1 | 2011

GURU PURNIMA

Calendar 2011 4 April Yugadi Festival im Hyderabad Ashrama

16 May Narasimha Jayanti Festival im Mysore Ashrama

22 – 27 May 12th Brahmotsavam of Sri Datta Venkateshwara Kshetras, Mysore26 May Pratyaksha Pada Puja to Sri Swamiji on the occasion of His 69th birthday

9 – 12 June 69th Birthday festivities of Pujya Sri Swamiji, Pittsburgh USA12 June Jyeshtha Shuddha Ekadashi – Birthday of Pujya Sri Swamiji according to the indian moon-

calendar)

15 July Guru Purnima Festival in Mysore Ashrama

6 August Swami Narahari Teertha Aradhana

21 August Krishna Janmashtami

1 September Ganapathi Festival

28 .9. – 6. 10. Devi Navaratri Festival in Mysore Ashrama

8.- 10. 12. Dattatreya Jayanti Festival in Mysore Ashrama

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Contents

Ediorial 4

Swami Manasa Datta in Switzerland 5

Pilgrimage and «Guru flight» 6

East and West in Dialogue 11

The Spirit of Guru Purnima 14

A colourful carpet … 26

Adresses

Avadhoota Datta Peetham,Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Ashrama, Datta Nagar, Mysore – 570 025 India.Tel.: ++91-(0)821-2 48 64 86 oder ++91-(0)821-2 48 04 24Fax: ++91-(0)821-2 48 74 87, Internet: www.dattapeetham.com

e-mail:Projekte, Verwaltung, allg. Information: manager@dattapeetham.comPujabuchung von Auswärts (Babu): puja@dattapeetham.comAngeloffice/Unterkunftsplanung (Pingala): foreignoffice@dattapeetham.comAnmeldung eines Ashrambesuchs, Kontakte zu Sri Swamiji mail@dattapeetham.com

Datta Yoga Center Germany e.V.Kalkstr. 24a, 40489 Düsseldorf, Tel./Fax: +49-(0)211/5 36 74 51mail@dycgermany.de, Internet: www.dycgermany.deBankverbindung: Deutsche Bank 24, BLZ 300 700 246 433 031-01 Spenden für Indien (mit Spendenquittung)6 433 031-02 Vereinsunterstützung, Beiträge6 433 031-03 Geschäftskonto (Buch-, Musikproduktionen, Verkauf)6 433 031-04 bestimmte Projekte

Musik- und Literaturversand Deutschland:Kalkstr. 24a, 40489 DüsseldorfTel. / Fax ++49(0)2 11-5 36 74 51e-mail: bookshop@dycgermany.deInternetbookshop: www.dycgermany.de

Datta Yoga Center SwitzerlandSekretariat: Kirchrain 6, CH-8505 Pfyn, Tel: +41 76 531 91 93, mail@dyc.ch, www.dyc.ch Bankverbindung:Vereinskonto: Raiffeisenbank Zürich, CH-8001 ZürichPC 87-71996-7, IBAN: CH65 8148 7000 0079 8552 6Datta Yoga Center Switzerland, Bächlerstrasse 11, CH-8046 ZürichSpendenkonto: Freie Gemeinschaftsbank, 4001 BaselPC 40-963-0, IBAN: CH52 0839 2000 0000 3436 3Datta Yoga Center Switzerland, Bächlerstrasse 11, CH-8046 Zürich

Musik- und Literaturversand Schweiz:c/o Shyamala Anja Thiele, Winkelriedstr. 1, CH-8006 Zürich, Tel. ++41-78-7161526, e-mail: buchladen@dyc.chInternetbookshop: www.dyc.ch

ImprintDattaMala 1 | 11

Publisher:

Datta Yoga Center Germany e.V.

Datta Yoga Center Switzerland

Editor:

Dasharatha Gunnar Johannen

Am Römischen Hof 19

D-61352 Bad Homburg v.d.H

e-mail: gjohannen@yahoo.de

Tunga Kathrin Barbara Zatti

Lindenbüel 9, CH-9043 Trogen

e-mail: tunga@gmx.ch

Layout / Design:

Kumudini Claudia Tiemann

www.bild-reich.de

www.claudiatiemann.de

Photos:

Tunga, Datta Peetham, Svetha,

Kambhoji, Agastya, Vasudeva

Datta Darshan 29

The culmination … 31

«NADA is great» 34

Behind the scenes 38

The Guru Gita is especially precious 46

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EditorialDear Datta Devotees,

On Saturday, July 24th 2010, some hundred thousand people came – no, not to Sri Swamiji‘s GURU JYOTI RAGA SAGARA concert in Geseke, as I sometimes imagine – but to Duisburg, about 100 km away from Geseke. There the «Love Parade» takes place, which this year is also one of the biggest events of «RUHR 2010» presenting the Ruhr region, at whose east border Geseke is located, as Europe’s cultural metropole. Few hours before Sri Swamiji‘s concert, the mass event ends in a catastrophy: 21 people died, over 500 were injured.

Is it mere accident that Sri Swamiji just few days earlier, on Tuesday evening during the bhajan session, talked about the great pilgrimages in India, where millions of people gather at the sacred places, like during KUMBHA-MELA? Or in PANDARAPURA, a pilgrimage center of the VISHNU incarnation VITTHALA. «I like very much this place», Sri Swamiji said. «But it is very crowded. One cannot imagine. So many people! Millions of people! How they control, we don’t know. But no accident. Who controls this crowd? It looks very dangerous that crowd. They have policemen and volunteers, but not sufficient. Who controls? Lord Siva himself controls.»

One may assume that Sri Swamiji alleviated the tragedy in Duisburg. How little we know about the acting of Divine in our world. But for moments we can experience, sense and feel, that His protection is at work, that His grace accompanies us. What greater solace can there be in these turbulent times of transformation?

«VITTHALA», Sri Swamiji said after the ecstatic dancing to the VITTHALA Bhajan JAYA RAGHUNANDANA, «means: Everything I give to you. Please give me knowledge, that’s all I ask You for.» ATMARPANA – so He named this surrendering everything to the Divine – and that is what we can do and what we have to do.

JAYA GURU DATTAOM NAMO HANUMATE NAMAHA

For the Datta Mala editorial staffTunga

PS. The articles in this issue are translated from the German Datta Mala magazine 1/2011 edition for the English speaking participants of the Guru Purnima celebrations in Geseke, so that those great and blissful days may be revived from them, too.

Newsletter der Datta Yoga Center Deutschland und SchweizNeuigkeiten und Information gibt es regelmässig per E-Mail. Man kann sich anmelden mit einer E-Mail an news-letter@dycgermany.de

Adressenänderungen In Deutschland bitte an Tilaka (Conny Fischer-Zernin) connyfz@web.de, Telefon 07531-3699691; in der Schweiz an das Sekretariat des DYC Schweiz

Swami Manasa Datta in SwitzerlandIt is our great joy to announce Swami Manasa Dattas visit to Switzerland in summer 2011. He will hold a seminar in the Swiss mountains.The seminar takes place from August 17th to 21st, 2011 in a beautifully located Guesthouse in Prättigau, can-ton Grisons (Graubünden).

The topic will be: Ramayana – Sundara Kanda, depict-ing the story of Lord Hanuman, his selflessness, his strength and his devotion and surrender to Lord Rama.

Further information and the form for the mandatory application will be sent on demand. Those interested may contact Nahusha Egon Hürli-mann: egonh@gmx.ch, phone: +41 61 702 16 88

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SRI GANESHAYA NAMAHASRI SARASVATYAI NAMAHASRI PADAVALLABHA NARASIMHA SARAVATISRI GURU DATTATREYAYA NAMAHA

During the Guru Gita time (while the audience sang the Guru Gita shlokas) Swamiji visited so many places to give DARSHAN. Some people dream today, in Trini-

dad, America, India, especially in Machilipatnam. Swa-miji is visiting there now, He is giving darshan to Dat-tatreya in his temple.

Now I’m extremely happy - if Guru is happy, disciples are perfect and what the disciples want, that boon,

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GURU PURNIMA

Guru Purnima 2010 was celebrated on Sunday, 25th July 2010. After Pada Puja and the singing of the sacred verses from Guru Gita Sri Swamiji blessed all the participants, also with His speech. Transcription by Tunga and Shabari

Pilgrimage and «Guru Flight»

The radiance of Sadguru

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When you were all singing I was not here – I was some-where. It is difficult … deliberately I’m coming here, but my energy always wants to fly, to bless some other devotee. You might have observed or not, I don’t know. It is very difficult to control, if there are any couple of minutes I want to go and sleep in the back. But I controlled, I controlled - this is INDRYA NIGRAHA (control of the senses). Some ordinary peo-ple think: Swamiji is very tired, is sleepy, out of love they think: Swamiji is very tired, He is sleepy. It is in your level! But at a higher level it is not sleep. It is PARAKAYA PRAVESHA (the ability of entering another body), flying to all the planets. During that time we can give good care and good facility to the Guru, that is our Seva. Don’t think: Swamiji doesn’t look at me, He is not giving any blessings to me, Swamiji is some-where, what can I do? You must support at that time, this is Guru Seva.

BlessingAnd no jealousy! If somebody is near Swamiji, very close to Swamiji, don’t feel jealous, you can think I am sitting there, I am sitting there through this person. Don’t feel jealous, if you feel jealous you get their sin, it goes into your account. This is a rule. If Swamiji is giving special blessings to somebody - don’t get jeal-ous. You must be happy! Then you will get that happi-ness, that energy. The people who are receiving those blessings, they get a shower (shiver), they get confu-sion, but when you are seeing these people, you think they are very lucky people. It is very difficult to explain this situation, the blessing situation. I think, later you will understand about the blessing situation.

Anyway, people from so many countries attended this year’s Guru Purnima, were here physically. Everybody wanted to attend Guru Purnima in Germany but for some reason they couldn’t come. So, I first bless devotees sitting in their house, I give first blessings to those people, then second blessings I give to you. (audience applauding)Because we are very near, we experience Swamiji, for three, four days, for one week. Today you are watch-ing Guru Puja on Guru Purnima day, you are watching it physically, touching Swamiji and talking to Him, everything. But I also bless the invisible people, not only the people present here. The people of the past I

there is one more – BHAKTI-HEENAM (1). This is very important. Sometimes we are very devoted during the worshipping time and suddenly our mind behaves like a monkey. Hunger is coming, some confusion comes, somebody is talking something, which makes me very angry: ‘He! No! I’m doing puja! No!’Please forgive all these actions – so many mistakes. The milk is not good, the water is not good, the flower is not good. Today’s flower we kept in the fridge, please forgive. My mind is also not perfect. My mind is somewhere, busy with the telephone, or some KAMA, some hunger, some sleep comes up, or something like «I’m taking the next flight», a couple of seconds and our mind is travelling. In front of You, oh Sadguru, I’m sitting with You, I’m associated with You, I’m talking with You, I’m in touch with You, I’m asking for Your guidance, I am in Your environment, I’m sitting with You, in front of You, but my mind is somewhere flying. This mind is like a monkey, we don’t know, the mind comes back for a couple of seconds, and then again it goes … somebody comes, is disturbing, talking, and then again our mind goes. If somebody gets up in this group everybody looks at this person.This is BHAKTI-HEENAM, MANTRA-HEENAM and KRIYA-HEENAM.(1)

GURU SEVAAnd KALA PARAMITI. Kala means, not our Kala [devo-tee named Kala] – kala means time. O Sadguru, today I have eaten Your time. O Sadguru please excuse me! The whole world wants to be in your grace, but I’m disturbing always, please forgive! I’m disturbing, I’m mentally disturbing, and also physically disturbing. I don’t know what kind of KARMA this is, I made this KARMA, please forgive this kind of mistake and this kind of disturbance. Please give me good strength to be a good human being, with good devotion. The society is also looking, some other devotees are also looking, my behaviour is not correct, please forgive!This is what the Guru Gita says. It also recommends what kind of presentations should be offered, it rec-ommends how to approach, how to give the mantras to you, this is in our Guru Gita. Lord Shiva has given it to Parvati, given it to the world. This is the UPADESHA, Guru Gita UPADESHA (Initiation).

ing and going, money will come and go, that is not important. Meals are not important, maybe facilities are also not important, this is only a YATRA, we came for a YATRA.

