Ask Brahmarishi Gurudev when he is here next month
Venkat Raman
“Service to humanity is the best form of worship of God,” says the creed of Jaycees International, a voluntary community service organisation.
“Service to Humanity is the best work of life,” says Vishvasant Brahmrishi Guruvanand, revered as the ‘Gurudev,’ one of the most popular spiritual leaders of our times.
With the divide between the haves and the have nots getting wider and with the world getting more materialistic, the need for guidance is becoming more relevant and imperative today than ever before.
“The rich need to channel their resources for the benefit of all; for what is the use of wealth if it benefits just a few? Happiness belongs to all, it is easily shared without reservation. Should not wealth be treated in the same way?’ are questions that are asked in many parts of the world.
The answer to that question is provided by Gurudev.
“In the spirit of humanity, it is the moral and social responsibility of every being to return a fraction of all that he has been bestowed with by the Almighty to the ones who are less fortunate than himself,” he said.
Questions for Self-Realisation
Spiritual Masters like Gurudev have the ability to penetrate the toughest of hearts and ask human beings to face the ultimate questions: Who am I? Am I superior to another because of material wealth, because I occupy a mansion, the corridors of power and dictate others to follow? And when it all ends, do I have a special place, where there could be the same privileged position of dominance?
The fact that life on earth is transient should make us humble because everything that we call as our own becomes someone else’s possession, until that person passes on- in this endless cycle of ownership and succession, nothing belongs to anyone forever.
A visit to the Brahmarishi Ashram in Lower Tirupathi in the State of Telangana (formerly Andhra) will lead to a state of revelation.
Brahmarishi Ashram
Laxmi Jhunjhnuwala, who belongs to one of the richest families in New Zealand (as well as Hong Kong, India and Singapore) is a good example. In a world where some people flaunt their wealth and seek only pleasures of life, she and her family personify the teachings and principles of Gurudev.
She was at the Brahmarishi Ashram during the first three days of Navarathri last month.
She returned home even more philosophical and more resplendent with noble thoughts and the urge to work in the name of God.
“There is no indoctrination at the Ashram- It is a where realisation dawns on the human mind as we follow the principles that are so diligently practiced by Gurudev. This philosophy is applied through three parts: Seva (Service), Shiksha (Learning), Saadhana (Aspiring). Devotees undertake numerous activities in practicing this philosophy, reaching out to the underprivileged with the spirit of welfare, transmitting compassion and love for all, especially the helpless, the afflicted, the depressed, the sad and the poor. The Ashram experience was unique and overwhelming,” Ms Jhunjhnuwala said.
Unrewarding Egotism
Listening to Ms Jhunjhnuwala, I was reminded of an interview that I had with Jiddu Krishnamurthi, one of the greatest spiritual masters of the modern world at his Rishi Valley School in Madanapalle (Chittoor District, Andhra) in April 1967.
“Self-expansion in any form, whether through wealth or through virtue, is a process of conflict, causing antagonism and confusion. A mind burdened with becoming can never be tranquil, for tranquillity is not a result either of practice or of time. Tranquillity is a state of understanding, and becoming denies this understanding. Becoming creates the sense of time, which is really the postponement of understanding. The “I shall be” is an illusion of self-importance,” he said.
Gurudev, the Pacifist
If you were to listen to the speeches of Gurudev, you would instantly like him and his belief that religion is not based on rituals and rites but on love, peace, harmony and understanding among people.
Born in Delhi, the 75-year-old spiritual leader had an outstanding academic career with a B Tech degree from Indian Institute of Technology, Karagpur (a premier institution), a graduate Honours degrees in Physics, a postgraduate degree in Sanskrit and a doctorate (PhD) in Astrology.
A Master of the Four Vedas, a linguist and a symbol of resplendence, Gurudev will be in Auckland, Hamilton and Wellington next month, bringing together people of all faiths, propagating the philosophy of ‘Religion should unite and not divide humankind.’
Each of these meetings will be attended by thousands of people, transported for a while at least to a new world of self-realisation and endearment.
Auckland: Saturday, November 18, 2017 from 5 pm
Mahatma Gandhi Centre, 145 New North Road, Eden Terrace
Contact Laxmi Jhunjhnuwala on 021-778322; Shivani Arora on 021-870012; Dinesh Raniga on 021-709884
Hamilton: Sunday, November 19, 2017 from 4 pm
Phoenix House Community Hall, 22 Richmond Street
Contact Shyam Bhardwaj on 021-484952; Mala Ram on 021- 02742368
Wellington: Friday, November 24, 2017, 630 pm
Johnsonville Community Centre, 3 Frankmoore Avenue, Johnsonville
Contact: Prem Singh on 021-437120; Deepak Thanewala on 027-4677200
Fiji: November 26 & 28, 2017. Contact Paras Reddy on 0067-99921354
Australia: Melbourne: December 2 & 3, 2017; Sydney: December 8 & 10, 2017
Contact Brij Panwar on 0061-4-14937633
Photo Caption:
- Vishvasant Brahmrishi Guruvanand: Combining Divinity and Humanity
- Laxmi Jhunjhnuwala serving at the Brahmarishi Ashram in Tirupathi
- The Cow is a symbol of Magnanimity; it is also the source of wealth to us
