november 2008 annual subscription rs. 60 - swaminarayan › publications › magazine › bliss ›...

November 2008 Annual Subscription Rs. 60

Pramukh Swami Maharaj in Ahmedabad, September 2008

Founder: HDH Pramukh Swami MaharajEditor: Sadhu SwayamprakashdasContributors: Sadhu Vivekjivandas, Sadhu AmrutvijaydasDesigner: Sadhu ShrijiswarupdasPublished & Printed by: Swaminarayan Aksharpith,Shahibaug, Ahmedabad–380 004. India.

SUBSCRIPTION RATESOutside India (By Air Mail) India

Rupees Pounds US Dollars Rupees1 Year 400 6 10 602 Years 800 12 20 1103 Years 1200 18 30 160

November 2008, Vol. 31 No. 11

FIRST WORDCONTENTS1. Swaminarayan History

A Proposal to Build a Mandir ..............4The British invite Shri Hari to Ahmedabad...

2. On LifeWhat’s in a Name...? ............................7What one values most...

3. Personality DevelopmentStep-by-Step or Giant Leaps? ...............9The best way to improve?...

4. Bhajan HistoryNirvikalp Uttam Ati NischayTav Ghanshyam... ...............................11

5. On LifeAim for Success ..................................13Setting life’s targets...

6. DiscoursesIgniting the Light Within ...................15

7. BAPS NewsEurope Karyakar Milan 2008,Engelberg, Switzerland ......................17Family Activity Centre Opens atthe BAPS Shri SwaminarayanMandir, Lilburn, GA............................17Open House London...........................18National Vidyarthi Shibir, London .....19All-India Karyakar Adhiveshan, Bochasan & Ahmedabad ....................19Swaminarayan Akshardham: GuinnessWorld Records ....................................20Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s88th Birthday Celebration .................22

Diwali and New Year celebrations are thecrown of all festivals in the Hindu calendar.They not only usher in a spirit of joy, divinity,love and celebration but instil a new zest forsuccess and transformation in life. Both festi-vals empower us with spirituality; awakeningall that is positive and good within.

Amidst all our daily burdens and responsi-bilities it is important to be optimistic. Opti-mistic people have more chances to succeedand be happy not only because they believethat things will turn out right, but becausetheir positive thoughts make them strive hard-er and be mentally accommodative.

Another aspect of today’s life is that our ener-gies are dispersed in too many things, some ofwhich are unnecessary, wasteful and harmful.The result is that we fail to be outstanding inanything. We need to decide and learn to con-centrate on a definite aim, purpose or visionthat is important in achieving something sub-stantial in life.

The third element for upgrading ourselves isthe willingness to work hard. We should buoy ourminds for hard work. Through hard work oneacquires not only outward success but one learnsabout oneself that which idleness never reveals.

The fourth point is discipline. Without disci-pline we cannot hope to achieve enduringhappiness and joy.

And lastly, faith in God is the panacea of allour ills and the source of eternal bliss.

May Diwali and New Year celebrations helpkick-start a higher and happier life.

A Happy Diwali and New Year! ◆

Website: www.swaminarayan.orgE-mail: [email protected]

4 Swaminarayan Bliss ◆ November 2008

Motera had become a holy place dueto Maharaj’s association. Purushot-tamdas Patel and Bhudardas Patel,

the local devotees, welcomed and honouredShri Hari on his arrival. They offered a feast forMaharaj and his entire entourage. ThereafterMaharaj proceeded ahead towards the riverSabarmati that flowed on the outskirts ofAhmedabad. On seeing its clean waters Maharajexpressed a wish to have a bath. He got off hismare, Manki, and advised all, “Look, the riverhas deep currents in the middle, producingeddies. Don’t swim that far. Only those who canswim should enter the waters while the rest canbathe by the banks.” Then Shri Hari entered thewater and swam to the deep middle part of theriver in spite of everyone having told him not todo so. Then Maharaj went under water. Every-one held their breaths anxiously. Some startedchanting dhun for his safe emergence. WhenMaharaj broke the surface all breathed a sigh of

relief. Shri Hari said, “One who is drowning willdrown another, but one who can swim will saveanother.” A sadhu replied, “But an eddy pulls ineven the best of swimmers.” Maharaj smiledand added, “Through my association even aneddy gives up its deathly swirls and becomesnormal.” Then Maharaj explained, “A tornadoasked someone, ‘Have you seen the wind?’ Patcame the reply, ‘Give up your swirls and youwill become the wind.’ Similarly, because of aturbulent nature the wind becomes a tornadoand water becomes an eddy.” Shri Hari’s tellingwords oozed with wisdom.

It was dusk when Maharaj arrived at the cityof Srinagar (Ahmedabad). He was festivallywelcomed by Mr. Heron, the British administra-tor, his officers, and the local devotees and citi-zens. Maharaj met Mr. Heron. He doffed hishat and offered namaskar. Then he shook handswith Shri Hari and welcomed him spoke in bro-ken Hindi, “Please stay here and make amandir. You have chosen the land next to

SWAMINARAYAN HISTORY: TRANSLATION: SADHU VIVEKJIVANDAS

Shri Hari arrives in Ahmedabad amidst a warm

welcome by the British administrator,

Mr. Heron, his officials, and the

local devotees and citizens.

Mr Heron requests him to stay and

build a mandir...

Navavas, for which your disciples have madethe required application procedures. I havealready sent the papers with my recommenda-tion to London. Once the approval arrives I willgive you the land with its official documents.”Shri Hari was pleased with him, and blessedhim with garland. Thereafter Mr. Heron and hisofficers departed.

Shri Hari entered the city through the Delhigate. What a grand joyous welcome it was. Hehad not visited Ahmedabad since the day theSuba had ordered him out ten years ago. Thedevotees were simply overwhelmed at Maharaj’sarrival. The streets were clean and decorated inhis honour. The English band marched andplayed a string of welcome tunes. Severalgroups of musicians sang and played the cym-bals and dhols heralding Shri Hari’s arrival. Thesadhus too sang bhajans. At intervals the loudproclamations of ‘Swaminarayan’ rent the air.All this arrested the attention of residents andpassersby. Many came out onto their galleriesand verandahs to see the divine spectacle. Thedevout showered flowers to honour Maharaj.The procession arrived at Manek Chowk by themansion of Himabhai Sheth. His mother andfamily members honoured Maharaj by shower-ing gold and silver flowers. They felt blessed byMaharaj’s darshan.

