TV Channel

Good morning to everyone. Please close the windows facing the street. When we begin to speak or think about spiritual sādhana, what do we understand by it? Is it merely a practice of some minutes or hours? Is that enough, or must we do something more? First, spirituality means purity. The word "spirituality" comes from the spirit, the individual spirit. The spirit is a complicated word. In your language, both mind and spirit may be called duch, but they are different. The spirit is also different from the soul. The spirit is a reflection of your soul. Consider a lamp, its flame, and the light it gives—they are distinct. When one flame burns, how much light does it give? Similarly, the soul we possess—how much light is it giving? That light is its radiance. This radiance manifests as harmony; everyone would wish to be your friend. Reflect: how many friends have you had, and how many have left you? Did you ever analyze this? In reality, you are the cause. Someone may wish to work with you, then suddenly they do not. They become angry with you, and you with them. Where is the mistake? Analyze this. The pure spirit means the soul has pure karmas. Every negative movement—physical, mental, or verbal—anything that occurs through our being, places a thin layer over our soul. It is like the thin layer between the skins of an onion or between fruits; no one can avoid this. When we perform positive deeds, that layer is removed. How many layers do you have? In yoga, these are called mala, vikṣepa, and āvaraṇa—three coverings. Mala is impurity: physical, mental, and intellectual impurity or purity. Mahāprabhujī said in his golden preaching that only external purity has little meaning. You may apply much perfume, lavender, sandalwood, vermilion—you care for the outside, but inside there may be a stench. To hide the inner stench, we use perfumery. If you are positive and pure, doing your prāṇāyāma, cleansing all toxins (in Āyurveda called āma), your body will have a beautiful natural fragrance. When a holy person passes away, even years later, their grave has a beautiful scent. That is a pure spirit. Those who can see perceive on a samādhi, like a white cloud, a fragrance, and a light. So, mala is impurity. As long as you do not purify, you will not have divya darśana (divine visions). It does not matter how much you practice if the practice itself is flawed. It is like milking a cow and pouring the milk into a drain. Next is vikṣepa: disturbances, doubts. Doubt is what makes a human completely confused, lonely, and lost. Doubt ensures no one will trust you. Do not think that what you believe is best. Confucius said, "Do not think that no one loves you." Instead, consider why they should love you. When you evolve to a state where everyone loves you, they will do so without your asking. Do not think people do not know you; consider that you are not yet someone whom all should know. These were Confucius's teachings. This doubt manifests as "I don't believe, I don't like this." Who are you to say "I don't"? Have you ever considered how insignificant you are in this endless universe? Even with a telescope, you are not visible. Many like you have been swept away. Doubt, my dear, doubt. So, doubt is what is called vikṣepa. Gain confidence and faith. Then comes āvaraṇa, the curtain of ignorance. Every negative act through our being creates a layer over our soul, our consciousness. Thus, our spirit cannot express itself properly, meaning we cannot give to this world what we were born for. Layer upon layer accumulates. Therefore, always be ready to learn and to surrender. You may possess much wisdom and knowledge, but consider that you are still not Pūrṇa (complete). There was a great saint who performed tapasyā for thousands of years. In that era, life was long, disciplined, and less stressful. There was no pollution; only organic food and pure water were consumed. Every herb possessed immense energy. The herbs found today in meadows have lost 99.1% of their strength; only one-thousandth remains with little energy. Recall your grandparents—their eating times and the strength of that nourishment. Now, fast food, pesticides, and even dairy products make it nearly impossible to breathe without chemicals. Even atop the Himalayas, among the highest mountains, there is pollution from air and air traffic. Yoga is our only hope to help ourselves a little. Our nourishment has no strength, and our tastes have completely changed. Nowadays, children dislike cold-pressed oil; they prefer heated, odorless oil. They do not like fresh farmer's butter because it smells different. It is unbelievable