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Part 1: Welcome and Introduction to Swāmījī and the Path of Yoga I warmly welcome you all on behalf of the German-Indian Yoga Vedanta Society, which has organized this seminar. I especially welcome our guest of honor, Swāmījī, as we call him, whose full name is Paramahaṃsa Svāmī Māheśvarānanda. There is also Madhavānanda—that is the name of his master, which just came to my mind. I am glad that you have all come. Many, I think, already know Swāmījī now. You know that this is an event within a series about the cakras, the energy centers. This is now the third event: today’s lecture and the seminar on the weekend. I would like to briefly introduce Swāmījī for those who do not yet know him or are interested in learning more about who he is, where he comes from, and what he does. Swāmījī comes from Rajasthan in India. He is a Svāmī, that is, a monk—a person who has completely renounced worldly life, in no way pursued any worldly goals for himself, such as becoming rich or famous, but has dedicated his entire life to the service of humanity. That one may still become famous under certain circumstances, even though one does not want it, does not come from Svāmījī; it comes from us, from you. Because people who offer their lives in this selfless way attract others, but not because he wants to become famous. The fact is that he has become quite famous by now. He has thousands of students in many countries, especially in the countries of the former Eastern Bloc. I felt it very clearly when we were at a seminar in May in Czechoslovakia. There, we had pictures of Svāmījī in the windowpanes, and even the customs officers knew who he was. People from other cars greeted and waved. In Czechoslovakia, Svāmījī is truly a well-known personality. When Václav Havel assumed governmental power, one of the first official acts he performed was to honor Svāmījī. It was broadcast on television. That means, in Czechoslovakia, people already really know Swāmījī. A question that is always of interest and asked again and again is: which yoga does Svāmījī teach? There are an incredible number of terms associated with Yoga: Kuṇḍalinī-Yoga, Karma-Yoga, or whatever else. What kind of yoga does Svāmījī teach? My answer is actually always: each one. He teaches the comprehensive yoga according to the classical scriptures, as it is an ancient tradition passed down through millennia. The four classical paths of Yoga—Bhakti-Yoga, Karma-Yoga, Jñāna-Yoga, and Rāja-Yoga—are all integrated. So too are Haṭha-Yoga and, which is why many specifically come to Svāmījī, Kriyā-Yoga. Kriyā-Yoga became known through the book Autobiography of a Yogi. Swāmījī is such a Kriyā-Yoga master, but he does not scatter the Kriyās around just like that. These are very advanced techniques, and only those who have been his students for several years can ask him for a Kriyā. At the center of Swāmījī’s yoga system is Bhakti-Yoga, which I will briefly address later. Since he teaches all these paths of yoga, Swāmījī can guide each student individually on their own path. I want to give an example from myself. After I had been Swāmījī’s student for a relatively short time, I was given the task to write something, to work on something about the different paths of Yoga. In this way, I engaged with it, went after it, and said it was wonderful; I enjoyed the task. And I realized that I am a Karma-Yogī, that is, a person who wants to act, to take initiative, to help, to be there for others. Swāmījī then said, "Well, you are more of a Jñāna-Yogī after all." He contradicted me. And Jñāna is engaging with philosophy, studying the scriptures, the biographies of saints, and also practically using the intellect to learn and study. At first, I didn’t quite understand it, but then I thought, well, okay, if he says so, then I will give it a try. I then engaged with it, immersed myself in it, and after about a year, I went back to Svāmījī when I happened to meet him again at a seminar. I said, "I think that’s wonderful with Jñāna-Yoga, and now I would actually like for us to form a group about it here in Hamburg." And there he says, "Jñāna-Yoga, Bhakti-Yoga. Jñāna arises from Bhakti." Bhakti is something like love, devotion, opening one’s heart. That is a point where I have already had my difficulties, more in the past than today. Well, at first I didn’t really know how I was supposed to do it. What happens? A few months later, Svāmījī sends a guest to my house. And indeed a student of his, who himself is a Svāmī, Svāmī Vajñānānanda, a singer. And just a year ago, I can say, I did not like these songs at all, like the one we just sang. I could endure it, okay, but I cannot say that I was enthusiastic about them. But now he has practically lodged a disciple with me in my apartment, and I have also held him in great esteem. The one who has done this daily—there a drop hollows the stone. And over time, I thought, well, the song is really beautiful. That one too. And so, over time, my heart has opened to bhajans. And this is an important point in Bhakti-Yoga. And only afterwards did I truly understand, when I reflected on what he had actually done with me. He contradicted me about Karma-Yoga because I had already realized it. That was something I already had under my belt, so to speak. I have done that anyway. Then he said, "You don’t need to worry about that anymore, now it is time for Jñāna-Yoga." And when I had engaged with Jñāna-Yoga for a while, he contradicted me again. He said, "Bhakti-Yoga," because that was what was next for me now. And this is such a practical example of how Svāmījī guides his students. A master who has the entire spectrum of yoga at their disposal can guide each student on their own path. And I only understood how that worked about two years later. And I am very grateful to him for that. What is crucial, of course, when one says that Swāmījī teaches this or that yoga, is not just that he has some knowledge about it, but rather, what kind of personality