17 minute read
Pramukh Swami Maharaj – A Beacon of Values, Hope & Faith
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The land of the great king Bharat, known as Bharat, now widely known as India is a mystical land. Every Indian from this auspicious land at our core is born with the hint of Sanatan Dharmabased faith and spirituality. While the level of intensity varies, we Indians stay connected to our Santana ways of life. One side effect of this life is that it is often being misinterpreted — that only those who are in need, who are miserable, and who struggle to fight their battles in this world turn to spirituality. You will rarely see younger generations engaged in a spiritual way of life, a Sanatan way of life. Those who “have” things and believe themselves to be “happy” forget the true and very essential reason of our original value and faithbased Sanatan way of life, which will allow us Brahmanand, or supreme joy. There is a reason.
First, we must understand the difference between what we call “happiness” and what our scriptures describe as Brahmanand or Param Anand. At the bottom level of this incremental level of happiness is the day-to-day worldly happiness we enjoy through our senses. It is also known as VishayAnand, but for the sake of simplicity, we will call it happiness. At the top, is happiness in its purest form, which arises from God and is termed Brahmanand or Param Anand. Let’s pick Param Anand.
From the day we began to learn, understand, and dream, we all want our lives filled with happiness. The meaning of happiness and the means to happiness changes as we grow in this world, but the endeavor remains ongoing till we die. Many people live their entire lives mimicking what others do and live a happy life, but a few, those who ask questions and those who seek deeper meaning of our human life, search for true happiness that is filled with peace and a sense of satisfaction; that becomes the quality of one’s life… eventually. Those who have embarked on this journey to experience the highest level of happiness, known as Param Anand, almost every person leans towards a spiritual way of life. They see a need for different perspectives and lenses to see and experience the world. They don’t necessarily give up
their prized possessions or comforts of the current materialistic life, but they learn and understand that all those “things” matter less and less. What matters more gets revealed to them through this experience where they endure a much more powerful and satisfying Param Anand in life that is lived based on values and faith.
For them, the entire equation of happiness changes. A deep craving for spirituality and the need for a faith-based life grows more and more in them. These awakened souls continue to turn towards this value and faith-based life that spirituality offers.
One such soul was one of India’s most loved, admired, and globally recognized scientists, president, and people’s leader, Dr. A. P. J. Abdul Kalam. He was at the top of his game, one might say, in 2001, as a principal scientific adviser of the Government of India. He was a man of science, who lived his entire life working with energy, observing the power of it, and absorbing the universal effect of it on people, nation, and probably himself as well. He was, undoubtedly, the best in his field in India, and recognized internationally as a man of science and principles. Dr. Kalam did not know who Pramukh Swami Maharaj was until he met him as a result of a very interesting incident that took place in the wake of the Earthquake that struck Bhuj in Gujarat in 2001.
Kalam recalls this incident in the book Transcendence, which he wrote as a result of his experiences with Maharaj. Kalam recalls,
I met Pramukh Swamiji, my ultimate teacher, unwittingly. Fate and my curiosity had drawn me to him. Earlier, as principal scientific advisor to the Government of India, I had visited Bhuj to review the rehabilitation work in the aftermath of the earthquake. There, on 15 March 2001, I met Sadhu Brahmaviharidas, a disciple of Pramukh Swamiji. He asked me a startling question which elicited a spiritual response. He asked, ‘After the detonation of the first atomic bomb, Robert Oppenheimer remembered the Gita: ‘Time I am the shatterer of the world. What came to your mind after you detonated India’s first atomic bomb?’ I was puzzled by this question, and said, ‘The energy
of God does not shatter; it unifies,’ to which he replied, ‘Our spiritual leader, Pramukh Swami Maharaj, is a great unifier. He has unified all our energies to regenerate and restore life from the rubble of damage.’ I was moved and expressed my desire to meet such a swami. What began as a chance introduction became a divine destiny.
