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PATH TO IMMORTALITY
A quarterly publication of
Bharat Sevashram Sangha of North America, New Jersey
April 15, 2007 / 1st Baisakh 1st issue
Nachiketa, the true
seeker of truth
Somehow I always like to read the story of Nachiketa. The little boy was
born to deliver a message to us. Once he observed his father was giving old
cows as charity expecting to attain heaven. Knowing that, instead of heaven,
his father will fall down to endless hell, Nachiketa tried to bring the
attention of his father. His father was furious and cursed him by asking
that he goes to the abode of Death.
The Death God was out doing his business. Three days and three nights
Nachiketa had to wait outside. Nobody entertained him and nobody offered him
food and shelter. When death God came back and heard everything, he realized
that a serious mistake is done. A guest supposed to be treated as God. To
please Nachiketa, death God wanted to give him three boons. Young Nachiketa
was indeed happy to see the death God. In his third boon he requested the
Death God to teach him about the knowledge of the self, he wanted to know
about the mystery of birth and death, he was anxious to know the life after
death. Bravo Nachiketa! We appreciate your noble intention. Because of you,
we are able to know at least the theoretical knowledge of the immortal soul.
Death God tempted Nachiketa in many ways to divert his mind. He offered him
a long youthful life, enormous wealth, vast land, heavenly damsels, gold and
many other material things. But he remained dedicated to his request and
politely refused all those temporary things. Death God was pleased to see
Nachiketa’s true hunger to know the truth of life and he was indeed very
happy to find out a right student for Brahma- vidya or the teachings about
the knowledge of the self.
It was interesting to see how young Nachiketa subdued the greed of mind and
remained determined to his goal. While he was arguing with the death God he
mentioned that comparing to endless time, long life is nothing. Wealth,
land, damsels or gold are mere dream and he went beyond by telling that he
would never get a teacher like death God. That surprised me how a young boy
like Nachiketa was so intelligent, he ignored all material things and looked
forward to understand the life after death.
All teachers would be happy to find out a student like Nachiketa. Death God
was also very happy indeed to see his truthfulness and so he gave Nachiketa
what he wanted. While Yamraj was imparting the divine knowledge, he
mentioned that ‘atma-tatva’ or knowledge about the self is difficult to
understand, even Gods has doubts about that. Those who can teach it their
numbers are
very few and listeners of it also are very few. Teachers who purified their
mind by the name of God and who are enlightened soul, have the authority to
teach this lesson. People who are entangled with material things, whose mind
are full of material desires and who think impermanent things are truth of
life, are unfit to learn and teach this subject. Death God mentioned that
the path of divine knowledge and the path of immortality are full of
difficulties, the seekers of truth are few and those who reach there, their
numbers are fewer. He continued by saying that continuous contemplation on
the immortal soul, practice of sense control, food control, thought control,
speech control and undying burning hunger to know the self can take one at
that state of mind from where one can be perfectly ready for self
realization and if by virtue, he is being blessed by the Lord, may achieve
there.
What strike me most that mere young boy Nachiketa understood all and he even
was very eager to know more. The teacher death God was also eager to impart
that divine knowledge to his student. He said that this human body is a
perishable element, but in this perishable body there is something which
never dies. It is unborn, eternal, un-decaying and ever-lasting. Fire cannot
burn it, water cannot wet it, wind cannot dry it up and weapon cannot cut
it. It is eternal, very ancient and ever pure. To know that self is to know
God. Those who believe that there is no life after death and continuing
their wrong doings are very wrong. Everybody have to reap the fruits of
their own actions. Mere study of holy books, charity, and pilgrimage will
not give us the taste of divinity, though it helps us to purify our mind and
broaden our soul. This human body is compared with a chariot and the soul is
compared with the rathi or one who ride that chariot. An intelligent student
of spiritual world will analyze it properly and try to realize that immortal
soul in this very perishable body of ours. And knowing that immortal soul in
us, a seeker of truth will put his extreme effort to experience that and
finally will attain the state of immortality. Fear of death, decay, sickness
and loss of any material things will never perturb his mind
We conclude this topic here by saying that immortality is not in material
fortunes which we usually think, but it is at the feet of God. Peace, true,
joy and eternal happiness lies at the contemplation on the divine appearance
of the Lord.
Sreemad Bhagavad Geeta
(The divine song of the Lord)
INTRODUCTION
Bhagavat Geeta is the divine message of Lord Sri Krishna. He gave this
teachings to Arjuna at the battle-field of Kurkshetra. Though the purpose of
the Geeta was to motivate Arjuna to perform his natural duties, but the real
purpose of this holy book was to give its divine teachings to all. Assuming
the form of a human being and taking the job of the charioteer of Arjuna,
the middle pandava brother, the Lord Himself gave this unique message to
all. We human beings love to break the laws of nature and we enjoy doing it.
