It is so unfortunate that whole Hinduism lost this Upanishad. Buddhism is still able to
create more and more enlightened beings just because they held on to that one truth "Zazen".
Zazen means just sitting. It is so unfortunate even the priests in the South Indian Temples
are standing and doing Pooja. So this idea of sitting is completely lost. Above the Mahakal,
if you see all temples will be sitting and doing Pooja. Below Mahakal, all will be standing
and doing Pooja. It is unfortunate. You may think "What is there in sitting". You
don't know. I tell you. You don't know -- power of sitting. By sitting, sitting,
you will learn how to be sitting with aloneness "Rahasistitaha, Aatmanam rahasistitaha".
That is why, in Hindu tradition, the highest practice is called Upanishad. The highest
preaching is called Upanishad. Even the place where the teaching is transmitted is called
seat. Peeta. Understand. So much of importance was given to sitting. I tell you. If you learn
sitting, sitting, sitting, you will easily pick-up this sitting with yourself. The Upanishad.
If I have my own way, I will really tell all our Ashrams and centers, have furniture and
chairs only for the people who cannot sit on the floor. Elders or who are sick or handicapped.
Even to all our devotees, I give this as a spiritual instruction. Only when you are not
feeling well, when you can't sit on the floor, use furniture. Otherwise even in the
house have furniture for the visitors. But when you all guys sit, all you guys sit on
the floor. You don't know, this habit of sitting on the floor will slowly help you
to sit with yourself. Upanishad.
So in 11 days you can catch that Upanishad samyama. In Buddhism they have a very beautiful
way. They will just gaze at the wall, facing the wall they will sit and gaze. No thoughts
allowed. Just sit.
Bodhi dharma sat in Upanishad for 12 years gazing the wall. Now after all, all you guys,
Niraharis, you may need to move your head away from the wall may be 3 times a day for
juice.
I really wanted Hinduism to get back to that truth of Upanishad.
It is so sad when I went to Nepal this time, in Katmandu I saw 82 percent Hindu population,
only 5 percent budhist population but go in any street, you will find 10 buddhist monks
going around. You will not find a single Hindu monk. It is so sad. You guys lost all the
spiritual wealth, you inherited. Why do you think your next generation is not becoming
monks. Because it was never based on the spiritual inspiration. You can see those Buddhist monks
highly educated, cultured working on the spiritual truths. The few hindu monks you will see that's
also very few. One or two. Old beggars. In Katmandu, Pasupathinath temple asking for
few penny. That's it. I take a vow in the name of Maha Kala and Maha Kali. Just through
the akashic readings, inspiring and initiating I will create atleast 100 thousand sadhus,
sanyasis. I mean youngsters, celibates living enlightenment and spreading enlightenment.
Giving life to the vedic tradition. It is really unfortunate that these great spiritual
heritage. In Zen monasteries, Buddhist monasteries, you can see thousands of monks sitting in
Zazen for a whole day.
Hats off to ISKON movement for making ajapa japa as a life style. They atleast brought
that back.
But one of the greatest heritage of Hinduism, vedic tradition the Upanishad. Neither gurus
talk about it nor disciples practice. The general public do not even have confidence
that Upanishad is possible in their life. In Hindiusm if you are a monk, you can't
even survive unless you do some social service. I am not against social service. Just now
I blessed the people who gave the money. I am going to send this and going to do social
service. But that should not replace our mystical explorations. Unfortunately, in Hinduism the
mystical exploring has been replaced by running schools, colleges and hospitals.
Each person inspired about enlightenment is a diamond. His time and energy should be directed
towards achieving the enlightenment and radiating the extraordinary experiences and powers of
enlightenment. As a part time, second or third priority he can be doing some social service.
Nothing wrong. But it is unfortunate that social service has become a main stream religion.
I tell you even social service should be teaching enlightenment.
This is the priority list I am giving for my sanyasis. Understand.
First: Achieving enlightenment
Second: Radiating the extraordinary powers and experiences of enlightenment
Third: Social service along with the lines of enlightenment like teaching the science
of enlightenment
Only 4th : IS doing other social services. Because there are millions of people to do
that work
Whatever you think as best and you found as best in your life, share that with the world.
