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Where the eternal truth is spoken of, where wisdom is spoken of, where it is spoken of how to achieve the human goal—we know life is a journey, not a destination. How many miles have we walked, and how many miles are left? If you change your way, you have to begin with new milestones, and I doubt you will achieve that destination. Change brings immense suffering. Just like jet lag from a one- or two-hour difference, you feel it for at least a week until you tranquilize, normalize, and come back to the rhythm of the day. Similarly, the milestones represent how many years you have been doing something. If you change the path, you have to begin at the beginning. But we will not achieve it because that is what we missed. For that, you have to come again to a new life. No excuses, no compromise, no discussions, and no negotiations. The destiny, the eternal path given to us, we should remain on that in any case. Life is full of experiences, good and bad, pleasure and suffering. The individual soul flutters on the waves of time throughout the whole universe, facing sometimes darkness or light, pain or pleasure. The body doesn’t have pain, the mind doesn’t have pain, the intellect doesn’t have pain, but that very gentle soul does. The soul is the victim, and the soul would like to come to the ātmā. Ādi Guru Bhagavān Śaṅkarācārya said in Vivekacūḍāmaṇi: "Blessed are they who get human life. Lucky are they who have the spiritual parents. And fortunate is that one who has the spiritual urge, longing. And liberated are they who will meet the Gurudev." And lost are they who will miss the way. Life happens, many things. Just go ahead, go ahead, continue. There is a beautiful story; it was a true story, long, long ago. There was a beautiful lake. Somewhere in the middle of the lake, there were small islands or rocks. And there were many creatures living in the lake. Many turtles were living there. Out of all these creatures, one turtle—he was the soul of the past, some ṛṣi, spiritual—but he became a guru drohī. What is drohī? Drohī. He begins to say that he is the greatest one, greater than the master, like a Kāg Bhūṣaṇḍī. I told you a story about Kakbhushuṇḍī, the crow, and he got from the higher levels a kind of curse. When Jesus didn’t give the curse, he said, "Father, forgive," but on the higher level, everything is printed there, everything is recorded there. So that ṛṣi became a turtle, and his wife—so it was one couple, male and female. But that turtle had an urge, a longing to meet a master, and he was imagining. His wife said, "Stupid one, what are you searching for? Stay here." And he was very calm because he had that work, what he did in his past life: peace, compassion, spirituality, devotion. Always he used to come near the beach and wait, thinking maybe some master will come. She said, "Don’t trust any human. They will kill you. Stay here in our world, in the water." He said, "Darling, 99% can be bad, but one will be the good. Who will bring me and show me the path? Not only me, but you too. You never know how and when you will meet someone. The path will be hard. The test will be very hard, very hard." One man we call a nomad, the tribes who are moving from one place to another place, nomad, nomad... yeah. He had his tent; there were a few families somewhere, and he went out in the evening searching for some animals to kill and eat. He had in his hand one flute, an orange shirt, a white lungi or white dhoti, and one bag hanging. The turtle saw, oh, some master is coming, orange cloth. "Come with me, my dear one." She said, "No, I don’t trust." He said, "Don’t worry, what can happen? And what will happen, destiny will bring." She said, "Your destiny, your God. Put it somewhere. I don’t believe it. I don’t want to go with it." He said, "Don’t be negative, darling. God will protect us." He swam, then she also said, "Okay, but I doubt." He said, "Come on." They came on the beach and were sitting. There was no man, so he saw and walked quickly. And the turtle began to walk towards him. And his wife said, "Careful, careful, I want to go in the water." She said, "Come on, believe in God." God said, "This may be bad or good, but this is a test for us. Come." He came near, and a man took the turtle and put it in the bag. And she wanted to run, but he also caught her and put her in the bag. Now she was angry with him. "I told you, stupid one. I told you, don’t trust humans. Look what is happening. You don’t know what will happen to us." He said, "Don’t worry. God is with us. Nothing will happen. And he has come as a test for us." She said, "I don’t want a test. And I don’t want your God. I want my water." He said, "Don’t worry. We will come in the water." He brought them to his camp. His wife was waiting, and the children were waiting. And she had a big pot. She filled the pot with water. And he dropped the boat, the couple, and the turtles. She said, "You see." He said, "I see. Our