Speech in morning by HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – October 25 , 2013 – Cochin
Jaya Guru Datta
I fell asleep, sitting down, listening to Vijaya Kumar’s music. Nada (divine sound) Veda, Yoga, Gita, Modam (happiness) – without these there is no world. These are enough. Gita is not songs but sounds. Modam means happiness. Gita Modam, Nada Yogam, Veda Vicharam, Sachchidanandam – this sums up the Bhagavad Gita, and the Bhagavatam. Without happiness none can exist. One cannot live without speech-Gita (communication). Without Nada (breath) one cannot exist. Yoga (actions/Kriya such as walking, sitting) one cannot live. Veda is the authority. This summarizes our philosophy. Nada, Veda, Yoga. Without these the world cannot exist. Without Gita and Modam, the world cannot exist. These cover everything that the world consists of. All of this is condensed into the one syllable, OM (Pranava). Shorthand version of this entire Creation is OM. This gives the wonderful concept of a human being.
Today Vijaya Kumar sang very well. I had good sleep before I came here. Again his music put me to sleep. Sleep is very peaceful and comfortable. It is gift to be able to sleep. Those who sleep well are truly gifted. It is a gift from God. Those who are able to eat well are also gifted. But, incessantly eating or sleeping will lead to disease. Everything should be experienced. All the nine types of emotions must be experienced. That is man’s nature. Without life, these cannot be experienced. (Please take notes of these points so that you can explain in Malayalam. Maruthi Raya, please offer some help. There are many here who do not know Tamil or Sanskrit).
Raga (musical scale/melody), Bhava (feeling), Shruti (tone), and laya (rhythm), along with the meaning, one should merge with it. Merging without understanding the meaning is not beneficial. Knowing the meaning, one should merge with the music. Otherwise it is not Gita/communication. You must make an attempt to merge and melt into the music. If people are talking while someone is singing, it causes a distraction to the mind. It strains the mind very much. If in the microphone a big sound is created, and if someone is saying something, both to the speaker and to the listener it is a huge strain because it will require them to speak loudly to be heard. Those who are trying to listen, have to strain their ears and concentrate a lot because of the distracting noises. It causes immense stress and strain. When a music program is in progress, those who are in the audience should try to merge with the music. When you merge with the music, when you forget yourself listening to the music, you get good health benefit. That is the purpose of listening to music.
Bhajan session, Swamiji’s Divyanama Sankeertana (devotional singing) is not a tradition. It is a duty, it is worship. It should touch our hearts. Then it works like medicine, it is healing. Music heals. It is a tonic (energizer). Everyone must learn and practice compulsorily. Maharashtrians sing bhajans every day for Lord Vithala. Without Vithala they cannot sleep or eat. If there is any problem in the house also, such as a birth or even death, they continue their chanting of the name of Vithala for at least five minutes daily continuously. It is the duty of each family. Without performing that duty the family does not sleep. Even if someone in the family dies, they spend 10-15 minutes singing the glories of God, such as Digambara Digambara Sripada Vallabha Digambara. After they finish singing, they will go and weep near the dead body. It is a wonderful concept, a wonderful practice. Instead of doing that, we shout and scream and blame God instead of praising Him. Even in front of the dead body we must sit and chant, Krishna, Sri Hari, Rama. Then a celestial aircraft will come to take away the departed soul. We must help by calling God’s names. Then the life force/prana leaves happily on its onward journey. If you keep weeping, the soul feels bad that it is leaving and going away. It turns into a spirit (ghost) and lingers. After a few days you feel uneasy, you will get bad dreams, and will experience unnecessary fears. When somebody dies, we weep and wail and blame God. We tell God, you don’t have eyes. You have done me wrong when I trusted you. When others try to offer consolation, we increase our complaints about God and Guru. That is our misfortune. Whereas the people of Maharashtra, they will go and sing in front of their deity, Digambara, Audumbara Narasimha Saraswati Audumbara, Vitthala, Vitthala, they chant for ten minutes non-stop. When they finish they go and cry near the corpse. You should emulate them. Whoever is gone will not return. You must keep that in mind. Weeping does not help. It will bring the departed soul down one step. Especially when our near and dear ones die, the departed soul will attempt to return and enter the body again. It will not be possible. It gets frustrated and turns into a ghost and will roam around the house and will enter into your mind. Then, unnecessarily you sit and weep and you will get frightened. You will see the dead person everywhere. What have you gained? You will harm yourself.
