A

ADVAITA

You should all become embodiments of love. "LOVE THY NEIGHBOUR ASTHYSELF" said Jesus Christ. This exhortation of Christ is the essence ofAdvaita - the principle of non-duality. Realize that what is in you is also in every other being. "If the mind is right, no religion is wrong."Therefore, whatever be your religion, as long as the mind, the faculty of thinking, functions alright, there will be no problem. You leave your evil thoughts here with me and I give you divine blessings. Never forget for moment, "Work is worship and duty is God." Let the intellectuals take up the great task of popularizing and re-establishing sanatana dharma. Truth,purity and unity should be your guiding ideals.

AIM OF VISWAYOGI AND OTHER YOGIES

The reformation of the individuals is the foremost pre-requisite for the desired transformation of the society. Next in order comes the reformation of the family. Once these two have taken place, the reformation of the society results automatically. A society composed of families and homes full of cultured and reformed individuals becomes radiant and exudes the divine fragrance of supreme peace. Such a society is the foundation for universal unity of the human race and for universal human welfare. That is the 'WILL' of the thirty million gods and goddesses. That and that alone is the aim and message of all Yogis, Avatar as, Siddhapurushas and Prophets. That and that alone is the aspiration, ideal and supreme goal of the whole of the human race. The aim of the energy possessed by Viswayogi's body which has two eyes, two legs, two hands etc., like any other human body, is to show by example what others should do. Lectures are of no use. Through coaxing and cajoling and through words which directly touch the heart, and if necessary through being harsh, the required change in man is to brought about. Siddhapurushas have a heart soft as butter and also hard as a diamond. Being harsh is only a strategy to effect the change in men and guide them along the right path.It is not the aim of Viswayogi to isolate Himself from the society. Instead, the aim of the avatara of Dattatreya is to purify the society and reform man through LOVE. If you look at the incarnations of Dattatreya, you will realise that he never punished any one. He always tried to rid the individual of his evil tendencies and transform him into an individual filled with LOVE. The reform movement going to be undertaken by Viswayogi does not conflict with the teachings of any Gurus or religion. It involves bringing together all people. It is not affiliated to any institution or organisation.It is a vast effort to bring sanatana dharma into practice. Viswayogi's aim is to set in motion reformation of the individuals founded in truthfulness,character, purity and unity. Viswayogi's mission is to bring all people of the world together by inculcating in them a sense of oneness. His goal is to fulfill that mission. Everyone should be a partner in this great endeavor of unifying the people of the world. All those who work towards that goal must possess unity, purity and divinity.What is Viswayogi's aim? His religion is LOVE, his caste is humanity and language is the language of hearts. Sanatanadharma has always exerted to unify the people of the universe. Achieving universal unity is my aim. What I say is nothing new. There are many obstacles today in achieving universal unity because we are all divided on the basis of our nationality, race, religion, caste etc. In the same caste there are sub-divisions like vaidhikas and niyogis, pedda kammas and chinna kammas, etc.In the same family, the members are not united. Though people claim themselves to be civilized, their minds however, remain uncivilized.

B

BIRTH AS A HUMAN BEING

To be born as a human being among countless living beings is indeed the greatest of all births, and at the same time it is very difficult to be so born. Man should strive hard to make the best use of his life remembering that it was a stroke of fortune and divine grace which gave him the birth as a human being. Man should firstly try to be man, that is to say, he should not let himself be overpowered by base and inhuman instincts. He should then elevate himself into higher planes, become powerful and transform himself into a divine being. For achieving this, he must journey along the right path.

BODY

Man should never neglect his body, for what-ever powers he has are sure to be lost, if he does not protect and keep it healthy. Its neglect will also result in loss of wealth. If he observes the rules and regulations prescribed for maintaining the body's health, he will be able to take correct decision sand would be able to discharge his duties properly. Constant practice makes him an expert in his chosen field of work. One should never be lazy. If a man remains idle and spends money, all his wealth will soon disappear. Therefore,elders advise us to engage ourselves always in some activity.Why does the body have to undergo severe tests - so severe that they are regarded as punishment ?As long as it exists, the body is bound to experience suffering, and as long as the mind exists, it is sure to be filled with thoughts. Since our ancient sages had realized this truth, they emphasized that the body should not be neglected.The rules and regulations (yama and niyama) prescribed by Patanjali are intended first to make the body strong and then to render the mind powerful. However, today, most people are neglecting the mind and the body.

C

CHARACTER

If parents wish that their children should become well educated and have good conduct, they themselves should possess good character. Every person should first try to set right his home and reform himself. Education without character is of no use. It is said, "Silena sobhate vidya." This means,"Good character causes education to shine." It is no use filling one's head with bookish knowledge. Knowledge acquired should be put to practical use. Impractical knowledge is no knowledge. If a person has character, his intellect will ever remain on the straight path. When a person has character, he will know how to spend his money wisely and he will never commit evil deeds.

