26 January 2010

World Peace Tour 2006

His Holiness Mahamandaleshwar Paramhans Swami Maheshwarananda is once more travelling the world to spread the message of peace and to inspire people to follow the ethics and moral principles of non-violence, love, the protection of all living creatures, and the tolerance, respect and understanding of all religions, cultures, and nations.

Swamiji will hold numerous public talks, workshops and satsangs, focusing on the essence of authentic, holistic yoga as a way to achieve optimum health, harmony, spiritual development, and individual and world peace.

New Zealand

Where there is balance there is harmony. Where there is no balance there is no harmony. Balance creates harmony. Therefore the practising of yoga means to create harmony between the body, mind, emotions and intellect. Where there is harmony there is unity. Therefore ultimately yoga means union – the uniting principle; the union of the individual self and the cosmic self. We are all part of the cosmic self. Not only humans, but all creatures.

Emotion means movement. You are in motion. Sometimes we can swim through, sometimes the waves are too high and we need help from others.

Prayers, meditation, spirituality, mean the positive part of our life. They lead us towards positive things. Hate, jealousy, greediness... lead us to the negative path that causes problems in our life. To come out of the cycle of birth and death there is only one way: to become one with God. The first step of self-realization is that you see Thy Self within everyone. Then you will not harm anybody. There will be no more fighting or war.

We have so many wrong ideas in our life through which we suffer. About our wife or husband, children, about our body, our hair… it sounds ridiculous, but some really suffer because his or her hair is not as beautiful as that of somebody else. It's all because of our mind. Our mind, our ideas, make us suffer. But some day all this will no longer be important for us.

The most terrible tragedy is when a human dies without self-realization. Therefore practise – practise yoga.

It does not matter in which religion you believe. Simply be good. Love your neighbour. Not only your father, mother, partner and children. Create love in your heart for all. That’s yoga.

What is yoga? I would say yoga is just that which makes you happy, harmonious and fearless.

How long should we practise yoga? Life long. How many hours a day: 24 hours. Lead your life according to yogic principles.

Yoga in Daily Life means to lead life healthily and consciously and to be happy and relaxed. Observe Thy Self. This is the best way, and this is Yoga in Daily Life.

Laziness is our greatest enemy. A lazy person will not achieve anything. An active person who is working for his or her aim, can achieve everything. When you have motivation, a goal, then there will be no laziness any more.

What is spirituality? Pavitra – purity. Where there is purity in every aspect then a person is spiritual. Spirituality can be developed through our way of life and through our diet – because we have to develop sattvic qualities. Whatever you eat, like that you will think. Whatever you drink, like that you will speak. When you drink a glass of water you will speak differently than when you drink a glass of vodka. In whichever society you stay their habits you will take on. If you stay with thieves you will become a thief. If you stay with me you will become a yogi. And when you come closer, one day you will wear an orange robe, too. When you want to be happy then renounce. “Renounce and enjoy”, as Gandhiji said. The more you collect, the more problems you will have. Do you really think that you are rich when you have many cars, houses and jewels? You don’t own them – you are only the caretaker! Rich are they who are content in any situation and don’t need anything. Poor are they who want to have more and more. They will never be satisfied because greediness has no end. A greedy person will never be satisfied. Contentment, fulfilment, arise from inside not from outside!

Know Thy Self! You are the Supreme! Wake up! Don’t think, “I am lonely, poor, miserable”. Why are you thinking like this? You are Purna, complete. You are part of the cosmic Self, and whatever comes from Purna, is also Purna, perfect and complete. It is your thinking that makes you holy, and it is your thinking that makes you a miserable one. A holy person always thinks holy. Think holy and rich!

Australia Sydney

April 3rd

How to meditate? Just sit and close your eyes, relax and repeat your mantra – it is the best. All other imaginations are simply to direct and concentrate your thoughts.

We are stuck in three states of consciousness: impurity, restlessness & ignorance.

The first step is to be pure and positive in our thinking. Negative thoughts poison one’s self, while positive thoughts improve and develop one’s self.

Your restlessness can be overcome through meditation, so meditate and be one with thy self. It means to be in the present. Where are your thoughts? Be aware of thy self within this body.

To overcome ignorance, read the Holy Scriptures.

