Some comments on the occasion of the thousandth posting of this translated version of Maharishi's press release...
It made me wonder what it would be like to hear Maharishis speak in his native tongue. The translation takes this out of the style and vocabulary that we are accustomed to hearing from him. He did end up speaking English for the majority of his life, so maybe there was not much difference in the end. "One unique principle of the great Sage that distinguishes him completely from other living saints of today is that he does not accept money as gift from his visitors or disciples." This may also be the occasion of the thousandth time I have commented on this so I'll try to say something new or at least brief. I will avoid rehashing the obvious irony of Maharishi presenting this quality as a virtue. I wonder what exactly is being claimed here. Was it some legal distinction that people could support the Math through another entity as Maharishi was fond of creating for his own organizations to stay ahead of the tax man? Don't Sanyasi monks have some rules about accepting cash anyway? Most of the orders have strict rules about how much they can eat so they must be restricted about the cash they can receive personally, right? In the movement mindset, I always assumed that this claim meant that Guru Dev was using magic to support the place without cash. Now I think this is unlikely at best. Of course he might have had an inheritance that he could direct to the math so outside money was not needed. I know that whenever I draw attention to this it seems as if I am being critical, but it goes beyond that. This point was being used in the spiritual equivalent of a marketing claim. So I think it is appropriate to consider what exactly is being claimed and how much stock we should put in it as an accurate statement. If in fact there was another way for donors to support the place, than it was just the refusal of small monies from the public that he was talking about. I would respect that insofar as most religions feel no shame in shaking down the poor for their last rupies. If this is the case I would view this claim as a very compassionate act and a sensitivity to people who would be tempted to give beyond their means. It would be a reform practice that I could respect. That positive spin is new, at least for me. --- In FairfieldLife@yahoogroups.com, nablusoss1008 <[EMAIL PROTECTED]> wrote: > > > The Great Saint of the Himalayas is Coming to Shower His Blessings on > the Metropolis > The Statement issued by: BAL BRAHMACHARI SHRI MAHESH JI. > Press conference convened by Shri Shankaracharya Reception Committee, > Delhi on the 15th October 1952 at 5 p.m. in the Young Man's Tennis Club, > Queen's Gardens, in connection with the visit of HIS HOLINESS SHRI > JAGATGURU SHANKARACHARYA MAHARAJ OF JYOTIR MATH. > *************************************? > It gives me a great pleasure to welcome you all and have your company > here this afternoon. It gives me enough encouragement and support to > acquaint you with the details of the mission for whose fulfilment His > Holiness Shri Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami BRAHMANANDA SARASWATI > MAHARAJ will be visiting your city about the 12th of November 1952 and > stay here for about a month for Dharmopdesha. > Swami Brahmanda Saraswati Maharaj, the present Shankaracharya of Jyotir > Math Badarikashram (in the Himalayas) is a magnetic personality with a > sweet amalgam of High Wisdom and Love of humanity. He combines in > himself the Knowledge of the self with the mysterious powers -- the > siddhis arising out ofyogic perfection and hard penances, which he has > undergone throughout his life. He is a great living yogi and scholar and > is revered by millions of Hindus as their Supreme Religious head. > This greatSaint of the modern age was born in Uttar Pradesh in a well to > do and renowned Brahman family in 1871 and was enthroned to the seat of > His Holiness Jagatguru Shankaracharya in 1941 at Banares, during the > ninth session of the All India?Sanatana Dharma Maha Sammelan convened by > the Bharata Dharma Mahamandala in conjunction with a countrywide support > of almost all the ruling princes and different socio-religious > institutions all over the country. It may be recalled that it was a long > persuasion of about twenty years which could convince Param Virakt Swami > Brahmananda Saraswati to accept the great responsibility of the > Shankaracharya at the age of seventy. > From the tender age of nine when he came out of his home in Search of > God, till this time, his life was mostly spent in the lonely hidden > regions of the Himalayas, Vindya Giris and the Amarkantakas which are > rarely frequented by men and are chiefly inhabited by wild animals. For > years together he has lived in hidden caves and thick forests where even > the midday sun frets and fumes in vain to dispel the darkness that may > be said to have made a permanent abode there in those solitary and > distant regions. > But today he is easily accessible as he is now the presiding head of > Shri Jyotirmath which is the greatest religious institution of the > Hindus