CASTE AND RELIGION

There are no separate castes in the world, as is otherwise generally believed. There is only one caste and that is the caste of humanity. Similarly,there are no separate religions. There is only one religion, that is the universal religion. The intellectuals expound the essence of different religions and point out that the goal of all religions is the same though the paths prescribed for reaching it may be different. All religions and religious traditions have been preaching one fundamental principle to be followed by one and all, and that is, for men to be liberated, service to humanity is the only way. Service to men is service to God. Every religion is good. Some come and tell me 'O! Swami, we see violence and religious strife all around. Religious superstitions must be routed out and castes must be done away with'. Consider whether violence and killings will disappear if religions and castes are eliminated.It is man's faith in the efficacy of the methods of violence for solving disputes which needs to be dislodged. The violence and killings that we witness today are a direct result of some people employing religion as a weapon to rouse passions. In reality all castes and religions are intended to promote social harmony, peaceful living and progress in the society. The relations between people of different religions must be based on mutual respect and love for each other's religion. It is for establishing the ties of mutual respect and love all of us should work together. We should not ascribe wrong reasons for what we see as evils in society.

D

DATTATREYA

In every person, the energy of desire - iccha sakti, the energy of knowledge - jnana sakti and energy of action - kriya sakti dwell respectively in the heart, the brain and the spine. These three represent Vishnu, Brahma and Maheshwara, the trinity. Dattatreya symbolizes the state of union of these three energies. Worshipping Atri and Anasuya, the parents of Dattatreya, will enable a person to transcend the three dispositions of Sattva,Rajas and Tamas and to rid himself of jealousy and become the recipient of the divine energy in full measure. This is what is meant by the attainment of the state of Dattatreya.

DATTATREYA SAKTI

The energy resulting from the union of devotion, wisdom and action is Dattatreya Sakti. That energy is the omnipotent and omnipresent electro-magnetic energy. Viswayogi Viswamji enjoins on his devotees to strive to obtain that energy. The person who attains that energy is himself Dattasakti.

For the energy in every man to become one with Dattasakti pervading the entire universe, the path to be trod is that of LOVE, WISDOM and COMPASSION. He who takes that path will be able to render service to fellowmen and service to fellowmen is service to God. Only when the electrical energy flows into a bulb, the bulb glows. Mere flowing of electric current through conductor does not light up a lamp. In the same way when the cosmic energy in the form of knowledge flows into an engineer, his engineering expertise blossoms or when it flows into a doctor, his skill as a doctor flowers. This energy is Dattasakti, regarded as a single unified form of Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara In truth, the three, Brahma, Vishnu and Maheshwara are in each of us in the form of unified power of "construction, protection and merger" (Sristhi, Sthithi and Laya), which is Dattasakti. They are not three separate powers by manifestations of one and the same power just as the same man may have different roles simultaneously, of a husband, a son, a father, a grandfather, a friend, etc. Truth, Knowledge, the Infinite and theSupreme (Sathyam, Jnanam, Anantham and Brahma) constitute the underlyingprinciple of Dattasakti.

DIKSHA

Through rules and regulations, you must control your lives and lead them along the path of rectitude. Diksha is a vow administered by a Guru onimportant festive occasions like Dattajayanti. The person who is given the vowhas to follow a strict code in matters of food and pleasure-seeking. Itspurpose is to endow him with the ability (dikshata) to lead a virtuous life.Such persons who have acquired the ability and who show restraint in food andpleasure-seeking are dear to siddhapurushas. What a man needs is to control hislife rather than worshipping a picture of some God or Goddess with flowers,vermillion and rice mixed with turmeric powder.

DIVINE ENERGY

The whole world is filled with divine energy which is responsible for allactivity in the universe. It is omnipotent and omnipresent. It is every thing.This energy is present in every living being. It is only this energy which ispresent in every atom. Divine energy is like electricity which cannot be seendirectly. According to our needs, we utilize electricity for working a radio receiver, a tube-lamp, a fan, an air-conditioner, etc. Knowledge of electricitycan be gained through its application. In a like manner, we try to comprehenddivine energy in the concrete and limited form of an idol.

DIVINITY

Divinity rests on four pillars namely HONESTY, MORALITY, PURITY and UNITY.

DIVINE POWER - UNITY

A man should learn to respect his fellowmen. People should help each other.They should unite in a way that all are for one and one is for all. When theywork united thus, the society that emerges will be radiant with a new spirit of benevolence. If peace and stability are to prevail, in the society the familyshould be stable and peaceful. When all men are united, no task is too great toachieve. Progress in our country has been slow because of lack of unity. Unitydoes not mean all people gathering together at one place, but on the otherhand, it implies unity of minds and unity of ideas. When such a unity comes toprevail, men acquire great power - the DIVINE POWER. Where men are together,God exists. Where there is unity, there is divine power. Therefore, all shouldwork united. You should get rid of your weaknesses and think how you can be ofhelp to others. By the year 2001 AD, India will attain the position of a worldleader guiding other nations to a better future. Our society should from now onstrive hard physically and spiritually to be in a state of readiness by then toassume the new status.

E

EDUCATION - ITS AIM

Consider the accident in which a table fell on a ten year old boy and causedinjuries to his hands and legs making him cry in pain. Imagine now a two yearchild in place of the boy. The table would probably have crushed him to death.If the person on whom the table fell was a thirty year old - young and strong -he would push aside the table, get up and walk off as if nothing much hadt was so flimsy as to be reduced to bits by the blow of the karate expert. The difference in the nature of experiences of different persons in the hypothetical example does not lie in the degree of the strength possessed by the table, but in the levels of the power possessed by the concerned persons. To a powerless person, every thing seems to cause trouble. It should therefore, be the mission and goal of education system to render people powerful. Education has to endow people with strong moral character. The system must develop along such lines as to transform the educated individual into an instrument for the well being of the society. The parents now spend much money on their children's education with the hope of making the children doctors, engineers, etc. To hope so is not wrong. However, for the hope to be realized one should also combine education with character building. Every educated person should have a sound moral character and develop respect and devotion towards parents. We need such educational institutions which would produce men and women who will work hard for enhancing and upholding the nations prestige in the world.

