Ultimate Penance | October 2014 | Akram Youth

Akram Youth

October 2014 | English

Dada Bhagwan Parivar

12

Shubh

Deepavali

Editorial “Variety is the spice of life” holds true to the dot in every sense of the word for this issue of Akram Youth.

We take our readers through a wonderful journey that includes ‘the theory of evolution & manifestation of life’, AkrampediA defining the unique principle of “fault is of the sufferer’.

There is an amazing experience of a mahatma who faced many inhuman treatments, always felt negative emotions and then how one ‘Gnan Vidhi’ changed her life giving her peace of mind she was looking for. The story relating to the essence of penance shall help give deep insight to the true meaning of penance. Rounding off this issue with the Glimpses of Great Soul where an effort is made to highlight the many unique virtues of humanity, being down to earth & one’s devotion to sports.

All this makes a truly amazing issue. All of these with other regular features shall help provide food for thought till the next issue reaches your doorsteps.

- Dimple Mehta.

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Publisher & Editor: Dimple Mehta Year : 2, Issue : 6 Conti. Issue : 18 October 2014 Contact : Gnani Ni Chhayama (GNC), Trimandir Sankul, Simandhar City, Ahmedabad-Kalol Highway, Adalaj, Dist. Gandhinagar, Gujarat-382421 Phone: (079) 39830100 email: akramyouth@dadabhagwan.org website: youth.dadabhagwan.org store.dadabhagwan.org/akram-youth

02 | October 2014

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Contents

04 Gnani with Youth

14 Glimpses of Great Souls | Sachin Tendulkar

06 Story | Ultimate Penance

16 Dada’s Book Excerpt Generation Gap

08 Gnani’s Scientific Solution 09 Experience | Iya Ebejino

18 Gnani An Idol of Astonishment 19 Shubh Deepavali

10 Science And Invention | Brinicles

22 Solutions to our Problems

12 Akrampedia | The Knowledge

23 Coca Cola Phone

Encyclopedia Akram Youth | 03

Gnani with Youth The Cosmos

The manifestation of life QUESTIONER: How did the human being first come into existence? How did my soul first come into existence?

NIRUMA: You mean human beings or one-sense creatures?

QUESTIONER: One sense creatures. How did they come into existence?

NIRUMA: There are infinite souls and matter particles in the Cosmos (Universe). There is nothing like a first or a last life. Last life can be said only when one attains 'Nirvana' or 'Moksha' (ultimate salvation) However there is nothing such as a first life.

QUESTIONER: Why did such a situation arise? Why did all this happen?

NIRUMA: There are six eternal elements in this universe and they are found within us as well.

04 | October 2014

QUESTIONER: Does that mean that we were first made of these six eternal elements. How did one sense creatures come into existence?

NIRUMA: The six elements are eternal and permanent and as per the law of spiritual science there can neither be beginning nor an end to that which is permanent.

QUESTIONER: Even science does not have any answer to this?

NIRUMA: No, science itself states that there can't be a beginning or an end to anything that is 'permanent'. Pure soul and matter particles are both eternal and permanent.

QUESTIONER: Then how did the first human being come into existence?

NIRUMA: Through the process of “evolution". Life manifests itself into higher realms. It develops from one-sense creatures to two and accordingly evolves into higher stages. This process is purely natural till the time the 'life' (jeev) reaches the form of a human. Then on attaining the state of a human, 'ego' comes into play. Because of this 'ego' he feels that he himself is the 'doer' and this causes his downfall.

QUESTIONER: Those who are born in India are 'very spiritually developed ' whereas awareness of those in the rest of the world seems to be comparatively lower. Why is that so?

NIRUMA: Initially, the development of the 'life' happens in the form of its physical state and once it reaches the state of a human, the spiritual development begins. Through this process of internal development one reaches a state where he begins to believe in reincarnation (life after death). He feels that there is a scope to break the shackles of life and death, hence desires to realize the 'soul'. All this is possible only to those born in India. In India even a child is so highly developed that he is aware that his sufferings are due to his past life 'karmas', thus making him eligible to attain ultimate salvation (moksh) The rest of the world are yet to understand the science of life after death then where is the scope for them to understand things beyond that.

Akram Youth | 05

Story

vel e L t s e h g i H of Penance

Ultimate Penance "Pritesh, Anila, what should I bring for you?" - asked Rameshbhai.

"Papdi chat and chhole-samosa for me papa" – replied Pritesh.

"And what about you Anila?" – Rameshbhai asked once again.

"I am fasting today. Just bring some juice for me." – replied Anilaben.

