GURU-POORNIMA 2016

SAMARPAN ASHRAM, PUNADI, BHUJ – 16 TO 19 JULY 2016

TV Coverage on July 13, 2016 in Kutch

I was not to attend the Guru-poornima function as in the previous year Swamiji had mentioned that older sadhaks should connect with their chitta and the festival should be for new sadhaks and those who had not taken diksha. So, even after 2 extensions I had not filled the form, then one day in March (I think it was) Swamiji asked whether we had booked our tickets and I kept quiet. Now I was in a dilemma as two extensions had already taken place and there was no way I could have submitted my form. Then with His Grace a couple of days later the final extension came through and I sent my form. As soon as the form was submitted I tried to book flight tickets but they were too expensive, train tickets for 16^th July were fully booked; I did not want to take a risk so I booked tickets for the 15^th of July in the Superfast Kutch Express which leaves Bandra Terminus at midnight and reaches at 1.15 pm the next day. I got return tickets in first class – only 8 were available and I needed tickets for 8 people. Luckily I got them all – and both to and fro tickets were confirmed tickets.

I booked an Ola cab on the 15^th evening and reached the station at around 11.20pm. As I got onto the platform I met Khamankarji and Sumangalaji, Deepak Tandon & Sharmila Tandon along with her niece and grand-daughter also turned up. We met a lot of Mulund sadhaks, sadhaks from Pune, Archanaji and Ruchitaji and quite a few others. I went and checked into our compartment and our seats. I called Deepak and told him where to come. He came into the compartment at around 

11.40pm. The train left exactly at 11.55pm and we were on our way.

 

Namrata and her daughter got off at Ahmedabad and we got our breakfast delivered through Deepak’s sister. We all had breakfast together at around 9pm – lots of theplas, tea and khakras. We called Khamankarji and his wife and we all had a feast while chatting and joking and generally having a good time. The train reached Bhuj bang on time at 1.15pm. Two Ghatkopar sadhaks had booked a 16 seater jeep and there were only 3 of them, at Khamankarji’s request, 5 of us also got into the jeep. We reached the Ashram at around 2.30pm after being halted by the police for some paperwork related to the jeep. The traffic cop was stopping all taxis and asking for their papers and then letting them go.

 

Pandal preparations in background

 Anuragji giving press interview on 12.7.2016

We entered the Ashram and saw the superb preparations which had taken place – huge pandals had been put up and they were all internally connected. One main meditation hall, then two for general ladies and gents, the kitchen and dining area, a separate one for registration, exhibition, reception, donation, etc and general stall which had eatable and goodies for sale. There was a separate pandal for the VIP and overseas sadhaks and sadhikas with separate dining area. When we arrived preparations were still going on in full swing and we were told to relax in general gents tent till the VIP one got ready. We had Bhojan Prasad at around 3 pm and then we relaxed in the general tent for some time – it was hot and humid, but once the sun was hidden behind the clouds, a very cool breeze used to start blowing and sometimes the wind took on great force and then you could hear the sound of the huge sheets of plastic flapping in the wind (four layers of plastic). We bathed at 6.15pm and then visited the Guru Shakti Dham and sat there for a few minutes in silence enjoying the energy and silence – it was really peaceful. After that we got out and met sadhaks Rutaji and Ashishji, Ramaniji, Maitriji, the Chiklikars etc. I purchased a cloth bag and flip-flops for myself. Then we had evening Prasad, ate fruits thereafter and had an early night, going to sleep by 9.30pm.

17.7.2016

I woke up at 3am as usual and completed my morning rituals and sat for meditation. At around 6am Deepak woke up and once the morning rituals were completed we went for a cup of tea. I went and registered myself at the registration counter along with Deepak Tandon. The rush of sadhaks coming for the event was increasing with bus loads of people coming every hour. Swamiji’s aura report which was to be distributed to the sadhaks at the time of registration could not be done as there was a severe delay from the transporters end. The reports ultimately came at around noon, by that time a lot of sadhaks had already completed the registration formalities. In the meanwhile -Ramaniji, Khamankarji and Sundeepji and myself were trying to download the report at the Ashram office. I was requested to explain the importance of the aura report to the sadhaks after Anuragji’s session. We then went and partook of Bhojan Prasad and left to change for the start of the event.

At 2.15pm we went and took our seats. At 2.35pm Pujya Guruma arrived to the sound of conch shells followed shortly by Pujya Gurudev to a round of loud applause. At 2.45pm we chanted the Guru Ahavan Mantra at the instance of Shri Rambhai. Dr. Paras Bhatt and Ms. Komal Shah were the comperes for the 3-day event. The lighting of the lamp then took place in which religious leaders from different faiths were invited to the stage to light the lamp. The following Saints / Sadhvis were called upon to come to the stage – Sant Shri Dhulabapu – Bhuj, Parampujya Ramdasji Bapu, Mahant Trikamdasji Maharaj – Anjar, Parampujya Sant Devishri Devi Ma – Jarpara, Father Dr. Johnson, St. Xaviers School, Parampujya Devishri Asha Ma, Shantidasji from Sati Mata Mandir, Parampujya Mataji Akhandanandji, Maulana Haji Suleimanji – Mandvi, Sant Gyani Manjit Singhji, Jain Sant Malaisagarji and Jain Sant Ratnakarsagar Maharaj. After the lighting of the lamp to rounds of loud applause Dr. Dhaivat Mehta was called upon to felicitate all the religious leaders by presenting them with a coconut, cloth piece, flowers and shawl. All the arrangements were top class – seating, sound, lighting, video display etc. with the sound flowing consistently throughout the entire event area.

At 3pm Dr. Dhaivat Mehta the President of the event welcomed all the sadhaks with a small speech. This was followed by the literature launch at the hands of Pujya Guruma. First was Samarpan Dhyan meditation CD and Arati – which is a compilation of sounds in nature like the sound of waves of the sea and chirping of birds at Dandi Ashram. As explained by Pujya Guruma that one day she was sitting at the Ashram in the morning and she could clearly hear the rhythmic sound of the waves of the sea and the chirping of a variety of birds wherein her mind became calm and she went into deep meditation. She now keeps that in Her chitta and whenever she is unable to meditate she recalls this incident and within a few moments goes into deep meditation. So it is a must have CD for meditation. Next a garba CD was launched – Baba Taro Divdo – Part II, followed by Samarpan Sandesh in Kannada, How Meditation changed my life – a compilation of 9 experiences of sadhaks – in four languages (Hindi, Gujarati, English and Marathi) and lastly Balgeet Sangrah – compilation of Pujya Guruma’s songs for children. Pujya Guruma then went on to give an overall introduction on the meditation CD and How Meditation Changed my Life.

At 3.30 pm Pujya Gurudev leaves followed by Pujya Guruma. After they leave Shri Anuragji spoke about developments taking place in the IT infrastructure, online donations, etc. At 3.50pm Shri Girish Borkar and Dr. Paras Bhatt were called upon to explain the significance of Swamiji’s Aura Report taken during His recent visit to London. The aura report in brief indicates that Swamiji has passed the stage of physical existence and now lives continuously in a no-body state. The report shows violet colour on the left of His body which shows that he has become an empty channel to receive universal energy and His right side shows white colour which means that He is healing all those who come inside His aura – as white being a combination of all colours is considered to be a healing energy and is completely rare and cannot be found on any living being. Maps of Consciousness a book by Hawkins explains the various colours which the aura represent. Dr. Paras Bhatt explained very nicely the basics of the aura and the energy field which envelops each body. At 4.10pm Ms Isha Joshiji spoke about Madhuchaitanya magazine and its importance in a sadhaks life, followed by a brief introduction by Anuragji on the e-magazine and on how to download and view it, this was followed by Shri Tawdeji who spoke on the distribution aspect of Madhuchaitanya. At 4.30pm Ambareeshji spoke narrated the story of Lau Tzu about donation and how money is not important but how love is important. Give whatever your soul tells you to do – and love yourself so much that you don’t care about the world. From 5 to 5.30pm there was a tea break which was to be followed by Swamiji’s discourse.

