Devotee:
Greetings, viewers. On this auspicious evening, I begin today's episode after paying my respects to Maa Tara at Shantikunj. To those of you who are new to the Guptasadhak Shyama Khapa YouTube channel, I welcome you, and to our long-time friends, thank you for your continued support. Gurudev, many questions arise in our minds. One of them is this: we visit many temples and ask God for so many things—give me this, give me that—our desires never seem to end. Yet, we often see that God turns us away empty-handed. Why don't we receive what we ask for?
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
There is a flaw in the method. First of all, there is no guarantee that you will receive something just because you ask for it. You have to ask in a specific way. What should you ask for from God? Ask to stay on the right path, for righteous thoughts, and for wisdom. Asking for money or wealth is futile; it only makes God more dissatisfied. He wants you to ask for knowledge and intelligence. This is what Swami Vivekananda once demonstrated. He could have asked for many material things. Ramakrishna Paramahansa told him many times, "Go and ask Mother (Goddess Kali) for whatever you need." But Vivekananda knew that God would not give material things in that way; he realized it was a false pursuit. When he finally went to the Mother, he only asked for knowledge and wisdom. Mother granted him those, and God is very pleased when someone asks for that. Our way of asking is fundamentally wrong. Because of this, we are drifting further away from God. We come to Him and say, "Give me this, give me that," but not once do we ask, "Mother, how are You?"
Devotee:
That is true.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
We never say, "Mother, we are doing well, but how are You?" I have never seen anyone ask this or discuss this. Yet, I teach everyone this: whenever you go to a temple, first ask the Mother how She is. Let me tell you a story. A King once went hunting in the forest and met a Saint. He was deeply impressed by the Saint's aura and wisdom. He invited the Saint to his palace. The Saint asked, "What will I do there? Everything you can offer me, I already get here in the forest. I have tree bark for clothes and fruits for food. What could you possibly give me?" The King insisted and eventually brought the Saint to his palace. He offered servants to fan the Saint, but the Saint replied, "The breeze in the forest is better; I don't need this." The King offered him fine food, but he refused that too. Finally, the King brought out jewels and gold from his treasury, thinking the Saint would surely be pleased. The Saint looked at the treasure, turned his back, and began to walk away. The King ran after him and said, "I have offered you everything, yet you take nothing." The Saint replied, "I knew that if I took anything from you, you would eventually ask for something in return. There is no bigger beggar in this world than you. You call yourself a King, but you are a beggar because you are always looking for ways to give so that you may receive." This is what Vivekananda taught his disciples: never ask God for money or material things. Ask for wisdom, conscience, and judgment. These things will truly enrich you.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
But people today do the opposite. They come to the temple and immediately ask for money. But they don't care for the Mother's well-being. It saddens me. People come by the thousands every day, but they don't truly go "near" the Mother. They come to me and ask for things, but they don't even look at Her. Only a rare few sit with Her. I tell them, "Go, sit with God, tell Him what you need to say. He is the one who provides."
Devotee:
Gurudev, I asked why we don't receive what we ask for, and your answer revealed a deep regret about how we practice our faith. We treat it like a show—we pray for wealth and children, but we never truly connect with the Divine.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
Our method is flawed. Even in the face of extreme hardship, Vivekananda didn't ask for money. He asked for character. It is also shameful how some people treat rituals. They pull a hundred-rupee note out of their pocket as if they are bribing the Goddess. You should think: Mother is the one who feeds you. How can you try to "feed" Her or show Her your money? Never display your wealth before Her. She doesn't want to see that. It is a tragedy of the Hindu community today. Other faiths are often more disciplined and systematic, but among many Hindus, there is a lack of true devotion. They think a hundred rupees can buy God's favor. It's a disgrace. I say this because I see it every day. You can pull a dog's tail straight, but as soon as you let go, it curls back again. That is the state of people's minds. They don't listen.