April 4th

Press Conference

Question: Swamiji, what do think about the children of today’s world and what message do you have for our youth?

Swamiji: Children are the culture of tomorrow. The youth is the future of our nation and our world. Where they go in that direction will go our world. My first message is to parents, as it is their prime duty to provide children with an ethical education and motivate them to achieve something divine, something spiritual in their life. The world that we see is not all that there is. This material life that we see is not everything. There is something more...

Millions of children are suffering because they have divorced parents or their parents are alcoholic or taking drugs. These children suffer. It is the responsibility of adults to be a good example for children.

To the youth of the world I would say, what you see in the world, the temptations that are there, it is not everything. Sooner or later these things will bring disappointment. The human life is very precious, it’s not given again and again, therefore youth should come to know what it means to be human. Youth needs special attention and special care, because youth have lost their direction and are completely confused.

Question: How do the world leaders and dignitaries you’ve met respond to you?

Swamiji: They are as nice as local people, they are also searching...

April 5th

There are many personal and impersonal problems. Nowadays we are bombarded with information through the media. What’s happening at present in the middle east, with earthquakes etc…we do care, because they are our brothers and sisters... it’s not that we say “it doesn’t matter for me”. It does matter to us.

Meditation and mantra is the way to recover yourself and relax and again come to clarity. We help and try our best according to our capacity. Vikshepa: suddenly your wife tells her husband, I think we don’t understand each other, it’s better for us to get divorced (and he can’t sleep for days!). Or the husband tells his wife, or the children go somewhere and do something and the parents can’t sleep.

There are many Vikshepas. For example, there is a swimming pool and you lose your ring in the swimming pool. There are many, many waves on the surface and you can’t see where your ring is. If the waves are calm, then you can see. These waves are the Vrittis, the restless thoughts. Patanjali said, through practising Yoga you can control your Vrittis and you can have a peaceful and happy life. Therefore meditation is very important. Many know how to meditate and many don’t know how. And if you ask me, how do I meditate, you will laugh. I am a master of meditation, I have taught thousands of people how to meditate, but these are concentration techniques. The best meditation is don’t do anything, close eyes and relax. All holy saints, all highly developed Yogis…ask them how they meditate. “Just sit down, close eyes and relax and repeat your mantra, that’s all”. Other techniques, concentrate there, concentrate here, imagine, a snowy mountain, a beach, this is just to direct your restless thoughts. Meditation without mantra is like a body without soul.

About yoga teachers

To be a yoga teacher is the greatest blessing and joy!

Teaching the truth, the right way of life, the right knowledge, is a great joy! A yoga teacher is the most happy one, that he or she has been chosen by God to be His direct channel, to carry His love and His divine message to others. To guide a blind one is great seva and such a great blessing for those who can do this. And to open the eyes of a blind one is even the greatest that you can do for others in your life. To inspire people, to show them the right path, is the greatest that you can do.

Give further that which you receive. Give love, give knowledge, give wisdom. Receiving and giving, this is the process. With one hand you receive and with the other hand you should give. A child receives love from the mother and mother receives love from the child. Or love from friends. You give your love to your friends and likewise you receive love from them.

Paramhansa Yogananda said: “God is that love between two lovers.” Not the love of the body. He is the union that unites them as oneness. When this kind of love awakens in you, you will be the happiest person in the world. Awaken that divine love in your heart and give it further.

But you cannot awaken this love because it is still dormant and hidden. The unfolding of the petals of the heart only happens in Satsang. In Satsang you should be open to receive it. When you remain closed you will miss it.

Pray to God to purify your heart: Merciful Lord, please let me be the instrument of Your love, that I may serve Your holy creation. Let me be Your instrument, to bring Your love and divine message to all creatures. Let me be the light in the darkness. Bless me, guide me, protect me and liberate me. I am Thine. Surrender, surrender, surrender. When you surrender you will feel immense of love and happiness.

Material love is only a kind of confusion for some time. But the divine love that lasts life-long, is indescribable!

We have to find this love in our heart. And when you have found this love, then you will discover also the source of that love and eventually unite with it.

