Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji on Gowri festival – August 28, 2014 – Vijayawada
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Ganesaya Namaha
Sri Saraswatyai Namaha
Sripada Vallabha
Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha
Tomorrow we are going to celebrate the Ganesh Chaturthi festival. Swarna Gowri ritual is very popular and famous in Karnataka. Mother Gowri was upset with Siva and got herself distanced from Him. At that Time Ganapati brought them back together. First we worship Mother Gowri. The story of Ganapati in his 32 aspects is described in the Mudgala Purana with many examples. We may think there are so many stories within stories in the Puranas.
Realize and remember that within human beings, from childhood through old age and till merging in God’s feet, the ordinary man’s story also goes through many turns. You wonder how so many episodes can occur in one person’s lifetime. All are real incidents. Each person’s life will consist of thousands of stories to tell. The wealthy will publish their autobiographies. The popular people will publicize the events of their lives. Some write novels and some make movies if they can afford it. If it is so for people, that there can be so many tales to tell, how many countless stories should be there for all the celestials?
That grandchild’s birth, this son’s marriage, that other grandchild’s death, that daughter’s failure to get married, your own love story, your tale of telling lies, all these are only confined to you and your family, and your ancestry, including the story of our broken love relationship. You change the names and make a movie of it.
But, all the incidents in the lives of great souls happen only to benefit the world at large. They are filled with inner meaning, and insights that are capable of removing sorrow. The incidents are filled with all the nine emotions. Above these, if you go one step higher, even more significant are the stories of deities in the different eons/Yugas and Kalpas. One kingdom’s inception, one state coming into being, and a whole planet earth’s birth, are included in the powerful stories of deities. The secrets of Creation, Sustenance, and Withdrawal are embedded in these stories. Deities have such powers. So many Yugas repeat themselves, each with its own different stories.
We are incapable of creating anything. But we have successfully learned how to destroy the created things, every minute of the day. We keep developing that talent. In this day and age, if you press a button once, the entire planet earth can get destroyed. But we do not know how to put it together again with another press of the button.
By pressing a button, the waters of the ocean become sweet. Then another button is pressed and it turns salty. Because the heavy salt water fills the oceans, the earth exists. The entire story of Creation is included in the stories of the deities, who have the power to create and destroy, by their mere intention. These stories from the Puranas are very valuable and deal with good things regarding this creation. They are not cock and bull stories. The stories of humans are perhaps like that. The stories of gods give enlightenment and beneficial knowledge. They have the power to uplift.
Do not complain that there are too many stories. You have no right to comment. You have no eligibility to even know them all or to understand them all. You have not made the effort to gain that power. You try to destroy the evil in your own home, in your child that you gave birth to, and yet, you fail. You cannot teach devotion to your own children who get into bad ways. You cannot make your own child or spouse give up a bad habit. You cannot transform the nature of your own wife, your subordinate, you cannot even correct yourself. How can you correct the world? What can you teach the world? You have earned the lack of eligibility to even correct your own behavior.
Every minute, every blink of an eye, the stories of deities that occur, is a different story. In fact closing and opening of the eye of each deity is a different story, powerful enough to spread auspiciousness in the world, to protect this world from total annihilation, and rescue during the Pralaya/deluge. Amrita is always pure. It is not contaminated by poison. But there always the possibility that poison sometimes gets mixed with Amrita. Only Brahma has the capacity to separate milk from water. In a lab, you cannot accomplish it. But a celestial swan/Parama Hamsa can do it. Such a swan can choose to drink either just milk or just water from this mixture of the two substances.
In the Bhagavatam there are countless stories. Many stories are now not available. Narada Ramayanam, Brahma Ramayanam, Tulasi Ramayanam are all there. Each describes the personal experiences of the several incidents. They are all rich in Vedantic truths. Swamiji’s Life History is highly condensed. Every single moment, in the association of Swamiji an experience occurs to every living being. All such experiences are not contained in the Life History. (The biography will become complete only if each and every experience with Swamiji of every single individual finds its place in it.)
Some write down their experiences and many do not. The experiences get forgotten. So much of benefit has been gained from Sadguru’s association and yet, such misfortune has overtaken the devotees that they are unwilling or incapable of telling others about it. In your own lifetime such a great treasure of amazing events have occurred, how you have traveled from darkness to light.
Guru’s story far excels all other scriptures. It should be further enhanced and enriched by the inclusion of all the experiences that have remained unwritten and undocumented so far by so many devotees. We are cursed with the negligence to not even share our experiences with others. You must write down every one of the experiences you have had with Swamiji in your own life. They will remain for posterity to benefit from.
