Swami Vishveshwarananda Saraswati,
President, Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas, addressing the Sadhus,
on the occasion of Brahmotsava of
Omkarananda-Kamakshi-Devi Mandir, on 3rd April 2015

Hari OM!

My heartfelt Adorations to all the Saints, who are here.

There is no place more important than the place, where there is great spiritual purity. There is no life greater than the life of a spiritual aspirant, of a Saint, Sage or of a Swami.

In today's environment there is a lot of danger for the spiritual aspirant to be manipulated and taken away into a world of ignorance and darkness. The most important culture, the Vedic culture, is suffering. And that is the reason why our Gurudev Paramahamsa Omkarananda Saraswati has requested that young boys should grow up into the life of Saints and Sages, into the life of Pandits. These boys of our Omkarananda Gayatri Ved Vidyalaya are living a life of highest purity. Every day they are praying, their life is full of discipline, and that is what we need. Our India is otherwise suffering. So, we need these type of people. We need people like you. We need the Sadhus.

Gurudev Paramahamsa Omkarananda has strictly advised us to do everything and to spend everything to uplift this extremely wonderful culture, this Vedic culture. Today you have seen the way, the students of our Omkarananda Gayatri Ved Vidyalaya were chanting the Mantras. It is of course typical Maharashtrian style. We all know, that in Maharashtra the chanting and pronunciation belong to one of the highest standards.

Paramahamsa Shri Swami Omkarananda said, that there is no prayer greater than Yajna, the holy fire-ceremony. In our Ashram every day on two places Yajna is performed. With Agni Devata everything started, and with Agni Devata everything will be complete.

Life is very short and a life without a spiritual background is no life. It is therefore very, very important, that in our society are Sadhus like you. Sadhus have given up the world. Sadhus are supposed to be free from desire, free from attachment, free from jealousy and hatred. Sadhus are the link between the Divinity and the human being. The human being should like to be in touch with the Sadhus to come closer to the Divinity.

Life is very short. Let us do the maximum in the minimum of time. None of us knows, where he will be tomorrow. So, whatever good or divine you want to do, do it now! We should always focus on the Divinity. As I told you, if the Divinity is not behind us, our life is really in darkness.

Very often we are wasting time, and we say, "I belong to this … place, to that … religion." Every true religion is teaching Love, every true religion is teaching the Truth. But we are dividing ourselves, we are fighting among us here, instead of spending our time in prayers, in meditation. In order to be more helpful to each and every one, we should constantly pray. If our life is not constantly focussed on the Divinity, then where are we standing? Lord Krishna has clearly said, "See Me in each and everything, then you will come to Me."

It is very good, if we have knowledge. It is very necessary, but knowledge without a Heart will not work. We must have Dedication, Devotion. Lord Krishna has clearly said, that in today's time Karma Yoga is the finest Purifier. Unless and until our heart is not purified, no Divinity will come to us. We are searching the Divinity everywhere and where It is finally? In us.

Very often, if anything has happened, people are telling, "Oh, this is simply my destiny." Everyone has his destiny in his own hands. If you have a knife, you can do some good work, you can also do a bad work. God has given everyone the freedom, the freedom to do whatever he likes. If he uses the freedom for a good cause, good things will come to him. If he misuses the freedom for selfish purpose, difficulty will come to him.

Religion is not a show business, religion is life, a true life. The life of a man without religion is dull, is empty, and it will lead to nothing. So, whatsoever religion anyone is living or is believing in, that particular religion he should live truthfully, honestly, with greatest dedication.

Once more my greatest Adorations to all the Saints! I always like to see all this saffron here. I feel very much comfortable with all of you, and I feel especially great, that these youngsters of Omkarananda Gayatri Ved Vidyalaya are coming up here. And we hope, more and more will come, and I can assure everyone, we will not leave a single stone unturned to establish more such types of wonderful Schools, apart from the many other educational Institutions of Omkarananda Ashram Himalayas.

The final truth in our life is, that we have to realise the Divine. Unless and until we have not realised the Divine, we are living in sorrow, in misery. Life is here to realise the Divine, we have to go back to the Source, from where we have come.

Swami Omkarananda Maharaj ki Jay!

Thank you!