TV Channel

Part 1: The Inscrutable Ways of the Guru That is from the mayor of the city. He is a very influential man. Please don’t touch that boat. And the boat on the right side? If you need a boat, you can use that. To whom does it belong? These are just a few poor orphans, some boys. You can use this if you need. So without any further commentary, Kizar took that boat, the boat of the orphans, put it upside down, and strongly stepped on it, so that parts of it broke. Somehow the boat was not usable anymore, and then he went away. Now Moses got really upset, and he was angry at his guru. "How can you do that? If you had destroyed the boat of the rich man, he can easily get it repaired, but it’s cruel. You destroy the boat of the poor orphans." Kizar looked at him and said, "Do you remember what you promised me?" Immediately, Moses realized that he had made a mistake and apologized. Kizar accepted, and they went further. The next day, they came to a village. There was a house which was already half like a ruin. One wall especially was already like rubble. Kizar stopped and said to Moses, "You know, we have to stay here for some time," and to rebuild this wall, but no people were living there. He instructed Moses to bring some water. They improvised something and were working hard the whole day to somehow restore this wall. It was hard physical work, and the sun was shining. In the evening, they both were really exhausted. But that house was empty, so no one came to say thank you and to bring some food. Moses again was not happy about that. He said to Kizar, "Why did we restore the wall here in this house where no one is living? No one has a benefit, and we even don’t get any food." Kṛṣṇa again looked with a strong gaze at him. Moses understood again that he did not follow Guruvākya. Again, he had to apologize, so they slept with empty stomachs. The next day, they came to another city. On the marketplace, several children were playing. Kizar stopped and asked the people, "Who are these children? From which family do they come?" They pointed to one boy and said, "Yes, he is the son of the mayor of the city." Okay, and who is that boy? Oh, he is the son of a merchant here around the corner, quite rich. Then he pointed to another boy. He is the only son of a man who is living a really spiritual life, meditating the whole day, you know. That was a time when people had their personal weapon as a defense with themselves, a sword. Kizar also had such a sword with him. So, without any commentary, he took out his sword and, with one swing, he cut the leg of this boy seriously. That was now too much for Moses, and he was so angry. "Why did you cut this boy?" And now Kizar would not accept any apology anymore. He said, "I told you from the beginning that you are not fit to be my disciple. You leave." Moses was so upset that he easily accepted that. "Yes, I don’t want to follow you anymore." But still, he was curious to know what was behind all that. Then Kīzar explained. He said, you know, all that I did was on instructions of God. Regarding the boat: a king’s soldiers will come tomorrow and confiscate every boat that is usable. Only the boys have a boat that is broken. Within a few hours, they can repair it. Then they will make good money, because everyone will rely on their boat to cross the river. When we repaired this wall of the ruined house, it had a very similar reason. This house belongs to a group of orphans also. When they grow up, this will be their property. Inside this wall, there is a hidden treasure, which they will find. This belongs to them. But the problem was that this wall was already so broken that, within a short time, this treasure would be exposed. The boy whom I hit has very bad karma and a very bad character. In his karma was to become a thief. In this way, he would cause a lot of trouble to himself and to his father. His father’s sādhanā would be completely disturbed. But a thief can only be a thief when he can run away quickly and escape. So I hit his leg so that he cannot run quickly, and he cannot do that. In this way, preventing this boy from this bad karma and preventing the father from suffering so much. This was his explanation for his acts. I think each of us could feel very much like Moses. It’s really often not easy to understand the acts of a guru. But we should never judge. So often Guruvākya is not clear for us, not understandable, not acceptable. Put it on hold, as I did when Swamījī said it. Going through many experiences, slowly, slowly, it becomes ripe in us, and then we will understand more and deeper. This was all about worldly matters, the acts of the guru. I will tell you a second story, which some of you might know, because I’m not telling it for the first time. It’s about Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, guru and disciple. According to the tradition, the guru is traveling around and giving satsaṅgs, getting invitations from the householders. When Krishna came to one city, there lived a rich merchant, and he was very happy, and he came immediately to welcome him. He