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Asatoma sadgamaya, tamasoma jyotirgamaya, mṛtyormā amṛtam gamaya. Sarveṣāṃ svastirbhavatu, sarveṣāṃ śāntirbhavatu, sarveṣāṃ maṅgalam bhavatu, sarveṣāṃ pūrṇam bhavatu. Lokaḥ samastaḥ sukhino bhavantu. Oṃ tryambakaṃ yajāmahe sugandhiṃ puṣṭivardhanam, urvārukam iva bandhanān. Nirtyurmukhśir māmṛtta nāhaṁ karatā prabhadeepa karatā mahā prabhadeepa karatāhi kevalaṃ oṃ śānti, śānti,... śānti. Our translation today is into Hebrew by our Swāmī Halipurījī. Is it clear? Yes. The translation will be in Hebrew. In our ashram, we produce our own ghee. Ghee is a class of clarified butter that originated in South Asia and is used in the cuisines of India, Bangladesh, Nepal, and Pakistan. In our ashram, we produce ghee from the milk of our cows. Our cows eat only natural food—grass and natural feed—and receive no medicine. They are milked every morning and evening, so we consume fresh milk daily. Fresh ghee is made regularly. The process begins by milking the cows. The milk is brought to the kitchen and boiled. Once it cools to a temperature where we can put a finger inside, we add a spoon of yogurt. Overnight, it all becomes yogurt. This yogurt is then churned to make butter; butter is made from yogurt, not directly from milk. We churn it using a wooden churner and a rope, which also offers a wonderful chance for exercise. At a certain point, we add hot water to separate the butter from the buttermilk. We churn for about ten minutes, adding yogurt without stopping. We then separate the butter from the buttermilk. The butter is placed on a fire. It first boils, and a white froth forms on top. While constantly stirring, we reduce the heat. Residue solids form at the bottom; this is saturated milk fat. On top is clear, golden butter—that is ghee. We filter this butter to obtain the final ghee. Ghee is excellent because it can be stored for long periods without refrigeration. In fact, ghee does not have an expiry date. This process is done almost every week in our ashram. Now, I would like to say a couple of general things about ghee. You may ask, "Why not butter? Is butter not good?" Butter is also good and healthy, but there are significant differences. First, the smoke point of ghee is extremely high, approximately 250 degrees Celsius. This makes it the best oil for deep frying and baking. If we try to fry with butter, the milk solids can burn and create a bad odor. Since no milk solids are involved in ghee, it remains stable at very high heat. Furthermore, people who are allergic to dairy products can often include ghee in their diet because the clarification process removes lactose and casein, which are common allergens. This is also why ghee can be stored much longer than butter. Ghee is not confined to household use. It is very important in Āyurvedic medicine and is also used for pūjās and prayers in Hindu temples, whereas butter's application is generally confined to household use. I would like to continue by discussing how cows are viewed in India. Hindus consider ghee a most precious substance because it was first provided by the sacred wish-fulfilling cow, Kāmadhenu. According to legend, during the churning of the ocean by the Devas and Asuras, many things emerged, including the first cow. In India, it is believed that 33 million gods reside in the body of a cow, which makes her milk and all its products so beneficial. Cows are deeply respected for another reason. After being born to our human mother, the Earth feeds us and is considered our second mother. Throughout our lives, we drink the milk of cows, so they are considered our third mother. This is why a cow is considered to have the heart of a mother. The Indian cow has a hump on the upper part of her back. Special nerves in this hump catch the rays of the sun, which makes her milk slightly yellow. All products from the Indian cow's milk—curd, yogurt, and ghee—are of supreme quality. They are sāttvic, pure. They remove illnesses, help a sick person become healthy, calm the mind, and are especially good for children due to the presence of the sun and gold in the milk. In India, not only cow ghee is consumed. Buffaloes, for example, produce more milk than cows, making their ghee cheaper. However, considering the qualities of these animals, we can see why cows are preferred. A buffalo will eat almost any food, even spoiled food, while a cow in its natural environment never does. Buffaloes are often quite dirty and smell more strongly, whereas cows tend to be clean and smell pleasant. Finally, there is a striking difference in temperament: cows are far gentler, while buffaloes are comparatively more stubborn and aggressive. Because of these qualities, the milk and ghee of a buffalo are considered dulling and tamasic, while cow milk and ghee are considered sattvic, pure, and purifying. Goat ghee is also produced in India, but goat's milk does not contain much fat and has a greater amount of water. Producing ghee from it requires a lot of milk. Therefore, cow and buffalo ghee are preferred. The sacred role of cow ghee is why it is used in temples. Ghee is burned in the Hindu lamp known as the Dīpak. It is also used in marriages, funerals, for worshipping divine idols, and in festivals like Janmāṣṭamī and Mahāśivarātri. On the night of God Śiva and on Janmāṣṭamī, ghee is served as part of pañcāmṛta, along with four other sacred substances: milk, honey, sugar, and yogurt. Of course, ghee is also used extensively in food. People put it on roti, chapati, and naan. Soups and risottos are prepared with it, and it is used in many Indian sweets. I would like to end with the medical properties of ghee. As mentioned, ghee is used in Āyurvedic medicine. Its healing properties include increasing intelligence, enhancing memory power, rejuvenating the skin from within and increasing its glow, boosting body energy, and detoxifying the body. It normalizes Vāta doṣa; an imbalance of Vāta causes disease. It increases the clarity of voice, improves digestion, and increases the digestive fire, yet it does not heat the body—it actually cools it, which is very important today. It is known as a substance that gives longevity and slows the aging process in a steady way by balancing the system. It also has healing qualities for bruises, broken bones, scrapes, rashes, and burns. I will enumerate a couple of practical ways to use it. It is one of the best substances for abhyaṅga, or self-massage. This is beneficial because it bypasses the digestive system, allowing the qualities of ghee to penetrate deeply into the tissues. It is said that 50% of what we put on our skin is absorbed by the body. Massaging the body with ghee also improves the immune system and slows aging. One of the most impressive aspects from my study is this: our bodies contain a lot of toxic wastes in the tissues, many of which are carcinogenic. Most of these toxins can be dissolved only in fat. Drinking water does not reduce these particular toxins. In pañcakarma, Āyurvedic detoxification treatments, ghee is consumed and applied in such ways that these toxins are dissolved and can be removed from the body through purification procedures. Furthermore, ghee is used in many Āyurvedic formulations because it has supreme penetrating qualities and carries herbs deep into the tissues. Its high smoke point is also ideal for preparations requiring heating. Correct usage of ghee can produce a bowel movement; one or two teaspoons first thing in the morning, followed immediately by hot water, will quickly produce this effect. Ghee can be used for tired eyes and in cases of glaucoma, prepared with milk and 13 spices in a formulation called mahātṛphalī. It is an exquisite facial moisturizer. Placing a few drops of ghee in the nostrils can stop nosebleeds, and doing this twice a day can relieve a headache. Beyond rejuvenating the body, Āyurveda has specific tonics for the mind, all of which have ghee as a key ingredient. Its sweet taste nourishes nerve tissue and the brain. A formulation like Brahmikī ghee is prescribed in the fifth month of pregnancy for the mental development of the fetus, as both Brāhmī and Guggulu help the development of consciousness and intellect. Ghee is also prescribed for anxiety, depression, dementia, insanity, and other disorders of consciousness. It is used not only for serious disorders but also to pacify mild anxiety and calm the mind. In this way, ghee can help us maintain or restore our physical health as well as our peace of mind, which is what we are all searching for. Thank you for your kind attention. Śrī Nipanārāyaṇa Bhagavān Kī Je.