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Let us begin with the collective chanting of the Gayatri Mantra:

“Om Bhur Buva¡ Swa¡, Tatsaviturvareñyam Bhargo Devasya Dhimahi,
Dhiyo Yonah Pracodayat ||”

Sisters and Brothers,

I am referring to the ancient times described in the Ramayana. When it was confirmed that Ravan had kidnapped Devi Sita, every one was puzzled as to how to fight that mighty demon? Many kings with resourceful armies were there in the states surrounding the forests where Lord Ram and Lakshman resided in exile.  But none of them dared challenging Ravan and risk their lives.  It was not difficult for Lord Ram to kill Ravan, but the purpose of his incarnation was to awaken the masses to uproot the prevailing devilish tendencies from the earth by collective efforts.  Looking at the cowardice of the kings and the people around, he wondered what to do? Then the gods of heavens (divine powers) planned to descend in the form of monkeys and bears and came forward to join Lord Ram and Lakshman in the battle against Ravan. Just imagine! Where these tiny animals would have stood against the mighty army and immense powers of Ravan? How could they have crushed the gold-empire of Lanka, rescued Mother Sita, and helped in establishing the ideal rule? But remember! They were not ordinary monkeys and bears who would have been simply jumping on the trees or roving snugly in the forests. They were devatas (divine powers) in disguise.

History is going to repeat again. I see you as devatas in the new form of ‘Lord Ram’s army’ today.  You all have performed noble deeds in the past births; your devotion to divinity has blessed you with this rare opportunity in this life. What opportunity? To join the mission of “Yug Nirman” – reviving the “Age of Truth” in the modern times. I am reminding you of your indwelling divinity today, the auspicious day of Gurupurnima. Whenever you find time, sit calmly and ponder over what your Guru is telling you today, ask yourself “who you are” – an evolved animal or a descendent of divine powers? Recall that you have been assigned some duties, which are like what the devatas would have chosen to do in today’s time.

Don’t think that your capabilities are limited, what you can do to reverse the perverse trends, when the whole world seems to move downwards with the flow of time. Haven’t you heard of the Pandvas? What had happened in the War of Mahabharat? Even the most intrepid, skilled warrior like Arjun was baffled in the battlefield. Arjun’s concern would appear genuine to any logical mind. The Pandvas were only five with their meager resources and handful of friends while the Kauravas were hundred and had a well equipped grand army of millions of soldiers? Moreover most of those on the enemy’s side were the near and dear relations and friends of the Pandavas. It was impossible in an ordinary case, to imagine even in a dream, the survival of Pandavas, leave aside the chance of their victory. Then Lord Krishna had revealed – ‘Hey Arjun! In fact, I have already ‘killed them’ and kept the crown of victory ready for you. You just have to throw the arrows against them using best of your potentials and get ready to be sworn in as a great warrior king together with other Pandvas after the decisive war. 

The same way, I have already done whatever was essential for the Yug Nirman project of the Almighty. You only have to come forward to see its manifestation and take the credit. You don’t have to conquer anyone or risk any defeat, then what is the problem. Don’t make excuses of having no time, or having got to look after the family, children’s careers, their marriages, etc, etc. When Arjun was shying away from his assigned duties, Lord Krishna had finally ordered him (c.f. the holy Gita) to fight, as a sacred duty of a soldier in the battlefield – “tasmat yuddhyay yujaswa”. Don’t run away from your duties as virtual devatas on one pretext or the other.  You may be ignorant of your destiny and of the future of the world but I am not.

Lord Krishna had assured Arjun of taking care of all his concerns. When the monkeys and bears had proceeded for Lanka with Lord Ram and Lakshman, who looked after them? God (Lord Ram) had already arranged for their well-being.  You also should not lose courage. I, as your Guru, have the responsibility to protect your families, arrange for your children’s bright future, take care of your fields, business, medical care and look after your aging parents, and your other primary duties.  You leave all your other burdens on me and do my work. Have faith in me. Every good father tries to offer the best to his children. You are all my children. I know your welfare better than what you or anyone else. So far you have been behaving like little kids, asking for toffees and chocolates (petty worldly benefits) only.  Now it’s time you get matured and ask for big things. A child is privileged to his ancestral property since birth. You also have the right to share your Guru’s (my) earnings since you have dedicated yourself to his work. If you are my disciples, you deserve a share in the puñyas (auspicious benefits) of my tapa-sadhanas (devout spiritual endeavors). Don’t beg or pray, but learn to ask for your rights. Don’t worry about the worldly problems. If you are ill, I will cure you; if you are facing scarcity of money, I will support you; if there is any dispute troubling you, I will help you fight for justice; I will protect you against adversities like a shield protects a soldier in the battlefield.  

Arjun had dedicated himself to Lord Krishna and Krishna had become his charioteer. I will steer the chariot of your life and look after yours and your family’s welfare.  It is my promise provided you become like Arjun; you will have to walk along with me on the path of altruistic service, expansion of the self. Become my collaborators in the epochal project of “Yug Nirman” assigned by the Almighty. It is the mission inspired by Him. The blueprint of the new era has already been drawn up. The ‘construction’ has also begun. It would any way be completed as per His plans. You just choose to be among the associates, assistants. The food is ready; you just have to distribute it across the globe. God has already arranged for annihilation of the demonic hords which are holding sway over the hearts and minds of humanity today. He has also set everything to honor the ‘Pandavas’, who are awakened and ready to meet the Call of The Time Spirit - to follow the path of divine-disciplines and duties.