is he himself? What kind of person is this? What kind of aura does he have? What kind of personality does he possess? Who is Swāmījī? The answer is: he is what I need at this moment. I have met students of Svāmījī who, at the moment, actually had only one problem: they were addicted to drugs. For them, he was the drug therapist. Other students were caught up in relationship problems or other psychological issues, as we all are to some extent. There he is, the friend, the psychologist, the therapist, the life coach. He takes on all these roles for every student, whether directly, when one speaks with him, or also spiritually, so that one suddenly understands something. And this, so to speak, comes from Swāmījī through a spiritual path. So he has a thousand roles with a thousand disciples. Everyone receives exactly what they seek, exactly what they need. However, one point is important: he never remains stuck there, never. Now it is only about someone who is on drugs to simply move away from the drugs. Because afterwards he is drug-free, yes, and? He still has not progressed further on the spiritual path compared to anyone else who never used drugs from the beginning. Rather, he strives to spiritually nurture each student so that they can develop. In that sense, he is much more than a drug counselor, a therapist, a life coach, and all those things. He is a master. And that is a matter of his personality. Swāmījī is a person who has realized what the goal of yoga is. And that is what sets him apart from most other yoga teachers or, I would say, self-proclaimed yoga masters. Swāmījī never claims to be a master. Each one must discover that for themselves. Yes, the question is: how do I find that out? I can tell you that, I mean it, but you say, "No, I don’t see it that way." How can one find that out? And there is a beautiful saying in The Little Prince by Saint-Exupéry, which you might also know: one sees well only with the heart. What Svāmījī has to convey to us is not intellectual. I know a yoga teacher who once attended a lecture by Svāmījī, and he is actually very intellectual. I was truly surprised that he came. Afterwards, I received a card from him and he said, "Yes indeed, I liked it, do keep me informed when your Guru comes to Hamburg again." Then I did that, and suddenly I received a bitterly harsh reply from him: "What would you say if I constantly overwhelmed you with all kinds of information and so on? And by the way, I would tell you that your husband is second-rate." Literally. And when you place these two letters side by side like that—I still have them—you think, something just isn’t right there. Once he said he enjoyed it and wanted to come to the next seminar, and then he said, "Your husband is second-rate." What happened there? His intellect took over. When he met Svāmījī, he felt something. Something has shifted in the heart. He felt, yes, there is an aura. And afterwards, his intellect came and destroyed it all again. And he said, "But what he said wasn’t really that great." And then suddenly comes the judgment: "Your husband is second-rate." And I believe that if we truly want to understand Swāmījī, what he wishes to give us, then we must indeed use our intellect, but far more importantly, open our hearts. What Swāmījī wants to tell us, he essentially conveys between the lines. This is the message of love, the message of the heart, the message of peace. An important point with Svāmījī is, for example, something he speaks about in almost every lecture, almost every seminar—if not every seminar—that in our love we should not only include human beings but also animals as our brothers and sisters. And from this arises the urgent injunction for every Yogi to follow a vegetarian diet. This is a point that is very close to Swāmījī’s heart, and because of that, I would like to emphasize it right now. And whenever one meets Svāmījī, there is also the opportunity for anyone who wishes to become his disciple. But he emphasizes this one point and says, only the one who follows a vegetarian diet or at least declares that they will start doing so can become my disciple. Because if one cannot even extend their love to the animals, then the conditions are not yet present. Then one is still not capable of practically becoming a disciple. I wish for you, therefore, not only to engage with Swāmījī and his message through your intellect but to let them resonate within your heart. And I wish you a pleasant evening and now kindly ask Svāmījī to begin his lecture. May it bring auspiciousness, well-being, and wealth; may it destroy the knowledge of enemies. Salutations to the lamp of light, the lamp of light is the supreme Brahman. The lamp adorns all that is enchanting, the lamp of the evening is eternal. Oṃ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ... Ādarśa te, O Cosmic Light, Light of my Heart, Light of the Universe, Forgive us Harmony, Understanding, Love, and Peace. Destroy all the evil thoughts and negative vibrations. My adoration to Thee again and again. Peace, peace, peace. Blessed Self, dear spiritual seekers, good evening. Yoga is our topic, and Gunther has spoken so much, so many good things, he has given me so many flowers. Thank you very much, Gunther. I am an ordinary person, a human being like all of you here. I am also a student. I try and strive to help people and all living beings. Today, I am especially very happy to speak about the Maṇipūra Cakra. The Maṇipūra Cakra, like all the other cakras, is very important. But before that, I would like to repeat once more what cakras mean. Why should we work on the cakras? What is Yoga? And what kind of Yoga are we practicing here? Gunther told it very well. Yoga is the origin of all spiritual paths. Yoga is the origin of spirituality. That means all religions, all kinds of spiritual thoughts come from Yoga. The oldest spiritual scriptures are called the Vedas. Vedas means knowledge. They are over 20,000 years old and were written by Vedavyāsa, the holy Ṛṣi, the Yogi, through