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Satsang Celebration of Swamiji’s Birthday March 11, 2006
A naming ceremony for the babies in the satsang opened the evening, followed by the offering of mantras to Ganesh, remover of obstacles.
Swamiji then welcomed everbody, saying, 'I have been bathed in love', following the greetings and jyota chant he received for his birthday celebration, although he admitted to a liking for de-emphasising of the personal, later saying that the best way to move away from the personal is to meditate.
Swamiji then spoke of Baba, who Swamiji met in 1971 after Baba's first world tour, and whom he accompanied on his second world tour, which included Melbourne, 'a highlight', in 1974.
Swamiji spoke of Baba's emphasis on meditation, who instructed, 'Meditate on the Self. Your good qualities should increase every day'. Baba also suggested: 'Every day you should learn new things. Every day your good qualities should increase.'
Baba recommended learning 'to be still and stable'. He continued, 'The scriptures say the mind is like a monkey. A monkey is not still'. Swamiji explained that Baba is talking about the nature of the mind. Baba cautioned, 'If you follow what the mind says then your are a brother of a monkey'. Swamiji said: 'A yogi knows how to quieten the mind ... to get in touch with the current of divinity ... when we're caught in paroxysms of fear and anger, we lose sight of the Self.'
Baba also spoke of the ego, saying: 'God gave you this ego so you can fill it with him'. Swamiji explained that this is the pure ego, which Baba described as 'the ego which has awareness of I am That'. Swamiji noted, 'The Self is divinity itself'. Baba, in reference to the pure ego, quoted Tukaram, who had said: 'God belongs to me. I belong to God. I speak the truth. I speak the truth. I speak the truth.'
In reference to Baba's discussion of the difference between animals and humans, Swamiji explained that he is saying, 'Be a true human being. Don't just be an eater, excretor and procreator; understand yourself spiritually'.
Baba added, 'Be awake. God has given you a beautiful mind so you should have beautiful thoughts'. Swamiji noted, 'Think well of yourself and everyone else'. Baba also advised, 'You have total freedom'. Swamiji observed, 'Baba would give that message time and time again. We get caught in karmic predicaments. Baba would say that might be true, but spiritually we have total freedom'.
'Think well of yourself. Your thoughts should rub against God,' Baba said. He emphasised, 'They should rub against God all the time'. Swamiji advised, 'Bump your thoughts into God. Shaivism says God is the most interior point in Consciousness. When you turn within you'll find divinity as the most intimate space'.
A questioner asked about proximity to the guru, which Baba responded to with a story that entailed a devotee unsure whether to bow down first to the guru or God. The resolution to this dilemma was as follows: 'My guru showed me the Lord, so he is much better'.
Another questioner asked Baba to share one of his experiences with his guru, Bhagawan Nityananda. Baba replied, 'He is a guru so he helped me in my sadhana (spiritual practice) ... he crushed my ego'. Baba added, 'Every time he tormented me I didn't look for his faults, I began to look for my own faults'. Swamiji explained that Baba is referring to the tapasya (burning) of sadhana.
A talk by former ashramite Boris (nicknamed Schopenhauer), which spoke of his own sadhana, as well as his gratitude to Swamiji, followed the meditation and birthday presentations, and was in turn followed by further birthday homages to Swamiji in the form of musical tributes from the satsang.
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