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Mṛtyormā amṛtam gamaya. Sarveṣāṃ svastirbhavatu, sarveṣāṃ śāntirbhavatu, sarveṣāṃ maṅgalam bhavatu, sarveṣāṃ pūrṇam bhavatu. Lokaḥ samastaḥ sukhino bhavantu. Oṃ tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭivardhanam, urvārukam iva bandhanān. Nirtyurmukhśir māmṛtta nāhaṁ karatā prabhadeepa karatā mahā prabhadeepa karatāhi kevalaṃ oṃ śānti, śānti,... śānti. Our translation today is into Hebrew by our Swāmī Halipurījī. The translation will be in Hebrew. In our ashram, we produce our own ghee. Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in South Asia and is used in the cuisines of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. In our ashram, we produce ghee from the milk of our cows. Our cows eat only natural food—grass and natural feed—and receive no medicine. They are milked every morning and evening, so we consume fresh milk daily. Fresh ghee is made regularly. The process begins by milking the cows. The milk is brought to the kitchen and boiled. Once it cools to a temperature where one can put a finger inside, a spoon of yogurt is added. Overnight, it all becomes yogurt. This yogurt is then churned to make butter; butter is made from yogurt, not directly from milk. We churn it using a wooden churner and a rope, which also offers a wonderful chance for exercise. At a certain point, we add hot water to separate the butter from the buttermilk. We churn for about ten minutes, continuing even after adding the water. The butter is then separated from the buttermilk. The butter is placed on a fire. It first boils, and a white froth forms on top. While constantly stirring, we reduce the heat. Residue solids form at the bottom; this is saturated milk fat. On top is clear, golden butter—that is ghee. We filter this butter to obtain the final ghee. Ghee is excellent because it can be stored for long periods without refrigeration. In fact, ghee does not have an expiry date. This process is done almost every week in our ashram. There are significant differences between ghee and butter. The smoke point of ghee is extremely high, approximately 250 degrees Celsius, making it the best oil for deep frying and baking. If one tries to fry with butter, the milk solids can burn and create a bad odor. Since ghee contains no milk solids, it remains stable at very high heat. Furthermore, people allergic to dairy products can often include ghee in their diet because the clarification process removes lactose and casein. This also allows ghee to be stored much longer than butter. Ghee is not confined to household use. It is very important in Āyurvedic medicine and is also used for pūjās and prayers in Hindu temples, whereas butter's application is generally confined to household use. In India, ghee is considered a most precious substance because it was first provided by the sacred wish-fulfilling cow, Kāmadhenu. According to legend, during the churning of the ocean by the Devas and Asuras, Kāmadhenu emerged. It is also believed that 33 million gods reside in the body of a cow, which makes her milk and all its products so beneficial. The cow is deeply respected: after being born from our human mother, the Earth feeds us and is considered our second mother. Throughout our lives, we drink the milk of cows, so they are considered our third mother. A cow is thus said to have the heart of a mother. The Indian cow has a hump on her back containing special nerves that catch the rays of the sun, which makes her milk slightly yellow. All products from the Indian cow—curd, yogurt, and ghee—are of supreme, sāttvic quality. They remove illnesses, help heal the sick, calm the mind, and are especially good for children due to the presence of the sun's energy and gold in the milk. In India, not only cow ghee is consumed; buffalo ghee is also common. Buffaloes produce more milk, making their ghee cheaper. However, considering their qualities, cows are preferred. Buffaloes will eat almost any food, even spoiled food, while a cow in its natural environment will not. Buffaloes are often quite dirty and have a stronger smell, whereas cows tend to be clean and smell pleasant. Finally, cows are far gentler in nature, while buffaloes are comparatively more stubborn and aggressive. Because of these qualities, the milk and ghee of a buffalo are considered dulling and tāmasic, while cow milk and ghee are considered sāttvic, pure, and purifying. Goat ghee is also produced in India, but goat milk contains less fat and more water, requiring a large amount of milk to produce ghee. Therefore, cow and buffalo ghee are preferred. Cow ghee is used in temples due to its sacred qualities. It has a sacred role in Hindu religious rituals and is burned in the Hindu lamp known as the Dīpak. Ghee is used in marriages, funerals, for worshipping divine idols, and during festivals like Janmāṣṭamī and Mahāśivarātri. On the night of Śiva and for Janmāṣṭamī, ghee is served as part of pañcāmṛta, along with four other sacred substances: milk, honey, sugar, and yogurt. Of course, ghee is widely used in food. People put it on roti, chapati, and naan. Soups and risottos are prepared with it, and it is used in many Indian sweets. Regarding its medical properties, ghee is used in Āyurvedic medicine. Its healing properties include increasing intelligence, enhancing memory power, rejuvenating the skin from within and increasing its glow, boosting body energy, detoxifying the body, and normalizing Vāta doṣa (an imbalance of Vāta causes disease). It increases the clarity of voice, improves digestion, and increases the digestive fire (Agni), yet it does not heat the body—it actually cools it, which is very important. Ghee is known as a substance that gives longevity and slows the aging process by balancing the body. It also has healing qualities for bruises, broken bones, scrapes, rashes, and burns. Practically, ghee is one of the best substances for abhyaṅga, or self-massage. This is beneficial because it bypasses the digestive system, allowing its qualities to penetrate deeply into the tissues. It is said that the body absorbs 50% of what we put on our skin. Massaging with ghee improves the immune system and slows aging. A significant Āyurvedic insight is that our bodies contain many toxic wastes in the tissues, many of which are carcinogenic. Most of these toxins can be dissolved only in fat; drinking water does not reduce them. In pañcakarma, Āyurvedic detoxification treatments, ghee is consumed and applied in ways that dissolve these toxins so they can be removed from the body through purification procedures. Ghee is used in many Āyurvedic formulations because it has supreme penetrating qualities, carrying herbs deep into the tissues. Its high smoke point is also beneficial, as most Āyurvedic preparations require heating. Correct usage of ghee can produce a bowel movement; one or two teaspoons first thing in the morning, followed immediately by hot water, will quickly do so. Ghee can be used for tired eyes and in cases of glaucoma, prepared with milk and 13 spices in a formulation called mahātṛphalī. It is an exquisite facial moisturizer. Placing a few drops in the nostrils can stop nosebleeds, and doing this twice a day can relieve a headache. Beyond rejuvenating the body, Āyurveda has specific tonics for the mind, all of which have ghee as a key ingredient. Its sweet taste nourishes nerve tissue and the brain. A formulation like Brahmikī ghee is prescribed in the fifth month of pregnancy for the mental development of the fetus, as ingredients like Brāhmī and Guggulu help develop consciousness and intellect. Ghee is also prescribed for anxiety, depression, dementia, insanity, and other disorders of consciousness. It is used not only for serious disorders but also to pacify mild anxiety and calm the mind. In this way, ghee can help us maintain or restore our physical health as well as our peace of mind, which is what we are all searching for. Thank you for your kind attention. Shrī Nipanārāyaṇa Bhagavān Kī Je.