In Peace

The Baba continued: ‘The shared mission for religions offered by me is to work together for a New World Order that can usher in a culture of peace on earth. This will help to raise their collective consciousness from the divisive to the unities, .. from the sectarian to the universal….

‘We need an inter-religious mission for a culture of peace in India. Most religions speak of ‘peace’ as an important goal….. I myself have lived in four religious traditions during my years of sadhana: Hinduism, Sikhism, Islam and Christianity. I found all of them sharing this mission of peace. Hence, working for a culture of peace in the world can be a common shared mission for all religions of humankind. This will need a new ‘Integrated World Order’….

‘In our Hindu tradition we conclude our prayers with ‘Om shanti… shanti… shanti’. The world ‘Islam’ also means peace. Sadguru Jesus Christ offered his peace to his disciples as his parting gift….

‘All of us want peace irrespective of our religious, cultural, linguistic or geographical backgrounds. The whole world today is hungering and thirsting for peace….

‘True and lasting peace has personal, social and ecological dimensions. The seeds of peace are to be found within individuals…. Forgiveness and reconciliation are basic requirements for peace… We have already seen these requirements….

‘I have developed the Inner Peace Meditation termed ‘Shanti Yagna Meditation’ which will help people to find peace within themselves. You have already learnt it…..

‘True peace also has economic, political, religious, ecological and technological dimensions…. Without peace, there cannot be sustainable development and abiding happiness….

‘Working for peace is a mission that can be shared by all religions….

‘There are scriptures of all religions and many books on ‘Peace’ in our library. Please study them carefully. You can then think on ways and means of developing a new Integrated World Order that will promote a culture of peace in the world. You will also be able to understand the importance of peace for sustainable development and for abiding health and happiness……

‘Have you understood these things well, my son?’ The Baba asked and looked at his disciple questioningly.

The Baba continued after a short silence:

‘I envisage and present ‘Tyagarchana’ as a programme for spiritual unity and revitalisation of religions. Through this simple programme of ‘Tyagarchana’ religions can bring about a spiritual awakening not only of themselves by also of the whole nation and the world……

‘As you know, the term ‘Tyagarchana’ consists of two constituents: ‘Tyaga’ and ‘Archana’. ‘Tyaga’ means to sacrifice something dear to one’s heart voluntarily. ‘Archana’ here implies offering it with loving devotion to God…. 

‘Loving devotion to God is best expressed through loving and selfless service rendered to our own needy fellow human beings. That is what we are trying to do in this Ashram. Observe Mataji and you will see the best practical expressions of Tyagarchana in day to day life.….

‘Voluntary sacrifice and loving service are the two important and interdependent constituents of Tyagarchana. When the sacrifice and service are done prayerfully they have much greater spiritual potentials…. 

‘An amount of money can have a spiritual value in addition to its monetary value when it is saved through one’s own loving sacrifices. This spiritual value alone has the power to transform others and to bring out the best in them. When the amount with such spiritual value is used for serving the needy selflessly with love, it doubles its spiritual strength and transforming power…..

‘Experiences of many show that Tyagarchana can help to reduce selfishness, pride, greed and lust in the lives of those who practice it sincerely. It can also help to bring showers of divine blessings upon them and others.…

‘Tyagarchana is also an inner peace programme. It helps us find peace within. It helps to purify ourselves and develop in us an attitude of gratitude which is one of the greatest spiritual virtues….

‘Tyagarchana is a very effective and powerful tool for promoting the much-needed spiritual awakening of religions in India, and of India as a whole…. It can be practised by all..

‘Skipping one meal and using it for feeding a poor and hungry fellow human being with love is a simple act of Tyagarchana. Giving up some luxury item or celebration, and using the saving to help a poor person is Tyagarchana. Surrendering all our pains and sufferings to God with love and devotion following the example of Sadguru Jesus Christ is the highest form of Tyagarchana….

‘There are three small books on Tyagarchana in our library. These are also in shelf no- 1. You can study this inter-religious sadhana in detail from them. But the best way to understand it is to practice it and experience the fruits of it yourself…’ 

The Baba stopped for a while and looked at Atma Prakash.

‘It is a very simple and deeply spiritual programme guruji. I will start practicing it from today’ Atma Prakash told the Baba.

Excerpts from Integral Revolution