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Hari Om. Welcome, everyone. It is a joy to see you again. We were last together some time ago, and this is our first gathering this year. Yet, what is a year? Every day is essentially the same. Welcome to our Holy Gurujī’s āśram in Vienna. Yoga has many branches, but Patañjali has synthesized them into four primary principles: Bhakti, Jñāna, Rāja, and Karma. Just as there are four Vedas, yet also the Gāndharva Veda and others, Veda means knowledge. In some European languages, knowledge is similarly called "Veda." Yoga, however, manifests differently: Kriya Yoga, Bhakti Yoga, Jñāna Yoga, Rāja Yoga, Sahaja Yoga, and so on. Consider the four yugas, the cycle of ages: Satyuga, Tretā Yuga, Dvāpara Yuga, and Kali Yuga. In Satyuga, sādhanā was primarily meditation. In Tretā, it involved yajñas and rituals (karma-kāṇḍa). Dvāpara brought philosophy (jñāna). Now we are in Kali Yuga. As the saying goes: Kaliyuga kevala nāma ādhāra, sumira sumira nara hoi bhava pāra — in the Kali Yuga, the name of God is the sole support; by remembering it, one crosses the ocean of worldly existence. This cycle of yugas also has a microcosmic reflection. Every twelve years constitutes one "mini yoga," a sādhanā yuga. If you practice your spiritual exercises with a firm saṅkalpa (resolve) and enter this twelve-year cycle, and if you continue without breaking your practice, you attain a siddhi (perfection). However, there are āsurī śaktis (demonic forces) that observe. When you approach a perfection you have not yet fully realized but only feel, these forces, aligned with a person's destined karma, can intervene. As stated in the Rāmāyaṇa, attaining siddhis is not easy. What happens is that your destiny may cloud your intellect (buddhi). Jisko prabhu dharun dukadehi — whom the Lord decides to afflict with sorrow. As long as you possess good buddhi, viveka (discrimination), right thoughts, and actions, negative destiny cannot manifest. You remain on the right path within your yuga. But if this one pillar of intellect collapses, the entire structure falls. This positive buddhi supports your continued sādhanā—whether Bhakti, Karma, Rāja, or Jñāna. It does not matter which yoga you practice. When this buddhi is compromised, it is not that one becomes stupid; rather, the intellect is joined by a different tendency, a new supporter. The first supporter is positive energy: jñāna, bhakti, happiness, kindness, mercy. This supports our intellect and sustains our sādhanā. But when you think, "I know everything now," ego arises—pride, jealousy, anger, hatred, greed. These negative tendencies pollute our intellect. There is an ancient story. A master lived in a humble cottage. In those times, the human population was small. This master possessed practical siddhis. There are two kinds: divine spiritual power (daivīk siddhi) and a kind of talent-based or material siddhi. Some people have a destructive energy in their hands; whatever they touch breaks. Others possess the siddhi of awareness (avadhāna), a heightened consciousness. In professions like dentistry or surgery, this awareness is crucial. Dentists, like our Dr. Shanti, work in a very sensitive area without causing undue pain. Such one-sided professions can be taxing, which is why Yoga in Daily Life was designed—to help doctors, drivers, surgeons, and nurses maintain balance through practice. Practice makes perfect, and perfection is siddhi. This material siddhi is also important. Other siddhis carry a spiritual tendency. When you look at a person, divine energy may flow; touching someone might relieve their pain. But the āsurī śaktis are always observing, seeking to throw down even the aspirant. Who are we compared to Brahmā? Therefore, there is only one protection: Guru Kṛpāhi Kevalam — solely the grace of the Guru. That support of the Gurudev is within our inner energy. Yet, situations arise where the asuras find access, entering through a door or window via pleasant, easy temptations, whispering, "You are now great; you don't need any guru." That master in the story had both kinds of siddhis. His touch could heal diseases, and his blessings were potent. He also had practical skills, like setting broken bones with bandages made from hair and cloth—methods used when there were no hospitals. People called him "doctor." Once, a camel ate a dry, hard pumpkin that got stuck in its throat. It could neither swallow nor cough it out. The owners brought the suffering camel to the Swamiji. Gurujī touched the camel’s throat, had it sit, straightened its neck, tilted its head down, and with his fist, applied pressure from below. The large pumpkin softened, slid out into the mouth, and the camel chewed and swallowed it. The disease was gone. This was a chamatkār, a wonder—a siddhi. The master had a disciple who had taken a