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I would like to begin by sharing some news from Jadan. Some of you were present at Guru Pūrṇimā and know how beautiful it was. We were sorry it was not on the webcast, but someone in the village accidentally cut the cable the day before, disrupting all telephone lines. While such incidents are not uncommon, it unfortunately made a webcast impossible. Currently, the most pressing matter in Jadan is the need for rain. We had one shower, which was good for the plants but insufficient to fill the talāb (pond), wells, or tube wells. Everyone is waiting. The monsoon months are July, August, and September. A few years ago at this time, it rained very heavily, so we hope this year will also be good. You are all aware of Swāmījī’s project, where he asked everyone to make a saṅkalpa to plant eleven trees. We are planning this in Jadan as well. Our plan, at least for the school, is for every child to plant one tree. Our challenge there is different from here. In Europe, the issue is finding land; in Jadan, we have plenty of land and people would welcome trees on their property. However, with the current water shortage, if we planted in March or April, the saplings would die. We must wait for the rains. While traveling in Europe, I learned how people are implementing this saṅkalpa. In Maribor, they have discussed it with the government and been allotted land. In Bratislava, they are starting discussions to create an entire forest. This reminded me of a broader tree-planting story. I received an email update on the "one billion trees" story from last year. The Prime Minister of South Australia, Mike Rann, reported they are halfway, having planted 500 million trees. As part of the project, active participants have small forests named after them in Adelaide. This story began about twelve years ago in Adelaide. Swāmījī and Premier Mike Rann planted a peace tree. The city had a project planting many forests, and one was named "Swami Maheśvarānandajī’s Forest." At that time, Swāmījī told him, "This is a very small number of trees; you should plant at least a million." So, when Swāmījī later asked everyone to plant eleven, we should be grateful it was not fifty-one or one hundred and eight! Mike Rann is a special man who deeply cares for the environment and respects Swāmījī. He kept a large Gaṇeśa from Swāmījī on his desk throughout his eleven years as Premier. He took Swāmījī’s word seriously. Five years later, he visited Jadan privately while Swāmījī was in Europe. We showed him the ashram and village of Bagavas, where the community gave him a wonderful welcome with a band and procession. At the school, he called Swāmījī and said, "Swāmījī, you know how you said about that million trees? It’s done. We’ve actually planted three million." He is not experienced in telling Swāmījī what he has done. He lost all color from his face during the call. After hanging up, he said, "Oh, my. Swāmījī told me three million is nothing and I should plant eleven million." When I asked what he would do, he replied, "Swāmījī said we should do it, so I have to do it." His concern was explaining this to his staff, who already thought three million was extreme. He began the work and later became the president of an organization for leaders of states and provinces worldwide (like premiers, governors, and first ministers). At a meeting in Copenhagen before an economic summit, they were discussing the environment. He was inspired to say, "Why don’t we, between us, plant a billion trees?" There was complete silence for about ten seconds. Then, from beside him came the voice of the vice president, Arnold Schwarzenegger: "I’m with Mike." Suddenly, everyone agreed and pledged trees. The main planting areas are South Australia, California, Quebec, and Scotland (which pledged 200 million trees). The project has strict rules: the trees must be separate from any existing projects. The recent news is that in the area of the original "Swami Maheśvarānandajī Peace Forest," they have created small honor forests for the top contributors: Swāmījī, environmentalist David Suzuki, the premiers of Quebec and Scotland, and Arnold Schwarzenegger—a very interesting group. Now, Swāmījī has given us all the saṅkalpa to start with eleven trees. Who knows where it will end? It need not stop with our yoga community. Why not inspire colleagues or friends? The need is obvious, but it often takes a catalyst like Swāmījī was for Mike Rann. You might inspire someone to plant thousands of trees while planting your eleven. I recall when Swāmījī was in Rio (or São Paulo) planting a peace tree, people commented what a great idea it was, wishing every conference delegate had planted a tree, which would have meant 80,000 trees. In Bratislava, they said 10,000 people are planting trees. Ten thousand times eleven is a significant forest. Please, when you get the chance—autumn is a good time—do not miss being part of this special project. You never know where it will finish. Now, back to Jadan and the school. Since last year, we have had some changes. A representative from a company that makes educational software visited. Their system involves a whiteboard and projector in each classroom, with all curriculum content from kindergarten to twelfth grade stored on a server, accessible in any classroom, complete with diagrams, videos, and explanations. It is designed for India and available in over twenty languages. I loved features like one designed to prevent teachers from just pressing play and sleeping: the lesson is divided into segments, and the teacher must click "next" to continue, ensuring