MANAV KENDRA

 

The Highest Order is to rise into Universal brotherhood, Aye, to consider all creatures your equal.

- Nanak

 

All Mankind is one

These are the memorable words in which the great teacher, himself a firm believer in a classless class, gave not only the yogins of his time, but to all humankind, for all times, a grand lesson in the art of living. According to the awakened and the enlightened one, all men in spite of the distinctive social order to which they belong and the denominational religions to which they owe their allegiance form but one class, or social order.

 

World Teachers: Avatars and Saints

 

A real teacher is know by the catholicity of his views in religious matters which attracts, from far and near, all types of people; rich and poor, learned and unlearned, young and old, in the different strata of life, regardless of sex, avocation and their nationalities and make out of them a beautiful pattern that irradiates a fragrant light of variegated hues. He exhorts: ‘Be one and sit together as members of one family. Remove all differences by sinking them in the love of the Lord’.

 

This is not something new. All the prophets and the messiahs, the apostles and the teachers in the past have said the same thing over and over again. With the passage of time, the good old customs tend to corrupt themselves. And we, engrossed too much in the world and worldly pursuits soon forget the verities of life and gradually drift away from them and begin to modify them so as to serve us as mere convenience for the work-a-day busy life on earth-plane. In the present times, when mind and matter have gained ascendancy over everything else, we find to our dismay that we have lost our mooring and are adrift like flotsam on the sea life. It is to salvage he wreckage of what we have made of the precious human soul that Saviour appears from time to time. Such indeed is the law of nature, the law of demand and supply, coming down from the hoary past and working in all the spheres of existence. The present times are no exception to this law.

 

Nature being the handiwork of God abhors vacuum in God’s creation. The All-pervading Spirit and Power of God  is ever on the move, restoring equilibrium Whenever there occurs an imbalance of forces or a violent disturbance in the different operational aspects of man; social or political, moral or religious, and above all spiritual. In such times, the men of God, sometimes in the form of “Avtars” and sometimes as Saints come down to the earth to fulfill the divine mission: may be to restore peace and harmony among the warring faction so that they may live in amity and concord as children of God; or to lead back the sincere seekers after Truth, yearning to go back to the home of their father. These are but two sides of the coin and cannot be wholly separated from each other and yet are generally worked out by different means according to the exigencies of the time. In the chequered history of mankind there have, at times, been occasions when both the functions had to be taken in hand by Saints, to wit normalization of human affairs even by the use of force, if necessary, so as to keep the world ageing on harmonious lines, as well as, to put the world weary aspiring souls on the Godward path.

 

The World in Flames

 

We are, fortunately or unfortunately, living in a potentially dangerous era in human history. It is an age of electronics. It is an age torn by all kinds of strifes and storms; social , political religious, ideological and what not; when country is set against destructive armaments. Man is just playing the antics, like an ape, on the  top of a steep precipice and knows not what avalanche of fire and brimstone, he may at any unguarded moment and unwittingly let loose and engulf the world in flames. In the midst of a tumultuous turmoil of jarring element, we are living under the very shadow of death. With all our progress in arts and sciences and the tremendous strides taken by us in the field of technology, we have not been able to free ourselves from fear and tensions, and to lead a peaceful existence. It is because man has so constituted himself by his rapacious instinct as to become wholly selfish. As such, he is constantly at war with his fellow being, with the result that there is always going on an unequal war – war of one against all and all against one, and the more so he is at war even with his own self. War has thus become a normal course of life; and the breathing space that we get in between the wars is what we euphemistically call ‘peace’ – which is however a period of preparation of fresh struggle for ascendancy, no matter at what cost, may be by total annihilation of mankind with victory for neither, and success appearing momentarily like a will-O-the wisp and vanishing into thin air the next moment. What we so assiduously seek is only a peace of the silent graveyard of the dead and not a living and lasting peace born out of love, goodness and goodwill. With the best of intentions, we are willy-nilly hurting headlong to our doom. With the deadliest means we wish to preserve life, forgetting that it is the means that justify the end and not vice-versa. We cannot have peace with the fires of selfish lust, hatred and ill-will smoldering our hearts.

