Speeches Delivered By Jai

Truth and Religion About the Hindu Movement Photo What's New with the Movement Contact Info Guest Book An Interview with the leader of the movement Jai P. Misir Jai's Philosophy Speeches Delivered By Jai Inspirations of the Movement in Photos

Speeches Delivered By Jai P. Misir

Check back here every Thursday for a new speech delivered by our fearless leader Jai P. Misir.

Speech # 1: Delivered at the Schenectady Hindu Temple

Topic What Is The Purpose Of Life?

What is the purpose of life? Millions of people in this world say that the goal of life is to gain happiness from the outside world. However, the sages of India say that the purpose of life is to “eliminate all suffering and attain the highest goal, known as the absolute.” Everyone came from God, but the people forgot their origin. The world is said to be making more progress everyday. How has it become greater? Murder, stealing, fighting, and destruction are on the rise everywhere. Whenever a person turns on the news, one hears continued amounts of fighting between political parties. Many people say they are happy, but how many people can be happy in a world growing with hate and competition? What the world needs is understanding and tolerance, and then people can reach the highest bliss which is God. What makes a person hate another? What makes a person want to fight, steal, and kill? The individual performs these actions, because he or she does not understand himself or herself. He or she believes in the body and that all joy must be found outside. People can never be satisfied living in a material world. Once a person has one dollar he or she wants ten. The individual has a Volkswagen but the car is not beautiful enough, therefore he or she buys a Mercedes. When two slices of pizza are offered, the person says no I want three. One beer can not do for many people, he or she wants another one. When we start looking within ourselves for happiness, everything works well. Many sages of India have said that there is more to life than drinking, eating, and activities, the person must work toward understanding himself or herself. But, if his or her understanding is limited to the flesh of the body, he or she can live a miserable life. The truth is animals perform many of the same functions that we do. A dog goes out into the world, does his business, and returns with a wife, and three children. Similarly, a person goes out into the world, does his or her business and returns with a family. Just as the amount of dogs, pigs, donkeys, elephants, cows, and horses continue to increase, so do the amount of people living in this world. This is why one of the greatest female saints of India, Phooli, once said, ''If you do not know your self, if you do not attain the highest bliss, and only think of your self as flesh and bones, what does it matter if you are a human being. However, many people continue to look at happiness in the external world and never take the time to look back within. In Bombay many children started singing a song that became very popular and it goes like this, O my friend how did you change? the earth hasn't changed water has not changed plants have not changed animals have not changed Oh friend, how did you change? How did we change? According to our own understanding, every one of us has become one thing or another. In society, we believe ourselves to men or women, teachers, doctors, republicans, democrats, Christians, Hindu's, Muslim's, Indian's, Russians, Arabs. But the truth is we are one. We have just come with different impressions, ideas, and values from the last life. However, it will always be a problem once a person has this attitude. The minute I say I am a man, I have a terrible ego. In society today, women face discrimination in the work force and school. The second I say I am God, I have released my ego and look at everyone with equality. I know to myself that if I have a light inside of me everything else must contain that same spark of divinity. There is a popular saying in India, if one sows a mango seed, he or she will always get a mango and never a lemon. Therefore, if one person is born from God, he or she can be nothing but God. The problem is that our camera records our actions in the material world, but it never turns around and records what is going on inside. In life people go to parties, achieve one of the highest awards in work, or win a great tennis match, but when night falls, the individual is tired, and all he or she wants to do is sleep. So what happens? He or she retires to a darkened room and goes to sleep. If anyone asks us the next day how we feel, we say, I feel great. Only a few hours of sleep has given us new life. But why is it that all the great activities of the day make us feel tired and drowsy, and all we need to restore our energy is four hours of sleep? Our own sleep teaches us over and over again that the true source of happiness comes from within. In life a person picks a countless number of fruits, pursues a great number of activities, travels from one place to another, then he or she realizes that time has eaten him up, it is time to soar into inner peace, and what he or she is searching for can be found there in its’ absolute. The problem is to understand the absolute one must detach himself in some ways from the material world. The sages of India studied inner peace for centuries, and they believe happiness is only found from within. One woman wants to look beautiful, so she puts cream on her face. But then in a few short days the cream dries her face up, and without any makeup she looks like a ghost. Sages from India have said that if people meditate on that being within they can witness the most beautiful form in the world. Individuals in the world want to hear beautiful sounds, therefore, they listen to rock n roll, opera, and jazz. When the sounds from within penetrate the being, a person hears the calm and natural sound of peace. The woman wants to eat a tasty meal, so she buys a pizza, sits down, and enjoys it. But when the individual tastes the sweet nectar from within, there is no other replacement. The young woman wants to see many beautiful forms, so she enters the garden and picks roses and tulips. But when the sight of the being within comes into the mind, the sight of pure light and beauty enter forever, and no other sight is necessary. However, we go on living the way we do. In ancient India, there was a young bee which was filled with the hot blood of youth. During the evening the bee decided to take a little journey into the forest and search for some food. When the bee entered the forest, he saw hundreds of lotus flowers and he thought to himself, I must be in heaven. The bee started flying blissfully from flower to flower sucking nectar out of each lotus he grabbed onto. Finally he came to a lotus flower that he thought was absolutely beautiful. Just then at that moment, the lotus closed and he found himself trapped inside the flower. Harry the bee had sharp stingers and could have easily pierced out of the lotus, but suddenly he found himself amazed at the sight he saw. In this lotus there was such a great amount of honey, Harry thought he could make his own honey factory and live there forever. He thought to himself I’ll sleep here tonight, and in the morning I will go fly back to my neighborhood and tell my wife, kids, and friends, they will be so pleased with me. He kept thinking I can't wait to see the look on my wife's face when I tell her how much honey there is, and he started jumping up in the air. At that very moment an elephant entered the forest and started tearing down plants and stuffing them in his mouth. The elephant started to tear down trees and stuff them in his mouth. Finally he came upon the lotus where the bee was dwelling in. The bee continued thinking to himself, I'll bring my mother, my father, and we will have all the honey in the world. And then there was a loud crunch! All Harry's friends remained at home, all his plans remained in the lake, his wife was watching television, and Harry was inside the elephant's mouth. This is how many of us live life in my view. The idea is that if we continue to chase after houses, cars, cell phones, and other things we will gain and be successful. But cell phones alone have caused a great deal of addiction and wasted time in this country. I believe they are good to use for emergencies and keeping into contact with friends and loved ones, but many of us go overboard and run up heavy minutes on our phone bills. Then, because of the phone expense, some of us are forced to buy less food. Just like that phone, the bee's problem was the honey. In life a person must think about his inner spirit now and not wait like Harry did because it may be too late. Knowing that spirit inside is one of the goal's in life. Why wait until we get too old? When your house is on fire are you going to dig a well? Are you going to wait till 90 to think about the spirit within? Lets act now.

Speech #2: Delivered at the Schenectady Hindu Temple

Topic: What is the value of human birth?  

What is the value of human birth? According to the sages of India, an individual passes through thousands of forms before entering into a human body. Everything in this world came from God, including the animals, plants, rocks, and people. In reality, everything is one. Therefore, what makes a human being different? Animals are attracted to one another. Therefore, these animals run into the jungle, perform their business, and come out to enjoy their offspring. Men and women find one another attractive, fall in love, get married, and have children. This is the law of nature. Therefore, the number of animals and people are increasing every day. Everything in nature is born free, including the animals, plants, and people. However, there is one major difference between people and animals. People have the freedom to transform themselves into anything they want. The human being has the ability to decide if he or she wants to have a happy existence or a miserable one. The reason the person can decide his or her existence is because of his or her mind. In the world today there are an increasing amount of sensual pleasures, which distract people from their duty. Many times people forget their divinity when they chase after material pleasures, such as cars, houses, and even their professions. In life it is important to work and contribute to society, but many of us become slaves to their pay checks. People begin to feel unsatisfied with the amount of money they are earning. What is the use of acquiring a great deal of knowledge, studying a variety of subjects at a University, and earning a career, if one is only going to think about the fruits of his her actions. Animals live through their instincts. Animals are incapable of understanding the difference between right and wrong. For example, a cow has just been milked by a farmer. The farmer decides to take the animals inside the house, because he does not have a rope to tie the cow to the barn outside. The farmer takes the cow inside, so she will not run away. The farmer grabs a bucket from inside while the cow is alone. The cow yells out a loud moo, and then poops on the floor. The farmer immediately runs to clean it up. The cow has to poop so she poops, without thinking about going into the bathroom to do her business. The cow does not have the brain capacity to think that the farmer will have to clean up her little mess. However, the individual understands that the right thing to do is go into the bathroom, so it doesn't get all over the floor. He or she used his or her budhi (the faculty of reasoning). The sharp human mind allows the budhi to function in the being, and give the individual the opportunity to make the right decision. Many people understand the idea of self control, and the dangers of smoking, drinking, and using drugs. Another important idea to remember about the human being is he or she has the ability to understand God. Sages of India have said for millions of years that there is more to life than eating, drinking, and playing. Human birth is very rare, and it gives people the opportunity to understand God. One day a devotee of Guru Nanakdev asked his teacher ''What is the value of human birth?'' The guru said, ''Come back tomorrow and I will tell you." When the student returned, the Guru handed him a diamond and gave him strict instructions. The guru told his student to take the diamond to the market in India and get a price for it, but do not sell it. The student followed his teacher's instructions and took the diamond to the market looking for a price. He asked the fruit seller how much he would give him for the diamond. The fruit seller said, I will give you two oranges. The student took the diamond to a potato seller, and asked him how much he would give him for the diamond. I will give you two kilos of potatoes said the seller. He took the diamond to a few other places in the market and each time he was offered some more money. The man took the diamond to a goldsmith, and he was offered a watch in exchange for the diamond. Finally the man took the diamond to one of the best jeweler's in India and asked him to price the diamond. The jeweler held the diamond flat in his palm and told the man, ''Oh friend, you can not sell this diamond. It is absolutely priceless. After this conversation the student returned to Guru Nanakdev and told him what happened. ''Now do you understand the point?" said Nanakdev. A person can sell himself for two oranges, two kilo's of potatoes, or if he or she truly wants, the individual can make him self or her self priceless. The choice all depends on the individual's own vision of himself or herself. Therefore the moral of the story is to exhibit self control and not become a slave to material things. Only through sacrifices in the world, can a person achieve his or her greatness. The advice of the guru is similar to the advice many sages and saints of India have been telling us for a millennia. Our saints continue to tell us that the light inside the body is our best friend. The Indian saint Sundaras tell us, ''If you have not experienced supreme bliss, then my friend, what is the use of living?" The legendary poet Kabir Das reminded us in his poem about the strength of the soul, ''If you have not pierced the knots of your heart and washed away the filth of your mind, then child, what does it matter if you are a human being?" The truth is that soul has existed from the beginning of time. The spark of light is omniscient (everlasting), omnipresent (exists everywhere in this universe), and it projected itself into everything which can be seen in this world. The sages of India tell us to understand that the body is here for only a short time, and the human was not put on this earth just to eat, drink, and sleep. I believe the most important thing a person can do for him self or her self is to understand that light now. The minute a person waits precious time is wasted. When there is a chance to understand the love, compassion, peace, and beauty of God, the human being must strive to understand it now, and not wait until he or she is old. What is the sense of waiting until we are old to understand God? What is the point of digging a well when your house is already on fire? Friends it is too late. Understand the value of human birth and achieve it. In today's world there will come a time when every monument, building, city, and nation will crumble into pieces. There have been so many great King's, Queen's, Emperor's, and Princes, but where have the all gone? Only the individual soul lasts forever.

