3 August 1983
"For the sake of Lord Rama, all of you are sitting here under the sacred peepal tree*. This is a most sacred and auspicious tree. Divine beings are living under it and you are all blessed to be sitting under this great, sacred tree. Many years of penance has been done under it (by Shri Mahaprabhuji) since ancient times. On this earth, you should consider yourselves to be most fortunate. Even the gods of heaven long to be in the shade of this tree. In this world and on all the three worlds it is the most sacred tree that exists. According to the world's Sanatana Dharma, the last rites of a man are always performed under a pepal tree. It is considered a living, conscious being. You should daily do bhajans and kirtan here. It has great significance to be singing the praises of the Lord under this tree.
"I want to thank you all who are doing efficient work here. I thank you all the more because you are giving new life to Karma Yoga. The credit for giving new life to this form of Yoga goes to you. It was about to die out in this world. In the Kali Yuga**, the tamas-guna (quality of ignornace and inertia) is three-fourths prevalent, with one fourth of rajas and almost no sattva (goodness and steadiness of mind). The machine is eating up human labour.
"The machine is even beginning to eat up human beings. Great professionals, as for example doctors, have been rendered inactive by the machines. And the time will come when doctors will even forget their knowledge altogether and all work will be taken over by machines. Therefore, you should all be practicing karma yoga to attain your life's goal. Karma yoga is maha yoga. It can make a man and it can destroy him. The principle of karma is very great.
"Pir-shah's (Hargovind Baba's) Asana (at the dhuni in the Company garden) is about to be completed very soon. There will be kirtan and bhajan performances there. The dhuni will become a great sacred place of the world, where one can attain liberation. The sacred Ganga is flowing nearby and a beautiful spring comes from the mountains right by its side. Those present here should go daily to have darshan of the dhuni and do pranam to it. You can go twice daily to attend the arati there.
"All of you are very blessed to be living in the most sacred place in the world. You are giving dedicated service to this place with your body, mind and soul. You should know that you have security here - even at the time of pralaya (dissolution) this place will be safe. This is the boon given to it by Mahaprabhuji - it cannot be destroyed in pralaya.
"A new world is being created here. The new creation is beginning here. What you see here are already the beginnings of the new world. Here in Haidakhan the old world has been destroyed. I am teaching you this: THE NEW WORLD BEGINS FROM HERE!
"I want you to be happy and in peace.
"JAI MAHAMAYA KI JAI"
* Called ashvattha in Sanskrit, the peepal (Ficus religious) is a very large tree. Its bark is light grey, smooth and peels in patches. Its heart-shaped leaves have long, tapering tips. The slightest breeze makes them rustle. The fruit is purple when ripe.
** Kali Yuga (Devanāgarī: कलियुग [kəli juɡə], lit. "age of [the demon] Kali", or "age of vice") is the last of the four stages the world goes through as part of the cycle of yugas (eras) described in the Sanskrit scriptures, within the present Mahayuga. The other ages are called Satya Yuga, Treta Yuga, and Dvapara Yuga.
