Speech by HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji after abhishekam to Lord Dattatreya in the morning of second day of Datta Jayanthi – December 16, 2013 – UPH – Mysore
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Mahaganapataye namaha
Sri Saraswatyai namaha
Sripada vallabha
Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya namaha
You are seeing the 400 year old gold idol of Lord Dattatreya that has been worshiped by the lineage of Sripada Vallabha, since the time of Sankaracharya, it is said. Only tomorrow the Mulavirat will be brought out for public view. You may perform Datta Jayanti in your own hometowns. Some perform at first at home and then come here. Some commence the celebration here and conclude it at home by the Anagha Vratam ritual. Performance of Anagha Vratam as a conclusion is most important. On the 25th of December is the annual main Anagha Vratam. Perform it at home as much as possible, and compulsorily in every ashram the vratam will be performed. If you simply remember Him, that is sufficient, Dattatreya gives His complete grace. Smartrgamee sanovatu means that. In Kali Yuga, He is of the form of Brahma, Vishnu, and Maheswara. He represents the Guru principle. We celebrate Datta Jayanti for 5 days. Each day it is a different celebration. The five elements are adored, we pray for timely rainfall, good health and good knowledge. To worship the 5 elements, Datta should be worshiped. He should be remembered. There is no need even for an idol, an image or a temple. We keep a form or an idol only for the mind to gain concentration. Yesterday, today, and tomorrow we have Datta rituals. Yesterday was Panchamrita abhishekam (5 nectars), today Ksheerabhishekam was performed (milk ablution), and tomorrow the very special Tailabhishekam (oil) will take place. Tailabhishekam is for destroying all our sins, for safeguarding the people, their leaders, and nature, and for maintaining good health. In Karnataka, Datta is widely worshiped. It began in Maharashtra. In Andhra, Tamil Nadu, Kerala, and Orissa He is adored quite widely. As Trimurthy He is worshiped in Uttar Pradesh. Some refer to Him as Muniswara. The lineage of Datta has long been worshiped. Today we are having a grand celebration here. People have gathered here from several different countries to get benefits, fulfill desires, and gain spiritual knowledge. In Ganagapura, Swami Dattatreya accepts His Bhiksha (meal). That is very special. In Mahur He manifests Himself. He bathes in the Ganga. He wanders about in the Himalayas. Karnataka is blessed because Datta receives His bhiksha here. We offer Him Bhiksha Vandana, a big program in the ashrama. May you all be blessed by Datta. May all difficulties vanish. May all leaders be of a good mind. May all be well. May everyone become patriotic. May for generations the children have good education, all types of wellbeing, and good health. May Datta in the form of Mother Bhuvaneswari protect the state of Karnataka.
Swamiji is commencing a journey to the Antarctica. He is taking a slightly different route, traveling amidst icebergs and glaciers. He will travel by a ship similar to the Titanic. Swamiji will consecrate an emerald Siva Linga there. He is not going to build a temple. It is not possible to build a temple on the ice. He will place the Siva Linga there. That is all. He has recently visited the Arctic region. He was there 15 years ago also, when he bathed in an underground well in frigid waters. They tied a rope around his waist and let him into the waters. It was in Alaska. There also Swamiji consecrated a deity. By placing a yantra now there in the Antarctica, Swamiji believes that the planet Earth will receive protection. Many of you will be wondering why I am undertaking this travel. It is not my decision. The command has come from the Lord of Time. I am fulfilling it as per the command received. This is not a holiday vacation. This is to protect our Mother Earth. Why else would I have performed Ratha Saptami in Norway last year? Swamiji is a mere instrument. He is like a ladle, a serving spoon that does not taste the dish. The coming Ratha Saptami is going to be celebrated at Mahur, the birthplace of Dattatreya. It is on February 6. All are welcome. Start making your preparations right now. After Sivaratri, a trip is planned to go to Rameswaram. All are welcome to join us.
A special message has been received from Lord Dattatreya. It is a regular message but it becomes special when it is rendered on this special day. Please listen to it very carefully.
Practice Dharma. Do not give up the practice of Dharma. Give respect to the Vedas. Give respect to Brahma Tatva, the principle of Supreme Truth. Do not relinquish the Vedic rites. Have firm faith in the Vedas and in God. As far as possible, teach children our mother tongue. As far as possible, you also speak only in your mother tongue. Some people don’t know their own mother tongue. Do not say that you don’t know. You must make an effort. Speak your mother tongue at home. In a temple you keep silent. At school or work you talk whatever language is required, because it is for earning a livelihood. Remaining silent is for attaining liberation. At home the only language to be spoken should be the mother tongue.