YATRA means pilgrimage. if you go for a pilgrimage you must face a lot of things, no food, no current, no electricity, no fan, even no bed, and nobody is asking (about our needs), and also our luggage and our bed are thrown out, we have no phone, but still our mind is on the pilgrimage. We are going to the temple and give in our own service and we are praying, because our goal, our aim is the temple. He only will look at all these things, Lord Shiva will look, Lord Krishna will look, Jesus will look, Avadhoota will look, Mother Goddess will look, Jaya Lakshmi Mata will look, Ganapati Swamiji will look. OK.

Please forgiveBut on our own we sometimes are doing some mis-takes. That’s why we pray to forgive, that’s why at the end (of a worship, a PUJA) we chant MANTRA-HEENAM, KRIYA-HEENAM …. if any mistake was done in chanting the mantras during worship, if the mantras are not perfect. Because they are very tough we make mis-takes. And the KRIYA - KRIYA means what we are doing during the PUJA like offering flowers, offering water, that is the KRIYA. MANTRA-HEENAM, KRIYA-HEENAM,

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these wishes are fulfilled, are definitely fulfilled, because Guru is happy.I think we have a lot of information in the Guru Gita, how to worship, how to approach, how to understand, how to give the different things to Sadguru, and what is important for our correct behaviour in front of Swamiji, Guru. Swamiji has already given it in the Guru Gita, different meanings in different languages.In this one week we have celebrated Guru Purnima, not Gna-Na-Bha-Conference – of course, there was Gna-Na-Bha-Conference, Guru Purnima, and wonderful bhajans sessions and Swamiji’s wonderful concert, NADA, wonderful discourses, wonderful conversation, and also at the same time wonderful TriYoga and wonderful Kriya-Yoga also. We attain, we get a lot of benefit, we are very lucky to participate in this Guru Purnima.

This kind of systematic Guru Purnima with the differ-ent items is happening for the first time, I think - sys-tematic, very simple and sweet, short and concen-trated. I performed Guru Purnima at so many places, in America, Canada, India. But more than anywhere else this one is of increasing discipline, that is very important. How much we spend, what kind of fruits, what kind of facilities, what kind of jewels we present to Swamiji, what kind of SEVA we do, how much money we spend – it is not important, it is nothing, it is com-

Sri Swamiji during His Guru Purnima speech

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GNA NA BHA YOGA CONFERENCE

East and West in DialogueMind expanding and illuminating talks on Jnana, Nada, Bhakti and Yoga: The four day conference gave valuable insights. Shabari, the conference organizer, recollects the event.

Pater Lutz Müller SJ, Jesuitenorden Germany with Sri Swamiji

Geseke was organized by Germany and Switzerland both, I’m not praising them, because if I praise ego will develop, that’s a big problem for the human quality. More and more you can do such festivals – not only Guru Purnima, all kinds of festivals you can attend, you can organize, and Swamiji will often come and will give you blessings for good studies.

JAYA GURU DATTASRI GURU DATTA

Now Swamiji is moving to the front and will be avail-able, please come in a queue one by one offering the yellow rice of your worship, take the rice and come – but don’t ask anything. You pray only inside, that is all. Don’t ask anything, but only for devotion and good energy this time, just pray.

JAY GURU DATTA – SRI GURU DATTA

Anmerkungen(1) At the end of the PUJA the priests chant «mantra heenam kriya heenam bhakti heenam maheshvara yatkritan tu maya deva paripur-nam tadastu me» - they pray to God to forgive the mistakes they had done during the PUJA.(2) SADHAKA: An accomplished person; MUMUKSHA: A person aspiring for liberation, going the way towards liberation

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bless, those people also I bless: Not only the present but BHOOTA BHAVISHYATE VARTAMANTA (the past and the future). There are three KALAS: Yesterday, today, tomorrow. Always I bless you, I pray for your prob-lems, for your pains, through the atyatmic way (belonging to the ATMAN). I support you, invisibly I support you. If you don’t get to talk (with Swamiji) physically, don’t get time (with Swamiji) physically, don’t bother – you sit and close your eyes, you call me in your mind, your heart, in front of you, it is also not necessary to have a photo, you can call me right here. Definitely, Sadguru will help you.

So, I can’t forget this one week. It is a historical event, especially yesterday and today! Once again special blessings to American devotees, special blessings to Trinidad devotees, special blessings to Indian devo-tees, and to all SADHAKAS. I’m not calling them devo-tees, they are not devotees, they are Sadhakas, MUMUKSHAS (2), they are good students. There are so many people in the world, millions and millions - billions and billions, but you only came, selected souls. On our Guru’s flight there are tickets for you only, others are waiting. (audience applauding)Yesterday I explained about PUSHPAKAVIMANA (the heavenly airplane of Gods), you are sitting in my PUSH-PAKAVIMANA, it goes automatically, no driver, energy. Rama himself is leading the PUSHPAKAVIMANA.

The offering of the crown is part of the Guru Purni-ma ritual

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The talks and the speeches of Sri Swamiji are

updated on our website www.dattayogacenter.

org -> «Termine» -> «Tourneen». Excerpts of Sri

Swamiji‘s speeches can be found in the article

«the Spirit of Guru Purnima», Sri Swamiji‘s spee-

ch on NADA is fully given on page 34 of this

Datta Mala.

• where Sri Swamiji Himself honored the speakers with a shawl

• where Sri Swamiji portrayed the Indian tradition• where Sri Swamiji held His talks at the lectern

and ….during one of His talks on yoga He gave a very memorable portrayal of the duality that imprisons us: while He repeatedly said the opposites «happy – unhappy», «happy – unhappy» he hopped from one leg to the other. This was one of the many joyful occa-sions where Sri Swamiji illuminated a profound truth within our realm of experience.

Four spiritual themes from western viewThe conference participants were very appreciative of the western presentations on the four spiritual themes:

Philosophy / Knowledge (Gnana) with Prof. Michael von Brück, LM University, Munich.He mesmerized all the participants from both the East and the West, with his presentation of a non dual real-ity in the western spiritual tradition, as is normally taught in Advaita Vedanta.

Music (Nada) with Prof. Eric Cross, Newcastle Univer-sity, England.He gave an impressive tour through the history of music portraying how the divine was expressed in every epoch right up to modern church music, which shows some eastern influence. His presentation was

very nicely supported by specially chosen music pieces.

Devotion (Bhakti) with Father Lutz Müller SJ, Jesuit Order Germany.As a representative of the Jesuit Order in Germany for the Pastoral profession he explained in a detailed and humorous way how the religious exercises of Saint Ignatius of Loyola prepare the disciple for the pasto-ral profession, how he can develop a personal rela-tionship to Jesus and complete this practice in ser-vice to God and mankind.

Yoga with Marianne and Heinz Behnken, Via Cordis, Wennigsen.They developed and led the «House of Stillness and Meeting» in Wennigsen Monastery as Contemplation teachers from 2001 to 2007. They deeply touched the audience and brought them into the stillness of the heart through the Heart Prayer, which is an early Christian form of mantric praying from the eastern Christian tradition.

Eric Cross speaks about sacral music

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This Gna Na Bha Yoga conference held for the first time in Europe, was very special because it included the western tradition in this otherwise exclusively Indian tradition. Sri Swamiji, the founder of this con-ference, welcomed the idea of a multicultural per-spective and supported it very enthusiastically, expressing His happiness to the excellent speakers.

Seventeen nationsSri Swamiji’s support and His silent guidance could already be felt during the preparations. In the working group we formulated a very complex concept with talks running parallel in the morning and workshops in the afternoon. When we showed Sri Swamiji the proposal He greatly simplified it with enlightened foresight regarding our capacity to get things done. We were actually very challenged with the other big events in Geseke and the concert in Munich, which involved a major relocation. He said there should be one speaker from the west for each of the four topics, and that He would do the eastern parts. We couldn’t have wished for anything better! He cancelled the proposed afternoon workshops in favour of the Guru Gita chanting. He explained later in India that He especially enjoyed hearing the Guru Gita verses being chanted by over 500 participants from a total of SEVENTEEN nations (!) It was a marvelous experience to be part of this «gift of sound» sung in unison to Sri Swamiji!

It was a big relief to experience Sri Swamiji’s support in finding the fourth speaker for the topic on bhakti. All the speakers responded positively to the confer-ence invitation, being well known personalities. Some had to decline the invitation due to prior commit-

ments. We were rather late in sending out the invita-tions less than a year in advance. In May we still didn’t have anyone for the bhakti topic, but luckily Sri Swa-miji came to London. I showed Him a picture of Father Lutz Müller SJ (Societas Jesu: Jesuit Order) who we intended to invite. He looked at the picture and smil-ingly said: «Is he Indian? He looks familiar!». A few days after my return, Father Müller accepted the invitation. Apparently he was very touched and impressed by Sri Swamiji. At the end of his talk he thanked Sri Swamiji and said: «It is very obvious that You have touched the lives of many people and this is a great service – His blessing!» Later he asked if he could have the photos of himself with Sri Swamiji!

Surprising ContributionsSri Swamiji’s warm-hearted, generous and surprising contributions to the conference were definitely the main reason it was so successful and exceptional. This sixth Gna Na Bha Yoga conference was the first conference• that took place in Europe• that included the western tradition• that Sri Swamiji attended the whole time

Sri Swamiji honours Professor Michael von Brück

Marianne Behnken of Via Cordis

quantum physicists and philosophers of the last cen-tury. His interpretation of quantum physics describes a process of wholeness, which we actively participate in through the way in which we think.

BlossomingBlossoming out of Sri Swamiji’s wonderful announce-ment in Meilen, Switzerland, in 2009, was a master-work comprising all the talents, skills of the partici-pants, the qualities and ideas, the engagement and joy and love – like a flower, whose unfolding I always watch with astonishment: not as an observer from outside, but as part of the process. One of His mani-festations on the physical level.How a temple suddenly took form in the Dicke Birken

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guest house’s dilapidated hall! And how everything is ready on time, so that we can receive the Divine incar-nate, our Sadguru Sri Swamiji. The manifest Divine presence. Three days before He will arrive at the Paderborn-Lippstadt airport it is very hot here. Hay is busily being cut in Eringerfeld. In the canteen we still have enough space to eat at two tables. The participants will soon fill up the whole dining room. Five years ago, Mrs. Gisela Gieseke from Geseke (her real name!), served the food and now a Turkish crew is doing the work. In addition to the hall with the leaky roof (which caused electrical short circuiting more than once) the organization was challenged with the catering for the participants.

