Shree Pretoria Hindu Seva Samaj - Articles
HISTORY OF THE SAMAJ GUJARATI SCHOOL
The first Gujarati speaking pioneers to arrive in Pretoria at the turn of the 20th Century had no need for a school. They were young, hardy, adventure-seeking businessman who left their wives and children behind in India to seek their fortunes on the gold and diamond fields of this strange and wild continent called Africa. But Africa, once it gets into your soul, does not let go so easily. The idea that perhaps a home could be build here started permeating the consciousness of these India expatriates.
And so, around 1927, the first group of wives and children began arriving in Pretoria. Women, off course, have always had a civilizing influence on Men, and so their arrival meant that there was now a serious need for putting into place structures and institutions that would help this small group of individuals retain their language, culture and religion.
Our records show that the Gujarati School started in earnest in 1933. The school was housed on the premises built by the community on the corner of 10th and Mogul streets, which also happened to be the hub of the new organisation, called the Pretoria Hindu Seva Samaj. Imagine the troubles this humble band of pioneers had to undergo to get things started - but as the saying goes, when the going gets tough, the though get going.
At first, a group of volunteers who happened to have a smattering of education took up the cudgels as teachers. But by 1939, it became clear that qualified teachers from India were needed. Despite many efforts, this was not forthcoming due to the lack of co-operation of the authorities. Then, on 7 December 1941, a deputation met with the Commissioner for Immigration to highlight the community's plight in respect of education and again with the High Commissioner of India on 5 January 1942. As a result of these representations, the first batch of qualified teachers made their way to Pretoria in the form of Nichabhai Patel and Chhotubhai Mehta from India. There was also a lady teacher by the name of Ambaben Cyclewala who was called upon to teach the girls. However, after a very brief spell she left Pretoria for the more civilized climate of Durban.
The need for well-educated and well-qualified teachers continued to grow as the population started expanding. After numerous requests, the immigration authorities allowed Baboobhai D. Patel to come to South Africa on a five-year teaching contract. This allowed the teaching of language to once again be injected with a professional touch and also provided an opportunity to pass on these skills to our local teachers.
The school began to make a tremendous impact on the community and in 1942 a library was established on the premises. A youth group called the Arya Yuvak Mandal was given permission to run the library. Books and cupboards were donated and in a short while, the school became the epicenter of the community's intellectual and community life. It was the school that served to inspire a thirst for literature, culture and the pursuit of knowledge.
It is clear that when one looks back to our beginnings, it was the strength and vision of our forefathers to establish a Gujarati School that laid the foundation for us as a community. The school served and will continue to serve as the conduit through which our rich cultural heritage can be transmitted to future generations. The introduction of the Balmandir over the last 20 years has ensured that our toddlers too can learn the soothing and inspiring rhymes of Gujarati which give our language its beauty and resilience.
With the death of Apartheid and the group Areas Act, the Gujarati community is starting to spread its wings to previously forbidden residential areas. While this in itself is understandable and a reaction to market forces, the movement of people away from Laudium and our school, is going to create serious difficulties for those parents who wish to ensure that their children do not lose their language. It also provides the Samaj with the serious challenge of keeping the school alive against such tough odds.
But we are a resilient people. We have survived tougher challenges. And provided we set aside petty differences and outdated modes of thinking, we can, as a community, creatively meet these challenges. Language laboratories and new technologies, like the Internet, are media that will need to be examined by the Samaj as possible vehicles for the Gujarati school of the future. On the other hand, the answer for the future might lie in creating virtual classrooms or distance learning centres i.e. a place where the teacher can teach from a remote centre simultaneously to hundreds of "classrooms" via satellite or ISDN lines. Or it might even be a question of teaching to each individual child in his home via the PC or TV.
The possibilities are endless, the dangers of failure are real, but the future survival and even growth of the Gujarati language lie in each of our hands.
Hari Om Tat Sat
Rameshbhai Chunilal Chhagan
THE SEVA SAMAJ AND THE PHO
The Soweto uprising of 1976: South Africa is in turmoil and on the brink of a revolution. Sanctions and Apartheid are biting deep into the fabric of the country. The economy is in a nosedive, and in Pretoria, as in most parts of the country, the effects are severe. There is a tremendous upsurge in unemployment. And, unemployment, as we know, is the father of some of the greatest forms of human degradation a community can experience.
