Speeches of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – June 28, 2014 – JDRC, USA
Speech in the morning
Jaya Guru Datta
We don’t have stock in India of so many items. Here you have so many items. Cost is less. Less than 5-10 dollars. Please get them and share with friends. You think doing seva for Swamiji is only to offer prostrations, keep some cash at the padukas, enjoy bhajans, eat prasadam and go home. What can you say to friends who ask you about Swamiji? What do you tell them about Swamiji? You cannot properly describe Swamiji to them. After 20-30 years of experience, many devotees are unable to tell their friends truly about Swamiji. People only talk about their personal experiences. People have written emails to Swamiji. They are disappointed. They say, our friends tell us to go to the website. They tell us they got money, visa, and house. Good things happened to them but when we ask for more details about Swamiji, they are unable to tell us. You are all so miserly. You do not wish to spend an extra dollar. In India, the Telugu devotees spread information about Swamiji readily. That is why there are thousands of devotees there. Now the CDs are so inexpensive. You have thousands of CDs in stock. Please do this service. Share with others. The small profit is used for Ashrama maintenance. See fans are turning. Lights are burning. In winter, we require heating. Now there is a function taking place. Even on ordinary days, there are expenses for maintenance. You will help for the upkeep. You will also do a favor to others who cannot afford to purchase these. Show them the way. Out of 10, at least 2 per cent will come to the right path. It is not easy to spread the glory of Guru. Please do not waste your money on worthless things. Exhaust this stock that you have. Otherwise, I have to sit in the bookstall and do sales work. I will have to announce that unless you purchase CDs there will be no Sri Chakra Puja, or Bhajans. The items that are in excess stock, please see that they are all sold. They are stored now for over 4 years. Should I put them in the homa Kunda? Or should I sit as the shop keeper? What should I do? There is no third option. You are not purchasing them. What can I do? I have only these two options. Om Namassivaya I will say and offer one thousand CDs with one thousand chantings. Tell me. Then Lord Siva will give darshan. It is good for the country and the world. I have to sacrifice. I have to chop myself to pieces by offering the CDs to the homa fire. My mind is disturbed since this morning. Why did I go to the bookstall? Why did they get so much stock? It is not great that they acquired so much stock. It is sad that the items are not sold. Whose fault is it? Each time you come and go, take at least one CD. Just put it in your bag. Spend a few dollars. For this Rudra Homa this is the presentation for me from you. American Telugu devotees will not purchase. I have realized it now. 20-30 year devotees. Who amongst you has the entire collection of Swamiji’s CDs? You book hotels, to stay and eat. You do not miss that. Always keep some CDs in stock at home. Let the children listen to them off and on. You do not collect them. Free download we considered. But now this stock will remain as it is. Even Kaveri River is not close by (to put them into the river). Go to the bookstall on your way home and purchase some CDS as a memento of this visit to JDRC. You promise to do it? Otherwise, I will put them in the homa fire. CDs are Appaji’s body, skin, sense organs, flesh, and bones. What did the celestials do when they wanted to have darshan of Siva? They chopped off and sacrificed their body parts. If you read history you will know. But you have no time to read. You offer flowers. They represent your mind. Apple you offer is your heart. Leaves are your body. Water is tears of joy at seeing Swamiji. Some sorrow, some regret, either tears of remorse or tears of joy. These services are very important. The CDs are Swamiji Himself. Those who can afford, please purchase extra numbers and give to your friends as gifts. Many will appreciate. They may not express it or acknowledge it. For a 5-7 dollar gift they feel happy.
Finished for today. When I return to the bookstall in a couple of days, I should see that the excess stock has been cleared.
It felt as if we just started the Rudra homa. Today it is already completed. I visited the extended property here at JDRC. There is a natural spring there. It can be purified and the water is sweet and may be consumed. There are some wonderful rocks there. There is poison ivy there. Be careful. I think I touched some this morning. It is growing in abundance there. It creates a terrible itch.
Healing water is there. I told Ramana to arrange for a small pipeline to release the water near Appaji’s Guru Nilayam at the small waterfall. Then you all can have prokshanam/holy sprinkling of the healing water. Whoever wishes may help in this project. Even in the summer, the water flow continues. Because the area has not been cleansed, they stopped me from drinking the water. I have found Datta Ganga here. Here at the Guru Nilayam, there is a small spring, and it works with an additional motor pump. The New Jersey leader is listening. A strong small pipeline of 2” diameter is enough. Give a connection to bring the water here. Then the small pump need not run. Swamiji will add crystals to this holy water. Sprinkle that water. Siva loves Ganga. That is why now Ganga is here.
