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SPECIAL FEATURE FEBRUARY 03, 2023 | The Indian Eye 44

Opinions

HH Dalai Lama Swami Mukundananda His Majesty King Charles III Dr. S. Jaishankar
Tibetan Spiritual Leader Founder of Jagadguru Kripaluji Yog United Kingdom Indian Minister of External Affairs
“Pramukh Swami Maharaj truly “The devotion and spirit to serve which “His Holiness’s timeless message that “The world called Pramukh Swami
practiced the ancient Indian wisdom Pramukh Swami Maharaj has instilled ‘In the joy of others lies our own, in the Maharaj ‘the People’s guru’ and ‘the
of nonviolence and compassion. The within all of you is his very form. progress of others rests our own, in the global guru’ because he had traveled
leadership of individuals like him have Surrendering to a guru like Pramukh good of others abides our own, know this to over 50 countries, visited more than
made India a role model of religious Swami Maharaj means you have to be the key to peace and happiness,’ 17,000 cities and villages, established
harmony in the world today.” embraced all the teachings of the Vedas.” resonates as much now as it always has.” more than 1,200 mandirs, and wrote
more than 750,000 letters. He met global
leaders and kings, but also ordinary and
poor people whom he embraced. As a
result of his efforts, BAPS is taking India
and the world forward.
Last year, when the war erupted in
Ukraine, around 20,000 Indian students
were stranded in the cold. They needed
to be brought home. While the Indian
government was trying to decide what
Swami Ramdevji Maharaj D.R. Kaarthikeyan, Brian Fitzpatrick to do, BAPS brought volunteers from
Yogacharya of the Patanjali Yog Former Director of the Central US Congressman of Pennsylvania 11 countries to the Polish border and
Peeth Bureau of Investigation (CBI) “With a spirit of total selfless service, served hot meals three times a day. I was
“We are witness to a revolution in the ““I feel we are in the midst of a Kumbh Pramukh Swami has devoted to meeting other ministers of bordering
form of this unforgettable Celebration. Mela. What beautiful arrangements! I educational, health care, humanitarian, countries who still remember the selfless
I have seen 3 Kumbh Melas, but this don’t think any other organization could and environmental services while spirit of BAPS volunteers who helped not
festival is a Mahakumbh! This 600- create this perfect Nagar, because it is spearheading BAPS’s growth by creating only other Indians but people of other
acre site is the pride and embodiment Pramukh Swami Maharaj’s perfect life 1,100 temples worldwide. I have visited countries and ethnicities.”
of Hinduism. This festival is the perfect that has inspired 80,000 volunteers many of these temples and seen how
example of how an effective and to serve with so much dedication and Indian culture has been so integrally
inspiring event can be organized. There affection out of gratitude for their guru.” interwoven with American culture such
is no professional mind at work here; it that these temples serve as beacons of
is the divine power of Pramukh Swami.” friendship between India and America.”

Pujya Rakeshbhai Jhaveri Marc Veasey David Fried Honorable Smriti Irani
Founder & Spiritual Head of US Congressman of Texas Mayor of Robbinsville, New Jersey Indian Minister of Women & Child
Shrimad Rajchandra Mission “Pramukh Swami Maharaj has brought “Pramukh Swami Maharaj lived his entire Development and Minority Affairs
“Pramukh Swami Maharaj was a river joy to so many people in India and life in the service of the community “Today, when I stand here and see all the
of service and compassion. He was free around the world, and he has inspired and the world. His life and work have women devotees here, I realize, in the
of ego and totally pure. Formation and so many to do great things within our inspired millions across the world to presence of Pramukh Swami Maharaj, at
transformation were the hallmarks community.” dedicate themselves to humanitarian the refuge of the guru – there is strength.”
of Pramukh Swami. However, what causes. Today, we still experience that “People ask for shortcuts to attain God,
touched me the most was his absolute spirit of service through the thousands but Pramukh Swami Maharaj clarified
purity—free of all ego, with his mind of volunteers serving here every day.” that by cultivating virtues, doing one’s
fixed only on God. People say the sky’s duty to family and society, and following
the limit but I say that Pramukh Swami the path of prayer and hard work, one
is the limit. In the same way that the will experience heaven on earth.”
Sun does not belong to any one country
or person, Pramukh Swami does
not belong to BAPS but to all of us.”

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