God is with us." They covered, and she said, "Now what will happen?" They open fire, put that pot. She was angry. Can you imagine? Disappointed, angry, and what not. A woman, they lit the fire, and she’s feeling the heat. She said, "Look, now this is your test, and this is your God, and this is your master." She said, "Don’t worry." He tried to endure this heat. She said, "I can’t, my feet are burning." He said, "Well, sit on my back so that your gentle feet will not feel too much heat." She sat on him, water getting hotter and hotter. She said, "I can’t breathe." She said, "Don’t worry, God gave the breath. He cannot take it away so soon." Well, she said, "I don’t believe in you. I don’t believe in your God. I don’t believe in anything. I believe only one thing now. This is the end of our life." He said, "No, we will go back to our children." What? Through the stomach of these people? He said, "God sees everything, and He will do. Wait." Within no time, such a big storm came, and with the heavy rain, there was a flood of two meters. The fire went away, the pot fell out, and he was swimming, and said, "Come, darling, we go back to our... I told you, trust God." And they went, but he said, "No, we cannot go." She said, "Why? Hurry up." She said, "First, we have to greet our master who brought us here to show the path." He said, "I don’t want to go into the Master." He said, "Just walk behind. I must make a prakrama." He went to make a pūrva-krama. And that Master was the one who was the ṛṣi, whose disciple he was. And antra drasṭī, inner vision, he said, "Master, I am sorry." He said, "Yes, you have to go through this karma. If you would not have done that, but with a little test, I forgive you. You go, and next life you will again become human, and you will come to me." So in our Rajasthani language, "Kāsa monā kāsa mī jala mai retā, letā harī kā nāma." It’s Bhajan Senā, so they were. So even animals have such faith, and where such faith is, God is always with them. Mahāprabhujī said, "Gurudev, without you, nothing is accomplished. Even if one makes millions of efforts, no one can cross the ocean of existence." Nobody can cross the ocean of this ignorance, māyā. You can do a thousand techniques, go here, go there, but it will not happen. Only that will help. There is a very famous story or history of the Mahābhārata. You know the Mahābhārata? Where the Pāṇḍavas and Kauravas all lived with Kṛṣṇa, all the five brothers, including Draupadī. When the battlefield was over, Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira was crowned as king. God said, "Pandavas, now I have done. I was not on your side. I was inside the Dharma. Dharma protects those who protect it. They were on adharma, tricks, negative, cheating, this, that. Do you know? They planned to burn the Pāṇḍavas in Lakṣāgṛha. They put them in the forest, in dangers. But 'Jisko Rākhe Sāiyā̃, Mar Sake Nā Koī, Balaṅ Bākā Kar Sake Jo Chāhe Jag Bherī Koī.' To whom God protects, no one can harm even one hair." Krishna was going. The Pāṇḍavas got blessings and said, "Please be with us." He said, "I’m everywhere." But before going, he went to Kuntī, the Pāṇḍavas’ mother. Kunti’s mother was sitting with a mālā in her hand, doing her mantra. Kunti was her, Krishna’s aunt, auntie, sorry. He came and he said, "Auntie, now I am going. But I thought, before going to Dvārikā, I am going to Dvārikā in Gujarat. I would like to give you some blessings or words." Kuntī said, "Kṛṣṇa, you really want to give me something?" He said, "Yes. Any wish? I don’t know. Your wish can be too great. You are a great soul. I will try my best to fulfill it." Kuntī said, "Kṛṣṇa, give blessing. Give your words. Those who are on the path of spirituality or bhakti should have troubles. And those who don’t believe at all in God, and are changing their mind and opinion and this and that, beginning this, give them happiness, pleasure, life." Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa was doing like this. "Kunti, I think you missed; you spoke opposite." She said, "No, no, I know exactly what you are asking for." He said, "Look, Kuntī, when I said yes, it will be yes. So once more, think over what you say. Why should the bhaktas have trouble?" She said, "Yes, bhaktas should have troubles, and others should have fun." Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa still didn’t agree. He said, "Kuntī, tell me why." Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says, "Nāhaṁ vasāmi Venkuṇḍe," I am not in a Venkuṇḍa, neither in a yogī’s heart. I am there where my bhakta sings my name, the glory. What are you saying, Kuntī? Kuntī said a beautiful poem. "Hey Krishna, Balihari Us Dukh Ko, Pal Pal Naam Lirai." Krishna said, "I can’t argue with you, what you said is the truth." "Kuntī se duḥkha para śilā, sukha para śilā paḍe." On that fun and happiness, I throw a big rock. Why? "Naam hirde se bishrae." That time they forget the name of God and bhakti, everything from the heart. Now, parties, parties, this, that. "Sukh par silapade," when you are very happy and everything is good, be prepared that some troubles will come. "Sukh par silapade, nām hṛdeśe visraya, Kṛṣṇa," your name, your memory in the heart disappears. "Therefore, balihārī us dukh ko," I surrender, I offer myself to those troubles, "pal pal nām liray," every second remembers thy name, O God, O Kṛṣṇa. Therefore, bhaktas will always have difficulties, but God said, "When you have difficulties, I am carrying you on the hollow of my palm, like a big blaster you have here. Not you are feeling pain, I am feeling, but because that I am carrying on my hands." So the Pāṇḍavas got their kingdom, and Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa left for Dvārakā. And one thing: the science tries to achieve something, and they achieve something. When the Mahābhārata Yudha began in Kurukṣetra, Dharmakṣetra Kurukṣetra, Dharmakṣetra, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa said, "This is not a battlefield. This is the field of Dharma. This is the field of Dharma. That field of Dharma, Kurukṣetra, is where the Kauravas are coming. Kauravas and Pāṇḍavas, Kurukṣetra. The blind king had so much ambition to become king. Pitāmā Bhīṣma is only a desire. Now the battlefield begins, but the blind king, he couldn’t go to the battlefield, and he was sitting at home in Hastināpur, and said, 'Who will give me the message? What happens in the whole day in the field?' And when the sun set, the guns were blown. All warriors had to put their weapons down. No one, even your enemy, passed beside you. You are not attacking them. And when a woman comes between, even if you are on the right point to blow everything off, you have to throw it away and stay, so that you don’t cause harm. This was the principle. And in the morning, when the conch was blown, then they came to the, that was all protocol. Now they hide themselves and throw bombs somewhere. Now they made such a lot of plans, didn’t make a sound or anything, with the navigator, and they drop the bombs and go away. See, heroes are they. They used to fight with open chest. Therefore, in Mahābhārata, you will see all the warriors, their chest was open. Let the arrows come directly; we will see. That’s called braveness, not cowardice. Cowards are throwing from behind and running away. That’s called gushing, blackmailing; many make the cowards. They are not the heroes. So, I want to see what is happening. At that time, the minister of the king, Sanjay, was given divine visions by God. When the battle begins, and when this fight will be over, then your visions will go away. Hundreds of kilometers away, he was sitting, and he looked in that direction, and he could see the whole Kurukṣetra. Who is doing what? And he was giving information to Dhṛtarāṣṭra. When it was over, he was still looking. It was finished. So when I see this Skype, then I say, look, the technology made the vision. Far away you are sitting, some other part of the world, another is sitting there, and you have the visions. But this vision, this science, this technology was of another kind, which you cannot misuse. Well, we see it in one bhajan. "Ab somp diyā is jīvan kā sab bhār tumhāre hāthoṁ. Ab somp diyā is jīvan kā sab bhār tumhāre. Tumāre hāthon aur jīhar, tumāre hāthon mein ab saup diyā is jīvan kā sab bhār. Tumne ab jīt diyā is jīvan kā sab. Jag mein rahūn toh aise rahūn, jān jal kamal kā phūl rahe. Samarapita ho, Bhagavān he, vaitā tumāre hātho me. Mahāprabhujī, āpke ome he jīt. Tumāre om Śrī Devpurījī, tum hāthome yab sampadī, iśvar kā sahārā tumhāre hāthome yab. Ka mujh janam to tava charaṇon kā pūjārī banu, is pūjan ke ik ik me utar tumāre ke ik ik ragh me hum bhaji. Arpan kar doon duniya barkha, sab pyaar tumare. Arpan kar doon duniya barkha, sab sop diya is jag. Jab jab sansar kake di banu, niks kaam bhav se karam." Now I have given, in this life, all support to you. "Ho me bhu sansār ke hāthon me sansār tumhā... Prabhu Dīp Karatā Mahāprabhudīp Karatā He Kevalam..." Awake in the heart. When the destination becomes clear, it doesn’t matter how many obstacles there are; we will reach it. And it is said, the bhakta says to God, "Lord, my limitation is finished. I have no more will. I have no more strength. I have no more motivations. I can’t." One day, you remember, Jesus was sitting somewhere near the hills and began to cry. "God, I can’t anymore." And you know the snake came, the black snake, the cobra came. And the snake remained there far. He said, "Lord, I can’t." He said, "Yes, you can, you will. My son, I trust in you." Though he had doubts, he said, "I can’t. Let me go." Say, where? "I trust you, my son. I send you here. I am acting in you." So God said, "Bhakta," and the Bhakta said, "Okay, Lord, I will do. I will act, but I have no more will, no energy. So, what then? I give you." "Ab sāmp diyā is jīvan kā sab bhār tumhāre hāthoṁ meṁ." Merciful one, I render all the burdens and all the responsibility of my life into