TV Channel

Good evening to everybody, and welcome. Happy to see you, as usual, here in our beautiful spiritual home, Mahāprabhujī’s āśram, which is our āśram. This ashram has become a true spiritual home, and you are always welcome here. No one is refused entry, and therefore we can feel it is something special. Yet, this ashram also needs some karma yogīs—not for two or three days, but at least for three months. The best would be for one year, because it is a very large area that requires a lot of work. An ashram should always run on volunteer service. All over India, we have many ashrams, some much larger than this one, and they are run by disciples and volunteers. In many ashrams, there is even a waiting list for volunteers. Why is this? It is because of the seva. Gurujī spoke many times in his satsaṅg: Śiva Dharma is greater. Dharma means the principle, the religion, the obligation. Dharma is what one accepts in one’s life to come to realization. There are many different techniques of yoga: Rāja Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jñāna Yoga, Kriyā Yoga, Nāḍī Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Dhyāna Yoga—many, many paths. But what is easier is Karma Yoga. Karma Yoga means that one does their best to work for others. It means a person is doing the best he can, physically, intellectually, or socially, for the benefit of others. Everyone has different abilities, and according to that ability, one helps. Socially can also mean politically or economically; there are many, many ways to do Śiva. The aim is Mokṣa, to be freed from the chain of rebirth and death. Gurujī used to say that if you put Mokṣa on one side of a scale and Seva on the other, the side of Seva would be heavier. God Himself comes from the Brahmaloka, from the realm of Mokṣa, to this world to perform Seva. There were 24 incarnations of God. The 24th will be the Kālī Avatāra, who will incarnate in this Kali Yuga. At that time, all political systems will change. All negative activities, like the torturing of animals and wars, will end. For God, nothing is impossible. The planet will be cleansed of all negativities, which will mean the end of the Kali Avatāra, the incarnation for the Kali Yuga. Incarnations take place often. Every holy saint is an incarnation, but their work is limited. The work of the Kali Avatāra will be on an entire planet, like the wind blowing through the whole world. That will come, and of course, many will die due to their karmas. Do not think God is cruel. God is not cruel; cruel are the people, through their thinking, their negative activities, their greed, jealousy, hate, and discriminations. What is in people's minds will kill them. There is a beautiful poem from the holy saint Kabīr Dās. He said he was going for alms and saw a lady grinding wheat for a meal. They use two stone plates, one on top of the other, which turn to grind the grains. When Kabīr saw this, he began to cry. Someone asked him why he cried. He said he cried because between these two stone plates, nothing remains complete. All that comes under them is ground, even the small molds inside the grains. Kabīr Dās cried because in between these two plates, nothing remained whole. These two plates represent Māyā and Brahma. Māyā is the worldly illusion, and Brahma is the Supreme. All creatures who come between them go through and are created within this grinding. But his master said, "No, it is not like this. There is that which remains complete." These two plates have a hole. From below the hole, a piece of wood comes out, and on that piece of wood, the upper plate is balanced. If you want fine flour, you lower the plate a little more. If you want a coarser meal, like porridge, you lift it a little so only the crust is ground, not made into fine flour. These ladies have lost this knowledge. The men, of course, lost it long ago. We have lost these beautiful, simple things. That stone grinder lasted for generations. Now you buy something this year, and next year it is broken. This world is not sustainable anymore. The master told the disciple, "Those grains which fall near this wooden pillar, or hook, remain complete." There is a small hollow, and these grains have no chance to slide between the stones. So, Brahma and Māyā are two stones rubbing together. Gurudev is that hook in between. Whoever seeks the refuge of the Guru, the refuge of the Gurudev, will remain complete in that shelter. From Brahmaloka, the incarnation also comes to perform Seva. And who does the Śiva? Those who are always nearer to that hook. Those who do not do Seva run away and are cursed. But you cannot do Seva unless you have dedication. Consider the medical system. When someone studies medicine, over a complete five- or six-year course, nothing in their curriculum teaches them how to earn money. It only teaches how to help. Therefore, a doctor should not make any discrimination based on race, color, age, gender, or cleanliness. If a doctor makes such differences, he or she will lose that fine art of Seva. So, Seva Bhāva is greater. Whoever can perform Seva achieves everything. There was once a barber who was a great bhakta, performing seva for holy saints. At that time, there was a king who had a kind of leprosy. The barber's duty was to come punctually at nine o'clock every day to shave the king. If he was delayed by even ten minutes, he received a big punishment, so he had to be always on time. One day, on his way to the king, he met a group of sādhus, holy men. He greeted them and asked if they had eaten. They said they had not. The barber invited them to his home. His wife was also a great bhakta. He completely forgot he had to go to the king at the right time. He enjoyed the satsaṅg and served the saints. It became 12:30 when he realized his duty. He took his bag with his scissors and shaving knife and rushed to the king. When the king saw him coming, the king stood up and gave him a big hug, not a slap. The barber was afraid and wanted to apologize for being late. But before he could speak, the king said, "What kind of power do you have in your hands? This morning at nine o'clock, when you were shaving me, all my leprosy disappeared. I am so thankful to you." The barber inwardly