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The 16th of July is a hot summer day. The holiday mood ripples over from lake Bodensee into Thurgau. We buy cherries that are finally ripe enough, at a stall along the road. Provisions for the long journey north.At half past nine in the evening, shortly before Kassel, the sun sets and we see a delicate crescent moon in the sky. It shines more and more brilliantly on our left in the growing dusk, exactly where we turn west-wards. It takes us a bit more than an hour with the moon shining our way, to get to Geseke for the third time. As we arrive at the Dicke Birken guest house it is eleven o’clock and the moon goes down, exactly here, golden behind the row of poplar trees. When it is full moon it will be Guru Purnima. We will have more than a week with Sri Swamiji, the first Jnana-Nada-Bhakti-Yoga Conference in Europe, a concert in Geseke, Guru Purnima celebrations, a concert in Munich.

The whole summerAfter Guru Purnima we spent two weeks at a small village on the south coast of Crete, which is one more present of Sri Swamiji. Calmness, space, stillness. Nothing to do. In the evenings we walk up to a small chapel on the hill, and back down under a shining starry sky. There is no wind which is unusual, and it is hotter than before. They say that the heat in Russia is preventing the northerly, cooling wind normally blow-ing over the Aegean Sea. Here on one of these hot days I suddenly get a flash of understanding about an interview I read from the American British Physicist David Bohm. That was what I experienced in this week with Sri Swamiji, the highlight being the Guru Purnima celebrations on July 25th: «The implicate order implies mutual participation of everything with every-thing. No thing is complete in itself, and its full being is only realized in that participation.» (2) David Bohm (1917-1992) was one of the leading and most creative

The week with Sri Swamiji in GesekeA miracle unfolds, fulfills and transforms.Resolving again. A work of art from His Divine hand.And we are all participating in it. An essay by Tunga

AKHAMDA MANDALAKARAMVYAPTAM YENA CHARACHARAMTAT PADAM DARSHITAM YENATASMAI SRI GURAVE NAMAHA

GURU PURNIMA

«I bow to Sadguru, who enabled me to perceive the all-pervading Absolute, the Indivisible, the powerful whole, that the Mahavakya TAT TVAM ASI calls <TAT>» (1)

The spirit of Guru Purnima

sizing connections and showing differences. In this way Brück connects DARSHAN with the saying of the Christian mystic Master Eckhart in the 13th century: «The eye with which I see God, is the same eye with which God sees me» (5). He described a basic differ-ence between western and eastern concepts using the mythological creation of the world through Shi-va’s dance. «He dances, as you know, on the demon, on the negative force. But he does not kill the nega-tive force. He transforms the negative force, takes the energy and creates the negative energy into a struc-tured universe. A structured universe is a musical universe and out of this energy comes again, time and again, the beauty of the creation. The negative is never destroyed but is interpreted as an aspect of the cosmic dance.» (6).

Dancing is a highlight for many devotees of the day with Sri Swamiji. At the end of the bhajan sessions every evening, He plays in such a way that many could not resist jumping onto their feet and dancing. An ecstatic experience, a coming out of oneself and at the same time being totally present, with everything going on around, with one self, and with Sri Swamiji. When Sri Swamiji stands up and dances on Thursday evening there are no limits to the enthusiasm. In my eyes He looks like a Sufi dervish, one of those «crazy» Holy saints who, moved by Divine power to ecstasy and rapture, and «circle like a star in the choreogra-phy of the heavenly lights.» (7).The concert on Saturday also ends with the whole hall joyfully dancing.

Creating Cosmos out of ChaosAnd now as I am writing and trying to figure out a way to express experiences being far beyond usual under-standing, perhaps with words maybe managing to evoke a feeling that cannot be described with words, I remember one of the brilliant sayings of Professor von Brück: «Creating cosmos out of chaos.» What the myths of creation in the west as well as in the east express about the creation of the outer material world, is in reality an insight into our own mental development: «To order unordered things, to order or form our mind into one stream chaos to order, is CHITTA VRTTI NIRODHAH. As if it were creating music out of noise. Because all the time there is noise going on in our mind and when you form it, you have the music of an ordered mental development.» (8)The wealth of the material alone is overwhelming: 40 hours of video recordings, memories, emotions, expe-riences. Some are kind of branded in, others are like butterflies dancing from flower to flower. A kaleido-scope of ever new colors and forms. So many tones and sounds, so much NADA, so much spiritual knowl-edge that Sri Swamiji feeds us, like a mother giving milk to her child, so much JNANA, waves of BHAKTI, loving devotion, such a deep experience of YOGA, this miracle of the union of the individual soul with the omniscient divine. Physically one could say: A dance of the «implicate order» – this «vast field of potential-ity» – and the «explicate order», in which the potenti-ality manifests itself in this way now and in the next moment it manifests in a new way.

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perseverance, balance, and devotion to the topic» Ishvari said in her introduction: «The techniques are the necessary vocabulary that one can learn with a bit of talent. But the vocabulary and words themselves are not a language, or novel, or poem. And technical ability alone is not art. It is about the work on oneself. An authentic artwork is only created with all technical knowhow, when we are totally centered in ourselves, connected with our inner self. Then we are transpar-ent for intuition and can give this intuition space to unfold. Inspiration means being given something from the higher power or our most inner source, the divine cosmic power. The emergence of a work of art, a dance, or a composition is an exchange between the individual will to create something with perseverance, and the openness and devotion to that which is given to us. Sometimes the process is playful, sometimes a struggle with something that wants to be born. Plus love. The loving vision the artists give to their work. All types of art are convincing when love, devotion and authenticity can be felt within them. It is more about the HOW than the WHAT. And with this we close the circle with yoga: Everything you do can be yoga, when you do it with supreme concentration and devo-tion.»

The divine danceThe conference – whose motto is east and west in dialogue – begins enthusiastically and continues on full of energy. The talk by Michael von Brück, profes-sor of religious science, entitled «God dances in man – paths to the inner self in the Christian-Hindu dia-logue» is a dance between the east and west, empha-

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It is almost 30 degrees Celsius in the room and it feels like in India. Europe is suffering from a heat wave that will lead to terrible forest and peat fires in Russia at the end of July. It comforts me to know that Sri Swa-miji visited the Ukraine shortly before (from July 5th to 9th) and St Petersburg (from July 9th to 13th). «A karma burning heat»: That comes in my mind hearing the news and weather reports. And again I remember how Sri Swamiji said «Europe needs it» when announc-ing Guru Purnima 2010 to be held in Geseke.

ArtWhat Sri Swamiji did in these days in Geseke with 300 to 500 participants! It was touching for me to under-stand and experience the whole event as His artistic production. It was also the realization of the prayer that was made on the evening of our first day in Geseke: «May we all come together in peace, may we become a living and creative expression of His Self.» Daily more devotees arrive, to take on their jobs in the preparations and on Sunday evening Sri Swamiji – it is already dark – can be very warmly welcomed with candles and torches.

«In participation» said David Bohm, «we bring out potentials which are incomplete in themselves, but it is only in the whole that the thing is complete» (3). The program begins artistically on Monday morning. Devotees greet Sri Swamiji with singing and music, with yoga and photo presentations. The morning ended with the opening of the picture and photogra-phy exhibition in the back part of the hall.«Art is a question of intuition, great concentration,

creation in the PUSHPAKAVIMANA – and there is still one seat empty.»Sri Swamiji also speaks about healing through music: «If you touch the nerves in your body, it is very impor-tant which sound to hear, which note especially has to be heard again and again. If you observe Swamijis concerts, you see that He is pressing one note many times – SA – SA – SA – SA – SA».It is very impressive how Sri Swamiji demonstrates this by tapping on the conference lectern, and that His instrument produces wonderful music for a moment with a single sound. «If you keep on listening to that sound one particular nerve reacts». This NADA is very difficult to explain. The NADA BINDU UPANISHAD and SAMA VEDA are our foundation for NADA. Recently Swamiji wrote a book (9), 1000 pages about NADA, how to heal people with sound. Swamiji is giving many details how to practise.»

A companion of JesusOn Wednesday, July 21st 2010, Lutz Müller, a Jesuit Father who lives in Frankfurt, Germany, talks on the topic of BHAKTI. He sums up the essence of his talk about the exercises practiced by the Jesuits and the essentials of the path as: «To become a companion of Jesus».

Sri Swamiji speaks afterwards about BHAKTI. An important saying in the Indian tradition is that with-out JNANA (spiritual knowledge) there will be no lib-eration. However: «When devotion is pure», says Sri Swamiji, «then the divine itself will give you JNANA».And not only JNANA. Sri Swamiji cites one of the most popular SLOKAS from the BHAGAVAD GITA (SLOKA 22, Chapter 9): «ANANYA CINTAYANTO MAM JANAH PARY-UPASATE /TESAM NITYABHIYUKTANAM YOGAKSHEMAM VAHAMYAHAM» (10). Dr. Nath explains the meaning of the verse further, where KRISHNA says to ARJUNA: «I give you all the four paths JNANA, KARMA, DHYANA, AND BHAKTI – and I give you KSHEMA, well being, prosperity, given that you surrender completely to me.»

According to Sri Swamiji this is one of the fundamen-tal SLOKAS of the ARYA (noble) society, which means as Sri Swamiji says, a truly human society. Because: «The truth is always and everywhere the same. The

forms are different and the explanations given are different. People take different paths, but there is only one Truth. And all paths lead to one goal: Devo-tion». (11)

Non dualityOne highlight of the GBNY conference is a question put to Sri Swamiji. On Thursday morning, Marianne and Heinz Behnken from the Via Cordis community gave the last presentation on YOGA. The Behnkens talk about the path of the Heart Prayer and impart through singing together and the wonderful prayer ABWUN, the Lord’s Prayer translated from Aramaic (12), the atmosphere of this Christian form of YOGA. In the following question and answer dialogue Heinz Behnken asks to the great joy and amusement of all devotees: «I am a human being and I have feelings, I love and I have dislikes. I have sympathies and antipa-thies. Do you have these feelings or are they gone?» He hasn’t had this since His birth and He doesn’t live in duality is the short version of the answer before Sri Swamiji takes the microphone Himself and gives a more detailed explanation. «My birth itself is a teach-ing. I was born in water, my mother was in meditation and the baby lay in the water. Three hours I stay in the water. No duality. I don’t know what these feelings are. So many people cry, so many people laugh, why do they laugh? So I learn: Somebody laughs, I am also laughing. Somebody cries, I am also crying. No feel-ings – how does one live without feelings? That is your next question. I think you also practice then you understand.

Somebody energy is leading in this body. I don’t call it God or Jesus or Datta or Allah. Somebody energy is leading. Maybe I am like a wire, something energy is coming, and one can switch on the light. I don’t know what it is – all these feelings, there is no duality. Now I am 68 and I don’t want to practice duality.» (13)

«Toy story»Sri Swamiji continued on in His answer: «5,000 years ago PATANJALI (14) wrote and gave the same (as Marianne and Heinz Behnken taught). DHYANA is always DHYANA. From place to place it is called some-thing different, there are different names in different languages and different versions. But DHYANA is

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Or to describe it musically: A symphony of light, love and grace that formes and expresses itself uniquely in everyone who is there. A deeply transforming experi-ence for me, happening by the grace of the physical presence of Sri Swamiji.

