Past Lives

Val Morin, Quebec, Canada

October 8, 1988

[Tape begins with Swamiji in the middle of chanting the Shanti

Mantras. Swamiji concludes the mantras and then leads students in
chanting Yamuna Teera Vihari and Vande Gurudev. Swamiji and
students then chant OM three times and Om Namo Narayanaya
several times. After a moment of silence, Swamiji and students chant
OM Shanti Shanti Shanti, OM peace, peace, peace.]

Swamiji: Om Namah Sivaya!

Students: Om Namah Sivaya!

Swamiji: It is just difficult to open the mouth. Once it’s open, then
it’s alright. [Students laugh.] Mmm, who are these fine yogis –
yoginis? How are you, yoginis? [Inaudible.] So today another day in
our lifetime. It is almost past and somehow the time may be fast. We
don’t know that life is passing away. At this very moment, how many
people took last pranayama? At this moment, how many people took
their last [Swamiji makes gasping sound]? And no more breathing
afterwards. Thousands, thousands of them are taking their last
breath. And thousands of them are taking the new breath in the form
of crying.

Is Diane here? Where? Well what is that [inaudible]? What is that

[inaudible]? [Inaudible] he understood my lecture? [Students
laugh.] But not only people taking the last breath, but some souls are
taking the first breath in this life. So many lives we have. We forgot.
Thanks. If not, these children would be thinking of their old parents,
not the new parents. There would be lots of problems, confusion. In
fact, one of these girls in India – she is not far away from our ashram
in Rishikesh [inaudible] – it’s only about eighteen miles away – the big
city or town, whatever you want to call it. In India – you don’t
understand which is city and which is town. All look the same. Wall to
wall people everywhere. And also wall to wall cows and cattles.

A little girl from India was visiting the ashram with her parents.
Swamiji: How old are you?

Girl: Five!
Swamiji: Are you sure? Who told you? Who told you that you are five?

Girl: I don’t know.

Student: She just learned.

Swamiji: How?

Girl: ‘Cause I just learned and learned and learned.

Swamiji: Okay, we learn and learn and learn. Who told you?

Girl: My Mommy.

Swamiji: Mommy, ah. That is sure. Mommy knows that is your age. No one knows,
but Mommy knows, is it not?

Girl: And my Daddy.

Swamiji: Daddy also knows? Oh, that’s not fair! (Swamiji and students laugh.) And
who else knows?

Girl: My friends.

Swamiji: Eh?

Girl: My friends.

Swamiji: Your friends. But anyhow, who knows first?

Girl: Mommy, then Dad.

Swamiji: Mommy. Thank you. Dad, second. (Swamiji and students laugh.)
Mommy first. Good.

===========================================
Remembering the past life
A five year old girl from India came to the Ashram with her parents. She was well known
in her home village because she was able to remember her previous life.

One day, her present mother and father were going with their child through a town.
Suddenly, she saw a car and ran, shouting, “That’s my car!” Her present parents don’t
have a car. And she said, “Mommy, mommy, it’s my car!” Mommy was bewildered.
And after a few minutes, the owner of the car came. She ran saying, “Daddy, daddy,
don’t you recognize me? I am Nunu.” The man was shocked. He had a daughter named
Nunu who died from cancer just a year or two before in a hospital.

When she came to visit our ashram with her present mother, I was a little curious about
her and wanted to question her further. This memory of the past life happens only to
those children who died and were reborn within a year or two. If it is a long time,
generally rebirth takes about five hundred thousand years depending on evolution and
progress and so on. But these types of death and birth of people who could remember
always happen within a year or two. The memory is still fresh.

What happened between these two periods – between the death and the birth – that was
my question. She could remember anything of that interval. So I asked and she said, “So
I died.” And what happened after that? “Well,” she said, “I went and it is a beautiful
place, Swamiji.” Yes, what did you see there? “Well, there are so many people there.
They are all so loving.” Maybe she is just making it up. Now, my next question to this
five-year old child was: “What did you eat? Where did you get your food?” The answer
came straight forward without any delay or thinking. “Oh, I think of my food, and the
food comes to me.” Where did you get your clothes? “I just think and it comes to me.”
So that question convinced me that the life hereafter is not so mysterious. It is real
because when you come back, you remember that, like a dream, you remembered.
yesterday’s dream – last night’s dream – and the previous day’s reality – both you
remember when you wake up. Same way, this girl could remember that life hereafter and
life before, too.

Only yogis know this, or people who study philosophy, and Indians know that after death
anything you think comes to you, materializes. Here, Krishna (a student present) has to
build the buildings and as soon as he leaves this planet and goes to the next planet, he
will build. But there he doesn’t have to worry about buying materials and things – just
think the way according to previous samskaras – what he created now. He had a memory
of a house how he worded it? Dream house. You call it a dream house. He thinks, ah
yes, that should be the design of the house. Well, without using a nail and a hammer, the
house is there. This happens to everybody. Except some very worldly people who think
of only money believing that money brings everything. After death, they have lots of
problems because they never knew that thought brings everything. They have to be
learned and taught that whatever you want, you just get by thinking. But they can’t think
much because their idea is everything is credit card and the money, and when they don’t
have that, you know, they are just lost there. So they have to go to school there. There
are people there – wise people, who teach this thing. You don’t have to worry about
anything here. It comes to you. And even then they don’t believe it. And they see they
can go through this wall because they’ve got an astral body. But still they will go
through the door. They can easily penetrate and go outside, but they will go through the
doors because they are simply not accustomed to this, you see? The old samskara
memory there - that channeled that person – that life hereafter, too.

