‘This is a confluence of spirituality and Karma Yoga’: LS Speaker
PIONEER EDGE NEWS SERVICE/ Haridwar
The two-day ‘International Janmangal Sammelan’ being organised under the guidance of the Yoga Guru Swami Ramdev and the revered Jain monk Antarmana Acharya Prasanna Sagar commenced at Bharat Mandapam in Delhi on Friday. With this is launched a mass movement, ‘Har Maas – Ek Upvas’ (fasting once on the 7th of every month), was launched.
Addressing the conference, the Lok Sabha Speaker, Om Birla said that this event is a divine confluence of spirituality and Karma Yoga which would send a new message to the nation and the world. “The message will be conveyed from the capital, Delhi, to the nation, and from the nation to the world,” he said. He spoke volumes of the saga of service involving the Jain monk and the Yoga guru. “While Acharya Prasanna Sagar is showing the path to self-transformation by imparting spiritual knowledge, Swami Ramdev is providing health to the nation and the world through Karma Yoga,” he said. He also took a fasting pledge on the occasion.
Speaking at the event, Antarmana Prasanna Sagar stated that fasting is a divine means of awakening spiritual energy. “Fasting is the best means for cleansing the body, purifying the mind, restructuring life and uplifting oneself. During fasting, emotions are controlled, anger is reduced, mind is calmed and meditation deepens,” he observed.
Swami Ramdev said that fasting is important and relevant in every faith, sect, tradition, religion, ritual and auspicious occasion. “Fasting enables one to attain Sahaja Yoga and Sahaja Samadhi. The accomplishment of physical austerity, verbal austerity and mental austerity is achieved through fasting. Therefore, everyone should take a pledge from here today to fast, if not weekly, then at least once a month,” he said.
He extolled the Jain monk’s continuous fasting for 557 days which earned him the epithet ‘Fasting Shiromani’.
Acharya Balkrishna explained the importance of fasting in Ayurveda. He described the restaurant culture as the biggest cause of disease, saying that eating less yourself and feeding the hungry is also a form of fasting.
The Union Minister for Environment, Forest and Climate Change, Bhupendra Yadav also spoke on the occasion.
