àawRna INVOCATION äüanNd< prmsuod< kebl< }anmUit¡...

JULY 2006YUVA BHARATI 1

YUVA BHARATIVOICE OF YOUTH

Vol. 33 No.12A Vivekananda Kendra Publication

Editorial Office:5, Singarachari Street

Triplicane, Chennai - 600 005

MANANEEYA EKNATHJIRANADE

Ph:(044) 28440042Emai l : [email protected]

Web:www.vkendra.org

Founder Editor

(Plus Rs. 30/- foroutstation Cheques)

Single Copy Rs. 7/-Annual Rs. 75/-For 3 yrs: Rs. 200/-Life (20 Yrs) Rs. 800/-

P. PARAMESWARANEditor:

Go from village to village, do good to humanity and tothe world at large. -- Swami Vivekananda

04

06

09

13

18

21

24

27

28

32

36

39

INVOCATIONàawRna

I bow to the Guru who is the embodiment of the bliss of Brahman, the giver of thegreatest beatitude, the absolute, the personification of the highest knowledge; whois beyond the pairs of opposites (like pleasure and pain) and untouched by evil, likethe sky, whom “Thou are That” and similar scriptural passages have in views; theOne without a second, the eternal, the pure, the immovable, the witness of all men-tal modifications, abiding ever beyond thoughts and attributes.

--Vishvasaaratantra

äüanNd< prmsuod< kebl< }anmUit¡ÖNÖatIt< ggns†z< tTvmSyaidlúym!,@k< inTy< ivmlmcl< svRxIsai]ÉUt<ÉavatIt< iÇgu[riht< sÌ‚é< t< nmaim.

brahmänandaà paramasukhadaà kebalaà jïänamürtiàdvandvätétaà gaganasadåçaà tatvamasyädilakñyam|ekaà nityaà vimalamacalaà sarvadhésäkñibhütaàbhävätétaà triguëarahitaà sadguruà taà namämi||

--

Jasbir Kaur Ahuja

Dr.K.Subrahmanyam

Ch. Satyanarayana Murthy

--

K.R.Krishnamurthi

Prem Nath Bhat

--

--

P.R.Kamath

Editorial

Guru Gobind Singh

Gita for the Youth

Gautama Buddha

Preparing for Divine Grace

V.K. Samachar

Samartha Ramdas

Sri Samarth Ramdas


This month brings the solemn Utsava ofGurupoornima. Traditionally AshadhiPoornima is celebrated as Gurupoornima

because Sri Veda Vyasa was born on this day. Itwas Veda Vyasa who by establishing Guru -Parampara protected the Vedic knowledge.Sanatana Dharma based on the Vedic vision isthe life center of Bharat. Thus, this work of VedaVyasa was a great work in protection of the nationand its ethos. This is the day when we worshipour Guru, offer ourselves for the work of Guru,to lead the life in the direction shown by the Gurucarrying out Guru-Parampara.Swami Vivekananda had said, “Each nation hasa message to deliver, a mission to fulfill, a destinyto accomplish.” The mission of India has been toguide the humanity in spirituality - that is acquiringthe vision of Oneness (as enunciated in Vedas)and evolving a social order based on this visionof Oneness. It is the plan of the Divine thatmankind should evolve in this direction. In thisdivine plan of evolution of mankind Bharat has aspecial role to play. Thus working for nationalregeneration is working for fulfilling of the Divineplan- doing Ishvara’s work. This nationalregeneration is possible only when the Hindusociety is united and aware of its purpose.Vivekananda Kendra, a spiritually orientedorganisation is working for national regeneration.In national regeneration- Ishvara’s work- onlyIshvara can be the guide, the Guru. Mananeeya

Sri Eknathji, the founder of Vivekananda Kendradid not project either himself as Guru for Kendraor he even asked to consider Swami Vivekanandaas Guru. He established Om as Guru inVivekananda Kendra. Why?Swami Vivekananda had said, “The nationalunion in India must be the gathering of scatteredspiritual forces whose hearts beat to the samespiritual tune.” It means bringing those peopletogether whose spiritual view is same. What is theway of bringing these forces together? He furthergave his idea, “We must have a temple, for withHindus, religion must come first. Then, you maysay, all sects will quarrel about it. But we willmake non-sectarian temple, having only “Om”as the symbol, the greatest symbol of any sect.If there is any sect here, which believes that“Om” ought not to be the symbol, it has noright to call itself Hindu….Secondly inconnection with this temple there should be aninstitution to train teachers who must go aboutpreaching religion and giving secular educationto our people… Then the work will extendthrough these teachers and preachers, andgradually we shall have similar temples in otherplaces, until we have covered the whole of India.That is my plan. It may appear gigantic but it ismuch needed. You may ask, where is the money.Money is not needed…Where are men? That isthe question. Men, men, these are wanted:everything else will be ready, but strong,vigorous, believing young men, sincere to thebackbone, are wanted.”It was this message that fascinated Eknathji. Sowhen destiny guided him to the work ofVivekananda Rock Memorial and laterVivekananda Kendra he chose Omkara as the guruof this Punya karyam. Why Omkara is acceptedby all? Why is Omkara chanted in every auspiciousKarya, before any Mantra? From Omkara comeall the names and forms. Some say Omkara is onlyPratika - a symbol. But that is not so. Its chantingitself has an impact at all levels whether one knowsthe meaning of Omkara or not. That way, all formsof God are also pratika till one realizes the Ishvara.

OMKARA: THE GURU


Ishvara is invoked in many names and forms.Generally everything is identified by a name.Name denotes a person and a person is knownby his name. In ‘name and a person’ evolves aVachya-vachak sambandha - relationship. Vachyaand Vachak become one. But this relationship iscreated by man. The day a child is named, slowlyhe and others start associating that child with thatname. The names of Ishvara are like that. Thosenames are meaningful only to those who haveaccepted Ishvara in that particular form and name.Thus the name ‘Shiva’ means so much for aShaivaite but it may not produce the sameelevating vibrations in the mind of a person whodoes not have devotion for Shiva or do not knowthat Shiva is a name of God. Thus in all namesand forms of Ishwara this vachya-vachaksambandha is created by man.The quest of our Rishis was that ‘Is there a nameof God which can produce the elevating vibrationseven if the person uttering that name does notknow its meaning? Is there a name of Ishvarawhere Vachya-Vachak relationship is not createdby man but exists on its own?’ In other wordsthe quest was for a name of Ishvara which is notman-specific. Our Rishis discovered that such aname is Om. It is the primal sound, the firstvibration from which came whole creation. Sothe Yoga Shastra says- ‘Tasya VachakahPrananva - Ishvara is expressed as Omkar’.Omkar is called as Pranava because it is bychanting of this Omkar that the Ishvara is invokedintensely (prakarshen nooyate iti pranavah) SoBhagavad Gita says, “ Pranava Sarvavedeshu -The best in the Vedas is Pranava” It was Vyasawho found ways to preserve Vedas and name ofIshvara which is not bound by time-space orhuman beings. It is this work of Vyasa - themission of India to evolve an ideal social orderbased on the Vedic principles- is to be carriedforward in the interest of the humankind.Even the name ‘Vivekananda Kendra’ indicateswhy Eknathji chose Om as guru of VivekanandaKendra? Eknathji explains in Sadhana of Service,“We have accepted the name of Vivekanandafor two reasons. Firstly, on the occasion of

the birth centenary of this noble patriot of ourMotherland we have erected the Rock Memorialand this Kendra is just the second phase of thesame activity, Secondly, Vivekananda’s namestands for universality which transcends allparochialism. His mission is as expansive as thesky. His words of wisdom still ring in our earsthough more than hundred years have rolled by.He attempted to unify and utilize the spiritualforces of the monk order. We aspire to make theKendra as the meeting place for all themultifarious spiritual forces in the country forthe cause of the nation. Vivekananda did notpreach his own philosophy; he gave the thoughtsof the Upanishads. He gave nothing new buthe poured the new life and vigour into the age-old thoughts to enlighten the new age.” AsEknathji envisaged Kendra as the meeting point ofvarious spiritual forces, he chose Om as our Guru.What was that new life given by SwamiVivekananda to the age old thoughts?Mananeeya Sri Parameshwaranji President,Vivekananda Kendra wrote very beautifully in theintroduction written for the book ‘Story of theVivekananda Rock Memorial as told by Eknathji’that, “During the course of his campaign forthe Rock Memorial he had realized that politicalfactionalism and religious sectarianism, hadalways prevented people from coming togethereven on issues of national good, about whichintrinsically they had no conflicting opinion.Politics being the pursuit of power could be aninstrument of division. But Eknathji waspainfully aware that even spiritual movementsdegenerated into rival sects. As a keen studentof history, he found that this had become anational defect with the Hindus and unless itwas overcome national reconstruction wouldremain a mirage. Therefore, he encouraged anorganization which would be meticulously keptbeyond politics and sectarianism.‘That was his vision of Vivekananda Kendra.After a careful study of Swamiji’s life andthought, he was convinced that SwamiVivekananda also stood committed to such anon-sectarian ideal.


“Such a non-partisan, non- sectarianorganization could be built up only around agreat ideal. Perusing the entire thought ofSwami Vivekananda, with a thrill in a heart,Eknathji discovered that the magic word willbe worship-the worship of Man is truly theworship of God. That was the uniquecontribution of Swamiji. He did not teach usto seek God “by retreat to the cave, but by areturn to the society” So Eknathji wanted toraise an organization around this central theme“worship of man is worship of God”…Spirituality must be made vibrant. It shouldbe selfless action, rather than simplemeditation.”Swami Vivekananda told us to worship Virat inthe society. He said, “What vain gods shall wego after and yet cannot worship the god that

we see all around us, the Virat (JanataJanardan?) When we have worshipped this, weshall be able to worship all other gods.” Thebest way to see God around is the Upasana ofOmkara. Omkara is all inclusive, everything comesfrom Om. Like Dattatreya who had 24 Gurus fromthe nature, Kendra workers by accepting Omkaraas Guru strive to evolve themselves by acquiringhumility to learn from everything and everyone.Accepting Om as Guru, doing Guru-pooja is thusre-dedicating to the work for national regenerationby making Kendra a non-sectarian and a meetingpoint of all positive forces.To sum up, Omkara as Guru or the upasana ofOmkara means two things - to seek God in societyby doing service and to realize God within byexcelling in one’s own duty.

