Guru Purnima
July 03, 1977 am
[Gurudev translates]
First of all, I am asking to be pardoned for the mistake that was made yesterday.
Yesterday I did not remember the time at all.
I am very particular about time.
Yesterday, my gurudev was in my heart and so I could not remember the time.
I ask for pardon instead I disturbed your fixed program.
I told Bapuji nothing like that happened we were all very pleased to hear him.
Bapuji chants Guru Mara Antarani Ankha Ugado Re; and prayers
Dear disciples, fellow lovers of saints and God, brothers and sisters and all.
I extend my Jai bhagwan with love to all of you.
Today is the most auspicious occasion of Guru Purnima.
In Sanatana Dharma many such auspicious occasions are mentioned.
Some of them are more concerned with the individual, family, society, nation, and religion.
Individual occasions include marriage, birthdays, etc.
Family occasions include brother’s day, sister’s day etc.
Social occasions include Devali, that means New Year, Holi Shraddha, that means after death rituals, etc.
National occasions include Independence Day, birthdays of nation’s leaders, memorial day, etc.
Religious occasions include Krishna’s birthday, Rama’s day, Shiva’s day, and holy months and Guru Purnima.
The character of the individual, family, society and the nation is built up by various influences of such holy occasions.
This is why these occasions are given the top most importance in India’s lifestyle.
Thus there are innumerable occasions like this in one year.
Among them this celebration of Guru Purnima is considered to be of the highest nature.
This holy occasion is celebrated to commemorate spiritual wisdom.
Its importance is beyond grasp.
Without spiritual wisdom, the individual, family and nation is worthless.
Since wisdom is the main cause of growth the individual, family, society, and nation grow in greatness according to such wisdom.
The glory of India is hidden in the wisdom of the spiritual masters and saints who are the shining and ageless examples of selflessness, purity, and austerity.
They are the great seers or possessors of individual wisdom.
They are considered to be the kings without crowns.
The great seer Vyaas muni the incarnation of Lord Vishnu took birth to establish spiritual wisdom and so he is believed to be the incarnation of wisdom.
He is a great ocean of knowledge.
The scriptures which he has written are unique masterpieces of Indian culture.
He divided the Vedas and he is the author of eighteen Puranas.
He has written the great epic poem of the Mahabharata which includes Shrimad Bhagavad Gita.
He is also the author of the Brahma Sutra and has written a commentary on Patanjali’s Yoga Sutras.
Thus, his glories are unique and divine.
Guru Purnima is also known as Vyaas Purnima.
Vyaasa means the world teacher or teacher of the world.
The title of world teacher is specially meant for him.
For centuries Vyaas has been worshipped in India.
This is the best proof of his glories and their timelessness.
The word gu means darkness and ru means light.
Thus the word guru means the one who leads from darkness to light or the one who leads from ignorance to knowledge.
The light from the sun, moon, and stars can remove the darkness from this entire earth.
Yet, they cannot remove the darkness of the ignorance of man’s inner self.
Guru is greater than those light sources.
That is why he can remove the darkness of ignorance and replace it with the light of knowledge.
When man is born, he brings with him many negative influences from previous incarnations.
The root cause of those influences is ignorance.
This ignorance is vast and cannot be removed in one lifetime.
For this reason, he needs positive influences of many incarnations to gain knowledge.
We tend to believe that we are progressing from ignorance to knowledge.
This experience may seem to be true, and yet it is not true.
We are constantly progressing from previous ignorance to new ignorance believing it to be knowledge.
Knowledge does not begin until ignorance comes to an end.
Only after attaining knowledge is ignorance destroyed.
Removing attachments to body and mind and attracting one to the lotus feet of the Lord, this is how it happens.
[In the last one, this is true knowledge and such knowledge is not obtainable by all.
only rare masters attain to it.
This proves that the path of attaining knowledge is not for the average person but for rare individuals.
This does not mean that an average person should give up this path.
