Sri Swamiji’s speech in Cochin Ashrama
28th September 2002

Sri Swamiji joins Sethuraman (Cochin Ashrama trustee) who is singing the Bhajan “Jyoti Velgindi Sadguru Jyoti Veligindi".

What is the meaning of this Bhajan? Let is discuss it.

Akali means hunger. Why do we get hungry ? Why does it bother us? How is hunger connected with liberation? Many times we get the feeling that we don’t want anything. You don’t want family, you don’t want responsibilities and such feelings. Then within ten minutes this feeling disappears and you enjoy the shackles you have voluntarily put on. You are vacillating between two extremes. Many don’t take Teertha in temples saying they may catch cold. This is an extreme. We have to lead a moderate life between the extremes. We should not feel depressed. We have to welcome sickness that comes sometimes. Because this body is not our property. This Atma makes this body its temporary home. After all it may stay for 60 years or 70 or 80 or a maximum of 100 years. You have a license to enjoy this for that period only. Then it has to be surrendered to mother earth from whose elements it is made up of. Handle this body with care. Be careful. We are just 100 years leaseholders. You understand? After the lease period, you have to surrender it to its makers and your soul looks for new agreements. IT may go to another country and it may become an insect or a bird or an animal. We only have a seasonal ticket to be in here. The body sometimes feels hungry. It is not physical hunger. But tired from the excessive traveling you have put it through. At least in this birth you have the association of the Sadguru. We have the great opportunity of having a good Sadguru for Satsang. Do penance with Me. Think about God. That is the food for the hunger ridden Atma. It demands divine knowledge. The food is the teachings of the Sadguru.

Next it says…
I am lost in this world. I have sadness in dream state. I have sadness in wakeful state. O’ My God!! You are invisible and so are my problems. They are invisible yet they torment me. I cannot understand. I cannot explain my problems. I give them some silly problems to make them feel that I really have problems. I am confused if the body is tormented by the metal sickness or if the mind is depressed by the sick body. I have many thinking and I have many problems.

Daaham means thirst. This is not thirst in the normal sense. It is thirst of the mind. It is confusion and tension. That is the thirst. Who can solve our problems? No Guru can relieve your problems. We are not only bodily unhappy but mentally also unhappy. It is a big confusion. Confusion from what ? From body, from mind, from family, from career and from everything. It is all a big mixture of everything. See the water in the ocean. Can you drink it ? I don’t. At least in my area we don’t. I don’t know about Cochin people. Do they drink seawater ? No. No. There is such abundance in water. But not drinkable. One person has everything. Good family, money, bank balance, work in Dubai, Good family. Thirty grandchildren. New cars, He knows many ministers. But he would still be unhappy. He has an inexplicable unhappiness. His moods change every thirty seconds. But he needs to close his moods. Then only he can proceed. HE has Moha. Moha is like a fatal attraction. He still wants more. He still worries about the daughter in America. He has a son who needs to be worried about with him. Still he worries about that distant daughter. This type of distant worrying brings no answers. This condition with daughter is called Moha. But your account is being debited. She has to undergo her Karma. You can pray God to help her and ask God for strength to her. But sitting here and worrying?

This is wrong.
The wheel of times goes on. The minute of the last hour can never be regained.
The Kaala (time) goes on. No one can stop it. When Yama comes to take you, no persuasion can stop him. He is a very strict officer. He will not hear any wailings. May it be an important responsibility of daughter or anything. He will not wait. That fear of the wheel of time will always be in our mind. This moment will never repeat. The next moment will be different. Different vibrations, different taste, different situation. All that you will have from the lost time is its memories. Time never repeats.
The fear in us has to go one day. How does it go? Only with the friendship of a Sadguru. Fear and Jnana do not stay together. The tension as to what happens next has to go. Definitely go. The friendship of a Sadguru removes fear, paving way for the intellect to grow unhindered and in a pure circumstance. Peace comes then. Then the inexplicable happiness pours all over you. All problems seem trivial and they melt and disappear. The happiness that comes from sacred friendship is not explicable. You will feel light then. You feel that life has a greater meaning. The existence has a greater purpose. Sadguru friendship brings silence. Silence brings such happiness. Many of you don’t know. You will then decide that this is the path for you. From that happiness you will get compassion to this creation. From that compassion comes Datta’s grace.

So, you learn from this Bhajan that the body is very important. Chanting the names of God also brings you to this path. When you call the names of God, the sound has to come from naval region. Not from your throat (Swamiji mimics various sounds). See how it sounds. DATTA DATTA from throat and DATTA DATTA from navel. It is so different.
Also don’t pray God to punish your enemies. You have to pray that they should get good habits. Or you can ask for strength to stand them. That is the ultimate prayer. This is what is known as compassion mentioned in this Bhajan.

Jaya Guru Datta