DIVINE LIFE SOCIETY OF SOUTH AFRICA

Divine Life Society of South Africa lovingly invites you to the 121st Birth Anniversary celebrations of the Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda.

Date:	Sunday, 7 September 2008
Time:	Ganga Arati: 8:30am to 9:45am;
	Function at the Stadium: 10am-12 noon;
	Cultural Programme in Sivananda Prayer Hall: 2-4pm
Venue:	Sivananda International Cultural Centre, Sivananda Nagar, La Mercy

The publication, Mother Ganga by Sri Swami Sivananda will be officially released at the stadium.

Date:	Monday, 8 September 2008
Time:	Ganga Arati: 5pm
Venue:	Sivanandashram, 513 Mountbatten Drive, Reservoir Hills

Programmes include:
Sivananda Drill Programme (Stadium)
Messages
Sketches
Musical Renditions
Classical dances
Melodious Bhajans & Kirtans, etc

On Saturday, 12 July 2008 at our City Hall we spent a short while celebrating the life of Swami Sahajananda. At that celebration were thousands of people who had been touched by this great man whose work in our city will remain with us always. Swamiji had been appointed as Spiritual Head of Divine Life Society. Since 1974 he had initiated and completed well over 300 projects, including schools, crèches, children’s homes, clinics, Peace and Skills Training Centres, hydroponic gardening, housing for the underprivileged and many more. All across the province his fruits and that of devotees of Divine Life Society are well known. The Sivananda Ghat at Umgeni River and Sivananda College for Further Education and Training in KwaMashu are outstanding examples of his mission.

Swamiji had great compassion for our young people, working hard to turn them from modern evils of drugs, alcohol and suicidal tendencies. He worked actively in practice with all faiths.

Our council honoured Swamiji just before his death and Mayor Mlaba said at that time that “It is important to honour people who have done immense work in developing and making a contribution in our society”. Our Council meeting in KwaXimba approved and handed over a scroll to Swamiji.

Death is a great leveller, but for a great person who was so humble it was wonderful seeing him being honoured by as diverse range of people as Father Michaelson (OMI Catholic Church), Reverend Peter (former Rector of Springfield College of Education), Phumzile Mthiyane (Educator at Sivananda FET College, KwaMashu) and our council leadership represented by Deputy Mayor Councillor Logie Naidoo.

Emerson’s poem Celestial Love captures beautifully Swamiji: “For he that feeds men, serveth few, He serves all, who dares be true.”

My life has been enriched by Swamiji and as I concluded our celebration of his life and work I said that for me he showed us the following values of:

GURU PURNIMA SPEECH: 18 JULY 2008
Speech delivered extempore in 1991
Sri Swami Sahajananda

I am glad to welcome you to this Guru Purnima celebrations tonight. It is one celebration that our devotees would not like to miss. They will come from all parts of the province. Even if there is a thunderstorm today, you will find them present. They would rather miss the Sivananda Day Satsang, the monthly Satsang, but they would never miss the Guru Purnima Satsang. Even though today, it falls on a Friday, normally, very few people attend Satsang. This year, we had a good number of devotees attending Satsang daily. It is very encouraging to see such a large number of devotees being present. I am sorry at the same time to note that a number of our devotees who are staying near the Ashram did not make use of that privilege. Our devotees who are very near are missing out. I will come back to that a little later.

We are also going to pay homage to all the great saints of the past and the saints of the present—the great Brahma Vidya Gurus, and pray for their blessings. We need the Grace and blessings of our own Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda.

The great peculiarity in Indian spiritual life is this Guru-Parampara—the Guru-disciple relationship. You will not find it anywhere else, in any other religion, the type of relationship that we have. The Early Christian Desert Fathers had disciples who had very great realizations, just like our Indian Rishis, but they did not have the Guru-disciple relationship developed. With the result that the knowledge was lost and the tradition was not carried down. We hardly find any great sage in the West today, but not so with our own religion, Hinduism. From time immemorial, we’ve had our Gurus coming down and their disciples had their own disciples and the lineage has been carrying on up till the present day and that is why we have been able to maintain this great spirituality. The living proof of that is your presence here today. It is because of your great devotion to the Guru. It is something peculiar to our Hindu religion. It is very difficult to explain. When Christ was crucified he was denied by his own disciples, but very rarely will you find such a thing happening in the Indian system. We give ourselves to our Guru completely. It is very difficult to even describe that relationship.

In Hinduism, there is nothing that we will not do for our Guru. We will sacrifice a million lives for the sake of our Guru. And, we have sung his glory in innumerable verses. You will find these beautiful verses in the Guru Gita. Even though there is only one Supreme Being and we are identified with the Guru, there is no difference between the Guru and the disciple. Gurudev always says so. And all the saints say: there is no difference between the Guru and the disciple. It is God Himself who has manifested as the whole Universe. God Himself plays the part of the Guru and the devotee. It is very difficult for us to understand that.

So, this great relationship has kept our knowledge and our spirituality alive. So we have our different Gurus and we follow our Gurus with great faith and devotion. It is something that is unique. It cannot be explained. The relationship between the Guru and the disciple is more sacred and intimate than between the master and the servant, the husband and the wife, than even between God and the devotee.

In every age, even in the modern age, we’ve had a number of saints who have had realization of God and who have had great devotion to their Gurus. We’ve had Mother Krishnabai and Swami Ramdas. You must see Mother Krishnabai’s devotion. There was the devotion of the Mother of Sri Aurobindo Ashram. She was from France. She said that when she was five years old, she was getting realization of God. Yet, when she came to Sri Aurobindo Ashram, she was the first person to sit on the floor. She taught by example. We’ve had Swami Muktananda and his Guru; Paramahansa Yogananda and his Guru; Sadhu Vaswani and his Guru; And our own Gurudev—his devotion to his Guru was exemplified.

So, this great tradition is peculiar to us. And we cannot explain it. It is true that everything can be had from the Guru. In my own opinion, there are so many paths leading to God, but the path of following the Guru implicitly or what I might call “Guru Bhakti Yoga”, is the easiest and safest path. If you have strong will power and if you have a very powerful mind, like Swami Vivekananda, who was also greatly devoted to Sri Ramakrishna, then you could realize God through your own efforts, but for the vast majority of us, especially in this present age, the path of self-surrender is the easiest. Here, God holds you by the hand. And, when God holds you by the hand, there is no chance of Him leaving. If you hold God, there is every chance that you might let go the grip. When God holds you He never leaves you. So it is very safe. Especially now, in this particular period, we need the Guru’s help.

I remember when I had taken Sannyas I was wearing Swami Gurusharananda’s outfit. He was very small and I was waiting in the dark. I was very shy to appear in that garb. I was waiting for Gurudev. The day I took Sannyas, suddenly I felt I was very courageous. I don’t know why. Of all the qualities that I felt that day, it was the quality of courage and strength. Only now I realize that Gurudev had infused that power into me. In these troubled times we need strength and courage.

By nature, I was extremely timid. I told you many times. If I tell you again, you might laugh. When we were young we did not like to go out into the dark. We would be terrified. We did not even go into the next room. So much fear I had. After I started reading Gurudev’s books I said, “This business is no good.” Fear of darkness, fear of this and fear of that. Fear of ghosts. Swami Ramdas also had fear of ghosts. But, once you take to the spiritual path your whole attitude changes. When I read Gurudev’s books, I said, “This business is not good.” I took a blanket and went about seven miles and slept in the bush. I said, “I must conquer this fear.”

Gurudev taught me that you must go straight into the trouble and not run away as many of you are doing. If you are not running away from your troubles, you are running away to me sometimes. We must be able to face whatever situation comes because everything is meant for our good and to lead us towards God.

Although we see trouble everywhere, we see darkness, we see insecurity, but from the Cosmic point of view, it is all Divine Grace. We are not turning to God willingly, so we are compelled to turn towards Him. This fear is making us do Sadhana, it is making us repeat His Name and taking us towards God. So, we are compelled to turn towards Him.

The path of self-surrender to the Guru is the easiest path if you want instant peace of mind. We always want everything quickly today. Instant coffee, and instant this and instant that. So similarly, if you want instant peace, you must be able to surrender. It is no good repeating “Radha’s Prayer” (now Gurudev’s Prayer), in a parrot fashion. Try to put it into practice. When troubles arise, then repeat this prayer. I do it in the press because, often I have lots of troubles. Just like we have stubborn disciples, we also have stubborn machines. They don’t respond sometimes. I found the safest thing is to surrender to Gurudev and it works out quite well. That is the path Gurudev has chosen for us. About ten of his disciples have moved out and started a mission in different parts of the world. Each one teaches a particular method of approach to God. Gurudev used to always say the disciples of his are “gems”, but he used to drag that word. He used to say “germs”. Swami Venkatesananda is a germ, Chidanandaji is a germ and I am also one of those germs that is trying to spread the infection here, a spiritual infection.

