Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji in the evening – January 6, 2017 – Akiveedu
Courtesy: Archana Penukonda
Sri Maha Ganapataye Namaha
Sri Sarasvatyai Namaha
Sri Padavallabha Narasimha Sarasvati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha
This is the Vishwambara Avadhoota Datta Kshetra. It is the 10th of the Shodasa Avaratas (the 16 incarnations). In such a kshetra (pilgrim place), Lord Hanuman has also established himself. I am very happy about that. Lord Datta as Guru and Lord Hanuman as Brahma are protecting us all. Datta incarnated with Vishnu aspect to protect everyone. Vishnu’s only task is to protect everyone. He gives comfort and happiness to devotees. Brahma gives knowledge (Jnana) and liberation (Moksha). Siva removes all sins. Having Hanuman in this Siva, Brahma, Vishnu kshetra is very special. Hanuman is Kaliyuga Brahma. In Kaliyuga, there is going to be much unrighteousness (Adharma). We are in the first segment (Paadam) of Kaliyuga. We do not know what is going to happen in the second, third and fourth segments. If we divide the 12,000 years of Kaliyuga into 4 segments we are still in the first segment. There is a lot of time. We do not know what else will happen. We are already unable to tolerate the Kali sorrow. People suddenly change their minds. Even as devotion among people increases, the influence of Kali causes people to forget devotion. Such is Kaliyuga. To correct that problem, Hanuman incarnated as Kali Brahma in this Kaliyuga. He is Chiranjeevi (immortal).
There are many unrighteous and criminal activities taking place in Kaliyuga. We go to any extent for money. We do not even care for parents. Money is most important for us. We do not care for spouse or for children. Our minds change. We think we own the money. Nothing will come with us, still we get caught up in it. We develop such a cruel nature. Also, there will be a lot of changes in Nature. The changes are already coming. We get unseasonal rains, we get droughts – things are not following the usual course. It is all very strange. Mangoes grow unseasonably. We have unseasonal flowers. It is very surprising. But it is all only Kali’s influence. The weather indicates that everything is heating up. We are calling it global warming. Too many factories turn oil into smoke and fill the sky with that smoke. The clouds undergo change and even the drops of rain water are different (polluted). That is the situation we are in. The factories and the machines we own have a very big impact on our atmosphere. They are getting bigger each day and that is causing more smoke. The factories let out polluted water that is soaked by earth due to which bore wells are yielding polluted ground water. No amount of control will purify the water.
No thing and no aspect of life is free of adulteration. Dalda symbolizes adulteration. Animal fat is added to Dalda (vegetable oil). We eat without realizing. To chili powder are added some other things like artificial color, husk and artificial chemicals to make it spicy. It is causing cancers and damaging our kidneys. The incidence of Cancer is on the rise. Kidneys are getting damaged due to the adulterated food. We recently had a seminar on kidney health. In that program, each person talked about the various reasons why kidneys go bad. I was surprised that they did not talk about what I am talking about. I thought they would, but they did not. Adulteration in food causes kidney problems. We use artificial chili powder. We use artificial oil. Consuming oil is causing heart blockages. Everywhere you look, people have heart attacks and five or six blockages in their heart. These people are very thin to look at and barely seem to have fat on them. If we wonder why such people have heart blockages, we realize it is the oil they consume.
Plastic vegetables, plastic rice grains have been coming to market. The Chinese have discovered this and destroyed us. We unwittingly use that rice. Even a lab test will not reveal that it is not real rice. It will come up as real rice. This is how the Chinese made it. Like this, in every small thing there is adulteration. Even in Turmeric, they are adding artificial ingredients. The food is completely adulterated. The atmosphere too is polluted.
We defecate, urinate and spit wherever we wish. We throw trash wherever we wish. We have no capacity to clean. We do not have the civic sense to throw trash in the right place. We talk so much about “Svacch Bharat” (Clean India), but we do nothing for it. There are many slogans like “Svacch Bharat”. People do some stuff on the day, take photos, do a little sweeping and cleaning and that’s the end of it. Next, the trash from this house is thrown in front of that house and the trash from that house is disposed in front of this house. Unless there is change in us, we will not reap the benefits of what the government is doing.
We ask for public toilets. Very Good. The government passed a good order. But we do not keep them clean. By the second day, we destroy it and make it unfit to even enter. Even dogs may refuse to use those toilets. What is the use of getting those public toilets built? Unless we change and we each have a personal resolution for cleanliness, it does not matter what the government does and it does not matter what the wealthy people in the society do.
The government built small houses for the poor people in Mumbai. I even inaugurated one of those buildings in Mumbai 10 years ago. But the poor do not live there. They pretend to, but soon they rent it out and go back to the slums again. They will not vacate the slums. If there is no change in mind of these people, the influence of Kali will not be reduced in this world. Regardless of how much the government does, the influence of Kali will not be reduced. We will continue to be in the same state.
These days, there is so much talk about currency. So many crores (10 million =1 crore) of rupees are stuck in some places. It is scary to look at all this. We wonder where they got so much money from. If you read the newspaper or watch the TV, you will see how many crores of rupees are stuck. It would be so nice if they could use that money for public welfare. Today, it takes us all a whole day to wait in line at the ATM to draw some money. Wonder how the rich got the Rs. 2000 notes. For us, looking at a Rs. 2000 note is like looking at God. The rich have stuffed stashes of money all over the house, even in the bathrooms. Government officers and those in power have so much black money. How will India get better? It is very difficult to. Unless people change, unless they have fear of God, it will not get better. You may ask me a question, “Okay what do we do?”