One girl said she wished to marry Siva. Gas shortage. His third eye will give fire. Water shortage. He has Ganga on his head for ready supply of water. Swamiji’s words are like Fire. Whenever I scold, I regret later. A bit of pain has to be given by the doctor for healing to be effective. A bad habit will not leave without some punishment, by just cajoling. It will get worse if you pamper it. You apply tincture and it will go away.
Sometimes teacher has to give some pain. During homa time, why is Swamiji telling us such a big story and doing such a drama about homa Kunda, and being shop keeper? Who is the senseless person who ordered such a huge stock? In India we have no stock. How did these people get so many numbers? Some wonderful DVDs also are here. Don’t simply empty them just to avoid Swamiji’s scoldings. All homes are mine. All cabinets are my cabinets. Please keep them as collection items. One VIP was here this morning. I told him, all these are Appaji’s relatives, all these people. These are not devotees and disciples. I always tell everyone the same thing. We do not have big formal functions. All only family gatherings. I told him I have so many brothers, sisters, cousins, their children, and their grandchildren. One VIP was told this by me this morning. He listened with disbelief at the large number of Datta family members. Even in the airport, when Prasad arranges for the seat assignment, he asks for the seat next to me, saying my dad requires my assistance. Soon afterwards, another person makes the same request. Another woman also requests the same thing. The person at the counter gets surprised that this daddy has so many children of all different ages. So many travel stories of Appaji. It happens all the time. If they say Guru, it creates a problem. It is better to say brother, uncle, grandfather or father. If you explain after some time, they will slowly understand and accept it. In previous lifetimes you were all my family members. Our great great grandfather is Siva. We are all Siva’s family members. We can call Him father, protector, and provider. He is also the one who punishes and teaches us. He is everything for us.
Mother, Father, relative, friend, and guru is Panduranga. Who all like this song? See, everyone likes this song. Ranga, Ranga, in 1976, I practiced in New York, at the apartment of a friend of Ramana’s, at night, starved, no bath, in a tiny room, we did bhajan, and a neighbor radio director took us to his studio to do the first LP record of Swamiji. We went in all enthusiasm and excitement in the morning. We got to the studio and Manasa Datta and Arokya Swami forgot to bring the Tabla and Harmonium, Driving the wrong way, they rushed and brought the musical instruments. A long time ago, with a different kind of voices we sang. We got $10,000 for it, a huge amount at that time. We rode in a Rolls Royce car. Atmananda was supposed to meet us at the airport, but due to other reasons he could not come. Ramana came to the airport. He was a yoga student of mine in Mysore. Someone sponsored the tour. Rajaram Naidu, the tour manager. He lost his wallet. Luckily by Swamiji’s grace, all the passports were there with us. People were in tears. Ramana took us to a place and said, please sleep here. In the morning he gave us bread and some fruits. We were unable to relish the food, not being accustomed to it. The great host disappeared.
At 1 AM with the harmonium and tabla we began singing Tallivi Tandrivi Panduranga. With this disturbance, Michael, the radio director came stomping in complaining of the noise, along with the neighbors. Then when they listened, they stood still in wonder at the wonderful sound of the music. We realized after going to the studio that the instruments were left behind.
Lalita, Padmini, Ragini, the famous sisters heard about us and hosted us with new furniture in the room for Swamiji. Such grandeur they provided. Radhakrishna cut a tray full of plastic flowers for puja and watered all the fake plants in their home. The lady was aghast. He filled the entire bathroom with soapy water when he took a bath there Indian style. She was horrified at Swamiji’s entourage behaving like rakshasas. Later she understood that all this was done out of ignorance. We sold the rights to the music. When we sang this bhajan at night, I was the only one not crying. I was singing in sleep. That recording is there. But the old original recording is not here with you. That is why I said please collect the CDs as collection items. What you have played just now is not that original recording. No. Govinda.
Sri Guru Datta
Speech in the evening after Bhajan session
Jaya Guru Datta
Birds are talking, “Appaji”, and so many other words. Now one parrot is singing Krishnam Vishnum Sridharam. It is only a 9 months old baby. Even at six months these parrots talk. It is said that it takes 15 years of training to teach them to sing. I cannot wait that long. So I told my parrots, you speak now or fly away. One bird born during Navaratri was named Meenakshi. It has another friend parrot. Now it says I love you Meenakshi. Once, some boys chanted Sama Veda in Swamiji’s chamber. The parrot began singing Sama Veda and does not stop. One parrot pulls Swamiji’s hair, and another comes and combs Swamiji’s hair. The birds are very active and do so many different things. I want to share some of their photographs with you.
Now we finished Siva bhajan. So we switch to another subject, to Lord Siva, about Kasi (Varanasi/Benares).
