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Guru to Gita

Guru : Keep a diary. Whether you feel happy or sad, write it down. Write about whatever comes into your mind. I told everyone about keeping a diary.

Always work and follow your routine. Go to school, college, work, keeping your regular schedule. Don't avoid your duty. Keep the diary and always write down whatever you are doing. Write about whether you have followed your routine. If your mind is "right," or your mind is "poison," write it down. Write about whether you have kept in the company of your satsang.

Premananda (translating): Record how your mind was each day.

Guru: When you speak or think spiritual things, write it down: "I experienced ananda in meditation," or "Today I couldn't do that much meditation." If you see jyoti (light) in meditation, write it down.

Someone asks Guru if he wants to take a walk.

Guru: Where will I walk?

Premamayi: Outside!

A child runs by, playing. Guru says, "That boy has wings." Guru mentions that at Ramanathpur Ananda Ashram many people come on Saturday and Tuesday. He then begins to talk about Kanta Devi's initiation, that she approached him and said, "I did not take initiation from anybody. You give it to me." Shortly Guru turns the subject back to Gita, and to the photograph of Guru Premananda gave to her.

Guru (to Premananda): Did you get a bribe from Gita, that you gave her such a big picture? (to Gita) If someone wants to have your Guru's photo, and they will give that picture the proper respect, then you give it to them. Otherwise, don't.

Premananda: Only give Guru's photo to someone who really wants it. Don't push it.

Guru: Why do you take a Guru? Give him everything to carry.

A young male student begins a conversation about the Guru, and about spiritual practices.

Student: I see all these teachers -- Swami Chitananda, Sushil Kumar, and others, but I want to know: Who is the Guru? Who is the Teacher?

Guru: Divine sound or nada. Hold onto the sound.

Student: How do you find the sound?

Guru: Meditation. How do you see a sound, find a sound? A baby is growing in its mother's womb -- how can you see it until it's born? I don't want to be a Guru. If I want to be a Guru I will not tell you that myself: "I want to be your Guru." Slowly everything will come. Can you buy Guru in the marketplace? If you pay with a diamond, can you get Guru?

Student: I want to ask about pranayama (yogic breathing). Should I do it, or is it better not to do it?

Guru: If you do it, do a little bit. Do it slowly. (Guru begins demonstrating alternate nostril breathing). One, five, zero, zero. "One" is God; the body is "Five" (for the five senses and five elements in Hindu cosmology -- Earth, Water, Fire, Air and Ether), and "Zero-Zero" (indicates the two nostrils). The breath becomes still. You must sit properly, with your body straight. You can see light. If you really pursue pranayam seriously, you must observe Brahmacharya (celibacy).

Sanat (translating): He is advising you to do ordinary yoga. If you do this for a long time, passions will be conquered, and you can reach the state that holy person reach. Householders cannot do as saints do. They have to pay the rent, feed the children. It is not possible for them to do rigid sadhana. But they desire Brahma-darshan, vision of God. How to get it? Slowly, by doing normal yoga practices, you attain this.

Guru: I started to do yoga at the age of seven, and I became like this after all those years. It is the same for you ... slowly, slowly, you get bhava samadhi, prema samadhi, maha samadhi. Right!

Guru then recounted an incident that occurred while he was performing the fire ceremony in Athena's yard. He began the story by saying "Brahmamayi!...brain ..." Sanat translated.

Sanat: He said that after concentration and meditation, a time will come when you will experience a state of stillness, where you forget everything. For example, He was citing what happened the other day with Mrs. Hart. Baba was sitting in the room where he used to worship and make the fire ceremony. In the moment when the fire ceremony was on, he called for Param Brahmamayi and Brahmamayi. Both were sitting side by side, and while he was doing that ceremony, Brahmamayi went into samadhi. She forgot everything. She doesn't go through pranayam or all those things. As she simple meditates in that position, so he advises you to do yoga in an ordinary way. Not a difficult way, like yogis will do.

Sanat then moves the conversation into a discussion on the rigors of a yogi's life, noting "They do not take salt. It is a sin for them to take salt." As Sanat continues in this vein Guru says "Om, Om, Om, ah ma. Shanti."

Student: How do you (break) the Brahma Granthi, Vishnu Granthi, Shiva Granthi (the obstructions to kundalini at the various chakras).

Guru: You must go slowly on these things ... when it happens, you will know. First: repeat your mantra. After that, the light comes. Third: divine sound. The first is mantra, dhyan (meditation) on Guru's form; then you will be shown the light. After that light comes nada, sound. Finished. Then you don't need mantra anymore.

"Om," no. "Hare Krishna," no.

Tape 76TR7
August 11-12, 1976
translated by Lillibati and Narayan Majumdar, with assistance from Binodini.