By growing gradually on the path of wisdom, one also completes his journey and an ordinary man turns into an extraordinary being.
There are two major branches of knowledge.
[Now, when Bapuji explains this I would like you to pay attention to this chart.] There are two major branches of knowledge, physical science and spiritual or metaphysical science.
If we call both of them knowledge, one on the top and one on the bottom then we will have to make two different partitions, two different branches of it.
One is physical knowledge without experience and physical knowledge with experience.
If we call both of these knowledge, these are the two major branches.
[Bapuji makes a joke about Gurudev using pointer to indicate ‘knowledge on the chart’.” You have to have a stick for knowledge.”]
If we divide metaphysical knowledge, then we have metaphysical knowledge without experience and physical knowledge with experience.
There are 2 major branches of knowledge physical and metaphysical.
If we call both of them knowledge we have to accept their secondary differences.
The first one is physical and metaphysical knowledge without experience and the second one is physical and metaphysical knowledge with experience.
If we accept knowledge as metaphysical knowledge and science as physical knowledge, if we are reversing this, then we have to accept further secondary differences.
These are metaphysical knowledge without experience and metaphysical knowledge with experience.
As well as physical science with and without experiences.
In other words, whatever you call it physical science as knowledge or spiritual science as knowledge, you have two major branches of it.
One is with knowledge, one is without knowledge.
[There is so much knowledge here!]
In the same manner, if we accept metaphysical science as science and physical science as knowledge, we have to accept their two differences also.
[Are you totally confused? No, I’m glad.]
You have to put your nerves on the throne so that they may rule the entire thing.
Then only you will understand.
Each person needs to learn physical science to live an average life.
He has to come in contact with many teachers.
In other words, we can say that the knowledge received from individuals, family, society and universities is received from one or the other teacher.
All these can be called teachers.
But not guru.
The task of a teacher is to give physical knowledge while the task of a guru is to give spiritual knowledge.
Physical knowledge relates to the external journey while the spiritual knowledge pertains to the journey within.
One may also say that the physical knowledge takes one towards maya while the spiritual knowledge attracts one toward God.
The joy, peace and happiness derived from physical knowledge is temporary.
While the peace, joy and happiness received by spiritual knowledge are everlasting.
It is true that knowledge seems to come from some person or objects, but it does not come from the person or an object.
Yes, a person or an object do become an instrument.
While the knowledge comes from atman, from the self alone.
For knowledge is the nature of atman.
In the same manner peace, happiness and joy come from atman and not from outside.
Just as a lighted candle lights an unlit candle in the same way the guru removes his disciples’ layers of ignorance so that he may attain self-knowledge.
Though the word teacher seems to represent the meaning of the word guru the difference in the word teacher and the word guru is recognizable.
The teacher is an average person and guru is an extraordinary person.
Teachers can be numerous.
Guru cannot be numerous.
Guru can only be one.
Even if the teacher only has a philosophical knowledge but no character it can still work.
While the guru must have both knowledge and character.
A person without character cannot be called a guru.
In gaining external knowledge it is not necessary to have close association with one’s teacher.
One can attain such knowledge even while being at a distance.
The teacher and the student are not required to have a mutual love relationship.
In attaining this external knowledge, the relation of student and teacher can work even if the relationship is like a merchant and his customer.
As long as person does not have a sincere desire for knowledge he does not see the value of a guru.
In such unfavorable circumstances, even if one meets an evolved guru the meeting does not prove to be fruitful.
When one’s desire for knowledge awakens, he realizes the value of the guru and derives benefits from meeting his guru.
Like a jeweler who alone recognizes the valuable diamond, only an evolved sadhak recognizes a perfect master.
Those who change gurus often have neither faith nor devotion.
Such restless people take initiation from numerous gurus yet they attain nothing.
Such persons are declared to be ungrateful and dishonest by the scriptures.
One should not rush into taking a guru.
