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Give!

A New Year's message calls for universal compassion and selfless action.

The ancient prayer is for all to be happy, without duality. Individual ego and desire lead to wrong action, which creates binding karma. The past year witnessed both harmony and profound suffering from wars and disasters. All humans are one family beyond country or religion. Do not celebrate with intoxication; instead, use those resources to aid those suffering from cold and hunger. True joy is found in giving without expectation. Do not judge those in need. The world faces crises of refugees and poverty. Helping hands are greater than folded hands. Do not steal the intellectual or artistic property of others; always give credit. Use special days to reconcile and forgive, letting go of ego. Even a small act of kindness to a person, animal, or bird is a powerful blessing and the best spiritual practice. In meditation, surrender all you have, for it is not truly yours, and pray for the protection and happiness of the entire world.

"All should be happy. No one should be unhappy."

"Helping hands have more value than folded hands."

Filming location: Raumati Beach, New Zealand

Svādīp Nayan Bhagavān kī Jai. Viśvamahāmaṇḍeśvara Svāmī Maheśvarānandajī kī Jai. Hari Om. Jai Śrī Kṛṣṇa. My praṇām to Śivjī, Kṛṣṇajī, Rāmjī, Ālāpurījī, Bhagavān Svarūpurījī, Mahāprabhujī, Hindu Samrāṭ, Svāmī Madhavānandjī, the greatest of the greatest masters in my heart and in your heart, Swāmījī, President of Uganda Life, Bājñānandjī, Āsāpurījī, Sādhvī, Umāpurījī, Swami Lakṣmaṇpurījī, Swami Maduramjī, Past President of Uganda, Life Nayananji, Karunāpurījī—who is not here tonight, of course, Matajī—board members including Puṣpājī, and Deepak, who is in India, and also Divyājī. Of course, good worker, Lakṣmījī, and Om Prakash and the family, and also newcomer Premjyoti and Seva Devī and Kamala Devī Jī. Of course, Bajnani Ji is our beloved president, we may mention. It is a pleasure, and it is such a good time to have Swamiji, particularly on the two days’ eve of New Year’s of 2014, and we are going to get into 2015. We were fortunate, and I must say I was fortunate, that I think 20 years ago, when Swāmījī’s first lecture was announced in a Dominion Post, and I read and I saw Swāmījī’s picture, I said I must go and see this Swāmījī. I was attached to Swami Vivekananda from India while I was studying at Garda College University in Navsari. And when I heard him, it was the first Swami that I heard in public lectures, where he took me from the level where I was to the next level. And since then, that level hasn’t stopped, including listening to Swamījī yesterday. Every time there is a lecture from our Master Swāmījī, there is always a new message on top of the previous messages. That reminds me of Kṛṣṇa. When you read the Bhagavad Gītā, in every chapter, every śloka, you get new knowledge. And Swamījī has passed on to me, and I’m sure you all have also learned that as well throughout the world. You all bhaktas are so lucky that in the world a Gurudev like Swamījī travels. You have to be lucky. I want to quote you one example from when I went this year. This year we were lucky to spend time with Swāmījī and my wife Nalinī in India. We were planning to leave India, and we were saying goodbye to Swamījī, and Swamījī said, "No, you are not going." And we were due to be on a plane in six hours in Bombay, and Swamījī said, "No, you are not going." I said, "Swamiji, we are booked, so okay, hurry home." We went to the airport, not only visa wasn’t on, on... Passport for Australia, so we rang Swamiji, and Swamiji said, "We are coming, Swamiji. We are here in Bombay. We can’t go to New Zealand." So, well, I told you, "Come over." So we took a flight next door, next next day, and we... We went, and we were astonished by the love that people are giving and Swamiji is giving to people. Particularly, I want to quote to you when we left after the 26th of January, the school that Swamiji had started, among many other projects Swamiji... Having done that, there are three or four projects that stayed in my mind, which I want to share with you. The one is a building at Talal, the Sarovar. That is not done by any Swamījī in my life that I recall. It means providing water for others. The second one is the students, the teachers, teaching the school children, giving a free education. And the third one, the third one is the one that is commendable throughout the world. That’s after even Acharya Rajneesh will say that what our Swamis have done is that ashrams throughout the world, particularly having an ashram in Wellington, starting in JC Street and then here, and then also in Oakland. And every time when we speak to Indians, or we speak to yogīs, they always say, "Oh, yes, I know about it." So outside India, Swamijī is well recognized. But in India, we went to Ahmedabad, which I want to share with you, where Mahāprabhujī, Swāmī Madhavānjī, was, who stayed for many years, and Swāmījī went to that āśram. And we were fortunate to travel with Swāmījī by road. And when we