Raja Ji's Satsang from the Guru Puja Festival Miami Beach, Florida, July 31, 1977
The other day Maharaj Ji was speaking about having a desire, and he was mentioning that if we have that desire, we have to go a step further than that. And that was really beautiful, because I recall this incident. We were very young, being around a lot of realized souls, and this person that was around us told us this really beautiful story.
This person was traveling with Shri Maharaj Ji, and it was during a period when we didn't have any cars. Cars existed, but Shri Maharaj Ji didn't own one, didn't have access to one. And so, they gave a program at a certain place and Shri Maharaj Ji and this person were standing on the road hitchhiking. And Shri Maharaj Ji looked at this person and said, "You know, my car is coming." And suddenly this big car stopped, a big limousine, a Dodge or something. (In India, they always have more prestige than in this country.)
And Maharaj Ji just looked and smiled and said, okay, let's go. They sat in the car and they went to their destination, which in this case was a small principality in India. And they stayed there. And then Shri Maharaj Ji told this person, "Well. you know, I'm going to show you a movie. And the thing is, you are going to see me in that movie, but don't look back. If you look back I'll stop the movie, and that's the end of it."
And so this person said, "Okay." He promised Shri Maharaj Ji he wouldn't look back at what was going on. So he started seeing the movie, and Shri Maharaj Ji was sitting and he was sitting, and suddenly they could see the movie happening. And he was really wondering: Is there a projector behind me? Maybe Shri Maharaj Ji had arranged it. And so he was really thinking in his mind that: "Maybe I should look behind and see what is there."
And then he suddenly -- he just couldn't. The mind was there. And that's what Maharaj Ji was telling you: Mind is always there. And we always have the choice of either surrendering or arguing with it, going on with it. And this premie, at that point, had the same choice -- either to surrender ("Okay, whatever is happening is happening, and let me watch the movie"), or look back and give a reasonably good explanation to his mind of what was causing that image in front.
And because of that presence of mind, he just looked back. "Maybe I should really look in the back and see what it is. Maybe it's a projector." And he just looked back, and there was nothing there. And he looked in front, and there was nothing there either. It had all disappeared. And he just looked at Shri Maharaj Ji and said, "Can I see it again?" And Shri Maharaj Ji said, "No. I told you not to look."
And this premie felt that he had missed a really beautiful opportunity. He didn't have that little bit of trust in Guru Maharaj Ji. He had devotion, but that little bit of trust he needed at that point not to look back, he didn't have. Because the mind was there telling him: "Why shouldn't you look in the back? Maybe there's a projector. Maybe he's making a fool out of you." And that is just at that particular moment.
Guru Maharaj Ji has given us this Knowledge. We are daily faced with the same thing. It's just like Maharaj Ji was saying the first night, about desire. If we want to desire something, we never get it. We have to go a step beyond having that desire. And then he went home from here, and there was a big discussion about it. He asked everybody, "Do you know what I said?"
Everybody said, "Well, you said not to desire the desire." And nobody really knew. And everybody was trying to come as close as possible to that, and nobody could. And Maharaj Ji said, "Why don't you guys just surrender?"
And that was so beautiful. Because if you start thinking about these things, it obviously can get very complicated. But the easiest way out of it is just surrender. Just let it go. Just let it happen. Flow in that Love and just surrender to his feet. Surrender yourself to him. And the moment you surrender, everything is beautiful. Because "surrendering" itself means that you don't have a personality, you have lost yourself, you are one.
During the IDP conference which was happening in Malibu, Mahatma Gurucharnanand was telling this really beautiful story about this Satguru who was traveling with his devotee, and they stayed at this temple. They slept outside the temple. And the villagers came in the morning and said, "What are you doing here? Why are you sleeping in our temple?"
And they asked the devotee, "Who are you?" And he said, "Well, I'm the devotee of Mr. such-and-such." They got really angry at him. They really started hitting him. "How can you do this?"
And then they asked Guru Maharaj Ji, "Who are you?" And he said, "Mmmm."
And they said, "This guy's crazy. He's insane." And they let him go, because they thought Guru Maharaj Ji was crazy. But they didn't realize that he was "in"
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sane, that he was inside the sanity. He was not insane. He was completely "in" sane. He was inside the sanity that exists
in the world.
