January 14, 2015
Birthday speech by HH Sri Datta Vijayananda Teertha Swamiji in the morning after puja - January 14, 2015 - Vijayawada
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta
Swamiji is in New Zealand.
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta
Sri Ganesaya Namaha
Sri Saraswatyai namaha
Sripada vallabha
Narasimha Saraswati
Sri Guru Dattatreyaya Namaha
Sri Sri Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Sadgurubhyo Namo namaha.
Jai bolo Kshipra Ganapati Swami ki Jai.
Jai bolo Syamakamalalochana Dattatreya Swami ki Jai.
Jai bolo Marakata Rajarajeswari Mata ki Jai.
Jai bolo Gangadhareswara Swami ki Jai.
Jai bolo Saraswati Mata ki Jai.
Jai bolo Karyasiddhi Hanuman ki Jai.
Jai bolo Sadgurunatha Maharaja ki Jai.
Jai bolo Jayalakshmi Mata ki Jai.
Happy Sankranti to everyone. Happy Bhogi festival. We are all celebrating Bhogi today. This year, the festivities are delayed by one day. Bhogi is 14th. 15th is Sankranti. Kanuma is 16th. Mukkanuma is 17th. We are celebrating this sequence of events here. We have offered worship to the deities. The scholars have rendered Veda. We have received prasadam from the nearby famous temples of Kanakadurga, Mangalagiri Narasimha Swami, the temple at Labbipeta, and Dasanjaneya Swami.
Today I am remembering Sri Jaganmohana Rao and Sri Choudary. Swamiji's devotees never leave His presence. They are ever in His heart and in His feet. They are happily witnessing this event here today.
Today is the last day of Dhanurmasam. Our body is the Dhanus/bow. Our sadhana is the arrow. It should land at Sadguru's feet as prostration. Or it should hit the target that we have chosen.
Our body is a valuable instrument. Many times the body is described as something worthless. Do not believe such words. This body is not easy to come by. By the expenditure of great merit earned previously through countless lifetimes, this human body has been granted to us to serve us as a boat. Do not pamper the body, nor blame the body. Accept and recognize your opportunities. Utilize them wisely. Do not place your entire attention on the body.
You are sitting in this boat and you are traveling. A great effort goes into the building of this body inside the mother's ***. We have not worked towards building it. But we are responsible that it has come to us. Do not ask why you were born. You are ever-existing. Ask only why you got this body. You have occupied this body as its resident. This is a great science. Saareerika Meemaamsa is the science. It is a difficult topic to understand. But Sadguru makes it easy to grasp. We have expended a lot of spiritual merit to purchase this human body. This body has the capacity to go to a temple, go to a Sadguru, do pradakshina, do prostration, do service, charity, do worship, sing the praises of God, listen to God's glories, ponder over divinity, and do very great and honorable and worthy things, if led on the right path.
Unless guided on the right path, this body will behave like a mad horse. Do you wish to run amok like a wild horse or a bull? God has given us complete freedom. This is what Sadguru also does, especially our Sadguru Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji. He is a silent master. He does not spell out the instructions. He merely gives hints. We have to pay attention and follow. He even cautions us that we have not grasped what He is telling us. We must be very alert in grasping the hints He gives us.
There is a word. We ask for a clue to guess what it is. It begins with A. We still do not know. L, He said. Al. Then? It could be Almighty or some other word. After many clues also if we do not guess, what is the use?
We must not blame, torture, pain, insult, or destroy this body before its time. We must accept all the experiences that it is subjected to. They are all our experiences. They belong to us and should not be rejected or denied. Due to karma, like the moving pictures on a cinema screen, various experiences are presented before us, some unpleasant, and some pleasant. It is important to view and witness these experiences with neither pleasure nor pain. It is difficult to remain neutral like that. It is natural for us to feel likes and dislikes. When you like something, you increase the quantity of it, such as Namasmarana or Namasankeertana. Then the negative side will reduce.
As income increases, debts should decline. As virtue increases, vices will reduce. There is no other specific way to reduce vices except to constantly keep thinking good thoughts, and keep doing good deeds, minute by minute. Every second praise Sadguru. Those who do not utilize their time wisely like this, waste their lifetime, because the body will soon deteriorate without achieving its purpose. That is why life is said to be wasted if not put to good use. Yet another lifetime has to be gone through and endured.
The day the body is given to us is recognized as Birthday. It is the day we get into the boat to begin our journey. The body must be kept healthy. The Sun God grants good health to us. That is why today is very special and we offer prayers to the Sun God. We should also pray that this body should be utilized for the purpose of serving God. We must pray that the body should be used for service. Prahlada has described in the Bhagavatam how each and every limb and organ of our body should be used in the service of God. We do not know what service is. Please, God, grant us the knowledge of how to serve. That is the significance of Sankranti. It is taking a step forward. When you lift one foot, where you place it is important. You cannot leave it hanging in midair. You cannot lift both feet at the same time either. Unless you go forward in the right direction, you do not make progress. If you remain where you are, it is useless. The pace does not matter. You do not have to go very fast. But your pace must be steady and consistent. At least walk without stopping. There is no need to run.
When you climb the Tirupati Hills, you walk steadily and consistently. If you begin rapidly, and run up the first one hundred steps, you get tired and waste much time in taking rest frequently thereafter. You must consider your capacity, your heart rate, your breathing, your strength and stamina. Maintain your rhythm. Some climb in 3 hours, and some take 5 hours. It does not matter. But if you take two days, you miss the darshan of the Lord on the auspicious day of Vaikuntha Ekadasi, as you had desired. One must never completely stop midway, but keep moving forward. The journey itself is sadhana.
