A Bi-monthly bulletin of Vivekananda Kendra Vedic Vision Foundation

IN THIS ISSUE

INCREDIBLE INDIA LOVE HER EDITORIAL AS SWAMIJI HAD LOVED HER. One fact that emerged out as clear as sunlight over the last two years was that our people would respond posi vely and enthusias cally once they are touched in the right place, namely their hearts. Using Swami Vivekananda as a stethoscope, Ramakrishna ission, Vivekananda !endra, and various other organi"aons #surprisingly even the $ovt of %ndia& measured the heart'eats of our countrymen ( men, women and children, and found them a'solutely normal. )hey were ready to accept and put into prac ce Swami*is an making and +a on ,uilding ideals ( his love for truth, his adora on of his otherland and -er heritage, his ideas on educa on, service and a host of other pro'lems and his prac cal Vedanta which has the poten al to 'e used as a Viveka Sopana ( a ladder for man to discover the divinity within and manifest the same in his day to day life. Swami*is pictures adorned even the remotest village was as well as the wall of ultra modern ci es like um'ai, a reminder to the youth of what real youthfulness means and how it should .nd ful.llment in the service of her na on and her people. %f the patrio c enthusiasm of our people of country could 'e sustained and properly channeli"ed, ,ravo, world will once again reali"e that %ndia is truly %+/R01%,20.

Gita Jayanthi Vivekananda Study Circle Matri Puja Vivekananda Jayanthi Surya Kiran Regular programmes 2 th January

Lakshmi Kumari

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GITA JAYANTHI CELEBRATION

On the evening of 13th December, ciding it with inauguration of the !tudy "ircle in the cam#us by Gita Jayanthi was celebrated in Ananda dham by coinVive ananda Didi$ Aim of the

study circle is to guide interested see ers in the chanting and also ac%uaint them with the meaning of the slo as of !reemad &hagavat Gita$ On the Didi will be monitoring the first !unday evening of each month this class will be held for an hour$ Gita Jayanthi Day$ class$ About fifty see ers attended the class on

FAITH, SYMPATHY-FIERY FAITH FIERY SYMPATHY! LIFE IS NOTHING, DEATH IS NOTHING, HUNGER NOTHING, COLD NOTHING. GLORY UNTO THE LORDMARCH ON, THE LORD IS OUR GENERAL. DO NOT LOOK BACK TO SEE WHO FALLS --FORWARD ONWARD! THUS AND THUS WE SHALL GO ON, BRETHREN.

Swami Vivekananda

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M!"R#$P$J! On the aus#icious day of the 'oly (other)s tithi *u+a on ,-th Decemthe

ber, grand mother)s or ammammas from the neighborhood as well as

mothers of our !ishu vihar students were invited for .(atru #u+a) celebration$ /hirty five of them were #resent for the #u+a$ /o imbibe the sams ara .(atru devo bhava) or to see the mother as God is what our scri#tures teach$ /hus this day every year is the day for worshi##ing their mothers by the little children$ *u+a was started by the oldest granny$ After #u+a all the mothers and children en+oyed the #rasada$

The ideal !"a# i# I#dia i$ %he "!%he&' %he "!%he& (&$%' a#d %he "!%he& la$%)

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INTERSCHOOL GROUP SONG COMPETITION

"ome January and all the branch and #ro+ect centres of 0endra bear a festive mood$ 1t is the month in which !wami+i was born$ On the 2th of January there was #atriotic and fol song com#etitions$ 2 schools too #art in #atriotic grou# song and 1, schools in fol song com#etitions$ 1n the forenoon we had #atriotic song com#etition and in the afternoon there was fol com#etition$ 1t was a real sight to watch the s#irit of the children$ 3our +udges one from 0odungallur and three from *aravur were there to +udge the children4s) #erformance on stage $ /he 3ol songs were soul stirring$ !tudents song grou#

dressed in colorful attires #laying fol instruments and rhythmically dancing to the tune of their songs e#t the audience including the +udges s#ellbound$ Announcement of the results was tough for the +udges, hence we had more than one grou# for the second and consolation #ri5es in both #atriotic and fol songs$ /he #ri5e for #atriotic was won by !$6$Vidya &havan, "hentra#inni and for fol A5hi ode$ VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 11 4 DECEMBER JANUARY 2014 song was bagged by !eedhi !ahib (emorial 'igh !chool,

