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To put it poetically Mother Geetawas searching for an abode to reside and express again after Sri Krishna. That search ended when She found Gurudev and through Him reached out to the whole world in the 21 st century. Thus through Gurudev Geeta became India’s greatest gift to the humanity. I deem it a great privilege to be a part of this noble Chinmaya movement as a chosen instrument to fulfill His vision. It amuses me when I sit back and think how it began in my life. Born in a family that was already devoted to Gurudev. I was forced into Balavihar. These classes I did not enjoy as they were clashing with the sports time. More than the Balvihar class attending Gurudev’s talks were annoying as one was forced to sit quietly in the Yagna without understanding a word. All the above only created more aversion towards Him. My memory is fresh with Gurudev since my Chyk days. Here I started going by myself and found it very interesting for various reasons. In around 1983, I started attending the Chyk class but never regular. Since 1985 I became an active member of the Chyk. Some of my memorable experiences are, in 1968 my father got Gurudev’s autograph on the Holy Geeta. Gurudev wrote, “Read five verses daily and meet me after three years”. Then, twenty years later I gave the same book to Gurudev for His autograph during His yagna at Tirupati. He saw the old signature on it and asked “whose book is it?’ When I told Him it was given to me by my dad, He smiled and wrote on the same page, “Son also, advise the same”. To the people sitting around Gurudev said “This is our culture. The book should be handed over the next generation.” I could see a great satisfaction in Gurudev’s face might be because His work had reached the next generation. In 1989, I joined the ashram. When the vedanta course got over in 1991.On the day of my deeksha I showed the same book to Gurudev and again on the same page He wrote, “Father missed it, but son got it”. It has become a rare book with three signatures of Gurudev on the same page. On another occasion, when I was in the Chyk, we once went on a cycle rally to Tamaraipakkam (35 kms from Chennai). When Gurudev came to Chennai we told Him about it. He laughed and said’ “Sshhh!! Don’t say it loudly, the milkman goes there daily with two cans of milk, If you go to Himalayas then you may call it a rally”. Those words had a deep impact on us. We started our mobike rally all over India. We have done Char Dham yatra on bikes, Amarnath yatra via Leh and Ladakh. Biking on the highest road on earth, the Khardhungla pass. Five times we had been to Sidhabhari by bikes. All these rides made us tough and in their own way taught us to meet life. I consider this as another way of Man Making. During one of the yagnas of Gurudev we started piloting for Him. (Ride mobikes before His car and clear the traffic) Gurudev called us as His escorts. This gave us a rare opportunity to be with Him for all the programmes. It was like being with Him for almost 18 to 20 hr. everyday. That was the time I could understand His work etc. It was the beginning of my love for Him. On the last day I was standing by His door very sad that the next morning He would be gone. He looked at me and said, “Tomorrow onwards, you escort your mind towards Him. If any obstacles come, say move, and it will obey”. Much later I understood that the highest sadhana is to escort the mind. Once as Chyks we did a relay yagna on Sri Ram Geeta in Chennai under the guidance of Swami Dheeranandaji (then Sudhir Chaitanya). Gurudev was informed about this yagna when we reached Sidhabari for the Geeta camp. Gurudev called us and said he wanted to listen and asked us to speak on Sri Rama Gita next day. We all thought Gurudev was joking but next day, He once again reminded us that He will close His talks 45 minutes before and we have to continue for the next 45 minutes. I happened to be the first speaker and my topic was Maya. Gurudev heard me talking for 15 minutes on maya and at the end He said, “What I was trying to explain last 35 years, my child finished it in 15 minutes” and He gave a hearty laugh! This is my most memorable experience with Gurudev. Once as Chyks we did a relay yagna on Sri Ram Geeta in Chennai under the guidance of Swami Dheeranandaji (then Sudhir Chaitanya). Gurudev was informed about this yagna when we reached Sidhabari for the Geeta camp. Gurudev called us and said he wanted to listen and asked us to speak on Sri Rama Gita next day. We all thought Gurudev was joking but next day, He once again reminded us that He will close His talks 45 minutes before and we have to continue for the next 45 minutes. I happened to be the first speaker and my topic was Maya. Gurudev heard me talking for 15 minutes on maya and at the end He said, “What I was trying to explain last 35 years, my child finished it in 15 minutes” and He gave a hearty laugh! This is my most memorable experience with Gurudev. Once as Chyks we did a relay yagna on Sri Ram Geeta in Chennai under the guidance of Swami Dheeranandaji (then Sudhir