"...Have you ever thought about yourself? How long, do you think, would you be here? Sixty, seventy or at the most a hundred years! Like a government servant, you will have to retire sometime. Then, don't you think that your life in this world has some meaning? From whom shall you get the true knowledge about that meaning? Would your learning help? Can you get it from a scholar? Can you get it from politicians? Or are you of the view that there is nothing beyond this life? If that is the case, any wicked person can do anything and go from this world".

Athmabodhanam is the need of the hour for a world suffering from distress related to belief systems. In Guru's words, "The very truth, the method and medium of Santhigiri Ashram is to enable people (to) reach the goal of oneness of humanity, forgetting caste and religion." This is the true track to secularisation. Guru is continuing the efforts of great spiritual masters like Sri Krishna, Prophet Mohammed, Jesus Christ, Sri Buddha and many others who took birth for establishing a new world without borders.

Guru gave prime importance to Annadaanam. Whenever someone visited the Ashram, Guru used to ask them to first have food and then talk to him. The hunger and well being of the body have to be addressed first as the body is the instrument for the functioning of the soul. Thus, thousands of visitors to the Ashram and to any of its 16 branch are served food three times a day. In fact, one of the most oft-asked questions in any branch of the Ashram will be, "Had your food?" 'Annadaanam' is considered to be a 'Mahadaanam' or the best offering that one can make to earn merit for oneself.

Healing the Sick is one of the most charitable services to humanity. In Santhigiri, Guru has redefined the concept of healthcare through a 'Nava Arogya Dharma Siddhantham' or a 'New Doctrine of Healthcare'. Through this, the goodness of all medical systems is integrated with a focus on Ayurveda, Siddha, Modern Medicine, Homoeopathy and the spiritual aspect which is the most unique feature of healthcare in Santhigiri. The Ashram has started a health service mission called 'Karunyam', which aims at using the traditional Indian systems of medicine to provide healthcare to the needy, in a systematic manner, throughout India.

Original post:
Santhigiri Ashram : Official Site