"Mama, we are on vacation. We take vacations just once a year. Is it necessary to fast even while we are on a holiday? Delhi is famous for spicy food Let’s all enjoy eating together. Don’t know when we shall be back again" – Pritesh cajoled his mom to have some food.

"No Pritesh. I don’t want to break my rule of fasting on every Monday" – replied Anilaben.

"Ok mom. But please tell to me then why do you eat all sorts of fruits, potatoes, etc while you skip cereals and cooked food? Who decides what to eat and what not to?

Also, what are the benefits of fasting?" –Pritesh inquired innocently.

"Fasting is a type of penance. It is one of the four profound pillars of our religion. It helps keep the mind at peace and in control, thus helping us make progress on our religious path. This system is followed since the times of our ancestors" – replied Anilaben somewhat irritatingly.

"I really don’t understand how the rules made by our ancestors, centuries ago, are still applicable in these present times! May be it was pertinent then. Today in this age and times we all have different thoughts and concepts. Besides the fasting method of Jains differ from that of a Vaishnav. Does this mean that the norms of fasting have been laid down separately by the respective Gods of various religious beliefs? I have 06 | October 2014

come across many a people who proclaim that they are practicing penance and thus they do not eat but keep on thinking about what they are going to have the next day.

Isn’t this deceiving oneself and the very concept of penenace? On the contrary, they end up eating in excess of normal diet the next day” – Pritesh expressed his views on penance.

"Don’t try to act smart with me. I don’t have answers to all your questions. I told you what ever I knew" – said Anilaben angrily.

"Is this genuine penance?" Pritesh kept wondering throughout the entire trip.

What can be the true logic behind this?

It was late in the evening on Sunday by the time they returned home from their holiday. As usual Pritesh switched on the television the moment they stepped in while a tired Rameshbhai asked his wife to prepare a cup of tea as he went to his room to freshen up.

“Oh God! The kitchen is in a mess. In my hurry I completely forgot to dump the leftovers and now there are cockroaches and ants all over the place.” a terrified Anilaben, gave vent to her concern.

On hearing her screaming away Rameshbhai’s instincts took over and he immediately picked up a broom and started attacking the cockroaches. Pritesh tried to prevent his dad from doing so, "How many cockroaches are you going to kill? Instead let’s just keep the kitchen closed for the night they will be gone by morning. These pests appear mostly at night."

"I am terrified by these ugly pests. If we do not kill them right away they will spread across the house and make our life miserable. They may infest our food and we might fall sick." – Anilaben expressed her irritation.

Pointing towards the store room she said,

"Please get me the bottle of powder for killing cockroaches from the store. I will mix it up with wheat flour and spread it across the kitchen. The cockroaches will die immediately on consuming it."

"Mom, can’t we wait for a day? There are ways and means to remove these cockroaches without hurting them. Our neighbour Nalinbhai had brought some herbs that help keep these pests away due to the smell they emit. I will ask him to get us some tomorrow" – Pritesh said in desperation.

"But son, your dad wants to have tea and besides that we all are hungry and I need to prepare dinner" - Anilaben defended. “Also I don’t think that those herbs are as effective as pesticides, so it’s better to kill them.” She added.

"Mom, if we adjust just a bit we can save lots of lives. As it is we have been eating out through the week why not continue the same for one more meal. Why don’t you unpack while we both go bring our dinner from the restaurant down the road? In case you are tired of eating out, then I suggest you can begin your fast right away just a few hours early?" – Pritesh said sarcastically as he went towards his room.

"That’s impractical" - A furious Anilaben retorted thinking how to make her son understand that a fast done on Monday has it’s own benefits and hence it has to be kept on a Monday and there was no sense of starting it on a Sunday night.

On the other hand, Pritesh was busy thinking, "Is it not advisable to keep a fast on Sunday rather than making dinner at the cost of several lives. Wouldn’t this type of penance be more beneficial?"

Friends, let’s see what Dadashri has to said on this……

Akram Youth | 07

Gnani’s Scientific Solution LE B O

M

S OL

U ON TI

PR

Questioner: What do you mean by "befallen penance?"

Dadashri: Penance should be such that it comes on its own in a natural way. All others types are mere acts of rituals. Suppose you are travelling, or some situation arises wherein you do not get any food to eat. That day you project it as ‘Today is my fast’.

The circumstances itself are compelling you to fast and you are willingly accepting it.

Do penance when situation demands…

Questioner: There are lots of insects and mosquitoes in my house. They bite me often. What should I do?

Dadashri: Well, blood is their only food. If you give them rice, will they eat it? Try to serve them a rice dish, will they eat that? No, they won’t, their only intake is blood.

