I met Pujya Swamiji in my mid-thirties until which I always felt there is something lacking and something missing in spite of a good education, happy family, material comforts and a good job. It is . . . → Read More: Ganesan Mahadevan]]> Please share how Pujya Swamiji’s teaching of the Shastra helped deepen your understanding of yourself, your life, Ishvara and the world

       I met Pujya Swamiji in my mid-thirties until which I always felt there is something lacking and something missing in spite of a good education, happy family, material comforts and a good job. It is only after listening to Swamiji’s lectures for a quite some time, It became clear to me what I am seeking is unlimited happiness- happiness now,  and in future,  in all occasions and under all circumstances.  Till such time I had no great ambition, or clear cut direction or goals on what I want in Life.  I was just so naive about my understanding of the world and constantly reacting to even mild turbulence with lots of stress, unhappiness and frustration.

       It is only after listening to the discourses by Pujya Swamiji and other great Swamis visiting Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, my priorities became clear and I begin to understand the answers to some basic questions such as What is the main purpose of life?  What is the goal of human life?  Who am I?  What is happiness?

       This started my slow internal transformation such as solidification of my core personal values, attitude towards pleasant and unpleasant situations, appropriate attitude towards action and acceptance of outcomes as Isvara’s Prasada.

      A growing understanding of how any of my achievements are a result of being in the right time at the right place and how I am standing on the shoulders of so many others,  gradually started the slow dilution of my strong ego.   Nowadays I am able to handle criticism more easily, react to both pleasant and painful events in a more balanced manner, and in sum, to appreciate and accept life as it unfolds.   Now I am able to see the importance of qualification (adhikaritvam) and purification of mind (antahkarana shuddhi) for assimilating the seemingly simple vision of Vedanta. Seeing this, I have started to build my qualifications for assimilating this great vision.

       The understanding of  various roles we play such as employee, son, father etc and how the actor is different from the roles  helped me a lot to feel at ease when I had to take up a job a couple of levels below what I used to do in the past.  The same understanding kept me in great spirits ‘in between jobs’ for many months and if I say I never lost a single night sleep over it my wife and kids will attest to it.

       When I was searching for my next opportunity over an extended period of time the teachings and the proximity to ashram provided me all the strength and comfort I needed to stay positive and focused.  I took the liberty to spend many weekends during this ‘in between jobs’ phase at AVG on shravanam and satsang with mahatmas visiting the Ashram.  Every time I visited the Gurukulam or met with Swamiji I felt so peaceful and happy, a feeling that is hard to describe and one that lasted for many days after each visit. I even attended a few weeks of advanced classes like Mandukya with Swami Tatvavidananda  and it was always time well spent.

       I understood why Swamiji says ‘the Gurukulam is your Home away from Home’. The gurukulam has a certain personality and ambience which is such a welcoming environment and all the Mahatmas the entire ashram staff and Suddatmaji work very hard to maintain this unique core ambience. I like this ambience and the traditional teaching so much; I decided to commute to Chicago every week / every other week for a two- year assignment, although relocation might have been an easier (and more conventional) option.

       It is the amazing power and clarity of the traditional teaching and Pujya Swamiji that my interest grew exponentially in shravanam. Even now unless I listen to Pujya Swamiji / Swami Viditatmananda / Swami Pratyagbodhananda / Swami Tatvavidananda for an hour at the minimum I cannot call it a day.  Be it the airport lounge while waiting for the (usually 2+ hours late!) flight to Newark from Chicago  or Waiting in the ER waiting room during a hospitalization of someone near,   I always have access to Swamiji ‘s teaching on my IPod.

       When I hear Sthita Pragna Lakshanani in Gita Chapter 2 or Chapter 12 Bhakti Yoga Verses 12 to 19, I no longer think they are lofty goals  or something unattainable as I see living proof of these lakshanas in the form of Pujya Swamiji.

       Adveshtaa sarvabhootaanaam maitrah karuna eva cha;

       Nirmamo nirahankaarah samaduhkhasukhah kshamee.       –Gita Chapter 12 Verse 12

The one who has no hatred for any being, who has the disposition of a friend, who is compassionate, free from possessiveness, free from the ‘I notion’, equal in pleasant and unpleasant (circumstances), and indeed, one who is naturally accommodative….