Recently, during the Navaratri festival at the ashram, one devotee died. When he came, he came with all his bag and baggage. When questioned, he told his family, “I am not going to return. I am going to stay with Swamiji permanently”. He is an ardent devotee. His wife and children are even stronger devotees. He told his family members, “Please do not think otherwise. You please look after yourselves. You may also stay there if you like”. He was absolutely fine. During Navaratri suddenly he departed. In the middle of the night, on Ashtami (eighth day) I rang up to the hospital and spoke to the wife. I was feeling very bad that this occurred. Instead of receiving consolation from me, the wife began to give me courage. She said, “Tomorrow you have to perform puja. It is already past midnight. Please get some good rest. Those who die are not going to return. It is a boon that you have given him, to go at this auspicious time. You have not given me that boon”. I told her, ”Do not cry. Other devotees will try to come and offer consolation. Simply pretend to weep”. She did just that. She came back and told me. What do you say to that? Such devotees should be prostrated to. They are true devotees. Their two grown children are very brilliant students. They excelled in academic studies and also perform priestly duties. They do not feel ashamed to do that. They spoke about their father. “He came willingly and happily. He also stood in the queue and received prasadam. He asked to be given the meal quickly and suddenly collapsed. Others offered monetary help in a timely manner because we had not come prepared”.
After the rituals, they brought all the money and placed at Swamiji’s feet, praying that the father should go to heaven. Because such great souls are living today, I continue to live.
Other devotees would have reacted differently. They would have complained, “O Swamiji, we placed my faith in you and you have taken him away during the celebrations”.
We must give up selfishness. Just surrender to Swamiji. Each one has his own karma. We must feel happy that Swamiji is in our lives. You should not burden Swamiji. You must experience your karma. Swamiji is there as a partner in your grief and in your happiness as a family member. Feel happy that God has granted you this boon. Those who die will return in a new body. In and out, in and out. Go round and round and return. Wander around and come back into a new body, crying at birth, as a baby. You are blaming Swamiji. I challenge you to find out where your departed loved one has gone and is now reborn. Your husband, or father, or son, or mother, or grandmother, can you show me where that person is reborn? Tell me, and I will go with you to reclaim that person. Both of us will be either put in jail or in the mental hospital. Give me the address, and I will certainly go with you and will ask to give us back that person. We will lift that person out of that place and bring back. We both will certainly end up in an asylum for mental patients.
Just because Swamiji is freely available, you blame him as you please. “What is our role in life?” you must question yourselves. Instead of that, out of a fickle mind, you just throw the blame as easily as you scratch yourselves.
(How many Telugu people are here? Because there are many Telugu people I am speaking in Telugu. Wherever I go they follow me, even to Vaikuntha/heaven. They will charter a special bus or a celestial aircraft/Pushpaka to follow me. Our Swamiji is Vishnu. We do not know any other Vishnu, unless Swamiji declares that He is Vishnu. We do not want Amrita/nectar of immortality. We want only Swamiji’s Teertham with 32 herbs. We are following a certain path. We will not change. They have left all the problems of Telangana and have come to enjoy the company of Sadguru. Some fight for combined state and some fight for separate state. One piece of rag and they pull from either side. Finally it will not even serve as a loin cloth. Go ahead and tear it to pieces, I don’t care. After you are done shredding it to pieces, I will come. A beautiful large piece of fabric you spoil and shred to pieces. Why should I be concerned? I never commented before. I am happy that these devotees have happily come here. May everyone have a good mind. Whether split or united, let everyone be happy and be well. It is all our own doing.)
Other devotees are all fake devotees. They should pray for higher planes for the departed soul. Instead, they put the blame on the Guru. I cannot forget this past Navaratri. It is a historical Navaratri for me.