First, we must change. We should respect what the government does. We should at least sweep our front yard and keep it clean. How hard the Chief Minister work in the past! All are equal to me. I do not discriminate. He worked so hard, sweeping up various places. How many of us followed? We only followed for 2 days. If we can keep our house clean, that is enough. If we clean our front yard clean, that is enough. It will be Svacch Bharat. We keep transferring the trash around. We should all become volunteers instead.
In Kerala and Rajasthan, I saw a few towns where volunteers were walking around in the evening. They formed a committee where members take turns (safeguarding the streets). There are no thefts at all in those towns. I asked them when I went to a town Kerala. There were a lot of people there. There is a town like Akiveedu there. I asked them how they managed to have no thefts in the town. They said, they had two people in charge of each street. So, it is as if the entire street is awake all night. They take turns doing that. That is so nice. Why can we not do that? Why can we not protect our streets? Why can we not keep our streets clean? Why can we not keep our streets safe from burglaries?
Also, those who hoard wealth should get a Dharmic mindset. I am giving you the solution now. We should share some of the money we have with our fellow human beings. I am not asking you to share everything. Keep most of it for yourself. Keep 99% for yourself. If you cannot even share the 1%, are you qualified to be a human being? Do you even belong to the human race? I asked questions so far. Now, I am giving you the answers. You must share at least 1% of your wealth. Share a little at least with the people you know.
You have so many saris. Instead of trading them for stainless steel utensils, give those old saris to the lady who cleans your house or the girl who works in your house. She will be so happy wearing that silk saree. Instead, you trade them for two steel utensils. How many utensils do you need? Help people around you. Help your friends. Keep your house clean. Take care of yourself. Then, we will have a clean India and a clean mind as well.
There is one more thing we are forgetting. There is no Dharmic fear these days. During the January 1 (celebrations), there were so many crimes all over. You may ask why the girls should go out? True, the parents should drill some sense into the girls and parents of the boys should drill some sense into the boys. Why should the girls go on January 1 to those lustful people and dance with skimpy clothes? There is always a danger in those situations. Therefore, parents of girls must drill some sense into the girls. And the parents of boys must drill some sense into the boys. If we take care of some of these things, our country, our state, our house, our street will very good.
There is so much greed. What will we do with that greed? How long will be alive? 90 years? We cannot see clearly at 80 years of age. If we are past 85 years of age, we are done. We cannot even talk properly. We cannot hear clearly. That is how God made us. What is the point living a 100 years, walking around with the aid of a walking stick. Continue to serve as long as possible, until the mind is strong and the voice is strong.
We do not have Dharmic fear. First, we need to inculcate that fear. We do not have fear for Guru and for God. We have no respect for Guru or for God or for parents. Only if you show respect will your children learn. You do not show that respect, so your children will not either. If you show respect, your kids will follow. People bring kids to Swamiji and force them to prostrate. I tell those people to prostrate first. If they do, the kids will do too. We need to set the example first. Instead, we force the kids. I do not need their prostrations. You do it first, and they will follow. We should teach them. We must have that fear. Even if you do not have that fear of God, you must pretend it for the sake of the kids, there is no choice. They will automatically develop that devotion then. They certainly will. Sometimes we have to pretend, there is no choice.
We go to God, but our mind is elsewhere. You put your hands together to offer salutations, but your focus is elsewhere. You are waving your hand, but you are looking at the watch. You are always running. You run to go sit and watch TV. Is that an important thing for you to do? Is picking you nose an important task for you? You must give up some things. When you come to the temple or to the presence of a Guru, you must boldly give up some things. You must learn some things. You must learn some things through your ears, you must learn some things through your eyes, you must learn some things through words, you must learn some things with the body. We do nothing. We only want to eat, wander and waste time. The day is over. We eat and go to sleep. We wake up again the morning and the cycle repeats. That itself is your all-consuming schedule. What sadhana (spiritual practice) have you done today? I gave you the answer. I gave you the questions and the answers myself.
May good things come to you. We have such a great temple in Akiveedu. It is the Vishambara Avadhoota temple. He is protecting the entire universe like an umbrella. This is the form of the Paramatman that protects the universe that we have in Akiveedu. You have some devotion towards the Guru. Strengthen and protect it. Try to strengthen it even more. Otherwise, it will be difficult for me to come. I am here because of your devotion. Hanuman’s power and your devotion drew me here. I like Akiveedu very much. I call it the Putarekula Akiveedu (Putarekulu is a sweet snack). I get thousands of Putarekulu from here. They bring big bags of Putarekulu even now during major festivals. Every day I get Junnu (milk pudding prepared from milk obtained from lactating cows) when I am here. I also call it the Papaya town (parangi pandu town).
You have devotion. All of you here are devotees. You love Swamiji. Do not wonder why Swamiji spoke like this. I had this in mind, so I spoke. Swamiji is Vishnu, so he vomits it out. May good things happen to you. May the government be good, may they do good things. May their welfare projects be protected. May they be victorious. We should cooperate and follow. Only then will the country become Rama Rajya (Rama’s kingdom).
Sri Guru Datta