My path is the path of self-surrender. From the very beginning, it came to me. I remember, I think it was in 1948, I could even remember when this thought came to me. It came to me at the end of Grey Street, near the race course. I was looking for a Guru and I thought that if I ever find a Guru, I will give myself to him completely. I did not read any books on self-surrender, but that was the thought that came to my mind. The very first article that Swami Ramdas sent to our magazine which I printed the very next year, was called “Self-surrender”.

When I went to Gurudev’s Ashram in 1956 I was thinking, “What is the path that Gurudev wants me to follow?” It came to me from within that it is the path of self-surrender because it is the only path that can bring you immediate results. You don’t have to struggle with your mind. All you have to do is to try again and again to surrender. When you get used to it, you will find it is impossible to go the opposite way. Your mind begins to revolve in one way only. It spins in one way only. So, as the waves of anxiety, fear and insecurity come into your mind, then that is the time to practise self-surrender. That is the time to offer it to God. Surrender to God and everything will work out as it wants to. Whatever you do, the Divine Will is going to take its course. And, what is going to happen, is going to happen, so why worry about it. At one Satsang I gave the people the technique to worry. The way to do it is to worry as much as you can and get done with it. I also have worry but I try to finish it in one night. After that I have finished with it. But, many of you carry it with you for a long time. Some carry it for months also. You don’t want to get rid of the burden.

Whatever your position, you are going to have troubles and difficulties. I mentioned at Satsang that Gurudev had put me through so much that we can never describe it. Now and then I told some of the devotees about it. Some know, some might not know. Tragedy, death, you can name whatever it is, Gurudev put me through everything. I was quite happy because I felt that if I don’t go through it, then I might not be able to help others. If I go through it, I would be able to feel for the suffering of others also.

How much I loved Swami Atmananda! I always said that I met so many disciples of Gurudev but Swami Atmananda was exceptionally different. You read about self-surrender, you read about obedience, you read about compassion and mercy, but if you had seen Swami Atmananda then you would have known what these terms mean. And, all of a sudden, he passed away and, I also wept. For two days I broke down but after that, it was finished and gone.

So we must face all our difficulties; whatever difficulties that come in life today, we must face it. We must offer it to God and go through the whole mill.

Gurudev has been very kind and gracious to us. He has made us incarnate here to do his will. Whether we like it or not, we have to do it. I always said that I am about the only disciple that Gurudev forced. Gurudev would never force his disciples. He would emphasise what he wanted them to do but if they insisted he would say, “Yes, alright, go!” In my case, he did not accept a NO! He always forced everything. How he forced the organization to be formed! The reason was for you, because you who are sitting here today, who have come from all parts of the province, even though we have not sent any formal invitation. We don’t even invite people for Guru Purnima. All that we do is we announce it at Satsang but this is one function that you don’t miss because practically all of you have been following Gurudev in your previous birth. From how many births you have been following, we don’t know. A Guru-disciple relationship carries on for numerous births. We all have our Gurus. The different disciples have their Masters and that link is never broken.

The Guru takes you along a particular way. You are following a particular path. So that great link is never broken. Ramanna Maharishi and Sri Aurobindo have named their disciples. They said that they were with them in their previous births. Gurudev also said so. So, it is not by accident that we are here. It is all worked out by Divine Will. And, that is how Gurudev formed the institution here. Everything that you see is his creation. Even though I rebelled so many times and for such a long period, for five years I was rebelling against him, but whatever Gurudev has willed, it has come true. You are sitting in this hall, this land I offered to so many people. In 1974, we gave away lots of our properties: in Cape Town, in Johannesburg, in Dalton, in Howick, in Isipingo. This one also, I offered it, but no one wanted it and today we have a beautiful Ashram here and we are sitting here.

We have to pay tribute to our Dan (Dan Ghoorun, the builder). Without Dan there would be no Divine Life Society. Try to offer him about R10 000,00 a month and see if he leaves me; he would not leave me at all. It’s all his creation. We can never express our gratitude to our Dan and all our other devotees who have made this beautiful Ashram possible. You are sitting nicely and comfortably, on a nice carpet, and just now you are going to have good Prasad also. All this, Gurudev has given. Swami Chidananda has said, “We are all enjoying his spiritual wealth.” Whatever Gurudev attained through his spiritual practices, he has to pass it on to someone else, and we have been able to inherit that. Such an indulgent Father he is, he forced everything upon us. It is very strange because I was always resisting.

When I first started I thought that I will never ever open an Ashram and everyday I’ll go to bed thinking that I will be walking along the Umgeni River in solitude. Even now, I think about it. But, unfortunately, Gurudev had made me get greatly attached to my (printing) Press. So I’m not able to leave it. But I always long to sit by the riverside with closed eyes, thinking about God. Perhaps, in a previous life I must have led such a life. Whenever I wrote to Gurudev, Mother Hridayananda told me, he used to take my letter in his hand and walk for about half an hour. He used to say, “Why does he want to come away?” Whenever I went to the Ashram, the very first question he asked was, “When are you going back?” Perhaps I was always a terror to him. Perhaps he felt that if I stayed there I would make unusual demands and I’ll force everything out of him. And I would have done it. That is why, through fear, he made me incarnate here so that I will be quite far away. You won’t believe that even in 1963, after we had started the Ashram and built it, I went to Rishikesh after Gurudev’s Mahasamadhi, I think it was in October, with the express desire not to come back. I wanted to walk along the Ganges River and spend my time in solitary meditation. I was about a month only at Rishikesh. Everyday I was depressed. Depression is something unknown to me. I didn’t know how to shake it off. I could feel something telling me, “Go back, go back!” It lasted for about 30 days. I got so tired so I went to Gurudev’s bed. I used to go to his room everyday. I put my head on his bed and said, “Alright, since you want me to go back, I’m going back.” And, immediately, the depression went away. So no one can resist his will.

What Gurudev wants to do, he is going to do. So if he has placed you in this country here, and he has placed you in a certain situation, then you’ll have to go through it. He also gives you the strength. The strength and energy is given by the Master. If the Master commands you to do something, it is his duty to give you the strength. That is why I have no fear at all about what is going to happen tomorrow. Suppose a calamity happens tomorrow, will we lose our faith? We will not, because we know that the whole universe is pervaded by God. If you close your eyes and open it, then everything is gone. In a few years time all will be gone. Civilizations will come and civilizations will go. If we think about these things then we will have no fear.

What is going to happen tomorrow? People are all living in a state of fear. We in the Divine Life Society, who are disciples of Gurudev, should never live in a state of fear or insecurity because we have God by our side and we have our Master by our side and we can turn to Him whenever we want. Many of you have written and given examples of how Gurudev protects. This week one of our devotees said that people came to rob him and they didn’t harm him at all. In gratitude he gave quite a considerable amount.

Sometime ago, a youngster wrote from Pietermaritzburg. A number of people entered his home to attack the family, but the moment they saw Gurudev’s picture at the door, they immediately calmed down. There are many instances like that. That is the job of the Master. If you surrender to him it is his duty to protect you. Otherwise, there is no purpose in having a Guru. If the Guru cannot do something unusual, then he is no Guru at all. The Guru is a Superhuman Being. That is why we have that devotion to him. As I said, a million lives would not be enough to dedicate to such a saint.

So, with that wealth and treasure in your hands you must make the best use of it. Often our devotees waste the Grace—Grace descends in abundance, but they waste it. They don’t make the best use of it. They don’t have Satsangs regularly or they don’t take the right food, they get ill and then trouble starts. Whatever Karma you have to face, you will have to go through it, you cannot avoid it. It is best to pay off whatever past Karma is working out now and not add more to it. If you remember this great law of Karma then most of our troubles will be over. We will not create new Karma. Whatever Karma has to be worked out, it’s going to be worked out. If you understand this law properly, you will be free from worries. If you lose financially then you will know that the Karma is working out. Only in the case of the Guru, the Guru can ward off certain Karmas. If you are destined to pass away, the Guru can ward that off. The saints all say that only in the case of a disciple, there is special protection which is not given to the ordinary man. But, when the Guru will save you and when he will not, when he will ward off a calamity and when he will not, that’s in his hands. He will allow a certain calamity to go through because it might be necessary for the development of the disciple. In other cases he might stop it, he might stop your illnesses or something like that. But whatever it is, in true Bhakti we don’t care where the Guru leads us because He is holding our hand and it doesn’t matter where he is going. I always feel that if Gurudev goes to hell also he should take me to hell; it doesn’t matter because there I might be able to render some sort of service.

