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Part 1: Tat Tvam Asi: The Immortal Self and the Story of Nachiketa Sadā Śiva Samarambhāṁ Śaṅkarācārya Madhyamām Asmadācārya Paryantāṁ Vande Guru Paramparām. Gurur Brahmā Gurur Viṣṇu Gurur Devo Maheśvaraḥ, Gurur Sākṣāt Parabrahma Tasmai Śrī Gurave Namaḥ. Mannātha Śrī Jagannātha Madguru Śrī Jagadguru. Māmatmā Sarvabhūtātmā Tasmai Śrī Gurve Namaḥ. Oṁ Śālakpurījī Mahādeva Kī Jai. Devādyā Deva Deveśvara Mahādeva Kī Jai. Śrīdīp Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān Kī Jai. Hindūdharma Samrāṭ Paramahaṁsa Svāmī Śrī Mādhavānanda Purījī, Satguru Deva Bhagavān Kī Jai. Vishwaguru Mahāmaṇḍaleśwar Paramahaṁsa Swāmī Śrī Maheśvarānanda Purījī, Gurudeva Kī Jai. Salutations to the Cosmic Self. Salutations to Śrī Alakhpurījī, Siddha Pīṭh Paramparā. My dhanyavād praṇāms to our beloved Guru Dev, His Holiness Vishwagurujī. Oṁ Namaḥ Nārāyaṇāya to all the sannyāsīs. Hari Om, and good evening to all of you who are present here and those of you who are watching through the webcast. Tat tvam asi — that is what we are going to talk about today. Tat means “that,” tvam means “you,” meaning all of us, and asi means “is” or “are.” That ātmā is immortal. It is not something that can perish, that can die, that can go. Just as the love and the presence of Gurudev are everlasting, so too our ātmā will not disappear. How many of you remember the story of Nachiketā and Yamarāja? Very good. Nachiketa was a very young child, but very knowledgeable — or rather, highly developed, I would say. His father was Vājaśravā (sometimes called Udāloka; perhaps they are the same person with two names). His father was performing a Viśvajit Yajña. Yajña means offering into the fire, an offering to a particular deity for specific purposes. Pūjās and yajñas were being conducted. That is the beauty of stories: everyone might have slightly different versions, but the moral at the end is always one. In that yajña, his father was required to give away all his possessions. During the ceremony, the father was supposed to renounce every piece of property. The young boy asked, “Who will you give me to?” There was no reply. He asked a second time, “Father, who will you give me to?” Again no reply. The third time he asked, “Father, to whom will you give me?” And then, you know what comes when we are frustrated — anger. So he said in anger, “I will give you to death. Go.” And in a bitter voice he added, “I will give you to death, you fool.” But Nachiketa was not worried. He said, “Okay, father, as you wish.” He had no fear. So he began his journey toward Yama Loka. You know who Yamarāja is, right? The one who fries us. But we have Gurudeva, so there will be no frying for us. Slowly, slowly Nachiketa made his way to Yama Loka to meet Yamarāja. When he finally arrived, Yamarāja was out — busy with his job of frying people. For one day, two days, three days he sat on the doorstep of Yama Loka without food, without water, without anything. After three days, Yamarāja returned on his vehicle — which is? A buffalo. He was riding a buffalo, and there he saw young Nachiketā sitting outside. In India we have a saying, Atithi Devo Bhava, which means “the guest is God.” Yamarāja was very impressed that someone had willingly come, of his own accord, to the doorstep of Yamaloka. And seeing the child without food and water, he felt a little upset. He said, “Three days, three wounds.” So, guess what Nachiketa’s boons were? Chocolate, ice cream, pizza? No. First wish: that my father and my bond be restored, and everything go well between us. That is, that with my father all be fine, and that we have our good relationship again, father and son. Yamarāja said, “Tathāstu,” which means “So be it; granted.” One wish gone, two more to go. Second wish: the meaning of the Viśvajit Yajña, the offering to fire, the whole theory and detailed explanation of why it is performed. Yamarāja then explained to him everything about the Naciketa Agni, the fire sacrifice that was named after Nachiketa. The third boon was, “What is after death?” After we all die — we all will die, as Vasant mentioned yesterday — one day we all will go. To the playground or wherever, that decision can wait. So one day, after we go, what happens to us? To ask Yamarāja, the Lord of Death, this question amazed him. When a child comes to his father or mother asking for something very extravagant, parents try to offer a lālac — a distraction, a substitute. They say, “Not this, but I will give you that.” Yamarāja tried: “I will give you gold, a flying chariot, all the prosperity you can wish for. Ask for anything you want, but not this.” Nachiketa replied, “Whatever comes will go. What will I do with all these material things? You give me a golden chariot, and when I die, what does that flying chariot become?” He said, “No, I want to know what happens after death.” Faced with this refusal of temptation, Yamarāja was impressed and said, “You have passed the test.” Then he explained everything about what happens after death. He said that the ātmā is ajara ātmā — the ageless, immortal self. He spoke of the Ātmā: it is smaller than the smallest, bigger than the biggest, hidden inside all of us. Everlasting, it does not die with the body; it is always there. After teaching him this, Nachiketa did not say