Magazine - Year 2004 - Version 1
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Sowing of the Seeds for Sublimation of Attitudes and Thoughts Another Invitation for Pilgrimage to the Himalayas
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(Autobiography of Poojya Gurudev Pt. Sriram Sharma Acharya)
The movement for sublimation of attitudes and thoughts of the masses, known as Vichar Kranti Abhiyan, was born at Mathura. My determination to sublimate the attitudes and thoughts of crores of people is being materialised through this movement. The Sahastra-kundi yagya performed in 1958 was simply a medium for the meeting of parijans who were connected with me since previous births and who had to play an important role in the fulfilment of the mission of my present life. About one-lakh persons took a pledge in this yagya to root out the vices from their families, their personal lives and from the society. This was a Narmedh yagya. In this yagya, I invited and called upon public-spirited, other-centred persons to join the movement as my colleagues and dedicate themselves to selfless service of society .In fact, I was a mere channel for the flow of divine energy of the invisible miracle-worker, my Gurudev, for building up the structure of a mighty movement for bringing about a total transformation in the hearts and minds of the masses
. It was in Mathura that a comprehensive scheme was chalked out to spread the light in every village, by organising Gayatri yagyas and Yug Nirman sammelans for moral, intellectual and social upliftment. All dynamic and inspired persons who had participated in the Sahastra- kundi yagya at Mathura took up the responsibility to set up the branches of the mission at their respective places and perform similar yagyas there. In other words, in that spiritually surcharged atmosphere of Mahayagya, each of these vibrantly alive persons was inspired to take upon himself the responsibility of finding out at least a thousand thoughtful persons from the surrounding area and enlist them as active workers of the mission. All these celebrations were planned for four days each. Music and discourses were to be organised for three days in which detailed outline and working methods for implementing the three transformations were explained, and on the fourth day people were asked to take a pledge in the presence of sacrificial fire of yagya to give up vices and adopt a righteous way of life.
These celebrations were most successful. About a crore of people listened to the ideology of the mission and millions took a pledge to give up vices, blind faith and evil customs. In most of these functions, marriages without dowry and pomp and show were also solemnised. Later, in Mathura a yagya of hundred kunds was performed in which ideal marriages of one hundred couples were celebrated. Since then, such celebrations have become a regular feature of the missions activities and every year many persons are being benefited by this movement.
It is not in public interest to disclose details of several mysterious events which are linked with the important occasion of Sahastra-kundi yagya. Gurudev has forbidden their disclosure during my present life span.
There were great tangible benefits from this yagya. A huge organisation of Gayatri parivar was formed within no time. An infrastructure of a moral-reawakening movement was built up for basic transformation of thoughts and attitudes of the society through mass moral education. Later, after two decades, Pragya sansthans and Svadhyaya mandals were formed at places where branches had been established after the Mahayagya. A dedicated, whole time group of workers also emerged from this yagya, who later took full and independent charge of the press, publication and publicity at Mathura, after I had shifted to Shantikunj, Haridwar, for good. Thus this Mahayagya and subsequent celebrations throughout the country had played an important role as a background for the selection of volunteers and permanent workers at Shantikunj. My own organising capacity was further honed and developed. Several camps of one week, nine days and one month were organised in the limited campus of Gayatri Tapobhumi, Mathura. After Sahastra-kundi yagya and shat-kundi yagya, panckoshi sadhana, kayakalpa and jivan sadhana camps were organised at Mathura for integrated spiritual upliftment, holistic health and life-long pursuit of self-awakening respectively according to the instructions of Gurudev. The love of parijans who visited Gayatri Tapobhumi and feelings of mutual intimate relationship with them gave birth to the huge organisation known as Gayatri parivar. Each member of this Gayatri parivar turns to me as a father figure, counsellor, guide and healer in his/her personal and domestic problems.
In response to their affectionate invitations I visited several places from where people had come to Mathura for the Mahayagya. I attended several yagya celebrations, seminars and conferences in which several awakened intellectuals participated. When I decided to leave Mathura and shift to Haridwar, 1 toured almost the entire country for about two years.
At Tatanagar, Mahasamund, Bahraich, Bhilwara and Porbandar, huge Sahastra-kundi yagyas were performed on the same scale at which the Mahayagya at Mathura was performed. I used to visit three places in a day and toured thousands of miles before I left for agyatvas (seclusion). As a result of these extensive tours I could lay my hands on several dedicated workers. Innumerable persons who had lived like Rishis in the past births came in my contact. I judged their capacity, enrolled them in the parivar and thus a huge organisation was set up.