Laudium was no different. Among the poorer sections of our community poverty was rampant. There was widespread hunger and drug abuse. People were being thrown into the streets because they were unable to pay their rentals and the city council was cutting off lights and water services. Worse still, there was a serious downturn in the appreciation of spiritual values. Unemployed people were losing their sense of self-respect and self worth. In this climate, the poor and weak are at their most vulnerable. And in Laudium, these happen to be the people of the Hindu faith. Religious merchants of various faiths were having a field day amongst the Hindu poor, promising them all kinds of worldly goods in exchange for changing their faith. Demoralized Hindu's were unable to resist and fell prey to these unscrupulous propagators who were busy exploiting the desperation of the poor. These peddlers of religion were giving charity but with the clear intention of getting Hindus to forsake their faith and become religious prostitutes. Our community was in distress.
It was in these dark days of the late 70's that a group of dedicated community workers, foremost among them being Dr. Pankajbhai Joshi, Baboobhai Sita (Bons), and Sathia Pillay decided that the various Hindu linguistic groups needed to pool their resources to address the grave problems our people were facing. Thus in 1980, a historic meeting comprising of officials of the Shree Pretoria Hindu Seva Samaj, the Pretoria Tamil League, the Sanathan Vedh Dharam Sabha and the Laudium Tamil Association took place. At this meeting it was resolved that a united, umbrella Hindu organisation be formed that would co-ordinate the programmes that were needed to address the challenges the Hindu community was facing. A task team was formed and at its first meeting, Sathia Pillay was elected as the first President of the Pretoria Hindu Organisation. During his term, emphasis was placed in creating a sense of unity; a sense of oneness, of being Hindus, and of entrenching a spirit that would span our linguistic divides. At the same time, a progressive constitution was drafted, which ensured that the Hindu community identified itself with and supported the cause of the poor majority.
Under the helm of Jivanbhai Kalyan, who was the PHO's second president from 1982-1983, the Seva Samaj embarked on a fund-raising drive for this new organisation. The principal fund-raisers were Ramanbhai Rama Goolab, Chunilalbhai Chhagan and Naginbhai Bhana (all trustees of the Samaj), and within the space of a few months they managed to collect R70 000. The PHO rapidly went into action and within months were able to provide a soup kitchen for the hungry, institute a voucher system for the provision of food hampers and assist indigent families with payment of rentals, and their lights and water accounts. On the religious side, the first PHO Diwali concert was hosted in 1981 and Diwali Hampers were distributed to the needy of all races and creeds.
In 1984, Rameshbhai Chhagan, the present chairperson of the PHO and current secretary of the Seva Samaj, took over the helm of the PHO. Under his Guidance, the PHO continued to flourish and were responsible for many new initiatives, foremost amongst these must be the decision to form the Pretoria Hindu School, the first Hindu school in South Africa. In addition, under the banner of the PHO, he represented the community as a City Councillor in the first nonracial Pretoria City Council in 1995; he served as secretary of the Pretoria Chapter of the Conference on Religion & Peace, the body that wrote the religious charter for the new South African Constitution; he also represented the Hindu voice as vice-chairman of the Laudium Branch of the ANC, and finally, he was instrumental in introducing the Annual Shivratri Yagna that commenced in 1996.
The Samaj, together with its partners, can certainly claim to have played, and continue to play, a significant role in this first and longest-lasting Hindu organisation in South Africa that represents all our linguistic groups. We have helped to carry our people though our country's darkest days and have made a significant impact, not only in bridging our sectional divides, but in helping restore our sense of dignity and self-worth as proud Hindus of Pretoria.
Hari Om Tat Sat
Rameshbhai Chhagan
PRETORIA NAVYUGA MANDAL EDUCATION FUND
The year leading to September 2002 has once again proven to be a challenging year for everyone associated with the activities of the PNMEF. It was only in 1997 that the idea of an educational fund was born. The community supported the need for such a service wholeheartedly and within a very short time, the Pretoria Navyug Mandal raised over R 250 000 with which to establish the Education Fund..
These funds are invested in extremely low risk investment vehicles with the aim of generating returns for the granting of educational loans. The capital is never used; only the interest is used for the provision of study loans.
From January 1998 until May 2002 educational loans totaling R86 585 were granted as follows:
1998 R7 785;
1999 R19 100;
2000 R22 000;
2001 R13 700;
2002 R24 000.
At this point, one may want to rightfully question the criteria employed for the deployment of these funds. Only loans not outright grants or bursaries are given. All Gujarati learners who intend to pursue any tertiary direction are eligible to apply. All applications are treated in the strictest confidence. The applicant's educational track record is taken into account when granting a loan.
