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AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 3
|| O® bh¿rbhuva¡ sva¡ tatsaviturvareñya® bhargo devasya dhºmahi dhiyo yo na¡ prachoday³t ||
Amrit Chintan
(May Almighty illuminate our intellect and inspire us towards the righteous path)- Rigveda 3/62/10; Samveda 1462, Yajurveda 3/35, 22/9, 30/2, 36/3
Annual Subscription: India: ` 120.00 Abroad: ` 1100.00
VOLUME: 15 | ISSUE: 3 | May-June 2017
Prayerful Greetings to Our Readers
On the Auspicious Festivals of Buddha Purnima (10th May, 2017)
and Gayatri Jayanti / Ganga Dussera (4th June, 2017)
From
Akhand Jyoti – The Light Divine Editorial Team
Quintessence of Religion
The perennial wisdom of a religion can’t be found in its rituals, cults or communal
doctrines. If you are a true seeker and wish to adopt religion in its true sense, you
must first sincerely introspect and analyze your aspirations, interests, habits and
behavior; unmindful of the fanatical reactions of the ritualistic religious people.
You must restrain and curtail the tendencies of selfish possessions, passion for
sensual pleasures and insensitivity to sufferings of others. Simultaneously, you
should cultivate with focused effort, the altruistic tendencies and sentiments
of kindness, generosity, love, empathy, feelings of caring and sharing towards
others. The only measure of one’s true religiousness is – the less one’s selfishness
and the more one’s altruism, the greater is his/her religiousness (spirituality). It
is only through this path of spirituality that the individual-self realizes higher
realms of divine grace and enlightenment.
- Pujya Gurudev Pandit Shriram Sharma, Acharya
“To be good and to do good that is the whole of religion.” - Swami Vivekananda
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 20174
1. Amrit Chintan
Quintessence of Religion ....................................................................................................... 3
2. From Chief Editor’s Desk
Let’s Follow the Eight-fold Path to Attain Enlightenment .................................................... 5
3. On the Sacred Nirvana Day of Pujya Gurudev
Significance of Experience .................................................................................................... 8
4. Science and Spirituality
Spirituality & Health Sciences ............................................................................................... 10
5. Sound Sleep is essential for Vibrant Health ........................................................................... 15
6. Dawn of the Golden Age — Evidential Estimates ................................................................ 17
7. Yug Gita – 6
Soul Anguish or Escapism - 2 ................................................................................................ 22
8. Peace Pilgrim’s Wisdom – 6
The Pilgrimage - 1 ................................................................................................................. 25
9. Youth Column
Protect Your Ears from Mobile Music ................................................................................... 29
10. Beware of Sitting for Long Hours ......................................................................................... 32
11. Odyssey of the Enlightened – 55
Revelation of a New Vision – 1 ............................................................................................. 35
12. Deep Faith is the Medicine to Cure the Pain of Intellect ....................................................... 39
13. How to Manage Stress? ......................................................................................................... 41
14. Amrit Vani
Two Steps to Spiritual Ascent -Yoga and Tapa (Part III) ....................................................... 43
15. The Young Crusaders of Clean India ..................................................................................... 48
16. Shantikunj News ............................................... (Inner Cover Pages & Back Cover Page)
CONTENTS
“Spirituality does not come from religion. It comes from soul.” - Anthony Douglas Williams
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 5
From Chief Editor’s Desk
Buddha Purnima is celebrated on the full-moon day in the month of Vaishakha. This year, it falls on May
10, 2017. This day is especially known for three things – birth of Gautama Buddha, the day he attained
enlightenment and also the day he attained Nirvana (left his physical body). All these three steps have
great significance in the life of every human being.
Life begins at birth, aims to attain its goal and ends with death. This cycle of birth and death acquires
meaning only when one realizes the goal of his life. That is why we take the example of The Buddha
whose personality and life are the epitome of a truly successful and noble life. Gautama was born on
full-moon day. It was on the same day that he attained self-realization and it was on that very day that
he renounced his life in entirety. But the knowledge that he disseminated is enlightening and guiding the
lives of millions of people even today.
According to Lord Buddha, there are four noble truths about life –
1. Truth of suffering
2. Truth of cause of suffering
3. Truth of end of suffering
4. Truth of the path that leads to end of suffering
Lord Buddha expounded a noble eight-fold path for being free from suffering and to attain enlightenment.
These eight practices are given below.
Right View: You have to see things as they are. The perspective should not be colored by any of your
own aspects. Your desire, understanding or knowledge should not distort the view.
Right Resolve: Many a time people mistakenly assume stubbornness to be Sankalpa or resolve. They
label a stubborn man to be a man of resolve. In reality, obstinacy or stubbornness is a form of ego. When
you take a resolve, there is no ego associated with it. This is the only difference between obstinacy and
resolve. Lord Buddha says that right resolve is when there is something worth doing, you should do it.
Right Speech: Whatever is in your mind, express it as it is! Do not have something in mind and tell
something else externally. If your thought and action are not synchronized, you cannot go in the
quest of your inner self. If you do not like something, let it be known. Do not try to project yourself
as someone else from the outside. With passage of time, this external layer becomes so strong that
Let’s Follow the Eight-fold Path
to Attain Enlightenment
“Learning is the beginning of wealth. Learning is the beginning of health. Learning is the beginning
of spirituality. Searching and learning is where the miracle process all begins.” - Jim Rohn
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 20176
the person loses connection with what he really is from the inside. Right speech symbolizes that you
should let your innermost self to reflect in your views, resolutions and speech.
Right Conduct: Conduct yourselves as your inner soul asks you to. Do not do something because
someone said so. Perform only those actions which you think are worth performing. Do this with single-
minded approach.
Right Livelihood: Buddha warned that anything and everything should not be made into a livelihood. If
someone is earning his livelihood as a butcher, is it right? If he just has to earn for his survival, he could
do it by thousand other means. Why should he be a butcher? Everyone has to earn their livelihood, but
only when the right method for livelihood is chosen can he attain peace in life.
Right Effort: Always focus on exerting the right effort. Buddha said that some people are very lazy while
some others overwork. Both these categories of people stand to lose. A lazy person does not even get up,
so how can he even reach his goal? An overzealous person runs past his goal without being able to stop
there. He cannot stop because he is not habituated to stopping. Bow string needs to be pulled to launch
an arrow. If it is pulled less, then the arrow does not reach its destination. If it is pulled too much, then
the arrow goes past the target. Hence Buddha emphasized on avoiding both extremes.
Right Memory: This signifies that one should forget what is unwanted and remember only that is useful.
Man tends to do just the opposite of this. He forgets what is required and remembers the useless things.
He forgets what is precious in this life. Consciousness is the most important part of life which he forgets
while he is totally oriented towards the outside world.
Right Samadhi: Lord Buddha says that even during Samadhi, one should be mindful of doing the right
thing. When a person is lying unconscious or in deep sleep, it is not considered as right Samadhi by
Buddha. Because, the person has gone beyond mind but he has not risen above it. In fact he has gone
below the mind. Mind is closed but this closing of mind or the stillness of mind is of no use to him. He
should be aware of this stillness of mind and cessation of thought for right Samadhi.
There are three states of mind – Wakefulness, dream and sleep. Be it right Samadhi or not, there are
neither dreams nor thoughts in that state. In Jada Samadhi, a person becomes deeply unconscious and
is totally unaware of the world. But when he wakes up from this Samadhi, he definitely feels refreshed
since he would have got sufficient rest. So, this in a way feels like sleep state. Real Samadhi is when he
goes into sleep-state and comes out of it while being in total awareness. If he experiences this Samadhi,
he will not only be refreshed but also be blissful and wise.
Lord Buddha always said that whenever you go inside, you should do it with complete awareness. Take
a flaming torch of understanding with you so that all the paths inside are illuminated and you can learn
about it all. When you have to go down the path another time, you will not have to depend on anyone
“Spirituality is indeed the master key of the Indian mind; the sense of
the infinitive is native to it.” - Sri Aurobindo
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 7
(Pranav Pandya)
else; also it will be easier. So the real thing is to attain bliss while being conscious. This is what is
explained as Right Samadhi.
Thus, the noble eight-fold path given by Lord Buddha teaches us the art of living. It makes the life
of a person filled with awareness and makes him live in the present so that he may be bestowed with
everything that life has to offer. ‘Right’ means that which is correct, that which is harmonious, and that
which is noble.
Let’s assimilate these eight right aspects to our lives, and achieve the state of The Buddha (The
Enlightened).
With Prayer-filled Wishes on Buddha Purnima and Gayatri Jayanti
“Politics and religion are obsolete; the time has come for scientific spirituality.’ - Vinoba Bhave
Greek philosopher Socrates was very wise and patient. He was
revered amongst everyone except his wife. She used to keep picking
up fights with him. One day as soon as Socrates arrived home with his
disciples, his wife started shouting at him. Socrates didn’t utter any
word in her response. This aggravated her even more. She brought a
bucket full of household waste and threw it on his head. Socrates started
laughing and said, “There is an old saying – ‘barking dogs seldom bite’;
today they barked and bit too”. Socrates was quiet after that but his
disciple got angry. He said that this woman is not suitable to be your
wife. Socrates said, “No son. She is the most suitable person. She hurts
me to check if I am mature enough. When she behaves like this, it checks
my patience, tolerance and endurance.” His wife felt ashamed for her
behavior and asked for forgiveness. Patience changes the worst of the
behavior in people.
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 20178
In our village there lived a patwariji whose name
was Lala Hubbalal. When I was a kid, I would
see that he owned a mare whose size was so big
as was not to be found with anyone else in the
village, not even the zamindar. Officially, he got
only thirteen or fourteen rupees by way of salary,
but had made thousands through his patwari
work. His type of luxurious living could not be
seen even at big zamindar households. And his
terror was such that whoever he frowned upon
was scared to death, while the recipient of his
benign look would consider himself beyond
the pale of harm. He was adept in litigation, in
conspiring and in creating feuds. He had good
access to government people as well as gundas
and ruffians. If he decided upon something, he
would not rest until he had accomplished it by
hook or by crook. Many well-to-do homes,
unfortunate to become his target, were razed to
penury. Conversely, many village jackals, with
his blessings, began to roar. All the women who
came in his life at different stages would wallow
in royal luxury. Such was the persona of this
patwariji—Lala Hubbalal.
I grew up, and having completed elementary
education in the village, came to Agra. Along with
studies, I also took part in social service activities.
In the winter our seva- samiti decided to distribute
blankets and quilts to the disabled poor. In this
On the Sacred Nirvana Day of Pujya Gurudev
Significance of Experience
[Pujya Gurudev Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya dedicated his whole life to actualization of
his vision of ushering in the Golden Era, the advent of the Age of Truth in the 21st Century. The method,
by which he set out to bring about a revolution in the world, is as simple as it is powerful and profound.
Making his own life a well thought-out experiment, he proved one simple fact – the very root cause,
the reason for prevalent problematic world conditions is the direction and nature of thoughts we think.
These problems cannot be solved by treating the symptoms. We need to tackle the problem at the level of
the root – “Our Thinking”. Realizing this and with an aim of providing a solution to the current world
problems, he launched the mass movement – Vichar Kranti Abhiyan (Thought Revolution Campaign).
Every plan, every action of his life, whether it was performing twenty-four Mahapurashcharans or
visiting his Master in the deep recesses of the Himalayas, or writing life-transforming literature or
establishment of Shaktipeethas or organizing grand Gayatri Yagyas or establishment of Shantikunj
Ashram or Brahmavarchas Sodh Sansthan – everything was aimed at achieving this objective. He used
to call this a divine plan and himself an instrument of the divine to achieve this objective.
On his Nirvana Day (Gayatri Jayanti / Ganga Dussera), we are presenting an editorial titled
‘Significance of Experience’ written by him for Hindi Akhand Jyoti magazine (August 1942, issue).
The contents reflect his alacrity in learning from simple day-to-day experiences. This also serves as an
example of how greatness is achieved.]
“Our scientific power has outrun our spiritual power. We have guided missiles and
misguided men.” - Martin Luther King, Jr.
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 9
connection I was moving from place to place
in the district. The list of the needy in different
areas was being prepared. This work brought
me to my village too. Enquiries were made
from the people about possible beneficiaries.
The first name they suggested was that of
patwariji. I was dumbfounded. Patwariji!
The man who was the uncrowned king of the
village only 6-7 years back has come to this
pass now that he be given blanket meant for
disabled destitutes! I had vaguely heard about
his service termination and general illness.
But I could never imagine him falling into
such a pitiable condition.
I got up and started
towards his place to know
the full details. Lalaji was
lying on a broken bed,
wrapped in torn clothes
and rags. Paralysis had
struck. Limbs were not
working. He could not even get up to relieve
himself. The near and dear ones, the relatives had
distanced themselves leaving him to his plight.
There was no one to assist him. He had contrived
a hole in the bed which served as commode with
no provision of cleaning and washing thereafter.
Food depended upon god’s will.
His demeanour had become so pathetic that as
soon as he saw a known face he would break
down. When I reached near him he started crying
uncontrollably, uttering only ‘Lalloo’, ‘Lalloo’.
The atmosphere inside gripped me too. I could
not control myself, and sitting on the bed by his
side, started weeping with him.
Both of us were weeping in silence. No third
person was there to see this. Neither of us
was uttering a word, but a silent conversation
was going on between us. His tears were
saying -“See the result of sins I committed”.
My tears were saying -“Power and riches are
but a few days’ wonder; it is foolish to get
drunk on them.”
Sitting there I analysed minutely every
aspect of Lalaji’s life and times. This study
was continuously hammering its lesson
into my mind -“Life is invaluable. It must
not be wasted, but be utilised for the right
purpose only”. These moments brought a
revolution in my life – then and there. All
the dreams for a future life
— money, power, fame
and glory — instantly
evaporated. Lalaji
spoke to me wordlessly-
“Lalloo, look at me”. I
looked closely again,
and decided that the
ignorance, the nonsense, the sins and the
degeneration – all of which are responsible
for this plight of Lalaji, have to be removed
from this world. We will have to wake up the
sleeping mankind and exhort them - “See the
havoc wrought by sin. Be alert. Never tread
this path”. Whatever help was possible at
that time I gave to Lalaji, paid my respects,
and came back.
This satsang of merely half an hour which saw
only copious flow of silent tears and little use
of spoken words proved more educative for me
than one thousand Gita recitals. Inspired by those
very moments, I devoted myself to propagation
of dharma, and today I am serving as an editor of
‘Akhand Jyoti’
- Pandit Shriram Sharma, Acharya
“God turns you from one feeling
to another and teaches by means of
opposites so that you will have two
wings to fly, not one” - Rumi
“I am increasingly convinced that time has come to find a way of thinking about spirituality and
ethics beyond religion.” - Dalai Lama
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201710
In the previous article concerning Spirituality
and Psychology, it was mentioned that Spiritual
Psychology is the key to wellbeing and holistic
development. Before analyzing these aspects in
depth, we should note that apart from several
other factors, good health and strength of the
mind- body system is essential for wellbeing and
development on all fronts of life. So let us discuss
the topic of Spirituality and Health (of the mind-
body system) first.
In the parlance of modern sciences, the issue of
health (physical fitness) falls under the purview
of Health Sciences — incorporating preventive
as well as therapeutic healthcare. With rising
causes and complaints of diseases and disorders
(including psychosomatic disorders), a need
has been felt in the modern system to integrate
Alternate and Complimentary Therapies along
with Psychology in the mainstream Health
Sciences. However, barring limited hospitals
and medical research centers, an integrative
system is far from the reach of the masses. The
scenario is worse on the front of preventive
healthcare. For preventive care, for treatment
of psychosomatic and psychological disorders,
and also for vigorous improvement of otherwise
normal health, and enhancement of vitality and
immunity, the principles and practices of spiritual
science are most relevant. These should be
effectively adopted to achieve holistic health.