So anyway, this girl without any delay or anything, I just think,

Swami, it comes! I just think whatever I want. It comes to me. And
if you don’t believe it – you know in the dream – dream pizza – where
did you get it? You just thought so, and it came to you. There’s no
pizza parlor there. And suppose you think money. Money comes to
you. So everything is – the clothes you are wearing. The way – I am
accustomed to wearing this type of clothes. If I am in the next plane,
I will just be thinking of this type of clothes. I won’t think of a tie and
coat. I am not accustomed to wear tie and coat, so there will be no tie
and coat. I’ll have the orange robe. And some people, you can see,
they are wearing eighteenth century and seventeenth century dress of
the woman – the long gown and all those things. From the dress you
can see what type of – what year or what time they must have left the
physical plane – seventeenth century or eighteenth century or
nineteenth century – because the dress they are wearing is what –
they never knew the present type of dress – mink coats and ties and
coats, et cetera. So they cannot just think in those terms. So they
will think only in the eighteenth century or seventeenth century
clothes, so they will wear that type of thing. So you know by looking
at the dresses of the people, you know when they arrived to that
particular plane. They’re old [inaudible] astral plane than the
newcomers. The newcomers maybe just the ties and coats and so
forth with the spectacles, et cetera.

Then I asked a further question. So clothes, food, everything came to

you. Next question is how are the people there? They are all nice.
What about when you get sick? Do you go to see a doctor? Oh no,
Swamiji, we never get sick there. Naturally, there is no physical body
so you don’t have to call doctor. [Inaudible] and the doctor.
[Inaudible.] Astral body. There the evolution – highly evolved person
– their auru, the energy body will be bright. Less evolved people, their
aura, their energy body is very limited, with little light. That’s how it
is. It’s like – it’s shaped like this. And highly evolved people, it’s just
like light. So you can by looking at that energy emanating from their
body, you can easily see the difference in their evolution. Just like
your [inaudible], we can see their way of life. And I saw this in the
news today. A gorilla – first time – fell in love with a female gorilla in
a zoo. And love is the first – what do you call that?

Students: Love at first sight.

Swamiji: First sight. And the gorilla playing, if they fall in love at first
sight, they must fight. And so they have the first time they are
visiting each other, and one of them has a big scar. And the
zookeeper says, “They fell in love!” [Swamiji and students laugh.]
[Inaudible] fell in love, you fight.

Male student: Love at first bite.

Swamiji: Love at first bite! [Swamiji and students laugh.] In the

human being, the first love is only for a few days and then fighting all
the time, is it not? [Swamiji and students laugh.] First time the
[inaudible as Swamiji is laughing as he speaks]. In the gorilla’s life, it
is the opposite. First they fight and then they start. And so, they said
– that’s all – they said the gorillas, they fought together, and she is
running always and then he is chasing her. And she has got small,
small door so a big one cannot enter. And she is so much - what you
call – happy to see the persistent banging on the head by the gorilla.
[Swamiji and students laugh.] [Inaudible.] I learn many things here!

So anyhow, the way there – how did you talk? How did you
communicate to others? That question you will not be able to even
answer. And she said without any delay, we don’t’ talk, Swamiji, we
just communicate. We see each other’s thought. Telepathic thought.
That is true. But if five-year-old girl could answer these questions, still
here memory is not only of the past life. In between the death and
the birth – that year and a half – she is still able to remember that,
too. It’s like when you get up from your dream. You remember the
dream, you remember your yesterday’s life – what you did yesterday –
you quarreled – Krishna quarreled with Laksmi after she threw the hot
coffee on him. [Students laugh.] That really happened. And then at
night, Krishna brought a mink coat and a diamond – [inaudible]
diamond I saw on the news. It’s next to what the queen was wearing
on her crown. It’s the second biggest one in the world, of the
diamonds. And it cost about twenty-five million dollars, that’s all. And
it’s quite big and heavy. And then someone asked how he’s going to
wear this one. It’s so heavy! [Swamiji and students laugh.]
[Inaudible.] Oh no, you can’t wear the diamond. It is just – you just
keep it! [More laughter.] It took three years to cut it and now it’s
twenty-five million dollars worth. Anyhow, they are looking for some
customers. Anyone wants to buy it? [Students and Swamiji laugh.]
Well, Sita wants to buy it, is it not, Sita? [More laughter.] And then
you get – just to get it you have to catch a plane. [More laughter.]

So anyhow, that question convinced me that the life hereafter is not so

mysterious. It is real because when you come back, you remember
that – like the dream, you remembered – yesterday’s dream – last
night’s dream – and the previous day’s reality – both you remember
when you wake up. Same way, this girl could remember that life
hereafter and life before, too.

