Speeches by HH Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji – November 20, 2018 – Dallas
Compiled by Archana Penukonda
Speech in the morning
Every family member is bringing a car to get to the Ashram. You should coordinate with your neighbors and carpool. You can take turns driving. You should especially coordinate on weekends and on festivals when a lot of new people come to the temple. You can park farther away and take the shuttle bus to get to the temple. Give new people an opportunity to enjoy their visit to the temple. Once they come to the temple a few times, they will get attached to this temple. Senior devotees should not claim parking spots and seating in front rows. Accommodate new devotees. That would be real service.
People need to get a taste of what coming to Swamiji is like. No amount of talking about Swamiji can beat the experience of coming to Swamiji. Devotion that springs from such an experience is lasting. No amount of describing the beauty of moon can beat the experience of actually seeing the full moon. You have to get out and see the moon and experience its coolness.
The Upanishads and Vedas seem complicated and hard to understand. What are Vedas? They are like the sun. Can we see the sun directly? The sun and its rays are very fierce. Just as we cannot see the sun directly, we cannot understand the Vedas easily. Those vedas are reflected in the Puranas. Just as we can withstand the rays of the moon, we can understand the Puranas relatively easily. Puranas are not made-up stories. They contain the history of great sages and Gods. Puranas are nothing but the essence of the Vedas and scriptures.
Students of Vedas forego everything and study Vedas for 16 or 21 or 28 years, starting their studies early at the age of 8 years. The student studies the Vedas for 12-18 hours daily. Every waking hour is spent in the study of Vedas. They are required to memorize the entire text. If you find Bhagavad Gita difficult to memorize, imagine how difficult the study of Vedas must be. Memorizing the Bhagavad Gita takes us a year and it is still not without mistakes. Those who have weaker memory may take up to 3 years to study the Bhagavad Gita. Imagine how much more difficult the study of Vedas is. That is why the students start young. In our Ashram, kids that start at 8 years of age are about 30 years old when they become scholars (Salakshana Ghanapati). Then, they study the Shastras and grammar. That takes 2-5 years each. So, at least 45 years of their life is hard work to become a Veda scholar. There are also some other classes they take in between.
The government is now making it easy for those pursuing Vedic studies by awarding them diplomas equivalent to a bachelors (Bachelor of Arts) or master’s (Master of Arts) degree based on stipulated tests. These degrees give them the eligibility to enter a Phd program right away. Vedic studies need extreme hard work. What is Vedanta? Swamiji’s discourses are all related to Vedanta. Vedanta is hard to understand which is why we touch on Puranas as examples to explain Vedanta. This is akin to how we smell coffee beans in between perfumes or have a side of pickles during a meal. The coffee beans drive away the smell of the previous perfume so you are ready to smell the next. Many people crave the usual pickles even though there is a feast cooked at home. It is a different matter that those people have severe odor from the pickles and spices they eat. People who want to eat pickles should eat them in the evening rather than the morning. The 8 hours of sleep in the night helps dissipate the odors. Usually, people do not touch pickles on the day of a feast. Pickles are prepared with a lot of careful effort and with great hygiene and are made to last a long time. There are also pickles you can prepare the same day. You may wonder why Swamiji is talking in such great detail about pickles instead of about Vedanta? It might seem like Swamiji knows the intimate details of what goes on with pickle making in our households. Making pickles is a big process I can talk to another time.
Vedanta includes pickles as well. Although Stutis (glories of God), Namas (divine names), Kavacas etc are a big deal for us to learn, they are like pickles on the side for students of the Vedas. Children that learn the Vedas are also taught Lalita Sahasra Nama, Vishnu Sahasra Nama, Kavacas, Soundarya Lahari etc. The children pick these up very quickly while we have to work hard to learn this. Their memory is so sharp that they’ll memorize it by reading it just once. They complete BA and MA degrees as easily as eating pickles. They pick up English language very quickly too. Their memory has expanded so much. Don’t think that improving memory is limited to kids. You can do it too. Even a 90 year old can do it. Continuous repetition and study will help you expand your memory. God has created the brain in such a way. The lower brain will keep expanding and generating juices that rev up your memory. Memory power is like a tape recorder. With continuous repetition, memory will expand. Many people surprise themselves with memorization of shlokas by continuous repetition. God has given us a tape-recorder in our brain. It is like a chip in the head. It should always be protected from any kind of impact. That is why we are always asked to wear a helmet when riding a two wheeler. An injury to the head can impact the rest of the body too. 80% of accidents in India lead to fatalities because people refuse to wear helmets. God has give us a strong helmet – our skull. You can tap on your skull and check for yourself how strong it is. All these are lessons for you. Right on top of the head at the crown chakra is the Brahma Randhra. If you tap on it gently occasionally, it settles down. Do not keep tapping on it all the time, however, just because you want to memorize shlokas.
