Nizamabad Feb20, 2019 Evening
You have been coming to the temple regularly last 5-6 days and witnessing Sri Chakra Archana, having Darshan of Lord Venkataramana Swamy and listening to Divya Nama Sankeertana. You have been having Darshan of Lord Ganapati – the Lord who removes all obstacles, as well as Mother Goddess, Lord Hanuman, Lord Datta and Lord Shiva. The temple looks deliciously beautiful like a cake.
When you perform circumambulation around the temple, do not place your dirty hands on the temple walls and leave imprints of turmeric and kumkum. Do not sit on the platform and chit chat. We are therefore installing a grill to preserve the sculptures. See the sculptures from a distance. If you get close to them, you will inadvertently lean against them and break them; and children will climb on them and ruin them. Therefore, it is better to see from a distance. That is why are installing a grill. Setting up the grill will allow us to install lights. Without the grill, the lights will get ruined and cause electric shock with people milling around and messing with it.
Come to the temple in the mornings for Suprabhata Seva. Participate in Tomala Seva. Render any help you can. Do not just wait for committee members to do everything. Every full moon day, there will be Rathotsavam here that all of you can participate in. Today, like yesterday, is a full moon day in this auspicious lunar month of Magha. The setting looks exquisite as if the moon is shining its light only on the temple.
I have given instructions for temple maintenance. You all must help too. Set aside a fistful of rice at home chanting “Jaya Guru Datta” each day before you cook and offer as Datta Bhiksha at the end of each week. Lord Datta likes this service a lot. Matru Mandali can place a container here to collect all the rice. No doubt, there will be donors who will bring large quantities of rice. But the Lord likes that fistful of rice you offer. He will make sure your lineage is well fed.
Tie the Poornaphala for fulfillment of your desires. Come back 16 days after to untie the coconut. Bengaluru, Cochin, Chennai and Mysuru Ashramas have thousands of coconuts tied as part of Poornaphala ritual. People tie Poornaphala for very simple reasons – children’s exams, pilgrimages, housewarming, christening ceremony, wedding planning etc. Pray to the Lord for smooth fulfillment of your tasks. All temples built by Swamiji also have Lord Datta in them.
Shivaratri is fast approaching. Come and participate in the rituals and have Darshan of Lord Shiva here on Shivaratri. If possible, stay until midnight or 1am or you can observe Shivaratri until the next morning. Perform Abhisheka to Lord Shiva. Swamiji is going to Haridwar to the Sahasra Linga which Swamiji installed 15 years ago. Swamiji is going back there after 5-6 years. Swamiji does not stay very long in a place. A town is lucky to get three days with Swamiji for a consecration. You are extremely fortunate to get one week with Swamiji. Your devotion and attachment to Swamiji brought Him here. Hold on to that devotion. It is rare to get Guru’s grace. Once you get it, do not let go. Having Darshan of the Lord here is akin to protecting Dharma. You must protect Dharma. Whenever your mind is troubled, come and have Darshan of the Lord and spent some time praying in the temple. You will even be able to see Swamiji when you pray sincerely. Sing bhajans. Form a bhajan group and join the group. Keep singing and you will be able to hold the tune better. The more you sing, the more Swamiji will give you the ability to sing. Many people have experienced this.
All of you residents of Nizamabad come and participate in the activities here. Serve the temple and spread its glory. The more you serve, the better for you and your family. Help the temple develop. The more this place prospers, the more your family prospers. Do not wait to be asked to serve. Proactively find out what you can do. Serve within your means. The Lord is easily pleased. If you give him one rupee, he will give you a lot more. Do not short change your services. Do not be shy or embarrassed to offer your difficulties and prayers to him. The Lord knows everything, but we should do our bit as humans in offering our prayers.
In Kaliyuga, the Lord gave us the ability to build temples, perform rituals and sing His praises. This is possible only on earth. It is not even possible in Vaikuntha. All these rituals, all the praises of the Lord we sing can be found in no other world – neither the nether worlds, nor the celestial worlds nor any other planets. Earth alone is the planet where we have the great fortune to worship the Lord through the beautiful rituals. When we go to other worlds, we do not even have the relationships we have on earth. Now, we are here with family and with Sadguru. That is the Lord’s grace. Make use of it. There are no relatives in other worlds.
Get membership in the temple. The Lord will give you the means and the money. Everyone participate in Nitya Puja. We are only offering back to him what He gave us. We cannot take anything with us when we leave the planet. When emperor Alexander was dying, he asked that his bare hands be visible to the public. He wanted to show that he was leaving the world with nothing. We do not take anything with us. We offer the water from the lake back into the lake (arghya) and get blessed. Who gave us flowers? We can only plant the tree and water it. But the flower, the color, the aroma are all the Lord’s. We can only do a little service. Everything is given by the Lord. So, we are only giving to the Lord what He has given us.
This place will prosper over time. There is no other proof needed than the fact that it rained right after the consecration. The Lord did the consecration through those showers. It is not even the season for rains. There was no rain the day before or the day after. Why should it rain only right after the consecration? Why not that morning or that evening? This is the greatness of Uttara Tirupati kshetra. The Lord came for us and is established here with full life energy as the idol in the temple, to give us knowledge and to uplift us. Let us take care of the temple. Never short change and deceive yourself in offering services. Do not hide your wealth.
A boy once received Prasadam, but was greedy for more. Hiding the Prasadam in his left hand behind him, he asked for more. In the meanwhile, a dog ate the Prasadam in his left hand. When the boy’s turn was up, they had run out of Prasadam. That should not be our fate. If he had eaten what he had, he would have got something to eat. If you hide what you have, someone else will take it. Instead, give to the Lord. Offering to the Lord is like saving in your bank. Where will it go? He will give it all to you. We must have that strong faith and achieve our goals. Many have such experiences. Your spiritual sadhana must be strong. Be Dharmic. Pray to the Lord. May your families be happy and peaceful. May your employment and businesses thrive. May your home and health shine. I bless you. Draw Swamiji back here slowly. It is up to you. Your sadhana and consciousness will determine when Swamiji comes back. Keep coming back and chasing down service opportunities.
Everyone observe silence for 5 minutes.
Two days ago, the soldiers protecting us had an untimely death at the hands of wicked people (in Pulwama). We pray to the Lord for the departed souls and their families. We are all living happily here because the soldiers are putting their life at risk and protecting the border. Without their protection, the enemy armies would have plundered our country. The defense forces are guarding our border all around. Every family that has 2-3 sons should send one son to the defense forces. They will come back victorious or be martyrs. 99% of the defense forces return home safely. We should also participate in protecting our country. Let your children serve the country. Educate your daughters well and let them serve the country. Make them officers in the service of our country, instead of simply getting them married and bearing children at a young age. Somehow, that is all you are concerned with. We should all serve the country. A girl can be a police officer too. That is also service to the country. She can still get married. Let them get good jobs. You can do your small bit of service to the country by training your children correctly. You get girls married by the time they are 18. They have 3 children by the time they are 20 and soon they sit at home like old people. After giving birth to 4 children, she is also considered old. I do not like this system.
Come to Mysuru whenever you can. Many of you have come to Mysuru before. Come in May for Brahmotsavas and Swamiji’s birthday celebrations. The Ashrama will be very festive and there will be a lot of devotees visiting at that time. The Ashrama is very disciplined. It is like a family Ashram. Men and women, both feel like they are at their mother’s home. Swamiji takes such good care of all. Everyone come to Ashram.