Questioner: But is it not unreasonable to allow them to bite us?

Dadashri: What happens when you fast for the whole day? Don’t you suffer then, due to hunger pangs? Instead why not accept this suffering which has come our way. This type of penance can relieve one from bondages and result in ultimate salvation, while the penance that is done on purpose shall only help enrich the material life.

Questioner: Sounds really good. Why drag in suffering and call it penance, instead it’s always better to maintain our poise and willingly accept the suffering that comes our way.

Dadashri: Yes. We are drained out unnecessarily in the latter type. While in case of the former, since the situation has befallen why not accept it willingly. We are not inviting mosquitoes. Yet they come in numbers. Well, since they have arrived just tell them – “Please be comfortable and eat. It’s all yours!" Send them back happy.

Maintain cleanliness. Avoid the use of pesticides.

There are many amongst us who do not prefer to kill these pests instead they prefer to keep their beds and blankets out in the open in the sun. I had avoided even doing this, as it’s a just a misconception that one can keep away pests by doing so. It’s a sheer delusion to believe that by killing these pests one can get rid of them, it may appear so temporarily but the very next day they tend to reappear.

The best way to check these pests is by maintaining cleanliness and hygiene. It is a crime to resort to pesticides to kill them. It may appear that we have killed them but that is actually not so. I have studied about their occurrence in depth and have concluded that these pests appear at certain time and how much ever you try to kill them, they keep on multiplying and then all of a sudden they would completely disappear.

08 | October 2014

Experience Iya Ebejino

W

e were mere kids when my parents placed us in the care of relatives.We survived 4 years of physical and sexual abuse before we were rescued by our mother. The next 10 years of our lives were spent in a northern city where we were indoctrinated into another version of American life that propagated racial discrimination. By the time I was 30 years old and had started raising my family I was totally disheartened because I still did not have an acceptable identity of self and had serious questions about inhuman treatment meted onto the masses based on ‘ism’ - racism, nationalism, sexism and classism.I tried various eastern religions, positive thinking and new age movement in order to be liberated from the negativities that were engulfing my life. I was willing to do anything that would give me and my children a sense of self, love and community that was not defined by those 'ism' brothers, or by conditions outside of the self.

The killing of my 20 year old son by a police officer sent me again into an era of hopelessness, anger, hate and fear. After living in and out of depression for the next few years, I began meditating again and found some relief from what I felt was a useless life. I felt I would never know who or what is responsible for the inhumane and intolerable conditions of the world. I had discarded the useless identities fostered on me by society and felt that I would never know who I really am. As a daughter, wife, mother and human being, I felt I had failed in all the areas of life that I had functioned in. I decided to just try to accept my life as it was with all its failures, until death would come to claim me.

Three years ago, someone introduced me to yet another life philosophy - he said it was a scientific approach to life. He gave me a few things to read and at some point, I became very interested in it. He told me about an upcoming event where anyone could receive something that would bring them great awareness of life and lasting bliss. Although I didn’t really understand what this ‘event’ was, I began to feel very strongly that I had to be there.

Despite the obstacles that were in my way, I went. My life has not been the same since I participated in the ‘event’, now known to me as ‘Gnan Vidhi’. Soon afterwards, a sense of calmness and peace that I had never known before, seemed to fill my days. I could not explain how, I just knew it was there and not only that, most of the negative thoughts were gone. About 3 months after receiving ‘Gnan Vidhi’, I was once again in a racially charged situation, where in the past I would have been numbed by fear or motivated by hate to hurry up and get out from there. Instead, I left peacefully as though nothing had happened. The fear did NOT appear, nor did the hate! In fact, at the height of the situation, I became aware of who I am and who they are - I was aware that we are all Pure Souls. This, for me was a turning point! Where did the fear and hate go? I realized that I was at the threshold of understanding how the world operates and who I am. It has been 3 years since I received ‘Gnan’. Feelings of hopelessness, depression, victimization, anger, fear, resentment, hatred, and so on, are no longer a part of my life. Having peace of mind, knowing who I am and that we are all connected and that there is no difference in us, gives me hope and understanding and peace that I never thought possible. The realization now is...

I am Pure Soul - You are Pure Soul - We all are Pure Soul.

Akram Youth | 09

10 | October 2014

Brinicles

Science and Invention

What's cooler than being cool? Brine-cold!

When salt-rich water leaks out of sea ice, it sinks into the sea and can occasionally create an eerie finger of ice called a brinicle. New research explains how these strange fingers of ice form and how the salty water within sea ice could have been a prime environment in which life may have evolved.

