Poojya Swamiji’s Message to the seekers on his 72nd Jayanthi:

Sannyaasa – An Inner Enrichment for All

To the Brahmavidya seekers and devotees:

Harih Om Tat Sat. Sannyaasa is the last of the four Ashramas meant for human life. In Sannyaasa alone does human life, devoted to dharma and purity, get fulfilled. This means that all the three earlier Ashramas like Brahmacharya, Garhasthya and Vaanaprastha are but preparations leading to and culminating in Sannyaasa.

Thus the spirit and purpose of Sannyaasa, the freedom and fulfillment it brings, must be reflected upon in all the three earlier stages of life. Householders have to understand this and develop a strong bond towards Sannyaasa and Sannyaasins.

Any sannyaasin is born in a household. He is also brought up in the household. The heredity as well as the initial growth he gains from his parents and home alone lead him to a spiritual Teacher, seeking spiritual wisdom. The new bond with the Teacher finally results in his embracing Sannyaasa, the last order of life.

Householders should reflect upon this supreme fact with fondness and inspiration. Their virtues, purity and enrichment alone perpetuate goodness and long-term welfare in the society. All sannyaasins are fed by householders alone. A Sannyasin’s life also is solely meant to help and strengthen householders in their path of dharma, goodness and spiritual wisdom. The bond thus between sannyaasins and householders is wholesome, unassailable.

When understood well, sannyaasa is, more than an order of life, an inner enrichment. It instills a strong, sublime, inner note of renunciation towards every kind of gain and loss, freeing the mind of all botheration and doubt. Spiritual wisdom alone has the power to bring such freedom.

Arjuna’s discomfiture in Kurukshetra was due to his lack of renunciation. In utter delusion, he pleaded that he should quit the battlefield, abandoning the war for which he had prepared for 13 years. His mind was shaken, intelligence confused, ego shattered.

Krishna sensed the distress. With timely words of wisdom, he instilled in Arjuna the inner renunciation, calling it yoga. Arjuna was initially surprised. But, very soon he found a new focus. In about 3 hours, the confused Arjuna became clear and resolved. Renunciation, he was clear, does not lie in shunning activity, but in taking it up in an enlightened manner – the ego should drop and the blessedness of universal vision should shine in its place :

“I am a part of the infinite Nature. Nature beams with activity. Through me a part of it becomes manifest. I have no special purpose. Like a drop of water in the river, I also am in the flow of Nature. Let me do my best, feeling that it is an inevitable contribution to the whole. In this are my harmony, fullness and poise. No more am I a disconnected individual. Everything is Divine and Full.”

If you will lead yourself to this kind of expansion, freedom and harmony, therein reigns sannyaasa. Those who take up Sannyaasa, are taking up that pursuit in a wholesome manner. Therein lies the difference.

Birthday never repeats. But with every year passing, one completes a greater tenure on the earth. I wonder how forty-nine years have passed after I embraced Sannyaasa. The reflection is enriching and fulfilling.

As I have always said: There is a way of living in this world without being bound by it, afflicted by it - come what may. This is the way of freedom, enlightenment and harmony. Every one is entitled to pursue this.

I want this spirit and mission to inspire all of you, even the whole world. Imbibe and express this spirit in your life and pursuits. That would then be the greatest offering you can think of making.

Spread this message heartily. Do everything necessary for it. Weekly and other periodical sittings at CIRD as well as other Centres have great, farreaching potential to take this mission effectively forward. Strengthen them by your timely presence and participation. Ensure that these cultivate and radiate the great lessons and benefits of inner renunciation.

Love and ashirvaad.

Antaraatma, Swamiji
13 May 2005

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Celebrations at Narayanashrama Tapovanam, Trichur

Harih Om Tat Sat. Jai Guru. The year 2005 marks the 72nd year of the embodiment of our beloved Gurudev, Poojya Swamiji. The Ashram was full to the brim with devotees assembled from various parts of the country, eager to participate in the Jayanti programme. Devotees had come from Trissur, Kannur, Angamaly, Madurai, Chennai, Bangalore, Mumbai, Pune, Delhi, Jamshedpur, etc.

As in all programmes associated with our Swamiji, the preparations are in themselves a source of joy and fulfillment for everyone. For the Jayanti day also, preparations were on in full swing to welcome more than 350 devotees, villagers, Ashram workers and children (from the Sunday Culture and Heritage classes in the Ashram) for the programme and bhakti bhojana. 

