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Christmas Is To Create Better Social Relations

A pre-Christmas satsang discourse on the spiritual meaning of festivals, using Diwali and the story of Lord Rama as parallels.

"These major festivals always come at the end of a particular season... So in this period, there is very little to do, so people have stupid thoughts. So our ancestors thought: this festival, we should keep it, put it on this time of the year."

"So this tree here, this is called the light tree... So, for me, is Christmas. It is the symbol of Deepavali, so please make light now."

The lecturer addresses the gathering, explaining the cultural and spiritual purpose of festivals like Christmas and Diwali as bridges between seasons and catalysts for social harmony. He narrates the story of Lord Rama's exile to illustrate spiritual principles like duty, promise-keeping, and positivity in adversity. He draws a parallel between the Diwali lights, the Christmas tree, and the inner light of wisdom and good qualities within each person, concluding with a call for inter-religious unity symbolized by an orange.

Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic

How are you, everybody? Nice to see you today. This evening is our pre-Christmas satsaṅg. We were thinking that I would be here on the 24th, but due to family relations, it wouldn’t be good. That means all of you have your family and friends, and they would like you to be with them on the evening of the 24th. If I am here, then you are torn in two directions. If you are with family, you think, "I would be happy if I was with Swāmījī." And if you are with me, you would think, "Well, Swāmījī is always here, I could be with my parents." So this is a cultural event, a cultural festival. It is connected to spirituality. So, there are both things. For the believers, it is the day or the time of Jesus’s birth. And for others, it is also this time where you can again create better social relations. It is among friends. If you had some kind of dispute or something, you can make it better now. These major festivals always come at the end of a particular season. Now the summer is gone. Everything is harvested, and you brought all the goods home. Now the fields are covered with snow, and you are sitting at home doing nothing. So when there is nothing to do, then different kinds of thinking come. Some just sit and drink, and drink becomes a drinker. Some are fighting, and so on. Is it good that God made something so that humans should always be active? When someone has no friends at home, you come from the office and you are in your flat alone, looking here, sitting there, looking at the television, doing nothing. No motivations. So in this period, there is very little to do, so people have stupid thoughts. So our ancestors thought: this festival, we should keep it, put it on this time of the year. So then it is like that. It doesn’t matter how it is, but still, mostly, humans are spiritual and they think of God. And if we don’t believe in God, but at least we believe we have fear inside, and it is a time to bring the family together, understand? So between these two seasons, this Christmas event is there. Similarly, in Hinduism, there are certain festivals at the end of certain seasons. Exactly like Diwali, just before one month. And that’s also the end of this season, where all the crops are harvested. And now they will have the winter crops. So between this, there is one month free, and there is the Diwali. Diwali, we call our Diwali, is a very old festival. And this is more than 10,000 years, they said. So you see this tree here, this is called the light tree. And this is from that time that this light was created. You know, or you have some knowledge about the Rāmāyaṇa? You heard something very nice, a stotram or prayer to God Rāma. So, and you know how great he was. He was one of the most kind, most humble ones. He was ready to give everything, so the story is very long. He had to go for 14 years to the forest, and there were certain reasons. Again, it is greed. His stepmother wanted that her son becomes king, and he was happy. He said, "Why not?" He said, "I will be proud to tell the people that I am the brother of the king, but I will feel unpleasant, as it will be my ego that I will say, 'I am the king.'" The self doesn’t prize oneself. Já ne hodnotí sebe samu. Bade, bada inha kare, bada ne bole, bol, rahiman, hira, kab, kahe, lak, amaro, mol. Bada, bada inha kare, the great one never speaks about their greatness. Similarly, the diamond doesn’t say that I am a diamond. And the second thing is that his stepmother asked that he had to spend fourteen years in the forest, not to enter anyone’s house, not to go into the villages, and he was happy too. He said, "I am a blessed one. I am so blessed that I will have 14 years to be with the ṛṣis, swāmīs, and yogīs, visit their āśrams, and have darśan. And first of all, I am so happy that my mother Kekai’s wish is fulfilled. If, as a child, you cannot fulfill the wishes of your parents, or as a disciple you do not fulfill the wishes