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Om Śāntiḥ, Śāntiḥ. Deep Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān kī Jai, Deveśvara Mahādeva kī Jai, Mādhav Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān kī Jai, Satya Sanātana Dharma kī Jai. Good evening to all dear ones and devotees here and around the world. As our dear sister Gita mentioned, these blessings come from our beautiful ashram in Melbourne, a peaceful city with very friendly people. Living in such a place, there should be no cause for nervousness, restlessness, or imbalance. What then causes imbalance, nervousness, or anxiety? This morning we received beautiful information about the chakras and their locations. Specifically, the five chakras balance our body, mind, emotions, and consciousness. Imbalance originates from fear. Why does fear exist? Fear exists where there is ignorance. It is ignorance that disrupts our concentration, our aim, and our spiritual development. Ignorance is the root of all negative qualities; it is like a darkness we cannot walk through. These five chakras correspond to the five elements: Mūlādhāra (earth), Svādhiṣṭhāna (water), Maṇipūra (fire), Anāhata (air), and Viśuddhi (space). Our body is created from these five elements. Whenever we feel imbalance or unpleasant bodily sensations, it stems from the earth element, our foundation. No matter how solid the foundation, an earthquake causes everything to move, creating cracks in walls, buildings, and even breaking rocks. Similarly, fear creates uncertainty within the body, damaging our physical form and leading to illness. If neglected, this damage slowly develops into a major distraction. Secondly, our past karma, our destiny, lies dormant at the level of unconsciousness. When it awakens, it can cause great damage. Fear is hidden in the Mūlādhāra Chakra, but we do not feel it; it is a sleeping serpent. As soon as we disturb that snake, it wakes up. Thus, our fear begins with ignorance. The practice of Kriya and mantra brings balance. The best mantra for removing fear addresses the greatest fear: the fear of death. We know we will die one day, yet we resist it. When something happens to our health, we become afraid. Perhaps we are not afraid of death itself, but of the painful process of dying. We fear how long we might suffer in a hospital bed or in a coma. Sudden death can be a blessing, yet we neither wish to die suddenly nor slowly. When the five elements are imbalanced, pain appears in the body, and we fear that pain. Consider dying in a fire; the mere touch of a hot pan is burning. Can we imagine the unbearable pain of burning alive? We die many times every second in small ways. Severe pain can immobilize us. We will die, but we do not know how, and that uncertainty is the greatest fear every creature carries. Pain is the curse of this life, bearing karmic reactions from the past. Therefore, practicing yoga or any spiritual discipline is to understand life and accept it. We pray to that merciful God. When we speak of God, there are no gender dualities. There have been hundreds or thousands of holy, divine women as well. Some claim women have no soul, but if that were true, how would they live? In spirituality and God consciousness, there are no gender differences. Female saints have been great. We pray to the Divine Mother, as we did this morning and yesterday. When we say "God," duality vanishes. We pray to the God you believe in. In Christianity, there is a mantra: "I pray to thee for thy mercy, O Holy Maria. Pray for thy mercy, Holy Mother Maria." In Hindi, it is the same: we pray to Divine Mother Durgā, Kālī, Sarasvatī. All are the same; the dualities exist within us. The best mantra to dispel the fear of darkness is: "Divine Mother or Divine Father, lead me, please. Lead us from the darkness of ignorance to the light of knowledge." When knowledge comes, all anxieties vanish. "Lead us from unreality to reality." This world is unreal, like a dream. What you see now is a dream; a minute later, it is past. Yet it remains in your memory—how I looked, what I spoke. At night, we dream and wake up saying, "Oh, it was such a good dream." That was a dream, and this present moment will also become a dream of the past. Therefore, yoga advises against dwelling on the past. Do not waste time knowing your past life; it is gone. You cannot bathe in the same river water twice. The river flows; you dip in and come out, and the water is gone. You dip in new water. The past is past; remain in the present. "Asato mā sad gamaya"—lead us from unreality to reality. What is reality? "Brahma satyaṁ, jagan mithyā." The supreme Brahman, the highest God, is the ultimate truth. This world is unreal. Everything grows, changes, and passes. Seasons change. Therefore, "Merciful one, lead me from death to liberation, from mortality to immortality." Why? Life is happy when we are healthy. We wish to enjoy every day: good food, good friends, good walks, good conversation. But birth and death are not easy. We might think it was nice in the mother's womb, but it was not. Can you imagine the body developing in a small space, forcing expansion, as if asking, "Can you give me a little more space? I am not comfortable, Mommy." By six or seven months, we are even boxing. It is not easy. The soul is aware, caught in the flow of hormones and blood. Yet, the one who gives us life takes great care. Consider the fine work of the divine architect: both eyes, sight, brain, hearing, smell—everything. God never forgets. To this day, He has never placed one eye here and