Wednesday Afternoon - Teen/Young Adult Class Brother Pranavananda
The teen years are a very important time of life, because in these years we set the pattern of our life - whether it will be an easy life or a hard life. When Master was 13 years old and living in Chittagong, one of his schoolmates was a bully who liked beating up smaller and younger boys in the school. Master couldn’t stand to see this unfairness of the bully picking on those weaker than himself, and one day he challenged the bully, “If you have to fight somebody, then fight me!”
The bully turned on Master – Mukunda - and threw him down hard. Just when it looked like the bully was winning the fight, Mukunda grabbed him around the neck and began choking him in a stranglehold. Only when the bully finally promised to stop beating up other boys did Mukunda finally release his grip around his neck. Thus, he won the fight.
At first his heart was filled with the exaltation of the victory, but later he realized he had lost his temper. As it dawned upon him that his anger had been uncontrolled, he realized that anger has no place in the life of one who has faith in God, for it blots out the very thought of God. He resolved that never again would he give way to anger. And he never did. With one strong thought, one strong resolution, he made a profound change in his life.
There was a time in my own life when I was in high school, and I happened to see a picture of some of the kids in my class. It was a candid picture of a
group of my classmates, and there was one fellow with his back turned towards the camera. I thought, “Who is that chubby little guy?” Then I looked closer and realized, “Hey, that’s me!”
(Laughter)
I didn’t like that. My whole family was overweight and I didn’t want to be that way too. So I remember I grit my teeth and inwardly vowed, “I’m not going to
let that happen.” I followed that inner vow up by adjusting my diet - well sort of - instead of two desserts I reduced it to one.
(Laughter)
Of course there wasn’t much noticeable change, but over time I was able to loose ten pounds. This was encouraging, but gradually I returned to eating like I had before. Interestingly, the pounds continued to come off, and for the next fifteen years it was very hard for me to put on weight. I think it was that very strong thought - “I will not let this happen” - that made a difference.
When we are teens, this is the time to say to yourself, “What kind of a person do I want to be? Do I want to be truthful or untruthful? Generous or stingy?
Reliant or not?” If you really want it, it takes a resolution plus a follow-up with some action, and that can save us from a lot of suffering. It’s easier to
establish these patterns when we are young.
Football player Jim Marshall played for the Minnesota Vikings, and one time after the other team fumbled the ball he picked it up and ran and ran and ran, knocking away the other players - and with great determination he ran 66 yards into the end zone. He scored a touchdown … but it was for the other team because he had run the wrong way.
(Laughter)
So make sure you run in the right direction!
As a teenager in high school I used to go fishing with my Dad. On one fishing trip we were out in a stream. My Dad had hip waders, but I only had rubber boots up to my knees. After fishing for some time with no luck, I went out into the stream a little further. I looked down at my boots and saw there was still room to go without getting water in them, so I went a little further. But I still wasn’t having any luck so I went in a couple of inches deeper.
Finally my Dad looked over at me and said, “What are you doing? Are you gonna go out till you get water in your boots?” I looked down and saw that the water was just a half an inch below the boots and thought, “Uh-oh.” I tried to get out by walking backwards slowly and carefully, but walking backwards is hard to do in the middle of a stream. The water came over the top and my boots filled with water. Even as this was happening I knew that this applies to more than walking in water ... some people live their whole lives this way!
What do many people do? They test the limits. They push the boundary, and when there is no disaster the push a little further - and then when still nothing bad happens they think, “Well, no disaster yet...”
Can you think of instances where this would apply?
Answers from the audience:
Drug use - have a little, no problem, have a little more…
Credit spending
Siblings - testing each other’s patience
Driving fast and recklessly - no accidents ... “I haven’t had any yet ...”
People do this with their health, with their marriages - all sorts of ways. I got my boots wet and I learned my lesson!
What is the wisest thing to do with your life? Cultivate a relationship with God, because whatever else we do will not give us the satisfaction we’re looking for.
Master said, “Of greatest help in your development is the habit of mentally whispering to God. You will see a change in yourself that you will like very much.” You will find that you can rely upon that relationship. We talk to God and God responds - and He responds one on one, heart to heart. Nothing else in life is half as sweet as this. But it doesn’t come quickly. Talk to Him.
Meditate and talk to Him like a friend.
A few weeks ago a monk spoke with a woman who was visiting the gardens in Encinitas. She said that she was hosting teens from all over around the world, and had decided to visit the gardens while they were away on a trip. The monk asked her, “How are they?” and she replied, “Oh, they’re just typical
teenagers, glued to their cell phones.” Just as we talk on the cell phone, we can talk to God and be glued to God. It’s a matter of creating the habit of talking to Him. At first there is probably no response, and it seems like words lost in the air ... at first. But then you begin to see a little change. We find we are happier. Life just seems better. That’s the start of it.