The brinicle-forming process goes like this: When sea ice freezes in the Arctic and Antarctic, the salt and other ions in the water is excluded from the water crystals. This saltheavy brine accumulates in fractures and compartments within the sea ice. Inevitably, however, sea ice cracks, and the brine leaks out. The brine itself is colder than the freezing point of seawater, since salt-rich water freezes at lower temperatures (hence the reason people put salt on icy sidewalks in the winter, enabling the ice to remain a liquid when it's below freezing).

Since the concentration of water in the brine is lower than that in the ocean — and water moves from high to low concentrations, via osmosis — water is attracted to the brine. But the brine is so cold that the water freezes, forming a descending tube of ice.

Brine-rich compartments within sea ice have some properties that could have helped life originate. Inside these compartments inside the ice, you have a high concentration of chemical compounds, and you also have lipids, fats, that coat the inside of the compartment. These can act as a primitive membrane — one of the conditions necessary for life. They also contain a mixture of acidic and basic components that could provide energy necessary to form more complex molecules, perhaps even DNA. As the seawater freezes and salt is forced out of the pure ice crystal lattice, the surrounding water becomes more saline. This lowers its freezing temperature and increases its density. The lower freezing temperature means that the surrounding water does not freeze to the ice immediately, and the higher density means that it sinks. Thus tiny tunnels called brine channels are created all through the ice as this supersaline, supercooled water sinks away from the frozen pure water. The

stage is now set for the creation of a brinicle.

As this supercooled saline water reaches unfrozen seawater below the ice, it will cause the creation of additional ice. Just as hot air from a fire rises as a plume, this cold water descends as a plume. Its outer edges begin to accumulate a layer of ice as the surrounding water, cooled by this jet to below its freezing point, ices up. This is a brinicle: a "chimney" of ice that contains a flow of this supercold, supersaline water.

When the brinicle becomes thick enough, it becomes self-sustaining. As ice accumulates around the down-flowing cold jet, it forms an insulating layer that prevents the cold, saline water from diffusing and warming. As a result, the ice jacket surrounding the jet grows downward with the flow. It is like an icicle turned inside-out; rather than cold air freezing liquid water into layers, downrushing cold water is freezing the surrounding water, enabling it to descend even deeper. As it does, it creates more ice, and the brinicle grows longer.

A brinicle is limited in size by the depth of the water, the growth of the overlying sea ice fueling its flow, and the surrounding water itself. In 2011, brinicle formation was filmed for the first time. How miraculous are some scientific phenomenon out there!

Akram Youth | 11

The Knowledge Encyclopedia

Author : Age : City : Hobby:

Ayush Mehta 16 Mumbai , India.

Explorer, Adventurer, Socially Active

Fault is of the Sufferer.

Hey. Here I am, back again with my post. Hope the past few days have been good. As for me I have taken an unscheduled break. In this fast paced world we go through the motions without having the time to think and reflect on what’s happening around us, with us and why does it so happen? The moment we wake up, we are practically on auto mode and simply prepare ourselves for the grind of the day ahead without reminiscing about the experiences that life is teaching us. To break away from this routine and to reflect on these so called small yet very significant lessons in this journey called life, I decided to take a week off from my daily schedule; and friends you won’t believe... I was in for a pleasant surprise.

The day dawned with me reading the desk top calendar which had Dadashri’s quote, “FAULT IS OF THE SUFFERER“. This unique thought got my mind ticking and I decided to stay put in my bed and started thinking about all that had happened in the past few days and where I had ended up blaming the circumstances or others for what was happening. The first thought that flashed across my mind was about the incident that happened while I was travelling in the first class compartment of a local train. As it was well past peak hours there was ample space for all the passengers who where whiling away their time by either reading, or chatting on whatsApp. Some others were pleased with the bullish trend in the stock markets while others were discussing the new developments happening in the country post elections. Amidst all this, I was busy reading my novel, when suddenly the cries of, ‘stop the train, pull the chain’ fell on my ears. Immediately looking up I found the gentlemen across my seat perspiring profusely and almost in tears, cursing away at the top of his voice as he had been swiped off of all his belongings which included a good amount of cash. Within seconds all the co – passengers gathered around him, some trying to pacify him while others were blaming him for being so irresponsible while carrying such a hefty amount. Few others commented about him being ‘penny- wise, pound foolish’ as he should have taken a cab instead of travelling by the local train which are (in)famous for these thefts. Some were blaming the railways while some went to the extent of blaming the government for not providing enough employment opportunities which led the public to take up stealing as a means to provide for their families. Although all of us were of different views but one thought was common amongst us all. We all were blaming some one or the other. At that moment I too was cursing the thief and all my sympathies were with this poor gentleman who had been swiped off.

