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Part 1: Spirituality and Management: The Inner and Outer Āśram Thank you. Now, Sadhvī Pārvati from Śrīla Kriyā Āśram will give a lecture on spirituality and inner management. Spiritual life and management. Thank you. Thank you very much. Adios. [Addressing practical questions from the audience regarding health and travel.] Spirituality and management. To be honest, I don’t think I’m the right person to speak about this topic. But maybe if it doesn’t matter, I would like to speak about my personal experience regarding Mānasik Pūjā. The man is meant to know my secret. Spirituality is something that helps us, and without spirituality, we cannot do anything correctly. We couldn’t do anything in the right way. What do you think about the management of the ashram? From the view of the ashram, I think that it is important for the ashram to be alive. In the ashram, it is necessary that the spirituality is alive there. Spirituality should be present all the time in the ashram. And as Swāmījī is saying, when we are building the outer ashram, we are building at the same time the inner ashram. If we concentrate only on the outer building, then the work would be halved, and the ashram would not be a real ashram. That’s why it is very important that the sādhanā is practiced—to work on ourselves and to accept the opportunity that is there, the situations that are there. Our relationships to people are a reflection of our inner feelings and of our inner experience. For example, if we have problems with somebody, which can happen everywhere, it’s because these things are inside of us. Either we are not aware of that, or we don’t want to accept that. And if we are able to be aware of that and to purify that, then we will stop minding the behavior of that person. Thank you. [Transition to another speaker.] Well, management and spirituality are very interesting. It is the subject of the world economic crisis. And the management is spirituality, and spirituality is the management. So, of course, this subject is not given to me, so I have no right to talk. But we have much expertise on this subject. And many of our yoga teachers, diploma holders of yoga, are sitting here with their lives. And many organizers, the center managers, as well as the board, the committee boards of the centers, the different centers in the world. And our aim is to bring the positive message of health, environment, spirituality, and self-realization. Among the many, there is a very dear professor, Dayāl Purī. Dayal Dineshki from Slovenia, Maribor, and I think he is getting an award from Yoga in Daily Life for his successful work. So I would like to welcome our dear brother Dayālpuri here. Professor Dayālpuri at the University of Maribor, Slovenia. Please give him the microphone. Professor Dayālpuri's Address: Praṇām Swāmījī, Hari Om, your brothers and sisters. Thank you for this very nice introduction. I hope that my wife agrees. Swāmījī asked me today how we are doing in Maribor regarding the yoga classes. And I told him that we are actually doing very, very good. Management, but the credit is not mine. We are 40 yoga teachers, and we are working; we are lucky that we have been working in harmony for 23 years now. I think Swāmījī asked me what is the secret of so many people coming to us in the north-west of Slovenia. More than a thousand people come to our classes. We have been present in this area for a long time. And we try to put our effort also into the public presence and also good relations with society. For example, in the local weekly newspaper, we published 50 articles about yoga last year. We managed to convince the editor to give us the regular page in the main weekly newspaper, and this proved to be very successful. And from these 40 yoga teachers, almost everyone has written an article about yoga in daily life, about different subjects: personal experiences, Swāmījī, yoga masters, the spiritual path, health, and various other topics. The other thing that we try to do to be closer to society is to present yoga in their lives on every possible occasion. And one of the most successful possibilities is yoga in the park. Every week from June till September, we had a lot of people coming to our city park to practice yoga with us. So I think it’s very important to use every opportunity to present yoga to the people in a way that is close to them. And regarding the management, I think the most important thing is that in the yoga center, nobody is giving the orders. Yoga teachers are not employed in the center, and therefore it’s not proper that anybody would give orders. So we try to come to the decisions all together. At the meetings of yoga teachers, we have the meetings, we present the problems, we present the organization