\SAMVAD श्री विश्व निकेतन SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN
Ashadha Krishna 14, Vik. Samvat 2076 Yugabda 5121: 1 July 2019
1. FESTIVALS: KAMAKHYA TEMPLE DOOR OPENS AFTER END OF AMBUBACHI MELA : The main door of Kamakhya Temple was opened for devotees at 6 am on June 26 after the conduction of all the rituals. Goddess Kamakhya is associated with the fertility. The temple was closed on Saturday June 22 at 9 pm to mark the belief that the annual menstrual cycle of Goddess Kamakhya falls during the period. Lakhs of devotees from around the country thronged the Kamakhya Temple during Ambubachi Mela to seek the blessings of the Goddess. --GoTop
2. INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA: EVENTS - Various events were organized all over the world on 21st June to celebrate International Day of Yoga with enthusiasm and fervor.
MODI AT 5TH
INTERNATIONAL YOGA DAY AT RANCHI: Pradhan Mantri Narendra Modi celebrated
International Yoga Day at Prabhat Tara ground, Ranchi performing various asanas
with around 40,000 enthusiasts and said that Yoga is for everyone, it's above
faith."We should make efforts to take yoga from cities to villages and tribal
areas. Yoga is above religion, caste, colour, gender and region; it is above
everything," Pradhan Mantri said. The theme of 5th International Yoga Day 2019
is "Climate Action".
THOUSANDS COME TOGETHER TO MARK YOGA DAY IN ABU DHABI: Thousands of
residents twisted and turned on their mats at Abu Dhabi, celebrating the fifth
edition of International Day of Yoga with a message of peace and harmony on June
20. The event at Umm Al Emarat Park saw participants - young and old - follow
the experts with utmost dedication. Each session of 10-15 minutes helped keep
the crowd engaged throughout the event and refresh their mind and body. Minister
of Tolerance Sheikh Nahyan bin Mubarak Al Nahyan, the chief guest, joined the
sessions and noted that the event helped to promote core values of peace and
harmony.
THOUSANDS PARTICIPATE IN
WASHINGTON DC : An unprecedented number of yoga enthusiasts of all ages and
from every walk of life took part in the fifth International Day of Yoga
celebration held on June 16 at the iconic Washington Monument in Washington,
D.C. The attendees included representatives from the White House, the U.S.
Department of State and other government agencies, prominent members of the
diplomatic community, including the ambassadors of Nepal, Mauritius and Myanmar,
members of international financial institutions, including the World Bank and
IMF, cultural and academic institutions, think-tanks, media and the Bharatiya
diaspora. Welcoming the participants to the event, Ambassador Harsh Vardhan
Shringla noted that yoga has been widely adopted by people all over the world,
transcending linguistic and cultural boundaries, and has millions of
practitioners in the U.S. A guided yoga session led by Dr Moxraj based on the
Common Yoga Protocol was performed by the participants.
10,000 NCC CADETS PERFORM YOGA IN UNISON IN BENGALURU: Ten thousand NCC
cadets from 16 NCC units across city colleges and schools participated in the
5th International Yoga day held centrally at Manekshaw Parade Ground in
Bengaluru on 21st June to spread awareness and promote the benefits of Yoga
conducted under the aegis of NCC group headquarters ‘B’ Bengaluru. 30 NCC
officers, 100 NCC Instructors from various wings of NCC i.e. Army, Navy and Air
force along with 25 Associate NCC officers of various colleges and school
participated in the yoga drive. Air Commodore LK Jain, Deputy Director General
of Karnataka and Goa directorate was the chief guest for the occasion. NCC
cadets and army officials also conducted various activities during this Yoga
week to include tree plantation, road show, cultural events to celebrate this
year’s Yoga day theme i.e. Climate change across the state. Healthy environment
is essential for a healthy body and hence Yoga day is symbolic to promote a
greener planet.
