August 10, 2019
3-Day Satya-Bodh Dharam Utsav, Day 2
The 2nd Day of the very unique festival “Dev Samaj SatyaBodh Dharam Utsav” at Dev Samaj Bhawan , Sector 36B, Chandigarh, resounded with the heartwarming melody “Hamare Poojaniya Sadguruj ji Tum Ho Dhanya”. These words of gratefulness set the tone for the day as Shriman Nirmal Singh Ji Dhillon elaborated upon “Atma Ka Khaufnaak Pagalpan” (Frightening Insanity of the Soul). Shriman Ji elucidated through various examples from history that mental insanity is an ailment which has lead to the worst human behavior at different points of time, like the World Wars, and also caused the killings of the likes of Joan of Arc, Abraham Lincoln, Socrates, Bruno and Copernicus .
Our study of History and Literature, clearly makes us aware that human insanity can reach the lowest depths. Bhagwan Dev Atma, the Founder of Dev Samaj, was conscious of this painful reality when he propounded that the soul also evolves like everything else in creation. Shriman Ji pointed out that ‘to Be is to Change’. He enumerated 3 symptoms of mental insanity:
- The important becomes secondary, and the secondary is given importance; just as a person gives priority to taste rather than health.
- Means become End and Ends become Means. Wealth, fame and comfort instead of fulfilling the goal of happiness become an end in themselves and lead to degeneration.
- A demented view of reality which happens when human vision is clouded by greed and jealousy.
The audience could easily relate to Shriman Ji’s ideas when he gave the example of the insanity witnessed during the Partition of India. This insanity leads to the regression of the soul and the weakening of the Organized Life Force. This occurs when a person is bound by the low cravings. To elaborate this he quoted Rousseau, “Man is born free but everywhere he is in chains”. The life and teachings of His Holiness Bhagwan Dev Atma can cure us of this insanity. Shriman Ji narrated various incidents from the life of the Founder which exemplified this transformation. The discourse left everyone spellbound and they pledged to move on the path of evolution.
Dr(Mrs) Madhu Prashar, Member, Dev Samaj Managing Council, also conducted a session today. She spoke on “The Need of Truthfulness in Human Life”. Tomorrow’s session will begin with a discourse on the “Tenets of Self-Existence” by Dr (Mrs) Agnese Dhillon, Principal, Dev Samaj College of Education, Sector-36 B, Chandigarh.