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Be the tree of compasion

A spiritual discourse on becoming an instrument of divine love and service.

"God has chosen that heart to speak to the world. To listen to that wisdom and give it further is a divine blessing and knowledge."

"Therefore, to be a teacher of yoga and daily life is to be a giver of God's love, in which form? Helping, serving, giving wisdom, giving."

Swami Madhavanandji addresses a gathering, exploring how one becomes a channel for God's expression through selfless service (seva). He uses poetry, parables, and personal anecdotes to illustrate that true spirituality awakens through compassionate action, portraying the teacher or karma yogi as a divine instrument. The talk emphasizes serving all creation as the highest offering to the Guru.

Filming location: Ljubljana, SLO.

DVD 305

God is omniscient and omnipresent; God is in every atom. There is one beautiful poem Holy Gurujī used to say in satsaṅg: In every heart is my Lord, no heart is empty, no heart is empty or without Him. But my adoration to that heart in which heart the God appears to speak. That means God has chosen that heart to speak to the world. To listen to that wisdom and give it further is a divine blessing and knowledge. There are many kinds of knowledge, and finally, there is the only one knowledge that is called Ātmā Jñāna—Self-realization, the knowledge of the Self. But our being in this world is not only for this purpose. We have many duties and obligations. You never know which word can inspire someone in a good way. Sometimes negative words also inspire you to come to God. Sometimes people become spiritual after having an accident. We say when you fall down, then you open your eyes. So sometimes it must happen; it has its reason. The words, the wisdom, has no end. Once, one man came to Gurujī and said, "Well, what should I write? Poems or bhajans or poetry? The great people have already written everything. All good words they utilized already. So they have eaten all the cream." Gurujī smiled and said, "Yes, they ate all the cream. But still, they didn't eat that cow. Cow? Yeah, who gives milk? Feed that cow with good nourishment, good feeder, and milk it." So it is said: Makhan khāyā to kyā huā? Dhenu hamāre pās cārā ḍālo prem kā. Or, Do din or rāt makhan khāyā to kyā huā? If they eat the cream, what happened? It's okay. Dhenu, we still have a cow with us, and that cow means your wisdom, your knowledge. Chara dalo prem ka. Feed with love. Feed your intellect with love. Do a din or rath and milk that cow day and night, and again will come the butter. So don't think that all is taken away. You never know which word can inspire someone in the best way. Those who were on the cultural program Friday—who was there? Okay, very good. Now, one of our disciples, the singer boy—what is his name? Is he here today? He will come soon, okay. He is a very famous singer in Slovakia, and we are very happy about him. We wish him all the best success. But, you know, he made some change in people's mind. He said, "Don't think that you are poor. You are not poor. You have two hands, you have two legs, two eyes, two ears, everything you have. You are very rich, but you don't know this, that you are rich. If someone will cut your arm, then you will realize what it means to have two hands." So you never know how you put your wisdom to someone, and that will touch the core of their heart. So lucky are they, fortunate are they through whom God speaks. Now, what do we understand, that God speaks through us? God speaks through everyone. But here it means that you get a duty: do something in favor of all—protection of all creatures, protection of the environment, protection of humanity. To serve them, to solve the problems. And for that, when you do from your heart as a karma yogī, a volunteer, you are already the instrument of God. Definitely God works quicker than we work. So it is not easy to be an instrument in his hands, because he keeps everyone busy, and you are exhausted and tired. But God doesn't know tiredness, and he inspires you to go and do this, do that. So you have a limitation, physical and mental, but you do not agree that you are tired and you are on your limit. In that minute, what happens? Extra energy comes. It is something beautiful. You get again power, and you don't feel tired, you don't feel exhausted. There comes a point where you enjoy doing, and that means now God is consciously working in you. Now you are the channel of His love. Now his love is flowing through you to help, to serve, to do this. When you go for hiking, in the beginning, half a kilometer or one kilometer, you are a little tired. Then the extra energy of X in you, the glands begin to produce a kind of hormone which makes you high, a happiness. In some towns, in some countries, they have once a year or twice a year a kind of sport, what they call running marathon. And after running few kilometers, all these runners, they are so high and happy, and though they are exhausted, after half a minute they are so high and happy, then they don't know the tiredness, they don't know the sorrows. They are just on the top of their joy because extra energy awoke in them. And so it is also when you work for the sake of others, then this extra spirituality awakens in you. Then you have only one thought in your mind. That's it. Therefore, it is said—this is one very beautiful poem—and it is said: Baḍā huā to kyā huā? If one is very great or rich, so what? If someone has power, social position, some profession, some knowledge, reach, money, this, that—if one is not helping others, then for what is that? Baḍā huā to kyā huā, jaise ped khajūr. Like a palm tree. Panthī ko chāyā nahī̃. When someone is walking on the path and would like to sit under the shade