Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – welcome function – April 19, 2015 – Mysore
Harihi Om Tatsat
Sri Maha Ganapataye Namaha
Sri Saraswatyai Namaha
Sripada Vallabha
Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha
In a famous hospital an operation that was conducted was a success. The patient and the relatives are happy. Many messages of congratulations were sent to the doctor. Mechanically he accepted those compliments. The doctor’s mind was in tension about the future of the patient. His heart was not on the awards and accolades which he received.
Swamiji’s heart is always on the benefit received by the numerous devotees from His music therapy. He does not do the concerts for trophies and recognition. For a doctor, it is always a challenge to heal and cure patients. Always the possibilities for better procedures are explored. Similarly in my music I try to come up with better procedures. At least ten persons should be relieved or prevented from diseases, both mental and physical. Many people live on pain killers. Only soothing music can give solace.
I counted the other day and Swamiji has recorded so far 1362 CDs. On iTunes the first name that comes up for music is Swamiji or Sachchidananda Swamiji, more than film songs. I wanted to download all my music. Only 25 per cent was done so far. Only ten dollars to download each CD from Itunes.
Last night till 1:30 AM I was doing a music recording for Sundar, a music director. It had to do with what happened during the Mayan civilization, when a person tried to prevent human sacrifices. He was a sun worshiper. Swamiji gave him that story along with the music.
Mysore got the Guinness record. It is not Swamiji. Some awards are cheap in the Guinness records, such as the person drinking the most number of cups of a beverage, and so on. At this program, the man who represented the organization said that the music therapy program took him to higher planes of consciousness. He said that programs such as this encourage his organization.
Music heals. But Swamiji does not say that one should give up taking medicines and only listen to Healing Music CDs. You must follow your doctor’s advice. If mental peace is absent, medicines are slow to work. Music is close to medicine. The two work hand in hand. Soothing music relaxes and helps the medicines to be more effective in healing. Music of Swamiji is only to help others.
Swamiji is not interested in setting records. I rejected many times such opportunities. Raga Sagara concert in Hyderabad with one lakh people in the audiences certainly deserved recognition. Swamiji could have received an award for it. This Guinness Record is for Music. It is for the citizens of Karnataka.
Padma Murthy gave lots of encouragement to Swamiji in the beginning. She coaxed me to continue my efforts with music therapy, as if she were persuading a child. I am happy that she gave me the award today at this function.
I have lots of ashrams. Mysore ashram is like Vaikuntha. I dedicate this award to all of you. Swamiji’s music is good to go to sleep with. It heals during sleep.
But this time at the Sydney concert, it was a big test for the audience. Sleep was unavoidable. But people were instructed to stay awake and alert. So many emails were sent to me after the concert that it was a challenge to keep awake and alert during the concert, doing the required mudras.
In Melbourne, Swamiji gave the Charukesi Raga Sagara concert a few years ago. People felt like they were in heaven. They said so. In the recent Sydney concert, I had the experience that this Charukesi raga’s effect was so powerful that all those who were in hell got transferred to heaven.
The musicians were in a trance. Six of the bow strings snapped on the violin. L. Subramaniam still played. He forgot himself. He had his eyes closed. How to stop him? The sound system was superb. Heavenly violin. What happens in the musical ensemble on the stage, only Swamiji knows. What interactions occur with the musicians, only Swamiji knows. The New York Lincoln Center concert, the concert at the Esplanade in Singapore were also extraordinary. But this was doubly so. It was indeed a Dream Concert.
While going on the boat in Sydney during an earlier trip, Prasad kept saying do a concert here. When they inquired, they found out that Indian people are not given a chance there to perform in the main auditorium. No compromise was acceptable for the Kannada devotees who arranged this program. Kannada people are generally very soft spoken. But they are stubborn. It was a great sacrifice, the efforts they all put in. Telugu people are more aggressive. Tamil people have a tendency to be laid back and say, “Let us see”.
I said even a small hall is okay. They did not agree. They succeeded in getting the main auditorium. The Delhi people supplied good food after the concert.
Melbourne people with great devotion brought even special furniture, mattress, and pillows for Swamiji from their city.
Mysore and Bangalore devotees came. Some had not even traveled to Mandya, but they came to Australia. Music is the greatest medicine. Soothing music you should listen to at bedtime.
This Sydney Opera House is only for music.
Now 80 crore repetitions of Hanuman Chalisa have been done. A new website for reporting Hanuman Chalisa counts will be launched tomorrow. 700 crore repetitions are required so that all the citizens of all the countries can get benefited. 130 crores are sufficient only for India.
Sri Guru Datta
Compiled by Smt Hira Duvvuri