Master would have had so much fun with cell phones. He would have had so much fun with instant messaging. He loved to communicate across distances.
In one of his talks he said, “I do walky-talky with you.” (He was speaking through a microphone to an audience in another room) And he wrote about God’s radio station, W.J.O.Y. Today he might say, “Connect with God’s Wi-Fi.”
- Wireless Fidelity. “Fidelity” means truthfulness. He might say, “Connect through God’s wireless fidelity through a hot-spot.” Where’s the hot-spot?
Right here, at the Christ Center.
(Laughter)
A couple of days ago a devotee asked me, “Did you ever meet Paramahansa Yogananda?” Quite often people ask me this question, and I used to find it hard to answer, because if I say no I feel I’m not being true to myself - because he is real to me - he’s my best friend ... and he’s certainly very patient with me.
(Laughter)
If I say yes, they think I knew Master in the body, which is not correct. So I’ve learned to just smile and say, “In here” (Brother pointed to his heart) ... and that’s the truth. I have met him. Master is my friend. Jesus Christ is my friend.
Someone once said that inside you can feel their personality - and that is so
true. Those are not just pictures on the altar. They come to be personal friends. These are the years when it’s best, when it’s the easiest to achieve that relationship with God. It’s not impossible when you are older, but it’s just easier when you are younger.
Master said, “When in the silence of the soul and in every phase of life you turn within and say, ‘Father, I have not forgotten You’ - when that kind of devotion wells up from the depths of your heart - God comes to drink from the fountain of your love.”
In all phases of life - youth, old age, sickness, health, and so forth, if you say,
“Lord, I love You”, then He will come, and our life is lifted to another level. God does respond to the sincere spiritual efforts of young people. Not maybe. God does respond to the sincere spiritual efforts of young people. Usually at first God responds in a hidden way ... and that’s the trap. It takes a long time for Him to respond openly. We have to work at it.
There is a story from India in the Mahabharata about the five Pandava Brothers and Krishna, who was their cousin. When the Pandavas were young they lived with Drona, who was their teacher in the ashram. One of the Pandavas,
Bhishma, was very big and strong, and he was always hungry. They even had a nickname for him - “Wolf Belly”. Late one night Arjuna awoke to some noise in the kitchen, and when he went to investigate he stumbled upon Bhishma.
“What are you doing?” Arjuna asked.
“I’m eating,” Bhishma answered.
Arjuna laughed. “But it’s so dark I can’t even see my own hand.”
“Neither can I,” Bhishma agreed.
“Do you ever miss your mouth?”
“No.”
“Why not?”
“Practice. Lots and lots of practice.”
Arjuna got an insight from this conversation. He wanted to be the greatest and best archer, and thought, “Practice - that’s it!!” He became a fanatic. He practiced and practiced, and came to a point where he never missed the bull’s eye. If you want to be good, you have to practice.
Practice is necessary for anything we want to do. When a little child wants to walk it finds it can’t; he tries over and over, and then finally learns to walk. It’s the same with baseball, dancing, etc – they all take practice. Close your eyes and say, “Are you here, Lord? I love You.” If you can’t say this, then say, “I want to love You.” Or even, “Do You exist?” Say whatever is true or sincere for you. He will respond. But you have to prove your sincerity by establishing a relationship and we do this by making meditation a habit. And do it while you are young!
The 1964 Olympics were held in Tokyo, and the events were shown on TV. It was the first time that the Olympics were ever on TV, and I remember running home from school every day to watch them. I was fascinated with the athletes, especially the Japanese women’s volleyball team.
I was very impressed with their skill, precision and strength - and they won the gold medal.
Years later I saw a documentary about that team. Four years before the
Olympics, the team had made a resolution that they would win the gold medal.
They withdrew from school and from their families; they had no social life - their life was just volleyball 24 hours a day. And their coach was a fanatic - he was like a monster - he drove them so hard. The documentary showed one woman during an emotional moment from the stress, during which the coach was throwing volleyballs at her, one after the other - all to create that mental toughness it would take to win. This was an extreme case, but people in the world understand how giving up four years to win the gold is worth it - they understand that kind of goal. Or to be a millionaire - this is something people understand. But who understands making a similar sacrifice for the sake of our relationship with God - to commune with God, one on one? Only some do.
But fortunately, spiritual life in SRF is a balanced approach to life, and that balance is best if you want a relationship with God. But it takes practice, and you must persist. God responds in funny ways. Master said, “God is very shy.
He won’t speak up. He thinks nobody wants Him.” ... and mostly He’s right!
