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�what do they all have in common? Actually, everyone really loves him or herself. This is the honest truth. Who do you care about most in this world? You care about yourself first and foremost. And what do you want constantly? You want to be happy. You don’t want to be disturbed or upset. You want a steady, free, happy and peaceful mind. Then only true love will surface within you. In truth, this high state of total peace, joy and love means that there is nothing in your mind. In fact, there is an empty mind. Then you have no use for the mind. At this stage you can realize your Self. Then you will know who you are. That is the truth.

You will understand that you are not the five senses and that you are still existing without consciously performing any kind of action. You will understand that you are not the mind which is constantly hopping and jumping from one unnecessary thought to another and that you are not anything that you have learned through books or experience. Having detached yourself from all that is external and having examined and discarded all your unnecessary thoughts and ideas, you can swim in the infinite ocean of the Self. Only when you remove everything you have seen and experienced and you have fully cleansed your mind can you realize your Self. As long as you think that everything in this world is real, as long as you continue to react to every small problem, as long as you do not enquire within as to your true nature you will not be able to realize your Self. Unless you strive to reduce your attachments of all kinds you will not realize your Self.

You may see a film and become emotionally involved in it. The hero may die and you will cry and feel many emotions. But is that reality? No, it is only a drama. In the same way I want you to understand that our entire lives are dramas and illusions. As long as you continue to involve

yourself in maya, as long as you act and react you cannot realize your Self. You will not know who you are. You can be in the world, you can live in the world and you can work and have a family. At the same time you can see the true nature of this temporary life and realize your Self. Only when you cleanse, quiet and empty your mind will this world and all in it disappear for you.

As long as this world appears real for you, your true nature cannot surface. In the same way when the true Self is shining in all its glory, this world becomes illusion for you. When the mind is depending on the material world, that is to say, as long as it has even the slightest attachment, you cannot realize the Self. Understand that when attachments cease, this mind cannot remain. It must have attachments to exist. Having stopped all attachment, the mind will not exist and then you will know Premanandam, the divine love and true joy that is the nature of the Self.

It is difficult for the conditioned mind to catch hold of these truths. That is why it is essential to always contemplate the message of your spiritual master so that the mind is always striving to understand what he or she tells you. By contemplating on the master’s words and thinking of the master, who is the embodiment of the divine Self, his energy will surround you and bring you to a higher stage of evolution. Likewise, when you think of great incarnations of God such as Shri Krishna, their grace descends on you and brings you closer to the Divine Reality within you. Days such as Krishna Jayanti, celebrating the birthday of Krishna, are especially auspicious and the grace of God is very powerful at such times. Today, think as much as possible of the transcendental love and powerful message of Shri Krishna. Read from his eternal message, our great scripture the Bhagavad Gita. May his glory and grace descend on all of you today.


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Some of the different types of Desi cows, the original holy country cows of India.

The Holy Cow

The Cow – Mother of the Earth

The Vedas stress the interrelatedness of trees, cows and humans in the cycle of life. In Vedic tradition nature is regarded as an intelligent entity and the planet Earth as a Mother Goddess.

Cow in Sanskrit is ‘Gau’ and in the Aryan language the pronunciation is ‘Gwous’, which later became ‘Gwom’. The meaning of ‘Gwous’ is Earth. Ancient Indian civilization was one of the most advanced and one wherein the cow represented prosperity and glory. In ancient times the cow (Gau) was called by various names according to the stage of life it was in. A cow giving birth to a calf for the first time was called ‘Grushti’. Two months after giving birth the mother cow would be called ‘Dhenu’. ‘Washa’ was the name given to a cow who had not yet given birth and a cow that aborted shortly after having become pregnant was called ‘Vehat’. There were also strict rules for when and how often cows should be milked.