Kalam thought that he was going to meet a sadhu, spiritual head of BAPS. Just like when Narendra was to meet Ramakrishna Paramhansa at the Dakshineswar Mandir not realizing who he was and that his life was going to be upgraded and enhanced to a higher level of experience, Dr. Kalam did not anticipate the profound impact this first meeting would have on his life and future. Fourteen years after this meeting, Kalam wrote, “Pramukh Swamiji put me in the Godsynchronous orbit.” Kalam saw something different in Pramukh Swami Maharaj. Maharaj was Bhagwan Swaminarayan’s fifth spiritual successor. As a true spiritual entity on this earth, Aksharbrahm, was the president of the BAPS and loved by millions. Kalam called Pramukh Swamiji his “Ultimate Teacher” who put him in a God-synchronous orbit in the 14 years of his journey with him. In the book Transcendence, Kalam shared the insight he observed: For many years, since I met Pramukh Swamiji in 2001, I wondered about his vision, his calmness, and the influence he has over hundreds of thousands of his devotees. Finally, I found the answer in the writings of Michio Kaku and Steven Weinberg. I realized that there is a fourth level of consciousness, wherein the consciousness of the self is transcended and becomes cosmic consciousness. When I see the majestic Akshardham temples, I see within them Pramukh Swamiji’s passionate commitment to transcendental values such as beauty, truth, wisdom, justice, charity, fidelity, joy, courage, and honor.
Kalam elaborates, “Expansion of one’s consciousness begins with fundamental knowledge – understanding of one’s place in the universe and the interconnectedness of all with the Divine.”
This is the fundamental way Pramukh Swamiji has inspired millions to live a spiritual life right from childhood that is rooted in values. Our core values help us fight with the corrupt elements of time and maintain a balance in life that allows us to continue our journey towards Param Anand.
With a values-based life, individuals develop stronger morals and character which results in a HOPE for a better society. Such a person with a stronger character and moral life is naturally drawn to do things that are beyond human capabilities. We start feeling the power of the divine that governs this universe working with us and within us to enhance our lives. This divine joy, Param Anand, sense of satisfaction, is different, out of norm. One cannot express it as just happiness or fun, as it is much more than that and way above this plain flavor of happiness.
This is FAITH and it is built upon the foundation of values and hope. In turn, one realizes that all along, it was their faith in the words of this spiritual beacon, a luminary like Pramukh Swamiji, that allowed them to see their own potential and develop faith in themselves to achieve the impossible. This is what Dr. Kalam saw in Pramukh Swamiji — a beacon of value, hope, and faith for our humanity — the spiritual master who leads his pupil to the ultimate Param Anand in life.
These awakened souls can now differentiate between the worldly way of life where our life ends, but the chase to happiness never ends and the spiritual way of life where one can constantly feel the sense of Param Anand regardless of whether they have materialistic possessions or not.
Mandirs built by Pramukh Swamiji provides the platform for youth activities, seminars, and spiritual discourses. The lessons learned here equip us to identify and differentiate between what we can control and what we cannot control. This helps us to put our chase to glory, fame, and riches in perspective.
I want to highlight two contrasts/ comparisons:
Rafael Badziag, a contributor at CNBC asked 21 self-made billionaires about their biggest regrets. Here are the 5 most common ones: 1. Not jumping on great opportunities 2. Not living in the present 3. Not starting soon enough 4. Not being bolder 5. Not changing fast enough Grace Bluerock is a social worker in Murfreesboro, TN, who has experience working with individuals in community settings as well as in the private practice setting. She is the author of Live the Life of Your Dreams by Doing Work You Love. Working in hospice care for six years, she shares nine regrets expressed by hospice patients that can teach us how to live a better life: 1. They wish they had been more loving to the people who matter the most. 2. They wish they had been a better spouse, parent, or child. 3. They wish they had not spent so much time working. 4. They wish they had taken more risks. 5. They wish they had been happier and enjoyed life more. 6. They wish they had lived their dream. 7. They wish they had taken better care of themselves. 8. They wish they had done more for others. 9. They wish they had chosen more meaningful work.