Neither should he be guided by others to take initiation.
Before taking initiation the student should stay in contact with his guru for a long time.
After observing the guru’s spotless character the student will feel intense faith in his heart.
Then he should receive initiation.
Some believe that a perfect guru is not available everywhere.
They may have to travel around the world and if they are fortunate they may get his darshan and receive his blessings.
It is said if a true disciple himself goes to the lotus feet of the guru, then only he is eligible for brahma vidya, means knowledge of God.
This is the right approach to receive this supreme knowledge.
Some believe that a sadguru searches out a deserving disciple and blesses him.
As a stone does not go out looking for a sculptor, but the sculptor comes looking for a stone, in the same way they believe that a sadguru looks for a true disciple.
Both of the above situations are valid and both deserve equal importance.
Some persons have read numerous scriptures, contacted many saints and discussed philosophies with many practitioners.
This produces ego in such individuals.
They exhibit their knowledge everywhere, thus influencing their listeners.
But you should not forget that thought is the first step and action is the second step.
The good thought which is expressed by speech only and not by action is only a good thought and not a principle.
When such a thought is expressed by by deeds rather than just by speech it becomes a principle.
Such a person of principle is not only a thinker but also a real teacher and he can be called a guru.
In the same manner, some persons have practiced various yoga techniques, contacted various practitioners of yoga and have taught numerous disciples.
[All of such train and study go.?] They believe themselves to be gurus.
As a result, they cannot accept the discipleship of anyone and can’t accept the knowledge of a well-qualified guru.
They prefer morality that is expressed by superficial means only.
But which is not connected with the roots of good thoughts.
Such a good manner does not result in principle but remains just a good manner.
Such an individual is not a perfect yogi, not even a sadhak.
He can be called a teacher.
Without humility, receiving knowledge is improbable.
If a full cup of milk is on the top, and an empty bowl is at the bottom, the milk from the cup will flow into the bowl.
If an empty cup is on the top and the bottom bowl is filled with milk, the empty cup remains empty.
In the same manner, the egotist disciple does not receive knowledge from his guru.
The egotistic person usually turns out to be a hypocrite.
Hypocrisy is an impenetrable layer of ignorance.
It blocks the path of knowledge.
This can be proven by a story.
It was evening time.
At that time a crow was sitting on the branch of a tree in the woods.
Suddenly he saw a flock of swans They had flown a long distance and had come down to rest under a giant tree.
In the rays of the setting sun the white bodies of the swans looked very attractive.
Their presence filled the atmosphere with beauty.
The crow was black himself and could not tolerate the beautiful white color.
He did not like the arrival of the newcomers.
He came down from the branch of the tree and started proudly towards the group of swans.
Then he stood still and steadily gazed at each swan from head to tail.
Soon after, he asked in an unfriendly tone.
“Where did you all come from?”
Beholding his proud walk, mannerless speech and stupid behavior the old swans were amused
Nonetheless they did not express this on their faces.
But the young swans could not suppress their laughter though they tried to hide it out of good manners.
As a result their laughter came on the surface on their face from their mind.
For good manners they lowered their eyes.
They didn’t show the smile to the crow.
One smart young swan did not like this unfriendly behavior of the crow.
He came in front as a representative of the group and said.
“Dear friend we all have come a long distance, please join us.”
The crow disregarded the invitation and said.
“I am all right where I am.
I approached you because one thought came to my mind as I saw you all.”
The swan said “Thank you for your grace.
We are very grateful.
Please tell us what thought did occur in your mind.”
“I see that you all look very white and beautiful but can you fly?”
The young swan replied softly so that only the crow could hear him and the old swans couldn’t.
The young swan said “This day feels to me like an auspicious day.
Your highness you must be the famous teacher who gives flying lessons.”
The foolish crow was extremely pleased to hear this.
With smiling face he said “Dear boy your guess is correct.”
The swan put on an act.