of Northern India, covering all different creeds and sampradayas > and branches lying under the fold of Hindu Religions. > One unique principle of the great Sage that distinguishes him completely > from other living saints of today is that he does not accept money as > gift from his visitors or disciples. > This brief description attempts to mirror a few hurried and short > glimpses of the life journey of this great living sage who has actually > transformed into a living fact the inner latent potentiality of the > soul. He has known the great universal Truth, whose realisation is the > aim of the entire scheme of life. For him the mists of ignorance have > completely disappeared and having known?the Divine Reality he has verily > become an embodiment of the great Divinity. > His aim of life, if the life of a realised soul can be said to possess > any such aim, is to broadcast the message of the Great Divine light that > he has himself realised, the Light that is the Soul of all human beings. > Having himself attained the pinnacle of Self development, he aims at > transforming the worldly minded people into the Godly minded, and > through his inner Divine touch to change the materialistic hearts of > iron into spiritual hearts of gold. > His entire personality emanates the sweet perfume of spirituality. His > face radiates thatrare light, which comprises love, authority, serenity > and self assuredness that comes only by righteous living and Divine > Realisation -- one feels as if some?ancient Maharishi mentioned in the > pages of the Upanishads has assumed human form and feels that it is > worth while leading a pious life and to strive forthe realisation of the > Divine. > His Spiritual teachings are simple and clear and go straight home to > heart. He strictly adheres to the course of inner development laid down > by the Systems of Indian Philosophy and ethics and he raises his voice > never in opposition?but always in firm support of the Truths and > principles contained in the Hindu Scriptures. > According to the tradition from the worldly point of view, the dignity > of the Shankaracharyas throne has got to be maintained by the rich > paraphernalia?around his Holiness, but those who have come in his > contact know the fact that?the private life of the Sage is quite simple > and renunciation. > I believethat he is a living embodiment of titanic spiritual force. If I > were asked on the basis of my personal experience, about the living > saints of today, as to who is the greatest amongst them, I would > unhesitatingly name Shri Jagatguru Shankaracharya Swami Brahmananda > Saraswati Maharaj of Jyotirmath the Beacon Light of the holy sanctuaries > of the Himalayas. > Shri Shankaracharya Maharaj has clear insight into the mind and the > thoughts of the modern age. His teaching and commandments are based on > sound reasonings, which are quite agreeable to any reasonable thinker. > He is a great critic of prejudices and narrow mindedness arising out of > irrational love of caste,creed, nationality or any "ism". His life is a > living proof of the Truth of the Vedas and Shastras. He has opened a new > era of renaissance of True Religion. He extends his recognition to > anything that is good in any religion. He is accessible to all. Everyone > can enjoy and derive benefit from his holy Darshan and elevating > discourses. > He is coming shortly to shower his blessings on the busy and restless > souls of the metropolis. I beseech you, my friends, to extend your > hearty co-operation forthe great cause in the interest of each > individual of our society, in the interest of our nation and in the > interest of the world at large. The great Saint of the Himalayas in > coming in your midst and in the fitness of the great?occasion, I appeal > your good sense to extend your valuable support so that hiselevating > discourses may reach the masses in every nook and corner of our?country > and abroad. > Thanking you for giving me a pertinent hearing, I would like to say > something, in short, about the shrine of Jyotirmath, the prime spiritual > centre of Northern India and the headquarter of Shri Shankaracharya > Maharaj. Jyotirmath is one of four seats established by Adi > Shankaracharya in this continent -- two thousand and five hundred years > ago.? > It is situated in the heart of the Himalayas 173 miles up from Hardwar > and only 18 miles south of Shri Badrinath and may be said to be the > queen of the Himalayas for natural beauty and spiritual values. > Jyotirmath it was thatthe first Shankaracharya selected for his stay in > Himalayas where he taught the highest philosophy of existence -- the > Vedanta to his disciples, wrote his immortal commentaries on the eleven > principal Upanishads, the Bhagavad Gita and Brahma Sutras and > established a seat of Spiritual light to function as sansorium, a > supreme centre of the Eternal Religion of India to keep the Light of > Pure civilisation and culture burning for all the millennium to come. It > is an ancient culture centre of yoga, the Light House which has > preserved and disseminated the Light of the Sanatana Dharma all the way > down the ages. >