On the night of 12th May, brahmacharins, Ashram inmates, devotees and village children worked late in the night and decorated different parts of the Ashram. The pathway to the Ashram Hall was lined with strips from coconut fronds. At the entrance, 2 banana plants stood sentinel on either side of the tulasi shrine. Delicate garlands of saffron kanakaambaram entwined with fragrant white jasmine flowers and garlands of green kalyaani leaves transformed the entire Ashram into a sublime temple where we would offer pranams at our Gurudev’s feet on this Jayanti day which is so significant for every devotee.

Traditional kolam (rangoli) using rice paste was carefully applied in beautiful designs around Poojya Swamiji’s seat, the Ashram Hall shrine and Samadhi Mandir altar. Early in the morning on 13th, luminous pink lotuses were placed around the aasana for Poojya Swamiji’s holy feet, which were worshipped with white tuberoses, tulasi leaves and pink arali petals during the Paada Pooja.

In the Annakshetra, a flurry of activity was evident - bramacharins, devotees and cooks worked through the night into the early hours of the morning, preparing the bhakti bhojana and prasaada.

The morning of 13th dawned and the programme began with the rendering of beautiful devotional hymns and bhajans. As Poojya Swamiji accompanied by Nutan Swamiji and Maa Gurupriyaji stepped across the threshold of Vijñaana Bhavan, the air was filled with the soulful chant of : “Svaagatam Guro, saranaprada Guro.”

Maa Gurupriyaji explained the significance of the Paada Pooja which was performed by Sri Madhavan and Smt Geeta of Thrissur.

At the conclusion of the Paada Pooja, arrived the moment we had all been waiting for eagerly – Poojya Swamiji’s message. After many months of restricted voice use and no public discourses, 13th May 2005 was to be the first occasion when we would hear his beloved voice, chanting and speaking for an extended period in public.

Soon the familiar, sonorous chant of “Yam saivaas-samupaasate siva iti brahmeti vedaantino...” resounded in Vijñaana Bhavan filling our hearts and minds. The mind soared in delight and yet there was a residual heaviness at the thought, that while Poojya Swamiji’s voice has improved considerably, it may take many more months before it is restored to its original form.

Poojya Swamiji’s message to us focused on the indispensability of purity and wisdom in every human life, whether one lives in an Ashram or household, purses the spiritual path or a secular life. Many eyes trickled as Poojya Swamiji’s words penetrated deep into our beings creating a longing for purity. The purity our Gurudev was constantly exhorting us to develop, which would enable us to realize the God or the Self or the Reality which pervades every aspect of our being and the world around us, and yet seems so inaccessible and far away.

Swamiji enumerated the difficulty faced by devotees at spanning this seemingly inaccessible distance to the Presence that lies deep within ourselves, and the unique approach practised at the Ashram in helping us bridge it. 

Openness has always been a hallmark of our beloved Gurudev and his Sannyasin disciples Nutan Swamiji and Maa. This occasion was no different. Although wondering about the effect of his speaking so openly, Poojya Swamiji explained how the Ashram brahmacharins, inmates and semi-inmates have been attempting to remove the constrictions embedded in their minds and hearts and replace them with purity and wisdom under the guidance and care of Poojya Swamiji, Nutan Swamiji and Maa.

Illustrating the difficulties faced by Ashramites with some examples from daily interactions between brahmacharins, Swamiji spoke openly about the challenges they faced in integrating their behaviour with the wisdom imparted. Cautioning everyone of the folly of devaluing the individuals mentioned, Poojya Swamiji emphasized that it would be sheer delusion not to realize that each and every mind would have similar but well concealed constrictions.

In the course of his message, Poojya Swamiji expressed his overwhelming concern for the growth of those in his direct care and related his words during a discussion with brahmacharins which took place late at night :

“I will not get up from here unless your minds are clear”. When Maa gently reminded that it was already twelve o’clock, Swamiji said: “Let it be threeo’clock, four-o’clock, I will not get up unless this cobweb of the mind is cleared and all of you are able to feel relaxation.”

Hearing this, my eyes started flowing, because to all of us living here – parttime or full time, brahmacharin, inmate, semi-inmate or close devotee, it is very clear that in living in the close association of Poojya Swamiji, Nutan Swamiji and Maa, we feel blessed and extremely fortunate. We have not one but three Saints to guide us and the love they have for us ensures that they will keep showing us the way, shining the light, guiding us out of the wilderness of our minds even though we sometimes try to hold on to our blindfolds.

