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By
Swami Sivananda
Some seekers of Truth, who did not wish to be bound up by any creed or
dogma, felt the need for establishing an institution which would neither
seek to propound an exclusive spiritual cult, nor a particular religious
movement, but embrace every essential truth found in all the religions
of the world. They offered me their noble submission, and the Divine Life
Society came into being, in 1936. In the beginning I had no desire to
found an institution, but merely wished to spread the message of the Lord
in a quiet, modest way. I was satisfied with printing some leaflets, containing
the essential teachings of divine life, and allowing some publishing agencies
to print a few of my books, for the dissemination of spiritual knowledge.
But the Lord willed more, and more became increasingly more.
SPIRITUAL HOME FOR ALL
The consequential problems of twentieth-century materialism,
war and unrest, clashing of religious dogmas and intolerance, had created
a spiritual hunger in the people, which had got to be met with maximum
freedom of conscience and belief. There had to be spiritual home for everybody,
which sought no qualification but sincere aspiration, and which imposed
no restriction but the dictates of one's own higher mind. There had got
to be a universal abode, where everybody could profess one's own religion
and grow according to the law of one's individual growth, respective of
each other's cultural and spiritual backgrounds, breathing the air of
freedom and universality, love and fellowship, goodwill and mutual understanding.
A Christian was not required to change religion but to be a better Christian,
a Hindu a better Hindu, a Muslim a better Muslim. Such was the basic purpose
of the Divine Life Society.
COMMON GOSPEL
Divine Life is yoga in daily life. Yoga is spirituality
in practice. I do not ask anybody to run away into the forests or caves.
I have always said: "Serve one another. Have goodwill towards each
other. Change the angle of vision-from self-interest to common interest,
from materialism to spirituality, realizing the presence of God in all.
Feel that you are one with the whole universe. Broaden your outlook. Purify
your lower nature." This is the gospel of the Divine Life Society.
Stick to the ideals of truth. love and purity. Truth
is reality -that which is enduring, permanent. Love is the indwelling
substance in all. Without truth, love is brittle, and devoid of purity,
love does not flower. A pure men only can have true love in his heart,
and only he, whose heart is filled with love of God and his creation -because
God is in all- can know what is truth, and is able to follow the path
of truth. Therefore, truth, love and purity are the common ideals of the
Divine Life Society.
MAIN INJUNCTION
My injunction has ever been: "Serve, love, give,
purify, meditate, realise; be good and do good; be kind and be compassionate"
These words sum up the teachings of all the scriptures of the world. They
are the basis of divine life. Love flows from the heart of one who meditates
on God. Service is a natural expression of love. Realisation is the fruit.
Goodness springs from divine life; they are synonymous. Being good means
doing good, because one cannot be good by merely being good to oneself
but by doing good to others. Thus, the Divine Life Society stresses the
need of being intensely practical. Its approach to the life of man, to
the progress of society, is dictated by practical utilitarianism.
Divine Life is the link that binds all humanity as one
great family. It gives one the opportunity of understanding one's relationship
with God, between one another, between oneself and the world. It is the
key that unlocks the treasure of Self-knowledge, and enables man to understand
the laws of life. It is the basis of all philosophies, the mother of all
the religions, and the way of life that all humanity can follow. To spread
the message of divine life among everyone, everywhere, is the central
objective of the Divine Life Society.
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