Coming back to Dadashri’s quote, I felt there has to be a reason behind all this and decided to delve deeper in Dada’s science and am pleased to copy paste the amazing understanding of Dadashri in His own words, 12 | October 2014

Dadashri says...

Dadashri: The ownership of this world is ours. We are the masters of this universe. If this is so, then why do we suffer? We suffer because of our past mistakes. We are bound by our own mistakes.

However, once these mistakes are destroyed, we will be liberated. In reality, you are free, but you suffer bondage because of ‘your mistakes’.

If it’s you who is suffering, then the fault is yours. So, don’t blame anyone, else you shall bind new ‘karmas’ for the next life.

Everything in this world runs exactly and precisely; this is no lie. The world is kept in regulation, by natural laws.

While approaching a bus stop, the bus driver loses control of the bus and runs over a lady who is waiting for the bus. A crowd gathers and people start shouting and blaming the bus driver. They say the woman was hurt through no fault of her own. Some angry people say the driver should be locked up for his reckless driving. They do not realize that the woman was hurt because the fault was her own from her previous life, which today has caught up with her and that is why she has been punished. The driver will be punished when his fault catches up with him. For him there will be a court hearing in which he may or may not be proven guilty. No one can hurt anyone without a past account. You should understand that the lady suffered and so the fault was hers. When the driver is caught, it will be his fault. Today the one who is caught is at fault.

Another little conversation of Dadashri to help us get a better insight of this unique philosophy....

A man on a motorbike riding on the wrong side of the road hits a cyclist. The cyclist breaks his leg.

Now who is the sufferer?

Questioner: The cyclist.

Dadashri: Yes, because of his past account. The person riding the motorbike was just an ‘instrument’ (nimit). He is not suffering or in any pain as of now. The day he is caught, that is when he shall be at fault. But right now, the fault is of the sufferer.

What say, friends isn’t it just mind blowing. Just by tweaking our thought process we can simply be at peace with ourselves and with the world. I for one have already started implementing this thinking in my day to day life and friends believe me the results are fantastic. Out of old habits, initially I found it tough to accept the fact that I was the one who was at fault when I could easily see that the other person who had misbehaved with me was at fault and that’s what I had been taught by family and friends all my life which is termed as ’loksangnya’ in Gujarati. But by viewing the same situation through Gnani’s ‘sangnya’. Made me realize that the ‘Fault is of the Sufferer’.

Suggest pause, for a moment, reflect, before reacting to any situation this shall be of great help.

‘Fault is of the sufferer’ what a unique understanding to dispel a lot of our notions about rights and wrongs. Well friends, I am sure all this has even got your minds ticking...

Akram Youth | 13

Glimpses of GreatGlimpses Souls of Great Souls

S

ach – a nick name, yet the complete truth! Sach is not a mid summer nights dream, or a fairy tale. Sachin Tendulkar is a flesh and blood icon whose trail blazing footsteps have accorded him the highest stature worldwide. Here is a person who has evoked awe and admiration from legends of various other fields, who before reaching the age of forty has already been labeled a ‘living legend’. His exploits on the cricketing field and his modesty and humbleness off the field are unparalleled in the history of cricket or for that matter in any other sport. Reams of paper must have been written on his cricketing exploits so here we shall delve into other facets of this supremely blessed human being.

Ajit Tendulkar, named his baby faced brother Sachin after the late music director, Sachin Dev Burman. Called the ‘God of Cricket’, this young man blessed with immense talent and many other unique virtues always put the nation and the team before self. Born thirty – six years after independence on 24th April’1973, Sachin has strong nationalist feelings and wears a national flag on his helmet. On Independence day, the Tri – colour is still hoisted at the Tendulkar household. It would be fair to say that along with the desire to remain the best of the best, it is also a passion with him to bring glory to the nation.

Sachin has never retorted in words to his critics and always let his bat speak for him, this is what he has to say, “when people throw stones at you, you turn them into milestones.”