I recall a question that I asked my father when I was 7, “Father, how do we recognize that there is God?” My father replied, “Dear son, I cannot answer that question to your satisfaction, but . . . → Read More: Murali Kasivisvanath]]> Please share how Pujya Swamiji’s teaching of the Shastra helped deepen your understanding of yourself, your life, Ishvara and the world.:

I recall a question that I asked my father when I was 7, “Father, how do we recognize that there is God?” My father replied, “Dear son, I cannot answer that question to your satisfaction, but I can tell you one thing for certain – someday you will meet a Guru who will resolve that question in your mind” Three decades later, , having become a father myself, the question remained fresh in my mind. And then one day, in 1999, I happen to respond to an invitation to attend an anniversary function at the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam. In all honesty, the free lunch was an added attraction for me to attend the function! At that function, I saw Pujya Swamiji Dayananda Saraswathi addressing an audience of nearly 800 people gathered to celebrate the occasion. He initiated his speech with a statement “We do not say that there in one God, we say that there in only God.” Baffled by his bold statement my attention left the rest of the world around me and focused raptly on his speech that followed that statement. His speech made me realize that all these years I was looking at something external to myself in search of God. Pujya Swamiji literally helped me turn my vision 180 degrees by pointing that I am not different from what I am really seeking. After listening to him for the next couple of hours, I felt that for the first time in my life, someone has truly answered my question that was rooted like a thorn in my mind since the age of 7. Besides answering my question to my fullest satisfaction, Pujya Swamiji influenced my attitude and perception towards life like no one ever did. I can say that my ego became a victim to his speech, the contents of which had a potent combination of spirituality and pragmatism that one should pay attention to in life. I felt like a journey from merely “living” to “living intelligently” began that day for me. Soon after that day, I became a patron member of AVG and have been attending Pujya Swamiji’s classes on Bhagavat Gita and Vedanta. My wife, Ganga, who has been instrumental in steering my association with AVG also attends the classes and immensely enjoys the company of Pujya Swamiji and his students at the Gurukulam. My son, Raj, has great respect for Pujya Swamiji and my daughter, Nandini, believes that he is an Avatara. She keeps the books written by Pujya Swamiji by her bedside and believes that it protects her from those “vultures” that seek conversion of faith. I am not quite sure how to describe in words the extent of service Pujya Swamiji has rendered to the human race. He has as much helped the ordinary like me to gain a greater vision in life, as he has to the intellectuals of the society. His ability to convey the teachings of our sacred scriptures in the simplest form makes it easily understandable by one and all. The simple examples that he cites to explain a seemingly complex topic makes his class enjoyable. Attending his class has always been a “stress reliever” to one and all. His sense of humor makes his class a relaxation to everyone. He is a very approachable person and always makes one feel warm and comfortable irrespective of the gender, age, or nationality of the person. His message of compassion and his drive to uplift the underprivileged via his AIM for SEVA mission is beyond perception to those who are not associated with him. Thru this mission he has immensely helped the women of the remotest villages in India to stand for themselves and be economically independent. He has also made education and health care accessible to the children from the tribal forests of rural India. Pujya Swamiji is also carrying on a great mission of preserving our golden heritage of temple culture in India that has become a victim of politics and greed over a period of time. He is carrying on this great mission by creating a Tirumurai Awareness Program and spreading the message of importance of preserving our great culture and traditions. What I have seen and mentioned about his service to the human race is probably a fraction of what he continues to do. I strongly believe that to be able to extend any form of indirect support to any/all his missions is a blessing in disguise. It has been a decade since the day I first attended the anniversary at AVG. While the issues confronting my everyday life come and go as they always used to, my association with the Gurukulam and the teachings of Pujya Swamiji (also rendered so effectively by his student and my teacher Sri. Swaminathanji) have helped me address those issues more effectively than ever before. Since the day I associated myself with the Gurukulam, I am able to balance the social, emotional, professional, and practical aspects of life very well. While the journey to get to a point where I am able to recognize that there is nothing but “happiness” in life may seem long, the path leading towards that destination is certainly scenic and I am enjoying every bit of it! With sincere appreciation for Pujya Swamiji’s teachings and heartfelt wishes that we all be blessed to be around him forever.