So if you want to be rewarded as warriors of righteousness, you will have to adopt what is pledged in our “Yug Nirman Satsankalpa” and devote yourself to work for our “Yug Nirman Yojna” and related activities that are initiated from here (Shantikunj, Hardwar) from time to time. I know your major obstacles in giving your time, in dedicating your efforts for this Larger Family (Gayatri Pariwar) are your commitments and concerns about your own family. I have repeatedly told you to come out of those petty worries and the narrow confines of the selfish world. There will be no problems on those fronts. It is my responsibility to keep my promise. All that I own is also yours.   

You might wonder what materialistic property I have. Well, whatever I had – my inherited ancestral estate property of about 2000 bighas, my wife’s jewelry, even children’s home-banks – everything I have given it all for the noble cause of selfless service. So that way I don’t have even a single coin stored for myself or for my family. You may check it now when I am alive or later when I am gone. You will find that I have lived an austere life of a rishi. Indeed I have a great property. That is why I am telling you to have a share in it. What is that? It is that of the great returns of tapa-sadhana.  This spiritual wealth of mine is of two types – one, which I call ‘ordinary’, is kept reserved for solving your worldly problems. The other ‘superior’ kind is kept for making you one of the architects and leaders of the new world order. Chanakya was one such leader; he was a visionary and founder of a strong Indian Empire in the early centuries B.C. He shaped the globally reputed ancient universities of Nalanda and Takshashila. I regard him as the Dean par excellence of these historic academic ventures. Abraham Lincoln, George Washington, Garfield were sent on earth to lead the world, to give direction to political civilization of the modern times. The same way, Saints like Vinoba Bhave, were sent to be the leaders for social reformation. I want to make you leaders of their ilk, for initiating a political, cultural, social, intellectual and spiritual transformation of the world - for a better, brighter tomorrow, as per the Divine Design. 

You let me know what you think would be the best task for you. What are your inclinations, and present potentials, what you aspire to do for the society, etc?  Give this information in a written note, I will see it. Since last Vasant Panchami this is the only time I am talking to you. As I am engaged in a new sadhana in silence, I am not available since past three years to meet you and listen to your worldly problems, well being etc. You may tell that to Mataji now, she is the caring mother of you all.  I am mostly busy with my sadhana and writing work. I am writing well in advance for coming nearly two decades, material for our mission’s books and the core magazine “Akhand Jyoti” till about the year 2000, the juncture of the present and ensuing future era (“yugsandhi”). You will find my voice, my words flowing in these writings. I am meeting only selected sadhaks – seekers of spiritual elevation, once in a while. So, you give me (on a piece of paper) your views, your aspirations, your pledge pertaining to your prospective role in Yug Nirman.

I have a clear view of the future world where India – the country of the Vedic rishis, the torchbearer of the divine culture – is going to be in the forefront of the transformation of the world. Several sages of the ancient times have foreseen this possibility. Noted among them is Nostradamus of France, whose poetic quatrains mysteriously predicted several events of future two millenniums ahead; eight hundred of his predictions have come true – including the break out of World War II, etc. So popular his long unnoticed notebook has become that many scholars the world over are decoding and researching his rhetorical ancient script. It is said that former French president Francois Mitterand used to keep it atop his personal collection of books.  Some of his predictions of the years still ahead include that of unity of India and Russia, warlike relations between America and China etc. Well, most important of his predictions in today’s context are those sighting a glimpse of the future of the world beyond the 21st century…! In a nutshell, the implications of these are – integration of Indian philosophy and spirituality with the western science and rise of India as the super power of the world. Indeed these possibilities have begun to surface on the world scenario in several respects.   

Today America is a mighty power prominent in the world scenario but even if it plans and succeeds in making many more high-tech nuclear bombs, star-war strategies, ultra-advanced spacecrafts like Challenger, etc, the future lies in India’s hands. Nature needs a balance. Science without ethics, intellect without sensitivity, and technology sans spirituality cannot achieve global peace and welfare.  But if India has to lead the world tomorrow, where are the people to shoulder this responsibility? We need dedicated, duty-bound talents with high integrity of character and spiritual qualities. I want to train you for this purpose because I know you are born for high purpose.  I have developed Shantikunj into a kind of ‘university’ for training elevated personalities here at Shantikunj; it’s like a nursery of nurturing the saplings of would-be leaders, great citizens, spiritually refined talents. I want to develop it like the Nalanda University of the ancient times.

You know, in Nalanda University established by Chanakya, nearly ten thousand seekers from across the globe used to stay for in-depth study and research.  The scholars produced here used to traverse around in different directions and disseminate righteous knowledge in different parts of distant countries.  He had transformed Chandragupta into the all- conquering (Chakravarti) glorious king to revive India as a strong nation in the post Mahabharata period. I also want to chisel your hidden potentials and produce glittering diamonds from among you, whose glaze will illuminate the path of the world.   

We at present don’t have the infrastructure to accommodate more than four thousands people here.  So to start with our expansion process I have planned to have distant and distributed “Pragya Vidyalayas” which will serve like small branches of the main centre here. Here we will have more rigorous training and sadhana courses of not less than a month’s duration whereas the local centers could cater to the needs of the masses and offer short-term elementary programmes. Those of you confident of initiating such local centers will be given the necessary details and guidelines here. Shantikunj will act like a generator to supply necessary ‘power’ to the network of all the local sadhana-and-training centres.  The promising talents identified at these local units will be further trained and elevated at Shantikunj.  I think there should be at least one “Pragya Vidyalaya” per ten villages in India. I suppose many of you are capable of taking up this responsibility. You have been doing so many things? Following my suggestion last year, you organized so many Yagyas for mass awakening; so many “Shakti Peethas” were established!  If your urge for this noble cause of “Pragya Vidyalaya” is genuine, I assure you that no adversity or obstruction will be able to stand in the way of your devout endeavors; I will provide the necessary strength and light whenever you need them.                 

(To be concluded in next issue)  

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