Chaitanya). Gurudev was informed about this yagna when we reached Sidhabari for the Geeta camp. Gurudev called us and said he wanted to listen and asked us to speak on Sri Rama Gita next day. We all thought Gurudev was joking but next day, He once again reminded us that He will close His talks 45 minutes before and we have to continue for the next 45 minutes. I happened to be the first speaker and my topic was Maya. Gurudev heard me talking for 15 minutes on maya and at the end He said, “What I was trying to explain last 35 years, my child finished it in 15 minutes” and He gave a hearty laugh! This is my most memorable experience with Gurudev. Once as Chyks we did a relay yagna on Sri Ram Geeta in Chennai under the guidance of Swami Dheeranandaji (then Sudhir Chaitanya). Gurudev was informed about this yagna when we reached Sidhabari for the Geeta camp. Gurudev called us and said he wanted to listen and asked us to speak on Sri Rama Gita next day. We all thought Gurudev was joking but next day, He once again reminded us that He will close His talks 45 minutes before and we have to continue for the next 45 minutes. I happened to be the first speaker and my topic was Maya. Gurudev heard me talking for 15 minutes on maya and at the end He said, “What I was trying to explain last 35 years, my child finished it in 15 minutes” and He gave a hearty laugh! This is my most memorable experience with Gurudev.
In Sidhbari, a group of devotees were expected to come. Vivek and a small group of devotees were with Gurudev, singing Bhajans. Gurudev was sitting in the kutia when he suddenly got up and walked up to the window and looked out impatiently. After a while he came back to his seat and sat down. Then a little later, the bus with the expected devotees arrived. All excited, the devotees narrated to Gurudev, how they had narrowly averted a major accident. Gurudev smiled without a question on his face. The time of the accident coincided with the time when Gurudev suddenly got up to look out of the window. Gurudev was just leaving the ashram when a man approached him with tears in his eyes. Gurudev asked him what was the matter. Mentioning to Gurudev that he had recently lost many family members in quick succession, he broke down further. Gurudev comforted him and said, 'Look at the ocean, how the waves rise and die away. Such is the law of nature. We must accept it as His wish. ' Then the man asked, 'But Swamiji, why did God create such a cruel world?' Gurudev snapped, Oh! Unfortunately he did not consult me when he created this world. So why don't you ask Him this when you meet Him.' Then the man asked, 'But Swamiji how can I meet Him?' Twinkling his eyes, Gurudev answered, Oh! Now; that I can surely tell you.' Turning towards the Chyks and other members around him, Gurudev instructed 'See to it that he gets a copy of "Manual for Self Unfoldment". He repeated this thrice to them on his way to the car. And they saw that he got the book, and the path prescribed to meet God. A devotee asked Gurudev about the need for visiting temples, when it is said that God is present everywhere. Gurudev replied in his inimitable style, 'The Government of India is present everywhere in the country. But if you want to contact the Government, you have to run to New Delhi, and visit its functional office based over there. Similarly, even though the Lord is present everywhere, yet if you want to contact Him, you must run to the nearest Temple.' Adding further, he said, 'Make use of God as a trash-can wherein you can empty yourself - of your strengths and weakness, your merits as well as your sins. He is eagerly waiting for them. He is ever a beggar at your door for the contents of your heart. That is why Hindu Gods are depicted standing with the left palm extended outward, demanding from you your imperfections, and with the right palm raised in an attitude of blessings - the sign of giving. The Lord showers His grace upon us and fills our heart with His presence only when we empty ourselves by offering our all to Him. He alone is." Hemalatha Reddy first saw Gurudev during one of his yajnas at Chennai. Gurudev's tall, slim, royal and majestic personality combined with his superb oratory skills had left a deep impact on her. Unable to control the urge to meet him personally, she went to the place where Gurudev was staying. Gurudev was sitting outside the room in an open place; talking, joking and clearing the doubts of few members seated around him. Nervous and hesitant, she went and stood nearby. Gurudev roared like a lion and said: 'Don't be timid. You must be bold. Come on You have come all the way to meet me and clear your doubts. Why hesitate then?' Her fear disappeared as she went and bowed at his feet. Looking into her eyes, Gurudev smiled and asked if she had any doubts. 