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Part 1: The Human Festival: Cultivating Our Sunny Side Every country has its own culture, and within this culture, there are numerous festivals. Now Christmas is approaching, and everyone is busy celebrating and preparing for this beautiful Christmas festival. Its purpose is to turn our thoughts and feelings in a beautiful, positive, spiritual direction. Almost every month and every day, there is a beautiful festival in various countries. What is important in this, I believe, is a recognition from human to human with love, devotion, support, and forgiveness. We all know we have a mind within us. And the mind always has complicated thoughts, situations, too much greed, hatred, envy, jealousy, ego, pride, and a longing for power. That is, unfortunately, the satiated side of human beings. Such beautiful festivals, like the great festival of Christmas, bring about in people recognition, love, forgiveness, giving, tolerance, respect, and renunciation. This is the sunny side of human beings. It would be good if we maintained the thoughts that are on the sunny side throughout the entire year and applied them in everyday life. This is yoga in daily life. Not only body and breath practice, but constantly being aware that I am a human being. There are many living beings. In Yoga or Vedic culture, it is said there are 8.4 million different species of living beings. This understanding is from billions of years ago. There are Yugas: Satya Yuga, Dvāpara Yuga, Tretā Yuga, Kali Yuga. The four Yugas, as they are called, repeat in a cycle from Satya Yuga again and again. All living beings come to Earth through four paths. The very first one is Udbhij. Udbhij, a Sanskrit word, means vegetation—all kinds of fungi, mushrooms, that are sprouting. The second is called Svedaja, like bacteria, which come from stagnant water, fruits, our sweat, etc. The third is through eggs. It is often asked, which was first, the egg or the bird? Yes, the very first was Śrī Ambu, who manifested Himself. And the fourth is Jarāyuja, born as a baby. There are many animals and beings. So, 8.4 million different species. One of these is the human being. And a human is a human, regardless of country, culture, language, color, etc. The caste, as it is called, was unfortunately born later in human thought. Scientifically, there is only one thing: there are no races, only one, and that is humanity. We know that in Austria, people have so much love and a deep desire to help. Whenever there is an earthquake or disaster or war somewhere, and people suffer, the Austrians are truly among the first to offer help—money, material things, medical help, perhaps a doctor without borders. This feeling is a feeling of a human being. If that is the case, whether it is in Africa, China, America, the Middle East, India, or Europe, wherever we help, we see no difference between culture and race. There we see completely pure, clear thoughts in the people. Mahatma Gandhi said, nature does not need us. Nature does not need humans. But humans need nature. And we are destroying all of nature, and we see the results. So, when you get up in the morning, it is a truly beautiful practice. It frees us from many, many problems. This practical exercise is just a very brief practice. Wake up, open your eyes and say to yourself, "I am a human being." That doesn’t take long. Good practice, right? This is happening very quickly. "I am a human being." But it is like a seed. Yet the effect is great. Then comes the next thought: What makes me human? Two hands, two legs, one head, two eyes, ears—many animals have these. But the most beautiful qualities that a person has on the sunny side are: love, devotion, understanding, forgiveness, tolerance, respect, spirituality, faith. These are the most beautiful qualities that a person possesses in their body or in their entire human form. Here in Austria, they say, when something happens, "that was inhuman." Right? That was inhuman. Yes, in our subconscious, as everyone knows. And that is precisely what I have learned. To give you this mantra in the morning, "I am a human being," I learned that from Austria, please, from the Austrian language. And when we do something wrong or when someone has done something wrong, it is said that it was not human. A person cannot do something like that. And so this one thought accompanies us throughout the entire day and can protect us from negative things. This is the most beautiful prayer, the most beautiful mantra. God supports and protects us through these thoughts. What makes me human? Are these thoughts the qualities? And how can I develop my qualities? This is through help. Helping hands are more valuable than folded hands. And it is the human being who can help. Helping does not mean only with money or food. There are many, many ways of helping. And not only humans, but other living beings as well. And so, among the 8.4 million different living beings that live in the water, on the earth, and in space, there is a wheel, a chain, always moving. When someone sees images from Tibet or China, Chinese culture, there is also, and here as well, a god and a devil in the cultures. And the two must exist. One cannot destroy them. They are immortal. Just like our breath, our soul is immortal. And now we have created something immortal, and it acts like a demon: plastic. Plastic can never be destroyed. We can only burn it. It laughs. Now I am formless, yet there. Nirguṇa. Without form. So plastic is like a devil. In all of us, in