Contrast is very evident at the end of life and quite a stark view on what really matters in life. When I look around in the life of the most famous, influential, and powerful leaders, the story remains the same.
Aurangzeb, one of the most powerful moguls who ruled over north India, had dying regrets: “I came alone, and I went as a stranger. I do not know who I am, nor what I have been doing,” the dying old man confessed to his son in February 1707.
Blinded by the ambition that drove Napoleon to glory, power, and riches, the broken little emperor was finally banished to St. Helena by his enemies whereupon he reportedly said, “I have never known six happy days in my life.”
One can argue that these were the emperors of old times, but what about the current world we live in? We are all chasing that illusive dream.
Olga Rickards is an entrepreneur, author, speaker, and coach to high achievers.
She shared the insights she has learned throughout her four decades of studying what even the most successful people regret on their deathbed, and here is the list of some ugly truths that might give you shivers:
Most dying people regret not the things they did, but the things they didn’t do. 1. They grieve over their dreams that have gone unfulfilled. 2. They wish they had not worked so hard. 3. They regret making money at the expense of relationships. 4. They wish they had taken the time to love more and to express their love. 5. They regret not staying in touch with friends and not giving friendships the time and effort they deserved. 6. They wish they had the courage to express their feelings instead of suppressing them. 7. They wish they had the courage to live a life true to themselves, not the life to fulfill somebody else’s expectations or to prove they are good enough. 8. Many of them confessed they never really knew themselves or weren’t clear on what they really wanted out of life. 9. Many of them said they felt as if they hadn’t really lived. 10. And here is a sobering fact: most dying people regret postponing their happiness until “one day.”
Guess what? That day never came! Rickards posed the very obvious question:
Why do we invest so much of our limited time, energy, and money into our businesses, but not our own happiness? Well, simply put, most of us just don’t know how to create a happy, fulfilled, truly successful life. When you and I went to school, they taught us a lot of stuff we never use in real life, but they didn’t teach us what happiness and success really are about. Our degrees printed on fancy paper didn’t come with a Happy Life manual; we are left to figure it all out on our own.
Spirituality helps to bridge this gap. Pramukh Swamiji’s teaching of a values-based life helps us see this through a different lens:
Immorality may give you great gains, but a dry piece of bread given with morality will guarantee peace of mind. Do not become lazy and negligent. Fruits obtained without effort do not give peace and joy. Do not be trapped by greed and superstition. Walking through life in consonance with instructions given by God will ensure that we are not met by unhappiness.
The greatest advantage of such a spiritual feeling is that any person on this earth, regardless of age, background, education, or social status, can feel this Param Anand when they are exposed to such spiritual wonders created by Swamiji.
In Akshardham, at Gandhinagar, there is a light and sound water show called “Sat-Chit-Anand Water show” based on the famous story of Nachiketa from our Upanishads. Thousands of visitors enjoy this immersive and enlightening show. Once a family of young children from the USA visited this show. One of their kids was a nine-year boy who enjoyed the show and as a curious kid asked many questions to satisfy his curiosity to learn how the light and sound with fire in between can co-exist. The chief guide there, Nishithbhai, patiently explained to him the details. Then, the boy said, “It feels different here. I feel peace.” It proved to be a powerful experience for such a young mind which may help to guide him toward a future of achievable Param Anand. On December 5, 2010, Amitabh Bachchan, who needs no introduction amongst the Indian community, visited Gandhinagar Akshardham. After watching this “Sat-Chit-Anand Water Show,” he exclaimed “Adbhut, Adbhut, Adbhut.” He met the sadhus and volunteers who set up and operated the show. He also learned about how Pramukh Swamiji inspired this entire show and guided it to finish. Before leaving, he autographed the visitors book, “I have come to Akshardham for darshan many times, but in today’s experience my mind has experienced peace. And I have understood the truth about atma and Paramatma.”
