September 10, 2002
Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji on Ganesh Chaturthi - September 10, 2002 - Euro Datta Centre, London
Sri Prasad says a few words
Two important stories concerning this auspicious day….
The Pandavas from Mahabharata story. When they were banished by Kauravas to the forest. They came across a band of sacred sages headed by Suta Puranike. The leader of the Pandavas asked Suta Puranike for help. He said Lord Shiva gave a special Ganapati Puja to his son Kumara Swami, when he had problems with the demons. If you perform Ganapati Puja in this way, on this day, you will come out of the problems. Anyone else who performs this Puja will come out of problems. We are immensely blessed that our Swamiji, the Ganapati incarnate, is doing Puja in front of us. Swamiji was to leave on Tuesday (today), but for some reason Swamiji postponed this and is with us today. Those of us seating here will be immensely blessed over the coming year.
The Centre (Euro Datta Centre) here has had lots of developments in the past year. To bless and develop this centre Swamiji wanted to bless the London devotees. This is also an immense responsibility for us to participate in Satsang. You must attend every Satsang. So that Swamiji visits regularly. Must attend Satsang regularly, whenever possible, do make it. It should become a daily part of your life. The energy that emanates from Satsang will make Swamiji visit Centre more and more.
Swamiji visited Washington suddenly. Devotees have been performing Satsang bi-monthly. Devotees were dumb struck to see Swamiji. They were used to seeing his 6ft picture. Devotees had been performing Bhajans of Pujya Swamiji. London is blessed with a Centre. You should not leave any stone unturned. Make best effort, and also bring others. Every Satsang. sends special energy to Swamiji. It makes Swamiji concentrate on Centre. This will make Swamiji want to come to the Centre. Please participate in Satsang. The stronger the Satsang, the more Swamiji will want to come.
Swamiji says people have silly excuses: Don't have time, Traffic problems. If you can breathe and still live in this smoky city, why can't you come to Satsang! If you think these are obstacles, then when bigger obstacles come, then Swamiji will say he can't come! If you take small step. If you make a one hour journey, Swamiji will make a ten hour journey from India to London!
Today in Vijaywada, one of the biggest Centre in India, more then 22,000 people have gathered in the Ganapati temple. Swamiji phoned them, and the crowd were thrilled to hear Swamiji's voice. Swamiji told then that he will be attending the new year celebrations in January 2003. Swamiji also blessed devotees gathered in Mysore and Hyderabad over the phone.
On your behalf, I now pray to Pujya Swamiji to bless us with a discourse
Discourse by Sri Swamiji
Vakratunda is Beejaakshara. The first letter. The first sound. Ekadanta - is controlling our sense organs, and controlling all kinds of obstacles and problems, and controlling our Ahankara - our Ego. That’s Ekadanta
Ekadantam also. In our bhajan:
Pahi, Pahi Gajanana
Parvati Nanda Gajanana
Ekadanta gajanana
Anekadantam Vidyanana
So He is protecting some many bhutas - means souls not draculas. Elephant faced, Inner meaning - knowledge. Ear is very big. Cosmic power. Panchabuta powers is in hands. He is controlling.
Suksmanatra - is looks very small.
One can perform and follow Ganapati Their buddhis, their own intelligence, they become very brilliant.
Translation of Indian Language speech: Every part of Ganapati has inner meaning. Ganapati is likeable, beautiful Murti.
But looks very ugly! How to call this elephant faced beautiful? Before Gajanana, i.e., change of head, he was very very beautiful. Maha Vishnu was jealous. He did it like a play. Drama. So we are thinking about Sundara (beautiful). Also knowledge. After Gajanana, after elephant face, also beautiful.
So many people think about the funnily shaped Hindu deities. Six head God, three heads God, twelve hands God, ten heads God, monkey faced God, bull faced God. So what is this? So many people think about this? Goat faced God. Horse faced God. Looks very funny. Very difficult to understand what is these funny deities. Three heads. What is three heads? Six heads. And so many hands. Thousand hands. Six hands God. It looks funny. If we go through that story.. inner meaning… is all Vedanta….. Absolutely all Vedanta.
All like Vedanta. Step by step. Step by step.
So many examples they have given. Looks funny. Funny stories. Difficult to understand. If you thought very seriously. Follow Sadguru. Keep on studying Mahabharata, Ramayana, Upanishads. You will definitely understand. Very easy to understand Hindu Dhrama. Vedanta very easy to understand. After Vedanta session you become very happy. Bliss yourself. Such a opportunity for Upanishad is not coming. All inner meaning. Puja like a science.Like a play. Looks play. Idol. Give him bath, turmeric, camphor….Looks like play. Like children play. If go inner meaning. Each action. Each things. They also Vendetta.
You must learn. Kind of Yoga Kind of science. With devotion and our affection - to do puja. You are talking to God, to yourself. Always yourself - Atman. You understand yourself. You looking Inner self. You looking for inner parts. You listening for your sounds.
