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Part 1: The Light of Yoga in Slovenia: A Twentieth Anniversary Celebration The teacher of Yoga, His Holiness Vishwaguru Mahāmaṇḍaleśwar Paramahaṁsa Svāmī Maheśvarānanda, brought the knowledge of Yoga to Slovenia. Today, for the last time, we gather at the wonderful mountain point in Pohorje. As Mr. Gal said, since I first met my teacher, my life has been oriented toward spiritual experiences and a healthy, positive way of life. At the beginning, the light of yoga in everyday life was lit, and it spread throughout Slovenia. This knowledge was discovered by Indian sages and passed on for the well-being of the entire planet and the fulfillment of human life. The system of Yoga in Everyday Life is knowledge of the body, mind, and consciousness. Its goal is physical, mental, social, and spiritual health; the protection of the environment and all beings; world peace; and patience, respect, and understanding between religions, nations, and cultures, as well as spiritual development and recognition of God. Svāmījī comes from Rajasthan in India and is the successor of the Siddha Pīṭha Rāmpāṛā from the Himalayas, represented by Śrī Alag Purījī, Śrī Devpurījī, Śrī Mahāprabhujī, Hindu Dharmasamrāṭ, Paramahaṁsa, Śrī Madhavānandajī. Svāmījī came to Europe in 1970 and chose the Austrian Danube for his permanent residence. From there, he traveled across Europe based on official invitations, visiting former communist states which today have many students and teachers within Yoga in Everyday Life. Invitations were also accepted from various European countries and other parts of the world: Australia, the United States of America, Canada, Africa, and New Zealand. All the sciences and systems of Yoga in Everyday Life were soon recognized as a scientific system. It is now taught in more than 35 countries around the world. Svāmījī also conducts numerous other projects, including the important and wonderful building of the Intercultural Center, constructed in the form of the holy Sanskrit symbol Oṁ. There are numerous humanitarian projects: Basic, Middle, and Higher Schools providing free education to children from underprivileged families; a nursery; an animal shelter; a huge collection house built by human hands; a higher yoga school; and many others. In the last 20 years, the Yoga in Everyday Life system, which organizes 11 societies in Slovenia, has started with more than 50,000 people. In 1997, the Association of Slovenian Yoga Societies was established, a member of the international spiritual organization International Śrī Dīp Madhavānanda Āśram Fellowship. All societies have an international license for teaching yoga through this system. Courses are led by experienced teachers who have studied with the International Association of Yoga in Everyday Life. Regular practice is organized by semesters and performed weekly in eight stages. All stages include body exercises, breathing, relaxation, and meditation techniques, as described in the book Yoga in Everyday Life. Students progress in accordance with their abilities to higher stages. The system of Yoga in Everyday Life is ancient wisdom shaped for the present time. It can be practiced regardless of age, culture, faith, or religion. Within the system, special exercises and programs have been developed: for the spine, for joints, for high blood pressure, for diabetes patients, for employees, for mothers and children, and for seniors. In various parts of Slovenia, there is also free yoga practice in parks and on beaches. The goal of regular and specialized exercises is to enable as many people as possible to practice in accordance with their different mental and physical abilities. From the capital, Ljubljana, the practice has expanded to all parts of Slovenia. In addition to training groups, yoga centers organize various educational programs, spiritual meetings, satsaṅgs, and, above all, concrete humanitarian projects for all who wish to do something good for themselves, their local community, and all living beings on our planet. That is why the Yoga in Everyday Life system is valued and recognized, both locally and on the state level in Slovenia and around the world. The most important spiritual principle of yoga is ahiṃsā, non-violence, in thoughts, words, and actions. This principle applies to individuals and the whole world. That is why Svāmījī is openly committed to world peace by organizing peace conferences attended by the highest representatives of various races, countries, and nations. In 2006, Slovenia was honored to host the 5th World Peace Summit in Cankarjev Dom. The theme was "Peace is in your hands." I wish you all the best, good luck. God bless you, your family, your country, and God bless us, the whole world. Om Śānti, Śānti... Name of Yoga Union of Slovenia. May we all together meet again among us the ambassador of peace, the author of the system Yoga in Daily Life, His Holiness Paramahaṁsa Svāmī Māheśvarānanda Svāmījī. With him, we celebrate this year the 20th anniversary of Yoga in Daily Life in Slovenia. We thank you all, our guests, and in the first place, we welcome His Excellency, the Ambassador of India. Among us is also the Mayor of Ljubljana, Mr. Zoran Janković. We thank him warmly for accepting our invitation, especially as he will have a short speech afterwards. Let me also welcome Mr. Priyadarshi Thakur with his wife. He is the director of the ICPE center in Ljubljana. With us are also the closest disciples of Svāmījī, who dedicated their lives to serving others. Our special welcome to Svāmī Premananda. Svāmījī is Svāmījī’s right hand. Please stand up, Svāmījī