05 Oct 2003
Discourse Podcast
Destroying the Buffalo-Demon: Today is the Vijayadashami festival. Today Goddess Durga got victory over Mahishasura (Buffalo-Demon). Durga represents the highest power, which is knowledge. Mahisha (he-buffalo) represents the foolish rigidity of blind tradition. Yama Dharma Raja, the Lord of Death and Justice, sits on Mahisha. Yama means the rules and regulations imparted by the tradition. Dharma means the age-old practice. Raja means strictness and ego. Therefore, Mahisha represents an ignorant, foolish, rigid person, who is completely controlled by the ego of tradition, with all the rules and regulations, in the name of Dharma.
You cannot change such a person. Only the divine Guru can change him. No other deity could kill Mahisha. Goddess Durga is a single deity, who includes the three deities, i.e., Saraswati, Lakshmi and Parvati. These three deities are the powers of Brahma, Vishnu, and Shiva. Datta is the single deity present in these three Gods. Therefore, Durga is the power of Datta. Datta is called Guru. The power of Guru is knowledge. Datta is the only God who creates, maintains and destroys this universe. Therefore, Datta is the Parabrahman (Absolute God) according to Vedic definition (“Yato vacho”). The Veda says that Parabrahman is the true knowledge (“Satyam jnanam”). So Datta means true knowledge. Since Durga is the power of Datta, Durga also means true knowledge.
Mahisha fought with Durga using various weapons. Similarly, the traditional rigid person quotes from several scriptures with distorted meanings. The weapons of Durga defeat all the weapons of Mahisha. The weapons of Durga represent the correct interpretations of the scriptures. As Durga killed Mahisha, Shiva (Datta) also killed Yama Dharma Raja, who rides on a he-buffalo. Yama had violated his duty and given life to Satyavan because his wife Savitri had praised Yama. But when Markandeya was praising Shiva, Yama wanted to kill Markandeya. What does this mean? The tradition was violated and exploited by Gurus for their selfishness. They preach rules only for others. Therefore, Shiva punished Yama. Yama controls the Mahisha. This means that the general public has become rigid followers of tradition without any analysis and is under the control of their Gurus. The he-buffalo (Mahisha) does not move an inch even if rain from the sky falls on it. This indicates that even if the highest Guru showers knowledge, rigid people do not change. Durga, the power of Datta, killed this Mahisha today. Similarly, the traditional rigid ignorance present in the brains of people is killed by the powerful message of Guru Datta.
Discourse Podcast
People are doing abhisheka (offering the ritual bath) to a stone, which is shaped like a wave (Shiva Lingam). This stone represents the wave-nature of energy. Consciousness or life energy is the best form of energy. So the Shiva Lingam represents the life energy that is present in all living beings. Among all the living beings, man is the highest form. Therefore, the Shiva Lingam represents the human being. Among all the human beings, the Human Incarnation of God is the best. Therefore, the Shiva Lingam represents the Human Incarnation of God.
Since God comes in human form in every generation, a particular Human Incarnation cannot be represented[1]. The worship of the Shiva Lingam thus represents the worship or service to the Human Incarnation of God [in general]. If such a Human Incarnation is not available, you have to go to the next best. A devotee is the next best among human beings. Therefore, one can serve the devotee if the Human Incarnation is not available. The Human Incarnation of God represents knowledge (jnana). Jnana is the highest. The Human Incarnation of God always preaches divine knowledge. The next best alternative is devotion (bhakti). If jnana (Human Incarnation of God) is not available, bhakti (devotee) should be given the next highest value. You should not serve a person who is not a devotee. You can serve a person and turn him into a devotee. Under any circumstances, an atheist should not be served or helped. Every living being is indebted to God. If you do not express your gratefulness to God, it is the highest sin. God created everything and everybody.
Thus, worshipping inert matter i.e., statues and photographs is a very low form of worship. A statue represents matter. Energy is greater than matter. Worship of the sun, fire etc., which are inert energy, is better than the worship of the statue. Life energy (living beings) is more precious than inert energy. Thus, the Shiva Lingam represents the highest and the best life energy i.e., the Human Incarnation of God, who preaches divine knowledge. Participation in His mission of propagating the knowledge is the best worship.
Unless you take the internal meaning [of stories from the scriptures], you are not benefited in your spiritual effort. If you take the external meaning, it only gives entertainment. Rama got victory over Ravana. Rama represents the sattvam quality. Sattvam represents knowledge. Ravana, the demon, represents ignorance i.e., the tamas quality. Arjuna defeated the Kauravas and cows were liberated. Arjuna means white (in Sanskrit) representing the bright knowledge. Kauravas are the sons of the blind king and they represent the Gurus of blind traditions. The cows represent the innocent public. Therefore, today is the day of the victory of Guru Datta over blind ignorance.
[1] It would not indicate the generalized concept if the idol or statue of a specific Human Incarnation of God is worshipped.
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