Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – June 28, 2012 – Mysore
Jaya Guru Datta
There are some devotees who suffer from very serious illness and yet looking at them, one cannot even guess that they are ill. They are clean, they dress well and sport a cheerful demeanor. They smile, greet and speak sweetly to people. I like that very much. It is wrong to dump your troubles on others day after day, complaining about your pains and discomforts. It is certainly necessary to tell the doctors and the guru, but not to everyone that you meet, repeatedly. The first five days, they will listen with interest. The next five days, they will suggest remedies. The next five days they will show disgust. Thereafter they wonder how you are still alive. Do not moan and groan. Endure your pain with dignity and reserve. Keep it to yourself. Distract your mind with good thoughts and remain cheerful. That is always my policy. It is not necessary for everyone to know that you are sick. Going frantically to all different doctors and healers is not always useful.
When you keep yourselves clean, you keep your clothes clean and your homes clean, your minds also will feel clean. You must not remain dirty and clumsy even when you are ill. Be clean always, neat and tidy. It helps you and it helps others. When you are unclean, have not bathed, and are wearing unwashed clothes, you may not feel the inconvenience, but those around you will definitely squirm with displeasure, unable to bear the bad smell. Please always be clean inside and out and make sure that your clothes and homes are kept clean.
Many people do not even keep their worship altar clean. They do not dust and clean Swamiji’s photographs or paintings. It is important to clean them every day. That in itself is like worship. You must regularly clean your surroundings.
When they have something precious and useful with them, some people feel the compulsion to share it freely with everyone who can benefit from it, without considering how much effort went into it by Swamiji and what a loss it is to the ashram when they do so. This is what happens when you benefit from healing music CDs. You do not encourage others to come to the ashram to purchase books and CDs for themselves, and benefit from Sri Swamiji’s darshan and blessings, but instead, you make unauthorized copies on your own, of your CDs and distribute them for free amongst friends and relatives. Swamiji puts in a lot of effort to prepare such CDs. It is unethical for people to copy and distribute. I have some very strict devotees who refuse to part with their old Swamiji’s LP records, cassettes, books, DVDs and CDs. They guard them as very precious. When others ask to borrow them, without hesitation they tell them to go and purchase for themselves. I am proud of such devotees. They are ready to give away any of their personal treasures but not Swamiji’s materials. They have such great respect and consideration. Professor Krishan Kumar safeguarded so many original cassettes from the 1960’s and 1970’s and gifted them all to Swamiji recently.
Now some very rare and valuable healing music CDs are being prepared. Because you have created in me a mistrust by your past behavior, now we are having to look for ways to protect our copyrights.
When Swamiji gives something, it is done with a specific Sankalpa, a particular determination, which is what gives immense power to the object. Devotees do not realize it and are careless with things that they receive from Swamiji with specific instructions. One young man was given a Anagha yantra. He is a software engineer in USA. His friend commented that these yantras are not worth much because they are given away freely to everyone at the ashrama. This boy believed his friend and took it off and gave it away to his maid servant. The boy lost his job the same day and the servant’s son who received it from his mother, got a very good job.
Another boy was given a talisman by Swamiji. He was told to keep it on all the time. He did, but once when he got into a swimming pool, he took it off. Electricity leaked into the pool and the boy died. Although this tragic event occurred, the boy’s parents invited Sri Swamiji to perform Kumbhabhishekam at the temple in their city in USA. Sri Swamiji obliged, but told them that a Yogini would be visiting their temple and that they should follow her from then on. The Holy saintly lady actually visited while Swamiji was there and sang also one of His bhajans.
When Swamiji gives a prasadam, it is not the object itself that is valuable, but Sri Swamiji’s resolve that infuses immense power into it. It is very important to remember this. A priest in a temple near Srikakulam was in difficulties and Swamiji gave him a small idol to worship. Swamiji told him to keep it for three years without parting with it. Swamiji told the priest that he would become very rich. The priest worshiped it for some time and then one day gave it away to a rich business man who showed interest in it. The businessman’s wealth skyrocketed and the priest’s situation deteriorated. The businessman became so wealthy that he became pious and is now getting ready to give gold plating to the temple tower there. When people realize their mistake too late and come back to Swamiji crying, they are told that it is too bad. Swamiji does not give them the same blessings again. They have lost their chance forever. So do not lose your blessings by being negligent.
You have a tendency to suspect and mistrust those who wholeheartedly work for your benefit. You accuse them of ulterior motives and a concealed greed for money. You do not appreciate the immense effort that they put in solely with your interest in mind. They sacrifice so much of their time, energy and resources and yet you are unwilling to recognize and appreciate it. You readily trust those who speak sweet words to your face and show a lot of fake interest in you and behind your back are plotting to harm you.
You must develop immunity to flattery and see clearly who your well-wishers are, and who are not your true friends. You must recognize and trust only those who truly care about you.
On Guru Purnima Day Swamiji must be present here during the ritual worship of Guru by Sri Bala Swamiji. As time permits, Swamiji will go to the Music Therapy Room to bless devotees who register for therapy on that day. It is a great privilege and blessing that Swamiji is granting you.
Sri Guru Datta