This – my questions – I published this somewhere – in some of the –

and our Divine Life [inaudible] republished in [inaudible] old yoga
magazines, small magazines. Yoga and Health, we used to publish,
you know? [Inaudible.] Maybe it was Previous Lives or something like
that.

The life we have now is only a fraction of our infinite past lives. But
we’ve forgotten the past lives, thank God. Otherwise, no one would be
coming to see me. Especially, K and L would never come to the
ashram because I took thousands of dollars from them and made them
work for nothing, and they didn’t even get their one meal a day.
(Jokingly, of course.) They have to starve and drink water from the
stream. This man took all my money from the last life and made me
work, and he beat me and then he put me in chains – ugh. I will not
come back to him. So also, husband and wife, you know. Oh my God.
This man is my husband now. In the past life he was the business
associate. He took all my money and ran away. I have even got
children.

So we don’t remember. Many people want to remember their past

lives, is it not? Our life would be very miserable then. Each person
would know what we all did in the past – what I have done to you, and
what you are doing now to me. In the last life, I tortured R (a
student). This life, she is torturing me! (Students and Swamiji laugh.)
Nothing happens without a cause.

So nothing happens. Krishna was born in Bangladesh. And he had to

come – Laksmi was in London and he met her while they were staff.
And they married and they are here again, back again. So the
[inaudible] life, personal life, is only a small fraction of the infinite
lives. And the purpose is we can move on to the source. It’s called
evolution, as you all know. But not revolution. There is no revolution.
Evolution vs revolution
You can speed up your evolution, but revolution is a confused state,
confused life. Revolution means drinking, smoking, dancing, jumping,
and take drugs such as crack. These people crack the kundalini! The
Kundalini shoots up and bursts open. It is not an awakening, but it
will still open. That’s called revolution. An ordinary man who is not on
a spiritual path, or is in the revolutionary state has slow progress.
Fast progress is not possible for either of them. A family man gets
married and has children and then dies. They may not know
philosophy, no church, no school, but still they are moving, at a very
slow pace – at a snail’s pace - in their evolution, although it is orderly.
Yogis go a little faster. They take a leap in one lifetime that ordinarily
would take thousands of incarnations. You can go quite far. It is
unbelievable how far you can move in one life. Ordinary people would
not understand. They can never imagine. They think their physical
world and their position in society is everything.

It

Revolution means drinking, smoking, dancing, jumping, and take

drugs such as crack. These people crack the kundalini! The Kundalini
shoots up and bursts open. It is not an awakening, but it will still
open. That’s called revolution.

– confused. and [inaudible] – it’s marijuana and rocks – what rocks?

What’s that called? Crack – crack. [Students laugh.] They.

Many young people run to this. They don’t know where they are
going. Others – they are born, but they are genius at a very small
age.

A child plays solo piano or solo violin in Carnegie Hall, and he is only a
nine-year-old boy. He never went to any school or had any training.
How can he do that? In the last life, he went/reached most of the
way, but he did not get to the final stage. He did not get to Carnegie
Hall, but he was thinking that is the final thing. He wants to reach
Carnegie Hall. But before he reached Carnegie Hall the physical body
dropped off. As soon as he is born, the child remembers from those
old samskaras, the memory. Though it might take quite a long time,
still the knowledge is there. And they just want to reach Carnegie
Hall, that’s all. They don’t have to learn anything. The whole past
memory comes back and they are ready.
That’s the reason how an eleven-year-old boy skipped high school,
skipped college, went directly to university, and got his M.A. degree in
mathematics. Eleven-year-old boy. How do you explain that? And
today again in the news here I saw a fourteen-year-old boy was
talking to the top scientist, [inaudible] scientists, about the invention
of [inaudible], about some of the cancer research he has done. And it
has been accepted in the medical circle. I saw the boy. Fourteen-
year-old boy. Small - still, he has got grace. But he is talking certain
things – I can’t understand what he is talking about. But his research
has been accepted, published and he’s a great scientist at fourteen
years old. And here around seventy or eighty ordinary people came.
And there were top doctors and scientists in this field to hear what he
has invented and [inaudible]. How is it possible a fourteen-year-old
boy is given the praise? Even the other scientists were ashamed when
they heard his talk.

So you see. Reincarnation is true. Genius – God did not give special
talents. It is their own work – hard work in the past life which came in
this life. In my own case, I never wanted to – never thought I’d
become a yogi or a swami. But anyhow [inaudible] story, I went and
sit with my master [inaudible] what was taught me. I came back and
then back. And then third time I came to see him for his Diamond
Jubilee Celebration in 1947, he said just two words, “Stay here!” I
never came to stay. I only wanted to attend the celebration. Yes, I
said. And then only it occurred, My God, what did I say? I gave my
word. I am not ready to stay here, become a swami or a yogi. I
wanted to go and be with my parents - old parents, et cetera.

So anyhow, I gave my word. I stayed anyhow. [Inaudible] the story.