In India we still preserve original breeds of cows and bullocks. They are called Desi cows and they are characterized by a hump on their back. The present European cows are hybrids that are far removed from the original breeds. Scientific research has proved that the cow dung, urine and milk from original breeds contain different microorganisms, and that they are more effective. The population of microbes beneficial for agricultural purposes found in the dung of indigenous Desi cows is twice the


�amount found in the dung of a jersey cow. That is why in Indian tradition they don’t really consider hybrids as ‘real’ cows. For example, for the preparation of panchakavya for Ayurvedic medicinal and agricultural purposes (panchakavya is a mixture of the five main cow products: milk, ghee, curd, dung and urine) they advise to only use the products from original breeds. Ancient Hindu scriptures praise the cow’s greatness

The Vedas describe the cow as the manufacturer of milk and manure and as the strengthener of the nation. In the Padmapurana the cow is declared to be the basic source of wealth and health. In the epic poem, Ramcharitmanas, the famous 16th century devotional poet, Goswani Tulsidas, gave the cow a most honoured place amongst all the Gods (or ‘devatas’) and declared that the cow is the assistant of the Earth, saints and Gods, meaning that the cows benefit humankind in so many ways, providing us with milk, curd and ghee, and their sons, bulls, helping to cultivate the soil and fertilizing it with their dung and urine. In the Rigveda it is written that the cow is the mother of the world. The Shrutis tell us that cow ghee strengthens the life force and the intellect. Amongst the many declarations about cows found in the Puranas, the Agnipurana certifies that the cow is indeed holy, the giver of all good things. The Padmapurana states that wealth resides permanently in cow dung. A passage from the Atri Samhita assures us that our homes are sanctified simply by the presence of the cow. In the Atharvaveda the cow is even equated to the universe. �Cow “products” used as a medicine

In the ancient medical systems the treatment of diseases using cow dung and cow urine was very prevalent. Today we are re-discovering their unique medical properties. Gomutra, urine from a healthy country cow (Desi cow) contains helpful biotic components and will speedily aid in the recovery of wounds. It also contains essential elements required by our bodies.

A singular feature of the metabolism of the indigenous cow is that during respiration part of the oxygen intake from the air is breathed out in pure elemental form. This is not the case for other animals, which is the reason why in ancient times patients suffering with tuberculosis were advised to sleep near to a cow. They also found that merely the smelling of fresh cow dung can arrest the fever of malaria and destroy pathogenic bacteria. One hundred grams of Desi cow ghee contains 1,114 mcg of vitamin A and 30 mcg of vitamin D. Because Desi cows graze on open green pastures at least six hours a day, the milk contains maximum amounts of vitamins D, A and other nutrients. In fact, Desi cow milk is a miracle liquid with no less than 101 elements in specific quantities. The milk has 8 proteins and 19 amino acids; in the ghee there are 11 fatty acids, 6 vitamins, 8 types of enzymes, 25 minerals, 4 phosphorus compounds, 14 nitrogenous substances, and many more unknown factors which are beneficial for human health. Moreover, the fat in Desi cow milk is very digestible and readily accepted by the human intestine. In the Chandogyopanishada it states that ghee made from Desi cow milk is responsible for the good development of the bones and nervous system of the human body. It should be said here that when we talk about Desi cows and using their milk and dung for medical and other purposes we are talking about cows that are raised in a natural environment, have not been given


�antibiotics or other allopathic drugs and that have been fed on natural grasses and plants which have not been treated with chemicals. Role of the cow in organic farming

Today the many problems caused by the use of chemical fertilizers, mono-crop culture, the nutrient imbalance of the soil, and so forth, could be solved if we returned to using cow dung and urine for fertilizer. As far as we know, Indian civilization is the only one that used milk and its products for varied uses in agriculture, such as for the treatment of seeds, adding nutrients to the soil, pest control, etc. The cow in the eyes of great minds

“Cow protection is the eternal dharma of India.” - Dr. Rajendra Prasad, 1st President of India “He who slaughters an ox is like one who kills a human being.” - Jesus Christ “A cow is the source of progress and happiness. In many aspects she is even superior to the mother who gave us birth.” - Mahatma Gandhi “Cow milk is medicine, the ghee a heavenly amrita and the flesh is sickness.” - Hazrat Mohammed Paigambar Scientists researching the properties of cow dung are making many new discoveries:

Covering the walls of a house with a coating of cow dung provides a protection from radiation. NASA has researched the use of cow dung to protect space capsules from radiation. Performing a yajna (fire ceremony) with ghee and cow dung helps to reduce the effect of radiation in the local environment. Victims of electric shock will get relief by coating their bodies with cow dung. Plants sprayed with liquid cow dung or cow urine are four times more resistant to pest and diseases than those sprayed with chemicals. The cow worshipped as the Divine

It is mentioned in the Vedas that all demi gods and also Brahma, Vishnu and Shiva have their abode in the cow. Worshipping the cow is very auspicious and is said to wash away our sins and remove any curse. Cow worship can grant your prayers, remove poverty and bestow good health, wealth and prosperity.

The Vedas explain that at the base of the cow’s horns reside Lord Brahma and Vishnu and in the tip of the horns are all holy water and Ganga. In the forehead is Lord Shiva and in the middle of the forehead is Goddess Uma Devi. The nose is Ganesha and in its tip resides Muruga. In the heart resides Lord Yama. In the cow dung is the holy river Yamuna. All Gods reside at the base of the tail.


�Goddess Lakshmi resides in the rear part of the cow. The sages reside in the hair of this holy animal.

Every morning, before the start of the abhishekam to Swamiji’s Samadhi Lingam in the Sri Premeshvarar temple at 5.30 a.m., the worshipper performs a cow pooja to a cow and her calf that are brought to the front of the temple from the cowshed. This is done in many temples in India. During the puja we place pottus of turmeric and kumkum, show incense and arati and offer flowers to the cow. The important part that is worshipped is the rear of the cow, where the Goddess Lakshmi is said to reside. We also feed the cows some bananas and other prasadam.

Swamiji about Service for Cows “Many people like to eat meat. Let’s not forget that all kinds of meat are animals. I want you to think – the animal also has an atma, a soul. You see, a cow has not been created for you to eat it. You should also do service to animals like the cow. The cow is a poor, humble animal. She does not have material things and she doesn’t have the ability to think like you but she feels love and fear. Yet, still, people we know, mature people, are eating her. Why are they eating her? Because they enjoy it. Think of how much that animal sacrifices – she will be killed. You do not realize that she has sacrificed her life. You think only about the taste in your mouth and because of that you do this mad work of killing. I am not insisting that everyone should be a vegetarian – I am talking about service-mindedness. However, I don’t like you to eat animals.

Many people keep a pet dog or cat; understand that all animals have feelings of love. That is why we take care of cows in the Ashram. How can you eat a cow? Because you have not understood that animal’s love. I do not like you to do bad things. I like to do everything that is good and so I tell you to give service to and also to help animals."

Swamiji in the Ashram’s gokula spending a few precious moments with the calves


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Swamiji trying out the bullock cart

Gokula - The cowshed in the Ashram - Interview with Chitrangani

Q: Could you tell us something about when the first cowshed was built in the Ashram and why?

A: When the first Indian hostel children came to stay in the Ashram, I think it was around 1986, it was necessary to provide them with milk for tea and, besides this, milk was also needed for the daily abhishekams. So, Swamiji arranged for the Ashram to acquire three milk cows. At that time this was enough to meet the needs of the Ashram. The Ashram grew and by 1992 there were 16 milk cows and 12 calves. There were also 4 bulls used to pull the bullock cart. All the milk was used within the Ashram, for the children’s tea and the abhishekams. The cow dung was used as manure for the fields and the trees. Swami was very interested in agriculture. So primarily there was the need for milk and secondly the need for fertilizer. Another reason Swamiji started with a gokula (cowshed) is because it is traditional for ashrams to have one, as cows are considered sacred in India. Still later, as the number of children grew, Swamiji installed a system for producing biogas from cow dung, which was then used for cooking. This made it possible to reduce the amount of firewood used in the kitchen, because getting enough firewood was always a bit of a problem. Q: Can you describe a day spent caring for the cows?

