Is Rotary International a Spiritual Organisation ?

Service above Self as a path to Self Realization

Is Rotary a Spiritual Organization ?

ByHari Kiran Vadlamani

Rotary District 3150 Conference held on 09/01/16 at Hyderabad

Disclaimer

• I have not done a systematic study of the Scriptures, nor do I know Sanskrit proficiently.

• I offer my gratitude to the Gurus from whom I am learning (by listening to their talks and reading their books), yet do not wish to name them for the fear of causing them embarrassment with my ignorance.

• Through this presentation, I only seek to explore the role of Service in Spiritual pursuits. This is not a Spiritual talk but a talk about Spirituality & Service.

Outline

Background

Influence of Gita on Paul Harris?

What is Spirituality ?

Discovering your divinity through Rotary

Background• Founded Advaita Academy in 2011• To preserve and promote traditional AdvaitaVedanta

• Follower of Gurus from Pujya Swami DayanandaSaraswati lineage.

• Nearly 100,000 Facebook Followers from across the world.

• 25 Teachers conduct classes which are live streamed or recorded from several places across the world.

• More than 4500 videos on various Scriptures.• Proposal to construct a Gurukul offering 3 year courses in Advaita Vedanta

• Advaita Vedanta is source spiritual knowledge that is logical & structured and therefore intellectually appealing to the beginners

Outline

Background





This book traces the impact of the Indian philosophy on foremost American thinkers like Emerson, Thoreau etc. Watch the link From 6.30 minutes to 11 minutes.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=geU0SsjE5IA


Influenced by his Grandparents

Influenced by the philosophies of Emerson & Thoreau

Good ideas are like Rivers. The transformation they bring over hundreds of years, across geographies is profound.

Outline

Background

Influence of Gita on Paul Harris ?



Spirituality is solving a simple equation

10


Purushartha or Human goals

Dharma

Artha

Kama

Moksha Liberation

Objects Events People

Pursuit of Happiness from the outside

Pursuit of Happiness from the inside

• Legal & Legitimate• Accounting

of unseen effects ;Punya & Papa

T for D

Three step process for sculpting yourself

Karma Yoga

UpasanaYoga

JnanaYoga

Liberation

Malam(Impurity)

Vikshepa(Disturbances)

Aavarana(Veil)

Three stage vison of God

Personal God Aham BrahmasmiIshvara(Seeing the world as God)

Outline

Background

Influence of Gita on Paul Harris ?



Karma Yoga in Seven Steps

UnderstandYourself

Re – Developyour Professional

Career

Plan your Rotary Career

Nishkama Karma

Giving back as your Dharma

Satvika Karma

Ishvara ArpanaPrasadaBhavam1

2

3

4

5

6

7

Karma Yoga

UpasanaYoga

JnanaYoga

Liberation

Understand Yourself

Guna

RajasActivity

TamasIndolence

SatvaKnowledge

60%30%

10%

Rajas Sattva Tamas

12

34

5

6

7

1

Ideal composition of Gunasin a Selflessly active person

Re-Develop your Professional Career

What you love doing or passionate about

What earns you themost income

Vasanas are inherent tendencies that

determine what you are good at.

Intersection of the three gives you the most satisfaction

12

34

5

6

7

2The choice of your first career may not have been driven by your aptitude or passion. Time to look at a second innings if it was not.

Adapted from Jim Collins ‘ Good to Great”

Plan your Rotary career

What you love doing

Different roles in your Rotary Career

What you aregood at

Intersection of the three gives you satisfaction

Events

Leadership

Admin

Communication

12

34

5

6

7

3Each of you have different motives for joining Rotary. Networking or Personality Development or Social Service.

Karma

NishkamaKarma

SakamaKarma

NishidhaKarma

Deva Yagna

PitruYagna

Rishi Yagna

ManushyaYagna

BhutaYagna

Pancha Maha Yagna

12

34

5

6

7Nishkama Karma4

The above four yagnas can also be done non ritualistically

Legitimate andmoderate pursuit of Artha & Kama

ProhibitedActions

Giving back is your Dharma

Approach to Karma

Vidhi

LordsCommandement

Yagna

Offering ingratitude

Dharma

Giving Backwhat you have

taken

SelfPurification

12

34

5

6

7

5

T for D

Satvika Karma

Karma

Rajasic

Satvik Tamasic

Helpful to self,Harmful to others

Helpful to only Self

Helpful to Large number

of people including self

12

34

5

6

7

6

Will it be beneficial to all concerned ?

Ishavararpana Prasada Bhavana

Work as an offering to Ishvara.

Only the best possible effort as its anoffering to the Lord.

Accepting the results as Prasadam

You get what you deserve & not what you Desire.

Trust that Ishvara is just.

12

34

5

6

7

7

SatvikaAction

Nishkama Karma

BhutaYagna

Giving Back is your Dharma

Proper Action

Proper Attitude Rotary

Professional

Karma Yoga

UpasanaYoga

JnanaYoga

Liberation

Recap

ManushYagna

PitruYagna

RishiYagna

Time spent on Service

80%

20%

Time Spent

Professional

Rotary

Before After

100%

When the attitude of service pervades your profession

Object of Rotary

To encourage and foster the ideal of service as a basis of worthy enterprise and, in particular,

to encourage and foster:

1. The development of acquaintance as an opportunity for service;

2. High ethical standards in business and professions; the recognition of the worthiness of

all useful occupations; and the dignifying by each Rotarian of his occupation as an

opportunity to serve society;

3. The application of the ideal of service by every Rotarian to his personal,

business, and community life;

4. The advancement of international understanding, good will, and peace through a world

fellowship of business and professional men united in the ideal of service.

Three Rs for Spirituality

Karma Yoga

UpasanaYoga

JnanaYoga

Liberation

RishiRamdev( For Yoga)

Rotary

Baba Ramdev added only for alliteration purpose. It can be from any Yoga teacher .I personally do not subscribe to his social views

Conclusion - 3 take-aways for a Spiritual India

Attitude

Spiritual Path

Dharma T for D

2 G

3 R’s

We live in times of Digital India, Skill India etc. Also alliterations are fashionable.!

Tattvam for Dharmam.

Tatvalu are philisophical songs by BalaMurali Krishnan in Telugu.The lyrics convey both the need for modest desires as well as good karma being the only asset that you take with you upon death.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Elblyjta5rE

Two Gestures to describe Karma Yoga

Rotary, Ramdev & Rishi

Visit www.advaita-‐academy.org

For Rishi Yagna visit

Is Rotary International a Spiritual Organisation ?

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