SWAMI MANASA’S PREAMBLE SPEECH

Sri Swamiji’s visit to Baton Rouge augurs yet another level of conscious awakening of devotees. Many have come from all over America to Baton Rouge. Why do they come? What is it that makes them come here? Sri Swamiji has trained people to be in regular Darshan attitude wherever He goes based on the love they express for Him. Is mere loving Sri Swamiji and doing the chores of rituals and ceremonies enough? For some, doing Pada Puja and taking part in the prescribed ceremonies are fulfilling. But for others, it is not. For those who love Sri Swamiji in this fashion, their love will be tested to affirm their consistency and faith. Many of them get lost on this path. Some come out. In order to come out of this testing, love combined with wisdom alone helps a devotee.

Then what is our intention doing all this meditation, these Pujas, Vratams, Satsangs, etc.? Do we do this to elevate Sri Swamiji’s status? Or do we do it for self benefit? We do it for self benefit alone and always. Nevertheless, Sri Swamiji Blesses you. Sri Swamiji has the inherent energy to Bless you irrespective of your conditional love for him.  So, when He is capable of Blessing us in this sense, Sri Swamiji brings us together in this assembly to transform us to some kind of a goal that everyone has to reach. After all, every moment of the human journey is based on this evolutionary process. Coming in contact with Guru/God/teacher helps us to evolve faster. Some people ask themselves if they are going in the right direction or not. Based on wisdom itself, they are capable of assessing themselves. They can evaluate themselves if they are affirmed in the wisdomful nature of Love.

Do not love emotionally. Emotions such as affection and sentimentality are sweet in the beginning but will put you in a bitter state later. Because it seems that Sri Swamiji silently rebuts you, later you will feel distraught, sunken and frustrated. Such an evaluation is wrong because it is based on emotion and sentiment. For many, Master is the central principle and focal point of life. Remember, it is your lack of wisdom alone that causes you to be attached or get frustrated.

So, keeping up our love, faith and devotion should be born out of wisdom. How does that wisdom come? It is inherent in us. We watch, we see, we evaluate, and then we increase our faith and reaffirm ourselves. Life with Sri Swamiji is full of reaffirmation of faith every moment. There are moments when we may feel isolated from His central radius. But He is really driving us to see the point that our Atman is always in us, guiding us. Look to That alone for guidance. It is kind of an ATMA PARICHAYA that Sri Swamiji does for an individual.

Let the society be based upon wisdom, knowledge and Supreme Love.

PUJYA SRI SWAMIJI’S SPEECH

We have reservations regarding our attitude to Guru and God, and therefore we entertain many doubts. This is because we are not fulfilled (APOORNA). A wholesome attitude is not possible for us, because we are all seeing only the parts of a great big picture and not the whole picture. Doubting nature is, no doubt, common to everyone. How do you explain when you see a wholesome nature? You only say, “WOW, IT WAS GREAT!” and so on.  That is the limitation of a human—able to explain the world only through the Indriyas (senses). In that sense, human groups come together depending on their temperaments and tastes—like birds of the same feather flock together. People of the same profession and like-mindedness come together in a gathering. Impure minded people come together in impure groups. Pure minded people orient themselves to Satsanga.

Because you are impure and not fulfilled on some level, you always seek.  This seeking nature is part of this impure state. There is something else to be seen, there is something else to be wholesome, and there is something else to seek. So, we are on the journey. For example, look at this tree (Sri Swamiji points to a beautiful Bonsai plant next to him). The onlooker tries to explain the beauty of the Bonsai by saying, “Wow, it is beautiful.” After that, there are no words. Why does this happen? It happens because of AMPOORNATA (insufficiency).

The Shloka PURNA MADAHA says: When we are elevating ourselves to see the wholesome play of God, the seeing is nothing but surrender and merger. There are obstacles to it in the form of KAAMA (desire), KARMA (action) and AVIDYA (lack of knowledge). Because of them, we always think with a lower nature and we do not want to know the reality that is wholesome. Our attitudes change and we misinterpret every action. If you attempt to become POORNA (fulfilled), you only see POORNATVA. And the doubting nature stops or dies down gradually. This is helped by the Guru’s grace.

Take a villager’s attitude. He has no idea of egocentricity, because his needs and demands are less, and he never mixes his emotions to the extent of causing it to be an obstruction. There is some sort of POORNATVA. He relies on his belief and faith unquestionably, firmly and consistently in an ongoing fashion. He has made up his mind. Likewise, once you are in the association of your Sadguru, it is a commitment for life. That commitment has to be total and wholesome. A half-hearted approach gets half-hearted results. This is what the Guru Geetha tells us.

So, cleanse your mind, clear your mind every moment.  Do not look with colored glasses on andcome to your own perceptions. A twisted vision does not take you anywhere. The impurity is within us because we are wearing colored goggles. Therefore, ATMARPANA has to be done in this lifetime by ego shattering. Going to the temples, going to the Guru, seeking the Truth are all parts of that process.

Swamiji questions us by asking where exactly is happiness? Is it in the temple? In the books? Clubs? University? They, no doubt, attract you, but the happiness is something that is residing inside you sharing all these experiences. It is like a mirror reflecting all actions yet remaining still. So, in your travel within, you should have proper assumptions and good training. Better you tune yourself. Be ready for that. There is a proverb in Telugu which when translated says: Eyes have vision but cannot speak, whereas the tongue speaks but cannot see. So, coordination of the tongue and eyes is required for a wholesome outlook (POORNA). All the Indriyas and the mind come together to overcome the duality of the world and to transcend the duality of the world. There the mind knows that everything is joyful. Everything is hanging on a certain permanent Truth. By our internal travel, we need to cleanse in this lifetime. Otherwise, it is only ADHOGATI—we get drowned.

It is a great privilege for all of us to have assembled in this Datta Temple in Baton Rouge. I am pleased to see that the Guru Nilaya is inaugurated by the efforts of all the devotees. We shall all make our stay a happy one and my Blessings to all of you who have come from different parts of United States.

Jaya Guru Datta – Hari Om Tat Sat.