Soon the procession terminated and ShriHari arrived at Navavas. Here he sat on a seatarranged beneath a neem tree in an openground. Maharaj talked about the annakut fes-tival that he had celebrated at Adaraj. Then headded, “Tomorrow is Praboodhini ekadashi. It isalso the birthday of my father, Dharmadev. Thustomorrow is a sacred day. Everyone shallobserve a waterless fast. To restrain our fivesenses from their respective ‘foods’ is theessence of the ekadashi celebration. Thereforeall should observe it with faith and devotion.”Everyone agreed to abide by Shri Hari’s com-mand.

The next day Maharaj saw the plot of land

for the proposed mandir. He called Kubersinhand told him, “We want to also acquire theopen land around this proposed mandir plot.Make a further application for it and the obtainthe necessary documents thereafter.”

Kubersinh informed, “My younger brother,Nanabhai, was thinking similarly to what you’vesaid.” Maharaj called for Nanabhai and blessedhim with a garland round his neck and said,“Once the land officially becomes ours firstconstruct residential quarters for the sadhus.”Then Maharaj showed him the extra land hedesired to have and said, “Make the documentson my name.”

Shri Hari then visited and sanctified thehomes. Motiram the sentry told Maharaj, “Mr.Heron has great respect and admiration for you.He wishes to invite you to his residence. At yourconsent I shall inform him.”

Maharaj told Motiram to do so.Mr. Heron had made all the arrangements

for Shri Hari’s arrival. He sent his men to escortShriji Maharaj, Muktanand Swami, NityanandSwami, Brahmanand Swami, AnandanandSwami, and devotees: Nanabhai, KubersinhChopdar, Hirachand Choksi, Damodar Patel,Prananath Shukla, Narbheram Shastri, DahaKhachar, Sura Khachar, Somla Khachar, VastaKhachar, Amra Khachar and others. ShrijiMaharaj rode on his Manki and the devoteeswere astride on their horses. The sadhus werewalking ahead singing bhajans while manydevotees were following at the rear of the groupsinging the Swaminarayan dhun. The residenceof Mr. Heron was by the Three Gates (Teen Dar-waja). On arriving there they were led to Mr.Heron. Mr. Heron held Maharaj’s hand and ledhim to an ornate chair. After exchanging formal-ities and courtesies Maharaj stated, “God ispleased upon one who has morality in life. Onewho abides by dharma in his administrativeduties and in life becomes ever victorious andsuccessful. But when one transgresses dharmaone loses one’s wisdom and becomes socially

November 2008 ◆ Swaminarayan Bliss 5


devastated.” Then Maharaj added, “I like theopen space near Navavas and we have as yet toapply for it.” Mr. Heron happily gave his con-sent and garlanded Shri Hari. Then he offeredbaskets of paan, cloves, cardamom and expen-sive cloth to Maharaj. He then applied perfumeon Shri Hari’s hand and offered an expensiveshawl. Mr. Heron also offered a shawl to Muk-tanand Swami and expensive cloths to sadhus.Then he briefly conversed with the Kathi dar-bars.

As Shri Hari was about to depart Mr. Heronfolded his hands in respect and farewell.Maharaj told Muktanand Swami, “Ten years agothe Peshwa’s Suba had conspired to kill me inthis very place. And today, the English ruler hashonoured and welcomed us. People recognizegreat holy men through their sanskars, regard-less of whether they are English or Hindus.” Mr.Heron added, “What you said was true. A king-dom is destroyed by flouting morality or dhar-ma. Bless me that my mind does not becomecorrupt and base.” Shri Hari blessed him andreturned to his residence.

Maharaj stayed in Ahmedabad for fifteendays. The highlight of his stay was the launch-ing of the mandir project. On the day thatMaharaj was to depart Nathu Bhatt came andprayed, “Maharaj you have sanctified everyone’shomes but I was left out. Do come and bless myhome.” Shri Hari agreed immediately and toldhim to call Damodarbhai, a sincere devotee, athis home. When Maharaj arrived Nathu Bhattworshipped him and offered clothes, a pagh anddonations in cash. Maharaj was aware ofNathubhai’s poverty and meagre means, so hestated, “It seems that lakshami (wealth) hasbeen generous upon you without my consent!”Nathu Bhatt simply broke into a smile andreplied, “Maharaj, lakshami is your servant. Shewould never bless anyone with riches withoutyour command. Whatever that I’ve offered isnot mine, but someone else’s. I subsist by beg-ging.”

“Then on whose behalf have you offered allthis?” Maharaj enquired.

“Maharaj, it all belongs to the widow of Mr.Parekh – the latter was a renowned wealthyperson of Ahmedabad and Vadodara. She is aVaishnav by faith. And through the discourses ofAjubhai, a devotee who lives at Karali nearVadodara, she became a satsangi. All this is hasbeen offered by her.” The widow, who was pre-sent at Nathubhai’s home, called Nathu Bhattand gave a necklace studded with gems, a coat,surwal, red rento, shawl and other things forMaharaj. Nathu Bhatt offered them all toMaharaj, then smeared chandan on Maharaj’sfeet and on the forehead of all sadhus. Then hegave each sadhu a dhotiyu. Shri Hari waspleased with the widow’s devotion.

Shri Hari told Nathu Bhatt, “You have beenserving me a lot. Even today you have broughta lot of gifts. But you have not been able torealize my true form.”

Nathu Bhatt was a little puzzled as to whatMaharaj was saying to him. He asked, “Maharaj,I am unable to understand what’ve said. I dodeeply believe that you are God.”

“Then why did you slap Damodar after whathe had said?” Maharaj asked.

Nathu Bhatt recalled the incident and clari-fied, “Damodar has no intelligence. He does notunderstand the words of the shastras. Once hetold me, ‘Maharaj is supreme God and the causeof all avatars. Rama, Krishna and other avatarsare born from Maharaj’s divine form and finallythey all merge into him. By saying such thingsthat are against the shastras reflect badly uponyou and our sampraday. Ever since the day Islapped him he has stopped talking in such amanner.”

