Category: Speech_excerpts

Are there similarities between Hinduism, Christianity and Islam?

Our first Ashram prayer states that all religions are same! There can be no differences.

Baiballu madhye’ tha kurāṇa madhye śastreṣu vedesu purāna varge

Yatkeertireka viratam sughustha tameka devam śranam vrajāmah.

It means that the God who is prayed through Koran is the same as the Lord worshipped through the Bible! The very same God is explained about in Bhagawatam or in Hindu Shastras! Flowers are many but worship is the same. Cows are different but the milk is the same. There are so many languages but feelings are the same. All the great people –the Mahatmas, sants, sadhus, sat purushas declare this. They say, “

All religions lead to the same goal. Just follow your Swadharma (the dharma/ religion in which you were born). Always abide by the truth. Do no harm others. We do not know why God has given us this body. Just abide by and follow your religion with pure faith.”

If you are a Muslim, be a true Muslim; if you are a Christian be a true Christian; if you are a Hindu then be a true Hindu. The blood is the same for everyone irrespective of the religion.

Igirju masjida sumandireshu Preyarnamajarcana panktibhiryam

Archanti gayanti ca yadganaughan Temeks devam saranam vrajamah.

This stanza states that some people call the residence of God as a temple. Others call it masjid. For others it is a church. But the same God resides in all the places! All the various customs, rules and regulations are the various methods to reach the same God! One person may choose to take a boat to reach the destination while another may decide to walk. What matters is that you should reach the destination. The method of transport doesn’t matter.

We should treat all the people in the world equally. It is important that everyone understands this. Do you know that Swamiji’s Puja mandir was built by a Muslim? My first Sri chakra puja was in that Mandir only. This is the beautiful relationship that I share with my Muslim brethren. “Tameka devam saraṇam vrajāmah” means there is only one God. Everything belongs to that same God. He is omnipresent, formless and is devoid of any traits (nirguṇa).

Bhaktimala Jan 2001

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Why did Rama send Hanuman away during the consecration of Shiva-linga in Rameshwaram?

After Ravana was killed Rama had to atone for the sin of killing a Brahmin. All the saints advised Rama to install Shiva-linga in order to be freed from this sin. Criticizing Guru, mother or father, negligence in performing the annual rites of parents, abortions, killing of cow are heinous sins. Installing a Shiva linga per the procedure specified in the scriptures is the most supreme way to redeem oneself from these sins.

Rama decided, ‘This is the most auspicious moment. Hence right now we should get a Shiva linga from Kashi and install it here.’ Hanuman alone could rush to Kashi at such unimaginable speeds and fetch the Linga. Hence Hanuman was given this task. ‘Hanuman, I never get an opportunity to repay you, but seem to be calling you for every trivial task. Please do me a favour by going to Kashi” requested Rama.

Hanuman replied, “It is my privilege that you seek my services. There is no dearth of attendants who are ready to serve you. Instead you still think of me and call me. Isn’t that my privilege? I am so fortunate.”

Hanuman rushed at the speed of wind and reached Kashi. However when he saw crores of Shiva-lingas he was in dilemma. Which Linga was he to carry back to Rameshwaram? What were the specifications for the linga to be installed? Should it be big or small? Should he select a white linga, a black linga or a narmada bana linga? hn despair He called out, “Rama, what am I to do now?”

He then prayed to Shiva, sought his guidance and rushed back. Scholars in Tamilnadu declare that with Shiva’s blessings Hanuman picked up four Shiva lingams i.e. 2 in his hands, one in the tail and one in the mouth. Scholars from other parts of India state that he brought 3 Shiva lingams of which the 2 held in the hands fell en-route due to the speed at which he was moving. There are many sacred pilgrim centres in India which contain the pieces of the lingams that fell from Hanuman’s hands as he was returning to Rameshwaram. Only the lingam held in his tail was intact when he reached.

Meanwhile the auspicious time for consecration of Shiva-linga was coming to an end hence Mother Seeta made a Shiva-linga with sand (saikata linga) which Rama consecrated. With this He washed away the sin called Brahma-hatya doṣa (sin incurred by killing a Brahmin).

When Hanuman arrived in Rameshwaram with the Shiva-linga in the tail he observed that another Shiva-linga was already installed. He grieved that he failed in accomplishing Rama’s task. Consoling him Rama said, “Hanuman, the Shiva-linga brought by you is very dear to me. I shall consecrate it near to the main linga. In future time period people who visit Rameshwaram will have to first have darshan of Hanumadīśwara Shiva-linga and only thereafter have darshan of the main Shiva-linga. Only then their trip will be rendered fruitful”.

