Aum
is the word on all lips. And the word is God. Sitting erect in their seats, eyes closed, peace writ large on their face they chant Aum with a longish Capital A. Men and women, old and young, white and black chant in unison. Faith is transparent. Chanting of AUM or OM brings in serenity. The celestial sound generates heavenly calm. Perfect peace prevails. To the uninitiated ones, it is unbelievable. But `seeing is believing.’

Exhale, hold your breath, inhale slowly and hold air in lungs – instructions and demonstrations are followed by practice sessions. Practitioners aim at perfection. `Pranayam’ is the name of the game. It inculcates self-confidence. Happiness is perceptible all around among practitioners. No one is disappointed. `Pranayam’ is life giving. It’s healing touch to the sick and the weak is perceptible.

Pranayam has become very popular. There is a general demand from men and women of all walks of life that separates sessions of pranayam, should be held at least four times a week at the Arya Samaj. It is not the preamble to pranayam that has influenced their opinion in asking for more of it but it is their own practice under supervision that has shown miraculous results. The Pran-Vayu, the breath of fresh air inhaled, has done wonders to them. It has improved their self confidence and also given physical and mental energy to work for longer hours without getting tired.
Young brides who work in the office and double up as housewives on return have announced from roof tops that now they do not feel irritated after spending long hours at the office and longer hours at the cooking range. Generally speaking cheerfulness is generated suo motu. Faces have become brighter and brawls are absolutely missing. The law and order agencies have never been happier before. Pranayam has got voluntary mouth-to-mouth publicity from the practitioners themselves. No wonder, the demand for additional lessons is registered at the Arya Samaj by people of all faiths.
The word spreads. People come flocking. On the Shri Krishna Janmashtami day, the hall of Arya Samaj, Birmingham in UK is packed to capacity. The high and the low, the mighty and the humble are sitting cheek by jowl. Indeed social equality is discernible. They all have faith in God and have come here to look for personal peace. A young man whose parents had migrated to Birmingham from Patiala has a lingering doubt in his mind and wishes to get it clarified once for all. He says that there is a general perception in his predominantly Punjabi Hindu neighbourhood that the Arya Samaj does not observe Lord Krishna’s birthday. How come Arya Samaj, Birmingham is celebrating Janmashthmi?

As a matter of fact even a presenter at Radio XL, an Asian Radio station in West Midlands, had put the same question to us before we went on the air eulogizing the qualities of head and heart of Yogeshwar Shri Krishna. Our explanation has all along been that the Arya Samaj celebrates with zeal the birthday of Yogeshwar Shri Krishna as he was a great man who always worked for peace and prosperity of fellow human beings. Swami Dayanand Saraswati has paid glowing tributes to him in his monumental treatise Satyarth Prakash. Of course, it is equally true that the Arya Samaj does not recognize Yogeshwar Shri Krishna as a God. He was very much a human being and, therefore, we feel inspired to emulate his great qualities. The moment we accord him the status of the almighty, we will not be able to imbibe the qualities of his head and heart among ourselves. The young man from Patiala felt satisfied. He said he would continue his association with the Arya Samaj on a regular basis hereafter. He had derived peace of mind from a free and frank exchange of views on a religious subject.

The quest for peace is unending. Peace of mind is what they want. ``That is all I ask for,’’ says Gurmej Singh, a Punjabi speaking gentleman in his early 50s. A heavy gold chain around his neck and a Rolex on his wrist tell the tale of his affluence. His wife, sitting beside him nods approvingly. They ask me for a `guru mantra’. I just smile. I am in Birmingham as a Vedic preacher to disseminate the word of God and help fellow brethren and sisters imbibe divine peace. That is the thrust line.

Quest for peace of mind goes on and on. The relevant Ved Mantra which helps human beings to achieve the aim of peace is recited:

IMANI YANI PANCHENDRIYANI MANAH SHASHTHANI ME HRID
BRAHMNA SANSHITANI YAIREV SASRIJE GHORAM TAIREV SHANTIRASTU NAH

The five `Indriyas’ (the sense organs) and their sixth companion - `Manah’ which are the root cause of restlessness and lack of peace in my heart can be purified by wise action emanating from wisdom. Thus purified the six elements mentioned heretofore will give rise to peace and nothing but internal peace.
I explain and elucidate the Ved mantra in Hindi to the largely ethnic Hindu audience. Mr Keith, a White Christian and a Counselor of the City Council looks askance. There is a mute request for an exposition in English. The message of the mantra is given thus:

The Vedic Dharma lays great emphasis on purification of body and mind and thence purification of soul. The concept of five Indriyas, and their rightful use or the misuse leads to peace of mind or unrest in mind. It is the wisdom of the individual that helps in guiding the Indriyas to remain on the right path. The five Indriyas are: eyes, ears, nose, tongue and skin. It is through these five Indriyas that we acquire knowledge and command the body to act or not to act. When these five Indriyas run riot, the train of life derails. Thus wisdom plays a major role in keeping our five sensory organs on track. The life on track means smooth running and peaceful existence in our day-to-day life. Failure to do so may be disastrous.

The million-dollar question is, where do we get the correct perception? How does a man differentiate between the Right and Wrong? The answer is: from the VEDAS. Read, think and meditate on the Mantra. The solution to unrest will, ipso facto come. Have faith in God and also faith in yourself.

Suraiya Begum of Sind, Pakistan nods appreciatively. So do other ladies of varied ethnic background. Suraiya Begum reads the 10 principles of the Arya Samaj and says to other ladies of Pakistani origin that the 10 principles of the Arya Samaj have universal application to the entire mankind. It is nowhere written in these principles that the Arya Samaj works for any sect, region or religion exclusively. An Arya lady sitting closeby chips in that the sixth principle is to be specially noticed because it talks of the welfare of entire mankind. The Vedas themselves were revealed by God to the rishis for guidance of all men and women of the entire human creation. No dissent is discernible. Among them the buzzword is `Back to the Vedas.’’
 
 
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