Greedy people dilute the title of swami

Good teachers should lead by example

THERE is much talk in society about the sudden proliferation of so-called swamis in various temples and organisations.

How is it, they ask, that a power-hungry person with a family, a job and attachments can be a swami? So the question arises, when is a swami a swami?

In the ancient Vedic tradition, the guru (swami) was not only expected to show commitment to his professional duties but also serve as a model in self-control, equal vision, service to mankind, non-violence and compassion.

Satya Sai Baba (1995) emphasised the important role of the teacher/swami thus: “The authentic human values cannot be learned from books or from lessons given by teachers or gifted by elders. They can be acquired only by experience and example. You, the teacher (swami), must be the example, and the children (disciples) have to experience.”

Swami Prabhupada (the founding Acharya of the International Society for Krishna Consciousness), through his example of chanting, was able to positively influence hippies, politicians, and professionals in New York into accepting Krishna Consciousness.

It was purely because of the example. The example the swami sets is important in building character as people are not born with either good or bad habits. Instead they pick up good or bad habits.

Developing character is a social act and, since character needs to be nurtured, the humans we share relationships with play a key part in our learning to become flourishing people of character.

A swami is one who has seen the truth. Individuals need to choose their spiritual masters carefully.

Swami Sivananda (a spiritual teacher and a proponent of yoga and Vedanta) stated that he who can clear your doubts, who is sympathetic towards your spiritual practices, who does not disturb your beliefs but helps you on from where you are, and he in whose presence you feel spiritually elevated, he is your guru (swami).

A true swami is a reliable authority whose answers have the backing of scriptures.

A swami will not give ill-considered guesses intended to please the disciple.

His or her answers and advice can be described as Aapta Vachan – the result of research.

In Verse 21 of Chapter 3, Shri Krishna says: Whatever action a great man performs, common men follow. And whatever standards he sets by exemplary acts, all the world pursues.

It can be seen that the Bhagavad Gita makes a call for influential individuals such as a swami to make values liveable for their followers. The swami should enhance the practice of positive values, attitudes, behaviour and skills in the community he or she serves.

Pandit Usharbudh Arya (now Swami Veda Bharati) has written that: “One who has taken vows of renunciation, and thereby become a swami, considers himself a member of every family on Earth, with their physical and spiritual welfare as his prime concern.”

Swami Bharati continues to say that “in taking the vows of swamihood one declares ‘a-bhyam’ to all living beings: I am a threat to none, a danger to none; may no living being henceforth fear me.”

Swami refers to one who is one with the self. Swami is that person who strives for mastery of one’s self.

A swami is one who sets aside all worldly pursuits to devote his or her time exclusively towards the highest spiritual realisation.

A swami sets aside any sense of exclusive identity.

Such a swami embraces the whole world.

A swami is most often a sanyasi – a renunciate or ascetic. A sanyasi or swami is one who strives for realisation and liberation of the self and for the benefit of the world. It is clear from the above that swamis are the pillars of wisdom and ones who are far removed from the material world of the masses.

One simply cannot even start to think he can be a swami if he has a family (attachment), has material wealth (greed) and pursues a position of power.

That person cannot be a swami, should not be a swami and more particularly should not be allowed to assume the swami title. He is simply not a swami.

In our present-day society, there are many swamis – not brahmacharis – but attached both materially and by blood relationships, etc, who are among our people, influencing our people and in the process making the title of a swami a complete distortion and dilution of the designation.

All in the name of Hinduism, but sadly for commercial exploitation of innocent and ignorant followers. The time has surely come for us to stop this degradation.

● Trikamjee is the president of the South African Hindu Maha Sabha