B.NIVEDITA


rr

Teacher the transmitter

Those who give themselves up to the Lorddo more for the world than all the so-called workers. One man who has

purified himself thoroughly, accomplishes morethan a regiment of preachers. Out of purity andsilence comes the word of power.Personality of a TeacherThe question was once asked to me in Englandby a friend, “Why shouldwe look to the personalityof a teacher?—We haveonly to judge of what hesays, and take that up.” Notso. If a man wants to teachme something of dynamicsor chemistry, or any otherphysical science, he may beof any character ; he can stillteach dynamics, or anyother science. For the knowledge that thephysical sciences require is simply intellectual anddepends on intellectual strength ; a man can havein such a case a gigantic intellectual power withoutthe least development of his soul. But in thespiritual sciences it is impossible from first to lastthat there can be any spiritual light in that soulwhich is impure. What can much a soul teach? Itknows nothing. Spiritual truth is purity.With the teacher of religion we must first andforemost see what he is, and then alone comesthe value of the words, because he is thetransmitter. What will he transmit, if he has notthat spiritual power in him? To give a simile : If aheater is hot, it can convey heat vibrations, but ifnot it is impossible to do so. Even so is the casewith the mental vibrations of the religious teacherwhich he conveys to the mind of the taught. It isa question of transference, and not of stimulatingonly our intellectual faculties. Some power realand tangible, goes out from the teacher and begins

to grow in the mind of the taught. Therefore thenecessary condition is that the teacher must be true.We hear most splendid orations, most wonderfullyreasoned out discourses, and we go home andforget them all. At other times we hear a few wordsin the simplest language, and they enter into ourlives, become part and parcel of ourselves andproduce lasting results. The words of a man whocan put his personality into them, take effect, buthe must have tremendous personality. All teachingimplies giving and taking, the teacher gives and thetaught receives, but the one must have somethingto give, and the other must be open to receive.Function of a teacher1. Education is the manifestation of theperfection already in man.2. Religion is the manifestation of the Divinityalready in man.Therefore the only duty of the teacher in both casesis to remove all obstructions from the way. Handsoff ! as I always say, and everything will be right.That is, our duty is to clear the way. The Lord doesthe rest.Negative thoughts weaken manNegative thoughts weaken man. Do you not findthat where parents are constantly taking their sonsto read and write, telling them they will never learnanything, and calling them fools and so forth, thelatter do actually turn out to be so in many cases.If you speak kind words to boys and encouragethem, they are bound to improve in time. Whatholds good of children, and holds good of childrenin the region of higher thoughts. If you can givethem positive ideas, people will grow up to be menand learn to stand on their own legs. In languageand literature, in poetry and the arts, in everythingwe must point out not the mistakes that people aremaking in their thoughts and actions, but the wayin which they will gradually be able to do thesethings better. Pointing out mistakes wounds a man’sfeelings. We have seen how Shri Ramakrishnawould encourage even those whom we consideredas worthless, and change the very course of theirlives thereby ! His very method of teaching was aunique phenomenon.

SWAMI VIVEKANANDA0 0


The question is sometimes raised is a Guruabsolutely necessary? Can we not by ourown effort move towards the Highest,

realize the Supreme without the aid ofanother person. There is point in this doubt,also a misunderstanding. SwamiVivekananda defined educationas the manifestation of theperfection already inman. All knowledge isalready within us. Only ithas to be brought out.Dwelling on Uma Devi’s education Kalidasa saysthat when the time came all the Vidyas, allknowledge, was firm like a rock. It laysubmerged in the waters. Now it emerged toview. What was potential became dynamic. UmaDevi did not resort to a Guru.In our own names we have the marvelousexample of Sri Ramana Maharshi. He was theembodiment of Advaita, in him we saw therealizatiuon of the Absolute. But he did not goto a Guru. His thrilling experience of deathrocketed him into identification with the Ultimate.We have to infer that in his previous birth he hadalready reached just below the summit and inthis birth he had only a few more final steps toclimb. But when questioned, he always said aGuru is needed. He used to quip, you need aGuru (heavy) when you are laghu (light). We areall laghu, so a Guru is indispensable as far as weare concerned.The fact is that we are spiritually asleep. We haveto be woken up from that nidra. By ourselveswe will not got up. Some one else must shake usout of our sleep. That person is the Guru. Whenwe are fully awake we can see things correctly,live correctly, and be happy. But we areTamasic, we love sleep. Gently or forcibly theGuru helps us to get out of the sleep. A man mayset an alarm timepiece to wake him up early inthe morning. At the scheduled minute the alarmrings. But sleep is so sweet. The clever mind findsa trick by which getting up can be avoided. Adream begins. There is a spreading fire. Fireengines rush to the spot. The bells of the engines

clang loud. The dreamer watches the dream. Heneed not get up. It is the alarm time-piece that isringing, but for the cosy sleeper it is the fire-enginethat is giving the alarm-bell. Our spiritual sleep isdeeper than physical sleep, more difficult to getout of. Even the alarm time-piece or any otherexternal mechanical aid will not do. The Guru mustintervene in person. Without his stimulation we willcontinue to hug our tamas, imagining that we areall right. In this connection Sri Ramakrishnaclassifies the Gurus into three types. He comparesthem to physicians. The ordinary physicianprescribes a medicine, makes enquiries now andthen to see if the patient is following his prescription.But the best physician is he who, when he finds thepatient to be different, sits on the patient’s chestand forces the medicine down his throat. The besttype of Guru like him will not hesitate to be harshtowards the disciple, when the disciple is a littlelax in his sadhana. But the very next moment hewill be all sweetness, fondling the disciple.Acharyavan purusho veda. Gain the ultimatewisdom with the help of a Guru, says the Sruti.We find even Avataras obeying this injunction. SriRama was taught by Vasishtha. Sri Krishna, themiracle-worker, went to Sandeepani. And SriRamakrishna underwent everyone of the disciplineunder an appropriate Guru. He came to revalidatethe scriptural truths. So he never went against Vedic

GURU-SHISHYA NEXUS

C.S.RAMAKRISHNAN


commandments. Actually his Guru was the DivineMother herself. She sent him specific Gurus forpracticing specific sadhanas. This proves twothings. If there is Vyakulata, intense yearning, Godsends the Guru to you. And secondly forparticular training Upa gurus, or subsidiary Guruscan be availed of. The most famous example isthe Avadhuta mentioned in the Bhagavata. He hadtwenty four Upa gurus. He could got spiritualinsights from a falcon or an angler, a python or amaid. This was possible because his mind waswide open, highly sensitive to everything aroundhim. He illustrates Sri Ramakrishna’s declaration‘As long as I live, so long do I learn.’Of course, the Guru-shishya combination willyield results only if both of them have the requiredqualification. In scriptures like Vivekachudamaniwe get details about the qualifications needed forboth. The aspirant must have the Sadhanachatushataya – proficiency in the fourdisciplines—Viveka, Vairagya, Shadsampattiand Mumukshutva. He must be ever alertdistinguishing between the Real and the unreal.Brahman alone is ultimately Real, the glamorousworld is but a passing show. He must have anintense spirit of renunciation, he must not hankerafter pleasures here or hereafter. Of the sixattributes Sama or calmness implies that a spiritof contentment inspires all his thoughts and deeds.He accepts all that happens as God’s will whichcan never be against his welfare. Dama or self-control means keeping the senses under controland not being a slave to them. Uparati or self-withdrawal consists in the mind ceasing to beaffected by external objects. Titiksha orforbearance is bearing all afflictions withoutprotest or anxiety or anguish. Afflictions aremessages from the Beloved’, stepping stones tohappiness. Next comes Sraddha or faith,earnestness, which makes for unqualifiedconviction in the truth of the scriptures and theGuru. The sixth qualification is Samadhana orthe mind being concentrated ever and anon onthe only Reality, Brahman. And the last and mostimportant requisite is Mumukshutva or intenseyearning for Freedom. The aspirant should long

to be utterly free. Sri Sankara says that out of allthese requirements the primary ones arerenunciation and yearning for freedom. If they arepresent the other virtues follow automatically likethe shadow following us.The Gita says the disciple should approach theguru-pranipatena, pariprasnena, sevaya-withhumility, doing joyous service to the Guru andquestioning him repeatedly till all doubts arecleared. These are but signals that the disciple iseager to be close to he Guru. In turn the Guru alsoshould be sufficiently qualified. He should be wellversed in the Sastras, he should know how tocommunicate the subtle truths, how to clearconfusions, how to encourage the disciple to scalehigher and higher. Sri Sankara says the Guru isVasantavad, like the spring, which brings ever freshdelight. But he may not deal in the same way withall the Shishyas. Sri Ramakrishna gives theexample of the mother preparing five differentdishes with the same material to suit the differingtastes and digestive capacities of her five children.Sri Ramakrishna’s Gurubhava itself bears witnessto this. If we study the lives of the Direct Disciplescarefully we can notice the different ways in whichhe trained Naren, Kali, Baburam, Latu, Niranjan,Yogin and others. And his very first disciple, theHoly Mother, he not only taught her all householdskills but literally worshipped her as theembodiment of the Divine Mother and his spiritualheiress.Sri Ramakrishna warns us that the aspirant shouldexercise all caution in chosing the Guru. He shouldnot be carried away by the high talents of the Guruor his miraculous powers. These are red herringson the path. The crucial test is whether the guru isselfless in his thoughts and deeds, whether he is anahaituka dayasindhu, an ocean of compassionwithout pre-condition and prejudices. With hischarming humour Sri Ramakrishna compares theunwise choice of a Guru to a frog being caught bya water snake. The water snake is not able eitherto swallow the frog or to release it. So both thesnake and the frog continue to suffer. The frog goeson croaking in agony. But if a cobra catches thefrog it will kill the frog and swallow it by the time