We are proud to mention two other important points in regard to the management of the funds.
The first is that some of our loans have already been fully paid back, while others are being serviced and up to now, without any default. Credit here is due to our strict financial management.
The second and most important point is our successful graduates. This organisation has managed to partner itself with diligent students who have graduated with excellent results. Degrees awarded thus far have been two Physiotherapists, a Speech and Hearing Therapist, A Travel Consultant, an Occupational Therapist as well as a B.Comm graduate.
Hopefully these graduates will become leaders in their professions as well as their communities and contribute to our task of giving others that are not as fortunate, the same opportunity to become skilled professionals.
We are all indeed privileged to live in such a giving and unselfish community who is always prepared to contribute to a better future.
The Navyuga: past, present and future
The Pretoria Navyuga Mandal (PNM) has been active for over 50 years. Its past members have laid the sound foundations from which the new generations may develop. These older members, together with their experience and knowledge, have been drafted in the management of our parent body, the Pretoria Hindu Seva Samaj (PHSS). In this scenario, the PNM acts as a body that nurtures and grows talent that eventually is reaped not only by the PNM and the youth at large but also by the Samaj as well. Thus the PNM becomes a nursery for the development of leadership talent for the Gujarati community as a whole.
The past has seen periods where the Mandal had not been active any many revival periods were needed. It is essential to avoid periods of dormancy otherwise the leadership cycle will be broken and the intellectual capital built over the years will be lost. We need to constantly revitalize the PNM, else future members will not see the need to sustain development in our community. The youth must be drawn to the PNM - they must be attracted to its vision and its activities in the same way as a moth is instinctively attracted to light. Only then can we feel assured that the Gujarati community will continue to grow in leadership ability and sophistication and thereby able to meet the challenges that life throws its way.
To a large extent, the PNM has sought to equip its members with executive qualities by engaging the youth in activities aimed at probing these qualities. Our organisation provides room for divergence of views, allows healthy debate but also ensures that all this happens under a common vision. This vision can best be described as one in which the PNM involves itself with a range of activities that are aimed at serving the community while also having healthy social outlets. Our vision might seem idealistic, but it stems from a realization that the youth want to both serve - to be meaningful contributors to furthering our culture, religion and traditions- but also to form strong bonds of friendships with others through sport and other social activities. It is activities such as these that serve to create the bonds of trust that allow our community to form business and other partnerships later in life.
In the past many of the activities the PNM engaged upon were beneficial to the community at large. Recently, more events were embarked upon with the needs of youth in mind. To commemorate our 50th anniversary we hosted a bazaar festival with the aim of raising enough funds to start an education fund. This education fund has been sponsoring individuals in our Gujarati community to study at tertiary institutions. We later hosted a Community Service Day where various tests (related to diseases that the Indian population are prone to) were offered to the Laudium public free of charge. This day was utilised to make people aware of their health by lectures and workshops, and to give professionals in our community an opportunity to expose their skills and talents to the public. Together with other events such as Rangoli, Operation Thindi and regular sports outings, the PNM also hosts an annual Hanuman Chalisa. For our members, sports and other activities have been arranged on Friday evenings to maintain this interaction on a fun basis. The odd Family Fun Days have as well been hosted to magnify our efforts for unity within our Gujarati Community. Other events we would like to host regularly would be a Careers Day project, which aims to introduce our youth to the different professions they could specialise in, projected not only by the "rosy-pictured" tertiary education institutions marketing stance, but also by professionals in our community in that particular profession.
What does the future hold for our PNM and it's members? In building leaders for the future we will need first to create a base from which future developments can be maintained in different environments. Our first criteria in this respect would be to build a membership base that is large enough to sustain this development by ensuring that it represents a broad spectrum of age groups of our youth; secondly, the PNM must develop a tolerant culture which encourages and nurtures divergent views; it should give due recognition for meritorious service; and finally it should be a home where everyone feels welcome and engaged. In the past our lady members constituted a significant part of the membership of our organisation. We would like to see more women participate again. By achieving this we hope that PNM members will be proud of their association and learn to love and respect the PNM brand.
GUJARATI YOUTH AND THEIR ROOTS IN THE COMMUNITY
During the last decade or so, a new phenomenon has emerged within the Gujarati community of Laudium, a phenomenon which was not very prevalent in years gone by. The phenomenon I am talking about can perhaps best be described as the new mobile educated Gujarati.