Gurudev had directed long back that I would have to go to the Himalayas again and stay there for six months. I was asked to break my emotional ties with Mathura, shift to Sapta Sarovar, Haridwar and initiate establishment of Rishi traditions at this place, which was once a tapasthali. I had gradually started entrusting my routine responsibilities to my wife. She had been my life-partner in two of the three previous births. During this life also, she has played the role of an inseparable soulmate and companion. In fact, her dedication, devotion and disposition for service has served as the bedrock for all my achievements. She gladly moulded herself according to my wishes and stood firm in all adverse circumstances. My family background was of a rural landlord while she hailed from an urban family. But when the question of merging with each other arose we effortlessly united and became one. I donated my village land for building a school there and the money received from zamindari bonds was used for purchasing land for Gayatri Tapobhumi. She donated all her ornaments for constructing the building of Gaayatri Tapobhumi. Her self-surrender and sacrifice have helped me in achieving exemplary heights in the realms of spiritual growth and service of the society.
During my earlier pilgrimage to the Himalayas in the years 1959-60, when I stayed there for about one-and-a-half year, my wife had taken upon herself the responsibility of publication and organising the mission in my absence.
Then, after ten years, I again went to the Himalayas in 1971 leaving behind a large far-flung spiritual family. Gayatri parivar needed a patron in visible form who could give them love, guidance and affection. Mother alone can console a child in moments of pain and distress. Mataji (my wife) undertook and ideally discharged this responsibility. Even three years before proceeding on the pilgrimage, I remained on long tours and at that time Mataji used to look after and give solace to parijans who visited Mathura. I received her constant cooperation in living a life totally dedicated to the well being and service of society. With a paltry amount of rupees two hundred she used to maintain a family of five persons and extend hospitality to the visitors. Never was anybody sent back disappointed.
The life, which we lived at Mathura, was like a precious trust on which not only the foundation of the life-transforming mission was laid but persons having strong shoulders were also found who could carry the responsibility on my gradual withdrawal from the visible scene of day- to-day organisational work.
Some mysterious events at Mathura
The activities, which I was directed to undertake at Mathura, appeared to be difficult in the beginning, according to my knowledge and competence, in the absence of material and human resources, experience and wisdom. Then how could such a stupendous work be done? When Gurudev saw that I was losing courage he took the reins in his hands. Only my body was utilised. The work was done by the puppeteer himself to whose tune I simply danced as a puppet. The only credit that I can claim is that I gladly danced to his tune.
I devoted four hours daily for writing work. It appeared as if the example of Vyas and Ganesh was being repeated, When Puranas were written, Vyas dictated to Ganesh. The same thing happened with me. The translation of voluminous ancient Sanskrit scriptural texts was a difficult task. Like Ganesh, I was used as a mere scribe for translating the four Vedas, 108 Upnishads, six Darshans, 24 Smritis; but the entity who gave dictation was some invisible power. Otherwise, so huge a task could not have been completed within so short a time. Hundreds of books relating to mass education through the agency of moral and spiritual instruction could not have been written on the strength of the talents of one single person. This writing work continues uninterrupted since the day it was started. The weight of my published works almost equals the weight of my body.
For publication a press was needed. With my own limited resources I had somehow managed for a hand press.
The one who had to get all this work done through me laughed at my childishness. Miraculously there was steady development of the press and treadles, cylinder; automatic and offset machines were added one after the other. Their cost and those of the publications added upto lakhs of rupees. On my own human strength, the number of subscribers of Akhand Jyoti could reach two thousands only. The Guide then gave a push and the figure has now gone up to one and half lakhs. It is likely to register a tenfold increase in due course of time. In all, about one and half lakh copies of Yug Nirman Yojana (Hindi), Yug Shakti Gayati (Gujarati), Yug Shakti (Oriya) are also being published. It is an unprecedented record that magazines wholly written by one person have such a large circulation, without incurring any loss and that too without accepting any advertisement.
With a view to organising Gayatri parivar, Sahastra-kundi yagya was performed at Mathura by way of purnahuti of Mahapurashcarana. There is no exaggeration in saying that there has not been any celebration of this scale since Mahabharat times. Hardly does anybody know about some mysterious occurrences relating to this celebration. Devoted Gayatri sadhaks, about four lakh in numbers, were invited from all over the country. They all took over charge of the work of educating the masses through moral and spiritual instruction. All these persons were unknown to me. But invitation letters reached them and they came at their own cost. It remains a riddle and a mystery.