our blood, plastic is now found. So that is another topic, about food, about nourishment. There is an image in Chinese culture. We say Yama, Yamarāja, and Dharmarāja. Rāja means King. Yama is the King of Death. And Yama are the demons. Dharmarāja is Dharma, is righteousness. He is for us in heaven or somewhere else, wherever they are. They are like judges for us. They determine our good deeds and bad deeds—karma, or sin, or virtues, good deeds. So Yama, when there is an image, holds in his mouth a disc, a wheel, like a bicycle wheel. And on it are tiny, tiny, many, many points. And these points are different living beings. Yama says, no one can leave the earth; there is only one door. And this is my mouth. It passes through my belly, my mouth. No matter who, even if it is God Himself incarnated. The end must pass through my mouth. It is painful, terrible. And his mouth signifies death. Everyone who has died or is dying, the process is through lamentation, through their mouth. And liberation from his mouth means liverishness? Our good deeds. That means suffering will neither bite nor chew us. It passes through. When he prepares to chew, he opens his mouth, and we go through without injury, without pain. But we had to go through this door. There are many windows and everything, but the exit is there. After the program, we all go through the door. One door, there it is difficult. With the stairs, and we have knee pain, back pain, it is difficult to walk, but we must walk. And secondly, there is an elevator for VIPs. Just as all who practice yoga understand, it is not merely a physical and breath exercise. It is the body culture. Breathing exercise, body exercise is the body culture. This is fitness. But how long will you remain fit? Wait, the time will come. One day the time comes when we ourselves can no longer do anything—move your hand, take a glass, and have a sip of water. Where is your fitness? Dependency is not good, but a painful, terrible dependency is physical. If we cannot wash or rinse our own mouth, cannot stretch out our own leg. This means we are now at the death of sorrow. So, the people who suddenly die, no matter how—heart attack, stroke, or an accident and so on—we are sad about it, very sad, very, very much. But for them, it is the most beautiful death. There are millions of people, millions lying in hospitals everywhere, and they are in such a painful state. May God not show us such days. May our prayer be, "Lord, I come to You when I can no longer help myself." And so Yama, it is a cosmic law, we cannot change it. There is an Austrian law, and it is so. There is a beautiful park in Austria, in Vienna, called the Turkish Park. Do you know? Whoever knows nothing should go there, and there stands a prince tree planted by Yogan Dalayev. This is the Turkish Park. But it is included in your city contract. This name shall remain. Nothing can change it. Just like the unknown soldiers at Schwarzenbergplatz. Right? And so the cosmic law is even stronger, stricter than here. So, Āyā so to jāyegā, rājā raṅg faṭegā, āyā so to jāyegā—those who come will go, whether it is a king or a beggar; one goes bound in chains, another goes with a beautiful robe. That is Karma. What we do will be returned to us. What is done well comes out well; what is done poorly comes out poorly. And so there is Dharmarāja, he supports our spiritual thoughts, life, and so on. And therefore, our mind, the restless mind, should always be kept under control. And now it is a time, the Christmas season, a time for forgiveness, a time for understanding. Who are we to speak ill of others? Have you reflected on your qualities and your own actions, and what are you doing? And what you do, you speak against others, yet you yourself drink alcohol and call them alcoholics. What about you? So, who am I to judge someone? Such negative criticism, thoughts, words, are like an arrow to our inner life. This will bring us to the door of the Yamas. And he will make you wait until his sharp teeth appear. And then he just bites and looks left and right, wondering what is happening now. In Christian religions, that is often called purgatory, right? And also from the encompassing sufferings, this and that. But only because of our own thoughts. How often have we had such a thought? It would be wonderful if, in case we haven’t done so yet, today we make a commitment: I will think only positively in my life. Someone took a roll from your shop, from your bakery, and started biting into it. Then I say, you have stolen this and that. I think perhaps they had such a great hunger that they eat it. So, we should not immediately complain or, how do you say, not judge. The first practice is, if my approach is successful and your approach, your effort is also successful, you will receive good fruits whenever you wish, please, there is no compulsion. From today onwards, we will think only positively. Just look in a week, how happy you will be, how happy. Do not think anything negative about your partner. Many people think negatively, that one or two years of marriage is good, with a beloved and so on, that’s what they say. But afterwards he says, you and then you, and then he says you. It is, always says much. The most beautiful time is during the honeymoon, and then it comes back and works. I spent a long time in Villach with a family who had four children, three. One was seven years old, six years old, one was four years old, and one was two years old. Part 2: The Foundations of a Healthy and Spiritual Life At that