I want to give an example of an AIM for Seva project my husband and I saw first hand. It was a school in a drought-stricken remote village 2 hours drive from Dharwar. Here the students were brought into the residential school from destitute families or as orphans. The place was run all by . . . → Read More: Indu Shivaram]]> Indu Shivaram’s Narrative

I want to give an example of an AIM for Seva project my husband and I saw first hand. It was a school in a drought-stricken remote village 2 hours drive from Dharwar. Here the students were brought into the residential school from destitute families or as orphans. The place was run all by women, starting from the Acharya (a Swamini) and including the teachers and ancillary staff. Many of them were volunteers working for a small stipend, simply out of their love for serving the people. The building was a grand old building in considerable disrepair.

The children were for most part the children of small farmers and peasant families from the area, but there were also some orphans. We were expecting fairly grim, malnourished faces. The students however were uniformly bright-eyed and confidant. They appeared healthy, well-fed and well taken care of. (the school provides meals, medical care as well as education). They even sang their own compositions to us- lyrics that they had written to popular Kannada song tunes or to local folk melodies. We learnt that in the previous few years the school had turned out several students who passed their major state-wide exams with distinction.   The school had a very low dropout rate and a very high graduation rate.  Most heart-warming was to hear that some of the students who had gone on to junior college and beyond came back occasionally to help their younger peers with their lessons.  Pujya Swamiji’s efforts are, in other words, turning consumers into contributors (and this maturity shows up early)!

       Even as a child, being raised in a tradition that taught that Ishwara was separate from myself, never felt right to me.

       With Ishwara’s grace, I was introduced to the teaching of Advaita Vedanta . . . → Read More: Zarina Kaji]]> Please share how Pujya Swamiji’s teaching of the Shastra helped deepen your understanding of yourself, your life, Ishvara and the world

       Even as a child, being raised in a tradition that taught that Ishwara was separate from myself, never felt right to me.

       With Ishwara’s grace, I was introduced to the teaching of Advaita Vedanta by my guruji in California, Shri Vijay Kapoorji.  Coming to a traditional Sampradaya has been extremely beneficial because when one starts at the beginning, the understanding sinks in and there is opportunity for clearing up any doubts along the way. The methodology is tried and tested and deepens the understanding so that one does not feel the need to keep looking elsewhere for the answers.

       With the help of the teaching, I have learned to accept all people and situations, be more loving towards all and that has blessed me with loving relationships, peace of mind and an indescribable freedom and happiness in my life.

       The Shravanam , Mananam and Nididhyasanam have become in integral part of my day to day life and it is that much more richer for it. Each dawn appears as a gift to be cherished and knowing my oneness with Ishwara empowers me and blesses me under all circumstances in my life.

       I cannot begin to thank you for transforming my life through your erudite teaching and the teachings of dear Swami Viditatmanandaji, Swami Tatvavidanandaji, Shree Vijay Kapoorji and Br. Shankaraji.

       My most sincere and hearty greetings to Pujya Swamiji on his 80th Birthday.

       May Ishwara grant you a long and healthy life so that we may continue to benefit from your knowledge.

       Swamiji has been an intergral part in my life since I was a little girl. I remember my 1st meeting with Swamiji in 1984 in Rishikesh, India. Being the youngest “student” I was thoroughly adored by all. . . . → Read More: Swapna Ramani]]> Please share a narrative of your First Meeting with Pujya Swamiji.  How did you come to know him?

       Swamiji has been an intergral part in my life since I was a little girl. I remember my 1st meeting with Swamiji in 1984 in Rishikesh, India. Being the youngest “student” I was thoroughly adored by all. Even though I did not understand anything about Vedanta at that age I was drawn to Swamiji because of his simple language and calm nature. I would try to understand the subject via his witty humor.

       When I was a teenager and struggling to understand why things were so “unfair”, Swamiji’s “Morning Meditation Prayers” helped me through those growing pains. Morning Meditation continues to be my favorite till this day and I often refer to it.

       Although I never seriously got into being a student of Vedanta, I have never been too far away from it. The booklets on various topics like, personal management etc have always been part of my reading collection.

       Another incident when Swamiji touched my life was when I went to meet him in Mumbai, India in 1991. I was a senior (12th grade) in high school and living in a dorm. I went to his hotel with my best friend, it was my 1st visit to a 5 star hotel and obviously I was totally at awe by the whole place. We met Swamiji and he asked one of the organizers to take us to the restaurant (2 hungry/starved students!) and what did we order? Dosa!!

