May 31, 2012
Speeches of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji on His 70th Birthday- May 31, 2012 - Mysore
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Ganeshaya namaha
Sri Saraswatyai namaha
Sripada Vallabha
Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya namaha
As devotees and disciples every one of you must share the responsibility of promoting and propagating Swamiji’s music, Swamiji’s messages, and help in preserving Dharma. Swamiji himself is advertising tirelessly and repeatedly his CDs, his healing music, his bhajans, his books, and his mission. The entire responsibility is left on the shoulders of the bookstall to see that CDs and books reach the public. That is not correct. Each devotee’s home must have a collection of multiple copies Swamiji’s books and CDs. These should be given to friends and relatives. These should be given as gifts for birthdays, anniversaries, house warming and graduation functions. It is not enough if simply food, clothes and other gifts are given at celebrations and parties. You must give Swamiji’s music and messages and help Swamiji in spreading Dharma.
Swamiji is very upset that devotees, both senior and new devotees are showing a very selfish attitude. They only want interviews. They only want solutions to worldly problems. They invite Swamiji for Pada Puja and Swamiji extends himself and travels to their homes, hundreds of homes for several decades now. He spends a few hours. Sometimes he is even asked to stay overnight. The friends and relatives of the hosts come to see Swamiji as well as some VIPs. If Swamiji wants to give them some of Swamiji’s materials, the family will not have any CDs or books of Swamiji. It is a shameful situation. Then they send someone on a bicycle to somebody else’s house to bring some of Swamiji’s CDs. This situation has to change. You must read Swamiji’s Life History. You must listen to the glories of the Guru. Swamiji’s history and the Ashrama ‘s history have been presented numerous times in a variety of formats, as biographies, musical ballets, poetry, songs, and so on. You watch, listen, or read and then you promptly forget. You must keep Swamiji’s books and CDs at home. You must keep extra copies, at least 10 or 20 of selected CDs and books of Swamiji in every devotee's home and frequently give them to others. You must introduce Swamiji's materials to others and sing his glories to them. It is your duty.
You must listen to CDs. The bhajans CDs are so wonderful. They make you forget yourself. They make you sing along automatically. The healing music CDs are very good for your health. Listen to them for at least 10 minutes daily before going to sleep.
It is very important to pray for at least a few minutes in the morning when your wake up and again for a few minutes before going to sleep. Even 5 minutes of regular prayer should be done in every home. Earlier we had the practice at the ashram of chanting the Datta Stavam prior to eating meals; now that practice has been given up. It is too bad. You must remember God and be thankful for being alive, before you put food or drink in your mouth. You must say a short prayer or chant a mantra. There are mantras to chant as you wake up, as you bathe, as you eat, and as you sleep. At least chant the mantra that the Guru has given you or at least chant Om Namo Hanumate Namaha.
Many devotees inquire about Swamiji’s health. What right do you have to make that inquiry if you have not done anything to promote his health? Have you chanted any mantras for his health? Have you offered any special prayers in his name? How many of you who have been initiated into the Gayatri Mantra are chanting it regularly? Unless you are doing your prayers unselfishly and regularly, you have no right to ask Swamiji about his health. The more the devotees pray the stronger will Swamiji become. It is your duty as devotees and disciples to chant prayers regularly with devotion.
I want every one of you to be born again today with the resolve that you will actively help in promoting Swamiji’s mission. Do not remain selfish, being concerned only about yourself and your family, and your personal problems. You must put in effort to help society, and help the world at large.
Bala Swamiji’s CD singing the glories of the Sadguru is wonderful. I expected that it would be good and devotional. I am surprised and happy at His wonderful rendering and composition of the lyrics. It is every devotee’s duty to sing the glories of the Guru and tell others about the Guru’s greatness. Until now, you have done only ten per cent of your share. Now you have to begin doing it one hundred per cent. Swamiji’s chants such as Shatashloki Ramayana, Hanuman Chaleesa in different languages and other prayer CDs have been produced in thousands but they are not reaching every home. It is your duty to purchase them in large numbers and distribute them. Give them in every temple. Give them to all your friends. Only then you would be justified in calling yourselves devotees. Simply coming for interviews and pada pujas to tell problems and to seek solutions is not enough. Your selfish attitude must change from today. You must take the initiative to advertise, promote, and propagate Swamiji’s music and teachings. This is my message on this 70th Birthday.
Sri Guru Datta
Message during the Raft Festival or Teppotsavam to Lord Sri Datta Venkateshwara - a summary
The five different festivities or utsavams are offered to all the deities during their special occasions – mantapotsavam (offering of an altar-earth), Teppotsavam (taking the Lord on a ride on a raft in the waters of a sacred temple pond), Rathotsavam (taking the Lord on a chariot around the temple and its environs - as sparks of fire are generated from the friction of the wheels against the ground), pallaki (taking the Lord on a palanquin that is carried in the air, borne on the shoulders of devotees -air) utsavam, and Dolotsavam (placing the deity on the swing and gently cradling Him to the accompaniment of a lullaby - space), represent the five elements.
By balancing the elements that are within us and that constitute everything in Creation, the energies inherent in them are harmonized and harnessed for our benefit. The efforts put in by a yogi to uplift his consciousness from the yogic mooladhara chakra that is situated at the base of the spine to the sahasrara chakra at the top of the head denoting liberation, is symbolized externally by these rituals. The westerners are often surprised at the ancient Indian tradition that we still follow, of worshiping everything as God starting from pebbles to mountains, from drops of water to rivers and oceans, from blades of grass to mighty trees, and from mice to elephants. It is ingrained in us to see that God manifests as the five elements and that in the form of the five elements and as Life Energy and Consciousness God exists as everything in Nature. While God is also without any attributes, is nameless, formless, invisible, and incomprehensible, He is also very visible and tangible in all these forms. When we understand, recognize, and appreciate this concept, life becomes harmonious and we are at peace with our surroundings because we perceive divinity everywhere.
The number 13 is considered as inauspicious by some cultures and out of fear they avoid giving that number to rooms in hotels and to floors in buildings. For us, 13 is an auspicious number. The Rama Mantra with 13 syllables is very powerful and sacred. It is also our tradition that we respect the beliefs of other cultures and do not try to force our convictions upon them.
Sri Guru Datta