EQUALITY - UNITY

To speak of equality is absurd because in nature there is no equality. Look at the five fingers of your own hand, none of them is exactly the same as the others. Though the organs in the body are all different, they combine together to form an integrated whole. The same blood flows every where in the body, the same heart beats in it and there is only one mind functioning in it. Like the different organs in the body, men who are all different and unequal must come together to form a united human race.

F

FAMILY - SOCIETY

It is the experience of many women that their husbands return home after midnight and they do not even speak to them lovingly. Why does such a situation arise ? No society can be considered good unless the home is good. The behavior of the parents should be an ideal and a good example for their children. Family is the corner stone of sanatana dharma. The development of the family is to be achieved through the development of the individual. The aim of sanatana dharma is to bring about the development of the society through the concerted efforts of families. Today the individuals are being driven apart by considerations of caste and creed. They are to be brought together and made to think alike through spirituality. That alone can ensure proper development of the society. Spirituality promotes good in the society. In the society today man has no respect or sympathy for his fellow men. Violence, immorality, desire for authority and greed for money seem to rule everyone in the society. People have forgotten the true goal of their human life. Money is being wasted for buying drugs and guns. Our traditional moral values are discarded. Sense of restraint in spending money and the natural desire for saving money for a rainy day are cast to winds. In such a situation no amount of money will be enough. The eternal values of honesty, morality, purity and unity are conspicuous by their absence among men. Parents are no longer an ideal for their children. How can the children acquire good character? Men do not think any longer constructively. They do not respect women. Our ancestors proclaimed that where woman are revered, there the gods are present. We are not even trying to keep out bodies pure and holy. Is it not said, 'Body is god's temple and heart its altar'? For the sorrowful state of the society, education lacking in moral basis is responsible. Unfortunately the educated elders, devoid of morality, are not upholding the values of showing respect to their own elders, maintaining good character and remaining pure in mind and body. They are, therefore, not setting a good example to the younger generation. How can the younger generation be expected to acquire the right kind of education, build the society on the foundations of morality and to uphold and promote human values? Yes, the society has to be reformed. But before that can be attempted every individual must try to reform himself. Man's mind must be purified. Then he will have power to accomplish whatever he wills. He must strive ceaselessly to keep his thoughts, words and deeds pure. A man must act upon what he says. He must not say something which he cannot act upon. He should ever remain action oriented.

FAMILY RESPONSIBILITIES

The primary duty of every person is to look after the welfare of his wife and children. It is only there after he has to care about his own welfare. These days more than ninety percent of the children in our society are not under any control. Parents are not able to exercise any control over their children. In the school, they are not subject to any control by the teachers. Government is not in a position to impose any control. How can these children when they grow to man hood be good?

FOLLOWERS

Let those who can sincerely work for the achievement of the aim of Viswayogi Viswamji be his followers. Let those who desire to satisfy their needs making use of his powers and thereafter desert him, better stay away from him.

G

GOD

Viswayogi has in his Pujamandir many photos of gods and goddesses including one of himself. He worships them all. Does this not seem strange? Often he garlands the people coming to him. Why does he do so? "There is only one TRUTH, but wise men speak of IT as many". The cosmic electro-magnetic power that pervades the universe is GOD. One who comprehends this truth with the help of a Guru will himself become a Guru. God has no name. The energy possessed by every being is God. It is that energy we worship and revere. He is everywhere and is present in everything and every being. In Dvaparayuga, he manifested himself as Lord Krishna, the embodiment of love possessing sixteen attributes (sodasa kalas). Today that embodiment of love has once again unveiled himself as Sri Sai who through the spreading of love has been attracting the intellectuals all over the world. The truth that God is energy present in every thing and every being is not realized by man and so he seeks him elsewhere away from himself. Non realization of the truth that every fellow being is a manifestation of God is the cause for a person not being able to love his fellow men. Not only does he not love but also he fills his heart with hatred for others. Sanatana Dharma never teaches hatred towards fellow beings.

GOOD CONDUCT

Good conduct and right thinking are the need of the day. Without them, prayers are of no avail. God is enshrined in every man. The world is not an illusion. It is the manifestation of the Supreme God. Do not ever neglect the world. Mould your lives in such a fashion that they are beneficial to the society.

GURU

There may be many who deny the existence of God, but there is none who disclaims a Guru. Guru and right thinking are the need of the day. Without them,prayers are of no avail. God is enshrined in every man. The world is not anillusion. It is the manifestation of the Supreme God. Do not ever neglect theworld. Mould your lives in such a fashion that they are beneficial to thesociety.