       Thanks to Swamiji I have come across great individuals throughout my life. Now I am a student of Bhagwad Gita home study course in Houston. Again this was a life saver when I was going through very difficult time in my personal life. Swamiji’s teachings have “saved” me many a times and I have faith that it will continue to be my guiding force till my death.

       May Iswara give him good health to continue teaching us.

       His first greeting:

       “va ma” is what is imprinted in this manas when we met him the first time in PA-ashram. Our parents who are no more in their shariram would throughout our upbringing always have this . . . → Read More: Sukanya Shankar]]> Please share a narrative of your First Meeting with Pujya Swamiji.  How did you come to know him?

       His first greeting:

       “va ma” is what is imprinted in this manas when we met him the first time in PA-ashram. Our parents who are no more in their shariram would throughout our upbringing always have this inclusive and caring greeting “va ma” when we would rush back from school.

       Hearing Pujya Swamiji say that made me rush to him -who other than a father and mother rolled into one would greet me thus?

       The first time meeting Pujya Swamiji I knew nothing of India’s rich culture. When seeing people touch Pujya Swamiji’s Holy Feet, not sure if it was alright for me to touch Pujya Swamiji’s Feet, afraid that I . . . → Read More: Pearl Richards]]> Please share a narrative of your First Meeting with Pujya Swamiji.  How did you come to know him?

       The first time meeting Pujya Swamiji I knew nothing of India’s rich culture. When seeing people touch Pujya Swamiji’s Holy Feet, not sure if it was alright for me to touch Pujya Swamiji’s Feet, afraid that I was not worthy to touch these Holy Feet, I was compelled to move forward to touch the Feet of this Guru for   every pore of my being was joyously  as though shouting that this great Being before me knew what I had been seeking all my life. And so I have humbly submitted my thoughts of love and gratitude for Bhagavan’s anugraha in the form of Pujya Swamiji and Pujya Swamiji’s disciples in the form of these simple poems.

       My Guru’s Words

       Whenever there is happiness to share or comfort that is needed,

       Isvara is a refuge like none other, ones eternal abode.

       As a small child with nose pressed against cold windows looking out, locked out,

       I prayed to God whom one called   ‘ Father ‘  , who was gentle and beloved.

       Suddenly God’s Presence was perceived outside and inside myself !

       When that happened, there was an incomprehensible love filling me.

       I knew no separation, no distinction between me and the world.

       But these eyes and mind refuted what the heart felt closing love’s doorway.

       Searching and searching for this door again, each turn led me to dead ends.

       Then Bhagavan brought me to the Feet of a Mahatma, our Guru.

       At these Holy Feet the doorway dearly yearned for opened before me.

       For a brief time there were no thoughts of otherness in my awareness.

       Now that door, held open by Pujya Swamiji,  allows me to see

       Enough to keep the  ‘ truth ‘  of Bhagavan’s aikyam alive in my heart.

       This is the happiness one wants, the love the human heart seeks to know.

       When senses, veiled by Maya’s slight of hand, deny sabda pramanam,

       I trust Pujya Swamiji’s sight that  ‘ There is only Isvara here. ‘

       The Flower at Bhagavan’s Feet

       It used to be sad seeing flowers plucked from earth’s garden

       Like a child taken from protection of its mother’s arms.

       But on first seeing flowers showered on ones Guru’s Feet,

       There one knows the joy of Isvara’s sacred re-union.

       The flowers’ delicate fragrance and hues of colors,

       Coming from manifestaions of Isvara’s srsti,

       Sustained in warmth of Isvara’s sunlight and gentle rains,

       Return to their source through the loving hands of devotees.

       The heart of a devotee and fragrance of a flower

       Mingle as one in the loving gesture of offering.

       Finding peace, the aikyam discovered at Bhagavan’s Feet,

       One surrenders to this peace, unmasked beauty of the mind.

       Flowers, the heart of the devotee and ones Guru’s Feet

       Are the perfume, the love, the vibhuti of Isvara.

       Submitted With Much Love and Reverence,

       With Jasmine and Roses

       At the Holy Feet of Pujya Swamiji,

       With Much Gratitude,

       Pearl