Souvenir: Centenary Celebrations For Swami Chidananda
24th September
1916-2016
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Book Code: EC23
Hardcover: 133 pages
ISBN: NA
Book Dimensions: 10.2 x 9.2 x 0.7 inches
Shipping Weight: 1,100 grams
Table of Contents
| Inside Front Cover | |
| Inside Back Cover | |
| Publishers’ Note | |
| How Do I Worship … | 1 |
| Who Is Swami Chidananda? | 3 |
| Worship And Adoration | 23 |
| The Guru He Knows | He Cares | He Protects | He Guides |
45 |
| Saints And Holy Places | 101 |
| The Real And The Unreal | 121 |
| Revelation | 129 |
Inner Front Cover
The students flashed out their autograph books and exclaimed, “Your Name Please!” Swamiji asked them, “Do you want my false name or my real name?” Swamiji wrote ‘Swami Chidananda’ on the autograph book and said, “This is my false name.” Then he wrote ‘OM’ in his beautiful handwriting and said, “This is my real name!” ॐ
Inner Back Cover
When the Lord is present everywhere, so why should I close my eyes to meditate upon Him? Why not simply open my eyes and behold Him everywhere? When the Lord is right within me and never apart from me, then why should I open my eyes and try to see Him? With eyes open or closed I shall always abide in the Lord, and the Lord shall always abide in me.
Publishers’ Note
Souvenir means remembering!
Remembering our beloved Master Swami Chidananda! Remembering His love, His wisdom, His laughter,
His compassion, His singing, His teaching, His Holiness,
His Selflessness, His beauty, His Divinity!
Remembering all this and more, our gratitude is immeasurable
for having lived in the time when He was walking this earth
and having been in His Presence.
Then remembering becomes a CELEBRATION!
We are bowing down to God, to Gurudev and to You, Swamiji,
for this incredible grace!
We bow at your feet, beloved Swamiji,
praying for your eternal blessings!
MAY WE EVER REMEMBER TREE!
MAY WE EVER SING THY GLORIES!
MAY WE ABIDE IN TREE FOREVER AND EVER!
The Divine Life Society
HOW DO I WORSHIP THAT ENTITY,
WHICH IS LIMITLESS
AND WITHOUT BORDERS ?
WHICH IS FULL OF PERENNIAL BLISS ?
WHICH HAS A FORM THAT IS BEYOND IMAGINATION ?
AND WHICH STANDS ALONE WITHOUT A SECOND ?
HOW CAN I GIVE HIM A PLACE,
WHEN HE IS SPREAD EVERYWHERE ?
HOW CAN I OFFER HIM A SEAT,
WHEN HE CARRIES
THE ENTIRE UNIVERSE ?
HOW CAN I OFFER HIM
A SIP OF WATER,
WHEN HE HIMSELF IS THE NECTAR ?
The Guru
Excerpt
One day, while returning to the Ashram after visiting Geeta Bhawan on the other side of the Ganga a beggar asked for a coin. As a beginner in divine life, I was religiously practising Gurudev’s instruction of ‘GIVE’. I searched my pockets for a coin. There was no coin and I found only one two rupee note. I was reluctant to part with two rupees for one beggar as I could satisfy eight beggars with those two rupees, converting it into small coins. I was indecisive and did not give anything. I was unhappy with myself.
We reached the Samadhi Mandir where Swami Chidanandaji was addressing the Sadhaks. To my utter surprise, He was explaining the teachings of Swami Sivananda on the topic ‘GIVE’. Swamiji said “Giving is a Sadhana. It has to be performed with large heart and proper understanding. Suppose you have gone to the other side of the Ganges. A beggar approaches you for a coin; you search your pockets and find only one two rupee note. You are indecisive and think that instead of satisfying eight beggars, why should I give it to one? This is not proper. Who is that beggar? He is Lord Narayana. If you are hungry, can you appease your hunger with one morsel of rice? How pitiable it is! Always see the Lord in the receiver! Then ‘GIVING’ will be converted into direct worship of God who dwells in you and in him and who is both Antarayami and Sarvavyapak “
I was stupefied. It was beyond my intellect to understand. How the Master knew everything — tit-bit of my actions — on the other side of the Ganges? In reply to the question in my mind, the compassionate master went on telling,
“I am only a dummy Chidananda sitting here and talking to you. You are seeing my physical form. But the real Chidananda is within you! I dwell in you as Antaryami. I see everything, whatever you think and talk and wherever you are. I look after you.”
Revelation
It was Gurupurnima 2003. Swami came into the Pandal dripping wet from the pouring rain, slowly, shaky and did Pranam to Gurudev and Lord Narayana. He was led to the seat, his legs were folded, and people were crying, wishing that he could go home and rest.
But then Swami started singing and talking, REVEALING that he was not this body, not this mind — REVEALING his true nature and awakening the true nature of everyone present. He was ageless, timeless, full of joy and love. He was in ecstasy:
You are all divinities! Your real nature is beyond the three bodies, devoid of the five sheaths, witness of the three states of waking, dreaming, deep sleep. You are pure consciousness, Satchidananda Swarupa, Ananda Swarupa, the one non-dual Parabrahman! You can only laugh, laugh, laugh, because you are Ananda Swarupa, an ocean of Ananda. It is pure, unalloyed, hundred percent bliss. Ananda is the second name for Bhagavan!
Gurudev used to sing: ‘Anandoham Anandoham Anandam Brahma Anandam’
Ananda is Brahman!
In 1949 on the Gurupurnima day, Guru Maharaj gave the name ‘Chidananda’ to this body and blessed this servant so that he may never forget his real nature, because from the very pronunciation of the name — I will never forget. I will always know that I am ‘Chitswarupa’ and ‘Anandaswarupa’! Some people used to think when Gurudev sang a certain song that he was singing about this disciple; but Gurudev sang it in his own ecstatic mood
Chidanand Chidanand Chidananda hoon
Har Halme Halmast Satchidananda hoon
Ajaranand Amaranand Achalananda hoon
Har Halme Almast Satchidananda hoon
— I pray to all the saints that they may shower their choicest blessings and confer upon all of you prosperity, happiness, good health here, but at the same time the supreme bliss of Kaivalya Moksha, not in some distant future, but in this very birth! This is my humble prayer; this is my humble prayer; this is my humble prayer, three times, again and again and yet again!
That which is deathless and immortal within the physical cage of flesh and bones,
That thou art, O Swetaketu! Tat Twam Asi, O Swetaketu!