prasangs - the swaminarayan scriptures for...

|| Swami Shreeji ||

Prasangs - The Swaminarayan Scriptures

For Juniors

Swamini Vato

Story - Struggles in Life

Activity: Mahamantra Lekhan

Activity: Crack the Code

For Seniors

YYE - Distilling the Essence

Youth Sabha Report for Week 1

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|| Swami Shreeji ||

— PRASANG 1 —

Over the course of at least a decade, Lord Swaminarayan held sabhas regular-

ly, offering spiritual guidance and advice to devotees. His style of speaking, delivery,

and wide range of topics attracted listeners from all over the region. He made sure to

speak in a way that everyone understood the true meaning of religion and the role

that it played in the devotees’ daily lives. His audiences included devotees with many

different backgrounds, from rural farmers and merchants to learned scholars and

paramhansas. Many of Lord Swaminarayan’s discourses have been recorded in

a shastra called the Vachanamrut.

In the time period from 1819 to 1829, four of the scholarly paramhansas in the

Swaminarayan Sampraday, Muktanand Swami, Gopalanand Swami, Nityanand Swa-

mi and Shukanand Swami, compiled and wrote down these discourses. After being

edited by Lord Swaminarayan and sorted to communicate the essence of ancient Hin-

du scriptures like the Vedas, Upanishads, Brahmasutras, Bhagvad Gita and the

Shrimad Bhagvatam, the compilation was shortened to a total of 273 discourses and

transformed into the Vachanamrut. The Vachanamrut is undoubtedly the most sa-

cred shastra in the Swaminarayan Sampraday.

Every discourse starts with a brief paragraph explaining the time, day, date,

year, and location of the sabha. In addition, this paragraph contains a detailed descrip-

tion of the various clothes and garments worn by Lord Swaminarayan. The sabhas

were held in locations all over Gujarat, including Gadhada, Sarangpur, Kariyani,

Loya, Panchala, Vartal, Amdavad, Aslali and Jetalpur. Lord Swaminarayan stayed for

an extended period of time in Gadhada, so many of the discourses from the

Vachanamrut took place there, specifically at the darbar of Dada Khachar. In many

of the discourses, Lord Swaminarayan wore white clothing and, according to ancient

tradition, started off the sabha by either asking a question or by taking questions

from the audience. As a result, the Vachanamrut deals with many spiritual and philo-

sophical topics, focusing on the nature of jiva, ishwar, maya, Brahma and Parabrah-

ma. In addition, several of the discourses cover the concept of moksha, the value of a

guru, happiness, misery, non-violence, prayer, bhakti, morals, good company, service,

positive attitude, introspection, dhyan and many practical aspects of daily life and our

sadhana. Overall, the Vachanamrut is a goldmine of knowledge in which devotees

can find the answers and solutions to even the most difficult questions and problems.

— PRASANG 2 —

Towards the end of his physical life, Lord Swaminarayan wrote a code of con-

duct for all followers of the Swaminarayan Sampraday, includ-

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darbar: residence or

estate

jiva: soul

ishwar: an elevated soul

with supernatural tal-

ents

maya: that which dis-

tracts us from God

Brahma: an ideal devo-

tee of God

Dada Khachar: one of

Lord Swaminarayan’s

foremost devotees

dhyan: meditation

sadhana: spiritual jour-

ney

shastra: religious text

|| Swami Shreeji ||

ing brahmacharis, sadhus, householders, kings, married women, and widows. His

purpose was to combine the teachings of the Shruti and Smruti shastras into a short

book. He started writing the Shikshapatri (which means “booklet of moral instruc-

tions”) on January 1, 1826, and finished it the next month on February 12, composing

a total of 212 verses. This booklet served as a moral and spiritual guide for all of the

devotees of the Swaminarayan Sampraday to follow. It offers instructions on a wide

range of topics, including health, hygiene, dress code, diet, etiquette, diplomacy for

the royalty, finance, trade, education, friendship, morality, austerity, atonement, cele-

brations, religious duties, forms of worship, and the aim of life. The Shikshapatri is

different from the Vachanamrut because it focuses on how to perform worldly duties

while keeping religion in mind as opposed to explaining the meaning of religion and

spirituality.

The instructions presented in the Shikshapatri are for everyone—young and

old; men and women; married, unmarried and widowed; and householders and sa-

dhus. Lord Swaminarayan says that anyone who obeys the Shikshapatri will live a

happy and fulfilling life. One of the main topics is purity, specifically both outer and

inner purity in all devotees. The three fundamental purities that he emphasizes are: 1)

Purity of Diet, 2) Purity of Conduct, and 3) Purity of Soul.

1) Purity of Diet: He instructs his disciples not to eat meat, eggs, onions and garlic

in addition to harmful substances like alcohol, tobacco and drugs.

2) Purity of Conduct: He instructs not to be disrespectful to any deities, pilgrim

places, devotees, sadhus, and the Vedas. He forbids gambling and bad company.

For sadhus he instructs absolute brahmacharya.

3) Purity of Soul: The final liberation of the soul is possible by joining the jiva

with Brahma (Aksharbrahma).

Lord Swaminarayan also instructed that the Shikshapatri should be read daily by all

devotees.

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brahmacharya: the

state of celibate life

Shruti: ‘what is heard,’

direct revelation of

eternal Truth

Smruti: ‘what is re-

membered,’ dharmic

traditions passed down

over time

|| Swami Shreeji ||

— SWAMINI VATO —

“Padchhāyāne pugāy nahi tem

vishayno pār āve tem nathi. Māte

gnan thāy tyāre sukh thāy chhe.”

A shadow cannot be caught. Similarly, material desires

also cannot be fulfilled. Therefore, happiness is experi-

enced when spiritual wisdom is attained.

Chapter 5, Vāt 191.

“Jetlu kāi māyāmay sukh chhe te

sarve dukh vinānu hoy nahi e vāt

pan ek jāni rākhvi.

One should keep in mind that whatever happiness exists

in maya is not without misery.

Chapter 1, Vāt 25.

“Ek jane lākh rupiyāni buddhi lidhi

temaj mokshani buddhi anek prakār-

ni motā thaki shikhāy chhe.”

Someone bought wisdom for 100,000 rupees. However,

the wisdom for achieving moksha can be learnt from the

God-realized Sadhu.

Chapter 1, Vāt 27.

— ACTIVITY: MAHAMANTRA LEKHAN —

This year is the ‘Sarva Suhrad Sopan’. Su-hraday-bhav has

so many meanings, and encompasses the one-heartedness, the

unity and the spiritual harmony between us all.

The Anoopam Mission mandir belongs to our worldwide

Anoopam Mission family, and so we wanted all haribhakto to

help to build the mandir in the UK!

Guruvarya Param Pujya Sahebji has said that mandirs are

built from the bhav, bhakti, samarpan and prarthana of

haribhakto. So it is with the suhrad samarpan of your prayers

offered here through mahamantra lekhan, that this mandir

will arise! Go to www.anoopam.org/mantralekhan and write

the Swaminarayan Mahamantra for 10 minutes!

— STORY: STRUGGLES IN LIFE —

A man found a cocoon of a butterfly. One day a

small opening appeared, he sat and watched the but-

terfly for several hours as it struggled to force its

body through that little hole.

Then it seemed to stop making any progress. It

appeared as if it had gotten as far as it could and it

could go no farther. Then the man decided to help

the butterfly, so he took a pair of scissors and

snipped off the remaining bit of the cocoon. The

butterfly then emerged easily.

But it had a swollen body and small, shriveled

wings. The man continued to watch the butterfly

because he expected that, at any moment, the wings

would enlarge and expand to be able to support the

body, which would contract in time. Neither hap-

pened!

In fact, the butterfly spent the rest of its life

crawling around with a swollen body and shriveled

wings. It never was able to fly.

What the man in his kindness and haste did not

understand was that the restricting cocoon and the

struggle required for the butterfly to get through

the tiny opening were God’s way of forcing fluid

from the body of the butterfly into its wings so that

it would be ready for flight once it achieved its free-

dom from the cocoon.