Premanānjī. And the youngest Svāmījī, Svāmījī Avatāra Purī. As a distinguished guest today, we have the rector of the University of Ljubljana, Mr. Andrej Kocjančič. As an honorable guest among us is also the Dean of the University of Ljubljana, Mrs. Kocjančič. I greet all the other honorable guests and wish you all a pleasant evening. First, I give the floor to the mayor of Ljubljana, Mr. Zoran Janković. Zoran Janković, Mayor of Ljubljana: It is a great pleasure for me that we could greet Svāmījī again in our Cankarjev Dom. This is my second meeting with him, and I am very proud of it. When we first met, we saw that our philosophy of life is very similar. I will not say it in such a scholarly way as Svāmījī, but I will tell you what I think from all my heart. Humanity is in a deep crisis, especially in two fields. We have to preserve this planet for all of those who come after us. That means ecology, preservation of nature, and dissolving the ever-greater differences among people. We can be an example; Ljubljana can be an example for other European cities on how to live together and respect differences. This is the main subject of the conference of the mayors of the main cities of Europe, which starts tomorrow. As if we had ordered it, Svāmījī is here today with his philosophy of life. The conclusions of today’s meeting and tomorrow’s conference will enable all of us to live a better life. Mahāmaṇḍaleśvar Paramahaṃsvāmī Maheśvarānanda, thank you, Mr. Andrej Kocjančič, Rector of the University of Ljubljana: Respected guests, I wish you all a good evening, and I especially welcome all the honored guests present today. I particularly greet the person because of whom we have all gathered here. Let me read the full name if I succeed: His Holiness Vishwaguru Mahāmaṇḍaleśwar Paramahaṁsavāmī Maheśvarānanda, the initiator of the World Peace Summit, doctor of yoga and professor of spiritual science. There is no need to introduce His Holiness Svāmījī, because we all know him. We all know his principle, which he has been announcing for many years to the whole world. Some of these principles, I’m sure, are not accidentally written also in the Acts of the United Nations, in its founding document, and in the declaration of the basic principles for establishing a fair, sustainable, and peaceful global society. If we look deeper to the root of Svāmījī’s teaching, we see that its roots are entirely in ancient religion and philosophy. Mahatma Gandhi resumed their essence and promoted non-violence and mutual respect with his own words and deeds as a basis for world peace and happiness. What I remember forever from Gandhijī’s teaching is that each individual is responsible for the function of the community. And each one of us has to change in the way he wants to change others. Changes for the better in the world are possible only if world leaders—spiritual, political, ecological, and humanitarian—are capable of establishing a sincere dialogue based on tolerance, respect, and understanding. Let’s accept that unity in diversity is the unavoidable base from which we can achieve permanent peace in the world. One personal question, according to this thinking, is about the good life. Can we talk and make agreements if we don’t know each other? Can we talk if we are not capable of comprehending different cultural and religious values? Is it possible to achieve a tolerant agreement without any basic knowledge? I am convinced that education—and I mean permanent education from childhood on—is inevitable to be able to lead a fruitful dialogue and achieve mutual understanding. That’s why the duty of all of us is to enable basic education for as wide a number of people as possible. I firmly believe that such an educated person will more easily change to be able to contribute more to society, a society which will be based on tolerance for different religions and cultures, and will help to shape the society we live in: peace and coexistence with the self and the environment. I think I have every right to say that an educated person will understand the dangers following the changing of the ecosystem and the biosphere, and will resist the pollution of the environment and water, because of which we are in danger of ecological catastrophe. An educated person won’t be able to say, "I don’t care what’s happening in the world," nor will such a person be able to say, "Changing the world is none of my business." Education means to understand, and above all, it means spiritual development and responsibility to all living beings in the world and to the planet as a whole. Mahatma Gandhi said that different religions are like leaves on a tree. They seem to be each for itself and different, but they have one common trunk. The role of religion is to unite, not to divide. Allow me to add my own humble thought. Knowledge and education in family and in school are very mighty powers, which can unite and give the tree of life full power. That’s why I’m so glad that we will shortly listen to Svāmījī, and so we will be able to add a small stone to our knowledge. Thank you. Have a good time. Enjoy. Now we invite the actress, Mrs. Polona Vetrih, to come to the stage together with Mr. Andrzej Pałko. We kindly ask all photographers not to take photos during her act on the stage, so as not to disturb her concentration. [Artistic performance by Polona Vetrih] Because of urgent matters concerning our mayor, Mr. Janković, we had to modify the beginning of our program. Allow me to invite His Holiness Svāmījī to the stage. Before we give the floor to Svāmījī, I would request His Excellency, Dr. Sheshadri, to please come to the stage and