CreativityTrue creativity means to participate of the ever new creation of the universe. And that means creating something that reflects the order of the universe and dances in harmony with the «music of the spheres». Or to discover something new in the endless order of the universe, as David Bohm, who does not limit crea-tivity to art and culture, but regards it as something as a foundation of real human beingness. Science also needs creativity and originality to be able to perceive something really new. It is only possible to be creative when one is not imprisoned in a mechanical habit of thinking, just repeating the knowledge already acquired. It requires the love of learning and demands that one is, «attentive, alert and aware» as David Bohm says so well. Whatever is mechanical and habitual, more or less totally unconscious, as is so prevalent in daily life, doesn’t lead to anything new, but just repeats the same things over and over in various ways. The joy of learning, trying something out and seeing what happens, openness for what is,

and this abundant playful energy, is the real condition of being human, as one sees in small children with their immense and wonderful creativity. A culture which doesn’t lovingly support the making of mis-takes and learning from them, but rather judges mis-takes with «I don’t like it when you do that» destroys this ancestral human enthusiasm. It is so amazing and wonderful how Sri Swamiji wakes us up so we become children again and how He teaches us to take our responsibility and develop courage.

NADAIt was a unique sight to see Sri Swamiji, the embodi-ment of JNANA, NADA, BHAKTI, and YOGA, standing at the conference lectern, when He speaks to the audi-ence after each lecture during the four day confer-ence.

On Tuesday morning, following Professor Eric Cross’ talk on music history, Sri Swamiji speaks about NADA (see page XXX for the transcription): « Music is like a heaven, music is like a flight. After RAVANA was killed, RAMA returned to His kingdom with a special flight, called PUSHPAKAVIMANA. Even if 10‘000 people are sitting in the airplane – one seat is empty. There is one more seat even if one million of people are on the flight. It is a miracle that VIMANA (1). You can put all

Sri Swamiji after Pada Puja

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Later on Guru Purnima day on the full moon day of July 25th 2010, so many beaming faces and shining eyes can be seen. the GURU JYOTI RAGA SAGARA con-cert on Saturday evening heralds the finale not only from the week in Geseke but (as Prasad said at the opening) of Sri Swamiji’s whole European tour. «This is YOGA SANGEETA – not music, not entertainment, it is a form of YOGA», Sri Swamiji says before the con-cert, that He dedicates to His Guru – His Mother Sri Jayalakshmi Mata. The second piece He plays is a new Raga, He does not usually play (GURU PADAMU, RAGA SRI RANJANI) and He evokes wonderful new tones from His Datta Veena syntheziser. «Pujya Sri Swamiji showed different shades of the Ragas», Datta Peetham’s website describes, «different playing tech-niques which invoked different feelings».

Everything contains everythingAccording to Dr. David Bohm, the mathematics of quantum theory implies a process that he calls «enfoldment», in which each element in space con-tains a field enfolded in the totality, all together «a movement of waves that unfold and enfold through-out the whole of space». (18) Bohm likens this to a hologram, a photographic picture that – different from a normal photo (where a point in the image cor-responds more or less to a point in the photo) – enfolds the whole image in every point of the holo-gram as a pattern of waves. This unfolds, that is it becomes visible, when light shines through it.In Bohm’s model every single part holds waves from everywhere that enfold the whole universe, the wholeness or totality. «The enfolded order is a vast range of potentiality, which can be unfolded.» And: «In the implicate order everything is thus internally related to everything, everything contains everything, and only in the explicate order are things separate and relatively independent.» (18)

Seeds of spiritualitySunday morning, the long awaited and longed for GURU PURNIMA day. After the summer heat it has become fresh, the sky shines with the cool blue of the north and it is good to be covered with a shawl out-side at the Homa. Sri Swamiji, dressed all in white, goes into the hall after the PURNAHUTI for Sri Chakra Puja. Assembled there for this special occasion are

over 500 devotees, with many Indian faces among them, including several friends from the Mysore Ash-rama. After Homa and Sri Chakra Puja, Sri Swamiji sits on a special chair for the GURU PURNIMA ceremony that is being transmitted as a live webcast for devo-tees all over the world. During the whole program there is a stillness and tranquility in the «temple» that astonishes me and makes me happy.

«I am very extremely happy», Sri Swamiji says at the end of PADA PUJA and the singing of GURU GITA man-tras. What could be a more beautiful GURU PURNIMA present than seeing our beloved Sadguru happy? «Make your Sadguru happy», was the unofficial goal of the organising team during the preparations (at the suggestion of the organizer of last year’s Guru Purni-ma celebrations in USA). All participants have the chance to offer their gifts to Sri Swamiji and receive His DARSHAN. DARSHAN: «The eye, with which I see God, is the same eye with which God sees me; my eye and God’s eye is one eye and one seeing, and one recognition and one loving.» People are walking by their SADGURU for a long while after midday, the greatest of blessings on this day which consecrates the honoring of the SADGURU, and which is most meaningful in the relationship between GURU and SHISHYA. It seemed more disciplined and calm than ever before and Sri Swamiji indeed mentioned this with praise later on in India.

GURU PURNIMA is also the day when the SADGURU sows the seed of spirituality (see the article by Dr. Nath in the special edition of Datta Mala on Guru Purnima). This is valid for the development of each individual and also for the whole. It appears to me as if Sri Swamiji planted a seed containing a code for a new way of life and a new way of living together. In harmony with the universal order and in the process of unfoldment of beauty, and harmony, and not, as David Bohm describes, fragmented conditions, that can be found all over society with all the conflicts and collisions of the individual parts.

4 – D CinemaAnd it still continues. After the conclusion program on Sunday evening we pack and wave goodbye to Sri Swamiji on Monday morning as the car slowly glides

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DHYANA. Meditation, is always meditation, no lan-guage, no feelings. It is only our duty – to where we came we want to go to that place. That is what PATAN-JALI SUTRAS says. But don’t get attached to the things that are here. When you close your eyes and meditate without visualizing, without sounds also, you can visu-alize, DHYANA, and you will come to my planet. That is our goal: To where we came from we go back. Why God is sending in this body, we want to finish and go back.» (15)

Then Sri Swamiji stands at the conference lectern for the last time. Using the «Toy Story 3» (the latest film in the Toy Story series) He gives more hints on the nature of feelings: «There are no humans playing in this film. They are all toys. They speak, they fight, they marry. They do all kinds of things. But when you look at the toys in Toy Story 3: Everybody likes them and everybody cries. But they are only toys that play. The story itself has no meaning. Our drama is also like a puppet theater in this life. We are all puppets in the hand of BRAHMAN.» (16)

Supreme realityFriday evening not only gave an exciting show of the creative work of the children, teenagers and young adults, but also a glimpse into Sri Swamiji’s activities, artistically summarized by Hira Duvvuri. «Sri Swamiji teaches», is one excerpt of the talk, «that there is no

<I>, there is no such thing as <mine>. There is also no <you>, nor <yours>, as separate from <me> and <mine>. Yesterday he sang the bhajan, NANU NANNADU ILLA, NINA NINNADU ELLA. This is an extremely difficult concept to understand and digest. How can there be no me, when I am constantly aware that <I> am. It is Sri Swamiji‘s mission to make us realize that the true <I> that is, is not the limited <I> that we experience, lim-ited to this one body, with the one name and features, careers, qualifications, parents and siblings. Sri Swa-miji has made it His life‘s mission to make as many of us as possible recognize the real <I> as nothing other than SAKSHAAT PARAMATMAN, the Supreme Reality, which is who Sri Swamiji is. He wants me and every one of us to realize and experience that He and I are one and the same. He, who in truth is formless and nameless, and is all pervading, has become all the <I’s> in existence through eternity. He is I, you, you, you, and you, and every single being in creation that ever was, ever is, and ever will be. Sri Swamiji lives in that experience, which explains His limitless, unconditional love for all of us. He wants us all to enjoy that same realization and the resulting bliss and permanent joy.» (17)

GURU JYOTIBliss and permanent joy …. Is it possible that someone did not experience THAT in this timeless time with Sri Swamiji, at least for a moment? I cannot imagine it.

The sacred feet of Sadguru and the Padukas: Symbol for DHARMA

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ble mistakes, uses this for an unforgettable lesson. And the court fool, now in the fragrance of the rose-water from the broken bottle, wonders about the grace of the supreme king.

That the concert had already begun, I only realize as I hear the applause. So I have to sneak through the loud squeaky door right next to the stage in the Hubertus-saal. I have never had such a loud creaky floor under my feet, as I make my way around the whole audience to finally take my seat on the other side of the hall. And I understand a bit more what Sri Swamiji means when He says: «You must control.» That will become a daily training after Guru Purnima.

Timeless joyOn the following morning an unforgettable follow-the-master-drive to the airport where a handful of tired and overjoyed devotees say goodbye to Sri Swamiji who is flying on to Denmark. We stand there and wave as Sri Swamiji with His three companions goes through

passport control and slowly disappears out of our view without once turning round. Then He takes two, three steps back and – I can really feel His smile – turns around to those of us still standing there and waves.

We stay a while longer in this «no mans» land between coming and going, between landing and tak-ing off. «Joy is timeless», is written on a blow-up high up in the hall. We also manage to say goodbye to each other. With joy, nostalgia, in peace and contentment even with everything that was difficult and didn’t function as one had imagined and hoped it would. Someone remembers the story that Sri Swamiji has also mentioned in Geseke: When you get an apple, you do not throw it away only because it had a little black spot on it. You can cut out the black spot and grateful enjoy the apple as a gift. « It is He who makes us do wrong things», said Hira Duvvuri, «so that we learn from our mistakes.» (19)

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by the long row of people. The weather has changed and the sky is stormy black. During the eight hour drive to Munich on the highway it rains again and again with monsoon intensity. Sometime, somewhere on the A9 south I see nine geese flying in the sky reminding me of the birds I often see in the sky over Sri Swamiji’s Ashrama in Mysore. As we get closer to Munich the landscape changes and it becomes more Swiss-like, more hilly and feels more like home than the wide open spaces in northern Germany. Suddenly I see that everything – highway, landscape, trees, sky, earth, everything that we see, in which we breathe, live, that which seems so naturally to be the reality – is a third- or fourdimensional projection of THAT. It is a completely different way of perception: As if I could perceive the light which creates – similar to the movie projection in the cinema – this apparent reality. And in this «movie» we are – unlike cinema – contained: Breathing, living, thinking, acting.That slowly fades away as we needed all our concen-tration – it has turned dark – to find our way through the big city to our hotel, just in time to get our room key.

«You must control»The next morning we go up to the castle. How differ-ent it looks to the first time we came here in January,

when it was wide and white under snow and freezing cold. Although being completely non-aristocratic I feel comfortable in Nymphenburg, which astounds me, until I get clear in what role I might be here. An hour before the start of the concert one cannot believe that everything will be ready on time, and again I feel this amazement at how Sri Swamiji man-ages again and again, to ensure that everything is suddenly in the right place. What was lost appears again, the roses all join up in the garland and every-thing that was lying around in the entrance where He would enter the Hubertussaal hall is tidied up.

