All World
Gayatri Pariwar

With this issue, the English edition of Akhand Jyoti completes one year of its publication. The warm welcome and appreciation of its readers and subscribers received as a feedback, is highly encouraging. 

The Gurusattas message and teachings have provided the much needed light and guidance to its readers in today’s crisis-ridden world. It will be our sincere endeavor to provide the readers with still more inspiring and enlightening material in each successive issue during 2004. Humanity is passing through extremely testing times perhaps, its deepest crisis of recorded history.

At the core of this malignant malaise of human psyche is the all-pervasive "crisis of faith". Moral and ethical values have been wantonly disregarded.

Reckless and blind pursuit of unbridled sense-gratification has destroyed the sanctity of time-tested institutions of marriage, family and mutually caring social order.

Cities, towns and even villages present the same dismal scene of crass selfishness and sickening self-indulgence. Young couples want to get separated from their parents. They disdain our tradition of joint family.

They are even unashamedly uncaring towards their own parents, forgetting that their own children will follow their example and face with similar treatment to them in their old age. How long will this debauchery of "eat, drink and be merry" continue? Time is flying at its own pace. We don’t know when our own beloved children will banish us into the stifling confines of old age homes?

It is happening all around us and it is saddening. Ostentatious religiosity is very much on the rise in the forms of Devi Jagran, Path, Kathas, etc. with ever increasing audiences. But there is no sign of authentic spirituality in the lives of those who throng to these congregations. True spirituality ought to reflect as love, compassion, and caring service in daily conduct; however attractive may be the physical appearance, if vibrancy, zeal and liveliness are not present within, it is like a lifeless statue.

Today’s religiosity is just like that. The exhibitionism that "We are believers", "We are religious", etc. is 

increasing; although within, we may be cowards, escapists, or negativists. Our dissolute and vulgar thoughts, emotions and imaginings are incessantly sapping the vital energy of life. In this disheartening scenario of near total breakdown of ethical and moral values on the individual, familial and social levels there arises the crying need for spiritually redeeming efforts. In fact, such efforts were initiated quite some time back through "Yug Nirman Yojna" by our Guide and Teacher - Gurudev Pandit Sriram Sharma Acharya.

These efforts consist of a three-pronged Tapasya of: Sadhana, Upasana and Aradhana. Sadhana entails focused, conscious and ever-vigilant effort of self-discipline and self-refinement of body, mind and emotions so that they become free-flowing channels of divine energies. Upasana means regular practice of withdrawal of inner and outer senses into the silence of the Supreme Spirit, indwelling us as our own Atma, through meditation and prayers and thus get recharged by Divine energy which could in turn flow as selfless service of society and other sentient beings.

Gurudev has termed the last one as Aradhana. He used to say that Upasana and Aradhana are mutually complementary and a true sadhak of Gayatri egolessly involves himself/herself in selfless altruistic and noble service of society.

Results of scientific research studies done at Brahmavarchas Research Institute, on the trainees of long and short retreats being continuously conducted at Shantikunj, have conclusively proved that Gayatri Sadhana has amazing transformative effects at individual, family and group levels.

Shantikunj has emerged as an academy for training people in the true art of living. The prime thrust of its activities is to orient the masses towards cultivating enlightened intellects, healthful lives, and tranquil minds, culminating in spiritual awakening. Every reader, parijan should visit Shantikunj with family at least once in a year and get the benefit of taking a dip in the spiritually charged consciousness field of this Teerth.

These days the number of parijans from India as well as abroad visiting Shantikunj has greatly increased. Everyone desires peace of mind. Therefore it is but natural that they come in thousands to this Abode of Peace. However, the inner peace is not possible without Sadhana. Sadhana means controlling and transcending the ego-bound lower self. For this purpose we will have to exercise rigorous control over our senses, emotions, thoughts, time and money.

Sadhana of Gayatri Mahasakti helps in accomplishing this self-mastery. Gayatri is the Vidya (Science) of conserving the Pran sakti (life-force, vitality). Gayatri is amrit (nectar), Paras (philosophers’ stone) and Kalpavriksa (mythological tree, supposed to bestow desired objects). There is no mantra greater than Gayatri Maha Mantra. There is no Sadhana superior to and simpler than Gayatri Sadhana. It is a universal collective prayer for the gift of righteous wisdom.

Therefore, the readers-parijans should try to recite Gayatri -Mantra with sincerity and regularity. Gayatri Mission is dedicated to the spiritual transformation of society. In order to achieve this goal, a multi-pronged plan of action has been undertaken. Akhand Jyoti magazine as the mouthpiece of this Mission is greatly helping in the dissemination of Mission’s message of universal peace, love and understanding. India can, by example, play a leading role in showing the way to humanity out of the present all-engulfing darkness and hopelessness into an era of Love, Light and Harmony.

It is imperative for all of us, parijans, to vigorously try to expand the circle of readership of this magazine, the bearer of the divine message, so that more and more people, especially the youth, respond to the wake-up call of the impending Dawn. Let every reader-subscriber motivate at least five new persons to become its readers-subscribers. Such a sincere campaign could, not in very distant future, raise the figure of subscribers of this English edition to that of its Hindi counterpart.

Let us resolve that we will enter the New Year with a firm resolve to further refine ourselves and thus, by example, help in the refinement of the society at large. We pray to our Gurusatta to give us wisdom and strength to contribute wholeheartedly towards the accomplishment of the Mission’s objectives. 

With love and prayer filled New Year Greetings and Wishes to all our readers,

Dr. Pranav Pandya 

Chief Editor Head, All World Gayatri Pariwar & Chancellor, Dev Sanskriti Vishwavidyalaya

Shantikunj, Hardwar (Uttaranchal) India.