Today’s music, Nada, is the process of inhalation and exhalation. Veda is an authority that proves our existence. Yoga is actions. Today he sang the description of the face of Sadguru. Based on the Bhagavatam, Sri Jayalakshmi Mata composed a song describing each part of the Lord. She made a song on the hand gesture/mudra of giving boons, on the divine feet of the lord, on the enchanting smile, on the strong, long arms, and on the ornaments that he wore. First, you must read and absorb the essence of the Bhagavatam. Then, study the Bhagavad Gita. Only if you completely grasp the essence, you can describe each part of God or Guru.
Anjaneya loves music/Nada. That is why He is called Nadanjaneya. In front of the lord, sing the name of Rama whether you are happy or sad. Just like people in Maharashtra sing the name of Vithala, sing, Sri Rama Jaya Rama Jaya Jaya Rama. When you are in grief, sing like that and you will be filled with happiness and courage. Instead of thinking or worrying, sing. Om Namo Hanumate Namaha. Anjaneya is the deity for Kali Yuga. He is the future Brahma. As time goes on, He will be our protector. He is the invisible God, the son of Wind. Not necessary for an image, it is only for our concentration. Tomorrow the consecration of Karya Siddhi Anjaneya will take place. 18 foot Murti. 8+1=9 denotes the nine feelings/navarasas, nine siddhis/accomplishments. There are only 8 siddhis. The 9th one is to merge in God. The 8 are worldly accomplishments. We should not be reborn. Merging in Him is the final accomplishment/siddhi.
Many say they want to be born again to serve the lord. It is a lie. You never know your mind. It is not a proper wish. Between the time you make the wish and the time you are reborn, the mind may change. It is very unstable. So never wish to be reborn. Namadev wished for that. He made a mistake according to me. It was okay in that era that he wished to be born again to praise the Lord. Ask him to make the same wish again now. He will not. He will be scared. Because the mind is very unreliable. Never wish to come back, especially in this Kali Yuga. I must never return, is what you should wish for. During that transfer (between one body and the next), the transition, your mind will change. Best policy is to wish for the ninth siddhi, of merging with the Lord. Like Pingala Naga, wish to be put into the Lord’s stomach. His wish was granted. That was a great chance for him to ask to be born again to be his disciple. But Pingala Naga was smart and he asked to be swallowed by the Lord. “I do not want another lifetime. Some mistakes will occur. I just want to be in your stomach, be digested into you”.
This is the secret meaning of Om Namo Hanumate Namaha, the nine syllable mantra. Why the ninth letter? Bala Swamiji asked me many times. Now, suddenly in Kerala, I have revealed the secret. The last syllable is for Salvation, Liberation. The first 8 syllables are for the Ashta Siddhis. In Namaha, the Ha is the ninth syllable which is very close to Omkara.
In Mysore ashrama, Hanuman is very fond of birds. In the Dwapara Yuga, during Krishna’s time, no one was chanting the name of Rama. Rama was eager to listen to his name being chanted. So he thought hard. Who is there who chants my name in this Dwapara Yuga? Only Hanuman was chanting Rama’s name. So Rama took the form of a parrot and adorned the arm of Hanuman. The parrot comes in a different form each day. It comes to listen to Hanuman chanting the name of Rama. That is why parrot is called Rama Chiluka/parrot. Whoever likes Swamiji or Hanuman must take membership in the Parrot project (Shuka Vana). Rama Himself came as a parrot to land on Hanuman’s arm. There are injured and abandoned parrots being taken care of at Mysore ashram. Long ago parrots were imported from foreign countries. Some of those species are not available in the native countries any more. They have become endangered or extinct. Their offspring and descendants are here now only in India. Without any training they are now chanting the names of God. Those who take membership will get a chance to take a photograph with Appaji and a parrot. You must fill up a form with your name, phone number, date of birth, email address, and address. There is a secret website, sgsbirds.com. The website is maintained with all the photographs of all the sponsors. I want all Kerala devotees as members, at least 100 of them. If you are already a member, you can take membership again. The website gives information about the birds, their activities, their history, and so on in small frames. You will develop a personal touch with Swamiji. Whoever takes a membership must provide personal information beforehand on the prescribed form. For every date of birth, Swamiji will send personal blessings on birthday. I am telling you the details. It will begin a personal dialog with you. There is a Facebook page also called SGS Parrots. You can take exclusive membership there too.
Sri Guru Datta