Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji on Guru Purnima – July 21, 2005 – Datta Retreat Center in West Sunbury town, Pennsylvania USA
Hari Om Tat Sat
Sri Maha Ganapataye namah
Sri Saraswatye namah
Sri Padavallabah
Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namah
Guru Brahma
Guru Vishnu
Guru Devo Maheshwara
Gurusakshat
ParambrahmaTasmai
sri Guruve Namaha
Akhanda mandala karam Vyaptam yena caracaram
Tat padam darshitam yenaTasmai sri Guruve namaha
So today is happiest Guru Day. You observe all kinds of festivals in your life time—Mother’s Day, Guru day, May Day, Valentine’s Day, marriage day—but Guru Day is a very rare occasion. If you have a Guru, then you will celebrate; otherwise, no Guru Day! This Guru Purnima Day honors Sadguru, our Parampara Guru. Parampara means remembering our Guru lineage. Our first guru was Brahma. He created so many problems in this world. The first Parabrahma was thinking to himself, “What is this? There are no activities.” There was only darkness. (If you read the Bhagavatam, then you will understand about creation.) At that time, Brahma was invisible; he had no form. He thought, “I want to create something.” So He created different jivas (lives).
Immediately after this creation, maybe these jivarasis (souls) will experience problems—facing their karmas and sorrows, and again birth and again death. They will live for thousands of years; but even if you live ten thousand years, you must eventually die. He realized these anantajivarasis, (endless numbers of souls) would take birth again and again, transferring karma from one life to the next. The anantajiva—animals, human beings, nature—will always be suffering. “These souls will suffer, so I must create Sadguru first.” Brahma first created medicine, then disease—not the disease first. “I must first create a doctor. A guru is like a doctor.” He created the first Dattatreya.
There are many beautiful stories, but the details are not necessary now. I have already given these messages in DattaDarshanam and also in my lectures.
After creation, He was kind enough to give Sadguru. Then creation was beginning. I think you know about this experience yourself. What is the maya? What is the arshadvarka? What is this struggle to transfer such a variety of souls, janmas (births)? Brahma saw that our travel would be miserable, so He gave into three veins an injection or vaccine—the creation of Sadguru. Before you travel to India, you get a vaccination. Sadguru is like a vaccine. If you have a Sadguru, don’t worry about this maya. You must practice strong faith in Sadguru. Sometimes Sadguru Himself is creating maya. Why? We don’t know why. There is no answer. This is simply a Sadguru phenomenon.
Purification is always going on. Like gold is melted in the fire, then cooled in water, then hammered, and then back into the heat, the water and hammered, over and over again. From 14 carat to 18 carat to 22 carat, the process is always going on. The gold is suffering. Likewise, imagine a big rock. The sculptor hammers thousands and thousands of times, and finally the rock is transformed into a beautiful murti (idol) of Krishna or Shiva. Human beings are like the gold that suffers to become a beautiful ornament worthy of respect. Don’t worry about the “tests” in your life. Birth is one big test. The wise man does not wish to experience birth again. I will give you a small example.
Ramana Maharishi was my father’s friend, and that is why I am respecting him always. Ramana Maharishi had some small cancer on his leg. His German devotees wanted him to have an operation to remove it. He refused saying, “I must face this thing. Very nice.” But finally he agreed, and they operated. All through the night, some of his disciples were sleeping while he was unconscious. At about 3:00 o’clock, Ramana woke up and saw bandage on his leg. He was unhappy and he removed the bandages. The doctors had made the mistake of leaving the cancerous tissue in the trash in his room. Ramana took back the infected flesh and applied it to his leg. A disciple ran to get the doctor. Both the German doctor and devotees asked, “We love you, but why are you spoiling this surgery? You will get infection!” Ramana said, “It doesn’t matter. This infection must eat my leg. This is my karma. If you forcibly remove it, I will have to take birth again with infection again in my karma. I will finish it in this janma (incarnation). This infection is no problem. I must face this.” This is the high knowledge from Ramana Maharishi. We may not be able to achieve that level, but we must practice.
We must face our karma. Don’t hesitate. Don’t be disappointed in your karma. If bad karma comes, you blame your Guru, or your father or mother, or your partner, wife, husband, children or government. What is this? You are a little bit cracky! You accept the blame yourself and face your karma. You will experience nice and also sorrowful karmas. You want always only good experiences! What about bad? You can experience bad, and during those times, you must believe. Follow Sadguru and He will help. Definitely, He will help.
There are a lot of stories and examples in our lives and also in the Puranas. I think you should read Swamiji’s autobiography. It looks very ordinary, like a novel. But indirectly there are many hidden secrets and stories of the beautiful Datta leela, God’s leela.
It is very difficult to get to Guru. So many years you have struggled with your karma, then you get Sadguru. But it only takes one second to lose Him! One second is enough! It’s not only difficult to get to Guru, it is also difficult to maintain that relationship. If you get to Guru, it is good luck—your good merit from a previous birth. The journey is very difficult, I know. In this big ocean of life, called samsara, there are no directions, no compass, and we can’t swim. At that time you must you chant Guru’s name.
Everywhere, always sense Swamiji’s presence. You are always collecting photographs of Him to feel his presence, but they are not necessary. Look only at your inside photography (pointing to his heart). If you get upset, you take away His photograph. Don’t worry about the photo! Do not think that He is not your guru and say, “Today my guru is not here!” Use His photographs to develop love and to build a connection with Swamiji. Because you are a physical body, you want physical things—like photos, puja materials, padukas—because our friendship is growing. You have a physical body, a physical mind. You are facing your physical karma, and you need physical attention, physical help, physical things. After this physical karma, then you close your eyes—without photo, without things—and you get a good vibration, good moksha.
You are acting like a jnani, saying, ”I know everything about the supernatural and this karma, I am doing this meditation only.” I don’t understand what kind of meditation are you doing? It is physical. You are using your physical body. You say, “I don’t go to temples. I don’t listen to Sadguru. I don’t follow. I only meditate, silently pray.” You are listening to big lectures about this and reading many foolish books. If you have a physical guru, you must use Him. Ask your spiritual questions, then you can understand about guru. It is very difficult to get guru, but you can lose him in one or two seconds. Don’t do like that!
It is not necessary for Swamiji to be here, as I have a very good facility in India. I am here because we have a previous connection between Sadguru and disciple, and that is why I am sitting here with you now. You have good feelings and bad feelings, and I am your family member. My attachment is a very pure attachment, like a crystal. If you feel anything bad, I feel it and I hurt too. So don’t do that. If you are upset, you can take a break for one or two days, but not all the days, not permanently. Because I don’t leave you! If you go to Vaikunta or to heaven, I will come. If you have to travel into the darkness, I am coming with you and bringing my light. This is because there is a contract between Sadguru and disciple. I have already signed this indivisible contract. Don’t worry. You must develop affection and devotion.
Next week, my Gopalkrishna is coming to teach Kriya Yoga. It is a good gift, so take advantage of it and get your questions answered. Please listen always to GuruGita and BhagavadGita, and listen to small bhajans and practice slowly. Always I bless you. Swamiji has given His promise, so don’t worry. But from your side, be careful. You must do your part also and develop silence and discipline. Please wake up your chakra—from muladhara through sahasranama—with breathing exercises, with meditation, with silent prayer.
I bless you.
Jaya Guru Datta.