’s goal the most important factors are patience, endurance and
steadfastness in a man’s nature. In the absence of any of these traits it is simply not
possible for him to achieve success.
Patience comprises of compatibility and perseverance. Endurance means power of
tolerance and power of submission. Steadfastness comprises of a balanced, industrious
and temperate habits. One who remains unmoved and steadfast in the moments of
grave situations and can withstand all negativities and remain focused and steady in his
path of achieving success, will definitely come out victorious. These requirements are
needed for both spiritual and physical activities.
Eighth Question :- What Are The Main Resources ?
Self-Confidence, Self-reliance and self-respect.
These are the pathways through which one gets success in one’s daily life as well as
spiritual life. The path towards salvation or enlightenment is strewn with sacrifice, selfrestraint, truthfulness and Brahmacharya. Self-oblivion is one of the major obstacles
towards achieving this path. This trait can be compared to a dark tunnel. But the light in
the pathways can be seen only with the help of self-realization, self-confidence and an
endeavour to acquire spiritual knowledge. Self-confidence can be achieved when one
believes in oneself and with the help of devotion, determination and discipline. Selfrespect can be achieved by a person who adheres to dignity and worthy conduct and
righteousness in one’s own estimation.
Acharya Swamiji reiterated the importance of these three principles which are
considered as main resources towards achieving one’s goal.
Ninth Question :- What Is Considered As Main Adversary ?
Laziness, inactivity, sleepiness and unresponsive behaviour as well as six inherent vices
or cardinal passions of man.
These negative traits and vices can make a man totally imbecile or inactive. That person
has no difference with a dead body. These negative traits never allow a person to know
about the Ultimate Truth and thus they are considered as major obstacles towards
achieving the goal. Laziness and inactivity poses a great threat towards a peaceful
existence. Six vices are equally major threats towards achieving that goal.
Swamiji always used to say that Laziness is the root cause of failure in a man’s life. He
stressed the need of continuous activities, and felt that there should not be any need of
rest or inactivity. He believed that inactivity should be considered as a major problem for
a man in his endeavour to gain spiritual knowledge.
Tenth Question :- What Is Absolute Ally ?
Enthusiasm, encouragement and perseverance.
Enthusiasm comprises of ardent zeal and great eagerness which energises a person to
achieve his goal and thus finish his work he has taken up.
Encouragement revolves round the urge to promote one’s belief and be courageous
enough to do the work one wants to pursue.
Perseverance is to continue steadfastly the course of action and continuance in state of
grace.
These three qualities help a person to do wonders even in the time of hardship. These
are true allies in the sense that the person can move forward spontaneously and remain
focused in belief. They are considered to be the prerequisites for any person who wants
to achieve his goal.
To achieve worldly goal as well as spiritual goal and get to realize one’s own self and
know the Supreme Being, these three allies are of utmost importance. This fact cannot
be denied by a religious person nor by an atheist.
Eleventh Question :- How to keep awake the zeal and endeavour to connect with
one’s own self ?
Answer: to surrender, to dedicate oneself and to meditate about Atman or God and to
gain spiritual or metaphysical knowledge. Self-examination and introspection also play
an important role in this field.
Twelfth Question:- How to gain immunity from immoral habits and worldly vices?
Answer:- To introspect regularly and think about death, transitoriness of human life and
realize the futility of worldly attachments.
Thirteenth Question :- What are those domains that awaken the thirst for worldly
pleasures and enjoyments?
Answer:- The love and attachment towards worldly possessions, riches and pleasures.
Fourteenth Question :- What makes a person mentally weak ? :Answer:- When one dedicates his life towards worldly pleasures and strives for more
such riches and gets busy in self-indulgence and shameful sensory pleasures and loses
the zeal to know the Ultimate Truth.
Fifteenth Question :- How to keep one’s body and mind pure and healthy ? :Answer:- One has to keep his conscience clear and remain aware of his own self and
keep his mental faculties awake. He has to be confident in his own ability and believe in
his mental strength and the ability to carry forward the legacy of our predecessors.
Regular study of the sacred books requires lot of dedication, awareness and focus. Sri
Sri. Sanghavani helps people acquire knowledge and self-realization. A lot of patience
and dedication is needed to understand these scriptures. One should develop the habit
of reading Sri Sri Sanghavani regularly in order to get peace of mind and thus gain the
knowledge of the Ultimate Truth.
“Om Gurukripa Hi Kevalam “
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