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Learning from the Master is important

The path requires a living master's guidance for perfection, as self-practice alone is insufficient. Yoga has many branches, but true progress comes from the guru's blessing, akin to a formal diploma. Many confine themselves to one religion, claiming their God is best, which splits human consciousness. Sanātana Dharma is a living tradition that adapts while its core scriptures, like the Bhagavad-gītā, remain unchanged. Other faiths modify their scriptures. Historical figures like Jesus or Buddha are often misunderstood without this living guidance. A story illustrates the danger of learning improperly: a demon receives a power but, through trickery, causes his own demise by not following instructions precisely. Therefore, one must learn correctly from the master to avoid being lost.

"Yoga has many, many branches... but we have to go much further, and for that we need the practice given by the guru. Otherwise, we will not be perfect."

"Sanātana Dharma is giving everyone according to the language, the place, etc.... Sanātana Dharma is that, called living Dharma."

Filming location: Jadan, Rajasthan, India

It is a beautiful day, and everyone is having a very beautiful day. We are all practicing our sādhanā in our āśram. In our āśram, there are many different arts, like Om Prabhadeepa, Mahāprabhujī Kājā, Om Prabhadeepa Āśram. Another is what we call the Om Śrī Devpurījī Āśram Trust. At the same time, there is the Yoga and Daily Life Foundation, Ayurveda, and other activities for good health, good life, and further progress through yoga practice. Yoga has many, many branches. According to the Bhagavad-gītā, there are 12 chapters on the yogas, but there are more and many techniques. One technique, for example, is karma yoga, another is bhakti yoga. Similarly, many ṛṣis were practicing and they mastered themselves according to their techniques, which we call yoga. 'Yoga' is the name. We can say yoga or yoga. Yoga for us, we say it. And when there are many, many yoga names, then we call it yoga, but only physical—body and a little concentration. This is good, but we have to go much further, and for that we need the practice given by the guru. Otherwise, we will not be perfect. Now, why not? It is very simple. If you want to go to your school, or you go to your university, etc., then you get perfection; that’s called a diploma. Maybe you know, you learn more, everything at home, etc., but you don’t go to the university or college or the school. But you don’t have the diploma; you are not getting it. It is like that. So those who are thinking, "I am perfect, I don’t need other college, school, etc.," then it means you are only for yourself. Similarly, every teacher or those who are coming to the Gurudev, they will give us the blessing. We call it in the college or university a diploma, and we call it, according to yoga or our science, a blessing. And blessings have great powers also, like for certain subjects. Therefore, we all first need to understand: in many countries, many parents don’t know what yoga is. And their ancestors, they don’t know anything. Why? Because there are many differences among the religions, and they say, "It is my religion." And therefore, we don’t want to give knowledge to others. We don’t want to get anything from others, and therefore, we think only, "My God is the best, my knowledge is good, my whatever we are giving me the lectures is that’s all." But maybe other religions, or the other, they will have different; they will say, "Mine is best," and so that spreads and splits human consciousness. And everyone said, "My religion is good, my country is good." But if we said, "Mine is good," it means it’s not good, yeah. This is like when you go to the school, you have one subject, but in your college, there is not only one subject. Similarly, Sanātana Dharma, Sanātana Dharma does not make anybody think that only this is the best. No. Sanātana Dharma is giving everyone according to the language, the place, etc. But that means to God. Others also, they are searching for God. But many don’t know how was my God or how it is. But Sanātana Dharma is that, called living Dharma. That means the living Dharma is that