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Sri Swami Madhavananda Austria Hospital in Jadan

A presentation on the founding and current needs of a charitable hospital in India.

"Nothing will go with us—not even this body. On the day my soul, the prāṇa, leaves this body, even this body will not go with the ātmā."

"The hospital is now 98% finished... But the rooms are empty. There are no instruments, not even one injection or one plaster."

Swami Avatarpuri describes the origin and significance of the Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda Austria Hospital in Jadan, initiated by Dr. Shanti Purī. He details its 111-bed capacity and critical services for the region, linking the project to the spiritual principle of performing lasting good deeds. The talk transitions to a direct appeal for donations to furnish the completed building with beds, linens, and medical equipment, citing a specific financial estimate for operational readiness.

Recording location: Czech Republic, Strilky, Seminar

Everyone has a mission in their life. Dr. Shanti, a retired medical doctor and dental surgeon, initiated a hospital society eight and a half years ago in Jadan, India. It was her great wish. She established an organization called the Austria Hospital in India, Jadan. As many people wished it to also carry the name of Holy Gurujī, we named it the Śrī Svāmī Mādhavānanda Austria Hospital, Jadan. This hospital is very significant. It has 111 beds and five floors, including underground. It is a very large hospital for that area. Within about 100 kilometers, no other hospital like it exists. You can imagine how thousands and thousands of people will benefit from it. It has all kinds of departments, units, and wards for both outdoor and indoor patients, including intensive care for different cases. There is a cardiology department, an eye department, and a trauma center for accidents—which is especially needed as it lies on a main highway where many accidents occur. Unfortunately, the Indian government sells alcohol to drivers at a concession rate. They drink, cause accidents, and "hurry home." This is also a way to reduce the population. We need an orthopedic doctor; perhaps when Dr. Martin retires, he will join that hospital. We need many volunteers who can come and support, as obtaining a work permit in India is as difficult as getting one in the Czech Republic for Indians. This hospital is a part of our Yoga in Daily Life. It is a part of our spirituality and our development. Nothing will go with us—not even this body. On the day my soul, the prāṇa, leaves this body, even this body will not go with the ātmā. Not a single crown or penny will go with you. Your house, jewelry, money, friends, dear father and mother, dear husband or wife, dear children, your property—everything will remain here. It means none of it belongs to you at all. It is like a bird eating a fruit; if someone disturbs it, the bird flies away and leaves the fruit behind. So we, too, will go away. But good deeds remain in people's memory. In India, we say that walls and songs—poetry or bhajan—become immortal. Who built a castle? The builder's name remains in records long after the person has died and gone. The same is true for those who wrote bhajans and poetry, or inventors: the person is gone, but their work remains. Many bhajans say: O man, do not have ego or be proud of your wealth, for it will go away. Your life is like water, just flowing away. Your wealth, your youth, and your energy are like morning dew on the grass. The sun will soon rise and it will disappear. But what you do will remain in memory. The hospital is now 98% finished. All the interior painting, tiles, and sanitary fittings are fixed. But the rooms are empty. There are no instruments, not even one injection or one plaster. At present, there is nothing inside except walls. We need help in different ways. For example, we need 111 beds, plus some in reserve—so let's say 150 hospital beds. If 150 people each donate one bed, the need is met. We will write your name on it: "Donated by Ludvik, Hanka," or anyone. That would be a great help. But when you donate a bed, we cannot put a patient on wood. A mattress and pillow are also needed: three pillowcases, three bedsheets, two blankets, one mattress, and one bed. I do not know the exact price, but it is not so much. One drop fills the pot. We also need instruments. It is not advisable to transfer them from Europe to India because the customs duty is too high and there is little service or guarantee. It is better to buy all machinery, tools, and instruments in India. We asked Yogesh for an estimate to procure these instruments, along with air conditioning and other necessities. He sent an estimate of about 6 crore rupees. One crore is 10 million rupees, so 6 crore is 60 million rupees. At present, one euro is about 62 rupees (the rate fluctuates). Perhaps for someone who would like to "get rid of money," this is the best way. Even donating a kit of plasters and injections, which we will buy there, will help our hospital do something. Dr. Shanti Purī was the initiator, and I must tell you how hard she worked. She inspired many people, especially many Austrians: Dr. Hans Andrasek and Eva Andrasek, Ernie, and Dr. Ingrid from Salzburg. Many people began to work with her. Many Austrians held flea markets, selling items they did not need and depositing the proceeds into the hospital's account. The Austrian ambassador in India, together with Holy Gurujī, laid the foundation stone during the last Guru Pūrṇimā of Holy Gurujī, which is a strong memory for us. A healthy person does not know what health is. Only when you are in a hospital do you understand what a hospital is and what kind of service it provides. At that time, a person needs the most help. May God protect us from being patients in hospitals. But when something happens, you see nothing else—only the doctor and the hospital. That is all. Recording location: Czech Republic, Strilky, Seminar

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt, what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

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