A Micro-Blog from Swami Vimokshananda – earlier at Durban, Singapore and Dublin – now at Yelagiri Hills, Tamil Nadu, India – "A private diary for public consumption!"
Just a minute ago, 2012 was given a go-bye, sorry ‘Durga, Durga‘ in our parlance! And in comes a beaming 2013. A very happy, hearty New Year Day aka Kalpataru Day to every one of you!
Brother Swami Saradaprabhanandaji Maharaj joins me too! The officials from headquarters and devotees also wish you a happy New Year and Blessed Kalpataru day!
Marble image of Bhagawan Sri Ramakrishna
The New Year 2013 is indeed a memorable year when the 150th glorious birth anniversary of Swami Vivekananda is going to to be celebrated. In fact the celebration has earnestly begun right at the start of 2010 itself as multitudes of welfare programs were and have been initiated in India and other countries. So, a very, very happy Swamiji’s Year to every one!
“How was your life in the bygone year?”
Some would hesitantly reply, “Don’t ask! It was not at all encouraging!”
So adverse circumstances were aplenty? Never mind. Think what Swamiji says about Life. He defines Life as “the unfoldment and development of a being under circumstances tending to press it down.” If you had had problems galore that were ‘pressing’ you ‘down’, thank God, because those were the best opportunity for unfoldment and development.
Life is nothing but a process of Learning. Situations are indeed window-less, door-less and even wall-less schools. Wealth of knowledge has already been accumulated through our experiences. Tirukkural asks, kattRadanaal aaya payan en kol vaalaRivan nattRaal thozhaar enin” (I.1.2) Of what avail is the Learning if divine feet of Him who possesses perfect wisdom are not worshipped?
So, God-centred Life is what we require in this New Year. Once goal is set up, it becomes easy to navigate the course of life. Did not Master say on the 1st January of 1886, “May your spiritual consciousness be awakened!”?
May the New Year ‘gift’ us further opportunities in the ‘manifestation of Divinity already within’ us!
Dear Maharaj
I wanted to share with you a message of hope sent to me by a friend in Kashmir – met on our travels to Amarnath and Ladakh. it seems such a simple recipe applicable for a New day and a New year:
“Another fresh new year is here
Another year to live
To banish worry, doubt and fear
To love and laugh and give!
This bright new year is given to me
to live each day with zest.
To daily grow and try to be
my highest and my best.
I have the opportunity once more to right some wrongs
to pray for peace, to plant a tree
and sing more joyful songs!”
May we all feel this hope through the year! Dr Shivani Singh
Durban, SA
Vedanta in Practice 
Dear Maharaj
I wanted to share with you a message of hope sent to me by a friend in Kashmir – met on our travels to Amarnath and Ladakh. it seems such a simple recipe applicable for a New day and a New year:
May we all feel this hope through the year!
Dr Shivani Singh
Durban, SA
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A beautuful thought!
Greetings from Auckland, NZ !
Amrat Lal Jogia
New Zealand
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