The truth is tapas
The Kumbha pot symbolizes the nectar of immortality, a truth within spiritual practice. During the Kumbh Melā, bathing at the sacred confluence during an auspicious constellation cleanses karma and bestows blessings. I took the ritual bath for all devotees, transferring the merits for their health and realization. The immense gathering generates a collective spiritual energy that awakens inner strength. However, the spiritual path is often obscured by false claims of psychic powers and siddhis. Many pretend to see auras or tell futures, exploiting pure-hearted seekers. Such lies are a great sin and a major obstacle. True spiritual power manifests naturally through presence and goodness, not for show or gain. Do not be deceived by those offering magical solutions or creating fear. Your focus must remain on genuine devotion and practice under a true lineage. Expectations lead to disappointment; be like the steadfast banyan tree, providing shelter without attachment. The ultimate goal is self-realization, ending all suffering.
"Satya barabar tap nahi, jhoot barabar pāp—there is no austerity more than truth, and no greater sin than to lie."
"Be that banyan tree which welcomes everyone, is never overwhelmed, and never sad."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
DVD 326
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The 3rd Sri Swami Maheshwarananda Festival (3/4)
The heart's door is kept open for the divine, yet days pass in longing without that vision. A constant search persists, night and day. The teaching reveals that the true self is not separate; like oil in a seed, the divine essence is within all. One is the temple, the deity, and the pilgrim. All powers lie within, requiring inner strength to face and dissolve internal obstacles through mantra and consciousness. This fire of seeking is essential, for without it, one cannot ascend. The path involves both this inner realization and a devotional plea for grace and darśan to liberate the heart.
"Like oil in the seed, fire in the wood, fragrance in a flower. Like this, my true self is all one."
"Strength is life, and weakness is death. All powers lie within you."
Filming location: Debrecen, Hungary
The 3rd Sri Swami Maheshwarananda Festival (4/4)
Welcome to the third Sri Swami Maheshwarananda Festival of Spiritual Music, Debrecen, Hungary.
Mahashivaratri Celebration by Czech Hindu Religious Society, Prague
Mahāśivarātri is a worship of Lord Śiva, celebrating consciousness, liberation, and the universal principle.
The Śivaliṅga is the central focus of worship, representing the entire universe. Śiva is the uncreated, endless consciousness that manifested itself. Śiva and Śakti are not genders but represent consciousness and universal energy. The divine resonance, Nāda, is the form of Supreme Brahman, from which Śiva manifests. He is the protector, as shown by drinking the poison to save the earth. The temple is within; self-realization comes from being present with a mind at zero. All religions are contained within the eternal truth. The duty is to protect the environment, as every atom is Śiva. Chanting the Mahā-Mṛtyuñjaya Mantra offers protection. The individual soul merges with the universal soul.
"Śiva means consciousness. Śiva means liberation. Śiva means the truth."
"Within you is the ocean of bliss, and within you is the fountain of joy. Within you is the immortal one."
Filming locations: Prague, Czech Republic.
Maha Shivaratri Celebration from Vienna
Śivarātri is a night when Lord Śiva is approachable for prayers and blessings. This gathering celebrates that divine proximity. Śiva is the unborn, ultimate truth and universal consciousness from which all creation arises. He is the source of sound and light, represented by Oṁ. The Śiva Liṅga symbolizes the round, entire universe. The individual soul, Jīva, is a drop that ultimately merges into the ocean of Śiva. Spiritual practice requires single-pointed focus; attempting many paths leads nowhere. Discipline in fasting and practice is essential, with no compromise. While uncertainty and pain in life are inevitable, worrying and suffering are optional. Do not dwell on the past or fear the future; work with confidence in the present.
"Uncertainty is inevitable, but worrying is optional. Pain is inevitable, but suffering is optional."
"If you hold to one thing, you will master everything. If you try to do a little here and a little there, you will lose everything."
Filming locations: Vienna, Austria.