Although being supremely talented his sincerity and dedication towards the sport has become a part of cricketing folklore. During his long career spanning almost two and a half decades, anyone who has watched him up close would have learned a very important lesson in life – that no one has an Alladin’s Magic Lamp. The only lamp in life are two four - letter words – work hard. Respected both by his peers and opponents, this is what M.S. Dhoni has to say about his dedication, “I often think that if cricket is Ram, then Sachin is Hanuman, Ram’s biggest disciple. I will say he is as close to the idea of a perfect man that I have ever seen…”

Sachin Tendulkar 14 | October 2014

Star of the millennium, Mr. Amitabh Bachan has very high regards for Sachin and once said, “I have delayed my shoots many times to watch Sachin bat.” Another legend Kapil Dev wants him to stand as tall as ‘Mahatma Gandhi’, while Viv Richards gives him ’10 on 10’ and Asha Bhonsle calls him ‘God’s apna aadmi’. Once while performing in front of a packed auditorium, it was a rare day for Asha Bhonsle who was finding it difficult to find her rhythm, as she had still not recovered from Bombay fever and was physically not fit yet. But after the break, it was a different Asha who faced the audience. She began with a very difficult number and the audience saw a vintage Asha Bhonsle. But what led to this transformation? Explaining it over a cup of tea the next day she said, “I told myself: You need to perform. You need to sing better whatever the constraints are. And then I thought about Sachin. I told myself if he can do it so perfectly on a cricketing field for twenty two long years, why can’t I do the same with my singing!”

Tendulkar remains, by a distance, the most worshipped cricketer in the world. During the Australian tour of India in 1998 Matthew Hayden said "I have seen God. He bats at no. 4 in India in Tests." However, on God, Sachin himself is reported to have said "I am not God of cricket. I make mistakes, God doesn't”. This reply coming from the man who is at the pinnacle in his chosen field goes to show his modesty. ’Putting Sachin Tendulkar's latest feat in a strictly cricketing context would not be fair to the sportsman. His achievements in the world of cricket need to be seen on a par with efforts in any other field - science, art, literature, etc - to push the frontiers of human excellence’.- these few lines in Pakistani daily Dawn goes to show the extent of impact this little genius had on one and all.

Among many of his unique virtues the immensely gifted Tendulkar also does his bit to repay the society by sponsoring 200 underprivileged children every year through Apnalaya, a Mumbaibased NGO. Just a request from Sachin on Twitter raised 10.25 million (US$170,000) for Crusade against Cancer foundation. He also spent nine hours on the 12-hour Coca-Cola-NDTV Support My School telethon on 18 September 2011 that helped raise 7 crore – 20 million more than the target –for the creation of basic facilities, particularly toilets for girl students, in 140 government schools across the country.

Owner of a cabinet overflowing with trophies and awards, his ultimate reward was when within a few hours of his final match on 16 November 2013, the Prime Minister's Office announced the decision to award him the Bharat Ratna, India's highest civilian award. He is the youngest recipient to date and the first ever sportsperson to receive the award.

The ultimate accolade to the man with a ‘ton of tons’ is when it was said,

“Once God wanted to play cricket,

so He created SACHIN.” Akram Youth | 15

Dada’s Book Excerpt

Generation

Children’s

Gap

conduct tow ards

parents

Dadashri’s satsang with teenagers Questioner: What qualities should an ideal student have?

Dadashri: The student should keep everyone happy, both at home and at school. He should also concentrate on his studies.

Consequences of sexual thoughts Dadashri: Do you have sexual thoughts about anyone?

Questioner: Sometimes…

Dadashri: Beware. The consequences of sexual thoughts and actions with anyone other than your spouse are very grave. You will be digging a very deep hole for yourself, from which you will not be able to climb out. So walk very carefully and be very cautious. You are still young and that is why I am cautioning you. If you were an old man, I would not say anything.

Questioner: Yes Dada, I understand. I will try my best not to harbor sexual thoughts.

Dadashri: Do not even entertain such thoughts. If you feel sexual attraction towards any woman, you must instantly do pratikraman; ask for forgiveness from Dada Bhagwan.

16 | October 2014

Love Marriage and Dating Questioner: Is it a sin to marry a person you are in love with?

Dadashri: No. A temporary love marriage is considered a sin. Such a marriage would only last for one or two years. A life-long love marriage however, is acceptable. If one wishes to marry, he should only marry once. People should not have too many relationships; such a situation would take them to hell.

Questioner: How can I stop dating?

Dadashri: You should stop it. Decide to do this right now. It is your duty to stop doing something wrong as soon as you realize it. You must stop dating because from our Gnan you now know that you will create causes for future suffering.

If you are pure you will find a spouse who is pure. That is vyavasthit, and it is precise.

The findings of experienced people Questioner: Should we allow our children to go to these parties? And how many times a year should we let them go?

Dadashri: People have learnt from experience and have come to the conclusion that it is always better for girls to listen to their parents and act according to their parents’ wishes. And after marriage they should comply with the wishes of their husband.

Questioner: Should boys do the same? Should they also have to listen to their parents?

