Dada J.P.Vaswani – Nothing but Love

Dada J.P.Vaswani- Nothing but Love

Universally acclaimed as a humanitarian, philosopher, educator, acclaimed writer, powerful orator, messiah of ahimsa, and non-sectarian spiritual leader, Dada J.P. Vaswani has captivated the hearts of millions worldwide. In the eyes of many, Dada J.P. Vaswani is a man who symbolizes the true spirit of the India of the rishis as a harbinger of love, peace and hope.

Today, Dada J.P. Vaswani is the spiritual head of The Sadhu Vaswani Mission, and also the moving, inspiring, life-giving and life-sustaining force behind its multifarious activities. For the past 4 decades and more, he has been spreading the message of love and peace all over the world. Holding aloft in his hands, the torch bequeathed to him by his Master, Dada carries across the globe the message of India’s deathless culture. Through him, the joy of faith and peace flows out to many. In him, thousands of faithful devotees behold the image of their Beloved.

Dada J.P. Vaswani was born on August 2, 1918, at Hyderabad-Sind, in a pious Sindhi family. He was a brilliant student, and so was given a number of double promotions which enabled him to pass the B.S. examination at young age of 17 years. He was awarded a fellowship at the D.J Sind College for standing first in his class.

His M.Sc. Thesis on “The scattering of X-Rays by Solids” Was examined by Nobel-Laureate, Dr. C.V Raman. Although Dada’s conclusions were in divergence with those of Dr. Raman, the originality of his views impressed the eminent scientist.

Dada gave up a career in academics to follow in the footsteps of his illustrious uncle and Guru, Sadhu T.L Vaswani. In order to propagate the Masters ideals, he edited three monthly journals – the Excelsior, the India Digest and the East and West series.

The Excelsior, a youth journal, became so popular that its circulation surpassed that of the daily newspaper, the Sind Observer!

Another task given to Dada J.P Vaswani by the Master was to serve as the Principal of St. Mira’s College for Girls. Dada set a living example before teachers and students and was dearly loved by them.

In 1966, when Sadhu T.L Vaswani shed his physical body, he passed on the baton to Dada J.P Vaswani.

Dada is the author of over 50 books in English and many more in the Sindhi language. Dada’s writing reveals practical tips on happy, successful, spiritual and non-violent living. Many of his books have run into several editions and several have been translated into the Marathi, Hindi, Gujarati, Kannada, Papio Mento, Arabic, Mandarin, Spanish, French, German, and Indonesian languages.

Thousands upon thousands of avid readers who have read his best-selling books regard him as a great inspirational writer. Distinguished audiences who have heard him address eminent forums like the World Parliament of Religions, the Global Forum of Spiritual Leaders, and the United Nations Millennium World Peace Summit hail him as a brilliant and captivating orator. Animal lovers revere and admire him as an apostle of non-violence who strives tirelessly for the cause of reverence for all life. And, to the thousands spread all over the globe, Dada J.P. Vaswani is an unquestioned spiritual leader.

Dada has spoken form many prestigious platforms including the World Parliament of Religions in Chicago, The World Hindu Conference in Colombo, the Global Forum of Spiritual Leaders and Parliamentarians at Kyoto – the U.N and the House of Commons in London. He received the U Thant Peace Award in April 1998, for his dedicated service to the cause of world peace. Dada J.P Vaswani is endowed with the gift of oratory and eloquence.

His humanitarian spirit transcends caste, creed, colour and religion. He can teach us how to confront problems and challenges or give us his vision of a world without wars, which is much needed in today´s world. As Dada J.P Vaswani says, the root cause of wars is irreverence towards life. If we all learn to revere life, especially each other´s, then the world will be a place without quarrels, war and the connected evils.

Dada J.P Vaswani is an inspired speaker. His words emerge spontaneously from the heart which is full of love for God, fellow human beings and all the living creatures on this planet. One distinguishing feature of his discourses which attracts the people is the practicability of the subjects, and the most straightforward manner he employs to put across the deepest of philosophies. His simple language, his profound thoughts, his universal outlook, his captivating voice, all interspersed with delightful anecdotes and instances from the lives of the saints and the great ones of East and West, keep the audience transfixed and makes them feel that they are in some other world altogether. His words find a home in every heart and many in the audience often feel that Dada J.P Vaswani´s message specially relates to them in their particular state of being.

