Be the Tree of Compassion
God speaks through the human heart as a divine instrument.
God is in every heart, but adoration goes to the heart through which God speaks to the world. To share that wisdom is a blessing. Our duty is to serve and protect all. When you work selflessly as a karma yogī, you become God's instrument. Though you have limits, extra energy comes, and you enjoy the service; this is God consciously working through you. Like a runner's high, selfless work awakens extra spirituality. Be like a great tree offering shade and fruit to all, not a barren palm tree. Joy is in giving. As you give, you receive manifold. If you give unkind words, you suffer more inside. If you give kindness, you have inner peace. Serve until your last breath. To be a teacher of this wisdom is to be a channel of God's love through practical help. You never know if you will get such a life again. Protect the dignity of your origins and serve all.
"Baḍā huā to kyā huā, jaise ped khajūr. Panthī ko chāyā nahī̃."
"Service to all creatures is service to me."
Filming location: Ljubljana, Slovenia
DVD 305
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Opening ceremony of the new center at Auckland
A universal center for peace and unity opens, dedicated to yoga and cultural harmony. This center welcomes all, representing a single, unifying spiritual truth beyond individual religions. Practitioners follow a sattvic diet. A World Peace Tree is planted in memory of lives lost, with prayers for global peace and an end to tragedy. The gathering includes people from many nations. Yoga is a science of union and balance, with ancient roots in the sound of creation. The center aims to provide a place for practice, community, and coping with modern stress, fostering togetherness in a growing and diverse area.
"One in all and all in one."
"Yoga means union. Yoga means balance. Yoga means harmony."
Filming locations: Onehunga, Auckland, New Zealand.
The Weight of Life and the Resolve of a Student
The Weight of Life and the Resolve of a Student
Bhāra means weight. All weight on our shoulders—negativity, happiness, sadness—we give to Gurudev. Life’s troubles and joys, we place in Gurudev’s hands. We remember God and Gurudev when troubles come. Dhṛḍha Niścaya means determination. The five qualities of a student include the determination of a crow. A crow wanted water from a pot with a narrow opening. It collected pebbles and dropped them in until the water rose. The subconscious mind can make anything reality. We are not worthy, but within, everything is possible. Live in the world like a lotus in muddy water. Offer all bad qualities at Gurudev’s lotus feet. Act without expectation. In the last moment, let that be in Gurudev’s hands. The world is in Gurudev’s hands. Our actions and mālās are in our hands. The lotus has a protective layer; mud falls off. Responsibilities are like mud. Two wolves live in the mind—one of bad qualities, one of goodness. Thoughts are food; whichever wolf we feed awakens. Sarasvatī holds a vīṇā. Strings too tight break; too loose make no sound. Life is balance. Too much work is stress; too little is boredom. Too much talking creates confusion; too little creates distance. Sarasvatī teaches harmony, balance, unity, clarity, awareness. Words have power. One person believing in us changes life. Gurudev thinks of us before we think of ourselves. Speak with awareness, listen with patience. Arguments start without awareness and patience. Mālā teaches awareness and patience. Everything originates from somewhere. All forms of the Goddess originate from Bhagavatī Parāmbhā.
"Jo jag me rahū̃, to aise rahū̃, jo jal me kamal kā phūl rahe."
"Jaba jaba saṁsāra kā kārya banū, niṣkāma bhāva se karma karū."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
Practicing of the system 'Yoga in Daily Life', Level 1 - Part 4
A systematic yoga practice integrates relaxation, breath, and movement to purify and harmonize the body and mind. Begin by lying down to relax each body part sequentially, releasing tension with each exhalation. Observe the natural breath without influencing it. The full yoga breath combines abdominal, chest, and clavicular breathing into a single wave. Synchronize this deep breathing with slow, conscious movements and stretches, such as diagonal pulls and body rolls. Specific exercises like bicycling strengthen muscles and aid circulation. Conclude with prāṇāyāma, focusing on alternate nostril breathing, to refine awareness. The entire practice works on physical, energetic, and mental levels, culminating in a state of dedicated relaxation.
"Feel the vibration within your inner space, as well as outside around you. This vibration is purifying your inner environment as well as the outer environment."
"Prāṇāyāma is a breath technique... Just follow the movement, just watch the breathing."
Filming location: Jadan, Rajasthan, India
The Parrot’s Counsel: A Dialogue Between Ātmā and Mind
Listen to the counsel of the two parrots, an allegory for the soul and mind.
The world is unreal; only devotion is true. The mind flutters, consuming the poisonous fruits of desire and pride, which appear sweet but bring bitterness. These desires are a mirage, leading to exhaustion like a thirsty deer chasing water. Death comes cruelly, severing all attachments to relationships and possessions. Therefore, renounce the unreal world. In the Guru's grace and holy company lies the immortal tree of nectar, which is heaven itself. Repeat the mantra 'Haṁsaḥ'—I am that pure consciousness, the soul, not the body or mind.
"Listen, my dear Menā, reap the harvest of joy in God's name. All other pursuits in this world are unreal."
"Repeat the name of God. You have obtained this opportunity as a human being. Do not miss it."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