the other there. That would be imperfect. But everything is perfect. Time, however, is not easy. Imagine being a rock sculpted into a statue—it is painful. Sometimes it seems better to be a rock, but we are designed and carved perfectly. I do not know how many gods are involved, but everything is a divine miracle. Death is also not pleasant. Thus, the Vedas say: "Tamaso mā jyotir gamaya" (from darkness to light) and "Asato mā sat gamaya" (from unreality to reality). After all experiences, human consciousness, intellect, and heart-feeling pray: "Mṛtyor mā amṛtaṁ gamaya"—merciful one, lead me from mortality to immortality. Free me from the cycle of birth and death. Chant this five times in the morning, five times at noon, and five times in the evening. When you leave your house, start your car, or begin a journey, repeat this mantra. This mantra is known as the Mahāmṛtyuñjaya Mantra. "Mahāmṛtyu" signifies the highest energy, victory over death. It is a victory mantra. Its repetition will definitely protect us. Many of you know it from our books. I will chant it, and you all know it. Mahāmṛtyuñjaya is a name of Bhagavān Śiva. "Oṁ Tryambakaṁ yajāmahe sugandhiṁ puṣṭi-vardhanam." "Tryambakam" refers to the third eye, to Lord Śiva. "Yajāmahe" means "we worship." "Maheśa"—you are the greatest one, Śiva. "Sugandhiṁ" means good fragrance, symbolizing good health. When health is good, everything is good; when it is not, our condition begins to stink. "Puṣṭi-vardhanam"—always give me complete good health, good thoughts, and good actions to lead me to my destination. "Urvārukam iva bandhanān." "Urva" generally refers to fruit, like the cucumber (Kurkumba or Kakadī) we have in salad. When a fruit ripens, it separates smoothly from the vine or branch without pain to either the fruit or the plant. Plucking it unripe breaks the branch, causing pain. A vegetarian life includes not just green leaves but fruits, vegetables, pumpkins, melons, eggplants, etc.—all are fruits. We pray: "Merciful Lord, liberate me as gently as a ripe fruit detaches, without any suffering I detest, from this world. Bring me to thy divine world where I may offer all my sweetness—the good karma I collected through thy divine energy, light, divine juice (water), and thy healthy air. I come to thee as sweetness, not bitterness; complete, not half." "Mṛtyor mukṣīya māmṛtāt." Lead me from mortality to immortality. "Mṛtyu" is death; "mokṣa" is liberation. "Mahāmṛtāt"—lead me to that nectar of immortality, the greatest of the great. Whether we understand it or not, the sound resonance we discussed this morning has an equal effect on our consciousness. There are different melodies for chanting. Artists chant beautifully; others may chant slowly with a different melody. God does not require the best voice or sweetest melody. God is like a parent. When a baby begins to speak and cannot pronounce words properly, how happy we are. Not only the parents but all who hear say, "Oh, you speak so nicely." It does not matter how you pronounce it. God will never chastise you for chanting incorrectly. He is happy that in your chanting, you offer your devotion and love. At that moment, balance of body, mind, and consciousness is maintained. The fear that awakens in the Mūlādhāra Chakra, manifests in the Maṇipūra, and resonates in the Anāhata is dispelled. Why did God give us fear? Without fear, we would not survive. Some children have no fear and must be taught it. Without fear, one might jump from a building or into fire. We teach, "You will burn, don't touch fire. Don't take a knife. Don't jump in water if you can't swim; you will die." Consciously or unconsciously, we learn fear to protect our lives and remain alive. Thus, fear is healthy. But it becomes unhealthy when it prevents sleep, causes nightmares, and breeds phobias—"Oh God, who is coming? Who is doing this?" Such fear can only disappear when the light of knowledge dawns. February 17th is the night of Lord Śiva, Śivarātri. On this night, all devotees worship Lord Śiva. We will have a prayer program at the ashram here. I will be in Brisbane, where we have established a small Śiva temple. In all Śiva temples worldwide, there will be grand celebrations. You can go to a temple, worship at home, or listen to spiritual discourses. Every morning, if you have a Śiva Liṅga at home—the Śiva Liṅga represents the entire universe—offer water to it. An ancient Vedic article explained that from the Trinity, Śiva is the first, Svayaṃbhu (self-manifested). He then created Viṣṇu and Brahmā. Once, Brahmā and Viṣṇu thought themselves the greatest. Śiva appeared and said, "Oh yes, you are the greatest ones. Please find the beginning and end of this Liṅga." Brahmā and Viṣṇu could not find its end. It was the universe, extending endlessly. It is the universal body of that Svayaṃbhu, symbolized by the liṅga, akin to an egg. In some traditions, eggs and rabbits are associated. How do we coordinate a rabbit and an egg? Similarly, how do we coordinate Śiva and the Liṅga? It is a universe. That egg is the universe, and within it is Hiraṇyagarbha, the golden embryo of life in divine consciousness. To understand the Śivaliṅga, look at the sky—that is the real Śivaliṅga. Brahmā and Viṣṇu searched for ages but could not find its end. Śiva then told them to return to their duties. We offer water on the Liṅga in the morning. Water is the symbol of life. In every language, water is life and life is water. We offer water with the mantra: "Oṁ Tryambakaṁ yajāmahe sugandhiṁ puṣṭi-vardhanam, urvārukam iva bandhanān mṛtyor mukṣīya