Meeting with the master

The Master Magic @Yogi Sabhagraha

Gurudev entered the lovely yogi sabhagraha at 8 45 am. Started with “Om” chanting and “Satyam Param Dimahi” chanting and then led us through a beautiful long meditation. He also slipped deep into meditation (I peekedJ). There was so much peace in the atmosphere, so much love, all barriers if any would have dissolved then only.

It was a smart move by Gurudev, made us and our minds extremely quiet, then he said “Ask questions”!! It took the audience a long time to warm up to ask questions. J But we did get the ball rolling. Here is a list of the Q&A that I remember. Please forgive me mistakes or lapses in memory. Ive also mixed English and Hindi almost as Gurudev spoke. Don’t have the heart to translate his words J

Many people were asking questions without the mike from the balcony etc. but could be easily heard as there was such a loving silence from the audience, keen to hear every word, the “amrit vaani”.

As soon as the compair started asking questions from behind the curtain he said – “arre zameen par kyou baithe ho?” And started removing the rug from underneath his feet. The compair said “No No Guruji, Im fine”. Yet Gurudev wasn’t happy, while she was reading questions, he called Devang and personally  helped him remove the 2 gaddas from below his feet to give for the people sitting on the other side of the stage on the floor. And he added, “Volunteerism starts from here only”. Such concern for every soul, such style, such panache, such humility, such love, grace, beauty, knowledge, devotion – only Sri Sri can have.

Q – Guruji, when did you decide that you were going to be “Guruji” ?

A – You really want to go back so much in history?? Many  thousands of years? (laughter)

Q – How do we strengthen faith and keep our faith strong in these difficult times?

A – Faith ko strong karne ke chakkar mein mat pado. Doubt karo. Itna doubt karo ki doubt mein doob jao. Phir dekho jo na hila – voh faith hai. Phir voh faith Mumbai ki Imarato ki tarah strong hoga.
Dekho, doubt kab aata hai – jab prana Shakti kam ho jaati hai.
Sabse pehle kya hota hai jab prana kam hota hai? Doubt,  shanshay aata hai. Jab prana aur bhi kam ho jata hai  – tab kuch acha nahi lagta,
jab aur bhi kam ho jata hai to suicidal tendencies aa jaati hai.
To itna chakkar hone mat do. Saddhana seva aur satsang se prana badhta hai. When your prana is high you never get doubt. Some mornings you just wake up bubbling with energy that is when your prana is high.

Q – Guruji it is said that bad things happen to bad people, but I have seen that it is not true. Only good things happen to bad people.

A – No that theory is completely wrong. Wait a little. You will see that bad things will only happen to bad people. If good things are happening to them, it is because they are enjoying the fruits of some previous good karma. But they will finally come down. Girne ke liye bhi to thoda uthna padta hai, varna girenge kaise?? Karma ka niyam atal hai. If the sun rises over the Arabian see and sets in Chennai, I will accept your theory, but that won’t happen anytime soon.

Q – How much do planetary positions affect us – one jyotish has told me that I might have an accident because of some planetary position?

A – Dekho jyotish ek guideline hai. Ek marg darshak hai, uska exact prediction nahi hota. Agar kuch hona hota hai to uska upay bhi hota hai. Aur sab planetary positions ke effect ko nullify karta hai “Om namah shivaya” chanting.

Q – Guruji patrata kaise badhaye?

A – Hmmm, dekho ek to yeh awareness hai ki patrata badhani hai. Aur baaki to seva, satsang, sadhana se patrata badhti hai.

Q – Gurudev, I work in Marketing, and I have been told that you should stay away from these Guru’s and all as they influence you a lot.

A – What you are saying is an old paradigm. The new paradigm is that Marketing people say, GO and learn marketing from Guru’s. They can teach you. Learn how they reach 153 countries with no capital. How so many people get motivated?

Q - Someone in my family has schizophrenia – people with schizophrenia cannot do kriya – is schizophrenia hereditary?

A – Hmmmm.  Heriditary, ho bhi sakta hai aur nahi bhi. Pehle maine nahi suna tha itne logo ko schizophrenia hote. Ab jyaada ho gaya hai. Jinko schizophrenia hai unke mind par koi pressure nahi hona chaiye..koi performance pressure nahi hona chaiye.  Thoda Meditation karao.  Kriya to nahi kar sakte, par thoda meditation kar sakte hai. Par davai to deni  padegi

Q – Gurudev, can we please keep organic sugar in our divine shops? It is not available.