INTERNATIONAL DAY OF YOGA 2019 IN TEXAS: Houston — Despite the scorching
sun, about 1200 yoga practitioners took over the lawns at Midtown Park on June
21 to celebrate the 5th International Day of Yoga (IDY). Prior to the main
program, Austin Dunn, Marion Hall, Samuel Parmer and Wayne Campbell displayed
some of the most mind boggling poses in yoga to demonstrate what our bodies are
capable of if we put our mind to it. Renowned Yoga teacher from Patanjali
Yogapeeth Shekhar Agrawal welcomed all the Yogis and Yoginis.A practicing yogi
himself, Consul General Dr. Anupam Ray’s cheerful greeting showed that he was
equally eager to hit the yoga mat. In a brief address, he noted that what began
as one event in Houston three years ago is today being celebrated at 200 places
in Texas and expected to be attended by 15000 people.
AUSTIN, DALLAS AND SAN
ANTONIO: IDY was also celebrated at Austin, Dallas and San Antonio. In
Austin, about 1100 yoga enthusiasts gathered in front of the iconic state
Capitol to practice yoga. The Dallas IDY was organized at the Mahatma Gandhi
Memorial Plaza and was attended by 250 participants. The Chief Guest of the
event was Mayor of Irving Rick Stopfer. San Antonio organized about 125 events
spread across the city. The main event was organized on June 21 at the Riverwalk
Mall and was attended by 250 people including the Mayor of San Antonio Ron
Nirenberg.
--GoTop
3.
BHARATIYA ASTRONOMERS FIND EVIDENCE OF SUPERNOVA REMNANTS:
A team of Bharatiya
astronomers has found evidence of a supernova explosion in a star-forming region
called G351.7–1.2. The evidence is in the form of a high velocity jet of atomic
hydrogen. The team had scientists from Indian Institute of Space science and
Technology (IIST), Thiruvananthapuram, Indian Institute of Science (IISc),
Bengaluru and National Centre of Radio Astrophysics (NCRA), Pune. The research
team, led by V. S. Veena of IIST, found that the jet is in the direction of
Scorpius constellation. The explosion should have resulted in a compact stellar
object such as a neutron star or a pulsar or a black hole. But, there is no
trace of either yet. The group was probing the region using the Giant Metrewave
Radio Telescope (GMRT), operated by the NCRA Pune. “We observed a large number
of gas clouds and chanced upon a structure that appeared like a supernova
remnant. It was bubble shaped, which is usual for a supernova remnant. Radio
observations at different frequencies confirmed this view,” explained Veena.--GoTop
4.
KEDARNATH RECORDS HIGHEST-EVER VISITORS: Kedarnath has broken all records in
history and registered close to 7.3 lakh pilgrims visiting the shrine in just 45
days of this year's Char Dham Yatra. This is reportedly the highest number ever
recorded in history.
--GoTop
5. HSS FINLAND SHIBIR 2019: Hindu Swayamsewak Sangh Finland organized its first mega public event in the form of a two day National shibir on June 8 & 9. It was attended by Swayamsewaks from across 4 cities within Finland. Shibhir was blessed by representatives from ISKCON, Brahmakumaris and various Temple associations of Finland who joined hands for the 1st time on a common platform. In a tightly packed schedule, a disciplined shibir was organized into various sessions to put emphasis on intellectual discourse of Hindu history, present and future perspective along with various physical exercises including a wide variety of Yogic Kriyas. Families and children participated with enthusiasm and also performed in creative Skits to emphasize on solution for various problems faced by Hindu society like advent of social media, emancipation of dharmic values among expat families etc.--GoTop
6.
TREE PLANTING BY HRSC KENYA AT SEKENANI 8 SCHOOL WITH ISRAEL AMBASSADOR:
Hindu religious service center – HRSC Kenya was proud to associate with Green
Clean Mara organization to plant trees in 8 schools across the Sekenani area on
6-7th June. Together with Hindu Council of Kenya and Doshi Group it pledged 700
trees to be planted across the schools. There were other associated partners
contributing to Tree planting, furniture distribution, training children for the
schools. The Tree planting program was graced by the Israel Ambassador to Kenya
. Noah Gal Gendler together with his wife and fellow associated delegates who
came for the event from Israel.
