Swami’s Surprise for Overseas Devotees

(On Tuesday, 2nd August 94, after the evening Bhajan in Brindavan, Swami surprised all the overseas devotees by inviting them for a Divine Discourse. Here are the excerpts constituting the first part of a two-part series.)

Just as there is fragrance in a flower, God is present within you. Why do you search for God all the time just like the musk deer which is in mad search for the fragrance inside itself?

True Value

Embodiments of love! The good and bad of a nation rest on the behavior of mankind. Human actions are based on thoughts. Thoughts depend on the mind. Mind is based on the inner feelings. Therefore, the true value of a human being lies in developing good thoughts.

Inner Qualities

Of all the parts of the human body, the head and the heart are most important. Out of the head many temporary feelings originate. This is called external outlook (pravritti). Reading, writing, eating, earning, amassing are external qualities of the head. Out of the heart originate compassion, love, sacrifice, and sympathy. These are the inner qualities (nivritti). They are the main human qualities. Only when we develop these qualities our life will be redeemed.

The Form of Atman

The essence of all religions is one. At the time of the birth of Jesus Christ, three Arabian kings visited him. One king thought, this child loves God. The other king thought, God loves this child. The third king took the child as God Himself. From the standpoint of an individual, he is the son of God. At the level of spirit he and the Father are one. The messenger has to get away from bad qualities and to develop good qualities. Therefore, when one totally gives up wicked qualities there will be divinity within.

The Divine Command

Today every human being is a sort of messenger. One has to propagate the Divine feelings and the Divine command all over the World. One has to pass on the message of God to mankind. One should also practice. Propagation and practice will make one Divine. God is not separate. One and the same Divinity is present in all.

The Indweller

In every material you find Divine brilliance. Therefore, there is no material, there is no individual, without Divinity. However, the ethical man, the man of morality, will have the Divinity shining. The one who discharges their duty can express their self. Therefore, we should first have an intimate relationship with God. In Vedantic parlance it is called good friend. ln this world we have friends who expect something in return. God is selfless. He gives us all. The real friend is God.

Truth is One

Whatever spiritual pursuit you undertake, without this feeling of oneness it is useless, irrespective of all your sadhana. The Bible, Koran, Bhagavad Gita are not merely to be read, they are to be known; they have to be practiced. If you read them without this feeling of oneness, it is useless. Bodies appear to be separate, the various forms are different. But the Divinity is one and the same in all.

Give and Take

However, all are not eligible to receive God’s grace. When you offer something to God, you have the authority to receive. First, you must offer. Then you earn the right to take. When we offer simple things to God, He will give in excess. The rules of the Divine are both ways, giving and taking. It is a sort of bank-transaction. You deposit all your merit in the bank. It is your money, but you have to issue the cheque to receive the money. Same in the relationship with God.

Sacrifice for Yoga

Today the devotee is full of desires, but appropriate sacrifice is essential. When once you sacrifice you deserve to receive. A small example: there is a tumbler of water. You need milk. Unless you pour out the water, you cannot fill the tumbler with milk. Therefore, you have to sacrifice that which is in you, then God will fill it up later. The water is useless, but the milk gives you strength. God gives that. You may offer simple things to God, but God gives great things in affluence. Therefore, you should be one of sacrifice. When once you sacrifice, God will give you yoga.

Offering to God

In Vedantic parlance, Bharathiya (Indian) culture teaches you about the leaf, the flower, the fruit and water. Whenever somebody visits a temple, they carry flowers and fruits. But these flowers will fade in an hour’s time. the fruits also decay after a few days. But within you lies the permanent flower, the fruit and water. The body is the leaf. With this body you should serve. Whatever you may do to others you should do it with the feeling of an offering to God. whatever you do, do it as Divine activity. Then work will be transformed into worship. This is the service to God. What is this flower? It is the heart. This flower should not have the insects of bad qualities like avarice, anger, lust, greed, and ego. We should clean it with the waters of love and then offer such a flower to God. Then what is the fruit? It is the fruit of the mind. lt should not be a mad monkey. The fruit should be pure and have sweet juice. Where do you get that sweet fruit? Sweet fruit is born out of the life of the tree. Body is the tree. All our relations are sort of flowers. Various countries are branches. Desire is the fruit. It should have the sweet juice of character.