Speech #3: Delivered at the Schenectady Hindu Temple

Topic: Pursuit of Happiness

What makes a person happy? The amount of money he or she acquires in life? Earning the highest title in a job? Going on a date with a beautiful man or woman? Eating pizza and ice cream? Or is it listening to music on the I-Pod? No. Happiness comes from within. People feel happy when they understand themselves. However, instead of trying to understand the greatness within, people are constantly complaining about their lives, pursuing various desires, such as, buying more houses, cars, clothing, and jewelry. People spend a great deal of time fighting with their husbands, wives, and children. Throughout life, people say to themselves, ''if only I could make him or her like me and then I would be happy." Human beings search for more entertainment, activities, and friends. In the end, do these things give us true happiness, or only dryness and heat? What are we trying to accomplish in the pursuit of our desires? Activities such as student Government, and Key Club are great ways of serving the community, through dedicated work and leadership. However, when one tries to get involved in these activities, balance five or six school subjects, play a musical instrument, and a sport, the person may be participating in too many things. In India, secular and spiritual knowledge are sacred. However, an individual needs to focus on one or two areas in life, if he or she is going to be successful. In order for a person to be truly happy he or she needs to limit the amount of activities and budge his or her time. The great Hindu poet Marharishtra wrote, ''I thought I was enjoying sense pleasures. I did not know they were enjoying me. I thought I was spending my time. I had no idea it was spending me." Everything people work toward in this world is to gain happiness. The goal of happiness starts out in a productive way in human society. Men and women go to public school to learn different subjects, such as math, science, and History. He or she then decides to go to a University, and earn a degree in a major such as communications, history, or law. However, in society today, many people work in careers such as law, business, communication, and they are unhappy. Although many men and women earned careers, have families, and are involved in many activities, they do not feel excited about life. The individual begins to wonder how he or she can earn more money, acquire more houses, and land. When a person works toward gaining more materialism, he or she will suffer in the beginning. The man or woman will fail to earn the house, or buy three or four cars immediately. He or she must save money and invest in these things. However, the person says to himself or herself, I want it now. I don't want to wait. He or she becomes angry and jealous when another person has these possessions. When a person fails to acquire these possessions immediately, the greed will continue to increase. Many Indian saints say that when a person is overcome by his or desire, he or she loses viveka (sense of discrimination between right and wrong). When the person loses his or her viveka, he or she also loses spiritual knowledge. When a person loses these two important things, he or she is a victim to his or her own mind. In religion the concept of the mind is very important. I believe one way a person can understand the mind, is to observe the activity of a man riding a horse. The horse is considered the man with desires, and the reigns are considered to be the mind. In life, a person should not be defeated by his or her own mind. The reigns are in our own hands, and it is necessary to control the mind. Similarly, if a man or woman allows the mind to wonder, stir, and create hate within society, that man is the same as a horse back rider, who allows his horse to take him into the ditch. Once the individual makes a wrong choice, a quality such as compassion, bravery, love, wisdom, or peace is lost. How many wrong choices do we make every day? How many people hate one another in foreign countries and across America? The number continues to increase. I believe hate has a best friend called jealousy. Many times in life a person is jealous of another because he or she has more money, a better family life, or a better job. When I was seven I had a friend named Dan. Dan and I grew up very close together. He and I went to the movies, played baseball, basketball, and football together. However, one of our favorite activities was Student Government. One leadership activity I participated in was a reflection of my childhood. I talked about some of the close friends I had. Then, I mentioned how my family and I had a loving relationship. My parents took time off from their busy work schedules to take Anita and I to the movies, to the park, and to baseball games. When I spoke like this, my friend Dan became angry. He said that his dad walked out on his family when he was five. He gave me a bitter look and said, ''Well, listen, we can't all be as lucky as you. You don't understand how it feels growing up without a father or someone who loves you. Your dad was always there for you. After that situation happened, I never heard from Dan again. In contrast, the individual who is happy in life understands himself or herself. He or she understands that there is a spark of light vibrating down into every pore of his or her body. He or she makes well thought out decisions. He or she does not hate anyone. He or she lives a simple and peaceful life. Ladies and gentlemen that is not all. Another reason people are unhappy is because they do not work toward fixing their problems. Swami Muktananda of India once said, ''I travel from this part of India to that part of India. I travel all over America and Europe. People are telling me the same thing all the time. They are unhappy. Instead of trying to figure out a way to fix their problems, they continue to blame the economy of the nation, their husband or wives behavior, and their children. I noticed these people sit on a bench and let their minds stir, and they become more agitated every second. People think to themselves, if only I had a better job, if only I could make he or she love me, if only I was of a higher caste, all my problems would be gone. When a person thinks in this way, he or she is bound to have more problems. The mind needs to be controlled. Have you ever been satisfied with one thought in your life? Has that one thought grown into more and more wasteful thoughts when you are unhappy? Train the mind to think positively. In life many of people go through struggles, but the great individual, is the one who finds a way out of it. I believe the most important factor in a person's life is not his or her husband or wife, salary, or possessions. The most important factor is his or her peace of mind. One day my friend Dan and I were having dinner together. I noticed that Dan's mind seemed agitated. He started to shake his head like an angry lion ready for a three course steak. I said, ''Dan what is bothering you?" He told me how frustrated he was with his roommate. Every night I come home, he throws his clothes all over the apartment. The mess is so terrible, that I can't even walk to my own bed. I'm about to lose it. Every time I asked him how his classes were going, he just shook his head like a ferocious lion. He continued to let his mind stir about the situation in his apartment. He seemed to have no control over his mind. I believe a person who is unhappy must dig down deep and find a way to get him self or her self out of the problem. Many times a person must endure the hardship, but I think a great deal of the time an individual can move on. Two years ago I worked at a child center in Clifton Park. In the beginning I was very happy. I enjoyed reading to the children, playing board games, and playing kick ball outside. However, in the next few months I wasn't being treated as an equal. The teachers were telling me that I should give a child a special cup of milk, so he doesn't complain. I told the teachers that the same rules must apply to all the children. I said, if I give Dylan more milk in his big cup, the other children will complain that Mr. Jai is being unfair, as some of them already did. The teachers told me that I had to do what I was told because I was the assistant. Then, another time during nap a child named Casey refused to stop crying until the teacher and I gave her the blanket. When I gave her the blanket she continued to cry. Casey also started to shove the other children. I took her to the principal's office, but then I was yelled at. The teachers told me that in the future I must get down to the child's level, and talk about the problem one on one. I was furious. How can I get down to a child's level when he or she is hurting another boy or girl. When one child gets away with something one day, he or she will continue to get away with it all the time. In life some things will be unfair and difficult to deal with, but for the most part it is important to work through a situation. When problems are too difficult, then it is acceptable to run away. Search for less, be contented, control the mind, and the individual will enjoy happiness.