Wherever the Guru leads us we must follow. That is the only way of getting peace of mind. I will advise all our devotees to do a few things in order to develop Bhakti, to develop faith. One is to have regular Satsang at home. It’s a must! This will be your protection. So many instances are given in the case of our devotees who have been protected. I am always reminded how Ramjathan was in Inanda during the Inanda riots. He had a garage in that area. Every car that went passed, it was stoned. When his turn came, he called for Gurudev and he said they had the stone in the hand, but the hand wouldn’t come down!

So, Guru can do anything he wants to. But, you’ll have to get used to calling him. You might call it the “Calling Sadhana”. You got to call at every moment. In the kitchen, wherever you are, you dedicate your work and you call upon him. So, I advise everyone to have regular Satsang at home for 15 minutes or half an hour and the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra is a must for everyone, because of the accidents. We were coming just now and a car went past like a bullet. I think it was going about 170 or 180 kilometres. It just whizzed past. So, you’ll avoid accidents. So far we haven’t heard of any of the Divine Life members having any serious accidents and people were injured. Perhaps you are doing the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra. So all devotees must do the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra 108 times a day. It takes about 12 minutes. If you say it fast you’ll finish it in 12 minutes. The Sri Hanuman Chalisa also will give you protection for the house. So it is a must! If you want Gurudev’s Grace to help you then you will also have to do your share. Faith will develop and you will go nearer God.

So, whatever happens to us we will rely upon God and we will find that everything will be done. What I am trying to say is that we cannot run away from anything. The more you run away, the more it is going to pursue you. If you stand and face it, then it is going to disappear. The mind creates a lot of things. It creates trouble and it creates worry when there is no worry. Swami Vivekananda was going in the forest one day and strange to say, the great Swami was a little afraid because the monkeys were chasing him. For a moment he gave in to fear and started running. A Sadhu coming from the opposite direction said, “Face the brutes!” Swami Vivekananda turned around and faced the monkeys and they disappeared. I am telling you all this because you are not to have any sort of fear whether people are going to rob you or whatever is going to happen. It’s happening everyday. It has become a way of life now. If you feel that the whole universe is pervaded by God, that you who are seated here, next to me, are none other than the form of Gurudev, then you will not have that type of fear. That is the basic truth; that is the Vedantic truth; that is the whole truth because the whole universe is pervaded by God. There is nothing except God in the whole universe. Or, you could take it that the whole universe is pervaded by Gurudev and if a person came to attack you, it is Gurudev coming in that form. If you always feel that God comes in that form then the miracle will happen. So the secret is to see God in all names and forms. You’ve got to try it in your own home. That is what Gurudev has taught us to relieve us of all problems in life.

I told Professor (Professor Poobhalan Pillay) that I am only going to talk for 15 minutes. He is supposed to keep a bell and after 12 minutes he has got to ring the bell. I am faithfully following that rule but I said that on Guru Purnima Day and Gurudev’s Birthday, I will take a little extra time. I want to also today offer my gratitude to all our devotees who are playing their part in spreading Gurudev’s mission. I must finish off now. I will take about 10 minutes. I know that the last mission that Gurudev wanted me to fulfill has still not been fulfilled. I don’t know when it is going to be fulfilled. For a long time I have been thinking but so far Gurudev has not given me a clear answer. I have not given Mantra initiation to anyone for a very long period. In this life, I think only four or five people have taken initiation. Then I gave it up. I felt that it must come directly from the Master. The instrument too, must be good. The instrument must be perfect so that his power can flow. I have always been having a guilty feeling that I’ve not really done my share. I have not really served the devotees to my heart’s desire. Anyone can build a big Ashram. Anyone can print books. Anyone can acquire wealth. Anyone can build schools, but to really purify the heart, to make yourself a fit instrument so that the Guru’s power can flow through you in all its majesty, I have not yet reached that stage. Gurudev wants to give but I have not been ready yet. I thought that even if I am not ready, I must try to prepare myself and fulfill that last ambition, perhaps that Gurudev has, so that he can give to his disciples whatever he wants to give. So perhaps next year, from 1 June, it might be done. But you too, will have to prepare yourself. So, one of the things you will be asked to produce is your Spiritual Diary. I was waiting for Gurudev’s call to come from within. I felt that it must come directly from the Master and I too, must be purified because if the instrument is not purified it will not have the desired effect. So I hope that if Gurudev wills it, I will perhaps play that part some time next year. For that I too, will have to spend more time within.

My contribution towards the “Divine Decade” that Swami Chidanandaji has outlined for us will be to pursue my own spiritual practices. We are not here to just spend all our time in activity. There is a higher purpose and we have to fulfill that purpose. Without rigorous Sadhana, without prolonged periods of meditation we can never realize God. So, somewhere in our life we have to make a start. All the great saints have spent a long time in meditation. They need not have done so but to show us that it is necessary, they too had to spend prolonged periods in meditation. Gurudev used to spend 16 hours a day. He said that he was a born sage. Swami Ramdas never slept for about 6 months. Sri Ramakrishna also never slept for a long period. Sri Aurobindo spent hours and hours walking in his apartment meditating on God. Mother Krishnabai used to spend 18 hours a day. They said the place where Mataji walked, the floor got worn out. So we cannot expect to realize eternal bliss if we are going to spend a few minutes. And you are not doing it because I, the Head, am not doing it. If the Head doesn’t do it, it’s a bad example. I thought that I must try myself and spend more time in meditation. I felt that if Gurudev can spend 16 hours, I can spend at least half that time in the next few years. You, too, must try to set your target, otherwise you will never get hold of this mind, you will never conquer this mind. Your desires are going to be there and they are going to take you away from God. And, any amount of activity will have to cease in the end. So, I’m going to make a start and I hope that you, too, will make a start and spend some time, especially the little children. If you start now then you won’t find it difficult to sit for prolonged periods. We should be able to sit for a long period in silence. So that is going to be my contribution and I think that is going to be the contribution of all our devotees. I have emphasized that we have done enough work for the public. As far as schools go for the Blacks and other activities, it is time now that we spend more time in spiritual practices and in meditation. The children too, are keeping their diaries and if they are taught from the beginning then they won’t find it difficult.

I hope that you will make the very best use of what Gurudev has given you. Merely having discrimination is not enough. Many of the devotees living near the Ashram are not making use of it. It’s a great loss for you. Whereas, those who are far away are coming and making use of it, attending Satsangs regularly. Satsang is a must. We must have attended millions of Satsangs in our previous births. After attending numerous Satsangs we get a taste for God and a taste for meditation. Unless we stabilize ourselves in meditation we have not gained very much. Very few can attain God without deep and prolonged meditation. Very few have reached that stage. I think in our modern times only Mahatma Gandhi reached a very high stage even though he didn’t spend much time in seclusion. All the other saints who were great Avataras of God, spent a long time in meditation. So we too, have to spend that time and I’m going to try and make a start. I’m sure that many of you are going to follow also.

In future Guru Purnima celebrations we will follow the same procedure as we followed today. I’ll come early, then half the congregation can make their offerings before and the rest can make their offerings later on. I want to thank all our devotees again who are serving Gurudev’s mission in ways both great and small and many who are putting up with difficulties that we have to encounter and many of you who are always coming under my disciplinary hammer. I offer my gratitude to all of you and pray for Gurudev’s Grace to protect you. My one prayer to Gurudev is to protect all of you at every moment of your life. I expect that you will be courageous enough and you will trust in Gurudev. Keep a picture; one picture should be kept always at the door so that when you go out you will call for protection and when you come in, you will offer your gratitude. If you have an office or a shop, make sure that the picture is kept there. Several people told me that the moment Gurudev’s picture is there, they find that no danger takes place. We’ve also had many cases of people coming here. Srinivasan is quite an expert now. He is quite used to hold-ups, but so far they’ve not harmed us. Even if such a situation arises, we should not mind. You must remember that during the Ramayana and Mahabharata period, the sages were attacked by the demons. And, the sages sacrificed themselves so that God can incarnate. So, we as devotees of God should not be afraid. If the sacrifice has to be made, we should be quite ready for it. Because it will be a great sacrifice and a joyous sacrifice that we are going to make to God.