Sometimes struggles are exactly what we need in

our life. If God allowed us to go through our life

without any obstacles, it would cripple us. We

would not be as strong as what we could have been.

And we could never fly.

Discussion Questions

What is the best way to deal with struggles in life?

How have your struggles helped you grow as a per-

son?

4 Swamini Vato

Swaminarayan Aksharpith, Amdavad - 4, INDIA.

Copyright © Swaminarayan Aksharpith.

|| Swami Shreeji ||

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|| Swami Shreeji ||

T rying to read and understand the plethora of Hindu scriptures can be a mind-boggling exer-

cise. Thousands upon thousands of first-hand encounters with the Truth, all told from different perspectives by a host of God-realized saints. Who wouldn’t be daunted by this task? And more practical-ly, who simply has the time in this hectic, modern age? Thankfully, we don’t need to parse through endless pages of text to find the answers that we seek. God Himself, in the form of Swaminarayan Bhagwan, took care of this for us. He did this by bestowing upon us the “Vachanamrut” and the “Shikshapatri”. The very name “Vachanamrut” indicates its purpose. ‘Vachan’ meaning words and ‘amrut’ meaning nectar… ‘words of nectar,’ or the distilled essence of all the scriptures as spoken by God. Swaminarayan Bhagwan had learned all the core scrip-tures at an early age. Indeed, He was engaging in de-bates with learned scholars at the age of 7 – and win-ning them! And as Nilkanth Varni, He undertook an ep-ic journey throughout India to every one of the holy places to research the different ways that Hindu philos-ophy was being taught. He finally stopped that journey when He found an abundance of Hindu knowledge be-ing passed on in its purest form: a small collection of sadhus led by Ramanand Swami in Gujarat. So by virtue of exhaustive study and experi-ence Swaminarayan Bhagwan was the leading authori-ty on Hindu scriptures and philosophy in His day. When He spoke, He took the essence of all our scriptures and applied it to contemporary times. And that’s the significant point: beyond condensing down the key points of our Hindu faith, He went further and showed how to apply this knowledge in our day-to-day lives. Right here, right now.

It is one thing to have all the answers, but it is another to be able to connect to them in a modern, practical way. Now this may all sound great in theory, but how does it work in practice? Let’s take a look at some ex-amples. Anyone who has tried it knows that meditation, an an-cient and powerful form of prayer, is difficult to per-form during a day and age when our minds are en-gaged in endless forms of mental stimulation and infor-mation overload. Accordingly, Swaminarayan Bhagwan advocated mantra-recitation (dhun) as an alternative form of prayer. This is much easier to do anytime, any-place and anywhere. We lead lives that are exceedingly active. Not many are engaged privately or professionally in activities that lend themselves to contemplation and introspection. As a result, Swaminarayan Bhagwan emphasized karma yoga, or the practice of selfless service as a primary method of pleasing God. As Sahebdada says, “serve humanity in order to serve God.” This is something that we can do, right? Amidst all of the hustle and bustle in our lives, we can strive to develop the singular motiva-tion to serve others instead of ourselves. Not necessari-ly easy, but definitely achievable. Swaminarayan Bhagwan also placed primary emphasis on Guru bhakti, devotional surrender to a Guru as a means of realizing God. “Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnu, Gurur Devo Maheshvara, Gurur Sakshat Param Brah-ma…” (My Guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, and He is the manifest form of the Supreme Lord Himself…) is a shloka that all Hindus learn but somewhere along the way it got lost as a central tenet of Hindu philosophy. Swaminarayan Bhagwan brought it back, for He knew that we as spiritual seekers struggle to connect to God in the abstract. But the easiest and best way to connect to God is to simply recognize the form that is present right here in front of us.

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by Shree Patel

|| Swami Shreeji ||

All of these concepts have been prevalent throughout the history of our religion. But Swaminarayan Bhagwan did us the immense favor of choosing the specific ones that we need to focus on here and now. He explained all of these principles and answered many deep philo-sophical questions in 273 discourses, which were me-ticulously compiled by several of his paramhansas. These comprise the Vachanamrut. In the Shikshapatri, Swaminarayan Bhagwan wrote by His own hand the standards by which He wanted His sadhus and followers to abide in their daily lives. He did this to remove any ambiguity. It also serves to outline a code of conduct for devotees in a time of great person-al, yet unrestrained, freedom. In our modern age, ac-cess to education, information, technology, entertain-ment and travel is unprecedented. But there are two sides to every coin, and all of these things can be harm-ful as well as beneficial. Going full speed down a path of limitless consumption can be very dangerous from a spiritual standpoint. For example, I recently came along a startling statistic: chil-dren see, on average, eighteen thousand murders and violent acts on TV before they finish high school! Do we ever stop and think about what we are letting into our minds?! Our religion tells us that to achieve lasting peace and happiness we need to achieve purity in body, mind, and soul. But doing so involves living with-in certain limits and constraints. This is what Swamina-rayan Bhagwan outlines for us in the Shikshapatri. But here’s the best part. Swaminarayan Bhagwan’s ad-vancement of Akshar Purushottam philosophy – the process by which we attach ourselves to a God-realized Gunatit saint (Akshar) in order to achieve God (Purushottam) means the elimination of any guesswork as to how to apply both the knowledge of the Vachanamrut and the guidelines of the Shikshapatri specifically to our individual lives. For we have been blessed with the ultimate living, breathing personal in-terpreter of these eternal scriptures: our own beloved Gunatit Guru, Sant Bhagwant Sahebji!

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|| Swami Shreeji ||

Name:

Youth Sabha Center:

Time/Date/Place of Sabha:

Attendance:

Sections Completed (check boxes accordingly):

□ Sahajanand Charitra: The Swaminarayan Scriptures

□ Junior Swamini Vato □ Yogi Youth Editorial: Distilling the Essence

□ Junior Story: Struggles in Life □ Junior Activity: Mahamantra Lekhan

□ Other:

Outstanding Performance of the Week:

Name of Certificate Winner:

Please circle categories:

Suggestions:

Please return this completed report to P. Swatiben Patel through email

E-mail address: [email protected]

Swamini

Vato

Story

Presentation

Bhajan

Games

Seva

Participation

Attendance

8

USA YOUTH SABHA SAHAJ AN AND SWAMI MAHARAJ SEMESTER

PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

Prasangs - Building Mandirs and Sir Malcolm

For Juniors

Swamini Vato

Story - The Flawed Water Pot


Activity: Word Search

For Seniors

YYE - The Importance of Mandirs

Youth Sabha Report for Week 2

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PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

BUILDING MANDIRS AND SIR MALCOLM

— PRASANG 1 —

Lord Swaminarayan decided to build several mandirs towards the end of his physical

life. His purpose was to preserve the upasana of God in the Swaminarayan Sampraday. Also,

he desired to uphold the ancient Hindu tradition of building mandirs in order to promote

bhakti and support the Indian culture surrounding worship at the temple. With the love, de-

votion and dedication of his paramhansas and devotees, Lord Swaminarayan built six magnifi-

cent mandirs. He even joined in the mandir construction effort on several occasions. For ex-

ample, during the construction of the mandir in Vadtal, Lord Swaminarayan himself would

make sure that the bricks coming out of the brick-kiln were of good quality. At one point, he

even picked up an armful of bricks and started carrying them towards the construction site.

When Nityanand Swami and Brahmanand Swami saw this and asked him to give them a few

bricks, he only gave them one each and then carried the rest himself.