At 5.30pm we all assembled for Pujya Swamiji’s inaugural discourse. At 5.50pm Pujya Guruma and Pujya Swamiji arrive one after the other within a gap of a few minutes of each other to the continuous blowing of conch shells. At 6pm Shri Rambhai thrice requests Pujya Swamiji to shower His nectar on the sadhaks through His discourse.

My salutations to all pious souls, today we have gathered at the Kutch Samarpan Ashram to celebrate the festival of Guru-poornima. This Guru-poornima festival is a special festival. Special because the bhoomi-pujan of the second Guru Shakti Dham is going to take place. This work will help and guide the coming souls for the next 800 years. This is such a historical flow – the creation of this foundation – you have got the opportunity today. Future generations will feel proud that with your help, in your proximity, this work took place. The creation of this Guru Shakti Dham (GSD) – prior to starting this work it is important to know what is the GSD, what is the Auspicious Idol (Mangal Murti) inside, what is its importance and how it will guide future generations – it is important to know all this today. Just like we drink tea in our daily life, while making the tea we put sugar in water, add milk and tea and if the mixture is in the right ratio then the tea tastes good else the taste is bad. Similarly, while creating the Auspicious Idol from stone it is important for it to have sameness/uniformity – meaning that the vibrations in all the four corners and in the centre should be uniform, the intensity may vary but vibrations should be equal. So such idols create good energy centres. In ancient times, sculptors and saints had this knowledge – and hence such stones used to be selected which were alike in all respects. Then some Guru, Saint, Sage, Mahatma would establish his life-force energy into the idol – this life-force would be of the Guru, Saint, Sage, Mahatma but then it did not have uniformity – because the form was of the idol was of the God which was sculpted – thus the form of the God and idol was different, and the saint’s vibrations and the God’s idols vibrations were different. What was within could not be seen outside and the God’s idol was visible outside. But that same vibration would merge from nature over a period of time into the idols and then those idols started giving good vibrations. We have gone to different temples, places of worship and experienced that consciousness and we used to feel good. But the Auspicious Idol is different, its oath (sankalp) is different. When any Guru puts his life-force energy into an idol, he used to put his life-force into the idol to try and balance the negative feelings in society in that point in time. Then he used to establish such a force what when you prostrate in front of the idol, his various problems like financial, health, love etc got solved. Medicine tablets are similar for illnesses but their chemical composition is different. The oath / sankalp is used to create a special force according to the needs of the time. Wars and battles took place, natural disasters took place and a feeling of stress and fear spread in society. At that time the Guru makes a commitment/oath that whoever comes into the proximity of the idol, his heart chakra would get cleansed so that he becomes stress free, etc. The effect of the sankalp used to benefit the person. Along with life-force the oath (sankalp) also used to be established into the idol. I had been to Umaya Mata Mandir in Mehsana. I told the priest that I had come for the shibir, and the priest said he too had come. That idol had equal vibrations all over – that means there was no oath taken and it had been established/consecrated with complete feeling and faith. You will get uniform vibrations all over your body. But in this place there was no sankalp – it had been created with complete feeling – that means that time would have been fully balanced. Meaning every idol has a Guru’s energy, that idol may have any shape, and a Guru is a medium, and that Guru establishes the idol with his sankalp – he does not have any wish, he is an empty person – only such a Guru can do it. Such consecration used to happen 100 – 150 years ago whose vibrations you can get even now. The Auspicious Idol is different – in this the form and the formless are one, both within and outside the form and the inner form is the same. There is no objective of cleansing the chakras. The sankalp has been taken to establish the medium’s state in every sadhak, in every person. Any person can obtain self-realisation in its presence. This is incomparable - there is no greater guru-karya than bestowing self-realisation. Money, food, etc gets over and while granting such wishes the people become dependent. When you help others with self-realisation, then there is no greater guru-karya than that. In 25-50 year’s people will do research on this idol and how it gives self-realisation. In Mumbai I had seen a book which said that kundalini awakening takes place. The Guru-element is progressing – earlier awakening took place in presence of guru, then it started taking place through video shibirs, then subtle body photographs and now this idol. Just as I have obtained the state of moksha (liberation), that sankalp has been put in the idol – and such an idol is being consecrated. It is necessary for you to understand what is inside that – living life-force has been put inside. If you accept the idol as God or as a stone – in both cases the idol does not change – how you accept affects only you and not the idol; if you bend down, then automatically all faults within you can dissipate. If you treat it as an idol then it is an idol – but if you accept and believe that this is Swamiji personified then you will definitely get inner experience(anubhooti). The medium goes to different places and hence his state could differ from place to place, the idol is stationary and cannot got to places and hence its state remains the same. The idol can talk to you, but for that to happen you need to become one with the idol.

When I was in UK I had posed a question on whatsapp groups and I had said that I will give the answer to the question during Guru-poornima. When I was in UK the Baba cottage was constructed I started staying in it. But before that for a month I was staying in another kutir and while leaving the Ashram I just went to the washroom and I sensed that something had changed. The question I asked was what had changed. I got many answers but none were correct. The answer is that once I moved into the Baba cottage my chitta was no longer on this kutir and hence I sensed the change. So the chitta is very important.

I had a conversation with that idol – I told the idol that you have the power to create the Guru Shakti Dham. The idol said that everyone comes to me with problems, no one comes and expresses the desire for the construction of the Guru Shakti Dham. In the last so many years I have never asked for money, but you should connect with the guru-karya and you can help by donating a fixed amount every month. No work has stopped because of money, sadhaks know this; connect regularly – give something every month and you will connect with the idol and progress spiritually. The Shirdi temple has been constructed and if you want to donate one brick towards its construction, you cannot do it today. Today you have the opportunity to connect with this divine guru-karya – you have the opportunity while the future generation won’t. You donate one rupee to one beggar then he benefits, if you donate to an institution then the institution benefits, if you give to society, then society benefits, similarly state or nation can benefit – but if you feel that you should help mankind then that opportunity you have only in the form of the Guru Shakti Dham. This is open for all. Anyone can obtain self-realisation and there is no greater social service than bestowing self-realisation. By putting one rupee in a piggy bank you will save some money but saving your spirituality is the Guru Shakti Dham which will help you till your last breath. Liberation (moksha) is something to give – all the benefit flows to you, connect regularly and you will benefit – that is my wish. Donate what you can comfortably and regularly – the amount is not important but connect regularly then your spiritual progress will increase simultaneously. If you cannot give money, give your efforts, if that too is not possible – pray. You will get satisfaction on its completion. Feelings are important, those feelings will come – for that feeling it comes from inner level, not physical – meditate regularly and just keep that pure feeling – express it in collectivity, collective is a collection of pure souls. The prayer offered in collectivity is so powerful and then create a Guru Shakti Dham which will be incomparable to which people will come to experience and not to see.

The present time is such that the intellect is developing at great speed but not the feelings as there is no place to balance this – the Guru Shakti Dham will help do that. In UK I accepted the request of some foreigners who asked that I should take aura photo of the present as yours is ten years old. Earlier the Guru used to select the disciple now the disciple wants to select the Guru. Education is important, those religions with uneducated masses use their people as weapons. In London I looked for a place which takes aura images and I found one on the day I was to leave for India. In London it was there in a 8-10 room in which a healer used to work – that room had very dirty energy of the healer and his patients. I was asked to put my hand on the sensor of the aura imaging machine and then I went into a trance. He then asked me how I was alive. There is a 16 page report which explains that I am like an empty pipe receiving universal energy and channelling it to heal those in my proximity – this happens automatically, and you are in connection with your Gurus. Yours is healing energy – you are a healing centre – the medium is different and the energy is different. This same state has been established in the Auspicious Idol – to give that state to all those who come in front of it.