everyone who said, "Only my religion, only one God," know as more, yes, it’s good, not bad, good. But you don’t know with the vocally, you did not speak for their god, and day by day, day by day, day by year, by year, we are changing. But when it is Sanātana Dharma, and the living god is our disciples, and they will give us further that knowledge, now there is a difference in Sanātana and others. For example, let’s say Bhagavad-gītā. Bhagavad-gītā has what we call the 12 chapters, and these 12 chapters are now in about 12 yoga, it doesn’t matter, but what is written is from the Upaniṣads, after the Upaniṣads. Bhagavad-gītā, or some said always Bhagavad-gītā is also this, so these are many things. But if we have that, then see that Bhagavad-gītā, and about five thousand years or more, Bhagavad-gītā is continuously the same. And now those who have... maybe their god and their holy book, they wrote something, but we see that in that holy scripture, they are writing. They’re writing inside, and when they’re writing inside, they are changing. They think, "This is better, that’s so better," therefore it is not right. So therefore finally all will come to oneness, and that oneness is one God. And what one called this, one called this. The names of the gods are different, but it is a god or what. Similarly, therefore, the master, living masters, well, there are many masters, but they are learned and practiced. They have many techniques; they are keeping that religion living. In that yoga, it is all Sanskrit, and in the Sanskrit, according to the different Vedas, all this we cannot change. And when you change it, it is wrong. That is what we should practice with the master. Go to the master. Go to the primary school, or you go to the kindergarten, you go to the high school, you go to the college, you go to university, etc. That is step by step, and that’s also maybe your guru is not talking about universities or colleges and schools, but their knowledge, and that is very important. And there in their brain is one of the best learnings from themselves. So now, more or less, in this year again, the day has come, that Yoga Day, and on this Yoga Day, it is given that we all should come together and practice yoga. It’s like that we have Dīpāvalī, the Dīpāvalī festival. We all come and we worship the Dīpāvalī. And at home, we are worshipping in the Christian church. That’s also once a year. They are worshipping. Similarly, other religious things, they are worshipping that. But Sanātana Dharma, they say, "Yes, but leaving." Many people said, "Jesus spoke with me, what a great..." Some said, "My Allāh has taught me greatly." All religions, but how did they speak to you? Did you see that? But in that hour, Sanātana, we see the Rāma, we see the Kṛṣṇa, we have many, we have the 23 gods, and the 24th will be coming. But besides this, because we don’t know, we don’t know what Kṛṣṇa was like, we are teaching and teaching. It is said, "Kṛṣṇa jāneso Gītā," or "Mātā jāneso pitā, Kṛṣṇa jāneso Gītā." If Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa knows, then is that Gītā? Maybe the Gītā is also not written by Kṛṣṇa, because it is coming from the other scriptures. "Kṛṣṇa jāneso Gītā," and "Mātā jāneso pitā," so... How do we know also, Rāma, how many lakhs? That Bhagavān Rāma we are worshipping, we see how Rāma was, this was, we don’t know. We are worshipping, we are everyone, making different. The Buddha, everyone said, God Buddha, but they don’t know how he was. Now, everyone, because after Buddha they didn’t say, "No God." After Bhagavān Buddha, there is no Bhagavān. But they are worshipping Buddha, or this Buddha also says, "Do not worship me." But the Buddha was completely vegetarian and very humble, kind as well. Now, many said, "Jesus—" not Jesus, sorry—"the Buddha’s eating fish." Others say, "Eat that, eat the cow," etc. And many who know that one tradition of the Buddha’s, a very pure one, they are not eating anything, no alcohol, no meat, and that is the real for them. Is that the Buddha? It’s coming, but we don’t know. So if Kṛṣṇa knows, then he’s a Rāmāyaṇa or the Bhāgavata. Otherwise, don’t know. Similarly, the mother knows, "Who is my father? Your father." Similarly, like this, the guru needs very much that, and that’s called