If you are a seeker, enlightenment is the best thing you found in your life, share that
with the world. You will have enlightenment you will give only Anacin, metacin to the
people, it is cheating. So the seekers even if you do social service in ordinary sense,
you are cheating the world. You are hiding the important thing with you and giving only
small things to the world. A seeker should give the science of enlightenment to the world.
That is the biggest gift.
Let there be spiritual revolution. I give this as a spiritual instruction to all our
devotees. If you want to have two children, go for 4 and handover two to the Dhyanapeetam.
Bring them up with a spiritual culture from the beginning and reach them to Dhyanapeetam.
We need thousands of sanyasis to revive the vedic tradition.
People sometime ask me "why don't you adopt all the orphans and bring them up swamiji?".
I tell you no, only if the kids grow in the happy family they live as a true sanyasis.
Not otherwise. Not otherwise. Otherwise they become cunning, cheats.
I know our devotees are the happiest families on the planet earth. The best possible happiest
families. There may be some fights one or two days, here and there. Whatever it may
be, but best possible. Especially if both of you are connected, husband and wife both
are connected means that is the best possible in the kids growing.
Only when I remember all these great truths, I feel Oh god, how did we lose this concept
of Upanishad when Buddhists are able to retain their zazen. Why Upanishad did not become
part of our common man. Go to any poor, poorest villager in Tibet. He will be doing ajapa
japa with a rosary. Drivers who drive our vehicles during the Kailash Yatra will be
doing ajapa japa with the rosary. When Tibetian Buddhism is able to retain ajapa japa, when
Japanese Zen tradition is able to retain Zazen, how did you idiots loose Upanishad. No, really.
These are such a beautiful, simple, non-expensive life style based great truths. To experience
Upanishad, you don't need to be rich, you don't need any pre conditions. You don't
even need a special place. These all life style based truths.
Sometimes I feel so much of pain Oh God, how did , why did these fellows lose all these
basic truths. I tell you I have been to village to village of India. Only in North India that
also in few, only very few parts of North Indian villages, the ajapa japa is retained.
Other than that, throughout India nowhere I see this core spiritual concepts are alive.
At the most what we know as Hinduism is going to temple once in a while and putting few
coins to the priests, putting few flowers on the deity, and showing a camphor and coming
off. That's all.
The first word you will hear when you want to learn about Hinduism is Upanishad. May
be second word. First word will be Vedas and second word will be Upanishad. Sometime Upanishad
will be the first word, because Upanishad is the essence of Vedas.
Even if you want to jump start learning Hinduism, first thing you will learn is Upanishad. How,
how did the main stream Hindus do not even know Upanishad. I tell you guys, main stream
Hindus do not even know Upanishad.
Unless there is a spiritual revolution, where millions of, not even thousands, millions
of youngsters take up the sanyas life and study the spiritual truths day in and day
out, start living it, there is no hope for Hinduism. There is no hope for the spiritual
tradition. If only millions of youngsters realize this truth, science of enlightenment
and bring it to their life and radiate it to others. Only then this great spiritual
truths can be revived. Again life can be breathed into these precepts.
I lived in so many vedantic monasteries. As an insider I tell you, even the great vedantic
monasteries, Akadas which represent Hinduism do not know Upanishad. You will not find any
of them sitting. Some of the biggest Missionaries, the Hindu Missionaries, their total spiritual
practice is 108 times repeat the Mantra morning.
Upanishad Samyama. Sitting with aloneness. It is a beautiful word.
Ekaaki yata -- citaatmaa niraasheera -- parigrahaha: Just sit in aloneness with yourself and connect
with yourself by unclutching.
Even such a simple thing like Upanishad has to be taught by an incarnation. See the damage
done to the vedic tradition. This should have been told to you by your mother. At the age
of 5 your mother should have taught you this and told you "Upanishad means, sit, my child,
sit without worrying and thinking. Sit without being bothered. This is the way you will grow,
not only physically, consciously". How you have. See when a mother talks to a child she
tells " Hey, eat only then you will grow like your elder brother. You will become stronger
like your father". Same way in each house you should have one example of enlightenment.
She should tell, "Sit in Upanishad. Only then you will become like your grandfather.