Thi&+,a%hi&a -&!+. da#/e /!".e00!#

On the 17th of January a /hiruvathira grou# dance com#etition was e#t for students of classes 81 and 811$ Only two schools #artici#ated vi59 *anangad '$!$!chool, *anangad and &harat Vidya (andir, Vala#ad$ /hree +udges were #resent to +udge$ &oth the schools #erformed e:cellently ,hence both were declared first #ri5e winners$ !mt *adma+a, one of the +udges e:#lained the significance of this traditional dance $

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SEMINAR
A half day !eminar on .!wami+i and ;ducation), es#ecially for the &$;d students and school teachers was arranged on 11th January $ <egistration started from 2a$m$ 1=> delegates mainly from Dr *al#u &$;d "ollege and '*0 &$;d "ollege, "ollege and !$6$($(alian ara registered$

*rogramme started by 17 a$m$ Dr Geetha ;:-*rinci#al of (utha unnam "ollege was the "hief !#ea er who gave the 1naugural tal $ Other s#ea ers were scientist Dr$ of 5one, Vidya 6i etan-!outh /$*$!ashi umar and Vice *resident &haratiya Dr (adhavan$ ?uestion answer session was dealt by Dr /$*$ !ashi umar, which almost all the delegates en+oyed and actively too #art so much so that an o#en session was e#t even after lunch u#to 3#$m$

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PUSHPARCHANA & VIVEKANANDA JAYANTHI CELBRATION *ush#archana, at the feet of !wami+i was e#t for #eo#le throughout the day since the #ri5e distribution ceremony and #ublic function of !wami+i)s Jayanthi were e#t on 1,th January$ All the yoga satra and yoga varga #artici#ants, !ams arvarga children and all those who attended the function were there$ /he #rogramme started at 17$37 am$ !ri "handrase haran an educationist residing in *erin+anam, was the "hief Guest$ /he first #ri5e winner grou#s of #atriotic and fol songs #erformed on tne stage$ A#art from #ri5e distribution, five needy and meritorious students of the 81th class of G$G$'$!$!$ 0odungallur were awarded scholarshi#s by Didi$ 1n the end there was a beautiful /hiruvadira dance by !mt *adma+a and trou#$ /he song of this dance was the most #o#ular !ans rit song on !wami+i- ) &huvana (andale)$ *rogramme ended by 1,$37$ All the members had the #rasada of !wami+i$ #erform #us#archana$ (ore than two hundred #eo#le

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SURYAKIRAN
On 12 th January , 1> different schools #artici#ated in the )Surya Kiran% !amuhi a !urya 6amas ar #rogramme held at the Gurushree *ublic ground, *ullut$ =77 students #artici#ated in the #rogramme which started by @$37 and ended by 2 a$m$ Didi welcomed all$ /his time student grou#s were arranged in circles and the formations at each ste# of !uryanamas ar were very attractive$ !tudents #erformed in grou#s of twenty to twenty five$ each grou# had a name on their #lacard$ Grou# from Amrita Vidyalayam, *hoeni: *ublic !chool and Gurushree *ublic !chool were +udged as best #erformers and received the award on the s#ot$ Gurushree *ublic school was also awarded for the largest #artici#ation with = grou#s totalling to 1>7 students$ "hief guest for the #rogramme was !ri 0$G !ivanandan, (D of 0odungallur "oo#erative &an $ !ri !ai Vidya &havan #erformed yoga *yramid on the stage after !amuhi a !urya 6amas arA 1,roundsB was over$ All the children, teachers and #arents were #rovided sum#tuous brea fast after the #rogramme$

