Dattajayanthi, 2004
Speeches of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji during Dattatreya Jayanthi Mysore
Speech on December 24 at 12 pm, 2004 - Mysore
For many, spiritual interest is the last resort when nothing works out. Though it is unfortunate, it is true. Imagine this. When a person is dying, we try all methods to revive his life. We give him oxygen, we give shock treatment to revive his life. Many people entertain the feeling that going to a temple, *** or Sadguru should be the last resort when all else have failed. We think that we are too busy for any spiritual practices in life. Getting spiritual or religious in the last days of your life is of no use. It is like pushing a dying wick in a oil lamp further to squeeze the last strains of oil left in it. It is futile. Many feel that they are very good to society and that their ancestors built a temple, which will help the generations to come. Some also get ego by studying some books. Ego is the greatest stumbling block., The cause of ego could be education, haughtiness or false pride. Sadguru never misleads you. HE will only ask you to follow the good tenets of life like truthfulness, being good to others etc., Apart from this there is one very important thing. In spite of having everything in life, one occasionally feels empty. This empty feeling can be quite nagging. It can be psychologically damaging. Unfortunately most people have one another problem. That is wanting more. If you have money, you want even more. If you have a contended family, you want even more happiness. Doubts persist about Guru, Vedanta and spirituality. But you try to display a gait that you do not have any doubts. But when alone, the mind gets tired by this nagging emptiness. All this emptiness is there because you have no patience to do any spiritual practice with implicit faith and truthfulness.
We also are restless. We get restless when there are no spicy news on the TV. It is not good for health at all. You should not seek horrific news. In Europe, the garbage bin is quite ornamental and comafoulaged. People are driven to use it. But we have over spilling garbage bins, spreading the bad odor all around. Who goes there to use it? Nobody! The very purpose is lost. Like you clean your teeth everyday, you should also clean your shoes, the garbage bin etc., Don't you still brush your teeth in the morning after eating Tirupati Laddus the previous night? Do you fear that the good Blessings it brought to you gets washed away? No.
Imagine this. You have a cow. You clean the cow everyday. You milk the cow. The vessel is yours. Don't you wash that vessel everyday? In spite of being the owner of the cow, the vessel etc., you still wash the vessel just to make sure that the milk does not get decayed. Like wise, In spite of having your own mind, you should still clean it everyday. For such activity, you should read Dattatreya story daily. He learnt from all types of Gurus. From snakes, women, from a bee etc., It is not a story. It is a guide for daily life. Because he Blessed us with such information, he is Guru for Devathas, for Manavaas. Everyday is Datta Jayanti. Even after become greatly educated, you must always remember that there is a invisible energy that is helping you. We follow Sadguru to help us understand that invisible energy. One you understand, you will be full of bliss. I am not saying you should never get doubts. All I am saying is that you should not search for doubts. All it needs from you is little bit of patience. You would not have got the doubt, if there were no answer for it. It has come because there is an answer for it. Everything is planned by that invisible energy. If we acknowledge our existence to that energy humbly and truthfully, you will be a winner. We all are puppets in the hands of that energy.
You may believe it or not. You may have suspicion or not. But believe me. DATTATREYA is the GREATEST.
Dattatreya is not a story. Dattatreya is discovering your self. Dattatreya is self-surrender. Dattatreya is not Panchamrita Abhisheka. We do it to gain concentration. Puja is level one. It is like the foundation for a house. We do it daily till death to ensure that the monkey mind does not trouble you.
Look at a horse man in Mysore city. They have a humble and weak horse and take people in carriages around the city. He has a whip in his right hand, he holds the reins in his left hand and makes strange grunting noises from the bottom of his stomach. He and the horse can understand that communication. I want you all to write an essay explaining what it means. Do it.
Sri Guru Datta
Speech in morning on December 25, 2004 - Mysore
Since devotees come from so many places, sometimes I wonder in which language I should speak. Kannada or Telugu or Hindi or English? But the presence is important. Not language. I will now conduct question answer sessions. I speak about Bhakti Yoga, Jnana Yoga and Karma Yoga. Karma Yoga means meditation, Puja, discipline, concentration, training the Indriyas and observing humane Dharma.
Dharma does not mean Hinduism or Christianity. People can have any devotion they want. Dharma means good human activities, control of sense organs and the path to self-inquiry leading to self realization. Dharma also means perfection. I have already in my earlier speeches, given many examples about Dharma. Dharma also means understanding your real self. If we observe the core concepts of Dharma, it is more than enough. But what are the core concepts? Can we believe what we see? Who is the right master to follow? This questions existed in olden days and they will continue to exist.
Many wrongly say Hindu Dharma, Christian Dharma. It is wrong. We also wrongly use, it is your bad Karma. These words have come in to day to day use. We also sometimes call a friendly person as GURU. How are you Guru? It makes no sense.
