He had lost his entire family in his early childhood, slept many days on an empty stomach.
It was truly the most captivating moment to watch: Yoga Guru, Swami Sivananda, 125 years old, walking energetically & steadily without anybody’s support in Rashtrapati Bhavan, New Delhi. After prostrating himself before the Prime Minister Shree Narendra Modi and the President of India Ram Nath Kovind, received the highest award, Padma Shri, with respect, dignity, gratitude, simplicity, and honor.
Just like me, many were left spellbound by the simple yet disciplined lifestyle of Swami Sivananda. I am proud, happy as well as grateful that such a great soul is still alive today. He has become an incredible source of inspiration for all walks of people. He is remarkably the champion of a long, happy, healthy, peaceful & simple life. He has proved to the world that such a disciplined and simple life is attainable.
Why do I admire him? Why does he inspire me? And why do I call him the champion of human life? What life changing insights can we imbibe from him?
Seeing him perfectly healthy, whole, strong, agile, graceful, and calm, I am humbled as well as wonder whether I would be able to maintain such physical flexibility, and at the same time keep my mind sharp like him in old age. I find Swami Sivananda so fascinating because he has transcended to the highest spiritual pinnacle which I can only dream about.
It saddens me to know that not only he lost his entire family in his early childhood but also slept many days on an empty stomach. As I ponder over his prowess, I can imagine, how much hardship, struggle, uncomfortable & challenging circumstances, World Wars I & II, famine, epidemic and violence, he would have witnessed. Yet, today, despite all that challenging times, he is standing tall, strong and whole.
I hope and pray that young boys and girls should draw some valuable inspiration from him. It is true, we have made a tremendous advancement in science, technology, medicine and education, but none in comparison to what Swami Sivananda has accomplished.
Swami Sivananda has led an exemplary life and has rightly provided the whole world a purpose to choose simplicity, discipline, and good virtues over endless desires. He is an extraordinary master of physical, emotional, mental and spiritual disciplines. He has embodied the truth. It is a compelling testimony for leading a happy, healthy and peaceful life with such dexterity in abstemiousness. It was possible for him because his reverent Guru instilled in him that wisdom. Since he was able to cultivate strict disciplines such as self-control, he didn’t get swayed by greed, malice, lust, gluttony etc. Instead, he gained mastery over such vices.
In various world religious traditions, men & women take vows of poverty, chastity and obedience to lead a noble as well as spiritual life.
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