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Commencement is Saraswati Sakti. Above all, Enlightenment, Purity and Wisdom are Saraswati Sakti. Just as we were (I hope all of you were) partaking of Durga purgation and of Lakshmi's loveliness and character-building - I hope these three days and nights will be the beginning, the commencement of some spiritual life. It is very difficult to have spiritual life [Smiling] without being spiritual. But we shall commence... We shall go now to the "Salutations to the Devi" Devi Mahatmayam .... I do not want to hear about the bloodshed tonight. It is Her Purity and Sweetness and you have to praise Her. [Speaking to the student] You go ahead and prepare the tape and give me music for the time being. [Student hesitates] What's the matter?
Student: [Whispers] I'm not sure which one...
Valentina: [With the voice of the Devas] "Salutations to You, 0 Devi Narayani!" Although it specifically is addressed to Narayani or Lakshmi - this Salute is to Maha Sakti in all Her forms.
Student: Yes, Ma'am!
[Music and tape recorded Recitation follow]
Valentina: So again I remind that the eulogy to Lakshmi is also the eulogy to Saraswati as well as to Durga. It is all the same, whether She creates, sustains or dissolves. Creates or begins - that is She, the White One; sustains or protects - it is She, the multi-coloured One; dissolves - it is She, the Blue-black One. So it is the same One, only [Guru moves Her hands from side to side,up and down] She goes this way, this way, this way, this way. So we shall meditate upon the One who creates, who begins, who enlightens, who is the symbol of Knowledge. You see how many books you brought [Glancing toward the books laid at the Altar by the students] - all your favourite books. I brought mine.... This is the symbol of Knowledge, of Enlightenment, of Wisdom, of quiet, of calmness, of serenity, of purity. Therefore, tonight we shall join together in meditation upon these qualities. Crystal-clear; white-blue - but the blue not of Durga, not that black-blue, but white-blue, very transparent. Very cool, but not cold. Very refreshing, but not stimulating. Very beautiful, but not sensuous... Mother... Saraswati... Sakti... Devi. [Silence]
Please go, those who want to go. [Rising to leave] I'll come again... please listen to music.
[Guru returns] You have to feel the essence of Saraswati, not to think about it but to feel it. The essence of every Sakti has to be felt, consequently realized. To talk about everything is very easy, to think about everything is very easy, but to realize everything is very difficult. I hope it will be transmitted to you tonight to some degree that Saraswati Sakti stands for spiritual Love. All Saktis are Love in various colours, various intenseness, for God is Love. Now the spiritual Love differs entirely from human love. One may think, "Well, isn't there at least an ingredient of human love which can approach the Saraswati Sakti?" Much as I think and much as I feel about it, I cannot say there is. There is not. It is to be very quiet first in order to receive that Love which consequently gives you Joy of which I spoke during Lakshmi meditation. It is a very transparent feeling. It is just like going up and high, and high and wide, and leaving downstairs, beneath, everything which is heavy, restless, dim, cloudy, impure. The more you feel that Saraswati Sakti, the less you are attached to human beings. The more you love them, the less you care for them. Of course, the human, passionate heart immediately will argue, "How come? How can we love and not care?" By that is meant - not care for petty argument, for petty assertiveness, for petty jealousy for petty interferences into things which are none of your business. It is aloofness of special kind, very noble aloofness. It is "live and let live" on a very high level. You live on a very high level and let everybody live on whatever level they may choose; let them do what they want - none of our business.
You may again, from human point of view, say, "How come, then everybody will start doing atrocious things?" [Smiling] They will do it anyhow, regardless what you think about them, what you want about them. But you are different, and if you are different... ah, they will be also different. It is just not to assert yourself in whatever feeling, especially not to be holier-than-thou, not to become a self-appointed saint... [Musingly] but to become a Saraswati's Child. Very beautiful, transparent, white!
Now we will join in meditation again. Hopefully it will not be abstract, but it will be concrete. Abstract things are of no help to you. Everything has to be concrete. You may again argue, "What are the abstract things for?!" Just to look at them and to know that they exist. But concrete things are to be practiced, to be realized, to be owned. So let's own the Saraswati's... Love. Let's not think about it no, but let's raise our consciousness to such a degree that we will allow Sakti to enter us. Technically speaking (it is all business, it is absolutely no theory here) - technically speaking, it is to make yourself quiet, no restlessness whatsoever. And I hope that some of you, or maybe all of you, were quiet all this day, for it is Sunday silent day for people who were with me. And I am immensely glad that first day of Saraswati, night and day, fell on that silence. For Saraswati stands also for Silence and correct speech. You slight this Sakti of God if you do not talk rightly. And that I discussed and covered up pretty well during May, so you can check up on that and practice it during Saraswati three days - a very controlled and very pure tongue you have to have - and very beautiful silence. So technically speaking, if you are able to control your thought and if you are able to be very calm, you will attract that Sakti.