To this day research is carried on, into the hidden secrets in the scriptures, Ramayana, Bhagavatam, and Mahabharata, etc. They are still finding new evidence of the existence of ancient writings. In the sciences of Math, and Philosophy and other natural sciences, still new revelations are coming out. In the spiritual arena also, new findings are coming out.
Sloka/Verse: Vahan tunde ..
We have 3 days or 9 days Ganapati festival. Rope, goad, broken tusk, and a pot of Amrita/nectar of immortality, are held by Kshipra Ganapati. You must pray to receive the grace of Ganapati, unlike Datta who blesses with your mere remembrance of Him. Unless you surrender and offer prostrations, blessings will not be dispatched to you just like that. Kshipra Ganapati blesses at once if you offer prayers. God always protects, but you must do your part of seeking refuge.
These days you consult a doctor over the phone also. He says use that substance which is in your kitchen. It gives only temporary relief. It is only psychological. Phone, Skype consultations are not effective. Unless you visit the doctor in person, get examined, and receive treatment, you do not get well. Unless you visit Sadguru in the Mysore ashram, and spend a night there, you do not get the full benefit. You say you have no time. My son keeps failing in his exams. Please make him pass. Guru says Bring him here. He is stubborn. He does not believe. He will not come. My son does not eat. Okay, you eat and drink on his behalf. Tell the son not to eat and drink even when he is hungry and thirsty. The son will eat you up if you tell him so. Each one’s hunger and thirst is his own. He has to experience them. Unless you have faith in the doctor, how will you have faith in the medicines that he prescribes? Even if you place faith, and put in great effort, still, sometimes they may not work.
But you say to Guru: I do not believe in you, but teach me the lessons. You do not listen. You have no time to come and attend the classes of instruction. But you want the benefit. Daily I can show you 10 people who say: My son-in-law will not come. Please bless him regardless. I say to such devotees: tie up his hands and feet. Bring him in the car. I will talk to him.
If there is no interest, that is the end of the story.
Each has his own world, his own nature, his own transport, his own flight. Each goes to his own level. Once life departs, no relative comes with you, no bank account comes, and no dog comes. It is only while we are alive that there are all these relationships. Once dead, there is no wife, husband, relative, or son. Each goes his own separate way. We gather here together temporarily, that is all.
Where you came from, where you go from here, you do not know. You got together here with mother, father, wife, but at death, all relationships end. You grieve for some short time. But sometimes even by the same evening you forget. Unless you forget, you will die. If you bother others, everyone will curse you for your moaning and groaning. I know what goes on in each one’s heart. They may smile and be nice to you outwardly, saying, Hi Mother, but no one really cares deep within.
While you live honor love and friendship and treat one another with patience and courtesy. While you live, see God in each other and serve and show courtesy. Sometimes, people get irritated because other people cause obstacles in their plans of having fun, entertainment, and celebrations. Sometimes dispassion comes automatically to you.
Datta Guru is so compassionate. Unlike Ganapati, who requires your prayers before He gives His blessings, Guru blesses if you simply remember Him. If your son has no devotion, at least have him remember Swamiji. At least over the phone, let him hear Guru’s name. You will not find an easier way than that.
Bhajan: Om Namaste Ganapataye
Slokam/verse: Brahma Vishnu Sivaaraadhye ..
Bhajan: Amma ninnu kolachite antarangamanduna ..
If we worship you in our innermost hearts, we receive your grace in the form of all kinds of comforts and happiness, here, there and everywhere. You are the energy that is at the source, during, and at the conclusion, as desire, knowledge, and action. You are the energy behind the functioning of Brahma, Vishnu, and Siva.
You grant the highest state of Liberations as Siva.
You are the Kundalini Shakti. You are the energy of the Anda, Pinda, and Brahmanda/microcosm and the macrocosm. You are the energy that ever accompanies us as our consciousness. Only when you associate with Siva, He becomes mobile and active, coming to life. Only when you merge with Siva, you take on the form of Energy. Upon close examination, the hidden principle of the combined energies of Siva and Sakti manifest as the glorious, radiant, and the most beloved Sachchidananda.
This entire Creation is the result of the combined intention of Siva and Sakti. How many spheres exist, how many more will come into being, the creation and destruction that occur everywhere are all occurring due to the union of Siva and Sakti.
All you know is what you have seen on TV, cinemas, or have read in books. You do not really know, unless those who have directly witnessed this occurrence explain it to you. Swamiji is sharing His personal experience with you all. This is not scholarship. This is a sharing of bliss that has been personally experienced.
