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2003 New Year Message

By

Sri Swami Chidananda

Om! Om! Om!

Om Sri Ganeshaya Namah!
Om Sri Gurubhyo Namah!
Om Sri Vishwanathaya Namah!

Gurur Brahma Gurur Vishnu Gurur Devo Maheshwarah
Guruh Sakshat Parabrahma Tasmai Sri Gurave Namah!

I offer my salutations and adorations, devout prostrations to the Spiritual Master, Guru, who is equal to God, God, who is the creator, preserver and dissolver of this entire universe and countless universes.

Radiant Immortal Atman!
Beloved Children of Light,

My fellow-residents of this Planet Earth! Fellow-dwellers of this terra firma, this world of ours, human world of ours! They have asked Swami Chidananda to give a New Year’s Message for this New Year that is approaching us. That will come within a few days, New Year A.D. 2003. Today is the 27th of December 2002. So, we have got just a few more days 28, 29, 30, 31; four days; 5th day is the 1st of January 2003.

Many times before I have been requested for the New Year message and it has been given to them. There is nothing new on earth. Nothing new to say. But then the receivers may be new, the hearers may be new. 50 years ago I might have given a New Year’s message but then that generation is passed, a new generation is now occupying that field. Therefore, from that point of view whatever is said is always new. It is perennially new, because new people hear it. It is not the same group of people who hear it.

My very first admonition, my very first prayer to you, request to you, is: Begin the New Year by lifting up your heart and mind, your entire being through inner vision, a lifting up to GOD and asking Him earnestly and sincerely that the Year 2003 may be an ideal Year filled with 365 ideal, golden days Divinely Lived; they may be 365 days filled with Truthfulness, Compassion and Kindness and Purity and Nobility of Thought, Word and Deed. May everyday that you live, bring some benefit to all life around you.

May everyday of this New Year that you live, bring the source of good to others, bring the source of joy to others and bring the source of happiness to others. May it be helpful to all the living creatures and inanimate and immobile things like trees and plants, even the grass that grows on the ground they are also your kith and kin. Let such be the nature of your entire New Year from 1st of January to 31st of December 2003. And when you wake up in the morning or when you go to bed on 31st of December this year, the last closing day, and when you wake up in the morning, wake up with the resolution that I will make this New Year 2003 four times as valuable, beautiful, ideal and useful as the year that has just passed, 2002. Let the New be better than the Old. Let the future be better than the passed in this way you must make up your mind. You must take time to cast a bird’s eye view upon the Year that has just passed, from 1st of January 2002 to 31st of December 2002. Cast a bird’s eye view and see what type of period it has been. What have been its fine points, good points! What have been its minus points! What have been its drawbacks! So that, this bird’s eye view that you cast gives you an idea, the general nature of the past year, so that you make up your mind, correct all the little errors. No human is perfect, God alone is perfect. Correct and set right little mistakes and also see that they are not repeated in the New Year, they are not once again committed. Because, from the Old Year we have learnt and upon the basis of that knowledge you have to make the New Year a better one. And the effort always should be progress, progress, ascent. Because, the law, the overall law, that prevails not only in the human world but, prevails in all life upon this earth, is the law of evolution, ascending from the lower to the higher, further, still higher, still higher, until fullness and perfection is reached. That is the Law, the Law of evolution. So, the living of human life is a progression upon the path of evolution. You must never forget it. Always keep it in mind and see that everything that you think, everything that you utter and speak, every action that you engage in, takes you further and upward upon this path of evolution and perfection especially human life because it is intelligent life where you can be selective in your thoughts, selective in your words, selective in your actions, selective in the manner of your relating yourself to life around you. And therefore in this intelligent, selective and purposeful process you must utilise this God-given faculty in the highest measure. Remember this phrase, human life means an ascent to perfection because the Law of evolution prevails Evolution, Ascent. Life means upward ascent unto fullness and perfection. Because, you are made in the likeness of God, God is all-full, God is all-perfect, you are made in His likeness. So the potential for that human perfection, the potential for that Divinity is already there in you. So, that potential should be made patent. That which is latent should be made dynamically patent. Feel your oneness with all humanity, be a world citizen. Say, ‘every person living upon this earth is my brother’. May the oneness of all life and the fraternity or brotherhood of mankind, be always the guiding sentiment, guiding emotion in the living of your life. If there have been any little bitter pills around and in the things that you have experienced through some others, forget it. Be great, be large-hearted. Forget it. Human imperfection will always be there. Say, ‘he will also be Ok, he will also evolve’. Say that and forget little trivial mistakes and always be large-hearted, forgiving, loving, expressing humaneness, expressing friendliness and not allowing anything in the nature of a negativity to be in your heart.