Gadhada was another location where Lord Swaminarayan was very active in the con-

struction effort. Once he had instructed all the sadhus and devotees to carry stones for the

mandir when returning from the banks of the Ghela river. He himself also carried stones on

his head to the site. When the sadhus and devotees requested him to give the stone to them,

Lord Swaminarayan said that he wished to do seva for the mandir construction too. This was

a great lesson of service and sacrifice which strengthened the devotees’ feelings of pride and

devotion towards the mandir. From 1822 to 1828, Lord Swaminarayan led the construction

of six mandirs in Amdavad, Bhuj, Vadtal, Dholera, Junagadh and Gadhada, all in Gujarat. In

all the mandirs, he inaugurated the murtis of the Sanatan Dharma, and in Vadtal, he installed

his own murti of Shree Harikrishna Maharaj.

The construction of these mandirs was the perfect opportunity for

Lord Swaminarayan to reveal the philosophy of Akshar Purushottam Upasana. He ex-

plained to devotees that Gunatitanand Swami is Akshar, his permanent abode, ideal bhakta,

and the pathway to moksha. Eventually, Shastriji Maharaj, the third spiritual successor of

Lord Swaminarayan, built Akshar Purushottam mandirs in Bochasan, Sarangpur, Gondal,

Atladra and Gadhada, inaugurating the murtis of Lord Swaminarayan and Gunatitanand Swa-

mi (Akshar Purushottam Maharaj).

By starting the tradition of building mandirs, Lord Swaminarayan gave his devotees a

clear pathway towards a life of happiness. The celebration of festivals in mandirs is a source

of great devotional joy in the hearts of people. During famine or periods of drought, Lord

Swaminarayan provided food and shelter freely, with the mandir being the center of charita-

ble work. Sabhas, bhajan sandhyas, cultural programs, and other samaiyas at the mandir

bring all devotees closer together onto a path of pleasing their guru and God.

— PRASANG 2 —

During the lifetime of Lord Swaminarayan, India was ruled by the British. At one

point, Sir John Malcolm, the Governor of Bombay, came on an official visit to Rajkot, Guja-

rat. He soon learned of the great upliftment of society in Gujarat due to the social work of

Lord Swaminarayan. Also, the local British officers claimed that Lord Swaminarayan had

SahajanandCharitra

2

Sanatan Dharma:

eternal Hindu faith

Akshar Purushottam

Upasana: belief in the

manifest form of

Akshar and

Purushottam

upasana: form of wor-

ship; to sit in the lap of

God


PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

used love and divinity to achieve everything that the British could not with law and order.

Amazed by what he had heard, Sir Malcolm decided that he had to meet Lord Swaminarayan.

This meeting was arranged, and it took place on February 26, 1830.

With a translator present, Sir Malcolm had a conversation with Lord Swaminarayan.

Sir Malcolm started with praise: “Through your glory and powers you have resolved the law-

lessness and moral unrest that was once prevailing in Saurashtra. Thieves and hardcore crimi-

nals have been transformed into your disciples. What we have not been able to do with the

sword, you have accomplished through your divine powers.”

Lord Swaminarayan replied, “According to the principles of our Hindu dharma the

incarnation of God descends on earth to destroy evil and unrighteousness and reestablish

dharma. I have reinstated Bhagvat Dharma by explaining and inspiring the principles of mo-

rality, justice and religion in people. When you have these three elements, then only can

peace and harmony prevail. However, on transgressing them there will be no peace and right-

eousness in society.”

Sir Malcolm then requested, “I wish to understand the principles of your religion

thoroughly. If you have a book in this regard then I would like to have it.”

Lord Swaminarayan gifted a copy of the Shikshapatri to Sir Malcolm, which can be seen to-

day at the Bodleian Library of Oxford University in England. Sir Malcolm expressed his

thanks and prayed, “Bless me for the good of my country and for the good of my enemies.”

Lord Swaminarayan replied, “We congratulate you on your intellect. One who wishes for the

good of others always benefits personally. But you have wished for the good of your enemies,

so you will definitely be blessed with goodness in your life.”

SahajanandCharitra

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Bhagvat Dharma:

living a God-centered

life


PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

JUNIORS


“Bhagwān malyā, sadhu malyā, te

have haiyāmā dukh āvvā devu nahi

ne prārabhdnu āve to bhogi levu.”

We have attained God and the Sadhu, so don’t let misery

enter the heart, and whatever fate it has in store for

us, accept it..


“Vishayno sambandh thayā morya

to bakrāni pethe bivu ne sambandh

thai jāy to tyā sinh thāvu.”

Before making contact with material pleasures, be fearful

like a goat (run away from them), but as soon as contact

is made, act like a lion (chase them away).


“Jo motā purush male to teno sang

karvo, nikar utartāno sang to karvo

ja nahi.”

If you can, associate with a great person like a Sadhu, but

never associate with an inferior person (bad company).















Swamini Vato – Activity – Story

— STORY: THE FLAWED WATER POT —

A water bearer in India had two large pots, each

hung on each end of a pole which he carried across his

neck. One of the pots had a crack in it, and while the other

pot was perfect and always delivered a full portion of water

at the end of the long walk from the stream to the master’s

house, the cracked pot arrived only half full. For a full two

years this went on daily, with the bearer delivering only

one and a half pots full of water in his masters house. Of

course, the perfect pot was proud of its accomplishments,

perfect to the end for which it was made. But the poor

cracked pot was ashamed of its own imperfection, and mis-

erable that it was able to accomplish only half of what it

had been made to do. After two years of what it perceived

to be a bitter failure, it spoke to the water bearer one day

by the stream. “I am ashamed of myself, and I want to apol-

ogize to you.” “Why?” asked the bearer. “What are you

ashamed of?”

“I have been able, for these past two years, to deliv-

er only half my load because this crack in my side causes

water to leak out all the way back to your master’s house.

Because of my flaws, you have to do all of this work, and

you don't get full value from your efforts.” The pot said.

The water bearer felt sorry for the old cracked pot, and in

his compassion he said, “As we return to the masters house,

I want you to notice the beautiful flowers along the path.”

Indeed, as they went up the hill, the old cracked

pot took notice of the sun warming the beautiful wild flow-

ers on the side of the path, and this cheered it some. But at

the end of the trail, it still felt bad because it had leaked out

half its load, and so again the Pot apologized to the bearer

for its failure.

The bearer said to the pot, “Did you notice that

there were flowers only on your side of your path, but not

on the other pots side? That's because I have always known

about your flaw, and I took advantage of it. I planted flow-

er seeds on your side of the path, and every day while we

walk back from the stream, you've watered them. For two

years I have been able to pick these beautiful flowers to dec-

orate my masters table. Without you being just the way

you are, he would not have this beauty to grace his house.”

Each of us has our own unique flaws. We are all

cracked pots. Don't be afraid of your flaws. Acknowledge

them, and you too can be the cause of beauty. Know that in

our weakness we find our strength.

4 Swamini Vato




PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

JUNIORS

Activity

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PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

THE IMPORTANCE OF MANDIRS

A question often arises, why are there so many man-dirs? In my mind this provokes an opposite question, why aren’t there more mandirs? Because the answer to both questions involves value. What value do man-dirs play in our day-to-day lives? Let us examine this together. In our daily lives we often find that happiness comes and goes. Pain and suffering also come and go. And often, they go hand-in-hand. What once caused joy now brings misery. Take a brand-new, latest genera-tion smartphone as an example. When we first get it, we’re so excited. We play around with all the features and marvel at the innovations. But after a while, newer models come out and ours doesn’t seem so special an-ymore. We may even become jealous if someone has a model that is more advanced than ours. What contrary emotions one thing can bring! Sometimes we aren’t looking for more balance be-tween happiness and pain in our lives. We’re just look-ing for inner peace. Our minds may be troubled or we may be undergoing some hardship in life. Many of the things people turn to in order to alleviate that stress, such as drugs, alcohol or other distractions like a beach vacation, tend to offer temporary relief but don’t ad-dress the underlying issue. It is because of this fact of life that we search for an alternate way of being. Visiting a mandir, or any house of worship for that matter, tends to provide a different sort of experience. The resulting peace and happiness seems to be more lasting and deep-seated. The soul feels nourished. Positivity tends to well up within us rather than negativity. Sahebdada tells us that there is a specific reason for the difference between the experiences in the ‘outside’ world and within the mandir environment. He tells us that the mandir/satsang fosters divinity within us.

