Salvation in Kali Yuga. Swami Vankhandi Maharaj: Interviews, Satsangs, Teachings, Parables

Living Truthfully

«The Maharaja is more interested in animals than in people» – this is the impression one might get when observing him in daily life. What people consider their «problems» and «desires» clearly doesn’t seem to concern him much. If someone starts telling him about their worries, he will, of course, listen attentively and even give some wise advice. But overall, it’s clear that all of this is trivial to him. However, he is very attentive to animals and plants. Their difficulties appear much more real to him than human ones (which are indeed often contrived). For example, if during satsang, an ashram horse named Manju comes and stands expectantly nearby, looking at people with a desire to eat something, he pauses and doesn’t continue speaking until she is given something. He responds to many subtle movements of dogs lying next to him, as well as to loud bird calls or, for instance, gusts of wind. This is life inseparable from him – this life might even more be called «his life» than everything that happens directly with his body. At the same time, he is very caring and kind to all living beings. But this kindness doesn’t come from the idea that «it’s the right thing to do,» but from an inner love for the essence of these beings – for that essence which he sees as himself in everyone and everything. You can call this compassion, or you can call it wholeness.

Vankhandi Maharaj: «In the process of life, a person needs to understand what kindness and compassion are. How human fall and spiritual growth occur, and how to achieve the state of shanti – peace and tranquility – in samsara (worldly existence). There is no greater happiness than shanti. There is no greater sorrow than anger. The greatest happiness is finding harmony and shanti, and this is achieved through detachment. Detachment brings peace. Anger and negative emotions give birth to sorrow. If you allow anger to control your emotions, then shanti – peace and harmony – will never enter your life. Reject anger, and you will find peace. This knowledge comes to us from the Vedas.»

In ashram, 2015

Life is not about acquiring comfort, wealth, fame, or luxury. It is rather to form such a mindset and a path for yourself that will lead you to a higher step, to a level above where you started your life. We came into this world with everything already prepared. The Divine created everything before us. Did we have any hand in this? No. What contribution did we make to the creation of this world? How did we deserve to receive all this? Everything has already been created in nature for our life and works perfectly and naturally. Everything is thought out and provided for. The Divine gives food to everyone, feeds us all – from the tiny ant on the ground to the birds high in the sky and fish in the oceanic depths.

In Hemkund, there is a temple of Lakshman where the famous sindoor stone is situated. Shiva and Parvati once sat on this stone. Parvati once said to Shiva: «Everyone calls You the provider. You take care of everyone and feed everyone. Do You really not overlook anyone with Your attention?» And she decided to test this. She took an ant and hid it in her sindoor box away from Shiva’s eyes. She didn’t notice how a grain of rice fell from her head and landed into the box. She hides the ant and asks:

«Shiva, have You fed everyone?»

«Yes. Everyone,» answers Shiva.

«Are You sure? You didn’t miss anyone?»

«No. No one.»

«No one at all remained hungry?»

«No. No one.»

«Well, look here!»

And she decided to show Shiva that one being still remained unfed. After all, she hadn’t hidden that ant for nothing. She opened the box triumphantly, and look – there sits the ant, holding a grain of rice in its legs, eating it with pleasure. Then Parvati slapped her forehead with the box, and all the sindoor spilled onto the stone and colored it red. Such is the Divine lila (play). Shiva took responsibility for caring for and feeding everyone. And His caring gaze overlooks no one.

That is why He is called limitless, and no one can surpass Him. Yet humans still fidget and worry: «What will I eat? What should I do? What will happen to me?» A person’s whole life passes in worries, in searching for solutions to their small problems. They are always preoccupied: building something here, breaking something there. But the secret is that life’s joy comes in detachment, in refusing everything. The more you free yourself from attachments, the more joy there is in your life. As said in the Ramayana: «The greedy rich man cares about his wealth, but I in My heart care and worry about those who have renounced their wealth, small joys, desires, fear, and sorrow. The more you worship Me, the richer you become.»

One who lives in the Divine heart will want for nothing. This is not complicated, but it’s not so simple either. Yet practicing such sadhana (spiritual practice) is quite possible. So says Rama. So say all Deities.

The Rigveda describes thirty-three types of different Deities, each representing a personal manifestation of Brahman. For each Deity, there is a specific prayer, ceremony, individual offerings, specific daily puja (worship ritual), and rules for conducting it. You can choose ten Deities and worship them every day. There are countless rituals and ceremonies for each individual Deity. In Kali Yuga (the current age), it’s difficult for people to take all this into account and perform it. After all, one is supposed to know exactly which flowers and what offerings are presented during each puja or aarti (ceremonial worship). To Ganesha, for example, durva grass is offered during prayer. If you offer Him a lotus flower, Ganesha will not be pleased. Only durva grass brings Him joy.

