Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji at KSHT – July 18, 2011 – Dallas TX USA
Jaya Guru Datta
“Sri Maha Ganapataye namah. Sri Saraswatyai namah. Sripada Vallabha Narasimha Saraswati Sri Guru Dattatreyaya namah.
I am watching Swami Chidatmananda’s discourses. So nice! Yoga Vasishta, Jnana Vasishta, they are both the same. Yoga Vasishta or Jnana Vasishta, shows different ways of vairagya. ‘Swamiji, Vairagya is only one way, but what is different ways of Vairagya? What is the technique? How do we approach? How do we practice?’ Sravanam, Mananam, Mathanam. Also Pathanam, if you have time, have books, Pathanam is a good friend. That’s why we need such a collection in our own library. There are so many different versions of Bhagavdgita, Upanishads, there are so many saints, their own experiences, Vyakhyaana (exposition/explanation). But anyway, you must collect all such books. Nowadays it is very easy to collect such books using websites. Also Kindle books, library. Yesterday, I’ve seen complete Bhaktimala in my ibook – 25 years of Bhaktimala – Telugu English, Kannada, Hindi, Tamil, different languages. Very easy to read, very small book. In our iPad. In our laptop. Easy to carry. Hours together we are driving, someone is driving, we are sleeping in the car. No one to communicate with the driver. Our relatives, children slowly they are sleeping. If someone sleeps very near, then we also sleep, automatically. Very dangerous while driving. The driver needs to stay alert. So, that time, we can play audio, it is very necessary to listen to some bhajans. Nowadays, so many audio books also, especially in our Dattapeetham, so many audio books are coming. You can play for hours together on a long drive – 5, 6 hours. You must give company to the driver. Otherwise, very dangerous if everyone sleeps. That time, Sravanam. Play and listen.
Same subject, doesn’t matter. If you listen to the Bhagavadgita one time, the second time, the 3rd time, different meanings, good ideas are coming. Because of concentration . I’ll give one example. Swamiji is singing so many bhajans. Bhakti Yoga. “Oh, today’s Pahi Pahi Gajanana (bhajan), is very nice”. But, this was around for 40 years. You were listening for 3 or 4 years. Why that day it is good? Your attention is good, because your concentration is good. But when you are sitting for 3 years, no concentration. You have no taste for bhajans. So, if you listen to Bhagavadgita again and again, there is a different meaning, a different profit, a different benefit in our Adhyatmika (spiritual) way. Oh, I heard this before, don’t say. Same Ramayana, same story. Rama, Rama, no change in name, Sita, Sita, no change. All are same – same actors, same drama. Some Hari Katha (a story telling format that may include poetry, music, drama, dance, philosophy where the story teller explores a religious or spiritual theme) Vidwans (artists) they are singing and giving Ramayana. Someone used to do Vyakhyaana. Someone gives only poems. So, different approach. So, don’t say same Bhagavdgita. Different people explaining same subject, different words, different experiences. Very important, this Sravanam.
