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Oṁ arvindu sayuktaṁ nityaṁ dayanti yogina, kaṁdaṁ vakṣadaṁ cheva, oṁ kārai namo namaḥ, oṁ śānti, śānti, śānti. Deep Nārāyaṇ Bhagavān Kī, Deveśvar Mahādev Kī, Satguru Svāmī Madhavānandjī Bhagavān Kī, so much prāṇa. Good evening to all dear ones here in this hall and in different parts of the world. Whether you believe it or not, I see you and you see me. That's great. Our subject is Haṭha Yoga. Haṭha and yoga are very great subjects, and Haṭha yogīs have a very easy path to self-realization. Others may have to wait many lives, but a Haṭha yogī achieves a state that even God Himself respects and adores. When a Haṭha Yogī arrives, Bhagavān Sadāśiva Svayaṃbhū, Bholenāth, welcomes them with great respect. The Haṭha Yogī's consciousness becomes like Śiva itself, and Śiva Himself sees the Haṭha Yogī as a higher consciousness. Now, who is that Haṭha Yogī? How does Śiva see him? And how does a Haṭha Yogī see Śiva? We are talking today about Haṭha Yoga. If we practice and become a Haṭha Yogī, we do not have to worry at all about whether we will get liberation, or mokṣa, or ātmā jñāna. But what kind of Haṭha Yogī should one be? A Haṭha Yogī should stand above all. Haṭha Yogīs have great willpower and endure immense situations: hot, cold, hunger, thirst, comfort, discomfort, respect, no respect, and so on. Before I explain all this, there is a beautiful story about a Haṭha Yogī and Śiva Himself. Śiva is the creator, the one who blessed us with the science of yoga, the science of all mantras, yantras, tantras, all vastu śāstra, yoga, meditation, prāṇāyāma, etc. Even the Vedas are created or given by Svayaṃbhū Śiva; it is said they came through His exhalation. There was a Haṭha Yogī who had achieved that higher consciousness. He had no desires and no care about anything. Near a small village of about one or two hundred houses, there was a crematorium about half a kilometer away. When a person died, the body was burned there. A very kind and loving person from the village died, and the whole village went for the funeral, crying. After the fire burned down and everyone went home, the coals were still glowing in the cool night air. This Haṭha yogī, who collected simple food like chapati flour, had about one kilo of flour. He went out of the village and saw the fire from the funeral pyre. He had only one pot for everything. He brought water, made a thick chapati, and sat by the fire to bake it. It was a dark night, around eleven o'clock, with a cold wind and drizzling rain. He sat there alone. Pārvatī and Śiva were walking by. Pārvatī saw someone making chapati at the funeral place and asked Śiva, "Who is that? What is he doing?" Śiva said, "Some yogī is making his food, chapatis." Pārvatī was angry—women have good hearts, and their anger often comes from love or compassion. She said, "Śiva, my lord, I am disappointed." Śiva asked, "Why, Mahādevī? Why are you disappointed? I am sad, but why?" Pārvatī said, "Look, there are many people gambling and doing business. They have a lot of money, houses, comfort, and air conditioning. They never think of you, Śiva. They never pray to you, even though you gave them everything. And look at this bhakta, this yogī. Day and night he repeats your name, 'Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya, Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya,' and you cannot give him even a little comfort, a place to make his food. No house, nothing. That is why I am angry. Give him something." Śiva smiled and said, "Devi, Goddess, you do not understand." Pārvatī replied, "Whether I understand or not, I want you to provide him a little comfort. Give him." Śiva said, "Well, I would like to give, but he will not take." Pārvatī insisted, "You do not want to give; you are making excuses. I want to see you give, and I will see if he takes or not." This is what is called woman's persistence—triyā hut. There are four kinds of haṭha: bāla hut, triyā hut, yog hut, and rāj hut. Śiva said, "Then, Mahādevī, you stay behind this bush so he does not see you. I will go and give him something, and we will observe whether he takes it or not." The yogī was making his chapati, sitting relaxed and happy, with no sorrow, pain, or desires. The cold did