GURU PURNIMA - gnby2010germany.org

1 | 2011
GURU PURNIMA

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 24
Fax: ++91-(0)821-2 48 74 87, Internet: www.dattapeetham.com
e-mail:
Projekte, Verwaltung, allg. Information: manager@dattapeetham.com
Pujabuchung von Auswärts (Babu): puja@dattapeetham.com
Angeloffice/Unterkunftsplanung (Pingala): foreignoffice@dattapeetham.com
Anmeldung 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 51
mail@dycgermany.de, Internet: www.dycgermany.de
Bankverbindung: Deutsche Bank 24, BLZ 300 700 24
6 433 031-01 Spenden für Indien (mit Spendenquittung)
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Tel. / Fax ++49(0)2 11-5 36 74 51
e-mail: bookshop@dycgermany.de
Internetbookshop: www.dycgermany.de
Datta Yoga Center Switzerland
Sekretariat: Kirchrain 6, CH-8505 Pfyn,
Tel: +41 76 531 91 93, mail@dyc.ch, www.dyc.ch
Bankverbindung:Vereinskonto: Raiffeisenbank Zürich, CH-8001 Zürich
PC 87-71996-7, IBAN: CH65 8148 7000 0079 8552 6
Datta Yoga Center Switzerland, Bächlerstrasse 11, CH-8046 Zürich
Spendenkonto: Freie Gemeinschaftsbank, 4001 Basel
PC 40-963-0, IBAN: CH52 0839 2000 0000 3436 3
Datta 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.ch
Internetbookshop: www.dyc.ch
Imprint
DattaMala 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
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
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, Mysore
26 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 USA
12 June Jyeshtha Shuddha Ekadashi – Birthday of Pujya Sri Swamiji according to the indian mooncalendar)
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
Datta Darshan 29
The culmination … 31
«NADA is great» 34
Behind the scenes 38
The Guru Gita is especially precious 46
2 3

Editorial
Dear 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 DATTA
OM NAMO HANUMATE NAMAHA
For the Datta Mala editorial staff
Tunga
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 Schweiz
Neuigkeiten und Information gibt es regelmässig per E-Mail. Man kann sich anmelden mit einer E-Mail an newsletter@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
4
Swami Manasa Datta
in Switzerland
It 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, canton
Grisons (Graubünden).
The topic will be: Ramayana – Sundara Kanda, depicting
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 Hürlimann:
egonh@gmx.ch, phone: +41 61 702 16 88
5

6
GURU PURNIMA
Pilgrimage and
«Guru Flight» The
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
SRI GANESHAYA NAMAHA
SRI SARASVATYAI NAMAHA
SRI PADAVALLABHA NARASIMHA SARAVATI
SRI 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-
radiance of Sadguru
dad, America, India, especially in Machilipatnam. Swamiji
is visiting there now, He is giving darshan to Dattatreya
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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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 different
items is happening for the first time, I think - systematic,
very simple and sweet, short and concentrated.
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-
8
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 forgive
But on our own we sometimes are doing some mistakes.
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 mistakes.
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,
Sri Swamiji
during His Guru
Purnima speech
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 SEVA
And KALA PARAMITI. Kala means, not our Kala [devotee
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 recommends
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).
When you were all singing I was not here – I was somewhere.
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 people
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 somewhere,
what can I do? You must support at that time,
this is Guru Seva.
Blessing
And 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 jealous.
You must be happy! Then you will get that happiness,
that energy. The people who are receiving those
blessings, they get a shower (shiver), they get confusion,
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 watching
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
9