A: Swamiji gave instructions that we should begin by bathing the cows every morning. Our day began at 5 a.m. when we took the cows out of the cowshed. Then we cleaned and washed the entire cowshed. Swamiji was very strict about the cleanliness. Only after the cows had been washed could they be milked. When that was done we fed the cows special food to keep them healthy and strong, a combination of rice powder mixed with black gram, rice husk and sesame cake. We also fed them some straw and around 9 a.m. some of the cows were taken out to graze. At that time there were three acres of green grass set aside specially for the milk cows. Then, of course, we had to make sure they also drank plenty of water. At 4 p.m. the cows that needed milking were again first given a wash and then milked. The cowshed was then cleaned for the second time that day and at 6 p.m. the cows were again given water to drink and then taken inside the cowshed for the night and given some more straw. There the day ended.

Every Friday a cow pooja was performed in the gokula. The cow is Gomata. After the cows were bathed in the morning, we decorated them with pottus and we sprinkled turmeric water all around, as a disinfectant. We waved sambrani smoke around them in the evenings, which was good to help keep the mosquitoes away.

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Years of Service in the Gokula

- Interview with Afrikananda

Q: You worked with the cows in the Ashram’s cowshed for seven years. What was your experience with the cows? How do you see them?

Working with animals is a good thing, I think. Cows are silent creatures. You serve them, you try to understand their needs through a silent language, a kind of body language. By working with them, milking them, feeding and bathing them, you learn to have compassion. To me it is love in action, because they cannot speak or take care of themselves. Caring for them helped me to develop love for all animals, and also for people. Cows have lots of patience, they have emotions and have much love for one another. Once I saw how a mother cow was looking after a little calf who had lost its mother. Another time I even saw a calf cry with real tears after its mother had died. I also saw a cow making three rounds around the spot where her best friend had been buried. Once there was a cow who, joining her two front legs, kneeled down in front of me, seemingly asking for forgiveness for some wrong she had just done. When a cow feels love for you, you can talk with her as you would with a human being; I am sure she would be prepared to even give up her life for you. In India they say that cows can sense when danger is coming to their master and they will sacrifice their lives to protect them.

Something else I remember is an evening when all the cows had returned to the cowshed after a day of grazing – all of them, that is, except for one young calf. However, it was already quite dark and I had not noticed her absence. I was busy doing my work in the cowshed when one small calf starting showing me that she wanted me to follow her. After some time I decided to do what she wanted and I began following her. We walked together for a while, she taking the lead, and finally came upon the little calf who had been left behind. Luckily we had reached her in time because a bull from the village was just getting ready to attack her. I chased the bull away with a stick and walked with the calves back to the cowshed.

Q: What advice did Swamiji give you regarding your service with the cows?

A: Swami told me to look after them very well. He explained that cows are holy animals, that I should give them my full attention and that I could learn spirituality through them. Like I already mentioned, I feel that working with cows is an excellent way in which to develop patience and compassion. It also helped me to understand others and their problems and to control my anger.

Q: What is the purpose of keeping cows in the Ashram?

A: It is traditional for every ashram to have its own cowshed, or gokula, because in India cows are respected and venerated as holy animals, as you can read in the story of Krishna’s life. Also, when we look at the stages of evolution, the last incarnation as an animal is a life as a cow. Furthermore, of course cows provide us with milk to drink, for poojas, to make into curd or butter and ghee and cow dung is used to fertilize the soil.