of the yoga classes or whatever, and we try to come to the decision together. Of course, it’s very hard in life that several people would agree on one thing. But I think we are very lucky that Swāmījī gave us very good directions and very good motivation for our work. And if we follow this direction, somehow we manage to come to a consensus, to common decisions. Coordination with each other, yes, this is very important, to work in harmony. It’s a crucial thing. I don’t know if there is any magic advice for this. But somehow when we grew up together, we know each other. We have a respect for each other, and we try to fulfill the wishes of all the yoga teachers. And one has to accept compromises. Not all wishes can be fulfilled, and it’s very important to be together. Also, apart from the satsaṅgs, we are sometimes going for some trips into nature, or cycling together, or doing some work together on a voluntary basis, of course. And we try not to blame somebody if, for example, somebody is not participating in the work in the ashram as we think he or she would have to participate. I think Swāmījī taught us to give the understanding and accept others in the way that they are functioning. [In response to a question about numbers:] The population of Maribor is about 150,000, and with the surrounding area, it is about 300,000 people. And when we were doing the counting of our records five years ago, we had 10,000 people coming to yoga in their life. So now it could be around 15,000 altogether. There are some other yoga centers, but I think we are perceived as the competition. Yoga in Daily Life is perceived as a high-quality standard for teaching yoga, for giving yoga classes. And we are by far the biggest yoga center. And the system, of course, yoga and its life system are perceived as the top quality. Thank you very much. [Return to main speaker:] So that was our dear professor Dayālpurī. He gave really a beautiful example of how to coordinate spirituality and management. And from all this, the core point was his friends, or the teachers, who work in harmony without ordering each other. When the teacher gets personal interest, then things fall apart. And many people who have teachers have very little people, because they begin to take a personal interest. And as Dayālpurī said, his friends who are working with him are only giving. Some people like that my students should be only attached to me, or some kind of money interest; then, slowly, slowly, the rain clouds disappear. Thank you very much. It was very valuable information. But I would say not only Dayālpurī. We have long, long years, disciples. And that’s our dear Swāmī Vivek Purī. His spirituality and management are admirable. But it’s not easy. It brings him some time of sweating. So Vivek Purī, five minutes you have, please. Swāmī Vivek Purī's Address: Praṇām Gurudev. How are you all, dear friends? What to say after yesterday’s lecture and everything that Swāmījī now said? I think yesterday Swāmījī said the essence of management. First, when we work on something, we must always work as if we are not the owner, but the caretaker of all projects. When we think that we are only workers... in socialism, there was one sentence: I can’t solve less work, they can’t give me less money, as little as I can work. And if we have such a kind of mentality, that it’s not mine... But in one case, that is, it’s ours. But when we say that something, an ashram, is our ashram, it’s true. But when we made something, and we must work for something, we have, at the same time, the thinking, "It’s not my job, it’s not my coffee." Everything goes down. And really, who is the best manager of all time that I know? Somebody who must have a Nobel Prize for management is Swāmījī. Because I hear that if somebody studies management for normal people, not NGOs, but people who work for incomes, it’s much easier. But if we try to study management for an NGO, it’s very, very hard to study. I think you must study two years more, especially for that topic. But I will say that if you have a karma yogī, your study must go further than this. And Swāmījī works with the karma yogīs. And it’s very, very hard, and what we can learn from Swāmījī is giving love first, and only through love can we do something. But not just the love, but 1000%—dedicate your work to some idea. And only because of that, because Swāmījī really dedicates his life, every breath, for yoga in daily life, for bringing that light of Mahāprabhujī to us. Yoga and daily life have such credits, but only that credit will stay if we have all the time one idea: "Nāhaṁ kartā, Prabhupāda kartā, Mahāprabhujī kartā, hīkaī vālam." What Swāmījī said is that when he came to Europe and the West, he always had behind him a map of India, Gurujī, Mahāprabhujī. The same