Text of press release from Andra Headlines

[Guest guest]

Jaya Guru Datta

 

In case the link stops working, here is text of most wonderful press

release:

 

New York: His Holiness Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji, founder

Avadhoota Datta Peetham, Mysore, India performed at the reputed

Lincoln Centre on Saturday, 19th July, 2008. Famous all over the

globe for His enchanting Music Healing concerts, that attracts people

of all walks of life, Sri Swamiji told in a press meet organized at

the Lincoln centre, that the Healing music concert was planned on

this particular day according to astrological calculations.

 

The ruling star of the day Shravana is the star of Lord Vishnu, God

of Healing. Sri Swamiji started His concert with Raga Rushyaketupriya

followed by a vocal recital in Raga Gaanamoorti. This was followed by

a series of five ragas namely Anagha (new raga composed by Sri

Swamiji with only four notes), Vaasanti (very ancient raga with five

notes), Kokilam (six notes), Naaganandini (seven notes) and Simhendra

Madhyama(seven notes), relating to the five elements of nature.

Audiences were thrilled by the rendition of Dancing tune in

Shankarabharanam. The concert came to an end with the pleasant Saama

raga.

 

Sri Swamiji and the supporting artists received a standing ovation

from the audience.

 

Dr. L.Subramaniam accompanied Sri Swamiji and presented his masterly

expertise on the violin. Jaitra Varanasi and Sumitra also accompanied

on the Violin. Shankar Ramesh displayed excellent solo turns on the

Mrudangam.

 

The program was jointly organized by the Datta Yoga Centre, USA and

the Yoga Sangeeta group.

 

Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda is on a 2 month tour to the US and

arrived in the state of NewJersy in connection with the Guru

Poornima. Speaking at the Royal Albert Palace,Sri Swamiji said " Guru

Poornima is celebration of Guru Day, just like we celebrate Mother's

day, Father's day, May Day, Valentine's Day etc Guru Poornima is Guru

Day. In this universe our mother earth itself is like a miniscule

dust particle. Then, of what proportion is our existence? Our

existence cannot be simulated even to a microscopic particle. Just

like a small boy playing with toys, the supreme power plays its

divine role. In fact everything that is happening is preplanned, and

is happening as He wills it to be. We fail to see this subtle truth,

because our sense organs are directed outwardly, our minds are fickle

like the monkey and so they do not co-operate in revealing this

truth. The divine being chooses to take a certain form on His own

accord and begins to reveal this wisdom

to the chosen few. That divinity personified is none other than the

Guru, for He shows the path of light, for He reveals the knowledge of

the self. Guru reveals the secret of this cosmic relationship.

 

Guru Poornima is a day of reverence to the Guru. Guru Poornima

recapitulates our commitment to Guru and to the purpose of life. Guru

Geeta, the sacred text describing the glory of Guru emphatically

states that it is a sin to treat Guru as an ordinary human being.

Guru is divinity in the human form. One who differs in this outlook

is a great sinner. One ought to surrender his mind and heart at the

feet of such adept Guru. Once you have surrendered yourself to Guru,

your mind and heart should belong to Him. You have no right to take

them back. In other words you have no right to entertain other

thoughts. It is something like the food you have eaten. Once eaten it

is assimilated into the body and cannot be retrieved. Guru phenomenon

is also like that. Once you have accepted and surrendered yourself,

He takes care of you even if you forget. He gets assimilated into

you. This is the essence of Upanishads. "