And that is what we have to realize. In this world we have always two choices: either to go the way of the world, or to be in Maharaj Ji's world.
It's like the darshan line was happening, and it was really beautiful. Every premie comes and does pranam, and the connection happens, and goes, and it really flows. But we really have to realize that the most important thing is surrender.
It's like Maharaj Ji was saying. That key to everything is satsang, service, meditation and darshan. But above all, more important than anything else, is surrender. Because if you don't surrender, you can't be doing meditation at all times. If I have not surrendered, it is not really meditation. So the first step in the right direction is for us to be really surrendered, to be really meditating. And that's the most important thing, to be really, in our lives, surrendered.
It's like this birth of Navlata happened. And there was a time, I would have never thought myself -- and this is really Maharaj Ji's Grace -- that when I was young I never thought I would get married. When I got married, "Oh, I wouldn't have any children." I would take it easy.
And then it was happening, and I was in that room, and Claudia was there, and Maharaj Ji was there, and Durga Ji was there, and Premlata was coming -- one and all. And it was just happening there. And the only thing was that Claudia was obviously under tremendous pressure. I was just there for namesake; Maharaj Ji was really running the show. I could really see that Maharaj Ji was running the show, that he had everything under control.
And it just happened really beautifully. Whatever happened, everything really worked out beautifully. And at that point I could see Maharaj Ji's Grace, the power of Guru Maharaj Ji, the power of the Perfect Master. And it just gives me a bit of insight into Maharaj Ji's plan for this whole universe, for the whole world. He is actually …
In Indian mythology, "Oh, Guru Maharaj Ji, without your Grace even leaves cannot move. Even the leaf doesn't move without your Grace." And how is it that we move away from you even sometimes? It is like all destined. It is already programmed to happen that way. And so all we can really do is really surrender and meditate in our lives, really realize the importance of meditation, really realize the importance of satsang. It is that connection that joins me and my Guru Maharaj Ji. There are no middle dogs, big dogs or small dogs, one or two. There is Guru Maharaj Ji and his devotees, and that connection that joins. Then we have to realize in our lives the importance of satsang, that it is a constant company of Truth that we need.
Just imagine what would happen to us without being in that company. We would be completely lost. What would happen to us without meditation? That connection with Guru Maharaj Ji would become completely lost. And like Maharaj Ji was saying, that one hour which was said a long time ago is not enough meditation to do for the twelve hours that you're living in this world, obviously, where you have your duties towards your boss and everything. You let your horses run wild. And you come and you want to experience God-knowswhat. You want to experience something tremendously fantastic. And that's impossible. In spite of the saying that nothing is impossible, that is impossible, because again you need a point of focus, something that brings you together again. And you can really realize what that Love is in your lives, in our lives, in each one of our lives. And we really, really realize that thing that joins us together, that thing that brings us together.
And for that we have to really meditate, because that's the only way that we can really see who Guru Maharaj Ji is. That's the only way. The only connection that joins me and Guru Maharaj Ji is that meditation. And that's what you really have to do: meditation; satsang, service and meditation.
The moment we start doing that, and surrender, everything really starts happening for us. The same life we used to live a long time ago -- something blessed comes in it. A certain spark of
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that Love comes in it. And that Love is so powerful. Maharaj Ji was saying a long time ago in one of his satsangs, I think
in England, in Westminster Hall or one of those places, that the power of that Love is so much that each spark from that
Love, wherever it goes and touches, it turns that object that it touches into Love. And that's really the power of that
Love. It's incredibly powerful. And because of its power we have to have a constant connection with Guru Maharaj Ji.
And as powerful as that Love is, the mind is as powerful. Mind is there inventing its games, and the only thing we can really do is surrender our mind, lose our personality. And the moment we lose our personality completely, it's beautiful, because we have entered the world of Guru Maharaj Ji. And in Guru Maharaj Ji's world, all we really have to do is get rid of the mind, get rid of all the concepts, really be open. Just our being open is beautiful, will really help us.