his meditations. And the Vedas are a science, or these are the messages which are given from time to time to mankind. And the Vedas are a wisdom, a science of the entire universe. And we are also a part of the universe. And the Vedas, which were written, or the Vedas that we have brought here for us, they were also Yogis. Only through the power of Yoga, only through Yoga realization, can one understand all of this. In the Bhagavad Gītā, God Kṛṣṇa spoke to Arjuna, "Arjuna, whenever darkness arises, whenever people begin to suffer, then I incarnate again with my Yogamāyā." Through my Yoga-Śakti. Kṛṣṇa is one of the incarnations of God, the wholeness or the complete God. And even Viṣṇu, God Viṣṇu, also needs the help or power of yoga. Now, what Yoga actually means—it is indeed difficult to explain everything. Because yoga has simply become an emblem. It has become merely a symbol. And at some point, every symbol had its meaning. Slowly, slowly, either lost or neglected by people, and it has remained just like a symbol. When one speaks about Germany, it is a word, Germany, but it means the whole country, everything. German people, German culture, language, and so on. And so Yoga means union, union of the individual with the divine Self. And yoga practices mean reunion. Why reunification? Because we are all part of the cosmic Self, of the divine Self. Our origin is God, and through various practices, no matter which, nothing has to be exactly as these yogis say—Bhakti Yoga, Karma Yoga, Jñāna Yoga, Rāja Yoga, Kriyā Yoga, Satya Yoga, Mantra Yoga, Japa Yoga, Nāda Yoga, Brahma Yoga, Kainā Yoga, Tso Yoga, all of them. The main thing is that we reach our goal, that is what matters. The color of our car or airplane, or its shape, is not very important. What is important is that we safely arrive at our goal, and that this is significant. And therefore, everyone should feel free, and everyone has their own decision; each is free to decide how they wish to continue this life and which path is right for them at this moment, so that they may reach their goal. We all have a goal. All living beings, whether humans, animals, flies, and so on. The goal is one. And the goal is clear for all of us. For example, we would like to go to Berlin tonight. When I say the word Berlin, it is very clear. Very clear where Berlin is and so on. But we are still not in Berlin. And so, our goal is clear: the goal is God-realization, God-union, self-realization, but the goal has not yet been realized. And each one of us, we are seekers, we seek help, a path so that in this life we may reach there more surely. The goal is one, but destiny is ordained. There is one destination, but a different destiny. And destiny has been created by the individual. Each one of us has our own destiny, and we are responsible for our destiny. Now, what does reunion mean? We have a very practical and clear example, which I have also mentioned before when I was in Hamburg. Once there was Germany, and then Germany was divided into two parts, East Germany and West Germany. What was in between? A boundary, a border. And now, this border is gone, and once again it is just one Germany, which today is called the GDR. The boundary was ignorance; it was complex uncertainty, religious problems or political problems, and because of that, doubt or dualism stood in between. Now everything has become clear, dualism is gone, and Germany is united once again. And so between God and the individual stands a wall, an obstacle, a border—and that border is ignorance. Of course, I do not mean to say that you are all ignorant. You are very knowledgeable, you are all much wiser, more sacred, and so on. But I believe something is still missing. We should reflect more on this, discuss it, and strive to overcome the conflict or ignorance—the darkness that stands between the Self and God. And that is only in the intellect. The intellect is the greatest arrow of the spiritual person, because the intellect belongs to Yoga or our path, but the intellect is only a dry, plastic runoff. It is written in the book, such and such, the book says such and such, Veda, Upaniṣad, Bhagavad Gītā, Bible, Qur’ān, okay, the book says such and such, but how certain are you yourself? So practical experiences are very important. A ton of theory is nothing compared to a gram of practice. So my path, which I follow, is a practical path with devotion, with love. Love for whom? For all living beings. Part 2: The Path of Yoga: Union Through Love and Inner Fire Whoever wishes to love God should not love merely a statue, an image, or an altar. If we wish to love God, then we should love His children. And His children are His creation. There is one Creator who has created the entire creation, and the entire creation is the creation of one Creator. In this whole creation, human beings are also included. People are nothing special. And so, love your neighbors for who they are. Yoga means union. This union can only take place when one has the same qualities or attributes. Consider this example: I take a glass with liquid, water inside. You cannot see at all what is inside. I drink from the glass and say it is salty. The water is salty because there is salt in it. This means the salt has dissolved but has not united with the water; it has not become one, for it has retained its own qualities. But one does not speak of salt in salt; salt is already contained in salt. There, quantity decides. Thus, quality is united. When we have the same quality in our thoughts and in our feelings, then we become one with God. As long as we have this essential separateness, we will always feel as an individual, feel as an extra. The first thought of the yogī was: how can I lead myself back, or unite with God? The answer is love. Love binds. And what kind of love is it supposed to be? According to the yogī or spiritual love, the yogīs then began to pray, meditate, repeat mantras, and help. The greatest love is to help someone. Helping is the best part of religion, the best