 

It is to save us from the mighty precipitous fall that the spirit and power of  assumes human form and comes in the likeness of Man because man alone is the teacher of man in the various strata of life. The human soul can only be saved by the great ‘Informing Soul’ that works at a chosen human pole – call Him as one may, a “Murshid, a Teacher, a Master, a Saint or a Satguru. It is He who can save our Souls and none else can. It is an axiomatic truth that has stood the test of time. Seeing the whole world in the deadliest grip of the invisible flame of human lust, he strives to save all by whatsoever means in His power.

 

The Great Saviour: Hazur Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj

 

It is within human memory that we had in our midst the Great Saviour, Satguru Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj, who trod the earth in flesh and blood. He tirelessly toiled day and night for full forty five years (1903 –1948), for regeneration of human souls by freeing them from the trammels of mind and matter, putting them on the God-way by imparting to them a conscious contact with the manifested God ( God - in - expression –Power )in him. Before leaving the earth-plane on completion  of his divine mission on April 2, 1948, he passed on his spiritual mantle to his best-beloved chosen disciple, Kirpal Singh Ji  whom he had been inwardly training and guiding for the stupendous task of Master –to –be. This silent work of transformation in the secret closet of the heart went on unobtrusively for no less than 7 years from 1917 before attracting him into His physical presence in 1924; and thenceforward He gradually put him into the lime light in the quarter century that followed, passing on his rich spiritual heritage, in the time honoured and traditional way from eyes to eyes.

 

Maharaj Kirpal Singh Ji and Ruhani Satsang

 

It was in 1948, that with the blessings of the Great Master, and in accordance with His wishes, the foundation of “Ruhani Satsang” was well and truly laid for the work of imparting spiritual instructions to the seekers of God and granting them a first-hand experience of the divine revelation of the twin principle of holy Light and Sound in the human body. It was in furtherance of this sacred trust and mission of Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj that three years later the foundation was laid in Delhi of a regular spiritual center in Sawan Ashram (1951), after the name of his illustrious mentor. According to much cherished desire of Hazur it provides a common forum, a common meeting ground, for leaders professing different  religious faiths, creeds and beliefs, with the sole purpose of placing in lucid terms before the public at large the quintessence or all the sacred scriptures – the Al-Quran and the Granth Sahib and the works of other Saints and Mystics of the East and the west, all of which relate, of course each in its own way and in the language of the time, the spiritual experience of their authors, founded as they are on the common fundamental truths which run alike, like the silken thread of a rosary with many beautiful beads on it.

 

In the short space of hardly two decades, this spiritual center has grown like a bay tree.  It has now a network of many nuclei all the world over and has helped the people in many countries to transcend all kinds of superficial barriers territorial, local, racial national linguistic and religious and to come close to each other, first as humans, then as embodied souls and lastly as worshippers of the one controlling power called over-souls and lastly as worshippers of the one controlling Power called over-soul or God. To see the divine in one’s own self and in the universe around is the acme of human perfection and the summum bonum of human life. It is efflorescence of the soul in fullness, embracing the totality of its being, and raising Man into the Mystery of the Beyond, knowing which everything else becomes know and nothing remains to be know, as proclaimed by the sages and seers in all times and in all climes.

 

World Fellowship of religions

 

Everything works to the good of him who loves the Lord with all his mind, all his heart, all his strength and all his soul. As ordained by the Master Power, a greater sphere of world scope came handy to the Master in the form of an organization know as world fellowship of religions. This august body came into being as a result of deep deliberation and serious thought of the delegates from different countries of the world who came to participate in the First Conference of the world religions held in the historic Red Fort, Delhi in 1957. With the inauguration of the W.F.R., the Master was unanimously chosen as the first President to pilot the destiny of the  newly founded Fellowhip. Was entrusted with the task of finding out ways and means for furthering  its objectives; namely to bring about right understanding among the heads of different religions which were but various modes of approach to the age-old vital problem of God and how to contact Him. The religions offered but a theoretical aspect of the subject while mysticism in a practical way went to the root of the whole thing by a process of self-analysis which gave a spiritual comprehension and actual experience of Truth beyond human understanding.