He first started the Yoga Vedanta Forest Academy – our university that
he founded at that time. Forest University means under the tree, you
see them teach. [Students and Swamiji laugh.] Forest University was
the forest, you see? There was no building, no reservation. And there
were four professors, and he made me Hatha Yoga Professor. I said I
don’t know anything about yoga! [Swamiji laughs.] I was only
eighteen. I came to learn yoga, not teach yoga – become a professor
of yoga. And I told him I don’t know anything. And he just touched,
that’s all. All my past knowledge just poured out, just like the memory
of this child. None of these things – anything about yoga, pranayama,
asana, nothing – no one taught me. Everything is in my past memory.

So also [inaudible] in building, flying. I don’t have to consult any

engineer. If I want, I just dream about it. Somehow it will come. I
can’t paint anything, can’t build anything – I can’t even know – if I nail
a nail, it will be my nail! [Students and Swamiji laugh.] I cannot nail!
[More laughter.] But you see, I founded yoga camp. I didn’t have a
penny. I’ve never had any penny. Even now I don’t have! But if I
want something, I just concentrate. Someone will come like Krishna
or Sri Nivasan, Siva Ram, and they will nail for me. That’s the way it
is. But I know exactly what should be done. There’s complete
planning in my life. I cannot leave it unplanned. But I cannot put in
papers - in writing - these plans. I can put this plan in my brain and
you know, the screen is there. Each day I open the screen and put it
there. And so many things are there. And just piled up there.
[Side one of tape abruptly cuts off here.]

It is just my nature to create anything I want. It just materializes by just mentally creating
that particular form in my mind. It will materialize. So asana, pranayama, all these
things – also mechanical things like flying, driving – I never learned how to drive.
Someone just showed me two or three times when I was in Indonesia, and they gave me
an international driver’s license, and I taught myself how to do it. But flying, generally
you have to go to school to fly. And I don’t have the time to sit and attend the classes
and lectures, etc. So I just took the books and read them a couple of times, and I called
an air pilot who was flying locally and said to him, “Let me fly to New York, I’ve got a
lecture tonight.” So I rented the plane and I went there. You teach me while flying to
New York. That’s also why I learned flying.

Generally people who get a private pilot’s license, they just hardly get
up and then have them go around the airport three or four times –
maybe next town or next airport – close, within fifty miles. They don’t
know how to navigate. I went around the world without my
[inaudible] license, crossed the Atlantic Ocean with the plane, to there.
That type of plane – it’s like Charles Lindberg’s flight – the first time
there. Either you land or you ditch in the ocean. And fourteen hours -
would just get inside the plane – the fuel tanks – everywhere – all the
back seats are removed, and the huge specially made tanks to carry
the fuel - three hundred gallons of fuel to cross the Atlantic Ocean –
which is not that – that’s about ten times more weight than any other
plane can carry - that type of plane. Average – fly maximum - four to
five hours maximum you can do in that [inaudible]. But to cross the
Atlantic Ocean, you need fourteen hours extra fuel, and extra radios –
so many things – it’s unbelievable. [Inaudible] thousand feet. Of
course, you cannot lift the [inaudible] up, so you lower down from the
top down to the ocean, you know, so you can get [inaudible] down the
bottom. [Swamiji laughs.]

So anyhow, all those things, I could do it. Crossing the Atlantic,

crossing the Berlin Wall – anything. The dangerous thing is the easiest
thing for me. The more the danger, the less problem for me. Or at
least, I feel so. I do not know what a comfortable life means. This
I’ve never known. Even when I am doing silence, it is a life for
[inaudible] my life in another dimension. Tuning to another dimension
all the time. You think Swamiji’s staying just there or walking on my
beach. When I was making all these new roads and this little
landscaping and [inaudible] it was – I felt it like it was Vrindavan. I
prayed, O Krishna, come with Gopi and Gopala and [inaudible].

My imagination soars in that type of life. It’s not because this happened in this life.

I can see things once and I understand the problem. That’s why sometimes I get very
frustrated with our staff, because I see things very fast. One word is all that is necessary,
and when they start arguing…..First of all, I don’t have the energy to argue. I cannot
because it takes forever. It’s just like trying to explain electricity to a child, you know?
The father is a professor, and the father loves the child. But a child still has to go on step
by step before you can get him to understand electricity. The father cannot explain it. So
also with many of our staff sometimes I’m frustrated really. I know how things are going
on there and how these things are going to materialize, but I still try to avoid long
conversation as much as possible. I don’t want to talk. I don’t want to see anybody. I
prefer to be alone. That’s my second nature. I like forests, mountains, trees, and oceans -
my whole mind flies away to another dimension. Sometimes this city, it’s just like
pouring water in the fire. I’m just down, in this lonely place. Even if it’s wild tigers, etc.
I am not afraid. Cobras, tigers, they are all like friends , and I feel they are friends.
Again, that didn’t happen because of this life, but in the past.

So, what I’m trying to convey to all…. You are coming here to this
organization or staying here as staff or member or not staff or
whatever way – it’s not accident. If it’s accident, you would not be
able to stay even for a day, like our Dr. Sundar and his wife. They
were here [inaudible]. Most of the time, they were here. Many other
psychiatrists [inaudible], psychologists and psychiatrists also. But
other psychiatrists, doctors and psychologists would be drinking and
smoking. Even they take drugs. But what made these doctors to
come and waste their time here from making – how much you charge,
fifty dollars an hour for a consultation? [Swamiji and students laugh.]
Don’t tell your fee. Well, they wasted their time. Two hours they sit in
this meaningless lecture. They lost a hundred dollars. And
[inaudible], two hundred dollars they must have lost. That’s really
waste [inaudible]. [Inaudible.]