(To be contd.)

◆

Translation from Bhagwan Swaminarayan

by H.T. Dave


What Are You

Really Seeing?

We humans area self-centered

race.

Wesee ourselvesin everything.

Andwe make the

world over in ourimage.

The fact that your mindis capable of taking acircle, two dots and aline and turning theminto a face is nothing

short of incredible!

If you think about whatthe illustration is tryingto say – it is quite

amazing. Given a crude circle and afew lines, we identify ourselves. In

fact, our minds won’t let us see any-thing there but a face. We are so con-ditioned to this that we see ourselvesin everything – even an electricaloutlet! Our ego and mind are thispowerful. Since all of humanityseems to have this flaw it affects soci-ety itself. We spend millions of dollarson ourselves, indulging in cosmeticsurgery to that ab-roller machine thatcollects dust under our beds. In fact,this force is so strong that it affectseven the so-called logical and unbi-ased realm of science. For how manyyears did the European scientificcommunity believe that the Earth wasthe centre of the universe? In retro-spect it seems silly, however backthen man saw himself in everythingand thus considered himself to be ofutmost importance so it made sensethat the entire cosmos should centrearound him. Thus, we can see thatman holds his body in great impor-tance.

Scientific studies by distinguishedscientists from reputed universitieshave shown that people have strongaffinity for their names and many of

But still moreincredible is the factthat you cannot avoidseeing a face here.Your mind won’t

Let you!

ON LIFE: BAPS YOUTHS, USA

What’ s in a Name...?What do people think

about and value the most?

What are the

consequences of this?


their major life decisions are influenced by theirnames.

Professor Brett Pelham and others at theState University of New York at Buffaloanalysed millions of American census and socialsecurity records and discovered that there was astatistically significant higher proportion of peo-ple called Charles in St. Charles, Thomas in St.Thomas, Helen in St. Helens, and so on. Theresearch team found that this was not becauseparents named their children after their place ofbirth, but that it was due to people migratingto places featuring their own name.

Another study by Pelham and his associates,in which they scrutinized 15,000 marriagerecords from between 1823 and 1965, showedthat people were more likely to marry partnerswith the same first letter of their family namethan expected.

Pelham and his team also found a relation-ship between names and occupations. A surveyof the online records of the American DentalAssociation and American Bar Associationrevealed that the names of dentists were morelikely to begin with ‘Den’ than Law’ and that thenames of lawyers were more likely to beginwith ‘Law’ than ‘Den’. A survey of the hardwarestores and roofing companies in America’s 20largest cities showed that the surnames of hard-ware store owners was more likely to beginwith ‘H’, while those of roofing company own-ers was more likely to begin with ‘R’.

This research supported a similar list collect-ed in the late 1990s by the New Scientist maga-zine from their readers. That list included musicteachers named Miss Beat and Miss Sharp;British Meteorological Office staff called Flood,Frost, Thundercliffe and Weatherall; a firm oflawyers called Lawless & Lynch, private detec-tives named Wyre & Tapping; and the head of apsychiatric hospital called Mr. McNutt.

Professor Pelham and his colleagues pub-lished a paper entitled ‘Why Susie SellsSeashells by the Seashore: Implicit Egotism and

Major Life Decisions’, in which they concludedthat these observations should not surprise assince they ‘ merely consist of being attracted tothat which reminds us of the one person mostof us love so most dearly.’

This feeling however does not stop with justthe body. This narcissistic love affair of the selfextends to groups as well. When we watch asporting event we all cheer for the home team.They represent us; we love ourselves and seeourselves everywhere; so we cheer our hometeam which represents us to win. If someonefrom our hometown were to compete in anycompetition it is natural to root for them,because we see our town winning and in turnwe see ourselves win. Thus, we can see thatman holds his home-town in great importance.

This feeling can be extended even further.When we watch the Olympics do we root forsome nation we have never heard of before?No. We root for our nation. When our flag ishoisted and our national anthem is played, wefeel proud. We can also see that man holds hisnation in great importance.

Gunatitanand Swami knew of this and inone of his talks he has said, “Potpotãno deh sãrolãge, gãm sãru lãge, desh sãro lãge, e to daivnimãyãnu bal chhe” (Swamini Vato: 5-323).Meaning: “Everyone feels that their own body,village and country is good. This is due to thepower of God’s maya.”

Thus, all these examples illustrate thatthroughout life, man is, consciously or uncon-sciously, preoccupied with thoughts of himself.This is the major reason for all conflicts, so byovercoming one’s self-centred approach to life,peace and happiness can be experienced.

◆


Dilip: Hey Jayesh! How come you’re justsitting there doing nothing?

Jayesh: That’s what it might look like toyou . . .but I’m thinking.

Dilip: That’s a change from the Jayesh Iknow. Since when did you . . .

Jayesh: OK, OK, cut the smart lines. I wasdreaming of a really great invention. I have anidea that could make cars run on water, savebillions of dollars and get me the Nobel prize.

Dilip: Sure, and probably win you free piz-zas for a lifetime too. Why not do somethingmore productive than just dreaming . . . . Ifyou’re good at inventing, try making something.

Jayesh: Look, to get ahead and to help civi-lization progress, you have to have great inven-tors like me who dream of really great leaps inscience. Don’t make fun of me!

Dilip: I’m not making fun of you. But I dothink that making small improvements to thetechnology we have can be more useful thandreaming about huge quantum jumps.

Jayesh: If everyone was as unhelpful asyou, we’d never have invented the wheel orfire!

Dilip: Well, for one, the wheel’s design waspossibly more of nature’s indication than justman’s effort. And fire, obviously, is not aninvention – we got it from lightening and volca-noes and learnt to control it. Inventions areoften more of a learning from what alreadyexists, than truly creating something new.

Jayesh: So are you saying that all inventionand innovation is a sham?

Dilip: No, but I am saying that improve-ment is more important than invention.

