Kanchi Post
Kindly share your experience and ideas on how to propogate the Mahaswami's teachings and work. This section carries 'Posts' by devotees. Mail your ideas to contact@srimahaswami100.org
Go Seva is Gopala Seva
(Please see the video without fail. It is an eye opener of what
one man with devotion can do to pursue his passion)
Here is inspiring information about the effort to protect
cows in USA. It is a small start, but with more help from others, it has a huge
potential to become as a lifestyle for many.
"Serving a cow is equivalent to serving Lord Krishna" is the motto of
Sri. Sankar Sastri, enjoying the company of ten cows in a serene environment
close to Sri Sringeri Mutt at Stroudsburg, PA. and Sri Arsha Gurukul Vidyalaya
at Saylorsburg, PA. Refreshing air, clean pond and sprawling fields present a
striking contrast to polluted air, dirty rivers and crowded houses of
metropolitan cities in USA.
The company of cows, silence, and solitude make the
place ideal for reading the Bhagavad Gita, contemplation and meditation.
Prof. Sankar Sastri calls it "Lakshmi Cow Sanctuary" remembering the name of the
cow loved by Sri Ramana Maharishi. Prof. Sankar Sastri is inspired by
Kanchi Paramacharya who loved cows and spent many hours and days in Go Salas.
Hindus regard the cow as sacred for many reasons. Cows give milk for all people, from birth to death. When cows start producing milk in diminishing quantities or stop producing milk, they are sent to slaughter houses. At that stage, Sankar Sastri rushes to prevent cruelty to cows offering loving care and protection.
Prof. Sankar Sastri has a Doctorate degree in Engineering, worked as a Professor and Dean of Engineering in Brooklyn for decades, and now is enjoying retirement in the midst of cows. He shares his pension and social security with ten holy cows. His mission is to add divinity to the cow sanctuary and build a prayer hall for Go Mathaa. He visualizes youngsters in the area visiting the cow sanctuary and developing love for animals.
He wants to provide facilities for devotees to perform
Go Puja. He hopes that many others start similar cow sanctuaries in all the
states of America, India and the whole world.
Prof. Sastri is a role model for many retirees who aspire to engage themselves
in worth while projects and share their retirement benefits and social security
with cows.
It costs $45 a month to raise a cow. $1 buys 10 pounds
of feed for the cows.
Any money big or small could be used by him.
He is also looking for someone to help him in his chores. The person will get
free accommodation, free vegetarian food and also $500 per month.
http://www.kamakotidevotees .org/media/misc/cowprotection.wmv
For more information please contact:
Professor Sankar Sastri
C/o Lakshmi Cow Sanctuary
1515 Ridge Road
Bangor, PA 18013
U.S.A.
Email:
sankar1@yahoo.com <mailto:
sankar1@yahoo.com>
Tel. No: (610)599 8824; (610) 653 7079
Mahaswami & Go Samrakshanam
Few years back, a devotee of the kanchi mutt sent a
cuban newspaper paper cutting to the paramacharya about a secret pact agreed
between the European countries. Due to excess population of cows, there was a
oversupply of milk and all cheese/dairy products which in turn had a cascading
price effect. To reverse the tumbling prices, the European countries decided to
arrange slaughter of excess cows in each of their countries to arrest the excess
production of milk and cheese production.
The paramacharya instructed a very ardent devotee to discuss with the European
countries to make them give away those excess cows which in turn can be
relocated to various countries in and around India where there is malnutrition.
The gigantic effort was undertaken by this devotee who convinced these European
countries to give away those excess cows to the kanchi mutt for further
transportation by a cargo plane to the various deserving countries as per the
paramacharya's instructions. The ardent devotee doesnt wish to be named but
attributes this monumental task completely to the grace of the paramacharya.
Amar Chitra Katha
Maha Periyava's work has to be passed on to the younger generation. To day that is the only way we can salvage what ever is left of our dharma. It is my humble view that to expect the younger generation to read 7 volumes of Deyvathin Kural will simply not fly and will be counter productive. Therefore let us find out means and methods of bringing "Deyvathin Kural" in form pictorial presentation. To proceed we need artists who can draw and writers wo can script his teachings. Therefore my message let us spread MAHAPERIYAVA's teaching thru Comics/Amar Chitra Katha
Sathya
Wanted Audio-recordings
Mahaperiyavaa's Deivathin Kural is treasure house of knowledge. Being only in the print form means only literate people can read, enjoy and benefit from it. We need to spread his message to one and all. It would be a good idea to select some of the key topics and have it in audio form so that all can listen and follow his teachings. This can also be in different languages.
