Sri Swamiji's Discourse during Satsang on 17 Feb 2003 in Hindu Collage Grounds, Machilipatnam We can do Maanasa Puja. It is the best of all types of Puja. It is permitted only during certain unavoidable circumstances, which prevent you from doing physical Puja. Why should we perform Physical Puja? Because we possess physical body, because we perform activities of sin or Punya with physical body. Because our physical five sense organs make us to feel the world, do we need to perform physical Puja. We do Vigraha Puja to attain Nigraha. We get when we pray. We get what the person who is prayed possesses. If we pray a scholar, he gives knowledge. Likewise Sadguru when prayed to, gives real Happiness (Ananda). Nigraha is the final achievement of physical Puja. It teaches us patience and discipline. Many wonder if God is there in stones ? Planets? Rivers? Mountains and hills? Snake pits? In cows and donkeys? This is a common question Hindu bashers fashion with. We do it to recognize and convey our appreciation to those natural entities, which have enriched our system of living. They all are important in God’s creation system. We show our respect to them. Tree should not be cut. River should not be polluted.But our present day factories take pride in the volume of effluents they leave in the river and thereby polluting them. You go to villages and you enjoy the environment there. The urban life system has reached its peak and is slowly decaying. Village life is the best form of life style. When we show respect to these natural entities, we grow our appreciation to them and we respect them. We recognize the fact that the creator and His creation should both be respected. We also acknowledge the all pervasiveness of the Supreme entity, GOD. The saints Purandara and Kanaka glowed encomiums in their songs to the nature. Sri Swamiji’s Ashrama daily prayer has the line “Nadi Thate Vaasa…” Which shows the love of Swamiji to nature. When we pray elephant, Ganapati, the lord of Muladhara Chakra, the very form of sound OM which is represented by his trunk, when we pray Lord Sun, the life giver on this planet, when we pray Subrahmanya Swamy, we show our respect to the pantheon of Gods. Shiva, Ganapati, Skanda, Devi and Vishnu. This is called Panchaayatana. This group of five is also representative of the Pancha Bhuta i.e. ether, earth, water, fire and wind. By whose ordain, does the Sun shine? Who feeds the frog under the rock? Who feeds the mosquito which is flying in the back of this field? Who feeds the trillions of lives on this planet? Which Government or which organization? Lions club? Who is feeding them? Which hotel is feeding them? The great God has created the most amazing system of life force on the planet. The sea is full of amazing types of creatures in all sizes and colors and forms. Other types of creatures out place human number by several times. We feel great if we feed our one dog at home? We feel that we are taking care of something. As if we are doing charity? How are the other trillion lives finding food? The humans on earth complain that there is not enough food. We complain of not enough rains or river water for growing corps. We complain of famine. We cry that the poor is becoming poorer and the rich richer. We cry of imbalance. If one is blessed with the opportunity to eat fruit, the poor looks for the fruit skin thrown by this fruit eater. What a condition. We still aspire to eat more dishes. We want different types and tastes. We don not know how to live happily and contentedly with what we have. If the other living creatures can manage amongst themselves, why cant we? I agree a tiger hunts and kills and eats the deer. God has destined the fate of that deer to end up like that. Don’t be compassionate unnecessarily. It is a mystical Maya created by the God. See birds. The bird brings a fish from lake to its off springs. The fish would have eaten insects in the river. We see all this and feel troubled. But great trouble in our mind is for money. Money to be left for the coming generation to enjoy. You don’t spend it. But your future generations will blow it all. They will not even remember you. We don’t budget our lives. That is the problem. We don’t do it. We sit comfortably in air-conditioned rooms and plan how to lead life. But you don’t budget your time and resources. You spend the limited resources you have planning how to defeat your enemy. This is the problem with all disciples of all Sadgurus. They do not bring those principles taught by the Gurus to their lives. It is never implemented. Thankfully Governments do not control the nature. Had they the power to control Sun, light or air, we would have reached heavy bills every month. Thank goodness, we are not taxed to scratch our back or to yawn or sleep. Thank Goodness the Sun is not in the hands of some corporation. The prayer continues with – with whose order does the fire burn? The fire in stomach which is ordered to digest what the humans eat. Poor thing. The fire in stomach. God did not even imagine that the ingenious human would eat so many varieties of food. Chilies, animals, coffees, we stuff and stuff. What else is there to eat? Many claim that they die if they cannot drink coffee every morning. Die. Who cares? Many who come to me asking for an interview complain that they cannot attain concentration while meditation. How can he get if he stuffs his stomach so much? The body retaliates in the form of non-concentration, monkey mind, disease, unease etc., The wind breezes because of HIS wish. I bow down to that single Godhead. We face famine because the humanity has lost its generosity. Because the humans try to over do each other. Gods gives such punishments for us to realize our follies. Famines came even during the times of Dasharatha (Lord Rama’s father). God is in the form of water. Water is one of the greatest creations. It assumes the form in which it is poured. Who created this great creation? Machilipatnam scientist? The human existence is so co-related with all other creations, yet we are so lackadaisical. We care only when we are cursed. ********* |