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REPUBLIC DAY & KUTUMBA SAMMELAN After flag hoisting by Didi /ushar Ghosh Dada our guest from !wit5erland inaugurated the 0utumba !ammelan$ !ams arvarga children, !andee#ani children and their #arents, yoga Varga #students and their family members too ing of the varieties of delicacies brought by each family$ #art in this +olly get together$ /here were games for all age grou#s followed by a samuha bho+anam 9 shar-

WHEN THE LIFE-BLOOD IS STRONG AND PURE, NO DISEASE GERM CAN LIVE IN THAT BODY. OUR LIFE- BLOOD IS SPIRITUALITY. IF IT FLOWS CLEAR, IF IT FLOWS STRONG AND PURE AND VIGOROUS, EVERYTHING IS RIGHT; POLITICAL,SOCIAL, ANY OTHER MATERIAL DEFECTS, EVEN THE POVERTY OF THE LAND, WILL ALL BE CURED IF THAT BLOOD IS PURE.

Swami Vivekananda

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1st December

(ahila !angamam, /hiruvanantha#uram C#anishad Dagna, 0onathu onnu !atsanga at Ea shmi 6ilayam, /hrissur 0attu asserry /em#le,Airtathur

&#&#'S PR(GR!MM)S &$R#*G "+) M(*"+ (, &)C)M-)R !*& J!*$!R. 2/01

,nd December >th December @th December 13th December 1>th December 1=th December 1Fthh December ,,nd December ,-th December ,=th 9,2th ,nd January 3rd January >thJanuary 13thJanuary 1=thJanuary 1Fth January ,3rd January ,>th January ,FthJanuary 37th January 31st January

Geetha !tudy "lass,Anandadham Vishnu /em#le, 0ai#amangalam$ !hree <ama /em#le, /helisherry (atru !angamam ;davilangu <$($!$ (atrusammelan, /ri#unithura$ (atru#u+a, Anandadham,0odungallur$ December 0anya umari

(ahadeva /em#le, 0oluthoor Vive smriti 0utumbayogam,(unamban Geetha !tudy "lass,Anandadham !$D$"ollege,Ala##u5ha
Vive odayam !chool, /hrissur G 0asturi 0ovil dr

'indu Dharma *arishad, /hrithala !$V$Jayanthi , <$0$(ath, Vittila Aravindo ;ducation!ociety, *alli athodu *annangad '$!$!, *annangad$ !ri <ama /em#le, "hiramangalam, /"< Govt "ollege, (animala unnu, 0ottayam$

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Didi)s friends /ushar Ghosh and 0atherine, both devotees of <ama rishna (ath from !wit5erland, visited Ananda dham$ /ushar Ghosh stayed for a wee from ,1st January and 0atherine stayed for five days from 31st January$ &oth too #art in the various activities of 0endra and attended the Doga classes too$ <egular study classes on !ri Ealitha !ahasra 6amam by !ri Girish+i were conducted on ,Fth and ,2th December and 1Fth and 12th January$

17-1> children were #resent for the wee ly yoga class on !aturdays$ >ladies and 11 gents were #resent for yoga satras 2 = lady #artici#ants and @ gents attended .oga varga2 @ ladies attended the regular #ranayama class$

Samskar varga went on well at two #laces with = to 1, children attending the !unday morning classes at !nandadham and with 1> children at Vinyakapuram, near 0arur madam every month$