principle of religion; it means a task, a principle, a duty. The best religion is to help. That is why it is said in Indian philosophy that God Himself incarnates only to help humans or other beings. We all need help. Without love, one cannot help at all. Where there is genuine help, everyone feels very comfortable and grateful, whether they are humans or animals. Yoga is an ancient principle of reunion with God. This yoga has four main paths: Bhakti, Jñāna, Karma, and Rāja. Yoga in daily life means practicing all four parts of yoga every day, and we do them all. When we advise someone, speak, teach, or give instructions, then we practice Jñāna Yoga, the yoga of wisdom and knowledge. When we work, no matter where—at home, in the office, or somewhere on the go—no matter what kind of work it is, every work is an activity, and this work means Karma Yoga. When we speak beautiful, good words, think of someone with love—of God, a friend, children, a partner, or someone else—that is devotion, that is Bhakti Yoga. Without love, without Bhakti Yoga, life cannot continue to exist. The person who says, "I am not religious, I am an atheist," is also the best Bhakti Yogī. Atheists have such a big heart; they are ready to give everything to help. Wherever there is the feeling of giving, of understanding, that is Bhakti Yoga. Then there is reflection, contemplation. For example, we are driving a car and the traffic light turns red. What should I do? Should I continue or stop? It depends on where I am. In Germany, it is not allowed. Perhaps in China or in India, for example, when there is no one left on the left or right, no one comes, so we continue on. As soon as I stop, a thought immediately arises; a red light returns to my consciousness. My consciousness transmits this light to my intellect, and the intellect says, stop, because there is danger. To contemplate something, to reflect on something, to analyze something, this is a form of concentration. Calling someone, knowing the phone number by heart, or thinking about which one it is—this reflection is already a kind of concentration or meditation. In Yoga, you are encouraged to think even more deeply, for longer, close your eyes, and meditate a little longer; that is then Rāja Yoga. So we all do the same every day; this is Yoga in daily life. Then comes the next part of Yoga, which is very well known in Europe, namely Haṭha Yoga. Haṭha Yoga in Europe is also very much misunderstood. Haṭha Yoga is another form of technical purification of the body, from within: Netī, Dhautī, Bastī, Naulī, Trāṭaka, Kapālabhātī—nasal cleansing, intestinal cleansing, and so on—inner techniques. But normally, here, when one understands, Yoga has physical exercises and breathing exercises. Breath exercises and physical exercises are a part of yoga that were originally intended more for the physical aspect, for physical health. This type of yoga, Haṭha Yoga, is also very important to practice correctly because one must have the proper knowledge of which practice affects my body, my breath, my mind, my emotions, my consciousness, and my soul in what way. These yoga exercises are not gymnastics exercises, but psychosomatic exercises. One can perform āsanas like a sport, but the advanced yogī practices āsanas as a way to further build his spiritual temple, very carefully building up one’s inner temple. In yogic Sanskrit, there is a word Tapasyā, Tapa. Tapa is a word where the saints or yogīs sit for many, many years and meditate, making great efforts and leading a disciplined life. That is called Tapa. Tapa means heat, heat or fire. Tapasyā is translated as austerity. I don’t know how to translate it into German, but it means endurance, toughness—not asceticism, but enduring all difficulties. The fire principle among all five elements has several functions, and fire has two forms: Nirguṇa form and Saguṇa form. A fire that has not yet been awakened, and a fire that is already awakened. In this piece of iron, there is also fire, but when I touch it, it is completely cool. There it should be set into motion; then fire can also be generated from the friction. The second type of fire lives within us. This is an important point for us today, because it is the Maṇipūra Cakra. Tapa means inner heat, the inner heat that works through all karmas, thoroughly purifies the karmas, and expands the mind, developing spiritual spirituality. The soul is like a glass sphere, and all around this sphere there are flames and radiations like auras. There is the yogī or practitioner—one is the yoga practitioner and one is the yogī. A yogī is one who has united their self with the divine Self, allowing no more duality. That is a yogī. Whoever has not yet realized anything is called a practitioner of Yoga. We are all practitioners of Yoga; we are still trying. This yoga practitioner, the yogī, who practices, strives through concentration to cultivate inner willpower. This willpower, the inner strength, is the Tapa. This tapa is very important for us. It possesses us. I lack the right word to say; language is a second problem for me. But, for example, there is a nest; in the nest are eggs, and always the bird, the mother, goes and sits on the eggs. What does it do? It protects. But they are not only protected, they also... Ah, next time I will write, then we will repeat after. Thank you. I’m sorry for my language problem, but I believe you understand half Viennese and half like this and half Indian, right? This soul has its tapa, its energy, and this energy is a Prāṇaśakti, Prāṇa. This prāṇa, right at this moment, I can say, is our tapa. This tapa can be destroyed by too many movements, a wrong movement, a wrong thought. Therefore, a yogī does not engage in excessive exercise, does not make rapid movements, but rather moves deliberately very slowly. This tapa, this energy, can also be destroyed through food. Such important nourishment for yogīs who meditate extensively is very suitable: more grains and all kinds of root vegetables. Root vegetables support