Jayesh: Hah! I disagree. Where would theworld be without innovation and invention.Look at the car you drive – GM would neverhave been able to make the Saturn series if theyhad just tried improvements on their Buicks andCadillacs.

Dilip: And you would not be driving aroundin your Toyota Corolla E140 without their phi-losophy of constant improvement. Do you knowthat Toyota has been improving the Corollasince the 1960s and it’s the largest selling car inthe world?

Jayesh: Of course I know – that’s why Ibought it. But what’s this constant improve-ment?

PERSONALITY DEVELOPMENT: RITESH GADHIA


Dilip: Toyota has been practicing ‘kaizen’for decades now – that’s Japanese for continu-ous improvement. So without the smallimprovements that add up to huge changes, theCorolla would not be here today.

Jayesh: But without out-of-the-box think-ing, we wouldn’t have the lightbulb and thetelephone either. And without someone to thinkof a radical notion like a horseless carriage, youwouldn’t have cars at all. So there!

Dilip: That’s true, I have to accept. But ifyou didn’t have kaizen, the Tata Nano wouldstill be a dream. . . they took everything that amodern car is made of, and re-engineered it tobe cheaper and smaller while still remainingstrong and efficient.

Jayesh: So I guess it depends on each com-pany – whether they want to concentrate moreon continuous improvement or on innovationand inventions.

Dilip: True. And the same principle appliesto individuals too. You can choose to constantlyimprove yourself – and at the same time changeyourself in many ways for the better with largejumps, which you’d label as ‘great leaps.’

Jayesh: What do you mean by great leapsin changing yourself?

Dilip: Well, let’s say there’s this really heavyguy who wants to reduce his weight. Should hego on a crash diet or reduce his food portionsslowly, over a few months?

Jayesh: I don’t know. He should decide,depending on whichever is more comfortablefor him.

Dilip: Yeah, I think the same too. It dependson each individual, or even each company.There’s no single correct answer, so you have toselect the option that suits you best and whichyou will be able to follow for a longer time togive you the best results. It’s like deciding whenyou’re in a hurry: should you walk or run? Itdepends on how far you have to go, how soonyou need to reach, and your own capacity torun!

Jayesh: Hey, that reminds me of that spe-cial session we had at the yuvak shibir in themandir last month – about Anthony Robbins’CANI – Constant And Never-Ending Improve-ment. The Swami who gave that talk spokeabout walking and running too.

Dilip: Yes of course, the Swami explainedthat really well, saying that we could use theseprinciples in our professional and personal livesto constantly improve ourselves and lead happi-er lives. We have to select which steps to priori-tize and deal with first, which ones to walk forand which ones to run with... and that dependson each one of us.

Jayesh: So we do a ‘kaizen plus big leaps’programme individually in satsang and in ourlives? Decide on running or walking for eachchange that we want to make?

Dilip: Correct. It’s like this, there are advan-tages both in innovation and in kaizen. For acompany like Toyota or Tata, they might preferto use kaizen principles for their spare partsmanagement, but they would still depend oninnovation and open-ended creativity for newdesigns for the next generation of vehicles.

Jayesh: And we can apply the same princi-ples to our personal improvement in satsang?

Dilip: Right, improvement in satsang is likea personal kaizen – a CANI for the soul, so tospeak. Certain things need huge leaps – likequitting an addiction. And other things, likecontrolling anger, need to be worked on slowly,everyday, bit by bit.

Jayesh: So I could still have huge improve-ments and quantum jumps – like changing mydiet for the better from today... though reducingmy anger or other traits will take some moretime.

Dilip: Now you’ve got it. Decide on theright combination for you, and keep going at it– pray for the strength to keep pursuing thechanges, because change is never easy.

◆

At the loving insistence of the devoteesof Surat, and in particular, Shri Arde-shar Kotwal, Shriji Maharaj had

accepted their invitation to visit Surat. Maharajarrived on Kartik vad 7 Samvat 1887 (7 Novem-ber 1830). He stayed for nine days and duringthis time, Maharaj and the accompanying sad-hus and devotees stayed at Lalkrishna Vadi.

One day, Shriji Maharaj was returning froma visit to Ardeshar Kotwal’s bungalow. The pro-cession of sadhus and devotees were walkingtowards the Vadi. On the way, PremanandSwami and other sadhus were singing bhajans.Suddenly Premanand Swami’s musically tunedears noted a melodious sound in the vicinity. Heturned his ears to the music and his mindbecame focused on it. Gradually, without himrealizing it, he slowed and fell behind thegroup. Shriji Maharaj’s sharp observation notedthat Premanand Swami had been left behind.So, he turned his mare, Manki, and rode up to

him. Sweetly rebuking Premanand Swami,Maharaj said, “Swami, why have you fallenbehind?”

Embarrassed by his lapse, Premanand Swamiasked for Maharaj’s pardon. Maharaj pulled thereins, and said, “You should have control overmusic and music should not gain control overyou.” Premanand Swami rejoined the proces-sion and everyone arrived at the Vadi.

Later, Maharaj called Premanand Swami andtold him, “Man’s nature will take him any-where. The art of music is great, but it is of useonly when used for pleasing God. But when it isused as a form of mere worldly entertainment,it is of no lasting value. Such worldly music is ahindrance even to sadhus. Since you weredrawn by the sound of such music, as atone-ment you should observe the chandrayan fast.”

Premanand Swami accepted Maharaj’s com-mand and left. The next morning PremanandSwami approached Muktanand Swami andasked him, “Please state all the major featuresof ekantik dharma, so that I never again lapsein observing Maharaj’s wish.” For two days,Muktanand Swami talked to Premanand Swami.On the third day, Premanand Swami composeda prayer in Hindi incorporating the salientpoints he had learnt from Muktanand Swami.On the fourth day, Premanand Swami sang theprayer before Shriji Maharaj.

“Nirvikalp uttam ati nishchay tav Ghan-shyam;

Mãhãtmyajnãnyukta bhakti tav, ekantiksukhdhãm...”

As he sang each couplet, Premanand Swamiprostrated to Maharaj. In this way, he sang all


Nirvikalp Uttam Ati NischayTav Ghanshyam...