Sometimes a teacher gives tests to see how much the student has comprehended. Guru teaches by sharing His experience with the disciple, where the disciple becomes Guru Himself.
Guru says, give up all attachments. Renounce everything. Then, the disciple becomes the same as Guru. Merely wearing the attire is not sufficient. Amongst billions, who take the Sanyasa Diksha, only to that rare one individual who truly gives up all, Guru gives Brahmopadesa. Such a one gives up all egotistic feelings, all attachment to his personal identity, all his inner negative traits like desire and anger. Guru enters into such a disciple and becomes one with him to give him all His bliss. He gives transmission of knowledge and energy through glance, word, and touch. To qualify, you must first give up all your desires and attachments.
Frequently begging Guru to give liberation is meaningless. Going to the puja counter and purchasing tickets and getting a family pass at a discount rate for an entrance to Moksha is frivolous. Is this a business? You confess all your troubles. Then burdened with loads of desires and attachments, you ask for liberation as if you are doing a favor to Guru. You ask for devotion. How is it possible for you? You think Sadguru will save you money and grant you liberation at a discount rate. You make fools of both of us. You think the blind leads the blind, if you ask like that.
$600 you can purchase Yoga in America. They give you a certificate. You just blow your nose like one who has a cold, sit in Padmasana with half-closed eyes, and you pretend to attain Yoga. The world deceives you like that. We play games like that and we get fooled. We tell ourselves that tomorrow we have to be careful. And yet, tomorrow we repeat the same farce. We empty the wallet and return with an empty coconut shell (begging bowl).
Daily 3 lottery companies go out of business. Still, people buy lottery tickets and end up as beggars. You burn your money, greedy for wealth. Your pension money, and all saved deposits in the bank, you invest in such fake companies. The company closes down with no sign of existence and no forwarding address. You blame the government, and the police who fail to catch and punish such people. But, you do not put even one rupee in the Hundi at the temple. You purchase chits. Not one person has benefited by purchasing chits. Your past lives debts you clear like this, through getting duped like this. Their dress, and address, and beautiful girls hired as receptionists, the array of computers, and the photos with VIPs, President and Prime Minister, and you go beg them to take your money fooled by the illusory set up. Then you lose it all. After 3 months, like an illusion, the whole scene disappears, like in a cinema. All dummy telephones they will display. You see that set up in Hyderabad. Now we are rid of Hyderabad. Do not begin the same delusion here. Be careful and cautious. What you saved for marriage, you have lost. So many of Appaji’s devotees have become victims of fraud. If they tell me, I will also scold them. So they cry and do not tell me. No hope of ever recovering that lost money. The fellow who cheated will perhaps wear a mask and disappear. No one knows who the thief here is. They all claim to be friends of ministers. Only innocent people are the losers. You see the ditch in the darkness. But in broad daylight you go and jump in it. How to stay away from such deception? You feel compelled to fall into such a delusion.
All that happens in Creation is by Mother’s mercy.
We have tried to be very careful and yet we have lost. Such is Mother’s creation.
Slokam/verse: Yaa Devi sarvabhooteshu Sakti roopena …
Bhajan: Gowri taaye
Bhajan: Gowri Gowri Gowri Gowri Guru roopini
O Gowri, in the form of our Sadguru, you are at the very core of the Bindu located at the peak of the Meru Mountain. You have no form or name to begin with. Who possibly can know your magnificent beauty or power? Your compassion alone is perceived by us as the first visible petal.
By your grace, people come into being. Out of arrogance, they step on the wrong path. Out of compassion, you rescue them, like a kind and loving mother.
Siva naughtily thought of you as Kali/dark and frightening. But you enchanted Him as Gowri/fair and of exquisite beauty with the most loving heart.
No name is there for you but only love in the form of mother. To a pure-hearted child, you appear in the form of the pure and pristine Sachchidananda.
Tomorrow morning we will perform the Kshipra Ganapati Puja with Sahasra Modaka/1000 sweets Homam. At 8 AM there will be Abhishekam by Sri Swamiji and at 9:30 AM Sri Chakra Puja.
Wash your hair, wear good/fresh clothes (new, maybe). Bring pure Garika/Durva grass, uncontaminated by dogs, and do not steal from the neighbors’ yard. If you have in your own yard, bring good sacred leaves for worship. Do not worry and go to too much trouble. We have made all the required arrangements here.
Kaayena vaachaa…
Victory to Dattatreya Sadgurudeva.
Sri Guru Datta