Only mother’s language should be spoken at home. No language except the language of silence should be spoken at the temple. Language required for the profession at work or at the place of study has to be spoken there. That cannot be helped. What is done at home is the practice of Dharma. At the temple what is done is prayer for Truth, and for the protection of oneself and one’s nation. These three languages serve the three bodies of an individual. We need food also. The causal body, the gross body, the subtle body. Follow the requirements for the three. Professional language at work and school, dharma language at home, which is the mother tongue, temple language, which is silence. Remember these. Always practice Dharma. Respect Vedas. At least learn one shloka from the Bhagavad Gita per day, or one stanza from SGS Neetimala, or at least study one MMS (Musical Message Saying) daily. Every day for one hour, shut down all electrical equipment such as television, but not when good programs are coming (SGS). Turning off lights at night is not what I mean. During the day I want you to do it. Avoid unnecessary expenditure for electricity. Save resources and money. Do not be a burden on the breadwinner. Do not travel to places unnecessarily. All these are ways of practicing Dharma. At the temple pray silently. Do not chatter when you come to the temple. Keep only the minimum number of clothing. Do not acquire or keep more than what is necessary. Be frugal. Do not keep on collecting sarees and shirts. Help the earning member of the family by controlling your expenses. That is Dharma language. Whatever you save you spend in temple where you go for prayer. You spend extravagantly on yourselves. Only purchase what is necessary. Out of greed you buy excessively and throw away the useless stuff that you have spent money on. You must discuss and determine what is really required. Do not buy on an impulse. Don’t be tempted to purchase things just because they are on sale. When you buy in discount, you are still spending money, many times on things that are not really necessary. You buy so many phones that stop working after just two days. You feel tempted and purchase from old stock of scooters on a sale. You will save on petrol but lose 20,000 rupees on the scooter because once you bring it home, it will not start again. Buy only good quality merchandise. You are protecting Dharma by being careful with your money. What you save like this by not spending on useless items, you offer to God at the temple. God will give you whatever saree you have avoided purchasing. Not literally. Do not expect God to sit there distributing sarees, jewelry and knickknacks endlessly. Then the merchants will all go out of business if God begins to do that. You know how to live in moderation. Remember the three types of language. Remember to be dharmic, be silent, and be honest. There are many students here, not just children; you adults here are students of spiritual education. You should not waste your time, not even one second. You watch junky movies. Instead of wasting time like that, utilize your time properly. Those who watch serials 24/7 will have all kinds of diseases, mentally. All the suspicious nature that they watch in the stories fills their minds. They are freaked out because of concern whether a marriage took place in the story or not. They are itching to call a friend to find out, if accidentally they have missed watching a particular episode. I will never stop making fun of people who are addicted to television serials.
Wherever you are wasting time, stop that activity. Wherever you are wasting money, avoid incurring such expenditure. Wherever you have indulged in purchasing too many of a certain item, resolve not to do that again. Whatever wrong words spoken by you have landed you in trouble, avoid such speech. Don’t waste time in gossip. Give that time to serving Swamiji. It will keep adding to the good account. You keep losing your energy and time elsewhere. You must conserve energy. This is the place to save your energy. Outside world drains your energy. Here you get recharged. You get tired out there. It may seem like disinterest. But it is not vairagya, dispassion. It is just tiredness. Here it adds to your energy account balance. Elsewhere you only add to your tiredness. You get frustrated and discontented. Suddenly your peace of mind vanishes. You must practice controlling the mind. That practice must take place here where you begin to conserve and save your energy. You must properly utilize your energy at each of these places. You must not squander your resources. How one should conduct oneself at work, at the temple, and at home, should be properly thought out, planned and practiced. When that analysis is done, when we project ourselves, when we apply the rules in our lives properly, we will benefit greatly. If we do not do so, we suffer with suspicion about husband, about father, about mother. We must remain happy and contented. Then our health will be good, even chronic diseases will get cured. It is wrong and useless to keep worrying about the future, as to what is going to happen in your life. No one will protect you if you worry like that.
I will tell you a story. You must remember this story.
Devi, Mother Goddess appeared before a devotee.
“What do you want?”
“Whenever I remember you, you must appear before me.”
“Okay”. She disappeared.
The man had to fight in a war. When he saw the army he got frightened. He remembered Devi. She appeared before him as she had promised.
“What do you want?”
“I don’t know what to do. I am very frightened about fighting in this war.”
“Don’t worry. I give you this sword. You hold it. I will give you the strength to fight. Go and fight.”
