Keep your promises
Saturday's powerful constellation brings both benefit and challenge, reflecting Śani's influence. A story tells of a guru carrying a watermelon that briefly appeared as a severed head due to this energy, illustrating its transformative power. To navigate such influences, one makes a lifelong vow, a saṅkalpa, like giving up a specific food. This principle of promise extends to sacred commitments like marriage, which are not to be abandoned. On Guru Pūrṇimā, all actions and karmas from the past year are offered to the guru. The relationship with one's guru is singular and foundational, like that with one's biological parents. The core practice is to surrender everything to this guiding source.
"A promise is not just saying yes or no to something. It is a promise. When we make a promise, we have to follow it."
"On Guru Pūrṇimā... I give all my karmas, my practice, Gurudev, to you. And what mistakes I made, I also give to you."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
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The Foundation of Family and Dharma
The foundation of dharma is the family, beginning with reverence for mother and father. Fulfilling this duty is the path to God. Children must emulate their parents, continuing the lineage through righteous marriage. To abandon this unity, to allow children to fall into vice, is to forsake our humanity. Even animals demonstrate loyalty, perishing when separated from their kin. If humans fail in this basic duty, they fall short of that natural standard. Upholding the family is the essence of being human.
"From the first time and at the end, first comes mother and father."
"If we humans cannot be there for our children, mothers and fathers, then it is great, very good."
Develop God consciousness
The emergence of consciousness begins with the first principle, Svayambhū Śiva, the self-manifested divine will. The entire universe manifested from a cosmic sound, the resonance of OṂ, which permeates every atom. This planet is the realm of karma and dharma, where beings experience birth and death through the cycle of 8.4 million creatures. The divine play requires the knower, the knowledge, and the object. Most cannot understand this play; only those with grace can. Maya, or ignorance, manifests as anger, jealousy, and desire. Spiritual development requires cultivating God consciousness, which is distinct from material progress. Discipline through mantra, fasting, and silence develops this awareness. One sees only what one's consciousness permits; to see God, one must develop God consciousness.
"Eko’haṁ Bhausyāmī—I am one and now I will multiply."
"You can only see God if you have God consciousness."
Filming location: Banska Bystrica, Slovakia
DVD 240
Christmas with Swamiji in Vienna
We celebrate the arrival of Jesus, a festival of peace, love, and unity. The world needs light, both physical and the divine light of wisdom within every being. Since organized religion began, division has followed, unlike the universal, indivisible consciousness of Sanātana Dharma. Human greed creates ownership and mental pollution, which is more dangerous than physical waste. Before a bomb destroys others, it destroys itself; similarly, negative thoughts first harm the one who holds them. We are called not to judge, but to forgive and to hate the sin, not the sinner. Modern celebrations have become materialistic and polluting, especially with single-use plastics, which now seem immortal. The true gift is non-material, offered openly without harmful packaging. Our spiritual duty is selfless service, to pass on immortal wisdom. A true disciple, like Jesus, endures suffering without abandoning principle to deliver a divine message. We must write and share immortal wisdom through devotion and trust.
"Forgive them; they do not know what they are doing."
"We hate the sin, but not the sinner."
Filming location: Vienna, Austria
Learning in the Gurukul
The Gurukul provides traditional education rooted in Indian culture and spirituality, distinct from modern commercial systems. Education began with the ṛṣis, and the first university was Takshilā in India. Our Gurukul adopts students as Jñānaputra, offering free education. The ancient Pītāmbara uniform symbolizes purity and focus. True education is cultural, ethical, and spiritual, not merely for earning money. Knowledge itself is an imperishable wealth. Sanskrit is the mother of most languages, and Indian culture spread globally. The Gurukul system was dismantled under British rule, replaced by a limited English system. We now blend modern competitiveness with foundational morality, teaching why to use knowledge, not just how. Education must be daily and consistent, like eating. Supporters make this possible.
"Knowledge itself is an imperishable wealth. From the hand, you can steal money... but in the mind, the knowledge, no one can take it."
"We have to have modern education to be competitive in this world. But still, on top of that, Gurudev is trying to put one more layer, which was actually there before."
Filming location: Jadan, Rajasthan, India
