USA/North Carolina

On Shivaratri Day, March 1, 2003, our group visited the world’s most ancient rock, the Pilot Mountain, situated in North Carolina, USA. Swamiji gave it the name 'Sri Devpuriji Shiva Mountain' because its shape is like that of a Shiva lingam. We walked around it in dense fog about 50 metres below the peak. Many trees were seriously damaged due to the ice storm that occurred a few days before and crushed pieces of ice, fallen from the trees, covered the Earth. Sadhvi Shanti wrote a poem after a mystical walk around this rock:

THE SRI DEVPURIJI SHIVA MOUNTAIN ON SHIVARATRI 2003

He was not in orange this day, he was absorbed.
He covered his face with holy ashes of mysterious fog.
The ice crystals were vibrating with subtle forces of changing elements,
telling us: “Nothing is yours, all in Thy hands…”
All the changing areas come out of the rock, like the wispering vibration of divine sound:
“Shiva is here… Shiva is here.”
Standing with a divine rock face, immovable and firm,
immense stone ages on his colored face,
the eyes full of wisdom and bliss, showering drops of nectar with divine love on our faces,
BLESSING US… BLESSING US…

Can you hear him? Shiva is here… Shiva is here…
Testing us: Will you go? Will you stop? Will you fall? Will you stand? Will you give your hand and help? Will you give up?
Do you have fear?
Will you be a loving, helping, trusting, understanding, giving Yoga child?

The Shiva rock, invisible and imperishable light of Nirguna form,
he meditates on the Saguna form,
deeply absorbed in meditation and prayers.
Silence…Deep peace…Wisdom…Knowledge…Light.

Letting us float in the fog of the Maya stream.
No word, no wish, no desire, no question could disturb him on his Samadhi path!
He showed his power and force already before,
By destroying the weak branches of mortality, asking the trees and us:
“Are you strong enough to endure? To endure in the ocean of the world? Will you break or come through? Will you be strong like the Shiva Mountain?”

O dear one, can you see Shiva’s footsteps everywhere?

Listen, see, feel, hear him everywhere.
Shiva is here, so near, so near…

His message on this tour of eternity:

When you don’t see… believe,
When you don’t hear… trust,
When you don’t know… believe,
When you don’t understand… trust.

Whatever it is, whatever comes, listen to Lord Shiva’s words:
“Be firm and immovable like a rock in the Maya of the world.”

Believe and trust,
Trust and pray,
Believe, trust and pray.
Follow your path,
Follow you Master,
Follow the Guru Vakyas.

I am with you, I am with you.
Why have you fear, when I am here?

OM NAMAH SHIVAYA

USA/Washington DC

At the Washington Retreat, on March 8, 2003, Swamiji composed the following words for the essence of our Midday Peace Prayer at 12 noon:

OM, Merciful Lord, bless us with love, peace, harmony, understanding, forgiveness, good health and happiness in our whole world.
OM SHANTI, SHANTI, SHANTI.

We sang it all together, the first time on the 8th of March, one week after Shivaratri.

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WHO IS HAPPY? The one who is always satisfied.

• Reduce your needs! Rich are they who don’t want anything; beggars are they who always want to multiply their possessions - they are the slaves of wealth.
• The first wealth is good health.
• Limit your desires and your future visions. Our one vision is GOD!
• Dedicate your life! How much can you help others?
• Help! Your every drop of blood should be dedicated to something! Helping is hindered by your arguments. You will be happy when you give and protect something. This will give sensitivity to your life.
• Realise SANTOSHA - satisfaction!
• Don’t have expectations!

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ABOUT PRAYER:
Prayer is a personal consultation with GOD;
Prayer removes your fear;
Prayer is a song, to request forgiveness;Prayer is our mental and spiritual nourishment.
When you pray you are one with the Divine!

Through prayer, your fear will be removed, your destiny corrected, your karmas purified, your consciousness and your heart will be purified. Always pray from your heart.

GOD IS LOVE AND LOVE IS GOD!

