Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji after Sri chakra puja in the morning – summary – January 15, 2014
Jaya Guru Datta
Today is Sankranti. You have heard the prayers for Sun God Surya, Aditya Hridayam and Surya Kavacham. Listening is not sufficient. You must memorize them. Even that is not enough. What is happening is that you are not experiencing the sun’s rays. You always remain indoors. You walk only in the shade. You must walk in the sun. Sunlight is good for you. Germs will get destroyed. It will strengthen the bones. It is good for the skin. Allergy problems will decrease. Digestion improves. The rays of the sun must fall on the head. Skin problems are on the increase. Blood is not strong and healthy. Stamina is decreasing. You avoid sunlight. You think you will get tanned, turn dark or get aged. Nothing like that will happen.
Early in the morning you must look at the sun and offer Surya Namaskara. It will cleanse your system. Looking at the sun in the morning is good for your eyes and for your body. If you do that, there is no need to take additional vitamin supplements. Every one of you must take a vow today that every day you will look at the sun in the morning, chant His twelve names and perform Surya Namaskara 12 times. Do it the proper way. If it is absolutely impossible, at least do it once properly while chanting Bhaskaraya Namaha.
Those who work out in the sun are spared from some diseases. It is nourishing to experience the sun’s rays, moon’s rays, and cool breeze. We wear warm clothes even if it is a little cool.
We go to hospitals, swallow medicines, and waste our money. Still we are not cured. We acquire more new diseases. We have lost resistance to infections because we do not use nature’s healing ways. Some people drink water straight from the river and yet do not get sick because they have developed resistance. But even drinking the bottled water and filtered water we get sick because we have lost our resistance to infections. Why have we lost it? We have fallen behind. We must consume natural foods. It is not yantra or mantra. We must experience moonlight. Otherwise the ritual of Sahasra Chandra Darsana (seen the full moon 1000 times) will become a lie and is meaningless if we celebrate it (past age 80), if we have not looked at the moon sufficient number of times. We must justify it. We sleep too early or, once we go inside at 6 PM we do not come out till the next morning. Tell me honestly, is there anyone here who sees the full moon every month? Many people do not see. As far as possible you must see the moon every day. Moon rise timings vary but we never lift our heads to see the moon. Like sheep we always look down. We will all be born as sheep in the next lifetime if we continue like this.
We do not exercise sufficiently. 12 Surya Namaskarams if you perform, it will keep you healthy. It is excellent exercise. The whole body becomes firm and supple. The first few days it may be difficult to do. But if you persist, all problems will vanish. Knee pains, bloating of stomach will all go away. Those who cannot sit comfortably will feel more flexible. Those who really have a physical problem, and have a back problem or have had surgeries, are exempt. They are helpless.
Appaji has a lot of trouble to sit down and get up. But he still does regular exercises without caring about discomfort. Because of the stubbornness He carries on. You know that there was a bone grafting done in the arm. They took a bone from the back. But I can now walk any number of miles. I can swim for any number of hours. I can just remain in water like a fish. I can climb hills and come down. Only to sit in some postures is a little difficult. But still I manage with determination in spite of pain. Another bone began to grow and it assists me.
Exercise is most important. Our veda boys do not do it at all. All ashram devotees must compulsorily do it for 12 times, chanting the 12 names. You must memorize the names. Girls and women can wear pants or Punjabi dress. Do the Surya Namaskara at home. Look at the sun through the window. No need to feel ashamed to wear suitable clothes. When you get admitted in a hospital you are forced to wear a gown. You cannot afford to feel shy. Wear suitable clothes for exercise and do not care if people laugh. If they expose their crooked and un-brushed teeth it is their problem. After two or three days they will stop laughing. Women have a problem. I am giving you a solution now. You must follow this advice/command. Men must also do these exercises. You have no problem of sarees constricting your movement. You must not wear sarees. If you do, it will create a problem for the ladies. They will experience a shortage of sarees. No need for men to feel shy. Wear underpants and do the Surya Namaskaram. People will not watch. Place a mat and do it. Yes. Your knees will hurt. You will feel some discomfort initially. But you will be healthy. You will not develop a paunch/belly. Pain in the calves and ankle will go away. They are all caused because of lack of exercise. By walking excessively you will develop some problems. This exercise will balance it.