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Prema Nature Vibhuti

Vibhuti is holy ash. In the Ashram we are preparing vibhuti in a natural way. The main ingredients are cow dung and cow urine. All ingredients are natural and according to ancient recipes. Firstly, cow dung that’s naturally mixed with cow urine is collected from our cowshed. This needs to be freshly collected so that there aren’t any contaminants like soil or dirt. As soon as it has been collected, balls are made from this dung and dried in a place with good sunlight. Once these are completely dried, they are stacked in a round pyramid-shaped construction on a place that has been prepared in a traditional way. This means that turmeric water is sprinkled all over the floor and at the entrance cow dung diluted in water is sprinkled to purify the environment. In between the dung balls, layers of rice husk are spread to provide the cow dung with constant heat so they will become light-

coloured ash once burned. A little bit of hay is burned on the four sides of the pyramid to set it afire. The process is started on a monthly Shivaratri, as Swamiji said to do, and the Shiva mantra Om Namah Shivaya is chanted while preparing the fire. We have to regularly check on the burning process which will be complete in three days. At the end of the three days the cow dung balls have turned grey in colour and protrude from the heap of burned husk. The balls of ash are collected and ground into a fine powder. Then a little fresh milk is mixed in and the ash is again dried. Once dry, we add a little of a special tree’s fragrant sap that has been dried and powdered. Now it is vibhuti. When the correct procedure is followed, the vibhuti has a powerful vibration.


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The moment Swamiji materialized vibhuti on the tray.

Swamiji explains about vibhuti during a satsang in the Puja Hall in February 1993: (Swamiji takes a tray filled with vibhuti.) This tray has some vibhuti on it. How is vibhuti made? I will tell you the correct way to make it. You may not like this – vibhuti is cow dung. Traditionally they didn’t take the dung of bulls, but only of the cows. They had so much respect for females! They would take the cow dung, make it into small balls, then dry it. They would take rice husk, place the cow dung balls on that it and then set it alight. Within 24 hours’ time all the cow dung balls will turn into powder. Then it is passed through a sieve. Milk is mixed into this powder and is dried again. When it is dry, the vibhuti is sieved again, and then drops of sandalwood essence are added, mixed in and then it is vibhuti. This type of vibhuti will take away any rashes you have on your body, diseases like eczema or any skin conditions. If you apply this it will cure you. It is a type of Ayurveda. This was not discovered by us, this was discovered by the sages in ancient times. What I have told you is the proper way of making vibhuti. The packed vibhuti that you buy in the market is fake.

The vibhuti coming out of Swami’s mouth is natural vibhuti. Whatever vibhuti you use that has come from Swamiji has been created naturally. Swami doesn’t give any duplicate vibhuti. I have tasted them all. When you take vibhuti you have to ensure that you take the proper and good vibhuti. Why is that important? There is a degree of divine energy in vibhuti. When you place this vibhuti on your forehead, you are giving yourself a divine power. Whatever vibhuti you get, you don’t realize the amount of power it contains. You should realize that whenever you receive vibhuti here, you should treat it with respect and use it carefully.

There is another type of vibhuti which forms naturally. Have you seen that natural vibhuti? This vibhuti (on the tray) is manufactured. Has anybody seen natural vibhuti? (Somebody says: The vibhuti that materializes on Swami’s photo.) Swami confirms that this is indeed natural. Then Swamiji materializes vibhuti from his hand on the tray and passes the tray with the two vibhutis to everyone present. And he says: There is natural vibhuti coming now. You can see the difference between the natural vibhuti and the manufactured vibhuti on the tray. Look at it from close by. You have to see it in the light. Swami materializes natural vibhuti; the vibhuti that is formed miraculously is natural. There is a big difference. The natural vibhuti is like sand. What I do is I am turning sand into vibhuti. That is why the vibhuti is also like sand. I will not give away things that belong to other people. Whatever things I


�give, I create them naturally. If you compare the vibhuti that comes out of my mouth and the vibhuti that comes out of my hand, there is a difference. The vibhuti that comes out of my mouth is the vibhuti made from cow dung. All the vibhuti you are using at the moment is from cow dung. There is a difference with the vibhuti that I materialize from my hands. Try not to research this subject too deeply, but try to understand the difference between the two. How you could see the difference is to mix both vibhutis in a little water and then you will see the difference straightaway. Vibhuti that Swami materializes from his hand has the power to grant you whatever you wish immediately. Some devotees don’t realize the value and spill it on the floor or throw it away. You don’t do this deliberately but you do this out of ignorance.