smiled and said, "Thank you, God." It means God Himself came to save the king for the sake of the bhaktas. When God touches, everything becomes normal and beautiful. His name was Sena Bhakta. If you do seva with this kind of feeling, God will run behind you. It is said that if God has done something wrong, or if God is angry, a saint can save the bhakta. But if the saint is angry, even God cannot save that bhakta. What God cannot do, the saint can do. This illustrates the difference between God and saints. Last week, we had a visit from a minister from India for the opening of Gurujī’s ashram in Vienna. This minister is a disciple of Gurujī, and he told a nice story which I had heard before, but his retelling was so nice I thought I should share it. There was a businessman who had no children. You know, when people come to the Master, they always have selfish questions: "Please help me pass my examination," "Please help me find a good partner," "Please help me find a job," "Please bless me so my disease will go away," "Please help me get some money." We are like a big bag full of wishes. When we pray to Mahāprabhujī, he tells me, "There are so many beggars here." Very few prayers, Guru Mahāprabhujī said, are other than from beggars. "Please, Mahāprabhujī, help me. Help me remove my illness. Help my grandmother. Help my grandchild." So Mahāprabhujī said, "I am not here always to help you in this way. Offer niṣkāma prayer, prayer without selfish desire." There was a king who could not get children. He and his wife were already fifty years old. One day, Saint Nārada Ṛṣi came, and the merchant asked him, "Please, can you tell God Viṣṇu to bless us with a child?" Nārada said, "No problem. Tomorrow I have a consultation with him, and I will ask." So, Nārada Ṛṣi asked God Viṣṇu, "In Mṛtyuloka, this mortal world, there is a great bhakta of yours, both husband and wife. They have no children and wish for one very much. Please, Viṣṇu, can you give them a child?" God Viṣṇu looked and closed his eyes. "No. In their horoscope, there is no child. In their kismat, no child. It is impossible." Nārada said, "Can you make a miracle? An exception?" God said, "There are no exceptions. No one can give him a child. They have to die as they are." Nārada was very sorry and told the merchant, "God said in your destiny there is no child." The merchant accepted this. Two years later, a sādhu came to the village asking for food. He said, "One chapati, one son." The merchant heard this and gave him two chapatis. The result was that he got twins at fifty-two years of age. After three years, Nārada came to the village and saw three-year-old children running and playing in the merchant's house. Nārada went in and asked, "Are they adopted?" The merchant said, "No, they are our own children." "But how did it happen?" "One sādhu came and said, 'One chapati, one son; two chapatis, two sons.'" Nārada was very angry. He went to Viṣṇu and said, "What kind of politics is this? I asked you to give them one child. You said it was impossible, and now children are sold for one chapati?" Viṣṇu closed his eyes and said, "Yes, that was He. He could change the destiny, not me." There is a difference between saints and God. Nārada said, "Well, I accept it." Saints have a different role in this world, and God has a different role. We are in between; we should do the Seva. Through Seva, through Karma Yoga, you will be able to free yourself. "Yogaḥ karmasu kauśalam." Therefore, God Kṛṣṇa said, "Through Karma Yoga, your yoga sādhanā will be successful." But do it with sevā bhāva, and without jealousy. When jealousy is there, it brings suffering. You suffer, and the person who receives the seva also suffers. There was one master who had two disciples. They were not in harmony; they were jealous and quarreling, always saying, "I did this much, you didn't work that much," "This is mine, this is yours." I said to my Prabhuji, "Only two disciples, and so many problems? What do you think? I have so many disciples. How many problems do I have? You can imagine—each disciple brings more than five problems." The master had a big problem with these two disciples. When the teacher would go to rest, the disciples would come to massage his legs, and they would fight over whose leg was whose. So the master made a protocol. He wrote a name on each leg: "This is Mr. X, and this is Mr. Z." Now they knew which leg to massage. The master was lying on his back, and X and Z were massaging him. Then the master turned over to his left side. The right leg came on top of the left leg. The disciple who belonged to the left leg became so angry that he took a stick and beat the right leg, shouting, "What is your leg doing on my leg?" The teacher turned around again, and the other disciple got angry and hit him twice with a stick. The teacher said, "Stop, stop, stop! It's not your legs. They are my legs!" This shows that when disciples quarrel, they suffer, the one they serve suffers, the ashram suffers, and you suffer. Therefore, ashrams need dedicated people. Beauty is in the thoughts, in the mind, not in material things. Present yourself simply, but with love. Then your yoga sādhanā, and even your social and normal life, will be beautiful. Family life will be easy and good. Then you will understand your parents. Nowadays, parents are not parents anymore; children are the parents. Parents have to be very careful about what they tell their children. There was a time when children had to be very careful what they asked their parents. Now, even if they are not married, they move out of the house. Elderly people have the same feeling of love as when they were young. When we were born, very small, only a few days old, we needed much care. Elderly people need that same kind of care. Day by day, they get older, and unfortunately, their bodies become weaker and weaker. It is the duty of the children—this is a human duty—to take care of their parents in old age. Thanks to God, we now have pension systems so the elderly have some support. But I can say the biggest blessing you get is from your parents. The biggest pilgrimage place, the holiest place, is your mother and your father. When they need help, you should be there. If we cannot