Article 1
Article 2
I) The Legacy of Swami Dayanand
“ Rishi Bodh Utsav” – Is an unique occasion,
an occasion of no comparison in the modern history. On this day we celebrate
the creative might and energy of a very lion among men, Mahrishi Swami Day
Nanda Saraswati.
My subject is “The Legacy of Swami Daya Nanda” and,
I think you’ll agree with me that it is Dayanand’s legacy that we
are assembled here in this beautiful Bhawan in Toronto. I felt elated and
honoured when I was asked to speak on the Maharishi and, on a second thought
I was struck with awe when I realized that I was to talk about a puissant
of great stature. I therefore sought help from three great souls, namely Sri
Aurobindo, Gurudev Rabindra Nath Thakur and Dr. Radha Krishnan in assembling
my thoughts.
It was Kathiawar- India that gave birth to this puissant renovator
and new-creator. And something of the very soul and temperament of that peculiar
land entered into his spirit, which tempered him to become a great force of
genial creation. He knew definitely and clearly the work he was sent to do.
He chose his material, determined his conditions and executed his conception
with effectual mastery of the born worker for he was an embodiment of spiritual
practicality.
Dayananda accepted the Veda as his rock of firm foundation;
he took it for his guiding view of life, his rule of inner existence and his
inspiration for external work. He regarded it as even more, the word of eternal
Truth on which man’s knowledge of God and his relations with the Divine
Being and his fellows can be rightly and securely founded. Of course, it was
act of grandiose intellectual courage to lay hold upon this scripture defaced
by ignorant comment and oblivion of its spirit, degraded by misunderstanding
to the level of an ancient document of barbarism, and to perceive in it its
real worth as a scripture which conceals in itself the deep and energetic
spirit of our forefathers, a scripture of divine knowledge, divine action
and divine workshop. Dayanand was a Rishi with a special talent for not returning
to the source but bringing back the nectar in its purest form.
Dayanand was a patriot of high degree. His pursuits during the
First Battle of Indian Independence in 1857 are well known though not documented
in the history books. During his meeting with the Viceroy of India in 1873
the latter asked Swamiji to propgate the goodness of the British Raj. He further
suggested to Swamiji to pray for the long life of the British Rule in India
at the commencement of his discourses. Dayananda’s reply was that he
prayed to the Almighty day & night to rid India of the foreign rule at
the earliest. While submitting his report to the Home Office in London the
Viceroy recommended that it was necessary to keep an eye on the activities
of that revolutionary Saadhu.
The Mahrishi had a dream to bring the entire human race under one faith, the
faith of brotherhood, the faith of love and harmony, the faith of noble ideals
- Krinvanto . He believed that all of us were children of God. He believed
that we were like rose flowers of different colours carrying the same enchanting
fragrance as enshrined in the Veda … “SARVE AMRTSYA PUTRAAH”.
He strove to convince the leaders of various faiths, who were attending the
‘DILLI DARBAAR’ in 1876 to accept the Veda the ultimate scripture
of Divine knowledge, Divine worship and Divine action. Unfortunately his sentiments-
as honest and as visionary as they were, were not accepted. And as a result,
we have witnessed the partition of our great nation and our great country.
Arya Samaj was his greatest legacy. The ‘Ten Principles’
of Arya Samaj reflect his vision of mankind. In fact, he lived these principles.
The first three principles resonate his conviction about the supremacy of
the Vedas and the other seven expound his forth sightedness towards peace
and harmony. He was a great believer in elevating man and his society. He
introduced ‘HAVAN’ as a reminder that it was the moral duty of every
human being to leave a legacy in the form of pure water, unpolluted air and
unpolluted society. Havan is an excellent source of eradicating man made contaminants
from the atmosphere but only if performed on daily basis. And today’s
irony is that we who claim ourselves the followers of this great renovator
believe that it is sufficient to discharge our obligation by going through
this ritual on Sundays only.
The Mahrishi laid the foundation of Arya Samaj in the Month
of Chaitra (March/April) in 1875 with the purpose of propagating his mission,
which was two-fold. Firstly, to educate the people to accept the supremacy
of one godhead who is Creator, Ruler and father of the Universe, and secondly,
to free the mankind from the shackles of ignorance and the ethos of superstition.