You understand for your births. Everything. Become always bliss - happiness. Final goal. Atma Jnana
So don't get lazy. So don't take easy. People take easy. They don't understand. Easy to criticise. Easy to say - what is this. Very easy.
You want always examples. You want scientific proof. Okay scientific proof. Science also says there are so many stars. They don't find. Science always going - what is proof. Invisible always, no scientific proof.
So you sitting here is miracle. You are listening my voice - a miracle. This is big miracle. Scientific reason?
Translation of Indian Language speech: What happens when, is Gods play. When all is happening is His play. We don't know one week back we will be sitting with Sadguru. Some people approach Swamiji as good friend, good savior, God, good father, good brother. They are thinking about Swamiji. One week ago we don't know such a programme going to happen. In our fate, He had already computed. Then Swamiji came here.
So you are happy. So in our lifetime so many miracles. So we don't understand. Simply go with all experiences. If you go sorrow, go ahead no problem.
Translation of Indian Language speech: Sadness is a gift of God. Happiness is gift of God. Do not enquire. Sometimes we get answers, but not correct. Then again we doubting. So what is the experience in our life? So Puja is a good friend. Sit and listen and do some action. One hour or 2 hours. Some other planet. Leave problems, confusion. At least one hour, 1/2 hour. Lot of strength will come. Do one Japa of mala every day. 108 names. Close eyes. Chant own mantra. Or "Om". Or listen for breath for inner meaning. This is Omkara itself. Ham So Ham. "Who I am". "I am everything". So Ham. So Ham. " I am Brahman". "I am Lord Vishnu". "I am everything". "Om". What beautiful sound.
Swamiji always recommend long breath. It is long life. Long idea. Swamiji says always don't waste breath. So Ham always say swan Hamsa. We are all blessed with 200,000,000,000 to 300,000,000,000 Hamsas in life. So don't waste Hamsas. If we get very angry, we breath faster and waste. We are wasting Hamsas. So don't get angry. Don't get temper - excited. Happiness excitement good. But sorrow, depression excitement is not good. It makes funny sound breath. Always funny sound. Breath is losing. So is dying, slowly, slowly.
Swamiji's opinion - each action, Vedanta
This is why people coming more and more. Searching for Upanishads, searching for Vedanta. We people are losing this great tradition. Don't want these kind of things. We go to clubs, drinking… If anything happening we are searching. What is Upanishads? What puja? what is Sadguru? We are drinking, wasting money
What is this? What is this? Puja? Puja?
So youngsters should attend. Understand our Upanishads. It is very important. I agree some people get confusion. Because teachers not good. They don't understand. They are giving confusion. I am sorry about that.
You must search yourself for good books, good Guru, good habits. To practice good habits. Practice - for inner means of values. Very important.
Don't talk depression. Don't join your problems or sorrows to puja. If you get good things then you go for puja! No. Puja is different. Spiritual matters different. Personal matters different.
If I get job I go to puja! Not waiting for you puja. He (God) don't want any coconut or banana. He is creating them. He doesn't want it. He creates flowers himself. I give so many flowers puja. Give!. Not business. It is your duty to do puja. So you understand inner meaning.
Translation of Indian language speech: Do Adyatma Chintana Phalam, Patram, Pushpam What is the meaning. You understand. In our body. In our body itself Vedanta.
Translation of Indian language speech: God is always Giving - not Taking. Priest is always taking. God is making your sorrow disappear. Priest is giving you problems. If you don't give Dakshina he curses you! We are all priests - because so many ambitions, desires. We are always begging to God. Please give me, give me, give me, give me, give me, give me…. We never say take me, take me, take me….
God give me strength to do service.
God give me wealth to donate.
God give me intelligence to do Yoga
God give me strength to do service for You, not to earn money. Earn money. But to give to donation.
God give me good knowledge.
We will one day leave everything behind. Home, wealth, bank balance. All will be left behind. But Papa (sins) and Punya (merits), the two, will always be with us! Charity Punya will be with us.
We will leave beautiful house, bank balance, beautiful body. Nothing is left. Only Papa and Punya is always with us. You must think about it. Do be careful. Do something. Find out the good way, good friendship. As soon as possible. Quick. We are losing time. We have no time! 80 years. 85 years, 95 years. Finished! After that we can't see. Can't hear. Each part going. We can go to Americas to get operation. You can spend money but you can't get parts back. So we are going slowly, slowly.
Don't waste. Hurry to find out good path. We have good job, good wife, good husband, good house, good children. Doesn't matter. Inner meaning you find out. Side by side you find out "Who I am".
Enquire yourself. This is Tapas, penance. So many does not want to enquire. What is job? What is Atma? What is God? Not good. One day definitely they will come. I have seen America youngsters. My own experience as witness - I have seen so many youngsters turning back to our Vedanta.
So don't waste time. I don't want to waste time.
Beautiful Prasadam! We are showing to God and eating. I break coconut for puja. Then I get beautiful chutney when puja is over. Then I am eating. Two way. Very Good! Thanks by God. Thanks my Ganapati
Jaya Guru Datta.