--GoTop
7. ASIAN
BUDDHIST CONFERENCE FOR PEACE MARKS 50TH ANNIVERSARY IN MONGOLIA: The 11th
General Assembly of the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace (ABCP) was held in
the Mongolian capital Ulaanbaatar on 21–23 June, with delegates from Mongolia,
as well as Cambodia, Bharat, Nepal, Russia, South Korea, Sri Lanka, and Vietnam,
with a Tibetan delegation led by Venerable Thupten Ngodup, the NechungKuten,
with representatives from all of the major Buddhist traditions.
The conference, titled “Buddhist Heritage and Values in the 21st Century,” marked the 50th anniversary of the ABCP, first convened under the aspiration of Asian countries to preserve their cultural heritage through spreading the teachings of the Buddha and valuing wisdom and compassion in ensuring peace. The event was hosted by Mongolia’s foremost monastery, Gandan Tegchenling, founded in 1809 by the Gelug school of Vajrayana Buddhism, and the institutional and cultural center of Mongolian Buddhism.
The president of Mongolia,
Khaltmaagiin Battulga remarked during the opening ceremony: Mongolia has always
supported the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace, and it has been seen as
valuable contribution of Mongolians not only to ensuring peace throughout the
world but to maintaining its values, which are still valid to this day. Guided
by the teachings of the compassionate Buddha, during the difficult times of Cold
War, the Asian Buddhist Conference for Peace made its voice heard not only in
Asia but throughout the whole world.
--GoTop
8. SRI
RAM FOOTPRINTS ON IRAQ’S CLIFF : Administrator of the Ayodhya Shodh Sansthan,
Ram Tirth, said that an archaeological excavation in the Sulaymaniyah region of
Iraq has revealed 4200-year-old murals with images believed to be that of Sri
Ram ji, Lakshman ji and Hanuman ji. "During an excavation in Sulaymaniyah of
Iraq, statues of Bhagwan Ram, Bhagwan Lakshmana, and Bhagwan Hanuman were found
etched in a cliff. The murals are believed to be around 4200 years old. We're in
communication with the Uttar Pradesh government and the Bharatiya Embassy in
Iraq," Ram Tirth said on June 26.
--GoTop
9.
ENVIRONMENT SUSTAINABILITY THROUGH ETHNIC VALUES AND CULTURE : International
Centre for Cultural Studies (ICCS-US) president Dr Shekhar Patel said
environment sustainability could be achieved “only through ethnic values and
culture.” “The world knows that to contain the present global environmental
issues, the tribal culture needs to survive. We need ambassadorial tribal
leaders at the global level to talk with elders. ” Dr Patel said during a ‘guest
lecture programme’ organized by the Lower Dibang Valley district administration,
the IMCLS and the (Research Institute of World's Ancient Traditions Cultures and
Heritage) RIWATCH at Roing, Arunachal Pradesh on 20th June. The ICCS-US is the
parent body of the RIWATCH.
--GoTop
10. EMOTIONAL
FAREWELL BY 50 IAF COMMANDOS TO MARTYRED SOLDIER’S SISTER: The colleagues of
martyred Air Force Garud unit commando Jyoti Prakash Nirala, who was killed
fighting extremists at Bandipora, Jammu & Kashmir, on November 18 attended the
wedding of his sister and, in a unique gesture, they kneeled on the floor in two
rows, hands on the floor, palms facing up, creating a path so that their
‘sister’ could walk to the bridegroom and exchange garlands.
--GoTop
11. SAMITI IS WORKING FOR HARMONY AMONG FAMILIES, SOCIETY AND NATION: The fortnight-long training camp of Rashtra Sevika Samiti concluded on June 16 at Govardhan Lal Trehan Saraswati Bal Mandir, Nehru Nagar, New Delhi. At the concluding ceremony Rashtra Sevika Samiti Pramukh Sanchalika Sushri Shantakka, said the Rashtra Sevika Samiti inculcates a sense of patriotism and social awareness in people and such camps are conducted for personality development and stirring women for joining hands in nation building.
“Our focus is to bring
harmony among families, society and nation. A woman is an architect of society.
She establishes the institution of family, builds the home, brings up children
to make them good citizens. Her strength in totality contributes towards making
of an ideal family, society and ideal state,” she said. Social activist Madhu
Gera commended the Samiti activities.