The upcoming trends of healthcare underline the
need for holistic or multidimensional approach.
The World Health Organization (WHO) defines
Science and Spirituality
Spirituality & Health Sciences
health as “a state of physical, mental and
social well-being and not necessarily the
absence of disease and infirmity”. In a
popular article [1] Dr. HS Wasir, the then
Head of Cardiology Department of All India
Institute of Medical Sciences had pointed out
the need of a fourth dimension: spiritual well-
being. He asserts that spirituality energizes
the other components of health, namely,
physical, mental and social. Similar views
are also expressed by several other medical
professionals of international repute.
By and large it is globally accepted today that
the predominant approach of ‘clinical health’ or
‘symptomatic treatment’ often suppress the cause
of the disease instead of identifying and uprooting
it. This approach cannot ascertain good health
even after ‘recovery’. A comprehensive approach
focused at removal or thorough treatment of the
root-cause of an ailment is required for viable
health. Ethno-medical systems like Ayurveda,
Chinese Medicine, and Homeopathy, that consider
a person’s physical, mental, and emotional nature
as a whole in the diagnosis and treatment of a
disease appear promising in this regard. Though
slower in initial effects as compared to modern
medicine (Allopathy), these methods if practiced
thoroughly are supposed to provide steady and
lasting healing effects.
Major challenges before the modern medical
system and health-sciences pertain to prevention
and/or treatment of tension, stresses, anxiety,
emotional complications, etc and related
“Being deeply loved by someone gives you strength, while loving someone deeply gives
you courage.” - Lao Tzu
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 11
psychosomatic disorders. “Tension” and “Stress”
universally recognized causes of a wide
range of diseases are gripping larger and
larger sections of the developed, urban and
upper middle class, including the youths,
across the world. The other members of the
human society too are not free from their
clutches. Stress is no longer regarded as only
a psychological problem. It has been affirmed
as a principal cause of several health hazards
such as – heart attacks, angina, arrhythmias,
hypertension, peptic ulcers, ulcerative colitis,
autoimmunity, certain kinds of skin diseases,
and even some forms of cancers. A close
cousin of “stress” is “depression” which
also causes or aggravates a wide spectrum
of psychosomatic disorders, including low
blood pressure, anxiety, suicidal tendency,
insomnia, some kinds of cancers, amentia,
epilepsy, sciatica etc. Savants predict that if
the present trends continue, it might become
third (after cardiac problems and cancer)
major cause of untimely death.
Significant efforts have been made in psychiatric
and psycho-medical sciences in recent decades,
to find feasible and effective modes of “stress
management” via several kinds of seductive
medicines, nerve-relaxing games, exercises,
amusement tools and recreation-activities for
mental diversion and rejuvenation. However,
these alone have not been able to tackle the
problems. Moreover, recent times have witnessed
continued increase in the numbers of cases and
complexities of stress, tension, depression, etc.
Consequent health issues continue to rise every
year. In fact, stress, tension, depression, etc, are
too complex and deep-rooted to be managed
like other ailments; these cannot be removed by
external means alone.
Neither modern medical science nor any alternative
medication mode has been able to ‘cure’ stress,
depression, etc, without incorporating some sort
of psycho-spiritual healing. But then a natural
question arises — how spirituality could help
combating these problems? In what respect
would it be different from and would complement
use of Psychiatry and Clinical Psychology? Still
broader question is what should be the mode of
incorporating this new dimension into health care
modules? Can healthcare system ensure health
for all by focusing on this component?
Before attempting to answer these crucial questions
and addressing related issues of what one is
supposed to do at personal level to benefit from
it, we should first understand that Psychiatry and
Psychology, as experts of modern medicine also
affirm, deal mainly with mental well-being, that
too in the sense of not having any abnormality or
disorder. The diagnostic and therapeutic modules
under these disciplines mainly focus at weakness or
malfunctioning at the level of brain and endocrine
system. The entity of mind itself is recognized and
studied here with respect to behavioral aspects and
manifestation of brain functions. Whereas, mind
being a sublime faculty, requires spiritual strength
for its healthy and happy functioning.
The role of spirituality in healthcare has several
dimensions: (i) preventive impact of spiritual
outlook and spiritual practices (s³dhan³s);
(ii) overall well-being, and improvement and
enhancement of vitality, immunity and physical
and mental potentials by augmenting spiritual
strength; (iii) spiritual healing.
Preventive Impact of Spiritual Disciplines:
As we all know, the secret of sustaining healthy
and hearty life lies in keeping adequate balance
“Raise your words not your voice. It is the rain that grows flowers not the thunder.” - Rumi
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201712
between regularity of exercise, food, and rest, for the
body and maintaining the calm temper and positive,
intellectual, and joyful creative activities of the mind.
Conditioning and training [2, 3] of the body and mind
is the foremost requirement to attain and maintain
good health. Spiritual disciplines and practices are
universal modes to achieve this end on our own
via sincere efforts, with inspirational guidance of
spiritual masters and/or their enlightening books
and discourses. Could there be a more effective
way, that too free of cost?
Self-control over the passions of sense-organs
is universally advised as the foremost spiritual
discipline. Yoga-practices like Âsanas, Bandha,
Mudr³, Pr³nay³ma[4, 5] and meditation[6] together
with disciplines of healthy and austere food,
fasting for one day per week, etc are widely
experienced and affirmed as most effective and
supporting methods for natural self-restraint
over sensory passions and mental agility. Âsanas
help physical exercise of all parts of the body in
a harmonized way; Bandhas prevent drainage
of vital energy, Mudr³s activate and augment
mutually supportive effects of the five basic
elements and hence help fine-tune the vital (bio)
chemical activities and physiological functions
in the brain and rest of the body. [The type and
level of these practices should be chosen under
the guidance of an adept yoga-teacher as per
one’s age and physique.]
Spiritual Practices Generate Vigor, Vitality,
and Vibrancy:
Pr³nay³ma is of unique importance in
generating vigor and in also in controlling
and positively energizing the mind and its
inner core. Practice of pr³nay³ma requires
deep, rhythmic breathing at a consistent pace
of time; and holding it after inhalation and
exhalation in each cycle. The durations of
holding the breath out and in are increased
gradually as per one’s natural capacity, and
as guided by the yoga-teacher. This entire
exercise requires firm determination and
mental concentration. More importantly,
it’s a meditative practice with which some
imagination and feeling is also associated.
For example, it could be about extraction
of pr³ña – vital spiritual energy – from the
universe; its absorption in the one’s body and
mind, and its consequent effects.
Dhyana (Meditation) is a higher-level practice
of yoga that not only calms and rejuvenates the
mind, helps sharpen its potentials and strength,
but also gradually awakens and prepares it for
spiritual progress.
“Nature always wears the colors of spirit.” - Ralph Waldo Emerson
There is no religious duty better than giving or sacrificing for others’
welfare. This is possible for everyone at any time (provided one has the will and
attitude). In this context, it is worth recalling the beautiful verse of a renowned
poet Rabindranath Tagore, which says – “He spread his hands open and asked for
something. I took out a tiny piece of grain from my bag and kept on His palm. At
the end of the day, I found a golden piece of same size in my bag. I cried – why
didn’t I empty my bag for Him, which would have transformed me from poor
man into a King of Wealth?”
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 13
The time-tested teachings, lives and works of
saints and sagacious great personalities show us
the true light of religion. Their words of wisdom,
like the eternally consistent teachings of a true
religion, though expressed in different languages
and ways, give us instant support, strength,
hope and positive directions in the moments
of adversity, hardship and tensions, and thus
alleviate the possibilities of stress, depression,
anger, and other negative traits. Reading and
contemplating over such illumined thoughts is
an essential component of spiritual endeavors
of s³dhan³; it is a simple but effective means of
mental wellbeing, illumination of thoughts and
emotions, and virtuous progress [7].
Chanting of devotional hymns and prayers with
a feeling of surrendering the ego/self-identity at
the feet of God, also calms the mind, relieves its
pains and sorrows and fills it with new energy
and joy. Prayers are a powerful means of soothing
the emotions, generating hope and optimism,
channelizing emotional energy and awakening
the goodwill indwelling in the inner self.
A spiritually fit person is therefore more focused,
alert, and free from problems of stress, tension,
depression, anger, and all kinds of mental
complexes and emotional complications. He /
She is protected from dissipation of vital energy
and thus from all infirmities/weakness. Such a
person thus becomes physically and mentally
stronger and dynamic, and also enjoys emotional
peace and bliss.
Spiritual Healing:
Spiritual Healing (or faith-healing, as it was
popularly called in the western countries until
modern scientists began to recognize the vast
domain and firm foundation of spirituality) had
been used by mankind in varieties of ways since
prehistoric times. In fact, this perhaps was the
earliest mode practiced in different forms in
different parts of the world to cure the physical
and mental suffering of the masses.
Ayurveda, the ancient Indian science of life and
healthcare known as the earliest science of medicine
is derived from the Vedic knowledge that treats all
life-forms as spiritual beings. Mantra therapy,
Yoga therapy, healing by blessing and transmission
of vital spiritual energy of the yogis, saints and
spiritual masters, and healing through prayers, have
been integral part of treatments recommended and
practiced in ancient India. Ayurveda’s pharmacology
too, in its original form, relied on awakening the
vital power of herbal/plant medicines by specific
spiritual s³dhan³s.
Ancient Chinese science of medicine also
incorporates similar approaches. Prayers, touch-
healing by the masters has also been common
to the ethno-therapies practiced in almost all
parts of the world. Pranic Healing, Hypnosis,
Reiki, etc also rely on use of vital spiritual
energy of the masters/expert healers. By and
large it is commonly experienced across the
globe that people often pray for fast recovery
and vigor when they themselves or their near-
and-dear ones fall sick.
Some modern medical centers and research
groups have also taken up to thoroughly
investigate the effects and scientific basis
of spiritual healing practices. This is a good
beginning and a major step towards recognition
of Spirituality in Health Sciences.
It is time we realize that devoid of spirituality,
no resource or support – be that physical vigor,
“It isn’t the mountains ahead to climb that wear you out; it’s the pebble in your shoe.”
- Muhammad Ali
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201714
mental sharpness or prosperous social status –
can ensure positivity and righteousness in one’s
inter-personal dealings and responses to life’s
many pressures and challenges and consequent
stresses. Indeed spirituality is the core of health
in the truest sense of well-being.
References:
1. The Fourth Dimension. Article by Dr.
HS Wasir in the health column of Indian
Express, Bombay Edition, December 25,
1993. pg 9
2. Niroga Jºvan Ke Mahatvap¿rña S¿tra.
Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya Samagra
Vangmaya Vol. 39. Publ. Akhand Jyoti
Sansthan, Mathura; UP, India. 1995.
3. Health Tips from the Vedas. (Compilation
and Translation of Hindi articles published
in “Akhand Jyoti”; Edited by Dr. P. Pandya
and Shambhu Dass). Publ. Vedmata
Gayatri Trust Shantikunj, Hardwar, 2007.
ISBN: 81-8255-021-1.
4. Pragya Yoga for Healthy & Happy Life.
(English Translation of Hindi book
“Pragy³ Abhiy³na K³, Yoga Vy³y³ma”
by Brahmvarchas). Publ. Vedmata Gayatri
Trust, Shantikunj, Hardwar, 2007. ISBN:
81-8255-025-4
5. Asana, Pranayama, Mudra, Bandh (Book
by Swami S. Saraswati). Yoga Publications
Trust, Munger, Bihar, 2002.
6. Japa, Tapa, Dhyan — The Triple Path of
Sadhana. Publ. Vedmata Gayatri Trust,
Shantikunj, Hardwar, (2nd Ed.) 2008.
7. What is Spirituality? (English Translation
of Hindi book “Adhy³tma Ky³ Th³, Ky³ Ho Gay³, Ky³ Hon³ Ch³hiye by Pt.Shriram
Sharma Acharya). Publ. Vedmata Gayatri
Trust Shantikunj, Hardwar, 2007. ISBN:
81-8255-025-4
“Respond to every call that excites your spirit.” - Rumi
All the people in kingdom of King Ranjeet Singh were very happy. He was
famous for his valor and his justice. One day, while he was taking the tour of his
land, a stone hit his forehead and he started bleeding profusely. Soldiers found
the culprit who threw the stone. The culprit was a poor widow. She was asked to
appear in the king’s court. The king asked the reason of throwing the stone. The
lady said, “King! I am a widow. I have two small children. I don’t have any income.
My children were very hungry. There was a plum tree. I threw the stone to pick
some plums but the stone accidentally hit you. If I knew you would be coming,
I would have never done that. You can kill me for my mistake but please excuse
my children and take care of them.” After listening to her, the king said, “There
are two culprits here, the lady who threw the stone and me. I am the king and as
long as I am the ruler of this kingdom, no one shall remain hungry. I have got the
punishment for my crime. In exchange for the punishment of this lady, I will take
care of providing food and shelter for her family.” The lady got overwhelmed
with joy on the decision of the king. Everyone else in the court applauded the
king.
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 15
Sleep is like a precious gift that each one of us
receives at the end of the day’s work. During
sleep, man is in a semi-conscious state. The body
sleeps but the mind is still active. Sleep is also a
process that connects us with other subtle worlds.
Sleep rejuvenates both body and mind, thus
keeping them healthy.
Sleep gives us respite and peace for a short while.
However stressed out and unhappy a person
might be, the sleep provides him mental balance,
removes his worries and stress, and gives him
physical and mental strength. Concentration
and ability to comprehend are also rejuvenated
through sleep.
Some people do not take sleep seriously.
Scientists have warned such people saying that
those who do not take adequate hours of rest are
playing with their life in a dangerous manner.
British scientists say that lack of sleep may
cause harmful effects on the internal processes
of the body. According to a research study, there
is permanent change in the genes of those who
get less than 6 hours of sleep per day. Also, such
people are more susceptible to obesity, diabetes,
cancer and heart troubles.
Inadequate sleep has adverse effect on digestion
which in turn leads to hyperacidity and other
related problems. Inadequate sleep also affects
our ability to take decisions. Sleep not only
restores mental balance, but also enhances our
memory. Hippocampus is the seat of memory in
our brain. Research studies have shown that the
Sound Sleep is Essential for
Vibrant Health
connectivity of neurons in the Hippocampus is
not done well which leads to weakened memory
in those people who sleep less.
Those who cannot sleep well or experience
difficulty in sleeping are generally found to be
restless and worried in their daily life. People
who cannot sleep and have to resort to several
methods like sleeping pills or other drugs realize
the true value of good sleep. A large population
today is suffering from insomnia. 50% of Indians
suffer from it. Researchers also say that insomnia
is the root cause of a plethora of mental ailments
of which depression is the foremost.
Insomnia is a disease in which a person does
not get sleep, or takes a long time to sleep or
cannot sleep for as long as the person wishes
to. This disease can affect people of any age
group. There are four primary symptoms of
insomnia – inability to sleep, getting suddenly
awakened in the middle of night, not feeling
refreshed after waking up, irritability and
anxiety. The probability of mental illnesses
like depression and restlessness are increased
manifold because of insomnia. The hormones
related to hunger are heightened due to lack
of sleep causing the person to increase food
intake, thus leading to obesity. The metabolism
rate decreases due to insomnia thus also
becoming a cause for obesity. This also leads
to indigestion, constipation and gastritis.
There could be several causes for insomnia,
of which emotional problems like stress,
“Knowledge is as wings to man’s life.” - Baha’u’llah
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201716
restlessness, depression etc. are the primary
ones. A person’s daily lifestyle and physical
constitution can also be reasons for insomnia.