In our Ashram, we do not face any difficulty about food, clothes or stay. And love – we have lots of love from Poojya Swamiji, Nutan Swamiji and Maa. Yet we sometimes feel that saadhana is difficult, although the only difficulty is in facing our own mind and what it produces. Here, even the smallest interaction is evaluated on the pivotal point of the purity of our minds: Did we act in a constricted or expanded way? And sometimes it seems like we cannot escape from this mirror that relentlessly reflects our minds.

In reality, it is but a reflection of the true love, the Divine Love all of us – brahmacharins, Ashramites, devotees near or far, are blessed with in the form of our beloved Swamiji. His presence in our minds and hearts, his love and guidance in our lives are the source of the transformation that takes place in our minds and hearts. Jai Gurudev.

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Celebrations at Centre for Inner Resources Development, Delhi

Early morning at 7:30 am, we assembled in the Satsang hall. The 13th of May is an important date for all of us, as our Poojya Gurudev came on the earth, this day, 72 years back. 

Shri Vinod Tiwari welcomed the devotees, and then the function started with the chanting of “Janmaanekashataih “. This was followed by Swamiji’s birthday message, read out in English and Hindi. The message of Sannyasa went straight into our heart, and we kept wondering why we are not able to grasp this simple message and make it effective in our lives. 

Then followed chanting of the 108 names of Poojya Swamiji along with the offering of flowers at his photograph by five devotees on behalf of the assembly. We then played a cassette containing an extract of Swamiji’s talk.

Saaddhvi Haripriya ji spoke for a few minutes, extolling the qualities of her Gurudev and about her meeting with him. Her voice was laced with love and devotion.

We have a Sunday Cultural Heritage Class at CIRD for some underprivileged children from the neighbourhood. In a bid to encourage them, 3 of the lot, who had been performing well in studies, were given some small token gifts. They quietly came, introduced themselves and received the gifts along with the prasaada.

Amidst the chanting of “Om Namah Sadaasivaaya …”, and the playing of the cassette “Song of the Soul” prasaada was distributed to all.

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Celebrations at Brahma Vidya Centre, Jamshedpur

Evening 6 o’clock. The main hall in Dr. Aloke Sengupta’s house was nearly full. Devotees had already arrived. Garlands of fresh orange marigold hung over the main door. In a corner of the veranda was a circle of small flames from earthen lamps placed on a bed of flower petals. As one enters the hall, Swamiji’s photograph draws the eyes. We could feel the warmth within, as if we were in our Guru’s presence. Fragrance of rajnigandha filled the air. The heat of summer was forgotten in the mood of joyous celebration.

Pushpasamarpanam followed the chanting of “Janmaanekshataih sadaadarayuja..”. As we offered flower petals and prostrated before Poojya Swamiji’s photograph, more and more devotees joined the long line of people waiting to offer flowers. After Pushpasamarpanam, all devotees chanted in unison the 108 holy epithets of Poojya Swamiji.

Swamiji’s message extolling “Freedom in Sannyasa” was read out in English and also in Hindi. With rapt attention the devotees listened, trying to imbibe the significance of Swamiji’s words.

After two bhajans, the devotees performed Aarati before Swamiji’s photograph with the chanting of “Na tatra suryo bhaati...” The day’s events came to a close with the chanting of “Prabuddham Vimuktam…” and prasaada-distribution.

Before leaving, discussions were held about the arrangements for the forthcoming Daana Satra programme on the 15th May, Sunday. Meanwhile, some ladies started folding the carpets and cleaning up the place. This was their gesture of gratitude to the house-owners who had made the beautiful arrangements for the sublime function.

A participant who is not a member of the regular group of Swamiji’s devotees, commented: “As I was sitting and watching, the sublimity of the programme filled me and I was moved by the devotion of the people around. I hope the simplicity and sublimity of their devotion is never lost.”

 

Celebrations at Centre for Inner Resources Development, Malaysia

13th May early morning, around twenty devotees assembled at CIRD to celebrate the 72nd Jayanti of Poojya Swamiji. The tape “Song of the Soul” was being played – greeting the devotees with sublimity. The programme commenced with the devotees chanting the invocation slokas “Janmaanekashataih .. .. “.

While all the devotees chanted the 108 epithets in praise of Poojya Swamiji, the Guru-arcana on behalf of everyone was performed by Sri Unnikrishnan Menon. After reading out Poojya Swamiji’s Message on the significance of Sannyaasa, we listened to his recorded discourse on ‘Moksha’. Thereafter, all the participants offered flowers one by one at Poojya Swamiji’s photograph and received prasaada.