Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji at KSHT – July 2, 2011 – Dallas TX USA
Jaya Guru Datta
Om Namo Hanumate Namah
Sri Maha Ganapataye namah
Sri Saraswatyai namah
Sripada Vallabha
Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya namah
Tvamasmin kaarya niryoge pramaanam harisatthama
Hanuman yatnamaasthaaya duhkha kshaya karo bhava
Jai pavanasuta veera Hanuman ki – Jai
Jai Bajaranga bali ki – Jai
Today is an auspicious day. A volunteer is a svayam sevak. Volunteers willingly and freely offer their services. Jai means victory. Many people want to be given victory first. Only then they are willing to serve. You cannot only have happiness. Joy and sorrow come together. Day and night are always equal. Don’t hate night. Don’t also praise day too much. It is all God’s creation. We have to accept, experience, and go along with the principle of Creation. When sorrow comes, some people get angry and abuse God, Guru and the Guru’s disciples. We have to accept God’s play. It is all His play. We have to put in our effort and willingly accept both joy and sorrow.
Some people question why there should be sorrow. They say, “I do so much seva. I do so many good deeds. Why does God still give me sorrow?” What you experience is the consequence of what you have done in the past. The food you eat should be Sattvic. Then the mind will be pure. Our elders always advice us to eat sattvic food. The junk food you eat makes you angry. If you drink milk, which is like amrita, divine nectar, your mind also will remain pure. You drink alcohol, which is equal to poison. It is enjoyable when you drink it. It makes you intoxicated. Then you cannot stand steadily even or speak clearly. The mind gets deluded. You forget your own name and that of your wife. Those who drink alcohol are playing games with their minds. Alcohol makes you want to drink more.
You go to a casino. You start with a $100. You win $200. Then you get greedy. You play with the $200. You lose it all. You see others around you winning. You are tempted to gamble more and more. Gambling is addictive. People lose discretion and gamble away even wife and children. Think of Satya Harischandra.
You start drinking little by little. It grows. You drink one peg, then two pegs, and finally you become not a peg but a pig. Bad habits are like that. That is why you must always do Satsang. You must distract the mind from such temptations. One day something bad happens. You yield to temptation. But bad habits are hard to get rid of.
This path is very different. At first it is not appealing. There is no excitement here. But if you try it for one or two days, you get accustomed to it. Good sattvic food, moderate entertainment, moderate austerities (sadvihaara, sadaachaara), and good friendship. You will live long. Your fortune will improve. You will grow stronger to fight disease and depression. All your sorrows will disappear.
At home there is so much of doubt and misunderstanding. It is 8 PM and your husband or child is not home. You worry and get suspicious. Where has he gone? Is there another woman? Suspicion between husband and wife. Quarreling. It is difficult to balance the budget. There are expenses when you have children, for schooling, for scooter, for car, for marriage. There is no peace of mind. Before the children were born, life was fun. After the second and third child, problems increase. There is no joy or fun anymore.
That is why it is important to make the habit of attending Satsang. That is why the Mandir is here, for you to volunteer, to learn Yoga practice, and follow nice activities. These help the whole body and mind. Your mind will be at peace. With yoga, health improves. Memory improves. It will be like a computer. There are so many volunteer teachers. Keep doing more such service.
Whoever complains that they have not been recognized, remember that Hanuman knows. He is the Guru. Sachchidananda is only a small guru. Those who think like that have a bad mind. Don’t get angry with decisions made by the management. Sometimes for protection it is necessary. You have to protect this institution and support the organizers. They are also volunteers. Please continue your seva. Hanuman and Swamiji give you their blessings.
