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Generally, a teaching is spoken universally but understood individually. When you read the Bible, the Bhagavad Gītā, or any holy book, you read it and feel, "Yes, this is within me. This is what I need." We all have our mistakes, weaknesses, problems, and life situations that irritate us. We must solve them, if not outwardly then silently. How do we do that silently? The answer lies in satsaṅg. As Swāmījī said in his bhajan, "My Gurudeva gave me a hint." The lectures, the preachings, the words in satsaṅg are a hint for us to awaken inwardly and then seek the solution. That loosening of our knots is already given in satsaṅg. Therefore, we can never have enough of it. You never know what you will receive today. Do not think every day is the same; it is not. We may go ten times, a hundred times, a thousand times, and then suddenly we will receive that Vākya, that word for which we have been searching through lifetimes. Consider an artist or an athlete. They must practice every day. How many times do they fall down? They practice and practice and practice, thousands of times, just to reach that one point where they attain the degree of world master, of champion. They repeat their exercises, endure ups and downs, until they become world champions. It is the same with satsaṅg. The same word, the same sentence you have heard a thousand times—this time, it will be the arrow that pierces through and through. There is a story, which you may know, but I will tell it again. In a country like India, there was an elderly couple who were poor. They were going into the forest to collect wood for fuel. Both carried a little wood on their heads. Śiva and Pārvatī were also in that forest. Pārvatī asked Śiva, "Why are they so poor? There are many people who gamble all night and do terrible things, yet you have given them so much money. And these people are your devotees (bhakti)." Śiva replied, "If they get money, they will lose their devotion (bhakti)." He told Pārvatī it was good as they were. They were happy, satisfied; they had no blood pressure, no diabetes, no cancer, no backache—they were perfectly healthy. "Why do you worry about them?" Pārvatī became angry. You know, ladies are the heart of the mother. Women are the symbol of protection, kindness, mercy, and the mother. This is Śakti. Since the Kali Yuga entered this world, women began to be neglected. Equal rights were lost, and all suffering began. Therefore, the Ṛṣis said, "There must be Śakti Pūjā." But those women should possess such qualities. They lost the quality, and we lost the devotion. Otherwise, Śakti—yā devī sarva-bhūteṣu lakṣmī-rūpeṇa saṃsthitā, namastasyai, namastasyai, ... namo namaḥ—is great. Pārvatī insisted, "No, no, Śiva. You cannot escape my questions. They are poor. They have no children, no money, and are already above 80 years old. Still, they must carry wood from the forest for cooking. Can you not give them something, gold or something? They are your devotees (bhakta). Please give to them." Śiva said, "Okay, you stay here behind the bush, and I will do something. Listen and observe what happens." On the path where the couple walked through the forest, Śiva placed about 5 to 10 kg of golden coins. They would find them and become rich. When they were about 50 meters away, the elderly lady asked her husband, "Dear one, how do all blind people walk? What do you think it will be like for us one day when we become blind and cannot see anymore? How difficult will it be to walk?" He replied, "Good question, my dear. We must practice now. So, let us tie our eyes." With a cloth, they tied their eyes and became blind. The husband held his holder and walked with his stick. He said, "But we can sing the name of Śiva, why not? Oṃ Namaḥ Śivāya, Oṃ Namaḥ Śivāya." They walked like this, came near the gold, and nearly fell over it. Both became very angry and said terrible words: "Who was this stupid, crazy one? He didn't use what he has between his two ears. Does he know that poor, blind people walk here? To put such stones on the way is a sin. Stupid man or woman." Pārvatī was biting her finger with every word she heard. Śiva came near to her. She was ashamed of the bad words and could not look into his eyes. This buddhi (intellect) is your old wife, and viveka (discrimination) is your old husband. This world is the forest. You are carrying your karmas, and the Master, Lord Śiva, and devotion (bhakti) are there. But buddhi becomes blind through dry intellect. Intellect without jñāna (wisdom) cannot lead to mokṣa (liberation). Jñāna has two eyes: bhakti (devotion) and vairāgya (detachment). When buddhi becomes blind, viveka also becomes blind. Then you do not go to satsaṅg, and you miss the heap of gold. They walked the same path for many, many years, knowing it by heart. There was never any gold on the path. Just today, there was gold, and they closed their eyes. So, on that very day, something is meant for you, and you are not in satsaṅg. You have missed a great thing. You have missed a life, janman janamkā. Avsar chalā gayā—the chance of lifetimes is lost. That one chance for which you were born, for which you began your spiritual path—on that day, you were not in satsaṅg. Or perhaps you are in the satsaṅg, but you are like a blind man searching for the door, hand on the wall. When the door comes and begins to creak, you miss it. When that particular word comes, you go to drink tea in the kitchen. You are at the satsaṅg, but you are like that blind man who, upon reaching the door, scratches and goes past it. Similarly, if you are just measuring out tea, you miss precisely that sentence which would be important to you. Always be ever ready. --- Recording location: Hungary, Vep, Weekend seminar