HH Pujya Muniji celebrates 60th birthday
SPIRITUAL leader His Holiness Pujya Swami Chidanand Saraswatiji (HH Pujya Muniji) has called on devotees to dedicate their lives to the service of others, as he marked his 60th birthday last week.
HH Pujya Muniji, who is the head of the Parmarth Niketan Ashram in Rishikesh, was in London on Friday (June 3) as he embarked on a tour of the US.
Around 800 people gathered at the Swaminarayan Temple in Stanmore, London, where HH Pujya Muniji spoke about called his "3T Programme" – encompassing toilets, trees and taps.
Called Renew and Rejoice, a spring cleaning for the soul, HH Pujya Muniji’s talk drew an eclectic audience of young and old, businessmen and politicians, the powerful and the ordinary, in a sign of the spiritual leader’s wide appeal and popularity.
HH Pujya Muniji was joined on stage by Pujya Rambapa and American-born disciple Sadhvi Bhagwatiji. She set the scene by describing how HH Pujya Muniji inspired her and others to devote themselves to make other people’s lives easier and happier.
She told the audience that he had been asked what would be a fitting birthday gift for him.
She recalled: "They asked him 'Pujya Swamiji, on your birthday, what can we give you, what do you want from all of us, what is your message?' and he said, 'toilets and trees'."
"He is focused now on what he calls his T3 programme, toilets, trees and taps.
"If you talk about removing pollution, you have to give people somewhere to go (toilets).
"We need the trees to replenish the soil, to prevent erosion.
"Taps bring the gift of water to people living along our banks and yet they don’t have water.
"This is what his life truly stands for, as we offer our love and devotion, let us remember the gift is really for us."
Among those in the audience were members of parliament and peers.
HH Pujya Muniji said he was deeply moved by the love and attention bestowed on him but reminded people that they needed to be focused on others and that life, above all, was a shared enterprise.
"My master said go to the temple, great, but remember one thing; when you will remove the pain of others, when you will share with others, that will be your true puja, your true meditation," he said.
"Ask yourself before you sleep, think about what you have done for others. Life is not about me. Life is about all about sharing with others."
It was perfectly possible to find peace within oneself at home and not travel great distances on pilgrimage, HH Pujya Muniji said.
He added: "Don’t keep looking for the retreat centre to rejoice. Wherever you are, you can have the fountainhead of peace. One cannot live on the bank of the Ganges all the time. You have to create your own Ganges in your home."
Earlier, MP Bob Blackman tabled an Early Day Motion (EDM) at the House of Commons, recognising HH Pujya Muniji’s contribution to humanity and in doing so, highlighting the achievements of an Indian saint in British parliament for the first time.
He said to HH Pujya Muniji: "I have been coming to this temple since it was opened and I haven’t seen this hall so full since it was opened.
"That’s a tremendous testimony to the love and joy which you bring with you and share with the whole assembled audience."
The MP added: "The EDM was to honour you on your visit to Stanmore. To honour you on the occasion of your birthday, to wish you long life and peaceful progress for the rest for your activities."
"To ensure the people of this country receive your message, receive your blessing and live in peace and harmony together and follow the example you set."
The event was organised by the India Heritage Research Foundation, with the hall sponsored by the Asian Media and Marketing Group (AMG), publishers of Garavi Gujarat and GG2 and the food was sponsored by Kirit Pathak OBE.
The event was compered by publisher Bhavit Mehta and included kirtan and bhajans, performed by Shivani, whose mix of guitar and upbeat vocals touched a chord with young and old alike.
US itinerary
HH Pujya Muniji will travel across the US over the following weeks, meeting followers and giving talks. He will be in Atlanta, Georgia on June 14 for a satsang, discourse, darshan and question and answer at the Cartersville Ram Mandir.
On June 26, HH Pujya Muniji will be in Chicago, where he will give a talk on true independence and freedom. The program at the Prairie Spring Woods Training Center starts at 3pm.
Other cities on HH Pujya Muniji’s itinerary are Cincinnati, San Diego, Los Angeles and Louisville.
Visit www.parmarth.com/swamijisitinerary.html