However, nowadays, no one approaches all these rules so strictly and meticulously. Everyone has started praying as they see fit, as they prefer. Everyone has images of Deities hanging on their walls at home, with a home temple in every room. I also have my two temples (laughing, points toward the dhuni – sacred fire). My main temple is my dhuni. And it gathers everyone around itself. «Sureshanand, Jagadanand – are you hungry, don’t you want to eat? Come to my dhuni. Are you cold, feeling chilly? Come warm yourself by my fire.»

Daily reading of the Ramayana dispels the grief and sorrow brought by samsara. But achieving this takes time, requires comprehension, detachment, and application of higher mind. One must step away from worldly bustle, and only then will the Divine turn to you with love. New and better paths will begin to open for you. But if you spend life earning money, solving daily pressing problems, then the quality of life won’t change. You’ll walk in the same circle, there will be no progress.

Consider that there are people who are born in poverty, on the margins of life, living right on the street. They are people, too. They were born this way according to their karma (the law of cause and effect). And others are born in palaces. The universe is manifested in different forms and aspects. Look at what place you occupy in it. Look at who lives above you, who below, who lives better, and who worse. Before looking up with desire, turn your gaze down, to those who live worse than you. Consider what difficulties they must go through, what torments they must endure. One must know life from all sides. Without knowing the lower step, you won’t rise to the upper one.

Notice how many living beings go through suffering in this life. How many people work all day to exhaustion and still barely make ends meet! They sleep right on the street, covered with one blanket. These are people, too, but this is the karma they’ve earned; now they’re reaping the fruits.

Karma plays an important role. The Bhagavad Gita says: don’t covet beautiful and tasty fruits, don’t waste time on empty dreams and desires. Work. Do good deeds. The fruits will fall into your hands by themselves, according to the results of your labors, in accordance with the karma you’ve earned for yourself. Those who desire self-development and improvement must understand and realize this.

The Bhagavad Gita further teaches that if you were walking this path but then stumbled on life’s journey, stained yourself with sin, you will still be given another chance in the next birth. You will be born in the home of good people, they will feed you well, take care of you, give you education, and you will meet good teachers. A person will still have a chance to understand the Divine hint and get on the right path. In the next birth, you might go even further, practice sadhana, and acquire Divine siddhis (spiritual powers). However, in this birth… if everything is bad for you, it means you didn’t use your chances in previous times, didn’t realize Divine lessons. You didn’t make progress and regressed; now it will be difficult for you.

Yet living truthfully isn’t difficult. Just commit yourself to speaking only the truth. And love everyone kindly – if not in deeds, then in thoughts and in your attitude. Does it really take much effort to save the life of one ant?

When you are sweeping the floor and you see an ant crawling, take it and put it aside. But if you see it crawling and still crush it with the broom, is that kindness? When you eat, and a dog approaches you or a bird flies up, share your food with them. You won’t become poor from it. This is the kind of attitude you need to develop towards everyone.

Compassion nourishes the roots of dharma. Any virtue begins with kindness and compassion. If you go on pilgrimage to holy places, any such path begins with compassion. The meaning of any ritual and ceremony will be complete only when it is filled with love and kindness.

Just as water rises from the trunk to the branches of a tree, to the leaves, flowers, fruits, and seeds, so too kindness, like water, nourishes the tree of dharma. The Ramayana says, «Until your last breath, radiate kindness.» A person needs to develop such an attitude towards everything in life, and everything around will respond in the same way.

Living in samsara, one should strive for balance, to remain equally calm in sorrow and joy, in happiness and grief, in rise and fall. Living in balance, you will find peace. Now it’s not so bad yet. The time will come, it will only get worse with each year. That’s how circumstances are developing in the world. Because much negativity has accumulated on our planet. The earth is shaking. Earthquakes are happening everywhere, both in India and in other countries. Much on Earth can change. Where there was land, it will become sea, where there was sea will become land. This has happened before.

Now it’s the twelfth kalpa (cosmic cycle) since the origin of the Universe. In one kalpa there are hundred Satya-yugas, hundred Treta-yugas, hundred Dvapara-yugas, and hundred Kali Yugas. When all four yugas occur a hundred times, the kalpa ends. After every hundred kalpas comes pralaya (cosmic dissolution). The pralaya of this Universe hasn’t come yet. Markandeya was shown pralaya, but we haven’t experienced it yet. The kalpa hasn’t ended yet. This is the twenty-eighth Kali Yuga. Twenty-eight Satya-yugas, Tretas and Dvaparas have passed, and now the twenty-eighth Kali Yuga is in progress. There’s still much time until the hundredth. How many more births will have to be experienced? After all, the Universe has no end. One cycle ends, and a new one begins. That’s why it’s called ananta – infinity.

