Narrator:
(The sound of a conch shell blowing at a temple, followed by ambient background noise and people talking.)
Young Man:
Gurudev, pranam.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, pranam. Tell me.
Young Man:
There is a famous quote I would like to mention, and I would request you to explain it. The quote is: \"It is a thousand times better to endure the hardships of a free life and remain independent than to live in luxury as a slave.\" And another thing you have established hereâyou have written that no one should give even a single rupee to this temple.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Yes, I say this repeatedly to everyone. People have become slaves to habit. When they see a temple, they want to empty their pockets and give money. They think if they give one rupee, they will get a hundred back. This is the common mindset. They treat God as if He were the child of a beggar.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
They place a donation box and think that seeing God requires giving money, and that money will bring them salvation. That is why I have explicitly written: do not give even a single rupee in this temple. If I find out that someone has given money, I will have them removed from the premises.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Sometimes people try to give in various ways because they have become like animals in their habits. But I say again: do not give a single penny here. \"Ma\" (the Goddess) does not eat or wear clothes provided by others. She can arrange her own food. She is not a beggarâs child; she is Rajarajeshwari (the Queen of Queens). She will provide for herself; I donât need to worry about that.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
We worry about whether Ma is eating, but the truth is, we are the ones who want to eat. People who drink alcohol claim that Shiva drinks too, so they offer Him wine and weed. They are simply projecting their own desires onto God.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Now, regarding that quote: \"It is a thousand times better to endure the hardships of a free life than to live in luxury as a slave.\" If you become dependent on someone by taking their money, they wonât let you go. They will insult you and even your parents, demanding work because you took their money. My parents havenât done anything wrong that I should have to listen to insults about them. That is why I say do not give money here; I donât want to hear insults.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Iâve seen people come and boast about how much theyâve donated here or there. I don't want to hear it. If you take money, you become a slave and are forced to participate in all sorts of misdeeds.
Young Man:
If we look at the world today, we see China lending massive amounts of money to many poor countries. Once those countries take the money, they are forced to act according to China's will, even if it is wrong.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Exactly. That is the policy. People adopt this policy, and they even try to use it with spiritual seekers. But true masters don't care about these things. There are some \"seasonal\" yogis who might be lured by money, but thatâs their personal matter.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Let me tell you a story. There is a Japanese woman I know who works in Japan. She once gave me her contact information. Later, a gentleman told me he was going to Japan for work and asked for my blessings. I told him I knew someone there and gave him her address and phone number.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
When he reached Japan, he called her. It turned out he was going to work for the same company where she worked. When he arrived at the office in the morning, he saw her waiting at the bus stop. He stopped his car and offered her a ride. She refused, saying, \"You go ahead; I will take the bus.\" He insisted, but she wouldn't budge.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Later, he asked her why she didn't take the ride. She replied, \"If I take a ride in your car, I will become indebted to you. I will become your slave in a way, and I would have to do whatever favors you ask of me at the office. My bus is fine. You might drop me off today, but for the rest of the days, I still have to take the bus. Accepting your favor creates a dependency.\"
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
This is only possible in a place like Japan. In India, people would have jumped at the offer. Taking a gift or a favor creates liability. If I accept your money, I will feel obligated to do something for you, which might be detrimental to my principles.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Let me tell you another short story. One night, a dog was wandering the streets after his master let him out. He met a starving, scrawny tiger. The tiger was in bad shape because he couldn't find food. The dog said, \"Why are you suffering? Come to my master. He takes such good care of me. He gives me all kinds of food, pets me, bathes me, and looks after everything. Iâll talk to him and arrange everything for you.\"
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The tiger agreed. But after walking a short distance, the tiger noticed a mark on the dog's neck. He asked, \"What is that mark on your neck?\" The dog replied, \"Oh, thatâs from the leather collar and chain my master uses to tie me up.\" The tiger asked, \"So, you can't go wherever you want, whenever you want?\" The dog said, \"No, he only lets me out for a while at night; then I have to go back and be chained again.\"
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
The tiger stopped and said, \"I won't go with you.\" When the dog asked why, the tiger replied, \"It is a thousand times better to endure the hardships of a free life than to live in luxury as a slave.\"
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Dependency is a curse. One should not accept bribes or \"facilities\" from others. Many people in our country rely on sycophancyâwhat we call \"giving oil\"âto get ahead. You see this in politics; whoever gives the most \"oil\" (flattery/bribes) rises the highest.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
True saints say, \"We are here to provide service, not to take it.\" Nowadays, even big institutions like the Ramakrishna Mission or Belur Math have donation boxes everywhere, as if God were a beggar. I find it very distasteful.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
That is why I don't have that system in this temple. I want to remain independent. I would rather kick someone out than be a slave to their money. My parents didn't raise me to listen to insults from people just because I took their money.
Young Man:
Many people in the comments on your channel express how happy they are to hear you say that no one should give money here. They respect you deeply for this stance.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
It is natural for people to feel that way. This culture of bribery and flattery has existed since the British era, and it is a hard habit to break. But the consequences are terrible; Iâve seen people even commit suicide because of the burdens that come with such dependency.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Both the one who gives a bribe and the one who takes it are equally guilty. Exploiting Godâs name to earn money is wrong. Iâve traveled the world, and nowhere have I seen God actually accepting anything. Itâs always people taking it in His name. It makes me sad to see how ignorant people are.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I will end with one final story. At 3 AM, a saint went to the river to bathe before his prayers. At the same time, a thief also went to the river to bathe after a night of stealing. The saint looked at the thief and thought, \"What a great devotee! He is bathing so early to go and worship Ma.\" Meanwhile, the thief looked at the saint and thought, \"What a great thief he must be! He probably just finished a big heist and is washing off the evidence.\"
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Everyone sees the world according to their own nature. A thief sees a saint as a thief, and a saint sees a thief as a saint. But a saint and a thief cannot truly coexist. Either the saint must become a thief, or the thief must become a saint.
Young Man:
Gurudev, your words are invaluable. Thank you for this discussion. Pranam.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Pranam.