I wish that in your life you awaken divine love in your heart and that you will give it further. Beautiful is when you can give and teach! To give knowledge makes us happier than to receive it. Knowledge no one can take away, it will be helpful life-long. So, the best that you can give to others is knowledge.

Australia Canberra

Australia Sunshine Coast

Australia Gold Coast

Australia Brisbane

April 14th

Blessed are they who can serve the ashram. Seva for the ashram is the highest spiritual Seva - because to serve the ashram means to serve the entire world. How beautiful!
It is not easy to get such an opportunity. It is a great blessing. You have to earn good Karmas for many lives to be able to serve the ashram, and even Rishis and Yogis are "standing in the queue" to get such a possibility.
To do Seva for the ashram is not an easy task. It requires Tyaga - renunciation, self-discipline and self-control. Always pray to Mahaprabhuji that He may protect you so you don't fall back into the worldly affairs again.
When you succeed, you are like a lotus flower. A lotus grows in the dirty water, and as soon as it comes out of the water, it unfolds its beautiful blossom. Each petal is a good quality, a spiritual talent. This means that a complete unfoldment and realisation of your being, your true Self, is taking place.
People come and admire the beauty of the lotus. They come with their cameras and make pictures. This means the lotus automatically draws the attention of many. Its radiation, its beauty, is special and unique. The lotus always gets the best and highest place. It gets the best in life. It is brought to the best places only - to the altar, to God. Though it comes out of such dirty and muddy water, it is revered as a symbol of purity and spirituality.
By serving the ashram you will become that lotus that stands above the worldly Samsara and unfolds its petals of divine qualities and universal love for the benefit of all creatures.
I pray to Mahaprabhuji that you will be this lotus that grows till it stands above the muddy waters, in its complete beauty. I pray that you will get in this life that blessing and realisation.

April 15th
About the Five Ashrams

Ashram is a place where you work on your body and mind, and work for others too as Seva. ‘Seva Dharma’ is the greatest Dharma in the universe. “A” means welcome, “Shram” means work. Ashram is a place for everyone. According to Vedic culture we have four different Ashrams. The first is Brahmacharya Ashram, student life till 25 years. For 25 years, young people should learn and study, and acquire a profession. After 25 years, the second Ashram is Grithastha Ashram when one may marry, work and perhaps have children. Grithastha Ashram is till 50 years. After 50 years one enters into the third Ashram, Vanaprastha Ashram, where one begins to separate from worldly attachments and give everything to the children. Here one meditates and detaches from all attachments. The fourth is Sannyas Ashram where everything is renounced. All work is then for the sake of others. A Sannyas is known as a hermit. Live in a small hut and reduce your diet by 75% because all body functions slow down and cannot digest as much food. Sannyas Ashram continues till 100 years. After 100 years in Kali Yuga, one enters the last and fifth Ashram. There is a mantra for this: “Ram Nam Satya Hai”: The name of God is truth, all other is false. One enters the Astral world.
When you were born your fists were closed, it seems you brought something with you: your destiny. When you die your palms are open. When you die, everything you have must be left here and you must check out from this worldly hotel. If you pay the bills everything is ok. What does it mean to pay the bills? Creating good karmas. What have you done practically towards spiritual realization, to earn Atma Gyana?

About Naham Karta

This chair is called the Ved Vyasa Gadi. Rishi Vyasa was a great saint who wrote the Vedas and gave a lot of knowledge to our world, one of the greatest wise holy persons. When you sit on Vyasa Gadi, give your life in His hands. When you think, “I will speak” it will go the wrong way. When you sit here, pray and chant mantras that He will sit on the lotus of your heart. Then this throne becomes the throne of God. From there, the light comes and this is called Sarasvati, Goddess of Wisdom. In Vedic culture, the female gets first position. Therefore, when there is a male God, then at the same level or higher is the feminine. Whenever you teach, remember God. Ask “Lord, please come and reside in my heart and bless me with Sarasvati, to speak in my heart”. Sarasvati is residing on a beautiful white lotus and in her hand is a Vina, like a Sitar, in the other a book and the fourth is blessing us. All four hands are busy, we keep her busy. When yoga teachers sit, they should chant Naham Karta, Prabhu Deep Karta. Become the channel of his love. Doesn’t matter if you are a yoga teacher or a professor teaching in the university, Sarasvati is speaking within you. Human life is given to gain knowledge and get self realisation.
On the way here, I was thinking of many topics I would speak about here, but someone is speaking within me.