Devotee
Pidi Arisi
This was so simple & effective. The house wife put a handful of rice everyday along with 10 paise into a small mud pot, whenever she set out to cook for the family. Once a month or once a fortnight volunteers from the local community came home and collected the rice & the 10 paise. Rice & money thus collected were taken to the nearest local temple, where the rice was cooked and after neivedhyam to the deity was distributed amongst the beggars free. the amount collected was used for gas/firewood and condiments. The scheme in essence is a great one. How can we revive it and make it relevant to today's conditions. Let us think of ideas that will be relevant even for NRIs
Devotee
I feel that the pidi arisi scheme should have a structure that any village/town or city can easily follow. For NRI's - we should have some central scheme or trust where we can donate a sum toward the scheme annually so that we can also participate. Uniformity in the scheme will help any person living in India or any country abroad participate and know that they are making a difference. Jaya Jaya Shankara Hara Hara Shankara!!
Raghuram
Support to Veda Patashalas
What if a group of people adopted one patashala? For instance people who hail from the same village, could adopt the patashala in that village? People could also undertake to sponsor the teacher's salary, cost per student etc. We could also learn from the better run patashalas and follow their methods
Devotee
Yes it can be done. To adopt a student would take at least Rs.1,200/- pm. A provide financial aid to a teacher it would take a min of Rs. 5,000/-. These are very very conservative estimates. Not that it is impossible, but then u need find that many people who can take this responsibility. That is ahy my suggestion is that we try on volume. Rs. 10/- may also not beyond ones reach.
R. Sathyanarayana
Sponsorship of student & teacher etc are ideas in addition to the Rs 10 idea. If we just spread the message to a wide group, people can act according to their means. We hope the internet & its wide reach will help prompt such sponsorships.
Sridhar
Students are scarce and do not complete the course
Students do not enroll in large numbers and some of them do not continue to complete the course.They learn a few apllications and leave the course to earn their livelyhood. 1. How to get more students to learn Vedas? 2. How to keep them with sustained interest? The terms while joining the course should be attractive in terms of stipend and future prospects. The student and his family should be benefitted. The curriculam should include other subjects as in a regular school and adaptive if he wishes to continue higher studies. you can even think of the boy joining a course in Distance education while studying vedas.H e will comlete the course in Vedas and some degree course simultaneously.
Ramachandran
Sri Mahaswami has said in His Arulurai that each person should take a Life Insurance Policy and assign the same to a Veda Patasala so that the amount will be huge at the end of the endowment period and in case of any untoward eventuality of the insured person still his contribution will be given in full to the VedaPatasala as desired by him.Also the saving on tax for the premium paid will also be available to the assignor\insured. Imagine how much can be contributed to this cause by this simple way .
Devotee
Go Samrakshanam
Parmacharya was very much concerened about cow protection. I understand mutt has a trust to take are of old baren cows. When paramacharya went on vijaya yatra to north, some of the sankaracharyas protestingly asked him what he was doing for the cow protection. The sankaracharyas in the north had organised a campaign against cow slaughter and went on fasting. Our acharya asked them what was the effect of such campaign? Did the then govt ban cow slaughter? The answer was there was no impact and the cows were continued to be slaughtered. Our acharya told them that he had stared a trust for cow protection. Out of the funds collected in the trust , the trust is buying old cows and taking care of them ,which would have been other wise slaughtered. If we start start cow protection shelter each dist/taluka level and funds are made avialble we can stop cow slaughter. People will come forward to protect cows in their area. Regards
k.subramanian
Spreading His message
Periyaval's concern for the welfare of the society and discipline espcially among children is world known. The messages of periyaval can be propogated using FM channel which is on the air almost 24hrs. This can be done on all days or atleast on important festival days, amavaysa, sivarathri, vaikunda ekades etc. srikanchimahaswami100.org can also mobilise to start FM channel on their own to do this with prayers to pramacharya for fullfilling if the thinking is right
Devotee
Children love to hear stories from Paramacharya's childhood. The story of the gold bangle,the greedy cat are instant pointers to wisdom. Even reading out from HINDU DHARMA about half an hour a day to them really inspires them. Slokas cited by His Holiness memorised and asked like quiz questions help immensely . There is a sloka cited by HH to remember the eighteen puranas. Children love to chant that and name the puranas.. The focus of their lives should revolve around our Guru Parampara so any stories one hears about his miracles, his advice should be explained to them attentively as much as adults enjoy recounting them. There is a wealth in Paramacharya's wisdom and we need to do our duty in creating bedrock faith in them. With Pranams at HH LOTUS FEET daily let them start simply and steadily. HH guides them forever ,we know for we all are sheltered under his canopy.
Revive Nithya Pooja in Temples consecrated by Sri Mahaperiyaval
1. Constitute a group among devotees, to start
with five/seven members, who are interested in this work and spend time
for this wok
2.collect list of all temples consecreted by Paramacharya 3. segregate
those temples which stopped poojas for want of funds, personeel or any
other reason
4. estimate min.requirements for those temples which need immediate
attention- from funds as well as suitable personnel for performing
poojas and rituals connected with poojas like Neivedhyam etc., also
determine who will manage this temple locally
5. it is better to form local committes where the temple is sitauted and
activate local persons.
6. Funds can be raised centrally by the core group and locally and
managed
7. the central core group can give guide line to the local groups in the
respective places , audit from time to time the work from financial and
other aspects
Devotee