A – Hah, you know I was asking our people about it. You know that the sugar lobby in our country is so strong. TO extract sugar in a more raw form than it currently – you need a license!!! Currently you can only extract it after adding so much sulphur to make it that poisonous white sugar. I tell you the sugar lobby has looted the health and wealth of this country!! Use jiggery instead. It has zinc, magnesium and iron, all 3 are good for you.

Q – Gurudev, as part of my job come back late in the night and with the way things are going, I feel very scared as a woman. I feel I should keep a weapon with me, but I think that is so violent. What should I do?

A – One option is to change your job. Other option is learn some Karate or something. These little little girls in the ashram have learnt Taikwando and they have got national level medal. Learn Martial Arts. And don’t worry, nothing will happen to you.

Q - Upnayan is going to happen in Mumbai soon. Can you please share something about that?

A - Upnayan is taking responsibility. Taking responsibility of your parents, Society as well as knowledge. It also makes the person realise. "Ishwar Ansh Jeev Avinashi". That i am part of the infinite. It is also capacity building and confidence building.

Q – Cant talk to elders because of fear. Ghutan ho rahi hai.

A – Where there is respect there will be fear. But if there is respect with love, there is no need to fear. Say whatever is in your heart

Q – Guruji please tell us a story from your childhood?

A – I think that it is continuing

Q – Guruji aap kehte hai ki hamaari vajah se kisi ko taklif nahi honi chaaiye. Par agar hamare seva or satsang karne se kisi ko taklif ho to kya kare?

A – Laughs – Phir ek shlok hai (Sanskrit shlok)”Koi kisi ko dukh ya such nahi de sakta. Tum apna sukh dekho aur unhe apne kasht jhelnne do. Par iska matlab yeh nahi ki agar tumhare ghar mein koi bimar hai, tum usko na dekho aur seva ke liye nikal pado. Ya tumhara pati ya bacha kuch chahta ho aur tum nikal jao. Par aisa bhi nahi hai ki tum sirf unki suno. To tumhe ghutan ho jayegi aur man ki taklif ho jaayegi. Kabhi unki suno, kabhi apni karo. Aisa nahi ki har waqt apni karo ya har waqt unki suno. Life is about compromise I tell you.

Q – When I am very anxious to meet you what should I do?

A (laughs) Close your eyes and relax. Just meditate I am you and you are me. We are always together. In fact any type of anxiety, just close your eyes and relax. But don’t follow this while walking on the road or driving a car!! ;)

You give me all your desires and do my work. It is already in your experience that your small needs are been taken care of.

Q- I do sadhana, seva, satsang, but I am not able to let go? How do I let go?
A – (Guruji was playing with some mogra flowers on the sofa. He picked them and let them from a distance and said like this. Just let go. At some point you will say na “I give up”. When you cannot take it anymore? Then why wait to get to that point. Give up little little as it come. Did you get it?

Stop worrying about little things and desires. Desire Big, how can we raise a spiritual revolution in this country. The small worries will dissolve automatically.

Q – Guruji I do all Art of living practices and seva, sadhana satsang, but I love watching movies. I watch many of them. Then I feel bad that I can do something better with that time? Is that ok or am I being too harsh on myself?
A- Ha its ok. See you can watch but if you watch too much all your energy will get drained and plus you will get thick specs. Entertainment should be energising, not draining. Watch once in 3-4 months. If you want to see more, see half hour and come out. Keep some suspense in life. See how nature has kept suspense from you. How you were born is suspense. When you will die is suspense. What happens after death is suspense, so the interest stays. You also keep suspense in life.

Some other statements – who’s questions I cant remember!!

Laxmi unke paas daud ke aati hai, jo prayatna karta hai aur jisme sher (lion) jaisa confidence ho.

Prayatna aur prarthna – dono hona zaroori hai. Aisa nahi ho sakta ki aap sirf prarthna kare aur prayatna na kare – to yeh kaam nahi hoga. Aisa hota hai ki koi prarthna kare aur kaam ho jata hai – par vaha tak pahuchne mein bahut waqt lagta hai – phir to siddh ho gaye. Tab hi yeh hota hai.Aisa bhi nahi hoga ki aap sirf prayatna kare – aur prathna na kare. Dona saath chalte hai.

After so many questions, he said let’s do a couple of bhajans and then picked up the mogras showered the audience with them and emptied some on his own head and threw the bowl to a volunteer. Im like so charmed by his “adaas”. Jai Gurudeva