In our meditation I told you recently, we attract that which we are ourselves. Now sitting without motion is very easy; for most people it is achievable. But it does not at all mean that you are quiet inside. So if man sits down quietly and thinks all kinds of restless, uncontrolled thoughts, he attracts restless, uncontrolled, lower entities only from the astral spheres. If he sits down quietly and is very detached from all his affairs, very sweetly disposed, prayerfully opening himself, he attracts precisely that Saraswati Sakti who is transparent, who is love without attachment, who is adorabley sweet, innocent, pure and... powerful.
We contemplate now Love of Saraswati Sakti, spiritual Love which has no sentimentality, which has no demands, which has not a trace of human passion.
You may again say, "But how dry!" No, it is not. It is very pure. It cannot be dry, for Saraswati stands for such manifoldness that dryness and stiffness are absolutely out - it is impossible! She is very subtle and very full of Knowledge. And when there is Knowledge and Wisdom, there is no dryness. Dryness is only in intellectuality which has no Wisdom. Wisdom is full of many nuances, very many nuances. One cannot be wise and yet unflexible. So Saraswati has all nuances of the subtlest rainbow...very beautiful! Om Sakti...
[The music of Fritz Kreisler is played as Guru enters the Sanctuary. Valentina, with a delightful air around Her]
After all, I take all my accusations of my secretary back! Fritz Kreisler is allowed only on Saraswati night. Ah! And in spite of that impossible recording, it still is perfect, Yes.... So, Mother Saraswati is quite pleased with the offerings of Her best Children [Smiling] Hofmann, Valentina and Kreisler... who adore Her art of sound above everything, above any other art. Yes.... Saraswati. She is playing through every great artist, She is talking through every great word, She is loving through every great heart. But because human mind is very imperfect, very limited and of short-distance memory, it forgets Her. Even of the greatest of Her Children, it is true. Except the greater than the greatest, like Ramakrishna who was an artist and who was also a Divine Child, who was entirely absorbed in Her, who cannot, could not, would not, will not betray Her even for one second. Even for one second! For one second He did several times, and then He would say, [In the voice of the Divine Child] "Mother, it's because I forgot Thee. I went another direction and I fell." He fell and broke His hand. Then, at another occasion, He did something else when He forgot Her, and something else happened. Ramakrishna was coexisting with Her, not only like this divine fiddler during the exquisite moments of creativity, expressing his God-given genius, but every second... every second... every second. Can you imagine that? So that's it...... And Her other great Children forget Her, referring now to Saraswati, because they are mortals; they are not divine. But they become divine during their inspiration. As a matter of fact, She is very gracious to them who are of musicality in life, let's put it like that. For many are, of the greatest artists, musical on the stage only, but Kreisler was musical in life, so was Hofmann. Our music these three days we specifically dedicate to Saraswati. So that divine element was definitely in Kreisler and in Hofmann to some extent. They both were very loved... and that is also Saraswati's boon, or maybe Lakshmi in that instance.... To be loved, to be appreciated, to continuously emanate that which attracts the hearts, is to have the Divine Sakti. Well, come, - Kreisler ... attracts the hearts. Please excuse our recordings; they are not good. They are very old [Student plays the same selection of Kreisler as before] No, now the other selection, please. Kreisler, of course. Another thing.- it is, impossible to play Kreisler's compositions or his repertoire for anybody who is not up to him, up to his simplicity, spontaneity, charm and exquisiteness. It becomes unbearably overdone, not nice. He, in spite of his colossal virtuosity, often preferred very simple music; it is just a fiddler [Smiling] but what a fiddler.... [Kreisler's music is played]
[To the student who arrived late] Now, Joseppi, you missed Fritz Kreisler but you still see me. Come here... Kreisler's wife summarized: she said [Imitating the endearing Austrian accent] "Fritz is a very talented boy, but he would have been a great musician if he would practice." [Laughter] So partly his very simple "rep" is due to the fact that he didn't like to practice?! No, he was a genius - he exercised laboriously and tenaciously in youth and the virtuosity probably "clinged" to him. But his virtuosity is entirely amazing and with practicing and without practicing he could really touch almost anything.