The times are not good. Not only in the USA. India also. Dirty news. Spiritual life is full of confusion. Don’t watch news. That is my advice. Watch your local news only if necessary. Don’t watch India news. It is very bad. It is our misfortune. Our bad luck. You need strong devotion to be able to ignore such bad news and remain peaceful and carry on with your duties. Why watch such bad news and cry over it? You are helpless. You cannot do anything about it. Be concerned about your health, your budget, and your temple construction. Be eager about seeing your Marakata Hanuman. Be concerned about your job, your children, and your bank balance. Don’t watch India news. Discontinue subscription to those TV channels. Only watch CNN news once in a while or watch nice comedy movies, like the Tamil Vadivel shows. You laugh and enjoy. Note the timings of such shows on Jaya TV or Sun TV. Watch nice movies. Not dirty news. Otherwise you will only spoil your minds. You have no connection with it. Tell your friends, “We do not subscribe to those channels.” That is so nice. Watch educational shows. Yoga business is very good. Style yoga has a good market. It is for self improvement, for lungs, breathing, and the mind. It keeps you busy.
Listen to me. In ten days, you will improve your mind by watching comedies. When there are love scenes, close your eyes. I don’t like to watch love scenes. My assistants watch and tell me when the love scenes are over, so that I can open my eyes.
Pray that the Hanuman Temple construction should be completed soon. Tie raksha in the names of each of the family members. You will get peace of mind. Hanuman will pay you back with interest. Such power Swamiji has invested in this yantra.
Don’t worry about recognition of services. Now Swamiji is everything, the Secretary and the President. If others don’t recommend, don’t worry. Once thanks are given, that means you are treated as an outsider. Do you really need garlands and titles? Once who gives charity should do so anonymously. You are Swamiji’s disciples and followers. You have received Upadesha, initiation. You are my children. Don’t misunderstand the committee members. We need governance. Hanuman is the President and the Secretary. Recognition implies being treated as a separate person, not a family member. Why do you need thanks? If he takes your money for personal use, then he will give thanks. He is now taking for the organization.
This is my money. I am very calculating. My money is Fire. I value every single dollar. No misuse here. Swamiji is always asking, demanding, how much loan has been repaid? How many mails Swamiji sends, asking questions about accounts! His name is Dhanunjaya Naidu. Dhana means money. Jai is victory. But he has no money. So you freely give. Don’t talk ill. Hanuman will whip you with His tail if you do. Even in your dream he will come to thrash you. If Swamiji and Hanuman know, that is enough.
Change! As of today! Special blessings for teachers, yoga students, and doctors who conduct medical camps. Wonderful schools are being run here. I am very happy with your services. Continue your services up to your maximum capacity. Serve without shame, regardless of insults. Shobha Rani is here from Bommeparti/Jayalakshmipuram. Swamiji is very proud of her. In spite of so many people insulting her, she continues to serve Swamiji sincerely. Even those who have insulted her are surprised and have come and told Swamiji. Swamiji told them to do more. She is very strong and remains quiet. She simply serves.
Temple workers should not bring tension to Swamiji. Just keep the vehicle rolling slowly. This is Hanuman Chalti-ka-naa-gaadi. For a chariot to run, you also need a road. Driver, rider, and horses are there. You be the road. That is very important also. Mysore volunteers are very happy to just clean the bathrooms. They are not interested in Janma Raahitya, liberation. They are happy in their work.
After Rama’s coronation, everybody was busy. All jobs were taken. Hanuman took up the job of snapping his fingers every time Rama yawned. He was sitting still and so Lakshmana and Sita called him. But he would not leave Rama’s side. He went wherever Rama went, even into the bathroom. Because who knows when or where Rama may yawn! He got himself the best job.
One boy came and adjusted the carpet. I gave him special blessing. Many people do not care. They do not take the initiative unless Swamiji instructs them. You must help. Help with Annadana. Take responsibility. During function times, a big lorry (truck) comes to the ashram in Mysore carrying 200-300 bags of rice from an anonymous donor. Only Swamiji knows. Frequent announcements of donations is not good. You take credit for small things. ‘Pulihara was prepared’. Did you make it? ‘No. I watched it being made’. Still you want credit for it!
Give up ego. Don’t be arrogant. Did I hurt you? Good. Keep the hurt. If you are happy, then give your happiness to me, so that I can give it back to you doubled. But keep the hurt to yourselves. I will not ask to be excused.