not bother him. Śiva came and stood in front of the yogī. The yogī did not look up; he was happily watching his chapati bake. After five minutes, Śiva noted that the yogī was not afraid. The yogī still did not look up. Bhagavān Śiva said, "I am Svayaṃbhū Śiva, on whom you are meditating." The yogī, without looking up, asked, "Why did you come here? What do you want?" Pārvatī, listening from behind the bush, was biting her nails. Bhagavān Śiva said, "I came to give you something." The yogī replied, "When did I beg you? I did not ask you for anything. Why did you come to give me something?" Śiva said, "Ask anything; I want to give." The yogī said, "I have no desires. I do not want anything." Śiva said, "I know you do not want anything, but when I appear, I give something. Ask anything, and I will give it to you." The yogī finally said, "Okay, if you want to give me something, then disappear. Go away." Śiva said, "Oṁ Namaḥ Śivāya," and went away. Pārvatī followed slowly. Śiva said, "My dear, did you hear? Your māyā only you know. You do not understand. A Haṭha yogī is above everything. Therefore, do not disturb them. He has no desires." As Mahāprabhujī said in Vajan, that is the Haṭha yogī. Would you like to be like that? If you wish to be like that, then walk on my path. It is not easy; you have to purify, purify... This story helps us understand what a Haṭha yogī can achieve. A bhakti yogī is different. A bhakti yogī says, "Oh God, give me this, please. God, give me a blessing. God, give me a job. Can my children get into a good school? I have pain here all the time." We are begging from God all the time, day and night. God gets no rest. In a tale, two persons died: one was a bhakti yogī who remembered God constantly, and the other never thought of God. They both came to the door of heaven, or Vaikuṇṭha, or Svarga. The doorkeeper opened the door and said, "One moment, I have to go to Dharmarāja." He went to Dharmarāja at midnight. Dharmarāja said, "You could bring them tomorrow." The doorkeeper said, "No, I cannot let them wait. Tell God there are two persons here." God said, "Go and ask their names and where they are from." They asked. One was a farmer who said, "God? I was at the door of God. I did not want to come here, but anyhow, it is good." The other was a bhakta. The doorkeeper reported to God: "One hardly remembers you, and the other repeats your name day and night." God said, "Okay, bring the farmer in," and sent the bhakta back to earth. God explained, "Yes, his bhakta disturbs me day and night, does not let me sleep. The farmer is a peaceful person." So bhakti yoga is very good, but we are always begging for something. A jñāna yogī is always arguing: "No, this is not like that; this is like that." A rāja yogī is always focused on discipline: "Atha yogānuśāsanam, anuśāsanam, anuśāsanam." A Haṭha yogī is completely content and satisfied. He has no desires, neither for God nor care for heaven or hell. He is ātmā. This is Haṭha Yoga. In India, we speak of four kinds of persistence: Bāla Hut, Tṛiyā Hut, Rāj Hut, and Yoga Hut. Bāla Hut refers to a small child. When a child wants something, he will get it from his parents. He will not give up crying or asking, "Father, can I have? Father, can I have?" The father has a big heart. The mother may say no, but the father will go shopping and bring something. The father's heart is very big, while the mother keeps discipline. Triyā Hut refers to a woman. A woman's will is very strong. You never know what is going on in her mind and feelings. Even a husband may have to surrender to her heart—a very gentle force. Consider Mahatma Gandhi. It is said he did not fight with weapons; he practiced ahiṃsā, non-violence. But that was a very fine violence. When you constantly ask someone, "What is that? Tell me, what is that?" it awakens aggression. That is also a gentle way of hiṃsā. But Gandhiji did many good things. Then there is Rāj Hut, the persistence of a king or minister. Ministers bring laws into the country. Whatever they want, they pass as law. We know how many people suffer in the world from junk food and pollution, which is destructive for all creatures—plants, water life, humans, and animals. But they sign it into law, and we cannot do anything. For