Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji in the evening – Celebration for 40 years of visiting Germany – December 3, 2016 – Frankfurt, Germany
Compiled by: Archana Penukonda
Sri Maha Ganapataye Namaha
Sri Sarasvatyai Namaha
Sri Padavallabha Narasimha Sarasvati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha
Jai Veera Hanuman ki…Jai!
(The devotees had earlier presented Swamiji with an album of photos chronicling Swamiji’s visits to Germany)
So, this remembrance of Germany and Switzerland are of the happiest days. What is the importance of the photos? We give importance to such a remembrance. Some people are always taking photos and some others are getting upset because they (photographers) are always standing in between Swamiji and the devotees. So, people shout at the photographers standing near Swamiji. At that moment you may be miserable that someone is blocking your view of Swamiji, but now we are happy (seeing the photos). We need such remembrance. Remembrance gives good lessons in our lives.
If you just sit and remember past experiences in your life, there are so many good lessons and so many bad lessons. We are always waiting for days that are coming. Tomorrow is very important, but soon tomorrow will become yesterday. Because, time is running, time is flying. So, our lifetime is very precious. Each moment is precious. When we are just sitting, talking, looking at documentaries and films, that time is wasted. If you have some lessons in your mind, that time is not wasted. If you are not putting your mind on those lessons, that time is wasted. So, our time is very precious.
Within minutes, 40 years are gone. I remember my visit from 40 years ago like it was yesterday. Beautiful photography, beautiful remembrance. Such photographs help you remember what happened then, what your experience was, how you met Swamiji, what is your experience today, what your experience was yesterday and what your experience might be in the future. That is a big lesson. Your future generations will look at these photos and remember that their grandmother or grandfather or grand aunt was with Swamiji. You can make use of these photos in the present and in the future. Think about how these photos will be helpful today and in the future. In the Ramayana, after the battles were over, Sri Rama thought about what happened in the forest and how they killed Ravana. He recollected the big story and began crying.
Recollection is always very precious. If you recollect the time in that photo (of Swamiji’s early visits), then your mind also goes back 20 years or 30 years or 40 years. “What happened that day?” We are very happy thinking about this. It is a different kind of feeling. That feeling is very precious. That feeling gives good strength and good ideas. It gives us better ideas for tomorrow’s programs. You’ll learn good lessons and it will bring you good things. Our photographs give good knowledge and remembrance. You can recollect every day. You can even recollect the same lessons every day. If you have taken Kriya Yoga class, recollect. If you were in a Bhajan session, recollect. If you were in a good concert, recollect. Remember your experience from that day.
When you saw Swamiji for the first time, what was the experience in your body and mind? Please close your eyes and recollect. It will give you good strength when you recollect. Otherwise, just casually thinking about it is not good. Just loosely thinking about that interaction and always looking for fresh experience is not good. We want fresh experiences too, but what happened previously is very important. That gives you good strength. Something attracted us to Swamiji, we cannot explain. We do not know what kind of attraction it is. That is also one experience.
Good and bad things come our way in life – we lose something, we gain something. This recollection will be good experience for our lifetime. But some experiences you must not recollect. Recollect the more valuable experiences. They give you good strength and good lessons. That is why every year we celebrate our birthday. We are very happy on our birthday. People sing happy birthday, people eat candy or cake and then finish. You are wasting your birthday. You can instead recollect your life experiences. Birthday is a time of recollection so you can add more Jnana/knowledge in your life. If you lost something, do not recollect. Do not recollect bad experiences. Only recollect good experiences.
Some people recollect only bad things. They recollect and weep. It is a kind of sickness. So, always remember and use good experiences for strength, correction and enthusiasm to be better tomorrow. There should always be improvement and the enthusiasm to do better. It should not be about acquiring more things.
I am also recollecting all the good memories. My habit always is no recollections – neither bad recollection, nor good recollection. My mind is always zero. I always say, “why are you thinking? I am not thinking”.
This is a small gathering in Dasaratha’s house. I am happy about the good presentation. Once again I bless you. I love you. I adore you always. I am always with you in your warm hearts. It gives good strength and good knowledge. Do not leave. Do not leave. Do not leave. I am not leaving. I am not leaving. I am yours. I am in yours. I am in you. I am in your heart. Do not forget. We will meet every year and every minute. We will meet every second. No bye-byes. No thanks. Do not leave. Come together. I am always with you.
Hanuman Chalisa gives good energy. It is energy producing. The complete Ramayana is in Chalisa.
Sri Guru Datta