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Part 1: The Kingdom of the Yogīs: Guru Mantra and the Divine Design Good morning. It is a beautiful, beautiful day. The sun is shining. In winter, it is very pleasant, but this morning fewer people visited the holy tree because it was too cold. Now the sun is shining. So, mantra. Meditation without mantra is a body without soul. And the king of mantra is Oṁ. But if the king of kings does not have a kingdom, then it has no meaning. Therefore, Guru Bhakti and Guru Mantra are the kingdom of the yogīs. The prāṇa of mantras is Oṁ. The prāṇa mantra is Oṁ; that is the king of all. And the apex of that is the Guru Mantra. The Guru Mantra is the prāṇa and ātmā in the body. There are many different kinds of mantras. Every mantra has some effect. Different types of mantras each have a certain effect. But Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya is something very unique. The śāstras say, the holy scriptures say—like the Vedas, the Upaniṣads—this is the whole universe. Sanātana Dharma is not a man-made dharma. Sanātana Dharma is the function of everything in the universe. You cannot separate from the universe, just like our body. Our body is not just a body. How many organs do we have in the body? How many nerves? Different kinds of nerves. There are 72,000 nāḍīs in the body, and each one has its particular function. Every nāḍī has its meaning. When one nerve is damaged, the body becomes incomplete. Bhagavān, or God, or destiny, or Dharmarāja, or Vidhātā—whatever we call it—prepares the whole body in their workshop. In the mother’s body, they check everything before it comes out. Before sending it to the showroom, they have tested everything: eyes, ears, nose, their functions—not just the form—brain, glands. So every nerve has its meaning. Similarly, the muscles, bones, joints, and organs. Every part, every single nerve and artery, is connected to the heart. The kidneys and everything have their own place. How many engineers were working to create this one beautiful body? Now, this whole body has its discipline, its principle, and it is used accordingly. What work is done with the sole of the foot cannot be replaced on the head. And the function of the head cannot be put on the foot. Everything in the body, whatever we have, has its own meaning. That is why it is said, "Yathā Brahmaṇḍe, Tathā Piṇḍe"—what is in the universe is in our body. This body is a work of the divine, not only for us but for other creatures as well. We have what they call the sand fly. It comes from Australia. Since Australian tourists started coming to Jadan Āśram, we have so many sand flies, and they fly and multiply everywhere. They are so small that we cannot see them with our eyes. Only when they bite do we realize—why, God? What tiny functions has God created? What kind of tools has God used? Yes, it was. So God’s creation, and what God can do, what God can make, no one else can. This is our own universe. Similarly, in the universe, there are different authorities. In the same way, there are various authorities in the universe. There are Brahmā, Viṣṇu, Śiva, and many different goddesses, śaktis—all of them. And the highest tattva is Guru Tattva. Understand that. That is why, finally, after all this, it is said: Gurudev is Brahmā, the Creator. It is He who inspires us, gives us knowledge, and gives us thoughts; so He is the creator. "Jī Guru"—Jī for generator. He is generating the energy. And then, Gurur Brahmā, Gurur Viṣṇu, and Gurudev is that Viṣṇu. Viveka creates discernment, gives knowledge, and Maheśvara Śiva bestows mokṣa. So, Gurur Brahmā, Gurur Viṣṇu, Gurur Devo Maheśvaraḥ, Gurur Sākṣāt Parabrahma—after that it is still not complete. Sākṣāt itself is the Brahman, Parabrahman, not only Brahman here but the Parabrahman in the entire universe. Therefore, Tasmai Śrī Gurave Namaḥ. Thus, first adoration, blessing—bow down to the Guru. So this becomes the first worshipped, and that is called Gaṇeśa. Gaṇeśvara, the Īśvara of all. Gajānanda—ānanda, the bliss. Gurur Brahmā, Gurur Viṣṇu, Gururdevo Maheśvara, Gurur Sākṣāt Parabrahma, Tasmai Śrī Gurave Namaḥ. Whoever understands this will automatically come to ātma-jñāna. Dhyāna Mūlaṁ Guru Mūrti—therefore, the root of meditation, the source of meditation, the essence of meditation, is called the form of Gurudeva. Those who neglect this are lost. Those who meditate on different forms are lost. You forgot your body. God gave you a beautiful body, yet you look at others and say, "I wish I could be so beautiful." God said, "Oh, my Lord, I gave this person the most beautiful body, but you are looking on the other side." It is like in every country: you see better food on the neighbor’s plate. But it is not as you think. There is a story about Mahātmā Gāndhījī. In his āśram in Ahmedabad, many people came and went; everyone wanted to become a minister, hoping Gāndhījī would assign them some position. So one would-be minister arrived. And what was the