Moreover, the effect of that divinity is more permanent and has the power to change who we are as individu-als. For at the end of the day, wouldn’t it be better to seek a permanent solution to what ails us rather than continually pursuing temporary relief from the symp-toms? To delve a bit deeper, there are several reasons why we experience misery in our human condition. On one hand are our human frailties such as lust, greed, anger, fear, jealousy, etc. On another are our unhealthy attachments to people, places and things. This is when our happiness becomes contingent on something out-side of ourselves. And finally, our ego is an impedi-ment when our will conflicts with God’s will. Think of this as when our wants and needs, likes and dislikes are in opposition to God’s wants and needs, likes and dis-likes. These are the reasons we are unable to enjoy perma-nent peace, joy and happiness despite all that God has blessed us with. But to remove these obstacles is no easy task. This is why the mandir plays such a vital role in our lives. The mandir provides an environment in which we con-nect to God. We have Gunatit, God-realized saints to guide us. We have a peaceful environment in which to contemplate and pray. We are surrounded by like-minded spiritual seekers. And we are given the oppor-tunity to put our philosophy into action by learning to work with one another in a spirit of unity, harmony and spiritual friendship. All of these things foster divinity within us and enrich the soul. But merely having the facility available to us is not enough. We must avail ourselves of the opportunity. What do I mean by this? We’ll only get out of it what we put into it. We have to make a sincere effort. When we go to college, we see other students that

Yogi Youth Editorial

6

by Shree Patel


PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

have also gone through the application process, ac-cepting admission, and paying tuition. But some choose not to go to class and study and instead waste the precious opportunity of a university education by goofing off and partying. They are attending college just like us but they won’t get the benefit of the educa-tion because they choose not to invest any effort. So to get full spiritual benefit we must invest time and energy to visit the mandir, develop a strong bond with the sadhus/saints and build relationships within satsang. We can look for opportunities to selflessly serve God by doing seva. We will then see a great change take place in our lives – it is guaranteed! Swaminarayan Bhagwan blessed us by building 6 great mandirs in His lifetime on earth. The Gunatit saints that have followed have continued that legacy by build-ing many more. So let us resolve to take advantage of this wonderful opportunity to find true, lasting peace, joy and happiness in our lives!


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PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

Name:

Youth Sabha Center:


Attendance:


□ Sahajanand Charitra: Building Mandirs and Sir Malcolm

□ Junior Swamini Vato □ Yogi Youth Editorial: The Imoportance of Mandirs

□ Junior Story: The Flawed Water Pot □ Junior Activity: Mahamantra Lekhan

□ Other:




Suggestions:



Swamini

Vato

Story

Presentation

Bhajan

Games

Seva

Participation

Attendance

8


PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

Prasangs - The Paramhansas

For Juniors

Swamini Vato

Story - The Falcon


Activity: Word Search

For Seniors

YYE - A True Sadhu

Youth Sabha Report

2

4

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PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

THE PARAMHANSAS

— PRASANG 1 —

Following the passing of Ramanand Swami, Lord Swaminarayan performed vicharan

through many towns and villages throughout Gujarat. He brought devotees together for the

celebration of annual festivals like Janmashtami, Holi, Diwali, and others, kindling spiritual

friendship and creating divine memories to last a lifetime. In addition, he began to grace his

devotees with a new form of darshan called samadhi, in which people performed darshan of

the Gods they worshipped and also experienced the divinity of Lord Swaminarayan.

During this time, the famous Swaminarayan arti was first composed and sung for Lord

Swaminarayan by Muktanand Swami in the village of Kalvani. As Lord Swaminarayan visited

more and more towns and villages by performing extensive vicharan, he became quite well-

known and started to attract many souls—and not just devotees, but sadhus too! Nityanand

Swami, Nishkulanand Swami, and Brahmanand Swami are just a few of the many who be-

came sadhus after experiencing the immense divinity within Lord Swaminarayan.

However, this sudden rise in the popularity of the Swaminarayan Sampraday unfortu-

nately angered others who claimed to be sadhus. In fact, society was beginning to realize the

meaning of true saintliness, and wayward sadhus could no longer scam their way into obtain-

ing food or money. They saw the sadhus of Lord Swaminarayan as a direct threat to their bad

habits and dishonest lifestyle. As a result, these sadhus began to go out of their way to hurt

and harass Swaminarayan sadhus, who were easily recognizable with the tilak-chandlo on

their foreheads, shaven heads, saffron clothing, and kanthis. The violence was often harsh and

merciless. Swaminarayan sadhus endured the breaking of their kanthis and janois, the destruc-

tion of the murtis in their pujas, physical beating, and more. Despite the severity of these ac-

tions, the Swaminarayan sadhus did not once fight back. They tolerated all this harm with

silence and forgiveness, only wishing for the good of their attackers.

While these attacks were taking place, Lord Swaminarayan was still in Kalvani, so when

the sadhus arrived in the village they felt relief after having his darshan. Upon witnessing the

bruised bodies and grim faces of his sadhus and learning of their destroyed pujas and broken

kanthis, Lord Swaminarayan was filled with sadness, and tears welled up in his eyes. He gath-

ered his senior sadhus and proclaimed, “I want you to obey my wishes by removing the janoi,

kanthi, and tuft of hair on your head. Give up your puja and perform mental worship instead.

It is because of these symbols that people recognize you as Swaminarayan sadhus and perse-

cute you. I wish you to move around as paramhansas.” And just like that, the words of the

then 26-year-old Sahajanand Swami were accepted by all sadhus young and old. That night,

Lord Swaminarayan gave paramhansa diksha to 500 sadhus, and this milestone in the history

of the Swaminarayan Sampraday reminds us of his incredible spiritual powers and of the ab-

solute faith that the sadhus had in him as God.

Afterwards, the paramhansas traveled freely throughout Gujarat without anyone recog-

nizing their faith from just a quick observation. Sadhus like Muktanand Swami, Gopalanand

Swami, Nityanand Swami, Brahmanand Swami, Gunatitanand Swami, Premamand Swami,

and others were paramhansas of the highest level. They redefined the term “saintliness” by

becoming scholars in Sanskrit and the Hindu scriptures, by learning the extremely difficult

SahajanandCharitra

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PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

ashtang-yoga (Gopalanand Swami), by creating a heavenly atmosphere with just the sound of

their voice (Premanand Swami), and by mastering many different skills and arts (Brahmanand

Swami). With this group of paramhansas, Lord Swaminarayan was unstoppable in his quest to

transform Gujarat into a spiritually vibrant land.

— PRASANG 2 —

Among the many paramhansas of Lord Swaminarayan, there were eight poets who were

very skilled at singing and composing bhajans. Premanand Swami in particular was the most

accomplished singer. His heartfelt singing and mastery of traditional classical music impressed

even the king of Junagadh. Once, some Muslim singers from Gwalior came to perform for

the king, but when they arrived before him, he instructed them, “Go and listen first to the

soulful singing of the Swaminarayan sadhu, Premanand Swami. If you feel you can sing better

than him, then come back and I shall listen to you.”

The singers traveled to Gadhada, and when they reached the darbar of Dada Khachar,

Lord Swaminarayan was holding sabha. The singers respectfully bowed before Lord Swa-

minarayan, explaining why they had come to visit. Lord Swaminarayan immediately told

Premanand Swami to sing the raag Bhairav. Without the slightest hesitation, Premanand Swa-

mi prepared to sing, but the singers from Gwalior were amused because, according to the

rules of classical music, this raag was only supposed to be sung in the morning. How could

Premanand Swami possibly sing such a raag properly in the evening? However, when Prema-

nand Swami began singing, the entire aura of their surroundings transformed. Birds started

chirping and flying from their nests as they do after dawn, and a gentle morning breeze

passed through the darbar as the hot evening began to cool down. Everyone in the sabha was

amazed by the transformation of the ambience into a peaceful morning as Premanand Swami

passionately sang with his heart.