A little story: There was once a king, and he was thinking to give all people the chance to speak to him personally, at a certain time of the day, without going before his ministers. He chose the time of sunrise in the morning and the time of sunset in the evening. At this time everyone could consult him directly.
This king is God, and the time he gives for personal consultation is the time of morning and evening prayers.

Prayer: Protect and save our life in the darkness!

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Remove ego, doubts, greediness, fear, bad habits, anger, jealousy - not intellectually, but from your heart! Like a little worm changes into a butterfly, change internally! When you have doubts, this is like a poison! All is spoiled! Years of Sadhana can be destroyed in one moment, through Maya, as one drop of lemon spoils a whole litre of milk. We need to say: 'The moon and sun can change their direction, but my faith will not change.' Then individual qualities are changing into cosmic qualities!

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To remove all kind of fears there is only one possibility: the SATSANG! Listen in the Satsang, sing Bhajans, understand their meaning - then you will receive knowledge and blessing!

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Surrendering to the Master is a good path. If you find the right Master, then love, which was blocked in you, begins to flow and devotion comes out. Blessed are they who have found their Master and can open their heart, and let it flow...

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ATTACHMENT creates jealousy, uncertainty and fear.
LOVE creates peace and joy!

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Never force yourself to do anything - let it come from itself. When everything is clear it will come. Pray for clarity.

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Questions to Swamiji:

Q: What is the best and was is the worst in Yoga?
A: The best is to practise Yoga and the worst is not to practise Yoga!

Q: Are you God?
A: Yes, I am God. My body is mortal, but my ATMA is GOD. You also are God: your body is mortal, but your ATMA is GOD.

Q: What is the nature of the relationship between Master and disciple?
A: The relationship between Master and disciple is like that between a mother and a child in her womb; like the body and its shadow; like the body and the breath.

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DO GOOD - BE GOOD - GET GOOD!

Canada

WHEN WE PRAY ALL TOGETHER FOR WORLD PEACE – THEN IT WILL BE!

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The universe is like the mother, the cosmic consciousness, like the baby, the golden egg. There is Consciousness and Nature, Purusha and Prakriti, Shiva and Shakti. The universe is like the mother’s womb, the cosmic mother, the golden womb - and the golden egg is the Divine Self. The Mother principle is the highest in the universe: the most protective principle.

She is preserving that cosmic consciousness in her womb. The mother is the symbol of love, protection, care, giving life. She supports development and supports growth. This energy is balancing the whole universe and is known as Yoga.

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With your meditation, Mantra and Guru Kripa your consciousness will merge into the universal consciousness. To achieve this, practise YOGA!

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“I am not this mind, not this body, not my feelings, not my emotion, not my thinking, not my soul. Who are you then? I am the ATMA, divine consciousness, governing this body.”

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In meditation, the Light of Wisdom means contentment, happiness, clarity, understanding, knowledge and satisfaction. There is no suffering. Peace within yourself.

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Use your top-floor, use the brain—but don't forget the heart! When you use too much heart, you become selfish and attached. The heart is the mother, the universal mother, the brain is the consciousness.

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People should do their best to purify their Karma, to become one with the Universal Consciousness! Like a drop of water becomes one with the ocean.

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Patanjali says: YOGASH CITTA VRITTI NIRODHAH: reduce your thinking processes. Lead your life positively, that is a spiritual life!

New Zealand

Consciousness, words, memory, emotions, anger, hate, jealousy, complexes, desires, greediness, all these functions should be balanced. The balancing principle is the divine mother - YOGA, the balancing principle of the universe.

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When you mix water with salt and the salt keeps its salty qualities, there is no union. The salt must give up its qualities as salt to become one with the water. It must be a union of the same quality, like Gold in Gold, sweet in sweet, water in water, divine qualities with divine qualities. So give up your individual qualities and become one with God.

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What separates us from God? Only our qualities, they are different from him. Kabir Das says: the street of love is so narrow, that there is no room for two. They must become one.

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Love, help, help all, meditate, believe there is God who is inside and outside of you. Pray, remove all doubts, suffering, fear, move close to God. Be kind, be merciful!

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Yoga is a very beautiful science: love, believe, help, pray - there is God, the universal God – discover your inner light!

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Our inner qualities must be SATTVIC, that is our best nourishment!