If you do not exercise, but keep giving excuses, keep eating and getting fat and keep swallowing medicines, instead of living till age 90 you will close the book at 60 after making your children absolute paupers because of hospital expenses incurred by you. Once your children pick up their begging bowls, your wish to see them suffer is satisfied and you exit. Your wish to have surgery in USA has to be satisfied. Until then the tube will not be removed. To many devotees I suggest pulling the plug because the brain is dead and it is an auspicious day. But they hesitate because of incurring sin or because of what the neighbors will say. Artificially the aged person breathes. No auspicious event can be scheduled because it is uncertain when this life will depart. To see the family end up on the streets with begging bowls, steeped in deep debt will give pleasure to the neighbors. The neighbors are not the only ones to be blamed. One’s own mother or father will go around complaining that their children are depriving them from receiving proper medical care. No matter how much the children do, the parents are not satisfied but wish to prolong their own life. What for? Do they do anything meritorious like remembering God or being pious? No. They lack such good qualities also.
Those who are truly devout will advise their children to avoid spending on wasteful treatment for cancer. They tell the children that they will not be cured in spite of receiving treatment. They assure their children they will not incur any sin, and that they will obtain Swamiji’s blessings if they follow their suggestion and let them die peacefully. They will convince their children that they will not be cursed for not spending a fortune on the old people.
At age 30 or 40 it is justified to get treatment. But past age 80 what is the justification? It causes great discomfort to go through chemotherapy, and in the end it will only end in death after all the unnecessary colossal expenditure. Many will not even have enough money left to offer the departed ones funeral rites, having spent everything on medical treatment. Some of my devotees have suffered that fate. You have seen Mridangam Ramesh. His father did not leave him alone until he sold the house to pay for the hospital bills. What is the use of being a devotee? After everything was spent, the old man says, no need now for treatment. I went and scolded him. Because of you, they have sold all their assets. Later of course the son worked hard and has managed to settle himself.
Many old devotees have written wills, not to incur debts because of their illness in old age. For someone whose life is extended by treatment, if they spend their days in working or serving, or listening to scriptures like Bhagavatam or Guru Gita, then it is justified. Oh, I cannot go to the discourse, they complain. They sit at home and criticize everything, complain about food, and make life miserable for all others. I feel like slapping them. My love for them is destroyed because of their misbehavior. They do not remain still and quiet till they die. They kill everyone around them with their demands and complaints. All the family members suffer and sacrifice their lives. No marriage, no pilgrimage, no birthday celebration, no visit to the ashram can be planned; everything is suspended because this old person’s life is hanging in suspense. The suffering patients are atheists and they break the faith in God of all those around them. I don’t care if the old people past age 80 dislike my comments. After all, I too am old and am in their company.
I ask all old people to execute a will stipulating that no expensive medical treatment should be given if a major disease occurs. Some minor illnesses like fever may be treated. Headache medicine may be taken. Some live like that till age 90 and die peacefully. My father thatha garu was like that. He was an asthma patient. He did not allow one paisa (rupee) to be spent on him. He only ate some herbs if he suffered from any problem. He did not allow his son to spend money on him. My aunt Venkamma fell under a vehicle. She declared to her nephew (brother’s son) that no medical treatment should be given. She said, I am old, past 80. My leg will not be restored. In the free Government Hospital if you want, you admit me. There, out of kindness they tried to fix the leg, but failed in their attempts. There are many who are like deities amongst my relatives. They took care of their own physical problems without ever causing financial trouble to others. Chickamma also said, I will manage with my walking stick. Some free treatment she may accept. That is all. Her only wish is to keep seeing me. She even refuses to hire a paid helper. She is here. I will end my days like this. Just bring me here to see Swamiji, she says. People oblige. She takes care of her small expenses and refuses to allow any major expenditure on her behalf. Fortunately major diseases have not afflicted family members.
We must all be careful about maintaining our health by doing the needful exercises. All of you are my family members. I have no blood relatives. My blood belongs to the public. Gandluru is not my family. Every ooru (town) is my family. I have the right to give you advice. You must follow my advice. You also have the right to tell me to go to bed if it is past midnight.
Jaya Guru Datta