Become givers, not takers: spiritualists

Magh Shuddha Dvitiya

Chennai: ‘Hindu Dharma has its soul in ‘contribution’ that is giving. One should not stop oneself being a ‘consumer’ and should also contribute’, spiritual leader Swami Dayananda Saraswati has said. Inaugurating the Hindu Spiritual and Service Fair – 2009 in Jaigopal Garodia Vivekananda Vidyalaya at Anna Nagar in Chennai on Friday, the spiritual leader said every human being must be a contributor and that is Hindu Dharma. The Dharma of religion, culture, society and government is to convert every human being from a ‘consumer’ to a ‘contributor’. Teachers, gurus and religious leaders must make the people think what they should contribute, he said.
 
 ‘we have to develop the habit of ‘giving’. The incapacity to give must be given up and the capacity to give must be nurtured. We should learn to give and it could be learnt only by giving, like how we learn to swim by swimming and drive by driving. Similarly we should give to grow into a giver. Once we start giving, we become contributors’. Quoting Vedic verses, the spiritual leader said, ‘there are two ways of earning Adrishtam to understand the Hindu Dharma and to control the hidden variables. One is through prayer and rituals and the other is through Poortha Karma, that is serving the society through many activities like water harvesting, digging wells for the public and ponds for the cattle, constructing hospitals, etc’. ‘Annapradhanam that is to create situation where people take care of their livelihood is very important for the development of a Dharmic society’, Swamiji said.
 
Earlier Swami Mitrananda, Director of Chinmaya Yuva Kendra and Organising Secretary of the fair said, ‘this concept, which was conceived a year back, evolved into Global Foundation for Civilisational Harmony (GFCH) with an aim of establishing peace and harmony through dialogues with various faiths. Every prayer is valid, every faith is valid and every civilization is precious. Right to retain faith is also a part of human rights’. About the fair, he said, ’33 organisations, which have a combined membership of 22 crores have taken part in this exhibition and all these organizations have given to the society more than 30000 shcools and equal number of medical centres, underlining the importance of education and health care. This fair is a good beginning of the progress of collective service and every exhibitor and visitor must see the exhibition with the feeling of ‘my religion, my culture’.
 
Swami Athma Shraddanandaji of Ramakrishna Mutt read out the speech of Swami Gouthamananda, President, Ramakrishna Mutt, in which he said, ‘religion is not mere belief on any dogma, but realization and realization leads to spiritual enlightenment. Service to man becomes worship of God and the services can take many forms such as social, educational, medical, relief and rehabilitation’.
 
Swami Nithyananda Paramahamsa, founder of Nithyananda Dhyana Peetam said, ‘Freedom is the foundation for growth and such a freedom in Hinduism has grown into different traditions and different concepts. Hindu Dharma has been there since time immemorial and it doesn’t require marketing. This fair is organised to make people understand the concept of service. One should learn to serve and the success of this exhibition is going to be a milestone in the successful journey of modern day Hindu Dharma’.
 
Organisations like Kanchi Kamakoti Peetam Service Activities, Vivekananda Kendra, Mata Amritanandamayi Mutt, Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, Sanatan Sanstan, Art of Living and Chinmaya Mission and many others have put up stalls in the exhibition. All the stalls have displayed their publications and service activities. The fair will be on till tomorrow.   

Source: newstodaynet.com

Also See

1. Learn Hinduism
2. Hindu Dharmajagruti Sabha