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Good evening, and blessings of Śrī Mahāprabhujī, Devapurījī, and Gurujī. Today is a significant day; it is Easter Friday within Easter week. While many are fasting and praying in monasteries, we in our ashram will also pray. Welcome to all of you from different parts of the world. Many friends are still traveling through snow, but they are arriving. You know our ashram and feel at home here. It is said that when you wear a cloth for a day or two, you need to clean it. Similarly, as we work in normal life within this world of stress and pollution—especially mental pollution—it is good to have inner purification and physical rest from time to time. This means regenerating physical and mental energy to progress further on the spiritual path. Therefore, we undertake Ekāntavās or Anuṣṭhān. Ekāntavās means coming to a place of rehabilitation, perhaps to your farmhouse or similar setting. Or, you make an anuṣṭhāna: you practice your meditation, your mantra, your āsanas, and you relax. There are certain thoughts we cannot stop. We live in this world and have our dharma obligations; we cannot deny our dharma. Yet, we also wish to achieve peace of mind. The aim is that the main problems will remain while unnecessary burdens come down. Some problems cannot be dismissed by simply deciding not to think about them. One very common question comes to me every time, and in this, I cannot help you directly—I can only pray for you. This is mostly concerning relationships between a girl and a boy. The girl suffers, and the boy also suffers; it depends on from which side a decision is made. Not only humans but animals also suffer. Therefore, in this world, and especially in this modern system, it is only your self that can maintain equilibrium. Of course, as a parent, your parents, brothers, sisters, or your master can speak for both parties together, not one-sidedly. I wish very much that both of you find peace, mutual understanding, and come back together. A second problem, which some have and some thankfully do not, is illness—either in oneself or in the family. We care about our relatives, and if they are ill, we are unhappy and pray for their good health. Such thoughts you cannot take away because we do care. The third is the present economic situation, where people definitely have existential fear. We also cannot remove the thoughts that next week you must pay your electric bill, your rent, and other expenses, not knowing how you will pay. Unfortunately, money does not fall like snow. So I pray for you and wish that you find a job and can exist in this world. Then there is another problem, that of the whole world: restlessness and wars. For that, we said a prayer. It is very hard to bring humans to one table or to one stage. We humans have very deep conflicts predicted in our mind, in our brain, from childhood. In one way, this is good, but when it becomes extreme, it is not. This conflict concerns culture, nation, and religion. The restlessness and wars in the world are about these three subjects. These three problems could be solved very nicely if all religious leaders came together and found mutual understanding. But this problem is not only from this century; it has existed for ages. Still, we humans have not learned to live in harmony together. Those who have such conflicts have no peace inside, and when there is no peace inside, everything outside is a disaster. Mahatma Gandhījī said, "There is no way to peace. Peace itself is the way." The words are good, but it is not easy for the human brain to realize this. Similarly, there are family problems. These thoughts will not be deleted during your sādhanā, your practices; they will remain. My suggestion is that we should pray to God to give us mutual understanding and help us in this way. That is my humble prayer to Mahāprabhujī for you. Of course, all of you practice at home, but circumstances are different. You may not have enough time due to various obligations. So these few days while we are here will be very good for practice—for your physical health, mental health, social health, and spiritual health. To find thyself within thyself, we cannot neglect the problems, and in some ways, we cannot solve them. The first disappointment began when creation began. The first disappointment was experienced by Brahmā himself, the creator, when his own children said, "No, we do not want to do this; we want just to meditate." So we sometimes need inner support, and we have that through our prayers, through our positive thinking. Open your heart; welcome into your heart all creatures, all humans as they are. Gandhījī said very clearly, "We hate the sins, but we do not hate the sinner." This is the Eastern time, and you may remember in the Testament or in the Bible what Jesus said on the cross: "Father, forgive them, for they know not what they do." So if we follow some, if not all, of Jesus's words, then we should think on this. To get more energy, to get inner relaxation, try to achieve peace of mind. This is the aim of this seminar or retreat. Nothing is intensive, but everything is interesting. And this interesting quality is found where you have complete rest. When you feel tired, go to your room and rest, or if the sun is shining, lie down on the meadow and sleep—though it is cold now. This program will include several meditations and lectures. The rest of the time, you will practice your mantras and your kriyās. If you are tired, go to your room and sleep. It is advised to keep silent; this means mauna. But in 43 years here in Europe, I have not managed to get people to keep the mauna. Signs are written downstairs everywhere saying, "Please, mauna, mauna," but the one writing them is also talking, saying, "No, this time I am writing." At least we should try to be a little more silent. We have enough noise from the external world in normal life: roads, streets, traffic, neighbors, neighbor's dogs. In the family, you cannot prohibit someone; you cannot tell the dog, "Stop now." Therefore, we have to learn not to feel irritated and to live in such situations. One thing I have understood in these 43 years of teaching here is that your spiritual path, your yogic way of living, your experiences, your spiritual feelings—perhaps there is nobody at home who has interest to listen to you. Here, your guru brothers and sisters are present. If you speak about a certain spiritual subject, it is okay. But to talk about cars and such things is not necessary. Silence, mauna, means that you be within thyself and one with the other self. It is said that excess is prohibited everywhere. So if you are too serious and not talking, that is also not good; it creates a depressive atmosphere for others. And if you are joking too much, that is also not