 

The W.F.R., has done its work with a fair degree of success. The religious leaders have now come to know and understand each other better than ever before. They are working together to stem the tide of Godlessness that is sweeping in the garb of pseudo secularism which lays emphasis on material and dialectic values devoid of spiritual basis and wheedles God and Religion to back yard in private homesteads.

 

The Master remained its President since 1957, for over 13 years during which period there have been four question Conference beside Regional Conference in Paris and Tehran.

 

The apparent and superficial diversities in the modes of living and in the forms of worship are the outcome of geographical conditions, climatic considerations prevailing in different parts of the world and because of the racial habits of the people come down from the distant past. The Master’s attitude towards the practical aspect of the true religion – re, meaning back; legio, to bind – to bind the soul back to Oversoul or God by providing a living touch with the Mystic Word, the long lost-world or the ever elusive Holy Grail which is the very basis of life on earth and bed-rock of all the extant religions, had made a tremendous impact and has been welcomed, recognized and accepted on all hands, as the sole panacea for all the ills of the world.

 

The work of the Fellowhip during the presidentship of H.H Sant Kirpal Singh Ji  Maharaj has already attracted the attention of the Intelligential all over the world and is being appreciated everywhere as is evidenced by rare honours conferred upon its President by world renowned organization in the Christendom and in the Orient. All this goes to the credit of Hazur Baba Sawan Singh Ji Maharaj under whose gracious inspiration the work is proceeding by leaps and bounds.

 

The Sawan Ashram in Delhi has grown into international Headquarters of Ruhani Satsang where, all the year round, enthusiastic foreigners are attracted from distant places. They come in quest of God, stay here for some time, voluntarily adopting a simple way of life and go back as torch bearers of truth, carrying with them the rich harvest of esoteric experience in matters purely spiritual, shorn of all rites and rituals, forms and formularies, dogmas and doctrines.

 

Man is the make

 

The work at the top level has brought some happy results by removing narrow mindedness and bigotry to some extent. The religious leaders of different faiths now design to sit together for mutuasl discussion and understanding but without a general awakening among the masses, the fraternal spirit of tolerance cannot last long. We have not only to resolve religious differences but have to pull down granites walls of separatism which are being imperceptibly built to divide mankind.

 

The saints come from time to time to revive the unity already existing man by emphasizing that :-

 

(i)                   We are already one as man. Man is the highest in all creation. We are born in the same way and have the same inner and outer elemental structure.

(ii)                 Man is incarnate soul, a conscious entity and is of the same essence of God, and as such we are members of one family and related to each other as brothers and sisters in God. The potent cause of human suffering is that we cut ourselves off from the great unity of the  whole which is God.

(iii)                Man is controlled in the body by the same Power called by the various names – God, Word, Naam, Ek-Onkar and many others.

(iv)               The right understanding that we are all one as man, as souls and as worshippers of God – the controlling Power will results in right thoughts, right speech and right action and bring the kingdom of God on earth, which is within us.

(v)                 Man has to know his own self before knowing God and He cannot be know by feeling or emotions or by drawing inference which are all subject to error, but by rising above out-going faculties and mind through moral and spiritual with the help of a competent Master.

(vi)               Human body is the True Temple of God. God resided in the temple of body made by Him in the womb of the mother and not in temples made by human hands. Soul also resides therein. The divine spirit manifests there in the form of Light and sound which is seen with the Third or Single eye and heard by the inner Ear. These symbols of God are kept in the outer temples and churches which are constructed in imitation of the True Temple, the human body.

(vii)              God made man and man made religions. Religions came into being after the Master left the physical vesture, so as to keep their teaching alive. We are men first, then the various labels that we bear on the body, viz, Hindus, Sikhs, Muslims, Christians, Buddhists, Jains, etc. We can be truly called as such only when and Light Sound become manifest in us. To be born is the body temple is a blessing, but not to rise above body consciousness (i.e to know self and God) is sinful. While remaining in our respective faith we must rise above them and should become followers of Faith – to love all his creation.

