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It is about 15 degrees now. We are sitting today in front of the holy temple of our Divine Mother, Puṇyāvartejī. On this day, on the occasion of Merry Christmas, all dear bhaktas, friends, brothers, sisters, and the children near the Christmas tree, I wish you a very happy Christmas. It is the day where millions, even billions, of people around the world remember and worship the birth of Jesus. The tradition is very beautiful. For small children, they don't fully know what parents are telling them. In many countries, especially in Europe and America—those cold countries—they first bring a needle tree and decorate it. They put something under the tree. While decorating, parents tell the little children, "You should go near the room and wait. We will call you when Jesus is coming. The bell will ring when everything is decorated." They put some toys, chocolates, clothes, or something. The husband brings presents for the wife; the wife brings presents for the husband. Parents bring for parents. Children also bring for parents. It’s beautiful. Then, when they decorate and put everything under the tree, the bell rings, and children run out from their room. They come near the tree and say, "Where is Jesus? Where is baby Jesus?" The parents say, "You came some seconds too late, only two seconds." The children ask, "Why does he not wait for us?" You see, in the whole world, he has to go to how many houses? Not only in the countries or the village, but in every household. But of course, Jesus is very happy, and he loves the children. So, on his birthday, he brought everything for everyone in this way. They make children very happy on this spiritual day. Where there is a very happy day of Christmas, there are many other happy festivals. But such a holy day is when Jesus was born. In countries that are hot, like Australia, Japan, New Zealand, this time is summer. When I was in Australia, I asked them, "What do you expect for Christmas day?" They said, "Oh, we want to have very hot weather because it’s holidays, and we can go on the beach near the ocean, lie down on the hot sand, and swim." When you ask children and people in Europe or America, "What do you wish?" they say, "Oh, we wish you a white Christmas." A white Christmas means a lot of snow falling. Beautiful. Everything is white—the trees, the house, the roof, the roads, the garden, the plants. Everywhere is snow and snow and snow, like cotton. They like this. According to the climate, people adjust themselves on how to become happy. This is similar to what we call Dīvālī in Indian Sanātana Dharma and its cultures. The incarnation of God Rāma was approximately 155,000 years ago. Hanumānjī was also incarnated, born at that time. The Ramayana was written by Maharishi Vālmīki, who wrote the holy book of the Ramayana of Bhagavān Rāma. He wrote about Rāma before Rāma was born, exactly the times, where, what, and how it would be. And of course, he lived all that time when Rāma was there. When Rāma came back from Laṅkā—Sri Lanka, not China, sorry—they also decorated the trees and streets. Many people were coming day and night to visit him after 14 years. He had spent that time in the forest. That kingdom of God Rāma was touching near Australia. Now, scientists said the Australian Aboriginal people—some thought from China, some from somewhere—but now they have changed their view. The Aborigines are from the Indians. Their skin color, their way of look, how they are doing, behaving, also putting the tilak from Śiva here on the arms, upper arm, lower arm, and also tilak here and here on the salt face, means that at that time, somehow those islands were close to Australia, close towards Perth. Now, there are seven oceans with their names, but no ocean has the name of any country. There is only one mighty, big ocean called the Indian Ocean, the Hind Mahā Sāgar. At that time, the islands were a little closer. Perhaps from South India, people immigrated and went from one tāpū, island to island. At that time, on the other side, it was touching the middle part of Turkey. Where it is going is called Hindukush. The mountain Hindu Kush is in the middle of Turkey, nearby the capital. Hindu Kush—there were the ṛṣis long ago. Around 75 to 80 years ago, some scientist wrote in a magazine that Russia’s name comes from ṛṣis. There are many cities or parts which have names in Sanskrit: Hong Kong, Bangkok, Singapore, Malaysia, all these islands, like Sumatra. The Sumatra island is where Malaysia is, and their culture is there. Still they are playing Ramayana. There are temples in Bangkok and such. Even their king is also known as Rāma. So that was a very big kingdom of the Rāmarāja. Around 155,000 years ago, this tradition began to enlighten, like decorating a tree with light. Now, Jesus was 2,017 years ago. It is very good, nice to see that the thoughts are equal, making the light. Another thing: now is exactly the middle of the winter for Europe. This is the shortest day and longest night. So everyone would like to have light. Another is, holy festivals like Dīvālī or Christmas are mostly at that time when the crops are finished. Farmers have nothing to do. If humans have nothing to do, then they have stupid thoughts. They will fight, they will drink alcohol or drugs, and so on. Our ṛṣis or holy saints from any country thought, "We shall put some kind of spiritual, emotional festival so they again come to their friends with good thoughts about spirituality." In the holy summer we have in India and this Asian side, it is very, very hot. People cannot sit together, and there are stupid things also. But then the holy comes; it is a victory of the truth, of dharma over adharma. Similarly, the Dīvālī comes in this part of the world. The people have just harvested their crops and have nothing to do. So they have a very good festival time, what we call Dīvālī. Our Paṇḍits made a kind of feeling: "Oh, this is a time for marriage, a good constellation." I don’t know if marriage needs a constellation, but because at that time they have nothing to do—otherwise they will fight—they try to become occupied, busy celebrating marriage and such. Like this, all the good festivals in the world are cultural. But people sometimes don’t like cultural mores; they like some religious, some spiritual. In every country, in every culture, there are some nice spiritual festivals to keep the humans together and not becoming stupid, giving good thoughts. In this way, children get a feeling for God: "God brought me something. I got something under the Christmas tree." Really, my father and all, they were... I don’t know, but what I wished, children said. I told my father, "I think baby Jesus will bring me this." Parents knew what children wanted, so they put it under the tree. The children said, "Wow! This is what I wished for, and Jesus brought exactly this for me." Like this, it is a holy festival. It is very good, my dear ones. I wish you a Merry Christmas and a happy, prosperous, healthy New Year. God bless you, and enjoy the Christmas evening. Bless you. Now we will listen to a few bhajans, and then we go. You see, I came from Europe just now. I think I brought a little snow, but the snow melted, though the cold remains. Thank you. Listen to the bhajan, please, everybody. Where is the end of Indonesia? Indonesia is touching Australia. And where—Russian, Afghanistan, Pakistan, Iraq, Iran—this all was India. Afghanistan was Gāndhārī’s, not Gaddafi, Gāndhārī’s. Whoever is feeling very cold and tired can go to sleep, okay? Good night. And you who want to sit, most welcome. My shame, my shame,... my shame,... my shame, my shame. God bless you. Chārī ved guṇī gata, chār ved guṇī gata, tār thirānī guru dātā Main to arjā karā gurū tohne, shar nām me rāk lī jo māne Me arj karā gur tohne, śaraṇā merā kālī jo māno Bhavsāgar bariyo bharo, man sujat na hī kenāro... Guru Dil Mein Daya Bicharo. Sharna Mein Rakh Le Jomaane. Sharna Mein Rakh Le Jomaane. Helo, Prakarte Hoon Chai Cha. Arjha kara Gurū tane, Gurū śānta vyā avatārī, śabdajīvara hita-kārī. Gurū śānta vyā avatārī, śabdajīvara hita-kārī. Mane āyo baṛo sohabārī, mane āyo baṛo sohabārī. Ab choṭu na saraṇā tumārī. Thank you, everybody. I wish you all the best, and once more, blessings on the occasion of Christmas.