The energy centers start at the base of the spine with Mooladhara Chakra. The sixth energy center is Ajna chakra at the point slightly above the midpoint of the eyebrows. That is why we are asked to put a dot/tilak at that point. All this will be discussed during the evening Saptaha messages this week. The holy ash, the holy kohl, vermilion – all of these have their own significance. Every one must apply tilak. In Hanuman temple, Sindhooram/vermilion should be made available. Everyone must apply vermilion on the forehead to receive protection from Lord Hanuman.
Students of Veda have very sharp memory. People learning bhajans too, similarly, sharpen their memory. The more you learn, the sweeter your singing. You will be able to sing more, effortlessly. We discussed that Vedas are like sun rays. We cannot directly look at the sun rays. The moon reflects the light from the sun, yet the moon’s light is so relaxing. Dipping in the holy Ganges removes sins just as standing in the moonlight removes heat from the mind and body. Similarly, the essence of the Vedas reflects in the Puranas. Puranas are certainly not made up stories – they are related to history and to the ancient sages and to the deities. Most of us are unable to dedicate that many years to rigorous study of Vedas. There is no rule forbidding women to learn the Vedas. It is only during menstrual periods that women should not study the Vedas. Women after menopause can study the Vedas. Until then, they can listen to the Vedas. In the study of Vedas, a 40-day period makes one circle. Women cannot complete one circle due to their menstrual cycle interfering with it. Gargeyi who was a woman was also a Vedic scholar. She was fortunate to not have menstrual cycles. There are other women who learn the Vedas post menopause at the age of 45 years or so. Many have the misconception that women are forbidden to learn the Vedas. Women, due to their weaker health in the menstrual period – and not due to any impurity in that period – will have frequent breaks in their study. That is why women usually study the Vedas post menopause. There are 9-10 renowned Vedic scholars who are women – Ahalya, Sita, Ganga, Yanumana, Anasuya etc. Ganga and Yamuna later became rivers. Gita, Ganga, Gayathri, Sita, Satya, Saraswati – all of them learned the Vedas after the age of 40 years. Even 99 year olds will expand their memory if they start learning the Vedas. The more you study, the more juice is produced in the brain. Many post 60 years of age have done research and earned Phds. Some learned playing the Veena at 80 years. Some learned to play the Mrdangam at 90 years of age. It is your interest that counts. If the hearing impaired keep listening to Vedic chanting, their hearing will gradually get restored. The layers in the ear will get fixed due to the vibrations. Vedas have such immense power. When children chant the Vedas, you must listen with complete attention. It is good for you. The children’s non-stop chanting will outlast our patience in sitting and listening to them. One never gets tired of listening to Puranas. Puranas are not mere stories. They seem like stories, but they talk about the daily life of the great sages and deities. We should listen to the Puranas. We have heard of Puranas such as Padma Purana, Skanda Purana etc. Bhagavatam is also a Purana. There are also smaller Puranas called Upa Puranas which are like the stars in the sky. They look smaller than the moon, but they are, in reality, quite expansive.
The light from the stars takes years to reach the earth. By the time the light falls on the earth, the star has moved from its place. It is very hard to understand. That is why Swamiji does not talk about that subject. Ganesha Purana is like a far off star. You will not understand even if you break your head. It is replete with Vedanta. I promised to do a nine-day session on Ganesha Purana in the Chintamani Ganapati Kshetram in Vishakapatnam if they built a hall there. Thousands of devotees there are waiting. I heard the hall there is almost getting ready. Their test is over and mine begins.