'Come On! Don't hesitate! Be brave and ask me! I am here to clear all your doubts!' She gathered courage and asked some questions as to, 'Is there God?', 'Have you seen God?', 'How can we be happy?' Gurudev answered each question to her satisfaction and in the end, all he said was, 'Be brave. Work hard. Do not think of the past and the future. Concentrate on the present action. Perform your duty without ego and ego-centric desires. This is the secret fj a great man. Do not be afraid of anything. For the one who knows that he alone is the source and basis of the entire cosmos, what is there to be afraid of? The wise man is not afraid of anything. Think!' It was during Gurudev's National Yajna at Kolkata that Meena Uppal managed to spend an entire day with Pujya Gurudev. On that day, it was in the car when Gurudev suddenly shot a question at her, 'Do you ask anything from God?' Without much thinking, she replied that God always gave her whatever she desired. At that, Gurudev's golden words were 'Good! Never be a beggar. God will Himself provide what is best for you. Be a royal devotee always. ' T. Balakrishnan first met Pujya Gurudev at Surat, at the residence of Shri Shastri, where Gurudev was staying. One evening, Shastriji was telling Gurudev about one of his friends, a great devotee and an active Chinmaya Mission worker who was doing stone business at Kota. Unfortunately one day, a stone fell on his leg and fractured his foot. On hearing this, Mr. Balakrishnan asked Gurudev, 'Swamiji, there is a misconception about a devotee always being subject to suffering; as in the case of this friend. How far is this misconception correct?' Gurudev said, 'Dear friend, a devotee will never be put to suffering. We are in His great lap where He is polishing us. A true devotee will never feel that he is suffering, though others may think that he is suffering. ' One of the Gurudev's devotees was getting married. These were the assurances Gurudev gave him when he entered into Grihastha-Ashram. 'Study! Study! Study! Study and Serve! More than in ashram, you can serve me in the society. So, go and experience. Hereafter your entire life will be blessed by Him. Make your home a Tapovan and you mind an Ashram. You will then never be away from me. ' One of Gurudev's many devotees, Mr. Ashok Kumar, was very keen to have 'Mantra-Diksha' from him. This is a common practice, which many Gurus follow especially in Northern India. Such Gurus advise the disciple that the mantra is very personal and it should not be disclosed to anyone. The secret Mantra is to be repeated for a fixed number of times every day. During his visit to Sidhbari in 1991, Ashok Kumar went to Pujya Gurudev's kutiya and humbly requested for 'Mantra-Diksha'. Roaring into laughter, Pujya Gurudev told him, 'I don't believe in giving a secret mantra in the ears of an individual that he is not supposed to disclose to any other person. Whatever I have to say, I will be telling it in the presence of everyone because the Lord's name or holy Mantra is not a closely guarded secret. Whatever path is to be followed to go to him, I will tell that in public; so that maximum number of people can take the benefit; provided it appeals to them. On the following day, in the meditation class Gurudev said, 'There is no specific Mantra or name by which the Lord is to be remembered of worshipped. You may remember Him by any name that appeals to you. You may even call Him Alpha, Beta or Gamma, but most important is that you must remember HIM - and remember HIM always. There is no limited or specific time during which the Lord is to be remembered. In fact, one should try to remember HIM continuously at all times. Whenever one is working in this world, the mind should always be fixed at the holy feet of the Lord, requesting HIM for His grace. There is no specific place or posture in which the Lord is to be remembered. He should be remembered at all the places and in any posture whichever is convenient to you.' A youth meet was organised during the Vile Parle camp in 1987. After addressing them, as Gurudev was leaving, all youngsters flocked around him. One young Sikh boy came up to Gurudev and asked, 'Swamiji, who is the ideal person that we should follow?' Gurudev paused, removed his spectacles and while wiping them, he looked directly into the boy's eyes and said, 'Don't search for the 'ideal person'. Instead, search for the 'Ideals' in every person you meet.' As though to clarify, he pointed at himself and humorously said, 'See this Swami's terrible temper!' And replacing his spectacles, he walked off R. S. Nathan (later on Swami Nityananda) had narrated this incident which took place during Gurudev's Calcuttayajna in 1981. A Bala Vihar programme had been organised, wherein the children put up a drama depicting the life of Pujya Swami Tapovanji Maharaj. At the end of the show; prizes were distributed to all the children who acted. When the turn came for the boy who played the part of Swami Tapovanji, Gurudev most respectfully handed over the prize to the child-actor and with evident humility, Gurudev bent down and touched the feet of the boy, who was taken aback by this act of his great Master. On being asked later, Gurudev said: 'For a couple of hours he represented my Gurudev, and I saw my Gurudev on that stage through that body.’ To Pujya Gurudey. Chyks were not just a group of youngsters, but they were his soldiers for protection of the rich Indian ethos, Hindu culture, and our ancient spiritual glory. Addressing the Yuva Kendra movement in Mumbai, he extolled to all the Chyks who were present there: 'Let us first get these hundred inspired, purposeful, sincere, dedicated youngsters convinced to a cause, unfolded to the maximum, turn brilliant both in their academic studies as well as in their spiritual understanding to the culture of India, and thereafter it shall be the duty fj these youngsters to bring in the others. If we have got enough workers, why cannot we start large-scale activities? Remember that Jesus started with eight disciples. Adi Shankara had just four. Ramakrishna had only one. We have hundred. What can we not achieve if only we know how to handle these hundred and keep them inspired to come out fj their mental entanglements and spread their spiritual glory. They will! It all depends on our sincerity and enthusiasm. The Lord is great. He will see us through. May the Lord make us worthy enough to become the tools ofj such a Great sculptor and may we all one day finally complete His superb masterpiece! Hari Om! Jai Gurudev!! Hari Om! ! !' Gurudev went to deliver a youth-talk at a college in Kerala. As he entered the college, he saw that all the window panes were broken. Upon seeing this, he remarked as an opening statement, 'I am so happy to see all the windows are broken. This shows that you have lots of energy. Now my job is to channelise it.' Gurudev always inspired the youth to think big. One such incident happened when Pujya Gurudev was in Chennai. The Chyks were reading out their activity report aloud to him. The reporter said that the activities included a cycle rally to Thamaraipakkam village. (Swamiji knew that this village was only 35 kilometres from Chennai) Hearing this, Gurudev said: Where? Thamaraipakkam? Shhhh !! Don't say this so loudly! Everyday the milkman also goes there on his bicycle, twice a day with cans full of milk; and you claim that it was a rally!' He went on to add, 'If you are doing a rally, go to the Himalayas! And those living in the north, must go down to Kanyakumari. .. that is a rally.' Gurudev was in Khopoli when he learnt about the Mumbai Chyks conducting classes and giving lectures on Geeta and other scriptures. Out of sheer joy he sent out a loving message, full of encouragement to compliment the efforts of these youngsters. ‘It is extremety grarifying to hear that our Mumbai CHYK members have discovered a mischievous audacity to come out shamelessly Onto the platform and talk on what little they know' about Adi Shankara's Bhaja Govindam! Tosome, it may strike as a surprise to know how low is the understanding of Hindu ism among the elders in our society! This is the noble courage of the youth that they have come to recognize and sing the glory, strength and vitality of their own "Rishi" culture. Even I cannot now stop them from spreading to their elders what they know. Presently at the physically I may be unhappy at this apparent indiscipline and disobedience! But I must confess that deep within me I feel extremely self-congratulated and I hug these boys with warm love. I heartily bless these boys and girls and congratulate the community that a dynamic age of Hindu revival has come to Mumbai in the very heart of the city. I shall be anxiously keeping my eyes and ears open. When will I see this contagion spread at the National level in an epidemic form throughout India?Gurudey was very mathematical in his explanation of concepts, more so to the youth; who always looked for logic and reasoning before forming convictions in life. To the common youth of today, who always find themselves on the crossroads of life’s journey, the path to success could not be paved better by anyone else other than Pujya Gurudev himself an expert in Life Management, with his convictions deeply rooted in the Bhagavad Geeta, Pujya Gurudev gave out this mantra to the youth of the India: 'This happens in the university exams - standing in the verandah, you have as much knowledge as the first-class-first student does. But after coming out, you say, "Inspite of government giving twenty marks free to everybody, I don't think I will pass". It is analysed and found that it is the lack of adjustment of this sophisticated equipment that you have got; it is not properly serviced. The knowledge in you, the proficiency in you; can readily come out through your fingertips to add the extra beauty to the work that you are doing, only when it has passed through your mind. And whenever the mind is agitated or disturbed, that flow is blocked. Success in life does not depend upon your Proficiency. Proficiency may help you in achieving success, but success does not depend on your proficiency. Success depends on your Efficiency. Carefully think; this is very important for our country because the one thing that lacks in this country is 'Efficiency' -from top to bottom. It is a national trait. So, remember that it is not proficiency which determines the success in life; it is your efficiency. The Rishis beautifully described