tell us a few words. We invite His Excellency, the Ambassador of India, to say some words. Dr. V.S. Sheshadri, Ambassador of India to Slovenia: Your Holiness, Svāmī Maheśvarānandajī; our rector of the University of Ljubljana, Mr. Kocjančič; Mr. Priyadarshi Thakur, the director general of ICPE; and the many distinguished guests I see in the audience today. It’s a pleasure and a great honor to be here on the occasion of the 20th anniversary of the establishment of Yoga in Daily Life in Slovenia. We saw in the earlier film an idea of the evolution of this institution here. I came to know about Svāmījī only last year when I became the first Indian resident ambassador to Slovenia. In March last year, I sat spellbound when he explained in such simple terms such complicated concepts like the chakras in yoga. The efficiency of today’s events, the speed and precision with which they are being conducted, but more important, the large audience from various sections and walks of life before us is a demonstration, if demonstration is but needed, of the respect and regard that Svāmījī has built up over the years, and that Yoga in Daily Life has built its reputation. In fact, earlier today I heard that Svāmījī has already had several days in Novo Mesto, a full day in Maribor, and will have another day in Selje, etc. I was impressed, but also a little envious of the energy that Svāmījī commands. Yoga in Daily Life has now become so well known worldwide. Each one of us, in this fast-moving, globalized world, feels the need for some exercise every day. If you tune in to various TV stations, you do see various people performing āsanas, something demonstrative that others could imbibe. But being a practitioner of yoga myself—not with such regularity, but a practitioner nevertheless—it’s really a great form of exercise, not just physical, but also mental and spiritual. That is why the publication before us brings the very simple point: Yoga unites. So it’s not just a sequence of āsanas, but a Gurujī who combines, who unites the physical aspect, the spiritual aspect, the meditative aspects—that is important. Therefore, I wish Yoga in Daily Life many, many more years of active work in Slovenia. Thank you. Now we will ask Mr. Priyadarshi Thakur, the director of the ICPE Center, to say a few words. Priyadarshi Thakur, Director of ICPE: Oṁ Namaḥ Bhagavate Vāsudevāya, Gurudevāya Namaḥ. Your Holiness Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara Maheśvarānandajī, Honorable Rector Kocjančič, His Excellency the Ambassador of India, Dr. V.S. Sheshadri, Reverend Members of the Yoga in Daily Life Holy Order, my wife, Mrs. Thakur, distinguished ladies and gentlemen. Allow me to begin by offering at the feet of His Holiness my hearty congratulations and felicitations on the completion of 20 years—a landmark for His organization and for all of you who are obviously His disciples, well-wishers, and admirers. I would like to say that the kṛpā, the blessing of His Holiness Maheśvarānandajī, has been no less than a divine factor for me in my stay of one and a half years in Ljubljana. Within a week of my arrival here, the World Peace Summit was held in this very hall in October 2006. I met His Holiness for the first time, but lo and behold, the divine factors are that he comes from the same district where, 30 years ago, I was the district prefect. The chief guest of that function was no other than Gulabchandjī Kāṭariyā, the Home Minister of Rajasthan, a minister under whom I worked for four years with the greatest joy. Suddenly, in the middle of Europe, he comes here with the kṛpā of Svāmījī. It was unbelievable. Svāmījī asked, "How is your center doing?" I said, "Very badly, sir." He said, "Everything will be all right." And really, in one and a half years, the entire place has changed, transformed, as if by divine blessing. Then, after a few months, came the Manipūra Chakra lecture of Svāmījī. On both these occasions, I do not know how or why he decided to put me on this stage in front of a thousand people and asked me to perform a duty. It is his special blessing that I certainly enjoy. I know I should not stand between you and Svāmījī for very long. In my life of 62 years, a conscious life of maybe 52 years, I have never really come close to Svāmīs and Gurus and saintly holy persons. As a matter of fact, I have been very shy and deliberately avoided contact somewhat. But Svāmī Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara Maheśvarānandajī is unique. He is such an unassuming, un-Svāmī-like person, if I may be allowed to say. He is so secular. When I went to Vienna soon after my arrival, I said, "Svāmījī, I must go to a holy shrine of Mother Mary called Maria Guging." He said, "Why?" I said, "I have great regard for Maria Guging." He immediately organized my trip there. Svāmījī is a person who talks of things which are not beyond this world, but of this world: world peace, ecology, the preservation and conservation of nature. These are things absolutely relevant to the modern world, which is torn by religious strife and the neglect of Mother Nature. I have great regard, therefore, for His Holiness. I have no hesitation in admitting that he is one of the biggest torchbearers of the great Indian philosophical tradition of world peace. The world is a family, and we must coexist peacefully. Ultimately, it is the goodwill between the different peoples of this Mother Earth which matters. With great humility, I must thank you, Your Holiness, for the opportunities you, time and again, give me of speaking on your special occasions, and for the great fondness and regard with which you treat me and my