how people's tastes have changed. The result is that they age very quickly. Fifteen or twenty years ago, I used to say that after fifty, one is old. But the pace has accelerated; now after thirty-five, one is considered old. That is the limit. So, thirty-five years up, and thirty-five years down. You came from the earth, climbed for thirty-five years, and now must descend for thirty-five. The ascent was joyful, but the descent brings pain in the knees, hips, heels, and back. Day by day you age. Do not think you are young. It is painful to realize that from birth, after thirty-five years, one steps into old age. If we continue thus, the maximum lifespan in Kali Yuga will rapidly decline. In Satya Yuga, people lived thousands of years. A ṛṣi sat in the mountains or Himalayas, under a glacier cave, meditating for thousands of years. Someone told him of the Vedas, and he began to study them. He thought, "I must learn all this," and his time to die arrived. Death comes not; the Yamās (angels for us) arrive. Yama, with... do you sometimes see? This we call a sign: long nails. Be careful. Already in Kali Yuga, people grow long nails or apply plastic with red color. Red is the color of blood. Husband, be careful. This is not merely a color; your blood is Kali Yuga. Those with many negative layers—anger—anger is a fire. It is said in India that the holy Sītā, the faithful consort of Rāma, had to walk through fire only once. You know the story: she walked through fire and emerged spotless. We would have to walk ten meters through burning flames. Do you think we could emerge unscathed? But those with anger and jealousy walk through fire lifelong—their hearts beat rapidly, they clutch their necks, their legs tense. For them comes Yama. Yama means cruel, torturing without feeling or mercy. For self-realized souls, divine souls like you all, perhaps angels come. They present situations. There is a negotiation between the Yamās and Devas (angels) over who should escort the soul when the time comes. The protocol states the last seconds of life will decide. Be ready. Like at an airport, when a plane lands, two, three, or four fire brigades stand ready. For years or months they may do nothing, but they must be prepared. So angels and Yamās are always ready. The angels came to that saint and said, "Praṇām, your holiness. A message has come that you go with us. If you have any wish..." He said, "Yes. Go and tell Dharmarāja or God, 'Please grant me a thousand years more.'" As you wish. They went and requested. He continued reading and learning. A thousand years passed. They returned. "Our adoration, the thousand years are over; time to go." He said, "Go and tell them I want five thousand years more." As you wish. He repeated this several times. Then Dharmarāja sent a messenger to impart knowledge. Now he is very old, yet he appears more energetic than we are. When we stand before such a person, we are like the disabled—paralyzed emotionally, psychically, by desires, anger, jealousy, hatred, complexity, and more. Let us conduct a research. But please, as a courtesy to others, close your eyes now. Do not open them; if you do, you create negative karma again. For a few minutes, close your eyes. If you prefer not to close them, look down at the ground. All have closed their eyes except me. Do not be afraid of me; I will not tell anyone, except that I will mention the one who had a doubt. My question is this research: who does not possess these five qualities—anger, jealousy, hatred, conflicts, and doubts? Those free of these five, raise your hands. No one is looking, and I will test you for doubt. Once more, be sure to raise your hand. One. Two, three—oh, very many. I will still not reveal the number. Now, who has these qualities? Raise your hands. Thank you. Lower your hands. You may open your eyes. It does not matter which group was larger; I can tell you the strongest force and majority we have. Blahopřeji vám. A master and his disciples lived together in a forest. The disciples had to go every day or every other day to a small village like Strelky for shopping. The walking distance was about ten kilometers. Even for a single lemon, they had to walk ten kilometers there and back. That lemon held not monetary value, but the value of love. One day, a disciple approached a river swollen with water; he could not swim across. He thought, "But my Gurujī asked me to bring food." He returned to Gurujī and said, "What should I do? I cannot cross the river." Gurujī said, "Go to the river and tell it: 'God Kṛṣṇa, who had 16,000 gopīs, if he is a brahmacārī, please give me a way. If he is Kṛṣṇa, then