Dadashri: Even boys must go along with their parents’ wishes. If you run into problems now, you will ruin your future happiness. Your parents refuse to allow you to go out late, to protect you from any unhappy consequences in the future. Your parents caution you because they do not want you to ruin your future.

Parents do not love me Questioner: It is usually the boy in an Indian family that is favored by his parents who generally feel that girls will all eventually marry and become part of another family, while the boys will bring home money and support them. This makes the girls feel unwanted and unloved.

Dadashri: A girl is wrong to think that her parents do not love her. All parents love their children.

This misunderstanding on her part will hurt her parents, who believe they have undergone great hardship to raise their children.

Questioner: So why do I feel that my parents do not love me?

Dadashri: So many girls ask this question. Such thoughts are easily suppressed when they are young, but as they grow up, how do they deal with such feelings of unworthiness? They acquire an intellect that is molded and influenced by external factors. This wrong intellect creates a wrong understanding. And it is this wrong understanding that makes her, as well as those around her, suffer.

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Gnani An Idol of Astonishment

T

his incident took place in the year 1982. Dada went to the house of a new mahatma for the first time. Few old mahatmas also accompanied him. There was a 75 year-old man in the house who was follower of Lord Swaminarayan.

As soon as Dada entered the room, all the mahatmas started chanting “Dada Bhagwan na Asim Jai Jaikar Ho”. At this instance the old man in the house got irritated. He arrogantly questioned Dada, “Why are you calling yourself a Bhagwan (God)? Why are you chanting for your own praise?"

He spoke in all sorts of ill manner.

Dada was calm as ever. The moment Dada’s kirtan-bhakti (prayer) was over, Dada promptly started chanting “Swami Narayan Bhagwan na Asim Jai Jaikar Ho”. Since Dadashri began chanting, all the mahatmas naturally followed!

Gradually chanting of ‘Swami Narayan Bhagwan na Asim Jai jaikar Ho” filled the environment with positive vibration.

The old man suddenly turned joyous. He became emotional and fell at Dada’s feet and cried in appreciation.

This is the 'art' of a Gnani to solve a 'file' which may have suddenly cropped up from nowhere, with ease!

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Shubh

Deepavali Diwali or Deepavali is one of the biggest festivals of Hindus and is celebrated with great enthusiasm by Hindus across the globe. If you ask a layman what you make of Diwali, he will respond, “oh, wear good clothes, eat delicious food, burst fire-crackers, and have fun with friends.” Like all festivals carry in itself a deeper meaning as to why that day is remembered, Diwali too has its own significance. Let us have a look into this mighty festival and the bearing it has on our way of life.

The exact day of the festival is decided by the position of the moon. Amavasya or no-moon day is considered to be perfect day for Diwali celebration. In Sanskrit, the exact meaning of 'Deepavali' is “row of lamps”

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Significance

D

C

A

Historically, the origin of Diwali can be traced back to ancient India, when it signifies Harvest Festival, as it occurs at the end of a cropping season. The celebration was first started in India by farmers after they reaped their harvests. They celebrated with joy and offered praises to God for granting them a good crop.

D

B

A

In Hinduism, Diwali also commemorates the return of Lord Rama with Sita and Lakshman from his fourteen year long exile after vanquishing the demon-king Ravana. In joyous celebration of the return of their king, the people of Ayodhya, illuminated the kingdom with earthen diyas (earthen lamps) and burst crackers.

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B

E

In Bengal, the festival is dedicated to the worship of mother Kali, the dark goddess of strength. According to Hindu mythology, Goddess Kali is one of the ten incarnations of Goddess Durga – in most aggressive form and known for destruction of all evils for the cause of justice. The well known picture of Kali with tongue hanging out depicts the moment when she stepped on Lord Shiva and repented. She is worshipped to seek protection against war.

C

In Jainism, Diwali has an added significance to the great event of Lord Mahavira attaining the eternal bliss of nirvana, freedom from the cycle of birth and death. This day Lord Mahavira left the body and bondage of all karmas to attain Moksha (ultimate freedom).It is celebrated in a very quiet and contrast form.

Jains prefer to do fasting on that day and pray for well being of all concerned.

Did you Know?

On Diwali, according to scriptures, Lord Krishna defeated Narakasur.

E

As per Sikh religion, Diwali marks the anniversary of Guru Hargobind ji being released from the captivity at Gwalior Fort. To commemorate his undying love for Sikhism, the people of the city lit the way to, Golden Temple, in his honor.

Today, the entire Golden Temple is illuminated with traditional lamps of different colors during Diwali. The reflection of the temple in the shimmering water of the holy pool is a treat to watch.