wife. Thank you very much. Wish you all the very best. We welcome His Excellency, the Ambassador of Nepal, with his wife. I’m sure we would all like to hear how Yoga in Daily Life started in Slovenia. But it didn’t start in Slovenia; it started in ex-Yugoslavia. That’s why we ask Svāmī Chidānanda to come to the stage and tell us something about how yoga started in ex-Yugoslavia—or how he says, ex-Yoga-slavia. The ex-Yugoslavia dissolved, but Yoga-slavia didn’t. Svāmī Chidānanda: Good evening, dear friends, brothers, and sisters. It is much better that it is ex-Yugoslavia than ex-Yugoslavia. For all of us, it was mentioned so many times that yoga unites, and yoga unites to complete. Therefore, it’s a great joy and pleasure to participate in this evening when we celebrate 20 years of purity, beauty, and completeness of Yoga in Daily Life in your country. It started actually in a very simple way. It was just all post office business. Our beloved Gurudev, Svāmījī, very often says that he is just the postman. He just delivers the letter, the divine letter of truth, reality, spiritual completeness. The postman found me. I was just an envelope. The postman was there, the envelope was there, the letter inside was there, and then appeared one very old soul, quite old body, but so young spirit: Jože Gal. He was so curious to see what is in that message. He opened the envelope, asking me, "May I enter the hall where your program is?" It was a great joy to open the door. Is fear not? Eṇa je ta? And Slovenia did not have a fear. Another mudrā is this one: take as much as you can. And Slovenia accepted the message from that letter—the message of Yoga in Daily Life, the message and the mercy of Gurudev—so widely. This evening shows us how we came from the simplicity of the post office hotel at Pohorje to this magnificent hall. It shows that the postman found the right address in Slovenia. Slovenia is blessed, and you all know that. Thank you for his tireless delivery, and thanks to you all that you are able to accept with such warmth and an open heart, because it is important not only for you and Slovenia. Svāmījī came first to Novi Sad, then to Zagreb, and then finally to Slovenia. Two persons are very important for Yoga in Daily Life in Slovenia. I would ask Mr. Jože Gal to come to the stage—the oldest member, the first disciple of Yoga in Daily Life in Slovenia. A very warm welcome to his wife, Zlata Gal. Svāmījī says she was the first disciple. Now we will listen to Mr. Jože Gal. Jože Gal: I wish a pleasant evening to all of you. I would like to share with you a secret. All of you who were born before the 1st of May, 1988, you are 20 years older now, if you don’t still know. Yesterday I talked with one yoga brother, my friend. He mentioned we are getting older. I said, "I’m not getting older, I’m older already." While I was watching the film, I was wondering what I looked like 20 years ago. I would be very glad if I were there at that time again. But time is merciless. I’m very glad that my wife and I worked so hard in the beginning years, and that we gained many yoga brothers and sisters, many friends, who today, after 20 years, represent Svāmījī’s teaching, who were inspired by His Holiness. This is a great comfort for me, because now, after 20 years, I have every right to retire—if Svāmījī allows. Many things happened in these twenty years. When I remember the beginning days... I had an old typing machine. I wrote the invitation myself. I went and photocopied all the invitations, and I delivered them alone in our town. People were stopping and asking, "What is this yoga?" Each time I had a lecture and explained what it was. While walking in the town, I saw that some posters were torn down, so I had to put them up again. I am very thankful to all the people who talked to me and phoned me, offering their help because they found my posters very poor. They told me they were experts in doing such things and offered their help. Nobody came to the first delivery of the posters. Then I kindly invited some friends; there were 16 of us. I had a lecture about yoga, and they were all prepared to help. Of course, it all spread all over Slovenia. I have to say that some years before I met Svāmījī, my wife and I went to a week-long yoga course. So we knew something about yoga, and we were practicing some kind of yoga. Part 2: The Seed and the Tree: Twenty Years of Yoga in Slovenia I was also engaged in other pursuits. I lectured and taught radiesthesia and bioenergy, and I formed a society in Slovenia. Finally, in 1988, as mentioned, I met His Holiness Swāmījī on Pohorje. During our conversation, Swāmījī suggested it would be good to form a yoga society in Slovenia. I told him, "Swāmījī, it is already there." I had given my word, so it had to come through. My wife and I spent all our weekends travelling around Slovenia, giving lectures about yoga. Then we began to form Societies of Yoga in Daily Life. The interesting thing was, because I had said we already had societies, I had to work very quickly. In my existing societies, I always announced, "This is my last lecture on other subjects. From now on, I will lecture only about yoga." After every such lecture, I asked who would like to join the Society of Yoga in Daily Life. I remember in the town of Koper, for instance, everyone present except one person accepted membership, so we formed the society immediately. I met my friend Vlado from Ljubljana. He had a karate club, and we made a deal that, in that way too, yoga would come into existence from the karate club. In Novo Mesto, our dear friend Erwin, who announces our speakers, also had a karate