Another funny thing is – even after being with me for more than 20 years, they wonder what is this relationship. Swamiji has been indirectly teaching you Vedanta, Swamiji is teaching you Manasa Puja. The more we speak, the less you learn. Learning is from silence and observation and self analysis. When you see a beautiful full moon rise, you are in wonder and astonishment. Is the moon speaking to you? Yes. In a silent way and its very presence speaks volumes. See the flower in my hand? (Sri Swamiji holds a Kanakambara flower). Can anyone not feel joy looking at it? Look at the stars in the night sky. It is a celestial ocean. When a cold breeze blows and you get goose bumps, you feel a kind of subtle electric energy wrapping your body? Can that experience be said to be of inferior quality? See the flowing water. The light fresh feeling it represents is amazing. *** has been abundantly Blessing us with his grace and gifts. But humans are behaving devilishly and carelessly and recklessly destroying these precious gifts of ***.
Look at music. With just seven notes, sa rig a ma pa da ni, such great music can be weaved, so many emotions can be created. Imagine a doctor. The amazing combination of medicines he comes up with to treat a patient is wonderful. With sugar as basic ingredient, so many types of sweets are prepared. Unfortunately the only creation humans are adept seems to be destruction. His fickle mind has been relentlessly at work since birth. He is always thinking of new things. He has no time to explore the great gifts of *** with patience and reverence. He is like the proverbial young calf which goes on in search of grass and ignoring the good grass that is in front of it. By evening it is still hungry.
Like wise man too goes in search of spirituality. What does he do? He tastes different Yogas, Pujas, astrologers, numerologists, Vastu experts, priests and finally what happens? He is in even more sorrow. He will be ninety years old and wonders why he behaved in this fickle fashion? Then it is too late because the eyes are weak, the ears are weak and he cannot walk properly. Unfortunately many believe that a Guru is the panacea for all their problems. That he can get a good job, he can bless for a good wife or husband and then bless them with a good child, then its education, its marriage, career, bank balance, health, etc., etc., Is this the work of a Guru? Is this why our ancients started the Guru system? If a Guru is deemed to be powerful, he must dole out Mantras for this benefit or that Blessings.
You have to have discipline, you must exercise and be healthy, study and get a good career, be a good person and find a wife, be truthful to the family life and raise children. But you don’t have sense controls, you eat 5 Masala Dosa everyday, suffer with ultra Kama problem and then you look at me for solution. *** fellow, you first change. You should never attribute your faults to the regular human life. I disagree. You cannot just confess your sins in the church and keep on repeating the same. You cannot pay for Pujas in the Puja counter and expect your one-year’s sins to be washed away. A small sin – for 500 rupees, a big sin for 1000 rupees. For ten years of sins to be washed – one lakh rupees. Sorry. This is not how it works. This is not a business.
You think in this manner because of the business that has crept every angle of life. In health system, in travel system, in career system, everything depends on the money you have. No wonder, you think it applies to spiritual life also.
When you are nervous or tensed, your blood pressure will be very high. Then just sit in a quiet corner and breathe deeply and settle down your mind. You can heal yourself. You don’t need a Guru for that. I am shocked that so many people depend on even small decisions to be made by Sri Swamiji. That is wrong. I can be a good friend to you. That is all. Don’t over use me. If you keep on rubbing a iron bar over magnet for a long time, the iron turns in to a small magnet. It acquires the qualities of the magnet. It is called Sparsha Shila. In Puranas we find passages wherein it is mentioned about a special stone. If you touch iron to that stone, the iron would become Gold. But this would happen only in Krita Yuga. Not in Kali Yuga.
Don’t get discouraged by my speech. You are special flowers. There is some connection with me. That is why we have gathered here. Swamiji too has come to earth and is with you. I think it is all previous plans. I have come for you. For your sake, I have assumed this physical form. Because of me you have come to my feet. It is a joint relationship. Swamiji has given lot of messages through Bhakti Mala, books and lectures. Learn from them. I don’t want to teach you new things.
I Bless you and Lord Datta will Bless you. You came with devotion. You have come with a pain in the heart. You have come with a want – a want of health or knowledge or a want of something. You have come with believing me. With this want – our relationship started. Many have been with me for 30 years. If you now sit and think about the reason of your coming to me – 30 years ago – you will feel ashamed. Did I have such small problem? – you will think.
You should never demand from Swamiji. Swamiji may appear to be a public property. But it is not so. Swamiji is not contracted to you to heal and make your problems disappear. No. Swamiji is not a public property. He is your heart’s property. When you came to me, I allowed you to board my bus – but without a ticket. I wanted to check if you behave properly – only when I am satisfied, I will give you ticket for the full journey.
Jaya Guru Datta