Yes, ignorance and superstition go together. It is a global issue. Let’s
concentrate locally and introspect ourselves honestly. Do we have any programme,
any project - even a will to carry his mission in the direction he guided
us to? He handed a torch to us together with his written testament in the
belief that we will fulfill his lofty objective. No doubt, we have carried
that torch from the land it was lighted to various parts of the world. But
is it enough? Have we discharged our moral duty – our obligation to the
man who even gave his life for the mankind? Do you think that a weekly congregation
– assembling on a Sunday – performing Havan in the half-hearted
manner- as a ritual is a befitting contribution towards the Mahrishi’s
mission? Have we ever given a thought as to how we can dispel ignorance from
among the mankind? I think, you will agree with me that ignorance as darkness
can only be dispelled by lighting a candle. We have inadvertently placed Swamiji’s
torch in a safe corner and have conveniently forgotten about it. For God’s
sake move it to a place where it is needed the most, move it to a place which
is engulfed in darkness and move it to a place where ignorance is breeding
in the company of AVIDYA. And the best such place in my opinion is the field
of education.
The Rishi has left a legacy for us. We have to prove ourselves
worthy of his trust in us. Listen to his soul still crying to us with our
insufficient action. Let’s shake the slumber and determine in the light
of his inspiration to what direction we are heading to.
We are to kindle that spirit of swami Shradhanand - that commitment
of Mahatama Hansraj – that convictionof Pundit Lekh Ram. Is it too much
to ask to open the door towards establishing an educational institution to
honour this great soldier of light? Let’s prepare numerous candles, numerous
torches aglow with education glaced with the Vedic knowledge as a tribute
to this great master.
May his spirit act in us pure, unspoilt, unmodified and help
to give us back that of which our life stands especially in need, pure energy,
high clearness, the penetrating eye, the noble and dominant sincerity.
In the name of LOVE OF THE UNIVERSE, OM SHAANTEEH, SHAANTEEH,
SHAANTEEH.
Pundit Mahendra Bhalla
Registered Vedic Minister of Religion, Ontario, Canada
II) VISION OF ARYA SAMAJ IN THE 21ST. CENTURY
Before we discuss about the ‘Vision of Arya Samaj in the
21st. Century, I would like to peep into the vision of the 21st century. We
have lived through the 20th century and, have witnessed development in the
technological field and changes in values of life. We are ushering into a
new, entirely new order wherein the dominant factors are going to be a) a
techno-spiritual era, and b) the baby boomers’ influence.
I would like to visualize the Arya Samaj in this context. Again,
before delving into the future activities of the Arya Samaj, I would also
like to evaluate the past performance of the movement. Maharishi Swami Daya
Nanda Saraswati ji Maharaj was a very sensitive visionary. In fact, he was
a seer who could foresee events clearer than an ordinary person. He founded
Arya Samaj in order to serve humanity not for 125 years, not for a century,
not for a millennium but for a ‘Yug’, even after that. He gave us
a mission, yes, a mission: ‘INDRAM VARDHANTO APTURAH, KRINVANTO VISHAWAMARYAM’
I think, this is an appropriate forum to discuss as how far
we have fulfilled this mission. For I believe that our past deeds culminate
in the future. Let’s reflect if we have deposited any deeds which are
maturing in the 21st century. ‘ O KRATU, KRITAM SMARA’.
I have been actively involved in the Arya Samaj movement for
more than half a century and, being a dedicated observer, I have noticed that
during this period the movement has suffered a set back rather than making
progress. I have noticed lack of commitment amongst its workers and leaders,
alike. I have noticed a sense of self esteem, a sense of individualism amongst
its Parchaaraks, Samyasis and Purohits. A number of Arya Samaj Samyasis have
confided in me that they have been able to perform better being independent
of the Sarvadeshak Arya Pratinidhi Sabha because there doesn’t seem to
be readiness on the part of the Arya Samaj to recognize their good work. We
must forego our egotistic attitude and emulate the challenge thrown to the
Americans by President Kennedy, ‘Think not what the Arya Samaj is doing
for you but think what you can do for Arya Samaj.’ Yes, we have to put
our house in order before we evisage the Vision of Arya Samaj in the 21st
century. For this we have to get our priorities right as, believing - commitment,
sharing and serving.