Only my mind is confused. Perhaps I am drunk from the scent of the thousand roses and white lilies. Full of anticipation of Sri Swamiji’s arrival, I think I can quietly put on clean trousers. Before doing this the thought passes my mind that it is perhaps better to wait until Sri Swamiji and His entourage has passed by on the way to the artist’s changing rooms. So I throw my trousers over a stool - there is a loud crack as the glass bottle with rosewater and the imprint «Sadguru leads you from darkness to light» rolls out of the pocket and smashes into pieces on the floor. Before I realize what had happened, Sri Swamiji swiftly comes around the corner. He smiles and I experience once more how He, even when we make the most impossi-

Dicke Birken, Geseke: Bye, bye Sri Swamiji!

Daily: Sri Chakra Puja

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(1) Guru Gita Mantra 44, in Sri Guru Gita, p56(2) David Bohm: On creativity, London, New York 1998, p. 106(3) David Bohm: On creativity, London, New York 1998, p. 106(4) Summarized from Ishvari’s talk at the opening of the exhibi-tion.(5) Translated from the German taken from Master Eckhart, Pre-digt 13, Deutsche Predigten und Traktate. Published and transla-ted by Josef Quint. München: Hanser Verlag, 1995, p. 216(6) Taken from the transcript of the lecture(7) Pir Vilayat Khan, translated from the German taken from Lichtübungen: Den eigenen Licht-tempel mit seiner Aura bauen, Lektion 46 aus der Meditations-kurs.(8) CHITTA: One of the mental functions, VRITTI: Activity, NIRODHA: Control, self-control. Said by Prof. von Brück in his lecture.(9) The original version in Telegu from RAGA RAGINI NADA YOGAMU was released during Sri Swamiji’s 68th birthday celebrations on May 30th, 2010. The official release outside Mysore Ashram was on November 7th, 2010 with Sri Swamiji and Sri Bala Swamiji at an event attended by famous musicians, scientists and politicians. The Indian musician, author, teacher and music scientist, Dr. Nookala Chinna Satyanarayana described RAGA RAGINI NADA YOGAMU as an extension of SAMA VEDA.(10) The translation of the slokas is: To those who exclusively medi-tate upon Me, thinking of no other, who are ever devout, I bring pro-sperity and security (KSHEMA), Chapter 9, SLOKA 22, SRIMAD BHAGA-VADGITA, Transliteration and Translation by Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji. AVADHOOTA DATTA PEETHAM, 1990, p. 143(11) Summary from Sri Swamiji’s speech on BHAKTI on July 21st, 2010.(12) Abwun (Lord’s prayer)as presented by Marianne and Heinz Behn-ken: Father-Mother of the cosmos / procreating birth giving love / everything YOU create in light. /Prepare within us the space of our heart / so that we may experience YOUR light and YOUR sound in peace. / May YOUR reality reveal itself. / Let heaven and earth build a new creation / by discovering YOUR love in ours. / Kindly give to us day after day / what we need in terms of bread and insight /for the call of the growing life. / Free us from the chains of our mistakes / as we also give free / what binds us to the guilt of others.

/Guide us within temptation. / Because YOURS is the kingdom of love and peace / the fullness of life / the lively power of rebirth and the sound of the cosmos / which beautifies everything time over time. / I do confirm this with my whole being. Amen.(13) Summary from Sri Swamiji’s speech on BHAKTI on July 21st, 2010(14) PATANJALI: «PATANJALI developed the eight fold path (ASTANGA) of yoga in 200 AD as a system, that still forms the basis of most yoga disciplines today.» KRIYA YOGA, introduction by Sri Ganapati Sach-chidananda Swamiji, 2010, p.13. The new German translation by Shaba-ri was released at Geseke in 2010. (15) Summarized from Sri Swamiji’s speech on YOGA on July 22nd, 2010 (16) Summarized from Sri Swamiji’s speech on YOGA on July 22nd, 2010(17) Hira Duvvuri’s speech, July 23rd, 2010, published in the BHAKTI MALA October 2010, also on www.dattapeetham.com Guru Purnima celebration, under «other events».(18) David Bohm: On creativity, London, New York 1998, p. 1-26(19) Hira Duvvuri’s speech, July 23rd, 2010.(20) Sri Ganapati Sachchidananda Swamiji, Journey into the Self, Lessons in Vedanta, volume 1, Mantra 18.

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What can one say? About the event with Sri Swamiji, these gloriously blissful days around Guru Purnima which took place in Europe for the first time. In Geseke the flags of all European countries were hung next to the entrance of the temporary temple. «It is a historical event» said Sri Swamiji Himself on Guru Purnima day. And even if we can’t understand the whole dimension of this, the feeling of being deeply moved by having experienced this historical event remains with us and – to have played a part in forming one of these myriads parts that unfold out of the «implicate order». «Europe did it» someone said to the point. With Sri Swamiji’s grace and in His light.

November 2010 addendumAs I remember the forest fires in Russia that have long disappeared from the headlines, I try to recall all the big catastrophes in Europe and the whole world with all the suffering of people and nature that we witnessed through the media. It’s only possible with some difficulty and research.In the earthquake in Haiti in January 2010 around half a million people lost their life. The earthquake in Chile in February 2010 was one of the most powerful quakes that has ever shaken the earth and it destroyed around 500,000 houses. A further earthquake in China and Tibet in April 2010 was hardly mentioned at all.

In March the Eyjafjalljökull volcano in Iceland erupted and dominated the headlines with its ash cloud that spread over Europe, badly impacting European air traffic, and causing millions of travelers to be strand-ed at airports. On April 20th, the Deep Water Horizon oil drilling platform exploded in the Gulf of Mexico. 500,000 to a million tons of crude oil leaked out and caused one of the greatest environmental catastro-phes in the world. The consequences of this, as with the forest and peat fires in Russia, cannot be esti-mated.

Sri Swamiji at the conclusion program in Geseke

TATTVAMASI TATTVAMASIAANANDASSA CHCHITTVAMASI

«You are That.You are That.You are ANANDA (bliss), SAT (truth) and CHIT (knowledge)» (20)

While Europe had a record heat wave, Pakistan (and Ladakh) had unusually heavy monsoon rains at the end of July, which caused massive flooding of the big rivers across the whole country.I am more and more clear that Sri Swamiji is not only supporting and nourishing personal growth during the event in Geseke this summer but also giving strength to cope with difficult situations. As we know: It is not given for oneself. And whatever our duty may be – may we fulfill it in His service as well as possible, and may we be worthy of His Love.

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On July 16th, I found an email with the latest infor-mation from Aniruddha in my mailbox: «32 children and teenagers aged between 2 and 16 years speaking three different languages, have registered for our program!»We had begun the preparations several months before, because we wanted our young friends in Geseke to feel welcomed and comfortable. They should be allowed to participate in the conference in their own way, have the chance to get to know each other and relax. We wanted to offer them space within which they could express themselves in many differ-ent ways, where they could experience something that was touching, supporting, joyful or that would help them in their life.

A colourful carpet … … woven from threads and ribbons from every country. Kambhoji was responsible for the children’s program in Geseke. She now talks about her work with the Datta children and teenagers.

«Ganesha» presented us with surprises, not only at the beginning but also during the program. The first surprise began before Sri Swamiji’s arrival when ten lively teenagers formed a team first playing games and then painting. On Sunday evening they stood along with the younger children and everybody else, holding torches and Chinese lanterns eagerly await-ing the arrival of our Master. The following morning they were the first to welcome Sri Swamiji with the poster they had made themselves.

Many elephantsThe children’s program officially began with the start of the event on Monday. The smaller children listened to stories from western and eastern literature. Some

of the stories were about elephants, about the inspi-rational and colorful Elmar, about Ganesha or about Mahagiri from India. They found the story about Satyanarayana («Bala Sachchidananda, the Divine Child») especially fascinating. From time to time the children loved to dip into one of the books from the small library we had brought along. Agastya had planned an exciting animal safari in the area for Tues-day. While the older children learned pop songs with Kyra, the younger ones were very busily involved with painting. With Sangeeta´s and Sushila’s support we enthusiastically created Ganeshas and Elmars so that our «Hamburg» room soon transformed into an «ele-phant burg» [burg = castle in German language] room. A whole troop of colourful, fantasy elephants deco-rated the room!Sushila’s portrayal of the Vagdevi school as well as the idea of an auction of the children’s paintings whose proceeds would be given to the children in the Vagdevi school spurred the children to a real surge of creativity. The paintings would be on show! On the final evening they would make 2,036 Euros for our friends in Bangalore!

Performing and dancingAs well as playing outside the young ones loved sing-ing bhajans and songs. Saraswati and Prakash sup-ported us wonderfully on tabla and guitar. «Jai Guru Datta, Sri Guru Datta …» or «Hanuman, Hanumate Namaha …» could be heard pouring out sincerely and joyfully from children’s throats and hearts. Especially, as the parents related, in the evenings, during meals or in the shower.Sometimes it was a great challenge and a real work of

Reception on Monday morning: Welcome Sri Swamiji

… drawing and painting … beaming and laughing… playing …

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Kaliji and the children doing TRIYOGAYOGA !

art, to connect with all the young people, who had different cultural backgrounds and various needs, and find ways to be a group and allow artistic ideas to unfold. Playing, painting, listening to stories, perform-ing and dancing brought us closer.Again and again there were deeply touching moments: For example there was a little girl who discovered for the first time that is was fun to paint, that she could do it and that her paintings would be displayed and appreciated. Another girl totally absorbed within, happily danced a story. A boy experienced how one of the «big boys» became his friend after a misunder-standing and shock. The story of Sina and the yoga cat helped another boy to discover that he could do the apparently very difficult gymnastic exercises, calmly and with confidence …

It was very nice to experience how the group of small ones, initially shy, accepted the offer of Kaliji’s yoga team to join in the yoga class, and how they slowly opened up and were happy.The highlight was without doubt for all of us Sri Swa-miji’s surprise visit to the «children’s room», and Fri-day evening when the children, teenagers and some young adults performed on stage in front of Him and the audience with their «Young Talents Show». Some

hearts were beating really fast! Even though not eve-rything went according to the dress rehearsal, and not everything went according to plan – it was a happy, beautiful evening that brought us closer together. Many had shining eyes! The young artists gave their best. We were astonished and very moved by the beauty of the performance.

Finally I would like to thank all the participants from my heart: my friends Agastya, Saraswati, Sangeeta and Sushila as well as Kaliji and her team for their great job, Prakash and Kyra for the musical support, all the children and teenagers for joining in so well, Datta, Vinuta and Mira for your unique performance, your art moved us deeply. All the sponsors for the pictures for Vagdevi and of course Kala I thank for your help in this project and your generosity! And most of all I thank our Master Sri Swamiji, whose love during this week once again enlivened, guided and protected us.

Sri Bala Swamiji had already accepted the invitation to Geseke, but His visit was not possible in the end. However, He was present during the event … Saraswati from the Netherlands narrates her expe-rience.

Several devotees might have seen me walking in my «I love Bala Swamiji» T-Shirt during Guru Purnima Celebration week. It is no secret that I Love Bala Swa-miji very intensely. Since Navaratri 2009 in Mysore, when HE picked me up and took my Heart (and I could and would not resist!), it is HIM I breathe, it is HIM I think of, it is HIM who fills every cell of my body.I noticed, that through HIM, I can feel Appaji stronger and stronger, too. So it is not strange, that I sing for HIM every day and that during Guru Purnima Celebra-tions too, and that I also wrote a poem for HIM.I was blessed to share this poem in front of Appaji with all devotees present and the ones on Yoga San-geeta.