duty? Clean the āśram. Go into the village and clean the toilets of the poor people. Clean the bank of the river. Yes, if you want to become a minister, you must do this. So they were ready to do anything. Then there was a bhandārā, a community meal. Everyone was sitting in a line eating. That one minister had a great wish: to sit near Gāndhījī and see what he was eating. He said, "Gāndhījī, can I sit beside you and enjoy the meal with you?" Gāndhījī said, "No problem, welcome. But there is no salt, no chili, no spices." Gāndhījī received a little dāl, very thin like water, a few green leaves, two chapatis, a little vegetable, and the other person got exactly the same. Then something extra came on Gāndhījī’s plate: a green-colored chutney. You all know chutney? Who doesn’t know? So this much chutney came. Now, that minister thought to himself, "Everything I got is tasteless. Of course, I can’t refuse, but this chutney must be flavorful." And Gāndhījī didn’t give him any, he only thought. And now he’s thinking, and psychologically, his eyes kept going to the chutney. It is said that when someone gets their food, you should not look at their plate. If food comes, for example, to Arjuna Purī, you should not say, "Oh, such good food." That is not educated behavior. Not social education. And that food becomes no longer edible for that person, because you ate it with your eyes. So never look and say, "Wow, looks good, must be tasty." Many people in India will hold plates and say, "Please come and enjoy." Never, never make this mistake in India, otherwise they will say, "What an uneducated person." Certain things in Europe you should not do. In some countries, there are traditions. You know our Dayārāmjī in summer. In the Middle East and in India, we drink tea like this. And Gajānanda cannot resist. Oh God! Gajānanda becomes so nervous. Eighty percent of his body’s energy is burned out. True. You can ask him. Whatever I am telling you is reality. Don’t think Swamiji is making up stories. And then they eat like this. Oh God. I told him, "Don’t eat like that." He said, "How else can I eat?" I said, "Close your lips. Close your lips and then eat." He asked, "How should I eat?" I said, "Like this." He said, "I’ll bite my tongue." After two minutes, he said, "Let me be Indian. Let me enjoy." And after eating, then hand washing, water, and already in your hand was water... Actually, this is a brush to wash your hands and fingers with. Then the food is good. Then you have to express how you enjoy the food. That is very important. This tradition has come all the way to ex-Yugoslavia. Yes, then it’s blocked a little. Oh, no, this is not easy. You have to express this to your host. That host will say, "Now he enjoyed it." Try to do it. Even if you can’t, you have to demonstrate. And here, if you do like this, "Oh God, go to the bathroom." So certain things are like that. So don’t look at someone’s plate and say, "Wow, that must be tasty." Then your eating is no longer eating. I think here in European countries, a well-mannered person would say the same: don’t look, don’t say "Wow." You know, I lived with Matajī Katarina; she was very refined and always told me, "Don’t do this, don’t do that." One day she invited me with her girlfriend, a doctor who is now also retired. We had a nice lunch, and after eating, I was doing like this. And Katarina was twisting my skin under the table. I said, "What now? I’ll tell you when we get home." Hands on the table. So, also our dear Rādhā—she is very, very educated, with a very fine way of thinking. There are a few like her, but this new generation is hopeless. Now, his one eye was on Gāndhījī’s chutney. Dr. Śānti said, long ago, when you sit and put your hands like this from here to the table, not like that, especially when someone is sitting beside you, your hands should be up. Otherwise, you might do something improper. So these are social education, a kind of respect. What is the difference between ego and self-respect? It is a big difference. Self-respect is not ego; it is respecting others. And why do you need to wear nice, clean, proper dress? Because it is not for you. We give respect to others. That’s it. Back to Gāndhījī’s chutney. Gāndhījī sat and took his chapati, dipped it in the chutney, and ate. And that minister—still not a minister, though he wished to be—his mind must have been restless. Gāndhījī said to the person serving food, "Oh, you forgot to give him chutney. Give him some." And the minister thought, "At last, something with taste." So the server gave one teaspoon. The minister couldn’t resist; he said, "A little more, please." So he gave him two spoonfuls. He took his prasāda, his chapati, and his hand automatically went to the chutney. He put nearly a whole spoonful in his mouth and ate. Part 2: The Foundation of Meditation Is the Guru’s Form, and Other Teachings Now he doesn’t know what to do. Now you don’t know what to do. If you spit near the gauzy, it’s lost. Swallow, and it’s