Saturday, December 15, 2007
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Today, a group of devotees from the USA had been permitted to sing bhajans as a part of
their programme in front of Swami. Swami came out at about 5:05 pm. He came out straight
and asked for the US devotees to begin their programme. The programme was one of chain
bhajans. It began with Shuklambaradhara Ganapti Mantram and then moved on to other ones.
It was a good blending of the different beats and ragas. Swami sat tapping His hands and
watching them intently as they sang. The "chain" of bhajans got completed so to say, and
they then began to sing "normal" bhajans if we may be allowed to use that term.
But the beauty of the evening came after the programme. In fact it came after the Aarthi
was performed at about 6:00 pm. Swami did not move even after the Aarthi was completed.
He called Mr. Bob Bozzani who was seated right in the front row of the American
devotees. He told him to speak! Mr. Bozzani spoke very short and sweet and on the topic
of reaction, reflection and resound. Everyone was thrilled at this extra dose of
darshan. But they were totally unprepared for what was to come next. Swami signaled for
His mike to be brought! Then He began to speak -- a summary is presented below:
"We bother ourselves too much with the world because of the difficulties we face.
Everything is actually bliss. The Lord, who is creator, is full of bliss and so is the
creation -- be it an insect, animal or bird. Difficulties and problems are imaginations
of man. Pleasure is in an interval between two pains. You cannot experience the joy in
pleasure without pain. Remember, whatever happens it is God's prasadam. Never consider
anything as painful. To remove severe pain in the abdomen, the doctor uses surgery which
itself is painful. Difficulties are ultimately responsible for removal of pain.
The crores of beings are in fact the product of the same Atma. The same God dwells in
all. The names are different - Jesus, Allah, Rama and Krishna. The Atma is nothing but
Love. The exact name for the Atma is Love. All of you have come from America only
because of your love for Swami. This love will ensure that you achieve anything. Love
holds everyone. Unity leads to success. It leads to Purity and finally to Divinity. I
and you are one. Swami is not separate from you. You have to strengthen the feeling that
"I am God". In that oneness you will find bliss. The mind wavers like a monkey only for
some time. If there is Love, it gets subdued. What we have to learn today is that we
have to love all because God loves all and hates none. God will never leave you and will
be with you always, everywhere. Sarvam Brahmamayam. God is in you, with you, above you
and around you -- you are God in fact. So you do not have to search for God.
It is only with the physical body that you have all the difficulties. Do not go by the
form. Mind is a mad monkey and the body is a water bubble. The I is the real you. The
true answer to the question "Where is God?" is "I am God." So I say, take love as the
basis. Without Love, all spiritual activities are useless. If Love exists then there is
no need for any other spiritual activity. To understand the importance of Love,
spiritual activities are needed. All physical relationships are like passing clouds.
Have total control over the mind, then you are moving towards realizing God. Love has no
birth or death. It is immortal. This is the Truth and Truth is God. God manifests and
moves about in the form of Love.
Your breath itself is God. If you observe it, it says, "Soooo....Hammm....." meaning, "I
am That". The same Love pervades all. So do everything with Love, even if it is facing
your enemy. Look at the enemy and say "Hello". Everything is reaction , reflection and
resound. Nothing is impossible for Love. The creation, sustenance and destruction are
all done out of Love. Since there is nothing beyond God, there is nothing beyond Love.
Love is one and the same. It is pure and unsullied. Adherence to the principle of Love
equals to loads of spiritual effort. Do not have differences based on the names as forms
as Love is one. It is like this. You have rice. With it you can make either idlis or
dosas or roti and with sugar, it can be made into payasam (pudding) too. But all these
different names and forms arise from the same rice. God or Love is the same - made into
different names and forms by man. God is beyond everything. If there is no Unity alone
will there be diversity. God is the only one.
If you have a 1, put as many zeroes after it. Each zero gains value. But remove the 1
and all the zeroes lose value even if they are a thousand in number.Without God,
everything is of no value. With God, everthing's value gets enhanced. This is the truth,
howsoever anybody may say it. "Ekam Sat, vipraah Bahuda Vadanti."
Do not hate anyone. 'Help ever hurt never' is the quality of a true devotee. Being a
devotee, it is not right to get lost in mine and thine. Do not observe differences.
Swami's wish is that all should be happy always. Some say "today is my birthday." That
is only related to the body. You are all eternal and immortal. Be happy always. Swami is
very happy with your bhajans today. They were full of harmony and thus were in perfect
unity. Keep singing bhajans always, throughout the day - from the time you rise till you
sleep."
(Hari Bhajana Bina)
Then Swami so sweetly asked, "Is Aarthi over?" He asked for the Aarthi to be done! And
so it was a double bonus for the boys and devotees selected to give Aarthi to Swami.
After filling everyone with His mellifluous words and the vision of His delicate yet
powerful form, Swami retired at 6:50 pm.
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