Spiritual significance of festivals

14 January 1994, Sankranthi, Sports Meet, Prasanthi Nilayam

Published English.

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Like the oil latent in the seed, Like latent in milk, Like the fragrance latent in a flower, Like the juice latent in a fruit, Like the fire latent in a faggot, The Divine is immanent in every human being. Just as the power of sight is present in the eye, The power of hearing in the ear, The sense of taste in the tongue, Divinity is present in a subtle form as . Remaining invisible in the visible phenomenal world, The consciousness that shines in the cosmos Is the form of the which sustains everything, Like the thread in a garland of gems. EMBODIMENTS of Divine Love! Man engages himself in many exercises in his life. No single achievement satisfies man or society. Man constantly strives to accomplish more things. Today men seem to revel in dissatisfaction. Youth today do not appear to be seriously concerned about how to face a rapidly changing world. The preparedness to sacrifice everything for achieving a noble objective is hardly present among the young.

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Success in life consists in recognizing the truth of one's being. But youth today do not make any effort to find the Truth that is the Eternal Reality. They are prepared to go through any amount of trouble to acquire knowledge that is related to the physical and the transient. They do not make the slightest effort to comprehend the Divine that is all-pervading, that will confer enduring bliss and make one's life meaningful and worthwhile. Festivals in have been designed to promote awareness of this truth. Their inner significance as well as their scientific basis have to be understood.

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Four important transits of the Sun in a year Every month the Sun moves into a new house in the Zodiac This movement is called . In a year the Sun transits twelve houses of the Zodiac. Of these movements four are important. is the first one. It relates to the entry of the Sun into (Capricorn) from (Sagittarius). The second one is the entry of the Sun into the zodiacal sign (Libra). The third is - moving into the sign (Aries). The fourth one is - entry into the Moon sign (Cancer). Of the four, the most important and sacred is . This marks the apparent movement of the Sun from the south to the north. The northward movement of the Sun is considered highly significant, both spiritually and scientifically. It has immense spiritual meaning. The inner meaning of the Sun's northward journey has to be properly understood. The north is represented by . means snow. It is pure, untainted and extremely cool. All these endow it with the quality of (perfect peace). means that which is steady and unshakeable. does not refer to the physical Himalayan region. It represents that which is cool, peaceful and steady. From today the Sun is said to move towards such a state. The Sun symbolises the vision of man. The northward movement of the Sun is a call to human beings to turn their vision towards that which is cool, peaceful and unchanging. This means that men should direct their vision inwards. This is the lesson taught by the Sun.

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is an occasion to develop inward vision Man's vision should not be confined solely to the external objects and worldly things which are transient and perishable. Man has been given this vision so that he may see the pure, sacred Divine consciousness abiding in his heart. The northward motion of the Sun - - is the appropriate occasion for developing this inward vision. This is the royal road for the spiritual aspirant to realise the Supreme. It is not enough, therefore, merely to recognise the northward movement of the Sun in this period. Every effort should be made to direct the vision inwards towards the pure, sacred Indwelling Self. This is the period for cherishing sacred thoughts and performing holy deeds. The sages and seers of ancient times used to wait for the arrival of the to embark on their sacred tasks. The great warrior, , lay on a bed of arrows for 56 days on the battlefield, awaiting the arrival of as the right time for giving up the ghost. The scriptures have declared that those who pass on during the have no rebirth. This does not mean that one should hang himself in in the hope of securing freedom from rebirth! The right way to give up one's life is to fill one's mind with holy thoughts and let the end come in the natural course. Sage wished to distribute the composition of hundred verses on the to the denizens of the three worlds in equal measure. After this was done, only two letters remained, which were offered to people in all the worlds for recitation. The two letters spell the names of , , , and .

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Man should abide by the laws of the Creator This illustrates how attempted to sanctify every holy festival by dedicating themselves to the chanting of God's name and to other spiritual activities. Youths today should realise that festivals in are not intended for feasting and pompous celebration but for concentration on devotional activities. For mankind, the Sun is the most important entity in creation. When the Sun himself is proceeding northwards, why should not humanity direct its vision Godward? Men today are a prey to many troubles because their vision is diverted towards ungodly objects. Man should abide by the laws of the Creator. Otherwise humanity is doomed. Religious festivals are observed all over the world for the purpose of raising humanity to a 'higher level of consciousness and conduct.

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brings with it a season of joy From this day, the Sun wears a peaceful and pleasing aspect. The nights get longer and the days become shorter. The day marks the beginning of the harvest season. As the crops are brought home, the granaries are full and joy reigns everywhere. A cool breeze blows all the time. Farmers sing with full-throated joy from their fields in the moonlight. The cold dew drops on the fields shine like garlands of gems. The chrysanthemums are in full bloom. This month, known as (according to the almanac) is noted for the peacefulness, prosperity and joy which it brings with it. Hence it is regarded with special distinction. Unless men give up their bad thoughts and actions, the month, however great in itself, will be of no avail. The observance of should be marked by spiritual transformation of the people and not by lavish feasting and revelry. In connection with , many auspicious functions are arranged. Newly wedded bridegrooms are invited to the brides houses. Sacred bulls are taken from house to house by traditional performers who relate the story with the bulls playing their own role in it. In this way, with songs, plays and discourses, they celebrate the festival. The songs and plays had a sacred role in the celebrations. Unfortunately today music and sports have been commercialized. There is a price for every game, whether it is cricket or football or any other game. Thc sacred character of the games and dramas of the past has been tainted by the money nexus. It is clear that originally sports were promoted in the interests of health and strength. People took part in games for the improvement of their physique and to provide entertainment to the public. There was a time when a musician, if invited to sing songs at a wedding in his locality, would readily oblige. But today the musician will ask, "How much will you give me for my performance?" Singers have become sinners. Their music does not confer joy on the listeners because they sing, not out of the fullness of their heart, but for the sake of money and name. This was not the case in olden days. The performers with the sacred bulls used to gather in the centre of the village and provide entertainment as the members of one large family. Little children used to join in the fun, singing songs to gather all the children to watch the performance of the bulls.

