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Therefore, people may declare that they are spiritual and religious, but they are often spiritual and religious in their selfishness. In this way, there are very, very few real bhaktas who possess an equal vision and mercy in their heart. Consider Kali Yuga: if you go somewhere, become completely drunk, are beaten, and return home bloodied, your parents may accept it. If you go to a yoga class and break your little finger, they will accept that too, blaming the yoga practice. The addiction is accepted; alcoholism is accepted. But if you do something genuinely good, they say we should go to God. This is Kali Yuga, a time of suffering for humanity. It is for this reason that Rāma, the incarnation of Viṣṇu, manifests on Navarātri. This is called Rām Navamī—Rāma is God, and Navamī is the ninth lunar day. From this new moon, the Vedic new year begins, known as Vikram Saṁvat. It is now Vikram Saṁvat 2068, which began five days ago. There are many calendars: Sikh, Buddhist, Islamic, Christian, and Vedic. All are recorded in books one can read. But above them all is the principle of the yugas. The accurate order is: Satyuga, Tretā Yuga, Dvāpara Yuga, and Kali Yuga. How many yugas pass in one incarnation of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva? The governing committee changes. Sometimes Śiva is the greatest, and Viṣṇu serves Śiva. At other times, Viṣṇu is the highest, and Śiva serves Viṣṇu. Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva are three Śaktis. The ninth day is the day of Rāma’s incarnation. The following day is the incarnation of Dharmarāja, the king of justice in heaven. Every one of us sitting here, including a small ant on this flower or a tiny creature on its stem, has a record with Dharmarāja. All our good and bad deeds are recorded in his books. Beside Dharmarāja is Yamarāja, the king of death. Dharmarāja gives the order to Yamarāja. Dharmarāja is the Supreme Court, and Yamarāja is the High Court. The Supreme Court gives the order to the High Court, which then instructs the lower court. There are messengers of Yama who treat all accordingly and bring them back. When someone dies, if they have good karma and bhakti—if they never hurt anyone, never spoke ill of anyone, and embodied mercy—then angels come. I have told these stories many times. I showed you one picture: Umbapurī took it away from Jalarambāpū. He was a farmer from Gujarat. At the end of his life, a chariot came to take him in his entire body. It is not that you must take a uniform. In his real Amṛt, you can read about Mahāprabhujī. One disciple, Mangilāl Jī, came to him and said, "Gurudev, I am so pleased to see you, and I am so lucky. Please, can you give me sannyāsa dīkṣā?" Mahāprabhujī said, "Mangilāl, do you want to color your clothes or your heart?" The disciple replied, "Gurudev, my heart." Mahāprabhujī then said, "I have colored it already." You can wear many different uniforms from different beliefs or religions, but unless there is love and purity in your heart—if instead there is hate, jealousy, anger, and conflict—it is Rākṣasa Śakti. You are not a Deva. Devas and Rākṣasas are deeply entangled in suffering. Therefore, in Vedic traditions, they first look at the constellation, at which celestial body is in which constellation. Mahāprabhujī said, "The protection and blessing of Gurudev is the greatest." As you know, any attack from the negative, or from the constellations and Kāla (time), is death. Yama, jispar kripā guru kī hoī, uspar kripā kare sabhī koī. Upon whom the guru’s grace rests, everyone will have grace upon that bhakta. The justice of dharma: if you believe in your destiny, then our destiny is written in the record of dharma. That principle, in truth, is that everything is within you. You cannot run away from yourself. You can run away from your body, but not from your self. There are five kośas: annamaya kośa, prāṇamaya kośa, manomaya kośa, vijñānamaya kośa, and ānandamaya kośa. These are like layers of a balloon, one inside the other. We carry all this like a backpack throughout the entire universe. This bandhan, this tie, only Guru Kṛpā can cut. Otherwise, life after life, you will go and suffer. When Dharmarāja sends a message, one is escorted—like when your president or someone important arrives, you are escorted. When someone is negative or guilty, you are also escorted, but you are caught. That is the difference. Dharma and karma run parallel, both observing. The dharma side observes to protect you, and the karma side observes to catch you. The Rākṣasa Śakti, the negative Asurī Śakti, tries to gain more members on that side. Devī Śakti tries to gain more on this side. Now, Devī Śakti works with humility, kindness, love, and understanding. Asurī Śakti works with