of a tree, there is no shadow. Though the tree is very high and the shadow is somewhere little, and even the fruits are so far, you can't catch them. Therefore, this human tree is that tree which is a very great tree, and this tree has the shadow of compassion for everyone, the fruits of love, and that everyone can reach this love—means kindness, humbleness, understanding, forgiving. If someone asks you again and again for something, or if someone refuses you for something, don't be angry. Some people are angry and sad, and depressed, and crying. That means you are torturing yourself. Never do this. It is said: to the last drop of the blood, we will serve the world. Every drop of the blood, every blood cell is dedicated to this beautiful planet, Mother Earth. Who knows when it will again be possible for you to get this life? This is a chance for you. This is a chance for you to enjoy. Where is it enjoying? What does that mean? To give. Joy is there where you can give, and happiness is also there when you can receive something. If there is a receiver, then there should also be a giver. If there is no giver, then the receiver is empty-handed. Therefore, both have to be there, and we are this both. We are the receiver and the giver. As much as you give, ten times you get back. If you give someone bad words, then the person who listens to these bad words is less suffering than your inner self. You know that you taught someone, "bloody one." And the person who heard this, that you told the person "bloody one," will be unhappy. "Why did he or she tell me 'bloody one'?" Maybe it will help them to realize some mistake, but the person who told "bloody one"—that person will suffer lifelong. This kind of energy, which awoke in you, will be creating many, many times hurricanes in your consciousness, in your feelings. And if you give someone kindness, then the other mate doesn't accept this, but inside you will not feel guilty because you were very kind. And therefore, till the last breath, we shall breathe for him. I will live for you, and I will die for you. That is called complete understanding and surrendering. Understand, everyone. And therefore, to become a teacher, a yoga teacher, and to give this wisdom of yoga and daily life further, it is divine. The teachers of yoga and daily life are not physical instructors, but they are the instructors of God's love, because the system is designed in such a way, which has a very deep philosophy in it. And you know, you are surprised. Every year some new activity comes out of yoga and daily life. And some say, "No, Swāmījī, again conference, again the youth conference, again the children's program." But you know, when you have a very beautiful plant in your flat, in your house, and always when the new blossoms come, you are happy. You will not say, "Oh God, again new blossoms." So Yoga in Daily Life is that beautiful plant, that huge tree, which is embracing the whole, hugging the whole globe. The whole globe is embraced by this beautiful tree. To be the teacher of yoga in daily life is a blessing. So just give. Don't miss the time. You don't know if you will get again such a beautiful life to give this love of God to us. After realizing this all, analyzing this all, the wise people spoke to the humans. Wise men spoke to humans. So our Gurujī said: Chet Chet Yab Jīva Yāgyānī Avasar Jāve Guru Samjāve Re. Chet Chet Yab Jīva Yāgyānī Avasar Jāve Re. Guru Samjāve Cheta Cheta Yab Jīva Jānī Ava Dān Daulat. Aur malā khajānā sab yahī rājāve samayā jīvā jayā akelo sat liāve guru samjāve. Yant samaye jāye akelo satān āve, tu samjāve achet achet. Ab jīvā agyāk yāvchār jāve. Agyānī tu samjāve, kutumb kā bījo ye du chāve lo ye du chāve. Yam kī mār paḍe, sirāyu pār kaun chuḍāve? Tu samajh jāve, Yam kī mār paḍe, sirāyu pār kaun cheṭā? Cheṭā, yāb jī, agyānī avasar jāve. Tu samajh jāve, cheṭā, ab jī, agyānī. And therefore, it is said, it is only the chance to be like this. So now you have the chance to serve in every, every sense. Of your body, there is immense, immense energy. If God is manifesting in this world, then he will manifest it only through your cells in your body, because this manifestation in this world is the manifestation of God. Therefore, we should give, give... what we can give, whatever we have. Yesterday, Mr. Gulabjī Kothārī, in the beginning of his speech, said something very good. Suppose he said, "I give you five million dollars." Nowadays, five million dollars is nothing. Like at the end of the Second World War, now it was like a thousand dollars. At that time, to have a thousand dollars was nearly like having five million dollars now. Everything is losing its meaning, anyhow. Suppose someone gives you five million dollars if you die. So stupid we are! We are not that we die, then what will happen with the five million dollars? The one who gave it to you will put it back in their pocket and go. So this was a symbolic example. This human body is so valuable, you can't buy this body. Therefore, in one version, Gurujī said: By Bhai, tum jāgo re, terā avasar bītā jā sa janam amolak hiro manu sa janam par bāhar nahī̃ pāye bhai dhum piyāre bāhar bāhar nahī̃ pāye terā avasar bītā jāye dhum terā avasar bītā jāye. Therefore, in the Guru Gītā, you are always reading the Guru Gītā and listening, and you learn a lot from it. Did you learn something? Guru Gītā is the ocean of immortality, the ocean of wisdom. And it is said: "Everything you have given to me, what can I give you? Whatever I have, all you gave me. I surrender to you my heart and fold my hands." Therefore, all that I have received, Gurudev has given. And now, what can I give him? Does he want money? Does he want a cloth? Does he want food or a bed to sleep? What can I do for you, my Lord? Give you? Yes, one thing. I become a servant of your servant, my