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| Her Holiness Guruma and His Holiness Swamiji |
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| Guru-parivar minus - Shaswatiji missing |
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| 65th Birthday eco friendly stage decoration |
I reached the Ashram on 6th November at around noon along with Revathi after stopping by at Yoga Prabha Bhavan to attend to some accounts related work. After seeking help from Bansariji got to my bedding area. After depositing my bag and getting fresh I went have prasad. Already there were a lot of people in the Ashram and it was abuzz with activity in complete anticipation of the prospective shower of consciousness starting the next day. The 6th was bright and sunny and very pleasant weather.
A meeting was called for by Swamiji to discuss the programme and review the arrangements made. We did a tour of the entire Ashram, first going to the gents’ accommodation, the ladies accommodation, the main pandal, the kitchen and then the VIP accommodation. After doing a complete round we sat in the main pandal for some time discussing issues. At around 7pm Swamiji left for the kutir and we remained behind discussing the final schedule and other matters.
At around 10pm after prasad I retired for the day, I woke up the next day at my usual time of around 3am, freshened up, had a bath and then I sat for meditation and after an hour or so my eyes opened to the sound of some disturbance outside and to my complete dismay it had started raining! Sadhaks (around 2000 in number had already come the previous night) were running helter-skelter with their bags. The rainfall was very heavy accompanied by thunder and lightning. I got a call from Maheshbhai and we all gathered near the office to take a call on what needed to be done. This was around 5am. The rain had become lighter, but the ground and the tents along with bedding were a complete write off! Who expects rains in November anyways! Message from the Gods maybe that we should now only do video shibirs and connect with the subtle rather than the physical! Who knows?!! We took a round of the tents and saw that all the mattresses were completely soaked – there was no way anybody could sleep on such wet mattresses! We arranged for the ladies stay in the Bhojnalaya and in the side rooms at the new Guru Shakti Dham, the gents were accommodated under the dome. We now had to take a call on what to do today. After a meeting with the Ashram committee and those Aadhar Board members who had come, we decided to cancel the day’s programme and also to cancel the event on the 9th. We drafted a message for Swamiji to post on Telegram that those who had not left their cities yet, should not come due to the rain and lack of staying facilities. After the message was circulated on various whatsapp groups, I started getting calls whether the message was genuine and what should we do. I told such persons that we will send a programme schedule later in the day and under no circumstances anyone should come to the Ashram as that would put a very heavy burden on the already stretched facilities.
By 5 in the evening we had another meeting with Swamiji and decided on holding the programme for only one day as it was impossible to make staying arrangements for the expected 7 – 8000 people. We created a curtailed programme with morning registration (7am-9am), Swamiji’s discourse, address by Anuragji and trustees, lunch break, Guruma’s discourse, tea break and then the dhol-tasha Mumbai band leading Swamiji on to the stage, the cake cutting followed by the cultural programme in the evening. By the evening there was a little bit of sanity with the rain not falling.
Programme Schedule
08.11.2019 CM 2019
7.00 - 9.00 am Registration
8.00 - 9.00 am Tea-snacks
9.00 am Lighting of the ceremonial lamp
9.05 am Arrival of Her Holiness Guruma
9.10 am Arrival of His Holiness Swamiji
9.10 - 9.15 am Welcome Address
9.15 - 9.30 am Literature launch/Felicitation of sadhaks
9.30 - 11.30 am His Holiness Swamiji's Words of Blessings
11.30 - noon Deep Yagna
12.00 - 12.15 pm Managing Trustee address
12.15 - 2.00 pm Paduka Naman / Bhojan Prasad
2.30 - 4.00 pm Her Holiness Guruma's Discourse
4.00 - 5.00 pm Tea-Snacks
5.00 - 7.30 pm Birthday celebrations
7.30 - 7.35 pm Vote of thanks / conclusion
7.35 pm onwards Bhojan Prasad
The next morning (The Day) - post meditation, I came down and saw that the sadhaks had all started coming in and the registration process was on in full swing. We did not insist on handing over of telephones hoping that sadhaks will have self-restraint, which to a large extent they did. The actual 3-day registration was for 7800 people and we usually have a 10% drop-out rate, but the final count for this one-day event was 7500 odd, which means the drop-out rate was less than 5%. Sadhaks had come on the 7th and stayed in Navsari and nearby cities in hotels and had come to the Ashram in the morning. Hats off to the sadhaks for showing a deep sense of maturity and patience and attending the event in such large numbers in spite of the heavily adverse conditions! Just goes to prove that with the passage of time and continuous meditation the state of the sadhak community has definitely undergone a transformation for the better.
At exactly 9am Her Holiness Guruma arrived followed a short while later by His Holiness Swamiji. They arrived to the blowing of conches and loud applause and shouts of Baba Swami Maharaj ki jai!! Once Swamiji lit the lamp and took His seat, Ramkaka led us through the Guru Ahavan mantra (invoking of the Guru-energies). Dr Paras Bhat along with Mrs Hema Veerkar were the incomparable comperes for the event. At 9.10am the ceremonial lamp lighting ceremony took place followed by the launch of new literature at the hands of Her Holiness Guruma. 1) Matrushakti (Hindi) 2) Keychain with pink aura photo, 3) Samarpan cloth bag, and 4) Calendars – both desk and wall. Guruma mentioned that the uniqueness of this calendar was that it comprised of photos taken by her during her travels in Germany. The photos had Swamiji’s walks, in fields, yellow flowers and a photo of Swamiji from behind as He walked in the fields – the locations apart from Germany were Nepal and the Statue of Unity. She mentioned that she herself provided the captions based on her first thoughts and feelings. For one, we may have seen sunflowers bloom during our childhood, we have all seen seeds with bristles in the center of the flower – imagine the flower to be your thoughts, the sapling to be Guru-energy and in the centre is Swamiji and all other seeds are sadhaks; and then we go all over the world and propagate the message of Samarpan Meditation. Do take the benefit of the calendar as it contains all the important dates. Swamiji’s walking photo means that we are following behind Him.
At 9.30am the felicitation ceremony for all the sadhaks who have given service as security guards took place – Javerbhai Shah, Rajesh Dubey, Hitesh Pandya, Shantaram Yadav, Ashish Dubey, Dobariya, Yatin Patel, Amit Singh Sahni, Mayur Patel and Harsh Sagar – were all felicitated by the Trustees.
At 9.40am the Ashram Committee President, Shri Maheshbhai Patel delivered the welcome address after which His Holiness Swamiji was invited by Ramkaka to deliver his divine nectar filled discourse.
My Salutations to all the Pious Souls who have come here……
Today’s programme is also a warning from the weather that getting the Guru’s proximity is becoming more and more difficult. For obtaining the Guru’s proximity too one has to pass through several tests. And you have reached here by passing all the tests – for that many thanks! This time I was after the trustees and the committee and got this entire shed completed; and so, today it has been fully utilised. It is your love, it is your affection which provides me with new energy, new inspiration. And because of this, even after completing 65 years today, I am completely healthy and active!
It is said isn’t it, take one step towards the Guru then the Guru takes ten steps towards you. In the same manner, you have extended one step towards me, so I am about to tell you the ten next things after that. For one, the next Deep Meditation Practicum will be held from 7th January to 21st February. Now you will say, the Deep Meditation Practicum takes place every year. No! This year’s Deep Meditation Practicum is incomparable. It is also incomparable and also this is the last chance for you to balance yourself. I will tell you in what context it is. The coming year 2020 is approaching with a dangerous illness, which is going to spread not only in India but all over the world from 2020 onwards. And the name of that illness is – ‘depression’, state of despair. And in this state, it will come in such a huge proportion that heart ailments, cancer will appear insignificant in front of it. This is for you…. these patients will be found in every house. Such a bad state, such bad conditions are going to come in 2020. Hence, this is our last opportunity to balance our self before the advent of 2020. The Deep Meditation Practicum is such a Practicum, in which Anushthan those who do not meditate regularly isn’t it, they too join in it. So, there is a big collectivity with it, and the Gurus personified are present in the Anushthan itself during these 45 days. Hence, during this practicum – whatever has happened has happened – but do not miss out during this practicum. Hence, I am giving you prior information about it. So, participate in the 45-days practicum and balance yourself so that you can save yourself from the oncoming depression, sickness of despair. Secondly, this is not my opinion, this is the warning issued by WHO (World health Organisation) that this sickness is going to spread all over the world in epidemic proportions. Hence, in this, like I told you, you walk one step, the Guru will walk ten steps. I am also giving you a guarantee, you just sit for 30 minutes in my name, I will make you meditate! What happens is, there are two types of people – one is those who sit for meditation but do not get meditation. Second, there are those who do not meditate at all. So…. This opportunity is for both kinds of people that you sit for 30 minutes…..sit for only 30 minutes, one. Second, if more thoughts are coming, if you are feeling impatient, then place a photo of the subtle body, light a lamp in front of the photo and keep sitting for 30 minutes. Assume you have sat at 6am, so till the alarm does not go off at 6.30am, till then you do not have to get up at all, you do not have to move. If you do this you will observe, you will transcend from this side to that during the 45 days Anushthan! Next, I always say that when you donate something, then after donating it you do ask for it back. In exactly the same manner, you donate 30 minutes of your life every day to me. Those 30 minutes do not belong to you at all. Your day should be only of 23.5 hours, half an hour does not belong to you at all – whether you go into meditation or not! Next, why do you get the thought that you are not going into meditation? This thought is also an example of despair. Actually, do you know what it is? Whether you get meditation or not is not your sphere at all. Your duty, your work is only to sit for 30 minutes in Swamiji’s name….that’s it, nothing else! Sit, even if you get meditation, sit even if you don’t get meditation. That is not your sphere. I should get meditation – that too is expectation. I am only saying this much – do not sit with any expectation for those 30 minutes. Why don’t you try this experiment and see! Do not keep any expectation – I should get something, something should happen, I should get meditation – no expectation at all. Only – I have donated 30 minutes to Swamiji, I am going to sit for 30 minutes in Swamiji’s name. Just do this much and see, a change will come in your life. In 30 minutes - all the grace, all the blessings are hidden in subtle form in those 30 minutes. Many a times I receive your letters – Swamiji, shower your grace; Swamiji bless me. My dear! I always distribute grace and blessings every day for 30 minutes, but where do you receive it! You see for yourself, from 3.30am to 5.30am whenever I come and wake you up, after you wake up the subtle body’s connection is directly with you, the subtle body’s relationship is directly with you – at that time is a direct connection. Whatever problems you have, whatever prayers you have – do it directly with it as soon as you wake up. Because, it has itself woken you up, it has come to wake you up. So, definitely take advantage of this golden opportunity. Whatever you have to say, that is a hotline, you are directly connected with it. But, what do you do, even after waking you up, you go to sleep. You have made this mistake so far, do not do it henceforth. At any time observe for yourself, whenever your eyes open between 3.30am to 5.30am, get up and sit, meditate, and after that do it without expectation, then slowly there will be changes in your life.
Now the question that will arise, if these patients affected by depression are in our house, if patients of despair/frustration are present in our house, so how will we recognise them? Firstly, just as when you visit a doctor isn’t it, the doctor says – do you feel hungry? Do you get good sleep? These are physical qualities. Similarly, you observe, this patient will not have a good appetite, his sleep will be irregular, he will always be alone. Next, he will always talk negatively, he will always talk about the past. He will keep thinking that bad things should happen to somebody, somebody should be destroyed. Such people slowly and steadily go into a state of despair. And if at any time you get. Thoughts of committing suicide, understand that you are now in the grip of despair, depression. This thought is a warning that you have come under its grip. So, you remember all these things. Second, this comes – where does it come from? It comes from the company we keep. From our companions. The people in whose proximity we stay, you examine yourself and see, the five people who are dear to you….. , if you wish go home and take a piece of paper and you write, as many people as are dear to you, very close relations, even if they are relatives, even if they are friends, write the names of five people, so just as those five people are, you will be the same. Why? Because knowingly-unknowingly you are connected through your chitta with them. And if you are connected what happens – their state, their thoughts, their environment, they will come to you slowly. Hence, it is essential, that first of all you become capable, strong, and after becoming strong try to cure such patients who you find or meet in your home. It’s nothing, one - play the discourse CDs, second – every evening light some incense. Light some incense means? Take some thyme seeds, some camphor and light it up. What happens with incense – this negative atmosphere gets cleansed. So, by keeping this in such an atmosphere you will slowly and steadily get out of that atmosphere. Second, those people who are in despair, like to be alone. They do not meet anyone, they don’t go close to anyone. They do not go into crowded places, they stay away from crowds. Always alone-alone….they stay alone. And later on, their final target, their final goal is suicide. Now see, today as many people as are committing suicide, they are the youth. Either young girls or young boys. So, what I mean to say is that the state of despair, the environment of despair on a very large scale, will slowly and steadily come upon us from 2020 onwards, but its effect has already started falling upon us. Hence, it is necessary, when there is time, you remember this. Next, you have to balance yourself, for this the Deep Meditation Practicum is a good opportunity, with which opportunity you can balance yourself. How to find time, that you see for yourself. If possible, do it in the morning, if not possible…..if it doesn’t happen in the morning, for that it is not necessary to feel guilty. Do it in the evening, but you should not miss your meditation. Next, meditate without any expectations. There should be no expectation whatsoever. You should go into meditation – you should not have even this expectation. If you do this slowly and steadily, then it will happen.
Next, what is the reason for this atmosphere of despair, this depression? Dryness in one’s spiritual life. Advent of dryness means? See, this situation arises after complete dryness comes. For this, it is necessary to increase one’s soul consciousness. When the soul consciousness totally ends isn’t it, body consciousness completely takes over and then this atmosphere of despair is created. And for soul consciousness to increase, you have a lot of ways to do so, one of which is meditation. Simplest way, the easiest way is meditation. Meditate regularly. There is no other solution to this sickness. Hence, it is necessary, the easiest remedy, meditate regularly. As you go on meditating isn’t it, in the same manner you state will start becoming balanced.
Next, make the soul joyous. Make the soul happy. Meaning, you do work that makes your soul joyous, happy. You don’t have to do that work to showcase to anybody, you do not have to do it with the expectation of getting something, you do not have to keep any expectation. Only by doing that work you felt good, you have to do the work for that reason only. If you work like this isn’t it, by working like this you soul will become joyous. The happier your soul, the stronger it becomes. Similarly, why don’t you offer a prayer, a prayer in which there is no selfishness at all. A prayer in which you have no expectation at all. And after that, even then you are praying, then even with such prayers the soul becomes joyous, happy. And the happier the soul, more joyous the soul to that extent it will become strong.
The third way is that of donation. In reality, donation is also offered to make the soul joyful, happy. So, understand its meaning in that sense. Donation is not meant to be shown off to anybody. Donation is not an investment, it is not any bribe – you are donating only because by doing that your running after achievements all your life, to stop that running, you are going to perform such work in which there is nothing to be achieved. Only do that work to make the soul happy, joyous.
Along with this, along with these three works add a fourth job. Change the company you keep. Look, whenever you are getting negative thoughts, whenever you are getting thoughts of your past life, then understand that the persons with whom we are spending time, the company we keep, they are coming inside us because of them. See, our own thoughts are very few, because you are connected with meditation, you have very few thoughts of your own. Hence, the people who are around you isn’t it, they put their thoughts inside you. Hence it is necessary that … see, like in one small room … you are sitting alone in a ten by ten, fifteen by fifteen room, you are meditating, meditating, meditating. So, what will happen? For some days your thoughts will remain with you, after some days your thoughts will end. So, what will happen in that – those who are putting thoughts in your mind from outside, those thoughts will stop isn’t it! So, in the same manner, when the thoughts from outside stop coming, then your thoughts will start reducing. What you feel isn’t it, the number of people who put thoughts inside you, it is just those thoughts which trouble you during meditation, bother you during meditation. Hence, it is necessary to strengthen your chitta, to bring a security shield for your soul. After taking that shield, you create such an aura around you, after creating which people around will still put thoughts but they won’t reach you. Its effect will not reach you. You will listen to what everyone is saying, but those thoughts will not cross your aura and reach you at all! Hence, it is necessary for you to change the company you keep, change your companions. If the people you are staying with are staying in a depressing environment, then you too will get it.
Next, your body contains 70% water, and because there is 70% water every thought of yours influences that water of yours. If you put positive thoughts, then those positive thoughts will also influence that water. If you put negative thoughts, even then the influence of the negative thoughts will fall on your water. Meaning, whatever you think, the influence of every thought takes place slowly and steadily on the water inside you. And after that, because of the influence of that water, a similar state, a similar environment will be created around you. Hence, the root of all problems – are your thoughts! Constantly examine your thoughts – what kind of thoughts am I thinking? It happens isn’t it – some sadhaks have wrist watches on their hands in which the alarm goes off every hour. Alarm goes off means what? After an hour they suddenly become conscious and examine what thought they are getting at that moment. If you are getting thoughts of the past, then explain to yourself that – whatever has happened has happened, why worry about it today? Always stay in the present. You create your future in the present. That moment of yours in the present0, every moment in the present creates your life’s future. If you wish to be happy, joyful in your life, then it is necessary for you to stay happy, joyful in this very moment. If you invest in happiness, joyfulness today isn’t it, only then will you obtain joy in the future! You isn’t it, today you are crying loudly and thinking that your future should be good, it will never be possible. Because the seed that you are sowing in the present isn’t it, in the future you will reap the same crop. If you wish for something good, then talk about good things. If you speak well, if you perform good karma, if you think good, then your future will be good. If you think bad thoughts, perform bad karma – then what will happen? You are sowing bad (thoughts), then as you sow bad you will reap a bad crop. What I mean to say is, that itself will become the future. The future is in your hands – how you want to make the future. It has happened, I have discussions with many astrologers, I talk to them – I tell them that the way in which one gets blood test reports, and they tell you the physical body’s current condition according to the report is this and if this condition continues then you could suffer in future from this disease or that, this problem of that, this worry or that. I tell them that exactly in this manner, when you tell someone on a child’s birth isn’t it, that is the state of the chakras of their past life. It is the state of their meridians, of their karma. He has come with it. If he keeps it like this only, then it is possible, that whatever you are saying, all of it could come true. But, if he corrects his karma, if he acts correctly, if he corrects his behaviour, then it is possible for change to take place within him. Just as you may have seen isn’t it, there used to be an audio cassette in the earlier days. That cassette used to have a very long reel. And after that if you recorded a lot of films songs in it, there are some bad songs in it, and if later you did not like the songs in it – but you do not like them, but you have recorded and sept it isn’t it! After that, you take it and go to Goa, even then the same songs will play. You go to Chennai, even then the same songs will play. You go anywhere, you go to any corner of the world, even then it will play the same songs which you have recorded. Exactly in this manner, the record of your past life which you have created, you have come to this birth with the same record from the past birth, and that which played in the past birth, it is that same record which is going to play in this birth. But, if you want to remove the bad songs and put good songs, then it is necessary for you to delete those bad songs. When all the bad songs get deleted isn’t it, only then can you record good songs in it. But this work of deleting, the work of putting good songs has to be done in the cassette itself. Exactly in this same manner, you will have to perform these karmas in your lifetime itself. After your lifetime nothing can happen. Only you have to carry it, from this birth to the next, from the next birth to the next. So, this journey will keep continuing, and this journey will take place for several births. But if you wish, if you wish for some change, then the beginning of this change in every moment of this birth, not every day, do it for every moment. Think positively every moment, think good, and prepare yourself to such an extent that in the time to come however great the attack of depression, despair on you, even then its effect will not fall on you from within. You create such an aura around you that no thought of despair or environment of despair can enter it. What happens is, many times we do get out of that environment too, many sadhaks have come out of it. After getting out, now the state is balanced. But, if an attack of depression recurs, if you meet negative type of people, then automatically as soon as you get their company, as soon as you get their proximity…., you may have got it for whatever reason, it is possible that you went on some journey with them….., it is possible that you stayed with them for a month or so, for whatever reason you get their proximity, if their influence falls on you, then that state of despair will come out again from within you.
Next, from journey I remembered – so sadhaks keep messaging me and telling me, Swamiji I am going to Badrinath….., I am going to Kedarnath….. I am going to so and so pilgrimage….., so and so place …… they tell me and go. So, from that I get only one thought in my mind – these people are going to all places, they are only not going to the inner abode, they are not going to the abode within! Going within is the easiest…., the simplest way. If you go there isn’t it, once you reach there, you can go for all the pilgrimages in a moment. In a moment! The journey which you undertake for months isn’t it…. And even after that it does not happen correctly! But, the objective of all these pilgrimages from ancient times, was only for the reason that the journey, the four pilgrimages meaning? Now, it can happen in one pilgrimage, if you are not balanced, hence four pilgrimages were kept. While doing the four pilgrimages, traveling, traveling, traveling……, later you turn inwards….., and the fifth abode is the inner abode! Reach upto there, that is the only objective, that was the only target of the four pilgrimages, but what has happened now? Now, those four pilgrimages too have become rituals! And next, after coming back from the four pilgrimages, an ego develops within you – that I have returned from doing the four pilgrimages. Heh! But you have done it and come….. but did you journey inward and come? If you have not gone on that journey…. Those four pilgrimages are the steps! Accept that after doing those four pilgrimages you have to go on the inner journey, you have to do the journey to the inner abode and till the time you do not have the desire to go there, till such time it is not possible. Those were only the mediums through which you go on the inner journey.
Next, every thought of yours isn’t it, the effect of every thought falls on you. Hence, at every moment while getting a thought, watch One, see, it is of two types. For one save yourself from thoughts of the past and the future. Always remain in the present. Second, don’t think bad about anybody. Don’t think bad about anybody, even if that person has done you a great wrong, however much trouble he has given you, however much he may have bothered you – even then you forgive him completely. Forgive means? Remove him from your chitta. However badly he behaves with you, never think ill of that person. Because, as soon as you think ill of him isn’t it, nothing bad will happen to him, but on the water within you…., the percentage of water that is within you isn’t it, that water will become polluted, it will become bad and after becoming bad, its effect, will directly fall on you! Hence, however much anyone behaves badly with you, however bad he thinks, you don’t think ill of anybody. Always think good, hear good, speak good, then automatically what will happen – a good state, a good environment, will always be maintained around you.
There is necessity of both regularity and collectivity. Meditation should be done regularly and also it should be done in collectivity. Meditation regularly every day. In collectivity once a week, once a month…..next, whenever you get the opportunity of a large collectivity, you should take advantage of it anyhow – keep a deep desire to reach there. And next, now see, what condition was the weather in, how the cyclone came, how the clouds came, how it rained, all these obstacles one by one are giving you a warning that the Guru’s proximity, Guru’s darshan is going become more and more difficult day by day. Hence it was necessary for you to overcome these difficulties and you overcame these and reached here, you reached that place where Guru’s proximity is obtained. And the best use of Guru’s proximity is to turn inwards itself. Now you see isn’t it, I obtained the proximity of several Gurus in the Himalayas and that too of those who had not seen any human being for years together, staying in their proximity and without keeping my chitta on that environment, on those activities while staying in their proximity, how difficult it is to keep one’s chitta on their Guru-element! But with such penance, with such spiritual practice I managed to attain something. Next, whatever knowledge those people had - they gave me that knowledge because moksha (liberation) is not possible with knowledge. Whatever I have obtained through this physical body, I will have to leave it all with this body. If I have obtained knowledge with this body, then I will also have to leave that knowledge with tis body itself. So, because of this they bestowed whatever knowledge they had acquired during their lifetime to me, they donated it to me. And on donating that, they too became free from that knowledge. Moksha (liberation) means a free state. Such a state in which you have nothing which remains with you. So, whatever they too had, they gave it all. After giving it, they became free from it. Next, after I received it, I have been keeping on distributing it for so many years…. in spite of that it is not getting distributed. So, after that what is the solution that I started, I started establishing the Mangal Murtis and started consecrating them by instilling life-force in them by putting in whatever knowledge, that storehouse of knowledge I had got in them. And after that, for the next 800 years the future generations will keep obtaining knowledge from them. Why? Because I am becoming free from it by giving that knowledge! But you think a bit, even after thirteen Murtis having been created, the fourteen Murti is going to be created, and in spite of that I am distributing this knowledge for so many years, and even then, the knowledge is not being exhausted! This means – what a storehouse of knowledge those Gurus must have filled in me! And every Murti can speak with you, it can answer your questions provided you are connected with it. Hence, whenever you obtain a living Guru’s proximity isn’t it, then make him a medium and after making him a medium, whatever you have received, you have received it because of your good deeds. Whatever proximity you have received, you have received it through good deeds, if you invest that proximity in that itself, then it will multiply. This I am telling you from my own experience! Whatever I had received isn’t it, I invested it in that itself and that is why it multiplied. What does this mean? Whenever we receive the Guru’s proximity because of our good deeds, then we should use that Guru’s proximity for connecting with the subtle body. Now, connecting with the subtle body mean?
When you look at the physical body, then don’t look at the subtle body, feel it. There is a process of seeing, and there is a process of feeling. In the process of seeing we look at his body, look at his form, look at his colour, look at his height, look at his behaviour, look at his bearing. This is just the physical form! There is an inner form hidden inside that physical form. If your attention goes towards the physical, then it will never manage to go on the subtle. Hence, what he is saying, what he is showing, leaving that aside what you are feeling in his proximity, what you are feeling within, what you are feeling in the meridians, what you are feeling in the chakras, you are feeling vibrations in which chakra – focus your attention over there! And your chitta will manage to go there when you will try to look within this physical body. Think with your intellect! Which extraordinary soul is there in this ordinary looking body, with which millions of people from all over the world have merged leaving aside all differences of colour, language, country, gender, race, and religion? Focus on that subtle form and establish your connection with that subtle form. Look, when every sadhak received self-realisation isn’t it, at that very moment the subtle body established a connection with your soul by transcending your physical body. But you will feel it when you use the Guru’s proximity to obtain the proximity within you. Hence, always remain turn inwards in their proximity and after turning inwards you will observe that he is just a mirror. He does not have any form of his own. He is a mirror. Just as we look in a mirror, if our face is yellow then we see a yellow face, if it is black then we see black, if it is white, we see white. Meaning, we see our face just as it is. In exactly this way, make the Guru your mirror. And after making him your mirror, know yourself through the medium of the Guru, recognise yourself, look at the state of your chakras, look at the state of your meridians…..look! Do not even try to improve it, just look! Just by looking at your meridians your chitta will go on your meridians, it will go on the vibrations of your chakras, you will observe that, slowly very slowly those vibrations will start increasing, the vibrations in the meridians will start increasing because your chitta is the medium of Guru’s grace. Guru’s grace is reaching each and every chakra, each and every meridian through the medium of your chitta itself; and slowly very slowly all the meridians are becoming pure, all the chakras are being cleared. But for that it is necessary for you to turn inwards. Chitta has nothing of its own. We need to give direction to the chitta, the chitta does not go by itself. But till such time we do not take our chitta….., the chitta can do everything, everything is possible, but that is possible when you establish oneness with your chitta. Paramatma has given us extraordinary powers within us. We can do everything. But, first of all if you attain that state, that condition then you will attain that state of satisfaction in life, after attaining which there is nothing left to do in life. I will tell you my experience itself. As soon as Gurudev made me turn inwards, after turning inward….., he was not Paramatma, he was an ordinary person, he had two hands, two legs just like me, even then I accepted him as Paramatma. With my intellect I knew that he was an ordinary human being, but through my soul I believed him to be Paramatma. Why? Because, after I met him my search for Paramatma ended. And after that, within ….. within ….. within ….. the journey began. Deeper within….. I reached the inner abode as I went deeper and deeper within, and then I got the darshan of ‘him’. The darshan of ‘him’ for which people go on various pilgrimages, visit different places, visit different locations. But ‘he’ is sitting within us, inside us itself. We do not make efforts to peep inside, we do not attempt to look inside. So, it is necessary to undertake that journey to the inner abode after which all journeys come to an end, all searches come to an end. All the searching, all the roaming ends. And after that, a person attains that ultimate bliss, ultimate satisfaction which is know as ‘ultimate satisfaction’, after attaining which nothing else remains at all. Now we will obtain that satisfaction itself, we will meditate together.
You sit by placing your chitta only on the crown of your head. Today we will meditate in silence. No mantra, no prayer, nothing! And enjoy your meditation by placing your chitta completely on your crown. I am going into meditation, you too come with me on that journey which is called the ‘inner abode’.
The 30-minute meditation was divine with the mind going blank and waves of energy going up the spine and I found myself becoming a witness to the play of energy within my being. The 30-minutes passed by all too soon I felt as the meditation in a collectivity of 7500 odd sadhaks concluded.
Now we will pray. Swamiji! Today, we are gifting you 30 minutes of meditation. Please, be kind enough to take us into a high meditative state from tomorrow onwards! Take us into a high meditative state!! Take us into a high meditative state!!! Salutations!
After the discourse at around 11.30am after His Holiness and Her Holiness left the stage a financial presentation was given by the trustees showing the inflow of funds and where the donations received were spent – giving breakup of capital and revenue costs. At 12 noon, the Pramukh Acharya of Madhya Pradesh, Shri Bhushan Khullar gave a passionate speech inviting all sadhaks to Ujjain for the darshan shibir which was to take place on 1st December in Ujjain.
At 12.15 His Holiness Swamiji returned to the stage for the Paduka Naman ceremony. This ceremony took place to the accompaniment of bhajans led by the Bhajan team. After the prostration ceremony and partaking of prasad, I was called for some urgent Guru-karya due to which our entire afternoon got preoccupied. The birthday celebrations were to start to 5pm and we had to get dressed for the programme as all Aadhar Board members were participating in the Dhol-Tasha team. I went to the room to change into the prescribed white kurta-pajama with orange coloured sleeveless coat and orange turban. This was absolutely Shivaji Maharaj style.
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| Dhol-tasha team |
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| The Dance team part of the Dhol-Tasha choreography |
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| The Mashaal team part of the Dhol-Tasha choreography |
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| The Pendant team part of the Dhol-Tasha choreography |
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| Getting ready... |
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| The choreographers leading the dance |
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| His Holiness in regal splendour atop the Chariot |
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| His Holiness showering divine energy |
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| The dance team (300+ sadhaks) moving in rhythm towards the end |
At exactly 5pm the Dhol-Tasha event started with His Holiness Swamiji being drawn in a horse-drawn carriage. The entire Dhol-Tasha team – about 300 sadhaks – playing the Dhol-tasha, dancers performing, followed by the Aadhar and management team with pendants and flags dancing to the music and on the spur of the moment steps created by Umesh Paiji – we had awesome fun. I was carrying a pendant for about 40 minutes while dancing – the pendant was pretty heavy and I thought that I would have a painful back the next day – but nothing of the kind happened and all muscles were relaxed and normal – another grace-filled experience of the Guru-energies! We sang bhajans and danced in tune (at least I tried to, but with two left feet it was a bit dicey!!). We had great fun and the energy was absolutely palpable. As soon as the procession started it started drizzling – the rain had stayed away for most part of the day apart from a couple of mild drizzles. But now with the play of energy in force the rain’s intensity also started to increase gradually as the drums started booming. Swamiji looked divine on the carriage as he started doling out consciousness, thus changing the entire atmosphere from the normal to the divine. Sadhaks were dancing and swaying to the sound of the drums, pendants waving to the rhythmic beat, the dancers performing in tandem giving an overall mesmerising effect to all the sadhaks who had assembled. The dhol-tasha team had been diligently practicing for more than three months with professional trainers and choreographers for the dance as well as for the dhol-tasha performance. It all came together beautifully on D-day and it was thoroughly enjoyed by the Guru-parivar. The entire procession culminated with Swamiji getting on to the stage prepared outside the dome. The entire family was on stage as Swamiji started cutting the cake – this is the first time that the cake had to be cut under the shelter of umbrellas as it started raining quite heavily. A small firework display also took place on the dance performance stage giving an enchanting spectacle with the oncoming darkness. We were all sitting on the ground contemplating whether to continue or call it a day, when Swamiji said let us all shift inside the dome and continue. After a small break, Swamiji changed into dry clothes and returned to the stage. Thereafter the dance programmes by various centres took place. All the performances were wonderful and filled with energy, enjoyed by one and all in that divine consciousness filled atmosphere. As the performances started getting over one by one, the intensity of the rain also increased proportionately till it was literally raining cats and dogs towards the end. The rain was falling only around the dome area in the Ashram and not so heavily at a distance from the dome, indicating that the clouds too concentrated near the source of energy.
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| Sadhaks waiting for the cake cutting ceremony |
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| All patience on display with dark clouds hovering - slight drizzle |
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| The cake cutting - and the rain comes!! |
After the last dance performance, the event finale a laser show on Swamiji’s life was shown to loud applause, narrating Swamiji’s journey from childhood to now.
After the laser show, Swamiji said that He will now show us 'His kind of' laser show - meaning the aura display. Swamiji asked all the lights to be switched off - and after all the lights were switched off there still was a dull light from the cameraman and also the light candles - thousands of them were still glowing - giving their own kind eerie light. As I was sitting in front near the stage - I could not get to see the aura. Later Swamiji did mention that he was not satisfied with the Aura Darshan as the light from the camera was an impediment to enjoying true benefit of the display.
After this a prayer was offered by children for Swamiji’s health and for overall progress which was repeated by the sadhaks. After this at around 9.15pm the event concluded with shanti path and the sadhaks were left literally drenched in both rain and consciousness. It was the most unforgettable Chaitanya Mahotsav to date. The tenacity and dedication of sadhaks to come for the event come what may, indicated their love for Swamiji and also to patiently and in a very disciplined manner support the volunteers in their duties without creating any ruckus was truly to be admired and appreciated.
After the laser show, Swamiji said that He will now show us 'His kind of' laser show - meaning the aura display. Swamiji asked all the lights to be switched off - and after all the lights were switched off there still was a dull light from the cameraman and also the light candles - thousands of them were still glowing - giving their own kind eerie light. As I was sitting in front near the stage - I could not get to see the aura. Later Swamiji did mention that he was not satisfied with the Aura Darshan as the light from the camera was an impediment to enjoying true benefit of the display.
After this a prayer was offered by children for Swamiji’s health and for overall progress which was repeated by the sadhaks. After this at around 9.15pm the event concluded with shanti path and the sadhaks were left literally drenched in both rain and consciousness. It was the most unforgettable Chaitanya Mahotsav to date. The tenacity and dedication of sadhaks to come for the event come what may, indicated their love for Swamiji and also to patiently and in a very disciplined manner support the volunteers in their duties without creating any ruckus was truly to be admired and appreciated.
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| Just before the start of dhol-tasha show |
Many congratulations to the Ashram Committee headed by Maheshbhai Patel for their dedication to Swamiji in ensuring that the event took place in such adverse conditions; their on the spot meetings and collective decision-taking was the highlight – all done without getting upset at the turn of events – accepting everything and adjusting accordingly – truly SAMARPAN on display of the entire team – which ensured that the Guru-Energies showered consciousness in abundance to all the participants bot physically present and connected subtly!!
I was to leave the next day, so I retired for the night at around 11pm – believe me I was not sleepy – I was fully charged up with all the energy we all had received. But then as a physical necessity I retired for the day and woke up as usual the next day at around 3.30am. After completing the morning routine, I went down onto the ground, meditated at the GSD and returned for prasad! About 60% of the people had left the previous night itself.
Swamiji had called for an Aadhar Board meeting at 9am which went on till 12noon. After the meeting, we had prasad and left for Mumbai. The return trip was uneventful and I reached home at around 6pm.
All in all, an unforgettable and memorable event – millions of thanks to His Holiness Swamiji and the entire Guru-parivar for their blessings, love and presence.
Jai Baba Swami