Speech #4

Topic: God lives in the heart

When a person is unhappy, many times he or she questions if God exists. Many times when I talk to people, they tell me, ''There is no God. If there was a God, why are millions of people suffering in India? Throughout the world, why are so many people starving? Why do we all hate each other?" When I hear these remarks from people, I gently smile, and reply, People have been committing sin for millions of years, and now it is time to pay for it. Throughout hundreds of years western scientists have been trying to explain consciousness or energy in America. However, now in the 21st century, westerners are beginning to understand that there is a great force residing over all of us. Ancient Hindu saints and sages have always described God as consciousness, energy, or soul. The great Shankaracharya said, ''aham brahmasmi." I am god. The great sufar saint Mansur Mastana once said, ''anal haqq". I am he. Many Hindu saints describe this great phenomenon that we call God. I think a great way to look at God is an extraordinary force residing over every human being. Only because God is omnipresent (exists everywhere), can this force be considered God. When people suffer through problems, they start to question the existence of God. When I was 12, I started to experience a great deal of pain in my thighs and hips. Every morning I woke up, I experienced something so excruciating, it feels like a million swords piercing through your heart. I couldn't even breathe. Immediately my mom and dad decided to rush me to the hospital. The doctor realized that by putting his finger, thumb, or hand on my leg, I would be in a great amount of pain. He asked me how I was feeling. I told him the truth. My leg was swelling up so much from the pain I thought I saw a couple joints bursting out of the muscle. Two weeks later, I went through surgery. The Doctor then diagnosed me with having an enzyme deficiency disorder. The doctor explained that this condition meant I was lacking an enzyme to give me strength in the body. After the surgery I couldn't walk or get out of bed for two whole weeks. Finally after a month my mom and I decided that it was time for me to return to junior high school. My mom called the principal and told her that I would be returning. When I entered the class all the students started to laugh at me. After all, I was moving around in a wheel chair. I felt horrible. Whenever I wanted to go out to the mall my mom would push me in the wheel chair. I had no control over my body. Finally, a couple months went by and I was able to walk again. My legs continued to affect me, but I had more control of my body. One day after school my dad said something that I will never forget to this day. He told me how proud he was that I can walk again. He wished me all the luck in school. Then, he told me the importance of going to church. He said that many times people don't take the opportunity to say thanks to god for helping them recover from a situation. He told me that I am lucky that the leg problem is not very serious. He continued to tell me how many children have cancer, retardation and many other conditions. Mine was only a leg problem, and I should be thankful. I agreed with him. At the age of 12 I didn't know what God was. I had no interest in praying in a church. All I cared about was going to the mall with my friends and watching movies. Today I understand the importance of God. God is no an object. God understands all the objects in this world. The problem in life is that people do not look for God the way he is. People look for God the way they want him or her to be. Many times people look for God in a spiritual practice or sadhana. In life there is no spiritual practice which can help a human being see God. The individual can only understand God through a very subtle intellect, because God is the seer of everything. In a Hindu Sunday service, meditating on the gayatree mantra, only gives a person a chance to understand the greatness within. The mantra helps put a person at peace and understand that peace is the true nature of the individual soul and the supreme. The meaning of the gayatree mantra is ''Oh creator of this earth, sky, heaven, and all the intermediate regions, we contemplate upon your adorable glory. May you please arouse our intellect. Shanti, shanti, shanti, (peace, peace, peace). The mantra gives us an understanding of a great power residing over us, but only through controlling the mind can the individual understand that power. In a Hindu service the fire is lit, and that fire represents the supreme God and our individual soul. When a devotee or worshipper looks at the whole fire, it is a representation of God and the glory that has entered into the whole universe. This idea is similar to the Christian idea of oneness. In essence, all religions of the world believe in heaven. Heaven is a place where everyone feels happy, peaceful, and fearless. The supreme God or fire represents everything put together, such as, plants, animals, people, rocks, sun, moon, stars, all the planets, and all the worlds. Through understanding the concept of religion in this way, the individual will understand that all the religions are very similar, but they just use different spiritual practices to get to the same place. What do the sparks of the fire represent? The sparks represent you and I, another spark represents a cow, and another spark is a representation of a plant. I believe the problem many of us have in life, is that we are trying to understand the greatness of God, but we do not even understand the greatness within our own self. When a person understands the greatness in his or her soul, there will be no more fighting, but only a feeling of universal brotherhood. When the individual understands his or her soul, there will be no more discrimination, but only a feeling of complete equality. Equality is the idea the world must work toward. Why were there so many foreign invasions in India, from the British, to the Romans, to the Greeks? India allowed these terrible dictators to invade the nation. Then, the number of dictators multiplied. In order for a problem to go away, a man or woman must stand up. Swami Vivekananda reminds India of this important point. Vivekananda said, ''Stand on your own two feet and be men. No more crying, no more weeping, but stand on your own two feet. We have cried long enough. Now what we need is strength. Strength will help us become free from this world of pain and pleasure." That is not all Schenectady. Why is there still a caste system in India? Gandhi said he believes in the cast system but not the way it is being practiced. Throughout India, if a person is of a low caste, his or her neighbor will walk on the other side of the street, ignoring this man or woman. What this world lacks is love. How can a person understand the greatness of his or her soul, if he or she has hate? I tell you my friends, it will never work. Discrimination and difference is what caused the misunderstanding of God. Many people love to go to churches, temples, and mosques. In a picture of God, there are more angels, doves, and princes, than ever before. In the Schenectady Hindu temple, many other faiths such as, Christians, Muslims, and Jews come to our temple on important Hindu festivals. Many Christians and Jews visit our temple when our members celebrate the various birthdays of the Gods. I have no doubt in my mind, many people are confused about the number of Gods we worship. I will leave that for a different lecture. When these other faiths, such as, Christians, and Jews, visit our temple, they compliment the beautiful pictures on our walls. The people will say how beautiful the temple looks. I had a Jewish friend named Jon I became very close with. Jon came every week and listened to our devotional songs (songs for God), and took harmonium (Indian keyboard) lessons for three months. One day after our two hour service, Jon came up to me and told me how amazing our pictures were. He said, ''I never saw anything like that before." These Gods are so beautifully painted and look so peaceful. He saw the pictures of Rama and Sita blessing Hanuman, Shiva and Parvati sitting with their son Ganesh, and then the picture of Krishna as a little boy blowing the flute for the cows. He smiled at every picture, until he saw the last one. He said to me, ''Jai why is there a cow in this picture? Do you worship the cow?" No I said. The cow is highly respected because the animal has a soul or spirit, the same way you and I do. The cow is also similar to the mother for giving milk and nourishment to a child. In the same way, the cow gives milk to the calf. Throughout India Jon the cow is highly respected. I think it is weird Jai. Then before I had a chance to reply, he walked out of the temple, and I never saw him again. This is the way many people in the world think. Jon would have complimented the picture if it was a dove or an angel, because in the Jewish religion these are beautiful representations of God. However, because the picture was Krishna and a cow, he thought it was very strange. He didn't think the cow had any right to be in the picture of God. The reason the world has so many problems is because people are only looking at the differences in religion. The reason many religions have different objects of representation is because everything is equal. I said earlier that people are also looking for God in the wrong way. In religion people want to spend their time praying to a God or picture they can visibly see. I think praying to a father to help solve our problems can be a good thing. In life, the most a person can do is guide us, but the problem must be solved by the individual. Many people in America are addicted to cigarettes. I can't fix the problem by telling people that smoking is going to give them lung cancer, and they are shortening their life. My friend Dan was addicted to smoking for 15 years. In the beginning Dan was curious to try it. He wanted to know what it tasted like. After he experienced the taste, Dan wanted to try it again. The more he continued to smoke, the less he thought about it. One day he just took the cigarettes from the store and ran. He knew he didn't have the money to pay for it. When a person chooses to quit something, the individual must want to stop. Therefore, a temple or church can be a very good guide for the individual, but he or she needs to incorporate it into his or her life. Churches and temples bring people together who want to understand God. The question comes again. What is God? God is about understanding that every human being is a part of that supreme energy. God is about treating everyone with love, respect, and kindness. God is about understanding and sincerity. The reason a person can't see God, is because God is the seer of everything. In life, we ask the wrong questions, we look for things we already have, and we try to get rid of things that don't belong to us. Everyone in the world has God. Understanding God is about realizing God. Many members of my temple tell me they want to get rid of things to become more spiritual. That's great I say. People try to give up clothes, cell phones, compact disks, and movies. The problem is these possessions never belonged to us in the first place. All these toys, games, and pleasures came from another source before the individual bought it. I think there are times a person needs to deal with their desires in a practical way. A few years ago I was very addicted to eating. I felt like I always needed to have a sandwich every two hours, a snicker's bar every other hour, and four slices of pizza every day. I realized that I didn't need these things but I trained my mind to believe I did. Every two hours I would think to myself, ''I can't wait until another snicker's bar. Is it 4:00 p.m. yet? I am ready for some pizza. Finally, I realized I was putting on one pound too many. When I tried to stop eating pizza all together my mind started going through mental break downs. I wasn't able to concentrate on my school work at all. I realized what I needed to do was cut back on the amount of pizza I was eating, but not give it up completely. One of my close friends, Father Andrews who conducts Sunday service at the Saint Pius Catholic church told me that people are questioning his values. Many people said, ''Father you talk about giving things up, but why don't you give up your clock. You have so many other clocks at home. Your wife has a clock; your son has a clock, why do you keep all these clocks?" ''I agree with you he said. However, you need to understand something. I can give up my clock right now and say hey boys and girls I just renounced something. But it wouldn't be true renunciation. The clock never belonged to me." In similarity is there anything in this world that is truly ours? My mother gave me $20 tonight to go watch a movie with my friend. Does the money belong to me or my mom? When the money is spent, do I have anything left? How do I feel? The truth is if the money was mine I wouldn't have to continue searching for another $20 next week. In the same way what can a person say is truly his or hers? My human body came from my parents. The body of my parents came from their Grandparents. The body does not belong to me. I might get hit by a train tomorrow and die. My spirit will live on. Therefore, I do not own anything in this world, and neither do you. Do you want to give something up? Give up your ego. Give up the idea that this body belongs to you. From now on, instead of saying I am a man, and I am a woman, say to your self I am God. I am a spark of divinity. The moment a person says I am a man, discrimination begins. Women are being discriminated every day. In the work force, they are given less pay, and they continue to be harassed through threats and gentle tones by male stalkers. Therefore, whenever you are lost, whenever you are confused and feel like the problems you are facing are too heavy, say to yourself, God is in my heart. God lives in my heart. God never left my heart.

Speech #5: Delivered at the Schenectady Hindu temple

Topic: The Search for God

What is God? Many people describe God as peace. The reason most people fail to understand God is because the energy enters our mind for a second and then disappears. In the last lecture I mentioned that the soul can only be understood through correct understanding. There is no color, form, personality, or man that can describe this energy. Chasing after cars, houses, computers, and movies can take away our understanding of God and the true nature of the soul. However, most people do not understand their role in society. Let's be honest with ourselves. According to the human mind we are teachers, doctors, psychologists, or lawyers. No. We are all one. The American professions have changed our understanding about our nature. Every day a man named Carl wakes up, gets dressed, eats breakfast, and kisses his wife and children goodbye. Carl puts on his business suit and drives to Honda dealership, prepared to sell cars. This man might be a great father, husband, and brother. The moment he steps into the dealership he takes a look at his suit and tie. I look great. No one looks as good as I do, he says. He starts to walk over to an elderly man with his back upright, his arms swaying from side to side, and a grin on his face. The car is worth $5,000, and that is all the old man wants to pay. The young man who is feeling great about himself pushes for $7,000. He mentions the great air conditioning system the car has, and the low mileage. These two things are false about the car, but the man knows he will be paid on commission, and he and his wife want to buy another house. In a split second, greed has overtaken his mind. He is only thinking about making money and being happy with his family. In a split second an honest man is being cheated out of something. The old man paid $7,000 for the car. I used to work with this man, but after seeing so many people like John cheating customers out of money, I could no longer work there. This is what is happening all the time. Many people are working in careers that are fast paced, and give them a chance to make more money such as Business. In the end, these men and women are losing out on who they truly are. The great man sees past his career role and sees equality in everything. I can be a great Pharmacist and give sick elderly people medicine to help them continue living. However, if I have an ego, I may brag about my job to you, and say I am better. I make more money. In two years I will be earning $75,000 a year, and by the way, how much are you making. How much do you get paid at the hospital? How much does your father make as a janitor at the high school? I think attending school is a noble thing, because it helps us get a job one day and support our families. School gives us knowledge. However, we are abusing the knowledge. The Pharmacist and Janitor are equal in spirit, but the only difference is the income. The way an individual will start to understand him self or her self is through understanding his or her correct role. The correct role is serving society. When I was younger I thought life was all about making money and buying things. Therefore, every time I received a pay check when I was 16 years old, I went to buy a comedy movie or CD. When I went to the movies with my friend David, he and I would compare how much money we had. Then, the goal for Saturday was the one who bought the most video games was the winner. What a foolish game this was. I didn't realize it until later. David and I loved going to movies together. However, I grew tired of hearing him brag about how much money his parents earned from working in business. Another reason a person does not understand him self or her self is because of hate. Everyone has come with love from the last life, but now the person must use it. Getting rid of difference will bring about equality. Swami Vivekananda was walking through a Chicago fair one day, and heading toward the Parliament of Religions. He walked for about a mile, and then a man walked up to him. At first the man smiled, so Vivekananda smiled back. Then, out of nowhere, the man gave him a shove. Vivekananda said why did you push me ? Oh, I am sorry, said the man. I had no idea you spoke such proper English. Vivekananda was viewed as being different because he wore an Indian type of shirt. Later on Vivekananda became friends with this man. Vivekananda found out that he was a loving father, a loving husband, and a loving brother. In a split second, the idea of difference came into the mind of this man. He acted in a hateful way. This is the problem about having a successful career. He or she may make a great deal of money, but then put down other people for not earning the same amount of money. When a person does not realize God within, he or she continues to look for more money, and a better career. He or she also wants to connect with the personal God. How strongly can we connect to a dove or bird? The person must have love within and then the dove or bird will look beautiful. In the Christian religion, Jesus encourages people to understand the spirit of the father, son, and Holy Spirit. Jesus realizes that God is a splendid sight. This is why he makes a clear statement to his disciples when he says; ''The kingdom of heaven is within you." He is saying that the individual is responsible for his or her own peace and happiness. However, a troubled and agitated mind wants to continue searching for more pleasures outside. He or she needs to enjoy tastier food. The individual must look beautiful on the outside, and then he or she starts to feel good on the inside. What the world needs is a new direction. Men and women need to start feeling good on the inside. However, chasing after material growth and letting the mind wander rapidly will never take a person to God. In ancient India there was a man named Sheikh Nasruddin. He grew up in a religious family. Both Nasruddin's father and Grandfather were priests. Since the age of 5, Nasruddin would wake up early, get dressed, and travel to his ashram to help the members clean. Nasruddin worked at the ashram for many years. One day he found a great amount of desire to find God. He begged his father for permission to find God outside. His dad warned him about the dangers of wandering around India. He told his son that he was too weak and would starve looking for food. Nasruddin's father begged his son to reconsider his decision. Nasruddin was determined to find God. One day Nasruddin's father agreed, and gave his son a donkey. Nasruddin began wandering around India, traveling from one mosque to another. Nasruddin traveled to many temples, and talked to many priests. He asked the priests if they saw God. The priests said no, and Nasruddin continued to walk. Nasruddin was wandering around India for many months now, and he still couldn't find God. One day his donkey named Donald was getting very tired. Nasruddin said, ''We're almost there. Hang in there friend, it's just another mile or so." The donkey was exhausted. Nasruddin gave him some water, and hoped the donkey would become energized. However, in five minutes the donkey collapsed on the ground. Nasruddin was in shock. He started screaming, No! No! No! Wake up Donald!! Wake up! People started looking at Nasruddin's terrible state of mind. Nasruddin yelled out, alas! My donkey is dead! My donkey is dead! Many people stopped walking. Many people gathered in the streets to look at this man's sad condition. People began offering flowers for the animal. Market people began to gather around, and many donations were given. Finally, 2,000 people came to watch the donkey's burial. After the burial, market people continued making donations, market sellers continued to sell their products, and a temple was built in honor of Donald. The number of people worshipping at the temple continued to grow. 5,000 people came to the temple to offer prayers and worship regularly on Sunday's. Finally, Nasruddin's father heard about the news of the temple in Ayodya India, and he decided to visit. Nasruddin's father was surprised to see everyone gathering around his son. He said, ''Nasruddin, it is incredible how your popularity continues to increase like this. Tell me, who is being worshipped here?" ''Oh father what can I say. This temple was built to worship the donkey you gave me. All these people did not come to worship me. The people came to worship Donald. Wow, said Nasruddin's father. That is exactly how it happened to me. My temple is also that of a donkey. The moral of the story is a person must look for God in his or her heart. Then, when a worshipper prays at a church or temple he or she will understand God. People who look for God from one place to another have a very weak and agitated mind. Another important point here is that a worshipper needs to understand God in his or her heart. People who worshipped at Nasruddin's donkey shrine are similar to people who only go to church to make their mother or father happy. These types of people only visit a church or a temple to sing a song, but not to understand the greatness within him self or her self. However, it is necessary for a person to understand this concept. Many times, when I go to the movies with my friends, they tell me they lost their money. My friends ask me to pay for their ticket. The next minute my friend reaches into his or her pocket and says, ''I found the money." What does he or she mean I found the money? The point is the individual found something they always had. The money was never lost it was only misplaced. My friend found what he already had. In the same way a temple or church helps the individual understand the strength from within, but it must be practiced. When a person looks at his or her neighbor in India or America as an equal, the spirit is alive again. When a person gives a piece of bread to a starving man in this world, the spirit is alive again. When the individual helps bathe his mother or father who can no longer take care of him self or her self, the spirit is alive again. The spirit is a wonderful thing that never left the heart. God lives in the heart. We lost God in our heart. We can only find God in our heart.