Faith is the Basis

For this tree the roots are the basis. For roots, the base is confidence. Faith is the basis. At the bottom are the roots of faith, on the top the sweet fruit of character. Without the root below and the fruit on the top, it is not a tree but firewood. Therefore, confidence should be the root and character should be the fruit. First, we must have faith in God. The true friend is God. God protects you in every way. He is the creator, sustainer and annihilator.

Secret in Divinity

Always offer the sweet fruit of mind to God and not the mad monkey mind. We call mind a mad monkey. It’s not mad monkey, it’s God monkey. God monkey means Hanuman, meaning the one who dedicated himself to God’s service. He followed every command. The one with worldly desires is a mad monkey. Therefore, we should make our mind Divine. That Divinity is all sweet. Therefore, we should offer our mind to God.

Permanent Results

Why do people come from far-off places like Russia, Argentina, Australia or London? They spend thousands and thousands in terms of money. They waste time. They bear all inconveniences. They have Divine feelings. If you are after transient things, you will get transient results. If you worship the permanent One, you will have permanent results. Through the action you will have affection; from that kind of feeling you will have character. As is the character so is the deservedness. The deservedness is our luck. The good and bad luck depend on thoughts. We have to sow the seed of thoughts; then we get the fruit of action. Then, we will have that intimacy. When once we sow the seed of character, we earn the merit. Therefore, on individual level, country, society etc…, good and bad rest on thoughts. Divine thoughts are pure – without desires. Love is God, live in love.

Divine Diamond

The relationship between husband and wife is not love, it is only attachment. The relationship between mother and child is not love, it is only affection. Worldly love is not prema (love), it is all attachment. What is love? Before marriage, who is wife and who is husband? There is no relationship before. Only after marriage he says ‘my wife’, then there comes love. After wife dies or after a divorce, there will be no love. But God’s love is not like that. It was there prior to life, is in your life, will be there after death. That love is true Divinity. That sacred love is in you, but you misuse it. You take the diamond and sell it for coal. That diamond is the Divine love.

Expansion of Love

Have broad mind, not broad heart. Broad heart means enlargement of heart, it January 1995 needs heart surgery. Broad mind, not narrow mind, that is expansion of love. Narrow love is contraction of love. The real devotee needs expansion of love. You don’t need to search for God. The fragrance of a flower is there in the flower. The purpose with which you have come, accomplish it and hold on to Swami. Don’t go anywhere. God is present at all places. He is everywhere. But we want that which we can see. Don’t move about as you like and lose your faith. This God doesn’t expect anything from anybody except love. This God accepts only love. Whatever you want, whatever you like, I will give. I am ready. But you should have the heart, the receiver. I am ready to give, but you are not ready. What can I do? It’s not my fault I am always ready but your monkey mind is going the other side. Make your mad monkey into a God monkey.

Develop Love

You exert and undergo so many inconveniences. You come with intense love. Develop that love. Don’t waste your time and don’t be disappointed and frustrated ultimately. Lead your life in one confidence.

Confidence—The Key

Have complete confidence in one God. Don’t jump hither and thither, making your heart full of holes. There shouldn’t be any holes. Fill it up with nectar. Your heart is a pot—God’s grace is immortality. Fill it up with immortality. But the “pot” is full of holes. Instead of filling the pot which is full of holes, first patch the holes. Pack it up with faith. When we have that faith we will be steady, we will never waver. That is confidence.

When there is confidence, there is love.
When there is love, there is peace.
When there is peace, there is truth.
When there is truth, there is bliss.
When there is bliss, there is God.”