This phenomenon is primarily motivated by the fact that young people are increasingly practising as professional people and are seeking employment in professional and corporate environments. In years gone by, it was more or less the norm that people would join family business or seek employment within the geographical area of greater Pretoria. or commute to and from work if they were employed outside Pretoria. One of the main reasons for remaining in Pretoria and/or Laudium was the fact that the Group Areas act was still in existence and freedom of movement was restricted.
The Group Areas Act had the effect of forcing people of specifically defined racial groups to live in specially designated areas. This, of course, meant that Indians could not live in areas that were not designated for them, and a (ironically positive) by-product of this was an entrenchment of cultural and religious values.
During the last 20 years or so, there has been a tremendous drive towards obtaining professional qualifications by people within the community. There are currently a greater number of professionals within our community than at any other time in history.
This resulted in people finding employment in corporations and companies, many of which are based outside Pretoria. As a result, people are forced to commute long distances through heavy traffic in order to make the return trip to and from work.
Of course, the consequence for those who chose to commute meant that their families could remain within the community, attending the local schools and participating fully in the cultural and social activities of the community.
For those who chose not to commute but to live closer to their places of work, the implications become graver. Since the Group Areas Act was abolished approximately ten years ago, the primary restriction on the movement on people was lifted and people accordingly began to explore the possibility of living away from Laudium. The initial trickle of people living outside Laudium has increased quite substantially where today it would not be inaccurate to say that virtually every family has a member who now resides outside Laudium or the greater Pretoria area.
The primary migration in this regard has been to the Northern suburbs of Johannesburg although people have been known to move to other cities where work opportunities have presented itself. The migration of people also meant that people and families who were previously involved in community structures and organisations (for example, Gujarati School) were now lost to these organisations. The decline in enrolment at the Gujarati School can be partly attributed to this.
Many young people have moved to areas which were previously for whites only. This resulted in children attending previously whites only schools and generally becoming integrated into a completely new social circle. While the initial immigrates still return to Laudium from time to time in order to visit family and to join in cultural activities such as Holi and Navratri, the younger members of these emigrant families are not exposed to the Gujarati way of life as was the case with their parents.
The movement away from Laudium for these families is not necessarily a regressive step. The fact that people lose touch with the traditional community certainly has negative consequences, amongst which is the apparent loss of certain cultural and language values. This has resulted in increased responsibility being placed on parents to enlighten their children on religious values, as opposed to a more community based approach.
The migration of people from Laudium should be viewed in its proper context as an unavoidable economic phenomenon. It is quite evident from history of human movement that people will generally tend to migrate towards work opportunities. This is one of the reasons why our forefathers came from India to South Africa and why many people leave South Africa altogether for other countries.
It is of course the responsibility of the family members to manage the balance between economic consideration and cultural life. The emigrants will continue visiting Laudium for as long as their families remain there. This will, of course result in their children associating with cousins, uncles, aunts and other relatives. Family ties and relevant Samaj activity will help to ensure that these families retain their links with the community.
People have migrated from the beginning of time and will continue to do so. The challenge facing the community in this regard is to continue making Laudium a culturally vibrant area in order that these families and newer immigrants from other parts of the country will be encouraged to come to Laudium for the celebration of Diwali, Holi, Navratri, and other festivals.
THE TRANSFORMATION OF THE SAMAJ
"It's a useless organisation"
"It's run by the mafia"
"It's controlled by businessmen who are only concerned with the organisations balance sheets"
"They collect money, they do nothing for the community"
For many years the sentiments expressed above was the constant refrain being heard from members of the community when referring to the Shree Pretoria Hindu Seva Samaj. Whether these impressions were based on reality or not, it was an image which the Samaj could ill afford to have. After a period of denial and blame- shifting, followed by some soul-searching, the officials of the Seva Samaj decided it was the kind of feedback that the Samaj could no longer ignore and gradually came to accept responsibility for this sad state of affairs.
