Rishi Chintan (ॠषि चिंतन)

Self-Study (Swadhyay) is the Only way now

Human mind is like a blank paper or an unexposed photographic film, which records the effect of surrounding situations, events and thoughts, accordingly shaping the mentality. A person is basically neither wise nor a fool, neither good nor bad, but very sensitive, and hence, is deeply influenced by the surrounding and molded in the same pattern. This can lead him to great heights or it can throw him into hell, based on the environment around him.The most important thing needed for raising our personality to greater heights is a thought process associated with not only idealism, but also with our faith and favor. This can be fulfilled in two ways: One, long enough association with a Guru, idealist person with high moral and sound character; and Second, reading, study and absorption of thoughts of such great personalities. Under the prevailing circumstances, the first option seems very difficult, as such great people have become so rare now, and gradually they are being replaced by the cheaters and fraudsters who themselves are confused and mislead the followers who blindly confide in them. The really deserving spiritual leaders are so busy in refining the current situation that they hardly can devote any time to accompany and lead the anxious mass. Therefore, if one is fortunate enough to be around a really honest wise man, he should get the chance to satisfy the thirst of knowledge, because, long association with such personalities is rarely possible. 

The second option is readily available – and that is the reading and deep study of thoughts of great spiritual leaders, expressed and written in books. Only through such study, a prolonged atmosphere can be created in our mind which can lead us to a glorious, divine life. Our efforts to satisfy this spiritual hunger must be far stronger than working for our physical needs of bread, butter and shelter. The study of such pious literature must become a part of our daily routine. Then only our mind can be protected from ill-effects of the polluted environment, which otherwise encourages us to involve into deteriorated, shameful activities. If not curtailed, this environment can provoke common mass to look for benefits in such activities.So, self study of great thoughts and pious books is the only solution to protect our mind from contaminated environment. The great spiritual personalities - living or dead, have created the literature containing immortal thoughts, and this is permanently available in the form of books for our study. Such books are inexpensive, they do not cost much, but the benefit derived from them is precious like gold and invaluable.It hardly needs to mention that Yug Nirman Yojana combines the old wisdom with the new knowledge and imbibes the principles of our ancient “Sanatan” religion along with the modern intellectual and scientific thought process. The learned class admires it as a marvelous and unique combination. It is a wise step to study the Yug Nirman Literature instead of reading many diversified books leading to confusion.Let us make a good habit of reading Yug Nirman Literature a part of our routine daily life. 
 

-Pt. Shriram Sharma Acharya

Translated from - Pandit Shriram Sharma Acharya’s work

Yug Nirman Yojana – The Vision, Structure and the Program – 66 (6.28)

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