Speech #6 Delivered at the Schenectady Hindu Temple

Meditation

What is meditation?  Throughout time, people have been meditating in various ways. The popular technique is to close your eyes and picture nothing.  I know many of you in the audience are smiling and saying to yourself, what an impossible task.  Then, there is the idea of focusing on an object such as a picture of God, and understanding the light within.
 
This technique is a little easier. Another method is to read the scriptures, and come to the conclusion that everything is a part of the universe. Every being has a powerful and radiant light deep within the depths of the individual soul.  After all, correct meditation must lead the individual back to the heart, which contains an immense amount of loveand beauty. Another way to meditate is through hard and selfless sacrifice or work.  Therefore, the individual may work at his or her job as a cashier, or he or she may give up life and live in the mountains, with only a little fruit and a scripture to read.  The question remains, do you look for the reward?  When one continues to perform his actions, with the understanding that God is in everything, he or she can acquire perfect meditation. 
However, now you see the increased challenge this technique brings. You and I can barely go ten minutes without talking about one of our accomplishments. Imagine trying for months. The meditation technique you choose must succeed in bringing love into your heart, and into the relationships with your parents, friends, colleagues, and other beings.
 
Singing a song to the lord is the easiest way to practice meditation, because it gives the individual a way to express him self or her self. The old saying goes, God is in the heart, we lost him in the heart, and we can only find him in the heart.  Where else can an individual look?  Although singing devotional songs is the easiest way to meditate, this method may not be correct for the individual.  Every one has his or her own standard which gives him or her more inspiration.  Meditation comes in many forms because the idea behind it is to realize the self within. One day two men were meditating in a forest, and just like with everything, time flew by.
Years had passed by, and one of the men couldn't understand why he hadn't seen God. He became impatient and said to him self, ''I have been sitting here with my eyes closed for months and where is my savior?  Finally a voice appeared in the distance.  ''My dear friend, it is true you have been meditating with your eyes closed, but God looks into the heart.  All your thoughts are centered around yourself.  You want to get out of this world as fast as possible, but it takes time.  Instead, of worrying about it, why not understand that God means love, and before you can love me, you must love yourself.  In the bible, Jesus said, ''How can you love God who you haven't seen, when you can't even love me who you have seen?"  How can we?One acquires perfect meditation when he or she has silenced his or her mind completely from outside forces, and understands that his or her basic quality is love.  These outside forces are called desires of the mind, and they exist in all.  One method which brings me peace, is sitting on a bed with my back flat as a pancake. The dead corpse is a modern meditation technique, which many people have been using lately.  Be careful you do not fall asleep.  Trust me.  In any event, close your eyes, and find the thoughts which enter into your mind causing disturbance.  Instead of quieting your mind by force, breathe in and breathe out.  Let the mind go for now, you can always quiet it later.  Try this for a good 10 minutes.  Then, say to yourself, self,
is there a connection between any of these thoughts and how I feel at this moment?  Is there a theme in my desirous mind, working at coming out. Many times, painful experiences can be kept in the far reaches of the person's mind, and he or she does not even realize it.  Imagine, a young 16 year old girl who had just been raped. The girl may try to overcome the traumatic experience, by seeking professional help, but when she leaves the psychologist, the problem is still on the mind.  Talking helps to a point.  However, until the young girl is able to tap into her own source, she may never be able to experience peace.  In the external world, she feels overwhelmed by fear.  ''I can't believe this happened! He might do it again! Oh my God!  Therefore, the best psychologist is our own true self, because it guides the individual back to happiness.  Meditation can work for someone who has been raped, harassed, or even severely wounded, because it contains many different techniques, with a goal of silencing the mind.  Many people enjoy using the word happiness.  I think peace is more appropriate, because it contains the feeling of joy with the internal feeling of strength and fortitude.  Meditate, smile, sing, and breathe peacefully.  Find what works best for you.

Speech #7 Delivered at the Schenectady Hindu Temple

Meditation II

Meditation is the part of religion that most people forget about. Everyone enjoys learning different concepts from their religion. One important point all religions share, is that there is a magnificent spirit in the heart, which brings love and joy to all. In the last talk, I briefly delved into different meditation techniques. Now it is time to go further. One reason religions bring hatred to one another, is because many people do not understand the differences. For example, if I took a trip to India, and said to the people of Delhi, ''Oh father, I give you this, his daily bread for you to cherish," well many would laugh and point. However, if I stayed in the US and started meditating on a street corner with my eyes closed, in the midst of heavy on coming traffic, people would say what a queer. Why do you judge me by your standard? Why do I judge you by mine? You and I are one and the same. However, you will be strengthened in a different way than I will. All techniques will give a person some success, considering his mind is full of sharp concentration. Once again the goal of meditation is to silence the mind. Therefore, one will find that a popular technique is to sit on a mat with your eyes closed and feet crossed. The individual works toward blocking out all negative thoughts. He or she does not force this to happen, instead, the individual breathes in and out. Breathing is an important part of meditation, and this is known as the Pranayama. When the individual sits up in a straight position, he or she focuses on the spine. When one's spine is erect, breathing can flow with the correct rhythm and motion. However, it takes a long time to perfect, because the person must control his or her breathing, while focusing on the heart, and blocking out pleasures. When one controls the breathing, great sages over the world have discovered that the mind becomes silenced on its own. When one practices this method, he or she frees himself from the waves of the mind. These waves carry a heavy current, and when the person ducks his or her head under water, he or she can escape the current, and come back up without any difficulty. The mind carries with it many small waves, and when they are finally controlled, then peace slowly comes to the one who has been practicing. The waves symbolize an individual's desire. One wave can represent the person interested in a heavy amount of sensual pleasures. Before I go further, I want to make the point that having desires is good. After all, everyone deserves to have pleasure in life. The waves symbolize the individual's mind, which has pursued an overwhelming amount of desires. When one thinks about a lover for a lengthy amount of time, it is possible for the person to become attached to him or her. When one becomes attached to the lover, he or she may want to spend all his or her time with that person, and neglect the true responsibility of life, which is giving service in the world. One wonderful story which brings out the point took place a long time ago in India. One day an old King decided to step out of his beautiful palace and take a walk into the forest. When the king walked over to a river, he saw a monk or an individual who gives up the material world to live by him self or her self. The King had everything, jewels, great food, women who came to him at his beckon call, maids, and fancy whines. He wanted to find out what life was like on the other side. He decided to ask the monk a question. He said, ''Which is better to be a house holder or to give up life and meditate in the forest? Follow me said the monk. The King and the monk walked for several miles through forests, fields, and deserts. Finally, the two of them approached a palace where a beautiful woman was getting married. During the ancient times of India, it was very common for a woman to be taken around in a carriage by many servants. The tradition allowed the woman the opportunity to choose the man she wished to marry. Many times a woman would choose the man she thought was the best looking, the man with the most money, and very rarely, the one in simple attire. This woman was no different. If I don't find a good looking one, it's one to the next, she told her servants. The woman had been traveling around for two hours, and her servants thought it was going to be another failed attempt at finding true love. Another monk appeared outside the palace, to find out what the commotion was all about. Finally, the woman yelled, Stop the carriage! I want him, and she pointed toward the monk. All of a sudden he began to run for his life. The woman ran behind him, intent on sealing the deal. Finally, she lost him in the distance, and entered a gigantic forest. The other monk told the king that they will follow her. The woman couldn't find her way out of the forest. She felt trapped. Then, she began to cry. Alas I am lost. The monk and King heard the weeping and ran over. What is wrong said the monk? I can't find my way out, she said. Do not cry princess. It's too dark now to show you the path out of her, so let us spend the night, and the king and I will take you back to your father in the morning. Meanwhile, there was a bird nest right above their heads. The mother bird said, look we have guests staying with us, and no food to offer them. I can not let this continue. Mother bird threw herself down on the ground as a sacrifice. My wife made a sacrifice, but I am the husband. I am the house hold provider. He also threw himself down. Finally, the two children saw the sacrifice that their parents made. We can't let the sacrifice of our parents die. We to will give our lives, and so they did. What do you think happened? The King, monk, and princess, could not eat the birds, and in the morning the monk showed the princess the way out of the forest. Meditation is all about detachment and giving love toward all beings. Every being has the light within. Therefore, if you want to be a house holder and meditate, render service, and be like those four birds who gave their lives just so their guests could enjoy a meal. However, if you want to give up life and meditate with your eyes closed in a forest, than be like that monk who bravely walked away from a beautiful woman. Each is great in his or her own way. Dear friends, the standard of the one is not the standard of the other. You want to meditate? Detach from your overwhelming desires.

