Some one asked Swamiji- ‘You seem to have so many miraculous powers’. Let me tell you that this is your luck. These are not any powers. They are merely God’s blessings. This is not my greatness.

Swamiji does not have self-identity. People say, ‘Swamiji wants this item, Swamiji wants that, Swamiji said like this’ and so on. How can I say anything? This is not possible because Swamiji has no self-identity, no ‘I’. This creation is nothing but an illusion. Everything belongs to Swamiji and at the same time nothing belongs to Him. In the church all of you see the cross. The horizontal line in the cross represents killing of the ‘I’, the ego and of being in that state wherein it no longer exists. You too should learn to kill that ego.

It is extremely difficult to understand Swamiji’s sankalpa (intent). At certain times it appears as if Swamiji is deeply immersed in thoughts or else as if he is angry. All this is just the external appearance. Internally Swamiji is eternally in the state of unbroken bliss (ananda).

Swamiji travels abroad in search of certain persons. This is the Lord’s order. I will pick them here and there. This body goes in fire, enters water and flies in air. All this is His play. I am neither a magician nor a musician; neither do I use charms nor spells nor I am a comedian. I am just a servant of God. All this is happening due to His desire.

Accepting the holy prasada from the hands of Sadguru is equivalent to bathing in all the holy rivers of the universe.

You are constantly seeking one birth after another. Once you were born in India, later in Israel and then in USA. Like this, it is an endless cycle. To stop this cycle you need to put in strong efforts. Do not entertain new desires and give a chance for re-birth. Adopt karma yoga, bhakti yoga or anything that is suitable to you. ‘Has my wheel stopped? Who is there to assure me that it will stop?’ Do not even remotely entertain such thoughts. When your chakra (wheel) stops, at that instant I will stop. This is because I am following you.

In New York, a person who had come across Swamiji for the very first time asked many questions about Swamiji and about his organizations. Swamiji told him that he was very happy about all the questions posed to him. Before developing devotion and before following a Spiritual Guru it is better to ask questions and clarify all your doubts. People generally don’t do that. They quickly join the band of devotees and attempt to serve the Guru. After some time, they begin to doubt His actions. Such people are bound to leave the Guru very quickly. Hence it is advisable to resolve all your doubts in the beginning itself. Anytime you have a doubt, resolve it instantly. Else it begins to spread like a poison and very soon it will totally envelop everything else.

God actually lives within your heart. Become inner-facing. I suggest that you consult God within your heart before you approach Swamiji. Take your time. Come slowly.

The trigunas (traits of goodness, passion and inertia) hold on strongly not only to humans but to all beings. Even deities have traits but they are predominantly composed of the traits of purity (sattva) with a little mix of rajasic traits. They seek to help others, bless devotees and grant them boons and so on

The trait of rajas (action/passion) is predominant in humans. It exercises control over the individual. In case the person does not use his intellect to abide by his Guru’s teachings and walk on the right path, then the trait of rajas drags him into tamas (darkness, inertia).

Some people joyfully accept difficulties and all the experiences that this earth has to give them and yet at the same time there are some who are always crying. Some people constantly worry about the future; they live eternally in anxiety. Give it up. Anyway everything is in His hand. It is all His play; His leela.

Why do you entertain worries? In reality, you are not responsible for anything. All this is Paramatma’s play**. It is meaningless to worry about the future and also meaningless to focus on the past events. Leave everything to His will.** If you insist on worrying then continue. But then you will have to face the ups and downs in life that come with it.

Once upon a time there lived a pious person who spent all his time meditating upon the Lord. To ridicule him, some children began pelting him with stones. As this person was engrossed in the Lord’s contemplation, the Lord came to his rescue. All the stones began to turn into flowers as they fell on him. A little later the person came out of meditation and realized that the boys were throwing stones at him. He got annoyed. He picked up a stone to throw at them. The Lord thought, “Oh, He has decided to do something. He has the faith that he can handle and control the situation. Let me step back and watch.” The next moment, the stones thrown by the boys stopped turning into flowers and the person was badly wounded.

Hence give up anxieties and worries. Swamiji is here to protect you. There are some who perpetually worry about everything in life. I let such people handle their own problems. I do not involve in their problems or worries.

I do not even worry about myself. I do not entertain thoughts about what could happen to me. My concentration is endlessly about my devotees’ problems and how to help them to overcome them. I take on my devotees’ sins and burn them.

Let me relate to you another story. Once there was a staunch devotee of Mother Goddess Durga. Every morning with total faith he would whole-heartedly call her. As time passed by, a major war broke out in his country. It was something similar to a world war.

Now this person began to worry about his life. He began to fervently call Devi, “Durga maata, Durga maata.” Devi appeared before him and asked him the reason behind all his worries and fears. He said, “Maata, a terrible war has broken out. I am worried that they would kill me. Please save me.” Devi said, “Do not worry. Here, take this sword. I am putting all my energies into this. Just go and fight.” The person was nervous and he said, “Maata, I am unable to even hold the sword, my hands are trembling with fear. Do you think I am capable of fighting? Somehow you only have to help me.” She said, “No problem. Run as fast as you can and escape from this country. You can be saved.”

The man replied, “Maata, can you see that I am trembling? My legs cannot run fast. They are weak with fear. I can’t run maata, please be kind and save me somehow.” To this Devi replied, “There is one last option. I will provide you with a house for safety and will protect you during the war. It is just a little distance from here. Walk slowly and you will reach there in no time.”

The man in all his fear began to wail. He was trembling uncontrollably. He said, “Amma, I do not think that I have the ability even to walk that far.” Devi said, “Try. Just place one foot forward. I will help you reach there. Just try.” He said, “I am unable to do even that”. She finally said, “There is nothing that I can do for you. This is your fate. You will die” and disappeared.

Like the devotee in the above story, calling Devi but not having any faith in any of her blessings is a weakness. You should believe that you have entrusted all your responsibilities to Swamiji and live with the faith that He will do the needful. Gradually feelings of devotion and faith will ripen, mental weaknesses will be vanquished and with the newly developed stability, bliss can be achieved.

Even if you believe that Swamiji is next to you or that you have the ability to speak to Him over phone or you have the chance to talk directly to him, speak to his photo, keep his photo on your head- you do any or all these, but remember none of them is of any use if there is no faith in His blessings.

Whether you believe in Swamiji and not in His blessings, or whether you believe in his blessings and not in Him, both are one and the same. Only when there is faith in both of them can something be achieved.

Bhaktimala Nov 1980, Nov 1982, Jan 1988