After Sravanam, when you are sitting alone, think about today’s lectures. That is Mananam. After that, you go yourself to questions and answers – Mathanam. Why this is like this? Why has someone said this? Doesn’t matter. Mathanam. Then definitely you will understand the subject. Otherwise it is only timepass. That is Yoga Vasishta – Sage Vasishta giving lessons to Sri Ramachandra, Lakshmana, Bharata, and Shatrughna. Rama and Lakshmana are sleeping on the ground. No bed. No cooked food, only fruits. No masala dosa, no roti, no bread, no cheese. So many mosquitoes, no mosquito net, no A/C (air-conditioning), no fan, no telephone, no cell phone. And they have only two sets of clothes. One, that they are wearing and one they wash. Such a way for 12 years of lessons. That is Vairagya. After that what happened? They came back. King Dasaratha (Lord Rama’s father) wants to make Rama Yuvaraja (prince) in a ceremony. Sri Rama refused. Because of Vairagya. We need such Vairagya. Again Vasishta said, “It is your duty Rama, you should take the kingdom. You can practice Vairagya while ruling”. Not necessary to leave husband, wife and everyone and go to forest for vairagya. Then you will be crying about your wife, children, bank balance, telephone. That’s not good. That is a different vairagya. Antee antanatlu undedi (Touch and not be touched). Thyagaraja’s song : “Saadhinchene o manasa…Gopi jana sangamu lekane keliyu chese…”. So many people say about Krishna, 16,000 wives, I have only 2 wives, what is this? “Sangamu lekane kreeda chese vaadu” (Lord Krishna danced with the cowherd girls without any attachment to pleasure). Did you see the lotus leaf? If you put water on the leaf, the water slides off, but the leaf grew in water. It drinks water. Lotus plant is eating and drinking water. But if you pour water, water comes out, not a drop stays on it. It is Apavaadam, false criticism about Krishna. It is not good. You will understand Krishna Vairagya, Rama Vairagya, Dasaratha Vairagya, Janaka Vairagya, different different Vairagyas. We are also practicing Vairagya, only for a couple of minutes.
Four kinds of Vairagya.
One is Smashaana (graveyard) Vairagya. Someone going in car (a hearse). So many cars following silently. They you enquire “What is that?” You enquire who is going in the Rolls Royce car? In London, a Rolls Royce is followed by 4 or 5 other cars following silently. What could it be? It’s a body being taken. When we see that we feel, ‘what’s the use of all this money? Billionaire, but he passed away? What use? We don’t want anything, not this watch.’ Once the car passes, you want to go eat masala dosa.
Second one is Prasava (child birth, after seeing labor pains) Vairagya. This child is enough, next child we don’t want. Oh my wife, this child birth is so difficult. After birth, how is the baby, which baby, the baby resembles whom? Oh Oh, the next child is planned already. Only 2 minutes of Vairagya.
So, one was Smasana Vairagya and the next was Prasava Vairagya.
The third is Purana (ancient scriptures) Vairagya. Swamiji is giving good lectures. Today onwards I want to study Bhagavadgita. Otherwise, this birth is a waste. After lecture, ‘Where is Prasadam? Where is my car parked? Phone to come to theater’. Only 2 seconds of Vairagya. Not even 1 hour, shame!
Fourth: I won’t’ tell, you can think. Including share market.
If you practice spirituality, follow a guru, you must concentrate permanently, not temporarily, without getting upset. Today good devotion, tomorrow finish. After that again devotion after 2 or 3 days or 4 days and then back to same. It’s not market, it’s not business. Because this Janma (birth/lifetime) is very valuable.
Jnana Vasishta or Yoga Vasishta, big subject, wonderful subject. We practiced for so many years with Kuppa Krishna Murthy. He wrote thebook, very nice book. Translated into English also. Swamiji had given permission. Today Swami Chidatmananda explained Vasishta Jnanam, my subject. Your Swamiji’s subject, everyone’s subject. Jaya Guru Datta! I am very happy. Now, bhojana vairagya is coming. You want to go to your house. 3 to 4 days, I am happy, good program. In the beginning, I am thinking, what is this arena, cricket (baseball) area, stadium, wresting stadium, our devotees also going wrestling . Good and bad. 3 days we fight. At least we practice until 2 or 4 O’ clock, no bhojanam (food). Swamiji killed the hunger. There was no hunger. Half the people lost hunger those 3 or 4 days . Swamiji did it for you. Indirectly. Swamiji does this wonderfully, without devotees realizing, more Vairagya, more Jnana (knowledge), more sacrifice, more charity, more renunciation. Devotees wonder, ‘Oh how did this happen?’ No need to say all this. You are practicing all this with love for Swamiji.”
Sri Guru Datta
Courtesy: Smt. Hira Duvvuri