of your master, then life is meaningless." So he said, "How happy I am that my mother, stepmother Kekai, is so free and happy. Her wish is fulfilled." And Kekai loved him more than her own son. But Kushaṅga, Kekai was—it was the time in India, from Afghanistan. Her father was a great king, and when she was married, then, what they call, with the princess the slaves came with. So, what you call like a babysitter or caretaker, there was one lady. Her name was Mantrā, and she was from when Kekai was small, taking care of Kekai, and she was very much attached to her. But Kaikeyī was the second wife of King Daśaratha. Daśaratha had three queens. It’s not easy to keep three queens. So give up your thoughts, and Kaushalyā was the first one. And her son was the God Rāma. And Kekai was Bharata and Śatrughna, the two children. So, when they came back from their school, the Gurukul, and they had a marriage, then the king decided to give his crown to Rāma as king. That, as in Europe and everywhere, it was a tradition the eldest son should become the successor. And Rāma was the eldest son, but the mantra, she didn’t like this. And everything was decided. Tomorrow morning will be the ceremony, and Rāma will become king. And mantra begins to make blackmailing. And she was talking so much to Kekai. And said, Kekai, be alert, be careful. You will be nothing; you will be like a slave. And when Rāma will become king, your children will have nothing. Many, many, you know, who want to talk blackmailing nonsense things, people like nonsense things. Now, if someone will say, "Can I tell you something nice?" You say, "Yes, but sit down after lecture." But someone gets up and says, "Can I tell you there is something terrible?" You say, "Yes, but?" I will say, "Okay, after the lecture." Because then they will say, "No, no, tell, what is that?" In the street, people are walking and talking about nice things, but nobody looks. But as soon as they begin to fight, everyone opens the window and looks, oh. So always we go to negativity. But Kekai said, how is it possible? Tomorrow, Rāma is going to be the king already. It’s evening already, ten o’clock. Mantra said, "You don’t know. One night, my God, endless time." Even in one minute, we can change everything. One night is more than enough time. So she said, "But how?" She said, "I know you remember in your past life that you protected the king from the war, and he was very happy. And he told you, 'What do you wish? You saved my life.' And you asked some wishes." Your wishes, and you kept from that some wishes that you told the king Daśaratha, "When I need, time will come and I will ask you that you fulfill my wish." Go and ask her, him, and make the theater. We call the woman play. She said, "How? Go in the chamber of the unhappiness." Where do they want the chamber? When you are very sad, and when I help, then you go into that room. Where can they go? No, in Hindi. In English. In Hindi there is, but okay. Not cross. Well, what should I do? The king will come. And the king came, and don’t talk to him. If he asked her, "What happened to you?" She said, "Don’t touch me," and cried, "Oh God!" She became like a Kālī Karevī. She said to him, "You are a coward, and you can’t do it. Don’t ask me." But I wish you will not be able to give me. Let me die here, go out. The king loved Harihara also very much. He said, "Ask." She said, "You will not be able to fulfill." Why, you think? Because Rāma is on the way. Between you and me, it’s a drama. And he said, "Why? What have you done?" She said, "Nothing." But do you see how you are asking me back? Answering? Well, he said, "I promise you, I will give you." Then she said, "Listen carefully. I want you to fulfill your promise. First, not Rāma, but my son Bharata should become king." And it was like a heart attack for the king. And she stands like you, standing with a knife near someone. She said, "You covered one." I told you, don’t give me words again that you will fulfill my wish. The king became unconscious. One sentence made the mighty elephant powerless and fall on the ground. You see the power of the words? And kind words can wake you up again. Rāma came to know, and he came. And the king tells the queen, "Please don’t tell him, please don’t tell him." She said, "Why not?" The king said, "Please don’t do this to me." She said, "I ask your father to fulfill, he owes me the three promises. First, Bharat should become king. Second, you should go for 14 years in the forest. And you are not allowed to come back in the village." Rāma said, "Mother, no problem. Bharat becomes king, very good. I go to the forest, why not?" That only a positive person can do. When parents die, how much brothers and sisters are fighting for heritages and mostly money? What is left goes to the lawyers, and the lawyers then prolong and prolong it, one year and two years and three years, so... So the king left, or Rāma left. So Rāma said, "Three reasons for me. First, my mother, Kaikeyī, fulfilled her wish. I am proud to be her son. Stepson. When you tell someone she is your mother, she is like your real