Om Poornamadah poornamidam poornaat poornamadachyaate
Poornasya poornamaadaaya poornamevaavashishyate

PUJYA SWAMIJI'S 83RD BIRTH ANNIVERSARY &
OFFICIAL RELEASE OF "PATH OF DIVINE GRACE"

Pujya Swami Sahajananda's 83rd Birth Anniversary was observed on Tuesday, 10 July at Sivanandashram, Reservoir Hills. More than 2000 devotees attended this inspiring Satsang. A brand new release, Path of Divine Grace, Volume 1, was officially released by Sri Kangaloo of Berea West Cartage, a long-standing member of the Society, who participated actively in its service activities for more than 20 years.

Path of Divine Grace, Volume 1 contains inspiring messages written by Sri Swami Sahajananda from 2003 - 2007. Readers will welcome this inspiring set of messages, which contains the essence of the Path of Guru's Grace or Divine Grace.

A unique thread, interwoven throughout this publication, is the manifestation of the inscrutable hand of the Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda, as well as Pujya Swamiji's absolute obedience and total surrender to the Master.

Readers will derive inspiration and guidance in their struggle with the problems of daily life as well as in their spiritual practices.

The book is available at a nominal donation of R30 per copy. Devotees were urged to obtain several copies and distribute same to friends and relatives. On 18 October 2007, at the Society's 58th Anniversary, Pujya Swamiji urged devotees to distribute the Master's books for their own spiritual progress. If one person benefits from reading the book, the spiritual merit would come to the person who distributed the book, said Pujya Swamiji. More than 500 copies of the book were taken by devotees on the night of the official release. All proceeds from these books will go towards the service activities of Divine Life Society of S.A.

A pre-recorded message by Pujya Swami Sahajananda, delivered at the Yoga Camp in 1994, was played at the 83rd Birth Anniversary Satsang. Satsangees were inspired to hear Pujya Swamiji relate some of his spiritual experiences. Pujya Swamiji exhorted devotees to intensify their spiritual practices from an early age. By the time one reaches 60 or 70 years of age it would be very difficult to practice intense Sadhana. In this message, Pujya Swamiji outlined the importance of faith and self-surrender and the value of discipline. Dress code also did not escape Pujya Swamiji's attention. Pujya Swamiji concluded by saying that if a disciple surrenders to the Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda, the Guru can mitigate certain Karma and also change the destiny of a sincere disciple.

In the most inspiring pre-recorded Guru Purnima message of 1991, which we played at the Guru Purnima Satsang on 18 July 2008, Pujya Swamiji exhorted devotees to chant the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra at least 108 times daily for their safety and protection. Pujya Swamiji also emphasised the value of maintaining a spiritual dairy for progress on the spiritual path.

Regarding spiritual progress, Pujya Swamiji made the following statement in 2005: "One day, we will all have to seek God and unite with Him. This is the goal of life. Your heart will never be satisfied until you unite with God. Even if you are the emperor of the whole world and a multi-millionaire, you will never be satisfied. Once you realise God, you enjoy unbroken bliss and peace. This bliss cannot be described in words. It is so superb, intense and marvellous. If you were to get a little glimpse of this bliss in your present state, your whole nervous system may collapse, due to the intensity of the bliss. Many years of intense Sadhana has to be practised to build up the nervous system and to purify the mind so that the bliss will settle permanently. Then you will be in the state of God-consciousness in the waking, drema dn deep sleep states."

Following up on this exhortation, the Board of Management inaugurated a Japa Yoga Sadhana on Sunday, 3 August 2008. Devotees were encouraged to sign a pledge form to chant the Mahamrityunjaya Mantra 108 times daily and the Sri Hanuman Chalisa 11 times daily until 8 September 2008. These should be recorded in the Spiritual Diary together with other items of their daily Sadhana.

Devotees were encouraged to offer their Spiritual Diaries at the Shrine of the Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda, on the Master's auspicious 121st Birth Anniversary on 8 September 2008.

Just as Kirtan Sadhana has been made the special Kali Yuga Sadhana for attaining quick God-vision, even so herein you have the new Yoga, a Yoga most eminently suited for this age of doubt and scepticism, pride and egoism. It is Guru-Bhakti Yoga.

This Yoga is marvellous. Its power is tremendous. Its efficacy is most unfailing. The true glory of Guru-Bhakti Yoga is indescribable. It is the Yoga par excellence for this age, which makes God appear here before you in flesh and blood, and move with you in this very life. The hard Rajasic ego is the arch enemy of the aspirant. Guru-Bhakti Yoga is the surest and best Sadhana to destroy arrogance and to dissolve the vicious ego.

Just as a particular deadly germ can be annihilated only by a certain specific chemical germicide, even so, to destroy egoism and ignorance, this unique Guru-Bhakti Yoga is the peerless specific. It is the greatest “Mayacide” and “egocide”. Maya and ego become quite powerless and no longer afflict the fortunate soul who saturates himself with the spirit of Guru-Bhakti Yoga. Blessed indeed is the devotee who earnestly takes to this Yoga, for he will obtain crowning success in all other Yogas. To him will accrue the choicest fruits of perfection in Karma, Bhakti, Dhyana and Jnana.

The qualification for taking to this Yoga is the simple trio of sincerity, faith and obedience. Be sincere in your aspiration for perfection. Be not vague or half-hearted. Then have perfect faith in the one you have accepted as your Guru. Do not allow even so much as a shadow of doubt to approach you. When once you have reposed absolute faith in him, then know that what he instructs you is indeed for your highest good. Obey his words implicitly. Follow his teachings to the letter. Be earnest in doing this, and take my word, you will attain perfection, I assure you emphatically.

Message from Pujya Swami Sahajananda

In a special pamphlet prepared for this workshop, beloved Pujya Swamiji exhorts devotees to undertake spiritual practices. In the article written on 11 July 2006, Pujya Swamiji states, “To make real spiritual progress certain vital qualities are required. For our Master’s 118th Birthday Anniversary held in September last year we conducted a Guru-Bhakti Yoga workshop, highlighting some of the essential qualities required to enable us to serve our Master successfully and also to make inner spiritual progress. The qualities we discussed were: communication, gratitude, obedience, punctuality, cleanliness and forgiveness. Unfortunately, very few devotees have been practising these virtues diligently. These virtues, together with several others have been dealt with in many speeches delivered by me. In Glory of Guru’s Grace I have given a description of how I tried to practise them in my daily life.

“The main obstacle on the path of most of our devotees is that the psychic nature, or the soul force, is not open for receiving our Master’s Grace for inner transformation. Their hearts are locked. This is what I termed Yale Lock Sadhana. Most of our devotees find it very difficult to admit their mistakes when they are pointed out. I have given a good description of the Yale Lock Sadhana in the book mentioned above. I have said that devotees mostly keep silent when their faults are pointed out and do not repent.

“In order to help devotees to overcome their defects and solve their problems, today I am launching the spiritual diary programme. Devotees must keep a diary recording their daily Sadhana, etc. In this way they can study their minds effectively, and not only make spiritual progress by developing divine virtues, but also find out their defects and remove them. They can note in the diary how many times a day they failed in successfully practising the virtues mentioned above.”

Gratitude to our Divine Master

The article entitled, “How Can We Repay Our Debt of Gratitude to Sri Gurudev” was articulately presented by one of our young Ganga Arati Spiritual Darlings. The article written by beloved Pujya Swamiji on 1 June 2001 may be summarized as follows:
1. Show love, kindness, forgiveness and tolerance to others, both at home and our place of work.

2. Serve our Master in any of the many ways available at our Ashrams.

3. Do regular meditation in the morning and Bhajan in the evening.

4. Distribute our Master’s literature.

5. Attend Satsangs, Yoga Camps and Ganga Arati regularly.

6. Spend some time daily in studying our Master’s literature.

7. Do regular charity. Where possible, our Master says that at least 10% of one's salary should be spent in charity.

8. Practise Brahmacharya and partake of a vegetarian diet. We can avoid TV, places of gambling and bad company.

9. The best gifts we can give our Divine Master are the gifts of selfless service, obedience and complete surrender to him.