less, 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 problems,
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 devotees,
and to all SADHAKAS. I’m not calling them devotees,
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.
10
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 DATTA
SRI GURU DATTA
Now Swamiji is moving to the front and will be available,
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
The offering
of the crown
is part of the
Guru Purnima
ritual
Anmerkungen
(1) At the end of the PUJA the priests chant «mantra heenam kriya
heenam bhakti heenam maheshvara yatkritan tu maya deva paripurnam
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
East and West in
Dialogue
GNA NA BHA YOGA CONFERENCE
Mind 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
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Marianne Behnken of Via Cordis
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 conference,
welcomed the idea of a multicultural perspective
and supported it very enthusiastically,
expressing His happiness to the excellent speakers.
Seventeen nations
Sri 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 conference
invitation, being well known personalities. Some
had to decline the invitation due to prior commit-
12
Sri Swamiji honours Professor Michael von
Brück
ments. We were rather late in sending out the invitations
less than a year in advance. In May we still didn’t
have anyone for the bhakti topic, but luckily Sri Swamiji
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 smilingly
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 Contributions
Sri 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
Eric Cross speaks about sacral music
• 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 occasions
where Sri Swamiji illuminated a profound truth
within our realm of experience.
Four spiritual themes from western view
The 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 reality
in the western spiritual tradition, as is normally
taught in Advaita Vedanta.
Music (Nada) with Prof. Eric Cross, Newcastle University,
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 pastoral
profession, how he can develop a personal relationship
to Jesus and complete this practice in service
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.
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 speech
on NADA is fully given on page 34 of this
Datta Mala.
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14
GURU PURNIMA
The spirit of Guru Purnima
The week with Sri Swamiji in Geseke
A 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 MANDALAKARAM
VYAPTAM YENA CHARACHARAM
TAT PADAM DARSHITAM YENA
TASMAI SRI GURAVE NAMAHA
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 westwards.
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.
«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 » (1)
The whole summer
After 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 blowing
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 everything.
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
quantum physicists and philosophers of the last century.
His interpretation of quantum physics describes
a process of wholeness, which we actively participate
in through the way in which we think.
Blossoming
Blossoming out of Sri Swamiji’s wonderful announcement
in Meilen, Switzerland, in 2009, was a masterwork
comprising all the talents, skills of the participants,
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 manifestations
on the physical level.
How a temple suddenly took form in the Dicke Birken
guest house’s dilapidated hall! And how everything is
ready on time, so that we can receive the Divine incarnate,
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.
15

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 Swamiji
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 announcing
Guru Purnima 2010 to be held in Geseke.
Art
What Sri Swamiji did in these days in Geseke with 300
to 500 participants! It was touching for me to understand
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 photography
exhibition in the back part of the hall.
«Art is a question of intuition, great concentration,
16
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 transparent
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 devotion.»
The divine dance
The conference – whose motto is east and west in
dialogue – begins enthusiastically and continues on
full of energy. The talk by Michael von Brück, professor
of religious science, entitled «God dances in man
– paths to the inner self in the Christian-Hindu dialogue»
is a dance between the east and west, empha-
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 difference
between western and eastern concepts using
the mythological creation of the world through Shiva’s
dance. «He dances, as you know, on the demon,
on the negative force. But he does not kill the negative
force. He transforms the negative force, takes the
energy and creates the negative energy into a structured
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 choreography
of the heavenly lights.» (7).
The concert on Saturday also ends with the whole hall
joyfully dancing.
Creating Cosmos out of Chaos
And now as I am writing and trying to figure out a way
to express experiences being far beyond usual understanding,
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, experiences.
Some are kind of branded in, others are like
butterflies dancing from flower to flower. A kaleidoscope
of ever new colors and forms. So many tones
and sounds, so much NADA, so much spiritual knowledge
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 potentiality»
– and the «explicate order», in which the potentiality
manifests itself in this way now and in the next
moment it manifests in a new way.
17

Sri Swamiji after Pada Puja
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 experience
for me, happening by the grace of the physical
presence of Sri Swamiji.
Creativity
True 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 creativity
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,
18
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 mistakes
and learning from them, but rather judges mistakes
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.
NADA
It was a unique sight to see Sri Swamiji, the embodiment
of JNANA, NADA, BHAKTI, and YOGA, standing at
the conference lectern, when He speaks to the audience
after each lecture during the four day conference.
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
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 important
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 Jesus
On 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 without
JNANA (spiritual knowledge) there will be no liberation.
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 fundamental
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: Devotion».
(11)
Non duality
One 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 antipathies.
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 teaching.
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 feelings
– 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 something
different, there are different names in different
languages and different versions. But DHYANA is
19

