TV Channel

Om Bhole Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān Kī Jai, Śrī Śrī Dev Puruṣa Mahādeva Kī Jai, Dharma Samrāṭ Paramahaṁsa Śrī Svāmī Maravananpurījī Mahārāj Kī Jai, Viśva Guru Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara Paramahaṁsa Śrī Svāmī Maheśvarananpurījī Satguru Deva Kī Jai. Hari Om. Firstly, today is Mahāprabhujī’s Mahāsamādhi according to the Sun calendar. So, before we start, on behalf of everyone here in Jadana, we send praṇāms to Gurujī. And, of course, from all here to everybody around the world in all the ashrams, our Hari Aums and praṇāms. Have a great Bārṣī Mahāsamādhi day. Here in India, we celebrate more the date according to the moon calendar, so today is a celebration. But our main celebration and the big function here in Jadan will be on the 14th of December. On that day, there will be a big function in Jhādan, and people will come from all over India for the bhajans and the satsaṅg. We are still praying that Gurujī will also be here. It’s a special day because we can take the chance to remind ourselves about Mahāprabhujī and what he gave us, gives us, and will give us—if we leave ourselves open to take that and ready for His message. This morning, Swamiji was giving a webcast, and one of the things he said—I won’t be quoting him perfectly—was something like, "Just remember that you are always the bhakta who is just Mahāprabhujī’s bhakta." There is no more special place to be. He makes the way clear, and we just have to humbly put that into practice, put that into work in our own lives, and apply it day to day and moment to moment. We all know that there are times when it’s really hard. Not because of the teachings, but because of ourselves and our ego, and the fact that it wants to go in the opposite direction. I once had a wonderful experience with Sultan, one of our horses. It happened here near the tin shed in Jadan, where we have the satsaṅgs. At that time, Sultan used to live near the workshop; he was the only horse here then. I was learning how to ride, perhaps for six months or a year, and I took him for riding in the morning. But when he came to the point just near the tin shed, he didn’t want to go any further. I think he knew breakfast was waiting afterwards back in the stable, and he wanted an early breakfast. I wanted to go around so he would exercise first, especially for such a big, energetic horse. He must exercise, or else he goes quite crazy. That energy has to go out, and release for him is when he gets ridden or goes running. That keeps him balanced and aids the horse’s digestion. I guess for us, that is karma yoga. It also helps us digest what we are going through more easily and releases energy we perhaps can’t control any other way. We were there at that point for about half an hour. I would turn Sultan’s head around to go one way, and he would continue the circle so his head was this way. From far, it must have looked like a dance—we’d go ten times around this way, then I’d try to change direction, and we’d go around the other way. It was so frustrating. But I had been taught by people who knew better than me about horse riding: if you’re not firm and let the horse do what he wants, he will continue to do it, and you will always have the problem. It felt like the beginning of my relationship with Sultan and riding, and I knew it would be a defining moment for how it would be afterwards. So round and round we went for that half hour. Eventually, he went further—about 20 meters—and then he started the same theater again, but that time for about five minutes. Then we got further, and once we passed a certain point onto the straight road, he was happy and just started to run. The next day it was the same thing at the same place, but this time for only five minutes. The next day it happened again, but we just did one circle. After that, he would always just turn his head a little towards the stable, and I would pull him back straight, and it would be okay. Afterwards, riding in the morning was so much easier and beautiful. Somehow, it’s the same with our own quest, our own journey, our own sādhanā. There are certain points where our mind doesn’t want to go; it always wants to go back to the comfort of breakfast. But if we make a decision to go on a path, then we have to go with it. We should try and see it through. There will always be moments where doubt comes. It will be there occasionally. But then it’s a question of what the doubt is about. So much of the time, it’s just your mind trying to avoid something difficult. If at those