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Nāma karatāṁ prabuddhi karatāṁ, mahā prabuddhi kartāhi kevalaṁ, oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ... hiṁ. Hari Om, dear friends, dear brothers and sisters. We will begin immediately as Swāmījī is on his way. Let us speak about mantra and mantra initiation. First, it is good to explain what a mantra is. In Western countries, the word "mantra" often carries strange, mystical connotations, seen as something not for us. But we must understand that "mantra" is connected to two words: "man," meaning mind, and "tra," which has two meanings. One meaning is "to liberate" or "to free." The other is from "tṛpti," meaning satisfaction—as when you finish a good meal, you feel satisfied and complete. Thus, a mantra is that which satisfies the mind. Why is it so important for the mind to be satisfied? There is a story. A Mahārāja decreed that no one in his kingdom would be poor; everyone would have enough to eat and live. He believed he had succeeded until one day he saw a poor man with a begging bowl. The king, surprised, offered to fill the bowl with gold. He poured and poured, but the bowl never filled; it remained empty. After using all his wealth, the king bowed and asked, "From what material is your bowl made?" The beggar then transformed into a yogī and said, "My king, this bowl is made of mind, and the mind is never satisfied." The mind always wants more and more, and in the end, it can destroy us. There is another story about a farmer who went to the forest and met a ghost. The ghost challenged him: "Fight me. If you win, I will be your slave. If I win, I will eat you." The farmer fought and won. The ghost said, "You have won, but there is a condition in our agreement, written in tiny letters: you must give me work all the time." The farmer was delighted to have a worker who required no payment. He returned to the village and ordered the ghost to cut wood, cut grass, and perform every task imaginable. Each job was finished instantly. Finally, the ghost demanded, "Give me a job, or I will eat you." The terrified farmer ran to his master for help. The master advised, "Tell the ghost to take the biggest tree in your garden and go up and down it continuously." The ghost, having a perpetual task, was pacified. This ghost represents our mind. It must have a job all the time; otherwise, it becomes a problem. In my country, they say if you are late returning home, your mother worries that you are hurt or ill, while your wife thinks you are out enjoying yourself. The mind is always running. For this, we have a tree, and our mind goes up and down it. That tree is our spinal column, and the movement up and down is our inhalation and exhalation. The mantra is that which pleases the mind, makes it steady, and ultimately traps it in satisfaction. Mantras have two parts. One part expresses what you wish to achieve. The second part is a prayer to the Almighty. As Swāmījī said yesterday, in yoga and daily life, the essence of every mantra is: "Please vanish all darkness from my being, and let your light come into me." Light means knowledge; darkness means problems, sorrow (duḥkha), and ignorance. A mantra is a sentence that slowly transforms us from within, cleansing our darkness, problems, doubts, and complexes. Gradually, the mind becomes tranquil and peaceful, and in that state, meditation arises. In meditation, if there is only empty space, we may become loose or confused. The mantra then acts as a guide toward our aim. Our aim is to become one with our origin, like a river whose goal is to merge with the sea. The sea is the river's origin. Similarly, our origin is Paramātmā, the Absolute, Divine God. The Ātmā within us constantly seeks to reunite with this Paramātmā, the Cosmic Self. The mantra leads us toward the light, toward this aim, toward absolute consciousness, toward God. I hear that Swāmījī has arrived, so I will be very brief. It is a pity to waste time, as all of us, including myself, are here to be with Swāmījī and to have satsaṅg. Thank you. Oṁ Asato mā sad gamaya. Merciful Lord, lead us from unreality to reality. Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya. Lead us from the darkness of ignorance to the light of wisdom. Mṛtyor mā amṛtaṁ gamaya. Lead us from mortality to immortality. Oṁ śāntiḥ śāntiḥ... Blessed Self, dear brothers and sisters, good evening and welcome to our yoga center, our ashram. Yoga is the science of body, mind, and consciousness. It is a primary step, a philosophy, a path to spirituality; from there, everything develops. The meaning of yoga itself is completely different from common perception. The entire universe is space, ākāśa—an empty space containing nothing. We do not know its size, its beginning, or its end. Our ancient scriptures say this space represents or symbolizes the mother. We may call her Cosmic Mother, Universal Mother, Divine Mother. First, God is the Mother. "Mātṛ Devo Bhavaḥ," says the Upaniṣad. Nothing is higher than that Mother, the Cosmic Mother. Within this space, called Śūnyakāśa (a void, dark blue space with no sound), there is a second reality: Hiraṇya Garbha, the golden embryo in the womb of the mother. This is Consciousness. Consciousness is within space, not space within consciousness. Though hard to separate conceptually, first comes space, then cosmic consciousness, which we may call God—the ultimate truth, Brahma Satyaṁ Jagan Mithyā. That Brahman, that truth, is the only truth; this world is changeable. Between consciousness and space is energy, Śakti. This Śakti is another form of the mother as energy. She balances consciousness and space perfectly, harmonizing, uniting, and keeping them together. Therefore, yoga means oneness, union—the literal meaning is "to unite." A second point: Ananta Brahmāṇḍa—endless universes and millions of solar systems were created by one creator. That creator was not created by anyone nor born of any mother but is the universal mother and father itself. This is called resonance, sound: akār, ukār, makār—form, sound, and light. First, in that universe, in the peaceful void, sound awakened. From that sound, all the solar systems, stars, moons, and elements were created. Light came first; that light is called Swayambhū (self-manifested). Then creation began. We belong to this solar system. Divided again through this sound is nāda rūpa para brahma, the form of the Supreme. If you wish to know how God looks, there is only resonance, a sound you cannot see but can feel. In that entire universe resides consciousness, called Paramātmā, Parameśvara—the highest God or consciousness in the endless universe. Then comes Īśvara, the God governing our solar system. Within us is Jīvātmā, the individual living soul. This Ātmā, this soul, and the light of Paramātmā are one. We are all one light—of God, of truth, of love. The difference lies in individuality. There are two glasses, but the water inside is the same. Duality puts us in ignorance, suffering, selfishness, and greed. In this system, we come to our beautiful Mother Earth. The Creator made 8.4 million different creatures, divided into three categories: Jalchar (water beings), Thalchar (land beings), and Nabachar (sky beings). Out of 8.4 million, only one is human. There is no racism, no caste; a human is a human. Scientists now declare the first humans appeared near Mount Kailāśa, in what is now Tibet. In these 8.4 million creatures, the individual soul is subject to destiny, action, karma. This is a brief glimpse of yoga. Now, what are we doing here? Every creature, as God's creation, has life. It feels happiness, pain, thirst, and needs oxygen and light. Our body is made of five elements, and they too feel these elements. But humans possess the most powerful tool from the Creator: intellect. Intellect requires education; we can train and mold it endlessly. This is cultural education. Europeans in America note the different American mentality; in India, the Indian mentality; in China, another; in Africa, a culture shock. Yet, in reality, we are all the same. Where there are humans, there is culture. I brought Indian culture; your ancestors brought European culture. It is said these 8.4 million creatures represent one circle, a cycle of rebirth and death. Whether you believe in rebirth or not does not change the reality, as evidenced by great seers millions of years ago. To escape this cycle, consider: do you believe in recycling? If so, why not in rebirth? Leaves fall, become fertilizer, and re-enter the cycle—a continuity. The individual soul seeks to return to its origin, Parameśvara, the highest consciousness. Anything thrown upward falls back to earth. We call it gravity; in spirituality, we say it seeks its origin. Our inner search, our thirst, is to return to that endless joy where we suffer no more. How to achieve this? Follow ethical and spiritual principles. Human life is given for God-realization—or self-realization, or union with the universe, or simply to find peace within that universe. For this, we need a human body. To maintain it long enough to achieve our purpose and help others, we turn to Āyurveda, one of