As part of the Society’s Centenary Celebrations, Satsangs are being conducted in all parts of the country to promote our glorious Hindu Dharma, the message of Divine Life and the teachings of Sri Swami Sivananda. Apart from Satsangs at our branches in KwaZulu-Natal, Gauteng and Western Cape, the Society has partnered with organisations in Howick, Kimberley, Port Shepstone and Newcastle for this purpose. The 15th programme in the 2024 celebrations, was hosted by the Shree Hanuman Sanathan Dharma Sabha Mandir on Sunday, 13 October 2024 at the Mandir in Albersville, Port Shepstone. The day’s programme comprised a Havan at 9am and Satsang at 10am.

Set along the banks of the uMzimkhulu River, the Mandir is a testimony to the diligence, commitment and Bhakti of the officials of the Mandir and the community. Its multifarious activities, namely observance of all religious festivals, Yoga classes, poor feeding and service activities are commendable. The large, life-size Murthi of Lord Hanuman commands pride of place, and the sacred shrines around the precincts of the Mandir resonate with divinity and spirituality.

The spiritual and soulful Havan created a beautiful ambience for the day’s events. The Satsang programme comprised Kirtans, Bhajans, talks, readings, guided meditation and messages glorifying God and Hinduism, and providing salient directives on leading a divine life and sustaining the legacies of our saints and sages. In welcoming the congregation, Sri Sam Lakhan, a trustee of the Mandir said that the Mandir was honoured to be hosting the Society’s Centenary Celebrations, and lauded the Society’s work and its ‘progressive’ approach. Smt Veena Lakhan, the chairperson of the Mandir, gave an overview of the Mandir’s programmes and activities. The Mandir engages in regular poor feeding, and an upcoming initiative is to provide grocery hampers to 60 deserving families. 

The essence and objective of the Centenary Celebrations was captured in the talk, “Sri Swami Sivananda on Hinduism, importance of Sadhana, chanting the Divine Name, meditation, prayer and benefits of Satsang”. These, together with other spiritual practices, are essential for spiritual growth, personal peace and happiness. 

The following poem by Sri Swami Sivananda glorifying Hinduism, has a potent and profound message, and shows his deep love for Hinduism: 

POWER OF HINDU DHARMA

Sri Swami Sivananda

The culture of Hinduism prevails,

Nothing can shake its greatness and root,

Hinduism is not a man-made religion,

It was not founded by any single person,

Like Islam and Christianity,

It is a product of the seers of the Vedas,

It was developed from age to age

By the teachings of Avataras, Rishis, Vedas,

The Upanishads, the Gita, and the Itihasas,

It will exist as long as the world lasts,

There is a peculiar, mysterious spiritual force

That is ingrained in the heart of every Hindu;

A Hindu will give up his life

But he will not give up his principles and Dharma;

He won’t be tempted by woman or wealth for conversion,

He would rather prefer death than conversion.

The talk also focused on the importance of Sadhana, which is any spiritual practice, for example, chanting of the Divine Name, attending Satsangs and prayer services, meditation, Japa or Karma Yoga, to name but a few. Sri Swami Sivananda advises us to be serious about our Sadhana or spiritual practices. He says, “Stern self-discipline is absolutely essential…. The spiritual path is rugged, thorny, and precipitous. The thorns must be weeded out with patience and perseverance. Some of the thorns are internal; some are external. Lust, greed, wrath, delusion and vanity are internal thorns”. Progress on the spiritual path through strict spiritual practices, stern discipline and love for God, says Sri Swami Sivananda, will make our lives blissful and joyful. 

In respect of the Divine Name, he advises as follows, “Chant the Divine Name in the temple, at home, at your workplace, while driving and at all times. Choose any Mantra”. He says, “O man, take refuge in the Divine Name. God and His Name are inseparable. Sing the Lord’s Name incessantly. Remember the Name of the Lord with every incoming and outgoing breath. In this age, repetition of the Divine Name is the easiest, quickest, safest and surest way to reach God and attain immortality and perennial joy”.  An added feature of the programme was the talk on the benefits of Mantra chanting, which complemented this topic.

A guided meditation session gave the congregation practical hints on meditation. This was reinforced by Sri Swami Sivananda’s explanation of the concept, its benefits and importance. He explained that meditation is fixing the mind on God, one’s chosen Deity, Guru or specific object, to achieve calmness of mind, inner peace and tranquillity, which assist in our quest for God. 

In his advice on the importance of prayer, Sri Swami Sivananda said, “Prayer can reach a realm where reason dares not enter. It can take you to the spiritual realm or kingdom of God. It frees the devotee from the fear of death. It brings him nearer to God and makes him feel his essential, immortal and blissful nature”. He says that “the power of Prayer is indescribable, and that sincere devotees only realise its usefulness and splendour”. He advises that one should not argue about the efficacy of prayer, and that we should pray and wait, and the rewards are sure to come. This is a very powerful assurance indeed!

The advice on Satsang was an apt conclusion to the talk, and captured the purpose of this gathering. Some of the benefits of Satsang are:

• It is the easiest and quickest means to take us towards God.
• Satsang elevates the mind and fills it with Sattva or purity. It forces one to lead a Divine Life. 
• The company of a saint or holy people helps eradicate undesirable, negative qualities and defects. Satsang is the greatest of all purifiers of man. 

Divine Life Society of South Africa thanks and extend congratulations to the Trustees and Committee of the Mandir on a well-organised celebration. We acknowledge with profound gratitude their hard work, diligence, dedication and commitment to ensuring that the message of our Sanatana Dharma and Divine Life go out to the community of Port Shepstone and surrounding towns. The extent that the Mandir went to in organising the function, bearing all costs, arranging all aspects of the Havan, Satsang, cooking, catering, décor, sound, other services and community involvement, are greatly appreciated. 

The distribution of our Master’s literature and teachings in Port Shepstone is helping to spread the message of Divine Life and our glorious Hindu Dharma, which we all need in this Kali Yoga. The bookstall, resplendent with Swami Sivananda’s books, CDs, picture frames and memorabilia, attracted interest.

The Sivananda Centenary Celebrations’ Tour is certainly achieving its objectives, as almost 9000 devotees, well-wishers, donors and members of the public have been exposed to the message of Divine Life, our glorious Hindu Dharma and the teachings and legacies of Sri Swami Sivananda, in 2024 alone. 

We wish all every success in their personal and collective Sadhana, and Sri Swami Sivananda’s and Pujya Swami Sahajananda’s blessings, guidance and protection at all times.