society, and we immediately constituted a yoga society there. It continued in this way. Then Swāmījī took everything into his hands, and from this mixture, he made a pure Society of Yoga in Daily Life. I am very glad and happy today to see you all in such great numbers. We need not have any fear that yoga will cease to exist. I spoke all the time, telling everyone that yoga must multiply itself. Young couples took it very seriously, and today we are present here in such numbers. I would like to thank you. I thank you, Swāmījī, our spiritual master, our friend, who leads us like a father at all times. We wish you much health and pleasure with us, and we ask and invite you to remain with us for a long, long time to come. Thank you, Sveta. Thank you. In the past 20 years, more than 50,000 people have practiced yoga in Slovenia. With the mighty power and energy of the Ljubljana society, the practice and the society are led by Mr. Vlado Paradižnik. Allow me to invite him to the stage to hear some words from him as well. From Svāmījī, honoured guests, dear guests, 20 years seems such a long time. But if you are together with Svāmījī, it seems to me as if it all started yesterday. I accidentally began with yoga. Actually, I did not accidentally begin with yoga. From an early age, I was very interested in Eastern philosophy. I knew that someday I would meet my spiritual master. I met many, but no one seemed right. Then, one day, I learned a teacher of yoga was coming to Zagreb. I decided to go and have a look. When Swāmījī came, I knew within a few minutes that I had found my spiritual master, or better to say, that he had found me. I was very relieved, as I had been thinking for some years that I would have to go to Tibet or the Himalayas to find my master. Thanks to God, Tibet came to me. For my becoming Swāmījī’s disciple, I have to thank Mr. Jože Gale. We met at that lecture in Zagreb. On the second day of the seminar, Mr. Jože Gale came to me and asked, "Would you like to become Swāmījī’s disciple?" Back then, the rule was that you could become Swāmījī’s disciple only after practicing yoga for one year. I knew Swāmījī was my master, but I thought perhaps it was only my ego wanting to become his disciple so quickly after just a few days. Jože said, "Okay, I will go to Vlado from Zagreb—unless Mr. Vlado from Zagreb is no longer among us—he will look at your aura and tell if you are ready to become a disciple." I thought, "Wow, here everybody is looking at each other’s aura." I hadn’t managed to see a single aura in 20 years of studying Eastern philosophies, and even today, this is not my favourite discipline of yoga. After an hour, Mr. Jože said, "Yes, it’s okay, you can become Swāmījī’s disciple. Your aura is okay." And so it began. After that seminar, Mr. Jože worked very hard to spread the yoga message through lectures and workshops all over Slovenia. In Ljubljana, we were not scared; we decided to organize a lecture and a practice. The first society to start regular practice was the one in Ljubljana. As Mr. Jože Gale already said, Yoga in Daily Life has spread all over Slovenia. Nowadays, we have yoga societies in all the main cities and also in smaller cities and villages. In the end, I would like, in the name of all of us, to thank all the people who are working hard to spread Swāmījī’s message of yoga in Slovenia: all yoga teachers and organizers in different societies across the country. They try to spread Swāmījī’s message to countless people in Slovenia, showing them a better way to a better life in this world. We are proud and thankful to Swāmījī that we could be part of the beginning of his work in Slovenia. Thank you. It is true, as Mr. Vlādo Paradīsnik said: when the disciple is ready, the Guru comes. Guru means a teacher, but the highest teacher is Satta Guru, that Satta Guru who leads us to self-realization, to enlightenment. His Holiness Swāmījī has been among us for 20 years. Swāmījī, please, you have a word. Salutations to the Cosmic Light, Lord of our hearts, Omniscient and Omnipresent, in His Divine Presence. Good evening, dear brothers and sisters. I would like to thank His Excellency, the Ambassador of India, for coming today and speaking such wise words to us. Also, we are very happy to welcome His Excellency, the Ambassador of Nepal, Madan Kumar, and his dear wife. Welcome, please. Also, thanks for such kind words and for welcoming us to this beautiful city, Ljubljana, to the mayor of the city, Mr. Zoran. We know that humans gain more human qualities to understand oneself and others through education. It is education which brings the human to clear consciousness. So I would like to thank our dear sister, the rector of the university in Ljubljana, Andrija Kosinci. And also, artist Polona. Thank you for the beautiful performances. Well, our dear brother, Priyadarśī Ṭhākur, and his dear wife. Mr. Thakur is a philosopher and a writer, writing many poems. Though we have known each other physically for only one and a half years, it seems we have known each other for many lives. I don’t know if you believe in many lives, sorry, well. All the personalities sitting here—excellencies, doctors, directors, members of the government—I thank God, and I thank my dear Master and Mahāprabhujī for that divine protection, inspiration, and guidance that I could serve this country with my limited knowledge. Swāmī Chidānanda dedicated everything to bring the light of yoga and that life to Yugoslavia. And our dear brother, Josef Gale, we thank him also for his hard work. It was not easy sometimes, especially with the medical doctors. What he said about uniting two streams