Guruji, yesterday you had said that among yantra, tantra and mantra, tantra is the technique.
Chandraswami was a very well known taantrik, and once it had so happened that all over India, Lord
Ganesh was drinking milk, and a dharma guru used to be known for his ability to cough up Shivalings.
What king of tantra (technique) was that? In the villages there are individuals who by their mere
speech can cause someone’s house to burn to ashes, or a catastrophe to happen. What kind of tantra
is that?
Sri Sri Ravi Shankar: There are several kinds of tantras. ‘Vaam tantra’ employs evil spirits, and ghosts
to accomplish one’s ends. But that kind of tantra will not work wherever there is saatvikta, knowledge
and devotion (bhakti). You all meditate, do pranayama and chant mantras. In your presence that kind
of tantra will be ineffective. Incidents such as Lord Ganesh drinking milk are phenomena of the subtle
world – some divine energy displaying its power and influence to arouse and awaken people. Some
taantriks who perform small, little miracles go through a lot of suffering afterwards. They are unable to
stay happy. These taantriks attain minor occult powers (siddhis) by subduing spirits of the netherworld
(Karna pishaachi – ear demons) that allow them to impress gullible people with their ability to read their
thoughts and concerns. However the advice that such taantriks give is highly inaccurate and unreliable.
How many people have experienced this?
(A few in the audience raise their hands.)
Some tantric can describe your past accurately but are unable to predict the future correctly, and only
10-20% of what they say is true.
My advice is that if you come across something like this, keep your distance (DSN, door se namaskaar!).
Don’t get entangled in it. Twenty five or thirty years ago, there was a man in west Delhi who would tell
people to blow on a blank sheet of paper, dip the paper in water, and pull it out with something written
on it – usually questions and concerns in their minds. Someone from the satsang proposed that I also
meet him. So I went. He asked me to blow on a sheet of blank paper which he then dipped in the water;
but when he pulled it out, the paper was still blank!! The man was amazed, and fell at my feet, and
began to perform aarti. I said to him, ‘Don’t exploit this siddhi (occult power) to deceive people. Instead
inspire them to follow the path of goodness and virtue. Advise everyone to meditate, sing bhajans and
perform seva. If your powers can benefit others, definitely use them.’
These powers can be labelled as neither ‘good’ nor ‘bad’. It is all divine play. Do not condemn anything –
this is my policy. Do not get involved too deeply in these affairs. If there is some knowledge to be gained
or any blessings, take it and move on.