Speeches of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – April 17, 2016 – Chennai
Speech in the morning
Compiled by Smt Hira Duvvuri
Sri Mahaganapataye Namaha
Sri Saraswatyai Namaha
Sripada Vallabha Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha
How many of you have installed SGS Posts? Every one of you must download. Daily 5 or 6 messages are received. You may choose a language or get all the languages and keep them. All of them have English as the common language. Malayalam, Hindi, Gujarati, Tamil, Telugu, Kannada, all these languages. Short messages, just one or two lines. They are very useful in your lives. They help you to keep thinking about Swamiji. It is a link that connects you with Swamiji. It is a bridge. On this side, where Sri Rama was there, it was Vaikuntham (heaven). On the other side of the bridge was Narakam, hell. Rama went across the bridge and transformed hell into heaven. He killed Ravana who was full of Tamo Guna. He made Vibheeshana, with Satva Guna, the king. Wherever Rama went, all those places became heaven. Wherever Swamiji goes, all those places are blessed by getting a new temple. It is enough if he visits a place. A temple will be built there. They are countless in number. As soon as Swamiji visits a village, he tells them that they are going to incur a great expense. The expense is not for my visit. After I leave, so much reaction occurs. A committee is formed. They collect funds and they build a temple. At once the land value goes up in that area. Wherever Swamiji goes, it happens, even America. That is why Swamiji advises them to quickly purchase sites there. Some buy and some don’t. Those who do not regret later. Oh, Swamiji had told us even then, and we did not respond to his suggestion. We wish we had purchased right then.
Wherever Swamiji goes, the real estate business thrives. The second result is that there will be a temple constructed there, providing a place for all our Datta devotees to gather together. It will be a place to conduct Satsang. The purpose for building temples is for remembrance. During Rama’s time every street had two temples. Some homes are entirely temples inside. Even today, some people’s homes are like that. But there are some large homes built by some, where the altar or place of worship is confined to one tiny cabinet inside the kitchen, where the deity receives all the cooking smells and aromas and the food offering is automatically made as it is being cooked. It is not right. A decent place must be allocated in each home for the purpose of worship and contemplation. Some good books such as our scriptures, some good music recordings, and a small family of deities may be kept there.
Whenever the mind is a bit troubled or disturbed, it will be a place where you can find some solace. Many times a person wishes to be alone. He needs some private time to be by himself. Every individual feels that need. Even if a husband and wife are very loving towards each other, still, there are times when each of them feels the need to be alone for some time. One feels like remaining silent. At that time there is no wish to talk to anyone. Even to play with a child, one feels reluctant. One does not feel like socializing. The mind would be calm, but still the person likes to be left alone to remain silent. He tells others to keep a distance. He says don’t disturb me to receive phone calls. That silent contemplation is very essential. The heavenly bliss it grants cannot be found anywhere else. You all give it a try. You never even make an attempt. You are always quarreling or crying. Always eating, or talking on the phone. Always confusion, and feeling comfort in that confusion. To control all that, to get the strength to endure all the troubles, to get the energy to fight against the tough situations, you must sit alone for half an hour. At first, it may be difficult to stay still for half and hour. Begin with ten or fifteen minutes. Gradually extend the time to forty minutes. Sit alone. Sit at the home altar or go up to the terrace. Do this early in the morning. Listen to the bird songs. Enjoy the cool breeze. A random car horn may be heard. It does not matter. the nice ambiance of the dawn is very nice. Even in a big city, you can find a spot up on the terrace, or in a small garden. Go sit there. Most people leave home early in the morning. Where no one is there at home, sit quietly for forty minutes. No need for any topic for meditation. No need for any mantra. No need for any music recording. Just sit silently. In the beginning, for a month, ideas will get replayed inside the mind. All kinds of confusing ideas will occur. It doesn’t matter. Some confusing questions will keep repeating themselves. Some joyful concepts also will occur. It will take fifteen or twenty days. It doesn’t matter. Don’t be afraid. If you go and sit like that, two things will happen. First, it is confusion. Second, you feel sleepy. You begin to yawn. Because you are trying to concentrate, you will feel sleepy. When is it you try to concentrate? Just before you feel sleepy. Same connection happens. When you sit alone like this, you will feel sleepy. Don’t worry. Keep a soft pillow, or sit beside a wall, so that you don’t fall down. Or be near a sofa or a chair. Try to avoid sleeping.