things—everyone in yoga and in their life must have these in the mind: Swāmījī and our paramparā. And only we are lucky that we have the opportunity to work for yoga in daily life, and thank you for that. [Return to main speaker:] Vivek Purī and Pārvatī. In the Rāja Yoga, it is said, Ṣaṭ Sampatti. Six treasures. Hidden within you, and that is called, Samādhi, Śraddhā, Dhṛti, Kṣānti, Samādhāna, Vicāra... Sādhana chāra karo, Hari pyār sādhana chāra, jina se hove mokṣa tumhārā, because it is the Jñāna Yoga. The Yoga of the Knowledge, the Yoga of the Philosophy. The Yoga of the Wisdom and the Yoga of the Management. First, manage thyself. So, in this management, according to yoga, jñāna yoga, there are the six principles. If you can follow these six principles, then your company, or your big work, or whatever you do, even the family members, life—everyday life—can be properly balanced and developed. First, it is śama and dama. So, śama means śamana, disciplined. And śama means equal vision, sama darśana, and śrama means active working. Dama means to control the self, not others. Control your vṛttis, your senses, your greed, your anger, your hate, your jealousy, etc. One Mahātma said in this book, "Oh, my dear, be careful. Don’t go away as a cheated one. Don’t let yourself be cheated. Hasyār reyna." Hasyār is an Urdu word. It means be careful, awaken. Don’t forget. And don’t go away thinking that you lost everything. This city is the city of the cheaters, or they cheat you. While giving you drugs, alcohol, or something, the intoxication, the mental intoxication, emotional intoxication, the greed is emotion. And it is said further, also, you are the king of that city, and senses and desires are your people. Matkārīskī gulāmī—be the governor, don’t be the slave of that. So, management with spirituality—without spirituality, management will fail. Finally, after six decades, the entire world collapsed together. The mighty Europe, the economy falls down. Poor ministers have no time to meditate. What we call the mighty American economy dropped down. And look also at Japan, everywhere. If in the system of management there were ethical and spiritual principles, people would be happy and healthy, and we would not be in this position now where we are. Management, without spirituality, as Dayālpurī said, we don’t demand, we don’t order, but we know that this has to be done. There were a few people together, working. One was somebody, and one was anybody. And one was everybody, and the fourth one was nobody. So there was a very important work to do in the āśram. And all four knew that, until evening satsaṅg, that has to be completed. But it was not done; all four came together. So everyone was complaining to one person, nobody had done so. Then nobody said, "Why me? It was the work of somebody." Somebody became angry, "Das will ich nicht mehr haben zu hören, das ist nicht mein Kaffee." So somebody said, No, no, no. It was the work of everybody. And everybody got angry. Now, I don’t feel good. It’s impossible. So that somebody said, "They became angry at anybody." That somebody said, "Anybody could have done it. Why do you blame nobody?" Mr. Nobody, why do you blame somebody? Guilty are everybody. Everybody said, "No, I go." So when the personal interest grows, then one doesn’t coordinate, one doesn’t speak to each other, and one thinks, "It’s not in my interest." Therefore, svaratha and paramārtha, these are two things. Selfishness and selflessness. When Gurudeva makes one ashram, let’s say in Jaipur. Part 2: The Root of the Ashram: Unity, Dedication, and Spiritual Management Now, Gurujī had a few disciples. The second one said, "I will make my ashram in Jaipur." The third one said, "Well, I will buy land near the ashram and make my ashram." That means you divided, you lost, and you damaged. There needs to be dedication to your first ashram; that’s called the guru ashram, that’s called the main ashram. That is the divine light, the spiritual light. Do you know why we always go to Kailāś Āśram? Why? Because our roots are there, and there we get blessings. Now, yes, Devpurījī is not there. Other people who were taking care are not there. Those who are there, I don’t like them. So you are not going for someone, but you are going for yourself. So it doesn’t matter in which city you have an ashram. And you think, "No, we will open our own yoga studio." You didn’t understand Guru Kṛpā. You didn’t understand spirituality. And you didn’t understand yoga, and you didn’t understand your life’s aim. So it doesn’t matter if we have ashrams in Rajasthan or different places, but we do care about Kailāsh Ashram, we do care about Kāṭhū Ashram because of Mahāprabhujī. So the company, your firm, all falls apart when individual interests grow in different directions. Therefore, if