went to Ahmedabad, which is the capital of Gujarat, where I was born in that area, not in Ahmedabad, but close by, and people were putting paddles on the road, music on the road, all the traffic just stopped. And then you go in a hole, and the joy that people were enjoying, Swamiji, and willing and anxious to listen to Swamiji, that was eye-opening for me. And the people were so, so, they wanted to praise Swamiji, they wanted to see Swamiji. They didn’t have enough of Swamiji. They have never seen Swamiji, perhaps some of them. We are fortunate, also in the world, to have Swāmījī’s personal presence, where he personally and individually, with every note of your behavior, your action, particularly mine many times, he takes you and gives you chabuk to move to the next level. And then quite often, I and Nalinī talk, why? Does Swami say? Why does Swami say about you? I said, "Maybe there’s a message." And then we analyze, and then you think about it, and there is a message. It’s a level that that... Where Gurujī wants to take you is where a lot of us, particularly humans, are used to not listening to others, and particularly some Swāmīs and some Gurus, because there are a lot of incidents in the past where some Gurus and Swāmīs have not done well. But we are so fortunate to have a Swāmījī of his caliber, particularly blessed by Mahāprabhujī and, of course, Śrīvājī, that we humans forget that there is reincarnation, and you only meet, you only see, when you are this time. When you are yoga, and that yoga is today, that yoga is in these few years where Swamiji is with us. Without saying more, I don’t want to take a lot of your time, because Swamiji, we want to hear Swamiji. We are very privileged, very, very humble, and very, very lucky. To have your presence, particularly on this day today, when Swamiji announced and Prem Jyotish said that Swamiji is coming in December. I said, "What? The busiest time of my life is in December, January." And Swamijī has been with us, and all my work is all organized by Mahāprabhujī, by Swamijī. It’s falling into place. And not only that, but it’s turning into positives. So basically, we humans make a lot of mistakes. But Gurujī, like Swāmījī, guides us, and we are fortunate. And Swamiji, we wish you many, many years of life ahead, and we wish you come now every three months rather than twice a year. Thank you. Thank you. Salutations to the cosmic light, adoration to our holy masters, good evening, dear sisters. Brothers and sisters, welcome all of you here in Śrīdevapurī Āśram, Rāmāṭī, a beautiful, beautiful island, peaceful New Zealand, and all dear bhaktas around the world. Blessings are coming to you today, especially for the New Year’s beginning, the day after tomorrow, and it is a last goodbye to our best guest of the year 2014. Three times chanting Aum today is significant of this past year, the present time, and the future, 2015. The Sarve Bhavantu Sukhinaḥ Mantra is from the ancient scriptures, written by holy saints. All should be happy. No one should be unhappy. No one should have a proud suffering. Tamasomā Jyotir Gamaya, lead us from the darkness to the light of wisdom. Tamasomā Jyotir Gamaya, Asatomā Satgamaya, lead us from unreality to reality. Mṛtyor mā amṛtaṁ gamaya. Lead us from mortality to immortality. Lead us from troubles to happiness, pain to pleasure. Lead us to the best and harmonious life. It is us, not me. In the Ṛṣis, in the Upaniṣads, or in the Vedas, it mostly speaks for all. Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ. All should be happy. There is no duality, either your enemy or your friend. Enemies and friends are temporary relations. But we pray for them and for their souls. When the individual interest is there, ego is there, ambition is there, anger is there, attachment is there, greed is there. Then the person begins to take wrong steps. These wrong steps are known as bad karma, and karma will not leave anyone free. Karma means, let’s say you jump into the swimming pool and your whole body becomes wet. You can say, "Well, I will jump in the swimming pool, but I don’t want to be wet." It’s not like that. Then you take some other kind of cloth, suits for the divers. So anything you do, it will come to you. First, it will come to you, and then to others. My dear brothers and sisters, we know that the year 2014 has had many events: good, spiritual, harmonious protection for the environment, for the children, for education. But at the same time, unfortunately, there were some civil wars, and they are still going on in some places. You know how many young women lost their husbands? How many children lost their father? How many parents lost their sons and daughters? Only they know who the targeted ones are. We don’t know if we will feel the pain of others. We will do our all best to create peace in our life. So, many people died through the fighting. Someone was killed out of ignorance. Someone was killed on the road in an accident. You know, there were tragedies of two aeroplanes at the end of the year 2014. From my side, personally, my dear sisters and brothers, I pay my condolences