this tapa, this energy that we need for spirituality. There are many yogīs in the Himalayas; much is spoken about the Himalayas. In the mountain caves of the Himalayas, yogīs sit and meditate, and they have a special system of nourishment. There is a kind of root, almost as large as a pumpkin, called Kandamūla in Sanskrit, the name is Kandamūla, and this Kandamūla is that large. No one knows where to find it or what it looks like. The yogīs who live there, the Master imparts secrets about where it is and how to find it. This Kandamūla, they bring a large one and then put it into hot water. Two elements are important: fire and water. This Kandamūla, they put it into hot water and every day cut a small piece and eat it. A small piece, once eaten, then for several hours—24 hours or 30 hours or 40 hours—one has no feeling of hunger or thirst. This is very important because this type of food, or this Kandamūla, when consumed, has very little bulk, meaning an expansion, so you don’t need to go to the bathroom as often. This is very important for a yogī. So, nourishment is also very important for this Tapasyā, to carry out a Tapa, because the Maṇipūra Cakra is a fire center. Now, after all this, I would like to return once again to our own topic: a human being or another living creature. We all have our own phenomena. We exist; we have our own existence. This phenomenon has five types of polarities. Our soul possesses these five types of this polarity within the soul itself. Within this phenomenon, there are three important principles. A principle that is important for the soul that journeys for several hundred years or thousands or millions of years in this space. The space is infinite, through light, through darkness, through various situations, and so on. When the soul manifests again, it comes into a form—we speak of our planet—then it connects with a polarity called bioenergy, this bio-polarity. When it enters into this bi-polarity, that is, we are in physical existence, there we have two important principles again, namely thinking. Thinking has two types: positive thinking and negative thinking. Thinking is the main principle of our actions. We do what we think. We speak what we think. The roots of all our karmas lie where we think. Thinking depends on the four inner functions. These four functions are called Antaḥkaraṇa; in Sanskrit, they are named Mana, Buddhi, Citta, Ahaṅkāra. Mana is the mind, Buddhi is the intellect, Citta is the consciousness, Ahaṅkāra is the self or ego. One thinks according to these four principles. If the mind, intellect, all of that is pure, then one thinks positively. If something is not right, then one thinks negatively. Everyone is free to think. Some think loudly, some think quietly. It depends on who can read thoughts; then that one hears everything. Negative thoughts poison our phenomena. Positive thoughts purify our phenomena. Positive thoughts illuminate the phenomenon. Negative thoughts cause the darkness in phenomena. What do light and darkness mean? Darkness means all kinds of misfortunes, pains, illnesses, sorrows, disappointments. Everything that comes as negative is the dark side of our phenomenon. All kinds of feelings of bliss, joy, happiness, harmony, love, peace, and so on are the light. Both darkness and light have an origin, and this origin is from the soul. The soul has several functions. One of these functions is very important for us: that we think positively. The soul in this phenomenon is not just these three vibrations. The soul itself has two vibrations: negative and positive. If my soul has more negative vibrations, my phenomena completely filled with negativity, then that means my phenomena will be directed after the death of the physical body towards where negativity is. If there is more light in a phenomenon within my body, then after death my phenomenon will be directed towards where the light is. So, darkness means hell. Hell means pain, misfortune, diseases, and so on. Why? Because the quality is uniting. Salt in salt, gold in gold, sugar in sugar, milk in milk. So it is light in light or darkness in darkness. After the death of this body, when this body is left behind, our phenomenon still has four qualities. These are the Prāṇamaya Kośa, Vijñānamaya Kośa, Manomaya Kośa, and Ānandamaya Kośa. These are the four kośas. Manomaya Kośa is the thought-will, the mind, the mental body. Vijñānamaya Kośa is the intellectual body. This microphone is the Vijñānamaya Kośa. It is the intellect of the human being. Man has said that he has an intellect. Ānandamaya Kośa is the emotional body. All these four types of body are, how shall I say, sticky; they stick, they adhere everywhere. One tries to let go, but it clings here; letting go from here, it clings there. And so, one after another, problems or matters surrounding this individual soul arise. Through prayer, through meditation, through exercises, through concentration, we try to purify our phenomenon to such an extent that it no longer stagnates, that one day it dissolves by itself, and the light becomes one in light. All around this phenomenon, there are energy centers. Just as, for example, we imagine that there is a glass sphere or a diamond that is so large and illuminated from every side, we see rays of light coming from everywhere. Thousands of rays of light have come. So this phenomenon is alive. It is alive; it is not dead. Life means life. Life will never die. Life wanders. Life changes. But always life. The body never dies. The body also continues to live. The body lives on eternally. This body, the soul is gone, we say it is dead. It is dug into the earth. After some time, it becomes a very good fertilizer for the earth. Amitābha, Amitābha... Water principle in water, earth in earth, air in air, Ākāśa, not ether, Ākāśa, space, space in space. All around this individual himself are thousands or millions of rays of light, coming and going, coming and going, to sit and to feed, to give as nourishment to the soul. This energy radiates