Speech from Guru Puja Day 2008

Brian Down – Chairman of the Trustees
Speech from Guru Puja Day 2008

Today we are here to celebrate Guru Puja Day and all the great Masters of the past who have helped us; but one Master in particular, Swami Indrananda Ji.

He taught us lots of things and he was the creator and inspiration of this Centre. Without him there would be no Centre and it’s a gift to us that we must take on.

He always had a wonderful way of harnessing everybody’s gifts. Everybody has some gift to offer and he knew what that gift was and how to harness it. One of his greatest gifts, if not his greatest gift, wasn’t his words, it was his actions. He knew that you had to do it, it was no good talking about it, you had to do it. So in my opinion he was really a great Karma Yogi – action not words.

Presentation to Geoffrey Cole
There is someone else here today without whom, by his selfless actions, the fabric of this building would not exist. There were only a few of us, quite a number of which are here today, and they will remember that it was not like this in the beginning. Quietly and progressively over the last twenty years it has developed into this wonderful Ashram. So we, the Trustees, want to say, “Thank you Geoffrey”; but what do you give a man like Geoffrey who just gets on and does it and we often struggle to even find him. With the help of Indarji’s family we would like you to have as a gift Swamiji’s study book, so from everyone including him, we thank you very much for your tireless work.

The Future of the Ashram
No one will ever replace Swamiji nor would we expect them to but the Trustees of the Ashram each have special skills. None as great individually as he, but maybe together some of our skills will be such that we can continue to make this place live and be what it was and what it will continue to be – a great Ashram for Classical Yoga. I would like to introduce you to the Trustees now, some of you will know them and others will not. (The Trustees are asked to stand up and be introduced.) Starting with Shirley, Jenny, Raj, Supriyā, Carole, Monika and finally Philip. So together what we are doing by standing here is saying to you that we promise to keep the Ashram, the Patanjali Yoga Centre running as it always was. It will always be a great Ashram, a place of peace and we will continue for as long as we are able to work for the Patanjali Centre for Classical Yoga. Thank you very much. (Applause and then everybody is asked to stand up for there is more!)

As we cannot do this on our own, we also look to you. For you are the Patanjali Yoga Centre not us. We are nothing without you. So we ask you for your support, your help, your devotion and ask you to take the message of Swami Indrananda Ji and lead this Ashram to even greater things in the future.

Thank you very much.
OM Shantih Shantih Shantih OM