My Turn Swamiji’s Vibhuti Cured Me

By Sambavi

Swamiji often gave vibhuti to his devotees, to use during prayer, pooja or meditation. He often gave us vibhuti when he blessed us and also gave vibhuti to people who came to him with faith asking to be cured from illnesses or other physical and mental problems. During a stay at the Ashram, when Swamiji was still in his body, I experienced the power of vibhuti myself. In the evening I suddenly ran a very high fever that made my whole body shiver and my teeth chatter all night. I lay awake in agony with such a headache that I didn’t even want to move my eyeballs. By morning I felt no better and, worse, very weak. It was pre-dawn and some of the other devotees who were living in the rooms next to mine were getting up to get ready for the morning Ganesha abhishekam. I had dragged myself out onto the small veranda of my thatched-roof room and was crying. I felt my mind was extremely agitated. Several of the devotees worriedly came running when they heard me crying and suggested I take some painkillers, which one of them kindly offered. I asked whether they had any of Swamiji’s materialized vibhuti instead (every Mahashivaratri vibhuti would materialize from his body and he would send this to the Ashram and to his devotees worldwide). I had the strong feeling that this was all my body could take at that moment, and that it was what would help me the most. One of them had some vibhuti in her room that was blessed – though not materialized – by Swamiji. She applied it to my forehead. The moment the vibhuti was applied, I felt a calmness enter my mind. I miraculously felt the fever and headache disappear too, as if they suddenly had no more reason to exist. I was amazed. The others, too, were surprised to see my transformation and to hear me suddenly declare that I felt quite well. Since this experience I have a strong faith that vibhuti – especially vibhuti blessed by Swamiji – has the power to calm our mind and to get rid of our problems and diseases.


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Lord Krishna as Gopal Gopal, Gopala! The compassionate and blissful protector of the Earth. Krishna is called Gopal, literally ‘the protector of cows’. When Krishna was growing up in Gokulam, as the adopted son of King Nanda, of the cowherd people, he was very fond of taking the cows into the jungle to graze, together with the other cowherds. He liked to play and was a constant source of joy and happiness to his friends. Once he saved the cowherds and the cows from a demon and brought them to the sacred river, Yamuna, where the cows grazed contentedly on its banks. Lord Krishna and his friends decided to have a picnic on the river bank and sat down to eat, but whilst they were eating the calves, searching for more green grass, strayed far away and were lost.

Krishna promised his friends that he would find the calves and bring them back safely, and so he went off in search of them. Meanwhile, Lord Brahma, the Creator, wanted to create a divine play and so he hid the calves and the cowherds, and then watched to see how Krishna would react. After searching through the whole jungle, Krishna realized that this must be the work of Brahma and he, Krishna himself, became the cows and the cowherds. On their return home the mothers of his friends saw to it that their boys were bathed and fed and, likewise, the cows fed their calves.

A year passed and Brahma returned to Brindavan only to find Krishna and his friends playing as usual. He wondered how this could be, since he had hidden the boys and all the cows. As he watched them he found all the boys turning into the form of Vishnu, who is Krishna himself. Krishna had now removed his divine illusion and Brahma fell at Krishna’s feet and worshipped him. Thus, the original cowherds herders and cows reappeared on the banks of the Yamuna. The cowherds all asked Lord Krishna where he had gone, as they were still patiently waiting for him before starting their meal.

Like this, there are many stories of how Lord Krishna protected and saved the cows and cowherds from the dangers of the jungle. This incident reveals to us the presence of Lord Krishna in all living beings. Krishna also loved curd and butter from the cow and would eat these holy foods to his heart’s content.


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Swamiji’s Early Years

This is a short series presenting stories about Swamiji’s childhood days and early youth. This month Swamiji talks about how he came to realize that he was different from the other children.

Swamiji in his early teens drawn, by ShankHari for “Swamiji’s Early Years” in Prema Ananda Vahini.


