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We all long for darśana. For ages, across many lives, we have been longing for darśana. Ātmā darśana means self-realization, where we can attain this vision within ourselves. But what we wish to see is a dormant energy, a light. It is energy, light, dreaming. Therefore, we must first have Gurudev’s darśana. Until we have realized that Guru, we wander from one holy place to another. There is definitely great spiritual benefit in this, but only a human can understand it—and here, "human" means one who has these feelings. There are two aspects: nirguṇa and saguṇa. In the twelfth chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā, Arjuna asks Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, "Bhagavān, what is better? Sāguṇa bhakti or nirguṇa bhakti? What should one worship, nirguṇa or sāguṇa?" Nirguṇa is without form, and saguṇa is with form, visible. As stated in the Bhagavad Gītā, in the sixth chapter near the beginning, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa says both are good. But for you, as long as you are in a physical body and have physical eyes, it is easier to understand and see the saguṇa aspect. Consider nirguṇa: look at the sky. I have nothing against it. You can see what you see as God. If you can see there, you can see here. Therefore, saguṇa—which means endowed with all guṇas and the five elements, the Annamayakośa, Prāṇamayakośa, Manomayakośa, Vijñānamayakośa, etc.—is emphasized. It is said you can talk to a statue, but you will not get an answer. A living person will answer you; if nothing else, they might at least tell you to go away. A statue may be made beautifully, smiling, but it is your own imagination whether it hears you or not. Yet, we find some contentment in it. When we install a statue in a temple, ashram, or home, it is made from stone, clay, wood, or plastic. The raw material begins as a rock. The sculptor sits on it with shoes, a hammer, and chisel, carving it, perhaps with a cigarette or beedi in his mouth, even putting it out on the stone. One day, he completes a beautiful statue. After adding color and finishing touches, it is brought to the temple. It is still stone, its value lying only in the artist's work. Then, on an auspicious day, the statue is placed in grains, completely covered, and left for twenty-four hours. A beautiful yantra is prepared. Through pūjā ceremonies, the jīva, the soul, the life force, enters that statue. A lamp with ghee is lit, as learned in pūjā, and throughout the night, priests (not bandits) chant mantras and perform yajña. The statue is then cleansed, bathed with milk and water, and consecrated with many mantras. This is a science. The statue is placed on its podium, and pūjā begins. A curtain is drawn; only one or two priests remain. When they open the cloth, they do not look directly but stand sideways. Holding a mirror in front, they allow God to see the saṃsāra reflected in it. Thus, from being in nirguṇa somewhere, God now resides in saguṇa and sees the world, the devotees, everything. Then everyone comes to bow and receive blessings. Even the sculptor comes and prostrates fully before the statue. For him, it is no longer stone or a statue, but a living God. Thus, everything lies in confidence and faith. Daily, one should perform pūjā and offer food to the statue; it is said God enjoys only the smell. This is the first darśana. We go to many temples for darśana. From home until you reach the temple, if you carry the feeling and devotion for that darśana, it moves and becomes one with you through your feeling, devotion, emotion, and bhakti. One truly feels this. Many people go merely for a holiday or picnic, and that is all they get. Similarly, when a beautiful seed sprouts from the ground, it is life. When we look at trees, no one remains sad. Even animals are happy to see this Divine Mother, this Śakti. After that, we search for Gurudeva. Ultimately, it is through Gurudeva. The statue remains a statue, but you have your bhāva, your belief, your trust, which definitely gives us something. Yet, we need that Guru who can speak, bless, touch you, give you mantra, offer consultations, and sometimes be