10. Open our hearts to our Divine Master by avoiding the yale lock.

11. Pray for those who cause us problems.

Adorable Immortal Self,
Salutations and adorations. Thy kind letter and enclosures.
Thine resolves are appreciably good. Kindly put it in action at once without further delay. Delaying means loosening the grip over your mind. The evil Samskaras may once again creep in because of delay. Take special care to maintain the spiritual diary and to make entries daily. It is the best judge of your actions and a silent whip that will goad you towards your goal.
With regular meditation and prayer you will be able to draw from within, the spiritual strength that will help you to stick to your ideals. Kindly send the ‘diary’ every month.
May God bless you with inner spiritual strength to resist temptation and to stick to your resolves! May He bless you!

A 10-minute, inspiring recorded message from Pujya Swamiji, urging all to face the challenges of life, kept the spiritual current alive at the workshop. To hear that spiritually charged voice was in itself sufficient reward to attend the workshop.

As an offering to our Divine Master and beloved Pujya Swamiji, devotees were encouraged to complete the Spiritual Diary daily and fill in the Guru Bhakti Yoga card and submit them to the Ashram by not later than 16 July 2008. These offerings would be made on the sacred Guru Purnima Day on 18 July. Devotees were kindly requested to put the diaries in an envelope (sealed), which should bear all their details as it would be returned immediately after Guru Gurnima.

At a colourful ceremony at the Westville campus of the University of KwaZulu-Natal, Sports Centre on Friday, 18 April 2008, the degree, Doctor of Theology, honoris causa, was posthumously conferred upon Swami Sahajananda.

Professor Dasarath Chetty, Head of the Department of Public Affairs and Corporate Communications, paid high tribute to Swami Sahajananda. He said, "Sri Swami Sahajanandaji Maharaj was a rare and unique individual whose selfless work in the cause of social and spiritual upliftment is of historic significance. I had the honour of meeting Swami Sahajananda last year and was struck by his saintliness and humility. It was indeed a humbling experience that I will always cherish.

"On learning of his passing away on 10 December 2007, President Mbeki said, 'The Divine Life Society has stood out as one of the beacons of this country. Swami Sahajananda has dedicated his life to serve the poorest of the poor in our country.'

"Swami Sahajananda has left a legacy of compassion, humbleness and selflessness that is the historical preserve of very few. The University of KwaZulu-Natal pays tribute to his memory as a man who inspired our country."

Dr Vidyanand, co-chairman of the Society, received the Doctorate on behalf of the Society and presented an inspiring address. We quote an excerpt from the address: "Swamiji's words were very few, but his actions were many. His magnetic personality attracted many devotees who were inspired and committed to perform the various service activities of the Society. He manifested great humility, love and compassion as he served human beings of all racial, cultural and religious groups. Pujya Swamiji was equally concerned with the decline in social and other evils that have invaded our society. He lost no opportunity in disseminating the Master's sublime teachings on correct conduct and ethical values through books, framed pictures, colourful duratrans, etc. in order to transform society. He wrote, 'The writings of Swami Sivananda are unique and unparalleled in spiritual literature. The instructions are universal in appeal and intensely practical in their application and will effectively solve and dissolve all the problems and trials of daily life. Peace, the priceless commodity that you are searching for is locked within your own heart, in the Divine dwelling there in all His splendour and majesty. Search for it there and enjoy everlasting happiness.' "

On 24 June 2007, at the Sivananda International Cultural Centre, in paying tribute to the six individuals who were chosen to receive the honorary doctorates, Professor Dasarath Chetty singled out Swami Sahajananda with the following significant statement: "His work is unparalleled in the history of the country".

In the speech prepared on 25 November 2007 for the Richards Bay Awards Presentation Ceremony, Swamiji wrote: "Everything that we have done is due to the Grace of our Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda. I have said many times that although I was not qualified to do this work, the Master forced me to start the Divine Life Society and made me its first secretary. It was an unusual situation, the chairman was the Master in Rishikesh, India, the secretary here in South Africa, and no other members! The formation, growth and present status of Divine Life Society of South Africa is entirely due to his Grace. So, I gladly accept these most prestigious awards on his behalf. These awards will give inspiration to our devotees to continue their service activities with greater zeal and enthusiasm."

Divine Life Society of S.A. expresses its sincere thanks to the University of KwaZulu-Natal for recognizing Swami Sahajananda as an educationist and a humanitarian who has made a significant contribution to our country by conferring the degree, Doctor of Theology, honoris causa upon him. Swami Sahajananda's spirit lives on and his work will continue.

On Thursday, 10 April 2008, Pujya Swami Sahajananda's 52nd Sannyas Anniversary was observed at Sivanandashram, Reservoir Hills, Durban, South Africa. Many devotees eagerly assembled at 4am to commence with a 12-hour Akandha Kirtan. At 6am devotees gathered at the Ganga Rani Prayer Hall. After Ganga Arati and Invocatory prayers, Sahaja Kutir was inaugurated. Devotees then circumambulated the Kutir chanting the "Sri Ram Jay Ram Jay Jay Ram Om" Mantra. This continued until 4pm. On 8 January 1963, the Master wrote the following to Pujya Swamiji, "I always dwell with you in your heart and in the new Sahaja Kutir."

The large gathering eagerly proceeded from Sahaja Kutir to Pujya Swamiji's room amidst continuous chanting of the Mantra. Although the room was scheduled to be open from 6-8am and 2-5pm, officials agreed to keep the room open beyond the stipulated hours as there was a continuous flow, even after the evening Satsang.

At the evening Satsang, the message prepared by Pujya Swamiji on 10 April 2006 was read.

Om Namo Bhagavade Sivanandaya. My salutations and prostrations at the feet of all of you present here today.
About Sannyas Diksha, I wrote to Sri Gurudev before I went to the Ashram for the second time in 1956, to give me Sannyas Diksha. He wrote back in his own handwriting: "Please wait, kindly wait. Sannyas is sterner stuff."

When I was in the Ashram for a couple of weeks in 1956 I went to Swami Venkatesanda's room for homoeopathic treatment for an ulcer on my foot. While there Sri Gurudev suddenly turned up unexpectedly. While talking, Swami Venkatesananda suggested to the Master to give me Sannyas Diksha. The Master as once agreed.

I had no desire for Sannyas Diksha at that time because I was very fond of walking in the streets of Durban selling our Master's books. I thought that it would not look respectful for a Sannyasin dressed in ochre robes to walk in the streets selling books. So I was hesitant to accept the Master's offer. But the senior disciples said that I should not refuse. So I was given Sannyas initiation by the Master himself, who repeated the appropriate Mantras. When Swami Venkatesananda came here to Durban later he performed the formal rituals for Sannyas Diksha.

While at the Ashram I had read a book of the Swami Narayan movement. When I came across the name "Sahajananda" I thought that if I ever took Sannyas Diksha I would like this name, not realizing at that time that I would be given Sannyas Diksha soon. The Master, all-knowing as he was, asked me to select a name myself. So that is how I got this name.

I try my best to follow the rules for Sannyasins as given by our Master in his books. Today, we see how Sannyasins and other spiritual leaders, many who are world famous, are deviating from such rules. I have written about it in my book, Glory of Guru's Grace, how they hug and kiss members of the opposite sex. You see this in their photographs also. I mentioned that these personalities are highly evolved and pure at heart. They behave in such a manner as it is the Western way of showing love and affection.

However, we should not pass judgment on them. Our well-known modern saints like our Divine Master, Sri Ramakrishna, Swami Vivekananda, Sri Ramana Maharishi, Mother Krishnabai, Swami Ramdas, Swami Muktananda, Paramahansa Yogananda, Sri Aurobindo and others have been very strict regarding males and females mixing intimately with each other. You can read about their instructions in their books. We should follow the teachings of our saints and be guided by them. Then we will be safe and not lead astray. Swami Muktananda was very strict. If a girl came to his Ashram not dressed properly he would tell her to go back to Mumbai at once, dress properly and then return.

No doubt it is not easy to uphold moral and spiritual values today with all the scenes that one witnesses daily on TV, in the media and in books. From time immemorial we see how even great ones, like Sage Narada and Viswamintra, had downfalls. Only our daily Sadhana and the Grace of our Master can protect us from downfalls.
In the Philokalia we read how the great Christian Desert Fathers of the fifth and sixth centuries also had downfalls, how one of them publicly admitted his downfall and went back to his practice. The rules they laid about males and females moving intimately with each other were the same as the rules laid down by our saints and scriptures. In fact, some of the words they used are almost the same as written by our saints.

I will give you an example of how strict they were. Once, a woman joined a monastery and became a nun. One day her brother went the monastery to visit her. She refused to see him, as he was a male. The Desert Fathers also practised intense Tapas and practised meditation for long periods in seclusion just like our Rishis. They possessed supernatural powers just like our Rishis.