The number of daily visitors and participants in the yagya was about ten lakh persons. The latter were all lodged in a number of huge camps covering an area of seven miles. No participant in the yagya was sent back without food. We had provisions sufficient only for feeding about twenty thousand people at one time. But the store became inexhaustible. More than five lakh persons were fed in this function, which lasted for five days. Provisions were left over after the celebration which were distributed free of cost to deserving persons. Arrangements were so meticulous that they could not have been made even by engaging a thousand paid employees.
All these are mysterious matters. I have described only the factual aspect of this celebration, but the underlying mystery is confined to me. Nobody could imagine how all these arrangements were made and who was behind these accomplishments. It was all the play of an invisible power. Rishis whom I had met during my first visit to the Himalayas were also present in the yagya in their astral bodies. People said that it was a miracle wrought by me but the fact is that I was looking at the entire game as a mere spectator, like Jadbharat.
The third work which I had to do at Mathura was construction of Gayatri Tapobhumi. A small building could not have served the needs of such a stupendous programme. Its construction work is still going on even after my leaving Mathura. It has now been extended and developed in the form of Pragya Nagar. Those who have visited Mathura are amazed to see the campus of Gayatri Tapobhumi, its press, arrangements for the stay of visitors and the dedication of the workers. The credit for such a grand campus and its management cannot be given to an individual but to the invisible power, which is using me as an instrument. Arjuns chariot was driven by Shri Krishna as his charioteer. It may be said that Arjun and Pandavas fought the Mahabharat war and achieved victory by their own valour, courage and strength but it was not true. They were the same Pandavas in whose presence Draupadi was undraped and they could do nothing. During the period of exile they remained under disguise and worked as mere servants.
My competence is quite insignificant. If anybody wants to take account of my achievements at Mathura, he will have to bear in mind the facts about my life sadhana. I should not be regarded anything beyond a puppet who surrenders and dances to the tune of its master. This feeling of dedication and surrender is the central theme of the story of my life. I have taught this to all those who have come in my contact. I have simply revealed the importance of upasana, sadhana and aradhana and, as for myself; I have been only an instrument of the invisible power.
************************
If one could delve deep into my inner being, encased in this physical frame, he will find nothing but a gushing fount of limitless love and compassion for all creation. I have relished only one flavour -that of Love. I have amassed only one treasure -that of inexhaustible Love. I see and feel the same Spirit that dwells in me, indwelling all. However, I find myself spiritually related in a very special bond of kinship with those who have been living and working with me for the fulfilment of the Divine Mission bequeathed to me by my Gurudev.
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The movement for sublimation of attitudes and thoughts of the masses, known as Vichar Kranti Abhiyan, was born at Mathura. My determination to sublimate the attitudes and thoughts of crores of people is being materialised through this movement. The Sahastra-kundi yagya performed in 1958 was simply a medium for the meeting of parijans who were connected with me since previous births and who had to play an important role in the fulfilment of the mission of my present life. About one-lakh persons took a pledge in this yagya to root out the vices from their families, their personal lives and from the society. This was a Narmedh yagya. In this yagya, I invited and called upon public-spirited, other-centred persons to join the movement as my colleagues and dedicate themselves to selfless service of society .In fact, I was a mere channel for the flow of divine energy of the invisible miracle-worker, my Gurudev, for building up the structure of a mighty movement for bringing about a total transformation in the hearts and minds of the masses
. It was in Mathura that a comprehensive scheme was chalked out to spread the light in every village, by organising Gayatri yagyas and Yug Nirman sammelans for moral, intellectual and social upliftment. All dynamic and inspired persons who had participated in the Sahastra- kundi yagya at Mathura took up the responsibility to set up the branches of the mission at their respective places and perform similar yagyas there. In other words, in that spiritually surcharged atmosphere of Mahayagya, each of these vibrantly alive persons was inspired to take upon himself the responsibility of finding out at least a thousand thoughtful persons from the surrounding area and enlist them as active workers of the mission. All these celebrations were planned for four days each. Music and discourses were to be organised for three days in which detailed outline and working methods for implementing the three transformations were explained, and on the fourth day people were asked to take a pledge in the presence of sacrificial fire of yagya to give up vices and adopt a righteous way of life.
These celebrations were most successful. About a crore of people listened to the ideology of the mission and millions took a pledge to give up vices, blind faith and evil customs. In most of these functions, marriages without dowry and pomp and show were also solemnised. Later, in Mathura a yagya of hundred kunds was performed in which ideal marriages of one hundred couples were celebrated. Since then, such celebrations have become a regular feature of the missions activities and every year many persons are being benefited by this movement.
It is not in public interest to disclose details of several mysterious events which are linked with the important occasion of Sahastra-kundi yagya. Gurudev has forbidden their disclosure during my present life span.
