Om Sri Sankaracharyaya Namah!
Om Sri Ramanujacharyaya Namah!
Om Namo Bhagavate Sivanandaya!
Om Namo Bhagavate Chidanandaya!
Om Namo Bhagavate Krishnanandaya!

Namaste!

April 29th is the holy appearance day of Sri
Sankaracharya and Sri Ramunajacharya. In honour of
this occasion we uploaded a discourse by Sri Swami
Chidanandaji on the Bhaja Govindam of Sri
Sankaracharya. This discourse is at:
http://www.dlshq.org/religions/bhajagovindam.htm

In addition, there are several articles on our
website on Sri Sankaracharya and Sri Ramunajacharya.
They are
1) Sankara by Sri Swami Sivanandaji at:
http://www.dlshq.org/saints/sankara.htm

2) Ramanuja by Sri swami Sivanandaji at:
http://www.dlshq.org/saints/ramanuja.htm

3) Sankara: The Genius by Sri Swami Krishnanandaji
at:
http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/fest/fest_05.html

April 25th was the 87th birthday anniversary of Sri
Swami Krishnanandaji Maharaj. In honour of Swamiji's
birthday several items were uploaded to Swamiji's
site. They are:
1) Video: The Process of Samadhi
2) Audios: The Problems of Spiritual Life
3) E-book: Religion and Social Values - Chapter 1
4) Discourse: Certain Problems of Philosophy
5) Photos: Swamiji's visit in 1982 to his birthplace
in Puttur

These uploads can be accessed from:
http://www.swami-krishnananda.org/uploads.html

Yours in the service of Gurudev,

Pannirselvam

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Book Synopsis

Autobiography of Swami Sivananda

A saint's life is the ideal for all to emulate, a
pattern for everyone who would make his own life
sublime. It is an open book from which to learn the
lessons of divine life. However much one tries to
gain knowledge of spiritual truths from scriptures
and texts, it is not until one actually sees someone
in whom those truths shine exemplified that one is
ready, willing and eager to realise those truths in
actual daily life.

That is the purpose that this inspiring book serves.

There is more information at:
http://www.dlshq.org/books/es9.htm

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DOUBTS CLEARED: Sri R. M. Karkare was a professor at
the Vikram University, Gwalior. While staying for a
short period at the Ashram, he began to wonder
whether its inmates could not be more useful to
society. He put his doubts on paper in the form of a
letter to the Master:

"I am thankful to you for the kind hospitality shown
to me. I appreciate highly the various activities of
your Ashram. I also attend Satsang and other
programmes.

"As regards the various books written by your good
self, I have a vast number to go through. Because of
what I have read during these days, I am full of
great hopes that the world will be benefited through
you.

"Yet I have grave doubts regarding the large number
of inmates here, who may not be doing any concrete
service to humanity. How can there be any Self-
realisation prior to self-effacement? Apart from
their own Sadhana, would it not be better that these
people chose a village where they could serve the
needy in the various aspects of a villager's life?

"By sitting idly here they are not serving the cause
of the nation, though of course they might be doing
something for the betterment of themselves.

"This is not to criticise these souls living here--
great men they are all, and whom I respect--but the
thoughts which have crept into my mind are not
leaving me, and an answer to them may kindly be given
to relieve the burden of it."

After handing over the letter to the Master, the
professor continued to stay at the Ashram, attending
the afternoon discourses and morning and night
Satsang programmes. He thought that the Master would
call him to dispel his doubts. When this did not
happen, he felt that the Master might have taken it
ill. But, to his considerable relief, on the fourth
day, the Master sent him the following written reply
through his secretary:

"Self-realisation is the goal of everyone. And though
the ultimate experience is universal and homogeneous,
the approach is different in the case of different
people. This is because, although the ultimate
experience is possible only after the mind has ceased
to function, Sadhana has to be done with the help of
the mind. Minds and temperaments differ. Therefore,
the approach to the Reality also differs.

"The patriot who serves the country, the advocate and
the doctor who serve society, the engineer, the
professor, the scavenger and the motor driver--each
one can attain Self-realisation without stepping out
of the walk of life in which the Lord has placed him.
As you have rightly put it, self-effacement is
necessary before Self-realisation, and everyone has
the privilege of choosing his own method of effecting
this self-effacement.

"The inmates of the Ashram are all engaged in the
service of humanity. Work for the preservation of
spiritual culture is as important, if not more, than
work in other fields of service. As a matter of fact,
if the emphasis is gradually shifted from the
political to the spiritual standpoint, I think that
there will be greater chances of the world enjoying
peace. Viewed from that point, these Sannyasins are
rendering a more fruitful service to the nation and
to humanity at large than their brethren in other
walks of life. There is practically no one in the
Ashram here who is not in some way or the other
taking part in the service which the Divine Life
Society is rendering to mankind. Service is an
essential part of the daily routine of the aspirants
here.

"But this is not to say that unless the aspirant or
Sannyasin engages himself in spectacular service he
is a great and unproductive burden on society. There
will always be introverts of the extreme type who
might not engage themselves in any activity, but
would spend all their time in introspection, self-
analysis and Bhajan. They also are necessary. They
apparently do nothing to the world at large, but they
render an inestimable service to humanity by
preserving one aspect of spiritual culture--the
introvert aspect. They carry on the tradition of the
Virakta Sannyasin who, through the rugged path of
negation of the world itself, crosses this formidable
ocean of worldliness. They are the beacon-lights to
other lesser evolved souls of their type, who would
otherwise get lost in the unchartered sea of Sadhana.

"Everyone who sincerely aspires for Self-realisation,
whatever be the path he chooses, whatever he
sincerely does towards the achievement of the goal,
is rendering a distinct service to the world at
large. He throws out a challenge to those who feel
that only sensual enjoyment is pleasure, and who
believe in the solid reality of the world and worldly
associations. Through sincere Sadhana and self-
discipline you will be able to attain Self-
realisation wherever you are."

Thus concluded the Master, and his apt answers to the
points raised by the professor were well received.

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"The first step that you have to take in the practice
of sadhana, or the learning of the art of spiritual
living, is to understand what that first step is.
Everyone knows that the first step cannot be the
second step; it has to be the first only. But what is
the first step? The first step is the very condition
in which you are now." - Swami Krishnananda.


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