About Satsang

The great sage Tulsidas said “The company of a Saint and the place where God is spoken about: these two things are rare. Children, husband, wife and money, this also sinners can have. Fortunate are they who have the opportunity to listen to Saints and have knowledge of the Truth”.
Parvati asked Shiva to explain everything in a short sentence. He said “My dear Uma Devi, if I tell you my own experience, then repetition of God’s name is Truth, and the whole world is a dream”. The name of God is the ultimate Truth and everything yesterday, in the past, is a dream; you can’t run and catch it again. The past is a dream. Everything you think of as pleasant, is a dream. Concentrate, concentrate, concentrate. Practise and that is Satsang. All kinds of love other than Devotion are nothing. When Vairagya awakes in you, then all worldly things are just like dirt.
You can make Satsang with yourself, alone. Having spiritual thoughts is Satsang and negative thinking is Kusang. Humans have two paths and you have to decide. Uttan is the way to completeness and Pattan is the way to destruction. Both begin from one root and that is Sanga. Lucky are those who get Satsang.

Australia/Adelaide

There is Parabrahman, Brahman, Atma and Jivatma. Parabrahman is the universal consciousness that governs the entire universe. Brahman is governing our sun-system. Atma is governing our body, our individual self, as we are the universe ourselves. What exists in the universe is also existing in our body. Jivatma is a mix of reality and unreality. Reality is the Atma and unreality is the shadow of the Atma. Soul is not the Atma. Soul is a layer of our character: karma and qualities that form our individual person. The Soul is within the five koshas, and the Atma is within the Soul. When the qualities have been purified and cleared up, then the layers of the Soul will dissolve and there remains only the pure Light of the Atma. Then the cycle of birth and death has come to an end, and you will not be born again.

When Holy Guruji was in hospital he laid in deep coma and actually his soul had already left his body. But clinically he was still alive. One of Holy Guruji's disciples said to me, that I should tell Holy Guruji that he may leave. I asked, what does this mean? He told me, that once Holy Guruji has said that he will not leave the body without Mahesh's consent. Therefore I should tell Guruji that he should go in order that he can leave his body. But I said to him: 'This would be the most terrible moment in my life if I would tell my master to go. This I can not and will never do. Some days later I went to Khatu and I prayed to Mahaprabhuji and put two conditions to him: 'Merciful Lord', I prayed, 'I request you either to revive Guruji's body and heal him, or if it is Your divine will, take him with You and let him merge into Your divine light.' And when I prayed like this mentally, the telephone rang from Jodhpur hospital that in this very moment Guruji had left his body. This is the relation between master and disciple. There is no distance, no border.

Physically Guruji went, but still he is within me and around me, and with me and all of us all of the time. The relation of master and disciple is deeper than between mother and child. Mother and father you have in every life, but Gurudev you have for eternity.

Therefore the last words of Holy Guruji were: 'He who understands the master will become a master himself.'

It does not matter how dirty the water is, when it merges into the Ganga itself becomes the Ganga. Therefore that disciple, who merges into the holy Parampara, himself becomes a Guru. We need to understand and surrender, and then we will come to that point.

As soon as the light enters into the dark cave, the darkness disappears in one second. Similarly, it does not matter how many bad Karmas you have, by the blessing of Gurudev all Karmas are dissolved. When I put into your heart the Mantra of Gurudev, all your sins were destroyed, like when a little spark of fire falls on the heap of dry grass – it is burnt completely. When Gurudev gives you blessing at the Mantra Diksha, you are already liberated. You need not to do anything. No Sadhana, nothing. Just be there, that’s all. 'Gurudev, I will be Thine.' There is no distance for love. Where unity is, there is no distance. Distance is only there, where there are doubts, jealousy and attachment.