good. Body dharma—the dharma of the body, its nature, principle, law, and needs—applies to everybody. There is nobody who does not need these things. We need to wash, to eat; the body needs. We are not among the few in the world who do not eat or drink anything. Can you imagine if we all had no drink and no food, and we said, "We wish you good appetite"? I would suggest that you speak to your friends, brothers, and sisters about your spiritual life, your health, your programs, and so on. If needed, you will have the techniques, meditations, and practice of your mantra. We do not make any saṅkalpa, but if this weekend you decide to practice many mantras, that is good. So, no force, nothing. Relax, enjoy, and practice. You will feel very relaxed inwardly; your energy centers will feel regenerated or repaired and begin to give more energy in a positive way. Every chakra will begin again to work in balance. Whether you are relaxed or not, only you know; your organs will tell you. Your heartbeat, your digestive system, your kidneys, your liver, and also the limbs of the body will tell you if you are relaxed. The only point that does not let them relax is the mind. So we shall try to attend our programs, and, of course, for those major problems we have, we pray. It is very important that you come at the right time. If you need to go out, no problem—you can go and come, but do not shut the doors loudly. In meditation, if you feel sleepy, do not sleep here; get up and go sleep in your room. No one forbids you from sleeping. If someone asks why you are sleeping, the answer is simple: because I am tired. Let your body feel free. Support your feelings, support your body, and then your mind will also support you. We are not this body, but without this body we are nothing. We are here all because of the body. But one thing we do not know: whether we will ever be with this body. This world is changing; the body is changing. Day by day we are becoming older. Do not think you will become younger, but you can think that if you practice every day, you will become healthier. A mantra is like nourishment, healthy nourishment. When we practice mantra, it is like spring. Now you see the time of spring; even from the snow, some flowers come out. There is a tendency to awaken and grow again. The whole earth is working. In the entire universe, there is nothing which does not work. The Earth is working. Wood is working. Trees are working. Stone is working. Even what we call gravel and mortar, the cement, is also working. You can ask the engineers here; their main problem is this, because these materials are working. The cement, the mortar, is working. There are two: mortal and immortal. So though this is mortal, it is still working. There is expansion in heat and contraction in cold. Newly made buildings have cracks, and this is a problem for engineers. But this is evidence that everything is working. Our body is also working. If our heart stops working, we know what that means. If our kidneys stop working, we know. All our ten senses are working. So our duty is to give them proper nourishment, proper exercises, proper movements. The seasons are working: summer, spring, winter, and autumn. You see how the trees are changing. But it is not only the trees changing; in our body, there is also a system changing. That is why it is said that at the time of the changing season, it is best to do Saṅkt Prakṣālana. You see, Mother Earth is working. And now Mother Earth is asking, "My children, whatever you want to grow, give it to me now, and it will grow nicely." We must take the example from nature and not limit ourselves only to human concerns. We humans have done many wrong things, especially against nature, and we know the consequences; we are suffering. Try to realize the nature of your body, the function of your organs. Every day we will have some meditation on this subject, and our teachers will give us some āsanas or prāṇāyāmas for particular organs. (Can you turn off this air conditioner? The cold air is coming on my mouth.) From our yoga and daily life, there is a complete system. We will have certain exercises for the heart, for the kidneys, for the stomach, and so on. So do not miss the program; the meditation will be there. This is the anuṣṭhāna. Gurujī said that by torturing the body, you will not get realization. Do not give too much tapasyā to your body. You should know your gentle body and how much hardness it can endure. But do not spoil your body out of laziness and wrong eating habits. We eat what we like here in the mouth; we do not think of other parts of the body. When we eat something unhealthy, like fast food, the body says, "Why do you not ask me what I want to eat? You are always asking only your gums and tongue." So the whole body is angry with the tongue. But we humans have choice and freedom. We misuse our freedom. Though a human is a very intelligent being with immense knowledge, still we can see that the mostly unhappy creatures are humans. The most troubled creature is the human, and the most troublemaker creature is the human. We know many other things, and we have that revenge back. Whether you believe it or not, your body is reacting. That is it. This Anuṣṭhāna will be a very special one. I wish you a very happy and relaxed time, and welcome all of you here. Śrī Deep Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān, Devīśvara Mahādeva, Mādhav Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān—these are part of the program we have here, which tomorrow morning will be slightly changed. Perhaps at six or quarter to six, you should be here. After prayer, we will have meditation all together, and Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara Svāmī Vivek Purī will lead the meditation. Then there will be āsanas here; our Sādhanāvidyā from Vilach will lead the āsanas. Then prāṇāyāma, and then the program will be breakfast. Our kitchen team will lead the breakfast program. Then, a little free time—your body will lead you. Then I will come and we will have meditation first, followed by a lecture and so on. In the afternoon, I will also have a program, and for the mantra anuṣṭhāna, when you sit for meditation and mantra repetition, our dear Svāmī Gajānand will guide you. "Guide" means not that he will tell you what to do in meditation, but he will be sitting here observing and will say, "Now time is over." That is all. There will be some nice music, which is also a kind of meditation. The webcast will include only the lectures. I know you may have just arrived and need recommendations to find everything. You also need dinner, perhaps. With this, today's evening program is finished. Once more I pray to Mahāprabhujī for your well-being and happiness. Om Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ. Adio.