Yoga will remove suffering
Yoga is the original, simple science of union, not the myriad of modern imitations. It calms the mind and emotions, which positively affects the entire body. Wrong practice or half-knowledge causes suffering. Choose simple, accessible postures suitable for all ages, avoiding extremes. True yoga encompasses life's entire journey, beginning with the conscious conception of a child. Parents must purify their bodies, minds, and thoughts through harmonious living and specific diets to welcome a noble soul. This care continues after birth with loving protection, proper nourishment, and ceremonies like massaging the infant's chakras. The human birth is a crucial milestone for the soul to escape the cycle of rebirth by cultivating humility and kindness. The first spiritual practice is discerning the eternal truth from the impermanent world. Attachment is the primary obstacle, a persistent glue one must strive to rise above.
"Yoga is yoga."
"Brahma satya and jagat mithyā. The final truth is the Brahman. This world is not permanent."
Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic
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Around the World - 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
International Yoga festival 2017, 21st of November
Yoga is a universal science of balance, harmony, and union, not a religion, though all religions arise from its principles. It encompasses physical, mental, social, and spiritual health. The essence of yoga and Ayurveda together allows the soul to ascend. True education in ethics and morals comes primarily from parents, not formal schooling alone. A pure vegetarian diet is aligned with yogic living. The practice is a vital remedy for modern lifestyle diseases and must be preserved and spread globally.
"Yoga is not part of any religion, but all religions are a part of yoga, because yoga is universal."
"Health is not everything, but everything is nothing without health."
Filming locations: Dharmasthala, Karnataka, India.
Meditation and quality of life
Meditation is the answer to all questions about life's purpose and one's own nature. Humans possess higher aims beyond basic animal functions. Upon waking, one must ask: What does it mean to be human? Do you value this life? Good qualities like love and kindness define humanity and are cultivated through good society and ethical education. The mission of human life is to achieve higher consciousness and self-realization, not merely a routine of work and retirement. Meditation provides motivation, new energy, and a deep connection to the divine self, dissolving stress and confusion. It requires knowing why you practice. Adopt a comfortable posture like Sukhāsana or Vajrāsana. Use a mantra and a mālā of 108 beads. A meditation shawl retains bioenergy and provides protection. "Meditation is a way to thyself, which means to God." "Where there is love, there is unity, and where there is hate, there are wars and quarrels."
Filming location: Bratislava, Slovakia
DVD 508
Vegetarian cooking lesson 11, Kadhi soup, Okra and chapatis
Today we prepare gāṭṭā kadhi, a dish from the Marwa region. The gāṭṭā is a dough made from chickpea flour, yoghurt, salt, turmeric, chilli, and optional ginger and cumin. Mix it only with yoghurt to avoid a soft dough. The sticky dough is like worldly attachment; using oil on your hands is like using the oil of wisdom to handle it. Roll the oiled dough into thin pieces and boil them for 10-15 minutes. Test doneness by seeing if a piece breaks when pulled. Cut the cooked gāṭṭā and add it to the kadhi to cook further. Serve with chapati and a vegetable dish like bitter gourd. For chapati, make dough soft as an earlobe, roll it round without wrinkles, and cook it on proper heat until it puffs up. Ajwain in the dough is healthy. Marwa cuisine uses local, natural ingredients.
"When we touch the besan dough, it sticks very quickly. Then we use the oil of wisdom, which gets rid of the attachment, and then we have the dough nicely prepared."
"The people living there eat only regional food. They know the leaves and fruits growing in their area."
Filming location: Vép, Hungary