1

It marks the beginning on the first day as Dhanteras. Dhan means wealth and on this day Goddess Laxmi is worshipped. People decorate houses with diyas (earthen lamps), flowers, Rangoli (a special design made out in doorway/courtyard) to welcome Laxmi, Goddess of wealth and prosperity. People usually buy silver coins on this auspicious day as it symbolizes brightness leading to prosperity.

2

Narak Chaturdasi is the second day of festivities, and is also called Choti Diwali. Special bathing rituals such as fragrant oil bath are held in some regions, followed by minor pujas. Women decorate their hands with henna designs. Families are also busy preparing homemade sweets for main Diwali.

Celebrations

Diwali is a five day long festival.

3

Third day is the day of actual Deepavali. People usually decorate their houses, perform pujas at home and offices, welcome guests and exchange good wishes for attaining peace and prosperity in life. The house, temples, work places all are lit with Diyas – earthen lamps. The lamps are symbolic of the victory of the light of goodness and knowledge over the darkness of evil and ignorance. It symbolizes destruction of all negative forces such as violence, wickedness, anger, greed, injustice etc. People enjoy burning fire crackers and enjoy eating delicious food.

4 5

The fourth day marks the beginning of the Hindu New Year. Fresh flowers, exchanges of gifts, new clothes, meeting with friends and family, and feasting are part of the joyous festival. Many communities worship their new book of accounts on this day and perform pujas.

The fifth or the last day of Diwali is Bhaiya Dooj, popularly known as Bhai Dooj.

Sisters perform puja for their brothers' safety and well being. The essence of the Bhai bij festival is that it is celebrated to strengthen the love between brothers and sisters and to reach out to the inner most depths of the hearts.

A Happy Diwali & A Prosperous New Year

Wishing you all

Akram Youth | 21

Solutions to our Problems Question: I am utterly confused about my future.

Presently, I am working as a computer teacher in a private institute. I am already 25 and am still not able to contribute anything worthwhile to my family. I find it difficult to practice Dadashri’s ‘Gnan’ amidst such tension. Please help me!

Answer: If you are sincere in your work, it will definitely yield positive results, at some point of time. There is no need to worry about not being able to contribute to your family. If you refer to the lives of successful personalities you will find they too had to toil hard initially and found success only after the age of 40 or so. Of course you may find a few cases wherein they might have succeeded early in life but those are mere exceptions. So it is better we sincerely continue working and stop thinking about the future as that won’t lead us anywhere. Apply your best efforts and be sincere to your job then you are bound to get dividends. Not getting satisfactory returns, can be due to the results of past ‘karmas’. What should one do to break free from these past ‘karmas’? One should perform ‘vidhi’, ‘aarti’ and chant ‘Aseem Jai jaikar’ besides attending satsang on regular basis for peace of mind. Applying Dadashri’s ‘Gnan’ is akin to addressing one’s own soul. Doing all this shall have a positive impact, which in turn shall help generate peace. This shall limit the ill effects of intellect and ego, further reducing the effect of past ‘obstacles’ (antray). Lesser the obstacles better the circumstances shall be. Dadashri has said, Goddess Laxmi avoids the places where there are clashes and conflicts and if our mind is full of conflicts then Laxmiji shall refrain from coming to us. So instead of getting restless it’s better to accept whatever we get .If we are at peace, things will change and better opportunities will crop up.

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News Update Coca Cola Phone We know a can of cola can give us a much needed shot of caffeine. Now it seems it could power our mobile phones as well. You’ve simply to pour cola into your cell phone and see your phone getting charged!!!

Chinese designer, Daizi Zheng, has created a concept Nokia mobile phone that is powered by sugary soft drinks. The graduate, from Central St Martins College in London, designed the eco friendly phone as part of her final project.

According to her, she found that a phone battery as power source is expensive. Also, it consumes valuable resources on manufacturing, presenting a disposal problem and is harmful to the environment.

In contrast Ms Zheng's bio battery would act as a fuel cell using enzymes as the catalyst to generate electricity from carbohydrates. The 23-year-old said that the cola phone had the potential to run up to four times longer on a single charge, than one with a traditional lithium ion battery and it is fully bio-degradable.

The cola phone would be environmentally friendly because the only waste products would be water and oxygen. Ms Zheng, who is now based in China, admitted that current bio batteries would struggle to generate enough power needed to make a call. However, she said the technology was improving all the time and cola phones could be hitting the shelves within five years.

Akram Youth | 23

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October 2014 Year -2, Issues - 6 Cont Issue - 18

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