“Let Us Be A Light Unto Ourselves…”

Note prepared by Swami Jyotirmayananda for the conclusion-day of the Seven-Week Residential Course (October 8 - November 24, 2013), conducted by Swami Tattvavidananda, a learned disciple of Swami Dayananda Sarasvati and an Acharya at the Arsha Gurukulam, Saylorsburg, PA, U.S.A.

As an ardent student of ‘Vivekananda (adhyatma-vidya) takes a quantum leap into Literature’, having had the privilege of the realm of the Unknown and the attending Swami Tattvavidanandaji’s Unknowable, while the science seems to Vedanta Course for a couple of years at the have been caught up in a vicious circle, Gurukulam, I am glad to present some of faltering under the weight of the known. my thoughts before you. Besides being a learned, traditional teacher , who made history in of Vedantic lore, blessed by Pujya Swami Chicago 120 years ago, once said that Dayanandaji, Swami TV is also endowed Science and Spirituality should shake hands. with a clear understanding of the historical It is indeed heartening to note that his wish perspective of how Swami Vivekananda seems to be gradually getting fulfilled. As and his life and times have marked a we all know, Swami TV (as he is popularly significant turning point in the annals of the known amongst his Vedanta students), in Indian history. As his students know, the course of his Vedanta class, does not Swami TV’s Vedanta class is often miss an opportunity to place before us the interspersed with references to Swami outcome of various modern researches and Vivekananda and his significant utterances developments in the fields of science and in the realms of science and spirituality. It psychology vis-à-vis the Indian spiritual clearly reflects on Swami TV’s admiration lore, and the Vedic wisdom in particular. of and love for Swami Vivekananda, and It is evident that the modern science, many a time, his scintillating expositions psychology, as also the biology are during the Vedanta class, have invariably increasingly tending to confirm the exalted reminded me of the “Inspired Talks” of spiritual experience of the ancient saints and Swami Vivekananda at the ‘Thousand sages of , so much so we are now in Island Park’ in the U.S. To my mind Swami a position to understand how spirituality TV is the only disciple of Pujya Swamiji

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28 Arsha Vidya Newsletter - December 2013 who is an ardent votary of Swami his expositions, he invariably supports and Vivekananda and his teachings, having reinforces the adhyatma-vidya with the latest been fired with the Advaitic zeal and scientific evidences and research analyses. wisdom of Vivekananda, so much so at And, above all, his uncompromising times I have even felt that if Vivekananda insistence on the adherence to the basic were to pay an unexpected visit to the disciplines of the Vedanta like viveka and Gurukulam and attend Swami TV’s vairagya, and the paramount need for Vedanta class, he would feel immensely freedom from all psychological dependence happy that what he envisioned more than and total negation of all that is temporal a century ago is gradually getting unfolded. (mithya) – the habitual human addiction to As Swami Vivekananda exhorted long ago, names and forms (naama-rupa buddhi), even “Work out the salvation of this land and the as one endeavours to lead a normal and whole world, each of you thinking that the simple life of devotion and dedication, for entire burden is on your shoulders. Carry the attainment of the summum bonum of the life and light of the Vedanta to every human life (atma-jnana). door, and rouse up the divinity that is hidden within every soul. Then, whatever As Swami TV loves to put it, let us, the may be the measure of your success, you students of Vedanta, be a light unto will have the satisfaction that you have ourselves and thereby to the world at large. lived and died for a great cause. In the In other words, may we all try our best, success of this cause, however brought with all our sincerity, to live up to the lofty about, is centered the salvation of humanity teachings of the Vedanta in our day-to-day here and hereafter.” life and be blessed thereby.

Needless to say that Swami TV’s scriptural Finally, I should not fail to mention here as expositions, incisive and didactic as they to how Swami Vivekananda brought me in are, reflect on the depth of his contact with Pujya Swami Dayananda understanding, erudition, command over Sarasvati, in as much as we together the 2 participated in Washington, in a program (two decades ago) celebrating the centenary language, and above all, his knack of Swami Vivekananda’s appearance at the of presenting the intricate subject matter Chicago Parliament of Religions in 1893. with all possible clarity and certainty, While Pujya Swamiji spoke eloquently on backed by his unassuming nature, childlike the occassion, I had the rare privilege of simplicity, his inimitable sense of humour paying my reverential Homage to Swami and didactic anecdotes, is a great blessing Vivekananda, the Great Hindu Monk of to the students of Vedanta and the spiritual India. Later, in the year 2000, when Pujya aspirants. Thus, in Swami TV himself do we Swamiji invited me to participate in the ‘UN find a happy blend of Science and Millennium Peace Summit’ at New York, I Spirituality — both going together hand-in- also had the unique privilege of visiting the hand. We see, quite often, in the course of AVG, (along with the other monastic

Arsha Vidya Newsletter - December 2013 29 delegates to the Summit from India), where the Vedic Knowledge in particular, and in we were all formally honoured by Pujya the service of the Hindu Dharma and the Swamiji himself. Since then, by the Divine Samaj, in general! Let the lines from Pujya Grace, I have been able to visit abroad, ever Swamiji’s ‘Benediction’ to my book on year, to attend various programs and Vivekananda (released by Pujya Swamiji conferences in the US. I have also been able last year) speak for itself: “Swami to attend annually, the AVG anniversary Vivekananda is looked upon by an celebrations and other programs at the informed Indian as a person who enshrined AVG, and every time Pujya Swamiji and the in himself all that is true and noble of the AVG have been very kind during my visit spiritual heritage of Bharath. His vision to and stay here. Whatever little knowledge of make everyone see the beauty of oneness, Vedanta I have gained is solely due to my love and harmony, backed by his tireless participation, from time to time, in the efforts to actualize it, is getting unfolded all lecture programs and the Vedanta classes over the world not only through the conducted by Pujya Swamiji and his senior Mission and Order he founded but also disciples who are the Acharyas at the AVG. through various other individuals and I feel thrilled when I visualize in my mind institutions who owe to Swamiji’s vision for how overjoyed Swami Vivekananda would their inspiration…” – significant lines have been if he were to visit Pujya indeed, revealing the source of inspiration Swamiji’s Gurukulam, to see the great work behind the great work done by Pujya done here for more than a quarter of a Swamiji himself as also the AVG founded century, in the noble cause of disseminating by him.

Action can produce likes and dislikes only if the result is looked upon as a success or failure. When the result is looked upon as a function of the invariable laws of action or if it is looked upon as prasada from the Lord, the reaction of success and failure is avoided. The mind is calm and tranquil in spite of apparent successes and failures and no new likes and dislikes are created. The existing likes and dislikes are created. The existing likes and dislikes will no doubt create desires and produce actions but creation of new likes and dislikes are avoided. The vicious chain of action-success/failure-likes/dislikes-desire-action is broken. With the attitude of prasada buddhi, or karma with respect to the result, an action which is born of likes and dislikes becomes the means of eliminating the very likes and dislikes. The mind free from the reactions of success and failure is free from the agitations of elation and depression. Such a mind is a contemplative mind. It can evaluate the results and learn.

Pujya Swamiji

30 Arsha Vidya Newsletter - December 2013