time, I could not speak German. I have always looked for children’s programs on television—it was only black and white back then. I am sitting there, and the four-year-old girls are sitting on this strap, and the little boy is sitting here, and the other one is hanging on my shoulder strap. That was a beautiful family. Then conflict arises in these children’s films: a woman is arguing with her husband or something. The little girl, four years old, looks at me, holds my beard, and says, “Uncle Svāmījī, did I say that?” Yes, yes. I look away again, and she pulls my beard. Then I said, “What?” “Ah, exactly like that, mother scolds father.” So it is. So, we begin by thinking well and positively about our family, including our pets, garden birds, and so on, as well as other people. A positive thought. When I cannot think anything good, we should at least not think anything bad. This is one of the finest spiritual developments. Spirituality does not mean kneeling down and praying all day long. This is a waste of time. Okay, let us do a prayer for a quarter of an hour; God has then accepted it, and now we go to work. Work is our prayer. So, when we think positively, then all day long we are with God. Honesty, positive thinking. Yes, the second is, indeed, health is nothing, but everything, absolutely everything is nothing without health. And we cannot experience anything like illness and health without the body. As long as we have this body, we have everything. When that is gone, it is over. Today I read a magazine. I went to an acupuncturist, very good, immediate effect. And it does not act, only heals. Because there is a needle inside, then I say, “I have no more pain, please take it out.” No more. It is very good. In the waiting room, there was a magazine, and it said “Strengthening of the Body and the Soul.” And I said, “Hopefully no one will ask me tonight how to strengthen the soul.” I do not know, perhaps you are wiser and speak your language better. I can strengthen my body, strengthen my will, strengthen my concentration, my qualities, and so on. But how do I strengthen my soul? Because the soul is invisible, the soul is untouchable. A mother does not know when the soul has entered. And do you know how the body and the neck, all the side seats, do not know how the soul has departed, in which direction. How does one strengthen the soul? That is a good question. Please do not ask me, yes, because I know nothing. And when I know, then the answer is a bit difficult. So, our health. And here, no matter how many of you will do exercises—how many here are doing a conditioning exercise?—but do we always come back to one point? And that is our nourishment. I came to Austria in ’71. And back then, there were very few conversations about organic vegetables, organic food. Because everything was biological. It was completely logical, biological. But every day, day after day, we look for organic vegetables, organic this, organic that. It is nothing to our eyes that it is a beautiful apple, shining because it has been coated with wax and kept somewhere in a cool room. But the beautiful apple, standing at the end of the field in the Austrian fields—they are small, perhaps a little, a worm has tasted it. They contain a lot of iron, vitamins, and have the taste of an apple. The chatter that happens in the fields, or among apricots, or cherries and many berries, whatever there is in Austria—it is a blessed land. But now, everything is sprayed. And not just that, but also the grains. And not only the grain, the flour from the grain, but not only the flour, also what we make, bread or that, is also manipulated. Just a month ago, an Australian, a white Svāmījī, told me that the feather from all the chickens is painted, powdered, and mixed into the white flour so that the bread becomes soft and beautiful, and when put into the toaster machines, quickly it becomes brittle and unhappy, because two weeks ago someone told me something again. These are many black breads that are imported here, have been sawed by the hair of many, many great tailors, barbers, hairdressers. The hair, whatever is discarded and so on, is collected, painted, and put into the bread. Maybe only one percent, but it is in there. And what is and what is not, the cuisine of Austria is so good. Our mother, grandmother cooked well. But now many children do not know how to cook. The future for humans as health is learning to cook. I tell you, learn to cook. It does not have to be that you are a scientist, a professor, an engineer; from that, you cannot fill your belly. Learn to cook. I do not know how some of us will live. But I say that after 30, 35 years, a problem will arise, or even earlier. We have no choice but to cook and eat what we have. So please, many people think that Svāmījī is joking. Is Svāmījī a little bit eccentric, or how do you say it? I am completely ordinary; I know what I am talking about. I am not psychic, I am not nervous, I am not depressed, not at all. Truly, I am healthy. I say, the future for humanity is learning to cook. There lies your health. And if you cannot cook, you have invited yourself to serious illnesses. And there you will lie for a long time in the hospitals. Regardless of whether you are a man or a woman. Jumma Puri said that many girls study, but she did not say that many boys study as well. We men also want to study, not just the women, but men should also learn to cook. So true, these are true, true words. Please, give your children the knowledge of how to cook and which spices to