mother. When you say to someone, 'My child is your real child.' Second, how proud and happy I am that my father got rid of his death by owing these two questions, or the wishes. So my father became free. If it’s a child, daughter, or son, they cannot make parents free from their death, for what they are. Rain, we call it rain in Hindi. And third, how proudly I will say, 'My brother Bharat is a king.' I’m not sad." People want to interview, you know, cameras, and that time was not like this. And she said they should not go as a prince, they should go as a sannyāsī. Many, many things. The Rāmāyaṇa, you read it. After 14 years, he comes back. But, Father, he couldn’t recover it. And he died. Even Bharat didn’t reach Ayodhya. So every spiritual story: life is painful. It goes through so many tragedies. It doesn’t matter, Rāma or Kṛṣṇa or Buddha or Jesus—any, very terrible. But victory is there where the truth is. So the father died. Bharat comes and he hears the story before going to his mother. He was so angry at his own mother, very angry, and he didn’t want to see her face. Father died. Rāma went away. Now he lost his love for his real mother and stepmothers. The whole family was destroyed, like a destruction. That was a devil energy. ...destroyed. When you see the Rāmāyaṇa, you will see how it was. Well, second, Bharat did not want to become king. Because Bharat was adoring Rāma as a god. And he never sat on the chair of the king. And he heard that Rāma is sleeping on the floor. He also was sleeping on the floor. So there is a story when you hear. It has knowledge, wisdom, love, and ethical principles. And one day, now what’s happening? You tell this, "OK, we are very good, we love, we will marry," and after five days, "No, we don’t like." That’s it. Our words have no value anymore. There was a time when, even if it cost your life, you did not break your word. You promised, "I give my word." What is the value of that word? That word is human language, not animal language, and human language is full of wisdom, knowledge, and vivekā. But the blackmailing can destroy. So the story is long; I’m not going to tell you. After 14 years, he’s coming back to Ayodhya, God Rāma, Sītā and Lakṣmaṇa. They got a message: the Lord is coming. So, Ayodhya people were so happy. They were decorating the trees, hanging on the tree branches fruits, milk, yogurt, and some good things for eating, and sweets for children, putting the candles on the way so that they will see if they come in the night where is Ayodhya, hanging the lights on the branches of the trees because there was no electricity. Only oil lamps, not even kerosene. Petroleum came after. So at that time, some centuries ago. People were great. There is the story of Chanakya. And when he was working for the public, he had public oil or ghee for a lamp to write down in the evening when he was working. And when the visitor came, he blew up this lamp and he put in another lamp, which was on his own cost, not on the public cost. And now the ministers, and this as soon as they win the elections, they don’t only take the oil of the people, but they suck everything away. Hardly anyone, you can see, can find someone who didn’t make millions and billions of euros. Because they do not have that consciousness of love for all. So the light, so that day we call Dīpāvalī. Dīpāvalī. Deep pauli, this is the deep. This is called deep. And deep means the light, the flame. So they made this kind of light, and there are deep, so many deep. So it’s called deep jar. Deep tree. And so, for me, is Christmas. It is the symbol of Deepavali, so please make light now. Some good ones don’t come like this, okay? Yes, yes, come, come,... come. Your hand should not go like this. And so, similarly, when Jesus was incarnated, it was, it seems that it was night, a dark night, and winter, so this part of the earth was dark, the other part is more light. And so, as we consider Jesus also an incarnation of the light, the bright star, and that’s why we all tell he’s a superstar. So one is Jesus, he’s a superstar. And the second superstar is sitting here. Light. Star means light. And so, now what I want to tell you, we know that Jesus is the incarnation of the light and love. Light means wisdom, and love means mercy and kindness. And similarly, the life which Rāma had, Jesus had too. But we didn’t understand, and even now, still we don’t understand. And now, if Jesus would be born, maybe he would not have entry into the room. Let’s come to incarnate Jesus now. And he goes to Rome, that I am the Jesus, I go on. You think that the Pope will stand up and say, "Yes, Jesus, please sit." Pope will say, "We don’t believe this Jesus, that Jesus was, not anymore." So we still will not understand and recognize, but when this physical body is gone, then we will cry, "Oh God." But then it’s too late. But still, the light, the love, the mercy, whatever we call it, remains here. So approximately two thousand years, twenty thousand years. 2,000 years. 