If there is any valid example to reveal that Spirituality is not just blind superstition but a live teaching tradition, which is at once logical, within the ambits of actualisation of a common man, it is Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati. Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati is one of the rare masters who have a clarity that is rarely seen supported by an effective means of communication and genuine simple natural love flowing through the teaching.
‘A great and noble soul is one, who makes the others great and noble,’ is what Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati told in 1971 in a private interview. How true it is, for Swamiji has created very many noble souls and each in turn creating many more. The entry of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati into the spiritual world was at a time when the word tradition was abhorred and the craze was to interpret scriptures in terms of modernity-science, placing speculations and beliefs ahead of seeing the truth. On the other side was another group that converted the whole teaching into a body of mysticism, giving room to ‘experience syndrome’ and ‘vasana phobia’. Good numbers of people thought that Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati would be a square plug in a round hole- a total misfit. Not only was Swamiji sticking to the tradition in terms of teaching, but also in his life-style.
Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati’s Geeta Jnana Yajna in Madras drew Natarajan’s attention. He discovered a Master in Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati, whom he served at all levels for over twenty five years. Such devotion to the master is rarely seen and he was ever at the service of the Master. He was responsible for a majority of the Public lectures of Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati on the Bhagavad Geeta and Upanishads, to be beautifully presented in a book-form. The singular minded devotion, the yearning for knowledge, the work ethics as well as the organising capacities, drew the attention of Swami Chinmayananda. His yearning for knowledge compelled Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati to send him to a traditional Master for a short time, which brought Natarajan to Swami Pranavananda of Gudivada. The short stay there cleared the path and with the blessings of Swami Pranavananda, Natarajan returned to his teacher. The successful stay at Gudivada and the commitment to Knowledge along with the other innate traits in Natarajan compelled Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati to initiate him into Sannyasa giving him the Yoga patta Swami Dayananda Saraswati. “If there is anybody that befits the name, it is only him, said Swami Chinmayananda after giving sannyasa”. Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati went on a sabbatical to study the Sastras in a traditional way, under Swami Tarananda Giri, though as a Brahmachari, he had studied under few scholars.
Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati served his master at the organisational level till 1982 and with his blessings, wanted to retire to Rishikesh to lead a quiet life of teaching and being with his students. Lord had other plans for this great Master. A teaching institution sprung around him even as he withdrew from active organisational work. Few students of this great Master taking the leading role supported by well-wishers, started a new set-up purely for the work to continue both in India as well as in the West. This unique institution is Arsha Vidya and Arsha Vidya Gurukulam as a teaching centre came up in Pennsylvania in 1985 under the auspices of Arsha Vidya Pitham. Here, Swami Pujya Dayananda Saraswati conducted one three year Vedanta course generating more masters in the West to continue the teaching.
In the 90’s Arsha Vidya Gurukulam, was established in India in South India. In the early 90’s Pujya Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati conducted one more residential 3 year Vedanta course followed by two more courses where Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati was taking classes intermittently, as Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati’s presence was needed all over the world. Swami Dayananda Ashram, where Swamiji was staying during his sabbatical grew up to become a retreat centre, and a centre for varied Vedanta and spiritual camps of both Swami Dayananda Saraswati as well as his students.
In a Satsang, to a question, Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati said, “I would love to see hundred Dayanandas moving about teaching and bringing about a resurgent India with the teaching being seen as a live-tradition by all people.” The tradition though live, was not seen as a living tradition, because Masters were few. The sankalpa of Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati has come true with not just a hundred Dayanandas moving about but hundreds of them, some in ochre robes like him and the others in white clothes.
Blessed is this world for not only recognising this great Master but also being in a position to serve him! It will be after a long, long time, we can see another Pujya Swami Dayananda Saraswati.
Pujya Sri Swami Dayananda Saraswati was initiated into Sannyasa by Sri Swami Chinmayananda Saraswati in the early ‘60’s. He studied under traditional Masters and is a distinguished, traditional teacher of Vedanta. His depth of understanding of the Scriptures as well as the human conditions, the clarity of the vision along his child-like simplicity makes him that rare teacher who communicates the vision of non-duality to all sections of society. He effectively and effortlessly makes one see-actualise the truth of oneself as Limitless-free from all forms of limitations.
Pujya Sri Swami Dayananda has been teaching Vedanta in India for more than four decades. Swamiji has addressed at most prestigious American universities, and has addressed at international conventions, UNESCO and the United Nations, where he participated in the Millennium Peace Summit.
‘Wise person is one who makes the other wise’ and true to this Pujya Swamiji has kindled that vision in all his students. He is a teacher of teachers and has formatted course patterns for six Vedanta courses each spanning 30 to 36 months. Four of them were conducted in India, and two in the United States. The graduates from those courses are all qualified acharyas- teachers, teaching around the world. More than one hundred of his students are now swamis highly respected as scholars and teachers throughout India and abroad.
Swami Dayananda’s guidance, two main teaching centers have been established in India are the Swami Dayananda Ashram in Rishikesh and the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam in Coimbatore. In the North American continent the main teaching center is the Arsha Vidya Gurukulam at Saylorsburg, Pennsylvania. Very many teaching centres carry on the same teaching tradition around the world. One Swami Dayananda has kindled over 150 Dayananda’s who are teaching round the world.
Swami Dayananda has also initiated and supported various philanthropic efforts. The All India Movement (AIM) for Seva, inaugurated in November, 2000, brings medical, educational, nutritional and infrastructure assistance to villagers in the remote areas of India. This movement enjoys the blessing of all traditional Hindu spiritual leaders who have united as a single body, the Acharya Sabha, through the coordinating efforts of Swami Dayananda. In November 2001, Swami Dayananda convened the first World Congress for the Preservation of Religious Diversity in Delhi, inaugurated by the Dalai Lama and the then Prime Minister Mr.A.B.Vajpayee. An important outcome of the Congress is the formation of a Global Commission for the Preservation of Religious Diversity, spearheaded by Swami Dayananda. The Commission had its inaugural meeting in Bangkok in June, 2002. Swami Dayananda was also active in forming and participating in the Women’s Global Peace Initiative, which convened at the United Nations in Geneva in October 2002.
May the blessings of this great Master be there on all!!