it - the proficiency that you have got in your head, in your understanding, in your memory, must easily flow through you and must express itself in the piece of job accomplished. Such a piece of work has got an extra beauty, an added glow. Pujya Gurudev often emphasised on 'Self-Study'. He strongly asserted that no day should pass without five pages of scripture reading. And he always told the youth that this quality of self-study can transform and elevate them to unknown heights of glory. But he was also aware that though the youngsters had sufficient dynamism to finish off any given project with perfection, but some of them were always poor in their Swadhaya and Sadhana. He once remarked about the present day youth: 'The modem, half- educated youth are tempted to cry down Vedanta as impractical theory. T1ris can be the sad moaning of only those who have not read this portion (Vedanta) – the crystalised essence of Hinduism – with sufficient poise & peaceful reflection.’ Gurudev always wanted that His Chyks should uphold the precious teachings propounded by Vedanta, & this is possible only by self effort & persistent reading; not by dejected denial & baseless disagreement of the sacred scriptures Gurudev always inspired the youth to undertake mighty challenges of life with a spirit of vigour and infallible dynamism, But he never allowed them to go astray, and not without consultation of the rich experience from the wise and elderly adults. The need for the present young generation is to recognise me wisdom of their elderly seniors, learn to accept it and then implement it to perfection, backed by their own gushing vigour and earth -shaking energies. Speaking to a group of Chyks, Gurudev said. Ac exhortation of the Rishis to the members of the present generation is that, in their youthful vigor though they may be inspired to follow progressive plans for a greater future, they need not condemn and reject the past generation of elders in the society. The youth always have the urge to move forward, and me energy to drag the present into the future, but in doing so, they should try to respect and revere the wealth of experiences that the elders have accumulated as a result of their own long-lived lives.' Sri Gurudev was a strong personality possessed with steely convictions. He, through his own lifestyle. taught all of us how to welcome the greatest challenges with a smile, rather than shunning our own convictions and succumbing as easy preys to me vicissitudes of life. It was this very attribute of Our Gurudev that he not only became a spiritual stalwart of global fame, but also became synonymous with names like Swami Vivekananda. And this is same quality that Gurudev wanted each one of his children to imbibe permanently in their lives. Reiterating his point in 1965, Gurudev thus wrote to the students of the Hindu Organisation, Trivandrum: 'Silently and dynamically, try to understand your culture. Read and study. Try your best to live up to it, without compromising the least with your daily duties in life and without interfering with your ready mixing with other students in the college. Slowly grow. Real growth is the Growth of Conviction. Read and understand higher life through your own independent thinking. Let the scriptures guide your thoughts. Take your own time in building up your convictions, & thereafter let the Lord enrich you with heroism to live up to it. Die, if necessary for your own convictions. There is nothing more sacred for a man than his convictions.’From the youth, Gurudev had highest expectations. He never allowed them to live on emotional crutches of the changing world, or dependant on the baseless knowledge of the secular surroundings. He always emphasised them on having a systematic plan of work, and then intelligently working out the plan. During the Chyk-Fest, Gurudev shared his vision for the youth as he said, 'The youth of India has to go through planned studies. It is not enough only to imbibe what the media gives because that is not knowledge, but modified propaganda. They must learn to judge for themselves, form their own convictions, and then have the courage to live up to them. Their plans and vision must come from within, their patriotism, love for society and loyalty to the country, not necessarily to the government. Even one such leader can bring out a great change. Youthful vigour and intelligence must not be allowed to go in wrong directions. The present has been created by the past, and the future will come out of the present. Unless the youth of today are vigilant, dynamic and smart, the nation, and with it their future, will sink. ' Pujya Gurudev saw the future of India in the safe hands of youth. I Ience his motto through the Chinmaya Yuva Kendra (CHYK) was to provide a platform to all like-minded youth, wherein they could be spiritually motivated to enthusiastically work for a higher cause. Self development through cultural revival and nation building was a major objective of Gurudev's CHYK. It was on 7th December 1986, when he addressed the office bearers of All India CHYK, and said:
'Intellectual vision without courage is an inefficient instrument, totally useless. Wise people must be courageous otherwise we can purchase their intelligence for our purposes. Try to find out such persons in your centre. Go and interview them. You will find many people who have certain ideas but no medium to express them. There are so many intellectuals but they are all silent. You have to discover them and bring out their voices. It is a very creative work. Even if nothing happens for the country, at least you will improve. When you complete your college education and go for an interview, you need not shiver because you have been interviewing people every day. You are able to evaluate the other person it is a great education you will learn only by actual practice. You may get kicked a few times, but slowly you will learn. Don't fear! The country belongs to you; the society is yours, so go about as the proprietor of the whole place. Apart from your own benefit, you will be helping in the national thinking process. In this way try to awaken the wise people of the society to sit up and take notice of what is happening around. Public is to be taught to react and you CHYK members can be catalytic agents, to excite, to set in motion a new movement. Try... it is very useful for the country, especially a democracy like ours.In yet another message to the Chyks, through his letter published in Chinmaya Sandesh, Pujya Gurudev exhorted the youth to forget their past, come out of their mental hang-ups and to gear themselves in order to face their living present, and build a glorious future. ‘Never remember your past. Do you know that you can psychologically be levered because if the past, if your childhood, remembrance if the childhood? Memory if the past is called 'habit'. You know how difficult it is to get out off habit. If all the past is remembered, you will not be able to go even one step forward. You'll be gazing only at the past and cannot take an interest in the present. Therefore, very kindly, nature has put a curtain on it, and we don't try to understand. Atman is eternal, surely, if the Light if Consciousness is Eternal; but what the mind is feeling at the given moment, that alone it can illumine. Atman does not know. Sun is not historian. Sun illumines; in the light if the sun, history was unraveled on the surface of the globe. In the light of the Atman, the Consciousness, all the past has been awared by me. At this moment, I am aware if only the present because Awareness Atman is illumining my mind, which is in the present. All the want is to look forward to fresh possibilities if the future and carve out if them, a greater satisfaction and a total fulfillment. So, don't think in terms of seeing the past. Many of us cannot even stand the past. It has become so awful, so gruesome. Just drop your past and keep moving ahead.. .boldly!' When one person asked in a Mysore Conference in the year 1989 that the co-education should discontinue for the Brahmachari and CHYK classes, Gurudev quipped without a pause- 'Our aim is to help people live in the world with all its attractions and problems. If we segregate them at Sandeepany what do we do when they go out into the field? Let us be practical. ' Most of the Chyks had day-to-day problems with their parents, since Chyks loved attending Study group classes, or participating in Missionary activities, but the parents were always insecure about their child's future, and would unnecessarily worry about their future. Many such Chyks would come and seek Gurudev's advice as to how to handle such emotionally sensitive and compelling circumstances at home. To one such youngster, Gurudev replied, 'First you learn, and then convert and explain it to your parents. Our parents had not got the chance that you are now having. Your parents gave you the body. But you brought your mind yourself to cultivate it and to grow within is your own responsibility. Recognise that their anxieties are out of their love and attachment. Respect them but chalk out your own life and learn to grow to be dynamic man of action and achievement. ' He further added, 'CHYKs are my young dynamic men and women who want to grow into their full mental stature. I have children telling me that 'I don't want to go to school because then I will have to give up playing with my toys at home.' We generally persuade and. if necessary, kick the child to go to school; the joys of playing with the toys are given up to reach out to a larger field of joy.' This happened in 1957, when Gurudev was going through the town of Madurai where K Shivashankar Menon was working as a superintendent in the Central Telegraph Office. Upon Menon's request. Gurudev came inside his office and sat for a while. His teenage daughter, who was with him at that time requested for Gurudev's message on her autograph book. On seeing in it, the signature of the famous wrestler, King Kong, Gurudev smiled and remarked: 10h dear, you have gone that far!' and quickly he added: 'My child, grow to become a King Kong in fighting all the inner weaknesses.' Jaya Neelakantan of Tirunelveli cherishes a letter of 1983 when Gurudev lovingly wrote, 'You be a good loving girl, cheerful at all time, kind to all, charitable with all things you possess, ever ready to help everyone around you. . . and then you are yourself a moving Chinmaya Mission.’ Congratulating Parul Seth of Mumbai, Sri Gurudev wrote. 'It is a great uplifting sense of joy and self-respect when with our own creative thought we produce wealth. I am all the more glad to note that the wealth so produced has been voluntarily surrendered for the benefit of the CHYK community. This is ideal socialism at work. All the members of the community would use their faculties for creating wealth joyfully and in the ecstasy of satisfaction, if that wealth is freely and readily offered for the welfare of the society that is socialism-in-action. This was the economics of the Vedic period onwards under the Hindu's unwritten constitution called Dharma. May you always learn to work together in a playful mood of relaxed joy without selfishness & ego. To Rama Arvind of Coimbatore, Gurudev's letter was full of assurance and love, which makes him feel Gurudev's lasting presence in and around him at all times, and especially before he takes the regular Chyk classes. Gurudev's words to him read as follows: 'Before the class, remember your Guru, surrender to him, and with confidence in yourself, start the class. Assure yourself that it is He who is taking the classes. Swamiji's message for Manish Khemlani was one of self-surrender and implicit faith in the hands of the Lord. Gurudev wrote, when you work in the world, let there be a sense of total surrender unto Him and in His Infinite Wisdom. 'Not Me, but Thou' must be your steady attitude. He, the mass of love, knows what each one must go through. Just as a doctor knows what each patient requires for his cure. We have no business either to feel despondent, nor feel pity. A doctor is never the cause of the disease; he is trying to cure the patients. Surrender to His wisdom & do what you can as His nurse in His hospital. Think over these ideas and discover your answers. To Vipul Khanna of Bombay, a birthday message from Gurudev couldn't have been better. In his letter, Gurudev wrote, 'You want a message for your May issue meant to commemorate my 75th Birthday. People celebrate my birthday as and when it is convenient. I am not a party to it! If such celebrations include resolutions to lift ourselves to a higher level, it would be more meaningful. Otherwise it becomes a mere ritual of cutting the cake or lighting the candle. Pramodini Chittaranjan was an anxious devotee, who sought Sri Gurudev's advice on how to be consistent and regular in her Sadhana. Answering her concern, Gurudev assured her of a phenomenal spiritual growth, provided she was slow, steady and patient. Gurudev's reply said, 'Spiritual growth is not sudden. If it is sudden like the Vigyan Bhawan Hall' that Delhi created for the UNESCO meeting, it will fall down 3 times! A fall in spiritual life is more painful and tragic then the tragedy of slow growth. Do not be impatient. Be steady and work on. ' Br. Prasiddha Chaitanya of Kerala wanted to dissociate from the Mission in pursuit of personal studies, wishing to learn from another Master. He sought permission from Gurudev for the same. In his candid and masterly reply, Gurudev wrote, you are welcome to go and seek more and more knowledge. We have never chained anybody to the mission. But, an organisation has its laws and policies. Chinmaya Mission will never accept you back to serve under our umbrella. I was very happy with your loyal dedicated Seva at Ottapalam. I don't want you to come back and serve Chinmaya Mission with your mind split between two Gurus. Be there and work hard to bring about Hindu awareness among the people who will reach your talks. I wish you all success. ' A female devotee of Sri Gurudev was about to get married. She wrote to him, seeking his blessings and advice on how she should excel in her new role as a wife. Pujya Gurudev's in depth analysis of a house-holder's life is evident from the deep impacting message which he wrote to her 'I will tell you the secret to ensure success of your marriage. Decide this from now only - I would not have any demand from the other. I would give as much as I can even feel as it hurts me. The lady is one who has to sacrifice more to ensure that you console & comfort him & rest him, when he comes back from the office tired, Fatigued and totally exhausted, having faced the world for the whole day. Pump all your love into him so that he would be able to face the world next day with self-respect. This would help encourage him to keep the home running. Don't ask for even an iota from him. Ask nothing of him. Give, give and give. Learn to give and thus conquer him to such an extent that he would happily take you on his shoulders. Life is full of ups and downs. But when a husband and a wife are mentally turned up harmoniously, the ups and downs get smoothened and melody flows out of their lives. Unlike the foreigners, we don't change our partners. Once wedded, we are