He requested gently, “Gurudev” He said this to the Crow.
“Gurudev, by the grace of dear God I have been fortunate to be in your presence.
If you would give me a short time in private I would be very grateful to you.
The crow was extremely delighted to have received an excellent disciple.
Both of them met in private.
The disciple expressed his curiosity.
“How many techniques of flying do you know?”
Gurudev said with pride, I know all the techniques of flying.
The swan asked, “How many techniques are there in flying?”
The crow said, “52”.
Swan said, “No kidding.
Are there that many techniques of flying?”
The crow said, Yes.
The swan said, “Would you please bless this curious child and teach him few techniques of flying?”
The crow said, “Certainly.
Please watch me carefully.”
After saying this, the crow jumped a little.
Flew a few feet in the air and returned to his original spot.
Second time he flew up, circled to his left and returned back. Third time he flew up, circled around to the right and returned to his seat.
Thus guru was demonstrating various flying techniques with great enthusiasm.
The disciple interrupted him in the middle.
“Enough, enough, enough Gurudev, please stop.”
Gurudev stopped and came near his disciple.
The disciple greeted his guru by bowing and taking the dust of his Guru’s feet on his head.
This is done to express high respect.
He expressed his feelings thus.
“With grace the techniques you have shown to me are extremely complicated.
I am not able to absorb them.
Indeed, your knowledge is limitless.
Really your knowledge is limitless.
Now I have my last request.
Please show me your fastest flying technique.
Blinded by pride the crow asked him a question.
“Do you also wish to fly with me?” “Oh, yes, Gurudev, I will try”, said the swan.
Guru scolded the disciple and preached, “Hey, you will be tired.
To fly with me is not child’s play.
“Oh, no, Guruji,” replied the swan fearlessly, “if I get tired, I will request you to slow down.”
He expressed his feelings fearlessly.
Guruji agreed with hesitation.
The ocean was rolling close to where they were discussing.
The disciple gestured the guru to fly in the direction of the ocean.
The disciple then flew after his guru.
Guru started flying fast to tire out his disciple.
The disciple stayed behind intentionally and pretended that he was trying to fly very fast.
As if he could not catch up with his guru.
After flying a bit more, the guru asked the disciple “Are you sure you are not tired?”
The crow asked him to let him know whenever the swan was tired.
The swan replied “no sir I am not yet tired.
I request you to increase your speed.”
In this way the guru asked the same question over and over.
And over and over the disciple gave the same reply.
By now the guru himself was exhausted.
His body was creeping lower and lower from exhaustion.
Finally, he touched the surface of the ocean and began to drown.
Looking at the pitiable state of his guru, the disciple said, “What are you doing, is this the 53rd technique of flying?”
When they reached the shore, the disciple said, “Gurudev, I know of only one flying technique.
Please hold onto my neck with your legs tightly.
Guru got lost.
Guru grabbed the disciple.
Then the disciple started flying at such a high speed that the guru became dizzy and his eyes became wide.
Soon he lost the grip of his legs.
The disciple dropped him on the ground.
on his head.
He rolled three times and became unconscious.
Here the story ends.
The hypocrite guru pretends to know everything while he is completely ignorant.
Yet he tries to hide his ignorance very skillfully.
To illustrate this further Bapuji is giving another illustration of a guru.
A disciple was travelling through a desert with his guru.
Suddenly he saw a camel.
The disciple had never seen a camel before.
Neither had he read or heard about it.
He looked at the camel very carefully.
And he cried, ‘Guruji, why is this animal like this?
Guruji also had never seen camel.
before.
He had neither read or heard about it.
But to accept ignorance was not in his nature.
He answered as if he knew all about it thoroughly.
Saying, ‘it is supposed to be that way.’ After a while, the disciple pointed his finger toward the camel’s tail, saying ‘what is this’?
The guru answered quickly, as if he knew it all, ‘they all have that kind of a thing’.
