Some great pundits have come from Bangalore, and other places. So when they read the Rudrabhishek mantras, we will all close our eyes and meditate like we are doing a ‘mantra-snan’ (bathe in the sound of the mantras), with the faith that whatever we need in life will be given to us. There is someone to fulfil our needs. This much faith and confidence should be there in the mind. The Rudrabhishek will take about forty five minutes. Afterwards we will talk again.
More than talking, the presence is extremely important and significant. For the next few minutes we will sit in the presence.
Where is Shiva? Everywhere; what is he like? He is like the sky. He is non-dual, present in all five elements, in earth, in air, in water, in fire and in ether. That Shiva element is ever present within our self (atma tattva). Our soul is not separate from Shiva, there is no distinction. So let us perform the Pooja and sit in meditation and listen to the chants.
Diwali is coming up. Tomorrow is Chaudas ; Gauraang is invoked on Chaudas. Shiva is also known as Gauraang. May Shiva manifest and may shiva tattva be awakened within us, in the environment, and everywhere for the benefit and well-being of all.
Gujarat celebrates its new year day after tomorrow. So think about all you desire to manifest in the New Year, but first let us surrender our body, mind, possessions, intellect, ego, knowledge, devotion, and everything; that is Pooja.
Just as when a cracker bursts, sparks fly and sparklers emerge, may our minds also explode giving rise to bliss.
The festival of Diwali is unique in the world, do you know why? There is a psychological secret hidden in it. All year long we interact with people, socialize with them, and some anger, some frustration builds up and some attachment and aversion accumulates. And we continue to live with these emotions. Sometimes people say, ‘Oh my head almost exploded! There is so much anger and frustration inside that I was ready to explode.’ How to eliminate this hidden attachment and aversion?
When we observe firecrackers exploding in front of our eyes, we become empty within. This is the underlying psychology. Then we distribute sweets and begin the New Year by lighting lamps to awaken the light of knowledge, so this is important.
Okay, I would advise you not to light too many firecrackers. Burn as few as is possible. So many birds and animals and even children get scared, and we should not bring fear in any living being. Burn more sparklers and the firecrackers that do not make noise, and very few of the noisy ones. I won’t say not to light on Diwali, but light a few, okay!
The damaru (dumb-bell shaped drum played by Shiva) has been reverberating in all the five elements (earth, water, fire, air and ether). In the coming year, something or the other is bound to happen in society, in nature. The earth will tremble, the rains will be excessive; but in all these situations, you will become stronger. No matter what the situation, we need to strengthen our confidence that God is our very own, and all our work will get done. If this faith is established, just watch the miracles that will happen in your life. How many people are witnessing miracles in their lives? (Many in the audience raise their hands.)
The secret to this is to maintain strong faith.
A big revolution is needed in the country. A peaceful revolution will happen and everyone will have to participate in it. By the way, in the country, Gujarat is farthest ahead. I am very happy that Gujarat has gone much ahead of all states. Gujarat’s prosperity and organization are commendable. I am very pleased with all the development that has taken place here in the last 8 to 10 years. There is electricity and water in the villages; prosperity, good-will and peace among people. This is a matter of great joy and serves as an ideal for other states where people should join together to strengthen the social, financial and spiritual organization. This will be my appeal, my blessing in this new era that Gujarat in its progress pulls forward other states also. In the land of Gujarat, bhakti has aged or matured. In the Bhagavad, it is written that bhakti was born in Tamilnadu, grew up in Karnataka and aged in Gujarat, so Gujarat is the land of bhakti.
My coming here has only one purpose that you do not have any fear. Whatever you desire you will continue to get from time to time, you just keep at it. Keeping the heart clean is extremely important, this is the only thing we need to do. What? Keeping the heart clean!
Okay, now after that, keeping your home clean and then, keeping the society clean. We need to clean up. We also need to look at cleaning the cities, our outer environment.
So cleaning of the internal environment and external environment, both are required.
So first I will stress on keeping our internal environment clean, our heart clean, but we should not stop at that. We have to keep the entire city clean, yes! This is important, okay!
I will give some work to everyone.
Okay if you ask how our inside has to be kept clean? Sometimes anger arises, temptation comes up. You see the neighbours have a nice car, and the desire to possess one comes up. You are aware that your salary will not be enough but if you took bribe from someone, or snatched someone else’s belongings, you probably could afford it. What should you do then? Read the newspaper! See how others fell into such temptation and became kings and now are lying in prison. This is what we read in the newspapers.
Just yesterday while returning from Germany, an IAS gentleman came up to me and said, ‘Guruji, I am really scared. What if 3 years from now we have to go to jail? What do we do, how do we work?’ I said, ‘Don’t do anything that would result in your being jailed.’ If someone is pressurizing you then you tell them, ‘today you are pressurizing me and tomorrow I will have to go to jail. That is why I will not do’, and you move away.
There is only that one Divine who is watching over you, who will protect you. The rest are only puppets, nothing. That is why we must have no fear, okay!
Okay now sometimes anger comes or some negative feeling comes, how do we get rid of them? By doing Sudarshan Kriya, pranayama and some meditation for a little time and you will see how the mind becomes so clean. As the mind is cleaned the behaviour of a person is also improved. And when our behaviour is good then we make many friends. Wherever you go, whoever you meet will feel like your own. And when everyone becomes friends, then what more, nothing will be lacking.
That is Vishwatma. That is what? Recognizing the one consciousness which is in everything and which is in me as well and serving this one consciousness is Pooja.
So keep your mind clean with sadhana, seva and satsang!
Tomorrow is Diwali, so for this New Year we all will take a new resolution. In the coming New Year what you will do and what you will not do. Whatever you did last year which you should not have done, take a resolution to not do that. And whatever you wanted to do but did not happen last year, pray for that to happen, yes!
Last year I did this work which I should not have done, for that also pray. So tomorrow, this Diwali we will take a resolution and pray, both together.
