Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji Swamiji before the Silence – Mauna & Meditation Seminar – August 15, 2013 – Flueli Ranft, Switzerland
Tomorrow afternoon, there is to be eighteen hours silence (mauna) seminar. Silence is very precious, very important penance. Rig Veda, Yajur Veda, Sama Veda & at beginning of the world & creation, at the beginning of Brahma & all dieties, there was no communication, no talking, there were no sounds, only cosmic sounds – ‘ zzzzzzzzz.’ Slowly Slowly the sound changed to ‘zzz……ooo-om’, ‘aaaaa…ooo-om’.
When did the letter start in this creation, in the four yugas? The first leader is Maha Vishnu; then Brahma; behind them is Lord Shiva; for protection Mother Goddess is there. This is a system – Omkara. In Vedanta also they say – ‘Maunam Kalaham Naasti.’ We have observed mauna, silence, with thoughts. This is not state of sleep, sleep state is different. If you sleep, you forget your sense organs, body & mind. That is one kind of silence – unconsciousness. Deep sleep, without dreams, is also one kind of mauna.
Nowadays, sense organs (indriyas), itself are talking. Sense organs do not stop for one minute, in one place. It is very fickle. In one second or in couple of seconds, 10,000 times it vibrates in our body. Its speed is high, we don’t understand. It is like electricity. To understand the phenomena also we will be unable to even record it. Our mind is always running. When it calms down, a little bit, it is silence.
Silence is very important for our body & our health. Silence is important in our fast life, in yesterday’s life, for today’s life & for tomorrow’s life.
Yesterday, today & tomorrow, (Bhoota, varthamana & Bhavishya) are the three kaalas, time frames. Previous life, this life & next life will improve, through our ‘silence’ prayers. We want to improve this life. We don’t want to think about yesterday’s life. We don’t want to think about tomorrow’s life. We will think about this life, i.e., how to control our sense organs, how to control our mind. Vibrations, i.e. waves or tarangas. Within one second the waves are going thousand times. This is spandana (vibration/reaction/reply), vibrations, which we cannot control. So that is why human beings, slowly slowly, practice Nada. Then you must control your Nada through Nada. Instruments – like dance, like songs, like so many different different things, to control this mind. Or you can chant, ‘Omkara’. Or you can sing the bhajans, the soothing bhajans, raga, melody. This will help in attaining silence.
‘Maunam Sakalam Siddhi’ is the next sutra.
Silence leads to jnana, knowledge. All kind of boons, all kind of wishes, all kind of silly wishes, will be fulfilled immediately, before the next birth.
‘Maunam Sakalam Siddhi,’
‘Maunam Kalaham Naasti’, meaning there is no quarrel between mind, soul & body.
Everytime, there is a quarrel between these three. There is no balance. Mind says something, our sense organs say something. Sense organs say something, but, our soul is not permitted to do all these things. We are the witness to our soul (the jeevatma). Paramaatma (the supreme soul) is only a witness.
‘You are going to quarrel?’
‘Okay quarrel, I permit.’
‘You want to sit in silence?’
‘Okay, I’ll permit. Sit in silence.’
‘You want to have some drink?’
‘Okay, go, drink.’
‘You want some sex?’
‘Do sex.’
‘You want to do something, something, something, bad habits?’
‘Do bad habits.’
‘You want to do good habits, to follow Sadguru?’
‘Yes, do. Follow Sadguru.‘
‘You want to sit in silence?’
‘Sit in silence.’
‘You want to do good practice, today onwards?’
‘Do, I will give permission.’
But, must take permissions. Jeevatma (our soul) is very powerful. Jeevatma is in friendship with antaraatma or Paramaatma (the Supreme soul residing within). So, jeevaatma & Paramaatma is very near. What I am talking is all Upanishads (Hindu Sacred Text). Very easy method. If you go through the Upanishads or yoga sutras, you may find it little tough. That is why I am using easy words, kaliyuga words. It is like a story – like sense organs, soul, jeevaatma, actions – good & bad. I am talking about all these things.
So, rest of the things, we’ll explain tomorrow. Remember, to use silence, you must be silent. Tomorrow, Swamiji will be talking only if He wants, otherwise, He will also be silent.
What is the purpose of silence? To concentrate on Nama (sacred names of the Lord) or to concentrate on anything, to concentrate on light, to concentrate on the forehead, which concentration? Nothing, No concentration.
But, how can we observe silence? Silence is ‘Om’ (Sri Swamiji chants Om).