See how graceful he is. Established in peace and knowledge. You will become like that".
I will make enlightenment as a household subject. Even this middle class women, middle aged
middle class women, they are the atom bomb of India. No. I tell you. They are the atomic
energy of India. Middle aged middle class women of India. They are the atomic energy.
Either they become electricity and useful to the society or they will become atom bomb.
My success was I hit that crowd. See the India's hands were youngsters, legs were retired people,
eyes are politicians, brain is bureaucrats, body is middle aged middle class women. That
is the most unused resource of India. The only thing they practice, the religion of
the middle aged middle class women of India is TV soaps; TV serials. Upanishad should
have been their religion. Unfortunately, never they were given the understanding, nor the
technique or the inspiration. So their life is wasted in front of the TV. I really wanted
to start a TV channel just to make all these as a main stream life style. We will do it.
We will do it. We will do it.
Upanishad can do so much good. I tell you Hinduism is yet to be discovered in India.
We lost it 500 years before and we are still yet to discover it. I really feel sad to teach
such simple things. I should be teaching how to materialize, how to express extraordinary
yogic powers, how to initiate others into Kundalini awakening, but instead I am sitting
and teaching you how to sit.
No, in Buddhist families, by the time you are 10 you know Zazen, you know ajapa japa.
You better know about death. They will teach you. If I am allowed, I will make a law that
from every house one person should become sanyasi. We need. We need large number of
monasteries. Sanyasis. Spiritual education centers. Universities. Theology seminaries.
Spirituality teaching organizations.
Aatmanam rahasistitaha: Sitting in aloneness with the self. One side I am feeling so joyful,
I had the knowledge and opportunity and the possibility to experience, practise all these
at young age. Other side I feel so much of pain that why did all these not become main
stream life style. What is the risk in people just learning to sit in the young age. Why
was neither parents nor social leaders or spiritual leaders are even aware of these
basic simple truths and not reaching it out to the main stream people. Why did our thinking
trend become sopolluted and corrupted by these paid news bribery media? Why should we bother,
if some bollywood star is living in some relationship with somebody and that actress's dog has
a chickenpox and that dog's girl friend dog is having a cancer and that pissed on their car.
No, really it is sickening. What informations are becoming our life style. Because you consumed they give,
because they give you consume. Everybody bothers about the economical, political, social corruption.
Nobody is bothered about the conscious corruption. They think this does not need to be a first
priority. Conscious corruption happened and happening to the vedic civilization.
I vow to teach all these simple basic truths as a life style, by creating millions of sanyasis.
This is the "guru vak" for all my sanyasis and sadhus. You live and radiate such peace
and joy and understanding and capacity. So anybody who comes in contact with you feel
jealous of you and takes up the life style you are living. I gave up eating solid food
not to prove anything to anybody. I don't need to prove anything to anybody. Just to
inspire. Inspire the next generation. I am making you all "Niraharis" not to save
the food cost for the planet earth or this country. To inspire millions.
From now, I am not just going to tell people to do Inner Awakening, to live enlightenment.
I am going to straight tell "become a Sanyasi". India needs. India now really needs millions
of sanyasis and rishis. People are so insensitive. They care only for their career, foolish career,
which will lead to only more and more depression and suffering.
Its time that all you sanyasis and sadhus, rishis who are living in the ashram create
the ambience for the next generation to come inside. You all grow to accommodate them,
to live a happy life, and train them by the example. Not by bullying but by nandheeing.
Nandhi teaches by example. I create a new word. Nandheeing is the opposite word of bullying.
Nandhi is one of the greatest guru in saiva tradition. In saiva tradition, four are considered
as guru. Devi, Nandhi, Subramanya and sanakadi rishis. These are the four major sampradayas
in saiva tradition. We belong to Devi's tradition because as we follow the shiva sutras.
Live this Upanishad samyama and reach out to the whole world all these great truths.
Such a simple no- risk process all these. Will do only good. Will never do anything
bad. Let's reach out to the world with these beautiful simple to practice samyamas and
revive the vedic tradition. Revive the Upanishadic tradition.