the frog gives three croaks! With the wrong sortof guru both the shishya and the Guru will suffer.But the perfect Guru will lead the shishya to theGoal Supreme very easily and surely.Sri Ramakrishna has said that the disciple mustthoroughly test the Guru even as a money-changertests a coin. In fact Swami Vivekanandaquestioned and tested Sri Ramakrishna all throughthe five and a half years he sat at his feet and SriRamakrishna enjoyed being questioned andtested. For instance to test the Great Master’sallergy to Kanchana he placed a rupee coin underhis bed. As soon as Sri Ramakrishna sat on thebed he sprang up as if stung by a scorpion. Narenbowed down his head in shame and quietlyslipped out of the room. Again when Naren, withhis Brahmo ideas, thought it was non-sense tosay everything is Brahman and was mocking withHazra ‘This jug is Brahman, this chair isBrahman’, the Master just touched him and lo!Naren could see only Brahman everywhere. Ashe walked in the street a horse carriage wascoming towards him, but it was Brahman. Athome he could not eat anything as the food wasBrahman and even plates were Brahman. It tookthree days for that cyclonic vision to fade away.Naren disputed every step with his guru and socould declare that he knew the spiritual pathminutely.Sri Ramakrishna was a strict disciplinarian andwanted the minds of the disciples to function atthe highest level, but he was also a democrat,allowing them all freedom to think things out bythemselves and act out of conviction and notmerely on his authority. He would tell them toremove the head and tail and accept only theremainder. This trait is shown by Sri Krishna tooin the Gita. After instructing Arjuna througheighteen Chatpers he tells him, ‘Have youlistened to all this, O Partha, with undividedattention? Reflect on it fully and thenyathechchhasi tatha kuru, do as you like’. TheLord has done his part of the job so perfectlythat Arjuna can only reply ‘karishye vachanamtava, I shall do as you have told me’. This is therole model of Guru-shishya bond.

If the disciple is able to serve the Guru heart andsoul no other sadhana is required for him to attainthe Goal Supreme. The classic example is SasiMaharaj, the founder of the Madras Math. He wasclose to the Master literally, for during the last daysSri Ramakrishna would rest by leaning on his body.After the Master’s Samadhi Sasi never left theBarangore Math. He instituted the worship of SriRamakrishna on a regular scale and coming toMadras he continued the worship meticulously. Hefollowed no other spiritual practice. Guru Bhaktiwas his thrilling sadhana. When Naren wasallotting Sannyasin names to his Guru-bhais hewanted to name himself after the Master, butdecided that Sasi deserved that honour better andnamed him Ramakrishnananda. The SvetasvataraUpanishad concludes that only to the aspirant whohas as much devotion to the Guru as to God willthe Truths reveal their meaning. Sri Ramakrishnahas explained this beautifully. The cow contains milkthroughout her body, but it is from her teats thatwe get milk. Similarly God is present everywhere,but for us to attain Him we have to go to the Guru.The redemptive power of the Divine, the AnugrahaSakti of God, flows through the Guru and from theguru it flows along the lineage of Shishyas. This iswhat is known as the Guru-parampara. We arefortunate in that we can benefit from the GuruParampara of Sri Ramakrishna, the Avatar of thisage. Rama and Krishna are mythological figures,so when we meditate on them we have to use ourimagination and much guess-work becomesnecessary. But Sri Ramakrishna was a historicalfigure. He walked this earth of ours a century andhalf back. His words and deeds have beenrecorded faithfully by ‘M’ and Sarat Maharaj inthe Gospel and the Lilaprasanga. Plenty of factsare available about the Master and there is no needto make any guesses. Realization of him can besolid. So on the auspicious occasion of SriRamakrishna’s Birthday let us focus our meditationon the ‘Divine Mother’s Child’ and rededicateourselves to serve him and his sangha heart andsoul.


GURUDEVDr. K.SUBRAHMANYAM

Guru is God. It is guru who gives us rightand righteous upward direction forenlightenment and victory. Not only the

individuals and institutions, but societies andnations as well are given a noble and righteousdirection by their respective gurus or masters. Aguru is a visionary. And at the same time he ishighly practical. Neither selfishness norpossessiveness can ever be seen in an ideal guru.Simple living and high thinking, austerity andenlightenment, unselfish love and broad out look,erudition and empathy, unsullied purity andexemplary conduct are but a few of the marks ofa good guru. An ideal guru deserves to be calledSri Guru on account of the auspiciousness heembraces, sees and spreads everywhere. Positiveoutlook and constructive work are the essentialand ennobling traits of an auspicious master orguru. India is a land gifted with many an idealmaster from times immemorial.

The guru aspect of Siva is DakshinamurtiVedamurti is none other than lord Vishnu as themaster of wisdom. Brahma the creator is himselfa guru. In various forms, Gods have appearedon earth as benevolent gurus guiding people onnoble lines of culture. All the rishis of India aregreat gurus. In every walk of life and in everyfield of study, they have done great research andthe precious findings have been placed beforemankind for their onward and upward marchtowards individual enlightenment and social orpublic weal.

Brahmarishi Vasishta is the Kulaguru ofraghuvamsa in which lineage is born Sri Rama.In spiritual science, Vasistha has doneremarkable research and so he is a great rishi.Viswamitra has done research in intellectualscience and his contribution to society is thepeerless ‘Gayatri’ mantra. Rishi Bharata has doneresearch in music and dance making Indiamatchless in fine arts. Dhanvantari is a researcher

in medical science which is of world renownefficacy even today. Yogic sciences have beenthoroughly probed into and the research findingshave been brought to lime light by Rishi Patanjali.Vyasa and Valmiki have done great research in thefield of human values and they are now available intheir immortal epics, the Mahabharatha and theRamayana. The science of bodily pleasures too hasbeen thoroughly probed into by Vatsayana rishi andhis treatise ‘Kamasastra’ is meant to be a guidefor a happy married life. All the rishis have beengenerous in guiding people towards a higher andnobler mode of life. Materialism is never neglected,but is given a place next to spirituality. India is aland of spirituality and every aspect of life isexpected to progress towards and culminate inspiritual splendour. But, now and then, materialismtries to take the upper hand throwing spirituality tothe back seat. It is then that great gurus rise to theoccasion and set right the situation intune withIndian ideology.

Vishwamitra was initially a materialistic monarchmad after power, position and possessiveness. ButVasishta the eternal guru of mankind gave him arude shock and turned him towards spirituality.

JULY 2006YUVA BHARATI 1 0

Materialism was proved to be insignificant andpowerless before the all-inclusive grandeur ofspirituality. Vishwamitra took to the path ofasceticism and reached the peaks of perfectionin spirituality. The change brought in Viswamitrais but a symbolic forerunner of the metamorphosisthat is being worked out by India in the rest ofthe materialistic world now. Everybody at onepoint of time has to realize the insufficiency andlimitation of materialism. Nothing but spiritualitycan offer lasting solace and peace. Shadow lessbliss is but a product and content of ;spirituality.Inida is soaked in spirituality and has thereforebeen a beacon light of peace to the entire globe.

Guru is supposed tolead us from ignoranceto enlightenment, fromdarkness to light: formthe transient to thelasting: from the unreal tothe real. What Vashistahas done to Viswamitrahas been carried out bythe sages. Spirituality isthe bedrock of India,back bone of ourculture, the very breath of our civilization. Gurusuphold it.

Narada is a guru to many an ignorant andindifferent individual. Ratnakar a dacoit wastransformed into a spiritual luminary by Narada.In turn, Valmiki through his immortal epic theRamayana has changed many a materialisticmortal into a spiritual giant. Thulasidas, Kabir andRamdas are some of them. Spirituality does notmean escapism or cowardice. Now does itpropagate inaction. It is harmonious advancementof action, emotion and intellect for theunfoldement of divinity within. It drives away allambiguity and clarifies our understanding aboutall.

The misconceptions about ahimsa or non-violencewere dispelled by Maharishi Vyasa in theMahabharata and we find Sri Krishna in theBhagavadgita inducing. Arjuna to fight for the

elimination of evil. His predecessor Sri Rama triedto put up with the evil and accommodate it till itbecame unbearable. Sri Krishna the spiritualstalward preached the philosophy of action. Evil isto be nipped at the bud itself. In the foot prints ofSri Krishna, there arose many a Guru propagatingevil eradication.

Gurus do not preach the same philosophy to allthe disciples. What is relevant to the age and whatis suitable to the recipient will only be taughtjudiciously for the benefit of both the individualstudent and the society around him.

Sri Ramakrishna had many disciples. One day aparticular disciple was found to be a littledull and gloomy. The master wanted to knowthe reason for his depression. The disciplesaid “Sir, while I was coming here a co-passenger was making caustic remarks aboutyou and your way of life. I was unable toswallow his critical comments. In the nameof non-vilence, I somehow put up with him.His foul words are still ringing in my ears,”sri Ramakrishna scolded the pupil for hispassive nature and said “this is not good.Should you keep quiet without hitting backthe person who insults your mother,

motherland, master or religion? This is nothing butcowardice. Never should you be a weakling. Youshould have taught him a lesson for life.” While theinstruction was thus being imparted there weresome other listeners. The very next day, one otherdisciple joyfully reported to the master that he hadsuccessfully given blows to a co-traveller who wascriticizing him and his Guru. Sri Ramakrishnareprimanded him for his rashness and said “Dogsdo bark. We should not take notice of them. Youshould have kept cool. Never should you reactviolently hereafter.” The disciple replied; “But, sir,yesterday you instructed the other person to be aman of action. I took that lesson and implementedit today”.