GURU

There may be many who deny the existence of God, but there is none whodisclaims a Guru. Guru is the most direct manifestation of God. He is himselfGod. Worshipping his sandals is worshipping him. Really speaking, the truth isitself a Guru. Those who are desirous of learning, may find in everything inthe universe something to learn. Dattatreya mentioned twenty four living beingsfound in nature as his Gurus. Two days ago a lady had come to me complainingthat the person whom she accepted as her Guru had taken to drinking and manyother bad habits and had been vexing her in many ways. Such Gurus are bringingsanatana dharma into disrepute. Such evil persons who through their malevolentpowers attract people and who utilize those powers for selfish ends bring badname to religion. True Gurus should do everything possible to correct thissituation. Even from a distance the Guru can shower his grace on you. A Guruwill never suggest that you should forget your wife and children and if he doesso, he is certainly no Guru. Any such advice is contrary to the true role of aGuru of enlightening his disciples. Trying to gain domination over peoplethrough mesmerisim or malevolent powers is totally contrary to the truetradition of Sadguru. However far a disciple is physically from the Guru, hewill still receive the Guru's grace and protection. But no one should look forinstantaneous results, though, if the true Guru wills, anything is possible. Inthis context, it is appropriate to recall the story of Upamanyu. Upamanyu onhis Guru's instructions took the Guru's cows to the forest for grazing. Hefollowed his Guru's instructions in letter and spirit. In the end when thedisciple lost his eyesight the Guru prayed to Asvini devatas and saw to it thatthe disciple's eye-sight was restored, and also he caused the eye of wisdom ofthe disciple to open and made him gain all knowledge. For Dattatreya the wholenature and the entire universe were his Guru. From the moment he was deliveredfrom his mother's womb, he began observing intensely the birds, the trees, therising and setting of the Sun, etc., and gaining knowledge therefrom. Thesedays we rarely come across a true Guru. The society is proliferating with manyGurus most of whom give vexation rather than knowledge to their disciples.Everyone, even a child, has something to teach us if only we have an open mind.Today misdeeds committed by a man have become the measure of his greatness.Many people are convinced that being good does not help a man to live well, andso they turn out to be criminals. A true Guru takes upon himself the task ofreforming them with love and bring them to the path of rectitude. A Guru doesnot need garlands, fruits or offerings of food and money. He expects hisdisciples to have devotion towards, and trust and faith in him. What he looksfor in a disciple is sincere practice of his teachings and readiness to do hisbidding. For this purpose, he strives to bring about the requisite change in hisdisciples. He teaches them how to discriminate between good and bad. If manlacks the faculty of discrimination, his life will be steeped in darkness ofsorrow and unhappiness. A knife in the hands of a surgeon restores life whilethe same knife in the hands of a murderer snuffs life. To understand thedistinction in the use if the same tool, men need to seek the company of aGuru. On the Guru Purnima, the devotees gather in large numbers to expresstheir devotion and love for their Guru. Why do they love their Guru so much?They do so because they think that the Guru directs their lives along the rightpath. The love you show for your Guru invokes in him boundless love andaffection for you. Dedication and devotion towards the Guru possessed by thedisciples will enable them to practice his teachings. Viswayogi exhorts one andall to have love, compassion and generosity towards all fellow beings. Who is aGuru? That which is the biggest is Guru. To the question what is biggest ofall, the answer is obvious to every one. The universe is the biggest if all.The energy which fills the universe is the Guru. He shines forth from withinthe universe as knowledge. Through him, the universe can be experienced. Everyperson whose mind is full of knowledge is also a Guru. Who is a true Guru? Atrue Guru is one who knows the faults and defects of his disciples andeliminates them. The true purpose of education is not merely imparting someknowledge or learning, but to remove the defects of students. We can achieve anythingin this world if we have Guru's grace. I will tell you what kind of Guru youneed. A Guru who aspires for universal peace is the one you need. What shouldbe his religion? He could be of any religion as long as his thinking is notperverse.

GURU-DIVINE ENERGY

Let us think for a while that electricity is present everywhere in its stateof high voltage. For an electric bulb to light up, only low voltage current isneeded. The high voltage current is dangerous and hence is stored insubstations where the high voltage current is transformed into low voltagecurrent. The substations transmit the low voltage current to where it isneeded. They also display a warning, 'High-Voltage lines - DANGER'. The Guru islike the electric substation. He transforms the infinite divine energy of highpotency pervading the whole universe into energy of bearable low potency andmakes it available to disciples. Thus the infinite divine energy is passed onto us by the Guru in appropriate small doses. If the infinite energy is regardedas Jagadguru, Jagadguru's benefaction is made available to us by the Guru.

GURU - FRIEND

As the child grows he acquires friends and they become his Guru. Theircompany changes him. For sake of company, he takes to drinking, he spends timein cinema houses when he ought to be attending classes in the college. The kindof trust and faith that he reposes in his friends, he will not repose inothers. If his friends are not good, he is sure to fall into evil ways.

GURU - GAYATRI

The sacred mantra of Gayatri has the power to develop the intellect. It isthe supreme Guru. In that mantra we pray to Sun god to guide our intellect. TheGayatri does not belong to any caste. Women can also chant the Gayatri. Thereis no total bar against women chanting the mantra. If there is such a bar, whydid Yajnavalkya teach the Gayatri to his wife, Maitreyi ? There is nothingwrong in women performing Gayatri japam just as men.

GURU - HIS ROLE

When a person experiencing some hardships approach a Guru for theirmitigation, what does a Guru do? After spending some days in the presence ofthe Guru, the person would feel that his hardships did not seem as severe asthey were before coming to the Guru. Why is this so? The reason for this isthat during that period Guru helped the individual to increase his mentalpower. It was that mental power which made the sufferings seem less severe thanbefore. (Thus one of the important roles a Guru plays is to enhance the mentalpower of the individuals enabling them to bear sufferings with ease).