from the entire universe and comes. Some centers are so strong, where a powerful energy comes and goes or is even produced by itself. From these, we now come to the human form. A person has thousands of cakras in their body. These thousands of cakras are everywhere, at every millimeter of the body, all around in every direction. There are several cakras on the palms. Coming home and taking a magnifying glass to look, the fingertip has a cakra, a beautiful form. What one index finger has, the other index fingers do not have. Perhaps something completely different. All the fingertips, everywhere there are the cakras, everywhere there are the different centers and different meanings. All the millions of people in the world all have something different on their right thumb. There is no one who says my thumb lines or those of others are exactly the same. Therefore, even in seriousness or in a serious situation, one must always keep their fingers crossed. That does not mean that one cannot sign, but a signature can be imitated, whereas this palm line cannot be imitated. Why? Because these lines on the hand are according to our destiny. It is my destiny. My destiny and your destiny or somebody else’s destiny is completely different. According to my destiny, my energy centers began to function. According to my destiny, it is also my palm lines. That was just for one handful, but there are many, many cakras. The main cakras are placed where each joint occurs: at the finger joints, wrist, elbows, shoulders, and toes, ankle, knees, hips, and so on. Then there are several cakras along the spine. At each vertebra, there is a cakra. Thus the Yogi said that in the human body there are 72,000 nāḍīs, nerves. There are 72,000 nerves in the human body. Those who do not believe should start counting tomorrow. Unfortunately, we have no other choice. So the Soul Medicine says, no, nothing is true. Well, that is a contradiction. The Yogi said it is true, and medicine says nothing is wrong. So, in the meantime, I have found a solution. This very good solution is that these are the energy centers, these are the different functions of the nerve, that a nerve within one millimeter can have ten different functions. Part 3: The Symbolism of the Y and the Energy Channels For example, let us take the letter Y. The Y is a very beautiful symbol. There is the Y as well. Now, the end at the bottom, where the Y begins, has a kind of energy. It flows up to the point where it divides into two. There is a third type of energy at that junction. One branch goes to the right side, the other goes to the left side. What moves to the right has a different kind of energy. What moves to the left has a different kind of energy. And the ending of each branch has a different kind of energy again. So there are seven different types of energy in this small section of the Y, or the nerves. Everywhere a nerve twists, we have a cakra, or a center, with various functions. These are the 72,000 nāḍīs. This means that cosmic energy constantly penetrates the human body through 72,000 channels. We are connected with these 72,000 channels, and among them, three are very important: Iḍā, Piṅgalā, and Suṣumnā. This is the left sympathetic, the right sympathetic, and the Central Nervous System. The left function of this nāḍī is connected with our emotional life. All kinds of emotions, the mind as emotion, is bound to the left principle. The right side is connected with consciousness. Where emotion and intellect are in balance, life becomes easier. But if one is one-sided, then life becomes difficult. How does it happen that one becomes one-sided? Because the mind tries to create something. The mind has so many desires, endless desires. When the mind creates something, that is called a state. The state is created by the mind. It is not the state that created the mind, but the mind that created the state. Now, when the state goes too far and must go further, and when the state can no longer keep anything under control—the mind or the intellect—then what happens? The mind leaves the state alone, and it goes away. We all know, a state without the mind is very dangerous. A single state and a single mind are very dangerous. Therefore, the state is the right side: consciousness, activity, creativity. And the mind is the emotion. So through emotional thinking, we are creating something. Building is alright, very good, to create something. But with intellect, with consciousness, we must keep it under control. We have the feeling to get to Berlin faster, and we are on the highway, and we want to drive faster. These are our feelings, our emotions. And we accelerate, driving at 100, 200, 250 km/h, and then maybe 300, and then comes the curve. The emotional one says, "I’m sorry." The emotional one says, "Sorry," and firmly says, "I can’t manage anymore." So now, only an accident can happen. So between intellect and state, emotion and consciousness, there must be a perfect balance. Among these 72,000 nāḍīs, the two channels, Iḍā and Piṅgalā, specifically draw energy from the body. They draw energy from entire parts of the body. The left and right sympathetic nervous system. The Central Nervous System, Suṣumnā, takes energy directly from the cosmos. That is then the purest consciousness. When in the yogi this nerve, Suṣumnā, is awakened, then it is the state of Samādhi. Samādhi means the state where knowledge, the knower, and the object all unite; that is Samādhi. Left sympathetic, right sympathetic, and central nervous system—when all three harmonize, then this prāṇaśakti rises, and one begins to see light, Illuminating Insight. Why Insight Illuminating? Because then one is directly connected with the channels that draw directly from cosmic energy. We are giving and taking. These three nāḍīs begin from the back, from the brain or head, the small of the brain. They reflect here, where there is now a brow center. It is also said that the third eye of God Śiva, when the third eye opens, snaps shut, then everything burns