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Om gurur Brahma, gurur Viṣṇu, gurur Devo Maheśvara, gurur Sākṣāt Param Brahma, tasmai Śrī Gurave namaḥ. The root of meditation is the guru’s form, the root of worship is the guru’s feet, the root of mantra is the guru’s word, the root of liberation is the guru’s grace. Om śānti, śānti,... to the Lord of the heart, to the Lord of the great man, to the emperor of compassion, the supreme swan, to the Lord Madakṛṣṇa, to the universal guru, the great lord, the supreme swan, to the Maishvanshi true spiritual master. Om, śānti, śānti, śānti. Śānti means peace. Today, the theme of our conversation is peace—the peace that politicians, religious leaders, and extremists would achieve together. This is a difficult topic, sometimes seeming like a helpless one. Now, let us begin. Before we start, I wish to acknowledge that today is a wonderful day for Amritmā, my mother. We all know her here. So, dear Amritmā, in the name of all your sons and daughters, and perhaps also your grandchildren and great-grandchildren in this āśrama, we wish you abundant health, long life, and the blessings of your teacher, Mahāprabhujī, and our entire lineage of teachers. Last time, the topic was love. After the webcast, Niranja Purī said to me, "Yes, Jogeś, you spoke quite well, but you looked somewhat sad." I probably look sad today as well. Perhaps I lose myself in sorrow, for sorrow is part of my everyday being. It may be because the one I have been seeking and loving for the past twenty years in this ashram somehow always slips away, hides behind some curtain, is always removed, rustling before some veil. It is he and we. That desire, that longing to reach him, to become him, is the sorrow present in every life, every day, every moment here in the world. I then turn that sorrow elsewhere, seeking the reasons why sadness deepens, why one becomes angry. I see dissatisfaction with close colleagues, dissatisfaction with politics, with life in the ashram, with the worldly situation, with wars, and so on. This inability, or forgetting, that we are that divine light—that we are divine beings, beings of light who have come to this planet in a divine play to perform our roles like actors on a stage—is forgotten. We have forgotten we came here to learn something new in this life. This forgetting is the reason for the state of this planet, for countries, for the world as it is. Thus, we get articles like the one published today in Aura. We get chaotic political situations, like those we see all over the world today. We have wars in the name of democracy and helping people who have nothing to do with it. All this is because we have forgotten who we are, because we began to identify with our senses, our emotions, our thoughts. Since we cannot find the true reason for our misfortunes and dissatisfaction, our ego asserts it is always right. If I am right, you cannot be right at the moment we have a disagreement in thought. People who base their perceptions on the ego can only divide themselves, detach from one another, from God. As a result, we have broken families. Look, Christ taught about God. His disciples, who had not attained his level of realization, fragmented his teaching into hundreds of sub-teachings. They splintered it into a hundred different teachings. Now we can talk about a hundred families, sects, or cults. This happens with practically every teaching. Fundamentally, all religions are good religions. There is no bad religion. They all teach the same thing: about God, about goodness. Do good, do not lie, do not steal, do not be violent. No religion teaches you to go to your neighbor and burn down their house. However, what remains of the original teachings of religions, or what is practiced today, is something completely different. So, how can religious leaders contribute to secular peace? They must simply practice what they teach others. They must practice the fundamental principles of the religion they teach and lead. This is not possible merely by believing or repeating what is written. It is possible only through the realization of what has been spoken about. When they realize, when they truly understand that we are not these bodies or this mind, but immortal beings who are part of God, they will be able to speak about this with full authority. They will sincerely work on that which they speak, and practice what they preach; they will not say one thing and do another. In such a case, religion and religious leaders will be all the more welcome in diverse societies. They lived accordingly in the past, and because of this, they had authority and respect. That is why the secular leaders, the state leaders, the kings of that time, listened to them and followed them. That is how India shone. So, enlightened religious leaders and enlightened state leaders existed in India. A great number of names of kings and queens who were enlightened are known. There were many such rulers. Therefore, the condition for the collaborative work of religious leaders, politicians, and the opposition or extremists is a special enlightenment. How to achieve this? Welcome, come to the centers of Yoga in Daily Life, if you have the desire, if you are weary of life as it is today. All paths are open to you, and you have full support to attain Self-realization. Not only within the system of Yoga in Daily Life, but also in all religious groups—if you follow them honestly, sincerely, and with discipline. Do not expect results within a year or even a few months. Enlightened religious leaders and enlightened politicians, or politicians who would follow the guidance of enlightened religious leaders, would lead countries and the world so that people would be happy. There would be no wars between nations, no poverty, no injustice, no crime. Consequently, there would be no extremism either. Extremists are included in this. As soon as you have enlightened religious leaders and politicians who follow them, there is no extremism. Any extremism is merely the response of dissatisfied people to the actions of politicians or organizations with which they disagree. The answer for a happy and peaceful world lies only in spirituality, in self-development, in working with oneself, in understanding that we are divine beings originating from the Divine. We must realize this in the physical world and understand that this is the answer to the situation prevailing in the world today. So once again, welcome. Work on yourselves. Try to overcome or transcend your limitations of the ego, the "I" and "mine." Wait for it. There will be no wars, violence, or suffering on this beautiful planet. With this, I bring this reflection to a close. Thank you for listening. We shall meet next time. We greet each other differently.