GURU - MOTHER

Man's first Guru is his mother and his home the first school. A childbrought up and taught by a mother may become a Sivaji. Are our homes today asgood as they ought to be? We cannot get divine grace, however much we chantGod's name, so long as we neglect the duty of bringing up our childrenrighteously. The home is to be transformed into a temple. Never forget thatmother is the first Guru and home is the first School. Indeed mother is aperson's first Guru. Soon after a child is born and he opens his eyes, he is ina totally helpless state as he is yet to begin learning the use of his limbsand other organs. The mother takes him into her arms and suckles him. She takesfood which changes into blood and the blood turns into milk. She feeds him withthis milk, thereby providing nourishment for the child to grow. When the childurinates and passes motion, she takes him up in her arms, cleans him andchanges his diapers. Every minute, nay every second, she spreads her protectivearms around and helps him grow. Thus the mother is the first Guru of everyperson. It is the mother who introduces the child to the external world. Whileshe fondles the child, the first seeds of knowledge are sown in the child'smind by answering all his inquisitive queries with utmost patience. The childseeing a cat wants to know what it is. He naturally turns to his mother whotells him that it is a cat. He then asks her what the cat drinks and isinformed by the mother that it drinks milk. When asked what fire is, shereplies that it burns. In this manner she gives the child knowledge about thethings around. That being mother, the primary characteristic of a person whoconsiders himself humane is to respect and revere the mother. Sowing the rightseeds of knowledge by the mother will ensure the children's proper growth intoyoung men. All of us desire that our children should develop into praise worthyindividuals. But then we must ask ourselves whether we are teaching ourchildren appropriate lessons in our home to become such individuals.

GURU PUJA - GURU PURNIMA DAY

It has been a tradition for ages to worship the Guru during the GURUPUJAcelebrations on the Guru Purnima day. This is not confined to any particular regionor religion or caste. The festival is to be observed by the entire human raceas a mark of its gratitude for the Guru, the river of knowledge. There may besome who deny existence of God, but none can disclaim a teacher responsible forhis acquiring knowledge and growing intellectually. There is a specialsignificance for Guru Purnima. If I am a car driver, I must have learnt cardriving from someone. None is born a car driver, a carpenter or a mason. Wewill not by ourselves become car drivers, doctors etc unless someone teaches usthe required skills. Those persons who have taught us the skills, our Gurus,must be remembered and revered. Let us consider a sculptor whose sculptures arequite famous. Has he become a sculptor by himself or is he born one? Indeednot. He must have learnt sculpting from some other great sculptor. The cooks,the providers of food to us on this Guru Purnima day have acquired theirculinary skills from some others. One full moon day in each year is set apartfor expressing our gratitude to the Guru and is known as the Guru Purnima.

H

HABITS - HEALTH

Through friendship, people acquire bad habits. Even boys studying in theninth standard are becoming habituated to drink alcohol. Drinking damages theliver, septic ulcers develop in it and the health is ruined. Doctors say thatthe health of children born to parents given to the habit of drinking is badlyaffected due to the presence of alcohol in the blood of parents. Scientiststoday agree with what our sages had said in the past. Due to the bad habit ofdrinking many families are being destroyed. You should all help to eradicateit. People must extricate themselves from the clutches of the evil habit.

HARD WORK - HARDSHIP

Tulasiram - (an ardent disciple of Viswayogi) wrote a small book titled"Viswasuktavali". (The word Viswasuktavali may be taken to mean astring of great sayings of Viswayogi.) Each of the sayings is as powerful as anarrow. Everyone must understand and put into practice each of the sayings.(They are not easy to practice. Much hard work will be needed.) Remember thatwithout hard work and hardship no happiness results. If a woman wants to derivethe pleasure of motherhood-evidenced in fondling and kissing the child,suckling it, singing lullabies, etc., she has to necessarily go through all thetroubles associated with conception and delivery. For nine months she has toexert and struggle hard before the child is born. The father's sperm enters thewomb of the mother and fertilizes the egg in the womb, which then develops intoa fetus. In course of time the fetus grows limbs like hands and legs and organslike eyes and nose. The nourishment needed by the fetus while in the womb isdrawn from the mother's blood. The mother herself has to take an extra quantityof nourishing food for the healthy growth of the child in the womb. The motherhas to put up with the pains caused by the movements of the limbs of the fetus.During the pregnancy, the mother faces many problems including threatenedabortion. She goes through all the pain and suffering during pregnancy to havethe happiness of being a mother of her own child. We can thus see that there isno happiness without pain and suffering preceding it. Any person who gainspleasure without pain falls an easy prey to evil habits. One who becomes richafter having suffered poverty for long, knows how painful poverty is and sohelps to alleviate the poverty of others. Similarly one who has gone throughmuch suffering in life helps others to overcome their suffering. In the ancienttimes, the sons of sages, kings, army commanders, ministers, millionairebusiness men had to spend all their years of schooling in a Gurukula run by aSadguru, observing extreme austerity - wearing a kaupina ( a strip of clothadequate to cover the genitals) eating with Guru's permission the food whichwas obtained by begging at ten or twelve houses and which remained afteroffering a portion to the Guru. There were no hotels, bars or liquor shopstempting pupils to deviate from the path of right conduct. But in these days oftechnological progress, there are many ways for going astray. Everyone shouldbeware of the tempting evils lying in their path and scrupulously avoid them.Hard work makes the body hard, fit to bear any suffering. Suffering frees aperson from the consequences of his actions. No result ensues without effort.There is a reason why I have spoken at such length about hard work andhardship. We come across many who cry out in despair that inspite of theirvisiting Puttaparti and other holy places, offering prayers every Friday,reading Khoran or Gurubani or Bible and worshiping many gods and goddesses,they had to still face many hardships. There is none in this world who did nothave to go through hardships one time or the other in their life. If you turnthe pages of history, and examine the lives of those who are respected andworshipped as great souls, siddhapurushas and avatars you will realize thatthey too had to go through very severe hardships compared to which yoursufferings pale into insignificance.