Devotee:
Gurudev, thank you for these profound insights. Though your words were stern, they reflect the truth of our current state. We must change our mindset.
Guru Shyama Khyapa:
I don't care if people criticize me for saying this. Even if they want to silence me, the truth remains. I see what happens in this temple every day, and it is not what true devotion should be. Ask for wisdom, ask for a clear conscience, and God will give you everything you truly need.
Devotee:
Thank you, Gurudev. Pranam. Thank you to all our viewers.
This is what Swami Vivekananda once demonstrated. He could have asked for many material things. Ramakrishna Paramahansa told him many times, "Go and ask Mother [Goddess Kali] for whatever you need." But Vivekananda knew that God would not give material things in that way; he realized it was a false pursuit. When he finally went to the Mother, he only asked for knowledge and wisdom. Mother granted him those, and God is very pleased when someone asks for that.
Our way of asking is fundamentally wrong. Because of this, we are drifting further away from God. We come to Him and say, "Give me this, give me that," but not once do we ask, "Mother, how are You?"
Host: That is true.
Gurudev: We never say, "Mother, we are doing well, but how are You?" I have never seen anyone ask this or discuss this. Yet, I teach everyone this: whenever you go to a temple, first ask the Mother how She is.
Let me tell you a story. A King once went hunting in the forest and met a Saint. He was deeply impressed by the Saint's aura and wisdom. He invited the Saint to his palace. The Saint asked, "What will I do there? Everything you can offer me, I already get here in the forest. I have tree bark for clothes and fruits for food. What could you possibly give me?"
The King insisted and eventually brought the Saint to his palace. He offered servants to fan the Saint, but the Saint replied, "The breeze in the forest is better; I don't need this." The King offered him fine food, but he refused that too. Finally, the King brought out jewels and gold from his treasury, thinking the Saint would surely be pleased. The Saint looked at the treasure, turned his back, and began to walk away.
The King ran after him and said, "I have offered you everything, yet you take nothing." The Saint replied, "I knew that if I took anything from you, you would eventually ask for something in return. There is no bigger beggar in this world than you. You call yourself a King, but you are a beggar because you are always looking for ways to give so that you may receive."
This is what Vivekananda taught his disciples: never ask God for money or material things. Ask for wisdom, conscience, and judgment. These things will truly enrich you.
But people today do the opposite. They come to the temple and immediately ask for money. But they don't care for the Mother's well-being. It saddens me. People come by the thousands every day, but they don't truly go "near" the Mother. They come to me and ask for things, but they don't even look at Her. Only a rare few sit with Her. I tell them, "Go, sit with God, tell Him what you need to say. He is the one who provides."
Host: Gurudev, I asked why we don't receive what we ask for, and your answer revealed a deep regret about how we practice our faith. We treat it like a show—we pray for wealth and children, but we never truly connect with the Divine.
Gurudev: Our method is flawed. Even in the face of extreme hardship, Vivekananda didn't ask for money. He asked for character.
It is also shameful how some people treat rituals. They pull a hundred-rupee note out of their pocket as if they are bribing the Goddess. You should think: Mother is the one who feeds you. How can you try to "feed" Her or show Her your money? Never display your wealth before Her. She doesn't want to see that.
It is a tragedy of the Hindu community today. Other faiths are often more disciplined and systematic, but among many Hindus, there is a lack of true devotion. They think a hundred rupees can buy God's favor. It's a disgrace. I say this because I see it every day. You can pull a dog's tail straight, but as soon as you let go, it curls back again. That is the state of people's minds. They don't listen.
Host: Gurudev, thank you for these profound insights. Though your words were stern, they reflect the truth of our current state. We must change our mindset.
Gurudev: I don't care if people criticize me for saying this. Even if they want to silence me, the truth remains. I see what happens in this temple every day, and it is not what true devotion should be. Ask for wisdom, ask for a clear conscience, and God will give you everything you truly need.
Host: Thank you, Gurudev. Pranam. Thank you to all our viewers.