the oldest medical systems. Yesterday I spoke of Hanumānjī. It is said Rāma incarnated in Hanumānjī 9,550,000 years ago. At that time, Āyurveda was active; Hanumānjī brought Sanjīvanī herbs from the Himalayas to Laṅkā. Āyurveda is not 5,000 or 10,000 years old. Once, an Āyurveda professor in Australia claimed it was 5,000 years old. I said, "Sir, you must search further. What about the time of Rāma? What about Caraka?" Caraka was 5,000 years ago, but Āyurveda existed long before. Āyurveda is naturopathy, herbal medicine. In ancient times, people were very healthy. Today, our bodies are turned upside down by chemicals; we have become chemical beings. Years ago, I campaigned against plastic. A Catholic priest friend had stomach surgery and said, "Swāmījī, I cannot say 'no to plastic' now." We have comforts today that kings did not have 300 years ago. In hot climates, kings had ice brought from great distances. Now, we press a button for hot or cold air, to open or close curtains. We board planes that fly like eagles and land with precision. Human intellect has achieved much, but with both good effects and side effects. Sukhaṁ nairaṅgeṇa—the first happiness, my dear ones, is good health. A European philosopher said, "Health is not everything, but without health, everything is nothing." We do not know if we will be reborn human. Therefore, Āyurveda advises healthy nourishment. Fifty or sixty years ago, organic food was not an issue; now, it is hard to find truly organic food. Healthy food and a healthy life allow us to live long, to work on ourselves, to attain realization. Nourishment is not only what we eat and drink. What we inhale is nourishment—prāṇa. Our environment, movement, exercise—all are nourishment. Society, our companions, are nourishment. Thinking and not thinking, speaking and not speaking—all are nourishment. To understand how we lead our lives is yoga in daily life. Yoga in daily life is a scientific system. Recently, at the University of Brno in the Czech Republic, a conference of doctors and scientists declared it a scientific system. They said, "Forget what you see on television; that is not yoga." Unfortunately, people have commercialized yoga. They count, "One, two, three, up, down, Sarvāṅgāsana, Bhujaṅgāsana." This is not yoga. Yoga should be for everyone, even an 80-year-old with extra weight. If you tell such a person to practice that way, he will say, "Thank you, I am going home." Something meant for all has been made commercial. For the blind, you might say green is yellow. Many do not know yoga philosophy or how to practice. Your body is a holy, gentle instrument. We must treat it properly with guidance from an expert teacher. It takes nine to ten years to become a good yoga teacher, like a doctor. Today, people attend a 10-day retreat for $2,500 and return with a yoga teacher certificate. Others go to India, buy Āyurvedic medicines and a book, and claim to be Āyurvedic practitioners. Allopathic medicine has strict rules; I wish yoga and Āyurveda did too. Yoga is for the well-being of body, mind, and soul, balancing intellect and emotion. Harmony of body, mind, and soul is the effect of yoga in daily life, leading to physical, mental, social, and spiritual health for spiritual development. Yet, it begins with physical practice. The body is not everything, but without it, everything is nothing. Every limb is important. The exercises taught here by Kripā Devī or other teachers are psychosomatic movements. I attended a class here. It is a pity that Swāmī Vivek Purī, a great teacher whom I knew at age 17 and who is now about 50, has reached such a position. That is yoga—it makes you young again. Someone told me today, "Swāmījī, you look younger." I said, "Of course, I have begun practicing yoga in daily life again." I was traveling so much; since restarting, I have immense energy. It is not difficult. I would like you to practice a little with me. Is that okay? I will not put you upside down. Close the door so no one runs away. Open a window for oxygen. Remain seated as you are. Sit in a yoga posture if you can, or stretch your legs out—whatever is comfortable. We begin with yoga in daily life. Please bring your hands like this. Make a fist and open it five times, slowly. Thumbs inside. Close the fist and rotate the wrists. Feel the muscles affected—lower arm, upper arm, shoulder, even under the shoulder blade. It is gentle but effective. Now the other direction. Hands down. Tired? We continue. Now, like this: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. And the other way: one, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Hands down. This influences the back muscles parallel to the spine, from the navel upward. Next, hands like this, palms up. Slowly, one. Exhale slowly: two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Hands down. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Become aware of the active muscles: palms, fingers, wrists, lower arms, elbows, upper arms, shoulders, shoulder blades, neck. Very good. Remain. One, two. Inhale, exhale. Inhale, exhale. Remain there. Bring elbows together, touching. Try to press your shoulder blades together. One, two, three, four, five, six, seven, eight, nine, ten. Now, with elbows, draw a large O or zero. One, two, three, four. Other direction. One, two, three. Perfect. Hands down on thighs or knees. Exhale, press chin toward chest. Inhale, raise head, look at ceiling. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale. Exhale. Inhale, return to center. Very good. Right and left. Normal breath. Our first lesson is finished. It was not difficult, was it? Anyone can do it, even sitting in a chair or on a sofa. If you do this block of exercises daily—found in your book Yoga and Desire—for a minimum of 12 weeks, you will feel better, have more energy, and become more flexible. Eat as you like; the body will not gain unnecessary weight and will shed excess as muscles utilize what they need. Then comes the breath. When we were born, they cleared our mouth, we breathed in and out, and cried. They say making a baby cry gives a good singing voice. My mother did not do that to me, so I cannot sing well. At the end, when we leave the body, we exhale and cannot inhale again. Our breath spans from one soul to the next, from birth until the body's death. In between are only waves on the ocean—inhalation and exhalation. We inhale prāṇa. Prāṇa is not oxygen; it is life energy with ten different qualities for specific functions: eyesight, heart, kidneys, digestion, joints, veins. I have a chart in the book The Hidden Powers in Humans. It is amazing. Practicing correctly can make us 95% healthy. Use yoga in daily life, or lose its benefits. I am preparing a conference for the United Nations Millennium Goal: Sustainable Health through Yoga and Daily Life. This system is endorsed by the UN, Australian and American associations, Śrī Svāmī Madhavānanda, and the World Peace Council. The challenge is health, so we must provide simple exercises. A young, flexible 24-year-old can do aerobics, but what about an older gentleman who cannot sit on the floor? We must offer what he can do. In yoga, the great sage Patañjali, who lived around 1500 BCE, said, "Athaḥ yoga anuśāsanam." "Athaḥ" means now; "anuśāsanam" means discipline. Yoga succeeds with discipline—starting now, not tomorrow. American businessmen say the key to success is self-discipline. Without it, we achieve nothing. The best time to practice is early morning. Before coffee, toast, phones, and rushing out, dedicate an hour and a half to your life, to what you were born for. It will replace sleep. I have experimented with this. Due to jet lag from Europe—a six-hour difference—I arrived last Friday from Vienna to Alexandria. I went straight to the ashram, had a program, and the next morning felt no jet lag. Yoga exercises give pure energy and quality of life. Give more quality to your life through scientific movement, not "circus yoga" seen on television. I want everyone to benefit, not just a few. In yoga, there is no challenge, no competition. Our body needs gentle care, not torture. You will not attain God-realization through postures alone. If you cannot do a headstand or handstand, do not worry. God gave you two legs to stand on, not hands. No competition. Practice gently every day. Then your mantra, breath, and everything will improve. A happy, healthy, comfortable, relaxed, and content life comes from serious practice. Do not blame others or be jealous. Do what you can without force. Next time I come, I will see all of you. You might say, "Look, Swāmījī, we can do everything." I will say, "No, just do this." Even housewives cooking can do these movements while stirring. This is my aim in teaching yoga. For 43 years in Western countries and beyond, yoga in daily life has become a worldwide practice for millions, with great effects: physical, mental, emotional, spiritual. It helps understand what life means. Life is given to enjoy, not to suffer. The body does not need harsh lifting; it needs gentle care and movement. Eat less for your benefit, though it is hard when food is on the table. Yesterday