Sanatana Dharma is for the upliftment of everyone

5 Feb 2012, Ayiroor, Cherukolpuzha, Kerala

100th Annual Hindu Samelan

“Today is the auspicious occasion of the 100th anniversary celebrations of the Cherukolpuzha Hindumata Parishat. Seeing the ignorance of the common man regarding the principles of Hindu Dharma and the money being extravagantly spent for religious festival celebrations, Mahatma Sri Chattambi Swami’s heart was filled with pain. Understanding that knowledge alone can uplift people, Swami desired to open the doors of knowledge to everyone. Thus, it was to increase knowledge and unity in the people that Hindu Hindumata Parishat started functioning under Swami’s guidance” said Amma in her address. Since then the meeting has been held annually on the banks of the sacred Pampa river. Amma was first invited to the event in the year 2000 for the 88th congregation. Today, 12 years later, Amma returned for the 2nd time to inaugurate the 100th annual Hindumata Parishat. The congregation will last one week, each day will be full of different activities led by various spiritual leaders.

Upon arriving to the stage, Amma was welcomed by T.Upendranatha Kurup, president of the Hindumata

Mahamandalam. Amma then officially inaugurated the event officially by lighting the lamp in the presence of other dignitaries, including Prof. P.J Kurian (MP), Anto Antony (MP), Sivadasan Nair (MLA), Raju Abharam (MLA), O.Rajagopal, Swami Vedananda Saraswati, Sri Sivananda Sarma, and Kummanam Rajasekharan

Amma extended the reach of the MAM’s charitable activities by presenting 10 local women with Rs.25,000 of working capital for self employment.

Two days before the event began, two local families were featured on the local TV news, showing their dire financial plight after the fathers of each family lost their means of livelihood. Both families ended up living under a bridge. Amma was informed of their struggle and invited them to the program and offered them each plots of land and a promise to build each a new home.

After the charitable functions ended, Amma graced the occasion with her satsang and bhajans.

In her satsang Amma said, “The relationship between man, Nature and God—Sanatana Dharma is the culture that saw this relationship in its entirety. Hindu Dharma offers the world principles and ideals of goodness and betterment for all beings. These have been handed down to us through the generations as the experiences of our rishis. Sanatana Dharma, in reality, is not a religion. It is the sum total of all the principles, pathways of spiritual practice and customs leading to the moral and spiritual upliftment of everyone.

Dharma, artha and kama—all are accepted. However we are also reminded that moksha—or Self-knowledge—is the real goal of life. Hindu Dharma’s foundation is the expansive vision of seeing and worshipping out True Self in all beings, in the earth, the sky, the wind, the ocean and the whole of nature.

One of the unique features of Hinduism is to help every person rise by going down to his level. People are of different samskaras—mental tendencies. Each person should be guided according to their samskara. For example, some patients may be given injections, while others are given tablets. People may go to a doctor complaining that they have stomachache, but the doctor doesn’t give the same medicine to each and every person. The stomachache could be due to indigestion, it could be due to appendicitis or it could be due to an ulcer or even cancer. The doctor must write the prescription according to the needs of the patient. Similarly, one should be advised to follow a particular spiritual path only after we’ve taken into consideration their physical and mental constitution and samskara. That is how the different paths of spiritual practices came into existence in Hinduism.”

After the bhajans Amma led everyone in a manasa puja and mediation before starting darshan.

At the time of posting this, (3am on 6th Feb), Amma is still continuing darshan on the banks of the sacred river Pampa at Cherukolpuzha.

– Kannadi