Splash some water on your face to keep awake. Practice doing this for forty minutes. Observe your deep inhalation and exhalation. You wash your nostrils with lukewarm water with a pinch of salt added to it. You take in water through one nostril and allow it to come out through the other nostril. The first two days, it will not be comfortable. The water will go the wrong way and will make you sneeze. You will say, what is this, Swamiji has told me to do this, and I have caught a cold now. These thoughts will come. Don’t worry. Don’t take medicines. The feeling will go away. You must keep your head down when you do this Neti. I do this even now. This process completely cleans the nasal passage. Between the Surya Nadi and the Chandra Nadi, connecting them, there is a circle. Like a junction box. The water goes there and completely cleans. In a few days, all types of junk will come out. All the bank balance will come out. Let it all go out. But be careful. Those who wear the nose ornament have to be careful. Either tighten the screw well, or take it out and leave it aside while you do Neti. Otherwise there is the danger of the small piece going inside the nasal passage. I have to tell you each and every caution. I will get blamed. The doctors are always very careful and will avoid taking any chances or blame upon themselves. They will order so many tests before committing themselves. 125 tests will be ordered. By the time they are all done, the patient will go away to heaven without paying the bill. One gets scared with the number of tests when he sees the list that is given. It is the patients who have caused this trouble in the first place, by frightening the doctors with the possibility of lawsuits. Because the mentality of the people has changed now, doctors are scared to give treatment.
I am not talking about Datta devotees. There are people like that in this world, whose way of earning money is by such lawsuits. That is why to protect themselves from blame, even for a small medical problem, the doctors maintain complete medical records with all test results. That is why I am cautioning you, do not put the blame on me. Make sure that your nose ornament is not sucked inside your nostril. Remove it and keep it aside. I am not responsible for the loss of your diamond nose jewel. You keep it safe. The nostrils must be kept thoroughly cleansed. Then, you will not have any problem with sinusitis. Many people do not clean the nostrils. That is why they suffer. Problem with head ache on one side of the head can be avoided. It is good for the eyesight, if your nose is kept clean. Early vision problems will be prevented. Ear problems will be prevented. Hearing also gets diminished if you do not take care.
Take a bottle with water and press it to inject some water into the nostril. You figure out yourselves, how to do it. Don’t ask me where to get the bottle from. I don’t know. Don’t ask me where to get salt, and how to obtain lukewarm water. Don’t pester me with such questions. I am not responsible for supplying you with the equipment. If not a bottle, keep a faucet attached to the nose. I don’t mind. No one stops you. You should take in through one nostril and bring the water out through the other nostril. As I have said earlier, the first day, you will feel uncomfortable. It will feel as if something terrible has happened to you and the water has gone inside your head. Do not get worried. Do not say, I was a happy person so far, and now Swamiji has said something, and I am in big trouble. Don’t think like that. If you want, I will hand you the bottle with lukewarm salt water. Should you come to my town to receive it? This small child says, no, no. What is this? Nice. You make the arrangement. Many suffer from sleepless ness, sinusitis, and half the head hurting. They keep tossing from side to side, and looking at the clock. Early morning, they fall asleep. They have to be somewhere at 5 am. They miss the appointment and risk losing their job.
Many have the bad habit of watching movies till 11 pm. Where will the movies go? They will be there. Will they run away? Watch them when you have free time. What is of worth in those movies? They are like empty vessels. There is nothing in them. Instead, you sit quietly for 40 minutes.
Till now, who has done this? How do you do this? I am not talking about breathing. That everyone does. Otherwise they will die. I am asking about doing Neti with the bottle. It l looks like the small pot kept by sages, with a long spout. You apply that tip of the spout to your nose. Good. The great souls give teertham with that container to save lives. You save yourself, using that container. Good. Maharshis like Narada use that container. When they get angry they splash water from that pot and throw a vehement curse. That is why they always keep that container of water with them. Durvasa is another such sage, who always carries water with him. Even when there is drought, he will certainly have water with him. Not for drinking. Only for giving curses. He is always angry. Can you get that container here? Is it available in a store? You have to go to Parry’s in Chennai to get it. How will I go to Paris? I thought. There is also London in Chennai.
