January,2006
      

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Swami Vivekananda's gospel was one of hope, faith and strength. He never succumbed to despair, for he knew that India was capable of expansion and growth. His clarion call to the nation was: "Awake, arise, and stop not till the goal is reached." <<<More>>>

Song of Sannyasin
Complete Works of Swami Vivekananda
A colloection of one hundred photographs of Swami Vivekananda with discriptive note of events, conversations and personal experiences of devotees who Lived with  HIM.
Please click the individual thumbnails of photographs to see the full size photographs and writeups

The Sanskrit term “Shankramana” means “to begin to move”. The day on which the sun begins to move northwards is called Makara Shankranti. It usually falls in the middle of January.

Among the Tamilians in South India this festival is called the Pongal.

To many people, especially the Tamilians, Makara Shankranti ushers in the New Year. The corn that is newly-harvested is cooked for the first time on that day. Joyous festivities mark the celebration in every home. Servants, farmers and the poor are fed and clothed and given presents of money. On the next day, the cow, which is regarded as the symbol of the Holy Mother, is worshipped. Then there is the feeding of birds and animals.

In this manner the devotee’s heart expands slowly during the course of the celebrations, first embracing with its long arms of love the entire household and neighbours, then the servants and the poor, then the cow, and then all other living creatures. Without even being aware of it, one develops the heart and expands it to such proportions that the whole universe finds a place in it.   <<MORE>>

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Makar Sankranti

Yoga and Vedanta
"Blessed Divinities! Sadhaks and seekers! From your ancient, effulgent past, as your heritage and birthright, you have inherited two great treasures—Yoga and Vedanta. Vedanta is divine wisdom, knowledge of the Divine Reality, the great Reality. Yoga is the science of entering into a conscious relationship with that knowledge, experiencing that knowledge, realising that knowledge."

"The quintessence, the principal essence of these two great treasures is the proclamation of Vedanta that you are divine. You are not human, you are not limited, you are not imperfect, you are essentially divine. The truth about you is divinity. Your human nature is a passing, temporary added factor to your identity. It is, however, an invaluable added factor, an unparalleled, unique, most precious added factor."  <<MORE>>

" Divine Grace " ( Divya Krupa )

http://www.divyajivan.org/News/Newsletters/jan06_news_4_divinegrace.jpg 

A booklet with teachings of Sri Sadgurudev Swami Chidanandaji Maharaja’s in HIS own handwritings were released by Maha Mandleshwar Sri Swami Satyamitranandaji Maharaj on the occasion of a special satsang at Sivananda Ashram, Ahmedabad( Dec 27, 2005).

<<More on News of Dec 2005)>>.

A man doing a wrong thing argues that he is doing it because of his Karma; and he does not even try not to do it, because it gives him immediate happiness. How to impress upon him not to do it?

Karma does not compel a man to do wrong actions. Samskara does, to a certain extent. But God has bestowed free will on man, with which to make or mar his career. Man has no Bhoga-Svatantrata or the freedom to enjoy or suffer, which factor is governed by Karma. But, he has got Karma-Svatantrata or freedom to do good or evil. He can substitute good Samskaras in place of the old vicious Samskaras by Vichara-sakti, will-power and continued practice of good actions.

That evil seems to give immediate happiness is the greatest temptation and the greatest obstacle to the cultivation of virtues; and it can be removed only by discrimination and experience. Contemplation over the ultimate and permanent damage done to the very soul of man by the evil actions, and the harm he is causing to the entire society itself by his evil, ought to compel a man to desist from evil action— however pleasant it might appear superficially. There is no short-cut to this really serious problem; the wicked heart will not yield easily. And therefore our ancients have exalted Satsang. Constant association with the wise and spiritually evolved persons alone can remove these wrong notions from the mind of the wicked one.

In a provincial Divine Life Conference a certain devotee asked him with sincere and deep fervour, "I want to be initiated by a realised soul. Are you, Sir, a God-realised Soul?" Swamiji replied, "I am only a servant of Gurudev and an unworthy slave of God. I do not know if I am a God-realised soul or not. God alone knows this". Kenopanishad (II.3) has precisely stated that the God-realised seer has not the slightest ego to announce that he has realised God. The words of Swamiji in the light of the revealed scripture indicate not only a person of supreme spiritual attainments but also one who has entirely surrendered everything including his very Self at the feet of God and Gurudev.