GURU PURNIMA

DATTA DARSHAN

Saraswati with Bala Swamiji and Swamiji, Navaratri 2009

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Poem for Bala SwamijiToday it is Guru Purnima and I am thinking of YouConcentrating on YouMeditating on YouHonoring YouSo far away, but then again so closeIn the PRESENCE of our Sadguru

Light is coming throughLove and affection tooAll Cells are charged with Divine EnergyWith the BLESSINGS of our Sadguru

Playing the tabla, singing and dancingMy Beloved Bala SwamijiI dedicate to YouAll with the LOVE of our Sadguru

From the bottom of my heartWith Eternal Love and DevotionMay Appaji BLESS YOU!That is MY PRAYER at the Lotus Feet of our Sadguru

Singing under the treeAs I said, I sing for my beloved Bala Swamiji every day. Also during this week in Geseke. But somehow, it was very special, for I went early in the morning, at 5 A.M. and sat down under a beautiful tree, always with Bala Swamiji sitting next to me metaphysically (as it turned out, this tree was standing in front of Appaji’s residence).

The second day it was raining a little, but the tree gave me shelter and I loved singing in nature here in the Ashram of our Beloved Sadguru. For of course, it is not only His Holiness Bala Swamiji I am singing for, it is also for Appaji, for they are ONE.On the third day, I noticed at the end of my last bhajan that Appaji was approaching. On the metaphysical plane. He came from the left (from the side of His residence). I continued singing, tried not to be dis-tracted. Still concentrating on the singing.But at the last line, I could hardly finish my singing – I felt His Holiness who was approaching closer and closer – His Force was getting stronger and stronger – Until finally it was DATTATREYA HIMSELF standing in front of me!I was actually forced to the ground, bowed down very very deeply for His Holiness Bala Swamiji, Appaji AND Dattatreya at the same time.

It took me several minutes to come to my senses again. To breathe normally again. A friend told me later that Appaji had given me Datta Darshan. I don’t even know what that means exactly – but it felt very, very intensely. And I am very very grateful for this experience.

JAYA APPAJI – JAYA BALA SWAMIJIJAYA GURU DATTA

The culmination … … of Sri Swamiji’s visit to Germany: A divine concert in the palace of a fairy tale king.

A report by Mira.

It is Tuesday, the 27th of July 2010, around ten o’clock in the morning and a foggy and rainy, more November-like than summer-ly day. Although Munich presents its dreary side it feels like entering another world with a lordly and pompously, simultaneously pre-cious and subtle atmospheric com-pound veiled behind Nymphen-burgs palace walls radiating tranquility as well as authority. The generous premises allow the sol-emnly spirit to be perceptible espe-cially towards evening.

BackstageEven though it is early in the day there are already many volunteers busy with the props, the conversion of the stage, the lighting system and all the technical stuff, the organization of decorative articles and the dealings with the mass of roses and odorant lilies. Since Sri Swamiji and the musicians should not just find a ready welcome but feel as being at home there were many things which had to be pre-pared backstage too, like the coat-rooms.

It is not that the repeatedly heavy rainfalls mare the atmosphere inside the palace – quite the oppo-site it becomes even more festive and the musicians - who arrive already around 3 p.m. do a sound-check on the stage that sounds beautiful and it is rather like a little pre-concert. As time goes by, the number of volunteers increases and - filled with keen anticipation – preparations are made. One gar-land of flowers after the other is being bound, the stage decorated, the bookstall built up, the back-

Sri Swamiji receives roses after the concert

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actual mental diseases were, what the very true rea-sons were for his incapacitation on the 11th of June, 1886 and most of all concerning his very mysterious death on the 13th of June, 1886. Many questions are not clarified down to the present day. «I want to remain as an everlasting mystery to myself as well as the rest» as he interestingly once wrote (original quotation in German). The concluding words of Sri Swamiji tell that there is a hidden meaning in this evening, that it contains a secret.

HamsaOne of the Ragas being played at this evening is a special composition of Sri Swamijidedicated to King Ludwig II. Sri Swamiji also plays Hamsananda Raga - a Swan Raga. KingLudwig really adored swans and until this day there are many of them living on the waterinstallations around the palace. Some short sounds which compare a bit to a deep choirlet us listen attentively, too.

stage area perfected, the stage door prepared and many other things are done…

UniquenessThe concert itself is - as to be sure each of Swamiji’s is – unique and special. Nevertheless in at least one point it takes up an exceptional position: It is not «just one among many» but rather a realisation of a con-cern of His Holiness expressed already 1993 in the context of a visit to King Ludwigs palaces Neuschwan-stein and Linderhof in South Germany. He felt the strong connection between the King and the com-poser Richard Wagner (1813-1883) then and uttered the wish to give a concert in one of the palace halls someday.

King Ludwig II was born on the 25th of August 1845 in Nymphenburg Palace. Popularly he is called a fairy tale king which is not in the least because of the Neuschwanstein Castle, Linderhof Palace, Her-renchiemsee Palace and the extravagant hunting lodge Schachen which were built up according to his will. Neuschwanstein Castle holds a mirror up to his

interest in the knight legends of the Middle Ages, Linderhof Palace bears witness to his enthusiasm for everything being oriental and exotic as well as the Greek and Roman theodicy and Herrenchiemsee Pal-ace was designed along the lines of Palace Versailles in France.

The «Moon King»Since King Ludwig II commonly slept during daytime and was awake and lived his life during the night he is also called as “Moon King” - by contrast to the French Sun King Louis XIV. In other ways as well he stands out due to (apparently?) contraries, mysteries and incon-sistencies in societal and psychic aspects as well as his policy of the government. Concerning his music preferences he really idolised Richard Wagners’ com-positions - mostly operas and music dramas - which fascinated him all through. As a patron of Wagner who revolutionized the compositional work in determining points King Ludwig II contributed a lot to the music history of his day.Especially after Ludwig’s death many rumors came up concerning how and who he «really» was, what his

Lastly it might be a special gift that we are allowed to pass by with a flower and to get Darshan of His Holi-ness!

When Sri Swamiji is leaving the palace those who are nearby can hear the cry - or rather a call? - of a single swan which is swimming towards Him on the channel next to the pavement. Sri Swamiji then walks towards the swan and for around two minutes they face each other…

This concert in Nymphenburg Palace on the 27th of July, 2010 was a culmination of the foregone eventful and unforgettably wonderful days in Geseke with the Gna-Na-Bha-Yoga-Conference, excursions, hilarious Bhajan sessions in the evenings, the Bala-Datta-Pro-gramme, Kriya- and Triyoga-Lessons, a concert and the Guru Purnima Celebrations on the 25th of July, 2010.

At the beginning of the concert Holding the crystal wand Conclusion of the concert with rose garlandAlongside Prince Max III (builder Hubertusssaal)

In the Japanese tradition and in the Chinese system there are methods for working with the NADI and the nerves. For healing they press different points and nerves. They are only touching the nerves (= acupres-sure, not acupuncture). Then they give five or ten glasses of good juice and they put some sound like OM. The patients sleep for one hour or two hours and when they wake up they are very happy. Some miracle happened. But after one week the pain comes again. What is this? How can we believe that acupressure treatment?

For one week or ten days they are very happy, no pain! The pain vanished. It is really true, acupressure

is a kind of art. It is a temporary healing system. Maybe it works also psychologically. The pain is really gone, no doubt. But slowly it is coming again. And the patients are going again to treatment and pay some money, and again they will be healed. It’s a good busi-ness, OK.

The disease will be curedBut how can the pain vanish permanently? I don’t blame that system (of acupressure), I give respect to that system. I obey that system, we have in our VEDANTA also that system. In the ayurvedic sys-tem we have NADI SHODHANA VIDYA (4). In the proper way and with proper herbal medicine definitely the

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Music is like a heaven, music is like a flight. After RAVANA was killed, RAMA returned to His kingdom with a special flight, called PUSHPAKAVIMANA. Even if 10’000 people are sitting in the airplane – one seat is empty. There is one more seat even if one million people are on the flight. It is a miracle that VIMANA (1). You can put all creation in the PUSHPAKAVIMANA – and there is still one seat empty.

When HANUMANTA went to Sri Lanka in search of SITA – where is SITA? Where is SITA? Where is SITA – he went round RAVANAS palace and KUMBHAKARNAS (2) palace. Different style the palace, different style of roof and floor. If you touch any pillar there is a little sound, if you touch another pillar there is a different sound. ANJANEYA (3), our NADA GURU, formless ANJANEYA (who is of course also in the monkey form) is going one step, two steps, three steps, very slowly, he is watching, because all demons are sleeping. The demons also know all the tricks, MAYA, how to become invisible, how to become visible. So HANUMANTA took higher energy – higher energy means invisible – but the demons know that too. HANUMANTA went invisible with a kind of – I’m not calling it MANTRA, he was using his NADA. NADA means the same as PRANAYAMA. That PRANAYAMA gives a different sound. If you sleep or if you are awake: There are different sounds. Other sounds are produced when you are very angry, or when you get very hungry, when you are in sorrow, or in happiness, or when you get very tense. When you have a female baby in the womb, there is a different sound of PRANAYAMA. You must observe your PRANA, all kinds of different notes.

I will show today evening, if possible, which sounds represents for our nerves. This is not tricks, this is not hypnosis, it’s a real fact.

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NADA is great

Sri Swamijis talking about NADA

«JNANA is in your body, NADA is in your body»

«Why do I take birth again? »

ous countries. In the BHAGAVAD GITA there is a beauti-ful picture for VISHVARUPA (6), you can see so many AVATARAS in one RUPA (form), SAHASRARA AVATARA, the universal form of Lord VISHNU, Lord KRISHNA, some people say RAMA, it doesn’t matter. So NADA is also VISHVARUPA. I have told so many times what the SA RI GA MA PA DA NI is. What is the SA, what is the RI, what is the GA MA PA DA NI? It is in our body, com-pletely. SA means SAGARA, ocean. The first birth of man and woman is in the ocean, in the mother womb, in this ocean they are rounding and rounding. For nine months oder eight months. Some people come out after seven months, very urgently they want to come in this miserable world (Sri Swamiji laughs) – OK, in this beautiful world.

If you observe the child in the womb you can see dif-ferent forms, like the KURMA-form, the turtle-form. That is the SA, the ocean. And then RI, it means the (land) animals. When the baby is born, the first sounds are coming – NNA GNA GHO … KOUM KIM (7) … Who am I? Why do I take birth again? What is my KARMA? Who are my parents, these temporary parents? How many days will this Mama, this Papa stay with me? NHAA GHAA … you can note these sounds, and analyse with the computer, then you understand the language. One hour after birth another sound is coming, three hours later the sound is different, after six hours again it will be different. The baby will take all the seven notes. The NADA BINDU UPANISHAD gives a special explana-tion, a special meaning about this.

Without NADA we can’t live. Yesterday I told that NADA means our PRANA. In the beginning I told that our NADA is different – when we eat, when we travel, when we sleep the sound is changing. That NADA is a creation, a wonderful sub-ject in our body. NADA itself is JNANA. Some people only practise NADOPASANA (8), they don’t want any MANTRA, any VEDANTA or KARMA YOGA. They sit and inhale and exhale. Only inhale and exhale. They have good health, good memory, good sleep. You can con-centrate on your PRANA. When you suffer from sleep-lessness you can take straight line and concentrate – inhale and exhale – definitely you sleep. But when you are going to bed you are thinking so many bad things. You can concentrate on your NADA.