So, in the evenings, you will hear the messages from Bhaktimala that relate to the Puranas. There are conversations in Puranas. We remove the names of the people having the conversation and only discuss the gist of conversation. Do not miss the program. There are very good subjects planned for the evenings. It will take a very long time to understand the subjects if you read them on your own. But it will seem very simple and you will understand within thirty minutes when Swamiji talks about it. It is easier to understand when someone talks about it, after which reading the Purana will reinforce the understanding.
Q&A session
Q: Many wonder why Lord Hanuman has the camel as His vehicle? I wish to hear the answer from Pujya Appaji
A: Everyone has cars. Why have cars? Ushtravaahanam literally means camel as vehicle. Maharishi Ushtra was a devotee who undertook penance to please Lord Hanuman. There are three stories around this, I will tell you one among them.
The Lord was surprised that the devotee was not praying to any other deity except Lord Hanuman. When Lord Hanuman appeared before him, Ushtra asked for the boon to always be in the Lord’s presence. When the Lord said that would not be possible, Sage Ushtra said, “You carried Rama, I wish to carry you”. That great sage Ushtra had donated his blood to help many beings that were dying of thirst. The Lord blessed him to become the being that can survive in the arid deserts. So, Sage Ushtra turned into a camel. The camel always has a water reserve in it that you can collect without killing the animal. The Lord said, “Secondly, you wished to carry me. So, you can be my vehicle”.
We should have that charitable nature to ignore our own thirst and help others who are thirsty. Lord Hanuman is found mostly in desert regions which is why the camel is the vehicle. The camel is the only animal that can walk in the desert for days without drinking water. Man unnecessarily tortures and eats camels. The camel that is Lord Hanuman’s vehicle is not the ordinary camel you see in the Arab deserts. The great sage took the form of Lord Hanuman’s camel. Lord Ganapati’s vehicle – Mooshika the mouse – was not a regular mouse. It was the demon Mooshika who had prayed to Lord Ganapati to become his vehicle.
If we have a charitable and devotional nature, we can also always have the association of Lord Hanuman.
Q: What is Angaaram?
A: Angaaram is a white substance you mix with water to apply on your forehead. It looks like the holy ash, but is not. It is not chalk either. It is usually applied vertically in the middle of the forehead. Tilak is applied as a dot (of varying sizes) on the forehead. The holy ash (vibhuti) is usually applied as three horizontal lines across the forehead. Lord Vishnu’s devotees usually wear large dots on the temples of the head and on the center. Lord Shiva’s devotees wear the three horizontal marks. Mother Goddess has the dot in the center of the forehead. Having no mark on the forehead is like having a forehead licked by a dog. That is why every forehead must be adorned by a Tilak or a bindi. Bindi stickers are available in matching colors these days. Women match their saree colors with their bindi. We have to seal in the energy dissipating form the Ajna Chakra. A person’s gaze first falls on the mark on the forehead before they look at our eyes. If there is no mark on the forehead, the bad eye falls directly on our eyes. To divert that bad eye, we need to place a mark on the forehead. Many people shed inhibitions and wear a relatively large mark on their forehead. It looks nice. Many girls in the Ashram wear a large dot on their forehead to college as well. They may get curious reactions from other students on the first day, but soon, it’ll become normal. It is our forehead and it is up to us how we treat it.
Q: Women have stopped parting their hair in these modern days…(note compiler: could not hear the rest of the question. Video stops here)
A: Even if you comb your hair back, keep a parting in your hair. The parting in women’s hair should be visible. Sun rays falling on that parting prevents diseases. Otherwise, there is unnecessary grief and discontentment. You can experiment for yourself by parting your hair. You will see your mind change within 5 days.
Q: In the Mahabharata war, Lord Sri Krishna kills Bhishma using Shikhandi as a ruse. Why?