Such hypocrite gurus have fallen in deep traps and misguide their disciples in the same traps.
Now I would like to talk about sadguru, the best guru.
The sadguru is not an average guru, but a great master.
In Indian culture such great masters are called apta purusha.
Apta purusha means a person who has attained the truth.
Such persons are believed to be the representatives of God.
“Gurur Brahma, Gurur Vishnur,”The Guru is the Creator, Gurur Devo Maheshvarah; The Guru is the Sustainer; Gurur Sakshat Parabrahma,The Guru is the Destroyer, Tasmai Shri Gurave Namaha.”The Guru is, in reality, the Supreme Absolute. To the Guru I bow.”
Guru is the creator of the universe, named Brahma, guru is the sustainer of the universe named Vishnu and guru is the destroyer of the universe named Maheshvara.
Guru is the real the supreme godhead.
In short there is nothing greater than guru.
The guru is the friend of all and a true friend and yet his position is the highest.
He is not an average friend, but a special and revered friend.
He is also father, mother, brother, sister, relative and loved one.
However he is unique and is also beyond comparison.
As long as the disciple does not love his guru with a pure heart he does not become qualified for spiritual progress.
Without guru bhakti or love and devotion to the guru knowledge is not possible.
In Bhagavad Gita Shri Krishnachandra has shown the technique for attaining knowledge.
He has taught his dear disciple Arjuna: “Dear Arjuna go to the knowledgeable and a master Guru, and receive the highest knowledge that will liberate you from suffering by bowing down, serving him and asking questions with humility.
Guru should know the scriptures and he should be an experienced seer also.
The guru who knows the scriptures only can be called knower of the knowledge also.
However, if he does not have experience his guidance may have some errors.
But the guru who is expert in scriptures and also is an experienced seer gives safe, means innocent and perfect guidance.
There are three steps for attaining knowledge.
First is bowing.
Second is asking questions, and third is serving.
Bowing is the first one.
Bowing means shashtang dandavat pranam, means bowing face down with an extended body.
Greeting posture with eight limbs of the body is shashtang pranam.
This bowing down with eight limbs includes the head, eyes, hands, chest, feet, thighs, mind and speech.
Means offering everything to the guru.
Dandavat pranam means greeting like a stick.
Greeting straight like a stick or prostrating straight like a stick with above mentioned limbs is called shashtang dandavat pranam.
But this is the gross meaning of the word pranipat or prostrating.
The subtle meaning is sharanagati [compound word sharanam: shelter; and agata: past participle of gone] or surrender.
Surrender to the guru.
To surrender all possessions, body and mind, to guru with faith, offering everything to the guru and relying completely on the guru’s guidance or wish is called surrender.
But this surrender is for the seekers of liberation.
The man of the world cannot follow it or practice it.
Is it true then that the householder has no possibility of surrender?
No, it’s not true.
For worldly people there is a partial surrender.
They can also practice it in accordance with their circumstances and capacity.
To the extent one follows guru’s guidance, he grows into surrender.
[What a beautiful definition].
The second step for attaining knowledge is service [we call guru seva].
By looking in depth you will discover with disappointment that service can be provided by the perfect one and not by the weak one.
A rich person can serve a poor one, a learned one can serve the unlearned, a healthy one can serve the diseased one; one with eyes can serve the blind.
One with legs can serve the crippled.
How can the weak disciple serve his perfect guru?
But here, what is the suggested service is of a very basic nature.
It is more physical or external.
To keep guru’s dwelling place clean, to feed him, to wash his clothes, etc.
These simple activities are considered service.
By serving one attains closeness with his guru.
As a result, the disciple’s mind becomes influenced by the good thoughts and good actions of his guru.
This influence is very useful in attaining knowledge.
There is a great difference between conditional service and selfless service.
The disciple serving selflessly is close to his guru and he gets much greater reward than the one who serves with selfish motive.
To spread the universal principles taught by the guru in society is also service to the guru.