Sri Ramakrishna clarified: “One’s food is another’spoison. A person of bare feet cannot take a ruggedpath. Each has a way to reach the destination. Theother disciple required to be improved in one


Salutations to the Guru whose form is radiant withthe jewel of Vedanta and who is the sun that causesto blossom the lotus of Vedanta.

Salutations to the Guru who is the Supreme Spirit,eternal and serene, who is beyond ether, pure,beyond Bindu, Nada, and Kala.

Salutations to the Guru who is established inKnowledge and power, who is adorned with thegarland of Knowledge and who grants both worldlyprosperity and liberation.

Salutations to the Guru who by setting a fire ofself-knowledge burns away the fuel of Karma(resultant of past work) accumulated throughinnumerable lives.

direction and you in another direction. Mr.Fattyand Mr.Leany can not wear the same coat.Goodness should not be mistaken for weakness.Goodness should not be allowed to be exploitedby the evil doers. We have to be judiciouslyworking in the world of selfish people withoutlosing our peace and balance.”

Sri Krishna’s Bhagavadgita requires to beinterpreted very cautiously. While its spiritualundercurrent is ever vibrant, the message on itssurface is not the same to all people of all timesand places. It varies from person to person, placeto place, generation to generation. WhileSanatana dharma remains changeless, Yugadharma does change.

Gautama the Buddha preached non-violence.And many people followed it at the cost ofindividuality, self respect and even personalsecurity. It is not applicable to all.” “Resist notevil” is for a particular type of people seekingsalvation in a particular way. In the name of non-violence, we cannot afford to make everybody aweakling.

Adi Shankara propagated the theory of Mayaand the Advaita philosophy. Not all are capableof grasping the subtle truth implied in thetranscendental terminology of the sage. People

of small intellect mistook the whole instruction fornegation of reality and took to escapism andwithdrawal from all dynamism and responsibility.Spirituality does not mean psychic weakness. Nordoes it propagate laziness or inertia. Strength andtruth, health and happiness are the fruitfulexperiences of spiritual practices.

Fate is but the free word of an escapist.Markandeya, Savitri and Nachiketa conquered fate.Neither the gods nor great gurus have ever beenpassive weaklings. Even the greatest preachers ofnon-violence have not confined themselves to theircells or caves. They are never inactive.

An ideal Guru has to take into account thetemparament, requirement and ability of theindividual before imparting any instruction. Socialneeds and National goats cannot be ignored. Guruwhile imparting instruction are cosmic, national,social and then, individual. Individual interestssometimes may have to be relegated to thebackground, if they are to interfere with social,national and global welfare. A guru has to bejudicious.Swami Vivekananda appeared in the recent pastand found us to be steeped in ignorance andinaction, contrary to the dictates of Sri Krishna’sGita. So he roared “Arise, Awake, stop not till thegoal is reached”.


GURU; THE UNIQUEHINDU INSTITUTION

N. KRISHNAMOORTI

Sumati: Brother, Why do the Guru and thedisciple chant together Sahanavavatu - Mavidvishavahai . . .

Sumanta: The Guru is an experienced spiritualleader. The disciple is a fresh starter. In the courseof the lessons, the Guru will say manythings that go beyond the comprehensionof the student. On those points, thedisciple should have absolute faith in thewords of the Guru. Only then will thestudent be able to make those words thebasis of his life. Therefore the Guru alsotakes care that the student loves him; thewhole basis of the Guru- studentrelationship is one of love, not hatred orsuspicion.

Sumati: I can understand that. Unlessthere is perfect love, there can’t beperfect understanding. Perfect love leadsto good understanding vice versa.

Sumanta: The teachers have to be very cautiousabout the knowledge system itself. For examplein Siddha medicine, varma therapy, etc., themedicines involve the use of poisons! metals,drugs etc. Unless the teacher is convinced thatthe disciple is perfectly wedded to the publicwelfare, disciplined by self-lessness is verycautious, the teacher may not teach thosetechniques to the students.

Sumati: Oh! Is it so!

Sumanta: In Siddha, Varma Vaidya there is aGanapati prayer. It says that dangerous, martialarts, therapies, etc., should not be taught to thosestudents who are characterless, drunkards, in-attentive etc. There are many teachers who wouldnot teach these subjects to their own sons!

Sumati: The caution on the part of the Guru isjustified. There is a doubt among the modern-

day-students, especially free-thinkers, that the Gurublocks the growth, the intellectual growth of thestudents by making them single-track-minded.

Sumanta: That is absolute non-sense. The teacheronly invokes the potentialities of the students andshows them the way. The student has to growaccording to his own genius. Any amount ofirrigating a neem seed with honey and milk will notconvert it into a plant of sugarcane, as SwamiVivekananda says. It will only be a neem tree. AGuru understands the tendencies of the student and

puts him on the way that suits him.

Sumati: Is it so? That is why SriRama Krishna taught differentmethods to his differentdisciples?

Sumanta: Yes. The teacher’shelp is like a training in alanguage. Using the language youcan read any book you want.

Sumati: How can a teacher traina student without teaching himany particular subject?

Sumanta: That is the beauty of Indian system ofknowledge. The teacher teaches the student howto learn. Making use of that technique, the studentmasters various subjects. Sri Aurobindo Ashramat Pondi has such a training institution.

Sumati: In that system, the teacher does not haltthe students’ growth . . .?

Sumanta: In no honest system can the teacher hurtthe student’s growth. That is why many of our greatdisciples are so different from their teachers,masters, Gurus. For example, compare SriRamakrishna with Swami Vivekananda. SwamiVivekananda was a scholar of internationalreputation. But Guru Ramakrishna was never givento scholarly expositions on spirituality. In fact, hewas not known for his book learning.

Sumati: Can there be other examples?

Sumanta: Mouna Guru was a great spiritualteacher of Tamil Nadu. His disciple Tayumanawarwas a very expressive philosopher poet.


SHIBIR CALENDAR FOR 2006 Names Period Age group Camp Donation

Spiritual Retreat (English & Hindi) 5 - 11 October 40-70 years Rs.700/-Yoga Shiksha Shibir (English & Hindi) 1 - 15 December 20-55 yrs Rs.1000/-

“Then only will India awake, when hundreds of large-heartedmen and women, giving up all desire of enjoying the luxuries

of life, will long and exert themselves to their utmost, for the well-being of the millions of their countrymen”.

Are you among those whom Swamiji had in mind? Come, dedicate yourselffor the service of the nation as a fulltime worker of Vivekananda Kendra,Kanyakumari - a spiritually oriented service mission.It is not a career - but a mission. Your Yogakshema would be taken care ofby the Kendra.

Send e-mail for details at:[email protected] OR

Contact at the following address with full biodata and a postal order of Rs. 10/-General Secretary, Vivekananda Kendra, Vivekanandapuram,

Kanyakumari - 629702For detailed information, visit us at www.vkendra.org

Do you hear Swami Vivekananda saying:

NivrittiNath and Jnaneshwar were so differentfrom each other.

Sumati: Can Gurus inspire great action in theminds of the disciples?

Sumanta: Why not? Samartha Ramadas andShivaji Maharaj exemplify such a relationship.Swami Shivananda, the direct disciple of SriRama Krishna, was called Mahapurush Maharaj.His disciples were many. SwamiRanganathanandaj Maharaj was a great orator.Swami Tapasyanandaji Maharaj was a prolificwriter. Swami Chidbhavanandaji Maharaj was agreat founder of institutions. C. Subrahmaniyamwas instrumental in bringing about the greenrevolution. Sri Avinashilingam was the educationMinister of Tamil Nadu. All of them attribute theirsuccess to their Guru’s grace.

Sumati: (Smiling) Can a Guru make a talkativedisciple silent?

Sumanta: He can do so. Lord Kartikeya camein the guise of saint and told the young prattler

Arunagiri Natha, “Be Silent; Be Wordless”.Arunagiri entered a great realm of silence andcalled that state “Inexpressible experience” andlater composed poems on that spiritual experiencewriting extensively.

Sumati: But generally the Guru prods the discipleinto good and positive action for the welfare of thesociety! We call Shri Krishna, Jagadguru?

Sumanta: Yes. We say Krishnam VandeJagadgurum. Because He gave us the BhagawadGita, the universal scripture. He taught us love, theuniversal Bonding.

Sumati: We call India the world teacher,Jagadguru!

Sumanta: Yes. Bharat has the great responsibilityof teaching Universal Morality to the world. Socialspiritual and moral values, true religiousconsciousness, Yoga practice all have to come fromIndia to the world. The Ultimate Freedom, Mokshais India’s hope for the world. That is why India iscalled the Jagadguru.


On Gurupurnima

NEEMA MAJUMDAR

On day of the Gurupurnima, one mayremember the great tradition of Guru-Sisya that our country is having for

many centuries now. However, the question alsomay arise whether this tradition is relevant today?Now that, modern education has replacedGurukulam style of learning, it may seem thatthis relationship between one Guru anda sisya is a thing of the past andredundant in present daycontext.

I would have probably agreedwith the latter view a few years ago when I wasgrowing up in a modern Gujarati Brahmin familyin Mumbai. All my education was in modernschools and colleges in Mumbai. Coming from afamily, which had a lot of value for education,after finishing my B.Com, as a family convention,I went to the United States of America for myMBA. My life seemed to have been made!!!