It was good that we got the report. My Gurus have provided a sample on front of you – you can examine me. I am a simple family man who has progressed spiritually – you don’t feel that guilt – you too can become (like me). I had gone to Sankeshwar temple and the priest there asked me who will get liberation faster – the priest (celibate) or a family man. I told him the priest as if a person has to go to Delhi then the priest can just get up and go but the family man will have to take the permission of his family members and will be able to go only when all members give their permission. Even a single family member can drown you – both son and daughter. A single person can go anywhere. An industrialist can go to meditate in a group of two lakh people and meditate and get the benefit of meditating for two lakh days. Always join the collectivity, meditate in collectivity which you get. It is necessary to have education; they too benefit through spirituality. Now with the progress of science, vibrations of each chakra can be mapped – and he told me that I am going to go into a high spiritual state. I wish that all of you should come, don’t get off the boat/train, you stay on and I give you a guarantee that you will get liberation. With the advance of technology, it is very difficult to distinguish between original and copy. I wish that state comes to you – there is no difference between you and me. What I have you do all that, what is different from me you let go of all that, then your liberation is guaranteed. This is my example, by being a householder I have achieved this state. This does not mean that I do not get angry – I scold sevadharis and trustees but I do not have any ill feeling towards them. This is what separates us. You say that you are fully surrendered – examine yourself, introspect – what separates us from Swamiji? Now this aura report is proof of my state. I am doing all that but my attention is on my chitta. Whenever you look at me you will feel the vibrations. You should have this state – be in your family but not in family, you all stay with everyone but not with everyone – meaning you need to become detached – a witness. All this is possible – everything is in front of you. Now it depends on you whether you want to wake up. If you want to pretend to be asleep I cannot do anything.

Two reporters asked me what I should do for a good state – Swamiji said pure wish – you have to have your own pure wish to get liberation in this birth, then automatically you will get. Paramatma is in you through your soul, and circumstances will be created for you to get liberation. There is nothing left to be achieved in life so I feel that you all should get it. Liberation – I have got it by showing the path to lakhs of people – I have made continuous efforts and I have got that state – I don’t want you to struggle for 20 years. I wish that you should get it in two years – you are going to connect with guru-karya which will go on for 800 years. It is necessary that you should connect regularly with the work which creates such a medium which will be operational for the next 800 years. In Germany there is a website which the Germans have put up. In it they have put the mantra – I am a holy soul, I am a pure soul – and they have said that one should chant it for 45 days and if you get inner experience then only you donate.

After this report, each sadhak should study it and it is my desire that each of you gets such a report. You just surrender and connect and you will get it automatically – like a U-tube – as it is connected with each other. It is similar with the Auspicious Idol – an oath (sankalp) has been established in the Auspicious Idol that my state goes to everyone – all you have to do is surrender, surrender, surrender (complete and unconditional surrender is what Swamiji means). You need to be alert all the time that you are surrendering – you need to check it all the time. You need to check whether you are progressing at the same pace as Swamiji, Guru-karya, Trusts, etc. If not, then your progress is on again off again – and then it is necessary for you to introspect.

It is truly said that one should drink water after filtering it and accept a Guru after knowing him. By knowing I mean experiencing, experiencing, experiencing. Accept a Guru after checking – otherwise you will become like the doctors – dry. Accept a Guru after obtaining inner experience. If we cannot bring change within us, then we need to introspect. We are having so much time in life, we definitely have time for our soul. Check the investment of your time – invest for yourself. Give half an hour regularly without any expectation – you will observe that your connection with the soul becomes strong and the soul becomes your Guru. Tomorrow we are going to do Guru-poojan. It should not be done physically – it should be done as a soul to go within. In that Guru-poojan Arun Desai of Oman and Soundarajah of Malaysia and their respective wives are going to perform the Pooja physically as your representatives and you participate as souls – forget everything – country, male, female, race, language – forget everything. Actually pooja is just a medium to go from form to formless. You participate with inner feeling – it will be memorable and you start experiencing that energy every time you remember it. I wish that tomorrow’s Guru-poojan is memorable for you. Namaskar!

The discourse ended at 7pm, after which Pujya Guruma and Pujya Gurudev left one after the other after the Shanti Path. There was a dinner break and we were to reconvene at 8.30pm for the cultural programme.

 Proposed Guru Shakti Dham

We all gathered together in the main pandal at 8.15pm to attend the cultural programme. Pujya Guruma took her seat at 8.25pm followed a couple of minutes later by Pujya Gurudev. The Guru Ahavahan mantra was chanted followed by Parasbhai singing a song in praise of the Guru – Tujh me rab dikhta hai Baba, are kya Karen (we see God in you, what can we do).

The cultural programme started with a dance performance by sadhaks of Dhangadra performing the Ganesh Vandana. This presentation was made with pure feeling and I felt cold vibrations on the crown chakra.

Next dance performance was on Jeevant Satguru by sadhaks from Ajmer. The song – Shivkrupanand Swami aapka swagat hai – Om Shivkrupanand Swami Namo Namah – again there was beautiful energy in the presentation with the crown chakra becoming active – the bhajan was sung by Pujya Guruma (recording).

This was followed by a dance presentation by sadhaks from Chattisgarh. After this there was a wonderful drama presented by sadhaks from Mulund on how Samarpan Meditation changed the life of farmers. Thereafter a dance performance was presented by sadhaks from Surat on Poonam na chand. This was an excellent garba presentation which was thoroughly enjoyed by Pujya Guruma and the dance had even Pujya Gurudev’s finger tapping to the tune. Then sadhaks from Baroda presented a dance performance which showed the world as one family. It depicted fights in a village stopping after the introduction of Samarpan Meditation. There was very good energy in the dance. This was followed by two sadhikas from Oman performing a vibrant sufi dance. The marathon masti group performed the prize winning drama depicting the world as one family. This was followed by a dance performance by Ahmedabad Zone 3 sadhaks. The finale – the tenth performance was presented by Goa sadhaks. A Dindi / Vari of Vithal devotees was presented with Ramaniji performing the role of Sant Tukaram. This performance was enjoyed by all with Ramaniji continuing in his role of Sant Tukaram even after the performance had ended – the performance was met with loud applause and Ramaniji’s continuing performance making everyone including Pujya Guruma and Pujya Swamiji laugh. All in all a wonderful first day. The day ended with Shanti Path at around 9.45pm.

The Goa Dindi performing team with Sant Tukaram

Announcements were made for volunteers to assist in setting up the 1051 havankunds. Apparently the sadhaks worked throughout the night to get things ready for the historic occasion the next morning.

I went to meet Dharmendraji Viradia at the donation counter to check whether I could be accommodated for the havan to take place tomorrow morning. As he was not there I went back to our pandal to retire for the night.

18/7/2016

I woke up at 3.15 and completed the morning formalities before sitting for meditation. The weather was wonderful with light rain falling with a cool, pleasant breeze blowing. I returned and sat for meditation. After meditation at around 6pm I went to the donation counter, I did not find Dharmendrabhai there, so I left and was walking towards the dining hall where the havan was being held when Kanhaiya from Vakola centre asked me whether I was going for the havan. I told him let’s see as I did not have a confirmed number – he told me a sadhak from his centre had not come and asked me to go to Kund G-37. I thanked him, said Jai Baba Swami and left happily towards the havankund. When I reached G-37 it was occupied by someone else who showed me his receipt, so I told him not to worry and I left quietly. I then went to the donation counter and Dharmendrabhai who had just come asked me if Ashish Rajput had come – I said no as he was down with dengue. He told me to take his havankund and to go and sit on S-11. I went and another gentleman was already sitting there and without realising that this kund was for two people – I like an idiot asked the volunteer how there can be two people sitting at the havankund. The other sadhak got upset and asked how I can talk like that, I told him sorry it was my confusion and the volunteer told me to sit down at the havankund. Once I sat down I thanked Swamiji for allowing me to sit even though I had not registered in advance. I sat quietly absorbing the energy with eyes closed – I saw Wai Ling to my left and did a Namaste and asked her ‘kem cho’ and she replied ‘maja ma’. After that I just closed my eyes and concentrated on feeling the vibrant energy. Announcements were being made for everyone to take their seats. Swamiji and family arrived at 7.25am and took their seats. The havan started exactly at 7.30am with Guru Ahavan and went on for one hour. With volunteers taking care of the smallest of requirements, they ensured that no smoke was generated from the kunds. It rained heavily for a while making the entire atmosphere pleasantly cool. Throughout the havan I could feel vibrant energy and felt my aura being cleansed by the holy flame and pure mantras which were being chanted. With his immense Grace Swamiji then walked around the havankunds giving darshan from close quarters to all the participants in this historic havan. As Swamiji started walking tears started falling from my eyes as I felt His immense compassion and love for all His sadhaks! At 8.35 the havan got over and we were asked to take the coconut and keep it in our house for 28 days before releasing it into the sea/river/lake; we were also asked to take the Lord Ganesh idol along with the fruit and the Prasad. I consider myself extremely blessed to have got an opportunity to sit for the havan in place of Aashish Rajput. I had then and there decided to carry the havan Prasad and the Ganesh Idol and give it to him. Thank you Swamiji for showering your Grace on us all the time!

