A Gift from the Past to the Future: Akhand Jyoti Has Multi-Generational Readership Now
"Akhand Jyoti is something to be collected and stacked over generations. Each of its issues is like a precious book which should be carefully preserved for centuries."
— Param Poojya Gurudev 'Yug Nirmāṇa Yojanā' har sadasya paḍhe (Akhand Jyoti – Hindi, December 1964, p. 56)
"Many generations of Akhand Jyoti readers would read Akhand Jyoti and preserve it like a gem. In Akhand Jyoti there is fact, there is truth, there is sublime thought, and there is inspiration. Above all, the most valuable thing woven into it is the tapa of Acharyaji. This endows it with a value which is as permanent as contemporary. The Gita is as much important today — in fact much more — as it was when it was first imparted to Arjuna in the battlefield of Kurukshetra; this is because the Gita encompasses yoga-shakti of Lord Sri Krishna and tapashakti of Maharishi Vyasa." Having said this, Satyabhaktaji looked towards Chandrasen Dwivedi who was sitting in front of him. The former was proof-reading the articles of Akhand Jyoti at that time. Chandrasen Dwivedi used to visit Gayatri Tapobhumi at Mathura from time to time. Whenever he came here he would definitely meet Satyabhaktaji. These meetings provided him an opportunity to learn some new aspect of Param Poojya Gurudev every time.
Satyabhaktaji was himself a good writer, an impressive orator, a profound thinker and a dedicated nationalist. He was a revolutionary and a peaceful person rolled into one. He believed in communism and at the same time had deep faith in spiritualism. His poems reflected the brilliance of fire and the humility of faith. Param Poojya Gurudev respected him, while the latter had deep reverence for Gurudev. Their mutual relationship was unique and extraordinary. It was of a kind which Goswami Tulsidas has written in the Ramcharitmānas (Ayodhyakānd):
"Muni Raghubir paraspar navāhin, Bachan agochar sukha anubhavahin."
(Lord Sri Ram and sage Bhārdwāja both bowed to each other and experienced indescribable joy.)
This special relationship between Swami Satyabhakta and Param Poojya Gurudev was a matter of deep interest for Chandrasen Dwivediji. He would experience a mystic feeling here. Satyabhaktaji would often remark on his frequent visits, "Dwivediji, railway service is very convenient to you. Whenever you want to you can come here." The latter would reply, "It is not so. I would have come frequently even if I was not in the railway service. It is the blessing of Gurudev which has made my visits easy and convenient."
In the course of talks, Dwivediji asked, "Satyabhaktaji, you are yourself a writer, poet and thinker, a seeker and tapasvi. Please tell me which quality of Gurudev you admire the most." Satyabhaktaji said, "Dwivediji, I being a writer, I should first rephrase and refine your question. I am not an admirer of Gurudev, but his disciple and devotee. He is my guide and patron. My own sadhana and his blessings have both helped me realize this truth. As for my writings and his writings, there is a big difference between the two. I am a mere writer and a thinker, while Acharyaji is a rishi and tapasvi. Whatever I write is a collection of my thoughts and imaginations; at most some facts are added to these. Acharyaji's writing is of a completely different kind. It is not simply a mixture of imaginations, thoughts and facts, although it might appear so on the surface. From the sublime levels of his transformed consciousness, whatever Acharyaji sees and experiences, he writes only that. As Kabir says:
"Main kahatā ānkhin ki dekhi, Tu kahata kāgad ki lekhi."
(Meaning: I speak what my eyes see; you speak what is written on paper.)
Thus from those high peaks of consciousness flows, through Acharyaji's pen, the truth which is beneficial to the world and mankind. Whatever is being written by him today is true for today and will remain true for all times to come. The light which his pen is emitting will illuminate the mind of readers and the complexities in their lives will be automatically resolved."
Having said this, Satyabhaktaji revealed one more fact before Chandrasen Dwivedi: "There is one more unique and mystical aspect to Acharyaji's writing. Not only he wields pen himself, but at the same time, by transmitting his thoughts into others' minds, he gets them too to write his own sublime thoughts. I have myself experienced this phenomenon many times. Whatever I have written here at Gayatri Tapobhumi during my visits is in reality not my writing but Acharyaji's. Hence its substance and meaningfulness is also like that. You will not find this attribute anywhere else except in Akhand Jyoti." Chandrasen Dwivedi listened attentively to Satyabhaktaji who continued, "Dwivediji, you must realise the spiritual significance of this magazine and give it to your children. Also, tell them to give it to their own children in turn as inheritance."
Chandrasen Dwivedi understood. Later he mentioned this to Gurudev. Gurudev said, "Satyabhaktaji always speaks satya (the truth). As for me, I will say only this that my own celestial guide uses my hands to write it down. Whatever noble thoughts, feelings and illuminating inspirations I have received from them, I disseminate only that among my children. My guide did his work, I did mine, and now it is the turn of you all."
The message was simple and direct, and went straight to the heart. Dwivediji acted accordingly. He assigned the task of reading and distributing Akhand Jyoti to his sons — Rajendra Kumar, Basant Kumar, Upendra Kumar and Jitendra Kumar — and daughter Dr. Vijay Lakshmi. Their children and grandchildren followed in the wake; and now we have the pleasing sight that the grandson of Chandrasen Dwiwedi, Vinay Dwiwedi, is training his sons Ayush and Akshat in carrying on this Akhand Jyoti tradition.
This is not a sole case. In Gayatri Pariwar there are numerous such families where Akhand Jyoti has become a valuable inheritance over generations. Fathers gift Akhand Jyoti to daughters as kanyadhan. Sons are reminded that Akhand Jyoti has blessed our ancestors in the past and will bless the future generations too. From grandfather to father, son and grandson, and now even great-grandsons and daughters — Akhand Jyoti has been travelling and illuminating the path as before. Countless families today are benefitting from their continuing bond with Akhand Jyoti and its divine message.
A saint used to administer a small gurukul. One day he brought a person walking by and asked him before his scholars, "What will you do if you get a packet of three gold coins on the way?" "I will locate its owner and return to him at once or submit them in the king's treasure," replied the man. The saint laughed, sent back the passerby and told his scholars that the man was unwise. The scholars wondered about what the saint said. All of them were taught not to keep others' belongings.
After sometime another man passed by, and the saint repeated the same question to him. He replied, "Do you think I am a stupid that I will go to search for the owner of the gold coins if I happen to find them on the way?" The saint told that that man was a devil.
Now the saint brought inside a third man and put before him the same question. The man modestly replied, "It is difficult to say anything right now. Who can say of a mind that deceives in a second? If there be God's grace and intellect reigns, I will return the coins." The saint inferred this man as rightful as he had entrusted his everything to God. Such people are never a failure.
Swami Vivekananda had two disciples — sister Nivedita (Margaret Nobel) and Christina whom Swamiji used to address by the name Krishnapriya. Nivedita used to ask a lot of questions to Swamiji and he would answer them for her. But it was Christina who always sat silently. Swamiji asked her, "Why don't you ever ask any questions? Are there no questions that bother your mind?" Christina said, "My Master! Questions arise in my heart, but they melt before your radiance. I get all my answers by being silent." This is the quality of an ideal disciple.
"You were born with wings, why prefer to crawl through life?" — Rumi
"Coincidence is God's way of remaining anonymous." — Albert Einstein
"Science without religion is lame, religion without science is blind." — Albert Einstein