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Part 1: The Mantra, the Master, and the Spiritual Flame Receiving a mantra from the Master can be a simple ceremony; it functions even if the Master simply repeats it. However, when done systematically, it creates a clarity in the disciple's heart. It removes layers of ignorance and awakens waves of devotion or love. All mantras are good, but the one received from one's personal Master is paramount. The heart must accept the Master. It is not about being inspired by lectures or knowledge, just as one feels warmth near a real fire but nothing from a fake flame. The heart must genuinely feel and accept. It is not about having a world-famous Master, nor about a Master who merely collects disciples. For a Master, each new disciple is a joy, like a parent welcoming a child, but it also brings a profound karmic responsibility. The Master is like a surgeon operating on karmas, which creates a certain heaviness in carrying all disciples in consciousness. Yet, the Master is also like the sun, shining for all. Disciples are like solar panels, receiving and storing this energy to radiate light further, even into the world's darkness. The mantra is this charging of energy. The connection between Master and disciple is this light. If the connection breaks, the disciple is like an unconnected panel—having capacity but unable to radiate. One must turn one's attention toward the Gurudev to recharge. Guru-paramparā is the spiritual lineage, and its successor holds that heritage. It is up to us whether we can transmit this light further. The Master-Disciple relationship is a living tradition, the essence of a living religion. There are many kinds of gurus: driving guru, harmonium guru, tabla guru, the first guru (mother), the second (father), the third (siblings and comrades), the fourth (religious priest), the fifth (school teacher), and the sixth—the Satgurudev, the spiritual guru. The seventh guru is thyself. There is a stone called Parāśa. If iron touches it, the iron turns to gold. I have searched for it for years. It is said that the Parāśa can turn iron into gold, but not into another Parāśa. However, a Gurudev can turn a disciple into a Gurudev. Consider two candles: one lit, one unlit. The unlit candle has the capacity for light but must unite flame to flame with the burning one. This light is gentle and fragile; a breeze from a fan can extinguish it. As the verse says: "Sabhe sahayak sabal ke aur kohun nirbhal sahay / Pavan jagavat aag ko aur deepahi deta bujhay." Everyone supports the strong; who helps the weak? The wind makes a fire stronger but can also blow out a flame. Similarly, you must protect the tiny light Gurudev gave you from storms. Protect it from Kushaṅga—bad society, gossip, and bad words toward spirituality, your Master, or your guru brothers and sisters. Otherwise, the flame is gone, and you stand in darkness. There are four questions to contemplate: 1. Kāṅsī phūṭī jhaṅkār kahā gaī? If a brass bell cracks, where does its resonance go? Can you find it again? Similarly, where does the resonance of love and devotion go when the mind becomes frazzled? 2. Dūdh phaṭā kahā gayā gṛt? If milk is spoiled, where has the butter (ghee) gone? You cannot extract it anymore. 3. Dīpak bujh gayā lo kahā chalī gayī? If a lamp is blown out, where did the flame go? Even with sealed glass, we cannot find where it moved. 4. Man phaṭā kahā gayī Prīt? If the heart is broken, where has love gone? The poet Rahim Dās said: "Rahiman dhaga prem kā māt toḍho chhiṭkāyā / Toḍhā phir jūḍe nahī̃, aur jūḍe to ghāṭ paḍjāye." The thread of love—do not break it through misunderstanding. If broken, it cannot be properly rejoined; a knot remains, and the flow is blocked. Forgiveness may be spoken, but the knot persists. One who engages in Kushaṅga may not even be acknowledged by the virtuous. We are taught from childhood in the Vedic tradition not to criticize any religion or discriminate against any incarnation. We adore all equally. As in Mahātmā Gāndhī's favorite bhajan: "Ishwar or Allah is your good name, Lord. Give everyone good intellect and understanding, that they can see the oneness in all." The spiritual light given as a mantra is a gentle seed planted in the field of your heart. You must water it daily, protect it from pests, and observe it grow into a large tree. Like a pregnant mother feeling her child grow daily, awaiting the day she can hold it, a spiritual aspirant nurtures their spirituality, waiting for the day they feel embraced by God or their light merges with the cosmic light. Do not give up, despite obstacles. Spiritual life grows through blessings—from parents, elders, neighbors, anyone. An elder always has a blessing in their heart for the young. There is a tradition that may surprise Western culture, which for centuries has held that hands should only be folded to Jesus. But we see Jesus in everyone. When someone bows down, we are obliged to bless them. Spirituality does not depend on being married or not, but on the relationship between husband and wife. If they share the same feelings, opinions, and way of life, they have power even in heaven. A woman is a symbol of purity, prosperity, and mercy. They long for a man of the same quality for lifelong support. Emotional, sexual love is