2,000 years. Jesus, 2,000 is very much. For us, 20 years is already getting like an old person. Maximum, you are 25 years. Then it’s a little remaining, scale like this. 45 years, you pull it yourself, then going down. After 45 years, girls and boys, you should know you are getting old now. 80 years: 45 going up and 45 going down, 90 years. Everybody will say, "Oh, this is an old person, 90 years." So it is not increasing; it is decreasing also. So, 2000 years, the time of Jesus, still the energy is so strong that it unites us. We celebrate. We love. We give. How many good things are there? Similarly, there is also in other religions. So these are two things: the spiritual symbol and, between the two seasons, that humans don’t make stupid things. So what we call "keep them busy," that’s called active working therapy. When you have nothing to do, then destructive thoughts come. So this is what we call Dīpak Jhār, Christmas tree, or Dīpāvalī tree, and this is so old. So why not? Now this tree is our life, and each lamp is our good qualities. So all our senses, mind, intellect, viveka, our tyāga, vairāgya, bhakti, all are like a lamp. This is illuminated, so there it is lighted. And through this light, we will be enlightened. So this is outer light, and follow this symbol, you will have that inner light. And then, each chakra, the spinal column is that tree; every limb of the body is a branch, and our good deeds through karmendriya and jñānendriya are light. Therefore, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa tells in the 15th chapter, "ūrdha-mūlam adhaḥ śākham," that a normal tree has roots down and branches up. But this human tree has roots up and branches down. And each limb and all qualities are like the four Vedas, two hands and two legs. All the mantras and hymns of the Vedas are the leaves of these trees. So you are a divine tree; yourself is a Christmas tree or Diwali tree. So, keep in your mind the symbol the whole year: that this light tree will give only light. No darkness has the power to come near. But when this prāṇa is gone, the oil, then darkness is there. Similarly, as long as you keep your spiritual promises, maintain your spiritual practice, and chant your mantras, you will practice, and you will be a light for the world. And on the day when you come in Kusanga, blackmailing, then the oil is getting less and less, and you’re lost again into the darkness. Lost and gone forever, oh my darling. Lost and gone forever. So hold on to that light, the light of wisdom, the light of truth, the light of promises. Sooner or later, it will be fulfilled. So, this is, let us see, the holy festivals always have a direct connection to the humans and to nature. So, on coming Christmas day, after tomorrow. I wish you all the best and divine blessings of God, that His mercy should be with us. And let us act and work in the name of God in the correct way. God has no difficulties. God did not create religion. Religion is created by humans. Because if God creates this kind of religion, what we call now different religions, this is a man-made religion. God-made religion is only one. It’s called Sanātana Dharma. And the Sanātana principles are universal principles, which are given to us freely. God’s principles are given free, and man-made is not free. God gave us love. To feel the love is free; it doesn’t cost you any tax. God gave us happiness. It doesn’t cost us money. Be happy, and God gave us contentment. Then why are you always worried? It is free. Be content, santoṣa, hameśa santoṣa. So contentment, love, happiness, joy, freedom—all are freely given by God. And God said, "I am all the time with you." Then, if you feel lonely, it’s only your ignorance. If you feel sad, it’s your ignorance. If you say, "No one loves me," but tell me, why should one love you? And who loves you will love you always. That’s God. So God made things free for all humans, and all have access to them. But man-made things also, the humans are changing. And that becomes the problem. So we hope one day we all, the different religions, will unite in oneness. Like how? You know the orange? Mandarine? Beautiful. Orange. We call santra. What we call the orange? Santra. Sant. You know? Sant. Sant love. The saints have developed this fruit. Tanto ne laya ubna santra, this fruit, yes? And that’s why also the color is a saint’s color, orange. Originally santra, santra, in our Marwari language we say santra, so Bābājī showed, santra. What they brought, the sands? Sandra, orange. So you say the orange baba, the orange sādhu. Okay, orange. So now, this orange, what does it mean? Now, in my hand I have an orange, but this is the apple, okay? Now, what we do is we peel the orange, and what is inside? So many pieces: one, two, three, four, five, and so on. Rozumíš? They are all in oneness. These different pieces are the parts of the saṃdhyā. It’s covered by one skin. One shall. So this shall is a sanātana dharma. And inside are different religions. Definition of the sanātana. Sanātana santāra. So Sanātana Dharma is a universal principle. Never speaks about this religion, that religion, that religion. But this shawl of the orange is covered; it protects all the religions. Therefore, we should