a horrible taste. So, like that snake, there is a particular mouse. And when the snake catches this mouse, the snake immediately understands: if he swallows, he will die. And if he lets the mouse out from his mouth, this mouse releases such a gas that immediately the snake will become blind. So if I leave, I will be blind. If I swallow, I will die. What to do? So the snake searches for water, a well, or anything. He dives deep and releases the mouse. So the snake does not touch that kind of mouse. Now, he’s trying to swallow. And you know what it was? Gandhijī was eating and looking at him—looking at his face. And Gandhiji asked, “Tasteful?” He replied, “Yes, sir. That chutney was made from neem leaves.” Only neem leaves. That was Gandhījī’s favorite. Therefore, don’t think that something better is on another plate. God gave you your body; it is most beautiful. Don’t neglect your body. So it is beautiful. That is that. Similarly, what God has given in this world—these very principles exist in our body and in the universe. So, dhyāna mūlaṁ guru-mūrtiḥ. The most beautiful object for meditation is the statue, or the form, or the picture of Gurudeva. There is one bhajan, and I have been searching for that book for a long time. I know only the first line: “Jai Reṇ Bhajana.” I have been looking for it in books for a long time. I remember the first line, the first row: Surat dikhī aparī, O Gurūdev, the Marwari Dūjāñ Javedhā. I saw your face, O Gurudev, and I no longer like any other. That is because there is a truth and a light there, and that is the most divine object for us. Similarly, when you marry someone, you choose your husband or your wife. So the most beautiful woman in the whole universe is your wife, and the most beautiful man is your husband. When you look somewhere else, you commit sin, and God is not happy with you. Therefore, it is said: take time, and what should be yours will come. Otherwise, it is temporary, and then again suffering, again suffering, again suffering. Similarly, for a spiritual aspirant: once you have chosen the Gurudeva, there is no other anymore. Yes, you can learn wisdom from everyone—their wisdom, their satsaṅg, their blessing—but finally you must return to your Gurudeva. Dhyānamūlaṁ Guru Mūrti, Pūjāmūlaṁ Guru Padam. And the most worshipful object in the whole universe is the holy feet of Gurudeva. There is a long story. There was one ṛṣi, I think Durvāsa or someone, and there was a great problem on earth. The ṛṣi was angry. “What is God doing? All are suffering. Where is God? All are screaming, ‘God, God, come, God!’ and he is not here.” So that ṛṣi got up and searched, “Where is Viṣṇu?” He went to Viṣṇu Loka, Vaikuṇṭha. And there, Bhagavān Viṣṇu is resting, and Lakshmī is giving a massage. The ṛṣi became furious: “Viṣṇu, what are you doing here? All creatures are suffering, and you are resting here!” In his anger, he kicked Viṣṇu on the chest with his foot. Those ṛṣis, those yogīs, they are there to kick God. And God will not be angry; God will bless you. But you have to be like that yogī. Otherwise, you can’t even come near. This entire story is written in the Purāṇas, and there is a beautiful poem about it, but I have forgotten it. I am getting old. Bhagavān Viṣṇu then held the feet of the ṛṣi and said, “I am sorry. I hope your lotus feet were not hurt. My body is like iron, so hard, and your feet are so gentle.” O ṛṣi, and he held the feet and washed them. “Please, don’t be angry with me. But because you kicked my heart, I give you a blessing: your feet will always be worshipped as holy feet.” And from that time onward, the practice of washing the feet of the holy saints comes from God, Viṣṇu—from that very time. When these people are not doing it, forget it. Then the Master had to explain it to them; they did not wash the feet of Jesus. So at least he brought them to wash their feet. If it is like that. But Jesus was also washing his master’s feet, so it is not only fairy tales. The reality is there. Padam—do you know what padam is? Padam means feet, and padam means lotus. Feet, it also means lotus. Āj to yatey sa yabayanan karo caraṇakamā, pādāṅganīye dātā caraṇakamā. Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān Kī Mahāprabhujī—this is a bhajan of Mahāprabhujī. So in our bhajans, the whole essence of the Vedas, Upaniṣads, Gītā, Bhāgavata—all are present. And this is from those times of the ṛṣis. Dhyānamūlaṁ Guru Mūrti, Pūjāmūlaṁ Guru Padam, Mantramūlaṁ Guru Vākyaṁ, Mokṣamūlaṁ Guru Kṛpā. So the best mantra is the Guru Vākya. Nēlēpśi mantrou sou Guru Vākya. And if you follow the Guru Vākya—pokut se ridhite Guru Vākya—you will be successful. Budhete uspeshi. Do not deny the Guru’s words. Don’t try to say, “My knowledge is better; you are wrong.” There are many disciples who argue with me a lot; they want to show themselves in the best light. So I say, “Yes, my dear, you are the best one.” And I say, yes, my dear, you are the best to go down. So, Guruvākya—all holy scriptures