In 1998, under the leadership of Narotambhai Valjee, the Seva Samaj decided to embark on a programme to change this perception and to reposition itself to play a vital and meaningful role in the lives of its stakeholders. On one point all members agreed: thee was a need to put the "Seva" back into the Seva Samaj, both in reality and in the minds of people. The first task was to seek to completely overhaul the outdated constitution and structure of the Samaj. A Constitution Committee made up of Rameshbhai Chhagan, Trusharbhai Kalan, Jivanbhai Kalyan and Baboobhai Devchand was formed with the specific task of making the Samaj more focused on service -delivery. The task team recommended, amongst other matters, that seven new standing sub-committees be formed, each of them with specific responsibilities. The seven heads of these committees would become vice-chairpersons. The committees formed were as follows: Religion & Culture, Education, Health & Welfare, Youth, Communications, Maintenance and Finance. At a special meeting convened for this purpose in 1998, the vision was sold to the community and thus the new constitution of the Seva Samaj was born.
The next step in the process was to host a workshop to which all officials and the wider community was invited. A facilitator was assigned to each committee. At a plenary session, all those present were asked to choose the committee they would like to contribute to. Based on their decision, they were directed to the appropriate venue where each committee held its separate workshop. The task given to the facilitator was to brainstorm with delegates the specific aims and long-term goals of the specific committee. This process, which unleashed tremendous energy and enthusiasm, gave people the opportunity to come up with innovative ideas for change. Out of this process, it was decided, for example, that the Health & Welfare Committee should have a gender desk that would also address issues of women empowerment.
With this new lease on life, the Samaj started visibly taking on a new look. The youth became more involved in Samaj activities and the Navyug Mandal re-entered the fold of the Samaj as its youth wing. The Health and Welfare Committee started the Senior Citizens Club, which has notched up a remarkable record of service to our senior citizens in a short space of time. The Communications Committee started a regular newsletter as well as an SMS system to keep our community informed of all happenings. Even the Education Committee, whose school enrolment was rapidly dwindling, helped turn the Gujarati school around by introducing new teaching methods. On the religious and cultural front, there was a burst of new activities, ranging from inviting authorities in Hinduism to address the community to hosting observance of a range of religious festivals.
The change in the Samaj is now even reflected in its officials. A new breed of young, energetic individuals, under the leadership of Prakashbhai Hira, is ensuring a proactive stance in the running of the Samaj. Many challenges still exist, but with the prevailing spirit of "can do" that runs through the organisation, the Samaj is once again set to play a leading role in the lives of our community.
The "Seva" has been put back into the Seva Samaj.
Hari Om Tat Sat
Rameshbhai Chhagan
(This article was written by Rameshbhai Chhagan in his personal capacity and does not necessarily reflect the views of the Seva Samaj or its officials).
THOUGHTS DETERMINES CHARACTER
By His Holiness Swami Sivananda
Sivananda Kutir
Rishikesh
Egoism is the root of the tree of ignorance. It is nourished by the currents of likes and dislikes.
Love, humility, forgiveness, patience, compassion, courage, integrity, non-injury, purity, aspiration are divine qualities.
Hatred, pride, harshness, revenge, anger, cruelty, greed are brutal qualities.
A yogi or a sage is invincible. He is one with Divine. No one can overcome him.
Real religion is beyond argument. It can only be lived.
Action follows thought. To live is to think and act. Thoughts and actions mould a man's character.
Belief determines conduct. Thought determines character.
Man is changed by every thought he thinks, by every action he does.
Obey the law, you are blessed; disobey the law, you are injured.
Purity is the key-note of the Divine life.
He who gets mastery ever the mind and the senses is invincible. He cannot be overcome by anyone.
Love, kindness, compassion, charitable acts, softens and changes the heart.
Rudeness, cruelty, revenge, hardens the heart.
A worldling cannot understand a saintly man as he has an impure mind, as he is veiled by passion and selfishness.
A thirsty aspirant has entered into a new birth. He has a new heart and a new mind. He has an awakened vision.
It is Brahmamuhurta now! Rejoice! Climb up to the peak of eternal bliss now. Do not delay even a second.
How sublime is the immortal soul! How glorious is the abode of eternal peace! How indescribable is the everlasting bliss of the Absolute!
He who is simple and pure at heart can attain the Kingdom of eternal Bliss!
If you enter into argument about Truth, Truth is lost.
Think you are a student. Then only you can learn.
To have knowledge of the Immortal Soul, to become identical with the eternal, is the supreme aim of existence.
Do not enter the by-ways and lanes when you tread the path of Truth, which tempt and take you to the illusory realms. Beware! Go straight to the abode of Eternal Bliss.
The great law of cause and effect, or the law of Karma, is unfailing Justice.
Selfishness is the seed of the tree ignorance. Passion is the flower. Sin suffering are the fruits.
You yourself create your own pleasures and pains through your own thoughts and actions.