However, after going to the US and observingthe society there, many questions started arisingin my mind. I started thinking that, it is true thatthese people in USA have a lot more money andphysical comforts. However, they don’t seem tohave happiness and contentment that I expectedthem to have. Neither I could say that in India,where people have to struggle for their dailyexistence have peace and contentment. Then, thequestions started arising in my mind, what is themeaning of life? What brings contentment andfulfillment that one is really looking for.

I was just searching for an answer to thisquestion, which was occupying my mind. Then,one day in October 1986, I met SwamiDayananda Saraswati, a great scholar of Vedantaand Sanskrit that changed my life forever.

When I first met him, I was impressed by hiscommand over Sanskrit, his logic, his clearexpression. However, coming from a modernbackground, I also had doubts about the validityof what was being said. That is why, when I firstmet him personally, I asked him, “ Swamiji howdo I know that what Vedanta is saying is thetruth?” I was impressed by his response!! He

didn’t try to beauthoritative or tryto convince methat what he issaying is

right. Instead,he just smiled andsaid very softly, “You will knowit”!!! “You are asmart girl”!!

Slowly listening to Vedanta, my whole beingunderwent a transformation. I startedunderstanding that the sense of limitation that I wasfeeling in wake of which I was looking for answers,is in fact a fundamental human problem. ThroughSwamiji’s teaching, gradually I came to appreciatethat Shastra is a means of knowledge to know thereality of I to be limitless Brahman, which otherwisecannot be arrived at. What gave me confidence inShastra is when Swamiji stated that in order forShastra to be valid means of knowledge, it can notbe contradicted by any other means of knowledgewhich includes logic. This became a big challengeand I started thinking that until I find some reasonor logic that contradicts Shastra, I have no choicebut to listen to what it says, as freedom fromlimitation is desirable by me and everyone else.Swamiji also unfolded the necessity of Karma Yogaand meditations to take care of distortions anddistractions of our mind so that it can understandthis great vision.

What was striking throughout was the importancethat Swamiji gave to our Shastra, the tradition ofteaching which starts from Lord Shiva in the formof Dakshinamurti to Vyasa, to Adi Shankaracharya.Swamiji never claimed himself to be the personwho realized the truth one fine morning, but clearlystated himself as only a link in the lineage of thisteaching (Guru-Shisya parampara).


Moreover, Swamiji brought Iswara in my life.Through out the handling of the teaching, Swamijiemphasized that it is not merely knowing “ I amlimitless Brahman” but Shastra reveals theequation, “ You are that (Iswara)”. Theimplications of this are big. In any equation, thereare apparent differences that finally resolve innon-difference. Like in the equation 3+2= 6-1,both sides look very different but come to thesame result “5”. Similarly, there is a differencebetween I ( limited knowledge and capacity) andIswara (all knowledge and capacity). I as anindividual, is totally governed by the laws ofIswara. Even the opportunity for me to know,the teacher I get, my capacity to assimilate theteaching that finally enables me to understandthe non-difference is given by Iswara. Thishighlights the importance of relating to Iswara.As I understood the significance of this, I startedrelating to Iswara in form of order that governsmy whole life. My specific prayers to Iswaraslowly evolved into having prayerful attitude inand through every event of my life. Once I relaxedin the order of Iswara, Swamiji’s words thatrevealed identity of oneself with Iswara startedbecoming a reality.

The importance of this knowledge and traditiongrew so much in my life that I decided to leave

my job with United Nations as Economist anddecided to study with Swamiji for 3 and half years.During this course, we covered severalUpanishads, Bhagvad Gita, Brahma Sutra andPanini system of grammar. Everyday, I could notbut thank Iswara for giving me an opportunity tostudy our Shastra. Tears used to come when I usedto think what Punya must I have done to have theopportunity to know this truth. During the threeyears, it was a great learning also to see howSwamiji was living what he was teaching. Hiscompassion, care and interest in every studentreally validated every one of us, let us growaccording to our own capacity, and help usdiscover the truth.

Eight years have passed since I completed mycourse. Life has become such a blessing. Thistransformation in me is due to this great traditionof Guru-Shisya parampara. This knowledge, thistradition because of its intrinsic value in solving thefundamental human problem, will continue to blesspeople of the past, present and posterity. The onlything is that, one has to choose to expose oneselfto it.

I have only one prayer left for Iswara now. I praythat, “let me also become the link to this traditionand help others the way I was helped by this greattradition”.

The Guru (spiritual teacher) is Brahma, the Guru isVishnu, the Guru is lord Shiva, the Guru is verily

Salutations to the Guru who has made it possibleto realize Him by whom this entire universe of

Salutations to the Guru who with the collyrium stickof Knowledge has opened the eyes of one blinded

Salutations to the Guru who has made it possibleto realize Him by whom all this world, animate and


In our country, we count our days from everySunrise. In Muslim countries, the day iscounted from each Sunset. In Europe and

England, they reckon the day from each midnight.The word fortnight may have been derived fromthis practice.

We have Solar months and Lunar months in India.Solar months are observed in Tamil Nadu andKerala, while Lunar months are followed inAndhra Pradesh, Karnataka and some places inNorthern India. Lunar months are calculated intwo ways, one from each Amawasya calledAmaantha and the other from every Pournamicalled Poornimantha. Amaantha is followed inAndhra Pradesh and Poorimantha in Bengal.

With the Sowra and Chandramana (Lumi-Solar)differences one can easily follow the BuddhaPoornima (Lunar Vaisaka Pournami) which isSolar Chitra Pournami, on which day GowthamaBuddha was born at Lumbini near Kapilavaasthuin Nepal, as the proud son of a proud father, KingSuddodhana, a Kshatriya belonging to SakyaVamsa.

The King named his new born son as Siddhartha,with the roubust joy that the young prince wouldsucceed him as one of the glorious kings of Indiaand never imagined for a moment that he wouldas a youth, reounce Royalty and become aSannyasi and a great religious and spiritual teacherof the world!

As the Govt. at the center is arranging for thecelebration of the 2550th Maha Nirvana ofBuddha shortly at the Capital followed by a series

of programmes for a period of one year, we cantake this as an occasion to put forward some veryimportant historical details relating to Buddha’sbirth date, on the basis of latest research findingsmade by some of our eminent research scholars.

From the Media, it is learnt that the 2550th MahaNirvana of Buddha is to be celebrated in 2006. Asit is generally believed that Buddha lived for 80years, his Nirvana is to be calculated as 544 B.C.Hence his year of birth becomes 624 B.C.(544+80=624 B.C.)

But many research scholars have rejected thistheory as unscientific. Late Professor

We quote below the subscription numbers, renewal of which is due.Readers are requested to take note of it and act at the earliest.

YB/12933, 36, 45, 16506-512, 14-17, 19-29, 31-48, 50-59, 61, 63-65, 17007. (Ends with July ’06)

Dear Subscribers/Readers,

YUVA BHARATISubscription Renewal - An Appeal

K.R.KRISHNAMURTHI

GAU

TAMA BUDDHA


Published and printed by N Viswanath on behalf of Vivekananda Kendra from 5, SingarachariStreet, Triplicane, Chennai-5. at M/s. RNR Printers and Publishers, 8, Thandavarayan Street,Triplicane, Chennai-5. Editor: P Parameswaran.

K.Srinivasaraghavan, a distinguished Astronomerand Research scholar has stated in his Book“Chronology of Ancient Bharath” that Buddhabelonged to Kritika period, whcn New Year wascounted from the month of Kartika (B.C.2621-1661).

According to Puranic Chronology after theMahabharatha War (in 3067 B.C) thirty Kingsof Suryavamsa dynasty ruled in Kosala for 1504years (B.C.3067 to 1563). The 22nd to 25th,Kings were Sakya Suddhodhana, Siddhartha(Buddha) and Rahula.

So Buddha was born about 1251 years after theGreat Mahabharatha War in 1816 B.C. Thelearned Professor therefore fixes the birth yearof Buddha as B.C. 1816.

British authors have completely failed to do justiceto Indian History and Historical Dates!

Siddhartha became a disciple of MaharishiGautama. Hence he was named GautamaBuddha. Vidisara, the 5th King of Sisunga dynastyof Maghadha was 5 years junior to GautamaBuddha.

Maharishi Gautama flourished in the 19th CenturyB.C. No Rishi with this name ever lived in the 5th

Century B.C.

Buddha lived a full and active life from 1816 B.C.to 1736, covering 80 years and attained MahaNirvana in B.C. 1736.

So it becomes very clear that this year 2006 A.D.is the 3742nd Maha Nirwana of Buddha and not2550 as appearing in Media reports, which theGovt is also following in good faith!

Siddhartha left the palace on one night, leavinghis wife Queen Yasodhara and son Rahul and wentto a forest. After wandering for several months,

visiting many important places, reached Gaya andsat under a peepul tree and went into deepmeditation. There he suddenly got Divine light andenlightenment one day! Siddhartha became theBuddha or the Enlightened.

The tree under which he meditated came to beknown as the Bodhi tree. A big temple was buildlater on at this place, which is called the MahabodhiTemple.

Buddha delivered his first sermon at the Deer Parkin Sarnath near Varanasi. He preached in Prakrit,the language of the educated.

Buddha preached that Desire is the main cause ofmisery and sarrow in this world and it should begiven up.

He then preached that people should follow theeight principles of life or the Ashta Marga (Eight-fold Path).

Those principles are Right View, Right Thinking,Right Speech, Right Action, Right Meditation, RightLiving, Right Effort and Right Recollection. Hefurther preached Ahimsa to abstain from injuringothers. He denounced caste differences, yajnas andyagas. His messages (Buddhism) spread amongcountries like Central Asia, Tibet, Japan, China,Java, Ceylon (now Sri Lanka) Nepal and SouthEast Asia.