A: Why was Bhishma fighting for the Kauravas? Because, he had given a word that he would, as an elder, protect the kingdom and the Kauravas. If Bhishma were to continue to stay alive, he would have killed Arjuna. Since Arjuna was protecting Dharma, Arjuna had to be protected. Bhishma had committed some sins in the past. He abducted Amba, Ambika and Ambalika at the behest of his king. The women’s curse came to fruition during the Mahabharata war. It was not Lord Krishna’s doing. Sri Krishna had no role to play. He was only a witness to this. Lord Krishna revered Bhishma who was a great devotee of His. The Lord never kills his devotee. He always protects. However, he could not protect Bhishma since was was already cursed.
Q: What is the story of the snake and the elephant in Kalahasti?
A: There is a bhajan called O Kalahasti Ishwaruda. If you study the bhajan, you will understand the story.
Q: Many people say the visitors to temple should wash their feet after circumambulating the Navagrahas in the temple. Is there a rule requiring this?
A: There is no such rule. When you return from a temple, you should not normally wash your feet.
Q: Do we have to take any precautions while using the Japamala?
A: The Japamala should not be used haphazardly. You must protect it like you protect the mantra. Every bead carries the energy of the mantra. You must keep the Japamala in its appropriate place. The Japamala you wear should be different from the Japamala you chant with. Because you need to safeguard the Japamala, you can wear it around your neck until you get home. Once you get home, you need to safely put it in its appropriate place at the shrine. When you hold the Japamala, it supports your chanting. The Japamala is as important as the mantra. There is no rule that the Guru needs to give you the Japamala.
Q: We use the concept of “Neti Neti” (not this, not this) to understand God in Advaita philosophy. What is the purpose of using this concept to understand God?
A: Neti Neti essentially is saying that whatever you are learning and understanding is not God. You must understand first before you realize that whatever you are understanding is not God. In the old days, ancients would ask you to count money before you threw it in the well. Throwing the money in the well may be a good thing, but earning money is hard. The experience you have working hard to earn money is more important than the money itself. The money can be thrown away. What are you left with? The experience. God is behind all the greatness you understand. To understand Him, you need to understand His greatness. You should not throw away the effort to understand God just because of the concept of Neti. Your hunger is removed once you eat. The food is also digested. You were hungry before you ate. Where is the food now? It has been digested and removed from the body. The digested food is present invisibly as consciousness in your body. You can see the food before you ate it and the remains that are excreted. But in between, there is a process of turning that food into energy. That the food turned into energy is Truth. The digested food excreted from the body is illusory.
No one can explain it so simply. But it is important to go through the illusory process to understand the truth. In experiencing the truth, we have no choice other than to use the illusory world.
Q: In Bhakti Yoga of Bhagavad Gita, the Lord says, “Yo madbhaktah sa me priyah” to indicate the kind of devotees the Lord likes. The Lord as we know has love for everyone. Based on this shloka, does it mean that the Lord does not have love for the devotees who don’t fit the characteristics described in the shlokas?
A: There is a bifurcation – Bhakti (devotion) and Abhakti (lack of devotion), Devata (gods) and Asuras (demons), Day and night, sweetness and bitterness, heat and cold. Even among demons, there are many devotees. Isn’t Prahlada a devotee? The Lord is present equally in all. But those who fail to see his omnipresence treat the body and mind and intellect as their world. Those unable to understand the true nature of God are all demons. They are not devotees. So, they must be slayed – in other words, their demonic nature must be uprooted. We all have that demonic nature. “I like you, but I don’t like your demonic nature”. “I love you, but I don’t love your bad habits”. “I eat food, but I will not eat the stones in the food”. The stones in the food look like rice. But the energy in them is different. We pick out the stones and only eat the rice. The Lord removes the demonic nature and protects the Sattvic nature in true devotees. The Lord is present equally in all. He is in demons as well. They have some Sattva guna, but they are not protecting it. They only nourish their Tamo gunas. The Lord is indicating, “I am not in Tamo guna. I am only in Sattva guna”. That is what the Lord is saying in Bhakti Yoga.
Q: We humans keep encountering various difficulties. Next time Appaji comes to the US, we will again be talking about our problems and Pujya Appaji will again patiently bless us. Why does Pujya Appaji have so much compassion? What does Pujya Appaji expect from us? What should we do to act in the way that will please Pujya Appaji?