do more, at least we should do that much for them. That is Seva. There is another story. There was a family with one child. Both parents were blind and needed a lot of service. The son did not marry because he thought, "Maybe my wife will not serve my parents as I wish." Blood is thicker than water. Your wife has no blood relation to your parents. She may do it because they are your parents, but if you are strict with her, she may seek a divorce. It is very rare to find a wife and husband with perfect understanding. It is said, "Pati patnikā ek mātā ho svargeśata." If husband and wife lifelong have the same decisions, opinions, and feelings, they become a governing power in heaven. Lucky are those who have such a partner. In Kali Yuga, this is very, very rare. But a blind hand finds the corn also. I wish that you will find such a person. Otherwise, it is better to be alone. Do not complicate your life any more. One day, these blind parents told their son, "We would like to go on pilgrimage." They were about ninety or one hundred years old, very weak and unable to walk. But he obeyed them. He made two beautiful baskets. He put his father in one basket and his mother in the other, and with a bamboo pole he carried them on his shoulder, walking long distances toward pilgrimage places—hundreds of kilometers through forests and jungles. At that time, there was no transportation except horses, and he was poor and could not afford them. So he carried his parents. Wherever the sun set, they stayed for the night. One day, the sun set and the parents said, "We will rest here. Please bring water; we are very thirsty." He went to search for water. Meanwhile, it became dark. He had a nice water pot. He found a lake and was taking water from it. At that time, there was no question of pollution; you could drink from any river or lake. Pollution was born in the modern human mind. As he was filling the pot, the water made a noise. On the other side of the lake, hidden in a bush, was a king who had gone hunting for lions. When he heard the water sound, he thought a lion or tiger was drinking. He shot his arrow, and it struck the young man in the chest. As he fell, the man cried, "Oh God, Rāma!" The king realized his mistake—he had killed a human. He ran over and found the man. The king wanted to pull the arrow out, but pulling it out would cause his death. If he left it in, the man would suffer terribly. The king wanted to remove it, but the man said with folded hands, "Please do not waste time. Do not care about me. Take this pot and give my thirsty parents water first. I do not want to die without giving water to my thirsty parents." That is Seva. That is love. That is a true child, and such are parents. That relation is God. That is the human heart. And we are very selfish. Humans are different from animals. Even animals would not do what some humans are doing now. Therefore, Seva Dharma—the obligation, duty, principle, religion, whatever you call it—is best expressed through helping. Helping hands have more value than folded hands. People search for places where they can render service. We are lucky to have an Ashram where we can do Seva. That is very important. These are not fairy tales; they are real stories. There are also many stories between Masters and disciples, and between parents and children. You know, the pain of the parents is more than that of the children. Among the parents, especially the mother suffers most. There are three persons: father, mother, and child. If something happens to two of them, the mother suffers the most. Therefore, it is said in the Upaniṣads, in Hinduism: "Mātṛ Devo Bhava." The first God is the mother. Mother, God, father—that is very important. The king went to give the water. He brought it, but he did not dare to introduce himself. The parents were blind, so he quickly said, "Here is water." The father and mother said, "Why are you silent? My son, tell us, why are you silent? We are not beggars. We are not your beggars, and we are not your slaves. If you give us water, give it properly. Otherwise, we will not drink." But the king did not dare to say who he was or what had happened to their son. He remained silent. The father insisted, "Who are you? Tell us. What happened to our child?" Finally, the king had to say, "I am the sinner. I made a great mistake. I shot your son instead of a tiger." In the lonely forest, there were two helpless, blind old men who had lost their only child. The king said, "Please come with me to my house, and I will take care of you." They did not accept. Out of pain for their son, both died on the spot. But while dying, the father of that man said to the king, "King, in your next life, you will also die suffering. There will be no one to give you water. You will have children, but no one will be with you." That king was Daśaratha, the father of God Rāma. Daśaratha had four sons and was a king, but when he died, no one was with him. This was the curse—the kletva—of that man's father. That man's name was Śravaṇa. We say, "If God gives me a child, then like Śravaṇa." We have to understand that love. We have to understand that relation. We should not play with it. We have to become one and know our dharma, our obligation. Lucky are those whose mother and father are alive. More lucky are those who can serve them. Unlucky are those whose parents are alive but with whom they do not have a good relation. When you are married, you have four parents: his parents and her parents. You are lucky; your house stands on four pillars. Therefore, it is very important to cultivate human relations, also with neighbors. Then it becomes a happy family, a happy society. So, yoga in daily life is not only physical exercises, not only meditation and prayer. It is to cultivate our relationships in this world. Clear your consciousness of doubts, anger, jealousy, hate, greed, and discrimination. Do the Śiva. Be happy for those who can do the Śiva. Otherwise, we are like the dog that does not eat grass but does not let the cow eat it either. There is a bundle of grass. A dog is hungry, and a cow is hungry. The dog does not eat grass, but if the cow tries to eat, the dog barks and battles it. Do not be that dog. Be free.