it is about, let’s say, a big city and there is about 30-40 kilometers distance, then you get permission—blessing. Permission means blessing from the main center, the first center—and render everything to the main center. All disciples who come, all practice, all income that comes, go and render it to the main center. Otherwise, a beautiful flower, getting dry, is thirsty. Very thirsty. I take water and put it on the leaves. It will not get water. But if I put this water in the roots, every branch, every leaf, every blossom, equally, what they need, they will get it automatically. Therefore, Gurujī often used to say, "If you practice one, if you do this one thing, you must do everything. If you try to get everything, you will lose everything." There was one greedy dog, and he stole some bread, hungry, wild, and ran away. When he was running, there was a little pond of clear water. The pond was about two or three meters deep, and the dog went to drink water. But he was looking inside. What did he see? His own face, but he doesn’t know his own face. He sees the dog inside. Okay, no problem. But the greedy one said, "The dog which I see in the water has got a bread in its mouth. I will take it away from him." So what did he do? He had a bread. But he said, "Wow!" He opened his mouth, the bread fell in. Nothing remained, and that is that. When greed grows, then you lose everything. You are working in a big company that is making dresses. Now, you tell the customers, "You can come to me. I will do it for half the price." He is my God. The other one does the same thing, and the customers are ordering one thousand shirts and one thousand trousers. Fifty people are working, but they can’t do about a hundred a day because they look at the watch and run quickly home, and again, sitting near the machine, putting the lesson. So, in management, when there is no communication and no mutual understanding and no harmony... In Prague, in Maribor, people are hurrying to register for their next year’s class so that we can have a place in the class. Without giving, I will not give. You do the seva, lives and lives you will have everything. So dedication and love and working and understanding: why? Why do I teach yoga? What is my motivation? Not to get money, not to do this and that, but to bring this divine science for the well-being of humans—physical, mental, social, spiritual health—for the development of spirituality. And wherever we have ashrams, even in India, there is no ashram in my name, no, except daily. But also I gave it to the Śrī Devapurījī Ashram Trust. And I get symbolically 100 rupees a month. That is 1.30 euros. So everything, when you go, it goes to our organization. All Nippal, Jadan, Kelas, everything, Kathu, we have built it for you all, my dears. And who am I to build? Nothing. Who gets one rupee or 100 rupees a month from this ashram? What will he do? It is you who are doing. It helps, and you did, you got it, your comfort. So, both hands cleanse together. And that’s it. Don’t say Swamiji has built the ashram. I don’t know how to mix the cement, how should I build? So it is thanks to all our bhaktas around the world and all volunteer yoga teachers who are really supporting all these projects. Your center is so beautiful, as are your inner beautiful thoughts. Your center, if something is missing, you are thinking, designing the beauty inside, new color, new pictures, no posters. New yoga mat. Clean. And the teacher has to be there before the students come. And all our teachers here, who are successfully running the centers, they are not sitting in front like this: "Relax the whole body. Now we will do Paścimottānāsana. Stretch your legs. Hands up. Remain there till I can drink my water and look in the book. Paścimottānāsana. And come up." The teacher should be able to demonstrate all the postures which you are teaching. That’s it. When the teacher’s body proposes to go out of the lines, borders, then the students will come to you with respect and love for you. Otherwise, they will not come. So that’s why nobody comes to me. I can’t demonstrate Paścimottānāsana. When I do the Paścimottānāsana perfectly, but between my thighs and my body, there is a football between. So I don’t go to Paścimottānāsana, and I’m making massage self-life. So there’s a new posture in yoga and in life. And now we are making a project and new classes that advance the last three levels of yoga, and in life, every yoga teacher has to learn and perform. There will be extra weekend seminars to do this—not standing only on the head, but on the hands, so standing on the hands. On the head and go at home and lie in the bed, that’s it. So how it is like so? Love, spirituality, and ethical feelings towards your colleagues, your students, and your gurubhāīs and