So also you, too. Why? [Inaudible-name] is on staff from [inaudible],

and she comes from Paris. And so her family - she must have gotten
some money from her father or someone and she came home.
[Swamiji laughs.] So suddenly, one day I was in London Center.
[Inaudible]. Anyhow, one call came – it was almost eleven o’clock
their time – London time [inaudible]. And Swamiji, someone wants to
speak to you. Well, so many people want to speak to you. Who?
What? [Inaudible-name] wants to speak to you. So many [inaudible-
name]s also. [Students laugh.] And this [inaudible-name] is –
Swamiji, let me explain – he wants to give you about eighty thousand
dollars or something like that. What catch is there? Why he wants to
give eighty thousand dollars to meet me? [Students and Swamiji
laugh.] What is the purpose of it all? So I know that so many people
will take [inaudible]. In Germany, a man said, you know, he wanted
to also give a donation. So that day he called. Why should I talk to
him? First I will find out who he is, what is the purpose behind it,
what catch is there, is he drug dealer? [Swamiji and students laugh.]
Because they just like to give me a hundred thousand dollars and then
make me their slave, and our organization will become a drug
distributing place. And once they give a hundred dollars – hundred
thousand dollars – they accept it, you know? It’s that simple. And
they’ll [inaudible] afterwards.

So I always doubt people who want to give big donations to me. What
is the motive behind it? Then they said, Swamiji, this [inaudible-
name] is from Lebanon. Oh, then I remembered. He may not be just
a – the selfish motive – because the Montreal Center needed a new
fire alarm and a fire system. That system new costs seven thousand
dollars or something like that. And we didn’t have the money. And
then – I don’t know – he volunteered and paid the whole bill for us. So
that reminded me then he doesn’t want anything from me. He did not
even tell us about that. Someone told me that he gave that seven
thousand dollars for the alarm system. And he is - I knew him from
then and [inaudible], like now, maybe I’ve seen him a couple of times,
and a few times he has come with his children – his child and his wife.
And I asked Swami Shanmuganandiji to ask somebody to call and talk
to [inaudible-name] and find out exactly what he wants. I found out
he got some unexpected money from somewhere and he wants to
give. Sure, you can give because I know he is not a person who is a
drug dealer [Swamiji laughs] and he has done this before also.
Anyhow, that money literally came at that time that it was essential
for us. And there are so many stories like that.

Anyhow, these people – why they want to give that big amount? Like
Mr. Meyers, the first ever I got a big donation and [inaudible].
Twenty-five thousand dollars he gave. He did not give. He’s from
Nassau and he used to go there. But he suddenly died. And after
some time, his son called. Swamiji, my father died and left in his will
twenty-five thousand dollars for you, for your personal use.
[Inaudible]. He was here. He gave money for Master’s Temple when I
needed it. And Mr. Meyers donated twenty-five thousand dollars? Oh
good. That money just came in time. We were trying to buy the
property, the ashram in New York. And down payment exactly we
need twenty-five thousand dollars. And the money’s there! So
immediately I put the money and bought the property – put in twenty-
five thousand dollar deposit. And it’s a very beautiful property
overlooking a [inaudible]. I’m just, you know, giving some of these
incidents. It is not accident. That’s what I’m saying. Your evolution,
your focus, your coming here, starting all these things – Yoga Camp,
yoga vacation. Everything I pioneered – never existed in history –
yoga vacation, yoga things, and all these type of – yoga teachers
training course, yogis starting the summer project, et cetera. None of
these ever existed in history anywhere. I started, pioneered. And I
see everyone else following that thing.

I wrote the Complete Illustrated Book of Yoga while traveling. I had

no ashram and no place to stay. I was just moving. So, I wrote and
then asked someone to type it – one page in New York, one page in
London, one page in Paris. We were starving in New York because
something happened and I could not teach classes. I was still on a
tourist visa, and the immigration authorities came and took my
passport away. They told me I could not teach, and I didn’t have
money to pay the water bills. At that time, this publisher came and
gave me two hundred dollars. He didn’t even know who I was. I had
no address, but he gave me two hundred dollars down just to start
writing the book. And that formed the whole organization.

So look into these things. Nothing is accident. That’s what my whole

purpose is in telling you. We are moving on. It appears a person we
are seeing first time. It is not first time. If you didn’t have contact
with the last lives, you won’t be sitting here talking. Nor this ashram
came – it’s not because of my effort alone. All of your wish – you
must have place to move on, to evolve, a little faster than the ordinary
people. So that’s why you came here, that’s why the satsang. We are
sitting here on this night without fancy food and champagne and the
roast turkey, or whatever you call it. So you are here to repeat Om
Namah Sivaya, Om Namo Narayanaya. That is marvelous. I can’t say
how I feel happy when you all move on a little faster than others. You
have moved fast in this life, and you will reach very, very high states.
Continue with the spiritual path. All other things come secondary to
you – family, home, children. All are necessary. Take care of them.
Do your duty. But first – your foremost duty is to realize your Self,
your Atman, or God. That is your first and foremost duty. If that’s not
there, everything is secondary. Money will – it’s already taken to
somebody else. Your life insurance – it’s not life insurance. We’ve got
death insurance.

