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“Our Gurudeva is closer to us all, nearer than breath than ever. He is the SUN. We are all blessed to work with Him and be under His Umbrella for the future, future and future centuries. He is the life of my life and I will always remain Eternal to my Gurudeva. AUM.

Since Thursday last (Mauritius time) and every morning I am performing a special puja to Gurudeva. I ring the bell after placing a new soumboo full of fresh water on the shrine tablet. I lit a sandalwood and simultaneously call the Nandi Natha Sampradaya of the Kailasa Paramparai. I then place a slightly opened white rose flower bud for Paramaguru Siva Yogaswami and another white rose flower for Gurudeva in front of his picture. AUM. I then lit some sambrani providing scent and perfume. I cut a beautiful banana into two parts and place the same at the feet of Gurudeva. A small piece of saffron is then placed for Siva Yogaswami and I take another piece to rub Gurudeva feet and toes. It takes some time for the saffron exercise whilst I sing consistently GURUNATHA. Proceeding ahead, I then take some honey and place the same on his Majestic beard. I take my time to shower the honey whilst I now sing Mangalam Jaya Mangalam . I place the saffron piece on the banana and as well some honey on the banana. Finally, I take yellow flowers , take their petals and shower same on Gurudeva`s Head, heart, Torso and Feet. I start again with beautiful white flowers petals and sing in honor of our Sat Guru Sivaya Subramuniyaswami. All the petals have now covered the oval crystal placed at Gurudeva`s Feet. The said crystal was given to me by our church years ago. I feel the presence of the Master more than ever before. Jai. I then take the sandalwood for a final arthi and sing Gurunatha. I prostrate at Gurudeva Feet and I pray. AUM NAMASIVAYA. I finally meditate a bit and read Merging with Siva and living with Siva. aum. GURUDEVA IS THE LIFE OF ALL THE SISHYAS. He is the SUN and is LIGHT effulgence. AUM.

Our Ganapati Kulam is “riveted” in the final hours of production of the memorial issue for Gurudeva. We are in the “final 48 hours.” Paramacharya Palaniswami, our editor-in-chief takes “The Book” (a copy of the entire magazine) and does a complete overview review… final refinements and changes are still coming through.

Study Gurudeva’s teachings. Visit the Master Course site!

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Date: January_16_2002
Title: Swami Pragyanand on Gurudeva
Category: The Guru
Duration: 11 min., 55 seconds
Date Given: January 16, 2002
Given by: Swami Pragyanand

First of all, I want to offer my heartfelt condolences at the Lotus Feet of He, who has now merged with Lord Siva, Gurudeva. Now, Gurudeva and Lord Siva are one. If you want to realize Gurudeva, then you have to turn the searchlights inwards. Then you can search for the power, the energy, the entity of Gurudeva. We are searching the God in the temple, in the mosque. We are searching the Lord in tapa, in japa, in yagya. But, God is within us, Gurudeva is within us and Lord Siva is within us. That is in your faith. As Kabir says, “mujhe kahaan doonde re bandhe, main tho tere pass hoon …You are searching outside, but I am within you.”

Really, I don’t know how to express my gratitude, my honor and my respect towards Paramacharya Bodhinatha. He is really the true and real representative of Gurudeva. You can see Gurudeva in him, too. Whatever he says, whatever he speaks, he speaks his master’s voice. Because, he is also merging. As Gurudeva is merged in Siva, he is merged in Gurudeva.

All of you, who want to realize and want to see Gurudeva, you need not go outside. Simply turn your divine eye. We have the eyes of the flesh that can see the external world, the creation. But if we want to see the creator, for that you need the divine eye. From that divine eye, you can see Gurudeva. Gurudeva can open the eye. “caksur unmilitam yena, tasmai sri gurave namaha … The Guru is one who opens our eyes.” We have two eyes, but Gurudeva had the third eye. That third eye is the real eye. “tab shiv teera nayan ubhara, chit vat kaam bhayo jal chara … When that eye is open, everything – the lust, the dust, the greed, the need – everything burns through that eye.”

That eye is supposed to open for the devotee. Those that are devotedly, dedicated devotees or dedicatedly, devoted devotees are supposed to try to merge, to open that eye of wisdom. That wisdom is not outside, that is also within you. Suppose we have wealth. If we lost that, we have lost nothing. If we lost health, we have lost something. But if we lost wisdom, we have lost everything.