BHAJAN HISTORY: TRANSLATION: SADHU AMRUTVIJAYDAS


12 couplets and prostrated each time. Maharajlistened with total concentration and blessedhim at the end.

That evening, after the arti and dhun hadbeen sung, Maharaj had Premanand Swami’snew prayer sung. Then he instructed, “Fromtoday this new prayer should be sung daily afterthe evening arti.”

The words of this famous prayer composedby Premanand Swami are as follows:

Nirvikalp uttam ati, nischay tav Ghanshyãm;Mãhãtmyajnãyukta bhakti tav, ekãntik sukhdhãm...1

Mohime tav bhaktapano, tãme koi prakãr;Dosh na rahe koi jãtko, suniyo Dharmakumãr...2

Tumhãro tav haribhaktako, dhroh kabu nahi hoy;Ekãntik tav dãsko, dije samãgam moy...3

Nãth nirantar darsh tav, tav dãsanko dãs;Ehi mãgu kari vinay Hari, sadã rãkhiyo pãs...4

He Krupãlo! He Bhaktapate! Bhaktavatsal! Suno bãt;Dayãsindho! Stavan kari, mãgu vastu sãt...5

Sahajãnand Mahãrãjke, sab satsangi sujãn;Tãku hoy dradh vartano, Shikshãpatri pramãn...6

So Patrime atibade, niyam ekãdash joy;Tãki vigati karat hu, suniyo sab chitt proy...7

Himsã na karni jantuki, partriya sangko tyãg;Mãns na khãvat madhyaku, pivat nahi badbhãg...8

Vidhvãku sparshat nahi, karat na ãtmaghat;Chori na karni kãhuki, kalank ka koiku shragãt...9

Nindat nahi koy devku, bin khapto nahi khãt;Vimukh jivake vadanse, kathã suni nahi jãt...10

Ehi dharmake niyam me, barto sab Haridãs;Bhajo Shri Sahajãnandpad, chhodi aur sab ãs...11

Rhi ekãdash niyam me, karo Shri Haripad prit;Premãnand kahe dhãmame, jão nishank jag jit...12

MeaningO Maharaj!

Please grant me the highest level of faith inyour divine form; may I develop unparalleleddevotion towards you, together with knowledgeof your glory (1).

O Maharaj! May I never perceive any faultsin your devotees (2).

May I never malign you or your devotees.Please forever grant me the company of yourspiritually enlightened devotee (3).

O Maharaj! Please always grace me withyour darshan and the darshan of your devotees.Please always keep me with you; that is myearnest request (4).

O Maharaj! You are merciful and compas-sionate; you are the master and succour of yourdevotees. Please grant me the seven requestsabove (5).

Listen, all devotees, to the codes of conductSahajanand Swami Maharaj has prescribed inthe Shikshapatri and sincerely observe them(6).

In the Shikshapatri, eleven main codes ofconduct are described. I will give you theirdetails, so listen with attention (7).

Never harm any living being, do not associ-ate with women not closely related to you; donot eat meat or drink intoxicating beverages(8).

Do not associate with widows, do not com-mit suicide; do not steal, do not falsely blameanyone (9).

Do not insult any deities, do not eat foodprepared by inappropriate people, do not listento discourses by those who are vimukh (10).

These codes of conduct should be observedby all devotees, sadhus and householders; wor-ship Shri Sahajanand Swami, forsaking all otherwishes (11).

Live by these eleven codes and please ShriHari. Thus, says Premanand, you will, without adoubt, overcome worldly desires and attainAkshardham (12).

◆

Ready…set…aim!Perhaps you have played darts. The game is

simple: throw the dart and hit the target. Ofcourse, like most things in life, it is easiersaid than done. Although hitting anypart of the dartboard will gain points,those with a thirst for winningalways aim for the centre.

In life, we follow a similar behav-ioural pattern. We aim our darts hoping forsuccess in our education, career, or family life.Unconsciously, we set goals daily, even if theyare as small as getting to a meeting on time. Weare constantly setting aims and following upwith methods of execution. We are all well-versed in why we should set aims. What wehaven’t yet figured out is how we should aim.

Michelangelo, the famous Italian sculptor,states the answer most eloquently: “The greaterdanger for most of us lies not in setting our aimtoo high and falling short; but in setting ouraim too low, and achieving our mark.”

If our aim in life is to simply breathe in andout then we’ve done a great job. Simply wanti-ng to breathe is like aiming the dart toward theouter rim of the dartboard. It requires less con-centration and the chances of success are muchgreater. But, aiming for what is easiest, quick-est, and least problematic is not always wisest.In our rapidly developing society, we are sur-rounded with many tools to make achieving ouraims more convenient. So why should we aim

any higher if we can meet a mini-mum requirement for achieving these

aims?. We know there are real rewards for

being at ‘the top’. As stated by bestsellingauthor and marketing expert, Seth Godin, in hisbook The Dip, our culture celebrates superstars.Winners win big, regardless of whether it’sresumes, college applications, best-sellingrecords, and anything in between. People sim-ply don’t have a lot of time or opportunity intoday’s society to experiment so we intentional-ly limit our choices to those items that are thebest.

In a world that is driven by success, beingmediocre is not an option.

Why ‘World’s Best’?The concept of ‘World’s Best’ can be difficult

to grasp. After all, there are a lot of people inthis world. How can I be better than 6.7 billionpeople? And isn’t it egotistical to want to bethe best? Don’t we hear in our Sunday assem-blies that we must be humble in life?

Godin defines ‘Best’ as: best for a particularperson (you) at a particular time (right now) ,based on what the individual believes andknows. And ‘World’ is defined as: the individ-


ON LIFE: BAPS YOUTHS, USA


ual’s world, the world she has access to. So thisdoes not mean being better than 6.7 billion peo-ple at any given point in time, but rather to bethe best in the smaller microcosm within whichwe are striving to be ‘World’s Best’.

Pujya Doctor Swami is a proponent of aim-ing to be the World’s Best and drives this pointhome by taking it to the deeper level of our per-sonal satsang and spirituality. He says that itstarts with perfecting our daily lives, whetherwe are taking a shower, brushing our teeth,wearing shoes, or eating meals. Each activity inour daily lives should be carried out with per-fect technique and discipline. Only then can bewe become the world’s best. Aiming highbegins bottom-up. And when you think about itlike that, it doesn’t seem so impossible. Becauseaiming high in the modest details of our life,which when perfected and then summed up,helps us achieve our final goal of becoming‘World’s Best’.