What if you don’t go towards the God, Self, or Atman? You waste your
time. So don’t just follow the ordinary people’s life. Come more
regularly to ashrams like this. Help in every way because it is your
home – real home [inaudible]. And you came. You took refuge here.
We are all just servants to you – to help you all, because none of us
got any bank balance, no life insurance except me. That’s – I just
bought it because our bank won’t give me the loan. [Swamiji laughs.]
There’s the life insurance. So if I die, they won’t get any money, so
then I have to take life insurance, and that’s only for the bank, if at all
something is there. And Swami Sivadas is waiting when Swami is
going to die to take that money, is it not? [Swamiji laughs.] There is
nothing for anyone [inaudible] – neither life insurance nor health
insurance. We’ve got nothing. But the God’s name is there, the love
to all beings. And Christians, Sikh, Jews, Catholics, Protestants –
makes no difference. We’re all sitting together from different religious
groups and different educational status. But we don’t even ask who
you are, if you are a Catholic or Protestant. Recently, new staff came
– they have never been introduced. [Inaudible.]

Female student: Okay.

Swamiji: I don’t even know who our staff are because I’m not there.
Occasionally, I get some news – secondhand, third-hand news. And
she’s a good worker – good family member?

Female student: Yes, Swamiji.

Swamiji: Thank you. Welcome, [inaudible]. Again, at this early age-

how old are you?
Female student: Thirty-three.

Swamiji: Eh?

Female student: Thirty-three.

Swamiji: Thirty-three. Well, at this early age, huh? [Swamiji and

students laugh.] Well she – I thought she was no more than twenty-
five.
Female student: She looks very young.

Swamiji: I thought she looks - in fact, I never place somebody for

somebody else. If [inaudible] in the front - I never do. In front, I’m
always cold. And [inaudible] cold and that’s my place. I never place
anybody. But I – actually I just never even ask the questions like how
old you are. But I [inaudible], I don’t know how old [inaudible].
Sometimes she said – I can’t – I forgot – how old are you?

Female student: Thirty-one, Swamiji.

Swamiji: Thirty-one. Okay, almost same age.

So anyhow, your age, religion, money, property, parents, your

education – that’s got no meaning to me. The only things – what I am
connected with you all is the spiritual path. If you are in the spiritual
path, you are the millionaire for me. Otherwise you can have billions
of dollars. You are just a beggar. None of this money – we can take it
– the boxing champion – Tyson, is it not? Tyson?

Male student: Tyson.

Swamiji: And his wife sued him and accused that he is taking some
type of hormonal, or God knows what else these people are taking.
And [inaudible] or sleeping pills or Valium – whatever it is –
[inaudible]. She said that he was suicidal, et cetera, et cetera. And
then she sued for the divorce. And then she’s got attorney – she’s
also a TV star – this person’s wife. And she – and this person who’s a
TV star married Mike Tyson – the old street gangster – that’s what
they said – street fighter. And now this attorney of his is suing his
wife. He has got fifty million dollars. But is going to the fifty million
dollars? He is still taking tranquilizers, taking these wake-up pills.
What is the – what exactly he can do. He can buy champagne bottles
and go to psychiatrist and then sue. And she will want to – that’s how
she’s got the best lawyer – the biggest lawyer – the divorce lawyer in
Hollywood. In Hollywood, everyone marries this morning and evening
they divorce. And so they want the biggest lawyer, the very famous.
And she knows that he can milk Mike because he’s got fifty million
dollars. They can milk [inaudible] quite a lot – ten million, fifteen
million. And he gets a good commission, percentage of that, too.

World is nothing – just working for this – these type of people

[inaudible] – it makes no sense to me. And yesterday, I was watching
an eagle’s nest. [Inaudible.] Perhaps you’ve watched an eagle’s nest.
Have you heard of that bird? Eagle’s nest. Have you heard? Never?
So now, how old are you? [Swamiji and students laugh.]

Male student: Twenty-eight.

Swamiji: Eh?

Male student: Twenty-eight.

Swamiji: Twenty-eight? Eh?

Male student: Twenty-eight.

Swamiji: Twenty-eight. That’s why he didn’t care about eagle’s nest.

[Students laugh.] Siva Ram, have you heard about nest? Where?

Siva Ram: I heard of a different kind of nest – [Swamiji and students

laugh].

Swamiji: This eagle’s nest is a special nest. It’s in the Alps – this is
for Hitler. Hitler’s top headquarters was this Alpine mountaintop, and
when he became the chancellor, he converted this mountaintop –
[inaudible] – eagle’s nest for his and his specially for his hierarchy, like
Hitler and – And only [inaudible] is very difficult. And from that he
gained the view.