HONOURING INTELLECTUALS

Swami has chosen many people well known in their respective fields for beinghonored on this Guru Purnima day (12-07-19995). You may be wondering why theyare going to be honored and blessed. I have answered this question on severalearlier occasions. Listen now to what I am going to say. God and knowledgewhich are invisible can be perceived through the individuals in whom they arepresent. Just as electricity flowing through a bulb makes itself useful bylighting up the bulb, knowledge too enters the individual's mind and makes himdo what is beneficial to the society. Therefore those possessing knowledgedeserve our respect and we must worship them. Intellect being God, allintellectuals are manifestation of God and hence are to be worshipped.

HUMANITY

Perfect humanity is divinity.

I

IDOLATRY

Why do we indulge in Idolatry that is worship of idols of different Gods andGoddesses? Swami Vivekanada answered this question with a very apt example. Fordrinking milk, we first pour it into a glass or metal tumbler small enough tobe held to the lips. Without so doing, it is not possible to drink. Idols arelike the tumblers (from which we drink the milk of divinity). After drinkingonce, the tumbler is not discarded, but passed on to others informing them ofits utility.

INTELLECTUAL POWER - UNIVERSAL PEACE

We say that the society is spoiled. But he animals are not spoiled as themen are. Why us it that man who has intelligence and who is able to journey tothe moon not able to live peacefully? Think for a while why his intellectualpower capable of achieving many miraculous things is found wanting inmaintaining peace in the world. Intellectuals appear to be unconcerned aboutit. The brain- power is applied for devising ways of pleasing ourselves,finding cures for various diseases, and inventing newer gadgets. But do we everthing of what we ought to do for leading peaceful lives and transforming theworld into an abode of peace? No doubt man's intellectual power is limitlessand the human society is indebted to the intellectuals in many ways. Thewonderful technological progress evidences of which are the microphone, thetape-recorder, T.V Camera, etc., which are recording the proceedings of mydiscourse today is owing to man's intellectual power. The intellectual powerand the knowledge that he possess are God. Datta means knowledge and theindividual in whom the intellectual power is resplendent is the embodiment ofDatta himself. He is where Datta dwells. Sri Satya Sai Baba's Prasanthinilayam,the 'House of all' in Jillellamudi, the Dwarakamayi of Shirdi Sai and theabodes of Siddhapurushas and this Viswamandiram are all abodes of Datta.Viswamandiram is not named after this person. Realize that Viswamandiram isVISWAM - the universe itself. The universe is a manifestation of VISHNU the GODhimself. You are the universe and every atom is a universe. Understand thissecret and strive for universal peace.

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JAGADGURU

Jagadguru does not mean Guru of Jagat, the universe. Truly speaking,Jagadguru stands for one who has accepted Jagat, the universe as his Guru. Oncesomeone went to Sri Chandra Sekharendra Swami, the head of Kanchi KamakothiPitham, and while offering his salutations addressed the swami as 'Jagadguru'.The Swami told him, "I regard the Universe as my Guru". He is thetrue Jagadguru. He is a true incarnation of Dattatreya.

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LIBERATION

For being freed from births and deaths and attaining immortality, desiresshould be gradually given up. Moksha, liberation from the cycle of births anddeaths is nothing but Mohakshaya, a state of desirelessness. Evil thoughts anddesires cause the enfeeblement of the heart. Therefore one should alwaysentertain good thoughts. For this, it is essential to have high aims and nobleideals which can be acquired from a true Guru. Therefore, the company of a trueGuru should be assiduously sought.

LIFE AFTER BIRTH

It is very wrong to theorize that after death, all beings are transported tosome other worlds. Nothing is achieved by dying. Before the body merges intothe five elements, it must be put to good use. Make your bodies energetic andyour lives purposeful (while you are alive). How many homes are abode ofhappiness today?

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MADNESS

Like many I too have a madness. While some are mad about inciting quarrelsamong others, I am mad about doing everything possible to see that human beingsremain as human beings. My madness transforms every home into an abode ofsupreme peace.

MANTRA

Mantra can transofrm man into a center of immense power. Chant the mantra,'Om Sri Sai Ram Guru Deva Datta' regularly. If you prefer, you can chose anyother mantra instead and chant it.

MERIT

It is very wrong that degrees are to be conferred by the universities on thebasis of caste. It is equally wrong to give jobs on the basis of one's caste.Merit should be given its due.

MIND

If your mind is polluted with envy, jealousy and hatred, everything thatgoes into it turns into poison like the food cooked in an unclean brass vessel.Therefore you purify your mind first. All your sorrows can be traced to yourimpure mind.

