hariH Om.
66 years ago, Bharat (is said to have) gained Independence from the invaders, though i am yet to understand what exactly we gained freedom from. Yes, the colonizers are physically distant, but they left behind a colonial mindset that plagues us even today, and with greater ferocity with each passing year. I will discuss it in greater detail in a few days.
Another reason I celebrate today is to honor the physical birth of my Acharya- my Sadguru, Pujya Swami Dayanand Saraswati (Arsha Vidya Gurukulam), the man who has been blessing the ground that he walks on for the past 83 years. The freedom he gives is of a very different kind- a special kind, and this freedom comes on three levels.
On the physical level, through the AIM for Seva Movement, he frees the youth, the impoverished future of tomorrow, by giving them their basic needs, and nurturing their minds with all elements required for healthy growth. More than 108 chhatralayas (student education facilities and homes) have sprung up from his movement, and millions are beneficiaries of his goodwill. Furthermore, he frees us from the trauma we, as a society, have to endlessly face from zealots of aggressive faiths that go about with their conversion activities, making people miserable by stripping them from their indigenous culture and traditions- person by person, village by village, day after day…
On the emotional level, through various sadhanas, his indepth understanding of the human mind, and shastric techniques, he frees us from the pangs of pain and sorrow.
On the intellectual level, he frees us from the most fatal ignorance of all- ignorance of the self. He rescues us by negating what we aren’t, and asserting who we are; thus giving us the ultimate independence, the freedom of identifying with the whole, and disenfranchising us from the limited. Moksha.
Guru sishya parampara
Pujya Swamiji’s life is a blessing to us all. For our OWN benefit, may we all pray for his good health, and celebrate this day with Him for many more precious years to come
Hari Om Gurubhyo Namah, Hari Om.
By Prashant Parikh, a student of traditional Vedanta from Arsha Vidya Gurukulam
Leave a Reply