Guru Pūrṇimā: From Darkness to Light
Guru Pūrṇimā marks our new year, leading from darkness to light. In Kali Yuga, negative energy spreads like wildfire, consuming the world through cruel practices like meat-eating. Meat's origin is unknown and could include human flesh, showing this age's depth. All creatures have eyes and a soul; you see God in the eyes of other beings, for every soul is the same God. Despite practices, you will not see God if you do not recognize this unity in all life. Every creature feels fear and pain, and torturing them distances us from divinity. Those under a saint's shelter avoid harming life; others remain in darkness. The guru guides you, even through harsh lessons that remove karma, for his bitterness brings the sweetness of knowledge and protection. Upholding your dharma—your duty to protect every creature and element—is essential, as dharma will then protect you. The complete remains complete. Human dharma is to protect all life. While negative ways spread, a positive message grows through practice and teachings, which we must share. Follow your master's guidance for your good, as unified vibration creates strength.
"Every soul is the same."
"Gu means darkness, ru means light."
Filming location: Vienna, Austria
Up next
Gold and God
Yoga is for health, harmony, understanding, peace, long life, and friendship. All yoga schools are good, regardless of association with religion. Humans have come a far distance from living in forests. We are now separated but do good for ourselves and others. Long ago, there was no money and people lived happily by giving to each other. Money and gold later arrived, creating desire and a system of transaction. Now we seek gold and material possessions, but these things remain after we are gone. It does not matter which religion or place one is from; being human is what matters. God gave yoga to make the body healthy and happy so one may live a long, peaceful life.
"Yoga is for good health, harmony, understanding, peace, long life, and friendship."
"God gave us yoga so that we could have a healthy body, a happy body, so that we could live in it for a long time."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
The Guru Paramparā and the Power of Tapasyā
The Guru Paramparā transmits knowledge from master to disciple in an unbroken line. The lineage begins with Ādi Guru Śrī Alakhpurījī, a Mahāsiddha Yogī who activated inner realization through tapasyā. Tapasyā is intense sādhanā to awaken the inner self, not suffering. Great yogīs undertake such sādhanā in caves and mountains, leaving an imprint of divinity in those places. The goal of every Mahāpuruṣ is janakalyāṇ—liberating people through the immense śakti gained in tapasyā. Bhakti arises through the spark lit by great yogīs. The devotion between Guru and disciple is reflected in the river Alaknandā, named after Alakhpurījī and Nandā Devī. Viśvagurujī, through vision and sādhanā, identified Alakhpurījī’s form on a mountain. The āśram itself is Viśvagurujī’s Tapobhūmi, imprinted with his consciousness through decades of satsaṅg. Visiting such places, like Alakhpurījī’s cave, brings immediate stillness and lasting effect.
"Tapas, when we say he went for tapasyā, that does not mean he is suffering. That means he or she is in the process of intense sādhanā to light that inner jyoti and to awaken that sleeping self."
"The goal of every Mahāpuruṣ is Janakalyāṇ. Jana means people, humans, bhaktas. Kalyāṇ means to free them, to liberate them."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
Protection is within You
The lunar calendar governs seasons and inner change, with each month dedicated to a divine function. The current month, Śrāvaṇa, is dedicated to Lord Śiva, with its Mondays and full moon holding special significance. This full moon is for Rakṣā Bandhan, a festival of protection rooted in a story where a sister's pure love, symbolized by a thread, awakens a brother's duty to protect. Women embody the mother, a divine principle of care and life. Seeing all women as mothers or sisters would end conflict. This festival maintains brotherhood and protects society.
"Protection is within you, not outside of you."
"The first God is Mother. If Mother would not be here, you can’t come here."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
DVD 282
Shiv-Abisheka
A Śiva Pūjā is performed through invocation, abhiṣeka, and homa. The ritual begins with sacred mantras and offerings to Lord Śiva. Water, sandalwood, and sacred ash are offered with reverence. The five nectars and various substances like rice, betel leaf, and flowers are presented. A fire ceremony is conducted, where offerings are made with the utterance of svāhā. This act symbolizes the sacrifice of negativity and ego into the purifying flames. The recitation of the thousand names of Śiva follows, a profound meditation for this age. The ritual concludes with a peace prayer, affirming the eternal, complete nature of the divine.
"Whatever negativity, ego, jealousy, or hatred is with us, we are sacrificing."
"Pūrṇamadaḥ, Pūrṇamidaṁ, Pūrṇāt Pūrṇamudacyate."
Filming location: Brisbane, Australia