Some medicines for hyperthyroidism,
contraception and corticosteroids can also
cause insomnia as a side effect. Excessive
consumption of caffeine and alcohol also
increase problems related to sleep. Being
addicted to television or internet till late in the
night also creates problems with the process of
sleep. Worries have the most adverse effect on
sleep. Many a time it so happens that people
begin to recollect their incomplete tasks as soon
as they lie down and start worrying about them.
This snatches away their sleep. The concept
of using the services of sleep therapists is
gaining momentum in Europe and America. In
America, sleep therapy has become a business
worth billions of dollars. This goes to show that
insomnia is widely prevalent there. The country
might be very developed and prosperous, but it
is plagued by many problems related to sleep.
Countries like India are still developing and
less prosperous in comparison, and therefore
have relatively less of these problems.
One-thirds of man’s life is spent in sleep. We
lose our perception to smell during sleep,
which is why many people do not detect a
gas leak at night. There occurs deficiency of
hormone named Leptin in those people who
stay awake late in the night. This is what
causes excessive hunger and thus obesity. If
a person sleeps for less than 7 hours in a day,
then his immune system is weakened which
makes him more susceptible to common
cold, fever, etc. There is imbalance in the
hormones of those who sleep less.
Normally, eight hours of sleep is considered ideal.
Infants can sleep for 12-13 hours, while children
can sleep for 9-10 hours and 7-8 hours of sleep
is adequate for adults. Elderly people barely get
deep sleep for 3-4 hours, after which they are
easily awakened. They also see less dreams. In
this way, you can see that we sleep less as we
grow older. Also, with increase in ability to think
and increased responsibilities and worries, our
sleep decreases.
In general, it is not good to wake up suddenly
from sleep. But at the same time, it might
not be right to sleep for long hours too. If
someone feels fatigued even after sleeping
for 10 hours, then it might indicate some other
trouble. According to a study published in
‘Public Library of Science’, excessive sleep
may not just be linked to some older illnesses
but also can be indicative of diseases related
to high BMI and other mental disorders.
Depression is also considered a cause for
insomnia. Such people prefer to lie down
on bed for long hours, though not asleep.
In addition to insomnia, if a person feels
sleepy always, it might also be a symptom
for hypersomnia.
Sleep is an essential ingredient of life. But
sleeping less or more could be a problem. Sleep
restores balance in our life. Our duration and
quality of sleep also should be such that our life
is not thrown out of balance and our day to day
activities are not affected. If we manage to remain
free from worries and stress, we will be able to
stay away from all disorders related to sleep.
Shavasan and Yoganidra are two techniques
which can make you feel rested and refreshed in
a very short duration and are best suited in this
age of busy life styles.
“Affection is responsible for nine-tenths of whatever solid and durable happiness
there is in our lives.” - C. S. Lewis
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 17
“Superstition is the religion of feeble minds.” - Edmund Burke
Night is darkest in its last phase before the dawn.
The flame of a lamp grows brightest before it
is naturally extinguished. Similar is the case of
aggravated evils and negativities of the Kaliyuga.
As presented in the previous article (Anti-Climax
of Kali-Yuga — Scriptural Indications & Present
Scenario, Akhand Jyoti vol. 15, issue 2, page
15), the ancient texts also indicate the same —
Kaliyuga is going to end soon. How soon? Let
us look at some ancient and modern evidential
predictions and astronomical calculations to get
an answer.
While considering the estimated dates of
beginning and end of Kaliyuga presented below
(in the scale of modern/Gregorian calendar),
we should keep in mind that the deviations up
to a few hundred years in estimates by different
approaches are insignificant, as the astronomical
calculations in the ancient and medieval times
were based on movements of somewhat different
constellations of stars/planets. Moreover
the scales of times in such calculations are
significantly large as compared to the time-scale
(and the ‘concept’ of ‘year’) we use.
Beginning of the present era (Kaliyuga): The
Mahabharata war marked the end of Dw³para and beginning of Kali Yuga, as clearly indicated
in the following couplets of the epic:
Yad³ Drakïayasi Sangr³me Ïvetaïva® K•ashÌa S³rathºm| Endramastra® Vikurv³ñ³bhuva® Ch³py³gni
M³r¿te ||6||
G³núvasya Cha NirghoÌa® Visphrjitibhiv³ïane¡ | Na Tad³ Bhavit³ Tret³ Na K•ata® Dw³para Na Cha ||7||
Yad³ Drakïayasi Sangr³me Kuntiputra YudhiÌÚhiram |Japa Homa Sam³yukta® Swa® Rakïanta® Mah³ Cham¿ma ||8||
Âdityamiva DurgharÌa® Tapanta® Ïatruv³hinºm |Na Tad³ Bhavit³ Tret³ Na K•ata® Dw³para Na Cha ||9||
Meaning: When Krishna will be seen in anger
(like an intrepid warrior) in the battlefield as a
charioteer of the chariot pulled by white horses,
and Arjuna (riding on that chariot) will be found
twanging the bow-string of his gigantic arch
“G³ñdºva”, then it will neither be (a time in) Tret³,
Dw³para or K•at (Sat) Yuga. When Yudhishthira,
who does japa and homa, and whose face is
radiant like the sun, will be seen protecting his
army and destroying the enemy’s forces, then it
will neither be (a time in) Tret³, Dw³para or K•at (Sat) Yuga.
Evidential Calculations: According to the
available versions of Surya Siddhanta[1], Kali-
Yuga began around 3102 BC. This estimate
was supported by globally reputed Indian
mathematician and astronomer like Aryabhatta.
Based on the information placed at the temple
in Bhalka (in Gujarat), this is also considered
the year in which Lord Krishna’s incarnation in
human form departed from the earth. Ancient
Dawn of the Golden Age:
Evidential Estimates
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201718
“Science without religion is lame; religion without science is blind.” - Albert Einstein
astronomer Vriddha Garg found this estimate
correct approximately with a deviation of
about 500 years, as his calculations were based
on incorporation of 28 Nakïtras1. Although,
since the time of Varahmihir and till now only
27 Nakïtras are considered in astronomic and
astrological calculations in Hindu tradition,
the deviation would be justified in view of the
fact that in some calculations, the first Nakïtra
(of SaptarÌi calendar), is regarded as K•attik³ whereas in some others it is Aïvini (Aïvina).
Thorough discussion presented in [2] leads
to more consistent calculations, which are
also supported by astronomical, historical and
archaeological evidences, as outlined below. The
author estimates 3676 BC as the year of onset of
Kali-Yuga (Kaliyuga) based on following historic
and astronomical evidences:
(i) The work of Greek scholars Pliny and Arrian
identifies Lord Ram — who according to Hindu
scriptures and oriental scholars lived towards the
end of Tret³-Yuga — as the Greek king Dionysus
(or Roman Bacchus) — whose reign had ended
at around 6776 BC. Considering that Dw³para
Yuga had started soon after Lord Ram’s period,
6676 BC is an estimated date for the onset of the
Dw³para Yuga.
(ii) Referring to the Brihata-Samhit³ (Brs. 13-3)
of ancient Indian astronomer Varahmihira, the
SaptarÌi2 Calendar[3] dates back to the time when
SaptarÌi were aligned in the “Magh³” Nakïtra
and considering that this is the tenth nakïatra in
a count beginning with Aïvina3, modern scholar
Dr. Subhash Kak[4] shows that the SaptarÌi Calendar, still in use in India, began from 6676
BC. Researcher Bhivu Dev Mishra [2] further
argues that —
“The SaptarÌi Calendar followed during the
Mauryan period was used for tracking the
genealogical records of the Mahabharata war
kings. Since the Mahabharata describes events
that transpired in the Dw³para-Yuga, there cannot
be any doubt that the SaptarÌi Cycle beginning
6676 BC marks the beginning of the descending
Dw³para Yuga”. Thus, using 6676 BC as the
anchor point and the SaptarÌi Calendar as the
basis for calculations of the spans of the yugas[5]
in descending phase of one Chaturyuga-cycle (in
which duration of each yuga is about 2,700 years,
and the transitional periods is about 300 years
between two successive yugas), Mishra shows
that Kaliyuga began in 3676 BC.
He also presents Archaeological evidences of
end of Dw³para and the catastrophic geological
events in the time-span that marks the transition
period between two yugas. The list of such events
[cited in [2] with authentic references and several
photographs of archaeological explorations]
during/around the transition from Dw³para
Yuga to Kali-Yuga (~ 3976 to 3676 BC). The list
includes: most intense aridification events during
the Holocene period that devastated the Neolithic
Sub-pluvial; Flandrian transgression that led to
the end of the Ubaid period in Mesopotamia; the
discovery of two well-developed cities submerged
in the Gulf of Cambay at a depth of 120 feet by
National Institute of Ocean Technology. Carbon
dating of the artefacts and other archaeological
evidences show the cities as belonging to the
period ~ 7500 BC – 6500 BC, and also indicate
their combined existence as the island city of
Lord Krisnha’s Dwarka in the Dw³para Yuga.
The Mahabharata mentions that Dw³para Yuga
was over soon after Krishna left this world; and
then the seas swelled up during a storm, and
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 19
“Your talent is God’s gift to you; what you do with it is your gift back to God.” - Anonymous
submerged the island-city of Dwarka, which
was located off the coast of western India. This
further lends support to the inference [2] that the
present Kali-Yuga began in 3676 BC.
End of Kaliyuga: In an earlier article [5] we had
presented details of the estimated total span
of Kaliyuga which sans the twilight transition
periods is about 5700 years. Hence, considering
the above-stated date of the time of onset of
Kaliyuga, we can easily see that we are currently
going through the last decade of the Kaliyuga,
which would end by 2025 CE. [According to
astronomical calculations used in SapatarÌi calendar.]
Scholarly studies of ancient texts[6] and Hindu
calendar [Vikram Samvat] show that since about
13900 years BCE till at present, we are in the
Varah Kalp (i.e., when about 5/12th of the on-
going day of Lord Brahma4 has passed), which
is about the last phase of the current “Yuga”.
In simple terms, as explained by the experts
of ancient Indian science of astronomy and
astrology, the ‘last phase’ of Kaliyuga has begun
approximately since around 1969 CE.
Rock-inscriptions found in Aihole5, and the
research conducted at the Institute of Archaeology
History, Mathura also indicate that countdown of
Kaliyuga’s exit has begun around 1970 CE.
Scriptural descriptions of different traditions also
indicate [6] approximately similar dates regarding
end of the Dark Age (Kaliyuga). According to
Japanese Buddhists, after the present Dark Age,
the period of dawn of ‘Abatiri’ (Bright Era) has
begun since ~1936 CE. According to the Bahavi
(Baha’i) cult in Iran, the period of dawn of
Golden Age has started recently. Similar are the
predictions of Lama Yogis of Tibet regarding
Golden Era (called Chamb³la in their local
language). Some Jewish scriptures on future of
the world also make similar mention sregarding
the onset of “Guergazar” (Bright Age).
Islamic religious book Ṣaḥīḥ al-Bukhārī” (The
prophetic traditions, or hadith, collected by
the Persian Muslim scholar Muhammad al-
Bukhari) kept in the holy city of Madina (Medina)
mentions that Qay³mata (end of sinners/sinful
era) will occur around the second one-third of
the 14th Century of Hijri calendar. Considering
that the holy Razab month of Hizari year 1963
coincides with the holy Shravan month of
Hindu Vikarm Samvat 2000, this prediction also
coincides with the year ~1943 CE of the modern
calendar. In the “Dasam Granth Sahib” revered
Sikh Guru Govind Singh ji has also mentioned
about the period of anti-climax of the Dark Age,
which corresponds approximately to the same
year (~1943 CE).
It is interesting to see that what several ancient
Indian scriptures describe as the time of ‘end’
(anti-climax and eventual setting off period)
of Kaliyuga in terms of specific arrangements
of planets also corresponds to the above-stated
calculations and archaeological findings. For
instance (c.f. Bh³gvat 2|31-32):
Yad³ DevarÌaya¡ Saptamadh³su Vicharanti Hi| Tad³ P•avattastu Kalirdw³daï³bda Ïat³tmaka³ ||Yad³ Magh³bhyoV³syanti Purv³Ì³Ãh³ MharÌaya¡| Tad³ Nand³t Prabh•tyeÌa Kalirv•addhi GamaÌtati ||
Meaning: When (after the historic Mahabharata
War) the SaptarÌi2 aligned in the Magh³
Nakïatra1, Kali-Yug began to enter (i.e., the pre-
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201720
“The pursuit, even of the best things, ought to be calm and tranquil.” - Marcus Tullius Cicero
transition phase of Kali-Yug commenced). After
this, the SaptarÌi would lie in the Purv³Ì³Ãha
Nakïatra and (with this) the predominance of
Kaliyug will be over.
Div³bd³n³® Sahastr³nte Chaturthetu Puna¡ K•atam | BhaviÌyati Yad³ N•añ³® Mana Âtma P•ak³ïakam ||
—Bh³gvat (12|2|34)
Meaning: After four thousands (solar) years
of predominance of Kaliyuga, there will be
emergence of the Golden Age that will illuminate
the minds and inner self of human beings.
According to studies of planetary constellations,
the SaptarÌi planets were in the Purv³Ì³Ãha
Nakïatra, on the “Krishna Amavashya” (last day
of a lunar month), of Vikram Samvat 2000 (i.e.
~1943CE). That means, by 2043CE, the world
will see the manifestation of a Golden Age.
Yad³ Chandraïcha S¿ryaïcha Tath³ TiÌya Bh•ahaspati | Eka R³ïau SameÌyanti Tad³ Bhavati Tat K•atamma ||
- Mahabharata (Van Parva|190|90)
Meaning: When the Moon, Sun and Jupiter
simultaneously enter in (the ecliptic sector) Puïya
Nakïatra and are in the same Zodiac position of
Karka, it will mark the juncture of completion of
Kali-Yug and beginning of a Golden Age.
This corresponds to the predictions of the
Bh³gvat (cited above), as the specific alignment
of the Sun, Moon and Jupiter had occurred on 1st
August 1943 AD.
Notably, Zoroastrian holy book ‘The Zend
Avesta’ also makes mention of the same planetary
alignment as indicator of the end of the Age of
Vices. The corresponding text translates as —
when Moon, Sun and Jupiter simultaneously align
in the Zodiac sign “Cancer” (Karka) then there
will be descent of the divine soul (light); then
people will leave all vices and evils and the world
will be filled with fairness and happiness.
The ancient Indian text “Brah®-vaivarta Pur³ña”
(Text 50, 59) describes a dialogue between Lord
Krishna and the Goddess Ganga. Here, Krishna
says that after 5,000 years of Kali-Yuga there
will be a dawn of a new Golden Age which will
last for ~10,000 years. This can be immediately
understood in the context of the span of Kali-Yuga
described in this article. We are now witnessing
the last decade of Kali-Yuga, nearly 5,700 years
(2700 years of its descending phase + 2700 years
of its ascending phase + ~ 300 years of transition
of its end and beginning a new era) since its
beginning in 3676 BC. And the complete end of
the Kali-Yuga will be followed by the ascending
phase of three successively brighter eras of bliss,
benevolence, peace and prosperity spanning over
9000 years.
Reference:
[1] Burgess E. (1860): Translation of the
S¿rya Siddh³nta – A Text Book of Hindu
Astronomy, New Haven: For the American
Oriental Soc. [Original article publ. In J.
Amer. Oriental Soc. Vol VI. The book also
contains detailed commentary by the author.]
[2] Bibhu Dev Misra (2003). Unraveling the
Yuga Cycle Timeline. Part-I of a Web
Article. (https://grahamhancock.com/
dmisrab6/) also see
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 21
“A kind gesture can reach a wound that only compassion can heal.” - Steve Maraboli
Faith is composed of the heart's intention.
Light comes through faith.
Through faith men come to prayer,
Faith in the morning, faith at noon and at the setting of the sun.
O Faith, give us faith!