like a laser. It is said that the first reader thereby has seven eyes, that is, the third eye. What does burning mean? It means that when the third eye opens, everything is clear, everything is pure, no more problems. What is the third eye, what does it look like? The third eye signifies wisdom. Where there is wisdom, where there is knowledge, where there is light, there is no darkness existing. Without light, darkness cannot exist. So, opening the third eye means wisdom. Not that here an eyeball and an eyelid will open and then blink like that. I have not seen anyone like this until now. This is wisdom. They are symbols. The entire language, for example Kuṇḍalinī—we will also come to this topic tomorrow. Once again, Serpent Power. Why is it called the Serpent Power? These three nāḍīs: one begins from the left, another from the right side, and one is in the middle. The left principle, which immediately moves from the left, makes a curve, and goes to the right. The cross passes through this Suṣumnā-nāḍī, and the right one also curves and comes to meet the left, then moves to the left. Where these two nāḍīs now intersect, namely this consciousness or energy, they then connect directly with the Suṣumnā, which directly receives the cosmic energy. Where these three nāḍīs now come together, a very strong cakra is formed. In yoga, it is one of all the cakras. The right one that went to the left goes back to the right, and the left one goes again to the left, and where they come together, that will become the third center. And so on the nāḍīs flow. According to the symbolism and name of this serpent power, it does not mean a snake, but rather like serpentines. We can now go to the Alps or to Tyrol or to Austria, but please say that your brakes are good, because these are the roads in the mountains and we have to drive on serpentine roads. You say, "God’s will, we should ride with the snake?" Well, I’m not riding that. So that does not mean the snake; it was just symbolically referred to as the snake curve. Many people understand Kuṇḍalinī-yoga, the serpent power, as something that rises up. My God, how unpleasant it is when something weighs you down. I do not like at all when something weighs down from my spine upwards. When one feels something and it moves, then it is high time to go to a doctor and say, "Doctor, please look at what is moving within me. A living being or a dead one, or what is that within me?" So, this is the misunderstanding about Kuṇḍalinī Yoga. Kuṇḍalinī Yoga is then connected with Tantra Yoga, as they say Tantra. Tantra is also very much misunderstood. In reality, the word Tantra is a beautiful word. "Tan" means to stretch, to expand. And "Tra" means to liberate. So expand your consciousness so far that you unite with all and attain liberation. No complexes with anybody. That is what Tantra means. But of course, most or many people have given a completely wrong picture: Kuṇḍalinī and movement and meditation in movement, and now Kuṇḍalinī rises, and now scream, and if you do not scream, then the Kuṇḍalinī falls back down. And so you should keep on shouting so that the snake moves quickly. For yoga, for yogis, according to all the ancient yoga literatures and Vedas, kuṇḍalinī means wisdom. One becomes wiser and inner abilities are awakened, and as a master of the Self, one can overcome all difficulties on their own and understand why this and that and the other is. One curve follows another. I brought diyas, but since then we have not found a projector. Perhaps tomorrow in the seminar I will demonstrate diyas and show a picture once again, illustrating how it extends all the way to where the spine ends. Where the spine ends, that is the last main cakra of these eight main cakras: Mūlādhāra, Svādhiṣṭhāna, Maṇipūra, Anāhata, Viśuddhi, Ājñā, Bindu, and Sahasrāra. These are the eight main cakras. The entire personality, all our emotional matters, our qualities are hidden within these cakras. Each cakra has its own theme. Today is Maṇipūra Cakra. This is the third center from the bottom. We have already spoken about Mūlādhāra and Svādhiṣṭhāna. Now comes Maṇipūra. How beautiful, the name is indeed beautiful, I like it very much. Maṇipūra. It also sounds like "Maṇipadme hum." Maṇipūra. Maṇipadme hum. A beautiful word. What is Maṇi? Maṇi means a jewel. A jewel. And Pūra means place, town, or spot. So the Maṇipūra Cakra is a center where many, many jewels reside. What does jewels mean? There is no stone inside. That could be the other side, gallstone, not directly there. So, here is Maṇi, once again a symbol. The ones made from these gemstones or from pearls, those are the precious ones. They are very valuable; a jewel costs a lot of money. It means the essence. The essence of the semi-precious stones, half-precious stones, and precious stones is different. All the other cakras carry different qualities, but Maṇipūra has such a beautiful quality. It is very important for us to understand the cakras. This cakra is a center of fire, energy. There sits precisely this Tapa, which I mentioned before, the power of fire. In Yoga, it is said Jāṭharāgni. In the Bhagavad Gītā, God Kṛṣṇa said to Arjuna, where he describes who he is, He is saying, "I am as a Jāṭharāgni." Jāṭharāgni is a digestive fire. Digestive fire is not like an ordinary fire. The digestive fire is a very important fire in our body. These are the two very important functions: one force that comes in, and a second force that goes out. When these two, prāṇa and apāna, come and go, then they are like a switch in between. Let us take an example: it is a pipe, and inside there is something like a coupling or a switch. If one side applies pressure, the other side locks up. When pressure comes from the other side, then it locks up. How do you say that? A valve. A valve, exactly. It is like a valve, such as prāṇa and apāna. The third important function is called Vyāna. The Vyānaśakti, the Vyāna power, is there in between as a valve. As long as this valve is pulled back and forth by this