A question about ahimsa is answered by Gurudeva who tells us we can go about harming others with thought, even long distance. Thought is the first thing that you do when you manufacture karma. Good money and bad money are then discussed and Gurudeva tells us that money is energy. Goodness creates goodness. Then a young man asks if there is a special Mantra to invoke Lord Ganesha during Pancha Ganapati and Gurudeva gives us one.

Unedited Transcript:

Today at Kauai Aadheenam, the second day of Pancha Ganapati, the wonderful Hindu festival of the holiday season for five days, worshipping the ever-giving Lord Ganesha. It is December 22 and today we have a celebration of honoring friends and neighbors. Those are the people who live next door to us, showering them with gifts and love.

We hope you are enjoying Pancha Ganapati. In the Ashrams throughout the world, it will eventually take the place of celebrating Christmas. I don't know why Christmas is celebrated in so many Ashrams that are Hindu Ashrams or Hindu-based Ashrams because they don't celebrate the Holy days of Islam, the Holy days of Judaism, the Holy days of Zoroastrianism. Only Christmas. Somehow, maybe a lot of Christian subconscious is there that needs to be replaced with Hindu subconscious, a Vedic subconscious of the existence of God everywhere, of the laws of karma, dharma, and reincarnation. According to the Abrahamic religions, of which Christianity is one, that is a false concept, a false doctrine. So says the Pope of Rome!

We have a question. It is about ahimsa and it is from Anchorage, Alaska. Hello up there! Are you getting cold? "I will not harm others by thought, word and deed. Question is, how do we harm others by thought?"

Well, thoughts are sound and color. Hateful thoughts are the darker colors and loving thoughts are the more pastel colors. If somebody holds a grudge against you, you can certainly feel it. Not only by their thought, by their body language, the expression on their face, their aura. The thoughts that come out from their mind can even travel long distances. You will feel those thought forms penetrating your aura and going right into your nerve system. Therefore, be careful of your thoughts because thought is the first thing that you do when you manufacture karma. So, you want to make good thoughts to make good karma.

Another question. This question came up right here on the Island of Kauai. A visitor we had asked, "If someone were to make money from illegal ways, but then gave that money to a good cause; does that make it alright?"

Well, no. There is good money and bad money. Bad money can never do anything good, because it came from an incorrect source. Money is energy because money gives you energy to do something that you would not ordinarily be able to do without it. The more money that you have, the more energy that you have. Of course, people who are up to their necks in debt but have a lot of money and are running ahead of their creditors, are actually poorer than the person who is living on the street that has no money at all. So look at it this way. If five dollars is given to a worthy organization by someone who obtained it from crooked means, it would cause that organization to lose something like five thousand dollars, eventually. Because, bad things cause bad things to happen. On the other side of it, if five dollars were given by a little old lady, perhaps from her pension or from her savings, to a worthy organization, and that is all she had to give and gave it with a full heart, that would cause that organization to which she gave, in its future, five thousand dollars or even more. Because, goodness creates goodness.

So, those who have drug money, money from performing abortions, money from cheating other people are stuck with it. It is never going to do any good, even if you use it on yourself. If you leave it to your heirs, they are going to squander it. It won't last. It will go away.

Another question from Southern California, from a young man that is seventeen, who would like to join us on the cruise to Alaska. Yes, we are going to send you a brochure. We will do it right away. He would like to know if there is any special mantram or puja to be invoked during the time of Pancha Ganapati.

'Aum Pancha Ganapati, Aum Pancha Ganapati, Aum Pancha Ganapati Aum' will invoke the grace of Lord Ganesha. We are looking forward very much to meeting you. So we will see you in Vancouver and spend seven or eight days together among icebergs and whales, big birds and polar bears and going within ourself in the study of the wonderful Shum/Tyaef lexicon, discovering the new you, that is just in, inside of you.

Well, I will be seeing you, each and everyone tomorrow. My phone is ringing now. Maybe it is another question!

Aum Namah Sivaya. Take good care of each other and Happy Pancha Ganapati!