māmṛtāt." Chanting this mantra, if you feel its energy, fear, nervousness, and imbalance immediately disappear. These Vedic words are given to remove anxiety, fear, accidents, and negative energies. All barriers will be removed. When you start your car, before turning the key, chant it quickly. That energy of the Śiva Liṅga, as the universe, is directed toward us to protect and escort us, removing all negative energy. Śiva is the lord of both devas (gods) and asuras (demons). At creation's beginning, two forces arose simultaneously: devī śakti (divine energy) and āsurī śakti (demonic energy). Devī Śakti encompasses all incarnations, holy saints, and good people belonging to the divine world. But a parallel negative force also runs. One side walks with death, the other with mokṣa (liberation) and light. Death walks with us as our body's shadow, saying, "Sooner or later, I will win. I am observing you, waiting for a chance to take you away." The divine energy says, "You may do your dharma, your duty." It is the principle of life: whoever is born will die. Death is called Yama; its king is Yamarāja. The king of liberation, the lord of justice, is Dharmarāja. Dharma is purpose, righteousness, purity, the divine. It is not merely religion but our principle. What is human dharma? What should humans do and not do? When we err, we might say, "Is he not human? He speaks like a devil." Thus, both the divine and the devil travel with us in the same phenomenon. This mantra will move negative forces aside, protecting and escorting us toward the divine. At that time, there is no fear. This mantra is very powerful. Try it. You will see that when you chant it while driving or traveling, no accident will occur. I cannot promise it will remove traffic cameras, but perhaps it is true, for Śiva will give you good consciousness to drive carefully and follow traffic rules. You can chant with one hand here (gesturing) and feel beautiful balance and certainty. Place your second hand here. Chant after me: Oṁ Tryambakaṁ yajāmahe Sugandhiṁ puṣṭi-vardhanam Urvārukam iva bandhanān Mṛtyor mukṣīya māmṛtāt Oṁ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ Keep your hands there. When you chant, you will feel energy movement beginning at the navel—the Maṇipūra Chakra. Then, sound manifests in the vocal cords and rises to the head, especially the Sahasrāra Cakra. Parā, paśyantī, and vaikharī manifest a beautiful vibration that permeates the whole body. As sound travels through space, close your eyes and feel a strong vibration in your head. The energy begins at the navel, where the jīvātmā resides, not from the head downward. Now you may move your hand. While chanting and concentrating, everyone likely had the same feeling. I will not ask, but did you feel any fear? Did you feel balance and peace? The āsurī śakti is pushed down to the lower chakras, and divine śakti takes over, guiding our consciousness and knowledge. Anxiety, fear, and imbalance are set aside. This is the effect. We can chant mantras in different rāgas (melodies). Many of you chant daily. Chant this mantra five times in the morning after bathing. Let shower water fall on your forehead and the crown of your head. Use cool, not hot, water. Bow your head and say, "Oṁ Tryambakaṁ yajāmahe sugandhiṁ puṣṭi-vardhanam, urvārukam iva bandhanān mṛtyor mukṣīya māmṛtāt." You become a beautiful Śiva Liṅga, like Śiva himself, the Divine Mother, the Divine energy, washing away all dirt of the āsurī śaktis. This is how the chakras act. When the soul is conceived and enters the mother's body, it passes through the water element. Where the soul arrives, a beautiful chakra and vibration form. The navel becomes the center of our self. Everything develops around it: spine, intestines, brain, limbs. The soul is guided and nourished from here, connected to the mother's body via the navel. It is beautiful. Our being manifests in a human body (or any life) with the soul at the center. The soul is both water and fire. That fire (Viṣṇu, the soul-light) cannot exist without water. It resides in water, and thus the entire body develops. In water, Bhagavān Viṣṇu resides in Kṣīrasāgara, the milky ocean. That milky ocean is the mother's body, collecting all embryonic fluids. How beautiful it is—the science of body, mind, and consciousness. This single mantra can give us immense knowledge and protection. Another mantra, the Gāyatrī Mantra, also from the Vedas, has a different meaning but is excellent for yoga practitioners and yogīs. It automatically balances the chakras. Knowledge arrives where ignorance was. Fear is removed, fearlessness emerges. Balance, harmony, and the light of knowledge are present. Merely doing postures, prāṇayāma, and sitting with closed eyes to meditate is insufficient. Meditation without such a mantra is like a body without a soul. Balance or imbalance does not come from outside; it is within us. We must help ourselves to progress. We came alone, and we will go alone. Our soul knows what happened, what is happening, and awaits the best, the light. With this wish, I wish you all the best. We will meet again tomorrow morning. What time is the webcast? Nine o'clock? Yes, 9:30. I will begin at 10:30 to accommodate some work for the people. Thank you. In Brisbane time, it is 10:30 tomorrow. See you then. Oh, Melbourne—my Brisbane is always one hour behind. So, Melbourne center, all the best. Oṁ Tryambakaṁ yajāmahe sugandhiṁ puṣṭi... Oṁ Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ... Melbourne is a very good name. Mahāprabhujī, Mādhavānandjī, and Maheśvarānand.