Meanwhile, every ten years some changes occur on earth. No decade is like another. Look how many changes have occurred over the past fifty years – in everything. The way of life changes, the way of eating, ways of moving around. Where there used to be shabby huts, now high-rise buildings stand. People have started living in comfortable apartments. New technologies are coming. Once, we didn’t know what cement was. Before independence, in the mountains they hadn’t even heard of cement. But then there were their own technologies. They mixed limestone, white lentils, seeds of various plants. From this mixture, they made bricks and built temples. Over the past twenty-five years, cement has found use in the Himalayas, too.

In twenty years we observe so many changes, and how much new development will we see during the next century! But there is something that remains eternal and unchanging. It is the foundation of being. Atma doesn’t change. The body is subject to changes, the world and Universe change their form. But Atma will remain unchanged. Take air – it can change qualitatively. It heats up, cools down, moves around. It can become dirty due to poor ecology. But its essence doesn’t change. Air will remain air. Water changes its form, transitions from one state to another – liquid, gaseous, solid. But still, water remains water. Fire can be strong or weak, yet its essence is unchanging.

The five basic elements of nature – they are constant and eternal. Changes occur only when they begin their play, interacting with each other.

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1

Satsang – from Sanskrit, this word means «connection with Truth» or «gathering in the name of Truth.» In modern times, satsang typically refers to a public dialogue with a Master about Truth, most often in a question-and-answer format. However, in its broader sense, satsang encompasses any event or conversation that enables a person to move closer to Truth. – Here and further editor’s note.

2

Thik hai – «good» or «okay» in Hindi.

3

When Vankhanandi Maharaj uses the words «Atma» and «Paramatma» it is basically the same as Atman. Other synonyms often used in translated literature include words like «Is-ness», «The Self», and similar terms.

4

Ishvara – one of the names for the Supreme Lord in Hinduism. This name indicates God as the Master of the manifested world, the Lord of the Universe, the Almighty.

5

«Bhagavad Gita», 6.17

6

Puja – one of the main rituals of worship to God in Hinduism.

7

Baba, babaji – in India, this is a respectful term for a person leading a righteous life, sometimes a teacher, sometimes a wandering ascetic, sadhu.

8

Ajapajapa – a Sanskrit term meaning spontaneous internal repetition of the Name or mantra, that occurs by itself.

9

Sadhak – one who follows the path of Truth and practices some form of spiritual practice, sadhana, on this path.

10

Darshan – translated from Sanskrit means «sight», «vision», «to behold». In the context of this book, this word denotes meetings with Gods and saints.

11

Shaktipat – intentional transmission of spiritual energy from Master to disciple, which can remove deep karmic layers of the disciple and serve their rapid spiritual evolution.

12

Tyaga – detachment, in this case – a vow of renunciation of one’s own interests for the sake of the interests of all people.

13

In this translation, the word «heart» (with a lowercase letter!) is often used as a synonym for the psycho-emotional center, sometimes also called the soul. In Hindi, Maharaj at such moments pronounces the word «man,» whose closest analog in Sanskrit is the term «manas,» that is, the psycho-emotional superstructure formed as a result of identification with the body («I am the body»). In spiritual literature, the words «man» and «manas» are most often translated as «mind,» however, since «manas» includes not only the thinking mind but also more subtle, irrational layers of mind, such as emotions and feelings, in this translation several different variants are used for the word «man» in different contexts, for example: «ordinary mind,» «soul,» «manas,» and also «heart» (lowercase) Regarding the latter, it must be emphasized that this is not the same term «Heart» (with a capital letter) that Masters use to denote the unchanging impersonal True Self, the Core of Being. When Maharaj uses the word «Heart» in such a high sense, it is capitalized in this book. But most often he speaks of the «heart» specifically as a psycho-emotional center.

14

Anushthana (Sanskrit: anuśṭhana – performance) – this is a practice of religious discipline, rejection of excesses, observance of certain rules to achieve a desired goal.

15

Prarabdha-karma – a type of karma that plays out in the current incarnation of the jiva, the individual soul born as a body.

16

Naga-baba – this is what they call such sadhus whose characteristic feature is that they always remain naked.

17

Dhuni – a special yogic furnace-hearth, which will be mentioned many times in this book.

18

Rishi Markandeya – a legendary Vedic sage who has lived on Earth since time immemorial. According to some sources, he is more than ten billion years old.