My message to the whole world, my message to all human beings, my message to all those who are hearing this audio cassette or video cassette is: You are Divine; therefore your life also should be Divine. Therefore be Divine 100 percent in everything that you do, everything that you think and feel. Wherever you go, the whole atmosphere becomes uplifted, becomes Divine. Divine thou art, Divine therefore be your life. This is the keynote of the message to mankind that Holy Master Gurudev Sri Swami Sivanandaji Maharaj, our Beloved and Worshipful Friend, Philosopher and Guide in this life gave to mankind. Divinity! Divinity! And I reiterate this keynote of His teachings. Because, there cannot be a greater and more appropriate message than that which he has given for the whole world. Feel unity in your common Divinity. Feel unity, never think yourself to be separate, and feel fraternity or brotherhood and feel friendliness and as the great Sakya Muni Tathagata Buddha said Feel loving kindness towards every living being. He called it ‘metta’, ‘karunya metta’, loving, compassion and kindness. ‘Metta’ means friendship, maitri. And study carefully the 12th chapter of the Srimad Bhagavat Gita, specially the last 8 verses. It is called Yoga of Devotion. Lord Krishna tells Arjuna, in that particular chapter, O Arjuna, I will now tell you how my devotee, one who has devotion to me, one who calls himself my devotee, how my devotee will conduct himself or herself, how my devotee will talk, how my devotee will move, how my devotee will behave, what will be the nature of my devotee! And He says, I am telling it for your benefit. These teachings are very rare. And He calls these teachings in the last 8 verses of the 12th chapter, Nectarine Teachings. They are nectar or ambrosia, Amrit. Study that daily. It is a short portion. In your own language, Italian language, English language, German language, Spanish language, whatever is your language. It is available in all languages. Study those incessantly. Read the 12th chapter of Bhagavat Gita. It is a short Chapter, 12th chapter, that follows after Lord shows His universal form to Arjuna in the 11th chapter. At the request of Arjuna He gives His teachings specially, on the special request of Arjuna. Arjuna is overwhelmed by the teachings. He says, I am completely overwhelmed. Therefore what all you have told is gone out of my mind. Tell me again the essence of your teachings. Then Lord says ‘yes’ and so He gives him the essence of His teachings. Read also the teachings of the Great Saint of Nazareth Isa, Jesus who was born in Bethlehem and lived in the area Nazareth and who ultimately finished His life, gave up His life in Jerusalem the given words of this Great man, Saintly man, Embodiment of virtue, embodiment of Divinity taken from the four gospels of His disciples Luke, Mark, Matthew, and John. We have given only those words and each one of you should treat it as your New Year gift. Read this and read Bhagavat Gita’s 12th chapter and make your life sublime, and never forget your real nature that you are like a wave, a part of the ocean; You are a part of Ocean of Eternal Existence, Ocean of Bliss, Ocean of pure Divine Consciousness. Sat Chit Ananda, Existence, Consciousness, Bliss Absolute. God is the Infinite, Limitless, Eternal Timeless Ocean of Sat Chit Ananda. Existence, Consciousness, Bliss. Upon that ocean you are a wave. You are also Existence, Consciousness, Bliss. Your real identity, your real nature, dwells within the visible body; it is an invisible Divinity and that is your real identity. Live your life based upon the knowledge of that Divinity. Let your life be a process of the manifestation of that higher Truth. This is my message to you all upon this 1st of January 2003. Thank you for giving this opportunity.

May God and Gurudev shower their grace upon you all!

Hari Om Tat Sat

Om Purnamadah Purnamidam Purnat Purnamudachyate
Purnasya Purnamadaya Purnamevavashishyate!
Om Shantih, Shantih, Shantih


Last Updated: Saturday, 24-Jul-2021 00:17:51 EDT
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