living: living master, living bhaktas, living God. People are coming, they are worshipping, they are practicing, they’re practicing. And many people now in Western countries, they said, "Yes, my Jesus, he my God, but I am now the God, and I am like, like I am the God." So I said, "Yes," and he’s giving those things. So Jesus did not say, "I am a god?" Jesus said, "I am not God. I am your son." And son means God’s child. We are God’s child. So therefore, he said, "No, Father is only that God." Jesus is not a God, but it is said that Jesus was many, many years in India, and there’s a written somewhere also, why not? He was there, and he learned a lot about yoga and samādhi, etc. And we don’t know that. He was not so pained in the body, or if God or dice or this, there are something, but if we have the real, still living, so we are a yogic path, and all yogīs, all other religions, they have, but they are sleeping. They are not aware. It is human, and human is that, like a God. Human is the God, but God gave the humans and said that you can do whatever you, I give you the freedom, oh my son, and you will be God. Then it said, "Okay, then I will be." Now he forgets God and thinks, "I am the God only." That’s not good. So it is said that the story you know, that one, Rākṣasa, he wanted to become liberated, forever living, and they called him Brahmā and asked, "Brahmā, what do you want?" He said, "Give me to become immortal." Brahmā said, "I cannot give you immortality, but I give you long, long life, this, that, whatever you want, but one day you will finish." He said, "No, I want." But he said that God has not given me. You are God. He said, "Yes, every God." Okay, Brahmājī said, "Rākṣasa, give me some miracle, such a miracle that whatever I want with this." He said, "Yes, I can give you all but one. Say, I give you one miracle, and that is if you put your hand on any head, they will die." Really? Yes. So that was Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa or Śivajī. Śivajī came and gave him the blessings. So, the Rākṣasa said, "Thank you very much. You gave me the blessings that on anyone’s hand you will give them, it will die. Any head?" He said, "Yes, any head." Very good. Then what the Rākṣasa said, "Śiva, then I will test with you first. If I put my hand on his head, he will die. I can’t do anything else, so Śivajī said, 'I don’t know.' You said, 'I will put my hand on your head, and he will die.' I want to test. I will touch your head to see if you die or not. Otherwise, I mean, you made a joke." Now, Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa, Śiva was running and running and running. He had his triśūla and his snake, which are also tires, going through and through. Śivajī was tired. The rock, and in the rock is a cave, and there was Bhagavān Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu and Śivajī come. Bhagavān Viṣṇu said, "Oh my God, Rām, Bhagavān Śivajī, please come, come in my cave. What great luck." He said, "But you look very tired." "Yes, yes," Viṣṇu, Kṛṣṇa, and our Śiva said, "It happened this and that." And Rākṣasa is coming. He said, "Let me wait. Rākṣasa cannot come in my cave. What should I do? If I go out, the Rākṣasa will run with him. Okay, I will give him a blessing. Sit, drink milk in the cave." There was no tea in it. There was no tea in it, water or milk or fur. Bhagavān Śiva is sitting, and Viṣṇu. Always, Viṣṇu is a very, very, like a beautiful theater player. So, Viṣṇu, one woman, beautiful one, and she came here and, "Who are you? I don’t know, but who are you?" He said, "I am a Rākṣasa." "Oh, beautiful man." And you, I said, I am Apsarā. Apsarā, yes. So beautiful, yes. But I can teach you dancing also. What will happen with the dancing? With the dancing, you can kill someone also. Oh, that is second. And where is your Śiva? Ah, Śiva, poor man sitting in the, she said, "I will, will you marry me?" Yes. Oh, let’s, but you have to learn the dancing. Otherwise, you cannot make my dancing okay. So I’m sitting on that rock, about 20 meters far, 20, 40 meters, and another rock you are. And I’m going to dance, and you will learn, yes. So she said, "I’m learning." Ting, he’s making, was it? Yeah, you are learning. Good, he said. "Yes, I will be your wife," he said. Yes. And you