 

Speech #8 Delivered at the Schenectady Hindu Temple

Humility

I come from a mixed background of English and West Indian. I observed that most people go to a church or temple without understanding the purpose, or trying to fulfill some desire hidden deep within. The church, temple, synagogue, or mosque, helps the individual develop good qualities such as compassion, strength, determination, and bravery, but many people visit these places with other motives to gain. Many people visit these holy places when they have committed sin, and it is a way to ask God for forgiveness. Others visit these holy places to pray to a statue of God, asking for more riches, jewels, or children. We miss the point. The point is to serve God, and God simply means the splendid spirit found deep within one's heart. Love is the basic quality God possesses, and without love, a person lives a horrible existence. In the end, love is the easiest quality to possess, and display toward another person. The individual is the one who makes it very complicated. In fact, every minute a person has the capability of displaying the quality of love or selfless service. One wakes up and puts on his or her clothes, it may sound funny but there is love in these little actions we call daily grinds. The developed man or woman may say that God gave he or she a body, so he or she must show love toward it. Dress appropriately, brush your teeth, shower, and eat breakfast, not because you're used to doing it, do not perform this action because it's moral. I will stink if I don't do these things. Yes you will. However, the deeper meaning is take care of the body, because behind it, is a light which is so bright, calm, and quiet. The light is pure love and peace, the problem is you and I can not see it, because it is known as the hidden spendor. ''I don't want to do my homework sais four year old Kristina. Kristina is too young to realize that doing her homework also strengthens the body. The mind is a part of this body, therefore you are honoring the gift you were given. I strongly believe that people would share more love in life with one another, if they only understood the great power within. Instead, many people enjoy becoming buyers and sellers. Most people want to be appreciated for a job well done, but this defeats the point of having the right to work and not the fruits of the actions. Every one is a worker, but doing the service with sheer love, is the only way to enjoy life. Once the individual has a desire, he or she lets it build, either it will be met or defeated, but the choice is yours. The whole point of religion is to eliminate negative thoughts, but desiring money, power, or other riches, can bring unhappiness. Sooner or later, these things will not be met. Eliminating negative thoughts brings a calm and peaceful mind. However, people remain in bondage because of the buy and sell attitude. In ancient times, there was a war fought in India. The battle of Kurukshetra is one of the most deadly wars the world has ever witnessed. Thousands upon thousands were killed. In this battle, there were two sides, one was the Pandawas led by an elder brother named Yudishtara. The other group was known as the Kaurawas led by an evil minded man named Duryodhana. Duryodhana wanted everything in life, similar to the tyrant known as Adolf Hitler. Duryodhana wanted 10 villages for his Kaurava tribe, but this meant that the Pandawas would have no place to live. Therefore, it is said in the Mahabharata, the holy scripture of the Hindu's, that Lord Krishna came down on earth. In the Bhagavad Gita, it is stated that God comes down and takes human form for the protection of the good and the destruction of the wicked. He comes at many different times, and ages when the world needs to be brought back to peace. '"When virtue decays and the arrogant ones grow in number, the compassionate lord assumes many different forms to destroy the evil minded ones, and protect the virtuous. Therefore Krishna took human form and set up several meetings with Duryodhana. He asked for five villages, and when he was turned down numberous times, he said, okay, ''Give them just one place to live." However, Duryodhana said ''Krishna I won't even give them the thread of a needle." Krishna felt disheartened and returned to the Pandavas. At this time, he was reporting back to Arjuna, who was a warrior on the side of the Pandavas. Arjuna was on the side of right, but he was in a position where he had to kill many of his family members (grandparents, uncles, aunts, nieces, nephews), on the side of the Kauravas. Meanwhile, before the battle began, Yudhishtara tried to negotiate one more time with the Kauravas. However, they would not budge. Many of the people on the side of the Kauravas were good people, such as an archery teacher Drona, and Grand father Bhisma. However, Drona and Bhisma were receiving money from King Duryodhana, and were given a place to stay during the battle. Therefore, they stayed loyal to the Kaurawas. This is an excellent example in literature, which shows that people are easily influenced by money and other possessions. Greed stood in the way of Drona and Bhisma making a correct moral choice. Love must come from our hearts. In life, let us think about serving society like Arjuna and Yudhistara, instead of thinking about our desires the way Bhisma and Drona did.

Speech #9 Delivered at the Schenectady Hindu Temple

Pain and Pleasure

Life is full of opposites. However, to understand how to love, meditate, work, or get rid of painful thoughts, one must understand the opposites. Meditation is a good method which leads to a more peaceful life, by silencing one's thoughts and desires. Karma or work is another way of understanding the peace within, because one performs selfless action toward other beings without asking for a reward. However, one must understand life in a practical way to gain any salvation or freedom. During the childhood stage of life, the person thinks everything is fun. In his or her mind, he or she pictures jumping on a trampoline, playing football, or going to the circus, for the rest of his or her live. Where is death? Where is evil? No where to be found. However, when one reaches an older stage of life, he or she realizes that the world contains opposites. Currently, a lot of Americans are enjoying hot dogs on the barbeque, fried chicken, or oven baked pizza. In contrast, many Americans are starving and looking for a meal. In many third world countries, such as Africa, children are searching the grounds for something to eat. Is it fair? Certainly not. However, it's life in its fullest. This very moment I am experiencing a headache, but after I pop two advil, in thirty minutes I will be all cured. Say a kind word to me which fills my heart with such beauty, I see the sun shining down on me with a radiant smile, saying ''I will spend the night." Say a nasty word, call me a fool, and I might cry quietly inside like a wounded kitten after the dog bites her tail. Opposites are everywhere. Daniel laughs when he splashes his friend Kevin in the warm heated pool. However, Daniel's laughter turns to cries of despair when the rain and thunder hit, and his mother yells, ''Get out of the pool now!" Did you ever eat a meal knowing that it wasn't helping a poor person? The fire that you use to cook your meal has just burned a child's hand. Don't blame the fire. Don't blame the child. The same fire was not used in the same way. The fire brought joy to a rich family enjoying an outside barbeque, but it brought despair to baby Katie who just found out that she shouldn't touch the stove when the fire is burning. Give me $20 mom and I will fill the car up with gas, but the neighbor down to the street will use the money to buy liquor, and become more intoxicated than the night before. You tell me which is better. Where there is summer, there is winter, and where there is winter, there is spring again. So tell the truth. This world is one upside down chocolate cake, which is not getting any sweeter. Everythign changes. Love leads to break up, and break up leads to love again. Childhood leads to adulthood, leads to middle age, leads to death. One friend of mine Greg was promoted to a top sales person in the Honda Car Dealership of Albany, only to be let go during the Christmas season. Find a way to stay on top in this world we call a giant game, and I will sing your praises for eternity. Don't cry. There is a way out, but it's a struggle. Everyone must turn to practical intelligence. Learn to be like the wise man who sits on top of the ferris wheel at the Great Escape Amuzement Park. He watches the little children go around in a circle. He sees some children smiling at him, some frowning, and some with stone cold faces. They get off the ride, and the next groups gets on. The same thing happens. Some children smile, frown, and give angry looks, but there is one more person. The man who sits on the top of the ferris wheel who watches everyone. He smiles and sais let this whole ride fall down and break into pieces in front of my eyes. Never did it exist. Never were these people real.

Speech #10 Delivered at the Schenectady Hindu Temple

Duty In Life

What do you want to be? When I was a young child I thought I could be anything and everything. I wanted to be a police officer, the President of the United States, a fire man, and a Doctor. When I reached the age of 16 I realize that I can't do all these activities. When one develops him self or her self to a higher level, he or she realizes that one must fulfill a certain duty. Let us examine this in a practical way. The basic duty of life is to serve fellow beings, (plants, animals, and people), with a great amount of love. Everything has the all mighty atman or soul, and you and I have been born back into this life, because there is unfulfilled destiny. How does this destiny become fulfilled? First, the individual must understand that he or she is divine, so he or she must possess divine qualities, such as compassion, kindness, love, peace, and fearlessness. When the individual has these qualities, he or she can understand his or her role more clearly in society. What makes a good police officer? The officer that protects the individual, through ensuring that the highways are safe, criminals are being tracked down, and violent behavior is being prohibited. Police officers who exhibit these types of actions are using what is known as the pravriti of life. Pravriti is a Sanskrit word that means outward action. The person performing pravriti, is one who contributes to society, through his or her profession. Religion means more than visiting a temple, and praying with your hands clasped, and eyes centered on the lord. Religion is work. Every second of the day, we are battling positive and negative thoughts. Constantly, a person is thinking to him self or her self, should I say that word to him, should I wear this shirt, should I express my feelings of love to him or her. One must have a calm mind when working, because only the wise understand that work comes in every action. Therefore, great sages and saints work on calming down their negative thought through meditation. How many of us can renounce life and live in the Himilaya mountains? Most of us choose to live as house holders, work to earn a living, and contribute to society. Pravriti is an important quality, because it can change a society, and produce magnificent leaders. Once in Delhi India, there lived a man who was on the verge of having a nervous break down. What was the state of his mind? The man constantly shook his arms and legs, he could not sit still in one place, and he sat in his basement alone. This type of life went on for five months, and finally he became so nervous, that he never left his house. One monk who lived in India, was traveling through Delhi, to give more public lectures on the spirit within. When he heard the story about the man experiencing the nervous break down, he realized that this was an old friend. He rushed to his house and talked to him for a good hour. ''My friend, what has gotten into you? You don't want to leave your house, you don't want to see any company. You were a great Principal for the school of Delhi." ''I know. I don't know what to say. I can't handle the pressure at the university. ''Come with me, said the monk. The monk drove the man to the university, walked with him to the Principals office, and said sit down. ''Look at you now. My friend, at one point in your life, you used to run this school. You are such a great man. You can do it again. Sit in this chair. You are the principal. You are so great and so noble." This positive attitude can give a man or woman an idea of greatness within. The individual who has the light within can achieve any milestone or accomplishment. However, one must first believe in him self or her self, to bring out the God within. In six months everything changed for the man. He was once again the Principal of the University in Delhi. Once again, he brought forth the sense of dignity and respect, through encouraging the Indian students, of their unlimited possibilities. In addition, before he died, he built three more school in India. The principal had a great deal of strength, but he was deluded by lower nature. In life, one must understand his or her duty, and he or she can stand up to any difficulty. One minute, a woman may be brutally attacked by a man. You say, is this my place to intervene? Should I fight to protect her honor? Or just call the police? Little child, you have a global history regents exam on Friday. Are you going to study? Or go out with your girl friend Heather? These are choices that we all make. Every choice creates a ripple effect in the mind. Choose the good ones, and you will become those choices. Make bad choices, and suffer the consequences.