yes or no. Not because he had not understood, but because he now knew the truth. Yamarāja then declared that because Nachiketa knew the truth, death would never harm him; nothing would happen to him — he was immortal. And when he returned to his father, the father embraced him. In a way, we can all be like Nachiketa. Gurudev is the one who shows us and tells us this truth. But we need to have faith and dedication as Nachiketa had. The fruit is always much sweeter when you have patience. I have worked a lot, personally, on patience. Many of you who have known me since childhood know that I was not a very patient person. But when you are patient, at the end of the day you understand why Gurudev is constantly tightening our screws. At the moment it feels hard, but later we realize that we are like metal: Gurudev heats us in a very strong fire, takes a hammer, and shapes us. And the beauty of that final shape, that statue or whatever is being created, becomes visible only when it is finished. So we all need patience. If Nachiketa had not sat for three days waiting for Yamarāja, the fruit of immortality would not have been there, would it? In the same way, we might think that every year we come to Strilky, we sit in the sauna, or Vasant comes up with a new project to work on. Every time there is something to do — this is tapasyā. Or when we go to Jhadan and the next day they already say, “Okay, you are now working in the Om Ashram, doing this or that,” and we reply, “I am still on jet lag.” All of that has a purpose. What Gurudev is doing for us and with us is very profound, and the results you will always see once you reach the playground. The body will go to the playground, but the Ātmā is Ajara Ātmā. We will be united with that light. That Jyoti is one, and that Jyoti is in all of us. Gurudev has placed that Jyoti in each and every one of His bhaktas. But we need to realize it. In Aprokṣaṇāvutī there is this śloka: “Ko’haṁ? Kadā abdaṁ jātaṁ? Kove karatā savitthati?” — Who am I? From where did I come? We need to ask ourselves this and realize it. At some time in our lives, every one of us has thought, “Why in the world am I here? What is the purpose of my existence?” Already, then, you have taken the step of asking yourself, “Who am I? Where am I? Where have I come from?” And we see why we are here — because of Gurudev. If we were not with Gurudev, imagine the deep mess we would be in. That is why we should be very grateful for the work Gurudev has done, and that He helps us — as He always did and always will — to overcome and to hopefully attain liberation. Every journey is hard. Life is like driving: European roads are still good, but if you go on Indian roads, you know how many bumps and potholes there are. Actually, I was driving to Borno a few days back, not on the highway but on another road. That road was also not so good, so it is not only in India. Life is full of bumps and holes. But if a thorn punctures the tire and the air escapes, we don’t abandon the car, take another one, and disappear. We change the tire, move on, and continue our journey. Giving up is not an option. Many times we feel inside that it is not worth staying, or we wonder, “What is the point of me even being here? Everything around me, myself, is bad — everything is bad. Why?” It is extremely hard to obtain this human life, very difficult. You have to pass through millions or thousands of other lives to finally receive this human birth. And once we have this human life, it should not be wasted. A story comes to mind on this subject. I had planned another story, but as you see, planning is not always good. There was a man who had a Gurujī — I believe this story is about Ānandamoṭī and Holī Gurujī, though I am not completely sure. The Gurujī said, “My dear, in India, or in our culture, we have four āśramas.” How many of you remember the four āśramas? Swāmījī has told us many times. The first āśrama is brahmacarya āśrama. (Don’t worry, I’ll keep this interactive; those who want to write it down can do so — after all, you have six weeks.) Brahmacarya Āśrama is the first āśrama, the stage of studying, learning, and education. Though the lifespan may vary, let us assume a lifespan of one hundred years. From age zero to twenty-five is Brahmacarya Āśrama. Then comes Gṛhastha Āśrama, where one gets married. The best part is that I skipped it. For me there was no Gṛhastha Āśrama; I went directly to Sannyāsa Āśrama. Much peace! So next, Gṛhastha Āśrama: you get married, have children, work. When the children are grown and have their own kids, you retire and give them the opportunity to carry things forward, and you and your wife slowly begin moving toward spirituality. Or if you are already connected, you start going deeper. I just noticed that when I sit in Bhaktisāgar in Jadan, I see so many orange-robed people and so few in yellow here. Part 2: The Truth of Surrender and the Eternal Call There’s more yellow and less orange. Jadan is full of oranges, and here is full of bananas. So, then the fourth āśrama is Sannyāsa Āśrama. Sorry if you don’t like my jokes, but I like to make you laugh. And laughing is good, why not? One life, let’s enjoy it. Hopefully, one life. So in Sannyās Āśram, you let go of everything and focus on your spiritual journey ahead until you die. So Gurudev