with humility, and I am with you in these difficult times. My prayers for those souls who left this earth. My prayer for them to almighty to bless the souls with eternal peace and light. And we pray all that it should not happen again. We are all brothers and sisters. Human is human, doesn’t matter. From which country, which culture, and which religion? With culture, nation, and religion, we should not divide our beautiful human family. There is only one God that we all call God. And there is only one race called the human. And there is only one called love, human to human and human to animals. Definitely, our prayers will help. Coming year, we are going to welcome tomorrow midnight. I wish very much that this night should not be spent with the intoxication of alcohol. My dear sisters, brothers around the world. It is your choice. Only I can request our prayer. The money which you spend for the firecrackers and for the alcohol, if we can collect and donate for those children who lost their parents in the war. They have no shelter; it is very cold. Can you imagine a thin tent only, the missing shoes, the missing blankets? I am sure that with one bottle of alcohol, you can cover the whole family with some blankets. That will give you more joy, more happiness. That we can show that we are brothers, we are sisters. We do care, and what God said: share everything that you have. In such a critical situation in the last days, Jesus taught the people to share the bread with all. How much food we destroy. When you are eating, take care how much you need. That much you should cook, and that much you should eat. How much food we throw away. There are some countries already, I can tell you, I don’t want to say the names of those countries because there are many countries. There are one and a half million children who go hungry on Saturday and Sunday, sleeping hungry. They have nothing to eat. Monday, they are getting ready quickly to go to school, and there you get food there. Situation today, peaceful country. And similarly, also, I heard that in this wealthy country, this good country, New Zealand, there are also some communities that have problems, troubles with food, but there are many good-hearted people. They give to charity something to give the people something. So, my dear, in giving, there is a joy. But giving with no expectation. When you give, you get four times back. If you go walking on the street and some young man or young woman or some old person is sitting there and asking for a little money, some people say, "Oh, don’t give this beggar." They will go and drink alcohol. What have you against alcohol? You are also drinking. Your family is drinking. The government is drinking. They all are selling. They can buy. He doesn’t have money. That’s why he’s begging, so he can also drink. Don’t give him money. Okay, give him one bottle. So who are we to judge that this person will go to drink? This person does not have money. Now, a critical situation has begun in the world. Good countries, peaceful countries, they lost the job. Have a very good profession. A very talented person, standing on the traffic line, and I wrote one signboard: "I lost my family and job because I don’t have work. Please help." And the people give him money. Or they sell kind of newspaper, and they said, "That’s all I can do today." You see, they lost the houses, they lost families. Children are somewhere begging, the father is somewhere, the wife left them. This situation, New Zealand people cannot imagine, because we don’t know how much dirt we have on our backside. If you become Trikārdarśī, then you see in the world what is going on. Don’t blame people for little things. Help, help. That’s why I’m always telling, helping hands have more value than folded hands. Whatever you can help with, the cloth, the food, the money, with many, many things, that will be counted as a good action, being a human. This last year was very terrible. Many refugees were suffering. Many countries have accepted many refugees. Many could not accept them. They are stuck in big ships on the ocean. Many people were killed: the aeroplanes, the wars, the children. Can we see this with our own eyes, my dear? Can’t we help them? You only concentrate that I want to be the billionaire, the richest man in the world. The richest man in the world, that he will give everything for the poor and stand in the street. That, thanks to God, I have today a bread to eat. The rest I gave away. That one will be not only the richest man in this world, but in God’s kingdom, that one who has renounced and gives to others. Give freedom. Give understanding. Give them way. Give them their rights. Give them love. Give them the right instructions. Give, give... Love them, feed them, don’t kill them and eat them. This is the principle in yoga. So there are many kinds of, what, I don’t like to say the words terrorist or criminalist. I don’t know who is a terrorist. When two are fighting in the court, so, one says this person is wrong, and the other says this is wrong. So, now who is in the wrong? Who is the biggest terrorist? Ask