I heard – I was in the village at that particular place - I went to see

this eagle’s nest at the top. It takes time to go. But now I saw the
[inaudible] eagle’s nest, where Hitler controls the whole world from
there. The view is marvelous. It’s like Himalayan – from the highest
peak looking down, and access [inaudible] - no place and no other
except the family of six or eight very close of Hitler’s high officials are
not allowed there. And [inaudible] everything for them – their wife
and children – they’ve got kindergarten schools and everything. No
one can enter there.

And Hitler – his mistress Eva Braun or something – there are only a
few people can stay in that. And I was watching that scene and the
Hitler was [inaudible] and salute. [Swamiji laughs.] [Inaudible.] He
was writing, you know, and as he was writing [inaudible – Swamiji
sounds as if he is imitating the Nazi salute.] [Swamiji and students
laugh.] And he’s – Deputy Chancellor of [inaudible] – his name is –

Female student: [Inaudible.]

Swamiji: Eh? No, no. [Inaudible – students help Swamiji to get the
right name.] And he also – he’s got special house for his maid, his
butler – his house – it’s like fortress, literally. No one can penetrate
there. It’s completely controlled and sealed in every way. But these
people have everything there. [Inaudible.] And, of course, it’s
specially made for him and all the luxuries are there. And opening –
he just came to inspect when the construction was finished. He came
to see how his new house is going to be. And there was one
chandelier made by Bavarian crystal – special.

Female student: Bohemian.

Swamiji: Not Bohemian, Bavarian.

Female student: Bavarian.

Swamiji: Bavarian crystal chandelier. And he came to his new house

and he was inspecting [inaudible] coming out of [inaudible] and he
was going to come and settle there. And he came out and built these
thousands and thousands of millions of pounds which he spended – his
chandelier – and when he heard that chandelier, he immediately broke
everything, it seems. Why is that? Because only German things he
wants. Bavarian crystal is not. And he was angry. He smashed the
thousands and thousands worth of the chandelier he just broke down.

And I saw all of these people – Hitler and [inaudible] – [Students help
Swamiji with the name] – Garin (sp?), eh? He is SS top businessman.
And he is a drug addict and so forth. That’s what they said. Anyhow,
all these people came with their wives and children – they’re all – only
they can ever enter into that place. So secret and so beautiful and –
anyhow, all these people’s life – I was in the World War II. Some of
these people’s names I heard, but I don’t know. But when I saw their
lifestyles, how they were living in the Eagle’s Nest – known to all
historians – the Eagle’s Nest. It’s still there. It’s a museum now.
They keep it. It’s very difficult to get access – even accessible by say,
one road that’s about ten thousand or twelve thousand feet up the
peak. That’s called Eagle’s Nest because of the peak. It’s like a nest –
put it there and no one can come because they’ve got complete
freedom there, you see? No access by any other way. People can’t
reach there.

And all these people ruled Germany, and the world surface in the palm
of their hand. And Hitler at once comes out, you know, in the Reich.
And hate – hate is the mantra that is repeated. And I saw his chief
architect. And that Hitler, you know, he was born in Austria, it seems.
And then he was a street boy. He did everything to eat. And then he
wants to learn art in Vienna and submitted his drawings and then he
was refused because he’s not talented. And so, in fact, he was
rejected from everything. There was no place to go. And then the
war came, and then he was – that was a blessing for him – corporal.
From then onwards, he was just a corporal. And from there on he
went up and up and brought his National Party, et cetera. The story
goes on.

But anyhow, they give a slide history of Hitler step by step, from the
early – how he was a street boy and no place to go and nothing to eat.
He was wandering and no one will admit him because he wanted to be
a good artist, and they won’t admit him in Vienna, and so forth, and so
forth, okay? And until he became the Chancellor of the – and then
hate started and they brought all those Jews and - all those things –
then they said there are a few other things they put in [inaudible] very
beautiful [inaudible] they can see it. And some of these other things, I
just keep it for future use so you can also see. But what I am trying to
tell you is these people at the highest peak, that name and power is so
powerful, no one would dare even to come near there. But they all
died. [Inaudible – Swamiji is naming names of the people], Eva Braun
– mistress – she took – poisoned herself. And Hitler put the bullet in
his head. Just in a few years, everything – the dream house, and one
street that he made in [inaudible] – Hitler made – for three hundred
thousand people can sit in that. And they wanted to make a little
smaller, but no, no – whole world sees – three hundred thousand
seats. And then they showed that stadium now - just the pigeons –
everything is gone and just the pigeons fly around. Hitler’s time it was
heaven – people – just to get into the stadium. You see, just like a
dream for them. It just came – their power, their position, their
money, their bank balance, their Eagle’s Nest – everything – just
swept away in a very short time. They just made some recorded
things like some video. And the first color film came, and they were
filmed by the wives of those people, and they are shooting, like
ordinary people do. And that, somehow, [inaudible] – you can see the
children and how they were playing in the Eagle’s Nest. They all look
just like ordinary people. You can see these people’s lives at the
highest time. And then within a few years, they all just vanished.
What did they take with them? Except they create history –
[inaudible] and fanatics of this world. That’s all.
How lucky you all are to sit here and repeat God’s name and meditate
and find your Atman – this happiness, the peace, the silence which is
in you – your Atman. That makes me so happy. That’s why I told
you, millionaires – I don’t care. But simple people, if you are toward
the Self, toward Atman or God, you are billionaires more than any
billionaire you can think of. Those people who worship Hitler as one of
his – the desert for - one of the generals who was in the Africa, he was
called General - Eh?