Before preaching the disciple should understand and digest thoroughly his guru’s principles.
A person may study any subject thoroughly, yet his study remains incomplete because he needs another aspect to his study.
The other aspect of study is teaching.
Teaching makes an unclear subject clearer and solves many problems.
Teaching is necessary for spreading universal principles.
This strengthens the teacher’s study.
This makes his spiritual growth very easy.
That is why such service is beneficial to a disciple.
In India there lived a great master and teacher named Shankaracharya.
He had defeated all the pundits of the nation and established his path on nonduality.
He had a large following of disciples.
He used to teach scriptures to his renunciate disciples.
In the group there was a disciple with inferior intelligence.
He had limitless faith in his guru.
He served his guru with constant awareness.
While other disciples were busy in philosophical discussions he would clean his guru’s home, wash his clothes and keep busy with other services.
He was slow with learning.
Other disciples used to laugh at his dullness.
Before teaching the guru used to look around to see which disciples were in attendance.
He would wait for the dull disciple who was sometimes late.
The other disciples did not like it.
One of the disciples, who believed himself to be very smart spoke up, said, “Guruji why do you wait for him?
He does not understand anything even when he is present.
He is dumb.”
The guru would remain silent and continue to wait for the dumb disciple.
Though the disciple tried to be on time he would be late from time to time.
due to his involvement in his services to his guru.
The other disciples would scold him and say “why are you late?”
He would ask for everyone’s forgiveness instead of hating them.
One day he requested his guru, with tears in his eyes,
“Gurudev, I am dumb.
I don’t seem to enjoy studying the scriptures.
I experience divine joy in serving you.
Guru was pleased with his services.
Listening to the request of his disciple, his generous heart melted with love.
He asked his disciple with love, “Open your mouth.”
The disciple opened his mouth.
The guru wrote the mantra OM on his tongue with his stick.
Suddenly on the spot the layers of ignorance from his mind disappeared.
The devotee experienced omniscience instantly.
After that he went to the river to get some water for his guru.
The other disciples were bathing there.
They started chanting mantras after bathing.
One fellow disciple said jokingly, “Hey, you are the best devotee of Guruji.
You are more knowledgeable.
Why don’t you sing a new chant for us?”
Indeed, the glory of service to the guru is incredible.
Immediately a fountain of new chants started flowing from his mouth.
Nobody could guess how the dumb one got so much knowledge.
Everyone was struck with awe.
When he was asked how he attained this divine power, he greeted them with folded palms.
Tears started flowing from his eyes.
He said with his throat choked, “Guru seva.
” Indeed, the glory of service to the guru is indescribable.
The good disciple whose mind is completely absorbed in service to his guru is really fortunate.
This is the easiest path for attaining liberation or worldly happiness.
The question may arise here, ‘Can simple service give liberation and worldly happiness, too?’ No, here the importance is not given to ordinary service.
The important thing is boundless faith and self-sacrifice of disciple towards his guru.
Without these two the service loses its basic importance.
The guru seva can be performed by staying in the presence of a guru or far, at a distance from a guru.
The third step for acquiring knowledge is questioning.
The question should be asked without deceit with a pure heart.
The questioner should not ask questions of just anyone.
He should ask questions of his beloved guru only.
If his guru is not available, then questions can be directed to another guru brother who is evolved on the path.
It is improper to ask questions as soon as they appear in our mind.
This represents restlessness of mind.
An intolerant and extremely restless person cannot become a sadhak.
If he becomes a practitioner, his practice does not remain steady.
When the doubts arise, one should try to find solutions with a steady mind.
This removes restlessness and increases thinking power, means clarity of mind and self-confidence.
Asking questions of just anyone brings no solutions and the mind gets buried in the dirt of conflicting opinions and it becomes confused.
Some questions are of such nature that the solution does come from them.
But in short time the solution produces new questions again.
