Speech Welcoming Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji to Dallas July 4, 2013 Jai Guru Datta. It is my great pleasure and a rare privilege to introduce Sri Ganapathy Sachchidananda Swamiji twice in five weeks in USA. Every time I start thinking of writing some thing about Sri Swamiji, my mind wanders and become reflective, intellect becomes numb, words fail, thoughts bounce up and down, sentences become incoherent, and time passes by. Sri Swamiji is an Avatara who descended in the human form only to gather and help His devotees. All the scriptures extol the virtues of a Sadguru, describe how they kindle light in the heart of the devotees, and emphasize the need for spiritual guidance. I am reminded of the description of Guru by Samarth Ramadas in his book Dasbodha. He says: “Guru is greater than God. He, who regards God as superior to the Guru is a fool. The Guru is immortal; God is evanescent. Before the greatness of the Guru, the greatness of God is nothing. “The Guru is indeed superior to the Sun. The sun dispels darkness, which yet come back again; but when the Guru swept off the rounds of birth and death, they do not recur …. The Guru is indeed superior to the touch- stone. The touchstone makes gold of iron, but cannot turn it into a touch-stone itself; while a disciple of the Guru become the Master himself. In respect of the greatness of Guru, we cannot cite an Ocean in comparison; because it is full of salt water; the mountain of gold, because after all it is stone; ether, because Guru is more subtler than ether; earth, because it will vanish in the great conflagration; … Nector, because the nector cannot prevent the cycle of birth and death; the wishing tree, because the Guru’s grace is greater than whatever wish can accomplish ... All the gods are ultimately subject to annihilation; but the Guru can never be annihilated ... My only adequate praise of the Guru is thus that he cannot be praised … the subtle mind alone can know. (I. 4: 1-31).” Why did Sri Swamiji take this Avatara in the human form? It is all because of you and me. Why did He not remain as Brahman who is the source of all creation; who is beyond time and space, limitless, tranquil, effulgent, transcendent, shapeless, omnipotent, omniscient and omnipresent? It is all because of you and me. If that be the case, how would you worship Sri Swamiji in a place like Karya Siddhi Hanuman Temple if he remained infinite and beyond, how would you invoke and welcome Sri Swamiji if he remained formless and shapeless, how would you offer Asana /seat if Sri Swamiji is all pervading and suffusing, how can you do Pada puja if he is light and effulgent, how can you do pradakshana when he is beyond space and time, how can you have Pada sparsha if he is everywhere and nowhere, where can you offer garland if he is in every thing and any thing, how can you see his enchanting eyes if he is unseen and invisible, how can you hear his music if he is unheard and silent, and where can you offer fruits when he is transcendent and heavenly. Now we know why Sri Swamiji has taken the body of a human form. Now we know why we call him the embodiment of karuna, daya, prema, dhyana, jnana, and bhakti. That ocean of compassion revealed itself in this form of Sachchidananda, whom we can behold to our heart’s content and hold to our emotional gratification. Sri Swamiji is a magnetic personality whose presence exuberates confidence, whose aura bring about deep transformation, whose voice calms the agitated mind, whose words soothes the aching heart, whose smile disarm the sorrow, whose eyes defuse the agony and anguish, whose mere sight creates curiosity and divine feeling, and whose silence teaches the lessons of life for all His devotees. Sri Swamiji is on constant vigil scanning the globe, droning the continents, probing the specific areas, and skimming through all the options while looking for His devotees to help them and pull them from the depths of sorrow, suffering, stress; and protecting them from personal, physical and professional hardships and hindrances. Why would Sri Swamiji help and guide His devotee? Because He knows that a person is like a kite with no string, a ship with no anchor, a tree with no fruits, a flower with no smell, a scent with no fragrance, a building with no foundation, a house with no roof, and a brute with no morals. His devotee is helpless, he is an orphan, he is