Q&A
Q: Respected Swamiji, Tourism in India has great potential. Recently Karnataka Govt has
received 35 thousand crores of investment bids to develop tourist infrastructure in
heritage site, Hampi. Swamiji, what are your comments on developing tourism in India, especially
spiritual tourism and yet retaining the sanctity and sacredness of the places.
A: Beautiful question. Understand, what is retaining the sanctity and sacredness of a
place, spiritual place? If a person sees that deity or a place with feeling of sacred, the
place's sanctity is maintained. If the person does not see that place or the deity with
the sacredness, the place does not retain its sanctity and the sanctity is disturbed.
Please understand, I strongly condemn the pseudo Hindus stopping Westerners, other religious
people into Hindu temples, not allowing them having darshan of the deities. Please understand,
I wanted to make this very clear. Even in all Indian temples, I tell you, millions of
Indian atheists and the fellows who don't have any respect, does not carry any sacredness
for the deity enter and have darshan. They are the fellows who are disturbing the sanctity.
Millions of westerners come, carrying so much of sacredness are not allowed to have the
darshan of the deity. It is strongly condemnable.
Yesterday, the representative of the Pope went to Tanjore temple and these cheap fellows,
cheap few fanatic Hindus did not allow him to have the darshan of the main deity. I strongly
condemn that. I welcome Pope's representative and I sincerely invite him to our temples.
Please come and experience and have darshan of true vedic Hindu tradition. I am going
to send him a formal invitation. The representative of Pope came to India to attend the Velankanni
Festival. After attending the festival he made a statement "nothing like this ever
I have seen in any country". Because the whole festival was based on the Hindu tradition.
The chariot, being pulled and the deity being brought everything, and he was so impressed.
He wanted to see some of the big temples of Hindu tradition. Unfortunate. It is really
unfortunate. We should have welcomed him and took him to the temple and made him have the
darshan of the main deity. See, when he wants to see, naturally, he carrys the sacredness.
He is not coming there to disrespect or to reduce the sanctity.
We Hindus need to be more open and with understanding; how to retain the sanctity and sacredness.
First thing, in all temples have enough priests who can talk, make people understand the story
of the deity and create the sacredness in people and make them go and have darshan with
that sacred feeling. That is the only way to retain the sanctity.
I know millions of so called Hindus, they go to the temple not to see the deity, but
to see the women who are coming to the temple or to do other mischievous things. You guys
are allowing all these fellows into the temple. When somebody comes to experience the sacredness
you don't allow them. We have to retain the sanctity. No doubt. So when they come,
educate them.
"No camera, no photography. This is the worship place. Please wear this dress and
have this mala. And this is deity, representing God's energy. So this is sacred. When you
go in front, offer your prayers, and meditate, bow down".
Educate them. They will carry more sacred sentiment in their eyes, than so many so called
pseudo Hindus who are going there just for time pass. I know. I can tell you. In India
thousands of people go to temple. I have seen. They will be sitting there and chatting all
their house stories. Or seeing who comes and who goes.
Understand, the spiritual tourism is going to be the main stream business of India. Main
income source of India very soon. Because, one of the biggest good thing happening is
now fortunately we have many Indian historians standing in the international forums and asserting
the antique value of our temples, and asserting the authentic ancient the age of our temples.
Earlier British were telling the age of our temples and tradition. Now fortunately Indians
are telling the age, history and authenticity of our temples to the international community.
So the people are realizing, discovering the age of our temples, authenticity, architectural
wonders and the heritage value of our temples.
As a guru, who has worked with the human beings from 191 countries, I can tell you Oh! India
and Hindus of India, decision makers of Hindu Religious Endowment Boards, open the temples
and spiritual sites to the whole world.
Not only the Westerners, other religious people who come to visit, even the Indians who come
to visit every time should go through the sacredness session. Even they should be reminded
they are entering into the sanctum sanctorum, they are going to have a personal time with
God, they are going to meet God's energy face to face. They should be reminded when
they are standing in the queue. Batch by batch, they should be reminded. There should be enough
of teachers, they should be reminded that you are going to have personal time with God.
When you carry that sacred sentiments in your eyes and go there, only then the sanctity
of the place is not disturbed. Even if you are a born Hindu, if you go there for a moment
you think "Oh, it is a stone decorated with jewels", the sanctity of the place is destroyed.