“Thou Art the great magnet, O Lord, may I be a tiny iron filing! — These words of Dada J.P Vaswani show his humble nature. He is an embodiment of love and compassion, of saintliness and humility. An avid propagator of vegetarianism, Dada J.P Vaswani has authored many books on secrets of happiness and non-violent living. His participation in many world conferences on religion, compassion and humanity has spiritually enriched the world. His fiery, thought-provoking speeches have aroused interest in Indian religion and culture. His sermons and life style are the best example of ‘preach what you practise’.

“It is essential to develop intellect and to acquire manual skills. But the most important is the training of the heart.” Training of the heart… for what?… to love and serve. “Love and service are what the world needs the most now. Look on service as an offering of love for God”. This is what Sadhu Vaswani Mission has been doing through its numerous centers worldwide, including the ones in Colon and Panama City.

Sadhu Vaswani Centers all over the world, including in Colon and Panama, have been putting to practice these ideals of love and service through their activities, which include feeding the poor and needy, distributing essential grocery items to the needy families in villages, giving educational needs to school kids, organizing free cataract operations, medical camps, feeding birds, fish, animals, etc.

His words are…. “If you want to be happy, make others happy!”

Dada J.P Vaswani’s philosophy and teaching?

The following is a reproduction of a section of Dada J.P Vaswani’s article in East and West series, May 2000 titled “What life has taught me.”