Habit is repetition. Character is fixed habit.
You bind yourself through your own thought. Annihilation of thoughts is Moksha or Freedom.
Suffer calmly. Act nobly. Live peacefully. Think rightly. Speak sweetly. Behave politely. You will soon enter the Kingdom of Eternal Bliss.
If you are good, the whole world is good to you.
Attain God-realisation through selfless service, Brahmacharya, Japa, Kirtan and meditation.
Do not believe a thing because another man has said it so, because you read it in a book. Find out the truth for yourself.
Worry less but laugh more. Talk less but do more.
Contentment is a gift of God which you get through faith in the Lord and self-surrender.
Anger brings destruction to man.
Feed the poor; nurse the sick; see yourself in them; see God in them.
Do not speak or act anything which may cause even the slightest pain to any living being.
Do not plan. Do not worry about anything, even of tomorrow.
If you want God, love all beings whole heartedly.
If you want joy serve the distressed.
If you treat others with contempt, you cannot get the grace of the Lord.
To fight for a righteous cause has a divine sanction.
Devotion to God destroys all sins and desires.
To the man who craves for nothing, who has subdued his senses and mind, who is even-minded to all and is satisfied in his own Atma, all the quarters are full of bliss.
It is very difficult to understand the mind of a mind.
Abandon the longing for worldly objects and comforts. Endure all hardships, heat and cold. Be calm and well behaved. Control the senses. You will attain soon the Knowledge of the Imperishable and Immortality.
Fix your mind on the Innermost Self. Reflect and meditate. Devote your mind, heart and speech to the Lord. You will go beyond the three gunas and attain Self-realisation.
If you feel oneness with all, this is indeed true love.
He who loves all beings without distinction is indeed worshipping best his God.
No other association causes so much misery and bondage as that of women, and those who associate with them.
Let your eyes look with kindness, your tongue speak with sweetness, your hand touch with softness.
No power is beyond the reach of a Yogi who has controlled his mind, senses and who concentrates on the Lord.
There is no action, change or evolution of any kind in Brahman or the Absolute.
Gita is a source of power and wisdom. It teaches you to embrace Dharma and desert adharma. It imparts lessons on ethics, philosophy, Adwaita, devotion and Yoga.
The philosophy of Gita is suitable to each and every person in this world.
Life is a wonderful gift of God. Place this life at the lotus feet of the Lord as a flower.
The philosophy of Adwaita is not suitable to all. Even one per cent of people is not fit to understand the Vedanta philosophy.
If one who worships the Lord has hatred for others, he has no real devotion.
He who helps, instigates or abets another in doing a sinful action is also liable to share the same fate as the sinner.
Forgiveness is the greatest virtue which shines forth in all its splendour in the devotees.
Control the mind perfectly. Fix the mind at the lotus feet of the Lord. This is the very gist of Yoga.
God is the friend of the poor and the helpless and the shelter of the distressed.
This world which consists of friends enemies, neutrals, which affects you with pleasure and pain is only a creation of your mind which is a product of ignorance.
Power, beauty, fame, prosperity, strength, fortitude, are manifestations of the Lord.
Mind is responsible for the feelings of pleasure and pain. Control of mind is the highest Yoga.
The three kinds of Tap or sufferings are pre-determined and pre-destined. Bear them silently.
Conception, embryo-stage, birth, childhood, boyhood, youth, middle age, decay and death are nine stages of man.
Bear enmity to none. Do not vex others and do not be vexed by others.
Non-injury, truthfulness, non-stealing, non-attachment, shame, non-accumulation of wealth, faith in God, chastity, silence, patience, forgiveness, fearlessness are the twelve Yamas or Restraints.
Purity of mind, purity of body, repetition of Lord’s name, austerity, offering of oblations in the sacred fire, faith in one’s own Self, hospitality, worship of God, visiting of holy places, working for the good of others, contentment, service unto the Guru are the twelve Niyamas or observances.
Renunciation must proceed from inner urge and spiritual development but not from some trivial disappointments and difficulties.
Sadhana is more important than getting into contact with queer people.
Continually remember the Lords who has given you existence and intelligences. Lead the life of self-restraint and self-denial. Spend all your time in some thought or action that is associated with the Lord. You will soon attain God-realisation.
Take the fullest advantage of this human birth. Have a rich inner divine life. May divine grace illumine your spiritual path. May the divine power actuate you to perform great, noble and selfless actions. May the divine grace transform you into divinity. |