them why, why they are fighting. So, who are we to judge someone? We should not judge. The wrong karma, if you try to take someone’s property, intellectual property. Many people take the part of the poems and then write down their own name. What we call the library bookworms, they read many, many books. And one paragraph of this book, one paragraph of this book, and they write, and you write as you are. Many people practice yoga and teach yoga in their life, but they just say yoga. But this is called the stolen properties. Every artist, every musician has their right; every voice is resolved. When Madhuram plays his flute, and he puts on his cassettes and like this, and of course this is our soap, we can use it. But when we put it on our YouTube, immediately, automatically, a message comes. This voice is solved. It’s a copyright. Automatically, they are observing through the computer, so anything. That’s why whenever I speak, I say it’s not me who is speaking. I am telling, Krishna said, or Jesus said, or the Upanishad said, or that person said, that great one said. It is better that you don’t feel guilty. Otherwise, a thief is ever uncertain and has fear and can’t sleep peacefully. Therefore, honesty. Humans are honest. And when there is no honesty anymore, then it is lost. Then one dog steals the bone from other dogs and runs away. Understand me. So it can be music, it can be art, it can be writings, it can be beautiful thoughts of politics. But you should know who has done what. Give them their rights. Use it, but with their rights. Their names lose nothing. You can write in your book half a page, and at the end you will say, "Mahatma Gandhi." Be the change you want to see. Okay, we can talk and they will say, "Oh, Swāmījī said very nice, beautiful instruction," because many don’t know. But there are a few, some who know. There is a Gandhījī said. It is Mahātmā Gandhījī who said, "Nature doesn’t need us. We need nature." So protect nature, because we need nature. Similarly, we pray for those who mistake we did. Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they are doing. And Father, maybe it’s my mistake, my sin, that I have to suffer. Please forgive me too. Next year is coming in a few hours. We will celebrate in 35 hours. New Year, welcome. So please, if you can, if you’re here, for some charity. For those old people who have no one at home, can you go and give some nice bread or something? There are people who are now minus 10 degrees in Europe. There are some countries where the elderly people cannot heat their flats. They put on newspapers, and in a very limited small place, they burn some paper and something they leave, and they have to count. They get a little money from the government and support, yes. With this, how much bread can I buy in this day? It doesn’t matter, small child or the old person sitting alone, no one telephones. On and say, "Happy New Year." No one comes and says, "Hello, how are you?" So I would suggest to all my great friends, dear disciples, dear ones, and all, at the beginning of this year, make someone happy. On the first of January, if you give someone something and that person will be happy, I promise you that God will help. My words to be true, that you will have the whole year this happiness, because that person will bless you. Blessing must not be only what you call the holy person. What is a holy? All we are the holy. It is said, if someone will not give hungry and give you food, may he or she will not say thank you, but the stomach will say thank you, yes. And that stomach is connected and related to the hunger, the fire, to the soul. Dare to come, even if you made a mistake and you are afraid to go to someone saying, "Happy New Year," or this, or excuse yourself. This is the day, either Christmas, Dīvalī, Guru Pūrṇimā, Holī, or New Year, where we can say, "I am sorry, forgive me." Many couples are separated. Many are sitting alone at home and sad. The wife is somewhere, sitting alone at home, and is sad. Why? You are not forced to be sad. At least this day, again, come and tell your husband, "Hello, I’m here." Or, husband, come with nice flowers or some drink or eating. Said, "We know that we don’t like each other, but today I would like to give you something, and let it be with you. Yes. You lose nothing." But one thing you will lose, your ego, because ego will harm us. Because our nose is very precious, style. Poor. There was a story told by some sādhu or someone some days ago. That one man was very poor, and he said, "I am very poor." So other men came, like Mr. Jñānānanda and Jñānānanda Purī. So he said, "But you are not poor." He said, "Sir, I am poor." No, you have so much. You are very rich. He said, "No, I have nothing." He said, "Okay, you have such precious things, and I give you money, and you give it to me." He said, "What? I give you $100,000 and you give me one year. Cut it." No, this I cannot give. I give you $200,000, you give me both years, then we’ll be equal. He said, "No, no, that I can’t give." Okay, then I give $1,000,000, and you have something very precious, give it to