You may be from any religion, any country. When you go with the mood to see the divine
there, not only you are not disturbing the sanctity, you are adding to the sanctity.
So learn to educate people.
See..there is a beautiful festival that happens in Velankanni every year. There is a temple
for Mother of Jesus. The celebration happens as per the Hindu culture. It is a, what to
say that, union of both Hindu tradition and Christian tradition and millions of Hindus
visit that temple to have darshan. So all the rituals and celebrations are observed
like Hindu tradition. So he was just impressed seeing that ritual and the devotion Hindus
show to Jesus's mother -- Virgin Mary. So he wanted to visit a Hindu Temple to have
a idea. What's wrong. These fellows took him around the temple, did not allow him inside
the Sanctum Sanctorum. It is sad that they did not allow him inside the sanctum sanctorum
and I am sure he would have respected all traditions. When he wants to come and visit,
he would have respected all traditions. You can see the worship, the Hindus offer for
the Mary. You can see millions of Hindus gather, to offer worship to the Devi. So the celebration
is observed in a more Hindu cultural way. You can see the umbrellas and everything.
Just like Meenakshi temple procession.
Few more views about this spiritual tourism.
I tell you guys, spiritual tourism is not only going to be a huge economical income
resource income source for India, it is going to bring tremendous prestige and following
of Indian vedic culture internationally. So the Indian Govt. should take up this as a
main stream business and promote. Not only that, create enough of guides who can speak
in international languages like English, French, Spanish and educate the visitors in half-an-hour
through the power point presentation, or through a documentary or through talking. Create that
sacred sentiment in them and take them to the temple, take them to the main shrine.
Show the religious sites, show the spiritual sites, show the religious monuments, show
the spiritual temples. And fortunately in Tiruvannamalai, Ramana Maharishi interfered
and banned this law in 1947 itself. So in Thiruvannamalai temple, no Westerner is stopped.
All of you can see. Only in Madurai, you may be stopped. In Thiruvannamalai, no body will
stop you.
In Thiruvannamalai temple, you won't even find that Board: "Non Hindus are not allowed".
Because at that time, when they tried to bring that law, Ramana Maharishi interfered and
said "No. In Thiruvannamalai, all will be allowed. All should be allowed to have darshan".
Some fanatic hindu said "Why, we will not allow". Ramana Maharishi said as per the
tradition and the spiritual instruction, in Thiruvannamalai, the Hill is the main deity.
You will stop people seeing the Hill? Hill is the main deity. You can stop the people
seeing the hill or what? Hill is the first deity. Even now every day the first pooja
is done to the hill. When there is a consecration of the temple -- "Kumbahishekam" of the
temple, the first abishekam, first kalasa is poured on the hill. Only second is poured
on the main deity. Third is the living master.
In Thiruvannamalai, Shiva is available in three forms. So Ramana Maharishi said, "He
is available first as; the first deity is hill, second is shivalinga, third is me,"
He said directly. Third is the living master. You cannot stop people seeing that and this.
So you will hide only the small Shivalinga. So, then the government passed exemption for
Thiruvannamalai temple. Thiruvannamalai temple is the only temple in whole tamilnadu, where
you will not find that board "Non-Hindus are not allowed" and anybody can go upto
the sanctum sanctorum -- the level public is allowed. The level I am allowed, any one
is allowed. Any one can go and have darshan. Still they retain that tradition.
So I wanted that same tradition to be practiced in all hindu temples of India. See in those
days we had a problem that they may bomb, they may do some terrorist activity and all
that. Now have enough security for that. That's all and educate them. Over. I think it is
time we open everything to the whole world.
If any of you are interested in some flourishing business, I tell you guys, the spiritual tourism
in India is going to flourish in a huge way. It is going to just take off. If you make
anyinvestments in that field, it is going to become atleast 100 times more. By 2012
-- 2015, the spiritual tourism in India is going to become a biggest solution for the
depression, the world is going to suffer. So there is going to be a huge world population
going to come to India for spiritual tourism. This is going to be one of the biggest flourishing
business. If you want invest in that field. You will make lot of money. May be I can inspire
some of our devotees to launch a company for spiritual tourism and encourage it.