(viii)            All saints and sages have taught that human birth is a rare opportunity. We can know God only in human body. To keep the body fit we must give it proper food, apparel and rest. If the body passes away without achieving its real aim and purpose we lose a golden opportunity for “What does it profit a man if he gains the possessions of the whole world and losses his own soul?” And all religions are intended to turn out ideal men and women – the Sikhism to turn out Khalsas – in whom light of God is effulgent Hinduism to turn out seers of light of God. A Muslim is one who sees the “Noor” of God. A Christian is one who sees the divine Light.

(ix)                Let man’s physical body be in full blossom and his soul be full of glory intoxicated with the Ringing Radiance of God, radiating love all around to the whole creation and wish ‘Peace unto all the world over His Will’. All schools of thoughts were meant to turn out such like ideal men. Dark forces of evil have started popping up their heads among the masses owing to literacy, ignorance, superstition and orthodoxy. There has, of late, been a tendency to build communal and select ional orders in the  name of Hinduism, Jainism, Buddhism, Mohammedanism, Christianism and Sikhism upon the members of each wherever they may be.

 

Strong barricades are being raised by the followers of the various religions viz. Hindus, Sikhs, Jains, Buddhists, Muslims, Christians, etc. Who are being harangued to unite inter se. How far toleration will go and integration will be possible? At one time, the “Panth” is to be in danger, at other the “Dharma” or the “Shariat” and no one pauses to think for himself as to what danger it spells to mankind.

 

This menace is not a new one, nor is it peculiar to any one country or to this age alone. Time and again, the opposing forces come to the surface to counter the effect of spiritual forces. The saints had, therefore, to take into account the lower rungs in the social order beginning from the common man which will result in true integration of man. Guru Nanak and Kabir, in their own time, had to tackle the problem from both the ends so as to bring about true oneness or integration among the followers of different “ism”. They gave out: man is man first and man last. Inspite of the bodily labels, he had the same hidden power that is working in all elemental moulds, may be Allah or Ram.

 

A true love of God will love all His Messenger who came in the past, all scriptural records of their self-communion and communion with God. He will love all mankind and the rest of God’s creation in many forms. He will love all holy places sanctified by the presence of Godmen at one time or another and now revered as places of pilgrimage. He will never injure nor molest any thought, word of deed. In short he will be a man-of-God on earth imbued with God virtues of (1) Truthfulness, (2) Harmlessness, (3) Selflessness, (4) Chastity, (5) Universal Love, and (6) Selfless service and sacrifice. These are the six cementing factors in the world. These are the six pillars on which the super structure of peace can be raised both within individuals and in the world around them. these virtues when practiced would make this earth a Garden of Eden where God and man would once again commune face to face. All this, and much more, can be gained by getting hold of the saving – life-lines within and direct contact with the spirit.

 

The divine path is like the razor’s edge. But as the Master often remarks the developing of God-consciousness in man is not so difficult to develop in him the humane factor, of kindness, tenderness, mercy and consideration making him a human being in the true sense of the term and conscious above all the one self same self not only in him but in others as well and the rest of the creation. This is termed ‘Man-making’. One has, therefore, to become an integrated individual, whole in himself, before he can aspire for God.

 

God made after his own image, but man, in his imitative zeal has, through ignorance and superstition, played hell not only with Him but with Himself as well. Instead of entering into the sanctum sanctorum of the body with a pure heart, clean hands and an understanding head, bubbling over with love for all, he is charged through and through with selfishness and greed, pride and prejudice, hatred and animosity; thinking of evil all the time and doing evil deed at every step, just for the sake of paltry gains of no consequence. Tormented by the lust of the flesh, he is tossed on the foaming sea of seething feeling s and emotions and is pathetically unable to hold his barque on an even keel. A slave of the senses, he runs riot in the fields of evanescent sense-pleasure which he considers the be-all and end-all of human existence. To convert the sinner into saints is no easy task. It requires Herculean effort to cleanse the Aegean stables filled with filth for aeons.

 

Man-making then is an indispensable pre-requisite for fashioning man into godliness. Self-knowledge precedes God-knowledge. ‘Man know thyself’ is the first essential on the  Path. In the outer form and mould, (the sentient man-body or the tabernacle of flesh) is hidden the ‘real man’ his very ‘self’. We have lost the inner man in the might swirl of the mind and the senses by plunging headlong into the fields of sense-pleasures.

