AN APPEAL FOR A GLOBAL DIRECTORY OF INDOGENIC SPIRITUAL ORGANISATIONS OUTSIDE INDIA

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1 AN APPEAL FOR A GLOBAL DIRECTORY OF INDOGENIC SPIRITUAL ORGANISATIONS OUTSIDE INDIA ( A VIVEKANANDA KENDRA INITIATIVE This project is a very important step towards unification of all spiritual traditions which have their roots in India and it will give new strength and vigor to the mission started by Swami Vivekananda. The message of Sanatana Dharma as disseminated by Swami Vivekananda to the world is to realize the divine nature of our existence. Following the footsteps of Swami Vivekananda many spiritual masters from India have propounded the Vedantic truths all over the world. This Directory will be a very important compilation to record the impact of the works of these great masters in the world. SWAMI RAMDEV (in his appreciation, see p.9)

2 THE GLOBAL VISION AND MISSION OF SWAMI VIVEKANANDA, AND HOW IT INSPIRED THE INDIAN SPIRITUAL THRUST WORLD-WIDE * An Appeal for a Global Directory of Indogenic Spiritual Organisations Outside India India s Gift to the World Swami Vivekananda, the great Hindu Monk of India, made the world aware of the Vedic Wisdom that respected and accepted all spiritual traditions. His global vision and mission inspired India s spiritual thrust world-wide. As the initiator of the global spiritual awareness of the ancient Dharma tradition, Swamiji projected the universal vision of spirituality (adhyatma vidya) as India s rare gift to the world; his global mission, he said, was the expression of the Divine Will, and his one dream was to conquer the world with an ennobling spiritual vision. Indiaʼs gift to the world is the light spiritual he pointed out and exhorted, The whole world requires light. It is expectant! India alone has the light of the highest spiritual truth The mission given to us is to conserve, to preserve, to accumulate as it were into a dynamo, all the spiritual energy of the race and that concentrated energy is to pour forth in a deluge on the world whenever circumstances are propitious * This is a brief summary of our detailed 32-page informatory booklet (of the same title) about our Global Directory Project, downloadable at our web portal 2

3 Indian Spiritual Thrust into The World Vivekananda saw his global mission as the will of the Divine reassuring that India would send hundreds like him overseas to continue the Indian spiritual thrust into the world. That I went to America was not my doing or your doing he declared, but the God of India who is guiding her destiny sent me, and will send hundreds of such to all the nations of the world. No power on earth can resist it. You must go out and preach your religion, preach it to every nation under the sun, and preach it to every people. It was in fulfillment of this exhortation that the Vedanta movement and other spiritual movements came into existence in the West and in several other countries. Vivekananda s Vision Unfolding Worldwide The impact of Vivekananda s spiritual mission in the West and on its several intellectuals through the continuing influence of the principles of Sanatana Dharma is reflected in many recent developments. Following in Vivekananda s footsteps, the Vedanta Centers have been doing great work in disseminating the Vedic Wisdom in the West. Swamiji s vision is also getting unfolded all over the world through many individuals and institutions inspired by his universal spiritual vision. The recently concluded 150th Birth Anniversary of Vivekananda spurs us on to reflect on his global vision and mission and its impact in inspiring the various spiritual movements of India to spread universally. In this context, we regard it as an ideal effort to compile the data of such organisations and great men who have taken the Indian spiritual vision and mission far and wide, providing the life-transforming wisdom of India world-wide. The 3

4 proposed Global Directory is a humble effort to gauge the extent to which the dream of Swamiji is getting unfolded overseas. Documentation of Indian Spiritual Thrust Worldwide Despite the pervading influence of Sanatana Dharma through the several masters and their organisations, unfortunately, comprehensive information is not available in the public domain about the great Indian spiritual thrust in the West and about the work of great Indian spiritual masters and organisations world-wide. The great minds who have taken to different countries the message of India s spirituality (adhyatma vidya), the multitude of Indogenic spiritual organisations founded by them and their huge and powerful reach, call for a comprehensive documentation in a Global Directory of the services of the Indogenic spiritual organisations and the masters who spread universally the light of ancient Dharma, functioning outside India, and influencing the world. We are on a serious effort to gather the available information from various quarters of the world where such activities connected with the thoughts and truths proclaimed by the seers and sages of India are taking place, in the form of a comprehensive country-wise Directory of the many Indogenic spiritual organisations functioning outside India and influencing the world. No doubt this would be a stupendous task to be backed by determination and lot of painstaking efforts. Only with these sustained efforts we can gauge and understand as to what extent the dream of Swami Vivekananda is getting unfolded, the world over. This project will be one of the greatest services that can be rendered to the hallowed memory of our venerable ancestors, in the context of the recently held 150th birth anniversary of a great visionary. The co-operation and involvement of the already existing many of the world-wide 4

