There is no end of learning
The ashram is heaven on earth, a place of immense energy where the Guru is always present in essence. A journey unfolds through divine guidance, not personal will. A trip to India for Guru Pūrṇimā was redirected by unseen forces, leading one back to the ashram family. Later, guidance came through a spoken sentence about Romania, which led to the establishment of an ashram there through inner instruction, not conversation. A pilgrimage to holy sites in the Himalayas was similarly guided, with paths clearing miraculously to allow darśan. In all endeavors, the Guru's direction is for self-learning. Yoga is a path to discover who one is. Scientific research into modified prāṇāyāma, inspired by the Guru's words, later fostered a university collaboration and a successful public yoga event, where a protective cloud appeared as a sign.
"With our yoga in daily life, it is not just āsana. It is a way to learn about ourselves and to look at ourselves."
"One sentence from Gurudev can change and influence so many things."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
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Balancing Heart and Intellect
The human being is a balance of heart and intellect. Emotion and intelligence are both essential. Ego is necessary for survival, but it must be refined into self-respect, which means respecting others through our actions and cleanliness. Uncontrolled emotions like anger are destructive. The Upaniṣads teach that within the physical heart is a cave holding the blue light of the soul, the seat of the jīvātmā. The brain connects the chakras, but when this soul departs, bodily functions cease. Fire, Agni, is a divine element present in many forms: as digestive fire creating hunger, as the fire of desire and anger, and as the sacred fire of love and longing for God. Modern life severs our connection to ancestors and the natural elements, leading to suffering and a loss of roots. Our intellect can be polluted by selfish senses, but viveka, the discerning intelligence between truth and falsehood, remains pure. Practice develops viveka and vairāgya, renunciation. The five elements support the body, and through spiritual practice like Kuṇḍalinī Yoga, prāṇa nourishes the soul. True love is surrender and coordination between heart and intellect, creating better humans and a better world.
"Brahmārpaṇaṃ brahmahavir brahmāgnau brahmaṇā hutam."
"Brahma Satya, Jagat Mithyā."
Filming location: Alexandria, Virginia, USA
The Eternal Bond of Guru and Disciple
The bond between guru and disciple is the only permanent bond, chosen with full awareness. Other relationships, like family, are given without choice. In Kali Yuga, finding a true guru is rare. We are blessed to be in a lineage, a paramparā, starting with Śrī Alakpurījī in the Himalayas. The guru is the light from darkness. We need a guide just as we needed parents and teachers. The spiritual path is structured through four life stages, culminating in sannyās. The greatest gift is initiation with a mantra, a direct conversation with the divine. The story of Eklavya illustrates perfect guru bhakti and surrender, offering his thumb as guru dakṣiṇā. The guru is trikāla-darśī, seeing all time. We must not question the guru's instruction, as illustrated by a story where a guru's warning saved a man from an attack. Another story tells of a guru who helped princes rewrite their destined poverty through faith and specific instructions. The guru has the power to transform destiny, but we must c
The Divine Chambers of Being
Lecture of Vishwaguruji from Jsdan Ashram, Pali, Rajasthan. The annamaya kośa, the food sheath, is the first of five chambers of being. Its purity determines the mind's state.
Vedic philosophy describes five sheaths, not the dietary laws of kosher or halal. True religion is based on non-violence, a principle declared millennia ago. Most who claim a faith do not follow its core tenets, lost in materialism. The physical body is born, grows, and dies, but must be purified for the soul. Food influences this through the three guṇas. Rajas brings restlessness; tamas brings laziness and ignorance. Tāmasik food includes meat, fish, eggs, and stale items. Consuming such food directly affects the mind's clarity and one's spiritual progress. A story illustrates this: a saint ate food procured by a thief and was overcome by a desire to steal a golden idol. His intellect was corrupted until the impure food was sweated out. The teaching is clear: as you eat, so your mind becomes. Therefore, one m
Clean Your Inner Conflicts
Yoga in daily life extends beyond personal health to encompass society and planetary peace. It is not merely physical exercise but a comprehensive practice. The ego claims ownership of the planet, yet we belong to it as guests. This false ownership sows seeds of conflict—over territory, family, and caste—causing global unrest. True practice requires cleansing inner dissatisfaction and conflict. External rituals like wearing stones are less potent than polishing one's own inner being, the most precious stone. The practice of mālā is an offering of the mind; its power flows from the practitioner's thoughts and feelings during repetition. Caution is needed most from oneself. Yoga must transcend selfishness to include physical, mental, social, and spiritual health for the entire planet. The story of a devoted king tested by God illustrates the severity of trials required to uphold one's word and principles for the sake of truth, demonstrating the depth of surrender beyond mere theory.
"Mother Earth has enough for everyone’s needs, but never enough for greed."
"Polish your stone."
Filming location: Vienna, Austria
DVD 383