example, you cannot drink cow's milk directly from the cow. By law, it is prohibited. We do not know how many children have died because of improper milk, but ministers have power, and they make the laws. Then there is Yoga Hut, the persistence of the yogī. When a yogī decides, he will achieve self-realization. Yogīs have no distractions. Once, a yogī was walking through a forest. He had long hair, and a strong wind blew from behind, causing his hair to fall over his face repeatedly. After a few times, the yogī said to the wind, "Okay, I will go in this direction." That is the decision of a yogī. They have only one target: to attain self-realization. These are the four kinds of Haṭha: Bāla Haṭha, Tṛya Haṭha, Rāja Haṭha, and Yoga Haṭha. This is the general explanation. Now, according to the śāstras, the authentic ancient wisdom, Haṭha Yoga has six kriyās called Ṣaṭ Karma. In Ayurveda, they have Pañca Karma, which comes from Haṭha Yoga, but they left one out. Haṭha Yoga has six kriyās for the purification of the entire body. When the body is pure, there is no vikāra, no impurity. Then our concentration, feelings, and health become pure and healthy. The six kriyās of Haṭha Yoga are: 1. Neti: cleaning of the nose with a neti pot every day. 2. Dhauti: cleaning of the alimentary canal. There are different kinds: sutra neti and jala neti. 3. Basti: cleaning of the entire intestines. 4. Nauli: churning of the stomach. 5. Trāṭaka: gazing steadily, such as on a candle flame or a dot. 6. Kapālabhāti: a breathing technique for the forehead and sinuses. Yogīs used to perform basti by going into a lake, assuming a yoga posture, and sucking water through the anus to cleanse the intestines. However, with water pollution today, this is dangerous and can cause infection. Therefore, we have developed a technique called Śaṅkh Prakṣālana. This should be done once a month or four times a year, at the change of seasons, when our bodily system is transitioning. Śaṅkha means conch. Just as water moves through the spirals of a conch, our intestines—which are 8.4 meters long—are cleansed. Creatures that are not vegetarian have short intestines, while those with long intestines are vegetarians. When humans eat meat, it takes a long time to digest, and remnants can lead to cancer. In Śaṅkh Prakṣālana, you perform specific exercises (found in your Yoga in Daily Life book) and drink about 25 glasses of water. After drinking, you may see various impurities expelled. It is essential to follow a strict diet afterward: for two months, no meat, fish, or eggs; for about ten days, no raw food, fruit juice, or bread—only freshly made chapati. If you do not follow the diet, you may develop gastric problems. Prevention is better than treatment. Kunjal Kriyā is another technique, taken from the elephant. When an elephant feels acidity, it puts its trunk into its stomach and sucks out the acidity. Similarly, when we have heartburn or acidity, we can perform Kunjal Kriyā instead of taking medicine. The elephant also inspired the shower; it goes into a lake, takes water, and washes itself. Once, an elephant was bathing and then put dust on its body. People called it stupid, but a wise person asked the elephant why. The elephant replied, "I hope that maybe some time ago a holy saint walked here. If the dust from his holy feet falls on my head, I will get mokṣa." Animals have beautiful feelings and thoughts. Who are we to call them stupid? They do not understand our language, and we do not understand theirs. Every creature has love and feeling. Trāṭaka involves gazing on one point, such as a candle flame or a dot. Kapālabhāti prāṇāyāma is for the forehead and sinuses. After neti, one should practice Kapālabhāti, which involves only exhalation from the navel. Those with headaches should practice neti and Kapālabhāti three times a day for five minutes. Bhastrikā is a different technique. Kapālabhāti is like a locomotive building steam. When performing these techniques, one should be so steady that a water pot placed on the head does not fall. Nauli is churning the stomach and is somewhat difficult to learn, but with practice over two or three months, it can be mastered. Yoga teachers must demonstrate these techniques, including nauli, to obtain their Yoga