Just repeat your Mantra, and live happily. You may do a thousand things for your body, you can sit in a cage of bullet-proof glass – but one day you have to go, and the soul will pass even through the bullet-proof glass. The name of Gurudev is a boat, a ferry, and those who sit inside will cross the ocean and come to the other shore. You must have confidence Gurudev will take you to the light, to liberation. Give your life into the hands of God, and he will take care, like a mother takes care of a newborn baby.
When, in the Guru Mantra Diksha, the master initiates and blesses the disciples it is just like lighting a candle. The Mantra that you got from your Guru is like a seed. You should cultivate it and water it with your practice and love, then a beautiful sprout and plant will grow. The relationship between master and disciple is a divine and a very personal relationship, and the duty of the disciple is to maintain this relation, otherwise it will die day by day. The relation between master and disciples should never die. Actually it will never die. The Mantra is not only for this life, it is for all of your lives. The master will guide and find you also when he has died, or after your death. The Mantra especially guides you in the astral world. It will protect you in the astral planes where no other support is there. The Mantra will show you the light, the right path. All difficulties will be cleared up and removed.

SRI DIP NIRANJANA SABA DUKHA BHANJANA.
Sri = prosperity, luck, happiness, Lakshmi. Dip = light, cosmic Light, name of Mahaprabhuji, Niranjana = pure, spotless, Saba = all, Dukha = troubles, problems, Bhanjana = remove, destroy, expel. This Mantra will purify and remove all your problems and troubles. When you repeat this Mantra, the cosmic flame will awaken in your heart. Vishwa Dip Jyoti, the universal light. When pure love awakens in your heart there are no longer anymore doubts, there is no more fear. You become completely fearless. You have no more fear of worldly things, nor of death. You stand above now.

This Mantra cuts all bondage of Karmas, all causes of suffering. In the initiation ceremony when the master put his thumb on your Agya Chakra and moves it up the Sahasrar Chakra he already cut all your Karmas. You will no longer have the influence of the Tri-Tapas. Nothing can harm you. No negative thoughts or magic can influence your life. When you have the Guru Mantra Diskha you are protected. You are 'bullet-proof' now.

It is not a Mantra only for practice and meditation. It is the highest initiation, an Abhishek (coronation). Asanas and Pranayama cannot give you liberation. Headstand, the flying dogs also do. Liberation, you can get only through the blessing of the master. There are three causes of our suffering: Adhi-Bothik, Adhi-Devik, Adhi-Atmik. When you cross these three borders, you will be above all. The Mantra is your protection, like a mosquito net that keeps the mosquitoes out. When you repeat the Mantra it is like a layer that keeps away all negative influences; it radiates. Unshakeable happiness, eternal and divine bliss will fill your heart. It is our birthright. Our life has been given to be happy. We are seeking happiness all the time.

What does not change is reality, what changes is unreality. Paramananda is the eternal supreme bliss. Also in the material world you will get perfection, happiness, success, wealth, and comfort. When you practise this Mantra continuously and correctly, your body will become a 'golden body', i.e. healthy and strong. Your Mantra and your willpower are the best remedy against all illnesses. There are many examples that through the awakening of the inner willpower even cancer can be healed. Through the name of God, your willpower and inner energy awakens. You feel that God now takes your life in His hands! This love you cannot describe. Then you are one with Thy Self.

As Meera Bai said: 'Moye Lagi Lagana Guru Charanana Ki – now my attention is drawn completely towards the Lotus Feet of my master. Thanks to my master the ocean of Maya has dried up.'

If you practise your Mantra with discipline then you will have the vision of God. Self-discipline is the key to success. You don’t get what you deserve, but what you negotiate. How to negotiate with God? Be humble, pray, surrender. Like children negotiate with their parents to get ice-cream – and they get it! Learn to negotiate with God – through prayer, Mantra. Feel His presence. Your inner darkness will be removed and you inner Self will be enlightened. Then, my Dear, all gods and goddesses will adore you, because you have become an enlightened one.

This is not a fairy tale, not a story that I am telling you. These are the true words of the saints, the realised ones who have experienced this.

But you have to surrender your life to God. Give your existence into His hands. To pray to a picture and say: 'O my Lord, I love you, I am Thine', is easy. But to do it is not so easy any more. What will you say, when suddenly God appears before you and He says: 'Come, my child!' Then you are afraid and cry: 'Oh no, I did not mean like this, this is to heavy for me.'

Just take this step! Have trust! Then you will see what will happen. Flowers will rain upon you and even the Gods will bow before you.