A: The two of us have a challenge. I wanted to see how long he would keep asking questions. I finally won. How long can you keep asking questions? One day, you will get tired of asking questions. I am expecting that to happen, I just do not say it. How long will you keep asking the same questions? You will be ashamed asking after some time.
Many have reached the stage where they stop asking questions and quietly quietly follow Swamiji. There are devotees who over time, turn into disciples. They do not ask for anything. They only listen and follow. All these days, you were asking and I was answering/giving. The one who answers is greater than the one who questions. The one who answers will never be annoyed for the answers come from an unending repository of wisdom. Only the one who is asking and seeking will finally be ashamed. Every devotee has self-respect. Your self-respect will be hurt and you will stop asking. Some are passing and some are still failing in this process. I keep pushing people to pass again and again. This is my job.
What I expect from you is that you gain dispassion. You will not gain dispassion just because I ask you to. You need to experience it. I am waiting for that.
Q: Can you elaborate on the concept of Tat tvam asi propounded by Sri Adi Sankaracharya?
A: Why do you need that? Are you in it? Did you study it? Do you know what comes before it and what comes after? If you know that, you will know what Tat tvam asi is. You only want to know about Tat tvam asi. I can talk about it, but I cannot do it now. It will take ten days to talk about it, son. It is a maha mantra, a maha vakya that I cannot just casually tell you about. We talked about Neti Neti earlier. This relates to that. You are quoting one of the four great mantras, the four mahavakyas. You left out the other three. If you understood those three, you would understand this one. Only a disciple is eligible to learn these from the Guru. You are a devotee. It is a mantra that is taught to a disciple, not something that we casually discuss the meaning of. It is a mahavakya that says “I am everything, I am God”.
If you want to understand that, you must follow Guru. When you implicitly follow the Guru, you will automatically understand Tat tvam asi. You will see yourself in every part of this creation. If I tell you all this, you will next ask me how you can attain that state. That is a big topic. Tat tvam asi is a big topic. It is akin to the name of the chapter. I will need to talk about the entire chapter to explain Tat tvam asi. It is not a trivial topic. You will begin to experience. “I am in every part of this creation”. Then, you will need to think about what you need to do to attain that stage. You first need to attain dispassion while still living in this world. You must completely kill the six vices of desire, anger, greed etc. When you can do that and see the world as it is, you will understand that there is only One in this creation.
Q: Why should we be kept ignorant of our previous lives?
A: Life will be difficult if you have knowledge of your past lives. You may see a stranger and approach her remembering she was your Aunt in your previous life. She might respond with a tight slap. You may see another stranger and approach her remembering she was your pet dog in a previous life. She will punch you in return and ask you to go to a hospital. A dog passing by might greet you like a brother or a donkey might approach you remembering you were its son-in-law in a previous life. Do you understand? So what did God do? He erased the memory of previous lives. Otherwise, we have a lot of sisters and aunts and other relatives we will recognize around us. We took birth so many times and we had different kind of relationships. That tape recorder is erased from previous lives. Otherwise, we will go crazy. Everyone around us is a related to us in some way. That is why the Lord removed that memory.
Q: You talked about the impermanance of life last two days. You said the stars too will vanish one day. So, what is it that is eternal? Can you give me some small way we can experience that eternity?
A: The invisible God is the experience. He is eternal. If God is visible, he too is not eternal. Lord Krishna was visible, do we see him now? Is his body still there? But his actions are all imprinted in our heart because we read about it. Sri Rama lived for ten thousand years. He too is gone. Whatever is visible is impermanent. Because we see stars, they too are impermanent. There is something that we cannot see. That is the real God. Paramatman is the real God. God is invisible. If it is visible, it is not God. The eternal Paramatman is all pervasive and is also in our hearts. He is invisible. If he becomes visible, he will not be be forever. How long will you see him? As long as you are visible, he is visible. Once you are gone, he is gone too. He is visible only for your sake. So, who is the one that is always there? The one who is there when you are not, is also the one who is there when you are there. One who is there when you are there, is also there when you are not. That is the real God. This is the concept of Neti Neti as well as Tat tvam asi.
