Just as the days are getting shorter, each of our lives is getting shorter – mine faster than many of you seated here. This is a journey. We have to come, and we have to go. And on this journey I found that one individual has never, at any time when I was leaving for India or Sri Lanka, refused any of my requests in the most difficult times, in the busiest times, and somehow he found a way to get my job done so I could take things to Sri Lanka or India. And really, it's very difficult times nowadays, for all of us financially as well. And I found it fitting that, before I leave to India on Sunday I should leave something with this individual, so that some day when I'm no more I can be remembered by this. The person I'm talking about is no other than my son, Dean. I know, Vishnu nearly ran too. He said, “What happened? Dad changed his tune today”. It's just something we have to think about.None of us seated here can guarantee that tomorrow we are going to greet each other again. Therefore, I said that humility is the best way. When you leave this plane, it's not how much you leave behind, not what structure you leave behind, it's the legacy that you leave behind. You must leave behind a legacy. We don't remember Sri Ramakrishna, Sivananda and Swami Murugesu for the structures they left behind. We remember them for their legacy.
If each of us could leave behind us a legacy regarding charity, forgiveness and humility, then when you leave this body, the speech-maker at your funeral cannot lie about you. You know, when any one of you dies, no matter how bad you were, the speech-maker will stand there and say, “Lying here in this coffin is the mortal remains of the most beautiful person the earth has ever seen. He leaves behind four children, six nephews and thirteen aunts,” because we can't say anything good. But if you leave behind a legacy, they can talk about your legacy. They can't say, “Here lies the mortal remains of an individual who leaves behind him 25 buildings and 13 wives...” – no I'm not talking about Zuma. We must leave behind us a legacy.
As Babaji says, “Death I laugh at. I fear not death”. Yet everyone seated here has a fear of death. One day we're going to die. How do you know it'll be painful if you've never experienced it before? How can you be afraid if you've never experienced it? But we are. Death is inevitable. When you took your first breath, you were registering to take your last breath, determined by how you breathe while living. Leave behind a legacy.
Hari om and God bless you.