The secret mystery behind this, is that there are different levels of questions.
The solution to the first level of question is useful for the first level only.
In the second level the same question arises in a different form and the previous solution becomes useless.
In the same manner the solution of higher questions becomes useless in the lower levels.
You can say that the solution for the basic question and the evolved question is useless for the lower levels.
We can also say that the questions arising from the different levels of inner growth have their own questions and solutions also.
Let us look at an example.
A child was seated in his grandpa’s lap.
One child.
Not this grandfather, other one.
Suddenly his eyes became fixed on his white moustache.
After a while he started playing with the moustache and he asked, “Grandfather, what is this?”
He answered, “It is called a moustache.”
The child started staring at the moustache.
Meanwhile another question arose in his mind.
He said, “Who has moustache?”
Grandfather replied, grandfather, father, uncle, older brother all have moustaches.
After listening to this answer, the third question arose in his mind.
“Can mother have a moustache?”
Listening to this question, grandfather’s face lit up with a smile.
He explained, “No, mother doesn’t have a moustache.”
Again, the child asked another question.
“Why doesn’t mother have a moustache?”
Grandfather became speechless.
He stopped from mentioning the reasons why mother cannot have a moustache.
How would the child understand it?
Childish questions are not only asked by children.
But also by learned old people.
The old and the learned ask childish questions if they are unlearned about the subject.
Thus, ignorance of the subject is the cause of childish questions.
Residing in the presence of a guru, if a disciple has any special question and cannot find the answer after trying on his own.
He should ask this question to his sadguru.
Though all questions can be answered by logic they are not necessarily true.
The result of any yoga is known after proper practice only and not by logic.
This is why knowledge and science are differentiated in the whole world.
This Knowledge means knowledge without experience or that which is gathered in information form through hearing, reading, guessing, or through logic.
While science is the knowledge that comes from experience or factual result of actual experience.
When a disciple practices sadhana with faith for many years and reaches its climax, then only he is able to value properly the knowledge received from his guru.
In the beginning and the middle of the practice of yoga one does not realize the proper value of a guru.
When a good disciple is able to understand the true value of his sadguru in full, he doesn’t like his own title as a guru of the universe even if the disciple has attained to it effortlessly and unintentionally.
In that higher state of consciousness, he loves to be a disciple at the holy feet of his own guru.
The ideal guru values his position as a disciple, more than his position as a guru.
The disciple who sees his evolved, wise, seer guru as an ordinary person is an ordinary disciple himself.
As long as the disciple doesn’t feel full respect and divine love in his heart his practice doesn’t pick up intensity.
Now I would like to describe to you in short the guidance that my beloved gurudev has given to me.
To believe in the presence of God and to accept his non-dual nature.
To obey the yamas and niyamas according to one’s own capacity.
To pray to God performing mantra and japa, to keep silence and to fast, eating one meal a day, worship of God, bhajan, asana, meditation, guru seva, pranayam, should be practiced according to one’s own capacity.
To listen, ponder and digest the scriptures.
To keep the company of saints and to study deeply the books written by your guru.
To practice right action, control of senses means discipline, faith, self-analysis, and righteous performance of duties.
Thus, there are 5 principles.
Now I am concluding my lecture.
Dear Amrit had always invited me to visit America whenever he came to India.
Not only that but he had a strong desire to celebrate Guru Purnima with me here.
By God’s grace his desire is fulfilled today.
That makes me extremely satisfied too.
I am very happy to receive your pure love.
On this auspicious day of Guru Purnima I have given you the guidance which you deserve from my pure heart from my personal experiences.
May God bless us all and may our spiritual travel be successful with these best wishes I conclude my blessing.
Your dear Bapuji, My Jai Bhagwan.
Sarvetra sukinah santu, etc.
May all be happy here.
May all attain to health.
May everyone be blessed.
May no one be even a little bit unhappy or painful.
I spoiled lots of your time.
OM
Are you hungry?