gurubahins, who are the teachers, and every city is concerned practitioners, too. Concentrate on the center, the middle center we have in Zagreb, our main center. Many people are coming, but there were some people, and there are some people, "I will teach and get money." So they split it, maybe, but they have not money even for a coffee. Because they are spoiled. Money comes and goes so quickly, running like a kuṇā. When you go to my car, under the car is sitting one kuṇā, and when you come there, they quickly run away. That’s it. So, another thing. Often, Gurujī told me something. I said, "Well, I will go alone." Gurujī said, "No, no, take your bhakti with you." I said, "Gurujī, I have to take two cars and this and that." Gurujī said, "No problem." Gurujī said, "A flower plant, this blossom, it has beauty because of all these leaves. The beauty of the trees, where the leaves and blossoms and fruits are there. So the beauty of your spirituality and the beauty of your spiritual center is you all." So otherwise you lose the bhakti, and then you don’t even go to the main center. That’s called the Holy Seat of the Master. Go and systematically make praṇām. That’s very important. Very successfully doing Novo Mesto in Slovenia, yes. Erwin and his wife, and our Ganesha, and many others, they are very disciplined. So there are many, many centers. Look to Bratislava, our Rados and company, they do with such humbleness and kindness. When you enter the ashram with the beauty, the light, and where the people were working, and there was no love. You go inside, that doesn’t look so harmonious because people didn’t have harmony, and suddenly management comes new and makes beauty: clean windows, walls, different colors. The entrance is very important. It has some effect. You are very beautiful. No problem, but still you would like to make it something like that. Why? Because you said, "Somebody will be happy to see my face." So makeup is not so important, but on the other hand, makeup is called self-respect. Self-respect is not ego. Self-respect means that others will like to look at you. People who have a big beard, like me, and come out from Italy, restaurant after eating the spaghetti. And a few pieces are hanging somewhere. The people will say, "Oh, this is an Indian guru." They will not see how beautiful I am. But they will see the hanging spaghetti. That spaghetti was a victim of my greed, which I ate quickly, quickly. Spirituality is in our activity. And this activity should be in unity. And that unity leads us to divinity. So management means spirituality, and spirituality means management. And there will be many people who will try to misguide you. There are many people who will say, "Ah, Vivek Purī is not good." But Swamiji, we can do it. We are more harmonious, and the Ānandī comes. And she looks at everything, this and that. We don’t want this. I think it is time to change the management. I said, "Yes, we will do, but wait." Then Vijit Singh is coming, Swamiji, and tells them, "In Jagrabī āśram, can you come for making karma yoga? Can you do this? Can you do that?" "I have to go with my family on the seaside, on the coast. But Swamiji is coming now, yeah. Floor is doing, we will put a carpet, and it’s okay." No seva bhāva. So, spirituality, development of this spirituality, goes parallel to the materialistic life too. Then your name will be successful. The name is Lakṣmī. And have no money, but wonder, surprise. We all go to Lakṣmī for money, and Lakṣmī said, "I have nothing." But if you keep spirituality and this management, inner and outer, Lakṣmī, you become a Lakṣmī, because Lakṣmī is running behind you. So, I’m very happy to congratulate many, many, there are many, yes, not only one. Ljubljana is very successful. Also, there are many places. Even I don’t remember Prague very well. Prague has many different centers, but they are connected to the main center. The Sikh people have this specialty to be in that oneness. Bruno, we have many places, classes. But they are all connected to one center. And similarly, it should be everywhere. Someone told me in Budapest, "Swamiji, we are making one on the past," or I don’t know, Buddha or the past or somewhere. Buddha and folk, I don’t know what it is. "We open the studio. Will you come to bless us?" This invitation should come from Kṛṣṇānanda. And invite Kṛṣṇānanda to bless first, and link it to the Városi József Club. All who have centers around and in Budapest, their income of the center should go all to the Barossütti József Városi Sport Club. They will look after you for the electric bill, for your rent, and they will bring you some prasāda and chocolate. So what I want to tell you today: an entire world, it doesn’t matter which department it is, when personal interest grows, distraction begins. Kali