use. Do not simply take and dent or eat in microwaves. This is not culinary art. Walking in the garden, which herbs, vegetables, and spices are used, and whether butter or olive oil or something else is added. Whether it is salt or sugar, whatever the spices. This is very, very important for our lives. This kind of cooking and learning is called Ayurveda Cooking. Austria has very many, very many, how do you say, spices, medicinal plants. The entire summer is blessed. The healing plants bend towards us and say, “Why do you not take anything from me? Come, will you take me with you, please, I will help you.” But we walk around with our shoes and dogs and we don’t care about this. So, healthy eating and cooking at home. No matter how you cook, but cook at home. Once a year, you can go to a restaurant. Please, someone in the restaurant is not having a bad time. I have nothing against restaurants. But please, kau no junk food. No junk food. Then yoga practices, as yoga in daily life. What is the difference? Yoga is yoga. But the difference is how one should practice. That is it. A completely new, beautiful, wonderful car, no matter which one, it belongs to a company, and the company people always drive this car, but the car breaks down very quickly. And one who has earned money with great effort has bought a beautiful car, and the way he drives carefully—that is the difference. So, Yoga in daily life has been proven as a scientific system. And so, it is not that we perform like acrobatics. These are the young children: 18, 17, 15, 20, 25, and at most 30. So, they make these balls, they jump and all that. People like me—I can also jump from here. Twice, not just once. And twice means the first time and the last time. So, Yoga is meant for the people who need it now. So, do not let yourselves fall into temptations. “Oh, I want to do that and I will jump like this.” No. I am always angry at those, all your yoga teachers, the teachers here—they impose torture and beautiful movements and such strictness. 80% of us do not actually engage in practicing anything. But what is beautiful is that it moves and helps all the muscles, joints, finger joints, wrists, elbows, shoulders, and not just that. It moves all the parallel muscles of the body. And when one does it slowly and mindfully, that helps. And once doing it this way, and once doing it that way, it was, yes, very beautiful. The Bhaktis were very dedicated; it was not easy, their shoulders and heads were completely calm, and their cords were like this. It is a way to control the body, the muscles. Hey, sorry, excuse me, please, and then the breath—proper breath practice. So, every day at least one and a half to two hours of yoga practice at home. Then next time I see you, I will say, “Oh, with great respect, how do you say? Yes, yes, attention.” But now I see, yes, you are making an effort, but not completely. I am not satisfied with myself, but also not with you—that is my problem. So, let’s say, really getting up early for two hours: getting up at half past four until half past five, half past six, seven. One and a half to two hours daily, you will be happy, very happy, and you will feel, “Yes, I am truly living now. Now I can enjoy everything I desired.” So, the first thought: I am a human being. What makes me human? The qualities. And how do I develop my good qualities? Secondly, think positively—not only during these beautiful Christmas times. Third, good nourishment. Whenever possible, cook and eat only at home. And the cleanest option is organic vegetables. Most of the people here are from Lower Austria. Yes, the Waldviertel and Weinviertel, and everywhere it is all beautifully wonderful. I know this part of Austria, everywhere—the whole Burgenland, Styria, everywhere. We have beautiful nature, and if we have a little garden, even 10 square meters, that is enough to grow vegetables. Start with flowers, eventually something edible, edible and organic. I tell you, the time will come, unfortunately, unfortunately. “What should I eat now?” If all food companies shut down, then we will have nothing at all. So, learning to cook is like having gold in your hands and in your brain. And it is said, gold remains always gold. So knowledge remains, always knowledge. What? Cooking. Everyone else knows it, but at the moment we do not. Whether we attain heaven or hell is still too far away. There we will then converse with God. At the moment, you say, “God, give me good knowledge so that I have good food, vegetarian food, healthy food.” And then the point was practice: Āsanas and the body, balanced, breath practice and speaking the truth, at least two hours daily. Fifteen minutes of left, right, and potatoes is not enough for me. Best in the morning. Or if you can give two hours in the evening, then in the evening. And in a year, we will then talk about how we feel. It doesn’t have to be a headstand, it doesn’t have to be jumping around. All this acrobatics, we need nothing. Then we go to the circus, and once to the saunas. We practice balanced, safe, beautiful, and firsthand authentic Yoga, the science and original knowledge from the scriptures. There we have systematically integrated it. Yes, that is all I could say today. And please forgive my German language. I have been here for so long, yet I am careless. I probably haven’t learned anything. But it’s okay, right? That is the main thing. So, thank you all. Wishing you a wonderful time and a Christmas season. May God bestow upon you much joy, love, happiness, and health. Farewell.