your hands. "Ab sāp diyā is jīvan kā, sab bhār tumhāre hāthoṁ meṁ. Hai jeet tumhāre hāthoṁ meṁ, aur hār tumhāre hāthoṁ meṁ." Whether I will be successful or not, it is in your hands, Lord. But Lord, you should know now, you should know. "Mera nitshe ab ek yahi hai. Bas, you always talk with me through the voice. But my intention is only this, this is my decision, my final decision. Mera niśce bas ek yahī hai, ek bār tujhe pā jāū̃," once I can see you, only once. "Hey Chhatrabhuja, Hey Viṣṇu, Hey Śiv." So that my motivation, great strength. "Mera nīśe yehī hai," my wish and my decision: when I see you once, you will meet me. "Arpan kar dūṁ duniya bhara kā sab pyār tumhare hāthoṁ." What will I give you that time? How will I welcome you? I have nothing, but my Lord, the love of the whole world I will give into your hands. Our love, our trust, our prayers, we have to give. I will give in your hands. Then, my Lord, let me work for you. How? "Jag me raho to aise raho, jo jal me kamal kā phūl rahe." Then if I live in this dirty world, in this saṁsāra of ignorance, in this dirty water, then let me live like a lotus in the muddy water. So we live in this world, but we are the bhaktas, we are the lotus. This dirty water cannot touch you, cannot affect you. Even if you throw dirty water on it, all the drops will slide down, and the lotus will remain. That’s why the lotus. In saṃsāra, we are the lotus. Bhaktas are the lotus; other flowers will die. So the bhakta will survive, others will die. Others will go in a different direction. "Jagme raho to aise raho ja jal me kamal ka phool rahe." If I live in this world, let me live like a lotus flower in the water. "Mere sab guṇa doṣa samarpin ho." All my mistakes and good and bad qualities, all I surrender to the Bhagavān Tumāre. Lord, I made many mistakes, good and bad, but now I offer everything into your hands. When we have an offering to God, then we are free. "Phir kyā kartā hai yeh Bhāgata? Yadi mānav kā mujhe janma mile," if again you will give me, then, O my Lord, the life of the human, as born as a human. "Tau Charanoka Pujari Banu," I have only one wish: let me be the sevak, pujarī, servant, or caretaker of thy holy lotus feet. To serve you, the bhakti, as Gurujī said in Līlāmṛt again and again, Mahāprabhujī, I don’t need anything. Mahāprabhujī asked many times, "Whatever you want, I give you a kingdom, I give you siddhis, I give you levitation, everything. What do you want?" He said no. "Bar bar araj yahi kuru," again and again I ask you, let me be your bhakta, your servant. Even if I have to take new birth many times, please let me be thy devotee. Because Mahāprabhujī was Viṣṇu of Tārā. He could give anything, and He is giving still. Holy Gurujī’s words are the truth. Saint Mahesh, every word of yours will come true. Because you are always with Mahāprabhujī, more than me. "Mahāprabhujī, Sadā Raṭā Mahāprabhujī ke saṅg, no? Jugjug Jīo Maheś Rā Nand, yadi mānav kā mujhe janam mile to tava caraṇa kā pūjārī banū." In each and every atom, the cells of my body, Lord, you should dwell in me. Do not let even one cell be without your presence in me. I will do all. Yes, this is dharma daṇḍ. This is dharma daṇḍ. Karam dand is given. "Kyō sahī bāteṅ kī nahīṅ? Jab jab sansāra kā kaidī banū, nishkām bhāv mein karma karū," whenever I become the prisoner of the sansāra, give me selfless service, nishkām. And what we do in our ashram, what you are all doing here, why you are sitting here, we are doing all niṣkāma karma. You will get thousands, millions of times more than what you do in seva. Like yesterday’s story with Draupadī, her sārī. Little piece of the sari she tied on the finger of Kṛṣṇa, and he smiled and said, "Draupadī, you have tied me forever. I am your ṛṇī. I owe you billions of times more. For each thread of your sari, I will supply you. 'You will need it,' he said." The other smiled, and she knew what Kṛṣṇa said. Time will come. "Jab jab sansār kā kaidī banū, niṣkām bhāv se karam karū, phir ant samay me prāṇa tājūṁ, sākar tumhāre hāthoṁ me." Then, my Lord, when I have done my duty, when the end of my life, when this physical body comes to its end, that I give up my prāṇa in your hands, that I die in thy presence, not in duṣṭa, not in rākṣasa, not in a negative sphere, but with the bhaktas where thy glory is the same. Nothing will go with us. "Mujhme tujhme bhed, bas ek hī bhed," the difference between you and me, O Lord, is only one. "Me nar hū, tum Nārāyaṇ hū." I am just a human, but you are the Nārāyaṇ, you are the Supreme One. That’s the difference between you and me. O Arjuna, the difference between you and me is only this: I know, and you do not know. That’s it. When you become the knower, then you will be transparent. And everything, you can solve this. I am in the hands of the world, the world is in your hands. I am in the hands of the world, but Lord, this world is in your hands. Why should I worry? "Gurū Nānak Sāhib se Satgurū nām jāj hai, aur chaḍe se uṭre par Gurū par."