I am promoting, with the blessing of Gurudeva, the wisdom, the divine wisdom. Divine wisdom is the only asset of human being. Without wisdom, we are just like animals. Animal eats, man eats. Animal sleeps, man sleeps. Man has fear, animal has fear. Man produces children, animal also produces children. But, the only difference between human being and the animals is the wisdom. That wisdom is a special grant of Lord Siva to all of us. We have to protect, preserve and defend the wisdom. Then that wisdom will protect, preserve and defend us. We have to protect, preserve and defend the religion. The religion will protect, preserve and defend us.

Eighty-four hundred thousand species we have gone through and ultimately we got promoted to this life. With the blessing of Gurudeva, we can achieve salvation. Gurudeva is not a human being. Gurudeva is a philosophy. Gurudeva is an energy. In fact, Gurudeva is an inseparable part of the Supreme Being, inseparable. We are also a part of Gurudeva, so Gurudeva will bless us. The door of moksha will open.

“moksha moolam guru krupa”. Without the blessing of Gurudeva, nobody can achieve moksha.
“mantra moolam gurur vakyam”. Each and every sentence, each and every word of Gurudeva is a mantra for us.
“dhyana moolam, gurur murthim”. If you want to meditate, the best source of meditation is the image of Gurudeva.
“mantra moolam gurur vakyam, dhyana moolam gurur murthim, moksha moolam guru krupa” The source of salvation is the blessing of Gurudeva.

I am more than happy to see you here, although I am missing Gurudeva very much. But, what I have realized today, is that Gurudeva has not left this place. Gurudeva left the body, but he dwells in our heart. Now he dwells in the millions. Last evening, when the priest was doing the arati, I saw Gurudeva here in the arati of Lord Siva. Then my tears came out, not all of a sudden but I have realized Gurudeva here. I also realized, wherever he will go, he is after you, he will take care of you. If you are going the wrong direction, he will make you, compel you to make a U-turn. He is always with us. He will never be without us. Previously, when he was in body, he had limited power. But now, he has become infinite, he has become limitless. Now, he became Universal. Wherever a devotee will remember, he will see Gurudeva in any part of the world, in any part of the brahmand. He now became the Anantasri. He became the endless Sri. He has merged in the endless galaxies. Now he is within us.

So, you need not go to search Gurudeva or God anywhere else. You have to search within you and He will bless you. He will guide you. He will give you everything that you need in life. Main thing is when Gurudeva pleases, he does not fulfill the desire, he just destroys the desire. In any sense pleased with any devotee, they don’t fulfill the desire they completely vanish the desires. If you have a desire, it means you are away. If you don’t have any desire, that means you are very close to Gurudeva.

When you were a small kid, in the beginning, they used to give you a toffee. “Please take this toffee and go to school.” For those that are kids, those in a child stage, they used to provide toffee. When they grow and they are students of the University or doing Ph.D, they don’t need any toffee.

Whatever, in the beginning he has provided us, it is because he wanted to give us, whatever we want in that stage.We have to grow. We have to become mature.

One of my friends came to me. He was more than sixty. He asked me to give him something. I told him, “But, you are a child. How can I give you this? Children cannot get a license for driving, they cannot get the license of pistol, they cannot get the right of voting power. How can I give you that which you ask? First, you have to become mature. When maturity will take place, you need not beg anything. Everything is within you.”

Without asking anything, he knows what we need, what is our desire. So first, deserve. Then, automatically everything will be given by Gurudeva. Aum Namah Sivaya!

Again my heartfelt greetings for the New Year. Today is already the 16th day of the New Year. Wishing you a very, very happy New Year. Although Gurudeva passed in the last year, this year He will be with us. So for all your heavenly happiness, transcendental peace and divine wisdom, Aum Namah Sivaya!

I have already told you that this is my second home. My first home is in Delhi and this is my second home. Whenever I come to the States, I will definitely visit because it is my right to come here, my privilege to see all of you.You are my brothers, you are my everything.

Aum Namah Sivaya!
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MORE UPLIFTING THINGS		Innersearch 2002 in Hawaii! Plans are in the works for a wonderful innersearch program located right here on the island of Kauai in the summer (July/August) of 2002. Be prepared for a wonderful spiritual experience in paradise with classes, meditations, seminars and wonderful ceremonies at the Siva temple of Kauai’s Hindu Monastery. Details are being worked on and we will be informing prospective participants in the new future of the exact dates. If you would like to be on the mailing list to be informed, please send your full contact information, name, address, phone and email to innersearch@hindu.org
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