--GoTop
12.
HSS- DENMARK : Hindu Swayamsevak Sangh Denmark
undertakes yearlong activities to showcase and promote various aspects of Hindu
culture apart from regular activities of shakha, Balgokulam and annual shibir.
HSS Denmark celebrated Holi-2019 on 27th April with full festive spirit. The
event was inaugurated by local political figure Ann Urbrand & Bharatiya
Ambassador Ajit Gupte along with different community association presidents.
Various cultural performances were enjoyed a lot by all audience. More than 500
people from many nationalities joined the event & had a nice time.
IDY at Copenhagen:
HSS Denmark, in collaboration with United Nations city celebrated International
Day of Yoga with full fervors. As the event happened at United Nations premises,
participants of 40 nationalities including many UN delegates & diplomats joined
the celebrations. It was heartening for the team to see that Yog is now
established as ancient Bharat’s contribution to the well being of the world.
--GoTop
13.
BRAHMALEEN SWAMI SATYAMITRANANDA JI : Swami
Satyamitranand Giri ji was renowned Saint and Shankaracharya of Bhanupura Peeth.
During his early spiritual education , Swami ji came in close contact with then
RSS Sarsanghachalak Pujaniya SriGuruji and this established his lifelong close
association with Sangh and other activities. He voluntarily relinquished the
Shankaracharya status to tour various parts of the world to spread Hindu Dharma
and traveled various parts of the world viz Kenya, UK, USA, Fiji, Malaysia for
many years. He is the founder of Bharat Mata Mandir, a famous temple in Haridwar,
which was inaugurated by the then Bharatiya Pradhan Mantri Indira Gandhi on 15
May 1983.
Swamiji passed away
on 25th June. He was 87. Several prominent personalities including Pradhan
Mantri Narendra Modi paid rich tributes to him. HSS UK Sanghacjhalak Dhiraj Shah
mentioned in his condolence message that he was a social guide par excellence to
the whole global Hindu diaspora with his wisdom and far sight encompassing the
past, present and future of the Hindu Dharma and Sanskriti.--GoTop
14. SHRI VISHWA NIKETAN: Pravas: Shri Suresh Soni, sahsarkaryavaha RSS and Shyam Parande, Secretary Sewa International returned from the tour to Mongolia and Buryatia in Russia. Visitors: Geetanjali ji - Botswana.--GoTop
Food for Thought: Love is
always a manifestation of bliss. The least shadow of pain falling upon it, it
always a sign of physicality and selifishness.-
SWAMI VIVEKANAND
--GoTop
JAI SHREE RAM
YOGA AS A SCIENCE OF CONSCIOUSNESS
David Frawley
This Yoga Day 2019 let us remember
Yoga as a science of Consciousness with a central place in education, research
and spiritual aspiration
In Vedic and yogic thought Consciousness is the supreme reality, not matter,
energy or mind. Consciousness is all-pervasive like space, self-effulgent like
light, uniting everything in the universe in the highest awareness and bliss as
the Self of all. A recognition of universal Consciousness is now becoming
accepted in modern physics. How can all the laws of nature function, from vast
galactic to minute subatomic particles, if there is not some overall guiding
intelligence behind it, not as some deity apart, but woven into the very fabric
of existence?
While not impossible to theorize, the difficulty is how to approach, cognize and
realise that supreme Consciousness within ourselves and see it in the world
around us. Such a path to unfold the supreme Consciousness has yet to be
formulated by modern physics. Yet it has not only been formulated, but has been
explored from every possible angle in the meditation traditions of India. A
practical philosophy and psychology of Consciousness is the basis of Vedanta and
the tools to realize it are part of Yoga.
Limitations of the Human Mind: In our ordinary human nature we do not directly
experience this supreme Consciousness, though many people have intimations. We
are creatures of the mind, which is an embodied or individualized consciousness.
