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Swami Jitamananda
Head, Ramkrishna Ashrama, Rajkot, India

“Friends, brothers and sisters; First, I would like to pay my sincere thank to Swami Adiswaranandaji. He sent me an e-mail inviting me to the Vidyapith and also sent the whole program to me. In the past, I have stayed at Rajen Gohil’s house in Kendal Park, but I did not get an opportunity to visit the Vidyapith. Maybe my stars were not in the right spots at that time. Today my stars seem to be working. When I was entering the building of the Vidyapith and Aratrikam was going on, it created a serene atmosphere. The whole atmosphere reminded me of a scene I witnessed in India. Last year, on 25th December, Abdul Kalam (the President of India) visited our Rajkot Ashrama. He was in the area to attend the International Science Summit. When he came, the prayer was going on. He asked, ‘May I come in?’ We said, ‘Please come in.’ He prostrated at the altar and sat down. He quietly sat on the floor throughout the remaining prayer, ‘Om Hrim Ritam,’ ‘Sarva Mangala Mangalye…,’ and then ‘GuruMaharajjiki Jai,’ and other parts of the prayer. He was sitting still as if he was in deep meditation. Outside the building, press reporters, police, security and others were waiting for him. It was getting late for him. Finally, I had to tell him that people were waiting for him. He quietly got up from his seat and started going out. I asked him how he felt about his visit. He said, ‘The music was sublime. It entered into my heart and into my soul. I felt the presence of God within.’ Then, he picked up his shoes and walk up to his car bare foot. We asked him to wear his shoes. He said that where Sri Ramakrishna is there, the place is holy and he could not walk with shoes on in that place. Such is the effect of prayer. When I entered the Vidyapith, I felt similar vibrations.

A while ago, I attended the First World Peace Summit of the World’s Religions and Spiritual Leaders in the United Nations. Three hundred notable spiritual leaders of various religions and twelve hundred delegates were present. The very first prayer was from India; ‘Sam gachhadhwam.. Sam Vadadhwam…Sam vo manansi janatam..’ After that, twenty-five young Indian boys wearing the costume of Krishna and twenty-five girls wearing the dress of Radha beautifully performed a dance. It was such a unique scene. This is the great heritage of India.

Let me tell you, India is not poor as you hear from the media. Come to India and see how much progress has been made in that country. In the field of atomic energy we are very well advanced, our scientists are keynote speakers; our sputnik in the space is doing an excellent job, and India has several patents. However, what you have shown today, the spiritual culture, India is losing that culture. You have heard that two kinds of knowledge are required; apara vidya and para vidya, secular and spiritual knowledge. Our left brain is good for all intellectual and rational knowledge, like mathematics, sciences etc. It is good to have the left brain, but we need also our right brain, the Buddha brain, the Christ brain, the Vivekananda brain. Unless we do not combine the two, we cannot have great vision and success in life. Why do we pray? Why do we meditate? Why do we recite Om? Upanishads say when we have a touch of spirituality, whatever we do we get success, success and success. If we do not have the touch of spirituality, then whatever we do will be failure, failure and failure... I thank Swami Adiswaranandaji and all of you for inviting me here today.”