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the lectures by various scholars are above the ground. Now I Sparkling Waves and eminent visitors. have to bring them down to Reminiscences about Sometime, these stocktaking their former ground”. Mananeeya Eknathji Ranade-4 sessions ran to 3-4 hours. A.BALAKRISHNAN An interaction with Eknathji in one such session was memorable. It was some time in the month of September or October 1973. Swami uring the training of 1st training centre and had Chidanandaji had come and batch of Life-workers of extensive interaction with the stayed for a week and delivered DVivekananda Kendra, in trainees, during the question - a number of lectures and 1973, Eknathji had made answer sessions, after their conducted Bhajan session, necessary arrangements for lectures on various topics as Antaryoga, etc. Eknathji the classes of the trainees on decided by Eknathji in returned to Kanyakumari a day various topics during his consultation with the speakers. prior to Swamiji’s departure. As absence on tour by eminent usual, he had a long sitting with persons. He had done this after There were also prominent the trainees in the presence of thorough planning, so that the visitors to Vivekanandapuram Swami Chidanandaji. Swamiji trainees did not feel his during the period of our briefed Eknathji how he absence and at the same time training. Some of them were conducted his classes, Bhajan Next morning, Swami eminent scholars who were Swami Chinmayanadaji, Sri session, meditation, Antaryoga Chidanandaji left invited to Kanyakumari were Moropant Pingleji, Shri Dada etc. to the trainees and how Kanyakumari. That day able to utilize their time fully Saheb Apte, Prof. Sisir Kumar they felt the spiritual vibration afternoon, Eknathji took a class for the benefit of the trainees. Mitra, Shri Kedar Nath Sahniji throughout the day. He said for all the trainees. Normally Those whom Eknathji had and Shri K.A.A. Raja. that the trainees were showing he used to take classes in the invited were Swami Janardhan keen interest in meditation and forenoon, but from that day he Maharaj, Dr. S.B. Varnekar, Soon after his return from japa and they should be further changed over to afternoon. He Prof. Athavle, Pandit the tour, Eknathji always made groomed in that line for the started his talk about the Ramnarayan Shastri, Dr. it a point to review the inner unfoldment. experiences during his recent Mukul Batra, Swami programmes and activities visit to Calcutta. He said he Chidanandaji, Swami undertaken by the trainees I observed Eknathji spoke to many of his friends Chidbhavanandaji, Swami during his absence. In those carefully listening to Swamiji’s and well-wishers about the Ranganathanandaji, Shri interactions (with Eknathji), narration. At the end, he made training that was being given to Devendraswaroopji, Shri each trainee had to narrate his a very clear and significant Life-workers and how Suresh Ketkarji, Shri Ram experience and read out the remark: “Swamiji, I am very henceforth such workers would Sathe and Smt. Toyajakshi notes he had made in his diary. thankful to you for giving the come out, batch after batch, Devendra. All these He was also very keen to know trainees glimpses of Spiritual after their 6 months training, personalities stayed at the what the trainees gained from life. I could see them all floating and these workers would flood in the spiritual world. Their feet with Swami Vivekananda’s YUVA BHARATI21 APRIL 2003 YUVA BHARATI22 APRIL 2003 message every nook and corner physical work and move to any of the country, nay, even the part of the country at short Organization and Yourself distant areas of the globe. Then notice. One cannot be called he quoted Swamiji- spiritual if he merely engaged himself in meditation and Some members keep their organization strong, “Shall India die? Then from spiritual practices, totally while others join and just belong. the world all spirituality will be oblivious of the condition of the Some dig right in, some serve with pride. extinct, all moral perfection will suffering millions all over the But some go along just for a ride. be extinct, all sweet-souled country. For us, spirituality Some volunteer to do their share, sympathy for religion will be means, wiping out the tears of while some sit back and just don’t care. extinct, all ideality will be the fallen and the downtrodden, On meeting days some always show. extinct and in its place will providing succour to the sick But then there those are who never go. reign the duality of lust and and feeble. We are therefore Some always pay their dues ahead. luxury as the male and female here to keep our eyes and ears Some get behind for months