Speech #11 Delivered at the Schenectady Hindu Temple

The Brain VS The Heart

Which is better, brain or heart? In life, people must use the brain in school, and in their daily lives. The individual needs a heavy amount of brain knowledge to understand calculus, chemistry, physics, or Global History. In addition, the individual must use the brain, when he or she makes moral decisions. In the last speech I mentioned that according to one's own duty, the individual will observe a situation differently. One may think he has the right to stand up for a woman who is being slapped by her boyfriend, while another man will confidently say, this is not any of my business. Therefore, one must use a great deal of reasoning to make a choice he or she feels is right. Another situation people struggle with is finding the candidate he or she would like to vote for. One may think to him self or her self, can I trust this person, what are his motives if he becomes elected, and do I have enough information about him or her. Politics involves a heavy deal of thinking, and pondering ways to fix issues, and deciding which candidates are the best at solving these problems. In the end, I believe there is a great difference between politics, secular public education, and religion. In religion, the heart is the main focus, and the brain trails behind second. Although this is the truth, the brain is very important for a person aspiring to become more religious. Love is the first quality necessary in religion, because he or she needs to look into his or her own internal spirit. When the individual understands his or her spirit at a higher level, he or she can achieve peace with everything. Relationships with older siblings, which were very painful before, become filled with love and devotion. In addition, the individual begins to look deeply into his own mind, and say to him self or her self, who am I, what is my purpose, why am I living in the world. When one understands the purpose of life is to be happy and understand the spirit within, the brain takes a vacation, and the heart begins to smile in the midst of overwhelming difficulties. Family problems can not hinder the individual who understands the silent witness within, financial difficulties can not affect the one who possesses the spirit, and is satisfied living within it. Men and women begin to smile at the greatness which rises above all human expectations, and that is the individual spirit or atman. The individual has the ability to think more clearly, because he or she is silent by nature, and understands the true duty of life is to serve human beings with kindness and compassion. The brain begins to become so silent and calm, and it no longer needs to think with heavy force. This effect on the calming of the brain is known as the chitta or consciousness. The consciousness of the being begins to understand his or her true self, therefore, decreasing worry, fear, and negative tendencies. In similarity to blood and muscles working together, the brain now functions with the heart. The brain leads the heart to the goal of peace. However, do not be fooled. The brain enables the heart to pump out more love, strength, vigor, and peace. Normally, a person has a great deal of words to say in a conversation with another. He or she may speak quite often at a public senate meeting. The great sages and saints of India say that when the person is calm with his or her self, he or she speaks less, but speaks the truth. Before, the person may have needed to express him self in 10 minutes, but now the person can concentrate on the main points of an issue, such as abortion, the public education system, or animal control regulations. He or she is thinking now with the heart, so the individual may say to him self or her self, what can I do to fix this problem, are my words going to change the decision that the Principal or school board ultimately make. Do I need to speak up? What happens if I don't express my view. I experienced this first hand. Many of you in the audience have known me since I was 16. I worry a lot. However, since I started meditating last year, I don't have as much to say. I don't have the same amount of worry. Instead, I look at ways of resolving a problem more efficiently. When I was at the temple meeting yesterday, for one of the first times, I didn't have a lot to say. I understand that a lot of the issues are beyond my own control, such as, fixing the leaky roof, and installing air conditioning. My job as Vice President is to assist the President in these tasks, only when he or she needs the help, or asks for it. I am pleased to say that this temple is blessed with a president who performs selfless action, and meets the goals of the temple head on. Therefore, I used my intellect to realize this, and I had less tension at the meeting. I am pleased to say that I have the opportunity to learn more about every one of you at a more personal level. I know what you like to eat, what you like to do, your goals at work, school, and in the community. However, when I sit with you downstairs after the service is over, I don't feel like I need to speak to you. We can just sit together and smile. Don't worry. I won't give up the desire to work in this place. After all, many of you know that I have been searching for a way to work successfully in this temple, for eight long years. Dear friends, I think I found the method of work for myself. Speaking. Search your heart, the spirit is in your heart, you lost it in your heart, and you can only find it in your heart.

Speech #11 Delivered at the Schenectady Hindu Temple

The Brain VS The Heart

Which is better, brain or heart? In life, people must use the brain in school, and in their daily lives. The individual needs a heavy amount of brain knowledge to understand calculus, chemistry, physics, or Global History. In addition, the individual must use the brain, when he or she makes moral decisions. In the last speech I mentioned that according to one's own duty, the individual will observe a situation differently. One may think he has the right to stand up for a woman who is being slapped by her boyfriend, while another man will confidently say, this is not any of my business. Therefore, one must use a great deal of reasoning to make a choice he or she feels is right. Another situation people struggle with is finding the candidate he or she would like to vote for. One may think to him self or her self, can I trust this person, what are his motives if he becomes elected, and do I have enough information about him or her. Politics involves a heavy deal of thinking, and pondering ways to fix issues, and deciding which candidates are the best at solving these problems. In the end, I believe there is a great difference between politics, secular public education, and religion. In religion, the heart is the main focus, and the brain trails behind second. Although this is the truth, the brain is very important for a person aspiring to become more religious. Love is the first quality necessary in religion, because he or she needs to look into his or her own internal spirit. When the individual understands his or her spirit at a higher level, he or she can achieve peace with everything. Relationships with older siblings, which were very painful before, become filled with love and devotion. In addition, the individual begins to look deeply into his own mind, and say to him self or her self, who am I, what is my purpose, why am I living in the world. When one understands the purpose of life is to be happy and understand the spirit within, the brain takes a vacation, and the heart begins to smile in the midst of overwhelming difficulties. Family problems can not hinder the individual who understands the silent witness within, financial difficulties can not affect the one who possesses the spirit, and is satisfied living within it. Men and women begin to smile at the greatness which rises above all human expectations, and that is the individual spirit or atman. The individual has the ability to think more clearly, because he or she is silent by nature, and understands the true duty of life is to serve human beings with kindness and compassion. The brain begins to become so silent and calm, and it no longer needs to think with heavy force. This effect on the calming of the brain is known as the chitta or consciousness. The consciousness of the being begins to understand his or her true self, therefore, decreasing worry, fear, and negative tendencies. In similarity to blood and muscles working together, the brain now functions with the heart. The brain leads the heart to the goal of peace. However, do not be fooled. The brain enables the heart to pump out more love, strength, vigor, and peace. Normally, a person has a great deal of words to say in a conversation with another. He or she may speak quite often at a public senate meeting. The great sages and saints of India say that when the person is calm with his or her self, he or she speaks less, but speaks the truth. Before, the person may have needed to express him self in 10 minutes, but now the person can concentrate on the main points of an issue, such as abortion, the public education system, or animal control regulations. He or she is thinking now with the heart, so the individual may say to him self or her self, what can I do to fix this problem, are my words going to change the decision that the Principal or school board ultimately make. Do I need to speak up? What happens if I don't express my view. I experienced this first hand. Many of you in the audience have known me since I was 16. I worry a lot. However, since I started meditating last year, I don't have as much to say. I don't have the same amount of worry. Instead, I look at ways of resolving a problem more efficiently. When I was at the temple meeting yesterday, for one of the first times, I didn't have a lot to say. I understand that a lot of the issues are beyond my own control, such as, fixing the leaky roof, and installing air conditioning. My job as Vice President is to assist the President in these tasks, only when he or she needs the help, or asks for it. I am pleased to say that this temple is blessed with a president who performs selfless action, and meets the goals of the temple head on. Therefore, I used my intellect to realize this, and I had less tension at the meeting. I am pleased to say that I have the opportunity to learn more about every one of you at a more personal level. I know what you like to eat, what you like to do, your goals at work, school, and in the community. However, when I sit with you downstairs after the service is over, I don't feel like I need to speak to you. We can just sit together and smile. Don't worry. I won't give up the desire to work in this place. After all, many of you know that I have been searching for a way to work successfully in this temple, for eight long years. Dear friends, I think I found the method of work for myself. Speaking. Search your heart, the spirit is in your heart, you lost it in your heart, and you can only find it in your heart.

Speech #11 Delivered at the Schenectady Hindu Temple

The Brain VS The Heart

Which is better, brain or heart? In life, people must use the brain in school, and in their daily lives. The individual needs a heavy amount of brain knowledge to understand calculus, chemistry, physics, or Global History. In addition, the individual must use the brain, when he or she makes moral decisions. In the last speech I mentioned that according to one's own duty, the individual will observe a situation differently. One may think he has the right to stand up for a woman who is being slapped by her boyfriend, while another man will confidently say, this is not any of my business. Therefore, one must use a great deal of reasoning to make a choice he or she feels is right. Another situation people struggle with is finding the candidate he or she would like to vote for. One may think to him self or her self, can I trust this person, what are his motives if he becomes elected, and do I have enough information about him or her. Politics involves a heavy deal of thinking, and pondering ways to fix issues, and deciding which candidates are the best at solving these problems. In the end, I believe there is a great difference between politics, secular public education, and religion. In religion, the heart is the main focus, and the brain trails behind second. Although this is the truth, the brain is very important for a person aspiring to become more religious. Love is the first quality necessary in religion, because he or she needs to look into his or her own internal spirit. When the individual understands his or her spirit at a higher level, he or she can achieve peace with everything. Relationships with older siblings, which were very painful before, become filled with love and devotion. In addition, the individual begins to look deeply into his own mind, and say to him self or her self, who am I, what is my purpose, why am I living in the world. When one understands the purpose of life is to be happy and understand the spirit within, the brain takes a vacation, and the heart begins to smile in the midst of overwhelming difficulties. Family problems can not hinder the individual who understands the silent witness within, financial difficulties can not affect the one who possesses the spirit, and is satisfied living within it. Men and women begin to smile at the greatness which rises above all human expectations, and that is the individual spirit or atman. The individual has the ability to think more clearly, because he or she is silent by nature, and understands the true duty of life is to serve human beings with kindness and compassion. The brain begins to become so silent and calm, and it no longer needs to think with heavy force. This effect on the calming of the brain is known as the chitta or consciousness. The consciousness of the being begins to understand his or her true self, therefore, decreasing worry, fear, and negative tendencies. In similarity to blood and muscles working together, the brain now functions with the heart. The brain leads the heart to the goal of peace. However, do not be fooled. The brain enables the heart to pump out more love, strength, vigor, and peace. Normally, a person has a great deal of words to say in a conversation with another. He or she may speak quite often at a public senate meeting. The great sages and saints of India say that when the person is calm with his or her self, he or she speaks less, but speaks the truth. Before, the person may have needed to express him self in 10 minutes, but now the person can concentrate on the main points of an issue, such as abortion, the public education system, or animal control regulations. He or she is thinking now with the heart, so the individual may say to him self or her self, what can I do to fix this problem, are my words going to change the decision that the Principal or school board ultimately make. Do I need to speak up? What happens if I don't express my view. I experienced this first hand. Many of you in the audience have known me since I was 16. I worry a lot. However, since I started meditating last year, I don't have as much to say. I don't have the same amount of worry. Instead, I look at ways of resolving a problem more efficiently. When I was at the temple meeting yesterday, for one of the first times, I didn't have a lot to say. I understand that a lot of the issues are beyond my own control, such as, fixing the leaky roof, and installing air conditioning. My job as Vice President is to assist the President in these tasks, only when he or she needs the help, or asks for it. I am pleased to say that this temple is blessed with a president who performs selfless action, and meets the goals of the temple head on. Therefore, I used my intellect to realize this, and I had less tension at the meeting. I am pleased to say that I have the opportunity to learn more about every one of you at a more personal level. I know what you like to eat, what you like to do, your goals at work, school, and in the community. However, when I sit with you downstairs after the service is over, I don't feel like I need to speak to you. We can just sit together and smile. Don't worry. I won't give up the desire to work in this place. After all, many of you know that I have been searching for a way to work successfully in this temple, for eight long years. Dear friends, I think I found the method of work for myself. Speaking. Search your heart, the spirit is in your heart, you lost it in your heart, and you can only find it in your heart.