let me cross.'" The river stopped, and he walked across. He could not understand: "Something must be wrong? Perhaps it was my Guru's word, but Kṛṣṇa?" No, that cannot be. "I'm sorry, Kṛṣṇa, but I have doubt." He thought this inwardly. When he reached the other side, the river flowed again. He bought milk, oil, and other necessities. Now, how to cross back? He asked the shopkeeper, "My master helped me cross, but how do I return?" The shopkeeper said, "Dear young man, go to the river and say, 'If my Gurudev never ate or drank anything in life, then give me a way.'" "Sorry, brother. You know I buy food here daily and prepare it for my Gurujī myself. I serve him, and sometimes he complains: too much chili, no salt, too little oil. How can I ask the Mother River this foolish question?" The shopkeeper said, "Just go and see. Do not create your own stories." So he went. Doubt is doubt and must be doubted. "Not one day—how many years have I cooked and he has eaten?" He approached the river. "Mother River, I am sorry to trouble you again. I do not trust now, but it would be your greatness if my master never eats or drinks, please give me a way back." Immediately the river stopped, giving him a passage about thirty meters wide (for he was thirty years old). He walked across and returned to Gurujī, silent. Gurujī said, "You look depressed." "Yes, Master." "Any problem?" "Yes, sir. I cannot understand." The Master said, "That you must do. I cannot understand for you. You must understand for yourself. Go to the kitchen and cook nice food; then we will talk." He said, "That is my problem, Master." The Master said, "Yes. Go." So quickly can doubts arise. Later, the master gave him an explanation, and the doubts vanished. What explanation he gave, I will tell you tomorrow. So, the Lord Dharmarāja himself, the king of dharma for the entire universe and the king of death, came and requested that ṛṣi: "Please, it is time to go. For so many thousands of years you have been in this body; you have achieved everything. What do you still desire?" He said, "Dharmarāj, I have no desires. I only wish to know more knowledge and wisdom; the Vedas are the source of wisdom." Dharmarāj said, "How many thousands of years have you been reading?" He said about 25,000 years. The ancient ṛṣi looked up at the Himalayas and a little dust fell into his hand. Dharmarāja said, "What happened, Ṛṣi?" "Just a little dust from the Himalayas." Dharmarāja said, "My Lord, in this entire life of 25,000 years, what you have learned is only this much—this dust of the Himalayas." Now, feel your whole body. Be aware of your being here in this hall. Relax your body, relax your breath. Feel every limb, every organ. Feel your heartbeat and blood circulation. Pray for strength and good health. This prāṇāyāma we will do now can supply immense energy, life force (prāṇa), and oxygen into the body. Keep yourself relaxed. Mentally prepare for your prāṇāyāma. Chandra Bhedana Prāṇāyāma. Take the Prāṇāyāma Mudrā. Take your Prāṇāyāma or Yoga Daṇḍa. Sit upright, body straight. Without counting: deep inhale and exhale only through the left nostril (Chandra Nāḍī). Observe your breath. How does it feel? How does the breath go in and come out? Cosmic energy, abdominal breath. Feel the breath. How do you feel physically? How do you feel mentally? What do you feel in your brain? Simply observe what happens through this Chandra Bhedana prāṇāyāma. Close your left nostril with the ring finger. Inhale and exhale only through the right nostril. Sūrya Bhedana Prāṇāyāma. Deep inhale and exhale. Continue analyzing your breath in relation to your body. To the extent you can imagine your inner organs and their locations, send energy to the chakras or centers. After deep inhalation and exhalation, place your right hand on the thigh again. Relax and feel the prāṇa. Once more. Take Prāṇāyāma Mudrā. Anuloma Viloma. Begin with the left nostril. Inhale through the left, exhale through the right. Inhale through the right, exhale through the left. After exhalation through the left nostril, place your hands down on your knees. Now, deep inhale and exhale. Deep inhale and chant OM. Hold. Move your fingers: close the fists, open the palms, rotate the wrists, stretch the elbows. Raise your shoulders up and down. Close the palms, fold them, and drop them. Place hands on the face. Hari Om. That is all. I wish you a good appetite for lunch. Let us go to the park. Walk through it. Of course, you may pick cherries. Take half with you and give half to the kitchen—that is fair, no? Do not break the branches. If you break your leg, that does not matter. So, hurry.