On Saraswati's nights and days there should be much music; there should be much love, much poetry and purity,very much purity. You cannot order purity during the three nights and then be impure again. Neither can you have purity during the three nights and days if you do not have it during the whole year. But on special occasions, when the flow of Saraswati or Lakshmi or Durga or Christ or Moses (every day there is some flow - catch it!) - when the specific flow is very strong, then those virtues which you are practicing every year become blessed by that flow and they reinforce you and you become very, very invincible, very strong. You become verily the weapon against the asuras, even as it is said in Devi Mahatmayam - "Those who seek refuge are giving refuge." Those who seek the refuge of the Devi Herself. Those who seek Her become a refuge to others. You see? Because they are blessed with Her Powers. That is what it is. [Turning to a student] If you will put off this light now [Candle on the altar] I shall see Saraswati better. That's right.
I gave to several people today almost... almost embarrassingly unassuming and simple advice. "Embarrassingly," just like, for the wife of Fritz, it was [Miming an accent] embarrassing that he is playing such nonsense. Now, back to Fritz before I will tell you that which I said to others. You see, jokes aside, only the great people can allow themselves the simple things because only they can derive greatness out of the simplest and the most unspectacular. Now who in the three worlds would play those little things without boring... me! [Smiling] I don't know. Nobody, except Fritz Kreisler and Rachmaninoff who chooses to accompany... ah!
So, my comment was upon all the hangups during these Saraswati nights! Can you imagine such? I cannot. But, it happens. And the advice, and actually the fact itself, is that if you are thinking about the highest, you cannot practice the lowest. It just becomes impossible. Of course, you cannot think about the highest only because I tell you. You forget all the time! But you can develop one of the greatest virtues - the right aspiration. If you develop the right aspiration, what happens? That right aspiration brings to you the Highest, as much as you aspire, in proportion to it. (Quite spontaneously during Saraswati worship I referred to two of the Eightfold virtues: the Right Speech and the Right Aspiration... Those who have the ears, let them hear).
Now, what is the Highest? Definitely it is not the highest mountain; it is not the highest building; it is not even psychologically the highest position; it is not the highest talent; it is not the music of Fritz Kreisler of which I am talking about now. All these things are very nice to think too and to have, - but they are not the Highest - they are... high! The Highest is the Invisible Heights, is the Vibration of God, is the Invisible Realm. If you think about the Invisible realm, you are attracting it. The Invisible is stronger than the visible. Why does Kreisler play like he does? Because he receives it from the Invisible. He cannot derive it from the visible. Those musicians who try to get a gimmick from the visible, from the audible, those are the ones who are boring and meaningless and fruitless. Well... So when you are, as an aspirant world, aspiring towards the Highest in the sense of the Invisible Grandeur of the Force of God, what happens? Those Forces become your companions and do not allow you to fall. But when you only talk about it or read about it or listen about it, they do not approach you because you are not interested in them; you are only interested in the theory. Anything can be quoted. Even the music of Kreisler - well, there are people who listen to it and say, "Oh, it is very cute (a nerve!) or something like that or, "It's charming, it's great." and forget about it. And there are people who are completely immersed in it and know every nuance of his playing. So those who know every nuance of his playing - only those are even as he himse1f. And only those can commune with him - with his music or with music of any other great musician, or with a painting, or with a flower, or with a sculpture, a movement, whatever.
Now the very same thing In the Invisible world. If this becomes for you a living reality, you are communing with it. It is not that you are escaping from the obligations towards the life on earth. Not at all. You are performing your obligations on the background of your communication with the Invisible. Your very obligation to earth becomes fulfilled. For what kind of an obligation you are fulfilling and how faithful are you to your mission on earth if you all the time are either despairing or sulky or disappointed or angry or weak or whatever of impediments you might have. Why does this happen? Because you do not have the support from the Invisible. Because you rely too much, either on yourself or on other people but you never rely on the Invisible, God. So the simple thing is to heighten, to increase your thoughts, your recollections, your aspirations, your love of the Invisible Forces of God.
