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May:
06-05-2002: Sri Sadguru Pada Pooja, Satsang
10-05-2002: Masa Shivarathri
17-05-2002: Sri Shankar Jayanthi,
Gurupuja followed by Bhakta Samaradhana and Satsang
25-05-2002: Vyasa Poornima,
Gurupuja followed by Bhakta Samaradhana and Satsang
June:
05-06-2002: Sri GuruDashmi, Hanuman chalis Parayanam
Sri Hanumath Jayanthi, Gurupuja, Satsang
09-06-2002: Masa Shivarathri
24-06-2002: Poornima, Gurupuja.
The list of festivals celebrated in Sri Kali
Gardens Ashram indeed is very long and embraces all religions and faiths.
Sri Krishna Janmashtami ( Birthday of Lord Sri Krishna ), X-Mas, Ramzaan &
Guru Nanak Jayanthi - all are celebrated with the same gusto.
People world over usually criticize Indians for
celebrating innumerable festivals and worshipping many Gods. But if one
really pauses to think deeply, the real meaning of this will be
known.
Are there so many Gods? No, there is only ONE
GOD. But just like each man has his own tastes, each man moulds his own
personal God and gives a name to that God. Thus the formless all pervading
infinite energy or chaitanya takes a form in the man's mind. As man is
accustomed to form and senses, sees the God also with a particular form
and tries to concentrate upon that form and name. This is for the beginner
and known as "SAGUNA BHAKTI" or worship of the God with form &
attributes. As the spiritual seeker progresses in the path of devotion, he
realizes that God who is Omnipotent, Omniscient and Omnipresent is
NOT CONFINED TO ANY ONE FORM ALONE but is all pervading and present
in all beings equally. Well, if he goes a step higher, he realizes that
God fills the entire universe. when we say "GOD" here it means the
'supreme energy'. This is the ultimate Truth, and the man who realizes it
, sees his personal God in all other forms and sees all other forms in his
personal God. This is the 'ESSENCE ' of Religion.
According to Lord Gurudev Samardha Sadguru Sri
Sri Sri Hanumath Kali Vara Prasad Babuji Maharaj, Religion means 'going
back to the place from where we have come from. Once the entire
creation has come out of that supreme energy we call God, it goes back and
merges in Him. The path taken by man to retrace his origin is Religion
according to Sri Babuji Maharaj. Just as we say 'All roads lead to Rome'
the paths may be different, method of pursuing the path may be different
but the ultimate goal is the same for anybody.
Water may be known by different names in
different languages, but water is water, whatever may be the name .
Similarly, one may call the Infinite Energy or God by any name or
attribute any form but GOD IS ONLY ONE.
This supreme knowledge can be obtained only by
the grace of Sadgurudev who has realized the self. God, Guru and Atman are
not three different entities but different manifestations of the one
Supreme Energy. Therefore God and Guru are one and the same. A disciple of
a Satyaguru sees all the deities in his Gurudev and sees his Gurudev in
all deities. That is why all the festivals in Sri Kali Gardens Ashram are
celebrated with 'Gurudev' as the central point and GURU POOJA is the
highlight of any festival. Bearing this Guru concept in mind now go ahead
and have a look at the festival celebrated in the Ashram.
Sivarathri
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Mahasivarathri is
an important festival celebrated through otu the country with great
zeal and devotion. Its religious and mythological significance is more
popularly known to the public then its spiritual implication. |
The phenomenon od day and
night is a routine and inevitable feature of human life. The very name
"Mahasivarathri" is thought - proviking and packed with spritual
signifiance. siva means auspicious and sacred. Hence Mahasivarathri
means the greatest and most auspicious night. Mahasivarathri can
rightly be called as the " night of nights" for it dispels the
darkness of ignorance and kindles the light of knowaldge (Gnana). in
short it is the night that brings light and thus Mahasivarathri
remains unoque. Night is associated with sleep and sleep is an counter
part of death marked by the inactivity of the senses.
Till we realise the
Self or siva in us, human life is a perpetual night of totl darkness.
the realisation of siva alone makes it meaningful.
A real
devotee or spritual trainee celebrates Sivarathri once only when he
overcomes duality and becomes one with Lord siva. Till he identifies
himself with the Sadguru or siva by total surrended of ego and
attachment whic leads to the conquest of duality he cannot celebrate
real 'Sivarathri' in his life. |
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The attainment of that bissful experience alone leads to sivarathri and all the other nights are
mere 'Savaratris' only(They are dead nights only). It is a matter of
common knowaldge that one should keep awake on Sivarathri which is known
as 'Jagarana'. It i not mere physical wakefulness that is required
but spritual alertness keeping yourself aloof from the six potent enimes (arishadvarga).
With the aid |
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| of the most powerful 'Sivanama', the night becomes
really auspicious by feating yourself on the priceless food of Sivanama
and abstaining yourself from thoughts of pollution. |
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A genuine disciple should celebrate Sivarathri by such wakefullness and fasting. The invisible
Siva who
permeates the entire universe makes himself visible in the shape of
Sadguru so that you can sisentangle yourself from the web of illusion by
developing faith and devotion.
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The night on which you attain Lord siva is
the only memorable night for what is fivine (Siva) is beatifuyl and
truthful too. Under the peerless guidance of Sadguru one can make his life
a perpetual Sivarathri. sri Babu exhorts all seekers of truth to bid
goodbye to the insipid "Savarathri" and welcome blissful "Sivarathri
" in their lives. |
One Last Point To Ponder
The Upanishads say that one should think of God and chant God's name
from the time he wakes up from bed till the time he goes back to sleep
everyday. Thinking of God is a joyous occasion and chanting the Lord's
name keep our contact with the Eternal Energy intact and thus we are in a
state of constant bliss and then every day is a festive day
Jai Jai Gurudev Samardh !
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