challenges, force, aggression, and without compassion or mercy. When Asurī Śakti attacks, if you hear one negative word, you may be unable to meditate for many days. Whenever you try to meditate, those negative words come into your mind. Whenever you pray, they return. Like the story I told about Garuḍa: when he came to free God Rāma from the Nāgas (snakes), he did perfect work. But afterward, he had a doubt. He thought, "If this is God, how can he lie here unconscious, unable to help himself against this snake? No one can be free without me, so I am bigger than him." His ego arose. With ego came doubt, and with doubt came more ego, and then he lost his bhakti. Devī Śakti works with beauty. It is very interesting: when I was flying over the sea from Oakland to Fiji, from south to north, I saw the screen in the airplane showing our location from satellite pictures. One side was darkness, and one side was light. From a higher view, it looked exactly like a Śiva Liṅgam. That is why in South India, you will see most statues are made of black stone. It signifies our prayer: Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya—lead us from darkness to light. In Kali Yuga, there is darkness here, so we pray for the light to come at dawn. Devī Śakti is gentle, light, and soft. Dark Śakti is confusing. When you are in darkness, bhakti is easily lost, and confidence falters. There is a famous story, a beautiful bhajan in Gujarati and Rajasthani folk songs. There was a beautiful lake, a talāb or pond, with rocks within it. Many creatures lived there: fish, turtles, and other aquatic life. There was one pair of turtles. The male was a great bhakta. The female said, "Okay," but she wanted to support him, though she was skeptical. Whatever he said, she replied, "No, that’s not good." Every day, he would come to the shore and wait, thinking, "May I see when the master will come." She did not trust. She said, "No master will come. They will kill you. They will destroy you." He said, "No, darling, don’t think like that. Bhagavān, God, is with us." She said, "I don’t believe or trust your God." He said, "Come with me one day." Sometimes she would go and sit with him. When people came, she was the first to jump into the water and run away. She would call, "Come here, come here, otherwise you will lose me." He would say, "Okay." Again, he would look out from the water. One day, around 11 o’clock, the sun was beautiful and warm. He said, "Come on, let’s go. Perhaps today is a good day. One day we will see some masters." They were both sitting near the water, about a meter from a little rock, warming their backs. She was a little closer to the water. Then she saw a man approaching. They called him Narmada. He wore an orange shirt. The male turtle said, "Look, Gurudev is coming. I told you." She said, "I have no more trust in your Gurudev. He looks suspicious to me." He said, "Dear, don’t think negatively already. Wait." This man was searching for fish or turtles to take to his camp to cook. As he walked, the male turtle began to walk toward him. She said, "You are crazy. If you go there, you will lose me. Come with me, or it’s finished." He said, "Darling, I always follow you. Today, come with me, please. Do one favor for me." She replied, "Okay, but I tell you, you will be sorry." He said, "As God wills." They walked, both of them. She followed doubtfully behind, and the man walked quickly. He thought, "Oh, how great. I’m just getting lunch for the children." The turtle looked on, and the man took him and put him in his bag. She tried to walk away, but he ran and caught her too, putting her in the bag. You cannot imagine how angry she was in the bag with him. She fought with him, saying, "I told you, crazy one, you don’t know." He said, "Darling, I trust we are in the hands of God." She said, "Shut up with your God, God." Do you know who this is? And do you know what he will do now? He said, "Be positive." She said, "No. Positivity also has limitations." The man walked to his camp. His wife was collecting wood for a fire. They made a small fireplace, like making a dūna in the desert. His wife brought a big pot full of water, and he put more turtles inside. She said, "No more chance to survive anymore. I told you, I told you." He said, "Darling, it was very hot. We’re happy that we are now in nice, cool water." She said, "But how long? Look, they are putting wood underneath. Soon we will be cooked." He said, "No, don’t worry. God is with us. I trust in this color. I followed, and nothing will happen. God is taking us; he’s examining us. How many pricks are there?" She said, "You and your God and your guru sit there. Don’t come near me." She went to the other side of the pot. He said, "Come close, don’t do that. Please." She said, "No, don’t touch me. I’m allergic." They put the lid