The singers from Gwalior were speechless after listening to Premanand Swami. They real-

ized the glory of Lord Swaminarayan and offered their respects to him before leaving for

Gwalior. Other such poets among the paramhansas included Muktanand Swami, Brahmanand

Swami, Devanand Swami, and Nishkulanand Swami, all of whom composed more than

16,000 bhajans describing the form and glory of Lord Swaminarayan.

SahajanandCharitra

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PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

JUNIORS


“Bhagwān malyā, sadhu malyā, te

kalyān to thāshe pan gnān vinā

antarmā sukh na thāy.”

We have attained God and his Sadhu, so redemption is

assured, but without spiritual wisdom, inner peace is not

attained.


“Āpnā dehnā purvanā hādkā āpni

āgal padyā hoy, pan teni āpanne

khabar nā pade.”

If the bones of our previous body lay before us, still we

wouldn't know it.


“Mahārāje kahyu hatu je, āpatkāl

āve to lilā khadne dandvat karjo,

tema rahine hu sahāy karish.”

Maharaj said, “In perilous times bow down to even green

grass. I will protect and help you through it.”
















— STORY: THE FALCON —

Once there was a king who received a gift of two mag-

nificent falcons. They were peregrine falcons, the most

beautiful birds he had ever seen. He gave the precious birds

to his head falconer to be trained.

Months passed, and one day the head falconer informed

the king that though one of the falcons was flying majesti-

cally, soaring high in the sky, the other bird had not moved

from its branch since the day it had arrived.

The king summoned healers and sorcerers from all the

land to tend to the falcon, but no one could make the bird

fly. He presented the task to a member of his court, but the

next day, the king saw through the palace window that the

bird had still not moved from its perch.

Having tried everything else, the king thought to him-

self, “May be I need someone more familiar with the coun-

tryside to understand the nature of this problem.” So he

cried out to his court, “Go and get a farmer.”

In the morning, the king was thrilled to see the falcon

soaring high above the palace gardens. He said to his court,

“Bring me the doer of this miracle.” The court quickly lo-

cated the farmer, who came and stood before the king. The

king asked him, “How did you make the falcon fly?”

With his head bowed, the farmer said to the king, “It

was very easy, your highness. I simply cut the branch

where the bird was sitting.”

We are all made to fly — to realize our incredible po-

tential as human beings. But at times we sit on our branch-

es, clinging to the things that are familiar to us. The possi-

bilities are endless, but for most of us, they remain undis-

covered. We conform to the familiar, the comfortable, and

the mundane. So for the most part, our lives are mediocre

instead of exciting, thrilling and fulfilling. Let us learn to

destroy the branch of fear we cling to and free ourselves to

the glory of flight!

4 Swamini Vato




PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

JUNIORS

Activity

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PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

A TRUE SADHU

D uring Swaminarayan Bhagwan’s time, He initiated 500 paramhansas. These were sadhus that were

instructed to travel and do their work but without any outward displays of their affiliation with the Swaminarayan movement. Why? Because they were relentlessly persecuted by false, corrupted sadhus from various other orders. Those sadhus felt threat-ened by the Swaminarayan sadhus’ purity and chaste-ness. The paramhansas were therefore commanded by Swaminarayan Bhagwan to remove their saffron-colored robes, janois (sacred threads) and tuft of hair on their heads. They also were told not to do their pu-jas overtly but to do them mentally instead. This brings up an interesting question. The 500 paramhansas are considered the elite of the elite when it comes to Swaminarayan sadhus. But what made them so special after they removed all external indications of their sadhuhood and even stopped doing traditional rituals? The answer to their greatness was within, not what was on the outside. And this helps us to identify what makes a true sadhu. For it is easy to wear the proper attire, chant shlokas, perform rituals and dispense advice to one and all, is it not? Almost anyone can do this. But to live as a true sadhu with 100% faith and conviction in Guru and God, showing infinite patience and compassion even in the face of opposition, showering unconditional love upon everyone… these are the true inner traits of a God-realized sadhu. P. P. Shantidada often says that “only one who has be-come zero” can act like this. What does he mean by this? He is referring to someone who has transcended their ego. They live not for themselves, not according to their likes and dislikes, wants and needs. But they live instead solely to please their Guru and God. This type of sadhu has become ego-less and therefore is a perfect, undiluted instrument of God.

They live for God and in God 24 hours, 7 days a week. They have no agenda, no interests, no attachments to anything or anyone except for God. Therefore God can work wholly and entirely through them. There is no room for God’s message to be corrupted by personal imperfections such as lust, greed, anger and ego be-cause these remarkable individuals have transcended all of maya’s influences. These true sadhus are called ‘Gunatit, God-realized Saints’ in our sampraday. And they are vital to our spir-itual journey. For our objective is to live according to God’s will at all times. But how do we know what God’s will is? Some-times we have moments of clarity when we can clearly discern what God wants but what about all the other times when the message is either uncertain or hazy? That is when having a direct, pure connection to God is vital. That is when our access to God via our Gunatit Guru is most needed. In this modern age when our lives have become so hec-tic, Swaminarayan Bhagwan graced us with a practical, easy-to-follow method to reach Him. By building a lov-ing, unshakeable bond with His emissary, the Gunatit sadhu, and following that sadhu’s instructions we get ever closer to God. As our attachment to our Guru grows, His happiness begins to become more im-portant to us than our own happiness. Automatically we therefore begin to live more in God/Guru’s will as opposed to our own will. And this in turn leads to an outpouring of divine grace that melts away our imper-fections and gives us profound peace and happiness within. What can be easier than this? Surely not reading all of the scriptures, digesting their wisdom and attempting to apply it ourselves in our day-to-day lives? I’m not sure anyone even has time for that nowadays. Or standing on one leg in the Himalayas and performing austerities for months, if not years, on end? I’m not


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PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

sure anyone of us is even physically capable of this! No, having a living, breathing manifestation of God right in front of us in the form of our Guru makes things much simpler. We can ask him questions, rely on his strength during difficult times and trust that his motiva-tions are pure. One may initially think that this concept of devotion to a Guru, “guru bhakti,” is a recent phenomenon. In ac-tuality, it isn’t. One of the first and primary shlokas that Hindus learn is “Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnu, Gurur Devo Maheshvara, Gurur Sakshat, Param Brah-ma, Tasmai Shri Guruve Namaha.” It comes down to us from the ancient Vedas and essentially translates to “My Guru is Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva, He is the mani-fest Supreme Lord, to Him I bow in servitude.”

The problem is that somewhere along the way we for-got this principal focus of having a living spiritual mas-ter and guide in our lives. Maybe we just got carried away in our own egos and began to think we didn’t need them anymore and could figure things out on our own since we are so intellectual and educated. Regard-less, we are immensely fortunate that such pure sa-dhus have come into our lives and are so easily accessi-ble. So may we build an ever-stronger soul-to-soul bond with these saints characterized with ever-increasing faith! And may we resolve to follow their instructions unfailingly to reach our ultimate spiritual destiny… one-ness with the divine!


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PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

Name:

Youth Sabha Center:


Attendance:


□ Sahajanand Charitra: The Paramhansas

□ Junior Swamini Vato □ Yogi Youth Editorial: A True Sadhu

□ Junior Story: The Falcon □ Junior Activity: Mahamantra Lekhan

□ Other:




Suggestions:



Swamini

Vato

Story

Presentation

Bhajan

Games

Seva

Participation

Attendance

8


PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

Prasangs - The First Gunatit Abode

For Juniors

Swamini Vato

Story - A Glass of Milk


Activity: Find the Difference

For Seniors

YYE - A Walking Temple of God

Youth Sabha Report

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PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

THE FIRST GUNATIT ABODE

— PRASANG 1 —

Lord Swaminarayan visited the small village of Bhadra, where he met Sakarba and her

son Mulji Sharma. For the first time, he revealed the true glory of Mulji to his mother: “Mulji

is my eternal abode and ideal disciple. He is Aksharbrahma. We share a constant, divine con-

nection. One will attain Parabrahma only after realizing his glory and connecting one’s atma

with his.”