Q: You are giving us instructions for our own Sadhana and for Guru Seva (service to Guru). Which one should be our priority?
A: Guru Seva is priority.
Q: We observe the death anniversary of our dear ones through prescribed rituals, but some of the souls may already have taken on another body. We think the soul is coming back to accept our offerings. Can you help me understand how it this works?
A: The rituals you are offering is only your karma. You are giving respect through those rituals to your father and mother as long as you are alive. When you disappear, they also disappear.
Q: Some people told me that they did thread ceremony for girls. Do our scriptures sanction thread ceremony for girls?
A: Aryas perform thread ceremony for girls. The others do not. If you want thread ceremony, you can follow the Arya system. It is only a small thread, you can wear it yourself, no problem.
Q: Are there restrictions on how we handle a Japamala during travel? Can we place in our luggage? Do we need to wash it with milk once we get home?
A: There is no requirement to wash the Japamala with milk. Do more chanting, that is enough. The Japamala is always pure. Just as the Guru’s Padukas are never impure, the Japamala is also never impure. You can wear it around your neck when you travel. Since you have a shower anyway, it will get washed too. It is better than putting the Japamala in your bag. Once you are back from your travel, you can put it in its appropriate place.
Q: According to our scriptures, Rahu swallows the Sun due to which we have a solar eclipse. But in reality, the moon comes in between the earth and the sun due to which we don’t see the sun. So, does the eclipse look like this only in Kaliyuga or has it always been there?
A: It has been there in all Yugas since the time the planets have been in existence. Rahu and Ketu are the deities of the planets. Now, when you look at the Moon, you are not necessarily looking at the deity of the Moon. The deity of the Moon is different and He is usually in Chandra Loka. We refer to a house as belonging to so and so, but that person may have left that house a year ago. Still, we refer to that house as belonging to him due to the
ssociation. Similarly, Rahu and Ketu have been there since the time the planets came into existence. They are not new.
Q: We are asked not to eat animals because they are living beings. Recently, it’s been proven that plants have life too. It is said that some people talk to plants and that plants have feelings and plants cry too.
A: Those who wax eloquently about empathy for plants’ feelings and emotions should refrain from eating plants. It is the beings that cry for their life that should not be killed for food. But leaves, vegetables and fruits do not cry for their life because they attain a better world when they merge with the human energy. The other beings plead for their life. Why not just eat the infant at your home instead? It might be tasty too. Why kill the little chickens in your house and eat? Have you no mercy? You pick up little lambs and take photos with them, kiss and pet them. You even call those animals by their name. Have you no mercy when you kill them for food? This system has been created to create more empathy in you. Leaves and vegetables do not run for their life when you chop them for food. They don’t cry for their life. Those who you say passionately talk to plants, let them not kill plants. Let them survive on licking air and limestone off walls. Call them up and tell them not to eat plants anymore. They should not eat anything at all. Then, I will acknowledge their point of view. But they do eat plants.
So, in essence, you must not eat anything that runs for its life. Even a poor little mosquito flies away, fearing losing its life. Beings that fear losing life should not be killed. This microphone does not fear losing its life. You can eat this.
Q: What is the mistake Ekalavya committed in Mahabharata? Why did Guru Dronacharya ask for Ekalavya’s thumb?
A: That is a big secret. Ekalavya was a greater archer than Arjuna. Dronacharya had vowed that he would teach that Knowledge of archery only to the Pandavas. That vow would have been destroyed had Ekalavya continued to practice archery. Further, archery was to be taught only to the princes for upholding Dharma. Guru Dronacharya gave special training to Arjuna so he could protect Dharma. Ekalavya too was a disciple. This episode where Ekalavya gave away his thumb to the Guru demonstrates the sacrifice made by the disciple. Would Arjuna have given away his thumb if the Guru asked for it. No, he wouldn’t have. Why did the Guru ask Ekalavya for his thumb then? To demonstrate the sacrifice a true disciple makes.
Q: Can women perform Abhisheka to Shiva Linga at home?
A: This is like asking, “Can women eat meals?” Everyone can perform Abhisheka. No problem, do not worry.