Success is RelativeSo who’s to say what is mediocre and what

is excellent?The answer: each individual. One person’s

definition of success does not necessarily haveto be another’s. For example, a dabbawalla is aperson who carries and delivers freshly madefood. It is actually a specialized trade that is acentury old in Mumbai, India.

In 1968, The Nutan Mumbai Tiffin Box Sup-pliers Association was formally established. Thetask for the NMTBSA is simple: pick up anddeliver freshly made food. However, the NMTB-SA have refused to aim for mediocrity. Theycomplete over 400,000 transactions every day.Even during the harsh summer monsoons, theservice is maintained uninterrupted. Their effi-ciency and success has won them numerousawards and acclaim. Top business schools andcorporations use the NMTBSA in their casestudies to train their students and employees.They have even been mentioned in the Guinness

World Records. To many, a tiffin delivery servicecan appear basic and fundamental. However,NMTBSA has defined their level of success andin turn have established what they deem asmediocre and excellent.

Swamishri: An Ideal ExampleTo find out how aiming high can lead to

excellence, we merely have to look to ourbeloved Swamishri, whose very life symbolizesperfection. Swamishri sets high goals for ourSatsang and for each of us individually. Twentyyears ago, no one would have dreamed thatAkshardham would stand so majestically on thebanks of the Yamuna River, or that there wouldbe six shikharbaddh mandirs outside India. YetSwamishri’s far-reaching vision inspired all of usto dream big and act big. He truly is the idealrole model for us.

ConclusionSo, how should one aim? Aiming for success

differs from person to person. We are differentfrom one another in ideas and interests; conse-quently, it is natural that our definitions of suc-cess will also vary. Winning an Olympic medalor climbing Mt. Everest is not everyone’s dream.Aiming for success comes down to setting highpersonal goals, then doing your best to achievethem and realizing that your best is alwaysgood enough. Having role models and learningfrom those around you is vital. But relying com-pletely on someone else’s standards to definewhat ‘your best’ is will never bring satisfaction.And once we begin applying this mind-set in allaspects of our life – school, career, family, sat-sang – then we just might be able to calibrateour dart to aim for the centre of the dartboard.

◆


Shastriji Maharaj acquired this placeand built a mandir based upon our(Akshar-Purushottam) philosophy, thus

proclaiming the glory of Gunatitanand Swami.In this Akshar Mandir, the Akshar Deri is espe-cially sacred. Yogiji Maharaj stayed here formany years. He frequently toured throughoutGujarat, but spent most of his time here – justlike Maharaj toured and would return to Gad-hada.

Yogiji Maharaj had great affinity and affec-tion for Akshar Deri. He blessed that the wishesof all who pray here would be fulfilled and theywould benefit. He used to perform the (annual)Chopda Pujan here.

We make many mistakes in our lives. If weclose the books we keep on other people’sfaults, then our own inner darkness will disap-pear. If everyone lights a lamp in their heart,then darkness goes and there is bright light.

Every year on Diwali Day (Aso vad 30),

the last day of the Hindu year, it is

customary to perform pujan of one’s

accounts books. This is called

Chopda Pujan and is an occasion to

sanctify the New Year’s account books.

Prayers are offered by devotees

for success in their personal and

professional lives.

In 2007 (V.S. 2063) Swamishri was in

Gondal to perform the auspicious Chopda

Pujan. Thereafter, he blessed the assembly

of devotees seated in the open courtyard of

Akshar Mandir, Gondal.

DISCOURSES: TRANSLATION: SADHU AMRUTVIJAYDAS

Igniting the Light Within9 November, 2007, Gondal


Shriji Maharaj, Gunatitanand Swami,Shastriji Maharaj manifested onearth and their luminosity issuch that it continuallygives us light and with iteternal joy.

We are plagued by thedarkness acquired throughcountless births. But Bhag-wan Shriji Maharaj, out ofgreat compassion for all,brought his abode,Aksharbrahman Gunati-tanand Swami, with him,and Shastriji Maharajexplained the glory ofAkshar-Purushottam thusenlightening us with the true knowledge. It isbecause of Shastriji Maharaj and Yogiji Maharajthat we have understood this knowledge. So,now this will be our last birth.

There is so much other worldly knowledge.People study, attain degrees, become scientists,go to the moon and so on. All this is necessary,but when true knowledge is attained there willbe light within the heart.

So, we should understand this glory andrealize our debt to God. We brought nothingwith us into this world and will take away noth-ing when we depart. Whatever is attained inthis world has been placed there by God. Peoplehave learnt to extract things from the earth andsea, but God put everything there first.

We use our resources for the family, societyand country, but using them for God is of last-ing benefit. Even using a little brings greatrewards. By folding one’s hands and bowing toGod, our work gets done, since God is so merci-ful. Strengthen this understanding to overcomeone’s ego.

Using one’s wealth and property for goodcauses will bring peace. But as long as one har-bours the feelings of ‘me and mine’, there willbe pain, misery and conflict. So, develop the

true understanding that one’s true form isnot this body but the atma.

We come to the mandir, and if there isa lapse in the arrangements one feels hurtand become critical. But why have you leftyour homes and cars and come here? For

samagam (association of the Satpu-rush) and for the darshan of

God. We do not come here forworldly pleasures. So, oneshould be delighted by the

darshan and discourses andremain elated.

Yogiji Maharaj used tosay that even if one getsonly a small bowl of dal toeat, one should remain

happy. But if one is body-centred one will feelthat the arrangements are not proper.

So, with true knowledge one becomes bliss-ful. True knowledge is that of Akshar-Purushot-tam. Other knowledge is merely for worldlygains. Fulfil all your duties, but if one lives forthis knowledge then one can serve (God) withbody, mind and soul.

Parvatbhai did not get any food for sevendays when he stayed with Shriji Maharaj inGadhada. He didn’t complain and said toMaharaj, “Your darshan and company isenough. Everything is included in that.” Suchunderstanding gives peace and happiness.