But Buddhism declined in India and Nepal ( thevery birth-place of Buddha).

At the completion of 80 years Buddha attainedMaha Nirvana at Kushinagar in Bihar on 1736 B.C.

This year 2006 is the 3742nd Maha Nirvana ofBuddha and not 2550th Nirvana as conceived andapproved without proper verification of researchfindings!


It is a truism that every soul is destined to beperfect and every being, in the end will attainthe state of perfection. Whatever we are now

is the sum total of our acts and thoughts in the pastand whatever we shall be in the future will be theresult of what we think and do now. But, mouldingand shaping our own destinies, does not precludeus from receiving help from outside. Such a help isabsolutely essential in the context of our ownprogress in society. The soul, in its evolutionaryprocess, is awakened to a sense of spiritualismclothed in ethical principles and conventions thatneed to be evaluated for its moral content and purity.No books could give us the guidelines for this upliftexcept a spiritual master who is generally called aGURU. Revered in the spiritual tradition as GodHimself and taking to spiritual life as a greatchallenge, he follows the devotional norms laiddown for rigid practice and looks up to seasonedsaints and seers for guidance and inspiration. Nospiritual books could feed him with the requisiteknowledge for this spiritual upgradation. Willy nilly,the need for a GURU’s education and enlightenmentbecome inevitable as a first step in the spiritualladder. It is Guru the teacher who trains the studentcalled the Sishya and this Guru-Sishya Parampararuns down the corridors of the spiritual hierarchywithout any slide-down. Further, the soul from whichit proceeds must possess the power of receiving it.No useful purpose would be served by ploughingan arid ideology or a lonely furrow. The underlyingideal should be to attain the desired objective atany cost and sacrifice without loss of time.A superb blend of elegance, excellence, anderudition with a messianic vision, the Guru has avital role to play in the life of a Sishya and should becapable of demonstrating his spiritual potential thatshould have their psychological sway over thedisciples who should be driven to an involuntaryfeeling that he is offering Paradise on a platter muchto their advantage. The demon of pride andprejudice and such vicious qualities are bound todenigrate his image and personality.

Fiery idealism and a pragmatic outlook on the valuesof human life should, however, govern his life toproject him as a model for others to emulate and distilthe best of what this noble birth could give him as aunique reward. He should not, therefore, try to renderhimself into a moral nullity or intellectual sterility. Asthe human heart is an amalgam of both the benevolentand malevolent elements, the chances for developmentof the latter should always be curbed with anunflinching bent of mind. He should not get involvedhimself in emotional entanglements. On the contrary,he should harmoniously blend the various facultiesand build a strong integrated character based on rightknowledge, right behaviour and right work. He shouldbe an imaginative humanist and objective analyst tounderstand human nature in its true perspective witha philosopher’s vision and outlook. Ethical rationalismshould contribute to his progressive march andgrowing maturity.The character and personality of a Guru are the twohallmarks of his popularity and a true reflection of hiserudition. The sine qua non of acquiring spiritual truthfor one’s self or for imparting it to others is the purityof heart and soul. When both the heart and soul arepure, he is sure to experience the vision of the Almighty.This calls for a preliminary analysis of the qualities ofa Guru in whom a worthy vibration of spirituality should

WHO IS A ‘GURU’?K.SUBRAMANIAN


be discernible so that it could leave its impact onthe taught. Something real and appreciable in theform of an influence emanate from the teacher andgoes to the disciple. In this spiritual process, thereis a phenomenal blend of both the human and thedivine as a palpable relationship. It may, therefore,be categorically stated that the Guru has almostreached the summit of his spiritual mission by dintof his ceaseless efforts and ingrained ability.Denuded of any selfish motive, the genuine Gurunever draws away from the limelight of hisprofession. The disciple’s soul blossoms into fullbloom when the Guru nurturesand nourishes the spiritual soil inwhich the seed has already beensown.Besides, the ethical factors offaith, humility, submission andveneration towards the Guru lendtheir magical sheen to the Guru-Sishya relationship in a spiritualambience that brings them closeron the plane of understanding andstudy with a sense of abidingenthusiasm and interest. The Guruwhose wisdom and truth areintertwined has the distinctcharacteristic of taking the Sishyato new pastures for anilluminating study of religion and introducing him tobasic tenets and conventions prescribed for practicein his daily life. Some, out of sheer vanity, posethemselves as teachers whose real worth takes alittle longer for public criticism that takes themfathoms deep in their profession. When the divinelyappointed teacher arrives at the right time, the Sishyaappears to virtually slip into a state of stupor andcongratulates himself for the bestowal of such aprivilege on him. He sees before him the panoramicbeauty of an oasis in the timeless religious tract,

through which the Guru leads him for acquiring moreknowledge and wisdom, the two essentialconcomitants for a study of religion and what it standsfor. The disciple’s wanderlust in the field of religion issatisfied by the teacher whose versatility is a primefactor to be reckoned with. The food for the aspirantcomes like Manna from heaven and such a food hasevidently its immortal worth to the blessed. Thus thesanctified role of a Guru is immeasurably superior inall respects. If it could inebriate the disciple with itsonerous role in the Bhakthi cult, the distance betweenthe two pales into insignificance and both could move

closer on the spiritual plane withindependent identities, coupled withan ideological outlook andunderstanding.In illustration could be cited theclassic cases of Sri Adisankara andhis disciples, and Sri RamakrishnaParamahamsa and SwamiVivekananda in the immortal galaxyof that saintly order. Spiritualism maybe regarded to have reached itsclimacteric during their age. All theirworks, discourses and teachings inthe realm of Religion, Philosophy andVedanta had cast their magical spellon their countless devotees andfollowers and immersed them in

divine consciousness with their mesmeric characterand pulsating rhythm. The spiritual history of Bharathsparkled with such illuminating examples and gave atremendous impetus to its religious mission andmovement at a national level. As long as spiritual Gurusare there, the fountain of spiritual literature would haveits steady and incessant flow to quench the thirst ofthe aspirants without any bias.Thus the Guru seems to be a divine incarnate in theeyes of the Sishya, as also an embodiment of all roundknowledge and learning and wisdom in their entirety.

Salutations to the Guru who has made it possibleto realize Him who as consciousness pervades thethree worlds with their movable and immovableobjects.


Once, while I was travelling in a train, Iwas browsing through one of theKendra’s publications – The Goal and

the Way. I observed from the corner of my eyesthat a person near me was curiously eyeing thetitle of the book. After some time, he asked me,“Can I have a look at your book?” I looked athim, he was also browsing through a book onVyas Maharshi. He offered his book to me and Igave my book to him, exchanging smiling glancesat each other. He identified himself as ShivSwarupananda. After some time, having gonethrough our respective books, we were set on toexchange our views.

He said, “Your organisation’s thoughts, actionsand the goal are in tune with that of GuruParampara established by Vyasa Maharishi.Vyasa’s work is not just otherworldly spirituality-but to establish Ideal Social Order as emphasizedin your book. I was curious and requested himto elaborate his statement. He then started sharing

VYAS-GURU PARAMPARA & SOCIETYSATISH CHOWKULKAR

further – “We should have a look at Vyasa’sbackground so that we can know the secret of hiswork”. Shiv Swarupananda continued: “Oncewhile Sage Vasistha was walking along, he heardVed mantras’ resonance around. He found that thesound was coming from the womb of a pregnantlady nearby. That lady happened to be hiswidowed daughter-in-law – wife of his son Shakti,who was killed by the anger of Vishwamitra, onaccount of his differences of opinion with SageVasistha. Sage Vasistha then brought up the child—his grandson, so as to groom its genious suitably.This child was later known as Sage Parashara.When young Parashara came to know that his fatherwas killed by the anger of Sage Vishwamitra, hevowed to take revenge. Sage Vasistha thencounselled young Parashara that the creative wayof taking revenge is to establish a society whichwill be an ideal society where there will be noplace for such conflicts and this world can be aperfect place to live in – “a Swarga on the earth”.

Parashara meditated onthis idea very intenselyand identified 10 Sutrasi.e. formulae and steps

so that such a world can be a reality – an IdealSocial Order. “What are these Sutras – and howto implement them?” I could not resist my urge toask.

Yes, I am coming to it . “Smiled ShivSwarupananda and proceeded forth. SageParashar knew that identifing Sutras is only abeginning. In order to implement them, there is aneed of a real genius plus sincerity andperseverance to take up this task. A person havingthese qualities have to be groomed. So headdressed this problem to his son – KrishnaDwaipayana, who was brought up in a special andunique atmosphere. This person was later knownto the world as Vyasa. ‘Vyasa’ denotes a titlebefitting the taker of this mammoth task.

When Vyasa sought to know the purpose of hislife Parashara taught these 10 Sutras (Dasa Sutras)to him and told he will have to establish this idealsocial order. He cannot rest – not even die, till the


task is achieved. He will be a Chiranjeeva forthis goal.

Now, what are these sutras:

· Identify and establish basic principles – valuesof life. These values should be such, which canbe conduited through family – an optimum unit ofthe society.

· Create MEN (selfless persons) who can vowtheir lives and stand by these principles, in anychallenging circumstances.

· Consolidate resources – Intellectual capacity,physical strength and financial power (Trade andCommerce).

· Strengthen the aforesaid basic principles bycontinuous research and evolve them as per thechange of time – (Kal-Chakra).

· Create a team of persons who can implementthese principles – creatively and pro-actively(non-reactionary).

· Develop sincere dynamic and selfless leaders(Vijigishu Netrutva)

· Do not ignore women – educate them andinvolve them in the process, using their uniquecapabilities and potentialities.