DHYANA. Meditation, is always meditation, no language,
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 visualize,
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 reality
Friday 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
The sacred feet of Sadguru and the Padukas: Symbol for DHARMA
20
, there is no such thing as . There is also no
, nor , as separate from and .
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 am. It is Sri
Swamiji‘s mission to make us realize that the true
that is, is not the limited that we experience, limited
to this one body, with the one name and features,
careers, qualifications, parents and siblings. Sri Swamiji
has made it His life‘s mission to make as many of
us as possible recognize the real 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
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 JYOTI
Bliss 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.
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 concert
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 concert,
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 techniques
which invoked different feelings».
Everything contains everything
According to Dr. David Bohm, the mathematics of
quantum theory implies a process that he calls
«enfoldment», in which each element in space contains
a field enfolded in the totality, all together «a
movement of waves that unfold and enfold throughout
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 corresponds
more or less to a point in the photo) –
enfolds the whole image in every point of the hologram
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 spirituality
Sunday 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 outside
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 Ashrama.
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 devotees
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 mantras.
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 Purnima
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 Cinema
And 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
21

y 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 concentration
– 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 different
it looks to the first time we came here in January,
22
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 manages
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 everything
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-
Daily:
Sri Chakra
Puja
Dicke Birken, Geseke: Bye, bye Sri Swamiji!
ble mistakes, uses this for an unforgettable lesson.
And the court fool, now in the fragrance of the rosewater
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 Hubertussaal.
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 joy
On the following morning an unforgettable follow-themaster-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 taking
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)
23

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.
TATTVAMASI TATTVAMASI
AANANDASSA CHCHITTVAMASI
November 2010 addendum
As 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.
24
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 stranded
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 catastrophes
in the world. The consequences of this, as with
the forest and peat fires in Russia, cannot be estimated.
«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.
(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 exhibition.
(5) Translated from the German
taken from Master Eckhart, Predigt
13, Deutsche Predigten und
Traktate. Published and translated
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 Lichttempel
mit seiner Aura bauen,
Lektion 46 aus der Meditationskurs.
(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 meditate
upon Me, thinking of no other, who are ever devout, I bring prosperity
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 Behnken:
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.
Sri Swamiji at the conclusion program in Geseke
/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 Sachchidananda
Swamiji, 2010, p.13. The new German translation by Shabari
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.
25

… playing …
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.
On July 16th, I found an email with the latest information
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 different
ways, where they could experience something
that was touching, supporting, joyful or that would
help them in their life.
26
«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 awaiting
the arrival of our Master. The following morning
they were the first to welcome Sri Swamiji with the
poster they had made themselves.
Many elephants
The 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
… drawing and painting … beaming and laughing
of the stories were about elephants, about the inspirational
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 Tuesday.
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 «elephant
burg» [burg = castle in German language] room.
A whole troop of colourful, fantasy elephants decorated
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 dancing
As well as playing outside the young ones loved singing
bhajans and songs. Saraswati and Prakash supported
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
27

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, performing
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 misunderstanding
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 Swamiji’s
surprise visit to the «children’s room», and Friday
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
YOGA !
28
hearts were beating really fast! Even though not everything
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.
Kaliji and the children doing TRIYOGA
Saraswati with Bala Swamiji and Swamiji, Navaratri 2009
DATTA DARSHAN
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 experience.
GURU PURNIMA
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 Swamiji
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 Celebrations
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 Sangeeta.
29

