Speeches of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – October 9, 2011 – Mysore
Morning
Jaya Guru Datta
“Still the throat is not good. There is infection. So many people coming close to Swamiji’s face and talking, spraying germs. In the Indian system, we cover the mouth with the hand while speaking to avoid spreading infection. Keep the hand at a short distance. If you totally cover the mouth tight and speak, with hand or cloth, then what you say cannot be understood. If you spray spit in my face without shielding the mouth, I get infection. Everybody, now, practice speaking with the hand in front of your mouth. (Gave us practice in speaking several sentences). Always everyone should speak like this with Swamiji.
Now we will have a 15 minute Q & A session. Only 3 questions. Only spiritual doubts.
Q. 1: Once it was said that it is Swamiji’s task to collect all the members of the Datta family. Who are these members? Are these especially enlightened people? Are they all children of Datta? Are they all here from one different planet?
A. All those who love and follow Swamiji belong to the Datta family. Those who practice the Datta system belong to the Datta family. There is no formal registration, membership, numbering system, or ID card. In the Swamiji tradition, if you once do namaskara, bow before the guru, you become a member. Unlike in some other traditions, here there is no drenching in water, no marks put on the skin, and no ritual bath. It is only a psychological communion. The relationship is forever. There is no such thing as divorce. There is ample freedom. Even if you are physically not present for a long period of time due to various reasons, you are still a part of the Datta family if you love Swamiji. Whether you have good feelings or bad feelings, which only Datta knows, as long as you follow the Datta principles, you are in the Datta family.
There is no structured membership system here like in the Western organizations. It is only a clear relationship with Swamiji based on love. You have to follow without fail, Swamiji’s instructions. If once Swamiji’s glance falls on the person, anywhere in the entire universe, that person belongs to the Datta family. One glance is enough. Even if you believe that you are not a follower, Datta knows whether you are or not.
If Swamiji says, “Worship this photo,” you simply worship that photo because you believe that it is Para Brahman. If you do not believe, and you take apart the frame, looking for some Para Brahman inside, and you find only bugs and insects behind the frame, you must understand that the bugs are Para Brahman. If you like Para Brahman, then you leave them. Don’t kill them. It is better to use preventive measure to avoid infestation with bugs. Even inanimate things are Para Brahman. Even a chair is Para Brahman.
Many saints in the olden days, like Sri Ramana Maharshi, never took medicines, never went in for operations to prolong life. If they fell ill, they simply died. They believed that the illness was also Para Brahman and welcomed and accepted it. Because you are attached to this life, you struggle hard to continue to live, in spite of cancer. Cancer is also Para Brahman. Then, if you believe, you do not mind it if it eats you. People who are afraid to die or unwilling to die are under the illusion that they are leaving their near and dear, that they are leaving their money. So they try for protection, protection, protection, protection. But finally, regardless, they die. Saints avoid such a situation. You have no guts to face suffering, pain, and death. It is a big problem. Why do you go for treatment after treatment at an enormous cost?
Twenty years ago there was a couple. Both were devotees. They had cancer. The doctors said there was no use in giving treatment. They decided that instead of spending their money on treatment, they would give it to Swamiji. Instead of worrying, they decided to laugh and laugh till death. They did not ask for any interview. There are no such devotees now.
You must fight small small diseases and problems. But once the doctor gives the red signal, then, give the money to the poor. If the doctor says, you will live only for six months, just maintain your body; that is all. That is a very rare penance. The illness is also Para Brahman. Why do you want to avoid it? This is His Maya.
After you have lived for 60, 70, 80, 90 years, why do you again go for operations? You are inviting some special death. From time to time, take some small medicines as needed. That is enough.
One devotee developed a horrible heart problem. Her children wanted to give treatment at a high cost. She refused. She said, “Don’t touch!” They agreed. They agreed to give the money to the poor, instead. She refused treatment. She is still living, healthy and working.
Do not have the greed to live. Youngsters, when they fall ill, it is okay to give treatment if it is convenient, and you have the money. I tell the people who live here in the ashram that we will not give any special medicines. If you want to spend from your bank balance, or if your children want to spend money on you, fine. But I will not pay for any 3 lakhs, 4 lakhs operations. I have no money. Swamiji will not do it. Huge expense? No. Under 50%, okay. If you have no money, be ready to face the consequences.
Swamiji has given Upadesha. If they chant with faith and devotion, then they belong to the Datta family. If even a small mantra, they do not want to chant, then how can they be in the Datta family? A black dog will not turn white, no matter what. Unless you have faith, love and devotion towards Swamiji, there is no use. If I give upadesha also, if you are lazy, then it is your karma only. You are then only 20% human being. During function time, I give an ordinary mantra. Still, you are not chanting. How can you then be a devotee or a disciple? It is not possible. Even if I brand you (burn the skin to make a mark), only till it heals, you say Datta Datta. The moment it heals, you will say, Kuttha Kuttha (dog, dog) or Attha, attha (relative, relative), or rotha rotha (dirty business). After one month you completely forget and go after dog, dog. Do I have to inflict burns again? No. I have no time. One time I give. You must concentrate and develop devotion. Then you get success. That person belongs to the Datta family. I don’t give certificates. Because then, you will start showing your certificate to make money by giving training to others. I do not like that concept. I give you a real certificate in your heart. The devotion connection is real. Then you are the real Datta family.
