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Śrīdīp Nārāyaṇa Bhagavānakī, Satya Sanātana Dharma. Welcome, all our dear sisters, brothers, and avatars. Today's session was delayed by half an hour, but you had very nice bhajans. I welcome all of you who are here for the first time. Some who work here as organizers are always in front of me, so I feel they are here every day. Also with us today for the first time at our center is our professor. We welcome him and thank him. It is a blessing. We are very blessed to be in this hall, thanks to our dear Bhakta Nārasiṁha Purī, who organized it. He wishes this hall to be for Yoga in Daily Life forever. My dear ones, this year has not been so comfortable. This is the beginning of the strong Kali Yuga. Yet, in this Kali Yuga, all we bhaktas, yogīs, and spiritual people remain very powerful and are not affected by any kind of infections. Such things can happen and have come before. In many past times, great diseases appeared. There were times in many countries, like India and Afghanistan, when there was no rain at all. Water was so scarce that people took bark from big trees in the forest, filled it, boiled it, and ate it. Water had to be brought from far away. A situation like this current corona pandemic occurred, and many people died. Very old people today, who were children about 10 or 20 years old at the time, narrate these events. Yet in this time, due to technology and all the good that we humans have done, we are still very lucky. Such severe conditions are not happening now. There is a vast history about this, but we have forgotten. We should forget, and we wish it would not return. However, one thing I want to tell you is that I asked all our Yoga in Daily Life and related centers around the world. Those who practice and are vegetarian—none of them have been affected by this corona. Only those who were not careful in their conduct, who did not take care of themselves, were affected. We have masks to control corona, but a mask alone cannot help. If worn constantly for two or three hours, it must be cleaned. Every government around the world is doing its best to protect its people. From this, we have learned that those who practice yoga and eat sattvic food—meaning pure vegetarian food—are protected. There are many yoga schools and great masters who also lived sattvic, vegetarian lives. You can ask others and will find that many people, when I mention it here, repeat the word "vegetarian" again and again. Now in your country, does everybody know what vegetarian is? Some people do not want to use the name "vegetarian." From vegetarian came vegan, which is stricter—no honey, no milk, etc. Vegans do not consume any dairy products or honey because they believe the milk is for the calves, not for us. This vegan movement began not even ten years ago, though I was speaking of it about 25 years ago. Now there are many vegan restaurants in many countries. Many people try vegan food for a day or two. Many who adopt it are not affected by corona; they are resistant. This sattvic way is good. It is like this: when we have many beautiful white cows, maybe one or two can be dark or black. Or among seeds that are white, maybe one inside is black. I say this not proudly, but I myself am so happy. We are not killing and eating these creatures. It is not only about practicing yoga and not eating meat; it is about the feeling in your heart for other animals. We all feel very deeply for animals, and many are turning toward vegetarianism. This is what I can tell you: the results of our actions come to us. In that way, I am very happy to see you and be with you. Yoga has many paths. For example, the Bhagavad Gītā has 18 chapters. Each chapter has a name: bhakti-jñāna, rāj-jñāna, karma-jñāna, etc. Each chapter of Yoga is very clearly given by Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa in the Bhagavad Gītā. The ancient Rāmāyaṇa was also written very clearly and sāttvically. You know, here in Europe, most people have some animals in the house—a horse, a dog, a cat, different animals or birds. We take great care of them. We go to doctors, get medicine, and care for them as our own children because we love animals. But many of you do not see cows. Good cows eat grass, but most people do not know how they are slaughtered. They are killing horses, cows, buffalo, and other animals, and we do not see it. About 15 or 18 years ago, I was in America giving a lecture on Ahiṃsā. There was a lady, about 35 years old, who cried during my lecture. Later, at a Christian college in New York, she spoke. She said, "Swamiji, I never knew how they kill animals for eating." She bought meat from the supermarket and did not know how it was taken from the cow. How gentle American ladies are! She said, "I will never, ever eat meat." Like this, we all know here, but the facts are hidden. People think, "Okay, we can eat tomorrow; we will not eat today." My dear ones, this is Kali Yuga. What should we do? We should protect these creatures. But in this Kali Yuga, more bad things will come again and again. It is said that before the Kali Yuga finishes, we should go to the Brahmalokas. It will be very terrible. Things will happen. Those who are for God, religion, or what is truly important will go before. Bhaktas are not only Indian gurus and Indian bhaktas; there are many other holy saints in every country. In Europe, there were and are many great saints. They are very sattvic, eating only fruits and a little something, nothing else. This, my dear, is very important. Now, there are two points I wish to share, based on real experience among different people, especially in South India, and among many yogīs, sādhus, and great practitioners. This is a discipline, very important for the body. It means that when they wake up, they get up. First, they wash themselves. Many in South India wash their whole hair and body first, even though it is not so cold. Then they give water to plants, like tulasī and other herbs. We worship the tulasī plant. People may not understand this; we used to give tulasī water. We say it is spiritual, connected to Kṛṣṇa and Rāma. But this plant is also the best medicine for many things, and it is very gentle; therefore, we should protect it. They used to say that if Tulasī is not in front of your house, near it, or in your house—even on the fifth, sixth, or eighth floor, in your room or verandah—it should be there. There are many versatile plants like the neem tree, banyan tree, and babul