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disease will be cured. If you touch the nerves in your body it is very important which sound to hear, which note especially has to be heard again and again. If you observe Swamiji’s concerts, you see that He is press-ing one note many times – SA – SA – SA – SA – SA. If you keep on listening to that sound, one particular nerve reacts.

This NADA is very difficult to explain. The NADA BINDU UPANISHAD and SAMA VEDA are our foundation for NADA. Recently Swamiji wrote a book (5), 1000 pages about NADA, how to heal people with sound. Swamiji is giving many details how to practise. My forefathers were also music people using music like a penance through VEDA, first the NADA BINDU UPANISHAD, then SAMA VEDA. In using NADA it is also very important which RAGA to play at what time. Early morning RAGAS are different from evening RAGAS or midnight RAGAS. And how to behave with our mind is also very important.

Moving energyThat system ANJANEYA was following in the palace of RAVANA, one step, two steps, three steps, four steps. The demons don’t know about NADA. This is the final version for tricks, the final version for music, the final version for energy, the final version for Divine grace. You can give many titles to it.

And then finally he is sitting in the PUSHPAKAVIMANA. RAMA wants to go back to AYODHYA. Many monkeys are also sitting in the plane. And one seat is empty. Then they are flying over the forest where ANJANEYAS ashrama is located. His mother is crying and ANJANEYA wants to go for a visit and come back. For a couple of seconds he goes visiting his mother ANJANA DEVI. RAMA thinks that two seats are empty now. There is the seat that is always empty and there is ANJANEYAS seat. But who is sitting here? Some-body is sitting here. Who is sitting here? I am quoting ANANDA RAMAYANA. RAMA wants to see that energy and He is talking to that energy. ANJANEYA did not want to take all the energy to his mother and kept some back in his seat. How can we believe this kind of stories? You don’t believe, OK. You believe that these are only different stories. But I am talking about NADA, about NADA power. You must experience NADA

power. If you read books nothing happens, only more and more questions are coming. We need talks like the lecture of yesterday, easy to understand and clearing our doubts. Only on a certain level we need the help of books. After that level do not touch books any-more, do only SADHANA, think about yourself. NADA is in your body, JNANA is in your body. YOGA is also in your body. This body is a moving energy. Don’t hate this body. So many people hate this body. You have no right to say: I want to die. Say: I want to live with the JNANA, with the NADA. I want to live with my GURU. I want the SATSANGA and good association and good friendship. Don’t say: I want to die. Your ticket to death is already booked. Don’t think about death. Think about only this today. Think: I am very lucky, I learn different spiritual subjects, different YOGA sys-tems. I’m very very lucky. You can always tell yourself: I’m very happy!

In India when we talk about NADA, we talk about NARADA and ANJANEYA and TUMBARA. Very famous musicians, they are incarnations of NADA, these saints. But not the musicians are great, the listeners are great! Musicians don’t know how to use their own music. There are excellent singers, excellent musi-cians, and they don’t know how to use their own music. Like comedy men, who are wonderfully humor-ous in their comedies – but in their own house they are always in sorrow, always unhappy. I have seen great musicians but their life is miserable. They don’t listen to their own CDs at home. Why? You can think about this question.

TurtleMusic is great, NADA is great. There are so many dif-ferent styles, so many different instruments in vari-

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(1) VIMANA: Vehicle of the deities, being self-moving. PUSHPAKA VIMANA: The airplane of RAMA.

(2) Brother of the demon RAVANA(3) ANJANEYA: A name of HANUMAN, derived from the name of his

mother ANJANA(4) NADI: The subtle energy channels in the body. SHODHANA: Purifi-

cation. VIDYA: Wisdom, science.(5) The original version of «RAGA RAGINA NADA YOGAMU» in Telegu

was released on the occasion of Sri Swamiji 68th birthday celebra-tions on 30th of May, 2010. A further release outside the Ashrama took place 7th of November, 2010 in Hyderabad with Sri Swamiji in the presence of well-known musicians, scientists and politicians.

(6) VISHVARUPA: Omnipresent, containing all forms, the universal form of the Divine

(7) KIM means «who, what»(8) NADOPASANA: From NADA (sound) and UPASANA: Worship, service.

Sri Swamiji said: «There is an intimate relationship between music and BRAHMAN. NADOPASANA leads to MOKSHA (liberation).»

«You must experience NADA power»

«Definitely the disease will be cured»

«This body is a moving energy»

«Without NADA we can‘t live»

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Tuesday, July 13th, 2010. There are only five more days till Sri Swamiji comes to Geseke. The vanguard headed by Kala and Selvam are already there. Togeth-er with a few others they worked untiringly all day long till late at night to prepare and decorate the hall. In truth one could well describe the Dicke Birken Guest House’s «undecorated» hall as a «hole».

The big cleanupFriday, July 16th. There are now a few dozen helpers. They work like industrious ants. There is a feeling of great anticipation infusing the work being done: «He

is coming soon»! And: «It should be beautiful and it will be». The rooms in the guest house allocated for Sri Swamiji and His entourage have apparently been neglected for years, and are now being cleaned with incredible devotion. They will never be so clean again! This is only possible out of love for Sri Swamiji.

Innumerable pieces of furniture were moved from certain rooms to another room nearby, which was a big ‘sweat’ job. We needed to create a comfortable living atmosphere for our guests from India. Every-thing is arranged with a loving touch. Tons of material

from the DYC store rooms in Germany and Switzerland have to be carried into the rooms and hall. The chairs, special beds and mattresses, televisions, decorations, a complete kitchen for Sri Swamiji’s cook Kusumakka, printers, computers, various information materials, tools, bookshop etc. On top of this, there are the newly purchased (or rented) things like food, flowers, plants, music system, translation equipment and so on.

This being our third visit to Geseke is a great advan-tage. One knows where things are and how they func-tion. There are a few new things like the dining room which has been redesigned. There one can joyfully meet old Datta friends who one hasn’t seen for some-times one or two years. Being exhausted, everyone enjoyed a little break now and then, to revive and then be able to go back to work. The anticipation is growing.

Innumerable tripsIn addition to helping with moving furniture around, clearing out the kitchen and cleaning, my program included a variety of shopping trips, since I was the main person responsible for transport. Such as driv-

ing to Lippstadt to buy things like plants, vases, screws, torches, candles etc. Then on to the mobile phone shop to get equipment necessary for internet access for our office and the Indians. Chalk for the children. Buying food at the supermarket for the Indians as well as dozens of bottles of water for the Indians and helpers. Our transport bus was really full!

The day before Sri Swamiji’s arrival we drove an hour to the IKEA furniture shop in Bielefeld to buy 130 scented lamps: we only found out at the last minute that we would be welcoming Sri Swamiji in the dark, late at night. On the way to IKEA we received a call to look for a certain piece of furniture for Sri Swamiji’s rooms, but unfortunately we didn’t find anything suit-able.

The firemanEvery day, Dhyani chiefly (he was the main organizer of the whole event together with Shabari) had to solve all kinds of small and big organizational ‘catastro-phes’. Many of the challenges arose because the Dicke Birken Guest House had not been well maintained. So Dhyani had to suddenly find a mobile kitchen that could feed 500 people. Contrary to our agreement

GURU PURNIMA

Behind the scenesThe events associated with Sri Swamiji’s visit to Germany were only possible because many people helped. Dasharatha gives his impression of what went on behind the scenes.

left: Lippstadt-Paderborn airport: He is coming!Above: The hall had to be set up with rented chairs for the conference

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with Dicke Birken, we weren’t allowed to use the big kitchen to prepare the Prasadam on Guru Purnima day. This was a big shock. This prevented Naladatta from preparing wonderful ‘masala dosas’ for all of us. He travelled specially from the Mysore Ashram kitch-en in order to do this. And we had already bought several hundred kilograms of ingredients for this from an Indian specialty shop in Düsseldorf. Where can one suddenly find a big, mobile kitchen that we could use to prepare the other Prasadam? Dhyani managed to do it! So he ‘put out’ - sometimes with the help of others, but often alone – several ‘fires’. And even though he doesn’t like to hear it: Thank you, Dhyani!

Back home againDaniel Mohan and I set off with two buses later on Saturday evening, because Swami Manasa Datta, Dr. Panishri, Naladatta and the musicians were travelling separately from Sri Swamiji through Frankfurt to save them a much longer journey over Munich, and then to Paderborn. The flight was scheduled to arrive in Frankfurt at 8 o’clock in the morning, so we decided to drive for 3 hours the evening before. Since I live in the Rhine-Main region, we spent the night at my home.

It was wonderful to see our Indian friends again after such a long time. It actually felt like Sri Swamiji had already arrived. At the beginning of the drive the Indians were lively and chatty, but towards the end we could see that their journey had been strenuous. The musicians gave a little snoring concert. On the way they wanted a coffee and I was astonished to see them going towards McDonald’s instead of the «An der Pfefferhöhe» restaurant. Funnily enough we met Lokesha Leo from Austria there. He was very busy working as a driver during the whole event.

The last minute preparationsWhen we arrived in Geseke on Sunday morning the last minute preparations for Sri Swamiji’s visit were well underway. We had waited so long for Him and done so much to get ready. I felt very happy, but was also afraid that it would be over too soon, and that because of my jobs I wouldn’t be able to enjoy it.

Many familiar and some new faces continued to arrive at the guest house. A big family celebration was about to begin. There was another meeting of the organiza-tion team where we had to discuss a lot of details. The finishing touches were being made to the hall. Our reception team had their hands full giving out infor-mation to participants and checking through the bookkeeping. I cleaned the car for Sri Swamiji once more, picked out every little bit of fluff, and smoothed out all the wrinkles from the cloth covering the seat for Sri Swamiji.

Meeting at the airportWe drove to the nearby Paderborn-Lippstadt airport with about a dozen people, late in the evening. Even some of the musicians wanted to personally meet Sri Swamiji at the airport. The flight from Munich was delayed. Appaji, Prasadi, Kusumakka and Nilakantha were almost the last passengers to come into the arrival hall, and we welcomed them holding roses in our hands. How can one describe the moment when one sees Sri Swamiji directly with one’s own eyes again, after a long time? It is different every time and yet the same. It is hardly possible to understand it or to describe it, but it is definitely an entrancing and exciting experience. Relatively quickly I had to switch into ‘working mode’ so that our guests could be taken quickly and safely to the guest house, where everyone else was waiting full of longing to see our Sadguru.

Of course it is very special to be able to drive Sri Swamiji. It is both a big responsibility and a big hon-our. One wants to do everything right, like changing gears smoothly. Even when one has already done the drive once to make sure one knows it, one still has to be able to find the way in the dark amid all the excite-ment. I chanted various mantras to help myself con-centrate and also out of respect.

Unfortunately I didn’t see much of the reception at the guest house. As soon as Sri Swamiji was out of the car I started carrying the luggage inside. But I was very happy to think about everyone’s beaming faces.

Now it is really happeningNow that Sri Swamiji had finally arrived everything really started happening. I was able to almost fully participate in the extraordinary GnaaNaaBhaYoga Conference, which wasn’t the case for all helpers. It was an especially great pleasure to listen to Professor von Brück and of course Sri Swamiji. It was interesting to learn about the similarity of values and goals of the different religions. The Bhajan evenings with Appaiji were unbelievably wonderful, and gave me the chance to totally forget all my (helper) worries.