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The flame of life is the cosmic mother. We are connected to her, she is nourishing us through our breathing! When you are happy and joyful, then your physical, mental and emotional health improves. More healthy blood cells increase in your body. The length of your life increases. When you are sad, scared, uncertain then the length of your life decreases. The healthy cells die in your body and psychic and physical illness come.

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Do good, be good, get good! Be humble, kind, understanding. Forgive, be tolerant!

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Bad Karma can be removed by good Karma!

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What is spirituality? Spirituality comes from spirit and purity – purity in your consciousness. Spirituality is crystal clear consciousness, it is the combination of consciousness and purity. The consciousness should be pure, crystal clear!

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There are two powers: the divine energy and the devil energy. One water is dirty, the other is clear. One is negative, destructive, the other is good, positive. You have the choice!

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The aim of your life is to realize that your relation is one with the cosmic One!

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Humans are born as protectors, not as destroyers! Protect God’s divine creation, protect the mother earth, Mother Nature and know thyself!

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Like space is inside and outside of us, likewise God is within us and we are within God!

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Yoga makes men holy, god-realized, happy and brings them to union with the Divine!

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“Be the change you want to see!” (Mahatma Gandhi)
What you want to see outside of you, realize it inside of you!

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“How should I realize peace, and find satisfaction inside of me?” asked the disciple. “Practise, practise - only through practice can you become a Yogi!” answered the Master.

Australia I

The street of love is so narrow that two cannot walk on it. There is no more “You” and “I”, there is only One – there is union. Within you is the ocean of bliss. Lead a Divine life and kill the little “I”.

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Develop the cosmic consciousness; develop spirituality through purity of your spirit! Through and through all should be transparent, crystal clear – that is Yoga, that is spirituality!

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We already possess the divine power of cosmic consciousness, but it is dormant. Through practice we can realize it!

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When you practise positive thinking, Sadhu Vicara, then you will discover inside you a mine of diamonds!

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Liberation will be through Guru Kripa and Meditation!
Prayer, love, confidence, Mantra, Bhajans – bring light in the darkness.

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In the Self Inquiry meditation the question is not: “WHO am I?” but it is: “HOW am I?” Am I selfish, careless, angry, jealous, emotional, uncertain, not trusting, unhappy? Ask yourself: HOW am I?

In the Self Inquiry meditation we come to know our inner qualities. All bad qualities have to be rooted out!

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A meditation without Mantra is like a body without soul.
Meditation needs love, Mantra.

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When Bhakti and Karma are there, then Gyana comes alone!
Bhakti alone is not enough. You should do something! Do something good, help, serve, do Seva!

Through devotion and actions comes Gyana (this means ATMA GYANA).

Bhakti and Karma Yoga are dominant in Yoga in Daily Life.

Gain or loss are in your hands; gain or loss are according to your price (Bhava, feelings, faith, affinity).
What price you have for God, for Gurudev – this is your choice!

Saguna form of Gurudev is all his disciples – if you are neglecting one, then you are neglecting Gurudev!

Open your heart – especially to those who you don’t like.

Respect brothers and sisters, mothers and fathers – then there will be no war!
The mother principle is able to create love and peace – respect and follow this principle.

Prayer should come from our heart and we should have the feeling of oneness!

Those families, children which are now the victims of the war – they need our prayers! Prayers will definitively help them to bring peace again to this beautiful planet.

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Questions from journalists about the war:

Q: How can we deal with this war?
A: We hate the actions, but not the people! Jesus said, “forgive them, they don’t know what they are doing!” God is in every atom, he must be also in people who create the war, even in the bullet and the weapons.

Q: How it is possible that a weapon can kill a human if there is God inside?
A: See God in your enemy! We love our dear ones – but to love our enemies, that is something great!

Q: How can we create peace?
A: Become clear within yourself. Every human has the war within. When they cannot win the inner war, they make war outside. Try to realise peace within you.

1. Stop your inner fighting
2. Stop your cultural fighting
3. Stop your religious fighting
4. Stop your national fighting

Bring your awareness to how to heal Mother Earth and Nature. The entire planet is a oneness, which we should not divide! When we are self-confident we will become this oneness, in harmony with Nature.