After his visit, Shri Bachchan also wrote about his feelings regarding his visit on his daily personal blog:
But the day ended in another spectacular and amazing moment – a visit to the Akshardham Temple in Gandhi Nagar….The laser imagery on flowing fountains and building images on them with a story tale between Nachiket the son of a Saintly father that banishes him to YamRaj the disciple of Death, was a delight to watch. The deeper meanings of Atma and Parmatma were exquisitely woven into the …
Such a fulfilling experience and then to be able to speak on phone to Pramukh Swami ji, whom I have met on a few occasions, to seek his blessings, was an ideal end to the most, how should I put it, ethereal hours in a day.
Time after time, such experiences have been the triggers for many individuals to push themselves above and beyond our daily lives and out of seeing worldly monotonous ways of life.
With the help of Swamiji’s constant and readily available motherly nurturing in all three human needs— physical needs, mental fights, and the experience of power of Atma - they are pushed into what Kalam explains as the fourth level of consciousness.
I will now elaborate on the level four consciousness that I have observed in Swamiji. Imagine that you are a two-dimensional being and that a fence has been created around you and all that you desire. It would appear as a rectangle. The only way to get what you want is by cutting through the fence.
If you were suddenly given a three-dimensional consciousness, you would look from above at the two-dimensional rectangle and realize that you could simply reach in and take hold of what you want and that the rectangle or fence was not an obstacle from this higher perspective. However, you are still faced with obstacles and hurdles. It is not that things have been delivered on a platter to Pramukh Swami.
There have been problems, obstacles, resistance, even hostilities, but he never reacted to them. Why? Because he accessed an even higher level of consciousness.
The fourth dimension is a higher dimension of consciousness that comes through the divine connection. We are enveloped in a vast universe of light, consciousness, and love. We can reach upward to the higher parts of our being and access this source of inspiration, creative ideas, energy, wisdom, understanding, and spiritual vision. With a four-dimensional consciousness, we are in touch with our intuition: an infallible source of guidance and wisdom that leads to rightful action, good choices and decisions, harmonious relationships, and a sense of well-being. This is the consciousness that brings us all the resources we need in every moment and is the source of our abundance. Many blessed souls throughout the history of mankind could expand their consciousness into higher dimensions. Pramukh Swamiji is such a blessed soul.
Pramukh Swamiji has become part of the ocean of consciousness. With his blessings, thousands of his devotees have shifted from their old ways of blocking the true manifestation of their destiny. They have stopped trying to figure everything out; they have ceased trying to control and manipulate the universe into giving them what they want, and they have put their aspiration and their trust in Pramukh Swamiji. They no longer think that having what they want is dependent upon someone else’s power or decisions. They no longer measure their progress or success in traditional cultural terms, but instead by their feeling of righteousness. They have realized that if they do not try to control things mentally, the universe will give to them more beautifully than what they could possibly have envisioned. Swamiji has taught four generations of people to rise from within, and their rise has been phenomenal.
What Kalam has observed in his 14 years of experience with Pramukh Swamiji, millions of followers have been experiencing for many years as well. We are celebrating the centennial celebration of Pramukh Swami Maharaj — a beacon of values, hope, and faith on this earth who has enhanced all our lives. A grand celebration has been planned for December 10th, at FAU’s Performing Arts Auditorium on the Boca Raton campus. We would love to see you all there. Come and join us in this celebration of our life and culture. Param Anand is waiting for you!
About the Author
Chirag Patel is a lifelong volunteer with BAPS Swaminarayan Sanstha, where he currently helps coordinate all Mahila Pravirti in North America. He is a Software Engineer by education, and is a Product Manager for a Multi-National telecommunications company. He has been an active member of the South Florida community for over 25 years.