Poem for Bala Swamiji
Today it is Guru Purnima and I am thinking of You
Concentrating on You
Meditating on You
Honoring You
So far away, but then again so close
In the PRESENCE of our Sadguru
Light is coming through
Love and affection too
All Cells are charged with Divine Energy
With the BLESSINGS of our Sadguru
Playing the tabla, singing and dancing
My Beloved Bala Swamiji
I dedicate to You
All with the LOVE of our Sadguru
From the bottom of my heart
With Eternal Love and Devotion
May Appaji BLESS YOU!
That is MY PRAYER at the Lotus Feet of our Sadguru
Singing under the tree
As 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).
30
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 distracted.
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 SWAMIJI
JAYA GURU DATTA
Sri Swamiji receives
roses after the concert
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 summerly
day. Although Munich presents
its dreary side it feels like entering
another world with a lordly and
pompously, simultaneously precious
and subtle atmospheric compound
veiled behind Nymphenburgs
palace walls radiating
tranquility as well as authority. The
generous premises allow the solemnly
spirit to be perceptible especially
towards evening.
Backstage
Even 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 prepared
backstage too, like the coatrooms.
It is not that the repeatedly heavy
rainfalls mare the atmosphere
inside the palace – quite the opposite
it becomes even more festive
and the musicians - who arrive
already around 3 p.m. do a soundcheck
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 garland
of flowers after the other is
being bound, the stage decorated,
the bookstall built up, the back-
31

stage area perfected, the stage door prepared and
many other things are done…
Uniqueness
The 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 concern
of His Holiness expressed already 1993 in the
context of a visit to King Ludwigs palaces Neuschwanstein
and Linderhof in South Germany. He felt the
strong connection between the King and the composer
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, Herrenchiemsee
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 Palace
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 inconsistencies
in societal and psychic aspects as well as
his policy of the government. Concerning his music
preferences he really idolised Richard Wagners’ compositions
- 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
actual mental diseases were, what the very true reasons
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.
Hamsa
One of the Ragas being played at this evening is a
special composition of Sri Swamiji
dedicated to King Ludwig II. Sri Swamiji also plays
Hamsananda Raga - a Swan Raga. King
Ludwig really adored swans and until this day there
are many of them living on the water
installations around the palace. Some short sounds
which compare a bit to a deep choir
let us listen attentively, too.
Lastly it might be a special gift that we are allowed to
pass by with a flower and to get Darshan of His Holiness!
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-Programme,
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 Alongside Prince Max III (builder Hubertusssaal)
Conclusion of the concert with rose garland
32 33

NADA
is great
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.
34
Sri Swamijis talking
about NADA
«JNANA is in
your body,
NADA is in
your body»
«Why do I take birth again? »
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 (= acupressure,
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 business,
OK.
The disease will be cured
But 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 system
we have NADI SHODHANA VIDYA (4). In the proper
way and with proper herbal medicine definitely the
35

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 pressing
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 energy
That 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? Somebody
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
36
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 anymore,
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 systems.
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 musicians,
and they don’t know how to use their own
music. Like comedy men, who are wonderfully humorous
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.
Turtle
Music is great, NADA is great. There are so many different
styles, so many different instruments in vari-
«You must
experience
NADA power»
ous countries. In the BHAGAVAD GITA there is a beautiful
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, completely.
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 different
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 explanation,
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 subject
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 concentrate
on your PRANA. When you suffer from sleeplessness
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.
«Definitely the
disease will be
cured»
«This body
is a moving
energy»
«Without NADA
we can‘t live»
(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: Purification.
VIDYA: Wisdom, science.
(5) The original version of «RAGA RAGINA NADA YOGAMU» in Telegu
was released on the occasion of Sri Swamiji 68th birthday celebrations
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).»
37

GURU PURNIMA
Behind the scenes
The 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.
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. Together
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 cleanup
Friday, 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
38
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. Everything
is arranged with a loving touch. Tons of material
left: Lippstadt-Paderborn airport: He is coming!
Above: The hall had to be set up with rented chairs for the conference
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 advantage.
One knows where things are and how they function.
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 sometimes
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 trips
In 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 suitable.
The fireman
Every 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 ‘catastrophes’.
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
39