only for a time. Husband and wife are two wings for a bird to fly to heaven. If one wing is weak, the other compensates. If one breaks, the other will also die, not search for another. Once accepted, that is the only one for you. There is a story of a ṛṣi who, in old age, had a son. He was a great astrologer and found in the child's horoscope that he had only seven years to live. The sage was devastated. The divine sage Nārada visited and, upon hearing this, asked Lord Viṣṇu if the life could be prolonged. Viṣṇu said no, as destiny cannot be changed without disrupting the cosmic protocol. Later, a holy saint friend visited the ṛṣi and suggested a solution: "Tell your child every day, 'I bless you, my child,' and have his wife do the same. From a young age, have him touch everyone's feet, saying 'Pranām.'" When one bows down, the person is obliged to bless them, saying "Dīrghāyuḥ" (live long). Thus, the child would receive hundreds of "live long" blessings daily. The saint also advised performing abhiṣeka at Śiva's temple. Through this, the child's life was prolonged. Part 2: The Blessing of Immortality and the Spirituality of Home We recite: Tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugaṃdhiṃ puṣṭivardhanam, urvārukam iva bandhanān mṛtyormukṣīya mā ’mṛtāt. For abhiṣeka, we do not say svāhā. By Śiva, there is no svāhā. Śiva was receiving blessings, and the child was so happy that he hugged the Śiva Liṅgam and sat there. Seven years passed according to the record of Dharmarāja, the lord of destiny. He sent a message to the king of death, Yama. Yama dispatched his messengers to bring the child—meaning death arrived. But the child was in Śiva’s temple, embracing Śiva. Death said, "Come." The child said, "No." "Come." "No." They returned. Yama said, "Pull him by his leg and bring him." Take him, don't waste time. But they could not enter there. This went on for a long, long time. They said, "We must change his destiny. It cannot be. All my soldiers are occupied there. There are many others who must be brought and dispatched." They deliberated and said, "Alright, we grant him twenty more years." But another said, "His credit is greater." Others said, "Fine, we give him one hundred more years." I said, "No, that is nothing." Trolling like this, they went to God. And God said, "Give him life, no death. Give him life, no death." Thus, he became known as immortal. That immortal saint is still performing tapasyā in the Himalayas. His name became Mārtaṇḍa Ṛṣi. Mārtaṇḍa Ṛṣi is still living. One day, a Western photographer went to the Himalayas taking photos of the hills and the beauty, as you saw from Dr. Shanti's nice pictures. He developed his black-and-white photo and saw only ribs and bones—someone sitting in meditation. He went to search all the places but did not find it. After research, they said this was the dhūni and place of Ṛṣi Mārtaṇḍa. Mārtaṇḍa means one who has victory over death. This is a story of a blessing. Therefore, bless your children. Do not merely say "good morning." Yes, "good morning" is always a blessing: I bless you. When going to school, do not just say "bye-bye." Say, "I bless you, my child. Take care, walk carefully. Before crossing the street, look left and right three or four times, and then cross." You know the feeling of parents for a child. We are always blessed. If you observe ancient culture, which also encompassed nature—the natural religion, the religion of nature—there was always blessing. But from whom did Jesus receive initiation? He was blessed. There are many pictures and paintings where disciples are prostrating, performing daṇḍavat praṇām, towards Jesus or towards a holy priest. In the last few centuries, this has changed. Many pictures are carved in stone. There is a very famous church in Croatia, in a place called Split. There is a beautiful structure like a bathtub where they performed initiation with water. Carved upon it is how the child comes and must first offer praṇām. So it is not only the Indian way; it is the way of spirituality, the human way to surrender and to receive. You can only receive if you say, "Please, may I also have?" Do not demand, "Hey, give me money or a bullet here." That is not giving. Spirituality is in your house. Spirituality is in your mother, your father, your child, your grandmother, your grandfather. They are more spiritual. As one grows old, they become more and more spiritual, more mature. So do not neglect elderly persons. Even if you do not know them, from your heart you can say, "My respect, my adoration." That is the spiritual way. Who has tested spirituality? When, my God, my appetite is growing, only when I taste this cheese will I know what kind of taste it is. You sit and look at me and say, "Oh, Swāmījī is enjoying the food; I am happy that I brought it. He liked it." But still, you do not know what my tongue is feeling. So, those who have undergone this test say, "Now I am divine. I am so happy, as if in divine intoxication, very happy, very divine, because I drank the divine nectar of the name of God, of spirituality. Now, all different kinds of the taste of all bhoga, or enjoyment, are tasteless to me." As long as you do not taste the divine bhakti rasa, you will search for this and that. But those who have realized have drunk the divine