1. In the endless adventure of existence, God and man are comrades. God is our one unfailing companion. He will never leave us. We may try to run away from him. But he will continue to follow us as our own shadow. In the words of Thompson, he is the “Heavenly Hound.”
2. There is a meaning of mercy in everything that happens to us. For God is All-love. He is All-wisdom. He is too loving to punish, too wise to make a mistake. Whatever happens in the Divine Providence happens for our own good. Nothing happens a moment too early or too late…..therefore wherever God takes us, let us go, wherever he keeps us, let us remain. Let us never forget that all is well, all was well, all will be well both tomorrow and a hundred years hence.
3. When man surrenders himself to God, He takes upon Himself his entire responsibility. All we need to do is to hand ourselves over, in childlike trust to the Lord. And the angels of God will go ahead of us to clear the way.
4. Thought is a tremendous force in the life of any individual. Thoughts shape our attitudes. Attitudes mould our character. Character influences our life. By changing our thought pattern, we can change our life.
5. Problems and challenges are not a dead end; they are only a bend in the road. Problems are not stumbling blocks; they are stepping stones to a better, richer, more radiant life. Not unoften, problems become the door through which God enters our life. We have surrounded ourselves with hard shells which keep God away from us. Problems crack the shell and God easily enters our lives.
6. Neither rites nor rituals, neither creeds nor ceremonies are needed to improve the condition of the world. All that is needed is to love one another.
7. Are you anxious to love God? Then you must be prepared to lose yourself.
8. Do you want God to be yours? Then you must first become his!
9. How may we know that we are drawing closer to God? The closer we draw to God, the more tender and compassionate become our hearts to the needs of those around us.
10. What is the best exercise for the heart? Reach down and lift up as many as you can.
11. Misfortunes are blessings if we handle them well. They are like knives which hurt or help as we hold them by the blade or handle.
12. Life is too short to be spent in fault-finding, holding grudges, or keeping memory of wrongs done to us. Forgive even before forgiveness is asked. Forgive and forget.
13. The worst thing that can happen to a man is that he has a hot head and a cold heart.
14. If a person has moved in the wrong direction, he can always take a U-turn. The angels of God will be with him. The past does not – cannot – bind us!
15. You who are looking for miracles, open your eyes and see! All around us are the miracles of God.
16. A tiny seed grows into a huge banyan tree. A caterpillar becomes a butterfly.
17. Open thine heart and let love enter in – and all things in the universe will gravitate to thee. For love is the power that pulls!
18. Give, give, give – until it hurts to give! This will release you from bondage to the ego – and to things.
19. I must never forget that every thought I think, every word I utter, every action I perform, every feeling, every emotion that wakes up in me, is recorded in the memory of nature. I might be able to deceive those around me, I may even succeed in deceiving myself. But I cannot deceive nature.
20. When a particular problem has vexed you for sometime and you are unable to do anything about it, hand it over to God. Breathe out the aspiration “ “Thy will be done, O Lord!” Soon a way will be shown to you.
21. Does God want our work? Or does he want our love? He wants that we should work for Him in love.
22. If you wish to know God and understand him, you must love Him more and more! The more you love him, the more you will know him. The key to knowledge is – LOVE.
23. The aim of life is to realize that we are immortal spirit – not the bodies we wear!
24. An infinite potential lies hid within us. We are unaware of it, because we think of ourselves as limited, restricted creatures. We have identified ourselves with a biochemical mental organism. Our true self is the atman. Tat twamasi! That art thou! There can be no limit to what we can do – and achieve!
25. When all around us the storms blow and the tempests roar, let us close our eyes, think of God and repeat the words “God is with me-and He is in control.” Those are words of power and can quell the fiercest storm.
26. No man can attain to enlightenment by his own efforts. Enlightenment cometh to man by the grace of God. Strive for enlightenment – yes. But like the peasant who tills the soil and sows the seed – then turns to the heaven for chandi ka gola (the silver drops of rain)
27. The greatest illusion which man suffers from is perhaps the illusion of death. In reality, there is no death. Death is very much like the sunset. When the sun sets here, it has already risen elsewhere. Likewise, death here is birth elsewhere. For life is eternal.
28. The greatest intoxication is that of the ego. The worst madness is that of anger. The person who is free from arrogance and anger finds goodness and beauty wherever he goes.
29. Has someone offended you or insulted you? Insults are like bad coins. You cannot avoid them, but you can refuse to accept them.
30. The test of a man is – how much he can bear and how much he can share and how soon he confesses a mistake and makes amends for it.
31. If while praying we can think of worldly matters, why can we not, when doing worldly things, think of God?
32. Think positively. Eat sparingly. Exercise regularly. Walk as much as you can. Be careful to see that your thoughts and actions are clean. A guilty mind breeds many diseases. There is the way to live a happy, healthy, harmonious life.
33. I have met many who will go to any length to prove the superiority of their religion over those of others. They will hold endless discussions and debates. They will even fight for it – and die for it. But I have met very few who live for their religion – who bear witness to the great teaching in deeds of daily living. Religion is life!

Activities Of Sadhu Vaswani Mission

• Education
• Healthcare
• Social Services
• Village Upliftment
• Disaster Relief
• Animal Welfare
• Satsang
• Dada Bhandara
• Meatless Day Campaign
• Promotion of The Sindhi Language
• Publications

Education

In 1933, Sadhu Vaswani founded the “Mira Movement In Education” which has, today, its headquarters at Pune. The Movement was started in Sind and plans were afoot to develop it into a Mira University, when the “partition” came to paralyse the best efforts of enlightened men in Sind. The Mira Movement attempts at enriching students with vital truths of modern life and at the same time making them lovers of the Indian Ideal and India’s Culture, at once idealistic and spiritual. Such an education is essential to India’s social and political salvation. The emphasis in the teaching passed on in Mira Educational Institutions is that education is a thing of the Spirit and that the end of all knowledge is service, – service of the poor and lowly, the sick and afflicted ones. In 1962, Sadhu Vaswani started St. Mira’s College for Girls. It is inspired by the faith that, in the new unfolding of India’s destiny, women have to play an important part. As Sahdu Vaswani often said:- “The woman-soul will lead us upward, on!” And while students in the College are trained to show good results at the University Examinations, the emphasis in the teaching passed on them is on three things:- (1) character building; (2) heroic living; and spiritual unfolding.