- Rigveda
[3] itihasabharati.blogspot.com/2016/01/
the-saptarshi-calendar.html
[4] Subhash Kak (2000): On the Chronological
Framework for Indian Culture. Bulletin
of the Indian Council of Philosophical
Research. pp. 1-24.
[5] Pandya P. And Shambhudass (editors) (2017):
Change of Era — When? Akhand Jyoti – The
Light Divine, Vol. 15 Issue 1; Jan-Feb 2017.
[6] Sharma Shriram Acharya (1995). Yug-
Parivartana Kaise aur Kaba?” Pandit Shriram
Sharma Acharya Samagra Vangmaya Vol.
27. Akhand Jyoti Sansthan, Mathura.
Notes:
1. Nakïatra: A Nakïatra (Nakshatra)
is the term for lunar asterism (or
lunar mansion) in Hindu astrology. A
nakshatra is one of the 27 sectors along
the ecliptic. Their names are related to
the most prominent asterisms in the
respective sectors.
2. SaptarÌi: The great bear constellation of
seven planets.
3. Aïvina: By the time of the Greek system of
calendar (and hence in the modern ‘scale’
of year) came into existence, the nakïatras
were listed starting with Aïvina (Surya
Siddhanta 8.9).
4. God Brahma’s one day: The span of
the birth, existence, evolution, and
complete merger (in Brah®**) of the
SraÌÚi* is referred as one day of God
Brahma. [*S•aÌÚi: The entire Creation
— manifestation of Nature, the cosmos,
the planetary system the world, and
the living beings, etc. **Brah®: The
Omnipresent, Eternal Consciousness-
Force. It is the self-existent origin,
medium and absolute end of every
existence].
5. Aihole Inscriptions: Aihole village,
about 510 Kilo Meters from Bangalore
in Karnataka is famous as the Cradle
of Indian architecture. The Rock-
inscriptions found here are written in
Sanskrit and Kannada; these belong
to the time of King Pulakeshin-II of
Chalukya dynasty, who reigned during
610 to 642 CE.
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201722
In his writings, Param Pujya Gurudev described
Arjuna as an ideal disciple, volunteer, and a
social worker. Oftentimes, he recommended
Arjuna as a character to be emulated. Pragya
Abhiyan, which is currently published fortnightly
by Shantikunj, was published monthly in 1980-
81. In its joint issue of October-November
1981, Gurudev writes – The dialogue between
Krishna and Arjuna took place in Dwapara Yuga
The problems of Dwapara Yuga may not be
comparable to, or may even be dwarfed by, the
problems of Kali Yuga (present-day world). But,
this dialogue and the teachings derived from it
are still relevant, and must be utilized to solve
today’s problems. Lord Krishna wanted to ensure
unity and order in an Indian society threatened by
anarchy and had resolved to transform ‘Bharat’
(or, India) into a ‘Maha Bharat’ (or, a unified
or greater India). Lord Krishna’s strategic plans
were not limited to the ones that were executed
during the Mahabharata war in Dharmakshetra-
Kurukshetra. He had already planned to unify
all the post-war, fractured states by organizing a
grand Rajsuya Yagya to lay the foundation for a
greater India (‘Maha Bharat’). The Lord needed
a capable partner to accomplish His vision. The
person that He found most competent was, Arjuna.
But initially, Arjuna was able to comprehend
neither the magnitude of the Lord’s plan nor
its far-reaching benefits. His limited sphere of
thinking and his melancholy over losing his
relatives during the war were hindering him from
understanding the Lord’s vision. His arguments
Yug Gita – 6
were based on an assessment of his personal and
immediate gains and losses, and that made him
reluctant to undertake greater responsibilities
that he perceived to not yield immediate or
reliable gains. Arjuna’s personal ambitions did
not extend beyond self-preservation and living
an ordinary life. The Lord perceived Arjuna’s
mental weakness and overcame his fragile
arguments using counter-arguments rooted in
righteousness and idealism.
Arjuna’s melancholic state is one that a person
suffers through when his or her discipleship has
not been awakened. Arjuna’s state was a result of
his never having perceived Lord Krishna as his
Guru (or ‘spiritual teacher’). It is not sufficient
for anybody to just be close or dear to his or her
Guru, but one must understand and accept the
superiority of one’s Guru to be able to overcome
one’s innate inertia. Melancholy overcomes not
only mental inertia but also the evil impressions
of past lives. It is possible that Arjuna was
destined to experience this state of mind.
“Why should we work for ‘Thought
Revolution’?” – This question may have arisen in
our minds at some point in time. We are unable to
understand that we are only the resources; and if
we do anything in this direction, we will only be
fulfilling the need of our times. Like Arjuna, if our
inner inertia can also be broken by melancholy
– the inner distress - then our true discipleship
can be awakened. Medical science too advises
Soul Anguish or Escapism - 2(The latter half of the first chapter of Gita)
“Nature is my religion, Earth is my temple.” - Anonymous
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 23
that sometimes weeping is beneficial to us. It is
even better to contemplate on the limits of our
selflessness and humility. But this process should
not culminate in an emotional outburst.
From the 33rd to the 46th shlokas (or, verses) of
the first chapter of the Gita, a despondent Arjuna
voices the same thoughts over and over – “Is the
kingdom (‘Hastinapura’) worth killing his own
clan?” or, “Of what use are material comforts?”
or, “What is purpose of living such a life?”
He is so self-absorbed while providing these
justifications for his melancholy that he does
not give Lord Krishna a chance to speak. Arjuna
also says – ‘Api trailokya rajyasya hetoh kim nu
mahikrite’- that he would not kill the Kauravas,
even if he were offered the good fortune of ruling
all three worlds. Despite realizing the stature
of whom he is speaking with, Lord Krishna
Himself, he continues presenting scripturally
coherent arguments, such as, killing the Kaurvas
will end an entire clan, vulnerable women will be
exploited, he will go to Hell for his actions, and
so on. He also asserts that if he dies, even while
unarmed, at the hands of Dhritarashtra’s sons
(or, Kauravas), he would consider his own death
beneficial to himself. From where has this feeling
of ‘Vairagya’ (non-attachment, renunciation)
emerged in Arjuna’s melancholic mind that he is
ready to even beg for a living?
Sri Ramakrishna Paramhansa classified Vairgya
into three categories; namely, (i) the ‘real’
Vairagya (renouncing everything for good), (ii)
Shmashan Vairagya (feeling of renunciation in the
cremation ground) and (iii) ‘Death-bed’ Vairagya
(when the death appears to be imminent). The
third type of Vairgya is transitory (or, short-
lived), whereas the second type remains limited
to the cremation ground. As soon as the pyre is
lit, people start talking about worldly matters.
Arjuna’s Vairagya is transitory. He is standing
in the battlefield talking about principles. Lord
Krishna knows that Arjuna’s Vairagya will be
over soon, and therefore He is listening to him
with a cheerful demeanour while readying
himself to counter Arjuna’s arguments (in the
second chapter). If we analyze the Arjuna’s state
of mind, we will see that seeds of revolutionary
thoughts are being planted in the midst of all the
melancholy. A famous French philosopher, Jean
Paul Sartre, who believed in existentialism, has
explained this state very well. He writes – ‘Man
is condemned to be free; because once thrown
into the world, he is responsible for everything he
does’. Existentialists didn’t have Lord Krishna’s
guidance, which is why the western world could
not make progress in the field of philosophy. To
achieve the freedom that Sartre is referring to, one
needs to have same rapport with one’s spiritual
teacher, like Arjuna’s with Lord Krishna. The
Gita conveys this relationship perfectly.
Arjuna appears incapable of differentiating
between kith-and-kin and strangers. Consequently,
at the peak of his melancholic state, he announces
his decision – ‘I will not take part in the war’.
Until a disciple surrenders totally to his or her
Guru, he or she will keep making his or her own
decisions. Arjuna defends his decision repeatedly
by professing his attachment to his own relations
and his supposed scriptural knowledge. Until
the limitations imposed by worldly attachments
and adherence to dubious assumptions are not
overcome, true discipleship will not awaken. By
putting his Gandeev (bow) aside and sitting in
the rear of the chariot, Arjuna has demonstrated
nothing but escapism. It is surprising that this
brave and sensible person is so delusional.
Thoughtlessness, delusion and indolence serve
“Happiness is when what you think, what you say and what you do are in harmony.”
- Mahatma Gandhi
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201724
as obstacles in the path to discipleship. If one
really wishes to get attached, then it is better to
be attached to ideals and morality, instead of so-
called kith-and-kin who do not reciprocate the
same affection. One should adhere to ethics and
dharma (righteousness) instead of immorality
and adharma (evil). The core message of the first
chapter of the Gita is essentially this - one should
become a dedicated, industrious and learned
person. This message embraces all the three
yogas (‘Bhakti’, ‘Karma’ and ‘Gyan’ yogas).
Param Pujya Gurudev said – ‘If you wish to take
credit like Arjuna, then get busy in doing Vichar
Kranti Mission’s work. If you won’t, someone
else will.’ If we don’t work for this noble cause,
will this gigantic divine campaign not progress?
No! This campaign will certainly proceed
smoothly, but we will miss the opportunity of
emulating Arjuna. Param Pujya Gurudev writes
in April 1982 issue of Akhand Jyoti (Hindi) –
‘In spite of the heavy weight of conscience, the
bigger responsibilities, the high expectations
of the Almighty, and the unparalleled, urgent
demands of our times, what is that mediocrity
that is preventing our parijans from taking up the
leading roles? What is the reason that is turning the
capable into incapable? Is it paranoia, superstition,
or other mental cobwebs? The reason behind
this inertia is not easy to comprehend. This is
time of courage and bravery. In this hour of
dire need, why are the Gandeevs of the Arjunas
of our times slipping from their hands, why
their mouths are getting dry, and why are they
perspiring? Are discussions of principles and
morals restricted to stories or regarded merely
as a source of entertainment?’
Listening to the Arjuna’s silly arguments, Lord
Krishna lost his temper. Prior to reading the
second chapter named ‘Sankhya Yoga’ (in
which Lord Krishna got angry with Arjuna and
then his discipleship got awakened), it should
be understood that the Lord had acknowledged
that the doubts in Arjuna’s mind had originated
from his genuine anguish over losing loved ones
in the war. The pangs of conscience had fueled
his self-restraint. Therefore, the time had arrived
to awaken his discipleship. The present time too
is extraordinary. We too are expecting the same
guidance that Arjuna once received from his
Guru, Lord Krishna. In the present age, we can
acquire this knowledge by understanding the
perspective of Yug Gita.
“Science is not only compatible with spirituality; it is a profound source of spirituality.”
- Carl Sagan
Duryodhan was certain that Bhishma was not fighting to his full abilities due
to his bias for the Pandavas. After accusing him of this, Bhishma created five powerful
arrows and promised that he would slay the five brothers at one go the very next day.
Doubting this, Duryodhan took the five arrows to use them on the Pandavas himself.
Krishna got to know about this and advised Arjuna to go and ask Duryodhana
for those arrows, as the boon that Duryodhana had granted him once, when Arjuna
had saved his life. Duryodhana had to comply with his request and unwillingly, parted
with the arrows. When Duryodhana asked Bhishma to create five more arrows, he
refused, saying that he had used his lifelong merit to create them and thus, they could
not be recreated. Duryodhana thus lost his only chance of winning the war.
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 25
A PILGRIM IS A WANDERER WITH A
PURPOSE. A pilgrimage can be to a place —
that’s the best known kind — but it can also
be for a thing. Mine is for peace, and that is
why I am a Peace Pilgrim. My pilgrimage
covers the entire peace picture: peace among
nations, peace among groups, peace within our
environment, peace among individuals, and
the very, very important inner peace—which
I talk about most often because that is where
peace begins. The situation in the world around
us is just a reflection of the collective situation.
In the final analysis, only as we become more
peaceful people will we be finding ourselves
living in a more peaceful world.
In the Middle Ages the pilgrims went out as
the disciples were sent out — without money,
without food, without adequate clothing — and
I know that tradition. I have no money. I do not
accept any money on my pilgrimage. I belong
to no organization. There is no organization
backing me. I own only what I wear and carry.
There is nothing to tie me down. I am as free
as a bird soaring in the sky. I walk until given
shelter, fast until given food. I don’t ask—it’s
given without asking. Aren’t people good! There
is a spark of good in everybody, no matter how
deeply it may be buried, it is there. It’s waiting
to govern your life gloriously. I call it the God-
centered nature or the divine nature. Jesus called
it the Kingdom of God within.
Now, a pilgrim walks prayerfully, and a
pilgrim walks as an opportunity to come
Peace Pilgrim’s Wisdom – 6
The Pilgrimage - 1
in contact with many people and perhaps
inspire them to do something for peace in
their own way. For that purpose I wear my
short tunic with PEACE PILGRIM on the
front and 25,000 Miles On Foot for Peace on
the back. It makes my contacts for me in the
kindest way...and I like to be kind.
You’re in a much better position to talk with
people when they approach you than when
you approach them. Those individuals who are
attracted to me are either genuinely interested in
some phase of peace or just have a good lively
curiosity. Both kinds are very worthwhile people.
Then I have time to share with people my peace
message which says in one sentence:
This is the way of peace—overcome evil with good,
and falsehood with truth, and hatred with love.
The Golden Rule would do equally well. There
is nothing new about that except the practice
of it. But I consider it the lesson for today
and so it becomes the message of the peace
pilgrimage. Please don’t say lightly that these
are just religious concepts and not practical.
These are laws governing human conduct,
which apply as rigidly as the law of gravity.
When we disregard these laws in any walk of
life, chaos results. Through obedience to these
laws this world of ours will enter a period of
peace and richness of life beyond our fondest
dreams. The key word for our time is practice.
We have all the light we need; we just need to
put it into practice.
“A quiet conscience makes one strong!” - Anne Frank
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201726
What I walk on is not the energy of youth, it is
a better energy. I walk on the endless energy
of inner peace that never runs out! When you
become a channel through which God works
there are no more limitations, because God
does the work through you: you are merely the
instrument —and what God can do is unlimited.
When you are working for God you do not find
yourself striving and straining. You find yourself
calm, serene and unhurried.
My pilgrimage is not a crusade, which connotes
violence. There is no attempt to force something
on people. A pilgrimage is a gentle journey of
prayer and example. My walking is first of all a
prayer for peace. If you give your life as a prayer
you intensify the prayer beyond all measure. In
undertaking this pilgrimage I do not think of myself
as an individual but rather as an embodiment
of the heart of the world which is pleading for
peace. Humanity, with fearful, faltering steps
walks a knife-edge between abysmal chaos and a
new renaissance, while strong forces push toward
chaos. Yet there is hope. I see hope in the tireless
work of a few devoted souls. I see hope in the real
desire for peace in the heart of humanity, even
though the human family gropes toward peace
blindly, not knowing the way.
My pilgrimage is an opportunity to talk with
my fellow human beings about the way of
peace. It is also a penance for whatever I may
have contributed by commission or omission
to the tragic situation in the world today. It
is a prayer that this war-weary world of ours
will somehow find the way to peace before
a holocaust descends. My mission is to help
promote peace by helping others to find inner
peace. If I can find it, you can too. Peace is an
idea whose time has come.
I began my pilgrimage on the first of January in
1953. It is my spiritual birthday of sorts. It was
a period in which I was merged with the whole.
No longer was I a seed buried under the ground,
but I felt as a flower reaching out effortlessly
toward the sun. On that day I became a wanderer
relying upon the goodness of others. It would be
a pilgrim’s journey undertaken in the traditional
manner: on foot and on faith. I left behind all
claims to a name, personal history, possessions
and affiliations.
