Pujya Gurudev...

Perfection must be sought in the right place. Thousands of years ago it was discovered in India, that perfection could not be found in the external world, which is impermanent and full of contradictions. Freedom from all limitations is the vedantic criterion of perfection. Immutable Truth, unity of existence, boundless bliss, this is what is meant by perfection in Vedanta. There is only one thing, which is free from all limitations of time, space, causation: It is absolute consciousness. It is in the depths of consciousness, that perfection is to be sought. It is this total freedom that is the vedantic criterion of perfection, and the individual who has attained this freedom is the ideal of perfection. He is known as the Bramavit, knower of Brahman.

Sant Shri Asaramji Bapu is the embodiment of this ancient Vedantic ideal of perfection. The ideal person according to Vedanta is one who after attaining liberation for himself strives for the liberation of others. Such a fully illuminated soul is called a Rishi. It is as a perfect Rishi that Sant Shri Asaramji Bapu is said to be the ideal man for modern age.

What are the morals of a fully illuminated soul? According to Pujyapad Sant Shri Asaramji Bapu there are three: Renunciation, Knowledge, Compassion.

Divine Personalities

Divine personalities like Krishna, Buddha, Rama, Jesus and Mohamed influence the lives of millions of people for centuries. Their influence is not limited by time. Nay, it undergoes a process of time enlargement : with the passage of centuries the Flurry of these prophets, instead of decreasing, goes on increasing. Each saint or world teacher comes as the embodiment of the dominant ideal of a particular age, and his life becomes the highest moral standard and ideal for the people of that age.

Man has been continually discovering new ways of exploiting nature and improving the means of production of food, clothing, other necessities and also the means of transport and travel. Each epoch with it's changed condition, throws new challenges to the people. These external challenges can be met only by mobilizing the inner spiritual resources of the people. It is through ideas and ideals that the inner energies of man get mobilized. Certain charismatic individuals who become masters of new religions or new religious movements develop the new ideals necessary for each epoch.

Pujya Bapuji giving Satsang

It is to this class of saints and world teachers that Sant Shri Asaramji Bapu belongs. Swamiji's advent was a historical necessity. There was the need for a charismatic individual who could create and vitalize the basic ideals of the present age. Sant Shri Asaramji Bapu's exemplary life has fulfilled this requirement. Pujya Bapuji is the source of energy which is emitting great Vedantic ideals in the present age for the welfare of mankind.

Beyond the bare rudiments of literacy, Shri Asaramji Bapu never had formal education. Most of Swamiji's youth was spent in the intense practice of spiritual sadhana. Pujya Shri virtually lived the life of a monk depending solely on God's grace. How can such a man be regarded as the ideal man for the modern age which idealizes film stars, sportsmen, politicians, and now for a change, miracle-working yogis? See any newspaper, or magazine and you will find almost every page displaying pictures of men and women in all kinds of dress and posture who project idealized pictures of contemporary society. No other age ever allowed lust and greed to dominate the minds of the people so completely as the modern age has done. Every thing in modern society is valued for the sake of money. Can Shri Asaramji Bapu who is a sage become the ideal for the people of such a society?

The answer is that an ideal stands for perfection & imperfect individuals cannot give these ideals. Western cultures consider beauty, truth and goodness as the criteria of perfection. However physical beauty is only skin deep, and is as evanescent as youth itself. Truth is sought through science, to another mystery beyond. The basis of goodness is unselfish love, but in the market oriented culture of modern society unselfishness is the scarcest commodity.