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Mani

A spiritual discourse exploring the symbolism of jewels and the Maṇipūra chakra.

"If you have a darśan of this maṇi—meaning to see it—you immediately receive the energy and awakening of Śiva consciousness."

"When your heart, your mind, becomes spoiled or broken, where has love gone? These are the four questions."

The speaker continues a teaching on the Maṇipūra chakra, explaining the term maṇi (jewel) through three examples: the pearl from a shell, the rare Nāgamaṇi from a king cobra, and the Gajamoti from an elephant. He discusses the ethics and spiritual significance of merely beholding these jewels rather than possessing them. The discourse shifts to a poetic interlude posing four questions about where qualities like resonance, butter, a flame, and love disappear to, before concluding with a devotional interpretation of the mantra Oṃ Maṇi Padme Hūṃ.

Recording location: Australia, Melbourne, Australian tour

We spoke about the Maṇipūra chakra and are still defining it. The term maṇi refers to jewels or pearls—the pearls of wisdom. The first type is the pearl from a shell (in German, "sheep"—you see, I am preparing to return to Austria and am already thinking in German). Then we spoke of the Nāgamaṇi. This jewel is in the head of a king cobra. The cobra must become older than one hundred years to develop this moustache-like jewel in its head. It uses this jewel to hunt, illuminating its path, but guards it carefully so no one steals it, for that Nāgamaṇi becomes its life. If another creature or human steals it, the snake cannot live and will soon give up its life. What is the benefit for us if we obtain it? First, we are greedy; if we see anything beautiful in this world, we want to possess it. Second, it is not ahiṃsā (non-violence) to take it away from that creature. But if you have a darśan of this maṇi—meaning to see it—you immediately receive the energy and awakening of Śiva consciousness, because that Nāga becomes the Dāga which remains on Śiva's body. The third jewel is called Moti, specifically Gajamoti. This is in the head or brain of an elephant, developing in its old age. It is also very rare for a human to obtain this Gajamoti. As soon as a snake realizes it is being attacked, that maṇi will dissolve within its body; it will die and dissolve. Similarly, as soon as the elephant knows it is going to die or someone is killing it, the jewel dissolves, like a feeling dissolves. There is a poem. These are your questions asked in the language of poetry. There is a brass pot with a very nice resonance, or a bell made of brass with a beautiful resonance. If there is a crack in this bell or pot, the resonance is gone. Where did the resonance disappear? The poet—I think it was he who sent it, his name I have forgotten, perhaps Kabīr Dās or Rahim Dās or some Dās—asks: the brass pot or bell got a crack; where did the resonance disappear? Milk is spoiled; now where did the butter disappear? When you put lemon in milk or the milk is two days old and spoiled, where has the milk's butter gone? You cannot obtain butter or ghee from that milk. Dīpak bujh gayā, loh kahan chali gai. The lamp, the flame of an oil lamp or a candle, is blown out. Where has the flame disappeared in this room? It was visible. We saw it, and it just went out; the windows are closed, the doors are closed. Where did the flame disappear? And the fourth question he asks: when your heart, your mind, becomes spoiled or broken, where has love gone? These are the four questions. So, in the body of all creatures, God has placed such things which we still do not understand. When the elephant comes to know its end is near or someone is attacking it, with that fear, everything disappears; that is called Gajamoti. What a beautiful name—Gajamoti, and the Sarpamaṇi, Bhujaṅgamaṇi, and the shell-pearl. After that, there is another definition of the Maṇipūra chakra, and the mantra constantly repeated by Buddha: Oṃ Maṇi Padme Hūṃ. Do you know this? Oṃ Maṇi Padme Hūṃ. Oṃ and Padam are the lotus feet of the master. Oṃ Maṇi Padme Hūṃ: I bow down to those glorious lotus feet of the Master where this Maṇi, the jewel, is sparkling. Recording location: Australia, Melbourne, Australian tour

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt, what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

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