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
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A Journey of Remembrance and Reverence
I recently traveled to pay respects at the samādhi of a revered female ascetic. She was the first female Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara in our tradition, renowned for memorizing sacred texts from a very young age and receiving a title for it. She had a large spiritual family of disciples managing various ashrams. We shared a good connection from past meetings at gatherings and when she visited our Guru. Upon learning of her passing, I journeyed through the night to attend the funeral procession in Ahmedabad, which culminated in her burial at a chosen site outside the city alongside other senior ascetics. It was a full 24-hour journey of remembrance.
"She was the first female Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara in our Akhāṛā."
"Her wish was to have her samādhi in Hargośālā."
Filming location: Jadan, Rajasthan, India
Yoga does not compromise on quality
Yoga is a divine science beyond physical competition. Commercial yoga focuses on demonstrations and greed, but true yoga is a holistic system of body, mind, and soul aimed at union with the universal. It requires self-discipline, not compromise. Our ego and doubts prevent us from accepting others or God. The goal is to realize the cosmic Self, omnipresent and beyond time. Many systems fail, but this eternal path endures because it is universal, not personified. A guru is simply a teacher, but many modern instructors lack true knowledge, like someone teaching driving without ever seeing a car. God acts through us when we do good; negative actions mean a lower force acts through us. If your consciousness holds only God, you cannot act negatively, for light dispels darkness. This light is the wisdom of self-knowledge.
"Yoga is a science of body, mind, consciousness, and soul. Physical exercises are not what we are searching for."
"If you will be aware or conscious about your being, that in your consciousness is nothing existing but only God, then you will never act negatively, because where there is light, darkness will not come."
Filming location: Vép, Hungary
DVD 250
Spirit, Mind and Soul
Spiritual practice requires confronting the impurities that veil the soul. Spirituality is the radiance of a pure soul, expressed as harmony. Impurities accumulate as layers over the soul through negative thoughts, words, and deeds. These obstacles are classified as mala, vikṣepa, and āvaraṇa. Mala is physical, mental, and intellectual impurity; without purification, practice is futile. Vikṣepa is the disturbance of doubt, which destroys trust and confidence. Āvaraṇa is the curtain of ignorance built by negative actions, preventing the spirit's true expression. Lifetimes of learning are but a speck of dust compared to the totality of knowledge. Therefore, one must always be ready to learn and surrender with humility. An inner journey is required to cleanse the five qualities of anger, jealousy, hate, conflict, and doubt. Only then can one become master of oneself.
"Only external purity has little meaning."
"What you have learned is only this much dust of the Himalayas. What you wish to learn is the entire Himalaya."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
DVD 542
Bhajan singing in the Strilky Ashram
The essence of spiritual transmission lies in the Guru's grace and the disciple's receptivity. The sacred words and hymns originate from the enlightened masters. These teachings are preserved in extensive texts. The precise historical details are less significant than the living truth they convey. The fundamental reality is known directly through this grace. Logical analysis of form cannot grasp this essence. The path is sustained by devotion and attentive listening.
"Antaḥ Mūlaṁ Guru Vākyaṁ, Śravaṇa Mūlaṁ Guru Kṛpā."
"Jaha sun chetan hai, aur nazar nahī̃ ānī hai..."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
