Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – November 1, 2015 – morning – Kochi
Sri Maha Ganapataye Namaha
Sri Saraswatyai Namaha
Sripada Vallabha Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha
Jai Veera Hanuman ki Jai
Today is a festival day in Kerala. My blessings to you all. Every state has its special days. Many are spiritual holidays. Without spirituality life is meaningless. We are born only for spiritual progress. To wash away all our past sins and to return to Brahma’s planet. We should not remain here. This planet is not ours. This body is not ours. Only life we get, and the body supports it. The sense organs have desires spurred by the inner enemies, Kama, krodha, etc., lust, anger, jealousy, arrogance, laziness, and ignorance. We struggle to satisfy the desires of the senses. When desires are unfulfilled, we commit sins. We tell small lies and do small deceptions, and they grow big. The senses have great thirst. We employ various strategies to satisfy their thirst. But only temporary happiness is obtained. Again and again we commit sins with the hope that permanent happiness is achieved. The repeated sins cause our repeated births.
As water seeps in through the cracks, these sins keep getting absorbed inside. There is no support for us to hold on, to stay afloat, or to rise higher, and we keep falling down and down into the deepest depths. Even scientists cannot precisely measure the depth of the ocean. They can only estimate it here and there, but cannot measure at every inch in the bottom of the ocean.
God has given so many facilities in this world. Guru has given many spiritual paths. Good divine names to chant, holy shrines are there to visit. Guru’s methods are there given as advice. But man has no taste for them. He is only interested in drowning deeper and deeper. He keeps rejecting all good suggestions with great arrogance, and just to satisfy his sense organs, descends to the deepest and filthiest levels.
For many lifetimes, we continue like this, not knowing where we will be born next, in what womb we will have to enter, which pig’s womb we have to reside in, and how many times we have to take birth after birth. We have come very far away, leaving Brahma’s planet. We have forgotten it completely. It has left our mind totally. The memory of it got erased. Where we came from, we don’t know.
Some spiritual pursuit, some devotion, some practice of yoga, some austerity, if we adhere to and follow, then, slowly, we will get control over ourselves, and our sense organs. First, the repeated births must be controlled. We must avoid committing bad deeds. That is why the facility, the opportunity is given to humanity.
As much as possible, spend time in the presence of God or Guru. This facility is given, not just to Hindus, but to all human beings, regardless of religion, Hindu, Christian, Muslim, etc. Several hours a day, one should pray or read the scriptures. This rule applies to all mankind.
That is why we have so many festivals in India. In each festival, there are restrictions, traditions set up to follow. No dirty activities should be engaged in on such days. Do not question why India has so many festivals. God has provided them to place hurdles in the wrong paths, and to control your activities to help you to control the desires of the sense organs. Cleanliness is prescribed, certain dirty and unhealthy foods are forbidden to be cooked, served and consumed on those days. Some special activities are required. God has prescribed so many rules and controls. Why do Indians have so many Gods and Gurus? They and their festivities are there to obstruct and control our desires.
Chain smokers are there, Swamiji’s devotees. I do not say anything to them. I only tell them to just spend two days here. Sit here with me for five hours. Ride in my car for so many hours. Out of fear that Guru is present, for so many hours they control their habits. Like that, the chain smoking, and pan parag habits slowly go away. After five days, on the sixth day, the habit leaves the person.
Good advice given to teenagers gets rejected. If you suggest going to the temple or to see Guru, they get very angry. They give excuses about special studies and combined preparation for classes. No. Bad activities they have planned of going to cinema with friends. They tell lies about studying with friends. We believe the children. Study tour, they say. We allow them to go. No good thoughts or actions take place there. Smoking, drinking, dancing, and dirty behavior they engage in. Nothing good. Friend circle study, homework study they say; all lies. Good parents will accompany them and then they become controlled.
Parents are all too busy with earning money, their business affairs, or quarreling with each other. No harmony or trust exists in relationships. Always there are arguments between parents. Why did you spend so much on this or that? They fight about who is responsible for the birth of the children.
Some illness occurs. Some headache, daily fever, or stomach ache. Each is busy with their own work. They don’t bother about the children. The children get spoilt. If you sit daily with children at meal time, and find out about how they spend their time, then some control will be there.
Since childhood, children must be watched. Both parents and children are going downhill speedily, as fast as the earth is rotating. Brahma’s one day is our 100 years. It is very difficult for him to catch and control to uplift us. Within a few hours of his time, we drop down too deep beyond control.
That is why, as much as possible, spend time in Guru Sannidhi.
All the people who are chain smokers, all those who tell lies, drink alcohol, and think evil thoughts, these few hours spent in the presence of Guru, have avoided all those bad activities. Otherwise, they would be watching television or doing bad things, pampering their bodies excessively, always lolling in luxuries, and pleasures of the sense organs. These are all the causes for repeated births. We have made all facilities for rebirth.
That is why we have these nice festivals, some festivals to spend time with family, to go to the temple, and to control our runaway activities.
I bless that all good things should come your way.
Sri Guru Datta
Compiled by Smt Hira Duvvuri