Vishwaguru Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda speaks on Non-Violence: AHIMSA means non-violence, love and respect for the freedom of all creatures, humans and animals. Nobody should harm anybody with their thoughts, words or actions. Non-violence means to actively accept the right of all living beings, including animals: respect other‘s needs, respect other‘s cultural traditions and religions. Ahimsa(non-violence) is directly related to tolerance. However, in order to accept others one must first be self-tolerant. As my grandmaster, Bhagwan Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji once said: "If you would like others to be good to you, then first be good to others. In this way you will understand the Divine within you and within all living beings."
AHIMSA PARAMO DHARMA
Never cause any harm to anyone.
Non - violence is the highest principle.
The main commitment of mankind on this earth is to protect all creatures in all their forms and manifestations of existence. To realize this, it is necessary to adopt a different way of thinking and acting in everyday life. It is important for our existence to cultivate love, help, tolerance and understanding not only between individuals, but among all humans, all nations, races and religions as well. It is also necessary to accept every human being as a part of the eternal cycle. All have chances for individual development and all have duties to fulfill on Earth. Human life is given to serve the God's creation and to attain Moksha (liberation). This is what Bhagwan Sri Deep Narayan Mahaprabhuji told to devotees in the midst of the Thar desert in India, a hundred years ago.
The concept of eternal cycles is inherent to Indian philosophy, not only in regard to reincarnation, but also with application to environmental protection. The most terrible pollution is pollution of the mind. Outer purity alone will not suffice; only a pure consciousness brings inner and outer happiness.
Modern society is the source of stress, of permanent conflict between wishes and abilities. The loss of contact with nature and its natural cycles is an additional cause of stress. There's no country in the world today which hasn't been in war. Millions of people - children, women and soldiers – still suffer as a consequence of conflicts and war. None know which direction to go, yet finally all spontaniously turn to the religion known by them, to God and the quest for union with Him. God knows no borders or continents. He knows no terms of race, caste, nation, political party or religion. He loves all equally.
As yoga is the origin of all religion, it offers the answer for all suffering people on this planet.
Yoga has its origin in Vedas. Yoga is balance, harmony, it means union of body and mind, physical nature and consciousness, of the individual with the cosmic Self, of nations and religions, of all living beings. "Yoga in Daily Life", the system I created for modern civilization, is based on the ancient authentic literature, the philosophy of non-dualism and the principle of Sat Sanathan Dharma (the eternal religion), which postulates that this world has been created by one God who created humans as well as animals, plants and inorganic materials. All creatures are the children of one creator; all living beings are part of one whole family.
This is the main point of my system, which can be practiced in everyday life. It offers therapeutic help for people, and it is a set of recommendations how to achieve balance of mind and spiritual harmony, how to purify one's consciousness and finally how to realize one's Self. A real yogi is a person who radiates love, peace, forgiveness, wisdom and compassion, and who is always willing to offer help and protection to any living being.
The main aims of "Yoga in Daily Life" the system are:
• Physical health
• Mental health
• Social health
• Spiritual health
• Self-Realization
• Protection of the environment
This includes as principles of daily life:
• love and help for all living beings
• respect for life
• peace in the world
• protection of nature
• tolerance for all - nationalities, cultures and religions.
The system “Yoga in Daily Life” with its feature meditation technique of „Self-Enquiry“ provides a means for Self-Realization , which allows everybody to find their own personal way to God, whilst at the same time emphasising one's own responsibility in achieving this goal. Unlike some religions, this responsibility for one's life and development remains with oneself.
There are many ways to find our inner self and God, and Yoga respects them all. Each of us has their own spiritual path and pursues it with different speed and dedication.
God is seen as a creating principle without form in all creation, which in Sanskrit is refered to as the Nirguna principle (God without form). God manifest in the form of creatures is referred to in Sanskrit as the Sarguna principle. In all religions, God in Sarguna form is represented by spiritual persons, saints and holy incarnations, who spread the Divine message. These days however people find it hard to accept God in Sarguna form and to follow. For those who are still searching, it is a good alternative to view God in mother nature and learn to see God’s creating power everywhere and in everyone. Yoga accepts both: if one believes in the creating power of the universe or in a holy person – both are manifestations of one and the same principle. Each of us explores feelings of unity with creation in our own way, in nature or in holy persons or places.
Mantra , the essence of prayer, is a holy word or sentence given by a spiritual master to a disciple as a tool for spiritual development. It is a great help for purification and the control of mental thoughts. Repetition of a mantra calms inner vrittis (mental fluctuations) and unites the individual consciousness with the Cosmic One. Mental fluctuations can be controlled and positively changed to avoid negative thoughts and bring inner harmony, purity and silence in order to perceive subtle spiritual feelings.
World peace is possible only if all the religious and political leaders of this globe preach tolerance, recognition and respect for all other cultures, traditions, languages, races, nationalities and religions.
It is a prime duty of all spiritual and political leaders of this age to guide humanity towards clarity through tolerance and forgiveness, to give others rights, acknowledge them and preach that we are all children of the one God.
In the heavenly kingdom there is no duality, there is no difference between religion, caste, colour, race or language. There is absolute harmony, balance, understanding, bliss and unity.
We all belong to the greatest and only one religion on this Earth - HUMANITY.
With the blessing of Gurudev,
Vishwaguru Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda
Vép, Hungary 4/5. 7. 2000