Only little movement of the lips with inhaling & exhaling of air. If you stop Omkara, you sleep. I don’t want to sleep. This is not a concert to sleep. This is a penance. You must be awake. It is a big thing. Go home, eat & rest. Don’t talk at 11 or 12 pm. Deliberately, you sleep. I know many people – they say 4 hours or 5 hours sleep is enough. After that, when they are sitting in the classroom, they dose off. Then, there is no use of the yoga course, mauna (silence) course. You must take rest for atleast 4 to 7 hours.
Go eat & sleep. Early morning take bath in luke warm water. If you are habitual to having bath in cold water, its okay, you can use cold water. But, don’t use hot water. Use luke warm water. Tomorrow, your breakfast should not be heavy. Eat little. Finish the washroom duties before eating. After that, you can take anything, like hot tea, etc. Then come sit, listen to some of Appaji’s message. You must only hear, no questions, no writings, no books, nothing. Simply you sit. You can sit comfortably as you want – in padmasana or in any appropriate asana/posture or take a seat or take a small pillow, but, don’t sleep. It is not permitted to sleep. Sit down with Sri Swamiji. Tomorrow, we’ll see what happens.
So, I am very happy about today’s programme. I don’t know why it has been scheduled for one day or one & a half day. It is not sufficient. It is a three days course. But, anyway, we will begin this year. Next year onwards, we’ll see how to schedule, later. Because on first day – one sense organ, aatman. On the second day – next sense organ, mind (buddhi). So, it will be an explanation of mind, explanation of the sense organs, explanation of our soul, jeevaatma & paramaatma. I don’t know why, Swamiji’s mood that day, gave only one & half day for the course. Anyway, this is only an introduction course. It is very beautiful, very nice. It is an ancient technique. Many people say, my Swamiji’s creation. No, it is Brahma’s creation. Once again, we are reflecting on Brahma’s creations.
Prasad said, the Ashrama, its buildings will undergo a complete change. Buildings always change. In Ashrama, each house is chanting,’Datta’, ‘Rama’, ‘Namah Shivaya’. Sri Swamiji has given a bird to each house. The house must train the bird for 6 months & then give it to Sri Swamiji. Then, Swamiji will give another bird. This develops humanity & friendship, between birds & humans. Humans also learn how to communicate with birds/animals. There are many injured birds. I am protecting the injured birds also. We have collected 300 birds already. Many people have sponsored for birds at Shuka Vana. We want 500 members to finish the project. 1500 people are already members.
Visit, go to sgsbirds.com.
Birds are learning silence. In 8 days we plan, ‘how to silence that bird?’ We all wonder! Somebody sits & makes some noise, then the bird observes silence. So, these are big lessons or technique lessons. Birds & human beings are very near. Go ahead & read the book, ‘ My Parrots’, then you will understand. These many years we were unaware. ‘ O! Colourful birds, beautiful, lets take a photo, finish.’
What is the connection with the birds? The birds are talking different languages. If you observe human beings, they are talking about something to another human being. Each bird is talking to each other about human beings, like now they are talking about Shabari, about you, about Krishna Gauda. Birds can sense. They are talking about Krishna Gauda, the last five years of Krishna Gauda, the last fifteen years of Krishna Gauda, the last 20 years of Krishna Gauda, in their own music field. We don’t know, the birds will be talking, “Kich kich kich, koi koi koi,” the sounds of each bird is different. These wordings are code words. It is like post office code word,”tik tik tik.” I had one year service at the post office, with code words. It was my duty to send telegrams to people. Nowadays, times have changed, it is different, no “tik tik tik,” is required. But, in military, they are still using the code words. Different letters carry different sounds & will shape different words with them. Like, writing ‘and’, “tuk tuk tuk,” like writing, ‘how are you?’, “tuk tuk tuk tuk tuk,” etc. All these are about my Post Office Days.
Same technique, the birds are using. We think, the sound is very nice, sometimes, it is very harsh, and we are unable to sleep. All these are different words. As per my research, the bird never cries. The bird laughs, but, never cries. In our language, it seems like the bird is crying. Even if their legs are cut, birds will not cry. Before this life, in the previous birth, we were born as birds. Now, we are human beings. That is our relation with birds. Many people question, why Swamiji is researching about birds? Birth of Ramayana is due to birds, birth of Mahabharata is due to birds, birth of Bhagavatam is due to birds. Go & read Sri Swamiji’s books, then you will understand. Someone, will translate to German language too. Gradually, we will print it.
Jai Guru Datta.
Please switch on some light. Otherwise, the people sleep.
Compiled by: Swarnaprabha Y.S.