Yogiji Maharaj stressed that one should notperceive faults in others. We have come toremove our own faults and habits. If this is real-ized, then one will not see the faults of others.See the good in all. One or two faults do notmake the person bad. Listen to and narratetalks of God’s glory. Practicing satsang in thisway will bring peace within and we will attainGod’s abode. So, on this auspicious day ofDiwali, we pray to God that he blesses everyonefor good health, sound mind, financial securityand peace in all respects. ◆


Atotal of 65 karyakars from Austria,Belgium, France, Germany, Italy, Por-tugal, Spain, the Republic of Ireland

and the United Kingdom gathered in the small,picturesque town of Engelberg, Switzerland forthe first European Karyakar event between 19and 22 September 2008.

The Karyakar Milan was an opportunity for

the karyakars to meet, exchange ideas andshare best practices to help strengthen Satsangthroughout Europe. Sadhus, trustees andkaryakars joined them from the UK, some ofwhom have been travelling for Satsang Pravrut-ti within Europe since 1982.

The event included various motivationalspeeches, question-and-answer sessions, inter-active workshops, group discussions, and videoand multimedia presentations. Everyone hadthe opportunity to meet each other and under-stand the challenges that are faced in the dif-ferent countries.

Everyone departed to their respective coun-tries thoroughly motivated and spirituallycharged. ◆

On 7 September2008, FamilyActivity Centre

(FAC) of the BAPS ShriSwaminarayan Mandir inLilburn, GA, was inaugu-rated.

The inaugurationmahapuja ceremony wasperformed in the presence of sadhus, with thechanting of Vedic shloks.

John Oxendine, the Commissioner of Insur-ance for the State of Georgia, and Pujya Yag-navallabh Swami inaugurated the FAC by unty-

ing the thread at the mainentrance gate.

In the inaugurationassembly, an enliveningtraditional folk dance wasperformed by the youthsof BAPS and discourseswere given by sadhus.

The FAC is clad withIndian pink sandstone and houses a 24,000square foot assembly hall. It will hold weeklyassemblies and will be the primary venue forcultural programmes and youth activities. ◆

FAMILY ACTIVITY CENTRE OPENS AT THE BAPS SHRI SWAMINARAYAN MANDIR

7 September 2008, Lilburn, GA

B A P S N E W SBAPS NEWS

EUROPE KARYAKAR MILAN 2008 “Karishye Vachanam Tava...”

19 to 22 September 2008, Engelberg, Switzerland


Hundreds of visitors came to TheBAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir inNeasden, London – one of 700 beau-

tiful buildings ‘on show’ across the historic cityof London, as it featured again as a part ofOpen House London. This year the annual eventtook place during the weekend of 21 and 22September 2008.

The Mandir, recently acclaimed by Time Outcity guides as “one of London’s Seven Wonders”,is a traditional favourite among architecturebuffs who egerly attend this regular showcase.

Individuals were free to absorb the atmos-phere as they wished and many chose to takethe personal audio-guided tours. For largergroups, volunteers were on hand for specialguided tours of the grand Haveli Prayer Halland the ‘Understanding Hinduism’ exhibition.Many even attended the midday arti ceremony.Almost 1,400 visitors chose to explore andenjoy the beauty and serenity of the Mandirover the sunny weekend.

Below is a selection of some visitors’ opin-ions:

Beautiful carvings – but my biggest impressionis that Hinduism is a religion of peace in a way Ihad never realised before.

- Claire (Working in Media Industry)

Wonderful. Very peaceful and beautiful. Takingpart in prayers was unbelievable. Did not wish toleave your lovely building.

- Christine Ensom

The Mandir is a wonderful place. The experi-ence is marvellous. It has been the best organisedOpen House event I have attended. I will recom-mend it.

- Michael ReevesAdvertising Executive)

Welcoming and informative. The atmosphereof silence was moving and a deep experience tosee so many in sincere and perfect prayer. Thankyou for great hospitality.

- Sister Alexine CSJP (Retired Teacher,Sisters of St Joseph of Peace)

I found my visit to be peaceful and spiritual –a reminder why we are here on Earth and howfar modern life has taken us away from our rea-son of existence, whatever one’s religion.

- Arjen Westerdijk◆

OPEN HOUSE LONDONBAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Neasden

20-21 September 2008

Visitors view the ‘Understanding Hinduism’ exhibition

Visitors welcomed in the mandir haveli


NATIONAL VIDYARTHI SHIBIR“Brahmavidyani College”

26-28 September 2008, London

This year, 2008,has beendeemed as the

BAPS ‘Year of theKaryakar’. Continuing themany events to commem-orate this year, separateadhiveshans for men andwomen karyakars wereheld. During the weekend of 11 and 12 October2008 the BAPS mandirs in Bochasan andAhmedabad buzzed with excitement and antici-pation as 277 men karyakars gathered inBochasan, and 284 women karyakars gatheredin Ahmedabad to participate in the All-IndiaKaryakar Adhiveshan. There were representa-tives from 131 regions.

The karyakars had earned the right to com-pete in this final adhiveshan by winning throughthe previous two phases.

In the first phase on 28 September 2008 over8,225 (men and women) participated in the

Regional (Kshetriya)Adhiveshans held in 191regions throughout Gujaratand Mumbai. Karyakars whoperformed well in this phasequalified to participate inthe second phase.

In the second phase,held on 5 October 2008 at

28 locations, 2,620 men and 2,427 womenkaryakars competed in the Inter-Regional(Antar-Kshetriya) Adhiveshan. The winningkaryakars from here were invited to compete inthe All-India Karyakar Adhiveshan.

The adhiveshan competitions comprisedPrathmik Mukhpath, Jnanvardhak Pprashnottari(a 90-mark question paper on a booklet of select-ed articles), Speech and Nirupan. The karyakarswere assessed by experienced sadhus and seniormen and women karyakars at each phase.

The efforts of all the karyakars in each phasewere highly commendable. ◆

ALL-INDIA KARYAKAR ADHIVESHAN11-12 October 2008, Bochasan & Ahmedabad

The first everNational Kishore-Kishori Vidyarthi

Shibir for university stu-dents, ‘Brahmavidyani Col-lege’, was held at LondonMandir, from 26 to 28September 2008.