on. She said, "See, go and open it." He said, "No, I will not open. God will open it for us." They lit the fire, and the heat began to rise. She was angry. "We will die very soon. I feel heat on my feet, burning." He said, "Sit on my back. We will not die. He will not kill us. Don’t worry." She said, "He’s killed others. He’s torturing us in the hot water. It will be over very soon." He said, "Darling, I trust." She said, "I don’t trust. I told you, I’m going, and you pushed me. And this is now the situation." He said, "It’s okay. Wait. Don’t worry. He came to take us. We are in safe hands." She said, "He will very soon have us like boiled potatoes." He said, "Don’t worry." She said, "I’m hot, I can’t talk." He said, "Wait." Under the hot sun, with the fire burning, suddenly from nowhere came a strong rain and storm. The fire was extinguished. There was a flood of two meters of water, the lid opened, and the water poured out. The turtle said, "Darling, it’s a nice, cool feeling." She said, "Come quickly, let’s go to our home in the lake." He said, "Why should we hurry? He will take us there. Just enjoy the fresh water shower." And that way, again, that man was standing in front of her. She looked at him. "Look, look, he’s there." He said, "Yes, he leads us back again." She said, "You really think so much like that?" He said, "Yes." They came closer to the lake—I am sitting in satsaṅg, I will call later—closer to the lake, and that man was standing there. Suddenly, the floodwater was gone, the hot sun returned, and the man was blessing them. In his hand was the Sudarśana Cakra. He took both of them to his heart. "You had to suffer a lot. But I am happy with you, so it means God wished to appear." The Lord took them, and you know what? The happiness of the turtle. He gained his strength and looked at his wife. She said, "Now it’s okay. The Līlā of God only you know. I’m sorry, I was always in doubt, but you, my dear, gave me today the darśan of God." And God liberated them. This is a beautiful story and a beautiful song in the bhajan, in local languages. When one sings it, many people like to hear it because it is a colorful story. When one explains it, one must explain with nice examples. Children love to listen to this bhajan. So it was like that. It can happen with animals too; God can appear to anyone. Have laughter, have devotion, and trust. It will come. This human life is a rare life. When it is gone, there is Hari Om. We do not know. Now, what is written in Dharmarāja’s record? In which direction will we go? We must do our best and avoid making mistakes consciously. It happens many times that we are sitting within the pañcakośa: the annamaya kośa (physical body of nourishment), the prāṇamaya kośa (body of energy), the manomaya kośa (body of the mind), the vijñānamaya kośa (body of intellect and thoughts), and the ānandamaya kośa. Ānandamaya kośa is the body of desires, also called the causal body. So we have the physical body, mental body, subtle body, and causal body. These five bodies create the energy around the jīvātmā. The physical body will go; the annamaya kośa will dissolve. But the manomaya kośa, vijñānamaya kośa, and ānandamaya kośa will remain. Manomaya means thoughts and mental modifications (vṛttis) will be there. Vijñānamaya kośa is the intellect: your memories, the knowledge that you made a mistake and why. Ānandamaya kośa is the body of desires. Desires are many: you want to build a beautiful house—that is a desire. You want a beautiful car—that is a desire. You want to eat particular food—that is a desire. Everything that attracts us or any wish that arises from within is a desire. These five kośas are observed by Dharmarāja, the god of justice, and Yamarāja, the god of death. Yamarāja has the right to take our life, but Dharmarāja dictates how. Dharmarāja opens his records and instructs. Niyam Rāja sends his messengers. Dharmarāja will say, "No, this one will go to the angels." It is said in Līlāmṛt, which you can also read, that Mahāprabhujī returned like a hero. He came here, performed all his seva, God’s miracles, God’s blessings, and God’s work. Gurudev’s work is seva. Some accepted it, some did not; some were angry. Do not think that everyone loved Mahāprabhujī. Perhaps there were some who did not love him and went away. But if you love the sun or not, the sun does not lose anything. You may say, "I don’t like the sun," and close your eyes. The sun does not say, "I will close my eyes." Or you may put on dark glasses. One person was driving on the highway with the sun shining directly. He said, "I don’t like the sun," and closed his eyes. Then what happened? An accident. So light is knowledge. Light is love. Light is bhakti. Light is jñāna. Light is śakti. Light is clarity. When that light is there, everything is clear. There