The observance of Navaratri. Fine. It is very glorious. The vibrations are set and everyone is benefitting definitely. But to what extent is another question. Is this a reality for you or is this an entertainment? If it is a reality, then, I told you this many times, you can be changed in one night. But if it is just a tradition, (it can become a tradition here too) - then it is... tradition - then it does not touch your inner, you see? So in proportion that you can think and remember - again that word "remember" - the higher reality, in that proportion you are arresting the lower within yourself. This is very, very, very encouraging is it not? Consequently, the simplest thing - that is what I said - "embarrassingly simple" if you think about God you cannot be bad. [Charmingly] That is simple enough for everybody! Your conduct becomes good; you just cannot do bad things! Just as you cannot do something bad for the one whom you adore, you really cannot, you cannot. Although people often do it, but then they do not adore. But if one happens to adore, to really love...ah... one is tippy-toeing, one is car-r-re-ful. Very careful. Not because one is afraid to lose the beloved; this only very jealous, possessive people are - but because one is hurt beyond measure if something unappropriate is done in the presence of the one for whom one has reverence more than for anything else in all the worlds taken together. So that is simple. When you love, you cannot commit faux pas. You cannot. So that is all. [Short silence]
Of course, everyone would want to ask "How can I love like that?" I don't know. Just like asking Fritz Kreisler, "How can you play like that?" He will say, "I don't know. My wife says I don't practice!" [Laughter]
Come, let's have Devi Mahatmayam now [Turning to the student] Where is Devi Mahatmayam?
Student: I wasn't sure where to pick up.
Valentina: Just shoot! Anything allowed, anything. Bloodshed also. Very important. It is only the first night I couldn't. Second night it is all right! [Tape recorded recitation follows]
...See? They [The Asuras] would not even hesitate to talk to Goddess Herself, to the Creatoress of this world they speak like that! They think that they are the most powerful, and they are very powerful, they are powerful - it is the dark force which has power. So continue.... [Tape recorded recitation follows - After a while] Those who are tired, who are [Smiling] afraid of Dhumralokana [Laughter] are excused. I do not have any daisies. But I can give you something else... I have orchids, I have roses, I have any kind of a consolation prize! Danny, are you tired? You are, but you want to be brave, right? And to combat the tiredness. Is that it?
Student: No Ma'am. I am not too tired.
Valentina: I will give you consolation prize even without you going away! Only because you are not tired! Don't lose it. Who wants to go, please do. I have another orchid [No one leaves] Okay, you want to listen from Devi Mahatmayam. And blessed are those who are listening to the recitation of the Devi Mahatmayam. I am only sorry I do not do it in Sanscrit. Some passages are so enormous that if it would be in the native, ancient language it would be even... but maybe... this is also very good. It is so alive, it is so real, and I was so absent when I was reciting it, that it will shake all the Asuras, I assure you of that. And the Devi promises that those who can listen to it, exactly forgetting themselves, completely forgetting their personality, but not forgetting their real Self, those are very blessed, they can be purified, they can be saved. It is not an ordinary Scripture. It is the Cosmic Play. Come... [Tape recorded recitation follows]
...The Devi can assume any appearance. For human imagination, even the most vivid imagination, it is Impossible to visualize the Cosmic Grandeur, the omnipresence of God. The Devi, simultaneously, can be anything. Here She was unsurpassingly beautiful, to such an extent that the Asuras could not be without Her "because we are the lovers of the greatest and the most beautiful objects. Everything beautiful should be ours." Grab. And here, in the next moment, She appears as the other Cosmic Force, as the Force which is dreadful and not only dreadful but also very unsightly. Why? Because She is representing now the Cosmic Wrath, the Cosmic Destruction and She has to have that form in order to impress the Asuras, in order to punish them in the way which is appropriate and befits the situation. She cannot use Her magnificently gentle and elegant form now. So this is the Force. This is not the woman. That is how the human being makes a mistake, all the time thinking that because it assumes the unsurpassingly beautiful, appealing form, it is just, just... just a little Goddess. No, It is not. It is not a "creature." it is endless Cosmic Power, Infinite in Its Magnificence. So now She is in that form striking the enemies. [Recitation follows]
In the Bible this great Battle is called Armaggedon. It is known in every ancient Scripture. But I do not think anywhere, anybody, in any world has the description of such daring, vivacity, concreteness and poetry as the Devi Mahatmayam. Om Devi. [Silence]
We shall conclude with our Saraswati meditation. But before we shall go into it, please understand that these Cosmic Battles in the Invisible Realms, in the Astral Spheres and higher, are reflected on earth. It does not mean that it has to be simultaneously with the time when it took place in the Invisible. The Invisible Calendar differs completely from the wee bit of earthly divisions. But the projected vibration of struggle of the Divine with the undivine is always affecting the minds. Therefore, everyone is partaking of the Battle, the Cosmic Battle, either on the side of the Devas or the Forces of Goodness, or on the side of the Asuras, or the forces of evil. Most people are mixed; they are neither good nor bad. They are sometimes good and sometimes bad, sometimes very good and sometimes very bad. Well, this does not help evolution. One has to choose resolutely. Sometimes it is inevitable to fluctuate because a person does not find, does not establish himself. But if he is fortunate enough to be sent to the Guru, then there is no excuse, for he is sent by the Cosmic Force of Goodness, for he deserved it. From here starts his evolution. Here he gives a resolve because he is helped; therefore, he should not fluctuate anymore. All the forces of darkness should become very, insignificantly, weak in his estimation, in comparison to his great resolve and aspiration. Not that they do not assail, not that he himself is not three-quarters of asuric nature, but he has to be completely set on the idea of conquering it. So that is the thing which you ought to know.