 

Speech #11 Delivered at the Schenectady Hindu Temple

The Brain VS The Heart

Which is better, brain or heart? In life, people must use the brain in school, and in their daily lives. The individual needs a heavy amount of brain knowledge to understand calculus, chemistry, physics, or Global History. In addition, the individual must use the brain, when he or she makes moral decisions. In the last speech I mentioned that according to one's own duty, the individual will observe a situation differently. One may think he has the right to stand up for a woman who is being slapped by her boyfriend, while another man will confidently say, this is not any of my business. Therefore, one must use a great deal of reasoning to make a choice he or she feels is right. Another situation people struggle with is finding the candidate he or she would like to vote for. One may think to him self or her self, can I trust this person, what are his motives if he becomes elected, and do I have enough information about him or her. Politics involves a heavy deal of thinking, and pondering ways to fix issues, and deciding which candidates are the best at solving these problems. In the end, I believe there is a great difference between politics, secular public education, and religion. In religion, the heart is the main focus, and the brain trails behind second. Although this is the truth, the brain is very important for a person aspiring to become more religious. Love is the first quality necessary in religion, because he or she needs to look into his or her own internal spirit. When the individual understands his or her spirit at a higher level, he or she can achieve peace with everything. Relationships with older siblings, which were very painful before, become filled with love and devotion. In addition, the individual begins to look deeply into his own mind, and say to him self or her self, who am I, what is my purpose, why am I living in the world. When one understands the purpose of life is to be happy and understand the spirit within, the brain takes a vacation, and the heart begins to smile in the midst of overwhelming difficulties. Family problems can not hinder the individual who understands the silent witness within, financial difficulties can not affect the one who possesses the spirit, and is satisfied living within it. Men and women begin to smile at the greatness which rises above all human expectations, and that is the individual spirit or atman. The individual has the ability to think more clearly, because he or she is silent by nature, and understands the true duty of life is to serve human beings with kindness and compassion. The brain begins to become so silent and calm, and it no longer needs to think with heavy force. This effect on the calming of the brain is known as the chitta or consciousness. The consciousness of the being begins to understand his or her true self, therefore, decreasing worry, fear, and negative tendencies. In similarity to blood and muscles working together, the brain now functions with the heart. The brain leads the heart to the goal of peace. However, do not be fooled. The brain enables the heart to pump out more love, strength, vigor, and peace. Normally, a person has a great deal of words to say in a conversation with another. He or she may speak quite often at a public senate meeting. The great sages and saints of India say that when the person is calm with his or her self, he or she speaks less, but speaks the truth. Before, the person may have needed to express him self in 10 minutes, but now the person can concentrate on the main points of an issue, such as abortion, the public education system, or animal control regulations. He or she is thinking now with the heart, so the individual may say to him self or her self, what can I do to fix this problem, are my words going to change the decision that the Principal or school board ultimately make. Do I need to speak up? What happens if I don't express my view. I experienced this first hand. Many of you in the audience have known me since I was 16. I worry a lot. However, since I started meditating last year, I don't have as much to say. I don't have the same amount of worry. Instead, I look at ways of resolving a problem more efficiently. When I was at the temple meeting yesterday, for one of the first times, I didn't have a lot to say. I understand that a lot of the issues are beyond my own control, such as, fixing the leaky roof, and installing air conditioning. My job as Vice President is to assist the President in these tasks, only when he or she needs the help, or asks for it. I am pleased to say that this temple is blessed with a president who performs selfless action, and meets the goals of the temple head on. Therefore, I used my intellect to realize this, and I had less tension at the meeting. I am pleased to say that I have the opportunity to learn more about every one of you at a more personal level. I know what you like to eat, what you like to do, your goals at work, school, and in the community. However, when I sit with you downstairs after the service is over, I don't feel like I need to speak to you. We can just sit together and smile. Don't worry. I won't give up the desire to work in this place. After all, many of you know that I have been searching for a way to work successfully in this temple, for eight long years. Dear friends, I think I found the method of work for myself. Speaking. Search your heart, the spirit is in your heart, you lost it in your heart, and you can only find it in your heart.

Speech #12 Delivered at the Schenectady Hindu Temple

Who Are The Vedantists?

Who are the Vedantists? You may look at me and say that it is an easy question. However, who are we? Vedantists are Hindu's, but the western world is confused. The correct name is Vedantists. Vedantists are people who simply study the Vedas. Now the Vedas are divided into two sections, one is the Karma Kanda, and the other is the Gyana Kanda. The Karma Kanda deals with all rituals, ranging from, offering water, lighting a fire, offering sugar, fruits, milk, juice, and other items. These items symbolize love. Many of you who have been reading these lectures in my philosophy of life book, realize that the concepts overlap a great deal. True. I never said they didn't. We are Vedantists. This means that everything is a part and parcel of the supreme being. One can call that being Brahman, the supreme, atman, or light. Rest assured, that there is one being responsible for everything. Call it any name you want. If you like the name of heavenly father, then go with it, if you like the name Krishna, than use it, if you want to say Mohammed, go right ahead. But let us stop confusing ourselves. There is one God, responsible for the manifestation of the three world, suns, moons, cosmic forces, and hundreds of universes. How many universes? We don't know. The universes are infinite just like God. Therefore, many of these stories I share with you will seem very similar in nature. The reason is because they are similar in nature. My words of light, atman, truth, or consciousness repeat at times. How else can one express the radiant fire existing in all? The only way is to use powerful adjectives, forceful verbs, and clear cut nouns to paint the picture in the readers head. After all friends, this is my first attempt at writing a book, and I don't want to screw it up. I want you to understand the truth. I want the confusion to go away. I want the men and women to stand up and say I understand what it means to be a Vedantist. Now you can see that although the ritual and scripture sections of the Vedas are different, they are also the same. Although a ritual is performed, through singing and reciting prayers or mantras as the Vedantists call it, there is a similarity. Let us refer back to the beginning of the lecture. When everything in nature is composed of the radiance of the self, and one understands that, he or she can realize his or her self. When one realizes his or her self, he or she understands the scripture of the Upanishads. The goal of the Upanishads is to bring a person to enough inspiration about his or her self, to become united with the world. When one becomes united with the world, and sees that spirit in everything, the great sages and saints have achieved greatness with the Vedas. Now you see understand the repetition of my last lectures on this subject. People must have a duty in life, if they were projected from a great force, which is the ultimate spirit. I said earlier, use any name you want to identify it. The Vedas brings us closer to that duty in life, by understanding that life is short. You and I can not live forever. Therefore, take a break from drinking, eating, going to the movies, and listening to the music. Spend some time contemplating on that eternal atman or soul. Nothing in life can wait. I couldn't wait another day. I had to write this speech now, and add it to my philosophy book. Now if the main goal of the Vedas is to understand the true unity within all, there must also be a true duty. Everyone has a destiny in life, but the destiny becomes fulfilled when the individual loves for the sake of love, and works for the sake of work. Similarly to a grand old fire which has projected many sparks, in the same way that great soul has projected millions of beings. And that my friends, is the main message of the Vedas.

Speech #13 Delivered at the Schenectady Hindu Temple

Religious Rituals

Before I was called on to deliver this speech, I tried to think about the millions of rituals conducted all over the world. Ladies and gentlemen, there are too many to count, and my young brain is not as young anymore. However, it's not important. The important thing is to understand why rituals are conducted, and what they are ultimately used for. Rituals help the individual self reconnect with the ultimate being in the world God. The Vedantic rituals are conducted to bring the self back to happiness. One can only be happy when one is strong. Therefore, the goal of the ritual is to give you long term power to face up to all challenges in life. The person performing the ritual is known as the Pandit or Hindu Priest. In Sanskrit, Pandit comes from the word pandi, meaning a person who understands his or her self. Can people attain blessings, if the individual conducting the service ritual is not pure in mind, body or spirit? No. The individual must obtain those things first, through divine qualities such as love, compassion, and kindness. Otherwise, the person sitting for a ritual can not gain anything spiritually. The person performing the ritual must also be just as competent as a Christian priest or rabbi, by learning the intended meaning of the prayers being recited. Knowledge of the prayers, can give a person more love. In a hindu ritual, butter is offered, milk, water, sugar, fruits, and food. These types of items are offered, because they are all sweet by nature. When the Pandit conducts the service, he must look at the devotee, or individual sitting to gain knowledge, as a God or Goddess. The Pandit must perform the ritual without any thoughts of money, popularity, or fame, which can be acquired through this type of work. When the individual thinks of these things, he or she can no longer possess a true clean mind, and the result of the service, will be like one of a demon invading the space of a holy servant, and biting his or her head off. Similarly, to the devotee whose head has been bitten off, the service ritual itself will die out. Dear friends, this has been a difficult problem for Indian people since the beginning of time. Many Hindu's place a great emphasis on the service ritual, but it is performed without a proper understanding. Now is the time for Pandits all over India and the West Indies to start taking pride in their work. Fulfillment is the goal for all. Inspiration is the goal for all. When the Pandit or devotee focuses his or her complete attention toward the ritual being performed, the sages of India have said, God welcomes himself with opening arms, standing on top of the fire. You probably noticed that everything offered into the fire is sweet, such as the juice, milk, fruits, and butter. Everything offered must be offered with love. Therefore, sweetness symbolizes this love and compassion. However, if I were to offer prunes, one may laugh, and say ''that's sour." The Hindu would say, not only is it sour, but it symbolizes impurity and negativity. One way or the other a person wants to be happy in life. In the world, some drink, some party, some stay out all night, and some play music. Others read the scriptures, attend political events, or travel. We all want to be happy. In similarity, these items symbolize that happiness, but it's the happiness within. After many of these items are offered in a Hindu ritual or (puja), the devotee continues to his or her journey toward inspiration. In a puja, the individual goes from negativity to positivity, from sadness to happiness, or from weakness to strength. In the Hindu ritual everything is symbolic of that great idea. Therefore, as the service ritual continues, one lights the fire. The fire symbolizes the internal spirit of God within everything. Once the fire is lit, and the mantra is recited, the devotee is making a promise that he or she will never forget his or her own spirit. He or she promises to always love the internal spirit within, no matter how many family problems occur, deaths, breakups, or poverty. He or she will never give up in life. This attitude can give the individual an idea of being his or her own master of the world. One part of the holy Hindu service is called the blessings of the fire. When one is the master of the world, he or she has the ability to accomplish anything. One who takes up this attitude no longer needs to sit for a service. He or she participates in every relationship with a positive attitude. I understand that throughout time many people asked about the items being offered. Many people can not understand why a person needs to bring so many items to perform a service. The truth is, you do not need a lot of items. In the Bhagavad Gita (holy scripture for Hindu's), the lord said, ''Offer me a leaf, a flower, or a fruit of water, and I will accept it. So long that it is being offered with sincere and heartfelt love." The Bhagavad Gita is the only scripture that we believe God spoke to us. However, we as Hindu's do not discriminate against any other religion. Instead, the goal of the Hindu's, is to find a connection between all the beliefs and ideas of every system. These items also symbolize the different parts of God. Similarly to how one may find millions of plants and animals, and billions of people, the person will also find millions of items that have been offered in a ritual. However, the Hindu mind places more emphasis on certain things. When one becomes more spiritually developed, he or she focuses on the divine qualities in which everyone possesses. Therefore, two major items offered constantly throughout a Hindu service, are flowers and water. I know many of you Aunties have flower gardens. Take a look outside. What is it about flowers? Well, they have a sweet smell to it, and a man may put down any book he is reading at the time, go outside and smell the dafadills in all their richness. Another quality the flowers possess is beauty. Take a look at the rose. The red color shoots a message so strong and powerful to a husband or wife, boy friend, or girl friend. The message is, ''I love you." Red is color of love and it sing a sweet melody, just like a child who blows the flute to his mother welcoming her home from another hard day at work. Although, the senses are limited, and there is an extraordinary power beyond the sense world, no one can escape the power of the senses. However, the symbols such as flowers still exist to bring out that wonderful beauty. But where is the beauty? Within one's self. Water is offered constantly to the individual who sits for the service. The water symbolizes purity. The water is not bitter, nor is it sweet. The water represents the mild Hindu or Christian. The giver of the water represents the individual in life who is extremely tolerant. He sees the good in every religion, such as Hindu, Muslim, Jew, or Christian. He may follow his path, but he also wants to love his neighbors. In the bible Jesus told his disciples, ''love your neighbor as your self. Weak in mind, sick in delusion, he is still your brother. The Vedantists have always given the reason for why you must love your brother, sister, or fellow being. This reason has brought tolerance to millions of people living in India and throughout the West Indies. In the Bhagavad Gita, Krishna sais, ''Love your neighbor as your self, because your neighbor is your self. He is I. I am him. You are me. I am you. Therefore, oh might friends of Schenectady, we can not afford to lose our ritual, we can not afford to be incompetent, we can not afford to have undivine qualities, and we can not afford to keep the love of this universal religion in Schenectady, NYC, and Canada alone. The time will come when countries across the world will be revolutionized in understanding the true meaning behind spirituality. Mark my words friends, a great deal of that spirituality will come from the ritual alone.