If we are regular in our daily Sadhana we can be free from many dangers on the spiritual path. By practising daily Sadhana we will be able to still and purify the mind. When the mind is purified and stilled we will be able to get the guidance of Sri Gurudev from within. We must also try our best to follow the teachings of our Master given in his books.

I try to get up daily just before 3.30am. I spend several hours in silent meditation and Japa. Now and then there is interruption in the routine due to strain caused by my daily activities. I am sure that after the Sivananda Conference I will be able to be more systematic in my morning Sadhana. All should try to spend some time in daily morning Sadhana. One day we will all have to spend long hours in meditation to realize God. We should make a start in this birth itself to pay attention to daily Sadhana.

See how our modern saints, like our Divine Master, Sri Ramakrishna, Sri Aurobindo, Mother Krishnabai, Swami Ramdas and others spent long hours in meditation and Japa. Our past Rishis also did the same.

Without the Grace of the Guru and saints it will be difficult to make progress in daily Sadhana. I was very fortunate that I had the Darshan of several of India's saints, like Sri Ramana Maharishi, Mother Mirra of Sri Aurobindo Ashram, Papa Swami Ramdas, Mother Krishnabai, Swami Omkar, Mother Anandamayee, Swami Muktananda and Sadhu Vaswani. I remember how when I first went to India I used to tell myself, "I do not know how to love God, but I love the saints of our Motherland."

Now and then I remember the saints mentioned above and pay my homage to them for the Grace they showered upon me. With the Grace of saints we can be guided on the spiritual path and get strength also. Mother Krishnabai and Papa Swami Ramdas especially showered unusual Grace upon me. You can read about it in Glory of Guru's Grace.

Many of you have read in Glory of Guru's Grace of the state of my mind when I entered the spiritual path. Maybe I might have worked out the Karmas of about ten lives in this present life. Tremendous struggle is required. What Sri Gurudev showered upon me in the last few months cannot be described in word.

When the time comes Sri Gurudev's higher divine love or compassion descends upon the devotee. One has to experience this love in order to get a glimpse of it. It sweeps over everything and goes to all, whatever be their nature and attitude. The Mother of Sri Aurobindo Ashram says that the descent of compassion in one means that the soul force or the psychic being is opened. Gratitude is also another such virtue that means that the soul force is opened. After this happens and, when it gets properly stabilised, peace and serenity settle in one's being permanently. Even the slightest irritability does not arise in the mind, whatever be the disturbing external conditions. All this is due to the Grace of the Guru.

I will end this message with the precious words of Sri Aurobindo. He said, "Divine Grace if not only difficult to get, but once got, it is even more difficult to keep." I always remember these precious words. That is why I do not like to go out lecturing and giving discourses as it will disrupt my daily Sadhana. In any case, I am fortunate that I am useless in lecturing. Nevertheless, those on lecture tours are rendering very valuable service to mankind by inspiring and uplifting people. We should admire and pay tribute to them.

May Sri Gurudev bless all our devotees with peace, protection and spiritual progress and may our kind and gracious Pundits from our Motherland enjoy their stay here and return to India safely.

We commence this message with a reading from “Conversations with Gurudev” from Guidance in Daily Life which was written by Pujya Swami Sahajananda and published in 1998.

Swamiji: Gurudev, when we ask for material things you fulfil our wishes quickly, even without thinking, like Lord Siva. But when we ask for spiritual transformation, you are very hard on us, Gurudev. Again, like Lord Siva sitting with His closed eyes on the Himalayas, you seem to ignore us.

Gurudev: This is because spiritual treasures are valuable and more lasting. They are not like things that perish.

Swamiji: Gurudev, you remarked to one of our devotees who came to you from South Africa, "I know when to give and what to give." Your Divine Grace works in mysterious ways, Gurudev. It is unpredictable, especially when it comes to spiritual transformation.

Gurudev: Yes, the mystery of Divine Grace can only be understood through Divine Grace.

Swamiji: Gurudev, parts of my nature resisted transformation for many years. I was in despair and always had a lurking fear that it will never be possible, because I had heard that even some great spiritual personalities did not achieve a complete transformation of their external nature. They did not achieve the integral transformation as described in your books and teachings, that is, a transformation amidst all the distracting and frustrating situations of daily life.

Gurudev: Such a radical transformation is possible only through the Guru’s Grace.

Swamiji: I can well believe it, Gurudev. No amount of vows and resolutions helped me to overcome some of my cardinal defects. When I gave up every effort and felt helpless, your Divine Grace manifested. Gurudev, I woke up one morning with the distinct feeling that I was a changed being, that some great power of yours had descended upon me and was effecting the transformation. Gurudev, when I realised what was happening, tears of gratitude began pouring for several weeks, as I felt I was not worthy to receive such Grace. I marvelled to note with what precision and perfection your power was working. The higher knowledge seemed to be descending in me.

From time to time you were giving me a formula to repeat, together with my Mantra, so that what you were giving could be stabilised. Gurudev, the distracting external conditions did not change a bit. The attitude of those around me was the same. But the miracle I noticed was that it was I who was changing.

Gurudev, kindly permit me to add something more. Over the years I knew all along that those around me were all your own forms, and that their frustrating actions were meant to help me in my spiritual progress. However, this intellectual acceptance did not help me much, Gurudev. But when your divine power descended upon me, the positive results were at once noticeable.

Gurudev: Yes, that is how Divine Grace works. Its ways are mysterious. It will work according to its own way and not the way you want. Perfect faith and self-surrender will allow it to work unhindered.

Swamiji : Gurudev, I regret to state that as the months went by I found that sometimes I was losing the marvellous gifts that you were so graciously bestowing upon me, even though I was so unworthy of it. At such times I would feel extremely downcast and think that death would be preferable than to lose what you were giving. Gurudev, I also found that Divine Grace or Guru's Grace is not only difficult to get, but once got, it is even more difficult to maintain.

Gurudev: Yes, such precious spiritual gifts need special care and vigilance to protect them.

Swamiji: Gurudev, thanks to your boundless love and compassion, the transformation became more stabilised after about three years. This you made possible through the formulae that you gave me to repeat from time to time. Still, Gurudev, I need your Grace and protection at every step to keep vigilant at all times.

Gurudev: Yes, my Grace shall be ever with you.

On 29 July 2007, in the Guru Purnima message Pujya Swamiji said, “If the disciple serves the Guru with faith, love and devotion, the Guru will work through the disciple and hasten his spiritual progress. Our Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda himself has said, ‘If you take care of my mission, I will take care of you.’ In several places in his books the Master has stated how the Guru's power works through the disciple and hastens his spiritual progress. He said that at one stage the Guru's power works with tremendous speed.

“In order to get this Grace of the Guru we must develop faith, devotion and dedication. We must free ourselves from negative qualities like anger, hatred, jealousy, etc. Then only the Guru's Grace will work freely. If we deviate from the path by doing wrong actions the Grace will not work.”

In September 2006, in the message prepared for the inauguration of the Sunlit Club, Pujya Swamiji said, "Due to my Master's Grace, after many years, I now experience a kind of unbroken peace, a peace that one can enjoy amidst all kinds of problems, tribulations, turmoils, etc. Sometimes this peace is broken but it does not happen very often. It will take a long time for this peace to get established. After that I have to practice meditation for long periods to realise God."

In the Guru Purnima Message of 29 July 2007 Pujya Swamiji said: “I myself had the Grace of our Divine Master when an unusual power of his descended in me. It happened on 1st March this year. When the power descended there was a little disturbance in the beginning but within a few days it settled down. Now there is no change in the descent of the power. I could not believe that the Master would grant me such Divine Grace, a Grace that I do not deserve. If devotees saw my attitude some five years ago and my attitude now, they would be quite surprised that such a tremendous change could take place. It might still take about three or four months for it to get stabilised. Maybe in November I will talk about it more elaborately.”

In November 2007, referring to this grand and stupendous experience of 1 March 2007 to a few devotees in the office, Pujya Swamiji said, “Since the 1 March I am enjoying 24 hours unbroken peace of mind. Previously there used to be a sharp pain inside, but now there is nothing.”

In Science of Yoga, Sri Gurudev speaks about this high state of realisation, “The Samadhi in the Jnani is effortless and spontaneous. Wherever the mind goes, there it experiences Samadhi. He always gets into Samadhi. He always rests in Samadhi. There is no “in Samadhi” or “out of Samadhi” for him. He experiences Samadhi always without any effort. Hence, it is called Sahaja Samadhi. He enjoys bliss, freedom and peace in all moments of his life. He drinks the nectar of immortality in this very life.” This is the grand experience that Pujya Swamiji had on 1 March 2007.

