AvadhootaDatta Peetham

Today, the world is facing a harsh crisis. The invisible microscopic Coronavirus seems determined to destroy mankind. Man ignored it considering it to be insignificant. All his calculations have turned topsy-turvy! Man, who considered himself great and invincible, has now been brought to his knees by a tiny Coronavirus! All the crimes he has committed against Mother Nature have now boomeranged. This situation seems to be a lesson Mother Nature is teaching us for all the mistakes committed. At least now, man should cleanse his mind of the sin called arrogance and attempt to lead a meaningful life. Only when man leads a life of Dharma (righteousness), Karma (actions) and Adhyatma (Spirituality), can he be called a complete human being.

In my opinion, without Dharma, man cannot exist. Dharma is the divine order. Dharma lays the boundaries and rules for man to lead a righteous life. One who leads life within this framework lives well, whereas one who crosses the boundary is bound to suffer. Man has experienced this time and again and this is the reason that the existence and significance of Dharma continue to this day. Dharma has never delineated from the path. Man’s attempts to do so have always failed. Those who have made such attempts have been subjected to God’s wrath.

Death follows every being that takes birth. We are born – this is a fact. Equally true is the fact that we will meet with death once our lifetime ends. Sri Krishna says, “Change is the rule of the world.” We revere Lord Krishna as one who taught man that it is possible to attain completeness in this world, he taught the skill of leading life, and He became the epitome of humanity. In a simple way, Sri Krishna taught us that it is possible to attain liberation by practicing Dharma, Karma and Self-realization.

In our country today, the Sanatana Dharma and moral values are still prevalent in the lower and middle-class families. It is this community that is bereft of the arrogance of wealth and is mostly inclined towards leading a good virtuous life. It is predominantly the youth from these families that are playing a crucial role in protecting the future of this country and progressing towards prosperity.

Many affluent parents are struggling, unable to bring back their children who have strayed away from the righteous path. If we lead a moral life, our children will follow suit. But if we fail to live righteously, our children will tread the wrong path even more. We must teach our children to earn honestly. For this to materialize, we must bring up our children with honest, hard-earned money. If you earn by devious means and use that wealth for children’s upbringing, your children will never learn to live the right way. Hence, it is my strong belief that children will prosper only when they are brought up by righteous means.

Some people may claim that though they are earning sincerely, they have no peace of mind or peace at home. Amidst their busy lives, they may have hurt or caused trouble to others unknowingly. One must certainly introspect to identify such incidents. If not every day, at least once a week, one must sit in meditation and morally evaluate their past actions and the actions they plan to take in future.  This will help one identify any mistakes in the past and prevent hurting others in future.

Untouchability is a bad blot on our Indian culture. It is very shameful that one man develops disgust towards another human being!

I have travelled across the world and have given hundreds of discourses. Many foreign devotees have also expressed appreciation. I have been able to answer many of their critical questions in a simple way that makes them happy. But there is one question that leaves me without an answer. They say, “You claim your India to have a glorious history spanning thousands of years! But the caste system has also lasted thousands of years, particularly the practice of untouchability of Dalits is still prevalent.” This causes deep pain in my heart.

In God’s view, no one creation of His is superior or inferior to another. This disease called untouchability originated during a very bad time and is continuing to torment the society even today. This must be abolished. Respecting one another should be inculcated in our lives. One must not be judged based on their caste or profession. Everyone has self-respect. When we say God resides in all, we must respect everyone. When we show respect to another person, it amounts to respecting the divinity in that person. We must not forget that disrespecting a person equals insulting the God in him.

There are two things that are currently disturbing my mind – farmer suicides and suicides by parents – who are also killing their children. It is indeed a cause of great concern that the farmer, who provides food for all, who satiates the hunger of the society, is no longer able to sustain himself. Irrespective of whether there are losses to the crops, loans or family problems, it is incorrect on the part of the farmer to commit suicide. Terrible incidents of a farmer killing his family before committing suicide is increasing these days. This trend must be stopped completely.

All faiths proclaim that killing infants is a great sin! It is not at all easy to rid oneself of this sin – it torments one for seven births! Even small creatures like worms, put their life in danger to save their offspring! The cow Punyakoti, before volunteering to become a meal to the tiger, fed its calf one last time and ensured it had a caretaker. When this is the case among animals, it is unpardonable for a man, who is an intelligent being, to kill his offspring. God will never forgive him.

I have come across many great mothers. Despite being consumed by poverty and married to a cruel drunken husband, they are determined to ensure a good life for their children. They work hard and sacrifice their life for the sake of their children. It is because of the hard work, determination and sacrifice of such great mothers that our country still stands tall. This is the reason we worship and adore women as Mother Goddess in our culture. She is considered a symbol of strength. Self-confidence should not deplete in such women folk that nurtures mankind as mother-sister-wife. The power of her intellect should always protect this world.

At this juncture, I am reminded of my mother Mata Jayalakshmi. I am indeed very fortunate to have been born as Her child. My journey in the path of Dharma is greatly due to my mother’s contribution. I have been able to progress in the spiritual dimension because of her blessings. I offer obeisance to my mother. I pray that man realize his mistakes. I also pray to God to bless humanity with the strength to face this pandemic.

• Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji

 https://www.vijayavani.net/sri-ganapathi-sachidananda-swamijis-78th-vardhanti-messages/