are learning how I will be like this? Said yes, like that? You are like that? Oh, and you can move one hand like this on the vest, other hand like this? He said, "Yes, pssst, wo jal gayā, kaun?" Rākṣas, kahā thā ki jo kisī kā hāth lagāyegā, vo mar jāyegā. So you put it on your head also, you did not say my head not, and so that’s like one are not learning properly from the Guru, from the master. Therefore, learning first from the master, it doesn’t matter what techniques you have, but one day suddenly you will be, we will be lost. We lost it. Therefore, practice, practice, practice. Even God sometimes makes a mistake, so how can we not make a mistake? But God will make a mistake, and he will again correct it quickly, but we do not. So, I wish you all the best. Very soon, we are coming tomorrow. The day after tomorrow is Yoga Day, and then it is Mātajī’s Puṇya Tithi, our holy Mātajī, and that we will have nice satsaṅgs, etc. Wish you all the best and have a nice day. Prepare everyone in our yoga center for yoga practice for this day, or somewhere in the park, but the government needs permissions this year, very much, but wish you all the best, all the best. Dīpa nīne, Bhagavān a key they you, puruṣa Mahādeva key set this an art, and he, "Oṁ śānti, śānti, Oṁ śānti." He don’t stop, okay? And now it will be beautiful bhajans, and these bhajans never upstairs. They are the... We have Apsarāj, oh my God! They are so beautiful, Apsarāj, so you will make very nice bhajans, and Apsarāj are very beautiful and very nice, so it can make temptations to anyone. So I am the first one who is running out into temptation. Okay, you make the bhajans. Everyone: Jaya Jaya... Svāmī Jaya Jagadīśahare, Sākṣāṇa Medurāka, Jaya Jagadīśahare, Oṁ Śrī Dīta Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān Kī Jaya. Oṁ Satya Sanātana Dharma Kī Jaya. Sandēśuhu Bālu Lāgēsā Sādhagurusāya Bāku Hē Sandēśuhu Bālu Lāgēsā Sādhagurusāya Bāku Hē Sandēśuhu Bālu Lāgēsā Sādhagurusāya Bāku Devadhī, Deva, Śambho, Śrī, Deva, Kṛṣṇa, Mahādeva, Kī, Jaya. Hindu, Dharma, Samrāṭa, Satguru, Śrī, Madhya, Kṛṣṇa, Bhagavān, Kī, Jaya. Viśvaguru, Mahāmaṇḍalī, Svāmī, Śrī, Maheśvara, Ānanda, Pūruṣottama, Gurudeva, Bhagavān, Kī, Jaya. Dīvāna, Satguru, Nāma, Kāmasthāna, Hēlī. Jaya Madākṛṣṇana Bhagavān Jaya Viśvaguru Mahāmandira Svāmī Śrī Māheśa Rānāna Kūrśida. Jaya Mādhākṛṣṇana Bhagavān. Jaya Mādhākṛṣṇana Bhagavān.... Dayālu hama nāma āpa kālī nā, Prabhujī hama nāma āpa kālī nā. Jaba aisē sumaraṅ kī nā, yā manī, jaba aisē sumaraṅ kī nā, hama manī bhagatī rāṅga mēṅ bhī nā. I am in the name of Allāh, I am in the name of Allāh, I am in the name of Allāh, I am in the name of Allāh, I am in the name of Allāh, I am in the name of Allāh. Thank you for watching. I don’t want to live in this world. I don’t want to live in this world.... Yamanē java sē sumara bhagatī raṅga mē mīna, nāma āpakē nāma dhura nāidu jāa bhauta sādhanē hamā kī, dhura nāidu jāa bhauta sādhanē hamā kī yasa bhiyē jurā yūpa anubhāvakī... Siddhārtha Bhagavān Kī Jaya, Devadhī Deva Śambho, Śrīdhara Prasāda Mahādeva Kī Jaya. Bhai, tuma jāgō rē, tērā avasara bēṭā jāyē. Namaḥ Namāya Satuṣa Svāmī Madhavarañjī, Bhagavān Dalēśvara, Svāmī Mahēśvarañjī, Yogirāja Kī Jaya! Āja Kī Ānanda Kī Jaya! Sat Gurudeva Kī Jaya! True happiness is found only in the Lord at your feet. Jikō kabī mata bōla sumaranagura, jikō kabī mata bōla sumaranagura, kabī mata dhyāna, dhyāna... Guru Guru Deva kī jaya, Viśvaguru Mahāmaṇḍalai Svāsvāmī Maheśvarāñcī Yogī Rāja kī jaya. nama nama śrī pāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgārāṅgā Pradābhyām, Oḍa Pradābhyām, Dhṛta Mokṣa Pada, Namo Namasrī, Sarasatara, Kaitābhyām, Bhadābhiśaṁśōṣaṇavadavābhyām, Namo Mahāśrī Jōta Jaga Jōta sē Jōta Jaga. Jaga viśvara hē jñānē śvara, yō viśvara śvara jatā sē jōta. Śrī Alaka Purī Jī Mahā Deva Kī Jaya Devā Dī Deva Śrī Deva Puruṣa Mahā Deva Kī Jaya! Ārādhiyē Bhagavān Śrī Dīpana Rāyana Mahā Prabhujī Kī Jaya! Indu Dharma Samrāṭ Paramaḥ Svayī Mādhava Nāthajī Bhagavān Kī Jaya! Viśva Guru Paramaḥ Svayī Maheśvara Nāthajī Gurudeva Kī Jaya! Madhāvanādājī Bhagavān Kī Jaya. Viśvaguru Paramahaṁsaśrīsvāmī Maheśvarānādājī Gurudeva Kī Jaya. Sabhā Maṇḍala Kī Jaya.

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

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