in Daily Life license. Examinations can now be conducted via webcam. Some in Australia ask for "hot yoga." We offer the warm water for kunjal, the sutra, and śaṅkha in water. But they want Haṭha yoga. Yes, we give Haṭha yoga. Australia has turned things upside down regarding what Haṭha yoga and Rāja yoga are. Rāja yoga consists of aṣṭāṅga yoga: yama, niyama, āsana, prāṇāyāma, pratyāhāra, dhāraṇā, dhyāna, and samādhi. Jñāna yoga is philosophy, whose essence is "brahma-satya jagat-mithyā"—only the Supreme is reality; the world is unreal. The final truth is God; the rest is our struggle. These are the techniques of Haṭha Yoga. Classically and philosophically, this is the definition. In the book, you should read about the chakras. In our body, there are 72,000 nerves that must be purified through Haṭha Yoga techniques. These nerves form a network throughout the body, governing our feelings, touch, and pain. A few key nerves balance and control all others. The Vajranāḍī starts from the big toe and second toe. Vajra means strength; it is the foundation, like the foundation of a tall building. Vajranāḍī is responsible for our immune system. The Khāṭu Praṇām in Yoga in Daily Life strengthens Vajranāḍī, enhancing immunity and concentration. The other three principal nāḍīs are Iḍā, Piṅgalā, and Suṣumṇā. Iḍā is connected to the left nostril and our emotions. Emotions are motions—anger, hate, jealousy, greed, revenge. A wise person waits for the waves in the ocean to calm before diving for pearls. If you act during a tsunami, you will not find anything. When our emotions are active, it is easy to send an angry email or SMS. Modern technology is good, but please wait and think. Sometimes, think for days or even years before answering. There is a story of a master who was highly respected. As he walked through the market, a man came out of his shop and asked, "Master, what is the difference between your beard and a donkey's tail?" The master walked away. His disciples were angry, but the master did nothing. When the master was about 100 years old and near death, he called for that merchant, who had felt remorseful for 25 years. The merchant apologized, but the master said, "No, you had a right to ask. I owe you an answer. The difference between the tail of a donkey and my beard is this..." And then he passed away. Sometimes we must wait a lifetime to clarify something, but we should not die without answering. Yet, we should not answer immediately. That is wisdom. Therefore, with computer technology and SMS, be careful. SMS here stands for Swami Maheshwaranand School. Go there and learn before you answer or write. The left nāḍī, Iḍā, is connected to the mind and the moon, which is always changing. Similarly, our mind and thoughts change constantly. Do not trust your thoughts immediately or make quick judgments. The right nostril, Piṅgalā, is connected to the sun and fire, giving us strength, creativity, and activity—but also anger. This, too, must be controlled. The suṣumnā nāḍī belongs to wisdom and higher consciousness. The left nostril represents the letter "Ha," and the right nostril represents "Ṭha." Thus, Haṭha Yoga. In the śāstras, Haṭha Yoga is defined as the union (yoga) of Ha and Ṭha, representing balance and oneness. When both nostrils—iḍā and piṅgalā—are balanced, we achieve yoga. Then prāṇa and apāna meet at the navel, and the kuṇḍalinī, our consciousness, rises to the sahasrāra chakra. So Haṭha yoga is a philosophy and a path above all others. The person who achieves Haṭha yoga is a real yogī. We are mostly bhakti yogīs or prasād yogīs, immediately eating prasāda. But enjoy. Whatever happens, we will see later. This is Haṭha Yoga. Tomorrow morning, we will speak a little more about techniques. Moreover, our dear Swami Ummapurījī will come around 9:30 or 10:00, as she has duties. Tomorrow will be on Australian time (Sunshine Coast, Queensland). Umapurī will have a webcast talk. You can participate, and afterward, I will speak. Thank you. This is Haṭha Yoga. You can ask questions later, as they cannot ask me directly now. I wish you a very nice Saturday in Europe and Friday in Canada, Vancouver, etc. God bless you all. So, do not have the haṭha like Pārvatī. Let Śiva manage peacefully. Oṁ Śānti, Śānti, Śānti.