Years later, Lord Swaminarayan arranged a grand yagna for the Mulji Sharma’s diksha in

the village of Dabhan. Brahmin priests and many devotees traveled from all over Gujarat and

India to attend this huge event. Lord Swaminarayan had the yagna start off with the chanting

of Vedic mantras by the Brahmin priests. However, the Vanmargi Brahmins had not come

with good intentions. They attempted to ruin the yagna by going to the kitchen and dumping

large vessels of ghee and laddus into a pond near the village. However, to their surprise, when

mealtime came around, everything had been refilled! Lord Swaminarayan had used his divine

powers to replenish the ghee and laddus.

As word of the grand yagna spread, more and more Brahmins arrived from all over the

region to witness the glory of this historic event. Finally, on the last day of the yagna, Janu-

ary 20, 1810, Lord Swaminarayan arranged for the diksha of Mulji Sharma. He arrived wear-

ing the traditional saffron dhoti and a janoi, and he also had his head shaven. Lord Swaminara-

yan himself performed all the diksha rituals. All of the sadhus, Brahmins, and guest devotees

were surprised, as they had never seen Lord Swaminarayan himself give diksha to anyone

with such a large ceremony or celebration.

Sensing their thoughts, Lord Swaminarayan spoke to the crowd, “O sadhus and devotees,

today I am initiating Mulji Sharma as a sadhu on this auspicious occasion. As a Brahmin from

the village of Bhadra, he may seem like an ordinary person. However, he is my eternal abode,

Akshardham! In his manifest form, he forever serves me. Just as you see him here, he is simi-

larly serving me in Akshardham. He has infinite virtues, and he is above the three gunas,

making him gunatit! He has complete knowledge of my true form! Since Mulji is above the

three gunas, I name him ‘Gunatitanand.’ His glory shall spread throughout the world.”

Gunatitanand Swami was the first spiritual successor of Lord Swaminarayan—the first

swaroop of Akshar-Purushottam. He was instrumental in spreading the glory of Lord Swa-

minarayan, and he is worshipped as the ideal devotee and as Aksharbrahma, as per the philos-

ophy of Akshar Purushottam Upasana. His diksha ceremony was a huge milestone in the his-

tory of the Swaminarayan Sampraday.

— PRASANG 2 —

In 1812, Lord Swaminarayan gathered his devotees and celebrated Fuldol in the small vil-

lage of Sarangpur. Fuldol, also known as Pushpadolotsav and described as the festival of flow-

ers and colors, is celebrated on the day after Holi. Lord Swaminarayan participated with sa-

dhus and devotees in spraying colored water and tossing colored powder on one another

playfully. The celebrations brought pure joy to the devotees’ hearts and allowed them to take

a break from the dullness of their daily rural lives. After the celebrations, the sadhus per-

SahajanandCharitra

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PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

formed puja of Lord Swaminarayan, and that evening, he played raas with the sadhus and

devotees at the home of Rathod Dhadhal.

While playing raas, Lord Swaminarayan recited the following verse from Sant Kabir’s

poem as He struck the dandiya of Gunatitanad Swami with his own:

“Koti Krishna jode hath, Koti Vishnu name Nath,

Koti Shankar dhare dhyan, Koti Brahma kare gnan;

Sadguru Khele Vasant”

This verse roughly translates to, “Millions of Krishnas stand before you with folded hands,

millions of Vishnus bow their heads to you, millions of Shivas meditate upon you, and mil-

lions of Brahmas spread your glory. The Sadguru engages in the divine play of spring.” As

Lord Swaminarayan repeated the verses from this poem, the tempo of the raas got faster and

faster. Everyone was entranced by the divine atmosphere, which included the sounds

of tablas, instruments, and of course the beautiful poem. Suddenly, Lord Swaminarayan

stopped and the raas came to an end. He asked the sadhus, “Who is the Sadguru described in

this verse?” Previously, in the villages of Loj and Mangrol, Lord Swaminarayan had asked this

question and had replied that he himself was such a sadguru. With this in mind, the sadhus

replied, “Maharaj! You are such a Sadguru!”

Lord Swaminarayan replied, “I am Purushottam Bhagwan, but the Sadguru whose glory

is sung in this verse is Gunatitanand Swami.” However, no one immediately understood what

he meant. They had a hard time believing that Gunatitanand Swami, due to his young age

and simple personality, could be the Sadguru from the verse.

After repeating the same statement, Lord Swaminarayan said, “O Sadhus, please listen.

These verses were composed by Kabirji, who believed God to have a human form. He knew

God would have an abode who would eternally serve him. That abode, that Akshar, is Gun-

atitanand Swami! He is the eternal Sadguru and the gateway to moksha. When you realize his

glory, you will truly know me fully.” In this way, Lord Swaminarayan revealed the true na-

ture of Gunatitanand Swami to sadhus and devotees on many occasions.

SahajanandCharitra

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PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

JUNIORS


“Pānch vāte sānukul hoy tyāre

Prabhu bhajāy; te sang, shāstra,

shraddhā, rudo desh ne rudo kāl.”

God can be worshipped when five factors are in place:

good company, study of the scriptures, faith in God and

His Sadhu, the right place, and the right time.


“Satya, hit ne priya evu vachan

bolvu ne upekshā rahit bolvu pan

āgrahathi vachan kahevu nahi.”

Speak truthful, beneficial and affectionate words, with-

out contempt, but do not speak with aggressive insist-

ence.


“Jem chhe tem kahie to tarat

manāy nahi, māte manne valgādi

mukvu, etle dhire dhire bal pāmshe

tem samjāshe.”

If the basic concepts are described with their true mean-

ings, they are not immediately believed. Therefore, keep

the mind engrossed in the Satpurush. Then slowly, as

strength is gained, true understanding will develop.






offered here through mahamantra lekhan, that the Anoopam

Missino UK mandir will arise! Go to www.anoopam.org/

mantralekhan and write the Swaminarayan Mahamantra for 10

minutes!


— STORY: A GLASS OF MILK —

One day, a poor boy who was selling goods from door

to door to pay his way through school, found he had only

one thin dime left, and he was hungry. He decided he

would ask for a meal at the next house. However, he lost

his nerve when a lovely young woman opened the door.

Instead of a meal he asked for a drink of water. She

thought he looked hungry so brought him a large glass of

milk.

He drank it slowly, and then asked, “How much do I

owe you?”

“You don’t owe me anything,” she replied. “Mother

has taught us never to accept pay for a kindness.”

He said, “Then I thank you from my heart.”

As Howard Kelly left that house, he not only felt

stronger physically, but his faith in God and man was

strong also. He had been ready to give up and quit.

Years later that young woman became critically ill. The

local doctors were baffled. They finally sent her to the big

city, where they called in specialists to study her rare dis-

ease.

Dr. Howard Kelly was called in for the consultation.

When he heard the name of the town she came from, a

strange light filled his eyes. Immediately he rose and went

down the hall of the hospital to her room.

Dressed in his doctor’s gown he went in to see her. He

recognized her at once. He went back to the consultation

room determined to do his best to save her life. From that

day he gave special attention to the case.

After a long struggle, the battle was won. Dr. Kelly

requested the business office to pass the final bill to him for

approval. He looked at it, then wrote something on the

edge and the bill was sent to her room.

She feared to open it, for she was sure it would take the

rest of her life to pay for it all. Finally she looked, and

something caught her attention on the side of the bill. She

began to read the following words:

“Paid in full with one glass of milk.

Signed, Dr. Howard Kelly.”

