Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji after Bhajan session in the evening – May 24, 2014 – Nada Mantapa, Mysore
Jaya Guru Datta
Many new people have come. The old devotees who are familiar with the procedures here should guide them regarding every minor detail, including where to leave their footwear, to taking care of their belongings, their children, and their aged. Wherever each one has been assigned accommodation, in the dormitories, halls, or rooms, please stay quietly and happily. Please do not cross the main road to go get snack foods to eat, like deep fried things and sauces. It is not good for you. Please be careful about drinking water. Drink only the filtered water given in the kitchen, or else purchase drinking water bottles. Keep drinking water containers covered. The new Kaveri water after the recent rains is not good for drinking. Please be careful since you have come from different places and the change of water may upset your system. Please use water sparingly. Do not use excessive amounts. Please try to manage without washing your clothes here. Wash them after you return home. Please keep the ashram clean. This is your ashram. Keep the toilets clean. Please do not spit wherever you feel like. Please do not throw trash everywhere. Do not leave your footwear wherever you please. Conserve water. The corporation authorities are not releasing the fresh water because it is not meeting the standards. Please be disciplined and follow the guidance given by the volunteers. Please participate in all the programs. Remember the purpose for which you have come here. There is no point in remaining in your rooms and sleeping. Do not wander here and there.
This is a great boon to have the chance to be in the presence of your Sadguru, to listen to His voice, to listen to His bhajans and speeches. You are all very fortunate to be present here. We have seen occasions when ten times or even hundred times bigger crowds were here. But you have come here now, not out of selfish reasons, but out of pure love, devotion, and affection for Swamiji. Only a small percentage may be here for selfish reasons. Please do not feel that I am not giving personal interviews. I am right now speaking to each one of you individually, face to face. You are my family members. You have not come here without a reason. Just sleeping here for one night is a huge privilege. Don’t just repeat your yearly visits to the ashram mechanically, without gaining any benefit. You must grow spiritually each time you come. Every day, every moment, you must feel the company of Sadguru. It is only if you are destined to breathe, that you can breathe. You have earned the privilege of coming and sitting in front of Sadguru. That is why you are here.
Everything happens for a purpose. Unless you have earned the privilege, you cannot eat, sleep, wake up, drink water, or eliminate. There are people who cannot breathe properly, who struggle to breathe, who struggle to sleep, and to swallow even a sip of water. You are fortunate to be able to do all these things with ease. It is your yoga, good fortune that you are able to make an offering to Sadguru. Many who are affluent do not give. That He is receiving, is also a boon. Every moment we are living in the company of Sadguru is a moment to cherish. Unless you have a relationship, a bond with Sadguru, you cannot even come here. You cannot listen to His words. He will not listen to your words also. This merit that you have earned, you must increase. You must grow spiritually much higher. Every word of Sadguru must be understood, digested, and applied in your lives. You must not just listen and leave it.
Never say you have done enough repetitions of the name of Rama. No amount of repetition of the holy name is sufficient. During countless lifetimes if you chant also, it is not enough. You cannot say you are bored. Are you getting bored of breathing? Are you stopping to eat, because you had already eaten yesterday? No. Guru repeats His advice. Why? Because you have not yet learned to follow it. That is why He keeps repeating His messages. He sings the same songs again. That is because you have not yet grasped the message that He is trying to convey. Without a purpose, He does not teach. Without a purpose, He does not talk. Without a specific purpose, He will not converse with you.
There is an unknown bond that exists between Guru and disciple. That should be treated and strengthened in the proper way. Every second, every minute, every program that takes place is important. For instance, tomorrow’s Brahmotsavam is going to be celebrated by Gods Brahma and others who will be present there at the temple to offer worship to the Lord. We are all like ants, flies and mosquitoes, which have come to participate in the proceedings. We are all very insignificant. We do not know where we were born or why we have come. From us little people, tiny types of services are being received by God. We are offering our little services and thus are actually participating in the grand event. Simply by paying a small amount, like 300, 500, or 1000 rupees, we are gaining great merit. Swamiji is providing such wonderful opportunities for us. These are chances that even the celestials are denied. Yet, you receive the same fruits. Amrita, the nectar of immortality is the same. There are no such things as a small truth and big truth. Truth is only one. Grace is only one. The same merit that Brahma earns by worshiping, we also earn by participating in the same event.