are many, many bhajans. One is by the great saint Kabīr Dās: "O my Lord of the Lord, even if I have to take a new birth, may I not be separated from my bhakti, from my devotion." You can get everything in life: wife, husband, children, comfort, troubles, money—everything. Mother, father—you can get them in every life. Animals also have mothers and fathers. Brothers and sisters—you can have them as animals too. But Gurudev, you can only acknowledge and realize in human life. That is why Guru Granth Sāhib, the holy book of the Sikh religion, is a great book. Guru Nānak Sāhib wrote in that book: Guru Granth Ko Janiye. This is his instruction to all Sikhs. They follow this precisely. Guru Granth Ko Janiye means: know this Granth as the book of the Gurudev. It is the embodiment of the Gurudev. It is not merely a book, he said. It is written in Guru Granth Sāhib. You can ask any Sikh here, and they will say yes. Pragyat gura kī de is embodiment of the good, jis ke hirde sāch hai. In those hearts, there is truth. Khoj ushī me le, they will get realization in this. I was driving from Rākhī to Vannanau. There was one village where I stayed, in the district of Vannanau and Rākhī, from Rākhī to Nandi. It was midday, hot, and I said, "I want to have a cup of water." So, if there was a big tree, they said, "Oh, we will stay." There were beautiful mango trees and the like on the road. Then a building appeared. I said, "Oh, there’s a gurudwara." The driver said, "How do you know?" I said, "Yes, it’s a gurudwara." We stopped there. It was a beautiful, big gurudwara, very nice, a Sikh temple. The door was open, and I went in. I took off my shoes and placed them with my salve, like a turban. When you go to a gurudwara, you must cover your head, remove your socks and shoes, and wash your hands. There is water there, a water tap. You wash your hands, and then you go in. But the door to the main hall was closed. So I made praṇām and went back. I stood under a tree drinking my water. Two people came from the other side, from the residence and kitchen. One Sikh with a turban approached and greeted me. I said, "How are you? Come." He came to me, and we spoke. He said, "Gurujī, come, Swāmijī, into the temple and have darśan. Guru Granth Sāhib, the holy book, is there. Have darśan." I said, "Of course, I want to go to Maṭhā Tekne Giri." So we went in. He was the person who reads the holy book, called a Granthī. He said, "Swāmijī, may I read something from Guru Granth Sāhib?" They do not call it a book; it is Sahib, the Guru himself. I said, "Yes, of course." I was sitting as you are sitting, and he sat up where the holy book is placed. It was covered. He removed the cloth and opened a page. The book was very large, with big letters. He read in Punjabi, and the passage he read was about Guru Kṛpā: Viklaṅg, viklaṅg—a handicapped person who cannot walk, like from polio disease, crippled, laṅgrā. When Guru Kṛpā is there, this crippled person can cross hills and walk over mountains. A very foolish person who knows nothing, through Guru Kṛpā, can become greatly wise. A blind one can see. All the three lokas—this is Guru Kṛpā. This is in Guru Granth Sāhib. I knew it by heart because we use these words in satsaṅg. After he made praṇāms to Guru Granth Sāhib, I also made praṇām because I see that book as holy, the words of Gurudev. Do not think only of your particular Gurudev, but of all Gurudevs. It may be the Bible, the Quran, the Rāmāyaṇa, the Gītā, or many other holy books. They contain the words. Nowadays, what people do in the morning is buy a newspaper and read it, or turn on the television and watch the news for three or four minutes—news that unfortunately is mostly about fighting. There are rare people who get up, take a holy book, and read a page. If you start the morning by reading any beautiful divine or spiritual book, even half a page, that vibration will stay with you the whole day. If you read or see something negative, that negativity will be in you all day. So when you get up, see a holy picture in the morning, or a picture of your mother, father, or child whom you love very much. Then wash yourself and read something beautiful, holy, or recite your mantra. In satsaṅg in Fiji, children in the temple, village boys, asked me questions. They said, "Gurujī, can you tell something for all of our young generation?" So I told a story, which you probably know if you have not forgotten. There was a schoolmaster and his students. In the class, there were 30–40 students. One boy was always a little different, nervous, argumentative, asking "why not," "how," "why," and "where." When the teacher taught and wrote on the blackboard, he would ask the students, "Do you have any questions?" The children said, "Yes, sir, what does this mean, or that, and how?" When the teacher gave the