stranded on the shores, he is vulnerable to temptations, he is susceptible for negativities, entangled in samsara, and predisposed to exploitation. Then the question is, “How does He help us, we the devotees?” When we are asleep, He is awake When we are in distress, he is the savior When we are confused, He is the dispeller When we are in crisis, he is a rescuer When we are deep troubles, he is a redeemer When we are hopeless, he is the kindler When we are in dark, he is a spark When we are gloomy, He is a glimmer When we are in despair, he is Hope When we are in sorrow, he is a disperser When we are in silence, he is bountiful When we are awake, he is vigilant. Thus Sri Swamiji plays many roles like this on numerous occasions to help His vast majority of devotees with multitude of problems. His devotees are not left alone. Whether in sorrow or happiness His presence is un-mistakably felt, reminisced, remembered, experienced, and enjoyed. As per all the scriptures there is no difference between Brahman and Guru. Even if we identify Sri Swamiji in this Avatara, how can we describe his persona? Shall we say that he built more than 70 Temples, formed hundreds of Satsangh groups, and did Parana Prathista for many Temples? But Advaita says, neti neti – not so, not so. Shall we say He composed more than 6000songs, engages in Namasankeertana all the time, conducts healing and meditation music, and built one of the largest Nada Mantapam? But Advaita says, neti neti – not this not this. Shall we say He is a Datta Avatara who travels all over the world to help his devotees? But Advaita says, neti neti – not so, not so. Shall we say he built medical facilities, adopted high schools, provided ambulances and vehicles for disabled and conducted mass marriages? But Advaita says, neti neti – not so, not so. Or shall we describe Him as Music man, Magical man, Mystical Man, Mythical Man, Mysterious Man, Miracle Man and Mythological Man? But still, Advaita says, neti, neti. If Sri Swamiji is Neti, Neti (not this, not this) then what is He? Who is this Swamiji? How can you describe Him? How can we visualize Him? When we keep asking questions like these, Vedanta comes to rescue. The answer is “Tat twam Asi” - You are That. Then what is “THAT?” “That” is all inclusive, all powerful, all knowing, all comprehensive, all encompassing, beyond visualization, beyond perception, beyond description, and beyond imagination – that is the nature of Divine, that is Brahman. Sarvam kalvidam Brahmasi - every thing without exception is Brahman. That means any thing that is seen and unseen, known and unknown, heard or unheard is Brahman. Vishwasaara Tantra says: The Guru is the beginning of the universe, yet he himself is without a beginning; the Guru is the highest deity; there is none higher than Guru. Salutations to that Guru. Salutations to the true Guru who is the embodiment of the Bliss of Brahman and the bestower of the supreme happiness, who is detached, Knowledge personified and beyond duality, who is like a sky, and is indicated by such Vedic dicta as “Thou art That”, and who is One eternal pure, immovable, the witness of all the changes in the Budhi (intellect), beyond all states and devoid of the three Gunas.” That is the fundamental nature of Sri Swamiji and that is the inherent nature of Sachchidananda. Imagination cannot perceive, mind cannot penetrate, intellect cannot decipher and investigation cannot access Sri Swamiji. Whatever we think we know about Sri Swamiji is not the TRUTH. We cannot understand Swamiji; we cannot limit him with our limited thoughts, ideas, imagination, perception, knowledge and words. We have to go beyond all that, beyond ideas, beyond mind, beyond words, beyond investigation and even beyond silence. The fact is we cannot grasp, comprehend and can’t even go beyond. So, with astonishment, adoration, admiration, amazement, appreciation, approbation, and acclamation, the only way I can introduce Sri Swamiji is by exclamation as written in Sri Guru Gita – aahaa, huuhuu. Because, He is not only the personification of Neti, Neti, He is beyond this. He is That. Haahaa huuhu ganaischaiva Gandhar vairapi puujitam. Let us join our hands and let the sound vibration unfurl the welcome mat to THAT, which is Sri Swamiji, whom we describe as aahaa, huuhuu. Jai Guru Datta.
Posted on: Sat, 06 Jul 2013 09:29:11 +0000
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