It would be a glorious journey. The birthplace of
the pilgrimage was at the Tournament of Roses
parade in Pasadena, California. I walked ahead
along the line of march, talking to people and
handing out peace messages, and noticing that
the holiday spirit did not lessen the genuine
interest in peace. When I had gone about half
way a policeman put his hand on my shoulder
and I thought he was going to tell me to get off
the line of march. Instead he said, “What we need
is thousands like you.”
What happened to me in the Los Angeles area
in the beginning was almost miraculous. All
channels of communication were opened to me
and my little peace message. I spent hours being
interviewed by newspaper reporters and being
photographed by newspaper photographers. The
story of the pilgrimage and even my picture went
out over all the wire services. Besides doing two
live television programs, I spent hours recording
for radio and the television newscasts. Newspapers
all along the line from Los Angeles to San Diego
were interested. In San Diego I did one television
program and four radio shows. The head of the
San Diego Council of Churches approved of my
message and my three petitions, and they were
widely circulated in the churches.
“My religion consists of a humble admiration of the illimitable superior spirit who reveals himself in
the slight details we are able to perceive with our frail and feeble mind.” - Albert Einstein
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 27
When I was not on the road I was speaking
and gathering signatures for the three peace
petitions which I carried. The first was a short
plea for immediate peace in Korea. It read: “Let
the killing in Korea cease! Then deal with this
conflict situation according to the only principles
which can solve it — overcome evil with good
and falsehood with truth and hatred with
love.” The second petition was directed to the
President and congressional leaders requesting
the installation of a Peace Department. It read:
“This is the way of peace, overcome evil with
good and falsehood with truth and hatred
with love. We plead for the establishment
of a Peace Department, with a Secretary of
Peace who accepts these principles—and
with all conflicts at home and abroad to be
referred to this Peace Department.” The third
petition was a plea to the United Nations and
the world leaders for world disarmament and
reconstruction: “If you would find the way of
peace you must overcome evil with good and
falsehood with truth and hatred with love. We
plead with you to free us all from the crushing
burden of armaments, to free us from hatred
and fear, so that we may feed our hungry
ones, mend our broken cities, and experience
a richness of life which can only come in a
world that is unarmed and fed.”
I accumulated signed petitions from individuals,
peace groups, churches and organizations along
my pilgrimage route, storing them in a satchel
which was carried for the occasion. I presented
them to officials at both the White House and
the United Nations at the conclusion of my first
walk across the country. And I am thankful
that my first petition, “Let the killing in Korea
cease...” was at least partially granted before
the first year was over.
At Tijuana, Mexico, just across the border from
San Diego, I was received by the mayor, and
he gave me a message to carry to the mayor of
New York City. I also carried a message from
the California Indians to the Arizona Indians.
While passing through San Diego that first year
I was introduced into public speaking. A high
school teacher approached me on the street and
inquired if I would speak to her class. I told
her in all fairness that as Peace Pilgrim I had
never spoken to a group before. She assured
me that it would be fine and asked only that I
would answer the students’ questions. I agreed.
If you have something worthwhile to say, you
can say it. Otherwise, why in the world would
you want to be speaking?
I have no problem speaking before a group.
When you have completely surrendered to
God’s will, the way seems easy and joyous. It
is only before you have completely surrendered
that the way seems difficult. When I speak,
energy flows through me like electricity flows
through a wire. In the beginning, my speaking
engagements were often arranged on the spur
of the moment. As I was walking past a school,
the principal came out and said, “My students
are looking at you from the windows. If you
would come in and talk to them we’ll gather
them in the gymnasium.” So I did.
Then at noon, a man from one of the civic
clubs approached me and said, “My speaker
disappointed us. Will you come and speak at
our luncheon?” And of course I did. The same
afternoon a college professor on the way
to his class stopped me and asked, “Could
I take you to my students?” So I spoke to
his class. Then at night a minister and his
wife going to a church supper stopped me
“The true measure of success is how many times you can bounce back from failure.”
- Stephen Richards
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201728
and said, “Would you consider coming and
eating with us, and speaking to us?” And I
did. They also gave me a bed for the night.
And all this happened as I was walking along
one day without any prior engagements.
I now keep very busy speaking for peace at
colleges, high schools, churches, and so forth—
but always I am happily busy. My slogan of first
things first has enabled me to take care of my
speaking engagements, keep my mail up to date
and also do some walking. Once in Cincinnati I
gave seven sermons at seven different places of
worship in one day. On that particular Sunday I
gave local ministers the day off! No collections
are permitted at meetings that are held for me.
I never accept a penny for the work I do. Any
money sent to me through the mail is used to
publish my literature which is sent free of charge
to anyone who requests it.
Truth is the pearl without price. One cannot
obtain truth by buying it — all you can do is to
strive for spiritual truth and when one is ready,
it will be given freely. Nor should spiritual truth
be sold, lest the seller be injured spiritually.
You lose any spiritual contact the moment you
commercialize it. Those who have the truth would
not be packaging it and selling it, so anyone who
is selling it, really does not possess it.
[Reproduced with glad consent of the publishers – Friends of Peace Pilgrim]
“The power of human thought grows exponentially with the number of minds that
share that thought.” - Dan Brown
When Paul Brunton (a British theosophist and spiritualist) heard about
the Indian ascetics, he came to India to meet them and to find out the secret of
their siddhis (supernormal powers). He had written in his book titled "In search
of Secret India" that he met Swami Vishuddhananda Paramhansa in Banaras, who
was famous as 'Gandha Baba'. The sage asked him whether he wanted to witness
some miracle. On getting a positive answer, he asked Brunton for a handkerchief,
who gave him a silky one. When he focused the solar radiations on it through
a convex lens, the handkerchief started emitting the fragrance of jasmine, as
was desired by him. This was not a deception or a skill. Later on, when Brunton
asked him to produce the aroma of rose, he produced it as well, which persisted
on the handkerchief for months. When Paul Brunton had a detailed discussion
with his disciple Gopinath, the poet, he came to know that the sage was able
to produce grapes in the air. He could also fetch sweets out of nothing and
was able to re-bloom the withered flowers. He attributed all this to the science
of solar radiations. Swami Vivekananda had also made a mention of Swami
Vishuddhananda in his speeches. He had met him and also witnessed his siddhis.
Our Indian spiritualism is extremely abstruse and marvelous. This scientific way
of life needs further research.
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 29
Technology is creating something new every
day to make our lives easier. Enhancements are
being introduced in mobile phones, computers,
mobile apps, TVs etc. day by day leading to
largescale modifications in our lifestyles.
Our work efficiency has been enhanced
significantly due to these and what took hours
earlier can be finished in minutes now. All the
information we seek is available instantly in
this era of information revolution. A tiny cell
phone has moved on from being just a means
of communication and become a repository
of music, photos, videos and information.
From payment to online shopping and ticket
booking, everything can be done with the
mobile phone. Slowly and steadily mobile
phones are getting associated with a number
of conveniences. These are only the useful and
beneficial aspects of technology, but we must
also have knowledge of the potentially harmful
aspects of technology.
Today’s generation is rightly called
‘multimedia generation’ because everyone
yearns to get some form of gadget or the
other. People spend many-many hours with
gadgets like iPods, mobile phones, TVs,
video games and so on. Excessive time
spent on these is resulting in many negative
effects on the body like dry eyes, computer
vision syndrome, back ache, neck pain etc.
Gadgets have today become part of our
lives but slowly they are adversely affecting
Youth Column
Protect Your Ears from
Mobile Music
our health. Young generation is extremely
enamored with these devices and do not like to
be away from them even for a few moments.
At each street corner several people can be
found busy with their gadgets in their free
time talking with others on mobile, playing
games, surfing the internet, taking pictures,
shooting videos or listening to music.
Music fanatics with their head phones
or ear phones on their ears can be found
everywhere. Even auto rickshaw drivers can
be commonly spotted sporting ear phones
and listening to music. Such people are often
unaware of the health hazards these gadgets
pose to them, how their ear phones can
impair their hearing; and in addition, how
their lack of attention can increase manifold
the possibility of road accidents.
World Health Organization has, in a report,
warned the young generation to desist from
the excessive usage of Bluetooth, earphones
and head phones. According to the report,
about 1.1 billion youth are becoming deaf due
to their habit of listening to loud music. So,
it is necessary to take precaution and reduce
the usage of earphones as much as possible.
People employed at call centers or any places
where head set is a necessity must definitely
take a break of 5 minutes after every hour of
usage. Only good quality head phones and
ear phones should be used. It is preferable to
“It takes darkness to be aware of the light.” - Treasure Tatum
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201730
use head phones, which are attached to outer
ears, instead of ear buds.
According to a research, listening capacity of
people who continuously use ear phones reduces
by 40-50 decibels. Due to the reduced sensitivity
it becomes difficult to hear voices that come from
far. In fact, this can also cause complete deafness
at times. In our country too 50% of ear related
problems reported by youth are due to excessive
usage of ear phones. Excessive usage of ear
phones could result in several common problems
like pain in ears, headache, insomnia etc.
To provide attractive gadgets, manufacturers
of earphones and headphones produce
contraptions that completely cancel every
sound from outside so that the listener gets
dissociated from outside world and can enjoy
music without any disturbance. But when
these devices completely enclose the ears
and do not allow air circulation, the danger of
infection increases significantly. People who
use these devices for extended periods of time
also become susceptible to uncomfortable
conditions like tinnitus. Excessive usage
also makes the ears vulnerable to becoming
numb and insensitive.
The sound waves that are generated by earphone
or headphone directly affect our brain. The inner
portion of ear is connected to the brain and so
if the ear or the ear drum is affected, there is a
direct adverse impact on the brain as well. People
who like to hear songs or music at high volume
are found susceptible not only to brain related
problems like headache, giddiness etc., but also
could contract dangerous diseases like cancer and
others related to heart. Besides the ear drums,
loud sounds harm the inner tissues.
According to scientists, human ear can bear
sound intensity upto 65 decibels, but if a
sound of 90 decibel intensity is heard for 40
hours or more the nerves inside the ears die
completely. Researchers state that excessive
usage of earphones could result in numerous
ear problems like hearing a continuous tingling
sound, giddiness, sensitivity, sleeplessness,
headache, earache and so on. As time passes,
people begin to turn deaf to softer, lower
intensity sounds and their ability to distinguish
between sounds also gets impaired. This can
cause serious problems while walking or
driving and can lead to accidents.
Several incidents have come to light in
which earphones have been the primary
reason when people could not hear the voices
coming from behind and met with serious
accidents. Officers of Indian Railways also
say that among people dying in accidents
“When you were born, you were crying and everyone around you was smiling. Live your life so that
when you die, you’re the one smiling and everyone around you is crying.” - Kabir
The Seven Social Sins are:
• Wealth without work,
• Pleasure without conscience,
• Knowledge without character,
• Commerce without morality,
• Science without humanity,
• Worship without sacrifice, and
• Politics without principle.
- Frederick Lewis Donaldson
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 31
on railway tracks, majority is of those who
walk on or near the tracks with earphones on.
Psychologists describe people who walk with
their Bluetooth, headphones and earphones
on their ears as victims of mental instability
and unintentional blindness. As their minds
are distracted such people often meet with
road accidents and among these, youth are
the largest in numbers.
Several people fall asleep listening to songs on
their earphones, which is even more harmful for
the ears. It impedes falling into deep sleep and
because of long exposure to radiation possibility
of developing cancer increases significantly.
Experts say we must not use these type of gadgets
for more than 30 minutes and we should keep
the volume low. Earphones should definitely be
used for less than an hour in 24 hours and if any
problem is noticed in the ear, doctor should be
quickly consulted and doctor’s advice must be
diligently followed. At the same time, we should
not talk for too long on the phone.
Our ears are the only means through which
we hear sounds, establish a communication
with others and differentiate between sounds.
If for any reason our hearing gets affected, the
suffering would last a life time. So to protect
our ears we must enforce a limit on the usage
of different devices worn on the ears and we
must use them really carefully.
“Life is really simple, but men insist on making it complicated.” - Confucius
Venkatraman, who was born on December 30, 1879 in a village
near Madurai, Tamil Nadu had realized right in the childhood that he had
come to this world for accomplishing some superior objective rather
than live and die like an ordinary man. When he heard about Arunachala
(Thiruvannamalai), he felt as if he had been familiar to this place from
previous births. He renounced his house at an early age and reached there
with great difficulty. No sooner did he reached there than he became silent
and started meditating. He settled in a cave where an ascetic had pursued
Sadhana (spiritual accomplishment) for many years and got engrossed in
solitary ascetism. Ganapati Shastri renamed him as -'Ramana Maharishi'.
He didn't believe in displaying miracles but they occurred in the normal
course. While dwelling in the forest, he used to converse with the animals
wandering there. The groups of monkeys used to approach him for solving
their conflicts. Even the deadly snakes and lions used to come and sit in
his vicinity. He left his mortal body in 1950. His abode still symbolizes his
concentration, contemplation and Samadhi (profound meditation).
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201732
Goswami Tulsidasji, the author of
Ramcharitmanas has extolled the virtue of
human body thus – ‘Bade bhag manush tan
pawa, surdurlabh sadgranthahin gawa.’
(Meaning - It is a great fortune to attain this
human body which is rare even for the gods).
The great poet Kalidas has also highlighted the
importance of human body – ‘Sharir madhyam
khalu dharmasadhanam’ (That is, physical
body is the instrument for all righteous
actions). It is needless to say that the first level
of happiness is having a healthy body. This is so
because all the pleasures of materialistic world
can be enjoyed only through a healthy body.
Whether we yearn for materialistic progress or
spiritual upliftment, both necessarily require a
healthy mind and body.
There are four objectives of human pursuit as
described in the scriptures – dharma (righteousness
and morality), arth (economic prosperity), kama
(fulfillment of desires) and moksha (salvation).
All these pursuits cannot be undertaken unless
both mind and body are healthy. We should have
no doubt that the fundamental basis of complete
development is a healthy mind and body. There
is no other living being whose body is better than
human body provided it is not suffering from any
diseases. But today, in the mechanical lifestyles
we lead and the materialistic approach we have
towards our lives, where is the time to take
sufficient care of our mind and body? This is as
if a warrior enters a battlefield without weapons
with him. Life is no less than a battle and good
health is an essential requirement to win it.
Beware of Sitting for Long Hours
Undoubtedly, a balance between body and mind
is required to attain good health. Any imbalance
causes our body to fall prey to one disease or
the other. There is nothing wrong in pursuing
the materialistic progress. But if it is attained at
the expense of our health, the progress would
remain hollow. All the comforts of the world
cannot give us happiness if our health is not
good. We should keep a balance between work
and rest. For example, lying around too long
makes the body lazy and inactive. Standing
unnecessarily for too long at work tires the body
too. Likewise sitting for too long at work also
causes many kinds of ailments. Unfortunately,
in today’s world most of the jobs at workplaces
are sedentary and this sitting for long hours
affects our health quite adversely.
A big proportion of our working population
spends the entire day in meetings, attending
phone calls, sitting in front of computers or at
their working desks. After reaching home also
people keep talking on phone or laze around in
front of TV. In our daily routine we spend eight
hours sleeping, 2 hour standing or travelling
from one place to another, about half an hour in
exercise and remaining 13 hours working while
seated. So majority of time during the day we
spend sitting. Other than playful kids, laborers,
manual workers and housewives, people who
mostly do mental work spend a large amount of
time sitting on chairs.
Journal of the American Heart Foundation has
published a report based on a study conducted
“All major religious traditions carry basically the same message that is love, compassion and
forgiveness ... the important thing is they should be part of our daily lives.” - Dalai Lama
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 33
on a sample size of 8800 people. The report
says that watching TV for more than 60
minutes not only increases significantly the
risk of heart related problems and cancer, it is
a major risk factor for untimely death. Several
research studies have shown that sitting for a
long time invites many ailments. Even people
who exercise daily and sleep 8 hours must pay
attention to the time they spend sitting.
