| News
& Notes - August 2007 |
|
Poojya
Purushothama Swamiji attained Mahaasamaadhi on June 27.
The body was cremated the next day. Detailed report about
the event and the subsequent functions held at Vyasa
Tapovanam appears in a separate article in this issue.
Jñaana Yajña in Malaysia & Chennai: As announced in the last issue,
annual Jñaana Yajña will be conducted in Malaysia between Aug 18 & Sept 04.
Contact: CIRD-Malaysia 603-7781 6110; Sri Unnikrishnan 603-5635 8539; Smt
Vasanta/Sri Param 603-7955 0580; Sri Jayasekar (Seremban) 606-762 6888; Sri KR
Pillai (Seremban) 606-762 4130.
Poojya Swamiji, along with Nutan Swamiji and Maa
will leave for Malaysia on August 17. On their way back they will halt at
Chennai from Sept 06 to 09. Poojya Swamiji will deliver three discourses on "Conflicts
of The Mind – Their Redress through Knowledge" at Sivagami Pethachi
Auditorium, Mylapore, Chennai, on September 6, 7 & 8 evening. Contact:
Sri Balasubramanian (044- 2435 8521, 98410 46000); Sri KB Raman (94446 73313).
Poojya Swamiji, Nutan Swamiji and Maa will return to the Ashram on Sep 09.
On July 14, Swamiji gave the benedictory address in the Civic Reception
accorded to Sri TG Ravi, the new President of Cochin Devaswam Board. The
function held at Kaustubham auditorium, was attended by Sri K Radhakrishnan,
Speaker of Kerala Assembly, Revenue Minister Sri KP Rajendran, Archbishop Mar
Andrews Thazhathu, Archbishop Mar Aprem, Prof R Bindu, Mayor (Thrissur),
former Mayor Sri K Radhakrishnan, Heads of different Devaswams, Heads of
District Bodies (panchayats), MLA Sri Therambil Ramakrishnan, MLA Sri VS Sunil
Kumar and many other distinguished persons.
On July 17, Poojya Swamiji was invited by the Ammadam Cooperative Bank to hand
over a deposit made out of contributions from the well wishers, for future
assistance to a young boy who was recently taken into the Juvenile Home in
Thrissur. The ten-year old boy was being persecuted severely by his mother and
foster father, and was rescued by Sri Sebi Josheph, a social activist, and a
Director of the Bank.
Swamiji in his address on the occasion said that
a family is a unit of the society. The family members are expected to live in
peace, harmony and mutual regard. If and when they flout this fundamental note
and indulge in criminal ways of ill-treating any member of their own family,
it becomes a matter for the neighbours and the society to be concerned about
and act for its remedy. "I have no ill will or resentment towards the parents
who inflicted such a torture on the child. I have only sympathy for them, for
the ignorance and delusion they suffer from. However, let this be a distinct
message to the society that no such criminality should step into the household
anywhere," Swamiji said.
Preparations are being made in the Ashram for conducting the
Gurupoornima and Retreat
(July 29 - Aug
04). Out of the many applicants, about 70 seekers from different parts of
India and abroad could be accommodated for participation.
This year, distribution of rice and cloth under the 22nd annual
Anna-vastra Daana Satra
will serve about
22,000 poor families. The distribution will take place from fifty village
centres, covering a few villages every Saturday and Sunday. Distribution from
Narayanashrama Tapovanam will take place on Aug 04.
Sewing machines for self-employment will be given
to indigent ladies by the end of September. Under the Monthly Daana Satra
scheme, in the beginning of every month, about 300 needy individuals are
given 15 kg of rice and some monetary assistance each. Assistance for
education, medical treatment, house-construction and repair, etc. is given to
the deprived from time to time considering the deservingness of each case.
Acknowledging their Role:
As wished by Poojya Swamiji, every year before the advent of Gurupoornima, all
the workers and other service people connected with the Ashram activities, are
invited specially one day and offered bhakti-bhoj and a set of dress. This
year, nearly seventy sevakas were honoured in a sublime function held in
Vijnaana Bhavan on July 21. Poojya Swamiji explained to them the important
role played by them in the multifaceted lokasangraha activities of the Ashram,
which is a Public Charitable Educational Trust and as such is a property of
the village.
Cultural Heritage Class: On July 8, about 120 children of the Sunday
Cultural Heritage class, who had 60 percent attendance, were given their
respective school uniforms.
A competition on chanting of Sanskrit-slokas was
held for the children on July 22. This was the final round of the competition.
Many of the children performed very well. The event was conducted in Vijnaana
Bhavan, in the presence of Poojya Swamiji, Maa and Nutan Swamiji. Appreciating
the children for their performance, Poojya Swamiji told them that they should
concentrate on three levels of refinement in chanting – uccaarana-shuddhi,
raaga-shuddhi and bhaava-shuddhi (refinements in pronunciation,
tune and emotion). The prize distribution will be held at a later date.
The cultural growth and refinement in these
students have brought about a conspicuous cultural transformation in the
surrounding villages. The parents of the children in general have started
feeling a compulsion to bring about a significant change in their
conversations, thoughts and behaviour. Swamiji feels that a change in the
diction and manners in their communication at home and outside, will mean a
great deal of improvement in the civilization.
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