There were great tangible benefits from this yagya. A huge organisation of Gayatri parivar was formed within no time. An infrastructure of a moral-reawakening movement was built up for basic transformation of thoughts and attitudes of the society through mass moral education. Later, after two decades, Pragya sansthans and Svadhyaya mandals were formed at places where branches had been established after the Mahayagya. A dedicated, whole time group of workers also emerged from this yagya, who later took full and independent charge of the press, publication and publicity at Mathura, after I had shifted to Shantikunj, Haridwar, for good. Thus this Mahayagya and subsequent celebrations throughout the country had played an important role as a background for the selection of volunteers and permanent workers at Shantikunj. My own organising capacity was further honed and developed. Several camps of one week, nine days and one month were organised in the limited campus of Gayatri Tapobhumi, Mathura. After Sahastra-kundi yagya and shat-kundi yagya, panckoshi sadhana, kayakalpa and jivan sadhana camps were organised at Mathura for integrated spiritual upliftment, holistic health and life-long pursuit of self-awakening respectively according to the instructions of Gurudev. The love of parijans who visited Gayatri Tapobhumi and feelings of mutual intimate relationship with them gave birth to the huge organisation known as Gayatri parivar. Each member of this Gayatri parivar turns to me as a father figure, counsellor, guide and healer in his/her personal and domestic problems.
In response to their affectionate invitations I visited several places from where people had come to Mathura for the Mahayagya. I attended several yagya celebrations, seminars and conferences in which several awakened intellectuals participated. When I decided to leave Mathura and shift to Haridwar, 1 toured almost the entire country for about two years.
At Tatanagar, Mahasamund, Bahraich, Bhilwara and Porbandar, huge Sahastra-kundi yagyas were performed on the same scale at which the Mahayagya at Mathura was performed. I used to visit three places in a day and toured thousands of miles before I left for agyatvas (seclusion). As a result of these extensive tours I could lay my hands on several dedicated workers. Innumerable persons who had lived like Rishis in the past births came in my contact. I judged their capacity, enrolled them in the parivar and thus a huge organisation was set up.
Gurudev had directed long back that I would have to go to the Himalayas again and stay there for six months. I was asked to break my emotional ties with Mathura, shift to Sapta Sarovar, Haridwar and initiate establishment of Rishi traditions at this place, which was once a tapasthali. I had gradually started entrusting my routine responsibilities to my wife. She had been my life-partner in two of the three previous births. During this life also, she has played the role of an inseparable soulmate and companion. In fact, her dedication, devotion and disposition for service has served as the bedrock for all my achievements. She gladly moulded herself according to my wishes and stood firm in all adverse circumstances. My family background was of a rural landlord while she hailed from an urban family. But when the question of merging with each other arose we effortlessly united and became one. I donated my village land for building a school there and the money received from zamindari bonds was used for purchasing land for Gayatri Tapobhumi. She donated all her ornaments for constructing the building of Gaayatri Tapobhumi. Her self-surrender and sacrifice have helped me in achieving exemplary heights in the realms of spiritual growth and service of the society.
During my earlier pilgrimage to the Himalayas in the years 1959-60, when I stayed there for about one-and-a-half year, my wife had taken upon herself the responsibility of publication and organising the mission in my absence.
Then, after ten years, I again went to the Himalayas in 1971 leaving behind a large far-flung spiritual family. Gayatri parivar needed a patron in visible form who could give them love, guidance and affection. Mother alone can console a child in moments of pain and distress. Mataji (my wife) undertook and ideally discharged this responsibility. Even three years before proceeding on the pilgrimage, I remained on long tours and at that time Mataji used to look after and give solace to parijans who visited Mathura. I received her constant cooperation in living a life totally dedicated to the well being and service of society. With a paltry amount of rupees two hundred she used to maintain a family of five persons and extend hospitality to the visitors. Never was anybody sent back disappointed.
The life, which we lived at Mathura, was like a precious trust on which not only the foundation of the life-transforming mission was laid but persons having strong shoulders were also found who could carry the responsibility on my gradual withdrawal from the visible scene of day- to-day organisational work.
Some mysterious events at Mathura
The activities, which I was directed to undertake at Mathura, appeared to be difficult in the beginning, according to my knowledge and competence, in the absence of material and human resources, experience and wisdom. Then how could such a stupendous work be done? When Gurudev saw that I was losing courage he took the reins in his hands. Only my body was utilised. The work was done by the puppeteer himself to whose tune I simply danced as a puppet. The only credit that I can claim is that I gladly danced to his tune.
