Speech of HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji in the morning – July 15, 2018 – Toronto, Canada
Compiled by Archana Penukonda
Jaya Guru Datta
Hari Om Tatsat
How many have seen river Ganga in India? How many want to visit Ganga? I am very happy we are building an Ashram near Ganga river. We already have two places by river Ganga – one in Haridwar and one in Rishikesh. How many of you visited the Haridwar Ashram? How many visited the Rishikesh Ashram? Now, we are building a new Ashrama in Kasi (also known as Benares or Varanasi).
(Sri H. V. Prasad added: The sacred temple of Vishwanath temple and Annapurna Devi is in Kasi. Swamiji always wanted a small Ashram to house the pilgrims. Swamiji is building an Ashram near Garbha Kasi. Hopefully by March, the construction will be complete. In November next year, there’s a plan to do Atrirudra Yaga there to coincide with inauguration of Ashrama).
Our scriptures state that if you dip in the holy Ganga once that is enough. All sins are washed away. We humans incur so many different kinds of sins. Even taking one dip in Ganga while chanting a mantra – Om Namo Narayana or Om Namaha Shivaya or Om Sadgurubhyo Namaha – washes away the sins.
“Ganga paapam” – Ganga washes the sins.
“Ganga paapam, shashi taapam”. Shashi means moon. If you are physically or mentally not feeling very well, stand in the moon light. It is very peaceful.
“Dainyam kalpatarustatha”. Dainyam means poverty. Poverty could be due to lack of money or knowledge of health. All these kinds of poverty exist. “Kalpatarustatha”. There is a tree called Kalpavrksha in the celestial worlds. If you meditate on the tree, all kinds of poverty vanish. You become rich. Kalpavrksha gives everything. The tree can give any boon at any time. It is always giving.
We are always asking so many questions. We have no satisfaction. When one questions is answered or one desired fulfilled, a new one crops up. All life long, until death, we are only asking. Even on death bed, we ask for Masala Dosa. These desires are very bad. The smell of Masala Dosa has your mind craving to eat it. But you are on the death bed and cannot eat. Your organs are almost dead and you cannot move. But your mind pines for Masala Dosa. That is your karma. That is poverty. There is no satisfaction. When you speak with Swamiji once, you want to speak more. It is better not to speak to Swamiji at all. Once a desire is fulfilled, you ask for another. We do not give him anything, but we do not hesitate to ask all the time.
We keep asking for more; we have no satisfaction. We will never attain contentment. Your prayers are also for fulfilment of desires. You think it is your right to ask. You keep asking for blessings. You cannot even concentrate on chanting Lalita Sahasra Nama, or Vishnu Sahasra Nama or Bhagavad Gita. You do not understand their meaning, nor do you understand Swamiji’s speeches. You only keep asking for the well-being of your family. Your (karmic) bank balance is exhausted. Only if you replenish your bank balance can you ask. But your balance is negative. In the beginning, you incurred some merit through worship or meditation. That is why Swamiji gave you what you asked for one or two times. You then started having faith in Swamiji. You know Swamiji is capable of giving you everything. Complacent with that, you conduct neither worship nor meditation, nor do you heed his sayings. You are not following any discipline anymore because you once experienced the energy Swamiji gave you. He fulfilled your desires. You think you have no responsibility anymore because Swamiji will take care of you. That one desire you prayed to Swamiji for was fulfilled due to the energy and good karma from your previous birth. I used that good karma to grant you the boon. Your bank balance is exhausted. You cannot forsake worship, rituals, charity etc., because you have Swamiji. You do not want to participate in the “Share Your Food” program. You only want Swamiji. “We have Swamiji, no problem”. You use Appji to keep asking Swamiji for things. Is that your worship? That is wrong. Every time you talk to Swamiji’s photo, you are asking for something. How much have you grown? Think about that. What have you learned? What did you learn about Bhagavatam? Do you know Swamiji is always preaching Bhagavatam? Do you know the many books from the Ashram? “I do not need that because I have Swamiji”. “Swamiji, please do this for me”, “Please fulfill this for me”. That is disgusting. That is the worst thing in the world.
If you have no money in your account, will the bank manager give you money just because you are begging him to? He will ask that you be taken to a mental hospital. That is “Dainyam”. That is poverty. That is also removed by Kalpavrksha. We cannot get that tree here, it is in the celestial world. It is said that the tree grants whatever you ask for.
“Ghnanti santo mahashayaah”. But these three things are given by the Sadguru. Sins vanish, the heat/anxiety is dissipated, and poverty is removed. We should remember that all three are granted by the Sadguru. We get all three in one place. We cannot go all the way to Ganga. You cannot get the moon now in the day time. You cannot get Kalpavrksha here on earth. You are missing all three right now. But Sadguru is always available to you. That Sadguru is removing our sins, heat/anxieties and poverty.
That is what this saying means.
Ganga paapam, shashi taapam, dainyam kalpatarustatha |
Paapam taapam ca dainyam ca ghnanti santo mahaashayaah ||
You can offer worship daily. You can study the Guru Gita or Bhagavad Gita or Ramayana everyday for atleast a half hour. Select one Purana to study; memorize and understand it. That is what worship is. It is not about just applying turmeric and vermilion and drowning the idol in flowers. That is not even worship. That is a kind of circus and show business. Contemplate on yourself, your duty, the teachings of Guru Gita etc. You must think about this yourself. Do not ask anyone else. It is not necessary to ask another person or Guru. One doctor is enough for treatment. You are your doctor, you are your Guru. You will automatically get the answers from the scriptures. You sought the meaning and the scriptures will give them to you. The Guru Principle removes sins, anxieties and poverty. The Sadguru himself is Kalpavrksha. His touch is enough, it is like dipping in the Ganga. We are talking now. That talking is Darshana (vision of the Lord), Sparshana (touch) and Sambhashana (conversation). Touching does not need physical contact. It is happening eye-to-eye (Drshti-pata). Swamiji’s words are falling on your ears (Vaak-pata). So, automatically, I touched you. You just do not realize it. You do not know how I am touching you. Physical touch is not necessary. Swamiji is like Ganga; He is like the moon and like the Kalpavrksha. If you stand under the moon, it feels very nice. Think of the Guru like that and you will get everything. You will not need to go anywhere else.