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SWAMIJI AND MOTHER LAND

Dr. M. Lakshmi Kumari

LOVE INDIA!
Whenever Swami Vivekanandas admirers asked him in what way they can serve him, he simply told them Love India. Loving India assured, in Swamijis mind, a sure transformation of the personality of such a person. The best gift we can give to Swamiji on his 150th Birthday is learning to Love India and through the process transform ourselves into better human beings and thus fulfill the destiny of our great Motherland. I too believe that India will awake again, if anyone could love with all his heart the people of the country-bereft of the grace of affluence, of blasted fortune, their discretion totally lost, down-trodden, ever-starved, quarrelsome, and envious. Then only will India awake, when hundreds of large-hearted men and women, giving up all desires of enjoying the luxuries of life, will long and exert themselves to their utmost for the well-being of the millions of their countrymen who are gradually sinking lower and lower in the vortex of destitution and ignorance. ( C.w.V.125-26) Swamiji was enchanted more by the spiritual power that was hidden in India than in her soul-absorbing physical attributes. The latter was a manifestation and exemplification of the inner spirit of oneness and universality that the Mother has harboured from time immemorial. It is this Inner Spirit that had to be rejuvenated and revitalized for the regeneration of the present. That rejuvenation of spirit can be achieved only in one way-that is, through her own children, destined to be born in this Punya bhumi, imbibing those values and reliving them in their own lives. What the world needs are manifestations of Be and Make, of Satya and Dharma, not just prattle about values. Indian society is truly the only gymnasium where this exercise can be undertaken. That it is possible to transform Truth into life principles (Dharma) which can help man in his self unfoldment has been demonstrated by countless sages and saints from all parts of the country from time immemorial. To press upon the people this great idea of the magnificence of human life and its possibilities was the crux of the message of Swamiji. Thus, Loving India for him was to imbibe her philosophy which was as deep as the ocean as high as the Himalayas and as vast as the Indian planes. Karma - Bhakti - Jnana Yogas illustrate the wide scope and opportunities available to man to experiment with his own life. This understanding made Swamiji carefully scrutinize and practice the four yogas and update them, so as to explain them in modern times, to the modern man, in modern language and idioms. That is what made Swami Vivekanandas teachings so very unique, practical and universal. VOLUME 2 - ISSUE 11 12 DECEMBER JANUARY 2014

When the world civilizations were in their infancy, just learning to take their first steps through the corridors of history, out Motherland was also very much a part of them. She was, however, endowed fortunately with a rare insight, far sight and foresight. She was ever ready to give her helping hands to all the sister cultures in this steep ascent to the pinnacle of everlasting life. But unfortunately, almost all of them let go her grip and at some point or other faltered and fell down to be crushed under the mighty wheels of time. All along the steep pathway to this pinnacle of glory our ancient seers had kept signposts and guidelines so that those who came behind would not suffer from lack of clear vision. It is such clarion calls to the entire human race that lie scattered in the most ancient of world literature, the Vedas and Upanishads. Uttishtata jagrata, prapyavaraan nibhodhata, Kshurasya dhara nisitha niratyaa. Isavasyamidam sarvam..Tena tyaktena bhunjeetha,Tameva viditwa ati mruthumeti, Nanya pantha vidyate ayanaya.. so on and so forth. Each one of them is a call to the erring humanity to rectify their mistakes. Each is an exhortation to turn away from pursuing the self-destroying path of Preyas (purely materialistic pursuits) and to turn to Sreyas (the path of enlightenment). Unfortunately, addicted as their people were to material pleasures they did not heed the words of this wise old mother. And the result, almost all of them have disappeared from the world map of modern civilization. Our Dharma sastras, after thoroughly analyzing the human possibilities came to the conclusion that every human being is endowed with three instruments for the manifestation of Divinity in ones life. They are body, mind and intellect and through them flow actions, thoughts and knowledge. Knowledge in the intellect manifests in the mind as thoughts and as actions in the body. Action, thought and knowledge of a wise person will ever be illumined with wisdom and that of an ignorant person will always be under the shadow of ignorance. Sruti provides three means of enriching and fine tuning these three instruments with knowledge. They are Karma, Upasana and Jnana or in other words Karma Yoga, Bhakti Yoga and Jnana Yoga. Sruti adds that a person can attain perfect gnosis when he is able to practice simultaneously Karma Yoga at his body level, Bhakti Yoga in his mind and Jnana Yoga in his intellect. It is this philosophical Truth that our sages discovered through their own magnificent super human, cognitive powers. This has been endorsed by Swami Vivekananda in all his teachings. Therefore, in tune with the teachings of our great sages who brought out this Eternal Wisdom to the notice of the suffering humanity through their immortal words Srinwanthu vishwe amritasya putrah, so did Swamiji, through his immortal messages bring this Eternal Wisdom to eradicate the sufferings of the modern man. Swamiji scrutinized each and every statement of the great rishis, contemplated upon it and made them part of his lifes experience before sharing it with humanity at large. That is why his words fell like sparks of fire destroying the ignorance of the listeners and igniting in them the thirst for knowledge. Swamiji loved India because She was the cradle of civilization, the birthplace of the realization of the Ultimate Truth and it was from here that the light of omniscience, omnipresence, omnipotency of Truth radiated to other parts of the world.