The Mira Movement in Education has grown and expanded to run no less than six educational institutions in Pune – all of them reputed for their strong sense of discipline, and their insistence on character building, love of Indian ideals, reverence for all life, spiritual, cultural, social and moral values. Over 5,000 students receive their education from these institutions, starting from the pre-primary level and going right up to post-graduate classes. Schools have also been established at Delhi, Baroda, Ahmedabad, Rajkot and Bombay.

• St. Mira’s College for Girls
• St. Mira’s High School (Sindhi Medium)
• St. Mira’s English Medium School (Secondary and Primary)
• St. Mira’s Primary School (Sindhi Medium)
• St. Mira’s Bal Bhavan
• Shanti Vidya Mandir (Kindergarten: English Medium)

Some of the different methods employed in the educational institutes are:
Sanctuary
The first period every day is dedicated to spiritual unfolding and universal prayers. The days sacred to great ones from East and West are also celebrated during this period.
Prayer Circle
Students pray collectively for their dear ones in this circle.
Meditation Circle
Students meditate collectively for a short period.
Service Circle
Periodically, students from every class go to charitable institutions for service.
Freeships
Needy students are provided with free education, medicines, stationery, uniforms, pocket money, daily lunch and milk.

Healthcare

In Pune, medical services are offered by the Mission at the following centers:- Shanti Clinic: a diagnostic center located on the Mission campus
The Mangharam Khemlani Dispensary
The Sadhu Hiranand Free Homeopathic Dispensary
The Radha Krishna Daya Dispensary
The Inlaks and Budhrani Hospital: a 150 bed hospital in Koregaon Park
The Cancer Institute: a 175 bed hospital specially for cancer patients
The motto of all the Medical Centers of the Mission is: Every patient is a picture of God.
To serve him is to worship God.

Freeships and concessions including expensive medications and injections are liberally given to poor and needy patients.

Village Upliftment

The Mission has undertaken the work of village upliftment in the backward areas of Maharashtra, Saurashtra and Kutch. Its village adoption programmes help provide employment and improve the quality of life for villagers living below the poverty line. The activities of the programme include the provision of drinking water, digging of irrigation wells, tree plantation, soil conservation, education of children, training households to work and earn their own living, health camps, vocational training classes, service to mother cows at times of famine, and rehabilitation of poor families, provisions of rations etc.

Animal Welfare

“For me not to love birds and animals would be not to love the Lord”, Sadhu Vaswani said. The Mission follows his precept that all life is sacred, and that birds and animals are our brothers and sisters in the One family of creation. These humble creatures are fed twice a day at the Sadhu Vaswani Ashram. Students of the St. Mira’s Educational institutions bring handfuls of grain, slices of bread, chappatti etc. to feed birds and animals with their own hands.

Satsang

Satsangs are held thrice everyday including kirtans, bhajans, and recitations from holy scriptures, Sadhu Vaswani’s recorded upadeshes and Dada’s upadeshes inspire and thrill hundreds of brothers and sisters. Days sacred to the great ones of East and West are also celebrated with prayers and service. The satsang forms the basis of the Sadhu Vaswani Mission. “The noblest work”, according to Sadhu Vaswani, “is to cultivate the soul! “.

Dada J.P Vaswani Bhandara

At the Dada Bhandara the poor are fed meals everyday with reverence and love, and are asked to sing the holy name of God. Food and snacks are sent out to other institutions for the blind, the handicapped, the aged, the orphans, the mental patients and the lepers practically everyday. Daily fruits and biscuits are distributed at the poor patients wards for children and adults at the general Sassoon Hospital in Pune.

Promotion Of Sindhi Language

The Sadhu Vaswani Mission has devoted special efforts to run classes in the Sindhi language. Crash courses in Sindhi are regularly conducted for aspiring learners, and have proved very popular with the younger generation. An increasing number of students have learnt to read and write Sindhi in the original Arabic script, or even in Devnagiri, as an easier alternative. To many earnest Sindhi lovers, these classes have opened the door to the vast literary treasures which exist in the Sindhi language.