Welcome Speech

[Guest guest]

Welcoming Speech to His Holiness

Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji

V. V. Prakasa Rao

(Speech was given in Bradenton Fl, Irvine CA and Lexington KY during Sri

Swamiji's Nada Prasara tour in June-July 2003)

 

Guru Brahma Guru Vishnu, Guru Devo Maheswara

Guru Saakshaat Para Brahma, Tasmai Sri Gurave Namah!

 

It is the most difficult thing to describe, define, elaborate, assess and

understand His Holiness Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji. It is even more

difficult to understand Sri Swamiji as a Sadguru. With limited knowledge, time,

perception and language, we cannot comprehend the power of Sun, coolness of

Moon, heat of Fire, force of water and Prana (life breath) of Air, and

limitless horizon of ether. Since He is the embodiment of all the Panchabhutas,

it is

impossible to comprehend, grasp and perceive His Holiness.

 

One can describe Him from a physical point of view starting from His birth

until now and delineate his accomplishments. But today I am going to look at

His personality as a Sadguru and how He can help you and me. How can we

approach Him? How can we receive His blessings? To these and many other

questions,

you have to look at Him from a spiritual point of view. He is the most

spiritually evolved Sadguru today. He is always in Sahaja Samadhi (deep

mediation)

stage even though He is sitting in front of you, looking at all of us,

talking to you and blessing you. He is here as well as else where at the same

time

 

Always remember that Guru's actions are strange, peculiar and difficult to

comprehend. His nature is unfathomable, mysterious and unexplainable. Our

comprehension is too limited. Hence, never question His actions. Always be

concerned with His Divine nature. There is a reason for every move and action.

Judge

Him not. Measure Him not. Compare Him not. Doubt Him not. Criticize Him

not. A disciple has to give up his ego, avoid preconceived notions, prune his

pet ideas, puncture his prejudices, surrender his self interests, and

eliminate his animalistic lower nature if he has to reap the benefits of His

divine

personality.

 

But one thing is certain. Every action of a Sadguru has a meaning. Whether

He smiles or not, how He smiles, how He touches you and where He touches you,

(on forehead, on Agneya Chakra, head, shoulder, etc.), whether He is looks

seriously, compassionately or indifferently, whether He looks fearful like a

Narashimha or compassionate like Devi, all have meaning.

 

For example, whenever He is offered a garland, the way He takes it and what

He does with it has a meaning. Sometimes, He puts it around His neck,

sometimes on the left shoulder, sometimes on the right, sometimes on right lap,

sometimes on His left lap, sometimes on the ground, sometimes He ask His

assistants

to put it on a particular God - all these actions have different meanings. He

does all these different things knowing fully well what His devotees needs

are and what is good for them. He always looks after the needs of His devotees.

 

Multiple Roles

He plays different roles either simultaneously or at different times. For

some He is like a mother, soft as butter, fulfills the expressive role. He is

compassionate, loving, and considerate and cares for the needs of His children.

Soothing smile, sweet words, sparkling eyes are used as medium of compassion.

He knows what is best for His children and fulfills the need accordingly.

 

He is like a father, hard as a nail, even harder than a diamond in

disciplining His children, the devotees. His strict discipline, harsh

criticism,

indifference, fierce looks, is enough to guide your life and shape your future.

 

His is like a farmer who knows what kind of seeds are to be sown in His

devotees minds, when the time is right so that the seeds of knowledge sprout

properly and fruits of harvest are enjoyed properly.

 

He is like a gardener who knows how to prune the unnecessary branches, how to

pluck the weeds of bad thought, and water the young new thought that promote

goodness in His devotees.

 

He is like a washer man who helps you to clean the six enemies that have

taken residence in the body and retain basic divine nature. He will make sure

the

fabric of your personality is not torn or discolored.

 

He is like a goldsmith who melts your Vasanas, bring luster of you

personality to glow, hammer your ego inch by inch and give a beautiful shape to

your

personality.

 

He is like driver who knows the directions to reach the destination in the

shortest time, who can guide you to take the proper paths and who can help you

to avoid the impending dangers that lie ahead and

 

He is Sadguru who removes the darkness, ignorance and arrogance through His

silence, pounds your ego repeatedly to bring out the divinity in you, protects

from the impending dangers, cushions you problems, and give enough strength to

bear the hardships that have engulfed your life.

 

He is Trikala Gnani who knows your past, present, and future and therefore

used it to guide you. He is Lord Dattatreya Himself who is wandering the globe,

coming directly to you as He is doing today in your city, reaching for good

souls, so that He can help you to realize your own self, your divineness.