4 Swamini Vato




PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

JUNIORS

Activity

5


PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

A WALKING TEMPLE OF GOD

S ometimes it is easy to get caught up in philo-sophical terms such as “Akshar Purushottam

Upasana” and “Gunatit bhav” and lose sight of the basic underlying message. Without a doubt, when Swaminarayan Bhagwan came to this earth as the latest and greatest man-ifestation of the Supreme God, it was a monu-mental event. But just as monumental was the simple fact that He opened up a path for all of mankind to realize God when He choose to mani-fest together with Gunatitanand Swami. For Swaminarayan Bhagwan made it abundantly clear that He cannot exist without a living abode, i.e., a place where he eternally resides. And that the ultimate goal for all spiritual seekers is to achieve this state of being whereby one becomes the very abode of God. Perhaps it’s easier to grasp this concept by replac-ing the word “abode” with “temple.” This then defines our goal as becoming ‘a temple of God,’ just like Gunatitanand Swami. For time and time again Swaminarayan Bhagwan demonstrated that Gunatitanand Swami was the ultimate template or role model of what it means to become God’s abode. Maybe this concept of becoming a temple of God is still too abstract to understand clearly. So let us look at what it would feel like to reach this elevat-ed state of being. So stop for a second and imag-ine the following scenario. You have become so ‘at one with God’ that He is your constant companion. Every minute of the day you can feel His presence right next to you.

Since the very definition of God is pure, uncondi-tional love, you are constantly aware of His deep, unwavering acceptance of you. He gently guides you throughout your daily routine, whispering to you what you need to do and when you need to do it. His strong support is ever present during challenging situations. You feel fulfilled because his sheer immense pres-ence is more than enough to sustain you. You therefore don’t need outside validation for who you are, what you do and how you feel. You feel completely secure in the knowledge that He is your best friend and that He is going nowhere, no matter what happens. All fear dissipates because you inherently know that whatever is happening to you is happening due to Him. If He doesn’t want something to happen to you then He would undoubtedly either remove you from the situation or remove the source of trou-ble. If He chooses not to change the situation, then you are intimately aware that He is allowing that situation to unfold in order for your own growth, for bringing you closer to Him. And since He is ever-present with you, He will assuredly pro-vide strength to get through it. Your human frailties such as lust, greed, anger and ego begin to fall by the wayside. Instead, di-vine qualities such as love, compassion, kindness and generosity take their place. Insecurities be-come a distant memory. And confidence and hope in your future destiny wells up more and more within you. Think of how powerful this feeling would be! Think of how invulnerable you would feel, secure


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by Shree Patel


PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

in the knowledge that God is right next to you protecting, guiding and nurturing you every step of the way. THIS is our destiny as seekers of God, our spiritual birthright. This is why God has sent us our guru and this satsang, to provide us with the path and support for the journey. And know this… our guru will not let go of us until we have reached this state of being! Some way or other He will keep challenging us, molding us and guiding us until we reach this objective. And if we don’t get there this lifetime then He won’t relent in future lifetimes. This is His and God’s promise to us. So it therefore becomes incumbent upon us to

heed our guru’s guidance and advice. For our guru is the very living manifestation of the ideal temple of God, Gunatitanand Swami. Our respon-sibility is simply to follow His instructions, devot-edly serve Him and to keep trying to live a life that pleases Him. For this is the most wonderful part of it all: we don’t have to undertake any special or extraordi-nary endeavors such as performing austerities, learning scriptures and undergoing countless ritu-als. Rather, by living more and more in our guru we live more and more in God. And we will auto-matically become God’s abode – a living, breath-ing temple of God where He is eternally present!


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PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

Name:

Youth Sabha Center:


Attendance:


□ Sahajanand Charitra: A Glass of Milk

□ Junior Swamini Vato □ Yogi Youth Editorial: A Walking Temple of God

□ Junior Story: A Glass of Mlk □ Junior Activity: Find the Difference

□ Other:




Suggestions:



Swamini

Vato

Story

Presentation

Bhajan

Games

Seva

Participation

Attendance

8


PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

Prasangs - The Eternal Bond

For Juniors

Swamini Vato

Story - The Unhappy Crow


Activity: Coloring

For Seniors

YYE - Connecting to the Spirit

Rather than the Physical

Youth Sabha Report

2

4

4

4

5

6

8

1


PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

THE ETERNAL BOND

In 1830, Lord Swaminarayan determined that he would soon leave his physical body and

his stay on earth. After celebrating Fuldol, he became ill in Gadhada and even announced

that he was ready to pass away and leave this world. All the paramhansas and devotees were

shocked and greatly saddened to hear this awful news. During the last days of

Lord Swaminarayan’s life, he felt weakened and was completely bedridden. He completely

lost his appetite and did not eat a single bite of food.

Lord Swaminarayan instructed Brahmanand Swami to go to Junagadh and

send Gunatitanand Swami immediately. Realizing that this might be the last time he would

see him, Brahmanand Swami left with a heavy heart. Upon reaching Junagadh, he quickly

found Gunatitanand Swami and delivered his message, his eyes filling with tears as he re-

vealed the dire situation. Without delaying for a moment, Gunatitanand Swami left for

Gadhada immediately, walking at a fast pace without stopping once along the way, even to

rest overnight! Finally, he reached Gadhada the next day. As he made his way to the Akshar

Ordi (the residence of Lord Swaminarayan in Dada Khachar's darbar), he passed devotees

with red eyes and grieving hearts. Gunatitanand Swami noticed that Dada Khachar’s darbar

was unusually silent too, and he realized that Lord Swaminarayan’s illness was indeed severe.

When Gunatitanand Swami reached the Akshar Ordi, Lord Swaminarayan

was immediately informed. He sprung out of his bed with joy, telling his attendant, “Allow

him to come in immediately!” Gunatitanand Swami entered and bowed down at the lotus

feet of Lord Swaminarayan. Tears began to flow from his eyes as he gazed upon the gaunt

face and withered body of Lord Swaminarayan. They had a divine, eternal bond with each

other, so they both simply looked into one another’s eyes for some time. Sensing his grief,

Lord Swaminarayan lovingly placed his hand on Swami’s shoulder and gently said, “Swami! I

am not separate from you. You are dear to me as water is to one who is thirsty, and food to

one who is hungry.”

Lord Swaminarayan felt refreshed with Gunatitanand Swami in his presence. He started

to take small amounts of food four days after his arrival, and he even gave prasad to Swami.

The paramhansas and devotees were relieved to see Lord Swaminarayan more active and eat-

ing again. However, Lord Swaminarayan resolved that the time of his physical presence on

earth was coming to an end.

One day, Lord Swaminarayan called all senior sadhus and devotees inside his room. He

spoke solemnly, “I have now decided to return to my abode. I will not change my mind.” As

the sadhus and devotees heard these words, the sadness returned and some started sobbing.

Lord Swaminarayan tried to calm everyone with his soothing words, “Please, there is no need

to cry. God never leaves this earth. He leaves here only to manifest in another form. If one

does not recognize that form, then I am present in the murti. If you offer worship to the

murti with loving devotion then you will recognize my manifest form on earth.”

Despite his efforts to console his disciples, no one could accept that Lord Swaminarayan

was leaving them. Lord Swaminarayan then proclaimed that he would leave his physical

body the very next day. Hearing this, Dada Khachar, Jivuba, Laduba, and others wailed with

grief and collapsed to the ground. When the regained consciousness shortly after, Lord Swa-

minarayan asked everyone leave.

The next day, Lord Swaminarayan called Gunatitanand Swami. “Now I shall not stay any

SahajanandCharitra

2


PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

longer in this world. You will have to spread my glory. Liberate everyone through your di-

vine association, making them eligible for Akshardham. Through you everyone will experi-

ence my divine happiness. Now happily allow me to depart.” In his final moments, Lord

Swaminarayan called for Gunatitanand Swami, Gopalanand Swami, Muktanand Swami, Nit-

yanand Swami, and other senior sadhus and devotees. He sat up on his bed with the help of

his attendants and faced east. Everyone had their eyes focused on Lord Swaminarayan. At

twelve noon on June 1, 1830, he left his physical body using his divine powers and ended his

physical stay on earth. The sounds of crying and sobbing could be heard all around the dar-

bar soon after.

