Q n A (Part 4)

Thousands of people celebrate Rakhi Poornima at the Ashram. Several devotees tie Rakhi to Guruji. His hands, right from the wrist to the elbow was full of colorful strings!! The count of which had reached more than hundreds!!

Guruji: Every one has tied me up. I have got tied up by everyone (Laughter!!)

Devotee: Guruji you look like Krishna.

G: I don't just look, I am. (Laughter!!) What to hide!? Why to hide? I am shameless.

How are you all? Love ties you down... beautiful.

These days people are celebrating Friendship all over the world. When is that? Huh? 1st Sunday of August? Oh ho! So only that day you should be friendly is it? 'Raksha Bandhan' is what we celebrate here in India. Raksha means to save, to protect. You tie this, which means everyday you protect me. Sisters tie it to brothers, saying that you protect me everyday.

What else? I think the nations should tie it to each other. So that they are friendly to each other and they protect each other and save each other from destruction. They should not do selective friendship! Isn't it?

Raksha Bandhan means, I am there for you. Like the sister say to the brothers, I am there for you wherever you are, or the brother tell that to the sister? Whatever..

Should we do some meditation now? What is the time now? 8:45? How is the TTC going? The TRM is over... The others are also doing some course?

Q: Guruji thank you for everything that you have given me. I don't have words enough to express my gratitude.
G: Don't tell me thank you. It will be only worth if you can bring more smiles in more number of people's face. That's the way to say thank you.

Ok what else? Someone wanted to perform some dance? Perform it tomorrow. Should we discuss some questions?

You know I want to discuss something today. There is a big difference between the East and the West. In the East, we believe that God takes care of the evil. Men don't have to do anything. But in the West they believe that individuals have to take care of the evil. Fight them. Face them. In Buddhism, Taoism, the Shinto's, the Jains, in all these religions it is said that it is God's duty to protect you from the evil. Whereas in the Middle East, the faith is that you have to guard yourself from the evil. You have to fight them. Interesting? !?!?

Here in India we say God is Love. The whole Universe is made up of a substance and that is called God. The sun, the moon, the stars, the earth, the trees, everything is nothing but the manifestation of God himself. These are something that we can see. And the unseen, even that we refer to as God. The space is also God. The pure consciousness, the space, there is no form, shape, the formless divinity; we call it as 'Nirakara' is also referred to as God here. The same formless divinity is present in the one with the form. It is called the 'Sakara'. You see it in the trees, the mountains, the garden, the sun, the moon... everything. This is interesting analysis!! We say God is Love and that is what the whole universe is made up of. Nothing but pure love. That's what we believe here.

When the child is born he experiences love from his mother. Then from the father. Then from the teacher, the Guru... Here in India we refer the trees, rivers and the mountains also as God! The sacredness is all permeating. Even animals, cows, sheep goats,frogs... the same divinity is seen in everything. This is another school of thought. God comes to us in all forms. I met this 85 year-old Catholic nun lady in London. She told me if you don't see Jesus in the first person you meet in the morning, then you will never see him anywhere. It is very unusual. I tell you Mystics have different ways always.

Like in Islam we had Mansoor, he was a Sufi saint. He said this,"What do people know what my relation is with my God?" So Mystics had a different interpretation about God always. They spoke from the heart. Their entire approach was different. Divinity is not oneperson. It is omni-present, omni-potent, and omniscient!!

Love is again personified. Love is not something, which is hanging on the space. It is in all forms.

There is this common question that comes, is God there in the form or the formless?

Can I ask you something? What are you? Are you not both the form and the formless? In Sanskrit we say, 'Appadeepo Bhava'. Be a light to yourself.The mind has no form where as the body has a form. And you are both.The muscles have a form. But the temperature has no form. The formless divinity is present in all. We refer that to as Brahman here in Sanskrit. Like we say, Allah in Islam. Satchitananda, the Paramananda, beyond the self. The consciousness. The whole universe
is like the body of the formless. Even scientists have agreed to the fact that the whole universe has come from a void. It is sustaining itself in the void and it is going to dissolve in the void!!

In Karnataka, there is a custom, I think in a village, to call everyone as God. Like they would say, "Come in God". "Please have food God", etc. They simply see God in everybody. That does not mean they behave crazily. No no... They take good care of you. They serve you food; make you wash your hand. Again divine is perceived in every different way. You become like a child. Jesus said, "unless you become a child, you cannot enter the kingdom of my father". I am sure in Islam also there should be something like that mentioned.

Here God is our friend, (sakha), companion, and child. In all the three forms you see divinity. That's why in Christianity they pray to infant Jesus. If you really look into religion, there was only one Buddha. Today there are 42 sects in Buddhism!! There was only one Jesus, but today we have 55 to 60 beliefs in Christianity. 4-5 different Paigambars. Same with Judaism there are 3 to 4 sects. Hinduism, don't even ask! (Laughter!!) Countless!!

Our work is to unite everybody. Harmony in diversity. We have to move with everybody. Honor everybody. Honour every school of thought. Never condemn anyone. It is only the foolish people who condemn. Honour everybody. Practice meditation, Sudarshan Kriya, and serve everyone. And you know what, honouring everyone itself is the biggest service.

Q: Guruji why is there so much diversity?

G: Tell me why shouldn't it be? It is like that. See there are so many different varieties of vegetables available. Imagine if there was only potato. You had to eat potato all the time!! Morning, evening and night!! How would that be? The nature has provided us with so much of variety!

Q: Guruji, after death the body turns into ashes. The soul finds another body. Where is the scope to see 'Swarga' (heaven)?

G: (laughter!!) I tell you the entire concept of Swarga is how you live your life here, now!

Q: Guruji, why does people desire for Moksha?

G: Dharma, Artha, Kama and Moksha are the four things that we desire. You have the wealth. How much can you enjoy!?!?! Ultimately you feel Oh enough!! Then you desire for freedom. That is the desire for Moksha.

Q: What is your advice for lazy people?

G: If I tell you what is the guarantee that you will do it? What if even after that you are lazy? So you better find that out by
yourself. (Laughter!!)

Q: Guruji how to deal with the lust, in that moment when it is there?

G: That moment you can't deal with it. That's why you should deal with it much early. Should consume the right food. Right thoughts.. right behavior.. pranayama. Huh..

Q: Guruji, how to deal with fear of sorrow?

G: Do sadhana. If you do Sadhana the veil, the curtain will drop. You will start seeing life from a different perspective.

Q: Guruji, Krishna said 'When everyone sleeps, the yogi is awake'. What does it mean? Are we not supposed to sleep if we want to become Yogis?

G: No no. It is not interpreted correctly. It has a different meaning. It means when everyone is ignorant. The yogi knows and he is aware. Here awaking is referred to as awareness. Got it?

Q: Guruji, please tell us something about Vairagya (dispassion) and Sadness?

G: Maharajji will tell. Maharajji please tell us about dispassion.Maharaji's words are like ghee in the food. Unless he speaks it seems incomplete.It starts drizzling at the amphitheatre and Guruji asks the crowd to disperse saying "Will take it up tomorrow ok? Jai jai radha ramana Hari Bol...".