or two talents, yoga and karate—I must tell you that all students who came from karate are well-disciplined and very, very good practitioners or disciples. Yoga in Daily Life is closely connected with karate. We have centers together. First, they practice karate, and then they practice yoga. So what he said is that we purified yoga in karate, but it means we kept both knowledges as original as they are. Twenty years—if we think, like Vlada said, it was as if it began yesterday. But still, it’s a long time. My master used to say, the tree doesn’t grow in one night. The seed which would like to be a tree has to die in order to grow into the tree. A seed that comes as a sprout takes time to grow large. So, it’s a long work. When the tree is standing on the hill, a beautiful big tree, we admire it. But ask the tree through how many different situations it went: dryness, rain, snow, cold, storms. But that tree survived; that is something. So it is said, the truth will have victory finally; the positive energy will be the winner, but we have to make many experiences. I have one very particular experience in this country, though at present that part is in Croatia, previously in Yugoslavia. Chidānanda sold his flat, his car, and everything, and printed one of my books, Hidden Powers in Humans. Thousands of books were sold within a month. He could buy again his flat and car, and everyone got the books. What a dedication. I told him, "Yugoslavia" is actually a translation called yoga, to unite. And "yuga" also means a time period: Satya Yuga, Tretā Yuga, Dvāpara Yuga, Kali Yuga. So I said, "Well, it will also be Yugoslavia." Throughout the whole of Yugoslavia, the message and practice of yoga in their lives spread, and they all gained the benefit. Now they are in different countries. Something should come in my biography, but I don’t know when I will write it, and I don’t know when you will read that. So that’s why I’m telling you something. Since 1973, I have been teaching yoga actively in the so-called Eastern part of Europe, which was under the Soviet Union. There were so many people; when they announced my coming, the whole hall was booked out in one day. People were afraid to invite someone. Sometimes people stood for hours and hours on the road just to see me, that Swāmījī would pass by that route. I did not know if someone was waiting; otherwise, I would have stopped my car. But they were happy they could see someone in orange cloth moving. My heart was full of love, emotion for the love which people had for spirituality, for yoga. After a few years of continuous visits, I was there as a state guest. But still, all people couldn’t come to the programs, so they organized seminars on the Adriatic coast. They had guides for groups to come, paid for my hotel, and invited me to stay because that group would be nearby. You see how much they were struggling to get some more wisdom. Well, that’s all. Maybe not so interesting to tell you today. But one day I got a message, and I was thinking very deeply. We were on the Adriatic coast for a weekend or one-week seminar with Czechoslovakians, Hungarians, Poles, and people from these countries, as well as from ex-Yugoslavia. It’s not that everyone accepts what you are telling, and it’s not easy to give understanding. Everyone has their thoughts, feelings, philosophy. One philosopher said, "A is not F, but F is also not A." We were on the Adriatic coast, and it was the 15th of August, my birthday. Chidānanda, whose whole family was with him then, made a very nice cake. The hotel owners made a cake. I asked, "If there’s an egg inside, I will not eat." They said, "Yes, there are eggs." I said I accept it with greeting, that’s all, but I will not eat eggs. I’m very vegetarian. They said egg is vegetarian. I said, "Well, I am already so old, I don’t know on which tree grows the eggs." The owner of the hotel came with a newspaper. You know, there are people against what you do, against what I do. There always are. It was very nicely said by our rector of the University of Ljubljana that we are coming from two cultures. Can we talk together, or two different religions? So, definitely, there are just some differences between European culture, Indian culture, European religions, and Indian religions. That is a conflict which should be purified from the consciousness of humans. This is a conflict we have to clear from the cosmic consciousness. Beautiful. Against the yoga seminar, against this young Indian boy, what he’s doing here—an article was in the newspaper with the headline: "Vegetarians can’t get children." It was written by one doctor. Chidānand brought it and said, "Swāmījī, look, there’s an article written, ’Vegetarians can’t get children.’" I said, "Well, I respect the doctor. I’m not a doctor. I wish I could have studied medicine, but we should send him a thanks in message." So I sent him a telegram. At that time, there was no fax, no e-mails. I dictated: "Dear Dr. [So-and-so], I read your beautiful biased article and understood that’s why Indians have overpopulation. Yours, Swāmī Maheśvarānanda." So. We get such experiences in life. This beautiful country Slovenia, with its beautiful landscape, countryside, vegetation, good soil, good water, and really very good, beautiful people. They always tried that whenever I come, I would have comfort and safety. My main aim was to come here, and even now, it is one seed which you put in. As the dear Rector told, there are many leaves, but there is only one trunk. So many branches grow out of one. And that is health. So Yoga in Daily Life was designed for health: physical, mental, social, and