points we can be firm in our conviction and firm in our bhakti, and have that trust in Swāmījī and Mahāprabhujī to take us in the right direction, then afterwards that relationship with our own mind is established, and it’s so much easier to go on that path when the same issue comes again. I was reading Mahāprabhujī’s golden teachings today, on His Mahāsamādhi. I feel it’s always a good day to remind myself of them. There are a couple I picked out that I’d like to read: 1. "Do not let yourself be discouraged by problems. Earthly life constantly flows between the banks of fortune and grief. One who loses courage won’t fulfill the aim. Fulfill your duties with inner certainty and faith." 2. "Complete your tasks immediately. Do not postpone them until tomorrow. Realize your good intentions now, because one moment is never like the next." 3. "Do not give up what you have already started. There will always be obstacles in the way, just like roses always have thorns. Remove those obstacles. With self-confidence and by God’s grace, your path will lead you to the goal." For me today, these three jumped out and said, "Listen to me." When you think about the path we’ve found—stumbled upon, many of us—or better to say, the path onto which Swāmījī, Mahāprabhujī, and Gurujī have gathered us and put us, and how beautifully it is laid before us... For me, it’s so precious at this time, on this day, to just remind ourselves to not give up what we’ve already started. It’s such a beautiful thing which is built up as somebody starts their sādhanā and continues it. Swāmījī gives blessing, and it grows into such a beautiful building, which is one’s life. But it’s so, so important to be aware of how easily we can destroy that. It doesn’t require a lot; it just requires some awareness from outside to keep it going. Likely, as we get past certain points—the same way as with Sultan near the tin shed—there are some points very difficult to pass. But the next day, one still has to be aware as you go past that point. Sultan was always ready to jump back for that breakfast. Afterwards, it didn’t take a big fight to keep going on, but every day, every time we went past that point, I had to make sure his head was straight when I rode him. For all of us on the path, it’s so important to keep our heads also straight and be aware of the things which are really important: Mahāprabhujī, our Paramparā, Swāmījī, our Mantra, our Seva, and the Satsaṅg. They are the jewels we should head toward. They are the path on which we should keep our focus. We know of Mahāprabhujī; we have all read of Him, learned from Swāmījī about Him. Our part is just to be the bhakta, and He will take care of the rest. Oṁ Bhole Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān Kī Jai, Śrī Śrī Dev Puruṣa Mahādeva Kī Jai, Dharma Samrāṭ Paramahaṁsa Śrī Svāmī Maravananpurījī Mahārāj Kī Jai, Viśva Guru Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara Paramahaṁsa Śrī Svāmī Maheśvaranpurījī Satguru Dev Kī Jai. Bhai tum jagore, tera avasara bhīta jāya. Bhai tum jagore, tera avasara bhīta jāya. Bhai tum jagore, ninda avidyā chāyā rahī, ninda avidyā chāyā rahī. Tum janam janam dukkha pāyā, bhai tum jagore. Tum janam janam dukkha pāyā, bhai tum jagore. Tera avasara beeta jaya bhai, tum jago re. Lak cho rasi me jaa bola. Tere guru bin kona sahaya, bhai tum jago re. Tere guru bin kon sahaya, bhai tum jagore. Tera vasara bita jaya, bhai tum jagore. Satguru śaraṇa sādhanā pyāre janama saphala ho jāya, bhai tum jāgo re. Terā avasara bīṭa jāya, bhai tum jāgo re. Moha jāla kī phāṁsī meṁ, Prabhu moha jāla kī phāṁsī meṁ, kyoṁ makṛī jū mara jāya, bhai tum jāgo re. Tera avasar beeta jaya bhai, tum jago re. Manushya janam amolak pāyo, Manushya janam amolak hīro. Bāra bāra nāhi pāya bāi, tum jagore. Prabhu bāra bāra nāhi pāya bāi, tum jagore. Tera avasara beeta jaya bhai, tum jagore. Mānusyatannase ātmā kojo rāma-mīle gatamāyā bhāī tum jagore. Prabhu Rāma-mīle ghaṭamāyā bhāī tum jagore. Terā vāsara vīṭā jaya bhāī tum jagore. Śrī Pūjā Bhagavān Dīpa Nārāyaṇa. Shri Pūjā Bhagavān Dīpanārāyaṇa Dīna Haṁsa Chetāya Bhāī Tum Jagore Prabhu Dīna Haṁsa Chetāya Bhāī Tum Jagore Derā Bhasāra Vīṭa Jaya Bhāī Tum Jagore Swāmī Madhavānandajī Yogavātha hai, Swāmī Madhavānandajī Yogavātha hai, Pyaare sabhi suno re chittalaya bhai, tum jago re. So let’s all just remind ourselves on this day, on Mahāprabhujī’s Mahāsamādhi day, what a chance we’ve got, what an opportunity we have to be with Swāmījī. Let’s not waste it. Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān Kī Jai. Satguru Dev Kī Jai. Tea, ciao.