me. He said, "What? Cut your nose and give it to me." No. You see, even you would quit one million dollars to save your nose. So God said, "Why are you poor? You are not poor." But the circumstances made you poor. And these circumstances can be refugees, can be old age. It is said, when you are young and beautiful, everyone loves you. And when you are old, they say, "Hi, how are you?" Thank you, good, okay, bye-bye. That’s all. So, the coming year, on the 1st of January, 2015, if not, then one handful, some seeds to the birds. The birds will bless you. They will sing to you every day. Or to anyone, some food or cloth, a warm blanket. Recently, in Jordan Ashram, 500 blankets were distributed to the poor people. They are working there. They have children. Very cold, so from our organization, we... and now it’s getting more cold, and 500... uh, blankets. This one blanket costed about something little more than 100 rupees, so this is five, six hundred rupees. How much is that? Fifty thousand, yeah. No, no... How many rupees? Five hundred? A blanket? Yeah, 5,000, 6,000 rupees. About 200 New Zealand dollars. So feel free if you want. Immediately, I will order the blankets for the poor people to give them. If you want to buy some blankets, that will be something for which their soul will bless you. So, the example, if you want to do it, you can do it. Many children want to go to school, but they do not even have the books to buy. We are supporting 800 children, and this is not my pride. I am only the postman. You people give so much donation, and I give furthermore. So, in 2015, wherever you want to give, I don’t want that you should give only to our organization. Anywhere, make happy, do something. That will guide you the whole year 2015. That is the best meditation. That is the best spiritual progress: giving, giving. Give good thoughts. If you have nothing, at least you bless it. Prayer to God, only I have this, which is not only, only. It is very, very much. That is your love in my heart. And let this love flow on everyone, especially those who are unhappy ones. My Lord, the warmth of my heart, I offer you all children who are suffering in the world and have lost their parents. Many, many things we can do. If you keep it, it will not remain. So you have, use it or lose it. And therefore, we say, use it. So meditation, when I meditate, I really... It takes me a long time to go around the whole world. Because I have disciples on all five continents. So I go now from city to city, quickly. For every city, I have ten seconds. Yeah. And then I imagine the face of the person, this, that. And I said, "Gurudev, protect all." Doesn’t matter where they are, how they are. They came to your shelter, and I gave them one day’s blessing. So please protect your blessing, which I give. So it takes me half an hour only to imagine faces, countries, bhaktas, and pray for them. And then I pray, if I made any mistake, forgive me. And the second step: whatever I have is not mine, even not this body. It is yours. So use it and do what you like, Lord. It’s free. Whatever I have is all you gave me. I have nothing. That takes me 25 minutes, and then the rest I surrender, and I do my meeting. This is Mānasik Pūjā: humbleness, kindness, and surrendering. So we pray to the Almighty to forgive us. In this last year, whatever happened through our body, mind, thoughts, words, and actions, forgive us. Whatever good we did, we offer to you as flowers at thy lotus feet. Lord, guide me, protect me, bless me in this coming year, 2015. I am Thay. Guide me to the right place. Bless me for all, and protect me so that I can serve as much as I can. These are our prayers and messages for the new year. To all of you, my dear brothers and sisters. And see you tomorrow again. Same time, we’ll be webcast. Thank you. Oh, close your eyes. Place your one hand on your left knee or thigh. Place your right hand on your heart and bend your head forward a little, like surrendering. Relax the whole body. Feel your heart and imagine the whole globe. That entire globe is rolling in your heart, meaning the whole world. Creatures in the water, on the earth, and in the air—humans, animals, birds, sea life, vegetation, and all your loving persons—hold this globe in your both hands in imagination. Merciful one, protect our ocean, rivers, ponds and lakes, forests and mountains, all innocent creatures, and my sisters and brothers, human. Let this light of God through your Agñya Chakra from the forehead side and love from your heart. This is blending love and light, and let’s go and illuminate the whole globe. Merciful one, since you are residing in my heart, I dare to say my heart is a holy heart, because you are in my heart. In my consciousness, you are dwelling; that’s why it is the divine brain. Forgive all my mistakes and guide me on the path of love, understanding, and peace. Now, look straight with closed eyes, head up and still, on your heart, on your chest. Repeat after me. Bless you all. Thank you.

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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