Santhigiri Ashram – The Abode of Peace
As the name implies, SANTHIGIRI has developed as a mountain of peace (Santhi = Peace, Giri = Mountain). Also it has become a fountain of love and mercy to all people, irrespective of the differences and discriminations of caste, creed, color, community, culture or country. The proper synthesis of Dharma and Karma is preached and practiced here. Dharma means a good life performing the duties according to the laws of nature leading to salvation - the ultimate goal of human birth without compromising on virtues, truth, righteousness, mercy and kindness. Karma means good and appropriate action fulfilling the assigned duties strictly obeying the words of Guru. In all activities of day to day life, each and every individual, along with his family shall conceive and uphold the ideology of Guru, which is relevant to the present time, i.e. ‘Kaliyuga’. This is the uniqueness of Santhigiri Ashram. Santhigiri advocates a way of life with definite goal. It establishes a tradition and a culture to be handed down to the next generation and the generations to come.
Every nation is proud of its heritage. What constitutes the heritage is the important thing. It is reflected in the quality of life, material and spiritual. The culture of a nation need not be held sublime simply because its heritage reaches out to the present from time immemorial. The human values, which are congenial to the Will of God alone, can stand the test of time.
Every movement spiritual or material professes to uphold some ideal that contributes to human welfare. Most of such movements in human history have flourished for some time and floundered subsequently because of its inherent drawbacks. Their failure to achieve the targets and to sustain the noble effects of the guiding ideology can be attributed to the lack of good fortune. (Good fortune is the noble result of good Karma).
India has the moral obligation to lead the world in spiritual matters. Her long history bears testimony to the fact. The responsibility of correcting the spiritual error of 25 Chathuryugas back and establishing a fresh world order according to the Dharma of Kaliyuga devolves upon India.
The Santhigiri Ashram is a movement embracing all human actions, spiritual, material and cultural, setting up the standards for everything in the light of universal love and grace of God.NavajyothiSree Karunakara Guru, the Founder Acharya has taken into consideration the human prospects in all its relevance and potentiality for shaping the future of the world strictly in accordance with the grace and Will of God for which strict adherence to Yuga Dharma is one among the important pre-requisites.
While Guru's graceful consideration encompasses the full spiritual richness, He loves pleasing simplicity in His personal life. His present abode is an example of simplicity. His disciples and devotees wished to construct a Parnasala (hermitage) of lasting endurance symbolic of the ideology expounded by Guru. Guru gracefully accepted this suggestion and assigned the name, "Sahakarana Mandiram" (The house of co-operation) for the proposed edifice. The name signifies the co-operation of all the members of the human society in line with God's Will and grace. Such co-operation will nourish and cherish the inherent quality of the human soul. The building will be symbolic of everything pure and sublime and will be the inexhaustible source of all the ideals of goodness and goodwill. Eminent men of thought and learning who will be the cultural and national leaders of the future will assemble here to discuss matters of spiritual and material relevance. Their journey to this place will be literally a pilgrimage and the assembly will be ideal Sathsangom for upholding the holy dictum of human welfare spiritual and material.
In the light of the above it follows that this will be symbolic of the most significant spiritual heritage of humanity for the present and for the ages to come. It is the rightful privilege of every soul to visit the Ashram to know more about the abode of love and grace.