Regardless of whether you are a spiritual seeker, an employee, a laborer, a social worker, or a scholar, continue your effort without stopping. Whoever has taken Mantropadesha must do mantra japa daily. All those who have received the sacred thread and are eligible to do the Gayathri Japa must chant the Gayatri Mantra daily. Without worshiping Sadguru first, you cannot enter the doorway to reach any other God. Guru is the entry point. You cannot enter from the back door. Gayatri Mantra is the doorway. It is meant for Universal Peace. If those who are entitled to do Gayathri, neglect to do the japa and instead chant only some other mantras, it causes unrest in the world. You must first complete the Gayathri Japa daily and then only do other mantra japas. Sadguru will not appreciate it if you neglect the Gayathri Japa.
The mantra given by Sadguru must be chanted at least 108 times daily. Do one mala with 108 beads. At least do 63, 54, 36, or 27 times. If that is impossible, do it at least 18 times daily or 9 or at least remember it once. Otherwise, it is doubtful whether you will receive Sadguru's grace.
Guru gives many methods. You must follow at least one of them. Only then you will be rescued from danger. Do not keep dwelling on anticipated or existing troubles. Forget difficulties. 2014 is past. Keep smiling, even if you have to pretend, smile, laugh. Ganapati is the creator of laughter. He makes us all laugh. Our Ganapathy Swami makes us smile in our hearts. Our blood cells get energized when we are happy and we smile. Our lips turn upward when we smile. Our face blossoms when we smile. When we smile, the world will appear happy to us. The mind will broaden. Those who try to make others laugh should not go away without success. People should laugh and keep smiling. Swamiji always tells devotees not to keep a long face or a sullen face, but to have a pleasant, smiling countenance. Swamiji does not like sullen faces. One must be brave at heart and confident about overcoming problems.
Journey towards happiness and laughter. That is Sankranti.
Shishyahritpadma sooryaaya satyaaya jnaanamoortaye ...
is the shloka in Sri Guru Gita. It is a wonderful verse. This is the season for blooming lotuses. The Sun's rays make the lotus buds open up. Sadguru, like the Sun, makes our hearts blossom. Guru is ever with us, guiding us, protecting us, destroying our miseries, curing our diseases, giving us great health, happiness, and prosperity.
Sadguru is the ocean. Life is the cloud. Service is rain. When the cloud produces rain, the ocean is happy. Sadguru is happy if we spend our lives in service. The fulfillment of life is for the cloud to rain, for the individual to render service.
Birthdays come and they bring larger and larger cakes. But you cannot eat the entire cake by yourself. If you do, you will ruin your health. You will make the hospitals richer. Happiness is something to be shared. That is why the cake is cut and distributed. The sweetness of happiness is shared with everyone. That is the message of Birthday.
This morning Sri Swamiji rang up from New Zealand. He conveyed His best wishes for Sankranti to all the devotees. Happy Sankranti to everyone. Please be happy. May the students thrive at studies. May those who are employed, thrive at their work and earnings. Spend your earnings wisely by giving generously to charitable projects. Keep your minds, bodies, families, homes and surroundings clean. Swamiji appreciates cleanliness very much.
When you visit temples or ashramas, do physical service by cleaning the premises. Remain happy and contented. I pray that there should be timely rains and successful harvests. We have celebrated Happy New Year along with Vaikuntha Ekadasi. Now we are following up with the celebration of Sankranti.
I pray that all of you should be blessed with good health. Many children are present here. Swamiji conveys His blessings to them all. There are many poor children who cannot afford to get proper education. Swamiji is arranging for help for them.
Many have asked how they should serve. Please help with the construction of the Sun Temple at Kurnool. From 2015-2017 we will have celebrations at the ashram every month with participation from the different ashrams. It is our duty to do this for our Sadgurudeva. 2016 will soon be here. Time flies. Sivaratri, Ugadi, Jayalakshmi Mata Aradhana, Birthday celebrations, Chaturmasya deeksha, Navaratri, Datta Jayanti, and again it will be Happy New Year with many more important events taking place in between.
My mother said that I was born on Bhogi day. After I entered the Mysore ashrama for permanent stay in 1985, I never returned home. I celebrated my birthday in 1986 in Vijayawada on Bhogi day. Somehow, the volunteers found out, they were then referred to as 'the battalion'. They arranged for the celebration. My first birthday, therefore, was celebrated here, in Vijayawada, after I became Swamiji's disciple (marking my second birth). Swamiji said that I was born by the blessings of Sri Subrahmanya Swami.
Due to some circumstances, my mother swallowed some glass pieces. Swamiji learned about it. He came to Nandyal. He touched my mother's belly and blessed the baby to be free from harm. He told her that He was blessing her with a second life, after scolding her for her reprehensible act. I need this child, He said. My mother was asked to do pradakshina to Lord Subrahmanya Swami. How much my mother had suffered while I was in the ***! It was by Sadguru's grace that this body has occurred to me. It belongs only to my Sadguru. This body will keep serving Sadguru as per His resolve. You will all join me in this service and be of support.
Mothers give oil baths to children on Bhogi. They never allow us to do it for them. At least on that day, children have to bow their heads down before the mother.
Now you may all come in a line and bow down before the Padukas of Sadgurudeva.
Avadhoota Chintana Sri Gurudeva Datta
Jai bolo Sadgurunatha Maharaja ki Jai
Jaya Guru Datta
Sri Guru Datta