After the havan Pujya Swamiji, Pujya Guruma, Anuragji, Ambareeshji and Shaswatiji accompanied Rambhai for the bhoomi-pujan (purification of the land) for the permanent Guru Shakti Dham. The bhoomi-pujan concluded at 11.00am and was webcast live.

HAVAN VIDEO AS SHOWN IN THE TV NEWS

After the tea and snacks break we reassembled at 10.45am in the main pandal for the questions and answers session with Pujya Swamiji. At 11.20am Pujya Guruma followed by Pujya Swamiji arrived to the enthusiastic blowing of conch shells. We all chanted the Guru Ahavan Mantra after which Rambhai took Swamiji’s permission to start the questions and answers session. Rambhai informed the sadhaks not to ask any personal questions, be brief while framing the question and limit their questions to one only and not have multiple questions in one question. He also said that questions will be in sequence – ladies – gents – ladies and so on. 

Question 1) I do not want anything other than spiritual progress and liberation. To attain spiritual progress who does one take care of the present and the past. Please give guidance for my spiritual progress based on my past karmas and current birth karmas.

Answer: Self-realisation is a unique event, after which a person’s direction changes. The search, roaming around which always takes place externally that search starts going within. Each soul has only one objective – attaining Paramatma. For attaining that Paramatma a soul keeps roaming all over. Till that soul attains it, it does not obtain complete satisfaction. Once it attains complete satisfaction, its spiritual progress starts – and this progress does not commence without spiritual experience. We keep looking in the past through Gurus, Gods, etc. It is universal consciousness which is present – and this was present yesterday, is present today and will be present tomorrow. Our search is at the physical level, hence we look for Paramatma in the forms of the past, but Paramatma keeps appearing in each era and on accepting a living person as Paramatma my entire search stopped. I am a living example. Paramatma is universal consciousness, it is not a physical body. While knowing this, when Shiv Baba came into my life and I obtained anubhooti, I accepted him as Paramatma. I got a unique experience and I accepted him as Paramatma and progressed in life. For self-realisation we have to overcome two kinds of karmas – 1) Past life karma – this we have to endure or enjoy in this life based on bad/good karmas of the past lives and 2) those karmas which we created in this birth – a Guru burns all your past and present karmas and after that you should not create any new karma, even good karma – keep surrendering to your Guru and your account balance will remain nil and thus you will not have to take birth again. After self-realisation you have to endure your past birth karma, and after 6 months to a year you will get problems which you have to endure in this birth. If you surrender to your Guru you will suffer your past birth karma but you will not realise when those past birth karmas have gone by, maybe your youth will go in trouble, but I guarantee you that your old age will be golden. Make your problems a ladder and establish your connection with Paramatma. Your existence becomes nil. Like when you put black ink in a bottle the entire water in the bottle turns black, but that same black ink when you put in the Ganges it just flows away and you do not realise when it has disappeared. Similarly, if you have to suffer your karmas alone you will be in stress; but when you are in Guru’s proximity you will never know. During bad times connect with collectivity – in some cases you cannot go anywhere, then meditate with your chitta on the Guru – he is not alone, he is connected with millions of people. I too have suffered, I am telling this to you from my personal experience. Till 45 years I was in different places but I was always with my Gurus. Make that your heaven. You get to face ifs and buts regarding Gurus, but remember after going somewhere your search stops, that is your last peak – after that the inner journey started. Ours is present karma and past birth karma you endure with your chitta on your Gurucharan. This is like a U-tube – slowly and steadily you will obtain the Guru’s state – He is waiting to give you, he is eager to give you, the path to give you is open, you just have to open your doors and windows. Your doors and windows are shut hence there is darkness in your life. He is knocking, you have to open – the Sun cannot enter by breaking your doors – you have shut the doors from inside, you only will have to open them from inside. This is an internal process – you only have to open your inner doors and windows and you will see Paramatma waiting at your door.

After a couple of minutes of Rambhai’s calling for the next question, the sadhak sitting in front of me suddenly got up and went to ask the first question. It was like he got a shock or something – a person sitting calmly and then jumping up and going like a jack in the box.

Question 2: Ten years ago you had given explanation on chitta, aura, vibrations. How do vibrations work in the morning? Please give additional information.

Answer: The body does not have the ability to create vibrations. The soul which is there within the body, that soul’s purity and holiness create the vibrations. Soul is the other name for purity, like stone has the idol of Shri Krishna hidden within and when a sculptor carves that stone and removes the unwanted stone particles other than Shri Krishna then the idol of Shri Krishna emerges. Similarly, within us all Paramatma is hidden in a subtle form as the soul. But on top of that soul there are lots of layers, faults which have accumulated over time and as we meditate regularly every day for 30 minutes – then slowly and steadily the unwanted layers which we added after our birth, these layers peel off one by one. When all the layers are removed then the soul’s inner form emerges, but to reach that pure inner form……….. [at this point there was a power outage and Swamiji was speaking from a very high elevated state. One could see His hands moving which showed that He had not realised that there was a power outage and continued speaking. The outage lasted for about 5-7 minutes for which I could not jot down what was being said…..sorry for that. _/\_]……… no feeling of physical or any form, then you get the vibrations of the pure soul which keep flowing through the surroundings. This goes on for miles. I have met such rishis and sages whose vibrations go on for 500 kms. As you progress your soul’s vibrations increase and its flow goes with you and its surroundings become safe and secure. So only you meditate but your surroundings – family, housing society get the benefit. Vibrations keep flowing and as people who receive increase then the vibrations also increase. Even in uninhabited places there are such vibrations – sages sit and meditate in unimaginable places, places where you cannot even think that people could be there. Man thinks and then the vibrations stop at the thoughts. The purer the soul – the vibrations increase and become pure. Namaskar!

After Swamiji’s answer I tapped the person sitting in front of me and thanked him for asking the question to which Swamiji gave such a soul fulfilling answer. His response, “Bhaisahab who am I to ask this question – I got a message from Swamiji to get up and ask this question”. No wonder he jumped up like a jack in the box and went!!

Question 3: God created man, trees, plants and everything else, so how did God come at first?

Answer: God is power of universal consciousness and it does not come from anywhere nor does it go anywhere – it was there yesterday, is there today and will be there tomorrow. – it flows according to the situation in different eras; in different life forms, that universal consciousness was absorbed, after absorbing the universal consciousness different life forms and creatures have taken birth here. And if you look at the history of various human races, there were many in the past who don’t exist today – the effect of time is there. With the passage of time and new scientific experiments many species have become extinct and many new creatures, animals & birds have been created. Nuclear experiments have resulted in the destruction of various life forms and many new ones have come in their place. Time has a great influence on life forms, new birds and animals take birth and some become extinct. Paramatma is power of universal consciousness which has not come from anywhere. It was always there – we have come in its sphere, we will be there today and go away tomorrow but it was there in the past, it is there today and will be there tomorrow. Change which happens, happens to life-forms but the body is destructible whether it is that of man or animal – it comes and goes – Paramatma is an indestructible energy which is always there. By absorbing that energy different life forms, animals, creature keeps changing their form in different life times. God has not come from anywhere nor is going anywhere. God is universal consciousness which always be there, which is without a beginning nor an end. It has not come from anywhere nor is it going anywhere. Look at it as universal consciousness – it is not that it has come from anywhere or is going anywhere.

Question 4: It is said that by chanting Om Soham we travel to such places, what is the name of that place and where is it?