instead. deities, with money as its wide open and not to keep them Some do their best, some build, some make. priest, fraud, force, Some never give but always take. and competition its Some lag behind, some let things go. ceremonies, and Some never help their organization grow the human soul its Some drag, some pull, some don’t, some do. sacrifice. Such a Now decide, which of these are you ? thing can never be.” - Swami Samachittananda He, therefore said, “Bharat closed and sit in meditation. is the only Spiritual Light Our hands and legs are always House to give direction to all the put to action and not to sit countries of the world, which cross-legged for hours. A true are moving in the vast ocean worker would and should like like rudderless ships. Only to die while engaged in work. those young men and women, Such a worker is a missionary. Put yourself to work, and you will find such who have strong body, stable I have brought all of you here tremendous power coming to you that you will mind and sharp intellect can to become missionaries. achieve this. We need vibrant, Therefore this is not the place feel it hard to bear. Even the least work done dynamic and committed for engaging oneself in too for others awakens the power within; even workers whose feet are firmly much spiritual practice. If you thinking the least good of others gradually held on the ground. The trainee want to do that, you have Life-workers should not get chosen the wrong place. It is instills into the heart the strength of a lion. engaged too much in not too late for you to leave this - Swami Vivekananda meditation and spiritual place. I hope you understand practices. They should be the seriousness of my frank prepared to take up any type of talk.” [To be continued] YUVA BHARATI23 APRIL 2003 YUVA BHARATI24 APRIL 2003 agricultural labourers different, if not quite contrary, compared to such wages in for at least amongst the The Beautiful Tree England) belonged to the late Hindoos, in the districts of the eighteenth and early Madras presidency (and EXCERPTS FROM SHRI DHARAMPAL’S BOOK, ‘THE nineteenth century society of dramatically so in the Tamil BEAUTIFUL TREE’. THIS BOOK EXPLAINS ABOUT LEVEL Great Britain. Naturally when speaking areas) as well as the OF EDUCATION DURING PRE-BRITISH INDIA AND THE they wrote about a school in two districts of Bihar. It was EFFORTS TAKEN BY THE BRITISH TO DESTROY THE SAME every village in India – whether the groups termed soodras, and that may or may not have been the castes considered below literally true – in contrast to the them who predominated in the he number of those communities.Therefore, the British situation, it must have thousands of the then still attending school was term ‘school’ is a weak appeared to them so…. existing schools in practically estimated at around translation of the roles these each of these areas. T …School 40,000 in 1792 at 674,883 in institutions really played in 1818, and 21,44,377 in 1851. Indian society. attendance, …In most other The total number of schools especially in districts where the districts of Education is the no such public as well as private in 1801 …William Adam in his first manifestation of was stated to be 3,363. By report, observed that there exit the Madras institutions stages it reached a total of about 100,000 village schools presidency, perfection already were known the 46,114 in 1851. in Bengal and Bihar around the even in the in man. collectors 1830s. decayed state reported that …The universities of oxford of the period such learning – Cambridge and Edinburgh were ….Thomas Munro had observed 1822-25 was in the Vedas, perhaps as important for that every village had a school. proportionately far higher than Sastras, Law, Astronomy, Britain as Taxila and Nalanda For areas of the newly the numbers in all variety of Ganita sastram, Ethics, etc.- were in ancient India; or places extended presidency of schools in England in 1800. was imparted in Agraharams, like Navadweep were as late as Bombay around 1820, senior or usually at home. the later part of the 18th officials like G.L. Prendergast ….it presents a picture which century. noted that there is hardly a is in sharp contrast to the …According to other Madras village, great or small, various scholarly Presidency surveys of those ....Since many of those who throughout our territories, in pronouncements of the past practicing medicine and began to come to India from which there is not at least one 100 years or more, in which it surgery it was found that such Britain especially after 1773 as school, and in larger villages had been assumed that persons belonged to a variety travellers, scholars, or judges more… education of any sort in India, of castes.