invited him to come for a meal and to stay in his house. Kṛṣṇa accepted. In the evening, when they came for the meal, it was not just a meal. It was like a feast. Tables full of the most delicious food. The whole house was decorated, and music and dance, everything was beautifully arranged. Krishna and, of course, his disciple Arjuna, they enjoyed, and they also stayed overnight. In the morning after breakfast, when Krishna left, he turned to the merchant and told him, "I thank you, it was very nice, everything arranged, and I give you the blessing, whatever you possess now, within one year, you will have double." The merchant was very happy. He was counting in his mind, "Now I have one house, and I will have two houses. Now I have fifty cows, and I will have a hundred cows." His mind was really—oh, it was so great. And Krishna left. The next day, they came to a small village where an old woman lived. She lived alone, a simple life, a spiritual life, doing her sādhanā, doing meditation, mantra, and prayers most of the day. She lived alone, only one old cow, Jīlā Tām Samā, only she had with her one old cow. Seeing the bhakti of this woman, of course, Kṛṣṇa accepted. She tried her best, but of course, it was only a simple meal, because she was poor. She even had to borrow dishes from the neighbors to be able to serve it properly to Kṛṣṇa. Krishna enjoyed the meal, and he also stayed at her hut overnight. The next morning when he left, he told her, "Thank you very much, you did everything with a lot of bhakti. And I must tell you one thing: tomorrow your cow will die." And then he left. Now it started working in Arjuna. He started to figure out, "What is my guru saying?" He couldn’t understand, and after some time it really broke out of him. "Gurujī, why are you so unjust? This merchant, because he gave you a big feast, so you gave such a blessing? And this woman, because it was only a small meal, a simple meal, you gave such a curse?" Krishna smiled and said, "I see you don’t understand the way of a guru." He explained what the gurus do not always do. Basically, it’s our job to figure out, but sometimes they do, and then we can learn something. He said, you know, this merchant, he is my devotee, sure. But much more, he is devoted to his money and wealth. You see, he already has so much, but still he is not happy. He thinks, "If I had much more, then I would be much happier." So what can I do for him? I can only give him more and more and even more. Until one day he will realize, however much I have, I don’t find happiness, I don’t find peace. Only on that day does he become a real spiritual seeker. But you know, this old woman, she has gone through all stages of life. She has enjoyed all that, she has renounced all that. She has no desires anymore; she has no attachments anymore. Half of the day, she is already thinking on me, on God. Her only problem is the other half of the day she is thinking of the cow. That’s her only attachment. That’s her only obstacle. So now, when tomorrow the cow will die naturally, she will be sad. And then slowly she will forget the cow. And then there is nothing anymore to distract her mind. And then her whole awareness, her whole love will go to me, to God. And where you think, there you go. She will get enlightenment. The way of a guru is really different from our thinking, mostly. And if we don’t understand, it’s not the mistake of the guru. That means we are not fit yet to accept, to understand. It’s not only that we have to try to understand the acts of the guru and the guruvākya, but even deeper, to understand what is the guru. That is really our life duty. That’s why Swamiji said, "Whatever we practice, it aims at understanding the Guru." And Holy Gurujī emphasized the same point that was the last sentence which he spoke in his life. After Holy Gurujī’s Mahāsamādhi, Swāmījī spoke repeatedly about that. Does someone remember that? The last sentence of holy Gurujī? I mean, I guess Swāmī Jasrājpurījī will know. He is out of the game. Anyone else remember this? "When somebody understands the Guru, he becomes the Guru himself." Yes, exactly. And that means exactly as you said, who really understands the guru, he himself becomes the guru. That’s what Swāmījī always emphasizes, why this symbol with a pāras stone does not really fit. The pāras transforms iron into gold, but it does not transform the iron into another pāras. But the guru can transform the disciple into another saint, into another guru. When we think about that, it is obvious that it is not a small task. It is not something that requires just intellectual understanding. It is something that we cannot speak. But we can realize that’s why yoga is a practical path, not just a path of philosophy. Through our sādhanā and through opening our heart through bhakti, more and more this wisdom grows in us. As it is my own experience, when we go through our life experiences, through the different training phases in our life, more and more we get here and there a glimpse about what is a guru. Sometimes, rarely, the master speaks quite openly and