Students: Rommel?

Swamiji: Rommel, Rommel, Rommel. Oh my God. Field Marshal

Rommel and he is telling it – he is writing his wife about the desert
victory. Hitler made him Field Marshal, and then he is, “I am so happy
today. And Fuehrer called me and I am Field Marshal, and he was
glorifying about the [inaudible] gods and all the honoraries. And then
slowly, slowly, the defense starts. And he needs more armies, soldiers
and equipment. He went to see Hitler: We want to go further and
conquer Africa and get all the oil wealth. And Hitler did not even see
him. I’ve got no time for him. And then somehow then he was
injured and was brought to hospital – I saw this story – and his son –
he is talking about the last day of his father now. His father came and
they got this villa in the Germany – after the hospital, he went to
[inaudible], his wife. It’s a [inaudible] place – of course, all German
[inaudible] – no one can enter that type of place. And his father got a
phone call. He is – I heard this also – his own son is talking – his son
at that time must be about thirteen or fourteen years old. Now he is
quite old.

Anyhow, he said: My father had a phone call, and he came down after
the call. It was a very short call. After a minute or so, he came down.
He put on his military uniform and told two generals are going to come
to see me. I have to follow them. And he mentioned to his wife, I
won’t be seeing you again. And within ten minutes, two generals
came with the car, with armed escorts, and he was taken in their car,
and two generals are sitting, and he was sitting in the middle. And on
the way, he was forced to take poison by those two generals. These
were Hitler’s orders because he was involved with that bomb blast
when Hitler was about to be assassinated. He was the main man. So
– and they drove him – on the way, they forced him to take poison.
And within a few minutes, a – the missionary of the German
[inaudible] started announcing, Field Marshal Rommel died in an
accident in battle. His own [inaudible]. That was the propaganda they
gave so that the public will know Field Marshal died. But he was
actually poisoned by the Hitler – by the two generals that came –
poisoned him. And then even before the body was cold, they took off
all his military uniform, et cetera, and then just took a few medals.
And the funeral ceremony was very elaborate. The great hero of the
German army died – Rommel – General – Field Marshal Rommel!

And all their life – he is only just a few days only – General – Field
Marshal – after that title, he was only – he lived a few days. And the
very Hitler that gave the title Field Marshal, he gave poison. And he
gave poison to his own wife – mistress – in the last moment, and put a
bullet on his own head. Just look into these people’s lives. Mussolini –
Italian dictator - he was hanged, and people were spitting and
urinating in his body because [inaudible] dressed as military.
[Inaudible] help them.

What I’m trying to tell you all: forget your money, position, wealth,
power. It is just like a bubble. It doesn’t last. What you did in a few
minutes of meditation and chanting, thinking God only is the reality,
you have done the greatest thing. So don’t ask for mink coat and
diamonds. Even the biggest diamond – it will be a – Queen Elizabeth
afterwards they showed in that big diamond, that second big diamond,
and the first biggest diamond in the world is on her crown. It must be
quite heavy. Anyway, she is wearing that crown with all the rocks, but
if she has to wear that crown twenty-four hours, even go to sleep with
that crown, then her life will be a -? Torture. The torturing chamber.
That jewel – that diamond – even twenty-five million dollar diamond
won’t bring you peace of mind. None of you can escape that, or bring
peace of mind and happiness. That peace you got just in those silent
hours of repeating God’s name. And – silently – you know any amount
of money can bring you? Any money can bring you? That’s why I call
you – you are all millionaires and billionaires. You are the king of
kings. Keep that attitude but abandon this wealth and money,
position, power. It’s like a bubble. It will burst.

So the story I gave – one day you can build and next day it’s gone – to
show that – the Hitler’s Eagle’s Nest. Now you know what the Eagle’s
Nest is? It is in Germany. [Swamiji laughs.] It’s on the cliff – that’s
why it’s called the Eagle’s Nest. It’s on the top, about ten or twelve
thousand feet up. That’s the only thing that peak holds – nothing else.
It’s just like a peak. From there you can look down straight.

Om Shanti.

[Swamiji and students begin chanting Om Namo Narayanaya.

Tape then abruptly cuts off, and then begins again with:]

Swamiji: Hear the silence. See the silence. Taste, touch and smell
the silence. Silence is the only reality. In that silence, you find that
freedom, peace, bliss, trust, power. Only in that silence, all of the
fears will be vanished. Only in that freedom, in that silence, you will
be emperor of emperors, king of kings, shah of shahs. Then the whole
world is like a bubble. Now hear that silence. When you enter that
silence, you hear the music of that sound OM. OM.

[After several moments of silence, Swamiji and students begin to

chant the Trayambakam Mantra. Tape then abruptly cuts off.]