came to his house. He said, “Let’s say, what was his name?” Heart decision, nursing, nothing personal. So he told, “My dear, you are already in the Gṛhastha Āśrama, you already have a child, come with me.” He said, “But Gurujī, my son is too young. I need to take care of him.” The son was already in college, but yeah. And he said, “Let him grow up. Let him... I need to get him married, and then I will surely come with you.” And Gurudev said, “Okay, my dear.” After some years, Gurudev again came. He asked him, “Now let’s go. Your son is married. Your son has a kid. Let’s go.” But Guru Dev, I just have some, I want to spend a little bit more time with my grandchild, and then I will surely come. Guru Dev said, “Okay.” After some time, he again came and he asked, “Where is Nṛsiṁha? You are alive, but that story will not.” You have your first registration. Then, afterwards, he asked the son, “Where is he?” He said, “Sorry, father died.” But Gurudev closed his eyes. Gurudev is? Good, finally I get some answers. So, Gurudev closed his eyes and looked around, and he saw the dog, who was the pet of the household or the guard, was actually the father. No, sorry, before the dog was, I think, the bull. So the bull, and he asked, “What are you doing?” He said, “Gurudev, what to do? You know, I wanted to help out my son and help him by working for him.” And while the bull was pulling the plow for farming, the son was taking it and hitting it. And you say, you see, your son is not even respecting you. Come, let’s go with me. He says, “I am still a very young bull, I can still work some more years, and when I cannot anymore, then I will surely come to you.” This is what happens when we die with attachments, or when we die with a wish for completing something; then your ātmā is stuck here. Then, next time Gurudev comes, he asks, “Where is the bull?” The bull was working so hard and became exhausted, and he died. Gurudev said, “Take it.” He looked around and saw a dog. “What are you doing?” Protecting my family, my son, my grandson. I need to, if someone will come to steal something, then I can bark and awaken my son. I will come, I will come, sure Gurujī, I will surely come. You know, like how we Indians always say, you know, “Yes, yes, Gurujī, we will do, we will do,” and then... So, Gurujī said, “Okay.” Next time Gurujī comes again, same like our Gurudev, He will not let us suffer, He will not want us to suffer. And just like our Gurudev does not let us suffer, does not let us fall into that black hole, next time Gurujī again comes, where is your dog? He is playing in the playing yard. Then he sees, while Gurudeva was there, the son sees a snake hovering near the child. And Gurudev, then the son runs with a stick to give him mokṣa. And Gurudev said, “Wait, wait... I will give a special mantra to the snake. Don’t kill it, wait.” So Gurudev went to the snake and said, “Look where you are stuck. Now let’s go.” Dear Heper and Dear Name, which means, as late as it can be, it can be late, but it’s never going to be darkness in the lotus feet of Gurū Dev. It’s never too late. You always have an opportunity, you always have a chance, and this is the chance. And finally, when we understand that, then we are in Paramānanda with Gurudev. Everything else will come and go. But we do not need to be stuck in this cycle. We want to be free. And if we want to, no problem, Kali Yuga is just a baby now, it’s just beginning, so don’t worry, you have a long way to go. And we think now these wars and what is going on, this is nothing compared to what is written, what will happen at the end of Kali Yuga. There will be so much crime, so much torture in this world that even humans will eat humans. We will become cannibals. So I think we should get free in this life, you know. Because this is one of the most beautiful eras we are born in, with Gurudev. And the more amazing part is, look from where you all came from, from where we all came from. We all came from all different parts, all different lives, but look where we end up here. And that we are connected to the great paramparā of Śrī Alakhpurījī, Śrī Dīp Paramparā, that we are disciples of such a great master as Viśvagurūjī.... Wasn’t there, will not happen again. It is said that Gurudev is born incarnated to come and get all the bhaktas of Mahāprabhujī back, so that is what is happening. So if you ever feel in life, “What in the world am I doing here?” we are on the right path now. Coming here is your wish, and now we are in his hands, so let him. Now let it flow. But when we give up our inner things which are stopping us from moving ahead in our spiritual journey, then you will feel the flow. Then you will see how easy life feels after that. But if you want to complicate it, sure. Because then we will create problems, then we will try to solve those problems. Before we manage to solve those problems, we will create another problem. That is the beauty of our beautiful mind. Our mind is cañcal. Cañcal means restless. It cannot stay calm. Our mind will always be running like a wild horse. And that’s why when we have something, then we overthink it, and then we just create more and more and more. And then we try to solve those things and create and create, and it’s just an endless cycle. But if we surrender to Gurudeva and let