quite clearly about that. For this, I especially love Swami Institute’s old lectures, many of which we find in the book Meetings with a Yogi. I found out, meanwhile, that there is never any Czech edition of that. I really suggest translating that book into Czech and Slovak, and so on. There you find one chapter: "What is a Guru?" This is a lecture from 1983, even before my time, before I came to Swāmījī. Clear, like I never found it anywhere else, Swāmījī speaks here about himself. Swamiji says, you need to recognize a guru, a guru like Mahāprabhujī. You call me a guru, but I am nothing. I don’t have as much power as a speck of dust from Mahāprabhujī’s feet. Nemám ani tolik moci, kolik má zrnko prachu z Mahāprabhujīho nohou. Don’t call me the guru, but what is the guru within me? The guru within me is that power, that energy, that consciousness which governs the entire universe, and that same exists within you too. It is just that you are not aware of that. I think with this, Swamiji gives us clear guidance on what it means to understand the Guru. And that when we really understand the Guru, that means at the same time we really understand ourselves. I feel myself quite close to Buddhism, and sometimes it’s interesting to get inspiration from there. In some Buddhist books, they use the term guru yoga, and I love it, because just think on Mahāprabhujī’s bhajans. It’s already hard to choose any bhajan in which he does not speak about the Guru. If you deeply understand Swamījī’s teaching, it is all about that one point. And they say the Guru is your spiritual friend. That sentence is quite acceptable, huh? But straight away, the next sentence is, "And the duty of your spiritual friend is to attack you." About this, we have to think a little bit. That means not to attack me, but to attack our ego. That’s the duty of a guru. Now, put yourself in the position of a guru. So, how to do? That means, basically, the master all the time has to find a way he wants to help us, but that we are not too offended and just run away. When the guru attacks you because he wants to take out your ego, that hurts. Sometimes it happens that we cannot accept. Then we turn against the guru, blame the guru, and go away from the guru. It doesn’t matter for the guru, because he knows anyway, but it matters for us. That means just one chance lost. Swami Sivanandaji said that previously, before he became a saint, he was a medical doctor. He puts it in similar words, like a doctor removes the ill organ from the body, so in the same way the guru makes the operation to take out the ego from the disciple. And sometimes he forgets this, how is it called? Narcosis. Sometimes it hurts. That is the process in which we are, but once it is done, we will be happy. We will be happy and healthy, and our life changes. That is a promise. The promise which we gave to Swamiji, to follow him till the end, and the promise which he gave us, to guide us till the end, so we should not stop halfway. Śrīdīp Nārāyaṇ Bhagvān Kī Jaya. Before I start, for two days I’ve forgotten to ask one question. Does anyone have, or did anyone have in the last two days, a birthday? Then it’s all yours. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday to you. Happy birthday, dear guru sister. Happy birthday to you. Before, Gajanandjī and I were discussing what was going to be the topic. I told him we’ll do like in ballroom dancing, that he will be the lead and I’ll just follow. This morning someone asked me a question. It was asked actually about what is the difference between worshipping the God with form or the formless God. But perhaps you could ask the same question: do you need to have a guru or not have a guru? So as Gajanandjī is leading, I’ll just dance with him on his last point. I guess, in theory, you could get mokṣa without having a guru. But it would be the equivalent of doing that operation yourself without the narcosis. And if you think that you can remove your own organs, looking at a mirror with no painkiller, I’ll go with the guru and request narcosis. Another thing Gajānandjī was talking about was the pāras stone. The pāras, this stone that turns the lead into gold. I actually find that if you become a disciple, on the days when you’re actually managing to be a proper disciple, a real spiritual seeker, that’s when there’s a pāras stone operating. Because if you’re really seeking, and you’re seeking from your heart, every single thing which happens in your day—every good thing that happens, every difficult thing that happens, every painful thing that happens, and every time that nothing happens—they’re all gold, because they’re all teaching you something. When you become open as a disciple, then all of those things that were before, that were just parts of a mundane daily life, become a golden chance for you to learn something for your spiritual path. So for me, that is that parāśmaṇī. That is Gurujī applying it to the disciple. And that next step, as Gajarāṇjī said, when the guru makes somebody into a pārasmaṇī, that is another thing. Now, I’ve stopped following