Protect the animals
A prayer for protection and balance in response to suffering.
An earthquake has caused loss and hardship. Prayers and ceremonies have positive effects. We are in Kali Yuga, a distracting age. Shiva will now balance all negatives to bring a better time. Messages suggest more challenges will come. We must act. First, protect all life: in water, on land, and in the air. Do not destroy creatures; love and feed them. From your own food, give a portion to animals. This protection of others is protection for ourselves. Spiritual progress is like drawing water from a deep well; negative actions can break the rope, causing a fall. We should also practice yoga: postures like Sarvahitāsan and prāṇāyāma. These bring health. Breathing is life itself.
"Shiva will balance all. He will bring that kind of energy so that all the negatives or distracting things will slowly, slowly be brought into a good position."
"If we cannot give them something good, then at least we should not destroy them or make problems for them."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
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Master should have equal vision
A master's teaching adapts to the student's background but arises from a place of non-discrimination. Teaching varies based on a student's inherent culture, like learning to cook at home versus from scratch. Language also shapes the delivery, as perfect translation of meaning is difficult. However, the true master holds no distinction in heart, like a sun shining on all. The story of Eklavya illustrates this: though formally rejected, his devotion to his guru as a statue made him a great archer. The master teaches from within, beyond speech, through divine love. Disciples who perceive favoritism are mistaken. The master knows each student's needs and administers many tests. True service is to see oneself not as a successor, but as eternally serving the guru.
"Love does not require any words. Love does not need any explanation."
"The master is like a sun, and the disciples are like all of us who benefit from the sunlight."
Filming location: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
The same light lits in all of us
The Guru is the ultimate guide and embodiment of the divine principle, surpassing all forms. The scriptures equate the Guru with the trinity of Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Maheśvara. When having darśan of a deity, one must not break concentration for any saint except one's own Guru, who is considered higher. The highest reality is where all three divine aspects unite as one, which is our Satguru. Even incarnated gods needed a Guru to teach. Satsaṅg refreshes existing knowledge; the ultimate peace we seek is already within but obscured. Realization comes from shifting focus from 'I' to 'thy' and going within. The Guru provides guidance and grace, but the disciple must perform the work. Spiritual progress requires time and personal effort, like metal being heated and hammered into shape. We are the witness, not the doer. The body is temporary; love opens the door to the divine. Inner enemies must be conquered first. Practice reduces negative tendencies. Be content with what you have, yet seek more spiritual devotion. The Guru gives light unconditionally, without background checks. The disciple must preserve and forward this light. Periods of difficulty are necessary phases for growth. Surrender to the Guru's will and have faith. Worldly knowledge differs from spiritual knowledge, which brings growth. Achieve peace by reducing thoughts and expectations. Nothing we possess is truly ours; only spiritual practice accompanies us. Live in the present with gratitude, focused on the path toward self-realization.
"Guru is Brahmā, Guru is Viṣṇu, Guru is Maheśa."
"The only thing which goes with is the mantra, japa, and the bhakti which we did."
Filming location: Jadan, Rajasthan, India
The Four Aspects of Grace and the Path to Self-Love
The four aspects of Kṛpā illuminate the path to self-love. Deva Kṛpā is the mercy of the gods, granting the human incarnation necessary for liberation. Śāstra Kṛpā is the mercy of the holy scriptures, which contain the teachings of the gurus. Guru Kṛpā is the mercy given by the guru, triggered by the disciple's devotion and service. Kuṭkī Kṛpā is the mercy one gives to oneself. This self-love is not ego, which is a low vibration of taking, but a high vibration of giving. Many avoid self-love, fearing it is ego, yet one cannot truly love others without loving oneself. A practical form is sending loving, healing energy to one's own body, which can have profound physical effects. The process to cultivate this begins with self-acceptance, proceeds through self-understanding via inquiry, and culminates in the desire to give and forgive oneself. This inner work is essential for spiritual growth.
"Love each and every living being, if not more, then at least as much as yourself."
"We cannot really love others if we don’t love ourselves."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
Mansik Puja to Vishwaguruji
A guided meditation for a spiritual teacher's birthday, performed mentally by disciples who cannot be physically present.
Visualize the teacher seated before you. Perform a mental worship: apply sacred mark to his feet with a chant, light an imagined lamp, and perform ritual circling with it. Offer flowers, make full prostration, and ask for forgiveness. Feel the teacher's hand blessing your head, transmitting light and power. Offer him imagined food. Express profound gratitude for his incarnation, work, and guidance. Pray for peace, happiness, and steadfastness on the path. Pray for the teacher's health and strength, stating that while he can heal all, your prayers and love are what sustain him.
"Visualize in your heart that he is sitting in front of you, and we are sitting in front of him."
"As a guru, Gurudev cannot fix himself. That is going against the laws... But our prayers and our love are the only things that can give him the strength."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