In Sri Gurudev’s Farewell Message on 10 April 1956, referring to our beloved Pujya Swamiji, our Divine Master said, “There is Savikalpa Samadhi, and then comes Nirvikalpa Samadhi, and then comes Sahaja Avastha. He is established in Sahaja Avastha. He does not forget Brahman when he is working. He has got double consciousness. He is resting in his Satchidananda Swarupa and he is utilizing his mind and Indriyas for the good of humanity. He likes Sahaja Avastha. He is in Sahaja Avastha. In the scriptures you will find that any man who attempts to practice Yoga is also a Yogi and a Yogarudha. He who is established in Yoga, is also a Yogi. So he who is attempting to be established in Sahaja Avastha is also a Sahaja Avastha Yogi.”

For the past 50 years Pujya Swamiji did not allow the Society to publish this message. Pujya Swamiji often remarked that Sri Gurudev made those profound statements as he was “looking into the future”. And then sometime in October, like a bolt from the blue, Pujya Swamiji mysteriously remarked, “The people must know what Gurudev said about me.” A few days later, following up on Pujya Swamiji’s remark, permission was once again sought to include excerpts from the 1956 message in the Society’s website. This time, Pujya Swamiji granted permission without the least hesitation. The time had arrived for the world to know who Sri Swami Sahajananda is!

A few weeks later, when “Divine Life-81” was being prepared, Pujya Swamiji granted permission for the inclusion of the excerpts from the 1956 speech to be included in the magazine. For the first time in 58 years Pujya Swamiji did not proof-read the magazine. In the past, Pujya Swamiji read every word carefully before it went to print. His analytical mind and keen powers of concentration never missed a thing. Pujya Swamiji was preparing to leave and was transferring this responsibility as well as many other responsibilities to devotees.

Pujya Swamiji himself has said that everything is in the hands of the Divine Master.To obtain Grace we have to surrender and transform ourselves. Earlier in this message, we quoted Pujya Swamiji as saying, “We must free ourselves from negative qualities like anger, hatred, jealousy, etc. Then only the Guru's Grace will work freely. If we deviate from the path by doing wrong actions the Grace will not work.” Pujya Swamiji has guaranteed that the Guru would work through us.

On this most auspicious day we thank you Pujya Swamiji for your supreme sacrifice and dedication. Every cell of your sacred body, every drop of your pure blood was consecrated towards moulding us and preparing us for God-realisation either in this birth, the next or the years to come. Thank you Pujya Swamiji! We express our eternal gratitude to thee.

All projects that were opened in 2008 were done in memory of beloved Pujya Swami Sahajananda.

Sivananda Sunlit Path is a programme designed to help children overcome drug and alcohol habits and those suffering from depression and suicidal tendencies, etc.

A very successful programme which was held on Sunday, 24 February at the Saiva Sithantha Sungum/R.B. Chetty Hall in Rainham, Phoenix in Durban, attracted a large gathering from the Phoenix area. Jointly hosted by Saiva Sithantha Sungum and Divine Life Society of S.A., the programme was educational and spiritual. Twenty seven Spiritual Darlings (children) signed the pledge form to stay away from alcohol, drugs and gambling and other related problems. This brings the total Sivananda Sunlit Club membership to well over 300.

Spiritual Darlings at the Phoenix function proudly displaying certificates awarded to them after becoming members of the prestigious Sivananda Sunlit Club. In the centre is Swami Sivayoganandha, Head of the Saiva Sithantha Sungum.

Guest Speaker, Deputy Mayor, Councillor Logie Naidoo, paid tribute to H.H. Sri Swami Sahajananda and the Divine Life Society for initiating this much need programme in the Phoenix area. He urged the Society to organise such programmes in areas like Chatsworth where the problem is growing to an alarming extent. Talks given by youth, young adults and members of the Board of Management of Divine Life Society of S.A. covered the following aspects: Advice to expectant mothers, The role of parents, TV, drugs, Alcohol,gambling, clubs, play of hostile forces, the law of cause and effect and how it operates, value of prayer & Satsang, diet, celibacy, agnihotra, foot massage, causes of depression and the disastrous consequences of suicide. A hilarious comedy, "Bunti & Babli", written and enacted by the youth of Phoenix, received warm applause from the audience.

"Know that for every problem that confronts you—however difficult and complicated it may seem—there is the requisite guidance, strength and wisdom readily available to you from the Divine dwelling in your heart. God is nearer to you than your life-breath.Turn to the Lord with childlike faith and experience the miraculous results."

"As the body is a precious instrument given to us by God for realising Him, voluntarily discarding it will bring in its train very adverse reactions. The repercussions may last for a long time and the soul may encounter adverse conditions for many births. Therefore, under no circumstances should one resort to this most thoughtless and rash action of suicide."

"Pain teaches you that you and you alone will have to suffer the penalties for your wrong doing, that when pain afflicts you, you have to groan and no one else can do this for you. Therefore dear ones, lead a righteous life, seek God and enjoy everlasting peace and bliss."

"For many years I continued to undergo great suffering due to my uncontrolled mind. I used to pray again and again to my Master: 'Gurudev, when will my suffering end?' He used to tell me from within: 'You yourself are the cause of your suffering due to the many misdeeds in your past and in your present life. The only way to overcome your suffering will be to purify your mind and exert in your daily meditation.' "

Sivananda Sunlit Club workshop for club members held on Sunday, 10 February 2008 at Sivananda International Cultural Centre in Sivananda Nagar, La Mercy attracted members from various parts of KwaZulu-Natal. Members ranging from six years of age to 25 years came from Estcourt, Pietermaritzburg, Phoenix, Chatsworth, Shallcross, Newlands, Parlock, Sarnia, Reservoir Hills, Stanger, Tongaat, Verulam etc.

The organisers presented a well-structured and inspiring programme. A review of their Diaries included monitoring and eradicating their weaknesses and cultivating virtues. Our Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda wrote, "The simplest method of getting rid of a negative quality is to think of its opposite". Some of the topics covered were:

A group discussion and sharing session, headed by experienced educators provided a precious opportunity for members to air their views and seek clarity on a number of issues. It was pleasing to note that many members mentioned that they were able to influence others to keep away from drugs and other bad habits. In the discussion it was also revealed that two youth attended only as observers. They were so convinced of the effectiveness of the programme that they signed a pledge form to keep away from these bad habits. They became members of the Club and were awarded certificates.

Group discussion/sharing sessions. In the foreground are the youth boys. Behind them are the pre-school Spiritual Darlings. On the right are primary school pupils.

The programme was not without variety. A video presentation on transformation showed clearly that brute strength alone will not bring peace of mind and happiness. Our beloved Pujya Swami Sahajananda pointed out repeatedly that it is only through transformation that one can attain peace of mind. The video revealed that a spirit of humility and receptivity is a prerequisite for this. Also, the compassion and unconditional love of the Divine Mother is able to transform all those who seek Her assistance.

Experiences by two Spiritual Darlings demonstrated that Sivananda Sunlit Club is having its desired effect. We quote excerpts from these speeches.

"First and foremost, immediately after signing the pledge form, I found a sudden transformation within myself, as if Gurudev himself had taken control of my life. There was so much peace and tranquility within me. My daily routine and bad habits started changing slowly. My mind is now more focused and I can think and reason more clearly. This has helped me tremendously at school. My grades have improved remarkably."

"Sunlit Club is a legacy given to us by Sri Swami Sahajananda. We live in a world searching for solutions to cure our miseries. Sunlit Club is our answer."

Sharing their experiences. From left: Shakti Paken(Verulam), Yanchal Jugwanth (P.M.Burg), Thejal Jugwanth (P.M.Burg), Aruna Pillay (P.M.Burg)
and Priya Arumugam (Stanger), taking with them a supply of books from the workshop and, in some cases certificates.

In appreciation for participating in the workshop, the organisers presented Sunlit Club members with books to help guide them in their quest for transformation as well as beautiful multi-coloured pictures of birds, animals, flowers and scenic wonders.

In 2006, our beloved Pujya Swamiji, Sri Swami Sahajananda, advised that we organise a grand graduation ceremony for members who have successfully overcome their bad habits. Divine Life Society will heed this advice and, later in the year, such a ceremony will be held. Only those who complete and submit their Diaries regularly will earn this honour.

We record our appreciation also to our members from Celukiphiwe-Sivananda School, Estcourt who came to the workshop in spite of enormous transport difficulties.