In the same River Ganga where the celestials bathe, we also bathe. They do not have a separate bathing Ghat. They do not have a separate homa Kunda. We all share the same facilities and opportunities. Fire is one. Breath is the same for all. Truth is just one truth. We have also earned the privilege of being a part of the ceremonies here. You have to rejoice in your great fortune. You have to maintain and sustain it. You should not let it go or allow it to dissipate. Don’t say, you have already experienced it once. What you do today is great for today. What is to come tomorrow is great for tomorrow. Each is new. It is never enough. Although you have eaten today, you will still need to eat tomorrow. You breathe today. You will need to breathe tomorrow also. You will not say, I am bored of doing the same breathing. We all strive to preserve our life force by breathing. We continue to breathe, without complaining of boredom. You are always busy breathing, in trying to preserve your life.
Regardless of whatever is happening, you must keep discussing about Sadguru all the time. Whatever new topics you may discuss, you must keep coming back to the topic of Sadguru. Your thoughts must constantly revolve around Him. Every moment you must keep remembering Him. Every moment surrender your experiences to the Supreme Soul. Every second you must be revolving around Him. You must never complain of boredom in speaking about God, or singing His glories. You do not get bored of breathing, sleeping, going to the bathroom, or eating. This is just as important. All these activities are our dharma, to protect our bodies. If we skip doing any of those, we will be failing in our duty to protect this body gifted to us by God. These sense organs are given to us for a purpose. The purpose is to keep remembering our benefactor every moment that we exist. Even to swallow one’s own saliva, His grace is required. There are many who cannot even swallow their own saliva. That we are breathing fully is His grace. Many cannot breathe fully. Those who do proper full breathing are called Paramahamsas.
Anyhow, year after year we are gathering here. With my glance I communicate with you. With my smiles, and my conversation, I am carrying on communication with each one you individually. I am in everyone’s consciousness. I am in everyone’s breath. I am present in each one that exists. I am present in every sound. I am in the blood that circulates in your bodies flowing like so many rivers, like the flow of nectar, from head downwards, through so many countless channels. So many branches, so many nerves all across the body. Swamiji is in all of them. If somewhere something goes wrong, we at once repair it, be it in the heart, or stomach, or elsewhere. The way we protect the body, we must also protect our devotion towards Swamiji. Anytime a bad thought creeps in, at once it must be repaired. The way you run to a doctor the moment an ailment comes, and get medicines and injections to cure it, when an imbalance occurs in your devotion towards Sadguru, immediately it should be set right. That is the way to live. The same care you take towards protecting your body, you must take towards protecting your devotion towards Sadguru.
Sometimes you complain that somebody has spoiled your mind. Why should you blame others for spoiling your mind? Are you not in charge of your own mind? You have the power to control your own mind. Do not listen to others. Why should your mind get affected by others? Are you just a puppet in their hands? Have you no freedom to live as you wish to? Are you not in control of yourself? You complain that your mind is wavering. Where does the wavering come from? Is it coming from some outside source? It is getting generated from within yourself. Lord Yama will give punishment to you, even if you tell him that someone else spoiled your mind. He will say, “Why did you listen to that person? You should not have.” The responsibility lies with you to use discretion. He will whip you for becoming a puppet in the hands of that other person who has spoiled you. You have to be your own puppet. You must learn to control your own mind. You must fight against yourself and win. So, because your mind is spoilt, do you throw it away? Is it not yours anymore? Can you not keep it tightly under your control? It is after all your mind. Your energy. It is under your power.
Will those others take away your pain? If they are capable of relieving you of your suffering, then, there is some justification in your listening to them. No, instead, they only increase your pain. When that is the case, why should you listen to such people? Sadguru alone can relieve you of your pain. He alone can give you solace and make you pain-free. You should only listen to Sadguru. No one else. Please be careful. This is Kali Yuga. For the next five or six days Swamiji will be with you here. Please get involved in all the programs. I will not keep repeating myself about annadanam, birds, and birdfeed. You must inquire yourself and find out about every small seva that you can participate in. All these are different channels to help you to get closer to Sadguru.
Tomorrow morning the Brahmotsavam begins at the Sri Datta Venkateshwara Temple. Tomorrow evening is Gnana Bodha Sabha Conference. Adjust to all the unexpected changes. If the current is strong, if you go with the flow, you may travel faster. You must never swim against the flow.
Sri Guru Datta