Gajanandjī, and I forgot what I wanted to say. Part 2: The Inner Light and the Guru's Grace Who will sing later? I don't know. Is there anyone who can sing Jyotis and Jyotis nicely? It is Guru Pūrṇimā. Gajānandjī has just been talking about recognizing the Guru. I guess there is a relevance to the word Pūrṇimā. It is the time when the moon is full. It is the time when we try and also make our understanding full. The moon is always there. We may see half of it, or a quarter of it, or it may be dark. But it is always there, and the same is that the Guru is always inside us. That light which Gurujī lit inside us when he gave us the mantra will always be there. I was thinking this morning: if you can imagine that Guru Vākya which is inside, that Guru Tattva which is inside all of us, is like a loudspeaker. Constantly its sound is there; it’s constantly singing. We don’t have to do anything to make it sing. But somehow, because of our impurities, because of our delusion, illusion, and our ignorance, they are like pillows and blankets and things that are piled up on top of that speaker, so we just can’t hear the sound. And the Guru also helps us to remove those from on top of the seeker. In the beginning, that speaker is so covered that you just can’t hear a thing. Slowly, the guru starts doing his operation and one by one removes those covers. As he starts to remove them, the sound starts to very faintly come up. Then, as you start to hear the sound, hopefully we all start to help him to remove those covers. Every day, in every part of our life, we have to try and keep removing them, so that we can hear the full sound. And at the same time, make sure that we don’t put them back on top every time he tries to remove them. But no matter what, no matter how much cover is there, that sound is still there. And it’s in all of us. I have a spiritual name, and somehow the meaning of it is like to be... Appreciation means just. Jas means appreciation, value. When the Indians translate the name, they say that it means that I will get a lot of recognition. But I think that the name means that I should give recognition to everyone else, because of the beauty that’s in all of us, in every single one of the disciples that sits with Swāmījī, in everyone who has that mantra. To just see that is a beauty that’s indescribable. There’s one story from the Jewish tradition about one rabbi. His students were sitting with him, and they were discussing one morning prayer. They were saying, "When is the proper time to say this prayer?" It’s supposed to be done just at the point of the sunrise—sorry, the point of first light. But the problem is, when is the first light? What is the definition of that first light? The students were asking their master. One said, "Is it the point when you can see which color the leaves are on the tree?" He said, "No, that’s not it." The next one said, "Is it the point where, in the distance, you can see if an animal is a dog or a sheep?" He said, "No, no, that’s not it." Another asked, "Is it the point where if I hold my hand in front of me, I can see the lines on my hand?" Again, no. They said, "Gurujī, when is it?" He said it’s the point when there’s enough light that you can see that everybody who’s around you is your brother and sister. That is the right moment for pūjā. If we can all see that, not just here, but in the whole world, what a place! As they say in Sanskrit, vasudhaiva kuṭumbakam—the whole world is our family. But who realizes it? To just see that beauty in every single person. Next, Gurujī, Gajananjī was talking about the guru giving you repairing. Sometimes I have unusual examples, but this one is a little bit off-center. It involves boxing. I always used to think with Gurujī that his love was so strong, and he used to draw me in so close to him. I remember Gurujī, his love was so strong, and he attracted me to himself so much. Not physically, but mentally, I felt as if he really came to me and said, "Hi, how are you?" and he hugged me, and we walked together. Because then, when he had you like this, ready, he had a hold on this shoulder, he would go... and give you some spiritual repair. But here’s where the principle of boxing comes in. When two boxers are fighting, if they ever get too close to each other and get into that situation, they just grab each other with both hands, because if you try and pull away at that point, it’s really easy for him to get a good swing. But the closer you come, you’re just stuck, and it can only be small, small, small taps on your chin. So at that point, when Gurujī is giving you the hardest time, don’t try and pull away; get in closer. It’s safer there. When surfing, waves may be very big. The quietest place is in the middle of the wave, deep inside. You don’t try and run away from a big wave when it’s coming towards you. You don’t run backwards, and you don’t try to jump over. You go in. Similarly, when the waves are high, when the Guru is challenging you so much, the safest place is to go into your heart, to go into your practice, and to go close. I wanted to tell two short