Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – April 21, 2018 – UPH Mysore
Date is not confirmed
Compiled by Parimala Eshwarla
The benefits of Omkara chanting and sanctity of Ashram
Only when eyes are closed, meditation is effective. So long as the external objects/ scenes are visible to the eye, the mind cannot concentrate and hence meditation becomes difficult.
Along with mediation one should regulate breath. Focus on the inhalation and exhalation. Listen to the sound of breath. It will aid in meditation.
(this session continues a while).
Now in accordance to your individual capacity, each of you begin to chant Omkāra together with deep inhalation and exhalation. If you practise this regularly, all the diseases pertaining to the wind pipes, breathing disorders, cough and asthma will be completely cured. Those who are prone to catching cold when exposed to cold air will obtain relief. Instead of Om try to say Aum. Through this exercise, the person listens as well as chants Omkara together with regulated breathing. As such this is a phenomenal exercise which energizes all the nerves.
Five activities are happening simultaneously during this Omkara chanting. First, you are concentrating on your breath. Second, you are listening to Omkara. Third, you are chanting it. Fourth, you are inhaling and exhaling deeply. Fifth you are sitting in siddhasana.
The seating pose represents the earth element. Listening constitutes the fire element. Chanting is connected to wind element. Breathing is connected to the water element. Concentration pertains to space element.
Further, each of the five activities has its own connection with all the five elements. For example, the task of listening incorporates all activities pertaining to the five elements. Likewise, in chanting, activities pertaining to the five elements exist. Thus, all the five activities have independent connection with the five elements – this sums up to 5*5 i.e. this practice of Omkara triggers the 25 principles in our body simultaneously.
With this small exercise bodily diseases pertaining to all the five elements (earth, fire etc.) are cured. This exercise must be undertaken early morning on empty stomach and night before retiring to bed.
First, all the diseases connected to the nasal passages are cured. Sleeplessness, wheezing, long standing cough, fevers caused due to heat and cold are cured. I asked a person who was suffering with chikungunya to undertake this exercise. He was totally cured in 25 days without any medication. For the best results sit in a place where fresh air is available.
This exercise can be performed in the meditation hall (Dhyana mandira). How many of you have visited this hall? No one. It is constructed in the form of a pyramid using scientific methods. The pyramid helps your meditation energy travel upwards. You are real sinners; truly unlucky. You cannot even utilize it and derive benefits from it.
You limit your visits to only meeting Swamiji and seeking solution for your worldly needs. You refuse to grow beyond this. What can I say? You have performed some meritorious deeds in the past which brought you to this sacred place. After coming here you however are wasting the given opportunity. You are comparable to those souls who travelled to see Paramatma and thereafter closed their eyes and ears upon reaching His residence. Of what use was their travel? What can I say of your misfortune? I think there can be none in this world unluckier than you.
Now tell me, how many engage in sweeping the ashram premises? Not many. It is such a wonderful seva. There can be no seva better than cleaning and moping sacred premises. This opportunity too you do not avail. Not even one seeks to utilize this ashram for spiritual growth. No one seeks to draw the positive energy. You want to utilize Swamiji for worldly solutions. You should strive to purify your mind. When this is done, Swamiji will be visible in your mind.
Swamiji has provided everything in the ashram. It is a pity that you fail to utilize it. Swamiji has created a shakti yantra in this place. This ashram is a yantra filled with enclosures (avarana). It is like a pushpaka vimana. It is filled with unimaginable powerful energy. The more our spiritual pursuits, the more we can draw benefit from this place. Stepping into the ashram means stepping into a Maha-yantra. Remember this always!
Why do you think Swamiji returns back to Mysore from His travels, despite having ashrams at various locations? It is because of the Maha-yantra placed here.
Sadly, you all are limiting yourselves to external, bodily actions. Physically attending Pujas, running here and there, eating prasadam and going home has become your routine. Mechanically you bow before Swamiji, talk to Him and then run away to gossip. It is nothing but a waste of time. I laugh at your foolishness. At all times, you want to know- is Swamiji sitting in the hall? Is He talking to people? Can we meet Him? Is He distributing prasadams? Tell me – of what use is your stay inside a Maha-yantra beneficial to you? I am goading you only because I want you to earn some profit due to your stay in the ashram.