I devoted four hours daily for writing work. It appeared as if the example of Vyas and Ganesh was being repeated, When Puranas were written, Vyas dictated to Ganesh. The same thing happened with me. The translation of voluminous ancient Sanskrit scriptural texts was a difficult task. Like Ganesh, I was used as a mere scribe for translating the four Vedas, 108 Upnishads, six Darshans, 24 Smritis; but the entity who gave dictation was some invisible power. Otherwise, so huge a task could not have been completed within so short a time. Hundreds of books relating to mass education through the agency of moral and spiritual instruction could not have been written on the strength of the talents of one single person. This writing work continues uninterrupted since the day it was started. The weight of my published works almost equals the weight of my body.
For publication a press was needed. With my own limited resources I had somehow managed for a hand press.
The one who had to get all this work done through me laughed at my childishness. Miraculously there was steady development of the press and treadles, cylinder; automatic and offset machines were added one after the other. Their cost and those of the publications added upto lakhs of rupees. On my own human strength, the number of subscribers of Akhand Jyoti could reach two thousands only. The Guide then gave a push and the figure has now gone up to one and half lakhs. It is likely to register a tenfold increase in due course of time. In all, about one and half lakh copies of Yug Nirman Yojana (Hindi), Yug Shakti Gayati (Gujarati), Yug Shakti (Oriya) are also being published. It is an unprecedented record that magazines wholly written by one person have such a large circulation, without incurring any loss and that too without accepting any advertisement.
With a view to organising Gayatri parivar, Sahastra-kundi yagya was performed at Mathura by way of purnahuti of Mahapurashcarana. There is no exaggeration in saying that there has not been any celebration of this scale since Mahabharat times. Hardly does anybody know about some mysterious occurrences relating to this celebration. Devoted Gayatri sadhaks, about four lakh in numbers, were invited from all over the country. They all took over charge of the work of educating the masses through moral and spiritual instruction. All these persons were unknown to me. But invitation letters reached them and they came at their own cost. It remains a riddle and a mystery.
The number of daily visitors and participants in the yagya was about ten lakh persons. The latter were all lodged in a number of huge camps covering an area of seven miles. No participant in the yagya was sent back without food. We had provisions sufficient only for feeding about twenty thousand people at one time. But the store became inexhaustible. More than five lakh persons were fed in this function, which lasted for five days. Provisions were left over after the celebration which were distributed free of cost to deserving persons. Arrangements were so meticulous that they could not have been made even by engaging a thousand paid employees.
All these are mysterious matters. I have described only the factual aspect of this celebration, but the underlying mystery is confined to me. Nobody could imagine how all these arrangements were made and who was behind these accomplishments. It was all the play of an invisible power. Rishis whom I had met during my first visit to the Himalayas were also present in the yagya in their astral bodies. People said that it was a miracle wrought by me but the fact is that I was looking at the entire game as a mere spectator, like Jadbharat.
The third work which I had to do at Mathura was construction of Gayatri Tapobhumi. A small building could not have served the needs of such a stupendous programme. Its construction work is still going on even after my leaving Mathura. It has now been extended and developed in the form of Pragya Nagar. Those who have visited Mathura are amazed to see the campus of Gayatri Tapobhumi, its press, arrangements for the stay of visitors and the dedication of the workers. The credit for such a grand campus and its management cannot be given to an individual but to the invisible power, which is using me as an instrument. Arjuns chariot was driven by Shri Krishna as his charioteer. It may be said that Arjun and Pandavas fought the Mahabharat war and achieved victory by their own valour, courage and strength but it was not true. They were the same Pandavas in whose presence Draupadi was undraped and they could do nothing. During the period of exile they remained under disguise and worked as mere servants.
My competence is quite insignificant. If anybody wants to take account of my achievements at Mathura, he will have to bear in mind the facts about my life sadhana. I should not be regarded anything beyond a puppet who surrenders and dances to the tune of its master. This feeling of dedication and surrender is the central theme of the story of my life. I have taught this to all those who have come in my contact. I have simply revealed the importance of upasana, sadhana and aradhana and, as for myself; I have been only an instrument of the invisible power.
************************
If one could delve deep into my inner being, encased in this physical frame, he will find nothing but a gushing fount of limitless love and compassion for all creation. I have relished only one flavour -that of Love. I have amassed only one treasure -that of inexhaustible Love. I see and feel the same Spirit that dwells in me, indwelling all. However, I find myself spiritually related in a very special bond of kinship with those who have been living and working with me for the fulfilment of the Divine Mission bequeathed to me by my Gurudev.
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