But the effort has to come from us. That determination to take a step in the right direction has to come from us, from each individual premie. It's like Maharaj Ji was saying, it costs a lot of money for premies to come here. Because a lot of charters were being arranged in Europe, and at the last moment they were cancelled. I mean, it's incredible, because here we are in America, the most efficient country in the world, and for 25 hours the lights disappear in New York! And by Guru Maharaj Ji's Grace, premies were lucky. Because for a change: meditation for 25 hours. There was an opportunity that Maharaj Ji gave them to meditate.
And what did other people do? Well, maybe some people got drunk. Some people said, "Well, this is a good time to get some free drinks, isn't it? Let's go to the nearest store and raid it." So people did that, and literally something that nobody ever imagined happened in New York.
And then the other day we were in Florida, right here where we were staying, and suddenly the lights went off. And it was really hot. And I said I never pictured this would happen to me in America. It happened in New York. It happened to us. And all we have to do at that point is just really surrender.
And this is just a really beautiful opportunity Maharaj Ji gave to us. It's really funny how things affect us in life. Because of that 25-hour blackout in New York, some planes didn't fly. And because some planes didn't fly, the planes weren't in Europe at the proper cities at the right time. So the charter companies, the airlines, cancelled the planes because it was too expensive for them, and nothing worked out. Those premies were just there, and they had the money together and everything. Financially they were okay, I guess. But they just couldn't do it, and just because they couldn't do it they missed an opportunity of a lifetime.
And that just shows us, as Maharaj Ji was saying, that maybe we could have our own airlines soon, and just haul premies from one part of the world to the other. Because, in a way -- this program was three days. And Maharaj Ji was saying, soon he will be sitting here and saying to you, "Okay, the program is over; go back and meditate, and let's get it together." And the days pass like nothing. Seventy-two hours sitting here, and today the program is literally over, and we have to look forward to a new program.
And Maharaj Ji said once that if he was a devotee of the Perfect Master, all he would do in his life is one thing: to get ready so that he could have darshan. He would spend all of his time, all he had, to get ready for the next program. And if we have just a spark of the devotion he has towards his Guru Maharaj Ji, we'll be okay. Because like he said, Hans Jayanti, where it's going to he -- that's a surprise. Life is full of small surprises, as a matter of fact, and you have to just be ready for the next Hans Jayanti wherever it's going to happen. We have to just get ready to go back, but not to forget one thing: that meditation is really important. And once we really start meditating, it really starts happening for us. The world starts to look different. It's not the same gloomy old thing anymore. We get a different perspective to look at it from.
And that's the beauty. And that Knowledge Guru Maharaj Ji has given us is always with us. It's like we can do it any time. And because we can do it any time, obviously mind says, "Why don't we have the desire to do it all the time?" And the moment that desire comes … It's like even now I'm having a desire. Every moment, every devotee is having a desire. "I hope I can be with Guru Maharaj Ji." I think each one of us has that desire.
But Maharaj Ji says, don't have this desire. Go above that desire. It's such a tricky thing. It's like one of those games between Maharaj Ji and mind. Because I can pick on any premie: "Don't you want to be with Guru Maharaj Ji?" He goes, "Yes." "Don't you have the desire to be with Maharaj Ji?" "Yes." Everybody has that.
But it's like Maharaj says, we have to go one step beyond that desire. We're not attached to it anymore. We are beyond it. Because, maybe we are not attached to the thought; we don't care either way. Whatever happens is okay. And then the moment you are not
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attached to it, Guru Maharaj Ji gives it to you, whatever you want. And that's the most important thing. Not to be attached. And really be one on this Holy Name. Really realize this Knowledge in our lives, the importance of it. And once we start doing that, everything starts happening for us.
I think somebody's going to come soon, and then it doesn't matter how things happen! Okay, the moment we are in that thing -- it's like Gurucharnanand was singing that song and Maharaj Ji was saying -- it doesn't really matter. The imperfection of the band, of the group, so-called professionals, doesn't matter. It's just that you go one step beyond that.
And that's what we are here for. To realize this Knowledge, and to realize who Guru Maharaj Ji is, and to serve him. Not, "Okay, you are Guru Maharaj Ji. Okay, I put my stamp of recognition on it. It's nice to see you, but I have to do my thing." That's not the attitude we have to have. We have to have that attitude of, "Okay, you are the Master. So what are we here for? You are the Lord, what are we here for but to serve you, to do service to you, to dedicate our lives to you, so we can be of some use."