correct answer, one student was so jealous of his master. He thought, "How does he know everything? Whatever we ask, he knows. I would like to ask him something he cannot answer. Then I will tell him, 'Master, you also don’t know everything.' But whatever I ask, he knows everything." For many days and months, he thought, "What question can I ask to put my master in a situation where he cannot answer? Then I will tell him, 'Sir, you also don’t know.'" One day, he was sitting in his garden, and there was a small bird. He caught it in his hand and thought, "I will go half an hour late to class, hold the bird behind my back, and say, 'Good morning, sir.'" Nindra abhi gayī. Toh khāgī, good morning. "You came late." He said, "Yes, sir, I am so sorry I came late. Excuse me, Gurudev, sir, I am so proud of you. I am lucky to have such a good teacher because you know everything. But you know how stupid I am," the student said. "Though I know that you know everything, I still have a doubt that you don’t. This makes me very sad, though I know you know everything, but sometimes I have doubt." The master said, "Don’t worry, it doesn’t matter. Come and sit." The student said, "No, no, sir, I have a question today." The teacher said, "Ah, you have something on your mind." "Yes, what question, Master? I know that you know, and I’m angry with myself. Why do I ask these stupid things? But I must ask you." The master said, "Go on, carry on." "Sir, can you tell me what I have in my hands, standing at the door?" The master said, "My son, you have a small bird in your hand, inside." The student said, "Yes, yes, my master, I adore you. You are my teacher, you are the best in the world. And how stupid I am, that I always try to prove you wrong." Inside, he was so angry. "How did he know? Nobody saw that I have the bird. I came especially late, and nobody is standing behind me." But now he was thinking. He had a plan, made very carefully. "Sir, you are correct, but I still have one more question, please." The teacher said, "Yes." The boy thought, "I will ask him if the bird is alive or dead. If the master says it’s alive, I will squeeze the bird and show him, 'Sir, you are wrong. It’s a dead bird.' If he says it’s dead, I will let it fly and say, 'Sir, you are wrong. It’s alive.'" He said, "Sir, only one question, please. Then I have no more questions for today." The teacher said, "Yes." "Can you tell me if this bird in my hand is alive or dead?" The master said, "My son, this question I cannot answer for you." "Why not? Why not, master? You answer every question from everyone, and I know you try to always push me back, so it means you also don’t know." The master said, "I don’t know the answer to this question. I know, but I can’t give it to you." "Why? Why can you not? Just tell me, is the bird dead or alive?" The teacher said, "My son, I can’t give you an answer because the life of the bird is in your hands." The boy let the bird fly and surrendered. "Thank you, Master. Excuse my ignorance." This story means for us all: our life is in our hands. Where do you want to go? We have two ways in front of us. Therefore, it is said: let people cry, criticize, talk. I have to do satsaṅg. Therefore, it is said: O Gurudev, Mahāprabhujī, listen to my prayer. What I wish is only one thing. Be blessed to me, grant me satsaṅg. And Lord, I have a prayer to thee, a request: "Kuśaṅga se prabhu mo ye bachāvo, kuśaṅga se prabhu mo dost yor durjan durrākī jo, dost yor durjan durrākī jo." Śrī Prabhu Dīpadāya layārāja, sunā lī. Prabhu Dīpadāya layarāja suna, Kar kirpā moye sata saṅga di. Kar kirpā moye sata saṅga di. Śrī Dīpadāya layarāja suna. O Lord, protect me from Kusaṅga—from negative company. What is Duṣa in Hindi? Evil is Duṣa. Yes, evil, bad people. And Durjan, those who speak ill of others. Oh Lord, protect me from evil and from people who speak badly, so that their bad words do not enter through my ears into my breath. This is from Mahāprabhujī’s glory. Our beloved Satguru Dev Swāmī Madhavānandjī made this bhajan. The bhajan he made is not for others but for himself—which means for all of us, ourselves. This is a lesson for us, a direction, guidance, an indication. So all holy books, all holy words of saints—no matter from which part of the world, which culture or religion—holy is holy, pure is pure. To awaken universal love is one of the special qualities, you could say, among many, that Hinduism possesses: a great tolerance, respect, and love for all that is holy. My dear, I wish you all the best and the blessings of Śrī Alak Purījī, Sita Peter, Devapurījī, Mahāprabhujī, Gurujī. May they bless all of us. And may that bird which is in our hand fly to Brahmaloka, not only to some heaven here or there. Deepānanda Bhagavānakī, Devāśvara Mahādeva, Mādhava Kṛṣṇa Bhagavānakī, Satya Sanātana.