Today we are gathered here in this hall. And this hall is beneath the great hall of the Universe, which in turn is within the Divine Hall of God.
Today it rained heavily and many persons could not come, but I have kept their share in waiting. A mother sets aside the share of the child who has not come home.
I have a great love for the people of Maharashtra, for whom God is a Reality.
The time will come when all the people of the world will turn from ‘God is nowhere’, to ‘God is now here’.
I am convinced there is no condition higher than that silence which comes of the abandonment of all latent desires.
I thank Shri Kalmegh, the Vice Chancellor of Nagpur University, who garlanded me at the start of the function and applied the tilak to my forehead. The garland is a sign of his victory and my submission before the homage he paid to me.
I am now 77 years old and have entered into my 78th year. The time is fleeting past. Every moment of the present is being drowned into the past. It is up to us to use this life we have before us in whatever way we like. A drop of water can become either a teardrop in the eye, a dewdrop on the petal of a rose, or a pearl inside an oyster.
“When I have gone physically from amongst you I shall remain with you in your hearts.
“Suppose you are walking in darkness. I throw a light upon your face. You see the light but you cannot see me. Then I turn the torch upon my own face and reveal myself. Such is the manner in which the Grace of God comes upon man.
“If you can derive the maximum possible happiness from your work itself, you will have no need for the reward of the action.
“We have to learn the law of life, we have to learn the law of death, and we have to learn the laws of God and the laws of merging into Him.
“Here is Priya Nathji, a Harvard scholar and scientist, sitting beside me. Someone once asked him why he was spending all his time serving his father, and he replied:
‘For the service of such a Father at least a Harvard Scholar was necessary!’
‘Aise Pita ki sevaa ke liye kam se kam to Harvard Scholar honaa chaahiye thhaa!’
“People ask for the proof of the existence of God. God is His own proof. If you cannot see the sun with the light of the sun, how can you see the sun in the light of a candle?
“A philosopher from Europe asked me to prove the existence of God, and I asked him in turn: ‘Can you prove the existence of intoxication in a bottle of wine? You cannot prove it in the bottle, and you cannot prove it in the cup. When a person drinks the wine, the wine is no more, but the existence of intoxication in the wine is proven through the words and actions of the man who has drunk it!’ In a like manner, the existence of God is proven through those personalities who have realised Him and have Him in their hearts, and more specially, the prophets and avatars.
“I pray that the years of my life be of some use to you. I do not need them for myself. I wish to become your companion in this journey of life.
“If a diamond lies in the dust it cannot be recognised by all, but fortunate are the ones who know it to be a diamond and take it with them.
“A strange miracle occurred today. When the rain had turned into a downpour that appeared to be unceasing, Smt. Tara Buty telephoned me and said to me:
‘Please stop the rain or else no one will be able to reach the hall!’
“She said to me later: ‘And the rain lessened miraculously. It was due to your blessings wishes with me–or else I, too, would not have been able to reach this hall!’
“During my sojourn in Maharashtra numerous storms came my way. I knew these impediments would be coming, but they came and went away. Even when I am gone from here, my blessings will remain in these regions.
“Shri Priya Nathji is writing an 800 page biography of me, 500 pages of which have already been printed. In the book he has given a beautiful blending of science and religion and it is his firm belief as a scientist that the Ultimate Discovery of Science will be God.
“I do not know what I am. Water does not know that it can quench your thirst, but it does so.
“If a zero tries to expand itself, it becomes a bigger zero. However, when it attaches itself to one it becomes ten. If it denies itself again, it becomes a hundred, then a thousand and so on, till it reaches infinity. But, if after reaching infinity, it forgets one, it becomes a zero again. No matter how great man may become through a relationship with God, he must always remember his own littleness and acknowledge the Power of God who is the Source of his Strength.
“Think of a person who walks into an unknown house and begins to enjoy the things of the house. One day the owner of the house comes and evicts him. How much better it would have been if the person had established a relationship with the owner of the house first, before entering his home.
“In a like manner, how fortunate is the man who has established a relationship with God, the Divine Host, in whose house he dwells upon earth.
“It is His wish to fill all empty cups. Drops of water were flowing down a slope. They were given a resting place by hollow pits along their way. When the hollow pits thanked the drops of water for quenching their thirst, the drops of water in turn thanked the hollow pits–for giving them a resting place!
“I must thank you for giving me a place in your hearts.
“Man does not enjoy life. For as long as he is alive he is afraid of death and thus loses the joy of living. When he is dying he wishes to live and thus loses the joy of dying. If instead, he can accept life and death as the orders of God he can be happy in both the states.
“Paul Brunton the famous spiritual author asked me why I lived in the cities instead of the forests where holy men usually lived, and I said to him: ‘A doctor must live where his patients are!’
“You can easily prove the existence of God through prayer. Suppose there is a house and you stand outside it and ask for a fruit. That fruit is thrown out of the window. You are convinced that there is someone inside who has heard your voice. You ask for various things and these are thrown out, and your faith becomes firm that there is someone inside. If afterwards you ask for something and it is not granted, even then, you remain convinced that there is someone inside. If he is silent, it is only for your own good. His silence is the answer to your prayers.
“I ask for only two minutes of your time today–I, who have given my whole life for your sake.
“It is my wish that India be filled with prosperity and that every house in it be of gold – but let it not become the golden Lanka of Ravana. Let love, righteousness and faith in God prevail everywhere in the world.
“I will reach out to you in your moments of distress. You can try me out.
“There was the eye doctor in America, Dr. Harry Zeltzer, who called out to me when he was faced by a dreadful storm in his boat. He saw me standing above the waters, and he became fearless and calm. The storm subsided thereafter.
He wrote to me later:
It was due to your presence with me.
“I can go on speaking for years and years without halting, but of what use a multitude of words when even one word is enough, if it is accepted by your hearts.
As Shri Priya Nath would sing:
Vo navaazne pe aayen to navaaz den zamaanaa
Vo kareem hee to thhaihre to karam kaa kyaa thhikaanaa
When He is bent upon showering His Grace, He will do so upon all,
When He is All Merciful, there can be no limit to His Mercy
Mujhe isskaa gham naheen hai ke badal gayaa zamaanaa
Meri zindagi ke Maalik kaheen tum badal naa jaanaa
It does not worry me that the world has changed towards me,
But, O Master of my life, may thou never change towards me!
“For as long as you remain in this world I pray that you live peacefully, and when you leave the world then may you go to Him who is ever waiting for you.”