We were in Malibu, and this premie had some video films of "Jesus of Nazareth," and it was very nice film. Zeffirelli did it, tremendously violent obviously. (I'm horrible at reading books, I can't read a single book. So I liked the idea of just sitting and watching something very informative on video) so I was looking at the characters, those devotees in the story.
And everybody was in the kitchen crying; for them it was happening somewhere in the kitchen Sand??? was going: sob, sob. They were literally crying. It really touched their hearts I said, "Give them a Kleenex."
And so whatever was happening, Jesus was there, and we saw John the Baptist was there and he died and his head got chopped off. He was just alive for a certain pur???? then he got chopped off and someone else came in place of him. And, Jesus didn't meet with any better end, he was crucified. It was really well done. I couldn't believe it. They showed that they had stones and they were like "clang-clang-clang," and you could hear the noise of somebody's hand there, and blood coming out. Incredibly well done. And then everybody was used in the whole process. There was Matthew -- everybody played their parts. And we're all playing our parts, and all we have to do is play our parts well.
It's like Shakespeare says. He describes a human being in As You Like It as seven stages of life. And he was an old man. He didn't have Knowledge, you know. He couldn't describe the devotee part, and it's really a pity, because if he had, you would have had a very good insight. Because he describes very well the seven stages of people's lives. But he missed the devotee's part because he didn't have Knowledge.
- Raja Ji
And so, playing our parts, whatever we have to play, we have to play it well and make the best out of it. And that just means you have to be good devotees, because that's our part: to be devotees. A lot of people don't know how to do that. The whole world doesn't know. We are the only ones who do, because we have the Perfect Master.
People don't know what devotion is. Maharaj Ji went on a vacation somewhere. I don't know where it was; I don't recall. And when he was on the vacation, a lot of people stayed in that place. The rumor was that Henry Kissinger stayed there and Shah of Iran stayed there and - I don't know where it was. I forgot the name of the place. And the servants who served Shah of Iran and all these guys were serving Maharaj Ji, and then Maharaj Ji's staff was there and they were saying, "No, this is not the way to do it." And they were showing them how to serve. And those guys who were there were really blown out. They just couldn't believe how these people could serve another human being in such a beautiful way.
And they would see Guru Maharaj Ji's entourage, the premies meditating, and they would just look and say, "What are you doing? Show that to me and I'll do it, too."
They couldn't understand anything. Because people don't know. We can only devote ourselves to a person whom we know, whom we love. You can't devote yourself to nobody. And that's what we have to do, is know who Guru Maharaj Ji is.
We have his Knowledge. He has done his thing. He has given us this Knowledge. We asked for it. Now it's our turn to repay him by our devotion and surrender to him. And once we start doing that, once we start flowing in that process of really having that devotion towards him, really surrendering towards him, that Grace will start to flow, that Grace will automatically … It's like the moment we take that step, the Grace starts coming. 'There's plenty of it where it comes from, so all we really have to do is take one primary step towards Guru Maharaj Ji, towards the Lord, and really realize in our lives our purpose of being here.
Because if you say, "Well, Maharaj Ji has a purpose of being here," to tell you the truth, we have a purpose of being here too; we are, after all, nobodies. But we are devotees of Guru Maharaj Ji, and that's a pretty good title because it's a pretty exclusive item in the world these days. And so we have to play our part really well. Our part is just to be good devotees, and that's to do satsang, service and meditation, and come to the festivals, like Maharaj Ji said.
For Guru Maharaj Ji, it is to come and give satsang to premies, and less than that premies shouldn't settle for. And that's what we are to do. Just be really ready. I think what Maharaj Ji has in his magical bag for you is more than we can imagine. And each time it'll give the amount we are ready to take. And he won't throw us everything he has because we'd go, "Oh, no, too much." We won't even know what he gave us! It'll be just too fast. So he'll give us what we can handle. And he is giving us whatever we can handle each time, each minute, each day of our lives.
So it's really up to us to request Guru Maharaj Ji to give us more, whatever he can give us. And I think somebody is probably going to come on now. So keep on trucking. And the rest is really up to us. You know, like Maharaj Ji has done his thing, he has given us this Knowledge, and it's really up to us to meditate and to have that devotion towards him.
Thank you very much.
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