MIRACLES

Many people question the claims of miracles and wonder if there are anymiracles at all. Note carefully. There are no miracles at all. Surgeons performhundreds of operations on patients very day. But millions and millions of otherpeople cannot operate like surgeons do. Performing of operations may seem to bea wonder or a miracle to those who cannot perform. For the doctors who studiedmedicine and learned to perform surgeries, doing so is only natural to them.The ability to perform surgeries is derived from the divine power. Engineersconstruct magnificient buildings any many others accomplish many wonderfulthings. For us their doings may seem to be miracles, but they are natural forthem. Yogi's walking on water is natural to them. We can also walk on water ifwe are trained in yoga.

MIRACULOUS POWERS

I assert that there are no miraculous powers. There is nothing beyond thehuman capacity. If some-thing is beyond the reach of our ability we considerits achievement a miracle. Achievements within the grasp of our capacity areregarded as being natural to us. While flying in air is natural to a persontrained in the concerned yoga, it is a miracle to one capable of only walkingon the terra firma.

MONEY

Money can do many things. But if it is spent wastefully, no amount of moneyone may have will be enough. There is therefore a need for restraint inspending money. It must also be spent sparingly. For being able to do so, manmust lead a principled life and observe rules in the matters of food andrecreation.

There are some who consider money as being evil. But money is neither goodnor evil. It becomes evil in the hands of an evil person because he uses themoney for evil purposes. While one person misuses money in gambling, anothermay utilize it for educating a poor child. Thus in the hands of the gamblermoney is evil whereas in the hands of the other, it is good.

MOTHER

This morning Viswayogi went to his mother, offered his salutations to herand received her blessings. Remember that mother who has given birth to you isthe most respectable and venerable person. The mother, the wife or sistershould never cry in sorrow. Their tears will be a curse on you. Is it not saidthat where women are happy, there the divine grace and heaven are?

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PURPOSE OF POWERS

Today many people carry ritualistic pujas without the guidance of a Guru.They practice 'Tantra' with the object of acquiring extraordinary powers. Thepowers so acquired ought to be utilized for the good of others, for the wellbeing of the society. Unfortunately most people use them for some selfish ends.Such people are sure to lose their sanity eventually.

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SANATANA DHARMA

Sanatana dharma, the eternal code, is the way which helps man become aperfect human being. It does not belong to any particular region or religion.It is needed for promoting the unity of the entire human race. It is worthy ofbeing practiced by one and all. Sanatana dharma has proclaimed that the wholeworld is one family, God is present in everything and in every being and God isone though spoken of as many. It is the Sanatana dharma which has given toevery human being the message that one's parents, teacher and guests are to berevered as God. Sanatana dharma is the beacon which guides man to reformhimself, and theryby reform the family so that the home where the familyresides becomes an abode of supreme peace.

It is unfortunate that today plans are set in motion to reform the societyignoring altogether the sanatana dharma, the individual and the family, andthat is the reason why the plans are not succeeding. It is also the reason forthe transformation of the whole world into a cauldron of unrest in the name ofcivilization, unrestrained individual freedom and above all in the name of oursuperior intelligence.

Man should through sadhana, practice and sodhana - search awaken andactivate the energy latent in him and then bring about its union with theenergy permeating the whole universe. When that union is achieved, he becomes averitable power-house, an embodiment of the power of the universe. With itshelp, he should elevate himself and the society. All this is sanatana dharma.All efforts of Viswayogi are directed for re-establishing this preeminentdharma.

SOCIAL STRENGTH

Do not promote quarrels among people. Always strive for harmony between sonand daughter-in-law. The films, these days portray policemen in such falsecolours that they create aversion for, and hatred against the law enforcingagency among the law abiding people. Such films must necessarily be criticised.

Unfortunately today while bad people go about without fear good people livein a state of fear that some harm will be caused to them. For changing thesituation, the good people should not only develop their own strength, but helpthe society build up social strength to face and fight the evils and injusticesconfronting them. In Kaliyuga that is the only right way.

In his attempt to reform, a swami asked a cobra to give up biting. It actedaccordingly. In course of time, children found it to be a harmless creature andbegan pelting stones at it. The cobra thus harassed by the children went to theswami and explained to him its pitiable state. The swami said, "O! Poorcobra, I did ask you not to bite, but have I asked you not to hiss?" Toprotect themselves, the good people in the society must learn to "hiss".They must not allow themselves to be subdued by bad people.

SOCIETY

Society is nothing but God's manifestation. While you lead your life, as amember of the society, you must be of some help to it. How many of you havethis objective of service to society? Unfortunately these days men areacquiring qualifications like M.B.B.S not with any altruistic considerationsbut with a commercial motive of getting a large dowry and earning money inseveral other ways. He never considers that service to society is a desirablegoal for his education.

SPEECH

One should speak softly and endearingly. If you have purity of speech,whatever you speak will come to pass.

SWADHARMA - SELF DUTY

Sanatana dharma emphasised that no man should neglect performing his own assignedduty - swadharma, and so did our elders also. Unfortunately the dictum is notrightly understood by many. One's swadharma is not based on the caste one isborn into. If a doctor wants to work as an engineer and an engineer desires toassume the role of a doctor, they are aspiring for someone else's duty -paradharma. Doing paradharma is wrong. Every individual should carry on his ownassigned duty.

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TIME

Every minute is valuable. Time lost is lost forever. Therefore, time shouldnever be wasted.