stories, one about Swāmījī and one about Gurujī. One from Swamiji is very recent. They are not incredible spiritual stories in the sense of amazing things happening, but they are just small things that show that love. In February, we were in one function with Swamijī in a small village between Jodhpur and Kathu. Somehow we came in the evening to a village where a function was organized. It wasn’t well organized. There were not any facilities there. There was a very thin tent and a very big loudspeaker, and not any other facilities for staying. We had all planned that Swamijī would stay nearby in another town, where there was a very good place to stay, only three or four kilometers away. He would stay for the satsaṅg and then go there and have a rest, and then come back in the morning. The man who was organizing the function was very, very old. Although he was the head of the village, he wasn’t a wealthy person. He had been Gurujī’s and Mahāprabhujī’s disciple. When he found out that Swāmījī was going to stay in another place, he just started to weep. He said, "Swamiji, if you do not stay here in my house, then I will kill myself." From the moment Swamiji saw him weeping, he said, "I will stay here." It was so cold; Swamiji was also sick, but he was just saying, "Look, this is my Bhakta, what can I do?" We spent half an hour trying to talk to the Bhakta and talk to Swamījī, pleading for his health. But there was no question. Swamiji actually slept in that tent, about this far from the loudspeaker. I’m quite sure he didn’t sleep a single moment in the night. There were lots of mosquitoes. It was very dusty, and he didn’t have a tent. There was just one curtain between him and the satsaṅg. But from the first moment, there was never any question or any possibility to negotiate that he wouldn’t stay. The other story is... this is not a webcast, no? It is. How to express the way that Gurujī cared. I was thinking last night after the satsaṅg about how foolish it is to say that one was in Gurujī’s seva. Because, actually, he was doing the seva. Taking such care and protecting so much, and giving so much in blessings and in love, that it just was a very good deal for the sevak and just an amazing experience. Before we go, I wonder if we actually do one small meditation together. I always like to think when we sing that bhajan, "Jyota," they say, "Jyota jagāvo." Always when we sing the bhajan, "Jyotasya jyotasya," about the spiritual light. When Gurujī gave us the mantra, He lit that light inside us, that deep light. And although He can keep and keep relighting it for us, actually, it’s our job to protect it, to keep it burning. It is our task to protect it and to let it shine. On the altar here, we have this glass around the flame to protect it from the wind, and it does protect it. But if the glass isn’t clear, then we don’t see the light. It doesn’t mean that the light is not burning. It’s just that from outside we can’t see it, because of our malina-ākāra āvaraṇa, because of that curtain that is there, and because of our impurities. During our daily life, so many things also come like this wind that are constantly threatening to put out that light. Think about the first year when you were a disciple of Swamijī for a moment, and that intensity with which you felt that mantra within you, the first days after you took mantra. Try to keep a small amount of that in every day, that wonder that was there. Because that same wonder is still there, burning. That same blessing. That same glorious joy. The thing is, when you have things with you all the time, you tend to get ambivalent to them. You tend to forget about them. At Guru Pūrṇimā, it’s always important to come back and notice again what we really have. When mental disturbances and situations from outside are really shaking you, our mantra and our Guru Bhakti protect that flame. It doesn’t matter how long that candle is burning. Whether it’s been for five minutes or for five hours, it still can go out if we don’t take care of it. We have to take care of it at every moment. Swāmījī can give us everything. But you know, if you have a small child and you can constantly give them toys, if they keep smashing them, after a time, you get a bit frustrated. Swamiji gives us the ultimate gift, and we should just take care of it. So I just ask everyone to close their eyes for a short while. It will only be for 10-15 minutes, but do try to be comfortable. Please just sit, and if you can, close your eyes. And we chant Oṁ three times. Try to be still and comfortable. It’s good that the wind is blowing. Just be aware for a moment that, although the wind can be blowing everywhere outside, it can’t have any effect inside your body. Your hair may blow, your clothes may move, but inside you can always remain still. Just be relaxed. Relax your face and your shoulders. Try to sit comfortably and straight. Try to make your breathing as soft as you can. As if, when your breathing is moving in and out, it would not move a flame that was inside your Anāhata Chakra. It’s so soft, it wouldn’t disturb the