5 organizations would be of immense value in fulfilling this noble mission. When the Global Directory sees the light of the day, it is bound to have far-reaching impact. Scope of the Global Directory We therefore present the Global Directory as a dynamic medium for the various categories of participants, and seek your help and cooperation for the early completion of the project. The Directory seeks to cover all traditions that self-identify themselves as a Dharma tradition, including the Jain, Buddhist and Sikh tradition, and other systems of thought, derived from these ancient traditions, and those having their roots in the spiritual traditions dedicated to Universal Wellbeing, which accept and acknowledge the spiritual right and freedom of others. The Various Categories of Participants Broadly categorized, the participating institutions include: Vedanta Centers, Ashrams (Monasteries), Mandirs (Temples), Yoga Centers, Indic Volunteer Organisations, Dharma Foundations / Trusts / Associations, Indic Academic Institutions, 8) Dharma Traditions: Buddhist / Jain / Sikh, Individual Mahatmas, Ancient Traditions and Culture, and Miscellaneous (organisations not falling under any of the ten preceding categories, will come under Miscellaneous ). Convener of the Project This project is an initiative of the Vivekananda Kendra ( Kanyakumari -- the Land s End of India, where stands on a mid-sea rock, the magnificent Rock Memorial to the hallowed memory of that great Son of Modern India, who made history 122 years ago, when he addressed the World s Parliament of Religions at Chicago, with his endearing words exuding the divine aroma of Universal Love and Brotherhood, himself firmly grounded in the Reality of the Oneness of all Existence, thus endowed 5

6 with a universal vision that beheld the Divine in everyone and everything. The PREFACE from the Convener presents the details of the endeavour, with the blessings of several important spiritual and cultural organisations, both in India and abroad (see page 7-10 of our separate 32-page booklet). Appeal to All Indogenic Spiritual Organisations All Indogenic spiritual organisations functioning outside India are invited to be a part of this historic Global Directory. We appeal to all the dharmaabhimaanis to all those who love and value the ancient Dharma, to participate in the proposed Directory Project, and look forward to receiving the required details, with the future plan to organise, in due course, a Global Conference, of all the Heads of the institutions whose particulars are covered in the Directory. We also seek your help and cooperation in contacting and following up with the various categories of institutions known to you, in your respective areas. A separate informatory booklet (of 32 pages), downloadable from our web portal: provides all details about the project. The organisations can submit the required details directly through the Submission Form online at We once again appeal to all Indogenic spiritual organisations working outside India to help build a directory of their work, which may eventually be improved into an online encylopedia of adhyatma vidya outside India, continent-wise, with subdivisions country-wise, and so on. Should you need more details, or any clarification about this project, please feel free to contact us. Swami Jyotirmayananda COORDINATOR coordinator@disoa.org 6

7 PARTICULARS FOR DATA SUBMISSION ONLINE Scope of the Global Directory As already mentioned, the Global Directory seeks to cover all traditions that self-identify themselves as a Dharma tradition, including the Jain, Buddhist and Sikh tradition, and other systems of thought, derived from these ancient traditions, and those having their roots in the spiritual traditions dedicated to Universal Wellbeing, which accept and acknowledge the spiritual right and freedom of others. Various Categories of Participants Broadly categorized, the participating institutions include: Vedanta Centers, Ashrams (Monasteries), Mandirs (Temples), Yoga Centers, Indic Volunteer Organisations, Dharma Foundations / Trusts / Associations, Indic Academic Institutions, Dharma Traditions (Buddhist / Jain / Sikh), Individual Mahatmas, Ancient Traditions and Culture, and Miscellaneous (organisations not falling under any of the preceding ten categories). Data Submission Guidelines For the Global Directory, particulars are required as per the following Data Submission Guidelines, and the organisations are requested to submit them directly online, through the Submission Form at our web portal 1. Name of the organisation, mailing address, contact info, and website link, if any. 2. A few lines about the back ground (history, tradition, aims and ideals) of the organisation. (Please provide online link, if any, for more details). 3. The present Head / Leadership of the organisation, and a few lines about him / her. (Please provide online link, if any, for more details). 7

8 4. A few lines about the various activities / programs of the organisation, including publications, if any. (Please provide online link, if any, for more details). 5. A few lines about the involvement of the public in the activities / programs of the organisation and its impact on the society. (Please provide online link, if any, for more details). 6. Any short term or long term plans of the organisation you want to share. (Please provide online link, if any, for more details). 7. Other useful information, if any, in brief. (Please provide online link, if any, for more details). The Future Plan The future plan is to organise, in due course, a World Conference, of all the Heads of the institutions whose particulars are incorporated in the Global Directory. Contact the Coordinator Swami Jyotirmayananda, the coordinator of the project, can be reached by at: coordinator@disoa.org His mailing address: (In U.S.A.): i) Arsha Vidya Gurukulam P. O. Box 1059, Saylorsburg, PA Ph: ii) 13 East 7th Street, Mail Box 220, New York, NY 10003, Ph: (In India): Anandashram, P.O. Anandashram , Ramnagar, Kanhangad, Kerala, Ph: , 8