Speech #14 Delivered at the Schenectady Hindu temple

The Absolute

Where did we come from? We came from one God. However, we have attached different names to that Lord. You may use the name Brahman, heavenly father, Lord of the universe, the great one, or even the best of the best. Don't be fooled. We worship one God, and that God projected billions upon billions of souls in the universe. The question remains, what is our true nature? God is full of purity and love, therefore one who is a part and parcel of that being, must have the gentle like qualities. In the Hindu religion, the idea of dualism is rarely discussed. However, Hindu's view all ideas in religions as being true. The man who believes in universal religion looks at all sects, such as, Hinduism, Christianity, Islam, and Judaism, and he or she smiles and sais, ''They are all different paths and roads that lead to the same goal, the oneness of God." When the individual looks at religion from a broad stand point, he or she sees that names have very little to do with developing divine qualities, such as, compassion, fearlessness, wisdom, and love. The religious minded individual observes the message that one delivers, for example, the message of toleration toward all races, religions, and beings. Go back into the scriptures. Read any book you want. However, realize that if the book is pure and holy, it must have acceptance and love toward all. When one realizes that the divine qualities of love, compassion, kindness, and wisdom, are the ones needed to fulfill an individual's destiny, than he or she can not accept the idea of having one compassionate God. After all, when the man or woman begins to use the word projection, instead of creation, he or she realizes the love of that divine being. The Vedas say that the world started with a straight line, and the line continued for millions upon millions of years. Did the line ever end? No, instead it continued further and further through humanity. Through different times, the line became crooked, the line became twisted, or the line became pointy, but in the end, it must end where it started from. The line symbolizes the absolute God projecting the universe. In the beginning, everything came out with love, purity, holiness, kindness, and other divine qualities. However, when the being attached him self or her self to his or her senses, shouting out, ''I like that chocolate chip cookie. It looks very tasty. I must have it. I will do anything to have it." What might happen? He or she will constantly be craving that cookie. In the beginning, nothing negative happens. However, the individual continues to visit the store, sees the cookie, and realizes he or she has no money. At this point, the cookie is overwhelmingly bothering the person's mind. He or she has become obsessed, and will do anything to have that cookie. In the end, let us say that the man or woman decides to steal the cookie, and is caught shop lifting. He or she is sent to prison, and at this point, just possibly, the cookie is still on the person's mind. However, he or she has become attached to something, and has chosen to commit a felony or engage in a crime, because he or she was not satisfied and able to control the senses. Desire is our biggest enemy, and it moves the person way from understanding the true self within. Dear friends, we can not be slaves to our minds, and the mind can not be a slave to the senses. Therefore, we must control everything in nature, meditate, and take spiritual discipline. One bad decision in the senses, and the man or woman has twisted his spiritual line. The line is supposed to go straight, but it's facing sideways. The line is supposed to go straight, but it is slanted. The goal is to move that line we all live in, back to the end. Similarly, the line may be traveling through time, space, millions of universes, and the three worlds, therefore, he or she must bring the line back to a circle. The circle in this example, symbolizes God. In the end, one must control his or her mind or desires, such as wanting a cookie. Controlling these desires can keep the line moving in a straight direction. Another reason the line is crooked, is because people do not have true faith in religion. One man argues that dualism or the belief in two independent Gods or forces of nature is the correct belief. However, God is independent. In the end, you and I realize we are God, but just limited in the human body. We are only limited because we are forced to live in this material world. I see a beautiful woman, and immediately I am attached to her. I will do everything it takes to make her fall in love with me. I may lie about the job I hold, lie about my income, or how many children I have. My mind has become clouded with negative thoughts, simply because I am attached to the way she looks. I can not put this past me. I may go as far as changing the way I communicate to impress her. I may use slang, pick up lines, and die my hair blonde. You may think that some of these things would be acceptable. However, I changed myself. I made one of the biggest mistakes there is to make. Why? Because I like the way she looks. I can't distance my mind. Therefore, when one believes in the oneness of God, he or she is told to take responsibility for his or her own actions. The idea of the oneness of God is that you and I are great souls, but by God we can be better. A whole lot better. We don't have to wait till the next life. Believing in one God, means to believe in the idea that we all came out the same in the beginning. This does not mean we all came out with the same hair color, the same amount of muscles, or great physiques. This idea tells mankind that everything was pure in the beginning. Many great minds refer to this as the Golden Age of life. The golden age was full of peace. Everything worked together. There was no animosity, no hatred, no killing, no thievery, and certainly no pain. Why would there be police? They never existed. People created their own laws, through selfless sacrifice. Family was universal. His children were my children. Mine were his. The word I never existed. The word we existed everywhere. Sticks and stones never broke my bones. They were only used for building and construction. Then, before anything could be done, man's mind became a little twisted. Inventions were upon us. Inventions such as television, cars, and computers changed the way people looked at the world. These inventions were built to make life easier for one another. Cars gave men and women a way of traveling from one place to another very easily. He or she had a way of traveling to his or her job more efficiently. Computers gave people a means of being more productive. Instead of hand writing an essay or term paper, the student had the ability to go on his or her computer and type it. Typing became a way for author's to produce books at a faster pace, and then before man knew it, out came the email. Email has given people a chance all around the world to exchange ideas in a more timely fashion, communicate efficiently in marketing projects, and business projects. In the end, I believe technology will be defeated by the senses. Gregory who is five years old sees six X-Box games that he wants. Gregory buys all five, and then sais to his mom, I want the racing game next week. Can he finish all five games in a week? No. Still, he wants more. One desire never satisfied the human mind. This is the reason it is so difficult to understand that we all came out of one thing. We act like we're so different. In my culture alone, I am sad to say that many of the West Indian children have forgotten who they are. Many of these children have changed the way they talk, dress, and even walk. Using fancy slang such as, ''Yo, yo, yo. Wasup, and I'll catch you on the flip side," has never been a way of communicating for our people. We are confused. Although we are confused, we want to be confused. We like it. We think it's ''cool." These things have changed our understanding about who we are. When the person views the world as different, you tell me where the togetherness is. When the individual looks at the people in the world as different, there can be no oneness of God. We are all the same. If one sows a mango, one will always get a mango, and never a lemon. In the same way, something that came out of God, must be God. The sparks of the fire have projected millions of flames, similarly the great one, projected these millions of souls. I look for an answer. I can't find it. What is dividing us? The moment the individual performed these impure actions that I mentioned, he or she loses touch with the soul, and attaches to the body. When one attaches to the body, he or she can not help but look at some people as smart, and some as dumb. The person views some strong and some weak. In fact, you may read my writing and think I am very knowledgeable, but the force within has made me write this book. I couldn't stomach one more minute of not putting these ideas on paper. Of course I thought it would help me be a better known religious leader in the world if I could get this published, but I want people to come together. I want heads to turn. I want to let the world know how I feel on the subject. When I hear about this personal God, and this one, that one, I smile, and say, take a deep breath. Now look into yourself and find God. Coming from a universal religion, I am taught to accept all beliefs. Every doctrine, creed, sect, religion, and idea, is only a step forward in realizing the mighty light within. Dear friends, I still have a problem with this. The minute I say God created the clouds, heavens, stars, skies, and people, I run into a very big problem. In the aspect of the individual, why are some happy and some so miserable? Why are there people in the world who are blind, and people who can see a person walking to his or her house a mile away? Why are there people who love me? Why do some hate me? Why are millions of people indulging in burgers all over America, and many people are looking for a meal in Africa? Why? You tell me why, and I will shake your hand. I will call you a great soul of this world. 6% of the people in America are enjoying the richest of all rich lives, and still, 94% struggle to reach that level. Businessmen, Doctors, lawyers, and pharmacists, continue to increase in this society, similarly to the number of poor downtrodden people living in an immense amount of poverty. What do we do? Nothing. We can't change this. The person can only change him self or her self. This is where the universal religion of tolerance sais, ''Take a back seat and examine the world you and I live in." Yes it is full of decay, but whose fault is it? We make the choice. Only you choose what to eat. Only you choose to take a shower in the morning. Only you choose to give a man a piece of bread when he throws a rock at you. You, and you alone. Get a hold of the greatness within. No longer will we suffer. However, the moment we say, Agni the God of fire created this world, or Indra the God of thunder and lightning created this world there will be pain. In the Hindu or (Vedantic) religion, many names are used, but it only represents the many different forms and activities. These different representations of the lord also provide people with a way of worshipping an aspect of God, which strengthens their mind. For example, one individual may understand the strength within, when he or she closes his or her eyes and begins to picture nothing. Another individual may close his or her eyes and focus on that straight line I mentioned. Another person will keep his or her eyes opened and focused on the top sparks of a fire. The sparks on top of the fire continue to move toward the top. Picture throwing gasoline on a fire, and bang it erupts. This individual wants to see that fire erupt in his or her mind. He or she is not satisfied until that picture can be thoroughly painted. When he sees pure orange sparks, the light appears to him in a more efficient way. Therefore, use what works for you. Lie flat on your back like a pancake, and smile with your eyes closed. However, understand that there is one God. We want to understand the spirit so we choose these methods of worship. The minute you say that there are two forces of nature, and one is a creator and one is a destroyer, we have a problem. God must be merciful, loving, and kind. The all mighty projector of all these relationships we go through, all these beings, and all these activities, such as going shopping in the mall, must be patient, accepting, and tolerant. However, you keep your position and say there is a creator. Why would God create some happy and some miserable? I think God would want everyone to be happy because we all came from the same seed. Why are some people born handicapped and retarded? I am certain many of these people would love to go to college and educate themselves further. However, they are limited in this form, and do not have the ability. The time comes when every man or woman will have to stand up in this world of pain and pleasure, this world of poverty and wealth, happiness and sadness, and say, I am the absolute. I am the king of all kings. I am the beggar, the thief, and the killer. I don't hate the thief, because he is really me in a different form, but he doesn't understand his self so he chooses to steal, instead of working. I yell out how much I love the beautiful white lamb in Alabama, but yet I spit on the snorting pig in Georgia. Finally I realize if I am the absolute, then I must love everything. In the end we want freedom. We want to get out of this world. The quicker we do this the better. However, everyone will travel at his or her own pace. Therefore, it is essential to think of a projector instead of a creator, a merciful lord, instead of one with a sword in his left hand, and fire in the right hand. Start loving this world because we don't know anything else but love. Sing his praises in every temple, city, and country around the world. Sing it loud and proud. I am the absolute. I am the absolute.