Answer: This is the language of books and I have not read any books hence I do not have any knowledge about this. Even then I feel that the one spiritual experience, different people through different means, different mediums try to tell people in society; like you have read 18 books on self-realisation and when you get self-realisation yours will be the 19^th inner experience. Like for every physical body isn’t it the experience is different – it is said that just as many people nature is according to that. So as many different bodies are there, there are as many inner-experiences. Hence do not look at inner experience through books, you sit and meditate and get your personal experience and you will yourself realise which country it is, which state it is. Different people would have called it by different names – but that place is one only. You too can experience it.

Question 5: My life was going on smoothly but last year – it is a personal question but it is based on experience. My Guru-karya was going on very well but last May – it is a personal question, but it is also my experience – this should not be a barrier to my Guru-karya hence I request you Gurudev. Last May I suddenly started getting negative thoughts and I started getting such vibrations from my soul that I felt that it was going to come true. I thought that something was going to happen to my husband (lady in tears) – for one month I got continuous thoughts that he was going to die. My whole body used to feel cold and I prayed to my Gurudev that if nothing happens to my husband I will do 5 shibirs this year. In June we left for Amreli and 20 kilometres away near Kookagaav our car turned turtle all of a sudden and I prayed to Gurudev and nothing happened. The question is - was my husband really going to die – spiritual death or physical death?

Answer: Whose husband is it – the bodies or the souls? The husband belongs to the body, the soul has no husband. Hence I keep repeating you awaken your inner-feeling, meditate regularly, there is only one path to solve your problems – regular meditation for 30 minutes without any expectations. You should not have expectations of getting a good meditative state also. Meditate for 30 minutes – donate 30 minutes to me – once a thing is donated it is not taken back, so during this Guru-poornima donate 30 minutes of your life every day as Guru-dakshina. Tomorrow on Guru-poornima donate 30 minutes to me and no one should come in between – not the husband, not the wife, no one. Now as I am taking about husband-wife isn’t it – I know that many wives of sadhaks curse me, many husbands of sadhikas curse me – don’t keep your attention over there, they too are going to benefit. On TV people were cursing Sai Baba recently – is anything bad going to happen to Sai Baba? No! But those people who are cursing Sai Baba will benefit as for whatever reason their chitta has gone on Sai Baba. Similarly, I will tell you an experiment – you just try it! Take a rose flower and keep it in front of your nose and curse it till your hearts’ content even then you won’t get any malodour but you will still get the rose’s fragrance! Why will you get fragrance – because it is the nature of the rose to give fragrance, similarly, it is the nature of the Guru to give energy – you curse him or praise him he will still give that only. So it is its nature to give fragrance under both circumstances, so is the nature of the Guru to give energy in both situations. Let them curse me today, but tomorrow, let me tell you that they will join and prove to be better sadhaks than you.

Question 6: When people go to a temple and pray with great feeling and touch the idol, you have said in your discourses that the negativity of the person touching the idol goes into it. A person goes with great feeling and without any negative feelings to his deity – so you have said that when he touches the idol his negativity goes into it. So my question is how does negativity get into an idol when a devotee prays and touches it?

Answer: To understand the answer to this question we will have to split it into two parts. Body – Soul. Faults, negativity are related to the physical. If you touch the idol with your soul then nothing happens, there is no bad influence; but if you touch the idol physically then the bodies negativity, faults go into that idol. For example, take a rose, if you smell if from far you will get the fragrance but if you touch it, it crumbles. The idol has its own aura – is your state better than the person who consecrated it? If you physically touch it then the faults go into it. Just like a magnet and iron – a magnet will pull the iron and absorb its faults. Idols attract you with their energy and if you touch them, they absorb your faults. Idols cannot talk, if they could they would tell you to stay 20 feet away. Ancient temples maintained a large distance between the deity and devotee – you cannot go near the deity. All this happens very subtly. I went to a Samadhi (mausoleum) of a saint who had died of cancer. That aura was pure. The saint pulled in the negativity of the disciple, who injected poison of himself into the saint. Video shibirs now give you inner experience, experience the idol form a distance. Flowers can be experienced from a distance. All faults are physical – you don’t go as a soul – you don’t have the state to touch the idol.

Question 7: After doing meditative practice and we are on the path we get lots of anubhootis but we understand the anubhootis after a gap of time, if we understand them immediately we could benefit by them. Why does this happen?

Answer: We are not one with the inner experience hence your intellect blocks the inner experience. Write to me separately, I will answer.

Question 8: You have spoken about delusion in your earlier discourses. So what should we do to save ourselves from being deluded?

Answer: I don’t suffer from delusions so you also won’t. Leave all your delusions and meditate regularly for 30 minutes every day – you will get rid of your delusions. Take an oath that from tomorrow there will be only you and me – no one else. When you come alone to meet me you carry 50 people with you in your head – you never come alone. Come as a soul – a holy and pure soul – a soul does not have any problems, a soul does not have any faults, any illnesses. Start from tomorrow - spend half an hour with me – just see from where I will take you!

Question 9: Swamiji you have said that keep attention on your crown chakra and do all your work. In management people who have obtained success also say that you should give 100% attention to your work and you will succeed. I am a doctor by profession and we meet patients from society so I do not understand how to keep the chitta on the crown chakra and work. Could you please explain how to do this?

Answer: Sant Dnyaeshwar has written in the Dnyaneshwari “devachya dwari ubha kshanbhari dene muktkari”. Meaning go and sit in front of God for ten minutes every day and you will attain liberation. This was interpreted that man should build temples of brick and mortar and pray at the entrance to the temple for ten minutes every day to obtain liberation. Sant Dnyaneshwar never called a brick and mortar temple as a temple – what he meant was to sit at the temple within us whose door is the crown chakra, means sitting in a state where you do not get thoughts about the past or the future. If you remain for 24 hours in this state then the energy you are wasting by thinking about the past or the future, then that energy gets accumulated and you will do the best work in the present moment. I am not asking you to be idle, I am saying stay thoughtless. Meditate for half an hour, stay in the present and work – and do not remain in the past/future. Stay in the present and work, do not be idle – be in the present and work with fully charged energy. When I am talking to you I am not thinking of anything else. Thoughtless means staying in the present and working, you work like this and you will get success.

Question 10: How does one connect with the soul of a person who has died and how does one talk to it?

Answer: (laughing) I am asking you not to stay in the past and you are talking about death and talking to people who have died! Some people are like that – once their father dies they hang big picture of his on the door and before going to their shop they pray to him to take care of the business. And then while returning they say now I am going home……heh! He may be your father but now he is someone else’s father (laughter – both Swamiji and sadhaks). Your relationship was with his body, now he is no more. Your relationship with his body has ended, now he may be someone else’s father or son and you are still holding on to this leg. Just imagine that he has taken birth a month ago and you are holding on to its leg – how can a month old baby help in running your shop? Forget the dead, pray for their progress in the after-life. Pray with all your heart for that soul’s progress, then you will be satisfied and move on and become detached. Don’t call ghosts and pray for progress! You should not pull dead people into your life you should pray for their progress in the after-life.

Question 11: Yesterday in your discourse you mentioned that children, parents, spouses become doors and windows to your boat – ensure that the doors and windows are shut or there are chances that your boat will sink. Please explain what you meant by keeping the doors and windows shut.

Answer: Actually I say many things at different places in different ways. You apply whatever I have said in a manner which is suitable to you. Who does the son, daughter, spouse belong to? They belong to the physical body – hence they are the doors/windows of the boat. Do not consider yourself to be a boat then there won’t be any doors or windows, consider yourself to be a soul, then you won’t be afraid of your son or daughter. I am not afraid of my son or daughter. When we consider ourselves to be souls then there is no fear of son or daughter.

Question 12: In each of our events we devote time to cultural programmes. Why do we have cultural programmes, what is the meaning of shaking hands and legs, what do you think?

Answer: Every person has some art or skill hidden within him. It is necessary for that skill to be encouraged at home. These are Samarpan programmes, and we are a Samarpan family, so we give opportunity to our family members to exhibit their skills. And when a Guru’s eyes fall on the artists their skill gets enhanced a 1000 fold. They enjoy the performance and so do you, the energy is provided by the Guru, these things provide satisfaction to the soul. When the energy starts flowing everyone gets the benefit of the energy – your attention should be focused on your inner experience. The person dancing should be focused on his inner being and your chitta should also be within – look outside (at the dance performance) and experience within.

At 12.30 the questions and answers session concluded. After shanti path Pujya Gurudev and Pujya Guruma left the pandal. There was a break from 12.30 to 3pm. During this time there was heavy rain with gusty winds, the whole atmosphere became cool – and the strength of the pandals was tested by the wind. It all held up with His Grace!

During the break we visited the exhibitions – all the exhibitions had wonderful energy with the sadhaks explaining the purpose and meaning of the exhibition with flair and passion. There was an exhibition on the importance of Guru-poornima with posters on each Samarpan Guru-poornima right from 2001 onwards – giving the essence of each year’s Guru-poornima. Then there was the Science and Spirituality Exhibition and the Exhibition show casing effect of meditation on Farmers and farm produce. In this exhibition one was made to experience being in touch with the soil and feeling the Earth’s energy by making sadhaks walk on a pathway made of mud. The energy was beautiful with cold vibrations encasing the body. There was an exhibition of Heiki Bachmann’s paintings for support of the Samarpan Bhavan, Germany. I left my comments in the visitor’s diary and left. There was a congratulatory note at the exit penned by Anuragji for the wonderful exhibitions on display.

At 4pm we reconvened in the main pandal. A video was shown featuring the requirements a centre should have to become an Ideal Meditation Centre. This DVD was played till the arrive of Pujya Guruma. Pujya Guruma entered the pandal at 4.42pm to the sound of conches. Her session was scheduled from 4 – 5.30pm, so I was wondering why there was a delay as Pujya Guruma is very particular about time. At the request of Rambhai, she started Her discourse.

My salutations to all pious souls who have come here – Jai Baba Swami. I extend my heartfelt welcome to you all to this Kutch Guru-poornima. I will begin this session with an imaginary story. Raju belonged to a very poor family – like in any poor family his desires would always remain unfulfilled. He mentally thought that if I had some magic I could create toys which I could give to all the poor children. He was a happy go lucky person and was always smiling. Every morning his job was to light a fire and prepare for the day. One morning when he went to the forest to collect wood for the fire near a neem tree he saw a paint brush. He wondered who had kept it there. He took that paint brush and kept it in his sack. As any poor person even though he loved painting he could not afford paper, paints and paint-brushes to pursue his art. He liked painting and he found a clean sheet of paper and drew a beautiful butterfly and imagined that he was painting it with beautiful imaginary colours; and as he completed the drawing that butterfly came out of the paper and flew away. He was absolutely astonished and drew a bird to see if this miracle repeated itself – to his astonishment and joy that bird flew away too, then he drew a rat and that rat scrambled away. That is when he believed that he had a magical brush. He then started drawing toys and giving them to the poor children in his locality. He grew up and told people that he does not steal anything and gives to others things which draws with his magical brush. Swamiji is similar to that magical brush – the story is imaginary but the energy is true and real. Everyone knows that most of our prayers are answered. We ask for anything, but even then most of our prayers are answered. Those who have experienced Gurudev’s energy know it. People all ask at the Prarthana Dham how many times they should repeat a prayer. It is up to us when we leave and let go of that problem – how much and when we surrender. When we surrender now, immediately then we get rid of the problem from our psyche – this is our body and soul is the soul – we are just playing our role like Parasbhai and Komal (the comperes for the event) – they are playing roles. I am playing different roles too – mother, daughter, wife, teacher, etc. The soul has come here, how has it reached here. Even if Gurudev wants to come here, and if he does not come here means he has not surrendered. We have reached here because of our sadhana (spiritual practice). Each soul has performed spiritual practice as celibates, mendicants or householders – he had the accumulated wealth of spiritual practice – but is this enough! You have received the path to liberation and you are walking on it too – have you thought anything about the role or are you immersed in that role. All actors come out of the role that they are playing at the end of the film. Are we detached from the role we are playing? The actor has to play the role according to its need – father, son, student, teacher, etc. – beyond all this we are a soul and this body is just a medium. Only the soul decides on who to use this medium. If the role you play is not in your control, then the goal is very far away. Don’t let any problem come in your way. If you stop meditation, then you are in trouble. You have to remain as a soul at all times. In Gurudev’s presence we become souls, but if we do not then we need to introspect. You need to remember this sweetness, whenever you remember it you will reach here. When I remember the sound of waves and the chirping of birds – I just remember the sounds and I felt that I reached that place and went into a deep state of meditation. Absorb this in your chitta and you can reach here with your chitta and feel the energy. You make a dot on a blank sheet of paper and then we ask what is this! Why do you notice the black dot – why don’t you notice the rest of the white sheet of paper! The white paper is Gurudev’s energy and that dot which represents your faults is very small. But even if you get attracted at different stations while travelling in Gurudev’s train then that is dangerous. We have done it on our past births. Don’t miss the train in this birth. Meditation in collectivity has meaning – if one tries to get off the train another person will pull you back. It happens isn’t it, if you stop coming to the centre for whatever reasons you get calls from sadhaks why you are not coming and asking you to come for meditation. The whole objective is to advance spiritually and absorb the divine energy. You don’t know that we all were together earlier, and this birth should be the last time we come together. If a child gets off a train we call the child back. In centres that’s what happens, some people question you as to why you are not coming. Why would you want to divert your chitta – if you are interested in cricket and if a cricket match is going on, is your attention diverted from the TV? No! If you have not been regular does not matter, start now. Chit-chat is your test – it could divert you. Let’s have a practical test – think of 5 things you want to buy, where will you keep them, who will use them! Ladies – your chitta should be on meditation and what preparations are going on. If you meditate at home use the collectivity of the family, meditating in collectivity is very necessary. When you meditate with your family your inner feelings’ connection (with family members) gets better. Where do you find time to meditate with family! Be prepared mentally before going for meditation. After meditation, stay silent and carry that energy home. After meditation don’t talk, else the meditation you did was just a drama! When people leave in a mahashibir – after the shibir (in Surat) everybody left in discipline, they went silently to their cars and left. The energy field they were in was so powerful that nobody had the desire to talk, they all left as souls. In Swamiji’s energy they all become souls and leave silently. They leave in complete silence – you leave the meditation centre in this manner, keep silent deliberately. If there is nothing to say then you will remain silent. At the meditation centre the Guru energies are there. When that flow is there you bathe in that energy as souls and leave as souls – the more you leave like that, the better the chances of you carrying that energy home. If the talk disturbs you then leave immediately, then you won’t be disturbed, but if you are involved then you get disturbed. If there are disturbing elements in your nature – then be aware, go meditate and leave. When more than 80% people only do meditation then you won’t want to talk. When I go to sleep, I use programming, I ensure that all things are completed and then go to sleep. Just before leaving for London, I was packing my bags and it was late, I made my mind go to sleep and physically continued packing my bags and slept at 11.30pm and then woke up on time completely refreshed. Anubhootis happen to those who are surrendered. That subtlety comes very slowly. If someone does something for you then thank him and pray for him from the bottom of your heart, then that subtle energy will get enhanced. In Marathi there is a saying – melya shivay swarg disat nahi – meaning until you yourself do something you cannot enjoy its fruits – I understood its meaning now. When this physical feeling ends, you will see heaven in the form of energy. Meaning we have to get out of this role – if we get out of this role then everything is heaven. I am repeating this because a living Satguru is guiding you, He has planted the seed, you just have to get the water and water the seed. When we meditate then we see heaven. The more we see that heaven the more we will be with Gurudev – such a time comes after about 2500 years that you get a living Satguru to take you to liberation. If you miss this train then maybe you will have to wait for another 2500 years to get liberated or else do so through the Auspicious Idol. But why miss the train – because we don’t know the future. This is why I wave goodbye every time I leave the stage, who knows whether we will meet again or not. Stay in collectivity and save yourself from external pressures. We will become one with Gurudev’s energy – it is not difficult – just drop the ‘I’.

Guruma then sang a small song which she had composed.  (tried to get the audio clip in - but could not manage)

Go beyond the ‘I’ and never get off the superfast train and you will attain liberation. Jai Baba Swami! I thought as to why sages go to the caves to meditate – I then realised that they may be staying in the caves but meditating under trees. It made me realise that we should go deep within our own caves and meditate – Jai Baba Swami!

With this Pujya Guruma’s wonderful discourse delivered with love and compassion from a very high meditative state concluded at exactly 5.30pm. There was a break for dinner and we were asked to re-assemble at 7.15pm for the day’s final session.

We re-assembled at 7.15pm after dinner in the main hall…..Parasbhai made an announcement asking the ladies to cooperate with the volunteers in the seating arrangement as complaints had come regarding non-cooperation and arguments regarding the seating arrangements. This was really sad as one’s chitta gets polluted with such activities. One should always be aware as to where one has come and for what purpose!

At 8.07pm Pujya Guruma entered to the sound of conch shells. Komalji took permission from Guruma for announcing the commencement of the cultural programme.

The first dance was presented by sadhaks/sadhikas from Mumbai – chadaya phool – this was a high energy dance which was interrupted as the CD had problems and the dancers were missing their steps.

The next dance was performed by sadhaks/sadhikas from Navi Peeth, Pune. Ladh Malhar was performed with very high energy and the dance performance generated good vibrations with the sahastrar becoming active.

Third dance was performed by sadhaks/sadhikas from Bangalore to the accompaniment of Kannada music.

Sadhaks/sadhikas from Surat then performed a dance in memory of Lord Krishna – taro vina manu eklado lage -  this was also a very high energy dance.

Sadhaks/sadhikas from Virar performed a dance Mauli mauli – this was a dance performance based on Lord Vitthal’s dindi or vari. The sadhaks portrayed a dindi to Kutch Ashram to meet the present day Paramatma singing Vithal Vithal – it was a very high energy dance with superb vibrations.

Thereafter Amreli centre performed a dance in veneration of Pujya Guruma – Pyari Gurumayya lage, mane pyaru pyaru Baba Swami Dham lage.

The next dance performance was by sadhaks/sadhikas from Airoli centre.

Sadhaks/sadhikas from Bhuj presented a documentary with dance – this dance had very graceful steps.

With the permission of Pujya Guruma the Mumbai sadhaks/sadhikas who had sorted out the technical problems with their CD presented their dance – he Ganaraya tere bina hum… ­This was an excellent dance with very high energy and I felt cool vibrations on the crown chakra. Thank you all the sadhaks / sadhikas for their lovely presentations.

The last event was the dayra a bhajan and narrative performance to be performed by professionals. Jigneshbhai Mehta came and spoke about the construction project for the Guru Shakti Dham and introduced Shri Amit Vankani, the architect who then made a presentation on the Guru Shakti Dham and its cost estimates. Shri Ambareeshji came and spoke about the need to connect with the Guru Shakti Dham. Thereafter Hasitbhai Joshi who said he was asked to speak about the need for funds explained that a proposal had been made and each sadhak had been given a sankalp form which needed to be filled and given to the donation volunteers. The salient feature was that however donated Rs. 3600 would get a German Silver coin with the image of the proposed Guru Shakti Dham and those who donated Rs. 25000 would get a solid silver coin with the same features. The idea was to make a commitment so that the Trust would have a clear road map on the cash flow for the construction of the Guru Shakti Dham. As they were to announce the names of donors from stage, Deepak and I filled our sankalp forms and told the volunteers not to announce the donation from stage but to account for it in their calculations. After that we left to retire for the night.

19.7.2016

The last day of our divine stay had come and this day was D-Day – Guru-poornima!

We all quietly assembled in the meditation hall at 6am as today was meditation with Gurudev in a collectivity of approximately 6250 souls. Pujya Gurudev entered the pandal at exactly 6.15 to the sound of conches being blown. After Swamiji lit the lamp and took His seat. We chanted the Guru Ahavan mantra with Rambhai and then Pujya Gurudev started His discourse.

My Salutations to all pious souls…….. Along with the passage of time the intellect is developing very fast and the intellect’s unidirectional progress is creating a kind of imbalance in society. Meaning today we have heart specialist who are very intelligent and experts in their fields but they are heartless, they do not have any emotions and no heart at all. They ask for their fees and if the fees are not paid they refuse to perform the operation. By doing this they too are affected along with the others. Similarly I met some intelligent boys and girls at the Theosophic Hall in London during my discourse there. They asked that so many deaths are taking place in some of the religions. They said that we don’t believe in God, and tell us something other than God. I told them that I used to go on top of a mountain and feel good as there was the collectivity of stones which formed the mountain, I used to meditate on the banks of a river and used to feel good in the collectivity of millions of droplets of water which used to flow by – nature surrounds us, but when we go into the collectivity of nature we feel good. We feel good when we are in the mountains, near the rivers, in the forests in collectivity of trees we feel good; this is because our body is made up of the five basic elements which are present in nature – hence we go into the presence of nature we merge with nature, we become one with nature and we feel good. There is one fault in our body and that is our thoughts which separates us from nature. The mountains, rivers and trees do not feel this but we do. So when I set out to look for that energy of nature, I reached the Himalayas looking for that energy. I met Shiv Baba an ordinary looking person who gave me an extraordinary state for three days, I merged with nature, got a feeling of tremendous unselfish love, nature was flowing through him and he made it flow in me with his power of thought, and I felt good. I surrendered completely to him and nature started flowing through me. Now I have nothing left to achieve, I am completely satisfied – Samarpan Meditation is a way to completely nullify your existence, and when you become void, nature starts flowing through you, then nature starts removing all the muck from within you and you feel ultimate peace. That is why it is taught. But those who tested this through their intellect and such individuals who tested my state and took my aura photo provided proof of my state of being one with nature. Once you do that and establish oneness with nature – nature is freely available to all equally, you may be from any race, religion, colour, gender – does not matter. The fragrance of a rose flower comes equally to all. When we go and become one with nature we become thoughtless and when that happens then that energy is saved and accumulated and when we work we put our full energy and the results are then outstanding. If you are an intellectual, you consider it to be nature and if you are an emotional person then it is Paramatma (Gurudev is referring to the universal energy) – it is the same with two different paths to reach it. Intellectuals will always require proof. I do not have any desire to prove anything to anybody. There are many such sages in the Himalayas – they will not be able to give proof as all machines will fail in their presence – you should develop your feelings and your faith should be based in your inner experience. If you are getting an inner experience means your soul is feeling good. Faith should be based on inner experience – but it should be your experience not that of others – if it is of others then it will fail – if it is yours then it will be permanent. Faith should always be based on inner experience (anubhooti). You keep asking me lots of questions, now when I was in the UK Ashram where I stayed for one month in a cottage which had one kitchen, bedroom, hall and toilet-bathroom. I stayed in that house for one month and for four days I stayed in Baba Dham. Jayaben told me to go to that house so I went to that house, but something had changed in that house in four days. The question I asked was what had changed. When we are on a highway we see two types of vehicles – 2-wheelers which are zig-zagging and go fast and move ahead; the other type are the trailers which go steadily on their path without swerving. Similarly, when the chitta is not steady you will hear loose talk and that person will have shifty eyes. When the chitta becomes strong, eyes become steady. When that happens it is difficult to move. Some gave me answers saying that my aura had shifted – the aura is always with my physical body – what changed was that my chitta which had been there for a month had shifted – it no longer was in that house. Once my chitta moved that room changed. My state is so sensitive that even this change can be felt. Today I am alive, my sadhaks, my sadhikas, daughter, son…….my chitta has caught hold of you. This worry is making me create the Guru Shakti Dham. If I am going to Delhi I will take you along with me if you meditate regularly. But if you don’t reach that state and you have to take rebirth – then what? Self-realisation is not the ultimate thing – there are two types of past births. You get self-realisation even if you don’t want it and your do not perform spiritual practice, then you will get liberation in the next birth. Some sadhaks have performed their spiritual practice in their past birth, they kept that feeling and hence they value their meditation – they will leave life but they will not leave meditation. They value it but for those who don’t value it for them these Guru Shakti Dhams will be there to help. But remember that if you cannot walk properly in daylight how will you walk in darkness. Moksh (liberation) is not death. I got it long ago, I am still alive – it is a state of zero physical feelings. We think that it is death – death is different and liberation is different. Death happens at the physical level; liberation is when the soul through meditation reaches a no-body state, but the body is alive. I have this feeling that when you reach that state then the energy you receive, what will you do with it – you will help others, your navel chakra is developed and you won’t ask anything for yourself and you will always work for others. For example – by accepting a living Guru as Paramatma you can see where I have reached. By accepting Paramatma you can get divine energy/flow of universal consciousness. Water which has flowed by is of no use, water which is yet to come is also of no use, you can drink water from the bank only – you have to focus on the current. Paramatma was there yesterday, is there today and will be there tomorrow. By accepting a living Guru as Paramatma I am a living example of that – stay with the family – but stay detached and be connected – not connected at the same time – like the lotus which blooms in the muck but its flower is beautiful and untouched by the muck surrounding it. Stay in society physically but stay detached through the soul. Today we are going to do a separate experiment. There are thousands of people in the crowd today – same as in society – crowd, crowd, crowd. So the question is how can we separate from the crowd and meditate. Imagine that a small river is flowing through the Himalayas. My soul is sitting there and you are on the other side. Imagine that you are meditating on the banks of the river…… Gurudev then started the collective meditation with repetition of I am a holy soul, I am a pure soul thrice followed by the Guru Mantra – Om Shree Shivakrupanand Swami Namo Namah……. As I imagined myself on the banks of the river, imagining the sound of the flow of water and birds chirping, I went deep within and found myself in utter darkness…….but a peaceful darkness where there was just silence and nothing else. After I don’t know how much time I heard Gurudev talking again and he was saying meditate like this regularly.

He then made a couple of announcements saying that on 9,10,11 December He will have a gathering for farmers – Krushi Sammellan and on 13 December on the occasion of Datta Jayanti He will personally handover the documents related to the plots belonging to the plot-holders of Kutch Samarpan Ashram. The session ended at 7.45am and Pujya Gurudev left after shanti path. We were asked to reconvene at 9am for the diksha (initiation) ceremony after having breakfast.

At 9am we took our places in the pandal. At 9.16 Pujya Guruma arrives immediately followed by Pujya Gurudev to the continuous sound of conches and loud applause form the sadhaks present there. After chanting the Guru Ahavan mantra the initiation process started with Rambhai explaining that Guru Diksha is extraordinary, it is a subtle process which an ordinary person cannot perform but only a person who has got self-realisation himself can bestow it. In this process of planting a good seed, the farmer knows that if he grafts the branch of a sweet mango on a tree giving sour mangos, then that tree over time will start bearing the fruit of sweet mangos. That is exactly what is going to happen today. Guru Diksha is a process which every person should take if he wants to progress spiritually as that is when the subtle connection between the Guru and disciple is established.

The programme commenced with a small purification ritual. I had asked Manoj Bole of Singapore to focus on the inhale, hold, exhale ritual with full faith and belief and that he would experience something wonderful. All sadhaks were asked to place the tulsi leaf beneath their tongue and inhale the divine energy slowly and then hold it while feeling the energy flow through each atom and particle in the body, then slowly exhale feeling all the negative energy going out through the breath. The Guru Mantra was then bestowed by Gurudev in His voice which was repeated after him three times. The new initiates were then told the rules to be followed by them – meditate regularly twice a day and at least once a week in collectivity if not once daily, subscribe to the spiritual magazine Madhuchaitanya. After which the initiation ceremony ended and the Guru-poojan ceremony started.

For Guru-poojan Mrs. and Mr. Arun Desai of Oman and Mrs. and Mr. Soundarajah of Singapore were the selected representatives of the sadhaks for doing the Guru-poojan. Gurudev mentioned that they would do it physically while all those present should participate as souls. The Guru-poojan started with the recital of the Ganpati Atharvashirsh which was chanted 21 times by Rambhai, Hasit Joshi, Komal Shah and Dr. Paras Bhat turn by turn. This was followed by the chanting of Om Shree Shivkrupanand Swami Namoh Namaha – 101 times. There was brilliant energy as Gurudev went into a trance and had a tremendous glow around Him as the representatives washed His feet with the designated mixture as the mantras were being recited. This got over by around 10.15am and Shri Arun Desai placed a Muslim cap representative of Oman on His head, after which Shri Soundarajah placed a traditional golden cap representing Singapore on His head, thereafter a solid silver crown embedded with jewels was placed on His head. Gurudev looked regal and divine at the same time. There was tremendous energy as we all participated as souls in the Guru-poojan with vibrations encompassing the full body.

10.55am the Arati took place – each sadhak had been given a candle which just burnt and no leakage of wax – the sight was beautiful as thousands of lamps performed the Arati – there was beautiful energy and a feeling of universal love encompassed me with tears beginning to drop from my eyes. After the Arati both the ladies (Mrs. Desai and Mrs. Soundarajah) performed the ceremony of offering oti (coconut, rice, cloth piece, sweets) to Pujya Guruma one by one and Pujya Guruma in turn applying vermilion to each of them on their foreheads.

       Guru-Poojan

At 11.15am Mrs. Sharmila Patil, the Managing Trustee of Yoga Prabha Bharati (Seva Sanstha) Trust offered the vote of thanks. At 11.30a, the prostration ceremony started with the volunteers being requested to participate first. Bhajans were being sung as the ceremony started. At around 12 noon I surrendered and offered myself unconditionally to Samarpan and left the hall with a feeling of why did this have to get over so soon.

We then went to our pandal and changed into casuals and got ready for departure in the afternoon. We called the taxi operator who had brought us from the station on the 16^th. He came at around 4 and we reached the station at around 4.45pm. The ladies went shopping while Anant, Deepak and I went out to a stall for fafda(local savoury) and tea. He made the fafda in front of our eyes and also told us the recipe for the same. The fafda and tea were delicious. After that we went to the AC waiting room which was full of our sadhaks. Our train was at 7.50 and the ladies came from their shopping spree at around 7.15pm. We got into the train and as we had got First Class AC tickets we had an extremely comfortable return journey. We finished the khakra, fruits, theplas which we bought along with Amul flavoured milk. We reached Mumbai on time and that was the end of another memorable Guru-poornima.

After we left the Kutch Samarpan Ashram an historical event was to take place – Guru-Darshan for those who could not attend the 3 day residential event. Pujya Gurudev in His infinite compassion had declared in advance that from 4pm to 8pm there would be darshan, paduka-naman and Prasad. More than 20000 people came for the darshan. The darshan was supposed to be a walk-through but when Gurudev saw the full pandal (almost 11000 people packed in the tent) and read the minds of the sadhaks, in His infinite Grace and Compassion He not only gave them a discourse, made them meditate and also had a questions and answers session; it went on to the extent that Rambhai had to intervene as the people waiting outside had started becoming restless and started entering all the pandals. So before the situation went out of hand, the sadhaks started moving out and making way for the people outside. The programme ended exactly at 8.00pm.

I must personally thank the organisers of the event – Dr. Dhaivat Mehta the President and the Kutch Ashram Committee for making wonderful arrangements for the event. Even though it rained heavily with strong winds on all the days, there were no disruptions, the four layers of plastic sheets took care of that. Also all the pandals were interconnected so there was seamless transfer of sadhaks through the spacious covered passages. The registration process was also streamlined and in spite of so many people coming there was no rush and chaos as people coolly registered and moved on to their numbered beddings. The bathrooms and toilets were all clean with maintenance workers kept for keeping them clean. All in all the arrangements were brilliant for the size of the event.

Please excuse the lapses in translation on the fly and I am sure you will get the more accurate version in Madhuchaitanya. This is just the teaser to the main event which will come via Madhuchaitanya. So if you have not subscribed please do so – it is now available online too.

|| JAI BABA SWAMI ||

Journey to Inner Peace - Sri Lanka

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