Primary school members from Divine Life Society, Estcourt branch and senior students from Celukiphiwe-Sivananda School, Estcourt

The next Sunlit Path Programme will be held at the Saiva Sithantha Sungum/ R.B. Chetty Hall in Rainham, Phoenix on Sunday, 24 February, commencing at 10.30am.

The numbers represent the date, e.g. 1 stands for 1 February, etc. If you have succeeded in controlling a habit or if you have practised a virtue for that day, then put a tick in the appropriate column. If you have failed, then put a cross. You may change the numbers to suit the date. Post completed diaries to: Divine Life Society, Attention: Sunlit Club Organisers, P.O.Box 65282, RESERVOIR HILLS, 4090, SOUTH AFRICA. If you submit the completed diaries regularly, you could graduate at the end of this year. Best of Luck!

**SUNLIT CLUB CHECKLIST/DIARY**
HABITS	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9
Alcohol, Drugs & Gambling
Bad TV Scenes
Celibacy & Free Mixing
Selfless Service
Gratitude
Communication
Cleanliness
Obedience
Forgiveness
Punctuality

For its very valuable work amongst the disadvantaged communities of KwaZulu-Natal, Divine Life Society was given public recognition in the following two instances:

1. In 1993, Swami Sahajananda received the "Paul Harris Award" from the Isipingo-Prospecton Chapter of the Rotary Club. This was the first time the Rotary Club had honoured a non-Rotarian with the award.

2. In 1994, the Centre for Non-violent Social Change, Altanta, U.S.A. awarded Swami Sahajananda the "Martin Luther King Jnr. Peace Award". Swami Sahajananda was one of the four recipients of the award that year.

Pickey Dass, President of Rotary Club, Isipingo-Prospecton, paid the following tribute to Swami Sahajananda when the "Paul Harris Award" was made:

"Swami Sahajananda has depicted a rare capacity and quality of acting decisively in the gravest hour of need for many people, to renew hope in one's fellowman when all seems lost. This was aptly shown during the disastrous fires in Umbumbulu and Malakazi, when he immediately distributed food hampers to hundreds of African and Indian families, in addition to supplying a large amount of clothes.

"Such is his care and concern for those around him that many of our country's leaders have paid tribute to his dedication to the upliftment of our people. He has been described in glowing terms as a great South African who distinguishes himself as one whose humanitarian campassion has led him to identify with the poorest of the poor around him."

We are pleased to report that 248 destitute Indian and African families received the keys to their homes in Parkgate near Verulam. These homes which were built by Divine Life Society and handed over to these fortunate families free of charge, are subsidised by the eThekweni Municipality. The houses are 42 sq metres and comprises 2 bedrooms, lounge, kitchen, toilet and bathroom.

In addition to the above, the Society has embarked on Phase 2 of the this project. It comprises 88 homes and is in an advanced stage. Anticipated date of completion: 30 June 2008.

The manner in which we developed our magnificent Sivananda International Cultural Centre at Sivananda Nagar, La Mercy, has been related in Glory of Guru's Grace. The mysterious way in which our Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda, made the Society purchase a further 19 hectares of adjacent land next to the original site of one and a half hectares donated by Sri R.E. Naidoo, has also been narrated.

Since the development of the SICC complex in 1987, the price of the land in the area has risen enormously. Of the 19 hectares, about 9 hectares have been already utilised for a large sportsfield, for the Sivananda, Vishwananda and Ganga Stadiums, Sivananda, Vishwananda and Ganga Printing Presses, Sivananda-Arjuna Peace Centre, Guru Kripa, Dining Hall and Kitchen. There is still substantial space in this area, which is currently being used for parking of vehicles. A park will also be developed here.

The Society had no intention of selling the balance of the land (about 10 hectares), until a purchaser approached it a few months ago. A substantial offer was made, which the Society accepted. Whilst the sales documents were being prepared, a further higher offer was made by another interested purchaser, which made the price of the land rise again.

As the above purchasers delayed in finalising the documents, Divine Life Society devotees suddenly came forward to purchase sites so that they could build homes and live next to our SICC. The Society at once accepted the idea because then the sanctity of the Sivananda International Cultural Centre will be maintained.

The price the Society paid for the 19 hectares around the year 1996 was R285 000,00 (about Rs.20 lakhs). Its present value is approximately R50 000 000,00 (Rs.35 crores). This price will rise considerably within the next few years as a new airport is to be developed shortly not far from our SICC.

Presently 160 devotees have signed forms to purchase sites. There are no more sites available for sale.

Fortunately, the Society has devotees who are competent to undertake the development of building projects. As can be expected, all those who purchase sites must be devotees of Divine Life Society and have to abide by the rules of discipline and conduct drawn up by the Society.

The Society will provide suitable facilities for the devotees, like a playpark for children, a health care centre, library, etc. Aged devotees will also be taken care of.

Sivananda Ghat, which was officially opened on 5 June 2005, is having a very good effect on bereaved families as well as those who come to visit the centre. As at 2 June 2008, 4680 ash disposals have been done. We are happy to see that this facility is being used by families from various religious faiths and races. Animal lovers have also been quick to make use of this remarkable and unique facility. Details regarding the disposals are as follows:

The above figures include disposals from U.S.A. (1), Australia (4), London (3), Canada (1) and Scotland (1).

Sivananda Ghat also offers the facility to conduct rituals for the peace of departed souls. Since inception On 5th June 2005, 1457 rituals have been conducted.

Sivananda Ghat is playing a very important and useful role, not only in bringing solace and comfort to bereaved families but also in enlightening them spiritually to lead a pure and noble life. A great deal of spiritual literature is being distributed. There is no doubt that the Ghat is one of the most important projects for Hindus in this country. Any amount of tributes are being paid by those coming to the Ghat. Even children visit it and are fascinated by the most beautiful pictures of colourful birds, flowers, scenic wonders and animals mounted in illuminated cabinets with inspiring sayings. The beauty of the two halls is so captivating. Here are some recent tributes paid by bereaved families and others:

"A divine place to face all trials and troubles with courage and calmness."

"A beautiful way to leave the world. God bless you."

"Very peaceful and pleasant place. Well maintained. Good communication between devotees in charge and the public. It feels like 'heaven'."

"Absolutely brilliant. Shining example of what humanity can achieve and of the potential we possess."

"Inspiring and informative for all seekers of God."

"This is a divine magnet that pulls me closer and closer to the merciful divine lotus feet of Pujya Swamiji Maharaj. Thank you all."

"This place is heaven, Swamiji. You have always given me faith and courage in all that I do and I want to thank you for everything."

"I am a Christian and I believe in my Saviour, Jesus Christ and I respect every religion. This is an excellent set-up. We should have more "set-up" like this."

"Seeing this beautiful ending to one life has assured me that death takes us all to a beautiful place."

"A calm and inspirational place that gives one a soothing sensation in the mind and soul at this trying time. Thanks for making this possible."

" I think that this place is amazing. Only God can do this. I think that this spiritual need is God Himself."

Several Sivananda Peace & Skills Training Centres have been recently decorated with most beautiful pictures of colourful birds, flowers, scenic wonders, animals, reptiles, etc. Each centre consists of a spacious hall in which sewing skills are taught, a computer centre and a Peace Centre.

The Peace Centre is a room where individuals and groups can meet and resolve problems and conflicts. Beautiful pictures with inspiring sayings of our Divine Master, Sri Swami Sivananda, in English and in Zulu are displayed in this centre. Simple moral and spiritual instructions entitled Divine Life for Children and Divine Life for Junior Children are also mounted on the walls. The breath-taking beauty of the pictures fascinates all those who enter the hall. Below are a few pictures of the centre.

The Mayor of Umlalazi Municipality, Stan Larkan, wrote the following after his visit to a centre in Eshowe: "Having had the occasion to visit the Peace Centre in Ward 10 and witness the most beautiful pieces of artwork now displayed on the walls to the absolutely overwhelming delight of this poor community, I commend His Holiness for the delivery of such a magnificent structure. The Ward itself is extremely large and the Peace Centre is without a doubt one of the most attractive facilities soon to be enjoyed by the community at large.

Beautiful pictures of birds, animals,flowers and scenic wonders
adorn the walls of our Peace Centres

Sivananda Isidibha Creche in the Umlalazi district
on the North Coast of KwaZulu-Natal.

Sri Swami Sahajananda and Stan Larkan, Mayor of Umlalazi
Municipality look on after the unveiling of the plaque.