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Students enthusiasm in preparing for activities Looking forward to the sports meet, the students have been enthusiastically practising for nearly a month. In other universities, sports activities are supported by grants from the U.G.C. or other agencies. In the Institute, no request is made to any outside agency for funds to pay the teachers salaries or to meet medical or other expenses. Education is provided free of fees, from kindergarten to Post-graduate studies. No fees are collected for sports, library, or other amenities. Not did the Central Trust or the College offer any funds for the sports programme. We do not desire to proclaim to the world the spirit of sacrifice and dedication of our students. We only express our own satisfaction with the performance of our students. In the preparations for the sports and cultural meet, all the expenses have been met by teachers and students out of their voluntary contributions. No one knows, not even the Registrar or the Vice-Chancellor, how this is done. It is rare to find students of such an exemplary nature, who cooperate with each other in a spirit of brotherhood. In all the three campuses - , and - the dresses and other materials required for their programmes were got from their own resources.

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Kudos to primary school children Special mention should be made about what the Primary School did. If we make an earnest and truthful enquiry into what is happening all over the world, we will find that where women are in charge of schools, everything is done well. The children are well taught. The teachers concentrate on their duties, without diversions of any kind. Consequently, whatever they do is pleasing to the eyes, the ears and the heart. Look at the way the teachers look after little children in the primary school. You all know what trouble it is to look after a single child in the home. You can well imagine what an ordeal it is to look after eleven hundred young children. There are a large number of children between the ages of four and five. What discipline they displayed in their performances in sports! Their eating, dressing and other activities are regulated from a tender age. The world outside does not know what is being done here. Even many in do not know the facts. The teachers, the Warden and the Principal are engaged in teaching work all during the day They work all through the night, preparing the dresses for the sports events. All the dresses worn by the children were stitched at night by the teachers. My heart melts when I look at these teachers. Their eyes are swollen owing to sleepless work. When you see the children perform in their multicoloured dresses, the scene looks like a glorious garden blooming with flowers of all kinds. When the children come out in formation for their mass drill, you cannot see who is directing them. Every movement of theirs is regulated by themselves in perfect co-ordination and harmony Imagine what it costs to make these dresses. They are made from expensive material and each dress differs from another. All these are made by the teachers themselves. The children feel that has given them free education and they must show their gratitude to at least once a year by such activities, whatever sacrifice they may call for.

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Students devotion to From this new year people should develop a broad outlook and consider the interests of others as much as of their own. In our Institute the situation is very good. Our teachers and students mingle with each other in friendly spirit and the teachers coach the lagging students outside their class hours. Whether you believe it or not, there is no University in India which maintains such discipline and educational standards as our Institute. We do not publicize our performance. For instance, in the last All-India Xth standard examinations, our students got high ranks at the national level.

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The student who came first in the country received an award from the Centre. asked him to go to to receive the award from the President. But the boy said: "I did not study for getting the President's or the Prime Minister's award. I studied to earn the approbation of . 's satisfaction is enough for me. That is the biggest award." Such is the high-minded attitude of our students.

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The children's hearts are pure, unsullied and sacred. If these qualities are praised, it is not for proclaiming them to the public, but to infuse enthusiasm in the students and encourage them to do better. Whcn some students came to and exclaimed: "I have secured 'O' grade," told them, "The 'O' grade has been given for your studies, not to you. It is only when you put into practice what you have studied that the 'O' grade or degree will belong to you." Many persons attach the degrees to their names. The degree will be really theirs, and not to the studies they made, when they act upto that knowledge represented by the degrees. One is a hero in learning and a zero in practice. What is required is the application of the knowledge acquired in daily life. Only then the degrees really become yours.

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Knowledge and service should go together What service are you able to render to the rural population by your knowledge? You are concerned more about your careers and the earnings which may be got from your degrees. This should not be the main concern of students to-day. You must consider how far your knowledge is of benefit to society. You must ensure the peace and security of society. That should be the principal aim of the students. Students! You have done well in your studies as well as in sports. What wants from you is that you should conduct yourselves when you go out into the outside world in the same spirit of discipline and devotion, which you display here. You must realise that it is only in our Institute that the students have the opportunity to have continuous contact with the Chancellor Himself from day to day. You must make good use of it and hold yourselves forth as models for the world.

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As regards the Super-Speciality Hospital, there is no hospital like it anywhere in the world, giving totally free treatment. Not are there doctors rendering free and dedicated service as in our hospital. is spending on the hospital. The money is spent with scrupulous care. Not a is wasted. Many devotees, seeing the good work that is being done, are sending voluntary donations according to their capacity All this money is being spent by the Trust with unexcelled concern for economy and integrity. Unscrupulous and envious traducers are levelling charges of misuse of the funds by the Trust. This is a grievous sin. examines every bill, minutely before making payment. The doctors for their part are looking after the patients in a spirit of dedication and team work. This spirit of unity should prevail in all our institutions and organizations. The character of their work reflects on 's name.