And we shall contemplate now the Saraswati Sakti, the Sakti of Purity, of Immense Purity. Purity safeguards us from almost everything dangerous, "blessed are the pure in heart for they shall see God." And when you see God, what is it to be afraid of and what danger can you not overcome?! But the heart has to be very pure. Let us contemplate the purity now. Imagine your heart being completely covered with the silvery light, silvery-blue light. Very pure. Which is purer than the snow, purer than the whitest of white. It is just divinely pure. And know that you can always call on that Light within yourself, the Saraswati Sakti Light...
You can have a little music and contemplate this Light...
[Guru enters the Sanctuary. Pause, and then] Saraswati Sakti... [Silence] Let us hear from the Devi Mahatmayam please. [Tape recorded recitation follows]
...We are doing pretty well! Tomorrow is Vijaya Dasami and not one Asura will be here! All of them are perished! Tomorrow is Vijaya Dasami... They all will be perished.
Now, the nine days and nights of Navaratri.... Whether you succeeded or whether you failed, really does not matter. The Divine Sakti is here and may you be all blessed. The fact that you were listening patiently and some of you with great and apt attention - I feel it - will do you mighty good. The Devi promised, "Whoever listens at Autumnal services and observances and sacrifices and worships to My Battle will not be fearful - will lose the fear. When you listen to such exploit, it sure has to influence you somewhat.
[Interrupting Herself] Those of you who are tired please go now and give good thanks to the Devi Who is fighting the evil. And those who want to stay with me for a short meditation, please stay. And if those of you are all of you, still the better! [No one leaves. Silence]
...It is a great Mystery and a great Beauty In that concept of the Divine Mother. Let us now surrender our hearts to the White Goddess. She can be propitiated best by humility. I told you that many times. When you forget yourself completely, as a personality, and feel yourself entirely as the Soul, then She comes. Then She gives you a boon.... You can have what you want. But you do not want anything except Her... Om Sakti. [Pause]
You can propitiate Her by remembering Her Qualities. Her Quality of Purity we contemplated last night.- Her Quality of Wisdom we shall contemplate tonight. And Wisdom has so many ramifications. Wisdom includes, by the way, the Eightfold Path of the Blessed Lord Buddha. So if you contemplate Wisdom, you have to contemplate the right eight virtues which lead to Wisdom. Each one of you pick up that which you need most in order to have Wisdom.... [Pause] Wisdom in itself is not an abstract concept, abstract meaning. It is concretely filled with every possible virtue, knowledge, insight. Wisdom has to be developed through the right life. And now we shall pray for that Wisdom of the Goddess to come upon us...
(Oct. 14, 1975)
Vijaya Dasami
It is Vijaya Dasami. The tenth day of Victory. May you feel victorious over your inadequacies of any kind - physical, mental, spiritual. Just know that the Divine is milliard times more powerful than undivine. And, in the Name of this Divine, we are going to recite the Devi Mahatmayam. It has to be recited all the thirteen chapters. Come. [Pause]
Om Sakti. God bless you in the Name of the Divine. It's a special place. It's a special time. It's a special Love here. And that's all I am going to tell you tonight...
...By the way, those of you who are scared - go. Or tired or have an appointment. Betty, where are you? Scared?
Student: Not with You here.
Valentina: [Ironically] Can you stand it?
Student: Yes, Ma'am.
Valentina: All right.
[Tape recorded recitation follows]
(Oct. 16, 1977)
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