Lord, and mercifully accept my service. That I surrender to you, my service. It means also the service is higher than money or anything. And therefore, these beautiful branches of yoga and daily life may be water harvesting, building hospitals, helping the animals, giving medical care, planting trees, or helping war victims, or in earthquake areas or hurricanes. This is what we are doing, means we are giving to our Gurudeva. It is in his interest. When Holy Gurujī was writing Līlā Amṛt, when he got Sannyāsa Dīkṣā, and Gurujī said, "In which way, how I can serve you?" and Mahāprabhujī said: "Service to all creatures is service to me." And so when you do service, Seva, day by day, your spirituality increases. Don't expect to take, but to give. Who can give is like a king, the Lord, and one who doesn't, it doesn't matter in which form you take, you are a beggar. The great saint Tulsīdās said: Tulsī Kar Par Kar Kar, Par Kar Kar Na Kar, Ta Din Par Kar Kar, Ta Din Maran Kar. Okay, so Tulsī Dāsjī said, "Tulsī par kar kar kar." Tulsī Dāsjī said, "Always put your hand above the other hand." Always, it means giving on the dead day. When you will make hand down, that day is for you, like a date. Therefore, certification, certification—that's what can we give? Also, it is said in bhajan: "Nothing is mine, everything is yours." Yours, I surrender to you. What do I lose? Nothing. So it is a śiva to Gurudev. Never stop in your life. The last breath you breathe for him, the last drop of the blood you dedicate for him. Lifelong means to serve the humanity, serve the other creatures, protect the other creation, help all needy, poor people. This is a Shiva, and you give everything, and in the end, you have one thought: one more, if he accepted or not? Please accept this. This kind of feeling we should have. And therefore, to be a teacher of yoga and daily life is to be a giver of God's love, in which form? Helping, serving, giving wisdom, giving. Not that you go and hug everyone. Said this: God's love, God's love... What should we do with this God's love? But if you hold the hand of a person to help them get up, that's God's love. If you throw a handful of rice or corn in the park for the birds, that's God's love. If you remove a stone from the path, that's God's love. So through such conferences and world peace summits, we are serving our Gurujī. He didn't write bhajans for him, but he wrote bhajans for us—means to give to others more. And that's, yesterday there was a hot discussion in the summit. Mr. Ramu Damodaram said about that song, the Slovenian girl who was singing—a boy, sorry—that no one is here for you. We don't care if you come or go. And then Chidānand said, "What a pity, what a sadness, no one is there." Then we can close the Bible and put it in some drawer. No, the Bible said, "Go and knock, and the door will open. Enter in, and your voice will be heard." And you will get what you want. And that's why the Sufi Mevlānā said, "Come to me as you are." And that's why the yoga and the life, our slogan, "We do care for us." It's not that we don't care, but we do care. We are for all here, even 3:30 in the night, someone telephones you. Don't be angry. If someone phones, there must be some reason. Maybe someone is jealous of you and wants to know what you are doing, or if you are at home. Or someone is crazy, and the crazy person—when the phone rings in the night and you say, "Hello," and he or she will laugh and put off the telephone, how nice. That crazy person must be very happy now. So, in this way, you made someone happy. Therefore, don't be angry, don't say no, don't call me this and that. Don't cry, don't scream, don't put the guiltiness on others. If someone comes and gives a slap on the cheek, don't be angry at that person. Be angry at yourself. If he were not there, he couldn't give it anywhere. So you are guilty that your cheek is there. So whatever happens, my Lord, is my mistake. Do not punish others. That was the philosophy of Jesus. I suffer on the cross for your sins. He's still suffering in the form of your parents. When you do nonsense things, your parents suffer. When you make a mistake, commit criminal acts, and you are underage, your parents are punished. If you represent yoga in daily life in another way, you must be suffering. When I came to Europe for the first time, I had two visions or two symbols in my eyes and in my heart. To protect these two symbols, that's all. First, the map of India. Anything I do wrong here in this country, people will not say that Swāmī is from Jordan, but an Indian Sādhu. Due to my stupidity, the whole country will be blamed. Oh my God! My mother country will not forgive me. She was thinking that my son will decorate me. Therefore, anything you do outside of your country, do not forget the dignity of your country and your culture, and how you can protect and act according to this, and call upon time and situation. And second, Gurujī. Anything I will do wrong, they will say Swāmī Madhavānandjī's disciple. It will reflect on Gurujī, and he never expected that my disciple will treat me like you did, did Jesus? If you have these two visions in your eyes or in your consciousness, you will be successful and you will be happy. It means not that you discriminate other countries and other cultures, no. When you go out of your country, or you are in your country, your first prime duty is to protect other cultures. Protecting other children means you are protecting the entire humanity. That's why, don't wait. You never know if you will get such a life again. Become a yoga and daily life teacher, and become the channel of the cosmic love and give to the people.

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.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

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