 

The man-body is the Temple of God in which the holy light is shining all the time. Until the man in the man-body draws himself out of it, he cannot witness this holy light. Man-making means reversion or inversion by drawing in and controlling from within the outer-man as any Master of the house would do in his own house, rather than to be a helpless thrall therein, ever a prey to chance winds and waters of desires.

 

Man, the homo sapien, is the nucleus of mankind. He has  in him potential energy to transform himself and then to transform others not by precept alone, but by his own example. Man is man first and man last, with no outer labels of caste, creed, race or nationality; sex or group affinities, religious or church loyalties, linguistic or territorial limitations.

 

Perfection, an all-round perfection in body, mind, intellect and spirit is the ultimate goal of man. It is on the health of the soul or spirit in man that the health of the body, the mind and the intellect depends. It is to bring about this transformation that an organization has to come into existence under the name of “Manav Kendra”.

 

Manav Kendra or Man-Making Centre

 

The aims of “Manav Kendra” are (1) to know and practically realize the real nature of intrinsic self; (2) to cast man into a universal mould; (3) To become a true citizen of the world and a useful member of humankind; (4) to help the poor and the needy, the infirm and the sick, the aged and the derelict; (5) and to make the mother-earth provide ample means for the sustenance of its teeming millions. In brief the objective of the center is to bring about real integration of an individual by harmonizing all his faculties; physical, emotional, mental, and intellectual so as to befit him for divine revelation which is supreme goal of human existence – self-perfection.

 

The idea of “Manav Kendra” or Man-Centre was mooted, for the first time, in the last “Kumbh Mela” at Hardware in 1968. At the   Mela, the camp of “Ruhani Satsang” attracted large concourses of people including “Rishis” and “Munies” “Sanyasian” and “yogins”, from day, who thronged to hear the Master speak of the science of soul and how it could be practiced by one and all alike, irrespective of their religious affiliations, under the active guidance and help of an adept in “Para Vidya” or the Science of the Beyond – a science that lies beyond the realm of senses, mind, and intellect. The care and discipline with which the huge gathering were served within the camp and outside and at common community meals impressed every one. It was here that the people impressed with the talks of the Master and the fellowship among the followers, conceived the idea of developing at first, on a miniature scale, the possibility of uniting the people in spiritual oneness while remaining in their own distinctive social and religious folds.

 

Shortly thereafter came the National Integration Exhibition in the vast Ramlila Grounds in Delhi in Feb 1969. fortunately, the event coincided wit the Daimond Jubilee Celebration organized to felicitate Sant Kirpal Singh Ji Maharaj on his completing the Seventy-fifth year of his physical existence on the earth plane. Long before the actual celebrations, there began pouring in proposals, pressing demands and earnest appeals, from various quarters to give a concrete shape to the decision arrived at the  “Kumbh Mela” in the previous year. In response to plans and proposals with the result that a model of “Vishva mandir” ( a Hall of each in his or her own way), was set up on the Exhibition grounds. The panels of this “Alamgir Ibadat Khana”, had on them extracts from scriptures. Of all major religions and exhibited photographic representations of their founders. The structure was in the shape of a nanogon, with nine outlets symbolic of the human body and the tenth through the steeple at the top. The “Ruhani Satsang” enclosure that installed this model was daily visited by people of different creed and it evoked appreciation from all and sundry. The response from the people to this project was very encouraging.

 

In the following year the idea, mooted and planned as above, took a concrete shape when the whole scheme came on paper and Manav Kendra society came into being as a registered because, under the patronage of Kaka Sahib Kalelkar, with Maharaj Kirpal Singh Ji as Chairman. The registered office of the society came to be located in the Sawan Ashram, Shakti Nagar, Delhi – 110007, the headquarters of the Ruhani Satsang; where the plans for the first center for Northern India were worked out and are being actually carried out in right earnest at Dehradun under the personal supervision, direction and control of the Chairman.