We have a limited identity, limited intelligence, limited energy and limited
will power far removed from this inner state of knowing. The individual mind
holds the reflection of Consciousness, which is the source of its light of
knowledge, but is not itself Self-aware. The mind’s limited awareness is
coloured by the gunas and forces of nature at biological, psychological and
social levels. As such, much of what we call mind is unconscious or only partly
conscious. This lack of true awareness in the mind gives rise to karma, duality,
conflict and all the misunderstandings of life. The mind is like a half-light
that illumines the surface of things but veils the depth – which draws us into
the waves but causes us to forget the sea. In order to find the cosmic reality
of existence we must go beyond the conditioned patterns of the mind to the light
of Universal Consciousness hidden behind it.
This going beyond the mind is not easy to approach as we are by habit and karma
only mental beings caught in our own mental formations, not spiritual beings
beyond any personal or cultural prejudices. We take the opinions of the mind,
unreliable and shifting though they are, to be truth when they are just the
limited perspective of a particular individual or group. This results in the
clash of beliefs and cultures that characterises our society, with their related
conflicts of religion, politics and competing power centers. Yoga as the Science
of Consciousness for Controlling the Mind Yoga arose originally in Vedic thought
as a means of moving beyond the mind, or mere creaturely awareness to
transcendent awareness – such as we see in the Upanishadic search for the Self.
This requires control of the mind and detachment from it. Yoga utras defines
Yoga as chitta vritti nirodha, the mastery, calming or concentration of the
movements of the mind. The practices of Yoga serve to make the mind still like a
mirror so it can reflect the cosmic reality, while for most of us the mind is
like a turbulent lake that distorts the light of Consciousness that filters
through it. Mind moreover is a product of ego, or limited self-identity (ahamkara),
and of ignorance (avidya) or lack of unitary awareness. It provides only a
partial knowledge that can show us the surface of things but not the inner
depths and truth. Such meditative control of the mind is not simply part of Yoga
but is essential in all educational pursuits in which we need to develop focus,
attention and clear observation beyond our mental conditioning. To gain this we
must question the opinions, preconceptions, fears and desires of the mind.
Moving to the Higher Levels of Yoga
Practice: Today Yoga is most known for asana or its calming and healing of the
body. This is very important for physical health and wellbeing and can extend to
deeper psychological levels, gradually freeing us from the limitations of body
consciousness. Yet Yoga must extend to deep meditation in order to understand
and master the mind. Asana should be a seat for meditation, not an end in
itself. Pranayama should help us draw our prana into our inner awareness.
Pratyahara should turn our senses within into the light beyond the mind. Once
the mind is brought into a state of silence it can reflect the Universal
Consciousness and grant us direct knowledge of the cosmos itself, not as a mere
mathematical formulation but as a manifestation of Consciousness that we are an
integral part of. We can see this in the yogic science of Sri Vidya. The silent
mind can become the tool for a higher knowledge beyond name, form and number
that can resolve all conflict and duality. In this regard the silent mind is
more important than any other scientific instrument or computer, however
important these may be in their respective spheres.
Reviving the Yogic Science of
Consciousness: This yogic science of consciousness is India’s greatest
contribution to human knowledge and probably the most important science we have
as a species because it alone grants true knowledge of the Infinite and
Eternal.Dharmic education requires a yogic approach to the mind through
meditation. This higher state of yogic awareness in called samadhi, deep
absorption or unity consciousness. All dharmic traditions, Vedic or not, require
samadhi as the ultimate pramana or means of knowledge. Such direct perception
provides us not with just facts and information but the knowledge of Being
itself beyond the partialities of ideas, concepts or beliefs. It takes us from
the shadows of darkness to the unbounded Self-effulgent light.
This Yoga Day 2019 let us remember Yoga
as a science of Consciousness with a central place in education, research and
spiritual aspiration. Only through such a higher awareness can we transcend our
individual and cultural limitations that are the basis of all the conflict and
misunderstanding that plagues our material world. We live in an unbounded
reality of Being-Consciousness-Bliss (Sat-chit-ananda). Experiencing that should
be the heritage and birth right of every person, not just outer social or
political rights. This is where Yoga leads us but we must follow the way in our
daily lives. (The writer also known as Vamdev Shastri. He is US-based Vedic
scholar, www.organiser.org, 23 June, 2019)
Shri Vishwa Niketan vishwav@bol.net.in