twelve-year saṅkalpa for sādhanā but was merely imitating the Gurujī. One day, when Gurujī was away, a rich businessman with a thyroid or throat problem came seeking treatment. The disciple sat on Gurujī's āsana. When asked, he said, "Yes, I am here." The businessman explained his 20-year suffering. The disciple, recalling the camel, said, "Lie down." He had the man lie with his head hanging back, made a fist, and prepared to strike the throat, saying the blockage would come out. The attendants cried, "You will kill him! This is not a melon!" They chased him away and took the man to a proper doctor, where healing took six months. This illustrates the danger of imitation without true perfection or training. If you teach yoga only from books or after learning a few exercises and think, "I am a yoga teacher," it is perilous. Today, after our respected Prime Minister Modiji of India promoted yoga, many are teaching without proper training—some after just ten days, one month, or three months. This is not good. Only a few schools worldwide teach yoga seriously, scientifically, and traditionally. This is crucial. There is also the daivīk siddhi, attained through long saṅkalpas: twelve years, then twenty-four, then fifty-one. Gurujī taught this. Disciples should listen and understand, not imitate. When I am asked to bless someone, my inner heart is troubled. Who am I to bless? So, I invoke the name and blessing of my spiritual master, my holy Gurujī. He is still working within me. Do not think that if your master has passed away, he is gone. The master never dies. Gurudev is the ātmā, and the ātmā never dies. As Śāntī sang in the bhajan: Chidānanda-rūpa... Śivo’ham, Śivo’ham. That ātmā is sac-chid-ānanda (sat-cit-ānanda). Sat is Truth. What is truth? In the world, we deal with relative truths—"He took my chocolate"—but these are like dust. The only absolute Truth is Brahman. This world will eventually end. This body, how long can you preserve it? Even if for a hundred thousand years, you would be inwardly tortured. The ātmā is the siddha. Vimala Chetanāyatāmā Prabhu, Vimal Dhan Lage Yagam, Nigam Senityayatāmā Prabhu, Nigam Senityayatāmā. Gurudev is that One. The Guru is immortal. He never dies. The body may be given up, but the places where his holy lotus feet walked become immortal. The dust from those feet is immortal forever. Similarly, that Ātmā—for Gurudev has become the Ātmā, not the body—is transferred into the disciple. A disciple who is still learning, who has not even completed twelve years, may proclaim, "I am a Guru. I give mantras. I give blessings." This is not correct. Without achieving that satya, that Brahma satya—the truth of Brahman, the ātmā—you will not be perfect. It does not matter how much you perform, how many roles you play on life's stage; it is only a theater. It does not matter if you are a householder with a family, a wife, a husband, or if you are a monk in a particular robe. What matters is the inner siddhi. When you make a decision at a certain point, something grows inside—a tender sprout. If you walk on it or pluck it out, declaring "Now I am," you still have nothing. Wait. It takes nine months for an embryo to develop fully. If you say, "I have my child," and take it out early, it is incomplete. Similarly, if jealousy or anger arises, you explode like popcorn on a hot pan—puffed up quickly but insubstantial. The seed of saṅkalpa begins to sprout, and you must wait patiently, as a mother waits for childbirth. People cannot wait. They think, "I am a guru, I can do this," and they fail. We always give blessings and adore this path. Bhakti yoga is distinct. Lord Kṛṣṇa told Arjuna, who asked about nirguṇa (formless) and saguṇa (with form) bhakti, that both are good. But as a human in a physical body, you need an object for concentration. Ultimately, it is not that object. We might say, "Oh Gurudev, when I see the face of God at the last minute, what will I do with a face I've never seen?" Yet, Gurudev's holy feet (charaṇ), even if he is not physically present, are with you. That is devotion—merging into oneness with that ātmā. Otherwise, there are many paths and dualities: my way, your way, my guru, your guru, no guru. All must finally become the ātmā. This sādhanā, when undertaken, can be very hard. You may feel homesick, restless, wanting to travel. But awareness awakens. Awareness is always conscious of the aim: to receive the highest consciousness of the ātmā. This is just the beginning. Jñāna yoga precedes bhakti yoga. Without jñāna, you cannot recognize true bhakti. And before jñāna yoga, there is rāja yoga—discipline. Though we say bhakti is first, it is also last. The first is karma yoga. The Bhagavad Gītā says that through karma yoga, your actions are purified. Gurujī often said: Yogāgni karma dagdhani — the fire of yoga burns all karmas. Yoga karma śukloṣṇam. If