 

He is Lord Dattatreya Himself wandering the globe, traveling to meet His

devotees, searching for good souls, and imparting jnana (wisdom) so that He can

help you to realize your own self, that is divineness in you.

 

He is Karunamayi (Lord of Compassion). His love and compassion are more than

what a father and a mother can show. We may not have been properly raised or

socialized because parent's love can be blind to our weaknesses. But with

Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji there is no distortion, no injustice, and

no partiality in showering His compassion on His children. He knows the needs

of His children better than anybody and fulfills only those needs that benefit

them at the proper time. Sri Swamiji can see the unseen, hear the unheard,

and can perceive the unperceivable. It is His ocean of Karuna that guides and

protects His devotees.

 

He is also a Dhanavantri, a physician. Unlike an ordinary physician who puts

you through rigorous battery of tests to determine the problem, Sri Swamiji

diagnoses your physical and mental problems through His sparkling, piercing and

analytical glance. As many of you know it is a regular feature of His

Holiness to go around the audience during His concerts looking for those who

have

health problems, establishing eye contact or touching them to heal them.

Sometimes He tells how many people have cancer, mental problems, heart problems,

blood pressure, etc.

 

Lord Subrahmanya may have six heads, Lord Brahma may have four faces, Lord

Vishnu may four hands, Lord Shiva may have three eyes but Sri Swamiji is Parama

Shiva wandering across the globe in human form to help the mankind.

 

Lord Dattatreya taught Tripura Rahasya to Parasurama while Sri Ganapathi

Sachchidananda Swamiji teaches Samsara Rahasya to His devotees; Dattatreya

taught

Avadhuta Gita to Lord Subrahmanya while Sri Swamiji teaches Niti Mala to His

devotees; Dattatreya initiated Parasurama into Devi Puja while Sri Swamiji

performs Devi Puja/ Sri Chakra Puja daily for the benefit of humanity.

 

DO I NEED A GURU?

 

All the Gods, sages, saints, prophets, incarnations and great spiritual

leaders had Gurus. Gurus taught them the wisdom, protected them from impending

dangers and guided them to pursue the proper path. Then the question is, "Do I

need a Guru or a Sadguru?" Definitely, we need a Guru, we need a Sadguru, and

we need Sri Sri Ganapathi Sachchidananda Swamiji. There is no question about

it. Svetaketu learned from Uddalaka; Maitreyi from Yagnavalkya; Bhrugu from

Varuna; Narada from Sanatkumara; Nachiketu from Yama; Indra from Prajapati;

Lord Rama from Vasishta; Arjuna from Lord Krishna, Lord Krishna from Sandeepani;

all the Devas from Brihaspati; Sankaracharya from Govindapada; Vivekananda

from Rama Krishana Parama Hamsa; and many Divine beings from Dakshina Murthy,

the

silent teacher. Sri Swamiji as a Sadguru is the embodiment of Pure

Consciousness, Cosmic Consciousness, and can take any form. We are praying to

that

pure consciousness not the human form.

 

Lord Shiva Himself emphasizes the importance of and need for a Guru. Lord

Shiva Himself reveals to Maheswari (Parvati) that without Sadguru there is no

liberation. If you have any inclination for Moksha, there is no better time

than

now to accept Sri Swamiji as your Guru. Spiritual progress, happiness, bliss

and satisfaction in life are achieved only through the grace of Sadguru.

Life is short. Life is confusion. It is beset with numerous problems. Problems

can overwhelm you, confound you, confront you, and constrict you. Practice

Dharma. Burn your karmas and achieve progress. Let Sri Swamiji's Padukas be

your saviors and help realize your Real Self and achieve Moksha in this life.

With the blessings of Sri Swamiji, it is possible to achieve your goal of

self-realization in this life only? Take Him to your heart, imprint His image in

your heart's chamber, construct a Temple for His Holiness in your heart and

worship His image. Then, let Him guide you, mold you, protect you, direct you

to

the desired goal of self-realization.

 

If you want to reap the benefits of His presence, His Darshan, His speech,

His looks, His Bhajans, follow His teachings and experience His silence so that

He can drive away the darkness in you thereby helping you to reap the benefits

of His Supreme personality. Once you receive Him with open heart, He will

mold your personality, remove your pitfalls and obstacles, eradicate your

hatred, eliminate your prejudices, minimize your ego, shear your selfishness,

and

develop positive attitude; and shower His blessings.

 

Please enjoy His personality, His words, His looks, His smile, His Gambhiram,

His movements, and finally His silence. Thank you.

 

You may Forward it to other interested devotees.