Rama continued, “I will now tell you a great secret why I had to send you away during the consecration of the main Shiva-linga here. For the consecration of this Shiva-linga created by Mother Seeta, I had invoked praṇa (life-force). In other words, I had invoked Shiva himself! Had you been present, you would have entered and merged into that Lingam. You would have thought, ‘Rama is asking me to enter into the lingam. Why should I delay?’ With this thought you would have instantly entered the Lingam and remained in it permanently. So I had to send you away.

Hanuman you will stay with me as long as I live on earth. Thereafter you will still continue to remain on earth propagating devotion towards Rama. In the future period of time you will become Brahma. This is my sankalpa.”

From this it is evident that Hanuman is none other than Shiva!

— Shivaratri 2015

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Shivaratri rituals are pure Vedanta

Shivaratri rituals are nothing but Vedanta. Shiva means Yoga. Shivaratri is therefore very important for yogis and for those who seek liberation. Do not talk unnecessarily today. Today Shiva will be present with his 24 kalas. They are very powerful rays and it is not advisable to miss these rays. All day and night concentrate on your japa. Your doubts and problems will be resolved. Those who seek health will be blessed with good health. Those who seek knowledge will get knowledge.

Every being knowingly or unknowingly seeks liberation. For spiritual practices, body is the medium. Do not encourage weak thoughts as to whether your spiritual practices will be enough to grant liberation and so on. At the same time don’t be egoistic that you are a great spiritual aspirant. There is peculiarity about this sadhana. The body is the cause for all our wavering intellect (buddhi), instability, diseases, sins, talking ill about our Guru or parents and many similar evils. But to cross all these evils, we need to rely once again only on our body. We should treat it as a beautiful flower gifted to us by the Lord and with this attitude we should use the body to overcome our evils. We should not misuse the body.

The body and the mind that have been designed for spiritual practices are being misused and diseased with this wavering mind and other habits. Therefore it is essential to use the body to overcome these defects.

Shivaratri teaches us to use the body so to overcome these evils. It is wrong to associate Shivaratri with some certain special rituals only. It causes confusion. Endless Bhagavan Nama (reciting the name of God) is itself Shivaratri vrata.

–Glimpses of Bhaktimala

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Do not waste food or other resources

Milk and all other ingredients offered tonight to Shiva during abhishekam are collected and without even the slightest wastage they are distributed among all devotees. Only pure water is allowed to flow to the ground so as to increase the ground water. Even a tiny leaf offered to Shiva here is not wasted. It is precious and is used as such.

In ashram there is no wastage of resources. The vegetables and fruits that remain after feeding birds and deer are used to make compost manure. Special provision has been made for diverting kitchen water for proper use. Government is banning use of plastic. The same has already been implemented in Mysore ashram. Devotees should pledge not to use plastic. Pledge to use only recyclable items. At home pledge not to waste rice, pulses and vegetables. Find some methods by which they can be put to use. Throwing food in dustbin is wrong. It is sinful. At least use this left-over food to feed insects and birds.

Make this pledge right way. “We pledge not to use non-recyclable plastic. We pledge not to waste food’. Plastic does not dissolve in soil. When animals eat plastic and fall sick, that sin transfers to us. Non-recyclable plastic is the real problem. Make sure that the recyclable plastic has been re-used properly. If we all sincerely abide by our pledge, our country will prosper. Our cows will be healthy and will live long. Today, instead of infusing life into these animals we are killing them by carelessly using plastic.

— Shivaratri 2016 speech

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Why should house be kept neat?

Shiva resides in those houses where which kitchen, bedrooms, and living rooms are kept clean. Blankets should be folded soon upon waking up. It is wrong to leave the bed undone and then rushing off for other chores. An undone bed invites laziness and sickness. It keeps calling, “Come, fall sick and put me to use.” Where the bed is done and blanket is folded it ceases to invite. Only at night it will call. Bed sheets should be cleaned regularly. They should be kept hygienically. Smelly bed spreads invite dust and mites.

You perhaps may wonder what could be the connection between cleanliness and Shiva? Shiva is pure and clean like a crystal. A crystal allows us to see through it clearly. Hence our houses should be crystal pure. Our minds should also be clean and pure. Feelings of envy should be driven out completely.