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
Up next
Devas and Asuras
The path of prāṇa is the inner churning to reach the nectar within.
Prāṇāyāma consists of inhalation, exhalation, and retention; these three occur naturally in everyone. Specific breath techniques produce distinct effects on body, mind, emotion, intellect, and consciousness. The myth of ocean churning is a metaphor: the ocean is existence and consciousness. The spinal column is the mountain; kuṇḍalinī is the snake. Negative and positive qualities are the asuras and devas within, fighting through overthinking. This churning produces nectar, which is immortality located in the Bindu Cakra. Āyurveda originated from this churning, brought by Dhanvantari, an incarnation of Viṣṇu. Viṣṇu later appeared as Mohinī to distribute the nectar, using illusion to give true nectar to devas and a deceptive drink to asuras. One asura sneaked true nectar, was cut in two, and became Rāhu and Ketu. Rāhu vowed to disrupt auspicious events, so propitiation is necessary at gatherings. The nectar is within every being. Through Kriyā, balance is achieved in cakras and prāṇa. Prāṇa leads to Brahmaloka, which is pure energy. Killing or suicide brings bad karma and suffering. The divine is found within through unconditional surrender and devotion. Inner churning awakens good qualities and leads to liberation.
“O my friend, what you are searching for outside, you are me. I am within you. My hut is outside the city, but my dwelling is in your breath.”
“If you search for me, I will meet you at once; in a single second you will see me.”
Filming location: Vép, Hungary
Practising Asanas 1
Begin with awareness in Ānanda Āsana, observing the body, breath, and mind before and after practice. Coordinate movement with breath, feeling the abdomen rise and fall. Practice āsanas like Pavanamuktāsana and Śaśāṅka Āsana to activate complete yoga breathing and feel the stretching and relaxing of the spinal column. The best time for āsanas is when the stomach is empty. Distinguish yoga from workout or stretching; yoga activates energy flow, leaving one energized. Precise alignment is crucial, such as keeping the spine straight in Aśva Sañcalana Āsana and ensuring the pelvis is positioned correctly in butterfly pose to avoid strain and prepare for meditation. Practice with gentle awareness, not force.
"Always with inhalation, your abdomen and navel go up, and with exhalation, down."
"With yoga, we are activating, we are making that energy flow. We will feel more energy after yoga class."
Janama Bhumi, Karma Bhumi and Dharma Bhumi
Yoga is the universal balancing principle, the single root and trunk from which all branches grow. You are the living self, a mobile tree. The human brain is the root, leading and balancing the entire body, just as a small engine pulls a long train. Yoga is not merely physical exercise; it is the discipline that brings harmony to the entire globe, connecting the life of vegetation and the life of humans. We exist in three spheres: the janmabhūmi, the birth land to which we must be loyal; the karmabhūmi, the place where we perform selfless action, or niṣkāma karma, which perfects yoga; and the dharmabhūmi, the place of righteous duty and ultimate shelter, which is beyond the dogma of religion. True dharma is universal duty, not division. Yoga is this unifying force for all existence, from building a harmonious home to seeing the world as one family. It is the fire that burns away all karma.
"Yoga is the balancing principle of our entire globe."
"Your yoga practice will be successful if you do karma yoga, because it is the yoga."
Filming location: San Francisco, USA
Meanings of Kundalini
The universe is manifested through sound, or Nāda, which is the resonance of creation. This primordial sound is energy, and it flows through all existence, including the human body via the cakras and glands. This energy is called Kuṇḍalinī, a complete science of body, mind, intellect, and consciousness. Kuṇḍalinī has multiple meanings: it is a pool where past karmas reside dormant, and it is a circle, representing infinity and the round nature of all energy. The fundamental geometry of existence consists of the circle, the triangle, and the right angle, which channel and purify energy. This energy holds the universe together; it is the yoga that unites and balances. Everything originates from and returns to a state of completeness, or Pūrṇa. Awakening this inner energy leads to freedom from physical, mental, and emotional suffering.
"Through that resonance, energy expands. This energy flows in the cakras, in the glands."
"Everything comes from Pūrṇa, everything exists in Pūrṇa, and when you take something out of Pūrṇa, both remain Pūrṇa."
Filming location: Vép, Hungary