The first day they told me, there is a Moosi river. I said stop the car. I got out and smelled the odor. The river was stinking. Then I was told, Moosi river means, it should not be smelled. Don’t use that water from Moosi river, even if you purchase the container in Parry’s shopping center. It is called a Yoga pot. Will you bring 4 or 5 this evening here, so that I can show them to everyone? Cold, wheezing, eye troubles, and ear troubles are gone by using that and doing Neti. You will get good sleep. Since childhood I have been doing it. Then I stopped. Now the doctors tell me to revive the habit. I do it. At home, we have such small remedies. There is no need to run to the doctors for every small thing. We ourselves become doctors at home. The moment there is a headache, we take Anacin. We have become modern doctors. We must begin using natural remedies, then we get good intelligence, reputation, strength, and all the things that are given by Lord Hanuman. With concentration do regular Pranayama. If you wish, chant a Mantra along with it. It is a good time to do so. Make a habit of it. When you chant a mantra, mental disturbances will not be there. If Guru has given you a mantra, then, chant that mantra. Or else, just close your eyes.
Mentally, visualize a small lamp, like the one you light before God at the altar. Set the alarm for forty minutes. Try doing this. Then you come and tell me your experience. You will experience extraordinary peace of mind. You mind will become extremely clean. You will get the strength to fight any problem. The bodily pains will become easier to endure. In fact, you will get adjusted to them, so that they will not trouble you anymore. Many devotees are getting knee replacement. I am telling them all now to do this meditation. They all tell me that now effortlessly they are able to run, climb stairs, and even sit on the floor. I tell them to take their own time. Not to rush.
If the doctor suggests knee replacement, do not hesitate or be afraid. Get it done at once. Don’t entertain doubts. Don’t suffer the pain.
The cause for knee pain in the first place is because of overeating. Given any excuse, you eat. While watching television, you keep munching on crunchy snacks. The junk keeps going into the stomach. Those who do not eat kurkure, will eat a big bowl of potato chips. They will not even share with the others. When there is fighting scene, more chips are stuffed into the mouth. When the batsman hits the ball, you eat ten chips at a time, without even being aware of it. Why should you gobble up chips, just because he has hit a ball? I don’t know. So what he hits a ball? He is making a lot of money doing that.
Eleven people, all idiots. As a child, I saw that game. Now I don’t. I scold the children when they watch. Eleven idiots play. A hundred thousand mad people watch them. It is one big mental hospital. All their money is wasted. It is like a casino. What if he hits a ball and lifts a cup? How does it benefit us? Some indescribable happiness. Good that country has won. If you go near the player, he will not even spare one minute for you. He has no time. Okay. I am not opposed to cricket. I only say that you should not get addicted to it. You must not neglect your duties to watch the game. Your loss is because of consuming so many potato chips. What does it do to your body? You grow a huge belly. The gait also becomes funny, to maintain balance and adjust the gravity. Like a duck they walk.
It is not right. You have to pay the doctors to get the situation remedied. If you first get rid of your fat, then it is very good for your knees. You will be able to walk. If there is place to walk, then, you should walk. If there is no space to walk, then use the treadmill at a slow pace, just as if you are walking normally. Walking or running at a fast pace and doing weights, and admiring your biceps in the mirror, all these should be avoided. You will not become slim in a day. For twenty years you have stuffed yourself with chips. It will take a long time to get rid of that fat. If you follow all these tips, the body will automatically slim down and the problems will disappear.
Many have a back pain. They suffer a lot. Now some strange looking chairs are available in the market. They look very nice. But if you sit, it will create new pain. It is difficult to get into the chair, and get out of the chair. Do you need such chairs in your house? The chair should be easy to sit and get up. Because you sit for hours together, they recommend such chairs. You must never sit for hours together without getting up. Every one hour, you should stand up, walk around, or pretend to go and fetch something. If computer workers sit for three hours at a stretch, they will get a pain between their shoulders and behind their neck. Their hands and eyes pain. They keep staring at the screen.