There is no grading here. No. This devotee is No. 1. That devotee is A1. No sir. Those are all tricks. I do not want. Here there is no hiding, no secret, no damage. Only open heart. Chant the mantra that Swamiji has given. Then you are in Datta family. The same mantra. Not any special mantra. Secret also Datta. Public also Datta. Medium also Datta. If you continue also Datta. If you die also Datta. This is Datta family. Out of love we have gathered here. The center point is only Swamiji. 99% devotees will say, it is not a program without Swamiji. What is this program? We cannot enjoy. What is the use of a great feast if there is no water? Sit for three hours with lots of food, and no water. What is the use? No salt, what is the use? Useless.
Q. 2. What is the meaning of the mantra, ‘Omnamo hanumate namah’?
A. It has nine syllables. It begins with Omkara, the Pranava mantra. I bow to Hanuman. Hanu means jaws. All have jaws. What is special about jaws? Swamiji has explained in the Sundara Kanda discourse. Vedas say that the meeting place between the upper and the lower jaws is the source of vidya, or knowledge because that is the source of sound. Hanuman represents knowledge. He gives peace and protection. Hanuman gives health, a good intellect, fame, courage, food, strength, oratory skills, and energy. He removes fear, laziness and disease. Vidya is of two types, para and apara, worldly and spiritual. Both are obtained by Hanuman’s grace. This mantra has the power to bestow all the above benefits to those who diligently chant it with faith and devotion. It is all powerful.
Each syllable has a special power. Laziness is when you put off till tomorrow what you should do now. Laziness is looking only for recognition. Those who get angry get sick. To avoid all that you chant this mantra.
Oratory skill means, not speaking cleverly, but keeping your speech pure and clean. Hanuman accomplishes tasks. But he will also destroy bad tasks. He will not do those.
Strength here refers not to brute physical strength, but mental strength, a good intellect that gives success.
Why did Swamiji not give a Datta mantra? This Hanuman mantra has speed. It quickly spreads through air. Datta mantra should be given direct from guru to disciple. Not spread to everyone like this mantra.
If even with all this convenience of modern technological methods, if one does not utilize this opportunity, then such people are not of Datta family.
There is so much meaning. Even without your knowing it, you will benefit by chanting this mantra. You will not leave it, once you get addicted to it.
Q. 3. What is the role of Fate in one’s life, before meeting Swamiji and after meeting Swamiji? Does Swamiji alter one’s Fate?
A. Because your Fate is good, Sadguru came to you. You fate is changed the moment you came here. Sadguru is a signpost. He shows the way, the direction. Without the Sadguru in your life, you don’t know how terrible your fate would have been. We don’t know what direction to take. You came here because your fate has brought you here.
You must not remove the signpost and carry it away with you. If you do that, along the way, you will turn it, and the direction will change, and you will end up in confusion. It will then show you a wrong direction. That means you have abused, and misused the signpost. You have altered its position. You should not misinterpret the sign to suit your convenience. Only if you follow the direction, you will benefit from the signpost. The service that suits the Guru is beneficial to you. If you do the service that only suits you, it is useless. It is like turning the signpost. It will then misguide you and the others also, who come after you. You will then incur the curse of all who come after you.”
Sri Guru Datta
Evening story
Jaya Guru Datta
“This is an interesting story about one who disobeys the Guru. A Guru and his disciple are there. They have no home. They are wandering. Going somewhere. The Guru is very powerful. The disciple thinks that he is a good disciple. The two of them go to a king in a strange kingdom. They are well received. They are given good hospitality and all the comforts. But the Guru is a wanderer. He cannot remain in one place. He tells the disciple that it is time to leave. He tells him that this town is Punganoor, a crazy place. It is not good to remain here. The king is a Tuglak and the subjects are all Tuglaks (crazy and unstable people).
The disciple says he likes it here because the food is good. They give you massages, good clothes, nice baths, and all comforts. If he goes with the Guru, he has to fast. He will not get new clothes. He will not have any luxuries. He will not get milk pudding like he gets here. The disciple decides that he does not want to leave this place. He will not go with the Guru. The Guru gives him dire warnings about the foolish king and the foolish and unpredictable people in the kingdom. The disciple does not listen. The Guru leaves. But since a Guru loves a disciple more than a mother loves her child, he tells him out of compassion before he leaves, that if ever he gets into any trouble, then to think of him. He tells him to be careful. He leaves.
A mother’s love is also selfish, unlike the Guru’s love. She loves out of a physical attachment, a blood relationship, out of duty, and out of a selfish expectation that the child will love her in return (which of course does not happen). A mother is always a good mother. There are no bad mothers. Only bad sons.
Then what happened?