strict. This is very important. If the master is not strict, the disciple will not be successful. Even in training animals—horses, dogs, or others—strictness is necessary. Similarly, children must be disciplined; do not spoil them too much. Love them, make them happy, smile, give them everything, but when you say "no," and the child insists, do not give in, at least for a few hours. Then you may relent. It is very important for children to learn discipline. So, darśana. O Gurudev, darśan dhan. O Gurudev, Śeṣa Maheśa kare guru sevā. Mujh ko śaraṇ rako, Gurudeva. Prabhu tan man dhan yār pan ho. Prabhu tan man dhan, Gurudeva darśan dhan. Gurudeva darśana dhan se samāhe sakāre, guru sevā se samāhe sakāre, guru sevā. Mujhko saraṇā rakho gurudeva. Prabhu tan man dhan arpaṇ ho, Prabhu tan man dhan arpaṇ ho. Jai ho Gurudev, Gurudev san dhan ho. Ṛṣi muni sumare avatāra. Ṛṣi Ved thake nahīṁ pāvat para, Main kaise karu kathan ho? Oṁ Chāh Se Karuka Dhan, Oṁ Guru Deva Śāna, Guru Deva Śāna Dhan, Chaitanya Ānanda Dhan, Oṁ, Chaitanya Ānanda Dhan, Oṁ Guru Deva Śāna Dhan. Even Vishnu and Shiva worship Gurudeva. Who could be greater than Rāma and Kṛṣṇa? Bhagavān Rāma, the son of Daśaratha, along with Sītā, is Bhagavān Rāma—not merely "Hare Krishna, Hare Rama," but the divine incarnation. Bhagavān Rāma incarnated before Kṛṣṇa in a previous yuga. Even Bhagavān Rāma had two Gurus: Kulguru Vaśiṣṭha Muni and Satguru Viśvāmitra. Similarly, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa also had a Guru named Sāndīpani. Rishi Sandipani’s gurukul is in Ujjain. It doesn’t matter where it was; it was, and it is. Both Krishna and Rama attended gurukul for learning. Even the Lord of knowledge, the God of all wisdom, went to school. They sat before their master and said, "Yes, master." Krishna had to collect wood, tend cows, and clean the cowshed. Rama also knew these duties; their gurus knew. You must go through this training. Even if you think you know more, when you come to Gurudev, you must surrender. Similarly, we see in the Līlāmṛt that when Mahāprabhujī was five years old, he went to school. The master wrote two Hindi alphabets, A and Ā, and said, "Now learn this." Mahāprabhujī said to his master, "Gurudev, please teach me properly. Why is A written like this? What does A mean?" He asked many questions. The master said, "I don’t know, but this is A and this is Ā. Learn it." Mahāprabhujī asked, "May I explain?" The teacher said, "No, you learn." Mahāprabhujī replied, "Yes, I will learn properly." He then explained in terms of akāra, ukāra, makāra, referencing the Vedas. His master said, "I adore Devī," and placed Mahāprabhujī on the table to sit. Mahāprabhujī said, "No, no. You are my guru; I will sit down, but I wish to learn more than just alphabets." After a while, Mahāprabhujī said, "I will go and graze the cows." So they sing, "Maheś Kare Guru Seva," meaning: O Gurudev, accept me in your service. I wish to be at your holy feet, in your service. I surrender my body, mind, wealth, prosperity—everything I surrender to Thee. Gurudev, darśan dhan ho. Grant me Thy darśana. Ṛṣis, munis, and all great saints and avatāras worship and chant mantras in Thy name. Even the Vedas, Ved thakke nahī pāvat para, cannot fully describe the Master’s glory. The Vedas grow tired trying to express the Master’s glory. Gurudev, how can I describe Thy glory? Therefore, it is said in a bhajan: If I were to use all seven oceans as ink, make pens from all the trees on Earth, and use the entire Earth as paper—sat samundar sahī karū, kalam karū ban rāī, pṛthvī kā kāgaj karū—still, tobī mahimā likhī na jāī, I could not write the full glory of Gurudeva. Veda thakke nahī pāvat para, main kaise karu kathan ho. Japa, tapa, yoga nahī̃ man āve, so this spirit will not continue tomorrow. Ās tī̃to budhume pokrachovat zaitra Devtā̃ Bhagavān kī Satya Sanātana Dharma kī Sav Ṛṣi Munī Mahātmā kī Śyāvar Rāma Candra Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa Kanayālāla Alakapurījī Mahādeva. Devadhī Dev, Deveśvar Mahādev, Ārādhya Bhagavān Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇ Mahāprabhujī kī Jai, Satguru Svāmī Madhavānandjī Bhagavān, Satya Sanātan, Savī Bhaktār Bhagavān kī Jai.