Many people stare at serials. Every woman who is addicted to serials is at least ten per cent mad. She insists that in her home, people should behave like how they do in the serials. They should quarrel similarly. They have to cook like that. That is why the man of the house eats out before going home. He will know that his wife is busy watching serials. All the women who watch serials, have lost their ability to cook. They pay no attention to their cooking. If there is a loss of electric power, they call a friend over the phone to ask about what happened in the serial yesterday. They exchange a serious conversation, expressing their concern about the happenings in the television serial. O they got married! I was fearing that would happen. I thought they would divorce. Oh, it is already done? Oh, I am so disappointed. Tomorrow a new episode will begin.
People sit in bhajans and think about the serial. They are worried about what is happening there. Here nothing of importance happens. They just give teertham in the end and disperse. I missed a good serial. After all, Swamiji is right here, inside my heart. I can always see him there. But if I am here, I cannot watch the serial. I must watch it.
Cooking serials also they watch. YouTube has serials also. Oh. Everyone has wi-fi at home. Internet people make huge profits. Many people did not know till today that on YouTube also they show serials. Now you have announced it. Next, they will go and search. Watch only on your computer. It is dirty to watch those serials while inside the bathroom on your mobile phones. No. Don’t do that.
So many good facilities are there. Use them for a good purpose. That is why Swamiji says, install SGS Posts. Instead, you install serials. Many devotees eagerly wait for Yogasangeeta live webcasts. Many are also watching the recorded programs.
Yesterday’s Nada Loka (Concert) was wonderful, many are saying. I also enjoyed it. It is sound therapy. Different sounds are there. Many of you came yesterday. I am very happy. The four days went by very fast. It is very nice. Inside, it is very pleasant. The outside hot breeze is difficult to tolerate. I cannot stay here very long. I am very happy.
Whoever sponsored the air conditioning, I bless that their families should live in happiness and comfort.
Sri Guru Datta
Speech in the evening
Compiled by Suri Duvvuri
I am not going to sing. Whatever lullabies Swamiji has composed, these children will now sing. You may also join in. During Navaratri, each year, at the conclusion, Swamiji composes and sings lullabies. Not all of them were composed the same year. Each year, perhaps one, two, or three. There are five or six lullabies. There is one in Telugu, O papa maa papa. It is a very old composition. The description of Mother Goddess and Sri Chakra are contained in it. These are done in a simple manner so people can understand. Listening to these lullabies they will have the Sri Vidya Upasana mantra in their house, the negative elements will be eliminated, children with difficulty in education will improve and their memory power will also improve. If heard regularly, Mother Goddess will eliminate any difficulties in understanding subjects. On listening regularly the lullabies will be learned by heart. Now we will start.
Lullaby: Dola Dola Rajesi Dola – Saying dola dola reminds us of a swing. The real meaning is that Mother Goddess happily sits in the heart. Another meaning is that all the planets are swinging, and the stars which are throwing light. The extent of coverage of the five elements in the universe is unknown. God dances with one foot on one planet and another foot on another planet. The Universal Form of God is beyond definition. He is all-pervading. The earth is like a tenth of His small toe. We are even smaller than insects which cannot be seen even with a telescope. But we boast we are big poets, with lot of money, have built big buildings, with several books to our credit and have acquired jnana (knowledge). When compared to Mother Goddess we have nothing at all. The ants are busy going back and forth collecting food and it is a huge world for them. To the insects on the street in front of our house, their world is huge. God is looking at us the way we look at these insects. We think of these insects, imagining their world to be so small. With one deluge and earthquake everything perishes. With one spray of DDT (Flit) the insects are gone. Of course they will come again after getting used to it.
There is a place in Japan, one in Mexico, and one in America, where in spite of repeated Tsunamis, people there repair and continue to live even with several deaths in the family. We are like that. With the Andandam, Pindandam, and Brahmandam (microcosm and the macrocosm). God is small like that, Himself, the size of an inch. When God himself is the size of an inch, we feel that we are a lot bigger, having done some wonderful things, elections, and accomplishments. There is nothing of substance in all this. We are so engrossed with marriage, kids, making money, sorrows, and so on. This is nothing but a drama. In the eyes of Mother Goddess, this is nothing. We do not matter one bit. There is nothing like earth.