TRANSFERENCE OF POWER AND KNOWLEDGE

Many old and elderly persons merely sat near the sixteen year oldDakshinamurti and gained knowledge. How is this possible? The sixteen yearsrepresent the sixteen different branches of knowledge into which the whole bodyof knowledge can be classified. Thus Dakshinamurti is the embodiment ofcomplete and perfect knowledge. Mere looks bring about the transfer ofknowledge from one to the other. Not only knowledge but also energy and powercan be transferred through looks.

TEMPTATION

A person studying in a college for obtaining a university degree, encountersmany temptations every day on his way to the college - in the kiosks sellingcigarettes, bars vending liquor and cinema houses showing films with sexappeal. If he falls a prey to their temptations, his goal of obtaining a degreewill never be attained.

Every one must be aware of his goal in life, and in striving to reach it, hemust overcome every temptation, which has the effect of drawing him away fromthe goal. Submission to temptation will bring about a man's down fall.

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UNIVERSAL INTEGRATION PILLAR

In a short time, the foundation stone for theUniversal Integration Pillar (Viswa Manava Samaikyata Stupam) would be laid - aunique symbol for the unity of all people regardless of their religiousaffinity. All you efforts must be directed towards remaining a human being withyour mind unaffected by considerations of caste or religion - of being aBrahmin or a Reddy or a Hindu or a Christian. You examine your own conduct toknow whether you continue to be a human being or have ceased to be one.Viswayogi's mission is to unify all people of the world and transform them intosocially useful beings.

UNPRINCIPLED LIFE

Students these days have been adoptingshortcuts including the reprehensible method of copying for achieving successin examinations. In matters of spirituality too people are acting in a similarway to acquire powers. To such condemnable efforts of yours, your heart is awitness. Animals and birds observe strictly some rules in matters of food, butman's conduct shows that no rules govern him in matters of food and pleasureseeking.

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VISWAMITRA

We all know of the great sage, Viswamitra. Why is he called Viswamitra? Heis so called because he is a friend of the whole universe. Who are hisrelatives and friends? Everyone in the universe is his friend and relative.Many of you do not understand him rightly and think that he gets easilyenraged. It is said that he co-habited with a divine damsel leading to the birthof a daughter who eventually married Dushyantha, a king and bore him a son, thefamous Bharat. But Viswamitra's actions were all only a play designed tobenefit the world. The actions of such sages were meant for the elevation andgood of the world. They did not have any weakness or bad habits.I would like tomention about an incident that took place in Viswamitra's life. One day he wentto the sage Vasishta and demanded that he be addressed as 'Brahmarishi' - asage who has realised Brahman, the supreme God. Neither Vasishta nor any of hissons were prepared to address him so. He returned disappointed. But eventuallyVasishta of his own accord addressed him as Brahmarishi. There is no need todwell upon the well - known story of how and why Vasishta condescended to callViswamitra Brahmarishi. Viswamitra pursued his goal of attaining the state ofBrahmarishi with utmost patience. We too must pursue our goals in life in thesame way.

VISWA RUPA SAMDARSANA

What is Viswa Rupa Samdarsana? If a six foot tall man grows taller andtaller and ultimately as large as the earth and occupies the whole of the spacearound, can it be called 'Viswa Rupa'? No, it cannot be. What exists in an atomexists in the whole of creation. In the atom, there is, what is called, a nucleusand rotating at great speed around it are the electrons. (The nucleus containsprotons and neutrons.) In a like manner, the planets are rotating around theSun at great speeds. An atom is only a subtle form of the universe. Matter is acluster of many atoms. The whole universe is composed of an infinite number ofatoms. 'YOU' are only the divine energy which is in the atom. 'YOU' are ineverything and everything is in 'YOU'. There is no place where 'YOU' are not.Realise this truth. That realisation is a Viswa Rupa Samdarsana.

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WILL OF VISWAYOGI

On account of the bad weather conditions, people doubted whether thefestivities of Gurupurnima today (12-7-1995) would go on as planned. But youmust have all noticed that everything is going on as planned by me, as willedby me. Due to the very heavy rains which started at 8 p.m. yesterday and lastedtill 1 a.m. all the ground here was flooded and people naturally thought thatthe festivities would be hampered and wondered whether the celebrations would beheld indoors. The path leading to the 21 foot high idol of Anjaneya Swamyinstalled on a 15 foot high pedestal became extremely slushy making itimpossible for reaching the idol near which a homa was planned to be performed.Yet, you all know that everything took place as willed. (That demonstratesamply the power of Viswayogi's will.)

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YOGA

Man will be able to unite all the grandhis - knots of the heart, the mind and the self (hridgrandhi, chidgrandhi and atmagrandhi) through YOGA. Thereafter, he will be able to unite his individual mind with the divine mind through letting his mental energy travel up the six nerve centers. A permanent link with the electro-magnetic energy pervading the whole universe will then be established. That is YOGA. A yogi, who has wrought the union with the electro-magnetic energy, becomes a circle of energy, causes the boundless energy of the infinite universe to flow into himself and utilises that energy for the well being of the human society.

The five sense organs pull the mind in different directions towards worldly objects. Firstly, the sense organs must be brought under the control of the mind instead of it being under their sway. Then you try to gain control over the mind. He who succeeds in controlling his own mind will be able to control the minds of others. A mind with 'high potency' gains domination over the minds with 'low potency'. This is not hypnotism but a fact established by the science of YOGA.