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 kitchen
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 again
Daniel 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 preparations
When 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.
40
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 organization
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 information
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 airport
We 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 honour.
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 excitement.
I chanted various mantras to help myself concentrate
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 happening
Now 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 afternoon
with my wife, Rajeshi. I half missed the Children’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 midnight.
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 someone
who untiringly plugs up one hole after another on
a leaky boat, while new holes keep appearing. Sometimes
I felt a bit proud, and could notice my ego coming
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 Harold
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
41

Decorations in the hall Sri Swamiji with the ‘Reception committee’ at the airport Sri Swamiji on the way to the hall
Purnima on Sunday? Could we guarantee safety? We
discussed this for a while and thought about an emergency
strategy. We tried to get the guest house to
take responsibility for the facilities they had neglected
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. Nahusha
also stayed in Geseke to look around for another
available hall. Thanks to God resp. Sri Swamiji, everything
went well in the end and we mastered this
enormous challenge. Whether we will come to Geseke
again…
Cooking was like a Puja
In 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-
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
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
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-killing
The 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 miscalculated
some of the transportation for our Indian
guests and especially their luggage.
42 43

During the preparation work
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 transportation
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 instruments)
upon departure than arrival, which I hadn’t
expected, and the allocation of everyone in the vehicles
was not clear. This quickly created a small chaos
which I could only observe from a distance. Sri Swamiji
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 well
In Munich, we realized we had too few helpers for such
a big event. I helped everywhere I could as did everyone
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 unpredictable
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 culminating
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 unforeseen
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 again
Despite 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 everything.
How lucky we are to have Him as Sadguru? So
there was a general feeling of sadness when we
Sri Swamiji at the entrance to His living area
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 Externsteinen
(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 naturally
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!
44 45

Guru
Gita 1
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.
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 comprehensive
way of listening to and experiencing these wonderful
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.
46
Śrī Guru Gītā - Vers 1
ṛṣiruvāca:
guhyāt guhyatarā sārā
gurugītā viśeṣataḥ
tava prasādāt śrotavya
tām sarvāṃ brūhi sūta naḥ
ṛṣiḥ = holy person, wise person (like Śaunaka)
uvāca = said
guhya = secret
guhyāt = from the secret
guhyatarā = more secret
sārā = best, precious
viśeṣataḥ = special, first and foremost
tava = yours
prasādāt = from/with the blessings
śrotavya = should be heard, to be listened to
tām = it
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 contemplative
and peaceful moments, going-inside-oneself….. in search of the divine…..
sarvām = everything, the whole
brūhi = explain, tell
sūta = oh Sūta (a saint)
naḥ = us
Translation: The Guru Gita is especially precious, more
secret than everything that is secret, with your blessing
it should be heard, oh Suta, tell us everything
about it.
God is everywhere
In Flüeli Ranft 2007, Sri Swamiji gave the following
explanations:
«What is the ? So many people don’t know
about the .
When using the word people mean that it is a
hidden secret: ‘oh don’t touch, this Mantra, don’t tell’!
This is not meant by . means God. His
name is . means paramatma! He is
everywhere, but I can’t see that , 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 (Swamiji
stares at the wall as if He would be looking
through it), but I see only the watch - where is God?
That is the !
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 ) is not the hidden
practice behind closed doors, that is not meant
by ! People say that means hidden,
that is a funny meaning. 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 ,
that God is everywhere! (…)»
Another name of God
«He is giving orders all the times, but He is only witness!
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 Mahabharata,
all Upanishads say: , . But everbody
thinks that means untouchable! No, secret
does not mean untouchable. As I told before,
means: Another name of God, God’s name is !
We can’t see, we can’t understand God - that is the
. We can’t hear the voice - that is the !
Do you understand? You must decode that !
How? With the help of Guru! Decode that , just
must decode it one day!»
47

«I am always
with you!» Sri Swamiji