To such a one, Swamiji sings Dola Dola, Rajesi Dola. Baale Yehi Ayahi Dola. That powerful entity has come as a small child in the form of Swamiji and sitting on this swing. That is why I brought up the subject of small children so that you can have the good feeling of placing a small child in a swing.
Lullaby: Dola Dola
You are always responding to my call, you are with me in all situations. If I think of any task, you are fulfilling that task in the appropriate form, you are sitting in my heart and swinging and swaying. In your thought, your contemplation, I am very happy. This is the happiness that we should experience. It is not coming. Thoughts of our next birth and karma are in our thoughts and distracting us. We should always be happy. Look at the Mahatma in the photo. He is always smiling. Some asked, how come he is always smiling? He is smiling at your ignorance. He is asking, when you, his disciple, will ever realize that nothing is permanent. Right in front of you, your father passed away, your grandfather passed away, and you witnessed even your own mother’s death. You still have not realized. Your pet dog died of sickness in your hands. Even then you did not get detachment. Everything is stolen from you. A friend had forged your signature and swindled you. Did you not get realization even then? Your car was parked along the footpath and another car collided with it. Did realization dawn on you then? You read a lot, went to the examination, and forgot everything. Did realization come to you then? Even with all the illusion that you are subject to, doesn’t realization come to you? You are thinking all the time of you, your wants, what the building, the car, the promotion that you did not get. This is all that you are constantly thinking of. Even when fighting with your wife, or when you see the innocent smile of your sweet child the realization of the true nature of God has not dawned on you. Only the obsessive attachment with the child is experienced by you. One is obsessed with the resemblances of one’s child with its grandfather, with eyes and nose like Rama, features of other relatives with the least thought of God and Guru. This is how one gets into the ocean of Samsara (the cycle of births and deaths). The earthly tree of attachments grows various branches and further entangles one.
One sleeps on a pillow that is dirty with oil from the hair, and other accumulated dirt from many generations of forefathers, and a sheet that is dirty. He will sleep on these for 8 hrs. or 10 hrs. If given a new clean pillow and sheet, the person will not be able to sleep. While eating, there is no concern of cleanliness and tidy surroundings. There is a lot of confusion. We are used to eating with all the muck around. Sadness is a part of the household. They have to be fighting constantly. Gossiping brings happiness. Finish eating, sit on the sofa and continue to gossip. The neighboring household also does similar gossip.
If you want to know the details of events about a household, ask the neighbors. Their girl has all suspicious connections. If you ask them directly they will extol the virtues of the girl in superlative terms. They are emphatic about the details, all of which are only falsehoods. They claim generations of tradition and virtues. When they start looking for matches, the truth comes out. “Daddy, I have already been married by way of registered marriage”. The father goes, “I am so upset, I will die”. The girl says consolingly, “You have to face death some time”. This is how they talk. But the girl needs parental support, only financial, nothing to do with love. Be very careful.
Parents should take interest, and keep up on a daily basis with the happenings at school, about the study subjects, about phone contacts, and the like. Instead, they get involved only at the time of final examinations.
Now one song in Telugu:
O papa Maa papa toogu papa…
The name of the Mother Goddess is ‘papa’. The one who takes care of our sins (papams). The small child of even eight months.
Start with Suprabhatam (wakeup call), then give a bath to Mother Goddess, then do naivedyam (offer delicious food), and then in the last night, put her on the swing and do Sayana Seva (sing lullabies and tuck in) to Mother Goddess. This is the way to treat God as a person in the house, a family member, be it Mother Goddess, Rama, Vishnu, Krishna, or Siva. It is good to do that. We do everything around the house. Is this difficult to do? I certainly don’t believe it, if any one says it is. Many Datta devotees are doing it. I am very proud of it. They think that Swamiji is God and do Suprabhatam, offer him Naivedyam (coffee), put him in the swing and sing him a lullaby. They treat him like a member in the family.
