Nature of our Atma
The essence of vṛtti and ātmā is the path to oneness.
A good vṛtti is seen as discipline and humility in one's life, observed by others. Vṛtti manifests in two ways: through external discipline from parents and teachers, and through one's inherent nature. It refers to one's actions and habits, such as seeking food beyond what is provided at home. The story of a man at a dinner, whose poor manners spoiled another's meal, illustrates an unconscious vṛtti. The ultimate aim is chitta vṛtti nirodha, the cessation of mental modifications. We are all one, like individual drops from a vast ocean. This drop, the jīva or soul, when it merges back into the ocean, becomes Shiva, the divine. The divine essence is within everyone, pure and indestructible. It is the ever-awakened truth, unaffected by the body or the elements. This inner ātmā is our true, limitless form. The path is through constant meditation and the soham mantra, realizing "He am I," to achieve this silent oneness.
"Stone by stone. And day by day, I will build it, my temple."
"Where are you searching for me? I am within."
Filming location: Vép, Hungary
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Nature of our Atma
The essence of vṛtti and ātmā is the path to oneness.
A good vṛtti is seen as discipline and humility in one's life, observed by others. Vṛtti manifests in two ways: through external discipline from parents and teachers, and through one's inherent nature. It refers to one's actions and habits, such as seeking food beyond what is provided at home. The story of a man at a dinner, whose poor manners spoiled another's meal, illustrates an unconscious vṛtti. The ultimate aim is chitta vṛtti nirodha, the cessation of mental modifications. We are all one, like individual drops from a vast ocean. This drop, the jīva or soul, when it merges back into the ocean, becomes Shiva, the divine. The divine essence is within everyone, pure and indestructible. It is the ever-awakened truth, unaffected by the body or the elements. This inner ātmā is our true, limitless form. The path is through constant meditation and the soham mantra, realizing "He am I," to achieve this silent oneness.
"Stone by stone. And day by day, I will build it, my temple."
"Where are you searching for me? I am within."
Filming location: Vép, Hungary
The Inner Color of the Heart
The inner sanctuary is found through humility and recognizing the divine within all life. True spiritual development is not about external education but inner feeling and simplicity. Observing humble sādhus or retired individuals reveals that peace comes from within, not from diplomas or status. The joy seen in children, animals, and community gatherings reflects this inner state. Even complex knowledge of the body points to a creation beyond human making, directing gratitude to the divine source. All practices should be done with humility and peace, focusing inward where true achievement lies. External actions and knowledge are supports, but the core reality is internal.
"There are some sādhus who have no diplomas, but they possess the supreme diploma: the knowledge of what is truly important."
"Don’t think of your body. Don’t think of your āsanas, your prāṇāyāmas, or other principles... see the soul within us."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
Shiv Mahapuran: Tulsi and Shankachuda
The demon Śaṅkhacūḍa’s invincibility stems from his wife Tulasī’s pativratā dharma. Nārada asks Brahmā why Viṣṇu went to Tulasī’s house, unveiling the origin of Śāligrām and tulasī’s sacredness.
Śaṅkhacūḍa, a Dānava born to Dhūmra through penance, gained Brahmā’s boon of being undefeated by gods. He married Tulasī, a yoginī devoted solely to purity. Their union amplified his power, and he tormented the gods. Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva conferred. Śiva fought Śaṅkhacūḍa for ages but could not defeat him due to two protections: a Kṛṣṇa-given armour and Tulasī’s unbroken marital fidelity. Viṣṇu devised a plan. Disguised as a beggar, he tricked Śaṅkhacūḍa into surrendering the armour. Then, assuming Śaṅkhacūḍa’s form, Viṣṇu deceived Tulasī. Realizing the betrayal, Tulasī cursed Viṣṇu to become stone. Śiva intervened, consoling her that her mind remained pure. She shed her body, becoming the Gaṇḍakī River, while Viṣṇu, by her curse, became Śāligrām stone. Tulasī merged into Vaikuṇṭha and is ever worshipped with Viṣṇu. Śaṅkhacūḍa, weakened, was slain by Śiva’s trident and returned to Kṛṣṇa. The pativratā dharma of a wife grants immense strength; breaching it dismantles that power.
“Viṣṇu Bhagavān Śāligrām Ho Kar Rahe. Isliye Śāligrām Ko Viṣṇu Bhagavān Ke Pratīk Manā Jātā Hai.”
“Śāligrām ke andar me cakra Sudarśana cakra dikhāī detā hai, Viṣṇu kā. Gaṇḍakī me jāke snāna karegā, āśirvād milegā aur sārā pāp chhuṭ jāyegā.”
Filming location: Ujjain, India
