EXEMPLARY: Swadhyay Parivar in Uganda upholds true spirit of Christmas through selfless blood donation

In a remarkable departure from conventional Christmas celebrations, members of the Swadhyay Parivar in Uganda chose a path of compassion by donating blood to potentially save lives. This selfless act, inspired by the teachings of Rev. Pandurang Shastri Athavale, popularly known as Dada, echoes the centuries-long noble act of Jesus Christ offering his own blood for the liberation of humanity.

142 Swadhyayees, including men, women, and children, gathered at Plot 13 Hill View Drive near Radio Simba-Bukoto, Kampala, and Shri Gurdwara Ramgharia, Jinja. They follow a holistic approach guided by Pujya Didi ji, incorporating daily practices like nutritious diet with a prayer, physical exercise, scripture reading, and meeting people selflessly to develop divine relationships. The purpose, as emphasized by a member, is to symbolize oneness by offering pure blood. This commitment extends beyond the physical act to promote unity on a spiritual and communal level.

Notably, this charitable endeavor was not confined to Uganda alone; reports suggest similar initiatives took place in Nairobi, Mombasa, and Kisumu in neighboring Kenya, as well as in various locations around the world where Swadhyay movement members reside and work.

Under the theme ‘Twadartham,’ translated as ‘For You,’ the event sought to convey Jesus Christ’s powerful message of love towards God and moral values. The Swadhyay Parivar expressed gratitude not only through remembrance but through action, offering blood with deep emotion, sacredness, satisfaction, and self-development as guided by Pujaniya Dadaji.

Explaining the significance of the event, a member emphasized that Dada has taught them to express gratitude by taking meaningful actions. Pujya Didi ji (Jayshree Talvalkar), a daughter of Rev. Dadaji, played a crucial role in encouraging and guiding the organization of this event, fostering a deep understanding of the divine relationship among human beings and nurturing the urge to connect with the entire human race.

This marked the third consecutive year that Swadhyayees in Uganda and Kenya chose blood donation over traditional Christmas celebrations, highlighting the importance of expressing gratitude to Jesus Christ, who spread the message of love towards humanity. One member noted that blood, irrespective of individual differences, is a divine creation and emphasized the unity of the human race through their relationship with God.

Addressing the importance of blood donation, another member highlighted Dada’s teachings on the divine brotherhood under the fatherhood of God, emphasizing that despite differences in business, economic status, education, caste, creed, and country, humanity is one through their shared relationship with God.

Referred to as Swadhyay Parivar, members distinguish their movement as one of reason, coexisting with other conventional faiths without discounting or disregarding any of them. Describing it as Dadaji’s creation of an “extended family” of humanity, another member explained that their movement emphasizes self-study, selfless devotion, and the application of scriptures such as the Upnishads and Bhagavad Gita for spiritual, social, and economic liberation.

The Swadhyay movement envisions achieving all-around upliftment of humanity through the holistic development of the human being, guided by a reason-based understanding of religion. It’s important to note that in this context, “religion” refers to the religion of a human being and should not be interpreted as conventional organized religions such as Hinduism, Islam, Christianity, Judaism, or Buddhism, as taught by the movement.