wedded for life. The glory is in ensuring the success of the marriage despite the differences; and the secret for this is to give and only give.' In an interview; when Pujya Gurudev was asked about the secret of his splendid success in Missionary work, he replied, 'Many, many confirmed failures in life became positively successful. People that lacked concentration got a lot of tips for improvement and they did improve. Many workers in the organisation have grown to wield big responsibilities with efficiency and ease. Considering all this, I may say that my work is, in a way successful. But from my own standpoint, the question means little to me. As a Sadhu, it is my Dharma to teach. My Guru was teaching all through his life, the Geeta, the Upanishads and the other books. Similarly I too teach what I have learnt, I don't consider my work a "success" or "failure". I teach and I am happy. If my preaching work is considered successful, it may be due to these reasons. One thing, there is a genuine demand in the Hindu society for such work. Otherwise, such consistent and widespread enthusiasm on the part of the people will not be there. The other reason is, perhaps, my own Tapas. As I was learning, I always strove to find means of expression in order to share my knowledge with others. More than all these, there is the Ishwara Kripa. Everyday, I am seeing it more and more vividly. ' We were free. And were coming along, happy and cheerful, completely relaxed, joyously along the sidewalks of the downtown. Then suddenly a thought came to us (sankalpa) that we would be happier if we go to the movie. Standing in the queue, slowly we crawled up, purchased the ticket, reached the entrance into the 'dark-hall'. ID showed our ticket and a guide with a thin pencil of light, just at our next step, guided us to our own chosen seat. When we sat there together suffering the high-turbaned-Sardarji in front, crawling children, shooshooing parents, in that totally dark-ignorance around, we gazed on the limited I screen where the shadows moving about were by us interpreted as a revealing story. Suffering the inconveniences, cursing the story, laughing and weeping we 'enjoyed' the movie forgetting completely the 'world-wide-open’ from where we had come. Without this total forgetting of the outer world one can never enjoy the movie!!!! At any time you have the freedom to get up and walk out, wading through the darkness, stumbling at every step, slowly... slowly rising from the pit to the top exit door. Perhaps you will not even have to open it, because, the man who is guarding it will open it for you to get rid of you. …yet, go you will not! We curse the movie, we curse our circumstances and environment - the discomforts of the chair where, perhaps, the spring is coming through and piercing our bottom... the stamped of the children ... the general polluted atmosphere - all these we suffer every moment we hope that something better will come on the screen, whose shadows are constantly disturbing the 'brilliant light'. Amma, get out into That from which you came to reach this movie house. R. Sukavanam has also been a strong pillar of the Chyk movement in Bangalore, where he served as Chyk secretary for a long period. Presently he is the coordinator for the Geeta Chanting competitions at the international level. Sukavanam recalls Pujya Gurudev's managerial qualities of delegating work to everyone and yet, his ability to supervise and guide them to work efficiently and produce the desired results. Gurudev's emphasis was on external development through selfless service and internal development through selfstudy. He was deeply influenced by Pujya Gurudev's ability to work tirelessly and yet express his love so uncompromisingly. Despite his ailing health and increasing work, Gurudev's smile never faded, his love never ceased to flow and his sense of gratitude towards the Lord never shied away. It was in Manglore, during his yajna in Feb '88 that Gurudev mentioned about the Almighty's grace in everything we encounter. Though all the devotees were aware of Gurudev's pain in his legs, few might have heard what he said about it. 'Look! The Lord is so extremely merciful that He has given me the most inconvenient pain i.e., in the legs. If it were to be in any other part of my body, I would have been forced to stop my work. Not now. I can just hang my legs down and talk to you all and do my work.' S. Harishyam of Chennai, who has been with the CHYK and Mission for a long time now; found Pujya Gurudev's inspiring quotations as the foundation stones of his personal life. He learnt from Gurudev, the excellent style of managing people wherein Swamiji would say, 'In life, to handle yourself, use your head. But to handle others, use your heart. To manage yourself, be critical of your own actions, but when it comes to managing others, be critical … but cushion your words and attitudes with love. Love is greatest persuasive power we know in life.' Harishyam is presently an executive committee member at Chinmaya Mission Chennai.
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