Bhajan evening from Vienna 2
The bhajans convey the essence of remembering the divine name and surrendering to the guru.
Always remember the most famous master, pray to that master. The master is the supreme lord of hosts, the giver of bliss. The formless Nārāyaṇa is everywhere. The Satguru is always present wherever one looks. Surrender to the guru removes all sorrows and troubles. No worldly relationship offers true refuge. Only the guru protects from the net of māyā. The ocean of saṃsāra is stormy. The guru’s mercy prevents the boat from breaking. One request: destroy dualities so that either japa or dhyāna becomes one-pointed. The Satguru ever protects; be fearless. Those surrendered to the guru live in highest happiness. Constant repetition of the mantra crosses the ocean of the world. That repetition leads to liberation and immortality. The world is a fleeting play of coming and going, lasting only two days. Possessions and family cannot help at death. Therefore worship the immortal God. Place the whole responsibility into the guru’s hands. Live like a lotus in the river, selfless, and at death let life be taken into divine hands.
“O Gurudev, take me under your shoulder and remove all my sorrows.”
“This world is a play of coming and going. We are in this world just for two days.”
Filming location: Vienna, Austria
Up next
Use your common sense!
Discerning Guru Vākya with common sense is essential. When a Guru speaks, the answer is often for the person asking, not for everyone. Hearing a reply meant for another does not make it Guru Vākya for you. Direct personal instruction from the Guru is for that disciple alone and should not be broadcast as a universal command. Consider the agarbattī example: modern chemical incense is harmful and prohibited, yet pure agarbattī was once used sparingly. This illustrates that context determines a teaching’s application. People frequently misuse the term Guru Vākya to force their own desires upon others. They wield it as a sword, as blackmail, claiming divine sanction for personal wishes. Common sense, viveka, must be exercised. Be aware of who relays the Guru Vākya; the source may distort it. Just as fake news spreads, false teachings circulate without knowledge. Do not be critical, but think about what is heard. Often, one only hears the Guru Vākya that aligns with personal wishes. What Grandma wants, Grandma will dream about. Being near the Guru can challenge the ego, causing inner conflict; this is normal. Only when empty inside, like the bamboo flute, can the divine play through you. Thus, discern with awareness, using common sense to navigate the multitude of sayings.
“If you are passing near the gaddi of Viśvagurujī, and somebody puts a question and you hear the answer, that answer is for that person. For that person, it is Guru Vākya. For you, maybe it is not.”
“Mostly people use Guru Vākya, only that kind of Guru Vākya which is going to my wishes, what I want.”
Filming location: Vép, Hungary
Nature of our Atma
The essence of vṛtti and ātmā is the path to oneness.
A good vṛtti is seen as discipline and humility in one's life, observed by others. Vṛtti manifests in two ways: through external discipline from parents and teachers, and through one's inherent nature. It refers to one's actions and habits, such as seeking food beyond what is provided at home. The story of a man at a dinner, whose poor manners spoiled another's meal, illustrates an unconscious vṛtti. The ultimate aim is chitta vṛtti nirodha, the cessation of mental modifications. We are all one, like individual drops from a vast ocean. This drop, the jīva or soul, when it merges back into the ocean, becomes Shiva, the divine. The divine essence is within everyone, pure and indestructible. It is the ever-awakened truth, unaffected by the body or the elements. This inner ātmā is our true, limitless form. The path is through constant meditation and the soham mantra, realizing "He am I," to achieve this silent oneness.
"Stone by stone. And day by day, I will build it, my temple."
"Where are you searching for me? I am within."
Filming location: Vép, Hungary
Shiv Mahapuran: Tulsi and Shankachuda
The demon Śaṅkhacūḍa’s invincibility stems from his wife Tulasī’s pativratā dharma. Nārada asks Brahmā why Viṣṇu went to Tulasī’s house, unveiling the origin of Śāligrām and tulasī’s sacredness.
Śaṅkhacūḍa, a Dānava born to Dhūmra through penance, gained Brahmā’s boon of being undefeated by gods. He married Tulasī, a yoginī devoted solely to purity. Their union amplified his power, and he tormented the gods. Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva conferred. Śiva fought Śaṅkhacūḍa for ages but could not defeat him due to two protections: a Kṛṣṇa-given armour and Tulasī’s unbroken marital fidelity. Viṣṇu devised a plan. Disguised as a beggar, he tricked Śaṅkhacūḍa into surrendering the armour. Then, assuming Śaṅkhacūḍa’s form, Viṣṇu deceived Tulasī. Realizing the betrayal, Tulasī cursed Viṣṇu to become stone. Śiva intervened, consoling her that her mind remained pure. She shed her body, becoming the Gaṇḍakī River, while Viṣṇu, by her curse, became Śāligrām stone. Tulasī merged into Vaikuṇṭha and is ever worshipped with Viṣṇu. Śaṅkhacūḍa, weakened, was slain by Śiva’s trident and returned to Kṛṣṇa. The pativratā dharma of a wife grants immense strength; breaching it dismantles that power.
“Viṣṇu Bhagavān Śāligrām Ho Kar Rahe. Isliye Śāligrām Ko Viṣṇu Bhagavān Ke Pratīk Manā Jātā Hai.”
“Śāligrām ke andar me cakra Sudarśana cakra dikhāī detā hai, Viṣṇu kā. Gaṇḍakī me jāke snāna karegā, āśirvād milegā aur sārā pāp chhuṭ jāyegā.”
Filming location: Ujjain, India
Ashram needs dedication
Seva, or selfless service, is the highest spiritual practice. Karma Yoga, the yoga of action, is the most accessible path. It involves using one's abilities for the benefit of others, leading toward liberation. God incarnates to perform seva, and saints hold a unique power to alter destiny through compassion. True service requires dedication and freedom from jealousy, which harms both the giver and receiver. The foundation of all seva begins with honoring one's parents, the primary pilgrimage. Cultivating pure relationships through selfless action is the essence of yoga in daily life.
"Gurujī used to say that if you put Mokṣa on one side of a scale and Seva on the other, the side of Seva would be heavier."
"Whoever can perform Seva achieves everything."
Filming location: Vienna, Austria
DVD 235
