How can we reach the Supreme?
Satsang is association with truth and truthful seekers, not merely scriptural study.
Knowledge from books is important, but it is not the living cosmic reality. One may read for a lifetime and not complete the understanding. A story tells of a rishi in the Himalayas who read the Vedas for ages. When messengers from Dharmaraja came to take him, he repeatedly refused, saying his study was incomplete. They finally showed him that the dust in his hand was all he had learned, while the entire Himalayas represented the limitless Vedas. Study alone leads to an empty interior. One must catch the essential point beyond mere repetition. The Guru's living word, the Sabda, is the key, not just recited mantras.
"They think they have it there, from the Vedas, but they say it is theirs."
"You have not learned that much. Only from the Vedas have you learned this. But the whole Vedas are the Himalayas."
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A Journey of Remembrance and Reverence
I recently traveled to pay respects at the samādhi of a revered female ascetic. She was the first female Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara in our tradition, renowned for memorizing sacred texts from a very young age and receiving a title for it. She had a large spiritual family of disciples managing various ashrams. We shared a good connection from past meetings at gatherings and when she visited our Guru. Upon learning of her passing, I journeyed through the night to attend the funeral procession in Ahmedabad, which culminated in her burial at a chosen site outside the city alongside other senior ascetics. It was a full 24-hour journey of remembrance.
"She was the first female Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara in our Akhāṛā."
"Her wish was to have her samādhi in Hargośālā."
Filming location: Jadan, Rajasthan, India
Is this thought really important to you?
A guided meditation on analyzing and releasing thoughts to achieve mental freedom.
Settle into a comfortable posture, relaxing the entire body. Observe the natural breath, feeling the body's energy and motionlessness. Release all thoughts to relieve stress. Now, analyze your thoughts. From many thoughts, select one major thought. Investigate its cause, origin, and importance. Recognize that this analysis itself can create tension. Forgive the thought, forget it, and become free. You possess the power to give it up. All mental modifications are like waves on water; they will calm down. Relax physically and mentally. Do not return to thoughts that cause stress. Bring awareness to the center of the brows and look inwardly toward a beautiful future. The past is past; remain present. Purify your energy with each heartbeat, breath, and thought, moving toward light and clarity. Feel the shelter of the lineage. Conclude by feeling the breath, chanting, and gently returning awareness to the body.
"Analyze your thoughts, and from many thoughts, pick up one major thought."
"All the vṛttis, all the thoughts, just like the waves on the water. It will calm down."
Filming location: Debrecen, Hungary
Sanskrit names are important
Āsana is a term with deep meaning in the yogic system, which is connected to the Sanskrit language. The word signifies a seat, a dwelling place, or a posture. One's yoga mat is a yoga āsana. The place one sleeps is an āsana. The specific postures, like Bhujaṅgāsana, are also called āsana. The term's meaning depends entirely on context. Yoga is a vast science greater than allopathic medicine, and its proper terminology carries inherent knowledge. Similarly, prāṇāyāma fundamentally consists of inhalation, retention, and exhalation. The Sanskrit alphabet resonates with the body's energy centers, and the language balances the mind. True communication begins with the heart's touch.
"Wherever you sit, that is your āsana."
"Prāṇāyāma is only three: pūraka (inhalation), kumbhaka (retention), and recaka (exhalation)."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
Give More Quality To Your Life
A mantra is that which satisfies and liberates the mind. The mind is never satisfied, like a bowl made of mind that gold cannot fill. It is like a ghost that demands constant work; without a task, it becomes destructive. The mantra gives the mind a steady job, trapping it in satisfaction. It is a sentence that slowly transforms us from within, cleansing darkness, problems, and doubts. The mind becomes tranquil, and meditation arises. The mantra guides us toward our aim of reuniting with our origin, the Absolute Divine.
Mantras have two parts: one expresses your wish, the other is a prayer. The essence is: "Please vanish all darkness from my being, and let your light come into me." Light is knowledge; darkness is sorrow and ignorance. Yoga is the science of body, mind, and consciousness, a path to spirituality. Its meaning is union—the oneness of individual consciousness with the universal. Our inner thirst is to return to that endless joy. Human life is given for this self-realization. To achieve it, follow ethical and spiritual principles and maintain the body through healthy living and disciplined practice. Yoga is a scientific system for the well-being of body, mind, and soul, leading to harmony and health. It begins with gentle, daily physical practice. Discipline is essential; start now. Life is given to enjoy, not to suffer. The body needs gentle care, not force or competition.
"Please vanish all darkness from my being, and let your light come into me."
"Yoga is the science of body, mind, and consciousness. It is a primary step, a philosophy, a path to spirituality."
Filming location: New York, USA