tree. They are life for us. Often we do not know their value and say it does not matter. We call the neem tree Neem Nārāyaṇa. Just as Nārāyaṇa is Bhagavān Viṣṇu, that tree is very valuable. It has a hundred effects for healing. My dear, we should protect all these trees and plants. Sometimes, of course, we have too many and must thin them out. In Āyurveda, there are three words: jāṛī, būṭī, and vanaspati. These are the three. Jāṛī means this kind of plant that comes, breaks, dries, and gives seed, which then produces another plant. Jāṛī būṭī refers to the roots. The roots of plants are very powerful, even when dried. That is why very powerful medicines come from roots. We have lost this knowledge. So, jāṛī, būṭī, and vanaspati. Vanaspati means all trees and leaves in the forest. We should take the leaves of the tree, not destroy the tree. We have medicine; all medicine we have now in hospitals, every capsule, is also from trees. Everything has a name. Every tablet has a name in the Latin language for what is inside, though how they are made has become different. In this way, we should go to the trees and plants to get health. Touch them. Every day when you get up and go out, if you see a big tree in a park or anywhere, just touch it with your hand and go. It is like a grandfather to you. When we sit under a tree, you know how we feel. In summer, how beautiful all the trees are! We say, "Oh, it is very nice." Similarly, in the morning, get up and, as possible, go to your bathroom or near a river, and wash. First washing, then with a clean body. After washing, then you approach the plants. You should not touch the plants after sleeping all night with what you have accumulated; the plant could be harmed. Use fresh water for the plants. Show respect, then bring water or anything. Mostly our women do the washing, men and women, but the little girls must bathe immediately. When we get up from bed, we still have laziness. It takes half an hour or maybe an hour until we are truly awake. Or what we do now in this Kali Yuga: get up and go make coffee. First, clean with water. In this, if you do not believe anything else, then believe at least one thing: when you get up, go to your bathroom, put water, brush, and then come out, a new energy will awaken in the body. So tomorrow you should do this: when you get up in the morning, do this. Then tell me how it is. If you are here tomorrow, you can say, "Yes, the first morning I was washing." Water is life. Where there is water, there is God. And where there is God, life is there. That is very important. Afterward, of course, people making pūjā will chant some bhajan or mantra. Take the water: Gaṅgā 1, Gaṅgā 2, Gaṅgā 3, Gaṅgā 4, Gaṅgā 5, Gaṅgā 6, Gaṅgā 7, Gaṅgā 8, Gaṅgā 9, Gaṅgā 10, Gaṅgā 11, Gaṅgā 12, Gaṅgā 13, Gaṅgā 14, Gaṅgā 15, Gaṅgā 16, Gaṅgā 17, Gaṅgā 18, Gaṅgā 19, Gaṅgā 20. The water is there, very cold water. Yes, cold water, not hot water immediately. If you use only hot water, we remain lazy. Cold water, applied to the whole body—but not icy—fresh water will wake up your life. The next step is prayer at the altar, regardless of which religion you believe in. If you do not wash properly, the whole day there will be laziness, anger, and many problems. After that, of course, you must care for your children, your husband, or whatever family you have. They care for you. Life is about caring for others—for children, husband, wife—and, of course, yoga practice. Sarvahitāsana is one of the best yoga practices. This is what we have. This is very, very clear and very good. Practice Sarvahitāsana in the morning. Sarvahitā āsana is like this. What are you doing? This is a movement where we do not only move here; it goes to the heart. We twist like this; it is not only here, it comes completely into the whole arm. If you have a problem here, you cannot make it like this; you say, "Oh, no." Each and every nerve, bone, everything—that is the best yoga. Now, I also have begun to practice yoga again. If I do it quickly, it takes me two hours. I said to someone, "It is not good." And she said, "Is it good? What is that?" It is laziness. This laziness, sleeping. So she said, "Get up, put the water, work, exercise." You are awakening now; the sun is rising in us. One day, a big getaway. Get up early again tomorrow. The third day, all right. The fourth day, it is good. On the fifth, you will be very fresh and very good. On the sixth day, you might not practice; you will sleep. You are in your bed, near your pillow. You will not practice; you will relax. But again, after half a minute, you turn to the other side and say, "No, I will practice." Our body tells us, "Come and practice." Nobody wakes me up. Nobody says, "Swamiji, please get up." But yoga practice tells me, "Hey, get up, boy." And Sarvahitāsana. Sarvahitāsana. Sarva means all. Hit means good for us. Sarva hit. This is for everyone. And who is everyone? Our whole body: blood circulation, the glands, the nerves, the bones, etc. This is for our body, for the vital system, for circulation of blood, for muscles, bones, joints, for everything. From the toes to the top of the head, and from the top of the head to the toes. Then automatically, all our inner machinery will come into good condition. Do at least three to five rounds of Sūrya Namaskāra. Then you will see how our body is completely changing. So, in all this, my dears, remember what I told you: practice, be careful, wash, perform pūjā, practice āsanas, and eat properly. We must give at least a little time—as little as you can, two hours. Laziness is a disease, a lazy disease. Lazy is crazy. And who is not lazy is the best. There are many techniques, many things. But first, we must make ourselves understand: "Yes, I will, and I can, and I understand." We have to get this. Only looking in holy books is not enough. Always looking at newspapers is also not enough. Look within thyself. So we always say to Mahāprabhujī, "Blessings, please, for us." We bow down to Mahāprabhujī, Devpurījī, Halakpurījī, Holy Gurujī. We are all Thy bhaktas, Your children. Please accept us and give us your blessings. With this, those who please give the prasāda, and everybody, if you wish to come for a blessing in front of me, then come through and receive a blessing. And we will sing. What shall we sing? We are singing to Mahāprabhujī, please. We bless you. We get blessed. Mahāprabhujī, bless us. Bless us. And we are all one. Oṁ Namaḥ Śrī Prabhu Dīpanāya. Oṁ Śabadāḥ Prabhu Śaraṇa Parāyaṇam. Oṁ Namaḥ Siddhi Prabhu.