it all be in His hands, then we know that we are in safe hands. To tame that horse, to pull the reins on that horse, is all we have. And that’s the beauty of it, that all that Gurudev has given us, it’s all for us. Gurudev, whatever he did all his life, it was always for us. Always for his bhaktas. His whole life he dedicated to his bhaktas. Gurudev could have done many other things with his mind. If you sometimes, that’s what I was talking with my friend who was here a few days, two days back, because he didn’t know much of Swāmījī, so I was talking and explaining to him about Swāmījī’s whole life. With the mind of Guru Dev, God knows what. If He wouldn’t be this, then what could He have done? So many things. But He dedicated His life to us. And that is why we should be very grateful that we are His disciples. And we should know that we are in safe hands. And not have doubts about ourselves and not give up in our lives. Gurudev always told me, “Je manuṣya jīvan badhā animal hai, jise vyartha nahīṁ gavānā jāye,” which means this human life is very precious, do not waste it. All the tools, mālā, kriyā, satsaṅgs, bhajans... We have everything we have, everything we are doing. Why? Because Gurudev gave us these tools for our self-development. All these tools, mālā, kriyā, satsaṅg, karma yoga, rāja yoga, Gurudev gave us all these tools. Why? For our own development. And now it’s our job to realize that. And the guidance of Gurudev hasn’t gone anywhere. If we are going to do something stupid or something wrong, don’t worry, He will pull our leashes and stop us. But for that, we need to fully trust in Him and say, “Gurudev, I will do.” We go on in our lives; if it’s wrong, He will stop us; if it’s right, He will let us. But that faith is within us, and we need to have that faith towards Him. We go and have a shower in the rain. If I were younger in Jadan, I would just run out in the rain and have a nice shower. When I was younger, I always ran outside in the rain in Jadan and let myself get soaked. Is this the first rain of this year? Because in India we have a saying: if you have a bath in the first rain, then you know all these pimples or any skin problems we have, that all goes if you have a shower in the first rain. So let’s enjoy the beautiful weather, the beautiful thundering, and the rain, and the beautiful family. Announcement, yeah. Playground. If you forgot to close your window in your room, please go and close it, especially in the Gaṅgā rooms. If you have these skylights, these roof windows, please go and check and close them, because otherwise it will flood us out. Beautiful. We will have a nice swimming pool. That’s why now it’s high time. That’s why we have these bhajans. Chet, no, we sang Chet, Chet, I think, no? So, bhajitum jāgo, both similar bhajans. Chet, chet, rise, awake. It’s high time for us to wake up and listen to Guru Vākya. Guru, Agnya, which is in here, do not try to find the logic behind this. This is good. Learn this, Guru. Guru. Say after me. Guru. Agñyā. A vichāraṇīya: So, try not to find the logic behind the Guru Vakya, just follow and do it. Because if we... he always, he is Trikāldarśī, not us, so he knows what is right and what is wrong. Guru Āgyā, a vichāranīya āgyā, vācharanīya āgyā. So whenever Gurudev says something to us, then we remember this Guru Āgyā, which is near. We are not going to find logic behind this, why this, or why did he say this? It doesn’t make absolute sense. I am a doctor, and why did... He told me to become a teacher. He knows why; you will later know why. Between 2010 and 2018, or not even 18, let’s say 2023, so many years I was always thinking, he always goes to Europe, he doesn’t take me with him, why am I not going with him? In 2004, 6, 8, and 10, I came every two years, but then from 10 to 18, I didn’t come to Europe. I didn’t like school much. No, study, study, not going anywhere, not even from where I was studying to anywhere else, no, study. But now I realize that that was the time for me, where I was in the fire and I was being shaped. And when it’s the right time, he knows when I should come. So last year he brought me, and I believe that now was the right time. At that time, it was always, Swamiji always going, he doesn’t take me. It’s so cool, it’s so much fun traveling and doing this and doing that. But I think if I hadn’t gone through that tapasyā with Viśokānandjī, then I don’t think I would be what I am now. Sometimes hard training is also good training, because that is long-lasting. Yeah, Bhakta is clapping for the young people. Because he is planning to give you guys hard treatment. But yes, sometimes that is also necessary in life, and that is training. And when it’s the right time for us in life, then what is supposed to happen will automatically happen. But for that, we need to give up and trust. Let it be in His hands. Because when we try to manage it, we won’t be able to. But you see how powerful He is, He is managing all of us. And you can see how powerful He is. He does it for all of us. Everything He is doing, He does for a reason. Every time He closes His eyes, He is fixing some of our screws. Everything He does, He does for a reason. Every time He closes His eyes, He does something for us. At the moment, it won’t make sense for us. Later, we will realize that.