The final rituals for the physical body of Lord Swaminarayan were performed at the Lak-

shmi Vadi. Today, a memorial mandir in his honor stands at this site. After the crematory

rituals, everyone went to a nearby well to perform the ritual bath. On his way, Gunatitanand

Swami saw a stream of water leading towards the green grass of some fertile farmland. He

thought to himself, “Water is the life of this grass. Our life-force was Lord Swaminarayan,

and now he is gone!” With that thought, he lost consciousness and fainted by the stream.

Lord Swaminarayan appeared in his divine form and woke him up with a reminder, “Swami,

have I gone away? I am forever manifest within you!” Lord Swaminarayan lovingly embraced

Swami and revealed his true manifestation on earth. Swami recovered quickly, took his bath,

and returned to Dada Khachar’s darbar.

As the successor of Lord Swaminarayan, Gunatitanand Swami was worshipped as

Aksharbrahma, which means that he was a Gunatit guru, the humble servant of Parabrahma,

and the eternal abode of Lord Swaminarayan. He continued the work of Lord Swaminarayan

by guiding devotees towards the gateway of liberation.

SahajanandCharitra

3


PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

JUNIORS


“Shahernu sevan, bhandār, kothār,

rupiyā, adhikār e ādi jivne

bagādvānā hetu chhe.”

The material pleasures, treasures, stores, money, power,

etc., of a city only spoil the jiva.


“Vishay kopi nākhtā hoy tene

motāne rāji karyāno sho upāy?

Prashnano uttar e je motāni anuvrut-

ti ne te je kahe te karvu ej chhe.”

How can one who is overpowered by material pleasures

please the great Sadhu? The answer is to obey the will of

the great.


“Jo mārmār karto koi āvto hoy to

em samajvu je mārā Swāminu ja

karu sarve thāy pan te vinā koinu

halāvyu pānadu pan hāltu nathi.”

If someone approaches with anger, understand that eve-

rything happens due to God. Without him, nobody is

able to move even a leaf.

Chapter 1, Vāt 88.





offered here through mahamantra lekhan, that the Anoopam

Missino UK mandir will arise! Go to www.anoopam.org/

mantralekhan and write the Swaminarayan Mahamantra for 10

minutes!


— STORY: THE UNHAPPY CROW —

One day, A crow lived in the forest and was absolutely

satisfied in life. But one day he saw a swan. “This swan is so

white,” he thought, “and I am so black. This swan must be

the happiest bird in the world.”

He expressed his thoughts to the swan. “Actually,” the

swan replied, “I was feeling that I was the happiest bird

around until I saw a parrot, which has two colors. I now

think the parrot is the happiest bird in creation.” The crow

then approached the parrot. The parrot explained, “I lived a

very happy life until I saw a peacock. I have only two col-

ors, but the peacock has multiple colors.”

The crow then visited a peacock in the zoo and saw

that hundreds of people had gathered to see him. After the

people had left, the crow approached the peacock. “Dear

peacock,” the crow said, “you are so beautiful. Every day

thousands of people come to see you. When people see me,

they immediately shoo me away. I think you are the happi-

est bird on the planet.”

The peacock replied, “I always thought that I was the

most beautiful and happy bird on the planet. But because of

my beauty, I am entrapped in this zoo. I have examined the

zoo very carefully, and I have realized that the crow is the

only bird not kept in a cage. So for past few days I have

been thinking that if I were a crow, I could happily roam

everywhere.”

We all find ourselves with similar problems! We make

unnecessary comparisons with others and become sad. We

don’t value what God has given us. This all leads to the vi-

cious cycle of unhappiness. Learn to be happy with what

you already have instead of worrying about what you don’t

have. Let’s be grateful that Sahebdada has provided us with

such a loving family and a great opportunity to do satsang

with our mandir friends! There will always be someone

who will have more or less than you have. Someone who is

satisfied with what he or she has is the happiest person in

the world.

4 Swamini Vato




PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

JUNIORS

Activity

5


PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

CONNECTING TO THE SPIRIT RATHER THAN THE PHYSICAL

W hen Swaminarayan Bhagwan left His hu-man body, Gunatitanand Swami was dev-

astated. He collapsed on a field thinking his life could not go on without the continued spiritual sustenance he received from Swaminarayan Bhagwan’s presence on earth. But sudden-ly, Maharaj manifested before him and assured Gunatitanand Swami that he would never leave him – even though Maharaj had already left his physical body. This is an important concept for us, the fact that God and His Gunatit saints continue to exist all around us in spirit even after they leave their hu-man form. It is the very reason we garland and bow to the murtis of bhagwan and the saints in the mandir. Our Hindu philosophy teaches us that they are very much present and most definitely inhabit those murtis in the form of the spirit. But unfortunately we as human beings are very tangible, meaning that we require seeing, tasting, touching or smelling something in order to truly connect to it. Actually it goes even deeper than this. We simply have difficulty believing in any-thing that we cannot directly experience through our senses. The drawback to this way of thinking is that it lim-its us tremendously when it comes to the massive spiritual realm. By very definition, the spirit trans-cends this physical. For can we touch or observe someone’s soul? Can we measure or quantify spiritual qualities such as compassion or love? Can we experience for ourselves someone else’s spiritual journey, such as what have they gone through emotionally and what battles they con-tinue to fight within themselves?

The answer to all these questions is a resounding “no.” Why? In order to observe the spiritual realm we need to use a different lens. We can intellec-tualize concepts to a certain degree, such as tell-ing ourselves that everyone has a soul and that God exists within each and every individual, but to truly connect to the spirit we need to feel something within. Connecting to the spirit first and foremost re-quires calming the mind. That’s because the mind often clouds our perception of most things spir-itual. How? It creates doubts. For example, at cer-tain times we doubt the existence of God even though deep down we know that he exists. Other times we doubt that the Gunatit, God-realized saint is actually 100% divine and faultless. Or we doubt his words and guidance. Our guru tells us that all of the devotees around us are also 100% divine and faultless and are merely instruments of God. But our mind often rebels at this thought. How can so-and-so be faultless when I can clearly see he is doing some-thing wrong?! But this is clearly a case where we need to have complete trust in our guru and over-come our mind and its doubts. In such cases Sahebdada says that we need to make our souls stronger than our minds. To un-derstand this we must ask, “am I in control of my mind or is my mind in control of me?” For as long as our mind is in control of us – and causing noise and doubts – we won’t be able to truly connect to the spiritual realm. And we won’t be able to maintain our connection with God and feel his presence continually.


6

by Shree Patel


PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

So how can we make our soul stronger than our mind? Sahebdada gives us a multitude of ways: by doing dhun, bhajan and prarthana, by performing seva, by following our guru’s aagnas and by keep-ing nirdosh buddhi and divyabhav for our fellow haribhaktos (seeing them as faultless and divine). All of these techniques will help us to gradually control the mind. And dhun is particularly effec-tive, but it takes both time and diligent effort. Often we find our minds wandering when we sit down to do dhun. But we need to keep at it. For

Sahebdada says the mind is like a wandering child, going here, there and everywhere. He says we should let it roam and gently guide it back to focus on the murti of God and/or guru. If it wan-ders again, that’s fine. Just guide it back again. For just like a child that eventually tires of wan-dering and then comes back to his mother’s lap to sleep, so will the mind, Sahebdada states. So now that we have the tools by which to con-nect to God and guru anytime in spirit, let us re-solve to practice them throughout the day!


7


PART II

|| Swami Shreeji ||

Name:

Youth Sabha Center:


Attendance:


□ Sahajanand Charitra: The Eternal Bond

□ Junior Swamini Vato □ Yogi Youth Editorial: Connecting to the Spirit

□ Junior Story: The Unhappy Crow □ Junior Activity: Coloring

□ Other:




Suggestions:



Swamini

Vato

Story

Presentation

Bhajan

Games

Seva

Participation

Attendance

8

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