· Build up social wealth for welfare of theSociety (Ishwarya & Vaibhav) in all respect.

· Power blocks of society – Intellectuals,Physically strong and enterprising genius shouldbe co-ordinated and should work unitedly, andnot against each other.

· Love for God (Astikya Buddhi – Shraddha)unity in diversity, essential divinity of the creation,service – Tyaga and Seva should be the underlyingsubstratum principle for all the aforesaid Sustras.

In order to establish these principles – Sustras,Vyasa Maharishi worked at all the levels and forall sections of the society.

1. He classified Vedas in 4 segments, theme-wise and goal-wise.

2. He presented the cream of the Vedas –Upanishads in a most crystallised way.

3. Basic principles of the Vedanta – were wovenin Vedant Sutras to understand the ultimate – TheBrahman – final goal of life. These are named asBrahma Sutras.

4. He recorded the Itihasa – Maha Bharat to showto the posterity the pros and cons of following aswell as opposing and being indifferent to Dharmaand an ideal guide to live puruposeful life – SrimadBhagwad Gita, was embedded in it.

5. He chronicled the lives of the people who metthe challenges of life at various places and times inthe past, through 18 Puranas, Srimad Bhagwatbeing the crest-jewel of it.

6. He had established a Parampara by allottingeach of the 4 Vedas to competent rishis forcontinuing research and ensure applicability of theVedic Truths through Guru-Sishya Parampara. Hegave Rigveda to Bhaskala, Yajurveda toVaishamapayana, Samaveda to Jaimini and AtharvaVeda to Aruni, and this lineage is continuing. Heguided the modern thinkers – Adi Sankaracharya,Ramanujacharya and Madhvacharya and so on.Even today Vyasa guides us personally orimpersonally. The goal of this whole effort is toestablish an Ideal Social Order as told by SageParashara, so that we all can fulfil the purpose ofour being born in the human body.

Shiv Swarupananda, pointing at and retuning mybook said, “If we look objectively at our spiritualliterature, in the light of this background we willknow that our spiritual literature – Yoga Sastra,Vedanta, Ramayana, Mahabharat, Puranas,Bhagwad Gita, etc. is not an armchair philosophybut a living dynamic elixir of life.

He smilingly got down at his station giving me anew vision to look at our activities, thoughts andgoal–Nija Paramheeta – Ideal Social Order. Thevery thought that we are working for fulfilling thedream of our Rishis – beamed on us by SwamiVivekananda and Mananeeya Eknathji through theprism of the thought movement – VivekanandaKendra, gave me a new stream of inspiration.


Shri H. Onderson Mawrie was an outstandingleader of the Seng Khasi Movement aimed atprotecting the age old religion and culture of theKhasis and fighting against conversions by for-eign missionaries. Born at Laitumkhrah, Shillong,Meghalaya state of North East India his familyconverted to Christianity when he was only tenyears old. After primary education, he passed hisB.Sc in 1942 from Calcutta University. Duringthe Second World War he joined the army in1943 and took early retirement in 1946. Hisyearning for knowledge led him to join college asa student again and he passed B.A. in 1948 fromGauhati University.Active with Church:After the end of the Second World War he startedtaking active interest in the activities of the WelshPresbyterian Church. He devoted more andmore time to its various committees and as apreacher in congregations. Since 1948, he wasa teacher in government High School, Shillongbut as the work failed to satisfy his inner urge heresigned the job in 1966 to join Theological Col-lege, Serampore for graduation in Philosophy andreligious texts. While continuing his study as aprivate student, he joined the Presbytery HighSchool, Cherapunji as its Headmaster in 1967.Realization of SwadharmaThe subjects of his particular interest during histheological studies were: [1] comparative stud-ies of different Dharma [ii] Original Dharma and[iii] History of church. While studying the firsttwo subjects, he was surprised that the KhasiDharma [should it be tradition] much malignedby the missionaries has an outstanding place inthe religions of the world and is a true Dharma.This discovery of truth led him to take a final de-cision to leave the church forever and devote hisentire energy for the progress of the KhasiDharma [should it be tradition]. He came back

to his native place and took charge as Headmasterof Nongkirem Raj High School which he servedtill his passing away in 19991.WritingsAfter two years of untiring labour, Mawrie cameout with a book Ka Pyrkhat u Khasi later trans-lated into English under the title The Khasi Milieu.This book is a treasure house of the Khasi way oflife and tradition. In 1973 another book A Khasiand His Religion was published. Later on manymore books and booklets saw the day centeringround this very subject, which were highly praised.He also contributed many articles to newspaperson the Khasi language and Culture. He also un-dertook to write a book on the Khasi philosophyand another on the life of Swami Vivekanandawhich he could unfortunatelyMass Awakening:On 6th March 1978, at Nangtalang on the borderof Meghalaya and Bangladesh he was initiated intothe Seng Khasi and since then was on the move torouse the conscience and pride of his people in thehills for preservation of their swadharma and towarn them against the dangers of alien conspiracy.He also invited all those who left it by coercion ordeceit to come back to their original fold. TheSeng Khasi movement spread to the plains. Hisable leadership brought the Khasi and Jaintia com-munities together on one platform, the Seng Khih-lang of which he was also the President.In 1981 Onderson Mawrie participated in theCongress of the International Association of Reli-gious Freedom held in Belgium and Holland. Heunderstood the need to make a common cause towage a common battle against conversion by Chris-tian missionaries and the need to do proactive workto strengthen the indigenous faith and culture.Hence he was associated with many Hindu orga-nizations including the Vanavasi Kalyan Parishad.Reproduced below is an inspiring poem that hecomposed during his sojourn of Bharat.

A Gallant Warrior for SwadharmaH. Onderson Mawrie [April 12, 1920-26 May, 1991]


COME TO MY SOULCome to my lap, oh my children dear,Gater rooumd my bosom from all far and nearRise up now as a Nation of one familyFrom over the mountains all round to the seaBuild up with the spirit of old ancient sageShake off all the shame of this present ageAll the while I thought you were tempered enoughBut now ought you be then a metal still softOver my body you smile at each other’s face,With the down and the low you temper yourgrace.Think now, oh Bengal, that you are not Gujarat,As well you, Himachal, that you are not TamilnadThink not Tripura, that you are not Rajasthan,You old Punjab that you are not Nagaland.From Meghalaya in the East with hope, joy andprideTo Maharashtra in the west – with my soulastride.

Diverse be the name mother gives to the childrenBut same suckling breast serves them on far benA remorse to my sense that gave vent to sorrowA load in my chest that pined for the morrowThe floods all over were the tears that I shed,The quakes that rumbled were the griefs I bred,For all that I pondered it could be a shake up,For all that I hoped you would then all wake up.

Soil not religion, It is divine and sacred,Speak to your own heart, you’ld know its spreadCome to my soul, then, for a regeneration,Stand up as one people to glorify the nationI have set before you, yon stars of first brandTo guide you in reshaping your dear Motherland.

- H. Onderson Mawrie

Salutations to the Guru whose grace completelydries up the ocean of this Samsara (relativeexistence) and makes one realize the SupremeWealth.


Lord Dattatreya adopted twenty-four Gurusfrom the nature. He learnt qualities from themby wisdom. Each preceptor being especial

in a unique quality as follows he learnt from.1. The Earth : Forbearance, filaments and

forgiveness towards a person deviating fromdharma and duty. From trees a man shouldlearn to live a life at selfess service.

2. The Air: One must be unaffected by egoisticpleasure just like the air which is independentof the smell at the object over which it blows. Itis detachment from the world which must belearned from air.

3. The Sky: One must realise that his/her soul is allpervasive like the sky even then the sky isuntouched by other objects.

4. The Water: A holy man must be like holy waterwhich impure, soft and sweet and purifies peoplejust by their seeing it.

5. The Fire: From the fire the ability to accept goodand bad and reducing it to the same state likethe ashes must be learnt. But the five alwaysremains leave and brilliant.

6. The Moon: As the moon has cycles of phase,(from new moon to fullmoon) repeating itselfwithout changing the moon itself. Likewise it isthe body but not the which changes.

7. The Sun: The Sun gives us the realization thatone must never be affected by his acts as thesun is never affected by his acts all over theuniverse. Though sun gives his forms of existencein various ways he is one. Similarly it isparamathma distributed allot us.

8. The Plgeon: The lesson is we have to developdetachment while living in the world and striveafter God realization unlike the parent pigeon,which throws itself into the net of a fowler todie with its offspring.

9. The Boa Construction: This type of snake doesnot go in search of food but calmly accepts it asit comes. Like wise acceptance of food in justfor the existence and one must neither be elated

nor be depressed. It is the action which must begoverned.

10. The Sea: The unaffectued nature of the seatowards the reception of Volumes of water orlossing it by evaporations must adopted towardsgain or loss one must neither lie elated nor bedepressed. It is the action which must begoverned.

11. The Moth: It is detachment which is the lessonthought by moth which falls in the enchanted fireand dies due to its attraction towards the fire.

12. The Elephant : Just as a weak elephant is killedby more powerful tinkers when it is enamored ofthe female elephant, similarly a wise man willdestroy his spiritual wealth by connecting otherswomen.

13. The Honey-Gatherers! If one spends his time inacquiring wealth, which is going to be enjoyedby some one else like a honey gatheres whocollects honey saved by bees, enjoys nothing. Soit is by sharing one can bring peace.

14. The Deer: A deer attracted by hunters music iseasily caught. Like wise one much avoid senswousmusic is indulge himself in Kirtan and Bhagam.

SADGURU DATTATREYASADGURU SANT KESHAVADAS


15. The Fish: An uncontrolled tongue is easilytempted by alluring lastes. Then the manbecomes a slave to his palate and dies like afresh allowed by baits.