Sitting for long hours causes cholesterol
levels to go up; and a high level of harmful
LDL cholesterol is considered a major risk
factor for stroke or paralysis. These days,
people even at a young age are falling prey
to many kinds of diseases because of their
sedentary and inactive lifestyles. The rising
number of people suffering from Type-2
diabetes is a burning example of this problem.
Offices and homes these days are constructed
with very few windows in order to make ACs
more effective in maintaining comfortable
temperatures. But children and youth living
in such closed homes suffer from deficiency
of Vitamin D due to which they feel fatigued
and develop weakness in bones. Sitting for a
long time tires the muscles of the lower waist
and gradually pain develops in the waist bone
along with light swelling. This increases the
vulnerability to slip disc. Many organs of the
body get adversely affected with a sedentary
lifestyle. For example, heart’s job is to
circulate purified blood in the body. Sitting
continuously reduces the flow of blood in the
body. Due to this, accumulated fat begins to
stick in the arteries. The same then increases
the vulnerability to heart related problems. A
research study has shown that men and women
who sit for more than 10 hours become quite
susceptible to heart diseases.
It is said that if a person has to sit for longer
hours than usual even for a day, a direct impact
is felt on his pancreas and they begin to produce
more insulin. This increased level of insulin can
increase the risk of contracting diabetes. Research
has shown that compared to people who move
around while working, those who have to
sit for long hours are more liable to develop
diabetes. In daily routine, if a person works
for more than eight hours sitting, then his risk
of developing Type 2 diabetes is 90% higher.
Other similar research studies have found
that sitting for long hours unnecessarily also
increases the risk of developing colon, breast
and endometrial cancer. There is no definite
reason for this, but it could be that increased
levels of insulin promote growth of cancer
cells. Another possibility is that when body is
continuously active it generates antioxidants
in large numbers which help suppress growth
of cancerous cells and when we sit for long
or remain inactive these antioxidants are not
produced in sufficient quantities.
Some more research studies have found that
sitting for long hours increases the risk of cancer
by 54%, and that of developing uterus cancer by
66% and intestinal cancer by 30%. According to
a WHO report, in about one-third of the cases
of breast and colon cancer, sitting for too long
has been the dominating factor. It also affects
brain’s efficiency which reduces significantly.
Sitting too long reduces blood circulation, as a
result of which the quantity of purified blood
and oxygen to the brain reduces. This has a
direct impact on a person’s state of mind and
his level of concentration.
An important fact to know here is that if asanas
of yoga are performed regularly then it is possible
“You yourself, as much as anybody in the entire universe deserve
your love and affection.” - Buddha
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201734
to protect ourselves from all these problems with
ease. For example, sitting in vajrasan after meals
for 5-10 minutes is very beneficial and supports
digestion. It is also advised to take a stroll after
meals. If we sit down after meals, the food tends
to settle in stomach which reduces power of
digestion. This can increase chances of flatulence,
burning sensation and constipation.
Our wrong postures can also have severe effects
on the body; for example, projecting forward our
head and neck while working in the computer, or
tilting our neck towards shoulder to hold the phone
while talking can have serious repercussions on the
body. People doing so often complain of strain in
the neck and shoulders, and backache. More than
standing, sitting down has more adverse effect
on the backbone especially when we spend hours
sitting in front of computers. When we walk, the
discs inside the back bone continuously open and
close. In active state there is a continuous flow of
blood and nutrients inside the discs; and when we
sit, the discs remain closed for a long time. This
leads to a reduction in their flexibility which then
creates pain. Sitting for long weakens the digestive
system. Further, the hip muscles do not get enough
activity which hardens them and then they begin to
ache. Too much sitting reduces the blood circulation
in the feet which can create problems like swelling
in the feet, varicose veins and deep vein thrombosis
(clotting of blood). It can even lead to osteoporosis.
To make our bones become strong it is beneficial to
walk, run and lift weights.
Some specialists opine that diseases increase
in the body in the same proportion as number
of hours spent sitting. In order to overcome the
damage caused by sitting, subtle yogic exercises
(sookshma vyayam) of the hands and legs, surya
namaskar, pragya yog etc should be regularly
practiced. These exercises increase vitality in
body. Morning walk is also a nice, balanced
exercise. Additionally, practice of Pranakarshan
pranayam and nadi shodhan pranayam, can
enhance pranic energy in the body and can
ensure its proper circulation.
While working it is beneficial to take small
breaks in between, walk a few steps, perform
tadasan, and katichakrasan. If one likes dancing,
then it is a good idea to dance to keep the body
healthy. Soft, melodious music is a great stress
buster. During working hours, it is beneficial
to keep getting up and stretching in between.
Bhramari pranayam is another great exercise
that can instill freshness in the body.
“Blessed are those who can give without remembering and take without forgetting.”
- Elizabeth Bibesco
The glorious Hindu ruler- Maharana Pratap had a daughter named Champa.
Maharana Pratap was wandering in the caves and forests of the Aravalli hills.
When even the stock of grasses and wild plants exhausted and all his children
were hungry he decided to surrender to Akbar. He was about to write the letter
affirming his subordination, when his eleven year old brave daughter said - "Father!
If our demise is essential for safeguarding the pride of our nation and community,
then we should go ahead. We should never surrender to Akbar." These were the
last words of Champa who was starving for three days. Later on Maharana also
lost his life in the battlefield but never surrendered. Blessed is this nation and
praiseworthy are its valiant daughters!
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 35
From Tirupati to Kanchi
The prestige and grandeur of Kanchi Matha
is highest among the Mathas established by
Adi Shankaracharya. Its tradition has remained
almost uninterrupted. The scholarship and
Tapasya of the Acharyas (Head Priests) of this
Matha had also been exemplary. The Acharyas
of other Mathas too are no less advanced in
erudition and ascetic practices. Probably the
major factor contributing to the popularity and
prosperity of Kanchi Matha is that there had been
almost no external intrusions and disturbances.
In other Mathas, from time to time, there had
been invasions of tyrants and interference from
fanatical rulers. In some cases, the invaders had
even damaged the shrines.
It is worth mentioning that some scholars do not
consider Kanchi Matha to be established by Adi
Shankaracharya. It is also well known that Adi
Shankar established only four Mathas; namely,
at Badrinath, Dwarka, Jagannath Puri and
Shringeri. He made his four prominent disciples
the first Acharyas of these four Mathas and gave
them the responsibility of dissemination of the
message of Sanatan Dharma in their respective
regions. Some scholars do not consider the
existence of the fifth Matha at all. But the fact
is that Kanchi Shankar Matha still exists and
existed over the past several centuries. The
popular belief is that Adi Shankaracharya got
four of his disciples seated in four places and he
himself started living at this place –Kanchi and
that he spent last few years of his life here only.
Odyssey of the Enlightened – 55
Revelation of a New Vision – 1
Some scholars say that Adi Shankaracharya
shed his physical sheath at this place.
When Shriram entered Kanchi, he was aware of
these facts. On his way from Tirupati to this place,
he came to know many strange facts about this
Teerth. Such discussions are not normally heard
in North India. Among these, special mention was
made about the construction of Kanchi Nagar from
spiritual point of view. Mahatma Sivanand Swami,
who was accompanying Shriram from Tirupati,
disclosed many spiritual mysteries. He was
himself a staunch devotee of Goddess Kamakshi
(the presiding deity of the Matha). He used to
reside and do his tapa-sadhana in some forest in
South India. He had resolved to have darshan of
Kamakshi Devi in Kanchi on the full moon day.
He was going to visit Kanchi in that context. He
told that the township was developed according
to the directions from Adi Shankaracharya.
The reference of this kind of Vastu Vidya is not
available in any scripture. Acharyasri had given
this shape with his inner vision. It is due to this
configuration and the spiritual ambience in the
town that the minds of the visitors / pilgrims
become elevated. The visitors are automatically
oriented towards spirituality.
Kamakshi temple: A unique religious
monument
Adi Shankaracharya made the map of Kanchi
Township such that the Kamakshi temple
remains at the center. Shriyantra is well known
for its auspicious effects in Yoga and Tantra.
“Talk to yourself in two languages - what do I need and what do I love - in order to balance the
body and the soul.” - Peter Shepherd
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201736
Therefore the entire township has been made
in the shape of Shriyantra. In order to
keep this Teerth surcharged with spiritual
vibrations, he started several traditions. In
fact Kamakshi Devi is a form of Adi Shakti
Parvati. Her worship inspires a person
to achieve self-realization, apart from
fulfilling his materialistic ambitions. Adi
Shankaracharya brought the idol of Shiva
called ‘Yogalinga’ from Kailash Mansarovar
and established it here. He also made it a
point that worship of this idol is done only
by a Brahmachari (celibate). Accordingly,
he made one of his new disciples the Head
Priest of this Matha. People thought that
Adi Shankaracharya would make his
main disciple, Sureshwaracharya, as the
Head Priest. But Sureshwaracharya was a
householder (married) before taking Sanyas.
He was not a Bal-Brahmachari (celibate
from childhood) and hence he was not
entrusted with this job.
Kanchi is one of the seven holy cities believed
to be favorable for achieving salvation. Adi
Shankaracharya got one thousand temples
constructed here. In those temples, more than
ten thousand ‘Shivalingas’ were established.
At present, hardly two hundred temples are in
good condition. The rest have been destroyed
by the blows of time and cruel rulers.
Shriram did not devote much time in these
temples. He went straight to Kailashnath
temple. It is one of the oldest temples of
India. It was constructed by a Pallava king
in the eighteenth century. Beautiful idols
of Shiva Parvati, in dancing posture, have
been established in the sanctum sanctorum.
The idols of Brahma and Vishnu are also
placed there. It seems that the two Lords
are enjoying the dance of Gouri – Shankar.
The architecture of the temple is amazingly
attractive and awe-inspiring.
Cosmic movement is due to the dance of God
After visiting Kailashnath temple, Shriram
was going towards Kamakshi temple. On the
way, he heard a devotee sing some prayer in
a melodious voice. The message of the prayer
was that this world is not an inert creation but
a live Divine Dance. The cosmic movement is
visible, when He dances; and it ceases when He
stops. The man-made sculpture and its sculptor
are two separate entities. But this creation (the
world) cannot be separated from the Ceartor as
there cannot be a dance without a dancer. The
message of the prayer was quite mysterious.
But more touching were the melodies coming
out from that voice.
In the Kamakshi temple, Shriram stood in front
of the idol of Goddess Parvati and repeated
the essence of that prayer. From there he went
to the Matha and sent a message to Swami
Chandrashekharendra Saraswati, who was the
Acharya (Head Priest) of the Matha. In a short
time, he received a call. Visitors were paying
respects to Swamiji from a distance. People used
to call him Swamigal. He never allowed anyone
to touch his feet. He also didn’t call anybody near
him. From his lean and thin but high physical
frame, the radiance of Tapa was clearly visible.
Like other visitors, Shriram too paid his respects.
Swamigal indicated him to sit down. He asked
his well-being in Sanskrit. He knew Hindi; but
could express himself better in Sanskrit. After
initial exchange of pleasantries, he watched
carefully the dress of Shriram and said – “Are
you a follower of Mohandas”?
“When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy.” - Rumi
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 37
By Mohandas, he meant Mahatma Gandhi.
Before starting the freedom struggle Bapu met
Sawmigal. In order to understand India properly,
Gandhiji visited each and every corner of the
country. He had disclosed his future plans to
Swamigal during his meeting. Swamigal had
advised him (Bapu) that the struggle should not
be aimed at mere transfer of power. The aim of
freedom struggle should be to restore the glory
of the nation and its perennial spiritual heritage.
Mahtama Gandhi had met him during the early
years of his return to India. At that time he was
known as Mohandas and hence Swamiji knew
him by this name. In the later years of Gandhiji’s
movement, several ennobling concepts / ideas
like – Swadeshi, Swadharma, Bhartiyata, etc got
included in the national struggle for freedom.
These concepts / ideas certainly came from his
inner being. But Swami Chandrashekharanand
Saraswati was one of the few great men who had
influenced Gandhiji greatly. Mahatma Gandhi
has himself mentioned this fact indirectly in his
autobiography. When Swamigal asked Shriram
about his being a follower of Gandhiji, he could
not say ‘yes’ or ‘no’. Apart from social and political
activities, his mind was more engrossed in Tapa
and Sadhana. That is why he kept silent.
Swamigal could understand the dilemma of
Shriram. He said – “Political activity is the first
priority for Mohandas. Dharma and Sadhana are
his personal and inner aspects. But perhaps this
is not so with you. Your destiny is to keep the
pursuit of Dharma Dharna in the forefront of
your life’s individual and social – inner and outer
– activities of life.”
Shriram felt moved by Swamigal’s seer vision
about his life’s mission. It was well-known to
him that he had support of Siddha Yogis for his
sadhana and his future endeavors. There was open
discussion with Swamigal on various topics that
included scriptures along with Vedic tradition and
present day circumstances. Those days Mahatma
“To forgive is to set a prisoner free and discover that the prisoner was you.” - Lewis B. Smedes
Buddha halted in a village. A person approached him and said - "Bhante!
Till now you have illustrated about placidity, Moksha (freedom from the cycle of
birth and death) and truth. Would you be able to tell me how many people have
attained Moksha so far?" Buddha replied - "Do one thing. Go around the village
and find out who desires peace, who aspires for Moksha and who seeks truth?"
The person said - "No one but an unfortunate would be indifferent to all these.
But still, I shall make a survey." He explored each and every house of the village,
but was not able to find even a single person who had an inclination towards
any of these. Someone said - "I have a craving for wealth." In the same way, some
asked for fame, some demanded children. The person returned to Buddha and
reported - "This is a strange village, all the people have materialistic aspirations."
Buddha said - "What is so strange in this, child! People long for materialistic joy
instead of peace and hence they look for various ways to attain it. How can the
passion lead to the path of peace?"
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201738
Gandhi’s program of Harijan upliftment was a
topic of controversy. In order to know the views
of Swamigal in this context, Shriram asked him –
“Does a person become low or high on account of
taking birth in lower or upper caste?”
Traditional Opinion
Shriram also asked this question because
Swamigal was a saint and ascetic of high
order. His views had weightage on such
social issues. He replied – “Caste and creed
too are the factors by which a person is
counted as high or low.”
“By taking birth in any family, a person can
become untouchable or great. What is the mystery
behind this?” – Asked Shriram.
Swamigal replied – “It is not possible to
understand this mystery under the present
circumstances. In those days when our seers and
sages were doing different types of experiments
for the spiritual upliftment, the rigid rules of
Varnas (caste system) were made to continually
uplift the level of consciousness (from life after
life). In that period it was useful. Today it is not.”
“What can be the benefit of considering a person
low or high on the basis of Varna in any era?” –
Shriram asked again.
Swamigal said – “Honor or dishonor on the basis
of high or low caste was never useful. So long
as the social environment was healthy, it was
significant from spiritual point of view. People
of similar tendencies, habits and impressions
can live together happily. One gets protection
and favorable environment in families and
communities.” Swamigal gave a break to this topic
and said –“But these are the things of the past.
The circumstances have changed considerably
with the new education and governing system.
Those things cannot be clung to now.”
“Be patient with yourself. Self-growth is tender; it’s holy ground. There is no
greater investment.” - Stephen Covey
Few intellectuals went to meet famous woman saint Bahinabai. They asked
her, “We want to do something collectively but our life goals are different. What
shall we do so that we approach our individual goals while working together?”
Bahinabai asked them their goals. One said he wants everyone in society to be
equal. Second one wanted to make society richer. Third one wanted unity in the
society. Fourth one wanted nation to be powerful.
Saint Bahinanai said, “Based on all of your goals, you should educate
people. Education is the means to achieve all the goals. When people are
educated, they would seek employment. People’s increase in the income would
lead to an economically stronger nation. Education would unite them and nation
would be powerful too.”