You should tell the Paramatman, “The sorrow is mine. I have earned it. You have given it for my benefit. I will accept and experience it. The joy that you have given me, I will offer that to you, because I know that you will double it when you return it to me. The sorrow is because of my mistake. You have not given it. I must experience it. I do not want you to double my sorrow. Hence I will not give it to you. The sorrow is for expending my karma. Give me the strength and energy to fight. When I offer you my happiness, my karma will automatically get dissolved, and will vanish. ” Don’t give your sorrow to God. Don’t say, “I cannot bear this pain. I will die.” We always cry. “Please take it away. Give me stronger legs so that I can accumulate more sin. Let me eat more, so I can get more sick.”
This is an unofficial program. Do you know? I sat just for you. If you are disciplined, Swamiji will now distribute chocolate to all the children.
Puttu Gam on facebook is very beneficial. It is highly educational and spiritual. It is a direct communication to devotees from Swamiji. There is English Puttu Gam, Telugu Puttu Gam, Kannada Puttu Gam, Hindi Puttu Gam, Gujarati Puttu Gam, Malayam and Tamil Puttu Gam, Puttu Gam Bonsai Garden, Puttu Gam Vishwam, Puttu Gam Nada Yoga, Puttu Gam Datta Kriya Yoga, Atma Katha, and so on. Some adults are under the wrong notion that facebook is bad. They stay away from it. Some people use it for love messages and trashy messages. But Swamiji has CHANGED all that! He effectively uses facebook actively every day to communicate directly with 25,000 devotees worldwide. Those who are not members on facebook, and those who are not friends of Puttu Gam are big losers.
Register on facebook. Be sure that you write your profile properly. Do not say you like men or you like women or put cinema pictures. Put your individual recent photograph, indicate that you are a follower of Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji, state that you like his healing and meditation music and bhajans. Keep your page clean, without any dirty messages. Only then Puttu Gam will accept you as a friend. You will then daily receive beautiful, and extraordinary messages that teach and inspire you. There are health topics, social topics, behavior topics, and spiritual topics. There are educational messages and entertaining messages for children. Swamiji personally prepares and sends these audio and video clips, using beautiful scenery photographs, and animation techniques. He has a team of volunteers who diligently work day and night preparing these daily doses of spiritual and friendly messages.
There are four pillars here near the Hanuman altar. You tie the raksha (the green blessed thread) to the pillars as you chant the Hanuman mantra, “Tvamasmin…” The first and last pillars give Jnana, spiritual knowledge and Guru Kripa, Guru’s grace. I see that not many people have tied rakshas to those two pillars. The second pillar grants wealth and prosperity. If you have money problems, or if you desire to acquire money to donate to Hanuman Temple, tie the raksha to the second pillar. But do not go to casinos after that. If you have health problems, or conflicts at home, family or visa problems or other difficulties, tie the raksha to the third pillar. These pillars are specially endowed with these different powers to help you. In Bangalore ashrama, the Hanuman rakshas, and purna phala coconut tying is so popular that the temple is always extremely crowded with people going round and round chanting the mantra. Swamiji has to specially go very early in the morning to have darshan of Lord Hanuman there, when it is not so crowded.
The marakata (emerald) Hanuman idol which will be consecrated here when the temple is built, is kept ready in the interview room in Mysore. It is not polished yet. It took three years for the sculptors to prepare the idol. They came and stayed with their families at the ashram, leaving all other business. It is a very difficult stone to carve. It is green emerald. It will be wonderful when it is consecrated. When under the light abhishekam is performed with milk, it will look glorious. Swamiji will definitely come and stay here for 40 days then, for one mandala. It is kept unpolished because, once it gets polished, the Lord will be in a rush to get consecrated. Someone will take him away. Already a millionaire from Guntur has asked for it and has offered one crore rupees.
When I begin to talk about this idol, my mind becomes quiet and contemplative. It becomes silent. Another side of the same rock out of which the Marakata Rajarajeshwari idol was sculpted, that is in Vijayawada ashram, has been used to make this Hanuman idol. I had hidden this piece in a shed. We have saved all the remnant pieces to use in making emerald rings. When I think about this ‘moorthi’, the divine idol, my mind becomes very quiet.
Sri Guru Datta