16. The Courtesan: The moral is extracted from acourtesan named pingala who lived in rathila whowasfrustrated by way …. And devoted herselfto Lord Vishnu realising that he is the one whocan give her eternal bliss. This is how one musthave vairagya towards untune things.

17. The Osprey: People and detalives rush to onewho possess something. But it he drops it likean osprey which is being chased by morepowerful birds which drops the flesh to save itslife one can save peace in this way.

18. The Child: In this world only two are tree fromamenities a child and yogi. It is from child wemust learn to make our atma experience thebliss.

19. The Maiden: Like a poor maiden who wearsonly one bangle in each hand to avoid the jinglingsame while pounding the paddy one must avoidcrowd around and live in estitude to attain peace.

20. The Blacksmith: One must fix his aim, like theblacksmith who fixes his target and hits it withexact force to get the correct product. It isabsorption through concentration which must belearnt from him.

21. The Serpent: A Sage should live in a cave like asnake which lives in an anthill. He must be alonelike a snake always alert in his spiritual practices.

22. The Spider: It is like the God. It creates a weband withdraws the whole back into its belly likethat of the creation of the entire universe by God.

23. The Coash: A worn which thinks about a coaspgets transformed into a coasp. Likewise if weconstantly think of god we would become God.

24. The Bee: Among all creatures Dattatreya wasdelighted by the human beings who are endowedwith intelligence to realise the great self. Eventhough it is perishable it is the best instrument toattain God. When one learns the truth themseveral sources in nature one is contended andhappy.

There was a man who had four sons. He wanted his sons to learn not to judge things tooquickly. So he sent them each on a quest, in turn, to go and look at a pear tree that was a greatdistance away.

The first son went in the winter, the second in the spring, the third in summer, and the youngestson in the fall.

When they had all gone and come back, he called them together to describe what they hadseen.

The first son said that the tree was ugly, bent, and twisted. The second son said no it wascovered with green buds and full of promise.

The third son disagreed; he said it was laden with blossoms that smelled so sweet and lookedso beautiful, it was the most graceful thing he had ever seen.

The last son disagreed with all of them; he said it was ripe and drooping with fruit, full of life andfulfillment.

The man then explained to his sons that they were all right, because they had each seen but onlyone season in the tree’s life.

Then the man told something to his sons? What is that? Can u guess?

LESSONS ON LIFE


Press release: The 2006 InternationalFinalists.

Finalists announced for global greenenergy awards

Projects from across Asia, Latin America and Africastand to win a share of over £200,000 of prizemoney in the world’s leading green energy awardsscheme

2006 Finalist mediasummary: VivekanandaKendra - Natural ResourcesDevelopment Project (VK-NARDEP)Slurry from biogas plants boostsproductivity and reduces dependenceon chemical fertiliser for farmers insouthern IndiaVK-NARDEP has successfully combined the use ofbiogas as a cooking fuel with a range of innovativeapplications of the slurry residue, which boostproductivity and income for the farmers, while alsoreinvigorating the land.Using biogas from livestock waste as a cooking fuel isa well-established technology in India which savestrees, makes for cleaner, quicker cooking, and cutsdown on carbon emissions. The slurry from the wastealso makes excellent fertiliser.VK-NARDEP’s programme has successfully installedaround 2,000 such plants since 1982, mostly insouthern India. It has principally supplied a standard‘fixed dome’ version, known locally as the Deenbandhu(‘poor man’s friend’). This is one of the designsofficially approved by the Indian government andtherefore eligible for subsidy.After studying biogas plants across India, VK-NARDEP identified various problems. Principally, theplants were often too large for their purpose (thanks tothe subsidy system which rewards installers inaccordance with size of the plant). This meant the usersdidn’t have sufficient dung to fuel them so the plantfailed – and therefore acted as a bad advertisement for

biogas generally.Based on those studies and with financial assistancefrom the Ministry of Non-Conventional Energy, VK-NARDEP has designed a biogas plant that takes only 30days to produce gas rather than the usual 40 days. Theyhave also carried out pilot work on a smaller biogas plantof only 1m3 and have brought out a series ofpublications on biogas plants to assist both biogas usersand those that maintain the plants. These have beendistributed all over India.VK-NARDEP has also developed its own innovativebiogas plant design known as VINCAP.The main difference is that the dome is made not frombricks but from bamboo, strengthened by steel bandsand made gas-tight with a thin layer of plaster. Thisreduces construction costs by around 12 - 20%. Theplant doesn’t qualify for a government subsidy,(although not due to any technical drawbacks), but it isready for widespread introduction when currentsubsidies are removed.Householders using the VINCAP biogas plants enthuseabout their clean kitchens and the ease of cooking bygas. They also report major financial savings. A typicalbiogas plant costs between INR10,000 and INR35,000(US$220 - 780), but the savings from not having to buyfirewood or LPG means that they pay for themselves inbetween one and three years. In addition there is theextra income from increased agricultural productionthanks to the slurry.Paradigm Shift from gas to slurry as manure:VK-NARDEP’s whole emphasis is on linking the directbenefits of biogas (cooking fuel) with the creative use ofthe slurry by-product. Its strategy is to integrate the two,and promote them as a package to the farmers, trainingthem in the various techniques.Innovations in this regard include:Azolla - a small fresh-water based floating fern, whichfixes nitrogen through a symbiotic blue green algae calledAnabaena Azollae. It is a valuable nitrogen fixer and arapid biomass multiplier. VK-NARDEP is encouragingfarmers to grow it (using slurry as a key part of thegrowing medium), and either use it as a cattle or poultryfeed or sell it to others. As a dairy feed Azolla is found tohave increased quality and quantity of milk yield.It yields its first harvest between one and two weeks afterplanting. In ideal conditions, a 5 - 6m2 crop of Azolla canyield up to an astonishing 2kg per day.Vermi compost (worm compost): essentially this consistsof slurry-treated biomass to which specially selectedearthworms are added. It makes a potent fertiliser.Panchagavya (‘five elements of the cow’) is a variationon a traditional ‘natural’ fertiliser mix, based on slurrymixed with cow’s urine, milk, curd, ghee and otheradditions such as sugar cane juice, banana juice andcoconut water. Again, this is a powerful fertiliser.


Taken together, technologies such as these can boostyields by up to 30%, increasing farmers’ income whileallowing them to save on the use of chemical fertilisers.So it is better for their pocket, and for the soil.This degree of success, along with the rising price offertiliser, is encouraging a growing number of farmers toeither cut chemical inputs or go totally organic. Oneexample is sugar cane farmer Anthony Sami: he hasseen his yields rise from 40 tonnes per acre in 1988,when he was using chemical fertiliser, to 60 - 70 tonnesin recent years now that he’s completely organic. Andhis water requirements have fallen by 40%.VK-NARDEP works with a network of village self-helpgroups to select households suitable for theinstallation of biogas plants, and provides training,servicing and support for both the biogas and thefarming methods.They also carry out research into the use of non-edibleoils and oil cakes, both as biofuels and as feed materialfor biogas plants; experiment with using Neem insteadof diesel in a conventional diesel generator, which theirtests show produces fewer particulates and pollutants,and burns better; and explore the possibility of usingwaste from plants such as Jatropha and Neem in theform of ‘oil cakes’ as feedstock for biogas, particularlyin urban areas.In the words of the users..(Note: photos of most of those quoted are available)“I have slurry for my farm, I have gas for my kitchen,what more do I need? I consider biogas as the best giftof a lifetime given by my husband after our marriage”Mrs Sami, Wife of Mr.Antonysami, organic farmer usingbiogas, Pulliankudi Village, Thirunelveli Disrict, TamilNadu“This is not just a biogas plant but more importantly abio-fertilizer factory. I am getting Rs 2,250 worth offertilizer from the biogas plants constructed byVivekananda Kendra.” Gomathi Nayagam, Pulliankudivillage, Thirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu“The Block Development Officer, Kalakkad, oncesuggested that a biogas plant could meet my energyneeds. I declined. Shri Muneeswaran of VK-NARDEPfollowed it up and explained in greater detail all itsadvantages. I took it as a pep talk but reluctantlyagreed to have one 4 cubic metre biogas plant. Butwhen I realised the advantage, I constructed five morebiogas plants having a total capacity of 32 cubicmetres. This gives enough biogas to meet the needs ofour kitchen. Besides we manufacture Vermi-compostwith the slurry. We also produce Panchagavya. Thanksto the biogas plant, now our agricultural produce isthrough organic manure only.” Dr.Jerry, DonavurFellowship, Donavur, Thirunelveli District, Tamil Nadu,“All you need is spirituality and slurry.” SwamiJagadishwarananda, head farmer and gardener, Swami

Shivananda Hospital.“Panchagavya is wonderful. It makes everything growbigger and better. The rose becomes a lotus!”Subramanian Pillai, Donavur FellowshipAshden Award money would be used as part of a schemein which 100 households would be provided with biogasplants and trained to incorporate both sophisticatedslurry-based agricultural techniques, and biofuel crops(in part as a feedstock for the biogas plants). The villagewould be used as a living study centre/experimentalground.VK-NARDEP is an integral part of Vivekenanda Kendra, auniquely Indian combination of spiritual centre andresearch institute, based at Kanyakumari, the verysouthern tip of India. VK-NARDEP itself is engaged inpopularising rural technologies in energy efficientconstruction, watershed management, holistic health,sustainable agriculture and renewable energy. It alsocoordinates networks of self-help groups among thevillagers in the region.Shri Vasudeo, secretary of VK-NARDEP and projectleader, will represent the project at the Ashden Awardsceremony in London.

àawRna INVOCATION äüanNd< prmsuod< kebl< }anmUit¡...

Documents

Transcript of àawRna INVOCATION äüanNd< prmsuod< kebl< }anmUit¡...