be like a santara, so that in our heart we embrace and keep all the religions. Someone asked Gandhijī, "Why in India are there so many goddesses?" Gandhijī said, "Thanks to God that we have so many." Because the beauty of the garden is when the different kinds of flowers are there. Pink rose, red rose, yellow rose, different flowers. Oh, beautiful, colorful. What do we call? Colorful. And when everything is the same, every day is the same, you see, this flower is also two, one, two colors, three colors. In this small plant, there are three things. India is a great, great India. India is that holy land where mostly all incarnations take place. Therefore, it is said that the dust of India is gold. Proto se říká, že prach Indie je zlatý. Chandan, like a fragrance, like sandalwood. Santalový. Chandan hai mere desh kī mithī, tapo bhūm, har grām hai, har bālā hai devī kī prītmā. Baccha, Baccha Rām, Baccha, Baccha. Chandan hai mere desh kī mithī, tapo bhūm, har grām hai, har bālā hai devī kī prītmā. Baccha, Baccha Rām, Baccha, Baccha. Now, the sandalwood, like, is the dust of my land, holy Bhārat. And every village is a village of the holy place Tapasyā, Tapobhūmi. And Harbalā has Devī’s Pratimā. Every girl is the embodiment of the Divine Mother. And Baccha Baccha Rām and every boy is like a God Rāma. We have to awaken such a consciousness and love all equally. Then our sādhanā is completed, so no duality of the religion, no fighting in the name of God, and not fighting with each other. Because we are one. Bodies are different. Čar, dinky, čan, ný, akhi, randheri, rád. Four days is a moon night. Then it’s dark night, so four days we are living. Who knows what will happen tomorrow. Everything you left, we will leave everything here, and we will disappear somewhere in the forest. Toya moya, nothing helps us, so it’s neither toya nor moya. Everything is gone, that’s it. So, the holy festival is to understand every religion and everything. Holy India is that mother. So, you know, no country we call mother country. Of course, we ask, which is your mother country? That’s okay. But India is known as Bhāratamātā, the mother India. Is there Czech mātā? Austria mātā, of course. Hungary mātā, nowhere. But it is said Bhāratmātā. It is declared, and it is. So that is the mother of all creatures, the mother which has a big lap for all religions. No religion in India is prohibited. All are enjoying their religions. And here, if some religion comes, "My God, this is a sect." What is a sect? The sect comes from sector. So there are two hectares, and the sector. So you go to the hospital that your grandmother is admitted, somewhere it says, "Yes, sector number D F2." Now that is a sect. So a sect means not negative, but psychologically blackmailing in such a way, "Oh my God, the sect." There are three things. The sect which you call the sect, then there is alcohol, I think, called "sect," and if you want more disturbing things, then it is "inject." So sect is not a bad, and it began, you know, when Holy Francis from Assisi went to Rome and he had a dialogue with the Pope. And then he accepted the Pope and declared, "This is your sect, you can have this." So sect is not bad. Newspaper, Jesus Maria. I am a member of the sect. I practice sect, so this is a perfect blackmailing to destroy and create the dispute among the humans. Peaceful life is divided into the caste, into the sect, or into religions and cultures. Therefore, we should live in peace and harmony. And that you have the divine power in your Maṇipūra Chakra. And you have authority over that, your words. Three things will not come back. The bullet which went out of the gun will not return. The soul which has gone out of the body will not return back into this body. And the word which is spoken out of your mouth will not come back again. So these are three we should carefully use. And protect it, so this is very nice. So I think today we should sing some Christmas songs. Number one. Number two. From every different country’s languages, come and sing. Czechoslovakians have more or less similar language, so please come and sing. And the Germans and Austrians and the Swiss, they have the same similar language. They should come and sing one song all knows in the world: "A jednu píseň zná celý svět. O Tannenbaum, O Tannenbaum," Sein, Dein, and Letta. Come, German speakers. So, one moment. We must organize, are you? Musíme to zorganizovat, moment. Girls and boys. Dívky, chlapci. It is like this that we have to respect. It is not as a joke, but it is like a joy. Come respectfully to the mic. Who can sing in German? And then we will follow you. So please come. After that will come Hungarian, so they should be here early. If you don’t know Tonenbaum, you can sing anything, Paprika Baum. Yes. You didn’t put the key inside? Yeah. The lamp is going out. So, Deep Nayan Bhagvān Kī Jai. Devī Svara Mahādeva Kī Jaya. Satguru Svāmī Mahādvāran Jī Bhagavān Kī Jaya. Oṃ Pūrṇamadaḥ Pūrṇamidaṃ Pūrṇāt Pūrṇamudacyate Pūrṇasya.

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

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