Different flowers, even when irrigated in the same way, produce different
flowers. In same way, when the nation is educated, everyone’s different goals
will be accomplished together.
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 39
The world of today is the world of intellect and the
intelligent. Their impact is wide and deep. Only
those who possess intellect and are considered
intelligent are bestowed honour and viewed as
leaders. They control the strings of the society
taking it in whichever direction they want. So it
is called the age of intellect. But that is only half
the truth. The other half is that this age is also the
victim of intellect. If the heights of the graph are
gifts of intellect, so are its depths too.
The present intellect dominated age has produced
many benefits, but problems and anxieties have
also increased. Indeed, the benefits are outweighed
by many times more problems. And these
problems are purely a result of predominance of
intellect everywhere. Several types of mental,
psychological and social problems which were
never heard of earlier are visible everywhere now.
They are being felt vey widely and deeply.
Mankind is in agony. It is suffering greatly from
these pains. But it is unable to fathom how to
resolve these intellect inflicted problems which
are increasing day by day. The thinkers and the
wise are perplexed. It is common knowledge
that intellect resolves problems. But very few
are aware that it also generates problems.
This is because of logic or reason which is an
intrinsic feature of intellect. The more sharp the
intellect is, the more complicated and dense the
web of arguments it weaves. It is like boiling
of water. The longer water is boiled, the denser
the rising steam gets.
Deep Faith is the Medicine to Cure
the Pain of Intellect
For logic, what is of primary importance is
not human emotions but material benefits. For
example, intellect may argue that if someone
is rich, it would be profitable to cultivate
friendship with that person. On the basis of
such reasoning, benefits can, of course, be
derived, but the foundation of human values
and fraternity cannot be laid.
Besides, wherever there is a valid argument,
there is also its counterpart-- an invalid argument.
One leads to the other. Myriad doubts and
apprehensions begin to arise in the mind. Let us
see a common scene. Someone is sitting before
you. You may start imagining many things about
him. “Is he planning a conspiracy against me”?
“Are his sights fixed on my money”? Thus starts
a series of arguments and counter arguments.
Whenever you are alone, you are entrapped in
this kind of web; you become restless and begin
to suffer. As the intellect gets more and more
sharp, it also simultaneously spins off more and
more arguments and reasons. They are the thorns
that after a time begin to prick and hurt.
When we defeat somebody through our
arguments we feel elated. This is common
phenomenon. Victory in debate satisfies the ego
of intellect. Intellect begins to have a bloated
notion of its prowess - ‘See, how intelligent and
knowledgeable I am’, ‘Nobody can stand before
me’ and this sort of things. But what happens
when we are alone? In the absence of any visible
adversary outside, these very arguments and
“To speak gratitude is courteous and pleasant, but to live gratitude is to touch heaven.”
- Johannes A. Gaertner
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201740
reasoning turn inward. Undefined apprehensions
begin to arise against our own selves. We are
overwhelmed by our inner doubts. Thus the very
intellect which should have given peace to mind
now becomes a source of agony.
Such logic generated agitation and suffering can
be soothed only by emotions of heart. Only the
medicine of higher emotions -- faith and belief --
can cure the inner malaise of suffering and pain,
and soothe the mind. Humanity is touching the peak
of intellectual height. But whatever expectations
we had built up and dreams we had dreamt from
this attainment could not be fulfilled. What we
got instead is very painful, and opposite of those
expectations. In this situation the only remedy lies
in reorientation towards emotion and faith.
In faith, there is purity, spontaneity and flow;
there is elation, celebration and joy. In these
moments, the prickly pain of dry logic is gone.
But unfortunately, faith has been overshadowed
by intellect and its endless series of reasoning.
That is why, our life has become painful. All
are suffering. No one is happy. There is a Zen
anecdote which illustrates this truth.
Sage Rinzai had a disciple. He was very intelligent.
Nobody could match his great debating skills. He
could turn any discourse in his favour. He had
earned fame. People held him in high esteem. Once
some people were praising him before Rinzai -
“Your disciple is very intelligent, scholarly and
expert in logic.” At this Rinzai said - “That is the
problem. He is still stuck in intellect; god knows
when he will enter faith.”
The listeners were perplexed. They could not
understand why the teacher is so perturbed about
one who is so learned and well known. Rinzai
explained- “Intellect gives information about life,
about its details and, at best, some understanding
of it. But it does not give the feel of life. Intellect
promotes logic and reason, but not knowledge
and wisdom. Wisdom comes from faith, belief
and feeling. Only deep faith (shraddhaa) makes
one aware of the vital sources of life which
sweeps out the sorrows accumulated by intellect
and make life meaningful and joyous.
The listeners now understood that this age,
suffering from the excess of intellect, needs the
medicine of faith and belief.
“Just listen to the still voice within. This is the mind to trust. This is god consciousness
speaking, not the ego that is seeking recognition.” - Angela Walker
Once there lived a poor farmer. His children had not eaten properly for days.
One night he couldn’t bear the hunger cries of his children and stole a cow from the
neighboring farmer. Before dawn he milked the cow and fed the children. In the morning,
when the owner of the cow woke up, he found the cow missing. He started searching.
He found the cow in the poor farmer’s house and called for the guards.
Guards started interrogating the poor farmer. The poor farmer said his eyesight
low that the cow belonged to him. Upon looking around, the owner of the cow saw
the destitute condition of the poor farmer. He told the guards that this cow does not
belong to him. Everyone who witnessed this event asked him the reason for lying. The
owner said, “I would have got my cow back but the poor farmer’s children would have
remained hungry.” A lie that’s told with good intent is greater than the truth.
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 41
We all face stressful situations in our life in some
or other form; however those who know how to
manage stress, learn to live a happy and healthy
life. Excess of stress in life not only affects our
mind-body system but also results in many kinds
of ailments; and a stress-free life makes a person,
energetic, confident and victorious.
Mental state of a person is flexible like a rubber
band. However, if kept stretched for a long time,
it can break. A low level of stress can be compared
to a small hole in a curtain, which initially appears
small and invisible but if not repaired in time,
keeps expanding; and eventually either a patch
work is required to close that hole or one has to
completely change the curtain. In the same way,
when we face stress and do not use proper ways
to reduce or get rid of it, it creates havoc.
In today’s world, considering “stress” as a
synonym of “life” would not be an exaggeration.
Since morning till night, we keep rushing to
complete one thing or the other. Even twenty
four hours time does not appear to be sufficient
to complete all the assigned or necessary tasks.
In addition, we all face pressures of many other
adverse situations. Now the question is how we
can live a stress-free life. The stress may be due
to many reasons. Let us see what the experts of
stress management say to deal with them.
1. Manage your time efficiently: Experts say
that mismanagement of time is often a cause for
stress. They have suggested the following ways
to manage our time properly: (i) Do only one
How to Manage Stress?
task at a time. (ii) Do urgent tasks immediately,
do not procrastinate. Those who put off the tasks
for future end up with a lot of unfinished tasks;
this creates anxiety and sometimes results in big
losses. (iii) Do not leave your tasks for others to
finish. (iv) Do not rush through your tasks; at the
same time don’t do them too slowly. Maintain an
optimal pace of doing the tasks. (v) Use modern
gadgets like smartphones, and tablets as aids to
organize your time. (vi) Once you start a task
then relax only after the task has been done. If
you feel physically or mentally tired then take
appropriate breaks.
Time has one simple rule – it flows continuously.
We should understand this truth and utilize our
years, months, days, hours, minutes, and seconds
for a good purpose. We should plan in such a
way that we don’t end up wasting even the tiniest
second of life.
2. Eat healthy food and exercise daily: A
nutritious meal plan provides you with all
the nutrients to fulfill the basic requirement
of keeping away deficiencies and also
maintaining the basal metabolic rate. But it
also carries calories which may be a cause of
overweight. Exercise has many benefits, besides
losing body fat. It keeps your heart fit, bones
healthy, and maintains lung capacity, digestion
is kept strong and muscles density is high to
prevent joint problems. The mantra to a fit and
healthy body is eating right food and exercising
regularly. If you are physically fit, you are more
likely to be mentally strong.
“The first step toward change is acceptance. Once you accept yourself, you open the door to
change.” - Will Garcia
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201742
3. Understand your limits: The maxim ‘Do
not bite off more than you can chew’ needs to
be remembered constantly. We often tend to
take more responsibilities than we are capable
of carrying out. This is done to satisfy our ego.
Know your limitations. Why take on additional
loads that may cause more worries? You cannot
gain peace of mind by expanding your external
activities. Reduce your material engagements
and spend time in prayer, introspection and
meditation. This will reduce those thoughts in
your mind that make you restless. Uncluttered
mind will produce greater peace of mind.
4. Do not crave for recognition: This world
is full of selfish people. They seldom praise
anybody without selfish motives. They may
praise you today because you are in power;
but no sooner than you are powerless they
will forget your achievement and will start
finding faults in you. Why do you wish to kill
yourself in striving for their recognition? Their
recognition is not worth the exertion. Do your
duties ethically and sincerely.
5. Endure what cannot be cured: This is the
best way to turn a disadvantage into an advantage.
Every day we face numerous inconveniences,
ailments, irritations, and accidents that are
beyond our control. If we cannot control them or
change them, we must learn to put up with these
things. We must learn to endure them cheerfully.
Believe in yourself and you will gain in terms of
patience, inner strength and will power.
6. Meditate regularly: Meditation calms the
mind and gets rid of disturbing thoughts. This
is the highest state of peace of mind. Try and
experience it yourself. If you meditate earnestly
for half an hour every day, your mind will
tend to become peaceful during the remaining
twenty-three and half-hours. Your mind will not
be easily disturbed as it was before. You would
benefit by gradually increasing the period of
daily meditation. You may think that this will
interfere with your daily work. On the contrary,
this will increase your efficiency and you will be
able to produce better results in less time, thus
lowering the stress.
“It is not the answer that enlightens, but the question.” - Decouvertes
Two farmers named Rama and Hari lived in a village. Rama had a small
piece of land that was sufficient for his family. Hari had plenty of land but he
always appeared mentally stressed. Rama asked the reason for worry. Hari said,
“I am not able to produce sufficient amount of grains with the farming. If this
continues, it will be difficult for me to feed my family.” Rama said, “Don’t worry.
I will take you to a saint. He may give you a solution.” Rama took him to his
home first. Hari saw that Rama’s house was very neat and clean. His animals
were very healthy. Rama’s wife welcomed Hari in the home. She served some
snacks to them. There was no servant in their house. After having snacks, Rama
said, “Let’s go to the saint.” Hari said, “No my friend. It’s not required anymore.
You gave me the formula to success. The road to success is through hard work.
From now on I will work hard instead of depending on servants for everything.”
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 43
Friends,
The word “yoga” comes from the Sanskrit root
yuj, which means “to join” or “to unite”. In
spiritual context it means union of the individual
self (jºv³tm³) with the Omnipresent, Supreme,
Eternal Self — param³tm³. Yoga is a spiritual
urge, an innermost aspiration, a process, which
enables awakening of the soul and its unification
with its absolute origin (God). It is practiced
through deep engrossment of the mind, thoughts
and emotions. Morality, integrity, modesty,
virtuous character and noble deeds are immediate
expressions of cultivation of the spirit of yoga.
Why Yoga?
The foremost requirement for success along the
path of yoga is — “complete surrender (of ego
and selfish attachments) to God (param³tm³)”. It
is like immersion of self identity. To understand
it, let us take the example of the merger of a drop
of water in the ocean. When a drop of water
falls in the ocean, does it have its ‘own identity’
anymore? Can you find/locate it then? Not at
all; it is now unified with the ocean; it has thus
Amrit Vani
Two Steps to Spiritual Ascent:
Yoga and Tapa - III
become the ocean itself. What was the value of
the tiny drop? How strong it was? How long it
would have sustained its ‘individual identity’?
And what is its status now after getting merged
with the ocean? Now it is vast, nothing can beat
it; its ‘existence’ and ‘value’ have expanded
and risen like the grandeur of the ocean. Who
cares for a narrow drain of rainwater? It flows
or dries up, or gets blocked and filled with filth
without anybody’s notice. But, if the same
drain meets the currents of Ganga on the way
and is merged in the flow of the river, then!
Then its water would become holy “Ganga
Jal”; people at some distance ahead might fill
their containers with this sacred water.
Friends, the merger of one’s false identity with
its divine origin — one’s real self, also brings a
transmutation similar to that of ordinary or even
filthy water into sacred Ganga Jal. Once the
false-pride, the illusion of self-identity, the ego
vanishes, and one realizes one’s true self; once the
tiny drop of “I” is dissolved in the limitless ocean
of consciousness, the individual self becomes
the eternal, omnipresent, supreme self. But what
blocks this dissolution? Why is it so difficult?
[This is continuation of the translated version of a discourse on the vital role of Yoga and Tapa for self-development and spiritual progress. In the previous article the common misconceptions about yoga were discussed. Let us now understand the true meaning, scope, and disciplines of yoga as explained in the discourse.]
“Choose being kind over being right, and you’ll be right every time.” - Richard Carlson
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201744
What hinders our yoga?
It is the misconception of “I”, the ignorance
about true identity of the self which is the most
intractable divide between a human being and
God. It is this “I” which keeps spreading its
delusive shadow on all facets of one’s life,
one’s “existence”. It is the root of all ignorance,
attachments, cravings that give rise to numerous
vices and sinful actions. One, who is driven by
egotism and self-obsession, will do anything
(right or wrong, good or bad) to satisfy his ego
and to protect and enhance his ‘self-prestige’.
Once selfish interests get priority over all duties,
how much time and what efforts would one
devote for the welfare of the society? One who
is ‘greedy’ remains ‘needy’; his passions would
continue dragging his life in the mire of cravings,
arrogance, and pomp; he would hardly donate
anything for others sans self-interest.
I think, if there is any predominant characteristic
of most people, it is the narrow domain of “I”.
Whether a criminal or a policeman, an illiterate
or an eminent scholar, this one or that one,
almost everybody, in every walk of life, is bound
within the periphery of delusive ‘self’ and its
attachments in one way or the other. So powerful
is the influence of self-obsession / selfishness
that one’s prayers, efforts of devotion, and even
one’s deeds of social service are often influenced
by gaining some favor, fame, or worldly support,
for himself and his near and dear ones. One even
tries to link the deity of his devotional worship
with his self-interest; he expects God’s Law to
accommodate all his wishes.
Most often our realization of the “self” remains
confined to the physical body, its sensory
perceptions, experiences, passions and instinctive
tendencies of the mind. This misconception
coupled with the self-centric force of “I”, traps
and continues to push us deeper in the dark and
filthy well of ignorance, avarice, ambitions and
vices; the clutches of false-pride and attachments
further weaken the voice of conscience that is
supposed to pull us upward. These thralldoms
hold us back from coming out of the smog and
moving towards the light of true knowledge. The
only way we can hope to conquer is — to surrender
this “I”. It is this sacrifice (of selfishness) that
we are supposed to make before the Almighty.
Selfishness is like a layer of ash on the ember (of
our conscience). Once it is removed the ember
begins to glow and burn.
You must understand and keep reminding
yourself — “bigger your arrogance, the lower you
are”; “stronger your selfishness, the weaker and
meaner you are”. The greater the extent of one’s
arrogance and selfishness, the farther is one from
God. All teachings and practices of spirituality
aim at reducing this distance. The endeavors of
p¿j³-up³san³, tapa and yoga help you gradually
dissolve your ego into pure humility, and expand
your selfishness into selflessness.
How to Accomplish the Yoga of Life?