nectar; they desire no other, for there is nothing more—only that one divine reality. So it does not matter what work you do—of course, do good things. Do not work in a butcher's house. It does not matter where you live, if you are married, if you have children. It does not matter. You have spirituality in your heart, in your family, and with your children. Those parents who cannot educate their children spiritually have no right to have a child. If they have a child, they bring a soul into a human body and leave it in darkness. It is very sad. Yes, after 20-25 years, your child's own decisions take over; they can go and do as they like. But while they are innocent, it is your duty to give them sāttvic vegetarian food, give them a good education, and a free education. Spirituality, my dear, you have at home too. We have an Indian yard at home, or those who have only apartments have a balcony. If they have no balcony, then a sunny windowsill. They have a small plant. What is its name? Tulsī. Tulsī. Every morning, especially the house ladies—who are more spiritual—the husband tells the lady, "I give this whole job to you, okay? You do it for me and for you also." And she does. If I were to tell of a woman's life, how much she supports the husband, you could not imagine. From a very young age, girls learn that if they give water to the banyan tree, they will get a beautiful husband. They must fast on this day to get a beautiful and healthy husband. They must feed the birds, and in this way, they will get a beautiful, healthy, and rich husband. They must give water to different plants and take care of hygiene so that they will have a beautiful, healthy, rich, and loving husband for a lifetime. Every girl's imagination is only one: if I marry, this man is for me forever. May God keep my married life forever, till the last minutes of my life. If he dies midway, she does not want another. Men should do the same, but sometimes they are naughty. Married women in India, and here also many, observe a particular 11th day of the month, a Monday, for 24 hours: they drink nothing and eat nothing. They fast on this day only for a healthy, happy, and long life for their husband. Indian men sitting here, tell me, how many times do you fast for your wife? They would like to fast, but the wife always cooks very well. What should they do? So they get up in the morning, take water in a pot, take colors, and after bathing, washing, and applying their tilaks, they go with these colors. Not by getting up from bed, giving it, and going back to sleep. No, no, no. You cannot approach the Tulasī without bathing. If you approach the Tulasī plant without bathing, the plant will die. Right? So many Westerners say, "Why, Swami, is it that in my house I try to grow Tulasī, and it dies?" Also, during menstruation, a woman should not go near the Tulasī; it will die. There are many other conditions. The Tulasī plant is known as a holy plant. Tulasī is known as a faithful devotee of Kṛṣṇa. Is that true? Why don't you give lectures the next day when I am not here? You see, we are talking about spirituality in the family and what spirituality means in life. The information I give you, many do not know. Whether you accept it or not, it is good to know; it makes your life happy. Because Tulasī's nature is purity—very pure—if you bring alcohol near, she will die. If you bring dead bodies or animals near, she will die. Tulasī has many herbal, medicinal qualities. There is a beautiful book distributed free at this conference called "About Tulasī Plant." A beautiful book. I asked if I could take five copies because it was free. I want to read it, and that book will be in our ashram library. You can read how to use the Tulasī plant for tea and its many uses. So the women, mostly girls, wash themselves and dress nicely as usual every day. They dress nicely and go with this water pot (kaleśa) and look towards the sun. Then they have a prayer, different prayers, or if not, the Gāyatrī Mantra: Oṃ Bhūr Bhuvaḥ Svaḥ Tat Savitur Vareṇyaṃ Bhargo Devasya Dhīmahi Dhiyo Yo Naḥ Pracodayāt. Slowly, slowly, they give water to the Tulasī—Sūrya Pūjā. The Sūrya Pūjā makes her mother's womb healthy, free from cancer and impurities. Sūrya Nārāyaṇa will grant health to your family, your husband, and to you. This is the light of the Sūrya ray. This is a part of spirituality. Science may explain it differently. Then she gives the water and returns. Also, many, before giving water, light a ghee lamp for Tulasī, apply some tilak, and on particular days, tie a thread around it. You are not allowed to spit there. You are not allowed, no matter who you are, to sit on the podium where the Tulasī stands. You cannot place your shoes there; otherwise, she will disappear. Such a divine plant. Because it is divine, it possesses hundreds of good medicinal values. Simply standing in your yard, it radiates beautiful, spiritual energy. You should try this. Then she comes home and cooks something. But first, she cooks for the birds, or for the dog, or for animals like cows, and then for the children. Before cooking—because in ancient times there was no gas or electricity, only fire—I saw with my own eyes every day how my mother, before making chapatis, would take a little chapati flour and offer it into the fire. Agni