the ashram web log

Glimpses of Satsang on 31st Oct,2007.

For us, it was totally a surprise visit of guruji to the ashram and that gives so wonderful feeling when we see him in satsang.
Satsang is filled up with glory, as he moves in! And slowly he takes us to the Knowledge Ride, which is full of fun today...

Someone asks Gurudev regarding his trip to Bombay..
He says : Just Guess, how many programs did I attend yesterday? After a few guesses, he reveals, “14 programs”.. from morning 6 to night 10:30 .. !!
(And as you know, still he was bubbling with joy,smiles and enthusiasm)

Then some fabulous Q-A session goes on like this :

Someone asked guruji about Shiv linga to which he answered:
" linga has two meanings, one is the genitals and it also means symbol or something which symbolizes. Like when you look at a newborn baby the only thing, which tells you whether the baby is a boy or a girl is the genital. That is why it is called linga.
That is the place, which symbolizes the genesis of the being. Similarly one cannot see the divine, it cannot be experienced through the five senses, so to give it a symbol the same linga was used and thus we have the shiv lingam in this particular shape.
There should be a certain amount of sacredness to the lingam so the norms of pati vrata and monogamy were introduced in the religion so that people will respect it with some sacredness. The people who you see are promiscuous do not respect this aspect at all and that is why you have prostitution in the society.
Same person then asks why Shiva was the destroyer and how come Vishnu and Shiva are the same.
Shiva and Vishnu are so to speak two different avatars, but essentially they are the same.
There is no two. Shiva is shankara, which means peace and doing good to all.
Peace is also brought sometimes by destroying.
Someone else asked about how imp it is to eat, Maharaji doesn't eat anything other than ice and banana's?
Guruji goes on to explain that a true yogi is someone who can be balanced.
Not eating too much and not eating anything at all will make you loose your focus in your sadhana. Not eating will increase your Pitta and eating too much will increase your Tamas.
Similarly about sleep, enough sleep is necessary. There are people who don't sleep at all and there are some who sleep a lot. Both is not good.
A true swami is a person who has control over his tongue and mind.
If the mind gives everything what the tongue asks then there is no control.
You keep feeding yourself whatever your stomach asks you that means you have no control over your tongue and if you have no control on this then you should forget about having control over anything else.
He then told a story how he is fed so many times by different people and all will say that it is a small bite for him to take and he lands up having small bites of half a gulabjamun from 5 different people.
Once he knew he will be forced to have lunch so he skipped breakfast and he was hungry when for the lunch they served him only rice and dal as someone had said he likes plain food. The entourage with him was also very hungry and all they got was rice and dal in the plate. Then they asked what the others had eaten and out came all the veggies and other stuff.
There was another time when he already had dinner and was visiting someone in England; he was not hungry till he entered the house. By the time the food was brought from the kitchen to the hall where he was sitting he started feeling hungry.
So one should not do what maharaji is doing. We should do what he teaches and not try to imitate him. Similarly don't try and be like Krishna, bhari padega, krishna ne bataye hue raste pe chalo, usko banne ki koshish mat karo. Log bote hain dekho guruji ko, ek din main chowdah chowdah programs karte hain main bhi karunga. Yeh sab mat karo.

Yogi is a person who can walk the path between the two extremes.

Posted in: on Saturday, November 3, 2007 at at 6:29 PM