I usually missed the morning prayers before Sri Chakra Puja and the Guru Gita Chanting sessions. There was always something to do. Sometimes I drove people who had problems walking, from the hall to the canteen and back. Once I drove Professor Cross to the Externsteinen and accompanied him during the after-noon with my wife, Rajeshi. I half missed the Chil-dren’s and Talent Evening Show, because I had to drive to Lippstadt to buy various things, including a picture frame to replace one that had broken and which framed one of the children’s paintings. As soon as I got back I had to quickly reframe the picture so the auction could begin.

The hardest part for me were the organization team meetings held every evening. They seldom began before ten thirty so I was never in bed before mid-night. And then it usually started again at five thirty in the morning. I along with a few other helpers in the organization team had almost no breaks the whole time. This took so much energy. I was accordingly quite exhausted from time to time and I felt like some-one who untiringly plugs up one hole after another on a leaky boat, while new holes keep appearing. Some-times I felt a bit proud, and could notice my ego com-ing up, because I was doing so much, but actually I was only working out of love for Sri Swamiji. We were all inspired to make it a wonderful and successful event for Sri Swamiji and all participants.

Will the hall continue to be functional?On Thursday evening we got the bad news from Har-old and Kala: there were electrical problems in the hall! Would we suddenly be sitting in the dark? Would we be able to hold the concert on Saturday and Guru

Installing Sri Swamiji’s living area

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the first part! The next day we drove back there again to pick up a few pre-ordered items and other things. One problem was with refrigeration, since we had several trays of large jars of yogurt alone…

At first, I was just the driver and interpreter in this undertaking, but Mukesh needed some helpers in the kitchen as well. Since Dhyani and I didn’t know exactly who could do that (it was clear that those helpers would miss most of the Guru Purnima celebrations), I promptly joined the kitchen team with four other devotees from London. In other words, my entire experience of the whole Guru Purnima celebration, was a five minute glimpse of the homa preparations in the early morning and a quick jumping into the front of the Darshan line with Mukesh (so we could get back quickly to the pots).

However, helping to cook the holy Prasadam was the high point of the whole event for me! It was such a

am for Guru Purnima. The tent with two big pots on gas cookers, about five tables and a refrigerator were set up on the grass at the back of the guest house. A hosepipe and electrical cable from the building gave us the basic services.

Mukesh from London who has been running Indian restaurants and catering businesses for over twenty years, was our head cook. We drove with Mukesh’s wife on Friday, after the outing, to a big supermarket. It was a great challenge to buy the right quality, size and amount of ingredients. The food that is available in Westfalia is not particularly suited to Indian (big) cooking. Mukesh and his wife kept on acknowledging with little forced smiles, that things they took for granted were simply not there. On top of that we had to think in terms of tens of kilos instead of in grams, in order to satisfy 500 people. After at least two, which felt like three, hours we left the supermarket with five fully loaded, big trolleys. And that was only

Purnima on Sunday? Could we guarantee safety? We discussed this for a while and thought about an emer-gency strategy. We tried to get the guest house to take responsibility for the facilities they had neglect-ed and not taken appropriate care of. At the same time we developed plan B.

Kala and Selvam transported all the things needed for the trip on Friday to lake Möhne and drove back to the hall to check on the workers we had called in. Nahu-sha also stayed in Geseke to look around for another available hall. Thanks to God resp. Sri Swamiji, every-thing went well in the end and we mastered this enormous challenge. Whether we will come to Geseke again…

Cooking was like a PujaIn addition to the fact that the chef didn’t cook the kind and variety of food according to our contract, we had to organize a mobile kitchen to cook the Prasad-

fulfilling feeling to cook for everyone. It was like doing a Puja. I peeled potatoes, chopped vegetables, washed pots, got rid of dirty water, and from time to time stirred the 100 liter pots with a huge spoon. It was lovely to do this seva. I was carried along by a feeling of elation. In the end I was involved with the Prasadam from A to Z, from shopping to the distribution behind the counter in the canteen.

Ego-killingThe most difficult hours for me were yet to come. I could talk my way out of it by saying it was just too complicated and I wanted to save money, but as it was I made serious mistakes with the transportation plans. And unfortunately these mistakes didn’t get sorted out before someone noticed it. I simply miscal-culated some of the transportation for our Indian guests and especially their luggage.

Decorations in the hall Sri Swamiji with the ‘Reception committee’ at the airport Sri Swamiji on the way to the hall

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A small ‘catastrophe’ occurred which I, namely my ego, had to really chew on. All the beautiful six pages of DIN A4 paper, on which I had planned the transpor-tation in great detail written down in a big chart, didn’t help anymore. What had happened? Our guests had a lot more luggage (including musical instru-ments) upon departure than arrival, which I hadn’t expected, and the allocation of everyone in the vehi-cles was not clear. This quickly created a small chaos which I could only observe from a distance. Sri Swa-miji was travelling to Hannover with a visit en route by car, and then from Hannover directly to Munich by ICE high velocity train. This meant I had to already leave on Sunday evening to drive in advance to Munich, so I could be there to meet Him with the other helpers. In the end it somehow all worked out, but it was very uncomfortable for me. I thank Appaji for this valuable lesson and the wearing down of my ego (ego killing), which I think was the reason for the whole situation.

Not enough helpers in Munich as wellIn Munich, we realized we had too few helpers for such a big event. I helped everywhere I could as did every-one else who was there, such as carrying the book-

shop boxes. And it turned out that we hadn’t planned some things in enough detail, and the usual unpre-dictable things happened that were challenging. If I had imagined that the time in Munich would give me a breathing space and time to enjoy the event culmi-nating with the concert, I was completely mistaken.

Unfortunately our guests had to unexpectedly stay in various places in Munich, which didn’t help with the transport and communication. The helpers were also staying at places all over Munich. Ranjani and her team responded very flexibly and well to the unfore-seen changes in plan. There were only a few hours time to adjust to the changes … One of the many examples, I believe when Sri Swamiji was testing us to see how calm we could be and serve Him as well as possible with love and devotion.

I would do it over and over againDespite all the difficulties, I would do exactly the same again to help organize such an event. One single smile from Appaji is enough to make one forget eve-rything. How lucky we are to have Him as Sadguru? So there was a general feeling of sadness when we

finally said goodbye to Sri Swamiji on Wednesday, July 28th, 2010 at the airport after ten wonderful days.

I look back on this time with happiness. It was great to be able to meet so many friends and family members from all over the world. In November 2010, the organization team held a follow-up meeting in Nalinis guest house in Leopoldstal, not far from the Extern-steinen (energy place). We identified things we could

improve, but also acknowledged what a good job we had done. It was nice to hear from different helpers about the positive feedback they had received. We were very happy to hear the opinion of the Indian devotees from USA who had personally experienced the previous five Guru Purnimas, and who found the celebration in Geseke the best of all. We were natu-rally most happy to hear the praise and comments Sri Swamiji gave in India upon His return there. It is an honour and incentive to serve Him in humility!

Sri Swamiji at the entrance to His living area

During the preparation work

sarvām = everything, the wholebrūhi = explain, tellsūta = oh Sūta (a saint)naḥ = us

Translation: The Guru Gita is especially precious, more secret than everything that is secret, with your bless-ing it should be heard, oh Suta, tell us everything about it.

God is everywhereIn Flüeli Ranft 2007, Sri Swamiji gave the following explanations:«What is the <secret>? So many people don’t know about the <secret>.When using the word <secret> people mean that it is a hidden secret: ‘oh don’t touch, this Mantra, don’t tell’! This is not meant by <secret>. <Secret> means God. His

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name is <Secret>. <Secret> means paramatma! He is everywhere, but I can’t see that <secret>, we can’t see it. Here is God, He is Datta, He is Mother Goddess - look at this … look at this … look at the wall, it is God (Swa-miji stares at the wall as if He would be looking through it), but I see only the watch - where is God? That is the <secret>!The Bhagavadgita also says guhyatara guhyam, it is very secret! It is guhya vidya. guhya vidya means knowledge, practice, sadhana. Guhya sadhana (the practice about the <secret>) is not the hidden practice behind closed doors, that is not meant

by <secret>! People say that <secret> means hidden, that is a funny meaning. <Secret> is another name of God: guhya. It means: ‘You are not seen!’ We can’t catch God, we can’t hear His voice, we can’t see Him with this eye, we can’t feel God - that is the <secret>, that God is everywhere! (…)»

Another name of God«He is giving orders all the times, but He is only wit-ness! He is giving orders, He is doing something, He is feeling, He is crying, is kama, krodha, He is upset … everything, and - He is silent, He is laughing and silent. I have no responsibility, He says: What you want, you can do! Who is doing, who is giving the orders? In between comes the karma, I will tell you later what the karma is! (…)»«Now, the Bhagavadgita, the Ramayana and Mahab-harata, all Upanishads say: <secret>, <secret>. But ever-body thinks that <secret> means untouchable! No, secret does not mean untouchable. As I told before, <secret> means: Another name of God, God’s name is <Secret>!We can’t see, we can’t understand God - that is the <secret>. We can’t hear the voice - that is the <secret>! Do you understand? You must decode that <secret>! How? With the help of Guru! Decode that <secret>, just must decode it one day!»

Śrī Guru Gītā - Vers 1ṛṣiruvāca:guhyāt guhyatarā sārāgurugītā viśeṣataḥtava prasādāt śrotavya tām sarvāṃ brūhi sūta naḥ

ṛṣiḥ = holy person, wise person (like Śaunaka)uvāca = saidguhya = secretguhyāt = from the secretguhyatarā = more secretsārā = best, preciousviśeṣataḥ = special, first and foremosttava = yoursprasādāt = from/with the blessings śrotavya = should be heard, to be listened totām = it

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In Switzerland 2007, Sri Swamiji sang the Guru Gita in Flüeli Ranft. His teachings and initiation through the «song of the soul» are unforgettable. For the Datta Mala, Shabari translates one Sanskrit verse.

Guru Gita 1

There are two ways to look at a Sanskrit verse and let it open up to you. Some people let the sound, rhythm and flow of the letters work on them, melt with them in the sense of «Nadopasana». Others enjoy it when they understand the word and its meaning. The idea of translating the verses from the Guru Gita that Sri Swamiji sang and performed in Flüeli Ranft, came from a thought we had about combining these two ways. This combination would be a very comprehen-sive way of listening to and experiencing these won-derful verses. It’s not an interpretation of the verse, but rather a word for word translation. We will begin with the first verse following the Dhyanashlokas.

<Decode the Secret> The video DVD «Decode the secret» was released at the Guru Purnima celebrations in Geseke. It contains

a selection of the verses Sri Swamiji presented in Flüeli Ranft in 2007, showing Sri Swamiji singing them

with His marvelous expressions and gestures, and giving explanations with His profound spirit and humor.

He especially concentrated on this particular verse, teaching it in great detail, and in many different ways

to convey this «secret» to us, as though He is striving to show us God’s light.

The DVD is available at the bookshop (address on the other page), a unique and rare jewel, for contempla-

tive and peaceful moments, going-inside-oneself….. in search of the divine…..

«I am always with you!» Sri Swamiji