Gurudev found all of us
The four yogas and four kṛpās, and the Guru’s grace, show the path to liberation.
The four yogas—Bhakti, Jñāna, Raja, Karma—unite as rivers to the same ocean. Disciples live all four through devotion, study, meditation, and selfless service. Karma Yoga, done without expectation, yields sweet results. Five forces—desire, anger, pride, greed, ego—drag down spiritual progress. A moment of anger can erase a hundred malas of practice. Human birth is a precious opportunity gained after countless lives. The Guru finds and unites disciples from all corners of the world. There are four graces: blessings of the gods, scriptures, Guru, and the self. Guru kṛpā is most praised, but self-effort is essential to walk the path. Āśram means “come, do work”; service burns ego. Destiny can only be altered by the Guru, as shown in the story of the king’s twins. The Guru used loopholes in fate’s words to change the princes’ lives from poverty to prosperity. All holy places and deities reside in the dust of the Guru’s lotus feet. Even Gaṅgā, Yamunā, and Sarasvatī purify themselves through that dust. Without a Guru, there is no crossing the ocean of illusion. Surrendering all baggage at the Guru’s feet brings lightness and freedom.
“When it’s done without any expectations, then the fruit is always sweet.”
“All in one, one in all.”
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
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What makes our soul happy
The jīva, or soul, seeks everlasting happiness, paramānanda, beyond fleeting pleasures.
There are temporary happinesses that vanish and cause suffering. The jīva is eternal, indestructible, and cannot be perceived by physical means. It enters and leaves the body freely, untouched by fire, water, or any obstacle. Every being carries this divine light, driven to attain pleasure and remove all pain. Through the five elements, the jīva manifests the ten senses and is sustained by the life forces. Happiness and sorrow reside in the jīva, not in the body. Seeking joy in material objects yields disappointment because the world is impermanent. Disappointment itself is a process of change and growth. Attachment binds the jīva, like a caged bird prevented from flying. Renunciation requires constant movement to avoid forming attachments. The worldly life is inherently a place of disappointment, even for the Creator. Clinging to relationships brings suffering, for all are transient. Temporary pleasures inevitably turn into pain. Therefore, one must seek paramānanda, the supreme, undying bliss. The jīva is like a drop suspended over the ocean of ātmā; upon merging, individuality dissolves, and it becomes Śiva. All spiritual practices aim for this union, where the jīva finds true peace.
"Each and every entity carries the light of God, and that light of God is not for this body only but for that soul, and that soul is life."
"This jīva is like a drop of water on the whole of our palm, held over the ocean. This drop is jīva, and the ocean is ātmā."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
The Yogic Anatomy and Practice
The subject is Kuṇḍalinī and Chakras. Humans possess a highly developed consciousness capable of realizing the divine energy within. The self is experienced in the heart, yet is present throughout the entire body. The human system is composed of five sheaths: the physical, energetic, mental, intellectual, and blissful bodies. The 72,000 nerve channels converge at points called chakras, which are centers of energy and consciousness. Desires and mental power are strong forces that can bind or liberate. Various yoga paths exist to purify these layers and direct energy upward from the base chakras, associated with primal instincts, toward the higher centers of perception and unity. The ultimate aim is to transcend all sheaths and realize the oneness of the individual soul with the universal consciousness, which is present everywhere.
"Though it is here, yes, but I am... I am here, but I am everywhere."
"Everyone is God. So everywhere is God."
Filming location: Vancouver, Canada
Unity, love, forgiveness, and devotion
Unity is essential, especially in difficult times when the intellect tends toward destruction. When all power unites positively, it can transform the age. Humans possess a unique mind for processing information, yet awareness is often missing. True awareness must be present in all actions, from eating to meditation. Service and spiritual practice are incomplete without devotion and feeling. The mind is restless, not the soul. Do not be stuck in the future or past, but be present now. Unity is the thread, like devotion, that holds all together. A single branch breaks, but united we stand strong. Modern life fragments families, eroding love and shared space. To love others, one must first love and accept oneself without blame. The world is one family; all beings contain the divine. Protect righteousness, and it will protect you. Forgiveness is for one's own peace, releasing the inner grudge that consumes. Perform your duty without attachment to the outcome.
"When all the power comes together, they have the power to change Kali Yuga to Satya Yuga."
"Forgive them. It’s not for them, it’s for us. Because when we forgive them, it gives us that sense of peace."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
Practising Asanas
Yoga practice aims for inner peace and strength.
Practice brings awareness inside, into inner space. Āsanas and yoga calm the mind.
Every movement is done with full awareness.
Stand in the position, separate the feet, and relax the whole body.
Observe feelings in the body, mind, and emotions.
Mauna means not just outer silence.
Antar Mauna—inner silence—stops the inner dialogue and quarreling.
Stretch the body with interlocked fingers on the head, inhaling up on the toes.
Breathing is most important.
Place a palm on the navel and relax the abdomen.
With inhalation, the abdomen expands; with exhalation, it contracts.
The number of breaths at birth is predetermined, in a symbolic way.
Short, quick, clavicular breathing leads to stress, depression, and little energy.
Complete yoga breathing connects abdomen, middle, and clavicular parts.
Body posture reflects inner thoughts and feelings.
Inner strength is built through practice, not poor posture.
"Antar Mauna is more important: to stop this little inner dialogue, and all the time quarreling."
"We often hear that when we are born, we have a predetermined number of breaths and exhales. That is in a symbolic way, of course."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
