Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – Sri Chakra Puja – July 26, 2024 – SGS Datta Yoga Center, Burlington New Jersey, USA
Mother Goddess is praised as “sudha sāgara madhyastha”. This is the Ocean of Nectar, which is essentially our heart. Our heart is unattached. In the center of the heart is Mother Goddess. It will be very good for you if you chant Lalita Sahasranama every day. Thousands have already memorized Lalita Sahasranama. You can pick it up easily. The Mother becomes close to us very quickly.
“chidagni kunda sambhūta” – In Devi Bhagavatam, we learn that all Devatas were protected by Mother. Chidagni also signifies our heart.
So, both terms show that the Mother is in our heart. The Mother is in the 6 Chakras from Mooladhāra to Sahasrāra (6+1). Mother manifests in these Chakras, that means the body is Sri Chakra. When we sit in lotus pose, the body appears like Sri Chakra. We are all living by this arrangement that Mother made.
To live well, we should never forget Mother. We forget Mother and we commit sins by succumbing to kama, krodha and lobha. We are forgetting our destination. Why did God give us so much Moha/infatuation and Maya/illusion? We should escape from them.
God has engulfed us in moha, delusion, infatuation, and attachment. We are all submerged in moha. To get out of this ocean, we should seek refuge with the Mother who is in the middle of the ocean.
This creation was dark, cold, and all water in the beginning. This was the first Creation. On a Banyan leaf was an infant crying. That infant was crying with the big toe in his mouth. Nothing could be seen in the darkness, it was filled with water. In the midst of this, two Rakshasas, embodying moha, swam endlessly for Yugas, but found nothing. This is one story that ties back to Brahma.
That infant, who was Vishnu, was still crying. God has no form, but we give God a form. Secondly, God also appeared in some forms, that is why those forms got established. We know from the Vishwarupa that God exists in all forms. We worship God with whatever form we see Him in because we are all filled with desires. God set up various shops to fulfill our wishes. We go to various shops, (we say I am Datta devotee, or Hanuman devotee, etc.) Moha is destroyed by the Universal Mother. She appeared as a light. God is only light. We cannot see that light. It is different from the regular light we see. The infant beheld that light.
The infant heard the sound Tvam Mām. He looked around and found nothing. He stopped crying. He was crying to make this Creation. Mother gave him Darshana only once. That Lord became Vishnu. In Brahmanda or Vishnu Purana, we learn about this. He created Brahma. He is Brahma. That is why the main God is Prana Deva or Mukhya Prana. The body is formed in the womb first and then Chaitanya enters it.
The Chaitanya wanders everywhere and enters the womb it is destined to. That is when we have children. The children and the parents must all experience their karma. Each birth is an opportunity to set our karma right.
Vishnu thought about Brahma who emerged from his navel. From Brahma came Sanaka and other sages. From the sages’ bodies came man in one half and woman in the other. The man and woman turned into couples. All this happened in the beginning of the Creation. We all have our source in each sage.
Those who do not know the Gotra (lineage, use Vishnu Gotra or Shiva Gotra or Devi Gotra. We should never say we do not know our Gotra. Your Gotra is from your favorite deity. If you only trust Swamiji, it is Swamiji’s Gotra.
We should have no doubt in this regard. The sages came from Brahma and Brahma from Vishnu and Vishnu from Mother Goddess who is invisible. So, we are all part of His inexplicable creation. This is all a great Purana…it takes a long time to narrate.
Swamiji narrated Mahabharata, it is all on YouTube.
Subscribe to Raga Sagara and listen to the audios on Podbean. Also listen to Katha Sagar videos – there is a lot of Tattva there along with beautiful stories. You are all also children, you only have years of age, but you are all also children in the eyes of God. We are all still learning, there is a long way to go.
God gave Me this duty to come and bestow Jnana. You are also following and getting the result. That is why I am here.
New Jersey team is getting ready to build the shrines. Everyone participate in the construction.
Many also came forward to sponsor Moortis. There aren’t temples around here. New Jersey was among the first batch of Gita students, that is why it is dear to Me.
We need a Hanuman temple here. Mother Goddess, Shiva, Ganapati, Hanuman, Subramanya Swami are all going to be consecrated. The temple will be small now, but after 10 years we will build temple towers.
Dallas temple too was in a shed for 10 years. It was only later, that it became big. So, we make progress step-by-step. We are all middle class people. There are no wealthy people among devotees like there used to be in the past. Dallas devotees size got very big and that is how we got to build a temple there.
We are all one family; we must support each other. Do not think Dallas, New Jersey, New York, all are different from each other. That would be wrong. We are all part of Datta family. Small drops of water make a mighty ocean. Each grain of rice makes a big feast.
So, do not be disappointed. Don’t wait for God to give you first so you can give to God. You must just give whatever you have, then God will give you.
May you all develop a charitable nature. You are all training Bhagavad Gita children well. I saw all the teachers today. Train the students even better this time. Bhajans training is also happening. All of you must serve here. Don’t wait for the committee to call you. No one will call, we must dive in and help.
There is no question of someone asking you for help. You must just go and support. People are not called to Allahabad to go help, everyone just goes and helps at Prayag Raj.
Do not expect recognition for what you are doing. That is not in My nature, nor in the nature of My devotees. Yet My devotees are doing the Seva. That is good.
In the Datta system, we just push forward and help. Volunteers are those who come forward of their own accord to help. In Ratha Yatra, people come forward to push the chariot. The chariot moves due to everyone’s push.
If we do not help, we are the ones who miss out. When you are hungry, don’t you go out in search of food? We peep into the kitchen to see if the food is ready.
We go in search of food and water when needed. Same applies for service. Do not wait for founding members to come and ask you to help. It is your good fortune that you are able to support. No one will honor and felicitate you for serving.
There are some organizations where felicitations happen a lot because the head of the organization is not there. I am head of this organization. It is enough if I know. And I always know.
We do not need anyone else’s recognition. Serve out of love. Get the permits soon. It is surprising that you got 5 acres here. I would be happier if Guru Nilayam were right here rather than 5 minutes away.
Yesterday, someone asked: Isn’t it considered Annadana only when we feed the hungry?
Annam is Prana, it is God. Even if we feed ourselves, it is Annadana. Of course, we should feed the hungry and support the needy. But what we serve here and even what we eat at home are Annadana. If you do not eat, you will lose Prana, will you not? Therefore, Annadana protects our life. So, wherever we do Annadana, it is good.
Both are considered Annadana.