5. Bring everywhere the message of love and peace!
6. Create a happy family, a happy society, invite your friends, speak together, don’t be divided.

Awaken the consciousness of oneness – everywhere!

When a dog bites you - you cannot bite back! Avoid the situation and forgive. Pray inside – and don’t expect anything, because expectation will lead you to suffering!

Send good wishes to your enemies, their actions are bad – but the inner ATMA is good!

Our good thinking and prayers will help!

Australia II

In his last Satsang Swamiji spoke much about our ancestors and the importance of our role and responsibility towards them.

We are responsible for the liberation of our ancestors. We have close relations with 14 generations, decreasing till the 28th generation.

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Through your prayers you can liberate some of your ancestors.

Perform PITRA PUJA every day. For instance place a picture of Mahaprabhuji and a flower on a table, light a candle, an incense, and say your prayer: “I pray for all of you, o divine and pure souls, who are in this astral space. I pray for your liberation, may you find the way to the light!”

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If one in the family obtains Self-realisation, 7 generations from the past and 7 generations from the future will be liberated!

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The entire world is the family of God!

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Within us is ANANTA SHAKTI, endless energy, stored in the energy centres. The whole universe is within us!

Destiny is in Gods hands, but action is in our hands.

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UTHAN: all things leading our consciousness to the higher world, developing towards success.
PATAN: all things leading our consciousness to the lower world, destruction and disaster.

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Good society leads to a higher consciousness; bad society leads us to destruction.
Avoid those circumstances that are not good for spiritual development!

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Self-doubt is weakness! If you have low self-confidence put it into God's hands: “I offer my thoughts, feelings, actions to you, let me be an instrument of you, O my Lord! Guide me, protect me!”

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Learn to listen and to accept good and bad criticism. Before speaking, measure in your heart how heavy things they are!

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The Master doesn’t ask for anything, because he is the giver. He asks us to give further; we are a channel, a medium of this cosmic light and energy.

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The Light is coming through the spiritual lineage of Alakhpuriji, Devpuriji, Mahaprabhuji, Holy Guruji. When I give you blessing, it is their blessing which I give you. Just open your heart and let it melt.

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Doubts are like sand in a well-prepared salad!

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Let your soul swim in the water of devotion, which is the ocean of immortality. It will filter your qualities – and only your best qualities will remain on the surface.

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Any wish, any problem, dedicate and pray to Sri Devpuriji – and all will be well!
Impossible things will be possible – and possible things will be impossible!

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As many stars as are on the firmament, that many enemies you might have – but if your Gurudev is protecting you, no one can bend even a single hair on your head!

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For all people affected by the war: “We shall pray more and try to help them, as much as we can: in political, social, economical, emotional and material ways.”

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Give your blood to the Blood Bank, it is good Karma. You can donate your organs, that is also good Karma. What is the use of this body?

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Give, give, give: understand and GIVE! Understand others’ life, feelings, needs, rights, and give them food, clothes, water, chances, rights, love, forgiveness!

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The GURU is the knowledge, the light through which we realise happiness and peace in our heart. We are seekers – and he shows us what to search.

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Happiness is the nourishment of our Self!

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Without Gurudev you cannot be successful! We cannot swim alone through the ocean (of the world). We need the boat (which is the Satsang) to bring us to the other shore. The Master is the captain – remain sitting, he will bring you to the other side. If you jump out the sharks will be happy!

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“I pray for your good health, harmony and happy life, and divine protection. God bless you! OM SHANTI, SHANTI, SHANTI.” - Swamiji at the end of his lectures.

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He, who is giving, giving and giving, night and day, day and night is Swamiji, my Master.
He, who is preaching day and night, night and day is Swamiji, my Master.
He, who is serving day and night, night and day is Swamiji, my Master.
I'll show you his humbleness:
On the question: “What plane or level are you on, Swamiji?”
He answered: “I am on the level of a servant, serving all people and God’s creation.”
What would we answer to this question?

All my love to all of you and thanks to the Lord for this fortune to have a Master like Swamiji!

Sadhvi Shanti