you perform karma yoga in the kitchen but are distracted, talking and not fully present, it is different. Perform seva (selfless service) without asking for fruits. There are two kinds of karma yoga: sakāma karma (with desire for fruits) and niṣkāma karma (without desire). Sakāma karma yields only temporary results, no spiritual fruit. Niṣkāma karma means: I do service regardless of the outcome, expecting nothing. This leads you forward, always aware in selfless service. Selfish service breeds attachment, greed, anger, and jealousy—that is sakāma karma. Similarly, bhakti yoga has two principles: śakām bhakti and niṣkām bhakti. When we come to a temple, ashram, church, or holy place and bow down, what are we asking? At Mahāprabhujī's altar, we say, "Oh Mahāprabhujī, please bless me. Give me bhakti, śakti, vairāgya, jñāna, hṛdi, siddhi." Mahāprabhujī might say, "Why are you always begging? First, offer praṇām." And as we bow, we add, "Forgive me." He says, "First, give me your devotion." But we cannot give devotion; it must arise. We say, "Please, Gurudev, take me with you." And Mahāprabhujī says, "Okay, come with me." Then we reply, "No, not like that! I have my work, my shop, my children, my spouse." So where is the surrender? Surrender means no personal will. You offer yourself completely to God. When God says, "Come," you must be ready to go. We are often on the surface, merely begging. God says, "Surrender completely, without any conditions. Pray only for my grace (kṛpā)." That is nirākāra bhakti, niṣkāma bhakti—selfless devotion. If you devote yourself to get something, that is temporary and will not lead to the ultimate destination. Rāja Yoga is beautiful but demands discipline. We often lack discipline. You may claim to practice Rāja Yoga, but without observing yama and niyama (ethical restraints and observances), you cannot proceed. These ten principles, also found in the Bible, were given by Patañjali but exist in Vedānta. They are difficult, and we often fail there. We may fail in karma yoga too, becoming distracted. Bhakti yoga seems easier, but then selfishness creeps in: "Please give me this, give me that." God may ask, "What do you want, beggar? You could have asked at home. Tell me, I will give it. But first, surrender without anything." That selflessness is the best way. Selflessness has two aspects. One is the ordinary sense: "I have no self-interest." But you are still living; you have an ātmā within. The other is the realization: "I am the Self, so 'ham." But to declare "Ahaṁ Brahmāsmī" (I am Brahman) prematurely is ignorance. First, take your dīkṣā (initiation)—sannyāsa, mantra, or spiritual path. Make a saṅkalpa for twelve years: "I will see this through." Then you will see transformation. You may say, "Master, I have finished one cycle." The master says, "Very good. Now come to the second." There are 108 seeds in a mālā. Twelve years complete one seed. You have 107 remaining. The master lets you reach milestones gradually. You cannot say, "I have practiced for years but have no siddhi." I ask you: if you had a siddhi, what would you do with it? If you display it, you lose it. If you hide it, ego may grow. So, what is the use? Therefore, progress is slow. Bhakti Yoga is also not easy. Do not think it is. Kalyuga kevala nāma ādhāra — in this Kali Yuga, the name of God is the sole support. Kali Yuga Keval Nām Ādhāra. The mantra, the name you have for the Divine—but it must be connected to a self-realized being. So, "Om Gurudev, Om Gurudev" is a mantra. Or, if you feel devotion to Jesus or the Divine Mother, it is the same. The Ātmā is the Ātmā; it can be perceived as female or male. Both can be gurus. If someone says, "Women have no soul, come to me and I will put a soul in you," that is ignorance. How can one live without a soul? Every being has God's light, the soul. Those who do not believe should be reassured: you have a soul. Why do we adore Devī, Śakti, Kālī, Durgā, Lakṣmī, Sarasvatī, or Holy Mother Mary? Because the soul is everywhere. Bhakti is simple, but not necessarily easy. So, be aware. Awaken awareness in your consciousness. When awareness is present in consciousness, consciousness will not fail. That is the essence of bhakti yoga, karma yoga, and all paths. There was a bhajan: Śivo’ham, Śivo’ham... Vahiyātmā, māsa. After the bhajan, it is said: Ajar Amar Ātmā — the ātmā is unborn and immortal. The Vedas proclaim this glory, and Lord Kṛṣṇa taught the same to Arjuna: "You are the ātmā, not this body." We must realize that ātmā, but it is not easy. It requires much karma yoga, much service. Hold fast to your Gurudevs. Hold this chain or rope. Do not let it go from your grasp. That is all. Siddhip Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān Dev Puruṣa Mahādeva Mādhava Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān Satya Sanātana.