Festive Period Begins!

The purpose of celebrating Holy festivals, Religious festivals and Vowed religious observances
A. Our Holy and Religious festivals are such that they not only give us happiness while alive, but also help gain momentum after death.
B. We become aware of the changes in the Nature.
C. There is an increase in devotion through birthday celebrations of Incarnations.
D. We get spiritual benefits through celebration of the death anniversaries of Saints (according to the Hindu Almanac).
E. We get motivated to do spiritual practice through Pouranic and historical events.
F. We get spiritual education.

The importance of Festivals and Observances from the point of God-realisation
A. As Holy festivals, Religious festivals and Vowed religious observances have a spiritually scientific base, celebrating these results in generation of chaitanya (Divine consciousness) and that helps even an ordinary man to march towards God.
B. From a seeker's viewpoint, karmakand (rituals) may be an inferior form of spiritual practice, yet it is important to gradually divert those not doing any spiritual practice, towards Spirituality. From karmakand point of view the festivals and observances are so important that at least one or the other happens to be on seventy five percent of the dates (or tithis) in a year.
C. We should always exercise restraint in our life; but in practice it is difficult. Hence, at least during festivals and observances it should be exercised, so that gradually we become accustomed to a life of restraint.

(Sanatan Sanstha has published comprehensive Holy texts on the Festivals and Observances; we publish relevant material in the Sanatan Prabhat periodicals too, for our readers to learn of the vast science that underlies every act in Hinduism. Sanatan also has the grace of God, as He bestows Divine knowledge on Sanatan seekers continuously. While Hindus and others celebrate these Festivals and Observances with pomp and gaiety, it is important for them to exercise extreme care and alertness to ensure that the purity of these is maintained and no act results in denigration of Deities. - Editor)

Gopalkala

Shravan Krushna Ashtami (24th August 2008)

Kala is the mixture of the meals of my friends with mine. ‘Kala' is also prepared by mixing milk, curd, butter, rice-flakes and sugar.
1. Importance: Seekers should derive maximum spiritual
benefit from the ‘Kala' at the gross level. Along with the gross
objects, every seeker should bestow love on each other, taste the ‘Kala' of love and remove personality defects in themselves.
2. Spiritual benefits of Gopalkala
The proportion of sattva component increases in the atmosphere. As positive frequencies are transmitted in the atmosphere, every embodied soul gets spiritual benefit of those frequencies which are necessary for him. Seekers! Know that Gopalkala is a medium through which the seekers are bestowed with the energy necessary for the ensuing world war. So derive as much benefit as possible and be prepared for the Holy war! - Lord Krushna (Through the medium of Ms. Megha Nakate, 14th August 2005, 10.40 p.m.)

Nariyal Pournima Shravan Pournima (16th August 2008)

There are many religious festivals in Hindu Dharma that come in a year and are celebrated for various reasons (as mentioned before). Nariyal Pournima is a religious festival that denotes the change in Nature. The full moon day of the month of Shravan is Nariyal Pournima. During this period, the rainy season is on the wane. The sea that was earlier turbulent due to stormy weather is now calm. This festival is very important for the community of fishermen. On this day, people residing in coastal regions worship the sea as a form of the Deity Varun, and offer coconuts. Offering coconuts is both auspicious as well as symbolic of the energy of Creation. Only after this do the fishermen sail their boats.

H.H. Dr. Athavale's Messages

H.H. Dr. Athavale

The real curiosity!
Asking questions which are beyond the understanding of the intellect is real curiosity. Spirituality is a science of eternity. In their spiritual journey, seekers can learn new things everyday. Seekers must accept them, learn and immediately imbibe them.

Limitations of the intellect in Spirituality!
In Spirituality, intellect can only make a man curious. But when one realises that the Guru's word is the essence (that is, when one understands that Guru's word is the science), an average person will become a seeker, and then a disciple.

Take real atonement for mistakes!
Due to mistakes made by the seekers, whenever there is a loss to the samashti (seva of spreading Spirituality in society) work, the atonement for the mistake must help in recovering the loss to the samashti atleast to some extent. Taking atonements like not having tea etc. do not have any benefits, nor do they help in reducing any sin. Such atonements are psychological in nature. At best, these can only help us in remembering not to repeat the mistake.

Seekers who have been asked to do vyashthi sadhana, should follow this example!
A year ago, due to the mistakes made by Prof. Shrikant Bhatt, he was asked to pay attention only to his vyashti sadhana. He was asked not to contact other seekers.
Without getting depressed, since then he has been making consistent efforts.
Whenever he sees any wrong happening in the society, he tries to correct it by addressing the concerned people.