Have you ever thought – in what way did I gain from my ashram visit today? What is it that I have learnt? If you were to write a dairy it would read as follows – ‘I reached ashram. Near pillar A I met a friend and gossiped for a while. Thereafter near pillar B I stood idle for a few minutes. When I was nearing pillar C, I saw Swamiji and hence prostrated before Him. Thereafter I sat near pillar D and relaxed for an hour following which I went to Annapoorna Mandiram, had some prasadam and then drove back home’. Tell me, is there any meaning in leading such life? What is it that you have gained by following Swamiji?
Externally, what you say is perfectly true – Seeing Swamiji itself is akin to heaven. But then what is it that you have gained due to this association with Sadguru? In which areas have you spiritually progressed?
Every living being has to acquire something new every single day. There has to be some gain or the other. As far as having daily darshan of Swamiji and as far as singing bhajans daily are concerned, there are no flaws from your end. So far so good. But have you invested in earning permanent profit? Where do you stand in the context of earning spiritual knowledge? Have you scaled up in that path? At least you should be in a situation wherein you enjoy total mental peace as this is the end result. A totally peaceful mind; a calm mind; a mind as pure as crystal is an absolute necessity. To obtain such pure mind we must necessarily undertake spiritual sadhana. Merely having darshan of Swamiji is inadequate. You should work and obtain this from Him.
There is a family which supplies me with goat’s milk daily. The goats that stop giving milk are not culled but are reared till their very end. There is a family which supplies clothing, a family which supplies my head band, a family which takes care of my vegetables and food, a family which gave me car whenever I needed to travel, families which rear cows, families which prepare the rakshas that I use for distribution to devotees – in this way there are families which have taken on such sevas and are completing them diligently. What is it that Swamiji does not have? This is a mini Vaikuntha. We fail to understand the significance of this sacred place. Unless you are told, you do not understand the glory of this ashram.
Anyway, I drink goat’s milk daily. A few months back I enquired, ‘why does the goat give scanty milk? What fodder do you use?’ I then learnt that the quality of the fodder was poor. Immediately I issued instructions that the goat be fed nutritious food. With the change in fodder, along with the quantity, the flavour of the milk also increased significantly. The milk is nectarous and is sufficient both for its calf and for others.
Similarly, the more you churn the more nectar you get in ashram. Churning is a crucial pre-requisite to obtain nectar. You must work hard towards obtaining nectar. You are focussing more on gossip and on condemning others. You lack the drive to search for spiritual knowledge.
Discarding this wasteful usage of time, think of ways in which you can spiritually gain from the ashram. This ashram is only for the benefit of devotees. For instance, the plants in the bonsai are for providing cleaner air. Breathing pure air leads to good health while seeing green plants strengthens the eyes. The delightful coloured birds of Shuka vana which are also connected to the stars that rule us shower blessedness upon us.
365 pillars pertaining to each day of the year have been installed all around the ashram. Within each pillar the presiding deity of that date has been invoked. The presiding deity who was ruling on the date you were born eternally protects you. Touching that pillar and offering obeisance to it whenever you are in the ashram fills you with goodness. Sadly none of you even bother to visit the pillar pertaining to your date of birth. It is the angel/ Devata who is related to you. There is a priest who helps you worship your pillar. Utilize that service and benefit from it. By visiting your pillar daily, difficulties are driven away, good health is obtained and unnecessary thoughts are kept at bay.
Coming to the Kala bhairava temple- by visiting this Lord one is freed from the danger of untimely death. In addition, sarpa dosha is cured. Is there anyone who visits the 3 Hanuman temples daily? Not even one. How many go to Annapurna mandira to have prasadam daily? Everyone.
Shame on you. While I am struggling for your benefit, you remain unconcerned about your own spiritual growth. You arrive only after Swamiji arrives into the prayer hall. After receiving the message – ‘Swamiji is in prayer hall. He is distributing prasadam’, you coming running here, take the prasadam and run back home. Are your actions justified? Every ashram inmate must necessarily be present during the Puja time. Not for my benefit but for yours. It will bless you with prosperity, knowledge, goodness, health and the like.
I am eternally watchful of who attends Pujas and who does not. Those who have no interest in these activities, can stay in rented accommodation elsewhere in city. Am I asking the devotees who live in the city as to whether they are attending the Pujas or not? After staying in ashram it is wrong on your part to not attend. We must utilize the ashram for our growth.