 

Manav Kendra is a non-political, non-communal and non-denominational body or brotherhood, open to all men and women of all faiths, creeds and castes. Its sole object is to bring the best out of man or in other words to so transform man as to liberate him from the  narrow social grooves of birth and heredity, and rigid customs, and to free him from intolerance and bigotry born of sheer ignorance of the true value of higher life – the life of the spirit as distinguished from the life of the flesh. In short its aim, is to inculcate in man the spirit of common Brotherhood as children of the Heavenly Father so that al may live peacefully serving each other in weal and woe, in the love, Light and life of the creator.

 

Manav Kendra, as the name implies, stands for the material, moral and spiritual welfare of man, with a views to making him (1) an integrated undivided individual embracing in him the totality of his being; (2) self-sufficient in his basic needs like shelter, food and clothing; (3) and realize his obligation to himself, to his family, to his nation, to his country and finally to the world at large, for no person can live an isolated life in a ivory tower and yet be happy. In the happiness of all lies the  happiness of the individual.

 

To achieve the above ends, all opportunities will be provided to help man to grow in ethical and moral stature worthy of being the son of God. This man –making through loving service is the primary object ov Manav Kendra.

 

Vishva Mandirs

 

In order to chisel out the real man in human mould, the center shall provide facilities to develop in him consciousness of a healthy and righteous living before anything else for true living is essential for attaining Truth. For this purpose the society proposes to set up Vishva Mandirs or Halls of universal Worship and Prayer, which is, the earth below and sky overhead. These will be sort of all-souls seminaries where everyone will be able to study, discuss and worship freely and fearlessly according to one’s faith and belief side by side with others, with the object of finding within Him the light of Life, the Spirit and Power of God, the Great vital forces creating and sustaining the entire creation.

 

The scriptures of the various religions of the world agree on the fundamental nature of God. God-in-absolute is an abstraction which nobody has ever seen nor can see.  But when the Absolute Power become God - into - expression  Power, that Power manifested itself as Light. All the sacred texts are at one on this. He is said to be “Jyoti Sarup”, The father  of Light, Noor- Un-Ala_noor, (Light of the  first order or transcendent Light ). In the beginning God appeared as Light, and from that Light sprang all the creation. Moses saw God as Light on Koh-experience-Toor and God spoke to him in the midst of thunder and lightening . zoroaster or the great star of Persia bears ample testimony to the Light of God. Prince Gautam on realization became Buddha or the Enlightened One. Saint John, the Prince of the mystic speaks eloquently of this light in the Book of Revelations in the  Holy Bible. All these great teachers talk of this primordial Light and of the melody of the Divine Music coming out of the light of God. The ancient called it the music of spheres. The Vedas speak of it as Vak Devi or Sruti, the Upanishads as Udgit ( the song of the Beyond), the Zend Avasta as Sraosha. The Mohammedans cal it kalma or kalam-I-qadim the most ancient call. The Sufis” Sing praise of Saut-e-sarmadi”, all of which term are exactly parallel with Akash Vani or the Heavenly Music. The goszpels describe it as the Holy Word. The Saints have given it the name of Nad of Shabad. One who has had an actual experience of the reality or the Light and sound of God can easily explain the apparent diversities in the sacred text matters external like the different modes of worship among different people, the structural formations of the temples and mosques, the churches and synagogues, the pagodas and gurdwaras, and the significance of the  ringing bells, blowing of conches, the church organs and the lighting of candles, fire worship, sun temples (Jot –Mayas) in many places in the world. Such a one alone can give a right understanding of the esoteric matters when translated into active practice in many forms and symbols expressive of twin principle of Light and sound, the creative word; the  one live-principle, now lost and forgotten by the multitudes.

 

This then is the pearl of inestimable value lying buried under the dead weight of archaic verbiage and terminology of many multi splendored texts. Again, these text in so many different ways trying to explain the things on the level of the intellect only, which being just an infinitesimal part of the vast creation cannot grasp even the theoretical aspect of this transcendental live-principle enlivening the entire microcosm (beside the macrocosm), including the intellect itself. How can the part understand the whole or the lesser comprehend the greater? And still it is at the core of our being; we live and move in it and by it. It is lying in the deepest folds of the mind and may be unfolded by a Master-mind who, having himself realized the Truth may, by his grace, make the truth manifest to others by presenting Him as Evan Brahm (There is Brahman or the Creative word), so as to grasp Him and practise Him from day to day. It shall be the duty of “Vishva Mandirs” to serve as Truth-Teaching and Truth-Experiencing institutions, and all the seekers of Truth will learn to live in a maitri or friendly atmosphere imbibing the best from each other.