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Swamiji loved India because She was Dharmabhumi. It was here that Truth lent itself to be translated into human thoughts, words and interactions establishing the interconnectedness, interrelatedness and interdependence of the whole Universe. Swamiji loved India because She was Karmabhumi, where mans work has been so intensively analysed leading to the discovery that work could indeed be a means to manifest the Divinity within man. Swamiji loved India because She was Yanjabhumi. It was here that the immense potential of the spiritual energy hidden in the Nishkama Karma was discovered and brought out for the common good of the people. Swamiji loved India because here was a Tapobhumi where the rishis formulated the superfine technique of stopping the wastage of spiritual energy through controlling the senses from their outgoing habit and directing it towards realization of the Truth. The future expansion of India certainly lies in continuing our efforts in the glorification of human life pursuing the path of Satya and Dharma. Even a little knowledge of this, as Sri Krishna puts in Gita can save us from great calamities in life. In fact it is these values, which have preserved India throughout her incomparably long existence. These values, more than ever need perpetuation today, not through books, dogmas, rituals, temples or constitutional amendments, but through throbbing vibrant human lives so that they stand renewed and revived, simultaneously, rejuvenating our great Mother land and enriching our world civilization. To restore our Mother back to her vigour, health and glory we have also to make use of the most modern scientific knowledge blending it with our ancient wisdom. This tonic has to be mixed with a portion of our hearts aspirations. It also needs curing in the fumes of our self-sacrifice. Definitely it is a better way of living than wasting our precious lives through addiction to drugs, alcohol or other varieties of self-destroying influences. Swamiji firmly believed that On our work depends the coming of the India of the future. She is there ready waiting. She is only sleeping. Therefore to make a great future India, the whole secret lies in organization, accumulation of power, coordination of wills. Already before my mind rises one of the marvelous verses of the Rig-Veda Samhita which says, Be thou all of one mind, be thou all of one thought. Being of one mind is the secret of society. That is the secret-accumulation of willpower, co-ordination, bringing them all, as it were, into one focus. (C. w. III. 299-300) Our Youth should strive for Eternal Life through their selfless surrender to the ideals our nation has always upheld. This is the challenge, which the Indian youth faces today. If we cling on to the old without allowing it to become our own lives experience we would become kupamandukas (frogs in the well)

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which sooner or later would lead to our cultural and spiritual death. That would also mean closing our doors on expansion, growth and freedom. Those who adore Swamiji have to see that these universal values in life are restored and not lost forever. Otherwise it would also mean the death of the most unifying and Universal Spiritual Tradition in the world. Such a thing can never be.. May Swamijis inspiring words kindle in all of us, a bright new flame of love for our Motherland and inspire us to re-dedicate ourselves for the service of our nation and our countrymen.

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