Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – March 21, 2022 – Kārya Siddhi Hanumān Temple – London, UK
Transcribed by Tunga
Jay Vīra Hanumāna Ki Jay
What is Vedānta? What is meditation? What is Ātman? These questions are always coming. We have the answer already, but still people are asking the same questions again and again: Who I am? What are my duties? How to find Guru? Without Guru we cannot get Mokṣa (salvation). Always the same silly questions, sometimes I don’t like. Because the answer is already given in the Bhagavad Gītā. In different ways the answer has been given.
In Srimad Bhāgavatam, in one Śloka of 100’000 Ślokas, the complete meaning is given, the complete meaning about God, about this creation, about Karma, about this kind of drama, about this kind of happiness, Kāma, Karma, Avidya (ignorance). Kāma means, that we want something, Karma means, that we are suffering. Avidya means ignorance and ego, it is the feeling ‘I know everything’. Mahā Bhāgavatam has 100’000 ślokas, very tough slokas, and just one śloka contains the entire meaning about this creation, about who I am, about meditation, about protection, about the destruction of this world, everything is ccontained in this Śloka. Sṛṣti, Sthiti, and Laya: Sṛṣti means creation, Sthiti means that you are living with some facilities and some happiness, and Laya means that lastly, after 80 or 90, years we are going to die.
Automatically we die, due to some diseases or for unknown reasons. This is destroying, we call it Śiva. We give respect to Śiva, because He destroys everything, He also destroys our sins. The one who destroys our confusions is Śiva. What is creating all the time in our mind is Brahma. Our mind is creating so many things: I will do like this, I will do that, I will do do do. Brahma is giving inspiration to our mind. After that creating (Brahma) there will be action, we see action and Phala (fruit), so after Brahma’s creation Viṣṇu is protecting. That is why Indians always chant Rāma, Kṛṣṇa, Govinda, Śrinivāsa, because He is the protector, the savior. He has so many names, many many many different names. Jesus is also Kṛṣṇa, Allah is also Kṛṣna, Buddha also Kṛṣṇa, Jain is also Kṛṣna.
These three kinds of action are always happening in the created world, in this illusion. We are born, we are living, and after 90 years, maybe 100 years, we are dying. Then we will have no adress. Only the good things you have done will remain, only about your good actions people will be talking. This alone will be your permanent adress. All other things are not permanent. If you do not good things, your name will vanish. Your name will only be remembered for good things like charity and donations. Only this is permanent, nothing else.
All this is expressed in only one Shloka:
Janmady asyā yato ‘nvayad itaratas carthesv abhijnah svarāt
tene brahma hrda ya ādi-kavaye muhyanti yat surayah
tejo-vāri-mrdam yatha vinimayo yatra trisargo’mrśa
dhāmna svena sadā nirasta-kuhakam satyam param dhimahi
Srimad Bhāgavatam 1.1.1
That is enough.
All of your questions are answered in this Śloka. Who is God, what is Meditation? What is the creation? Who I am? This Śloka says. That is why Maha Bhāgavatam is our best teacher. There are not different Dharmas that are given. There is only one Dharma: Attain Mokṣa. Near to god.
We only come to this place here, then we return go. Then we come again. Coming and going. Coming and going. That is our Karma. Again going, again coming. What is this? One day we must stop this going and coming. It makes us feel fed up and it is full of problems and sorrows and confusions. A real devotee is always asking: Swamiji, I don’t want any more Janma. That’s all. (Sri Swamiji say something in Telugu). You must experience and enjoy this Janma. Don’t talk about going through it fast, don’t talk about the future, only talk about the present time what is going on today in this Janma. Then you can find a good path, and good answers.
I recommend: Please you sit daily forten or 40 minutes in silence. Don’t think about any problems. Normally when people sit in meditation so many questions are coming, like a business. So many TSKTSKTSKTSK. You cannot control it. That is why you must practice silence. Only concentrate on your breath, your Śvāsa (breath), inhalation and exhalation, with sound, So-Ham So-Ham So-Ham (Sri Swamiji demonstrates So-ham breating). You can listen to this sound, then your thoughts are not coming, they are controlled. Your breath is controlling your thoughts, any thoughts, good or bad.
When you go to sleep: Same procedure. That time you will have pecafeul sleep. Think about your breath, then after few minutes, like ten to 15 minutes, you will get sleep, deep sleep. It is a normal process.. When you think about your problems, tensions and diseases, you will not sleep. Only few hours of sleep, then your mind is completely disturbed. So if you go bed early, concentrate only on your breath: So-ham, So-ham, So-ham. This is a kind of meditation, a different kind of meditation.
But I recommend this meditation for 40 minutes, without sleep. Without sleeping you can concentrate on your breath: So-Ham. It will give good energy to your mind and your body.
You can begin with five minutes, ten minutes, then increase to 20 minutes, 30 minutes. 40 minutes daily are enough, if you have time. If you have no time, ten to fifteen minutes are enough. You will experience how you relax, and how you are happy, and how you get strength. Then automatically you will want to sit and experience that silence meditation is very nice.
Mahatmas in India, in the Himalaya, sit hours together, years together. They are in meditation only. They are very happy. Automatically you get Śānti, you get Mokṣa. Everything you get, reading any books, without listening to any lectures without following any Guru. You yourself are your Guru, you have your Guru, in your mind, in your heart, in your body.
While sitting you can listen to good things, to the words of your Guru, or good music also helps for meditation. That is why your Swamiji is following music, Meditation Music. We also have some Relaxation Music, but nowadays people want this kind of relaxation Music: Tschagaktschintschktschag. What to do? So a little bit I am doing this also to attract youngsters. Then I will give them good suggestions, to sit for mediation and to pray. It is like a chocolate. It is like a bitter medicine with honey coating. So children are thinking the medicine is very sweet. But is is not sweet, it is very tough, very bitter. Guru’s words are also like this: First they are very sweet, but inner meaning very bitter. Very difficult to follow sometimes. I recommend to people, to our friends, our relatives, our Śiṣyas, diciples, to daily sit in meditation, with music in the beginning, or with bhajans, Bhajans also give good strength to you, soothing music also gives good energy to you. Then you will be successful, in whatever you decide to do: In studies, business, travel, and in balancing your Samsāra, you will be successful. Concentrate on your breath. Breath is Vāyu, breath is Hanuman. He is always protecting you.
Today we performed Hanumān Pūjā. please give good strength to our Devotees, please give me good strength for breathing, for fighting Karma. I bless you and I pray a special prayers. All London Devotees came, and European Devotees also came. They took so many different courses, my European Devotees, they are very lucky persons. So many times they took Mauna course, meditation courses, music courses. Really they are all Sannyasis, they are Yogis. So many times I visited all the places, Switzerland, Germany, Holland, Denmark. In Denmark we had Vedanta Classes on the beach. these were wonderful days, like a dream. You are all very lucky. I was missing European Devotees for two, three years physically. I am always with you, so there is no missing feeling – missing is only with the body. What to do this Corona? I am also afraid about this Corona. I said to Jitubhai: If all Devotees wear masks, then I will give full darshan. Full Darśan means full figure, without mask. If you take off masks, then I will wear a mask. This is a protection for ourselves, we want good health. We don’t want that confusion disease. And use sanitizer. Be careful.