Arya Samaj is a sleeping giant and, it has been in a state of
slumber for a long time. It is time it woke up in order to play its proper
role on the world stage in the 21st century. This is the age of electronic
communication and this technology is developing rapidly. This is the age when
spirituality is going to take centre stage. A few weeks ago the International
Monetary Fund - I M F invited scholars from all religious denominations to
study the life style of people in almost all countries of the world in relation
to spirituality. A Hindu is also a member of this study group. You are right
in thinking that he is not from Arya Samaj and, how could he be? Arya Samaj
is not on the world map. Buddhists, Hare Krishna, Vedanta and even Osho have
made places for themselves. Where has Arya Samaj failed? I would say, in two
major areas. One, Public Relations and secondly by sticking to the past glories.
Yes, our past has been superlatively glorious but that was the ancient past
- almost pre-historic. Our very survival in the 21st century will be at stake
if we do not come out of this cocoon. We will have to face changes without
compromising our principles. We will have to sharpen our image and, we will
have to engage in aggressive Public Relations’ exercise in order to showcase
our profile. The best arena for all this is ‘MAHARISHI VYAS BHOOMI”-
North America. American soil, it appears, is the most fertile land for the
propagation of eastern philosophy. Sarvadeshak Pratinidhi Sabha, though a
resourceful body doesn’t have the will to exercise its role and give
direction to the movement. Moreover, they are not alive to the needs of Arya
Samajes in foreign countries perhaps for want of a vision. I am of the firm
opinion that Arya Pratinidhi Sabha North America should take it upon itself
to project itself as a guiding stars for ‘Paar Deshiyee’ Arya samajes.
We will have to have a unified front in order to forge ahead. We will have
to pool our resources in order to translate Rishi’s mission into action.
Fortunately, we have managed to acquire a number of properties, which I think,
should induce responsibility in the society. Now that we have our fixed abode,
we need to utilize the facilities to the best of our needs. The foremost demand
of the 21st century is that Arya Samaj becomes a high - tech society. The
other day my attention was drawn to an article published in a local weekly,
criticizing Arya Samaj and Mahrishi Daya Nanda and his works, especially Satyarath
Prakash. The article was written by Osho - Bhagwan Rajnish, and was circulated
in the cyber space ( that is what the editor of the weekly said that he had
picked it from). A latest addition to the Saturday TV religious programmes
in Toronto, Canada is ‘Christ in Vedas’. Since the knowledge of
Vedas is being widely acknowledged as true knowledge, various denominations
are trying to hijack this true source of knowledge. No doubt, Internet is
a powerful medium of propaganda and is now readily available through cable
at our television sets at home. Sh. Bhuvnesh Khosla deserves a pat on his
back by providing an Internet page for Arya Samaj, but it requires more aggressive
approach and more meaningful material relevant to the new - look Arya Samaj
- Arya Samaj of the 21st century. Print media and television should be extensively
used to propagate the message of the Rishi. Based on my broadcasting experience
I can firmly state that television programmes, if produced professionally,
can easily fetch sponsors.
My vision of the Arya Samaj in the 21st century is of a high
tech Arya Samaj with no boundaries. The ten principles of Arya samaj are as
good today as they were in yester years, and they are going to remain good
for the 21st century, also. These principles when conjoined, pose a statement
that this movement is a socio-politico-econo-spiritual organization and, it
should project itself as such. It has a vast jurisdiction and should embrace
any field which concerns the welfare of humanity. It should operate in a high
profile by young technocrats. We must refuse to accept stereotypes and we
must use this opportunity to stimulate urgent thought about long term awareness
patterns. We need to find some way of giving voice to the youth - our children.
We must create a responsible organization, not failing in its vocation to
serve the whole people. We need leaders in our society who will unite and
not divide the Pariwar. We must bequeath a fragrant legacy to our children
that they feel proud of. My vision of the Arya Samj in the 21st century is
that it is run by people who are noble to the letter and who live the ten
principles of the Arya Samaj and; that it is an accessible society which inculcates
good faith, tolerance and respect for opinions which we do not share. My Arya
Samaj in the 21st century is a society which believes that it is an ethical
way where we have to treat other people as friends or potential friends. My
vision of Arya Samaj is that it gains a position of intellectual might in
that it takes over the true representation of Vedic Religion in the 21st century.
Pundit Mahendra Bhalla
Registered Vedic Minister of Religion, Ontario, Canada