“Oh, I cannot do that.”
“Okay. Then run away. You want to be protected. So run away. I will give strength to your legs. No one will catch you.”
“Oh, I cannot run like that.”
“Okay. Then hide inside that bush. The enemies will not find you. After they leave, you can come outside safely. I will make sure that the shrub will fully conceal you.”
“Oh, I cannot do that.”
“Okay, then die.” She said, and left. She thought to herself why she should bother with a fellow who has no faith.
When Devi herself gave so many assurances, he refused to follow. He lacked faith.
You must follow and put into practice the advice given to you. If you say you have no time, no faith, no devotion, then what is the use? If you have no faith in the doctor or the medicine that he gives you, how will you get well? It is faith that cures 99%. The medicine is only 1% effective. It is all substances from nature put together in different proportions. That is what medicines are. If you have faith, then you will get well. You must keep your mind under control. You must have a balanced mind. Then you will be happy. Protecting Dharma means just this. Dharma is not some buffalo that is going to come towards you that you have to tie up, feed, and rub its skin. Swamiji is not going to send you an animal called Dharma which you have to take care of and protect. Our feelings and conduct have to reflect Dharma. Speak the truth. Whatever you have to do to protect yourself at any given time, that you have to keep in mind and put into practice. It is not enough to say, it does not matter if I do not care about myself, as long as I do not harm others. That is not the right way of thinking. Such reasoning is absolutely useless.
Swamiji has given you advice in a most simple and easy to follow method, on how to maintain and protect Dharma.
“Practicing Dharma is easy. Practicing a profession for livelihood is easy. Living your entire life is easy. It is you who bring trouble upon yourselves. You leave the right royal path and walk on the thorny path. When I show you the smooth highway, instead of following it, if you choose the thorny crooked path infested with snakes and scorpions, I cannot help you. Go ahead, get pricked by thorns, get stung by snakes and bitten by scorpions and die.”
“No, no, you must protect me.”
“If you want my protection, follow the path shown by me. I will protect you. Even on this path, some dangers may occur. If you reject the path shown by me, and choose the path where certainly only dangers will occur, and then demand that I should protect you, it is atrocious. It is against Dharma. If you follow the right path, you are justified in asking for protection. But if you follow the wrong path of thorns and demand protection from me, it is against Dharma. Calamities are sure to occur when you take that route. Go, if that is your choice. I am showing you the smooth highway that has been specially constructed. You follow that. In spite of being on this highway if you face troubles, you are justified in asking me for protection. That is Dharma. Remember this. Remember clearly what is Dharma and what is Adharma. Traveling by your own choice on the thorny path and asking for protection, is Adharma. Following the right path and asking for protection, is Dharma.” Jaya Guru Datta
I have forgotten to mention one word. Please support the Annadana Trust. It has become very weak now. Some new projects have come now, I know. You are calculating devotees. You support only one project per year. At least some small amount you must pay for annadana (feeding the hungry). It is very important. You know how many people are eating here, and how many times. Even a small amount of rice costs a lot. We serve breakfast, lunch, and dinner. During festival times there are lots of people eating here. On full moon day we feed over 4000 people plus we are supporting some school children also. We need more membership in the Annadana Trust. 15-20 years ago in a committee meeting it was suggested that we must charge something for food, 10-20 rupee tokens. I said, that as long as I have breath in my body I will not allow it. I will not sell food. I do not like the token system. I may even go begging naked like Sripada Vallabha, to collect funds for annadana but I do not wish to collect money for feeding hungry persons. Sripada Vallabha did not have a large following. His followers did not support him then. I have incarnated again in this form to help all of you who did not support me then, to repay your debt. If you do not use this opportunity to clear your debt, you will go downhill. Don’t say that you have already paid your membership of 2000 rupees. Now, finally we have increased it out of necessity to 3000 rupees. You can take memberships in the names of parents, children, or yourself, year after year. You are supporting the birds project, no doubt. But we come to eat here; your family and friends come to eat here. Some of you, after paying the 2000 rupee membership, without shame come and announce to me repeatedly that you have paid, paid, paid. You have no decorum, no shame. If you support this annadana, Swamiji will feed you for 7 lifetimes. We all have to take 84, 00,000 births. You do not know how many more lifetimes are ahead of you. Don’t ask me how many more you have left. I have the calculations with me. If I tell you, you will be horrified. The fire of digestion Jatharagni is Fire God. Feeding Him is very important and beneficial. You must support this great yajna of feeding the hungry. Please do not allow for a shortage to occur in this program. Please support the Birds Project. Okay, I have said what I had to say.
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta