Saturday, December 15, 2007 - 

Today, a group of devotees from the USA had been permitted to sing bhajans as a part of their programme in front of Swami. Swami came out at about 5:05 pm. He came out straight and asked for the US devotees to begin their programme. The programme was one of chain bhajans. It began with Shuklambaradhara Ganapti Mantram and then moved on to other ones. It was a good blending of the different beats and ragas. Swami sat tapping His hands and watching them intently as they sang. The "chain" of bhajans got completed so to say, and they then began to sing "normal" bhajans if we may be allowed to use that term.

But the beauty of the evening came after the programme. In fact it came after the Aarthi was performed at about 6:00 pm. Swami did not move even after the Aarthi was completed. He called Mr. Bob Bozzani who was seated right in the front row of the American devotees. He told him to speak! Mr. Bozzani spoke very short and sweet and on the topic of reaction, reflection and resound. Everyone was thrilled at this extra dose of darshan. But they were totally unprepared for what was to come next. Swami signaled for His mike to be brought! Then He began to speak -- a summary is presented below:

"We bother ourselves too much with the world because of the difficulties we face. Everything is actually bliss. The Lord, who is creator, is full of bliss and so is the creation -- be it an insect, animal or bird. Difficulties and problems are imaginations of man. Pleasure is in an interval between two pains. You cannot experience the joy in pleasure without pain. Remember, whatever happens it is God's prasadam. Never consider anything as painful. To remove severe pain in the abdomen, the doctor uses surgery which itself is painful. Difficulties are ultimately responsible for removal of pain.

The crores of beings are in fact the product of the same Atma. The same God dwells in all. The names are different - Jesus, Allah, Rama and Krishna. The Atma is nothing but Love. The exact name for the Atma is Love. All of you have come from America only because of your love for Swami. This love will ensure that you achieve anything. Love holds everyone. Unity leads to success. It leads to Purity and finally to Divinity. I and you are one. Swami is not separate from you. You have to strengthen the feeling that "I am God". In that oneness you will find bliss. The mind wavers like a monkey only for some time. If there is Love, it gets subdued. What we have to learn today is that we have to love all because God loves all and hates none. God will never leave you and will be with you always, everywhere. Sarvam Brahmamayam. God is in you, with you, above you and around you -- you are God in fact. So you do not have to search for God.

It is only with the physical body that you have all the difficulties. Do not go by the form. Mind is a mad monkey and the body is a water bubble. The I is the real you. The true answer to the question "Where is God?" is "I am God." So I say, take love as the basis. Without Love, all spiritual activities are useless. If Love exists then there is no need for any other spiritual activity. To understand the importance of Love, spiritual activities are needed. All physical relationships are like passing clouds. Have total control over the mind, then you are moving towards realizing God. Love has no birth or death. It is immortal. This is the Truth and Truth is God. God manifests and moves about in the form of Love.

Your breath itself is God. If you observe it, it says, "Soooo....Hammm....." meaning, "I am That". The same Love pervades all. So do everything with Love, even if it is facing your enemy. Look at the enemy and say "Hello". Everything is reaction , reflection and resound. Nothing is impossible for Love. The creation, sustenance and destruction are all done out of Love. Since there is nothing beyond God, there is nothing beyond Love. Love is one and the same. It is pure and unsullied. Adherence to the principle of Love equals to loads of spiritual effort. Do not have differences based on the names as forms as Love is one. It is like this. You have rice. With it you can make either idlis or dosas or roti and with sugar, it can be made into payasam (pudding) too. But all these different names and forms arise from the same rice. God or Love is the same - made into different names and forms by man. God is beyond everything. If there is no Unity alone will there be diversity. God is the only one.

If you have a 1, put as many zeroes after it. Each zero gains value. But remove the 1 and all the zeroes lose value even if they are a thousand in number.Without God, everything is of no value. With God, everthing's value gets enhanced. This is the truth, howsoever anybody may say it. "Ekam Sat, vipraah Bahuda Vadanti."

Do not hate anyone. 'Help ever hurt never' is the quality of a true devotee. Being a devotee, it is not right to get lost in mine and thine. Do not observe differences. Swami's wish is that all should be happy always. Some say "today is my birthday." That is only related to the body. You are all eternal and immortal. Be happy always. Swami is very happy with your bhajans today. They were full of harmony and thus were in perfect unity. Keep singing bhajans always, throughout the day - from the time you rise till you sleep."

(Hari Bhajana Bina)

Then Swami so sweetly asked, "Is Aarthi over?" He asked for the Aarthi to be done! And so it was a double bonus for the boys and devotees selected to give Aarthi to Swami. After filling everyone with His mellifluous words and the vision of His delicate yet powerful form, Swami retired at 6:50 pm.