spiritual health, which leads to spirituality, or God-realization and self-realization. The main aim was to give good health to the people and to bring the message of non-violence, as His Excellency the Ambassador of India told, a vegetarian life. The committee of the environmental research work that received last year’s Nobel Prize—one of the professors and leading forces from India—also said this global problem can be solved only if all become vegetarian. A vegetarian life is a solution for the global warming problems. I read from Mahātma Gāndhījī, "Be the change you want to see." This slogan from Gandhījī became for me like a mantra. This year we had a very successful World Peace Conference in New Zealand. Members of that Nobel Prize winner committee were there, and many scientific experts. It concentrated on the problem of the New Zealand environment. They said the problem of the New Zealanders is what they have now, also the ozone problem and what they call the greenhouse gases. Mr. Algar used to say "greenhouse gases," and I corrected him: if he talks about a greenhouse, then nobody will have the trees. So I told him, say "glass houses." Now, is it a good... will you please... top leg ready? Yes, person, go pop right. You, Dennis, may agree to plenty. Top leg ready, Kurt Akane, nice channel, but you’re asleep in the top leg red. Agreeza plina is. They were speaking about the problem of the cattle and the sheep in New Zealand. They are only a few million people, but they have over 60 million sheep and over 50 million cows. The gases from the animals are more harmful, and we should do something. I asked them, "Do you use so much wool that you have so many sheep? Do you consume so much milk?" No, they are for the meat. Now we have a solution. You are the expertise, the authority, the leading force, the power. Be the change you want to see. Let’s become vegetarian. Are you ready to do this? They said, "Mr. Swāmījī, we didn’t ask you to talk directly like this." Therefore, it is said: Kathanī means speaking. Karṇī means doing. In your speech and in your deeds, there should be no difference. That minister, or that government, or that system will survive which has a balance between what they speak and what they do. As we say in science, in quality, there is no, no, what you call, compromise. We all know what our problem is: why we can’t be healthy. If we change that, 80% of our health will be good. Some scientists said, "Health is not all, but everything is nothing without health." Yoga is a unique system. It is psychosomatic movement. It balances our body system: the organs, digestion, circulation, nerve systems, the glands, muscles, ligaments, and so on. The best is if you do exercises, and slowly. Instead of doing ten exercises, do only three, but relaxed. Then it’s the yoga which calms down our mind, tranquilizing our mind, what we call to relax and not to be a victim of stress. Many of us are workaholics, and there is so much stress, but the breath exercise, prāṇāyāma, and meditation will free you from this stress. Like when it is snowing, and suddenly a warm sun rises, all melts. Yoga is that science which will purify your consciousness and what is dormant in our consciousness: subconscious, unconscious, conscious. Then what we call peace, harmony, contentment will awake in our heart. That happiness which we are searching for is within us. We need that kind of education to understand—not that education which tells you vegetarians can’t get children. That is not good. You know, we have two kinds of education. It’s called Parāvidyā and Aparāvidyā. Aparāvidyā is what we learn in this world for our profession, to earn our bread and butter. Parāvidyā is about the supreme, the spiritual knowledge. Humans have differences from other creatures in that humans have an intellect which can be educated or trained limitlessly. But still, the human can become one-sided, and that is the dangerous way. That which we call, sometimes we used to call fanaticism. Now fanaticism is not spoken of more; now it’s called criminality, terrorism. So terrorists, why are they terrorists? Because they have such education. Why is one fanatic? Because they have such instructions, such an education. We need that kind of education. It’s called: all should be happy. Everyone should have the freedom to choose what they would like to do, of course, positive. So one of the biggest problems in the world is the conflict between religions and cultures. I belong to this religion. He belongs to that religion. That we don’t accept. God didn’t create any religion. God created only one, and this is His creation. Among 8.5 million different creatures, one is the human. So there is only one religion for us as humans: humanity. We should not be against each other. The practice of yoga purifies our negative thoughts and energy. Finally, we come to ourself. Ādi Guru Śaṅkarācārya said the first step of self-realization, or what we call God-realization, is this: that you see yourself in every creature. Viśvapraṇī, my ātmā, he. All entity in this world is myself. And ātmā soi paramātmā. This ātmā is the supreme. If you want to see God, see Him in His creation. Nirguṇa and Saguṇa God. Nirguṇa God is like a space; there is no form. It’s a consciousness, that’s all. And Saguṇa God is in the form, and that is in different creatures. That’s why the Holy Gurujī, my master, said, "One in all." That one God, universal God, is in everyone. Unique, and all in one. Therefore, why should we make differences? In Hinduism, in Sanātana Dharma, there is only one God. That’s called Parameśvara. In Christianity, you call it the Holy Father. But