� When I was small I did not understand about the extraordinary power that was within me. I did know, however, that whenever I wanted something all I had to do was think of it and put my hand in my pocket. Whatever I wanted would appear in my pocket. I was only a small boy so I used to do this mainly to get sweets! I also thought that everyone could do this. I did not realize that I was different from others and that only I could do it. I did not see any difference between myself and other people because I behaved just like other boys. We all went to school together and, like them, I was naughty and was punished by the teachers. I was not good in my English studies and got into trouble because of that, too. I had lots of friends at school but I also used to have a number of fights with other boys. I was a bit of a fighter! Nevertheless, despite the fights, I still had many good friends. One day I truly discovered the potency of the special vibrations within me. One Saturday I went with my friends for a picnic in the hills near our homes. When we reached our favourite place we were very thirsty but there was no water in the well there. One schoolmate said that if I could make sweets appear so easily, surely I could just as well materialize water. I answered, “No, no, I don’t know how to make water, you do it.” They all explained that they really couldn’t do anything like that. I asked my best friend what he thought about all this and he said he thought it must be due to some exceptional power. I asked him to explain what he meant by power. He said that there

must be some extra, special energy that enables me to take the sweets out of my pocket. He put his hands in his pockets and tried to do it, but no sweets came. When I did the same, a sweet appeared. Then my friends encouraged me to materialize some water. My best friend said that I should keep my hands together in the form of a bowl and to think of water and then it would come. I did what he told me and said out loud, “Water, come! Water, come! Water, come!” Suddenly, to my surprise I saw that my hands were filled with water. I drank it immediately! My friend wanted some too, but no matter how hard he tried it would not come to him. I tried again and the water appeared so I gave it to everyone. Then I realized that there was really something unusual about me.

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In this way you can lead the whole of your life satisfying your own selfish desires, chasing your illusionary dreams, without providing any form of assistance or being useful to anyone who cries out for help. Is this showing your respect to the creator?

When wealth and high positions stagnate in the same places for long periods of time, they turn into sewage, becoming a reservoir for many kinds of germs and infectious bacteria. Those who are rich and wealthy should consider how they could best help orphaned children, the sick, the illiterate and the poor. The money and riches of those who never use their wealth to help the poor are nothing but sacks of sins.

If those whom we respect as deities, if great, brave and virtuous human beings had lived selfish lives instead of living for the benefit of humankind, today no one would consider them to be great. They dedicated the whole of their lives to God by serving the poor and the needy. They lived according to the will of God. In life you reap what you sow. To achieve a particular goal you must do what is necessary. Truly living means organizing and implementing selfless, constructive actions in order to see that the needy and deserving in society receive the right benefits. This is why a human birth is considered to be so special as compared to all other forms of births.

With the type of attitude that declares: I inherited this from my father and he inherited it from my grandfather who inherited it from my great grandfather, and so on, you are only cheating yourself. It will decrease your compassion, your love and increase your selfishness.

Where does the air you breathe come from? Where did the air come from that your parents breathed? Where did the air come from that your great grandparents breathed? The truth of the matter is that you will not be able to answer this by yourself. So is there any great difficulty in understanding the fact that whatever possessions you may have are gifts you have received from the One without name or form? Please try to understand this basic truth.

The Supreme One has bestowed you with the precious gift of human life. Be faithful to him and lead a pure life, giving whatever you can for the benefit of the poor and needy. Help them by providing them with food and clothing and seeing that needy children receive the education they deserve. Dedicate your life to the Supreme One and you will surely lead a pure divine existence. This is the greatest joy one can dream of attaining.

Your birth and the birth of your ancestors; The birth of the sky, the Earth and the moon,

Heavenly bodies swimming in the ocean of space The birth of light and, with light, life.

The birth of sound and, with sound, speech. The compassionate sight of the ancient seers

Which begat miracles of love. All these are gifts from the Supreme One,

Most precious divine gifts!

1508 EM pav - Swami...

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