 

In order to foster the spirit of oneness – one God, the basic Truth of the Holy light and Holy Sound, the primordial expressions of Godhood, as universally acknowledged on all hands, as the origin of all creations, springing from one source – among the people professing various faiths beliefs, the Vishva Mandirs shall have attached to them Halls of learning. These will be stocked with valuable and authentic works on all religions, the life and teaching of their respective founders, giving a graphic account of the tone and tenor of the times in which they lived, the socio-economic conditions then prevailing and the temper of the people among whom they had to execute the Divine mission. In this way, they will be encouraged to make a comparative study of the scriptures of the extant religions, understand the causes underlying the superficial difference in each other’s rites and rituals and in the outer modes of worship and the like.

 

The underlying idea of the whole scheme is to inclcate in man, Sam-Bhav for Sarv-Dharma or equal regard and respect for all religions. Truth is basically one, but the approach to Truth is essentially individualistic according to one’s own mental make-up and the herd instinct of society in which one is born, bred and brought up. It is only by sitting together and mutual discussion that one is born, bred and brought up. It is only by sitting together and mutual discussion that one learns to sink the so-called differences in the sweet and loving remembrance of God – the living God in the heart of each individual.

This work of regeneration will be supplemented by lively discourses from the really awakened and enlightened person, thoroughly imbued with the love, Light and life of God – God of the entire world and not of this or that sect or country or region. This will automatically result in laying the foundation of University of Religions.

 

We, living in the 20th century, are fortunate inasmuch as we have great stock of rich and valuable treasures coming down from our forefathers; and can understand them better than ever before by correct application and diligence directed the right way. Herein lies the value of Vishva Mandirs.

 

Halls of learning

 

In order to establish better means of interchange of ideas between man and man and to foster a friendly contact of lasting nature among them, the man Center envisages the development of a number of auxiliary aids. To begin with it proposes to set up language-schools so as to remove linguistic hurdles that now stand in the way of mutual understanding of others’s point of view. This will in turn help the growth of a spirit of tolerance between the cross-sections of the populace, and generate in them love and respect for all religions, religious faiths and beliefs, sacred scriptures of all religions, and above all for all Men-of-God who came to the earth plane from time to time at different places.

 

In these halls of learning , there will be chairs for different language and dedicated men of eminence will be invited to put before the inmates and others, the basic unities already existing in mankind and the fundamental truths that are so very common and of universal nature. There will be a facilities for all to learn different languages; local and provincial, national and foreign to enable everyone to freely express himself to others and in turn be able to understand them. this direct meeting of minds will eliminate chances of friction which arise from misunderstanding and will prove fruitful in bridging the yawning chasm and ever widening gulfs that are dividing mankind into many factions.

 

It is hoped that this scheme will essentially make man self-educative, able to stand on his own and think out things independently rather than be misguided and misled by professional teachers and paid preachers and propagandists motivated by considerations of self-interest.

 

Swasthalayas or Health Centres

 

To eliminate disease, as far as possible and to keep the people in sound health and find shape, the center proposes to introduce and maintain medical facilities to suit different kind of people. As no one medical system has yet been able to calim perfection, and eacho one has some undeniable advantages, effort will be made to make the best of what each offers. It is hoped that qualified medical men in various branches of medical lore – Naturopathy, Ayurvedic and Yunani, Allopathy and Homeopathy – will be forthcoming to render selfless service to ailing, the diseased and the distressed, irrespective of who they are and to what part of the world they belong. The hospitals and the clinics, the dispensaries and the laboratories in the Centres will, without any distinction, give free medical advice and treatment to the patients. It is heartening that some young medical students studying abroad have, on hearing of the projects of Manav Kendra, already expressed their keen desire to serve this noble cause.