A house in that kingdom got broken into. A robber made a hole in the wall to break into the house. The wall collapsed on top of him and he died. The mother of the robber filed a case against the house owner for building a bad wall.
Lawyers are great for charging money right from the outset. They charge for everything. The client has no choice but to pay. If the client has money, then the lawyer tempts him with victory by lying about some imaginary winning points in his case. If the client has no money, the lawyer will not help him at all. He will tell him to just go compromise. These days doctors are so afraid of malpractice suits that they refuse to give timely treatment. They insist on all types of tests and results, during which time, the patient probably dies. In Ayurveda, there is no such danger. It is only the doctor who dies, not the patients. All that they prescribe are oils for massages and bitter-sweet balls to chew or swallow. Homeopathy is even safer. The medicines are invisible; the pills and the powders. It is too subtle, they say; and hence, most effective. Just pay the bill; you will be fine, you are told. Homeopathy is 100% safe. Safer than that is Yoga. Just breathing and stretching. Hanuman mantra is safer still. There is always something that is safer than the other. No cost at all. Just one rupee. You know what it is? An old shoe. Twirl it around the person and toss it. Remove dishti. Most effective. Safest. In Kali Yuga, it is risky for doctors to give medicines, and it is risky for Gurus to give upadesha.
Okay. Back to the story. The Guru left. The disciple stayed for 12 days. He was nicely fed. The wall fell. The mother, an old woman complained to the king that she lost her son because of the house owner and demanded compensation. The king summoned the house owner and passed the judgment that he had to die to compensate for the death of the man, because he built a bad wall. The house owner was shocked. He thought, ‘Oh, my mom warned me not to stay in this town. Now what do I do?’ But he was smart. He told the king that although he takes the responsibility, he himself did not build that wall. He had hired a contractor to build it for him, and the contractor messed up. The king summoned the contractor and told him that he had to die. The contractor claimed that , yes, he is responsible, but he was not the one who actually built the wall; it was his assistant. The assistant was summoned and told that he had to die. The assistant confessed that he had definitely a part to play in the death of the man because of the collapsed wall, but in fact he had assigned the responsibility of the wall construction to the Mestri, the supervisor of the workers. Then the king summoned the supervisor and declared that he had to die. The supervisor agreed that he was to blame. But he explained that the real mistake lay in the bad mix of the cement because it had become too watery when the ‘taapi’ fellow got distracted while preparing the mix. The man who mixed the cement was summoned and was ordered to die. The man agreed that he had poured excess water into the cement mix. But the reason was that at the time he was pouring the water, this attractive woman walked by decked in the most beautiful gold jewelry. He was momentarily distracted. It was the fault of the woman. The king summoned the woman and told her that since she caused the death of the man due to the collapsed wall, she had to die. The woman did not even know this cement mixing fellow. But she told the king that she takes the responsibility of distracting him. But she happened to wear the jewelry on that particular day and happened to walk along the street singing joyfully because, after much delay the jeweler finally delivered her ornaments to her on that day. The jeweler was summoned and brought before the king. He was a very unhappy man. He was ill and starved. He was like a walking skeleton. When he heard the king say that he had to die to compensate for the death of the robber, he said, “Yes. O king. I am totally responsible for the mishap. Please put me to death.” The reason for his despair was that his health was poor. His wife and children were extremely mean to him. He found no pleasure in living. Hence he welcomed death.
The king was relieved that finally this issue got resolved. He ordered his men to take the jeweler away and put him to death. This was in ancient times when the methods of putting criminals to death was very crude. They had this metal contraption like a vice that would squeeze the life out of a person.
When the jeweler was placed on the platform and the contraption was applied, he was so thin that the contraption failed to kill him. He kept slipping out of the groove. The king’s men returned to the king to place before him the problem that they faced. By this time the king was so vexed with this whole business that he shouted to his men to just go find a round, well fed man to kill, and be done with it. And guess whom they found! The happy roly-poly disciple living right there in the king’s castle. They grabbed him and dragged him away to be killed.
When the disciple realized what was happening, he protested loudly but nobody would listen to him. He was beside himself with grief and lamented and prayed fervently to his Guru. He cried so hard that the Guru came rushing to his aid. The Guru reminded the disciple that he had been warned and he would not listen to the wise words of the Guru. The disciple promised that till he lost all the excess weight, he would not touch food, and begged the Guru to save his life.
The Guru was very powerful. He whispered to the disciple a plan. The Guru and the disciple started to fiercely argue. They both were competing to die on the platform. The guards got confused. They did not understand what was going on. They ran to the king to inform him of this strange occurrence. The king came rushing. He was puzzled at this strange behavior. Then he asked the Guru why he wanted to die. The Guru referred to his big book long and hard, and declared that the person who died at that particular spot at that particular time on that day would be the next one to rule this kingdom, as per the prediction given in the book. The king said, “I am not going to let these people take away my kingdom. I will be the one to die!”
That is Para Brahman!”
Sri Guru Datta
Courtesy: Smt. Hira Duvvuri