If you want to understand yoga as an ‘exercise’,
then you should note that yoga in its truest sense
begins with the exercise of the mind; it is an
exercise of controlling and reorienting the intrinsic
tendencies; it is an exercise aimed at awakening
and strengthening of the soul-power hidden in
the inner-self. Exercises or postures of the body,
any activity of the sensory organs, or the practices
of deep breathing, holding the breath, etc cannot
achieve this. The real practice of true yoga begins
with broadening of outlook, cleansing and freeing
“Insight occurs when, and to the degree that, one knows oneself.” - Andrew Schneider
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 45
the mind from its delusions, vices and prejudices.
After this purification, the practice of true yoga
commences with cultivation of the tendency of
selfless caring and sharing.
Divine powers, the gods are called “devat³” (in
our scriptures); devat³ means “one who gives”.
A devat³ always thinks and aspires to help the
needy, and keeps distributing His grace upon the
needy. We should also adopt such magnanimity
and awaken the divine light indwelling in
our soul. Once the attitude of grabbing and
possessing is transformed into that of sharing,
and giving, there would be no complaint of
scarcity or deprivation in life.
A sincere seeker of yoga dissolves his personal
ambitions and regards God’s will as his own
will. He asks God to guide him for making
best use of the precious gift of human life.
His prayers are like conversation with the
Almighty; he conveys that whatever God has
bestowed upon him is adequate for happy
sustenance of his life. He is contented with the
minimum essential means of shelter, clothing
and food. He thus has plenty of time and all
his resources – including his physical and
mental faculties, talents and potentials – ready
to dedicate for the welfare, upliftment, and
help of many others. The outcomes of such
selfless activities continue to benefit many in
the future as well and perennially stand as a
torch of inspiration.
Often people have apprehensions that genuine
self-less service or philanthropic activities cannot
be done all alone. Some people are worried that
their generosity would be exploited. Some think
unless they have adequate resources or some
organizational support they can’t do anything
worthwhile for the society. You should remember
that “Where there is Will, there is a Way”. If you
search seriously, you would find ample examples
in every part of the world where ordinary people
have made significant contributions by putting in
their heart and soul in it. Let me cite some such
extraordinary benevolent contributions of some
ordinary persons.
Distinct Tale of Thousand Mango-Gardens:
Long ago (before the British rule in India),
there was a farmer named Hazari in a village
of Kokrah forest region (later on a part of
Bihar). He planted some trees of mangoes
around the boundary of his fields. As the
trees grew and blossomed, some birds nested
there. The flowers on the trees, early-morning
chirping of the birds — especially the
melodious warbling of the Cuckoos magnified
“What is necessary to change a person is to change his awareness of himself.” - Abraham H. Maslow
“I am fundamentally an optimist. Whether that comes from nature or nurture,
I cannot say. Part of being optimistic is keeping one's head pointed toward the
sun, one's feet moving forward. There were many dark moments when my faith in
humanity was sorely tested, but I would not and could not give myself up to despair.
That way lays defeat and death.”
- Nelson Mandela
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201746
the beauty of this land surrounded by beautiful
hills. Hazari happily used to distribute the
fruits to his neighbors; the raw mangos were
used for making chatanis, pickles, and the
ripened sweet mangoes were a great delight
for everyone in his family and neighborhood.
The happiness of everyone around motivated
him to plant more mango-trees so that more
people could freely use the fruits.
For the benefit of the entire village, Hazari
planted a garden of mango trees in his village.
He enthusiastically continued expanding
this service in the surrounding region with
hardly any support from others in ploughing
the land, etc. When his children grew up they
also helped him in this altruistic effort. Later
on, Hazari gave the responsibility of his own
farms to the children, and devoted his full
time and focused efforts on his noble mission.
He planted one thousand mango-gardens.
With so many mango-trees around, not only
the people, but also the birds and animals
there were benefitted. Thick gardens in the
mountain-rich region invited more rains.
This helped the overall farming activities
and enhancement of greenery there. Nature
too thus blessed the land with its generous
grace. What the hard work and altruistic
motivation of an illiterate, resource-less,
farmer could do is, in my views, many times
bigger and higher than the great scholarly
works of arrogant intellectuals, or the royal
monuments like “Tajmahal”.
It is because of these Haz³ra (one thousand)
B³ghas (gardens) and also as a mark of respect
to the great endeavor of Hazari that the place
became popular as “Hazaribagh” (which is now
an important district of Jharkhand). So you see,
the self-inspired extraordinary deed of selfless
service of an ordinary person thus resulted in an
immortal, monumental contribution to the society
and the motherland!
It is these kinds of people who are the real
devotees, truly religious humans who deserve
to be honored and followed by everyone and
not the self-styled ‘god men’ or the Pand³,
Puj³ris (priests). Often, the ‘god men’ or the
Pand³, Puj³ris claim to be spiritual masters,
religious heads, or guides, and keep exploiting
the religious sentiments and devotional
feelings of the innocent masses. If you go for
pilgrimage, you may meet such holy ‘guides’
and ‘mentors’ there who would arrange for
your visit to the shrine, ‘dip in the Ganga
(or other sacred rivers)’, make you do some
rituals of worship in the shrine, and then ask
for donations in the name of some religious
or charitable activity. Do you really respect
such Pand³ or ‘god men’? I think no sensible
person would be a blind follower of such
greedy ‘guides’. In fact, most of the serious
seekers of religion try to avoid such priests.
Become a Devat³, Not a Beggar:
Friends, if you are a negative person, God will
run away from you, as the true seekers of religion
run away from the greedy Pand³, Puj³ris. If you
keep begging before God, or saints, what will you
get? At the most you might get a few pennies;
that too only once! Tell me, who likes the beggars
around? So make sure that your prayers or p¿j³-up³san³ are not meant for beseeching any
worldly benefit or selfish purpose.
In our culture there is a custom of offering
something (may be some flowers or oblation, or
“Knowing others is wisdom; knowing the self is enlightenment.” - Tao Te Ching
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 47
some charity etc) to the deity, whenever we visit
a shrine or a sacred place. This symbolizes that
we should not go empty handed, or like a bagger,
before anyone, not even before the Almighty
God. The Almighty has already given you so
much! First learn to make worthy use of His
beatifying grace.
As I told you earlier, there is only one
way of true devotion — become a devat³;
make prudent use of God’s grace; devote
(dedicate) whatever you have, for the
wellbeing, improvement, and enlightenment
of the entire society. Do whatever you can to
expand the good, and to diminish the vicious
and negative tendencies. You don’t have
wealth, might, intellectual accomplishments,
status, etc? So what? Did Jesus Christ have
any of these? Did Saints Kabir, Samarth
Guru Ramdas, or Ramakrishna Paramhans,
had any of these? Did Gandhiji possess
these? (Look at the glorious pages of global
history, you will find that most of the great
personalities hailed from very humble
background, they lived a life deprived of
even minimal essential worldly comforts).
Don’t look at your scarcities or incapability.
Look at what you have already got. Being born
as a human being itself is such a great boon! You
have the body to do hard work. You have a mind
to think and spread good, constructive thoughts.
You have a heart (core of emotions) that can feel
others’ pains and also share their joys. So why
not make proper use of them? Many of you aspire
for more money thinking that once you have it,
you would spend it generously to build temples,
or donate for some philanthropic activity, etc.
This ‘substantial money’ will never come to you.
Moreover, such temples or activities would not
be of much use, unless you put in your heart
and soul to make them serve some benevolent
and constructive purposes. Begin with prudent,
philanthropic use of whatever you have.
Devat³s never keep anything with them.
They don’t wait to possess more resources, or
augment some potential, before distributing it
benevolently. By nature, they are generous and
keep donating whatever best they can for noble
causes. God Himself arranges to help success and
expansion of their noble mission.
(To be concluded in the next issue)
“Our prayers are answered not when we are given what we ask, but when we are challenged to
be what we can be.” - Morris Adler
A no bhadra¡ kratavo yantu viïvatoadabdh³so aparºt³saa udbhida¡|
Dev³ no yath³ sadmid v—dhe asannapr³yuvo rakïit³ro dive-dive|| - Yajurveda 25/14
Meaning: Let benevolent, harmless, free and fruitful ideas come to us from all
sides, so that the vigilant and protector gods continually make us prosper.
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201748
When garbage is dispersed around, it pollutes
the environment, spreads foul smell and spoils
the appearance of the surroundings. On the
other hand, cleanliness adds to the elegance
of the place. To deal with this ever increasing
problem of garbage, nation-wide cleanliness
drive has already been launched. Moreover,
numerous groups have joined this movement
and are trying to find out various unique ways
of waste management.
In this context, the management of worn-out
flowers is worth mentioning. Flowers are daily
offered in various places of worship across the
nation. These are eventually either disposed of
as waste or thrown into the rivers. So, they are
neither subjected to proper utilization nor do they
benefit anyone. They just add to the splendor
of the temple for a single day. However, they
create severe environmental hazards because
they often contain pesticides, which pollute
our rivers. To prevent this pollution and to
deal with the floral waste generated in temples,
two youths of Kanpur came forward. Ankit
Agarwal (26) and Karan Rastogi (28), launched
a company, ‘Help us Green’ in May 2014. This
company collects flowers from various temples
and mosques of Kanpur every day, which are
then sorted by about 1200 women. About 60%
of them are subjected to vermicomposting,
while the remaining 40% are processed to
manufacture incense sticks and havan samagri.
For their outstanding contribution, Agarwal
and Rastogi got the ‘Tata Social Enterprise
Challenge Award’ for 2015-16. Now, the
The Young Crusaders of Clean India
Uttar Pradesh government is in talks with
them regarding land allocation for processing
flowers in Banaras and Kannauj. In 2014, this
company had a turnover of 80 thousand bucks,
which rose to 6.3 million in 2015. There was a
substantial increase in 2016.
Vani Murthy of Bangalore has set another
adorable example. Once when she was passing
by a local landfill in 2009, she noticed that the
pile of waste had grown as big as a mountain and
was still increasing. That was the day when she
decided that she will not send the waste from
her house to swell this heap anymore. From then
onwards, she began the process of converting
her kitchen waste into manure. Moreover, she
used this manure to cultivate organic vegetables
on her terrace. Further, in order to tell people
about it, she uploaded videos of the process of
manure manufacture on YouTube. Few days
later, she founded an institution, ‘Solid Waste
Management Round Table’.
This Institute, of which Vani is the founder
member, aids the government and local bodies
in waste management. Last year, it began the
‘Swachata Abhiyan’ (cleanliness campaign),
in which people are motivated to convert their
household waste into manure and then cultivate
pesticide-free vegetables using it. This initiative
is helping to contain the size of the landfills on the
one hand, while on the other, it is also providing
an opportunity to the people to consume organic
vegetables. Through this move, the fifty- four year
old Vani wants to usher green revolution in homes
“Only in quiet waters things mirror themselves undistorted. Only in a quiet mind is adequate
perception of the world.” - Hans Margolius
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 2017 49
and decrease the amount of kitchen waste. The
movement soon showed its effect. As a result, a
large number of people in Bangalore have begun
to sort out their household waste. Many of them
have begun to use the manure produced from
kitchen waste in cultivating organic vegetables
and augmenting soil fertility.
Millions of people live in our country and almost
everyone wear shoes. The rich have multiple
pairs of footwear, while among the economically
vulnerable sections, only a few people are
fortunate enough to have even one pair. The 23-
year old Shriyansh Bhandari of Mumbai turned
this disparity into a mission. He began the mission
of refurbishing the old shoes and giving them to
the poor. For implementing this task, Shriyansh
founded an NGO ‘Green Sole’ in the year 2014.
His work is based on his observation that the sole
of the shoes of most people remains intact, but
the footwear gets torn from the sides. This is the
reason why people have to throw about four to
five pairs of footwear in waste every year. From
here, he got the idea of launching the Green Sole.
This company has four shoe collection points in
Mumbai. At these centers, people leave their old,
used and torn footwear, which are then repaired
and renewed. For this process, the company takes
help from various shoe companies of the city.
The institute then distributes the repaired shoes
among the poor children. But, this task also helps
in combating the problem of waste management.
Every year, about 350 million pairs of shoes are
damaged and hence disposed off as waste across the
globe. This substantially swells the waste deposit.
On the other hand, about 1.5 million people of the
world are suffering from foot related problems
only because they cannot afford footwear. The
initiatives and efforts of Green Sole have helped a
lot in dealing with this challenge.
The forty six year old Sonu Kapila requested
the Municipal Corporation of Gurugram to
allocate land to set up waste management plant
in 2014. When no action was taken on his
request, he began a movement in 2015 to push
his case forward. Consequently, in July 2015,
the Municipal Corporation allocated land to him
for setting up the plant. The expenditure for
this plant was about Rs. 2-2.5 million, for which
he went out to the people and got sufficient
donation. The project was inaugurated within
one month of getting the land, i.e. on 15th
August, in the presence of high officials of the
district administration and the Commissioner
of the Municipal Corporation. This colony is
spread in an area of about 290 acres, in which
there are about 1,100 plots. They house over one
“Every human has four endowments - self-awareness, conscience, independent will and creative
imagination. These give us the power to discern, to choose, to respond, to change.” - Stephen R. Covey
Living on the verge is not
about doing more, but
about being more. It isn’t
about achieving more;
it’s about experiencing
more. It’s not about being
someone different, as
there’s no “better version
of you” on the horizon.
Everything you’re searching
for is available to you in this
moment. Everything you
need is right here on the
verge.- Cara Bradley
AKHAND JYOTI May-June 201750
thousand families. It has a total population of
about 4500. About 2 tons of green waste and 1
ton of kitchen waste is generated from here on
daily basis. Since the operation of the plant about
9000 kgs of manure is produced daily. This is
used in the garden of the colony. So, now, there is
no requirement to purchase manure from outside.
Today, about 96% of its waste is being degraded
within its locality and this has proved to be an
important milestone in providing pollution-free
atmosphere to the people. In the previous year,
they have also installed solar panels to conserve
the conventional sources of energy.
Forty- six year old Sujay Jha and his companion
Amit Parasnath of Allahabad thought of
providing a commercial solution to the process
of waste disposal of their city. For this, they
began a company, ‘Hari Bhari Recyclable Private
Limited’. This enterprise, which began its
operations in October 2015, provides the service
of collecting garbage from houses. Presently,
the company is providing its services to about
1.5 lakh houses at only 32- 50 rupees monthly
charge. To ensure that waste is being collected
from every house daily the company has used the
NFC technology. In this process, NFC machines
have been installed in the houses of every
subscriber, in which the company’s employee has
to register his presence every day. Presently, this
company is collecting about 600 tons of waste,
which includes biodegradable kitchen waste and
other types of wastes, which could be safely
burnt. The organic waste is then subjected to
produce manure. The consequence is that their
city, Allahabad was found to be the cleanest city
in the Cleanliness Survey of 2016.
In all the initiatives mentioned above, the
greatest challenge was of waste segregation that
is the process of separation and classification of
waste, so that they could be recycled properly.
The techniques and procedures employed
to clean India are really worth applauding.
Implementing an idea is a real challenge and
the examples mentioned here have actually
achieved what they contemplated. Today,
the country needs such leaders of cleanliness,
who could transform the mounts of filth into
industrial raw material and make concrete
contribution in cleaning the country. This would
also inspire all our countrymen to bring about
cleanliness revolution. These examples are
not only inspirational, but they even motivate
people to think in different ways to manage the
waste scattered around them.
“If you would be a real seeker after truth, it is necessary that at least once in your life you doubt,
as far as possible, all things.” - Rene Descartes
“The greatest disease in the West today is not TB or leprosy; it is being
unwanted, unloved, and uncared for. We can cure physical diseases with
medicine, but the only cure for loneliness, despair, and hopelessness is love.
There are many in the world who are dying for a piece of bread but there are
many more dying for a little love. The poverty in the West is a different kind
of poverty -- it is not only poverty of loneliness but also of spirituality. There's
a hunger for love, as there is a hunger for God.”
- Mother Teresa