their engagement. It is a tool to help, not replace, the teacher. Indian education can be plain, like a Kriyā Anuṣṭhān diet—teaching from the book with little explanation. This system could change that completely. I assumed it would be too expensive. However, the company was determined to install it in our school as a demonstration site. They supplied all equipment and maintenance staff, and we pay only 50 cents per student per month. It has transformed the school. Walking past, you can see the difference: in rooms with the system, children are engaged; in others, they are less so. In our kindergarten, which had 50 students, attendance usually dropped in the heat of May. This May, because the children wanted to see what would happen in class, we had 47 or 48 students daily. While our school already provided a good education, this has made it alive and fun. Another change was appointing a new principal. We interviewed many candidates and selected a retired government principal. He moved into the ashram and later shared that he had lived with Gurujī in the Jaipur āśram for two years in the early 1970s, doing seva. He was even with Gurujī when Mahāprabhujī took samādhi and dropped Gurujī at the station when he left for Kāṭhu. He said, "It’s funny, I knew Gurujī for so long but never met Swāmījī until two years ago, yet I feel I know him well." When I asked how, he explained that in the early 1970s, when Swāmījī first came to Europe, he and Gurujī corresponded constantly by post. Gurujī would dictate letters to Swāmījī, and this principal would write them. So, he felt part of Swāmījī’s early journey in Europe. He is a fantastic guide for the school, and he came simply by responding to a newspaper advertisement, only recently learning about the school in Jadan. We sometimes have wonderful, if administratively distracting, moments. One day, I was in the office asking about words in a bhajan by Mahāprabhujī, which is in a dialect of Māṛawāṛī different from that spoken in Jaḍā. Our college principal, who is from Merta (Mirabai’s city) and understands the dialect of Kāṭhu, joined in. He mentioned his grandfather used to go to Kāṭhu for satsaṅg with Mahāprabhujī. Then, the president of our society in Jadan (who is also a government school principal but spends most of his time helping us) entered and joined the discussion about the bhajan’s meaning. Soon, we had a fantastic satsaṅg about the bhajan, with stories of their grandfathers going to Kāṭhu for all-night satsaṅg and his time with Gurujī. The school principal, Siddharamjī, told a story from his time with Gurujī in Jaipur. The ashram then was just one small building for Gurujī’s room, a kitchen with a fireplace, one pot, a storage box, and a tin roof. Gurujī liked to sleep outside on the only bed, while he and another boy slept on the sand nearby, dealing with visits from wild animals. To deter animals, they built a small earthen wall and placed spiked cactus on top. He recalled one day they complained to Gurujī about having no food and needing to go to the distant market. Gurujī said, "There’s plenty in the box." The box contained half a dried coconut, two papadum, two papayas, and some sugar balls. Gurujī instructed them to throw it all in a pot with water and whatever spices were available. After cooking it for an indeterminate time, Gurujī declared it ready and exclaimed how good it was. Siddharamjī remembered thinking, "Gurujī, this is not good," but Gurujī was satisfied from within, so the external food did not matter. There is more news from this year, significant for our area. The Indian Institutes of Technology (IITs) are prestigious institutions set up by Prime Minister Nehru after independence. They are world-class; I recall one being ranked fourth globally in engineering in 2008. Admission is intensely competitive, with only about 4,000 seats across the main four institutes. Millions of students take the entrance exam, often after years of expensive private coaching. In our school, a teacher had students who had just finished their 12th-class exams. He told them to revise their 11th-class material and attempt the IIT exam, as they had nothing to lose. One student got in. This caused a sensation in Pali district, where parents typically send children away for expensive coaching. Here was a boy who succeeded through the proper standard of education in 11th and 12th class at our school. He is now studying at IIT Mumbai. This achievement has changed the other students’ attitudes, making them believe such goals are possible. Another story involves the Gyān Putra sponsorship scheme. Two boys from extremely poor families, supported by the scheme for years, graduated 12th class and got into a teacher training course but could not afford it. With help arranged through Hamburg, we supported them. They completed the course and then took the highly competitive government teacher exam, where hundreds of thousands compete for secure, well-paid positions. Both passed. Their lives, and those of their families, are transformed. When they came to the ashram after getting the news, the first thing they did was praṇām at Gurujī’s samādhi. They then pledged that as soon as they start receiving their salary, they will sponsor a child in the Gyān Putra scheme. This beautiful cycle of giving is heartwarming. To all who support our work in Jadan—the hospital, school, rainwater projects, trees—thank you. Lata Brahmaśabhitā Sobhā Satarī Vāvāvā Satarasā Saṅgalo Evo Subhasaṅgati Itra Jāla Sattarī Jāla Sattara Vṛkṣa Chañña Deva Māla. Agar kā havā, agar kā havā koī satsaṅgat se ānanda sukha pā so bhāva sattasārī, satsaṅgat se sattajāgī jāna.