Reflection, taking time out, and good birth are Gurudeva's topics today. Some feel they are a cork in the ocean, others feel they are the ocean, others feel they are the energy that permeates the ocean and the earth. Being firm in our willpower, having a loving heart, leads to good birth in the next lifetime. What is a good birth? Gurudeva describes this to us and tells us what kind of parents we may have if we earn a good birth.

Unedited Transcript:

Today at Kauai Aadheenam. December 9th.

Well, this morning Acharya Palaniswami gave a beautiful talk in Kadavul Hindu Temple to our Saiva Siddhanta Church congregation. It is guest day today, and the last day of our Vedic phase. The next two days are retreat days, a time to reflect on what happened in the past and what is going to happen in the future as we know.

The past you cannot do much about but you can do something about the present. The present combined with the past creates the future. So, it is good to take time out and reflect upon your actions, your words which are manifested thought, and the thoughts themselves and the basic belief structure which creates the attitude.

How many people think there is a big ocean of life and they are like a little cork, bouncing along in the ocean? Others feel like they are the ocean, the entire ocean. Still others feel as if they are the energy which permeates the ocean, the earth, the whole universe. It all depends on how we see ourselves on the inside of ourselves that strengthens our commitment on the spiritual path. That is what worries me about the 'New Age' movement. All the New Age people, including their leaders are absolutely committed to not be committed to anything. I don't understand it. They have nothing to offer the children. To teach children non-commitment, to teach children to take a little bit of this and a little bit of that out of each of the religions and to keep learning rather than continued practicing. What spiritual unfoldment will come from this? Absolutely none.

For spiritual unfoldment, we must perform sadhana. Sadhana is a repetition; time and time and time and time and time again of the same spiritual practice. With the external mind, the internal mind and the emotions, all coexisting in a one power which therefore, eventually transforms the individual into somebody different -a spiritual person.

Well, looking at you in cyberspace I know that I am talking to somebody out there that needs to hear this. Be committed and live up to your commitments. Be firm in your willpower. Have a loving heart. Live your dharma, which is commitment to the highest good that one can live on this planet, fully, in this life. Out of it will come a good birth in your next life.

What does a good birth mean? A good birth means being born into the family that won't beat you for ten years of your life, to make you obey, move you into the area of the mind of fear, distrust for adults. A good birth is getting a healthy physical body, not a body that is distorted because the parents used a lot of dangerous drugs. A good birth is being born into a family that will love their children. People who yell at their children, hit their children or pinch their children, don't love their children.

I know a few families whose parents on both sides advised them to spank their children occasionally to keep them in line. These families told me, "We couldn't do that." I said, "Why?" "Because we love our children. We couldn't do that to them". I said, "What do you do instead?" "Well, we talk to them. We explain things to them and we endeavor to be a good example for them. Because," they said, "You know Gurudeva, children learn by the examples they see from adults".

Well, I really admire these parents who have the children who must have done something really good in their past life to earn a good birth.

Looking out in cyberspace from my seat here in the cyberspace ashram, through your computer, through mine, I want to say just one thing. Take time out to reflect upon the yesterdays, upon how you are thinking in the now, in the many now's to come, and the future you want to commit yourself to creating.

We'll be seeing you again tomorrow, which will be December 10th.

Aum Namah Sivaya!