are Guruvākya. All Vedas are Brahmavākya, Guruvākya. And the Rāmāyaṇa, Gītā, Qur’ān, Bible—these are all holy words. Understand and follow. Mantra mūlaṁ guru vākyaṁ: the root, the essence of the mantra is the instruction, the words, and that mantra which your master gave you. Follow it once, and see how it will be. But only out of selfishness, don’t follow. “Okay, I will try.” There is no bargaining. And if you don’t follow it, temporarily, for your own happiness, you will feel happy. But finally, you will be crying again, again lost. Mokṣa, liberation, ātma-jñāna, will finally only come through the kṛpā of Gurudeva. Kṛpā means kindness, mercy, happiness, blessing. That will cut the thread and let us enter into the Brahmaloka. Mokṣamūlaṁ Guru Kṛpā. So for that kṛpā, we are working. What we are doing is guru-sevā. For what are we doing sevā? We hope that Gurudev is pleased; he has blessed me, he is happy, and I am blessed. But it takes a long time. Not that you do today’s sevā and in the morning you think you are liberated. In the morning, when you are not liberated, and on the third day you say, “No, it is all nothing.” Janam Janam—many, many lives. So there are many different bhajans that say, “Janam Janam Karu Sevā”—life after life I perform service. Therefore, mantra is that power, and that power, the mantra, is a seed. It should go into our heart. Our heart is that field. Inside is the best soil. And that soil is love. Jñāna, vairāgya, tyāga, and so on come into our heart. When the seed enters the heart, then it sprouts. So, Gurudev gives you only a seed. Now, you have to put it in the heart. Or you may think, “Oh, these seeds are very good. I will fry them and make my salad.” A little seed I got. “Okay, good.” And the bird will eat it. So, whatever we receive, it is holy for us. Of course, you must not do—I am telling myself. Whatever things remain from Mahāprabhujī, whatever we could get, for me, it is the holiest thing. And whatever remains from Holī Gurujī—all our bhaktas preserve it carefully, especially our Swami Phulpuri in Jadan. Everything from Mahāprabhujī and Gurujī and Devpurījī is kept in such a holy and careful way. So, in the Vienna Ashram, we have Mahāprabhujī’s holy sandals, Mahāprabhujī’s shirt, walking stick, water pot—what more do we need? So many things from Mahāprabhujī are in the Vienna Ashram. Slowly, slowly, I brought them from India. And there is one pair of shoes which I kept in my pillow, and suddenly one disappeared from my pillow. And it is Mānsā Devī’s pillow, so she is also having Mahāprabhujī’s shoes. Why not? It has value. If you value it, then you utilize it. But do not utilize it to wear the shoes of Mahāprabhujī. Never, never. They are holy. It is our inner feeling that is our bhakti. Where there is love, nothing is dirty. Where there is love, nothing is old. And when there is no love, everything is gone. So Guru Vākya, mantra—that is beautiful and important. Then our sādhanā will be perfect. Otherwise, searching here and there, changing things, is not good. Changing partners, you will not be happy. You can do it, but I can tell you as a Guru Vākya: you will not be happy. One German philosopher said, “To see the blue sky, you need not travel anywhere.” You will see the blue sky right here where you are. Very, very nice. Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān, Divya Svarasamādhi,... So, his son was about twenty years old, and they were singers. At twenty, one is still a little child. No, until the age of thirty, twenty-five to thirty, we call this a young child; the milk of the mother still reflects on the lips. So at least preserve this mother’s milk. After twenty-five years, you can decide to marry or have someone. If you choose otherwise, you are lost. So, this singer—yes, you will have to come again in the next life. So, it was around sunset. They both decided to go to Kāṭu from Dūnā. The next morning, at ten o’clock, they planned to go by train. And from Dhuna to the Ashram is just one kilometer, or one and a half kilometers. Mahāprabhujī said, “Don’t go. It will be dark, and you will not find the way.” They replied, “Well, we know the way; we often come and go.” Mahāprabhujī kī Karatā Mahāprabhujī kī Karatā... Right. Maximum ten meters. So they were walking towards Kathu, but they were walking in different directions. They circled the Kathu Duna Ashram three or four times. Then they came to one tree. So both, father and son, climbed the tree. Because of the wildlife, they spent the whole night on the tree. And at dawn, when the storm had finished, they saw the Duna Ashram of Mahāprabhujī only about a hundred meters away. They came down. Mahāprabhujī said, “I told you.” But you said you would do it and go. I was thinking of sending you a blanket, but you should experience that you do not follow the Guru Vākya. He said, “Gurujī, I will never, ever say that again.” So he became a faithful follower, always. With this, the program is finished. Jai Śiva Śaṅkara Swāmī.