That is how we decrease the longevity of our life. We forget the real
purpose of this most valuable human birth and we forget that human life is
not just for earn, eat, drink and be merry. By forgetting the higher goal of
life, we commit many crimes and
so, we reap the fruits of our own work. The holy men suggested that we
should do holy company to change our way of thoughts and direct our mind
towards God. But instead of doing so, we break all codes of conduct and we
ignore the instructions of wise men. As a result, we pay the price of our
wrongful conduct. But though we might forget the Lord, we may deny His
existence, He never forgets us, and He never forsakes us. That
All-pervading, All-blissful and Almighty Lord is ever awake to guide us unto
the path of divinity. That is why He comes age after age, He comes whenever
we needed Him most, He comes whenever He thinks it is the right time to come
and uplift the society by example, uplift the people by divine words and
elevate our soul by giving divine sermons. Bhagavat Geeta is that sermon of
God, it is that eternal truth which surely uplifts the morality of people
and change our whole way of thoughts. Bhagavat Geeta is un-parallel, unique,
ever-lasting, friend of all and it is the very life- force of all human
beings.
(To be continued in the next issue)
Bharat Sevashram Sangha
Temple & Community Center
Site Plan Approved
We are delighted to inform you that the site plan of the proposed Temple and
Community center of Bharat Sevashram Sangha, New Jersey chapter is
unanimously approved by the Zoning board of the Township of South Brunswick
on March 1st, 2007. In addition to the Temple, the development will have
Parking facility, Library with Religious books, kitchen, Dinning hall, Rooms
for conducting Seminars, Teaching Languages, philosophy, Meditation, Music,
Dance and Yoga. The estimated cost of the entire project will be two million
dollars. It was one of our goal to reach at this stage of the organization
here.
As you know that we have been serving the community in New Jersey, New York,
Pennsylvania, Connecticut and Massachusetts area for the last three years in
many ways. But the current facility is unable to accommodate all the
devotees that come to our Ashram. We started this project almost three years
back. There were many ups and downs in the road ahead of us and the
engineering cost went beyond our expectations. However, with the help of
many well wishers and friends of the ashram, we left behind those hard times
and finally, with the blessings of the Lord, we got the approval from the
township.
Now it’s time to join hands together and build this dream project of ours.
Devotees, everything is possible when we extend our helping hands to each
other. The monks and devotees of Bharat Sevashram Sangha appeal to you for
your generous support and donation to this project. We believe that the
temple and the community center, once completed, will serve as a great
resource for Spiritual and Educational development not only to Indian
community, but also to all the other communities in the neighborhood.
Please send your tax deductible
donations, payable to ‘Bharat Sevashram Sangha’ or pledge to the above
mentioned address. The organization is a Non-Profit and Tax Exempt under IRC
503©. Please call to ashram at 732- 422- 8880 for more information on this
project and our Swamiji will be very happy to talk to you and discuss on
this matter elaborately.
Now you can donate to Bharat Sevashram Sangha
Temple & Community Center project through United Way
Bharat Sevashram Sangha, New Jersey Chapter is registered as a recipient
with
United Way of New York City
United Way of Southeastern Pennsylvania, code# 42174
United Way of Bergen County and many other counties in New Jersey
New Jersey State charitable Campaign and other community giving Campaign
which you may be contributing towards.
Kindly consider Bharat Sevashram Sangha, New Jersey chapter as one of the
organization you will like your donations forward to. As you may know your
company will match whatever you are contributing.
Your kind and generous contribution will help us to continue our activities.
We thank you in advance.
For any information please call us at 732-422-8880 or e-mail us at:
bssnj@hotmail.com
Life, What is it?
I always wonder, Life, what is it
?
This expectation, this achievement, this imagination
This pain, this momentary joy, this smile of ours
All these made by us, it has no meanings
We are very selfish, we are very cruel
We only look for our own benefit
We love others to bring joy to our aching heart
We never learn to make rooms for others
I always wonder, what is life?
Human body, a bundle of bones and a lump of flesh
You speak of mind, it’s a bunch of thoughts
Unsteady, jumping here and there
I hear the eternal call of my Lord
I hear His magical flute calling my name
I hear Him calling me from life beyond
My eyes are hungry to see His divine appearance
My tearful eyes want to see you, Oh Lord!
‘Path to Immortality’ is Edited & Published by-
Swami Amarnathananda
Bharat Sevashram Sangha of North America
3490 Route 27, Kendall Park,
New Jersey 08824,USA
Tel: 732-422-8880,
Email: bssnj@hotmail.com
Web: www.bssnj.org
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