(Laughter)
You have to coax Him. It takes time. But as you keep on, you find that life just seems better. You find yourself thinking, “Why do I feel so happy?” You are going about your business and suddenly there is just a joy that comes. That is God responding. Eventually it may come in very specific ways - God taps on your shoulder as a touch of joy, spiritually speaking, and then disappears. Do you know that game you played as a kid? God loves that game!
(Laughter)
He gives you a little tap and you say, “God are You there? Is that you?” He is hiding, but slowly that relationship becomes more salient and more real.
Do you want to have this relationship with the Divine? Ask yourself, “Is this what I want?” and “What does it take to do it?” These are big questions. It takes some thought. But just think: God is Joy Itself. God is Love Itself. So in reality, yes we do want Him.
A woman came to me and asked, “How can I interest my son in SRF?” I said,
“Well, what is he interested in? Is he interested in sports? Master loved sports - and the teachings cover principles about energy, health, persistence - all these have to do with sports. Is he interested in money? Master talks about real prosperity, how to become successful. Does he want to be popular?
Master talks about how become more likable. He says, “Never do anything that taints your mind. Wrong actions cause negative or evil mental vibrations that are reflected in your whole appearance and personality.” And he goes on to say, “Consideration for others is a most wonderful quality. It is the greatest attractiveness you can have. Practice it! If someone is thirsty, a thoughtful
person anticipates his need and offers him a drink. Consideration means awareness of and attentiveness to others. A considerate person, when in the company of others, will have an intuitive awareness of their needs.”
And isn’t this true? Haven’t you met some people who are like that? They are charming and attractive people, aren’t they? So the answer is - if you want to interest your son in the teachings, find out what he is interested in and then find that in the teachings and show him.”
Whatever we do in life, we can make it part of our relationship with God. Share your whole life with God. When we do all the fun, good, wholesome, healthy things in life and share it all with God, it’s amazing how sweet life becomes.
You can think of God as Jesus Christ, as Guru, as light, as love, as joy - God is all of these things. Do you like sports? This is God’s energy. Master loved sports. It’s God’s strength, His skill, His fun. If there is just one word to sum up Master, it’s “fun”. Are you interested in dancing? God is a dancer! The whole universe is His body - all the planetary cycles and all the cycles of life are a big dance - there are rhythms and joy - and this is God’s dance. With God “my”
joys becomes “our” joys. My “troubles” become “our” troubles. “My” victories become “our” victories. Everything is shared. Master said, “With God life is a nest of fun. Without God life is anything but fun.” Even if you do wrong, share it with God. If you are hiding from Him or shut Him out, that is the biggest mistake one can make. Share even the blame with Him - He doesn’t mind.
Daya Ma’s book, “Enter the Quiet Heart” is a magnificent book.
(Brother asked the teen audience to just call out a page number, and then he read a quote from that page.)
pg. 76: "Strive to feel as God does for each of His children. We can cultivate such kindness and caring if in our dealings with others we hold within our minds the silent prayer: "Lord, let me feel Your love for this soul."… All beings respond to love. Saint Francis was so steeped in divine love that even God's timid and hostile creatures lost their fear and aggression in his presence. One who is a channel of divine love becomes spiritually magnetic, radiating a power that harmonizes discordancy."
pg. 50: "My Lord, I dare to ask You any question. I never feel shy or embarrassed or blasphemous, because You are my Beloved. You know the simplicity of my soul. You understand my longings for understanding and wisdom. You see me with my good qualities, and with all the dark traits I have not yet been able to throw off. You don't punish me because of the flaws that have gathered around the purity of my soul; You help me. I do not try to hide my imperfections form You, my Lord. I come to You in humility, in devotion, in simplicity, in trust like a child, asking You to help me. And I will go on asking until You respond. I will never give up."
The whole book is full of short practical thoughts such as these.
We can have a deeply happy spiritual life, and it doesn’t take any extra time to do what is right - working constructively with your willpower and persistence, talking and sharing your life with God. It does take self-control and an
investment of love - but we receive love too.
Some young people don’t live near a temple or a meditation group, and they may have no SRF friends. But everything we have been speaking about today doesn’t just apply to those who are in SRF - it applies equally to Christians, Muslims, Buddhists, etc. All of us can talk about and share our thoughts and feelings about God. You can share your spiritual life with your friends if they are interested.
Yes, it is true that we stress meditation. Meditation, prayer and spiritual study do take extra time. For many it is a challenge how to fit it into their busy schedule. It’s hard for everyone, and especially a teenager. We just learn to manage it - and really it comes down to what is most important to us. But even a little practice is good.
Before I came on the path I met a woman who meditated, and she told me,
Before I came on the path I met a woman who meditated, and she told me,