Yuga is the money, you know. When the Kali Yuga entered here after Treta Yuga, Kali Yuga is coming, and I was a king. Who was the whole world? And the king was—I’ve forgotten the name, maybe you know someone. And the king was so generous, so good. So Kali Yuga came. Kali Yuga came to the king. And he said, "Your Highness, I know that you are very generous, and in your kingdom, this earth, everyone is welcome. Everyone has a place. Your Highness, can you give me also a place on this earth?" So the king asked, "Who are you? What does that mean? What is the specialty of the Kali Yuga?" So Kali Yuga taught his qualities, specialities: hate, greed, jealousy, fighting brothers to brothers, fighting for inheritance from the parents. Even the son and father are fighting, wife and husband will separate, don’t care about children, no ethics, no morals, no spirituality. That’s my quality, and please give me a little place. The king said, "You have no place here. My people are so happy in it. I don’t want these troubles." He said, "Your Highness, if you give me place or not, I know how to take the place, but I have one humbleness. Though I’m a Kali Yuga, asking you, give me a little place." So the king was very, like God, Śiva, you know, Śiva is very gentle. "Where would you like to have a place?" He said, "Anything, the smallest thing on this earth." So the king said, "You tell me." "Okay, in gold." So the king said, "Gold is so rare, so little." He said, "Okay, I give you residence in the gold." And Kali Yuga began to laugh. Immediately, he said, "Now I will sit on your head." She said, "You will sit on my head?" He said, "Yes." Wait, and what happened? The king had the crown made out of gold. And the king took the crown on his head, the golden crown. And Kali Yuga said, "Hey, I am on your head." And it means now you will fight for me. I will not ask you to fight. Now you are in my position. Now, anyone who takes the crown of the king, they will bring the war. How they are fighting for a chair of the president, and the election will come. Position. And when that position is coming, Kali Yuga brought this situation. Between husband and wife, parents and children, brothers and sisters, the good friends and the society, why? Oh dear money, oh gold, you are the God. Gold is God. Jesus said, "Disciples, come on, come on, don’t stay here. This gold is wrong, what you believe. The gold is not a way to God. I am the way to God, not the gold." So that’s what we call, Jesus said, "I am great to God." Who was Jesus? A master. Who did he tell? The disciples. Guru Vākya. Guru Vākya. I said we shall plant as many trees as we can. And I do hope many of you did it. Those trees which are growing there, and Sri Swami Mahātma and the World Peace Council are also managing the environment programs and water harvesting projects. Now we have two possibilities. One place is in Croatia, where there is also very little rain. And we asked the authorities, they were very, very happy, and we can plant their trees. They will provide the trees, but each tree will cost half a euro. So you can sponsor two trees, ten trees, five trees. When all of you have one walking stick, it’s just nothing, it’s a walking stick. But your sticks, one person has to carry it, it’s too heavy. So, of course, it’s a free will, no force. This project we have to do it next year, maybe begin. Second project we also have in a beautiful country, Hungary. And Hungary this year had nearly 60% drought. And as I told you, in the United Nations, our conference, Rio+20, in June, where from 180 countries, government delegations of more than 50,000, and Jews, nearly 3,000 delegations. And I think 18 or 27,000 securities. And 12,000 volunteers. It was very big. And then everyone gave their projects. Mostly, people come with a complaint and asking, finding if someone can fund them, complaining this and that. And our Śrī Svāmī Madhavānand and the World Peace Council and Yoga and Dead Life came with a solution with a practical example. And so there was a press address, and the whole press was there, and they said, "I didn’t say it. The work of His Holiness has given a solution, practical." So our project was positively received and accepted. And there was a Hungarian governmental delegation, and they met me, also Australian and New Zealand, and we spoke. I cast a wish for you all the best and divine blessings. We concentrate on our good things. Tomorrow morning again, we will have a lecture. And then His Excellency the Ambassador of India, Mr. Gauri Shankar Gupta, will come, and he’s going to give a talk on the mystery of the universe. Last time he spoke about the mystery of life. So let’s see what comes. And before that, I will also have some talk. And those who are going home this evening, I wish you a good journey.