I spoke of our senses; today I will not, to keep it short. The five senses of knowledge and five of action are how we learn everything from birth. If we cannot hear, we cannot learn to speak. God placed these senses on specific parts of the body. The skin is the antenna covering the whole body. The heart is closer to this part, not the calf, because the brain and brain centers require the highest quality of prāṇa. These senses must be healthy. Then there are karma indriyas, the senses of action through which we express. There is much to learn. I suggest reading the book and asking your teacher or me questions. It is a science of the body. A good mechanic disassembles a car, cleans, oils, and reassembles it. Similarly, a yogī renews every limb, muscle, joint, vein, ligament, and tissue through prāṇāyāma and breath. Let us do one breathing exercise. In yoga, there are three techniques: inhalation (pūraka), exhalation (recaka), and retention (kumbhaka). Within these, there are many prāṇāyāmas for specific problems. Always inhale first from the abdomen. A yoga master demonstrating this needs a larger stomach—look, I can demonstrate. Breathe through the stomach. Have you heard a steam locomotive starting? It goes, "Chuff, chuff, chuff..." Then through a tunnel. Breathe from here. If you breathe incorrectly, it is like a suffering horse. Place a water pot on your head and do Bhastrika Prāṇāyāma; it will not fall. Abdominal breath: expand the stomach, exhale and contract. No chest movement. Wrong breathing is short and leads to a short life. Long, slow breathing brings relaxation and longevity. We take in more oxygen and reduce toxins. This is Bhastrika Prāṇāyāma. Kapālbhāti is like the locomotive starting rhythmically. We will learn it another time. These techniques quickly cleanse toxins and tension, leaving you refreshed and relaxed. Other techniques include alternate nostril breathing (anuloma viloma). But prāṇāyāma is fundamentally three: inhale, exhale, retain. Then there are iḍā, piṅgalā, and suṣumṇā, explained yesterday as channels and chakras. The body has mechanisms even medicine has not fully discovered. This picture shows chakras and how the kuṇḍalinī energy moves like a serpent through the nāḍīs. It is called serpent power, but there is no actual snake. Iḍā and piṅgalā are the sympathetic and parasympathetic nerves parallel to the spine, with the central nerve (suṣumṇā). Prāṇa is life energy. These are energy centers. Perfect health comes when all chakras are purified through daily practice, affecting the prāṇic body, the body of nourishment, the mental body, intellectual body, and causal body—the five kośas. Do not learn from television; it may harm you. I am sometimes on television but say it is not what we need. We need proper guidance. Life is breath, and breath is life energy. In our body, 72,000 nāḍīs (often translated as "nerves," though nāḍī is a distinct Sanskrit term) transmit consciousness throughout. Every gland, organ, muscle, vein, and tissue receives oxygen and light through them. Purifying this system helps with schizophrenia, phobias, anxiety, and restless sleep. Prāṇāyāma is best for this. In yoga in daily life, there are sub-chapters. Research involving doctors, including a gynecologist, addressed women's health issues. She has worked for 14 years using yoga in daily life exercises, helping hundreds of women with menstrual cramps, bleeding, hormonal changes, hot flashes, and nervousness. She had her own problems, which led her to this work. She selects exercises from the book, and I will make them available. It is very good for many women. As they say, "Mera dharad na jāne koī"—men do not know a woman's troubles. But women do not know men's pain either; we must not be one-sided. Another study focused on yoga for nurses, who bend, lift, and move patients constantly, causing one-sided strain. Yoga in daily life promotes health. It has chapters for backache, joints, asthma, diabetes, and more—all requiring disciplined practice. After this comes meditation, then mantras, as Swāmī Vivek Purī discussed. Mantra is a divine word whose power you can feel after these exercises. Two years ago at the United Nations, a speaker said, "Dear brothers and sisters." Another objected, "Why brothers first?" I said, "Dear sisters and brothers?" He said, "No, sisters first." We compromised with "ladies and gentlemen." These are human intellectual problems. I wish you all the best and divine blessings. I pray to the Almighty for your good health, happiness, harmony, love, and divine blessings. Oṁ Śāntiḥ, Oṁ Śāntiḥ.