Learning in the Gurukul
The Gurukul provides traditional education rooted in Indian culture and spirituality, distinct from modern commercial systems. Education began with the ṛṣis, and the first university was Takshilā in India. Our Gurukul adopts students as Jñānaputra, offering free education. The ancient Pītāmbara uniform symbolizes purity and focus. True education is cultural, ethical, and spiritual, not merely for earning money. Knowledge itself is an imperishable wealth. Sanskrit is the mother of most languages, and Indian culture spread globally. The Gurukul system was dismantled under British rule, replaced by a limited English system. We now blend modern competitiveness with foundational morality, teaching why to use knowledge, not just how. Education must be daily and consistent, like eating. Supporters make this possible.
"Knowledge itself is an imperishable wealth. From the hand, you can steal money... but in the mind, the knowledge, no one can take it."
"We have to have modern education to be competitive in this world. But still, on top of that, Gurudev is trying to put one more layer, which was actually there before."
Filming location: Jadan, Rajasthan, India
Up next
Around the World - Nadlac
Yoga is a practice for both body and mind. It is not merely physical exercise. The postures and breathing are tools to calm the mind and bring inner peace. A quiet mind is the true goal. This inner stillness allows you to connect with your true self. Through consistent practice, the body becomes healthier and the mind becomes clearer. This harmony within reflects as peace in the world.
"Yoga for Body and Mind."
"I wish for peace in the whole world, and for you, I wish good health, peace, harmony, prosperity, and progress."
Around the world - Opening of new YIDL center in Murska Sobota, Slovenia
A new ashram opens to teach the universal path of yoga, a science of body, mind, and soul for inner peace and health. This place was prepared over many years by volunteers spreading authentic yoga, not as a business. Yoga is an ancient universal science of balance and harmony originating with Śiva, beyond any single religion. It is a tool for modern life, where one must find willpower and time for practice amidst societal haste. The practice requires careful, daily effort without competition, adaptable for all ages and conditions. Its ultimate aim is to realize one's relation with the Supreme, fostering health, peace, and universal brotherhood. The future depends on educating children in this spiritual knowledge.
"Yoga is universal. So I see your centers... as centers of universal brotherhood."
"Yoga means balance, harmony, and unity."
Filming location: Slovenia
Advice for practicing pranayama
True sādhanā is devotion from the heart, not mere ritual or fleeting emotion. The Pāṇḍavas failed to invite a ṛṣi for their yajña by citing their lack of performed sacrifices. Draupadī succeeded by declaring that each barefoot step taken toward a sage is itself a hundred yajñas, demonstrating the power of sincere reverence. Similarly, an unlearned brother who held only to God's name could walk on water through devotion, while his scholarly brother could not. Success comes from inner feeling, not external knowledge. Even the science of breath, prāṇāyāma, must be understood and practiced correctly from the heart, not just mechanically. Its purpose is to connect with the universal prāṇa that sustains all life.
"Each and every step taken toward sādhus or ṛṣis is equivalent to one hundred yajñas."
"Your mantras have no power, but you... you have this power that exists nowhere else in the world."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
The Awakening of Consciousness: Kuṇḍalinī and Cakras
The science of yoga is the science of body, mind, and consciousness. Yoga is the eternal balancing principle in the universe, not a religion or dogma. The cosmic vibration, declared as OM, exists within and outside us. Human life is a precious chance within the cycle of rebirth. The human intellect can be trained endlessly, and dormant abilities within are connected to the cakras, or energy centers. The subtle body has 72,000 nāḍīs, or channels, for transmitting consciousness and energy. The mind functions between the subconscious and conscious, taking in impressions that become desires. The intellect's duty is to give judgment. We normally experience three levels of consciousness: waking, dream, and deep sleep. Past deeds create our destiny, or prārabdha karma. The Kuṇḍalinī energy and the cakra system are responsible for developing consciousness and freeing it from subconscious fears. The major nāḍīs are Iḍā, Piṅgalā, and Suṣumṇā, balancing emotion and intellect. Haṭha Yoga unites these sympathetic and parasympathetic principles. The awakening of Kuṇḍalinī is a divine process of becoming wise and calm, not a physical sensation. The cakras are located along the spinal column and are psychic energy centers. They are connected to the five elements and influence the body. Mastery leads towards liberation, the union of individual consciousness with cosmic consciousness. This requires lifelong practice and guidance.
"Yoga is not a religion, it is not a philosophy, it is not a dogma, but it is the eternal principle in this universe."
"The awakening of the Kuṇḍalinī is a divine process; you don't feel it as a physical sensation. You feel happy, as if in the lap of the mother."
Filming location: Zagreb, Croatia
DVD 188