there are many individual incarnations that you may call God, because they have that God consciousness. But we cannot imagine the entire universal or universe in one person, but this person we can imagine in the universe. So there is only one God, there is only one Brahmā, one God. Where two is duality, so there is only one truth, one God, and so there is only one Ātmā. Many souls, that’s okay. Souls are individual, and Ātmā is universal. So our aim is that our individual consciousness merges into the cosmic consciousness, and that is the simple, safe, straight, and sure path: yoga. Actually, yoga is that principle which unites the space and consciousness, which balances the consciousness and space, which harmonizes the consciousness and space. That principle, when it takes place or becomes active, then the creation begins. "I am one, and now I will multiply," and that is called the resonance, the sound OṂ. With that resonance, in the entire universe, billions of stars and thousands of suns and moons are created. And one day, it will dissolve into it again. How? How should we imagine? It’s difficult. But for you it will be easier, because you live here on the coast. When there is a storm, a hurricane comes. From the ocean, how many waves are there? And after, when the storm is gone, the waves come down in the ocean. So, the entire creation is nothing but waves on the ocean. When you meditate, imagine you are waves on the ocean. God is in me, and I am in God. Waves in the ocean, and ocean in the waves. It is a oneness, and so we are all one. This is what yoga can give us. Besides this, you have seen we have many activities: world peace, humanitarian projects, education projects, medical projects, and also helping people in disasters. So, dear brothers and sisters, it was my good luck and my privilege that God gave me blessings and chose me to be His instrument to bring this glimpse of yoga and serve you all in this way. For the occasion of the 20 years, we were thinking, "What can we do for Slovenia more?" We wanted to donate some money. But Slovenia is a rich country already, and a few thousand euros doesn’t count for anything. When the mayor of Novomesto, or how many millions the European Union will give for a project... When I heard millions, my eyes went down. What can we donate to the nation? I was sitting in an aeroplane, flying from Australia to New Zealand, looking out the window at the beautiful clouds. A Slovenian man came with a laptop and said, "Swāmījī, I’ve been with you for fifteen days and haven’t found time to talk to you, but now I think we can speak." He sat beside me and said, "What can be donated to Slovenia?" He asked me several times, but I didn’t answer. We’re at 33,000 feet high in the sky. He asked me, from that height I could see Slovenia. And I said, "We will donate." He said, "Thank you." Blood. I said, "Yes, we will donate the blood to the Red Cross of Slovenia." That liquid is one of the most expensive, precious liquids. So, for the occasion of the 20 years, we announce to all our Yoga in Daily Life practitioners, their family members, friends, and colleagues, and we give them the information that they can donate blood to the blood bank of the Red Cross. Of course, everyone cannot give. Only doctors can decide if your blood is accepted or not. So, personally from my side, I will request that you donate your blood to save life in this country, and maybe in some other countries. Yoga in Daily Life is appreciated and practiced in so many places in Slovenia. I congratulate them, and I want to tell them, please practice and inspire others to practice, to have a healthy, happy, and long life. I wish you this from my heart. Spiritual knowledge, spiritual energy, that will come automatically. I am also a practitioner and a disciple, like you are a disciple. I also try to manage to practice, but my service is my practice also. Always Mahāprabhujī guides me. So I looked out the window of the aeroplane, and Mahāprabhujī gave me the picture: donate the blood. So there are many visions which I had in Slovenia. Next time we will speak. So please help others. Helping hands have more value than folded hands. Love and protect the other creatures. Protect the environment; that is our life. Remove the doubts and conflicts of the different religions. We were born as human, and we will die as human. Therefore, we are human, and please create a happy family. Now, is there a question if any family exists? Unfortunately, this modern education and this freedom of the media have brought humans to the point where they have destroyed their families. People above 45 years here understand what I say. People under 20 years think it is nonsense. It’s not nonsense. We humans should have a healthy, happy family. Don’t marry. And if you marry, don’t get divorced. That’s all. If you are capable of doing it, then do it. And still, if you want to divorce, then please don’t have children. You know, the rate of divorce in Slovenia is increasing very much. It means how many children are unhappy and growing with half-parents. That has destroyed the human, this kind of system. Therefore, make one saṅkalpa that you will create healthy, happy, joint families. That’s also Yoga in Daily Life—not only physical exercises and breath up and down, but to build up again this healthy global. So I need your help, not that you need my help. I need your help, and I pray for you that God gives you strength, good health, and long life. Thank you. God bless you. Lead us from reality to reality, from darkness to the light, from mortality to immortality. Peace, peace, peace. Mir, mir, mir. Thank you.