He also makes various newspapers aware of the public awareness campaigns conducted by Sanatan Sanstha. This way he is able to reach out to hundreds and thousands of people. Despite some negative energy distress and staying by himself, he is making good efforts and is progressing spiritually. In sadhana, perseverance and earnestness are essential. If he continues to make consistent efforts, his distress will reduce and he will certainly be able to progress spiritually. Those who are asked to focus on their vyashti sadhana must keep Prof. Shrikant Bhatt as their ideal.

The essence of formation of the Divine Kingdom!
If everyone in the society becomes a seeker, every activity and business becomes a spiritual practice, then we can get rid of inflation and corruption. The anti- social elements caused by evil attitudes will go away. This will lead to the formation of the Divine Kingdom with ease. That is the reason why Sanatan is making efforts to spread the science of Spirituality and spiritual practice. This will help a large number of people start on their spiritual practice. This is the need of the hour! - H.H. Parashram Pande Maharaj (Resident Saint in Sanatan's Ashram at Panvel.)

To overcome increasing distress, use Divine plants for remedies!
1. Eat Tulsi leaves three times in a day.
2. For skin problems, use the extract of Durva grass (which will provide the Ganapati Principle), Bel leaves (for Shiva Principle) or Tulsi leaves (for Krushna Principle). Before applying the extract, pray to the respective Deities.
3. If the pran-shakti (vital energy) is becoming less or you feel very tired, then consume Durva juice three times in a day.
4. If the trouble is more in a particular part of the body, then wrap Tulsi, Bel or Durva leaves in a cloth and keep the cloth over that part or apply the extract of these leaves to that part.
5. To destroy the black energy in the stomach, put the leaves of Tulsi, Bel or Durva in a glass of water for one hour, remove the leaves and then drink the water.
6. If any of the above mentioned plants are not available, then to get the required Principle, we can keep a picture of our Ishtadevta (a Deity we like), H.H. Dr. Athavale or H.H. Bhaktaraj Maharaj, on top of the glass of water and then drink the water after half an hour. The distress will reduce.
The same water can be applied to the body as ‘tirth' (Holy water). It can also be used for any trouble in the eyes. All these remedies will also have Spiritual benefits.
- Mrs. Anjali Gadgil, Sanatan's Ramnathi Ashram, Goa.

Remedy for thoughts of not serving the God Principle!
A new type of negative energy distress has started. In this, seekers do not feel like writing their personality defects or feel lazy to serve the God Principle with their intellect.
Seekers feel like sleeping or just chanting. Due to such thoughts, the capacity to serve and consequently their output has reduced. To overcome this situation, write all the thoughts that come to your mind in a serial order and around it write the chant of Sri Krushna, like it is done in our subtle drawings. This will form a protective sheath.
Then pray thus - “Let the black energy generated by the negative thoughts be destroyed by the chaitanya (Divine consciousness) of the protective sheath.”

If there are severe negative thoughts of suicide, desires or destructive thoughts, write them on a separate paper and for the protective sheath write ‘sudarshanchakra' ( Sri Krushna's weapon). This will serve as the destroyer form of Sri Krushna.
Then pray thus - “Let the protective sheath destroy the black energy formed by the destructive negative thoughts.” By doing this, obstacles created by the negative energy will reduce and service unto God Principle and spiritual practice will increase. - Mrs. Anjali Gadgil, Sanatan's Ramnathi Ashram, Goa.

Donate generously for TV equipment and studio!
Sanatan Sanstha is in the process of making programs for transmission on TV all over the country. The objective is to create mass awareness about and educate people on Righteousness and Spirituality. This effort will require sophisticated audio-video recording equipment and a studio. Well-wishers desirous of knowing more on this and donating amounts or equipment for this purpose may contact Mr. Satyakam Kananglekar on 09420897681 / 09423881903 or write to: advgoa@gmail.com

An appeal to help conserve invaluable Research Recordings
Sanatan Sanstha has been conducting research in the spiritual dimension for the past 20 years. We have about 7000 video cassettes of recordings of spiritual research on the topic of manifestations of ghosts (demons, devils, negative energies etc.) and recordings of visits to various Saints by H.H. Bhaktaraj Maharaj, the spiritual master (Guru) of the founder of the Sanstha and by the founder H.H. Dr. Jayant Athavale Himself. These video cassettes are an invaluable treasure from the perspective of history of mankind. It is essential to edit these cassettes before they are damaged. Some of these are slowly getting damaged due to fungus. These cassettes need to be conserved after carefully removing the damaged part. If this treasure is not conserved and in time, then the entire mankind will remain deprived of this invaluable knowledge.
We appeal to all readers trained and experienced in video editing, who would like to contribute free of charge to the conservation of this treasure, to come and stay at Sanatan's Ramnathi Ashram and help in the editing of these video cassettes. Accommodation and meals will be provided by the Ashram. Those interested may please contact Ms. Sonal Joshi, on her e-mail ID: sonal2025@gmail.com
(Ref:'Dainik Sanatan Prabhat')