It should be done while Swamiji is alive. You are living now, and so is Swamiji, which is a great good fortune. Not all people get it. When Sri Rama was living, not that I am saying I am Sri Rama, when Shirdi Saibaba was living, and when Sri Sankara Bhagavatpada was living, and when Sri Raghavendra Swami was living, so many fortunate people worshiped them. What is the point in praying to the photograph after one is gone? It should be done first while a great soul is still living. We got the opportunity to do that. Many people do not have the opportunity. You should think that they are there now, and do the Upachara Pujas (services as mentioned before). It is fine to do the services. While the incarnation (Avatar) exists, think of Him every day. Listen to a bhajan, listen to a discourse, view a video, or read his book about Him. When you involve in this activity, Sri Swamiji will feel the vibrations and you will feel Swamiji’s vibrations. After you listen to the concert you sleep at night and feels as though you are still listening to his concert. It is like giving your mind to Swamiji. You should have no second thoughts. That is real devotion. He (some devotee in the audience) lost everything in the floods. He kept thinking of Swamiji. He was like that for ten days. Then someone gave him food. He thought, I have Swamiji. Swamiji is there also in my confusion. Swamiji is like anybody else in your household. Some Kannada kids feel Thathaji (Swamiji) is with them and start singing bhajans. We should do Sadhana on a regular basis. Then the kids will automatically get it. No special attention needs to be given. Once they are at that turning point they will continue the practice on their own. All the time they are told about bookish knowledge, but they don’t have any moral support. But they are taken out to parties. This should not be the case. Start doing bhajans once a week. If you miss one week, you feel guilty, like you a mistake. Some Andhra devotees go to movies and leave half way through because they feel ill-at-ease because they are not following Swamiji’s instructions such as reading the Bhagavatham. There are children in America learning to recite the Bhagavad Gita. They are up to the 18th chapter of reciting it. Many kids are learning violin from Jaitra, vocal from Mani, and Mridangam from Ramesh, on Skype. On the other hand, even though there is an expert musician next door, we have no interest in learning bhajans. You should think that this is the permanent fund in the bank. If you decide, you can do it.
Small children with practice, will learn. Afterwards, even if you say you are not going to Mysuru, they will say, I will still go. It is a security and immense strength. By insisting on them they will start. To begin with, if you say the kid won’t listen to what you say, of course the child won’t. So this CD (lullabies) you can download from itunes.
(Mani announced a car that was improperly parked… Swamiji said either the police will take it or we will take it. He said that when auto rickshaws were more prevalent, it was better. The cars have become a nuisance.)
Lullaby: Dola dola Himagiribaale dola.
Mother Goddess is very happily located in your heart. Once Mother Goddess is happy, we are also happy. The life force or one’s soul (Jeeva) is happy. There is only one life force. We should unify with it. But we are not unifying with it. We should do tapas/penance towards this unification. First tapas is concentration, the second tapas is Pranayama (breath control), and the third is Karma Yoga with Bhakti or surrendering (Samarpana), which will lead to knowledge (Jnana). Once we get knowledge, it will be followed by detachment (Vairagya). Satsangatve nissangatvam (Keeping good company will lead to having no attachment or developing detachment)
Groups such as Brahma Mandali, Nada Mandali will sing bhajans for 4, 5 or even 10 hours. They have their sorrows and such, but they sing, happily forgetting the problems, sometimes singing all night long. It feels so good to see them. They look effulgent in spite of their daily troublesome issues. They are singing about Bhagavatham, Krishna, Thakur, and Rama. You should sit with them and sing. One who is born as a human being, must certainly listen to the Bhagavatham. That should be the reward (fruit) for taking birth. Earning money, having ten kids, getting them educated and married, then to die. What kind of life’s calculation is that? It is shameful.
What have you practiced? Where is devotion? All the time some people are preoccupied with money. Valmiki was killing people and when Narada asked him why he was doing that, Valmiki said that he has to feed his wife and children. Narada told him to go ask the family if they would share the sins acquired by him by his violent trade to feed them. If they say yes, then continue doing it. Valmiki went and asked his wife if she would take half his sins. She said that she would share none of his sins. It was his duty to feed his family. How he does it, and the resulting sins of his actions, are totally his. On hearing this, Valmiki got vairagya (detachment). This is the story of Valmiki. You should listen to stories of such great people. Listen to stories of Krishna. This should bring about a change in you.
Lullaby: Sadanande Jo…
Lullaby: Devi dola Durgi dola Gowri dola
Lullaby: Sadananda Chidananda Mudananda Jo
Lullaby: Jaya Devi Durga
Kayena Vacha…
Sri Guru Datta