 

Bhu-Sewa or Land Service

India is an agricultural country and can do much to set an example to others in this behalf. No man can do without the plentiful bounties of Dame Nature and more so from land in particular; and so naturally one owes an obligation to serve the land as one can possibly do and thereby discharge to some extent the debt owing to mother-earth. This is a service that one can render to himself and to humanity at large, in growing more food by improved methods of husbandry and modern scientific means. Strange as it may seem, here in this country we have all the facilities – climatic and irrigational and yet we are not yet self-sufficient in the matter of food, and the people suffer from want, ill-nutrition and man-nutrition. Agriculture and farming are the backbone of the society, and it shall be the endeavour of Manav Kendra to help in “Grow more” campaigns. Side by side with this goes the work of cattle-breeding and dairy farming to enrich the cattle wealth of the country and to provide plentiful supply of pure milk and milk products, for health primarily depend more on pure and wholesome food stuffs rather than on chemicals or inorganic substances and artificial preparations.

 

Bridha-grehs or Homes for the Aged

 

Another salient feature of the Center will be to establish Father-Homes or better still Homes for the Elderly and the Aged who have ostensibly outrun their usefulness are no longer cared for in their own homes for one reason or the other. Here in the Center they shall occupy an honoured place with physical comfort and mental peace so very necessary in the evening of their life. This will, in turn, enable the Centre to gain a lot from their rich and ripe experience in the varied aspects of life besides having from them the advantage of their sage counsel and correct guidelines in the different activities connected with its schemes of education, health, sanitation, farming, and the like.

 

Conclusion

 

Manav Kendra, in brief, is going to be a model of ‘International Harmony Home’ on the pattern of what one sees on a small scale in ‘Sawan Ashram’ at Delhi which provides board and lodging facilities with some modern amenities to many people of different nationalities coming from different countries, carrying with them distinctive association and affinities.

 

The first such harmony home, on a bigger scale know as Manav Kendra or Man Centre has been set up at Dehra Dun about four miles from the town on the Dehra-Dun Saharanpur road, in the picturesque surroundings, the foot of Shivalik Hills of the Himalayas on a 35 acres piece of land.

 

It was a pleasing sight during the progress of the project to see hundreds of selfless volunteers; Indian and foreigners, tirelessly working together side by side by side in a fraternal spirit, vieing with each other, regardless of the nature of work – digging the earth, carrying the rubble and many other odd jobs. The Master had been the Central figure under whose personal and direct supervision, each day from early morning to late in the night, the work had progressed. He saw to each minute detail in the execution of work and directed the operations and He himself served all his devotees with food, both physical and spiritual. It is His tremendous love that attracts willing hands from different strata of life and from far and near to the labor of love. They had come in large batches for prize of selfless service, in this stupendous task of building Manav Kendra. It is all due to the inspiration of Great Master whose benediction had ever working behind this project of reorientation and reintegration of mankind. The once marshy landscape had been completely and perceptibly beyond recognition.

 

Mansarover, or lake in oval shape measuring 350 feet long and 200 feet wide with ever fresh water fed from a perennial spring, provides a suitable site for lovers of God to meditate and commune within on the wide platform surrounding the tank. Free hospital, a home for the indigent, a primary school, library, guest house, community kitchen have been constructed, beside staff quarters, and offices etc. and have started serving humanity. The planted sapling both ornamental, the shady and fruits bearing have begun to prop up to add to the picturesque scenery of the place. A dairy farm has been started in negotiation for acquiring 75 acres of more land are afoot to further its activities.

 

The President of India, the Vice President, the Prime Minister, the Governor of Utter Pradesh and other dignitaries have paid visit to this centre and appreciated the service being rendered by the  Manav Kendra to humanity, irrespective of caste, colour, creed.

 

The second project at Kandhari (Distt. Baroda) was inaugurated in December 1973, where free hospital has started functioning, a sarowar (lake) 550 feet in length 55 feet in width has been constructed and other connected works are in progress.

 

Some more centers are likely to be set up in India and abroad.

 

For the unity of mankind, Manav Kendra is organizing ‘World Conference of Unity of Man’ which is likely to be attended by about 2000 delegates from India and abroad, in addition to high government and religious dignatories.

 

It is hoped that this movement will be a ray of hope for the advent of Golden Age (Sat Yug) in the Present strife ridden World.

 

 

 

 

 

 


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