prāṇa and apāna, our body maintains a proper temperature. Our body will continue to live, and we will be able to digest more easily, think more clearly, and our circulation will be proper. When any disturbances arise in this prāṇa and apāna, then illness enters more quickly. First, perhaps the diabetics. All diabetics have disturbances in this valve, in this prāṇa and apāna. Either too much prāṇa and too little apāna, or too much apāna and too little prāṇa. Prāṇa is the force that enters the body. Apāna is the outward breath, the entire purification. Prāṇa and apāna are present throughout our entire body. One side is strong, the other side is less so. For example, three seminars ago, we once did prāṇa concentration, a healing concentration with healing hands. Many people wish to have healing power in their hands. So, for example, today we can try again, not as healers, but to feel this prāṇa. Today it is about prāṇa and not healing power. Anyone who wishes can join in. Rub the palms slowly. Rub the palms together. It will be very interesting. And those who do nothing will regret it. Experience is experience. I am always in favor of making it adventurous. Rub properly, rub... a little hotter, so that our inner prāṇa becomes stronger. And now, hold like this and feel. We feel a lot of power. All the cakras from the palm spots are currently in function. All the cakras. What I want to say is, now we can feel this prāṇa and apāna, what we are doing. It is far, that is a 10 cm distance, but one can feel how the stance was. We have made this side, but if we place one hand, for example, on the other side, the palm, then we do not have this feeling. That feeling is not there. And when I come back here, then I have that feeling again. So, this exercise, for example, we have learned a simple exercise, very valuable. Winter is coming soon, hands will get cold, so you can do these exercises to warm our hands. Those who want to continue further can rub their healing hands like this and place them where there is pain. It will help, 90%. If someone has a cramp, stomach ailment, lower abdominal cramp, or severe pain anywhere, quickly warm your hands, lie down, and place them on the area; the cramp will dissolve. It is practical, it is not theory. It is real, it is true. This prāṇa and apāna and the valve in between are very important. The valve is located from the navel up to here. From the sternum, where the sternum is, in this direction here. Its movement has been measured in paths, which is written as long, exactly as long as this finger. Everyone can measure this; it is exactly the center from the navel to here, everyone has this length. This valve moves back and forth, transmitting this power and drawing in more power. The prāṇa, most of the time, what we take in, the majority of the prāṇa is indeed through the nose. We breathe in. As we inhale, this prāṇa enters, crossing over the Maṇipūra cakra. Tomorrow I will show you that. Hopefully, I can get a slide projector here. The energy flows into the Maṇipūra cakra, and it spins upward and opens. Prāṇaśakti is what takes in, Apānaśakti is what gives back. When Apānaśakti is stronger, then the yogi enters Samādhi or meditation. As long as this Apānaśakti is not strong enough and cannot unite anything, one cannot enter Samādhi or the highest meditation, because naturally, the path of meditation proceeds. Why specifically the navel? The navel center is the important center for our manifestation, for our development, for our body as a whole. We were connected to the womb through our navel. The navel center is very important because it is the center of crises. According to the Hindu methodology, it is shown that Viṣṇu lies relaxed, and from Viṣṇu’s navel emerges a lotus, and from that lotus comes Brahmā, and Brahmā is the Creator. From the navel comes the lotus flower, and from the lotus there is the Creator, Brahmā, and thus it was created. So this is the symbol. From this lotus flower, from this Maṇipūra Cakra, comes our creative energy—that is, the energy through which we think, the energy through which we work, our intellect and our memory power; everything is very much dependent on the navel center. The seat of the word is in the navel. The seat of the word is in the navel. There are three stages of the word: Parā, Paśyantī, and Vaikharī. Parā is the navel, secondly the throat here, and thirdly the lips and tongue. This Maṇipūra Cakra is a pearl center, where this digestive fire resides, or the Jāṭharāgni. This cakra has a Bīja-mantra, which is "Raṃ." The Rāma-Bīja-Mantra, like every Cakra-Bīja-Mantra, signifies a vibration or resonance. When one listens to the resonance of the navel cakra, one hears this vibration "Raṃ, Raṃ,... Raṃ." Each cakra has a vibration; one can hear it. Of course, it is difficult to place one’s own ear on one’s own navel. It would be good to let someone hear you. There you can hear the pancreas, they say. The pancreas. There you can hear the sounds of the pancreas. The pancreas is located exactly where the Maṇipūra cakra is. They say 10 petals. 10 petals or 10-petalled lotus flower. Why 10? Because this prāṇa is divided into 10 functions: Prāṇa, Apāna, Samāna, Vyāna, Udāna. Prāṇa, Apāna, Samāna, Vyāna, Udāna—these are the gross functions of the prāṇa: inhale, drawing in the power; exhale, the force of release; the prāṇa that distributes nourishment throughout the entire body, aiding digestion and so forth. Then there are the other five parts of the prāṇa, which are called Upa-prāṇa, the subtle functions of the prāṇa. These are Nāga, Kūrma, Kṛkara, Devadatta, and Dhananjaya. Therefore, these 10 prāṇas connect with this navel center. These are the 10 streams. That is why it is called the 10-Petalled Lotus Flower. The Maṇipūra Cakra has various qualities. Those of you who wish to attend the seminar tomorrow and want to know more about it, please be sure to read through this book on the Maṇipūra-cakra today before the brief session begins. I wanted to show you a picture, where is it?