When bhajan is happening, close your eyes and dissolve in the sound. Don’t see here and there, or at people’s faces. Don't see who is opening their mouth, who is laughing, who is looking up, who is looking down. There is no use in seeing all this. Close your eyes and bathe in the sound. It doesn’t matter what sound, which language. Bathing in the sound energizes the mind. Like when you take a fresh water bath, how your body feels fresh and energized, similarly, when you bathe in the sound, the mind gets energized.
So when bhajans are being sung, don’t keep looking at somebody’s face, don’t keep looking here and there. With eyes closed, just immerse in the sound.
Today is Vara-mahalakshmi Pooja. On this day we pray that may God give us wealth but may this wealth prove to be a blessing in our lives and not a curse.
May there be wealth that brings joy, peace and prosperity in life, and not conflict.
I keep a watch on everybody, who is looking where. No point in looking here and there, it is a waste of time.
Today is Vara-mahalakshmi Pooja. Lakshmi can be a vara (promise) as well as abhishaap (curse).
I once met a young man at the airport who looked very worried. I asked him what is the matter. He said, 'Gurudev, somebody has given me a gold biscuit. I agreed to take it and give it to their sister but now I am very scared to take it (on the flight). I don’t have money to pay tax and I don’t want to pay tax for it. Since the time I have kept it with me my heart is beating faster, my blood pressure is high, and I am not able to sleep with this tension that how I should carry this'.
Gaining one kilo of gold affected his blood pressure! So Lakshmi (goddess of wealth) can be a curse as well.
The poor are not as insecure as the rich. There is nothing to think for the poor. When there is wealth, then there is a worry about how to handle it. Many times it has been seen that families that are living in peace have broken down because of money. There are conflicts between the husband and wife because of money.
Many times the divorce cases become criminal cases because of money being involved. Two people who had been living together all these years file a criminal case because of money. They both know that they are not criminals, but even then they file a case in the hope of getting money.
Then there are conflicts between brother and sister. Brothers who used to play together and share so much love, as the father dies, they get into disputes regarding property and inheritance. They even stop talking to each other. Disputes arise between brothers and sisters because of money. Now this money, has it given happiness or sadness? Did it prove to be a curse or a blessing? That money which was supposed to give happiness and contentment, that money has started giving sorrow and grief.
It’s such a brilliant thing, isn’t it: realizing that wealth should be a blessing and not a curse. Wealth has caused so many conflicts! It has created more insecurity, fear, tension and distress. So pray that the wealth that you receive be a blessing.
How many people die because of money. Old people are not able to sleep peacefully keeping money at home. People are afraid of going anywhere with jewelry, because they feel that cannot trust anybody. They have to keep an eye on the servant. Everybody is viewed with suspicion. So is it (money/wealth) a curse or a blessing? A curse!
This is why on this day (vara-mahalakshmi pooja) we pray for wealth to be a blessing, not a curse. We pray, 'Oh lord, give us wealth but also let this wealth prove to be a blessing in our lives and not a curse. May there be wealth, but wealth that proves to be a blessing, wealth that brings joy, peace and prosperity in life, and not conflict'.
Our ancestors have presented these things so well, after so much thought: Not only should wealth be present but it should also be a blessing. With such wealth, there is peace in life. With this feeling, the women perform pooja on this day, i.e., the Friday before the Poornima (full moon) of the Shraavan-masa (The month of monsoon in Hindu lunar calendar).
On this day, they place some rice in a kalash (urn) and begin the prayer. This custom has been followed for a long time.
On this day the women pray that may there be no conflicts, disputes or bloodshed in society. Let there be lots of wealth, but not wealth that creates conflicts, greed and jealousy. Let wealth bring only harmony, peace and comfort.
Not only women, everybody can do this pooja. But the women do it, tying a thread to their hand saying, 'I take a vow to see that that wealth of the home is spent on a good cause. Not on intoxicants, not on things that would destroy life and the society'.
In this country, everything is considered as sacred. Even wealth is considered sacred. And it is even more sacred when it is a blessing.
Today so much wealth is being created in so many countries, but they use it wrongly. They use it on weapons to destroy people. This is not a blessing, this is a curse of the wealth. Many countries create so many weapons to destroy the society, destroy human civilizations. So the idea is to honor wealth, and use it as a gift for human evolution; to bring comfort to people and not to create conflict among people.
It’s such a brilliant thing, isn’t it: realizing that wealth should be a blessing and not a curse. If you really look into it deeply wealth has caused so many conflicts! Many times, even though there is wealth, that wealth has not created harmony, peace and comfort. It has created more insecurity, more fear, more tension and distress. So, pray that the wealth that you receive be a blessing. Vara means Blessing. Let the wealth that comes into our life be a blessing to us and not a source of conflict and contention.
In this country, everything is considered as sacred. Even wealth is considered sacred. And it is even more sacred when it is a blessing.
Leave everything and relax. Why are you thinking so much and getting worried? First of all, what do you have to surrender? You have nothing to surrender. Is this body your own? How long have you been able to control on it? When you were young, this body was not in your control! You weren’t independent. Somebody has brought it up, fed it, cleaned it, bathed it, made you sleep, done all this. Now when you grow old, then you will need someone’s help. To walk you will need a helping hand, and to carry your suitcase you will need someone’s help.
This body belongs to the nature, and nature takes care of it. Your mind belongs to the Divine. However it is, the Divine will take care of it.
If you look at life from a wisdom point of view, there is nothing that belongs to you in the first place to surrender. Don’t worry about not being able to surrender, just sit and relax. You should not do what you are not able to do. Just understand this.
That which you are unable to do but want to do is stress. So if you cannot surrender, then don’t. Just sit silently.
Don’t use this knowledge in the wrong way. If you are habituated to drinking alcohol, then it doesn’t mean that you say that you can’t live without it and so you are not able to leave it.
I know how to make you quit. Put your wallet here. If you don’t have money then how will you go and drink? But don’t apply this knowledge there, that since you are not able to quit drinking, you shouldn’t try to quit. No! I won’t agree to that. You can definitely do something to quit, so you must take a resolve that you won’t drink. If you break your vow once or twice, no problem, but immediately take your vow again. Sometime or other it will definitely happen.
Through dhyaan (meditation) and gyaan (knowledge). Through this you will attain bliss, and when there is bliss then dispassion follows.
To be dispassionate, just realize that everything is momentary and temporary. To attain bliss the inner mind must be silenced; the mind must be free from restlessness. This can be done through pranayama and meditation.
Today, coming here and sitting, is there bliss or not, tell me? How many people feel the mind is blissful? (Everyone in the audience raise their hands)