Donations are solicited on the auspicious occasion of Maha Rudra yagam at JDRC to raise $200.000 for the restoration of the new Ashrama Branch of Avadhoota Datta Peetham in the most sacred pilgrim center of Varanasi/Kasi, India, consisting of Guru Nilayam for Sri Swamiji, a cottage for Sri Bala Swamiji, and accommodation for visiting pilgrims to sit and meditate, and a place to conduct Annadanam and so on. Participation in this program will benefit you greatly be removing any Matru Dosha and Pitru dosha, the sins incurred by abusing or hurting one’s parents. The ancestral spirits will benefit. How much is given is not important. Participation is more important. Be a part of this Kasi project. Announce your name and the amount.
Please visit Kasi and see the Dattatreya installed by Swamiji in 1970s at the Chintamani Ganapati temple which is just opposite the new ashram which is situated near Kedar Ghat, a very sacred location in the womb of Kasi. All curses by departed spirits of mother and father, who had suffered abuse from their children, will be removed by such a visit and participation in this project.
Swamiji has a started a bird hospital in Mysore ashram. Why? There are hospitals for humans on every street. There are hospitals for cats, dogs, and even donkeys. But no bird hospital is there yet, in India.
Meat eating and vegetarian birds, Tamasic and Satvic birds are there. Eating insects, fish, and so on, they kill other creatures to feed themselves. But celestial birds eat only flowers, fruits, nuts, and vegetables. The Puranas have given the authority that parrots are celestials. There are parrots with Swamiji that are injured, abandoned, sick, and abused. If you have read the book My Parrots/Naa Chilukalu for which Hira aunty and Prabhavati had worked hard to translate into Telugu, you will understand about parrots. Many tests they faced to go back and forth between Telugu and English, to express Swamiji’s feelings about parrots. Please don’t miss My Parrots book. It is a collection item available in the book stall. You can download the English version on IPad. I am very happy about it. We have over one thousand birds. 320 pure parrots. All hook bills. Some eagles fell injured inside the ashram premises. We tend to them. They now eat vegetarian food.
Some children rear birds and abandon them. It is a pitiful sight to see such birds. I protested about their plight and collected such birds from some Muslim bird traders. I purchased such parrots and have built a hospital for them. If you see the aviary in the Mysore ashram you will not know where you are. One and a half acre area, with free flight for colorful birds. Great crowds visit the aviary. Hence, we had to close it for a week for rest. Free entry for all. Many American NRIs have supported. We have built bird rooms. You wonder whether you are in an ashram or in Singapore. Some birds speak. There are birds that represent the zodiac signs, some planets, and so on. Blue throated Macaws sometimes bite. They cautioned us. It came right away to Swamiji. At the beginning stages photos are shown. Go to Youtube to SGSBirds.com to see the parrot videos. Shuka vana has seven sections. Gagana vanam, dama vanam, nirivanam, sarivanam, rida vanam and so on. Endangered parrots, critically endangered parrots, as per birthdates, as per horoscope, the parrots is the corresponding deity for them. Only interviews, no other activities. Without respite Swamiji has worked on this project and He has succeeded. Recently a soft inauguration was held. Ramayana we got because of birds. Bhagavatam we got only because of parrots. Suka Maharshi is the source. One parrot says Om Namassivaya. Harihi Om Tatsat, one parrot says. Even with 15 years of training, some parrots cannot speak.
We are preparing a video. You will see it soon. Night and day the children are working on it. There are 12 groups. You cannot view it now. It will take too long. You will miss your shuttle bus. Just see one part. In five minutes. Appaji gives the resources and says prepare within one hour. I have no time. My time is very precious. Every second is extremely precious. Not money, my time is more important. Swamiji has to achieve something every day. TV watching, cigarette smoking, political discussions waste your energy. We run towards death the moment we are born. Do not be concerned about anything. Only he, who does what the Guru instructs, is a noble person. Even kings would get blamed by hired persons to get rid of their own sins. Those who blame others help the others. Give up your vanity. The reason people shave their heads in Tirupati is to give up vanity. The reason for doing Anga Pradakshinam is not to lose weight, but to give up ego. People blame those who do good things. But when you receive such blame you get purified, like gold that is beaten under heat. Only when you get blamed and punished, you will get purified. Only he, who suffers blame every day gets purified. Do not be concerned about blame and criticism. It is essential to have critics. Those who criticize are my friends. I will name my children after them. I will keep them as tenants, sang the great saints. Get rid of your ego. That will give you liberation. Change your attitude. Give up anger. Give up your foolishness and arrogance. Who remained regal forever? Power is transient. It is worthless. These are the lessons that the parrots are teaching us. Just have darshan of the parrots in photos, how they land on Swamiji. We have videos but they need to be properly edited and compiled.
Here are the parrots that represent the nine planets, the zodiac signs, the seven musical notes. Swamiji has one parrot for each day of the year. We have 1058 birds at Shuka Vana.
Sri Guru Datta