What makes our soul happy
The jīva, or soul, seeks everlasting happiness, paramānanda, beyond fleeting pleasures.
There are temporary happinesses that vanish and cause suffering. The jīva is eternal, indestructible, and cannot be perceived by physical means. It enters and leaves the body freely, untouched by fire, water, or any obstacle. Every being carries this divine light, driven to attain pleasure and remove all pain. Through the five elements, the jīva manifests the ten senses and is sustained by the life forces. Happiness and sorrow reside in the jīva, not in the body. Seeking joy in material objects yields disappointment because the world is impermanent. Disappointment itself is a process of change and growth. Attachment binds the jīva, like a caged bird prevented from flying. Renunciation requires constant movement to avoid forming attachments. The worldly life is inherently a place of disappointment, even for the Creator. Clinging to relationships brings suffering, for all are transient. Temporary pleasures inevitably turn into pain. Therefore, one must seek paramānanda, the supreme, undying bliss. The jīva is like a drop suspended over the ocean of ātmā; upon merging, individuality dissolves, and it becomes Śiva. All spiritual practices aim for this union, where the jīva finds true peace.
"Each and every entity carries the light of God, and that light of God is not for this body only but for that soul, and that soul is life."
"This jīva is like a drop of water on the whole of our palm, held over the ocean. This drop is jīva, and the ocean is ātmā."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
Up next
Help for Nepal
Compassion and selfless service are the supreme spiritual practice. A devastating calamity has struck Nepal, causing immense suffering. The global community, especially India, has provided immediate relief through funds, personnel, and rescue operations. True spirituality manifests as active compassion, seeing all beings as one family. Service to others cleanses the heart and brings profound inner peace, connecting the individual soul to the Supreme. The physical practice of yoga is valuable, but its essence is the union of body, mind, and spirit, symbolized by the sacred sound Om. This universal science of harmonization transcends all religious boundaries.
"Helping hands have more value than folded hands."
"Seva is the supreme Dharma. There is nothing greater than Seva."
Filming locations: Jaipur, Rajasthan, India
Iccha Shakti
The Power of Will and Divine Grace
Whatever you wish, by God’s grace, nothing is impossible. But before expressing a wish, know its nature. God fulfills all desires, good or bad. Therefore, cultivate discrimination first. Without discrimination, desire leads to suffering. A monkey wished for honey, but got a cobra and died. The wish was fulfilled, but without knowledge, it brought death. Humans often desire harmful things. Use intellect to analyze wishes before pursuing them. Spiritual wishes are certainly fulfilled by grace. Pārvatī asked Śiva for a simple teaching. Śiva replied: “I tell my own experience: devotion to God is the ultimate truth.” In Kali Yuga, repeating God’s name is the support to cross the ocean of ignorance. Willpower is a great power, but must be guided by wisdom. Energy is one, manifesting in many forms; use it wisely. With clear will and divine grace, all good is attainable.
"Jo icchā karahī manamai Hari kṛpā durlabh nahī̃."
"Umā kahu anubhava apnā, Hari bhajana eka satya."
Filming location: Vép, Hungary
The Law of Karma: Our First Guru
The law of karma is the fundamental principle governing life and our first spiritual teacher.
Karma means action, a universal law of cause and effect like gravity. It operates through body, speech, mind, and wealth or position. Physical acts are obvious, but mental activities and emotions create even stronger karma. Using wealth or authority to instigate action generates multiplied karma for the instigator. This world is Karma Bhūmi, where we experience, create, and purify karma. The law's purpose is pedagogical, teaching through consequences to overcome negative qualities like selfishness and develop positive ones like compassion. It is a slow and often painful teacher, leading one to seek ethical guidelines and ultimately a guru for clearer guidance. Karma is stored as subtle vibrations in the causal body, accompanying the soul and necessitating reincarnation until all karmas are purified.
"Who cannot give life has not the right to take life."
"The law of karma is our first guru."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
Good Health and Peace
Yoga is the science of the human being, the culmination of life's evolution. Animals evolve toward humanity, but humans can regress if they do not heed divine instruction. Do not kill other creatures; animals kill from ignorance, but humans know better. God is one, like an ocean of which we are all drops. Science progresses but leads away from God, while yoga leads toward God. The ego resides in the heart and brain; one part is for self, the other for all. A yogi must never give negative talk or do negative things to anyone. Life is a staircase; one goes down through harmful actions, and one goes up through respect and care for all creatures. The soul passes through one door determined by our actions. Protect all life; that is yoga.
"Don't kill them. Protect them, love them, protect them, don't kill them. That is yoga."
"Science is good... but we have to come, please, all animals."
Filming location: Brno, Czech Republic