flame. Trying to breathe as softly as you can, with no sound. Breathing normally, not a big breath. It’s soft, delicate. Be aware of your Anāhata Chakra. Be aware of that light of knowledge that is burning there. That came from Swamiji. It came with our Guru Mantra and is part of our inner relation with our Guru Dev. Feel it still and steady within you. Breathing so softly, so as not to disturb it. And let your mantra and your bhakti be the protection that surrounds that flame, protecting the flame, just the same way as the glass protects the flame on the altar. Be aware that the light from that flame is not just for you. Let it shine out so that everybody can share it. Let yourself be just a small, small part of that prasāda, which is Swāmījī’s love and his compassion and his blessing towards us. In our own small, small way, we give whatever we can of love and light to the world, and to all of our brothers and sisters whenever they need it. Just for a few minutes, enjoy the presence of a spiritual family, of sharing each other’s light, and of the blessing that it is to be able to sit at Gurujī’s feet. Whether he is physically here or not, to just be showered by his blessing. For a moment, remember the saṅkalpa that you have taken for this year, and reaffirm it within yourself, and take from Swamījī the strength that you will be able to manage it. And make that conviction within, that next year you will be coming with the fruits of that, to put at his feet, to offer it as prasāda, as dakṣiṇā. Satguru, jyot se jyot jagaavu, mera antarat mera mitaavu. Satguru, jyot se jyot jagaavu. O Yogeshwara, O Gyaneshwara, O Param, O Sarveshwara, nija kripa barasaavo. Satguru, jyotas jyotas jagaavo. Mera Amati Mira Mitaavo Sattva Guru Jyotas Jyotas Jagaavo. Sattā Gurū, jyota se jyota jagāvo, śiṣa-jukāya kare terī āratī, prema-sudhā-barasāvo. Sattā Gurū, jyota se jyota jagāvo, merā antara tira mitāvo. Sattā Gurū, jyota se jyota jagāvo. Ananta Rāme li yuga se soi, Anantarāme yuga yuga se soi. Citi Śakti ko jagāvo, Satta Guru jyotā se jyotā jagāvo. Nera atimira mitāvo, Satta Guru jyotā se jyotā jagāvo. Satchi Jyot Jāge Hira Dayā Me Sohan Nara Jagāvo Satta Guru Jyot Se Jyot Jagāvo. Mera antara timira mitāvo, Sattaguru jyotase jyota jagāvo. Jīvana mukta ānanda avināśī, Jīvana mukta ānanda avināśī, sata guru jyotase jyota jagāvo, mera antara timira mitāvo. Sattva Guru Jyotas Se Jyotas Jagavoh, Jyotas Se Jyotas Jagavoh. Sattva Guru Jyotas Se Jyotas Jagavoh. Dvameva Mata, Dvapita Cha Me, Tvam eva vidyā draviṇam tvam eva, tvam eva sarvaṁ mama deva deva. Dukha darada sabadu karo, dayā karo bhagavān. Mana mandira meṁ ujhalā āho, tera niraṁ mahalā gayā. Mana mandira meṁ ujhalā āho, tera niraṁ mahalā gayā. Jise ghara meṁ ho āratī, caraṇaka mana citalā, taha hari. Baas kare, samaja gha, Taha hari baas kare, jyota aanta jaga. Jaha Bhakta Kīrtan Kar, Bahe Prem Dariyā, Taha Hari Śravaṇa Kare, Satya Lohā Kaha Se Ām. Taha Hari śravaṇa kare, Satyaloka se ā, sab kucha diyā. A bhetā karuhu? Kyā na mamhīrda yako bhetā karuhu? Jhoru me doho numbha, manaman nirdyako bhetā karuhu. Jorume Mahā Pūrṇa Madha Pūrṇa Midam Pūrṇa Pūrṇa Mudachyate Pūrṇa Sya Pūrṇa Madhaya Pūrṇa Meva Vashishyate. Thank you for the most wonderful experience, and thanks to Swāmījī for being with us throughout. Guru Pūrṇimā, although he may be in Jhadan, we know he was here. I would also, because a lot of people will go now, like to also say thank you to all of the Karma Yogīs here in Střílky, for making such a wonderful program, and to Sādhvī Pārvatī Jī, and everybody else, and everybody here, and to Gajananjī—it’s a pleasure to be with you—and to the translators, and the cooks, and the gardeners, and everybody. One last little story, because when we sing that mantra, "Om Pūrṇamadaḥ Pūrṇamidaṃ," I think everyone will have fond memories of Nirañjanā Nānjīmā Rāj. Mahāmaṇḍaleśvar Nirañjanāndjī Mahārāj saw the photos last week when he was in Bratislava. The scene was the Kumbha Melā in Allahabad last time, 2007. Just as the Kumbha was about to start, there was one gathering of all of the Mahāmaṇḍaleśvaras from the Akhāṛā. All were sitting in one big circle, and their Brahmachārīs and their Āsandārīs and everyone was sitting in the middle. The microphone was going around to all, and they were all giving their message about the importance of the Kumbh Melā and the month that was ahead and their knowledge. Everyone was speaking for five minutes or so, and then giving it to the next person. One of the last to speak was Nirañjanāndjī. As you know, he has a very deep voice, and he took the mic. He went, "Om Pūrṇamadaḥ Pūrṇamidam," and so on, said the mantra, and then he just went. And there was silence. Then the Mahāmaṇḍaleśvarī who was sitting next to him said, "But what about your speech?" He just said, "Pūrṇ, it’s all there." And everyone just started to laugh and went, "Oh dear, Miran. Thanks for everything." Look forward to seeing you soon in some program somewhere, either in Jadan or here in Střílky. And Śrī Deep Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān Kī Jai. Om Sat Guru Deva Kī Jai. Om.