It enlightened the stu-dents about the challenges and practical skillsrequired in university life. Guidance from grad-uates and the sadhus motivated them to excelstudies and satsang.

The shibir comprised inspirational videos, dis-

cussions, question-answersessions, workshops, inter-active sessions and cooking.

A special session in thepresence of parents, alsogave them a valuableinsight into university life.

The shibir proved agreat success as partici-

pants departed with renewed confidence,enhanced abilities, and increased motivation toattain greater heights in their education as well astheir personal satsang.


GUINNESS WORLD RECORDS BOOK FEATURESBAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham, New Delhi

as World’s Largest Hindu Temple

17 September 2008

The internationally acclaimed BAPSSwaminarayan Akshardham in NewDelhi has been featured in the 2009 edi-

tion of the Guinness World Records book as thelargest Hindu temple in the world. It appears inthe ‘Central and Southern Asia’ section with alarge double-page colour photo of thegrand, ornately hand-carved stone temple. Inaddition to a brief visitor’s guide of the complete100-acre complex, the accompanying text reads:

LARGEST HINDU TEMPLEBAPS Swaminarayan Akshardham in New

Delhi, India, has a total area of 8,021m2 (86,342ft2). The temple was built within five years by11,000 artisans. It measures 108.5m (356 ft)

long, 96.3m (316 ft) wide and 42.9m (141 ft)tall.

The world record was presented to His Holi-ness Pramukh Swami Maharaj, the creator ofAkshardham and spiritual leader of BAPSSwaminarayan Sanstha, on 17 December 2007,by Michael Whitty, official world record adjudi-cator and member of the management commit-tee of Guinness World Records.

Since its opening in November 2005, BAPSSwaminarayan Akshardham has attracted over12 million visitors from over 113 countries.

The Guinness World Records book is thebiggest selling copyright book in history, withmore than 100 million copies sold in 100 coun-tries around the world in 24 languages. ◆

The New Website for BAPS Swaminarayan HerbalCare was launched on 21 September 2008 by PramukhSwami Maharaj at the BAPS Swaminarayan Mandir,Ahmedabad.

This well-designed website provides useful informa-tion on the science of Ayurveda and details of the manyAyurvedic medicines and Herbal Bodycare productsavailable under the brand name of ‘BAPS Amrut’. Guid-ance is also available on which preparations to use forparticular ailments. Orders can be placed online, withdelivery possible to anywhere in India. View the site onhttp://herbal.baps.org.


Age old Ayurvedaat its purest best

http://herbal.baps.org.

Colourful wall anddesktop calendars for2009 for homes andoffices are now availablefrom BAPS Bookstalls.Themes are: ShastrijiMaharaj, Pramukh SwamiMaharaj (water colour paint-ings) and Delhi Akshardham.

These excellent calendars can bepreserved even afterwards by fram-ing the murtis.

Calendars for 2009

Ayurvedic & Herbal Products


Important Announcements and Information1. The celebration assembly is from 5:00 to

8:00 p.m. on 6 December 2008.2. There are no facilities for lodging or

boarding, so all are requested to arriveonly in the afternoon for the festival.

3. On the festival day only, lunch will beprovided at the festival ground to alldevotees till 1:00 p.m.

4. Devotees who will be arranging privatebuses from their centres should, throughtheir Sant Nirdeshak or Nirdeshak,inform the organizers in Mumbai on thefollowing phone number by 1 December2008. Ph: 9004059221/23No lodging-boarding facilities can beprovided even for those travelling bybus.

5. No buses are allowed into the Dadararea by the Municipal Authorities. Sodevotees coming by special buses willnot be able to come to Dadar Mandir.

6. The festival ground is just 10 minutesfrom Bandra train station, so devoteestravelling by train from Gujarat shouldchoose trains that stop at Bandra.

7. Devotees should not carry unnecessaryvaluables or cash with them.

8. Devotees arriving by private vehiclesfrom Gujarat should take the WesternExpress Highway into Mumbai and thentake the following route: Virar-Bhayen-der-Dahisar-Malad-Andheri-festivalground (MMRDA at BKC).

9. On 6 December 2008, Swamishri’smorning puja and the evening Janma-Jayanti Celebration will be telecast liveon Aastha TV channel.

10. For the safety of young children, givethem an ID card in their pocket withyour contact details. If you are separatedfrom them, immediately inform thenearest security post.

11. Those on regular medications shouldbring the required medicines with them.

12. Keep the contact numbers of your Mum-bai relatives/friends handy.

13. Do not touch any unknown object orthose lying unclaimed on the roadside,even if they are very attractive.

FESTIVAL DETAILS Festival Day: 6 December 2008, SaturdayFestival Time: 5:00 to 8:00 p.m.Festival Place: MMRDA GroundsBandra-Kurla Complex (BKC)Mumbai

◆

PRAMUKH SWAMI MAHARAJ’S

6 December 2008, MumbaiIMPORTANT ANNOUNCEMENTS AND INFORMATION

Shri Ghanshyam Maharaj, BAPS Shri Swaminarayan Mandir, Gondal

Swaminarayan Bliss, November 2008. Posted at Ahmedabad, P.S.O. 5t h on every month. Licenced to post

without prepayment No. 155, Regd No. GAMC-703. Valid upto 31-12-2008, RNI 33411/79

Swaminarayan Akshardham, New Delhi:World’s Largest Hindu Mandir

Over 12 million visitors from 113 countries since inauguration

in November 2005

Printed and Published by Sadhu Swayamprakashdas on behalf of Swaminarayan Aksharpith and Printed at Swaminarayan Mudran Mandir, Shahibaug

Road, Ahmedabad - 380 004 and Published from Swaminarayan Aksharpith, Shahibaug Road, Ahmedabad - 380 004. Editor: Sadhu Swayamprakashdas.

Michael Whitty of Guinness World Recordspresents certificate to Swamishri

november 2008 annual subscription rs. 60 - swaminarayan › publications › magazine › bliss ›...

Documents