Dev. Agni ko hameshā bhakṣaṇ chāhiye, so you offer it. Then this fire will generate that energy, and it will be sufficient for your family. If you do not do it, you eat and eat, and it disappears. These are the spiritual thoughts of house ladies. They did not study to be doctors or scientists, but it is a living culture passed from mother to daughter, mother to son, father to children. In Indian culture, when marriage takes place, the first time that girl comes with her husband to his house, you cannot come before that. Before that, you cannot even hold her hand. Before that, you cannot say, "I want to see how she looks." He trusts his destiny, and she trusts her destiny. She knows, and he knows, that their parents will choose the best husband according to the constellation. Nowadays, you go to some pub and come home half-drunk with someone, and your parents are surprised: "What have you brought home?" You say, "I did it. It's not your problem." My God. The first time the girl comes with her husband to his parents' house, she stands outside. The mother-in-law comes with a pūjā thālī, a plate decorated with a light, red color, rice, and many things, and a water pot. She washes the feet of the daughter-in-law. The mother-in-law washes the feet of the daughter-in-law, just as Jesus washed the feet of his disciples. Why? Because the disciples did not wash the feet of the master, he had to teach them how to wash. Then she will apply tilak, place ghee and something good in her mouth, perform the āratī, the pūjā, and then welcome her into the house. What a beautiful thought! She is a Lakṣmī for her. When a girl is born, we call her Lakṣmī. When this new woman comes to your house, it is said, charaṇa dhāro—please step in with your holy feet. Her feet should bring luck to that house. Sometimes she steps on red color and then walks in. How beautiful, girls, no? My God, we should do the same with you, though you knew your husband long before. Now, what I am telling you: the mother-in-law knows the successor of the house is here, who will take over everything. She knows the power has now passed from her hands. But what the mother-in-law does, very systematically, is to hand over to her daughter-in-law the culture of the house, the tradition of the house, the relations of the house with others, the relatives, and everything. If the daughter-in-law makes a mistake, the mother-in-law feels pain in her heart because she has preserved this house's culture her whole life. Therefore, she says, "Do not do this. Wash your hands and mouth after eating, and then go to the Tulasī. Do not go before." But what do we do? With chewing gum in hand, one hand on the telephone, we water the Tulasī area and leave. Tulasī does not like that. It is not like that. So the mother-in-law will come, and she will not scold. She will take her aside and say, "Come here, inside, I will teach you." The daughter-in-law should not be angry, never be angry, because she knows she did not learn this from her mother; now she must learn here. She is the future of the house, the protector of the house. The mother-in-law slowly, slowly gives everything to her, and she is so happy with her daughter-in-law finally taking over the responsibility. Now the mother-in-law is retired. What are her duties? Mālā, pharaoh, mantra, pūjā, receiving guests, looking after them, feeding them, blessing them. In the last few centuries, or two centuries, humans fell into material desires. These desires can never be fulfilled, but what happened? It destroyed human roots. It destroyed human culture, human love, human... So parents... My godmother is God, father is God. They educate you. They met you already, the saint. Then the guru has easy work with you because you are already prepared by your parents. But those who have no parental education make the master's work hard. So, my dear, spirituality is in every house. Spirituality is in every heart. Spirituality does not need a special place. But you must speak to yourself about what you should renounce and what you should accept. We can always change. I change my mind. I want to go to Melbourne, but I will not go; I will go to Dungong. We change all the time. Find peace. Contentment is in your heart and in your house. It is getting very late. This is how spiritual development happens and how we can come to God. Do not think that you sit like this and, oh, a mosquito is biting, or by doing five hours only of āsanas, or doing this and that. They are very good, very healthy. But finally, you must come to the spiritual way of life. Who are you to make a compromise? "Okay, I am spiritual, but everybody is eating fish. Okay, I can eat it today. I don't eat, I don't." But now, hey, that is not okay. When you go to a funeral, is it okay? Every day, somebody is dying. "Okay, I will die also, because tomorrow I can die." Are you ready to die, then, to be good at your funeral? No, you cannot. For a person to change again is a death. So, my dear, all the best. God bless you. If someone did not like something, please forgive. What you liked, take with you. What you did not like, leave here. I pray to Mahāprabhujī for your good health, happiness, healthy life, and a lot of spirituality and great harmony with your partners. Tell your partners... there is no more. That is all.