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Part 1: The Primacy of Awareness and the Law of Ahiṃsā Śrī Dīp Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān Kī Jaya, Devīśvara Mahādeva Kī Jaya. Mādhav Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān Kī Jaya, Sanātana Dharma Kī Jaya. Good evening, and blessings to all of you and our dear brothers and sisters around the world. The subject we had for the last four days was hidden talents—awakening your hidden talents, or what we call hidden powers in humans. It is a very good talent to know, but if we do not know which kind of talents we should awaken, then we do not know what to do. Or you awaken some talent, and then you do not need it. What will you do then? It is that energy in our body which automatically changes into that part where one needs it. So the best way is to be aware, be alert, be conscious. This is number one. If we would like to utilize our talent and get benefit out of that, then there is no compromise. There are certain things where we compromise. If someone makes a mistake or is not nice to us, we compromise. We say, okay, we understand that you had certain situations: family, life, society, or things like this. So, as we spoke yesterday about compassion. Compassion, mercy, dayā, which we spoke of yesterday—where to make the border. This is very important. If we have mercy in the heart, the love, then there is no compromise; we will have mercy. For example, you go to your garden, your beautiful vegetable garden, you put in the seedlings, and you get nice vegetables. So you should, when you go to your garden, then you should ask the plants, "Please, can I have this, some part of it for my survival, for my food?" That time, the energy which comes from Mother Earth and which has a strength in certain herbs, or vegetables, or plants, is coming very strong and surrendering to us, giving to us for something. Ahiṃsā, non-violence, is what we call mercy. Non-violence can be physical, emotional, intellectual, social, etc. So if we do not follow non-violence, it is the same as a sin. And the sins have an effect on our body, on our mind, and on our intellect. So that is called fear. Everyone has fear. In 1978, someone developed one instrument and put it there near the plants. And there was a sound, the proof, and there was what we call the monitor. The needle was swaying. So when someone went with the scissors or knife to the plant, it was screaming. It is not a joke. The needle went very far down. He measured the vibration of the plant. So the next day, people did not want to go with a knife or anything toward their plants, their house plants and things like that. It was measured the same way as when you cut a potato. Potato. Potato is screaming. So he put the machine beside and the instrument there in the kitchen, and when it heard, the potato was already crying and screaming. And when it got cut with a knife, it was such a noise, and like a fear. Somebody said, "Please, please do not do this to me." Result: next day, nobody buys potatoes in the market. So they again, the companies, they talk to the newspapers and they give this, and slowly, slowly, everyone forgets everything. So, it is not only animals, but humans too, and plants too. In 1975, 1976, between this, there was also an article from Russia. And they made the experiment about fear, both in animals and humans. So there was one mother rabbit, and she gave birth to two or three babies. After one week, they took three babies away. The heart of the mother was beating. She was very, very scared and unhappy-looking. She could not eat. But the babies too. They took the babies in different directions, separately, about 100 kilometers or something. And then they killed one baby. The other two babies, who were within 100 kilometers, were trembling with fear at the same time, as was the mother. Then they killed the second one, which remained behind and was so nervous, and the mother gave up eating grass. So, we know that animals have more fine feelings than humans. When an earthquake takes place, our cats, house pets, they are nervous, dogs, etc., but humans are not. When an earthquake happens, then the humans are frightened, searching for the gate to run out. So, every creature has a fear of harmful tools. When you take a stick in your hand and just walk towards animals, they are already frightened. So now, fear. Fear is the most terrible pain in the body. Fear can be from persons who are not nice to you. You can have fear also for whom you love, and when it goes away, you have that kind of fear. So, hiṃsā is violence. Ahiṃsā is not violence. So it is not about what you eat or what you do not eat. It is like this: if you eat, for example, meat, ask yourself from where it comes, how it comes. And if you go and see how animals are slaughtered, your hands will be trembling; you cannot do it. And that fear of the animals comes; these hormones, when animals come to this situation, then fear appears. Now, through the fears, the whole gland system produces hormones full of fear, where the cramps and spasms are there, and the animal dies. But he did not die, so one second. Even if it takes one second to chip off your head, still there is life, spasms in the life. This you can see when the tiger catches the throat of the deer, and its whole body is stretching, spasms, and it dies. But still, it takes time until the life from the body goes. That transfers this energy to those who utilize or eat it. And those kinds of hormones which develop in the body, and those kinds of chemicals and unnatural feeders, all this comes into our body. And so we know how many psychic problems there are. There is one doctor sitting. He is a specialist in this way. He is a psychiatrist and also a psychologist and everything. So he can tell how many people in the last five or six decades got mental illness or cancers. So this is because it goes into our system, into our hormones. And so it reflects as a very fine energy, which you cannot. Do not take dead flesh into your mouth. Those who eat the dead will create the dead. And that is why it was the yogīs who have researched and they said, "Ahiṃsā," non-violence. At that time, in Āyurveda, Āyurvedic, Āyurvedic, the human population was not so great. In every village, there was a good Āyurvedic practitioner. People used to go to that doctor, the Vaidya. He would not charge any money, and they would go there with whatever problem the person had. He said, "Okay, I will, maybe some urgent or some days." Now, that Vedyā, I have seen that Vedyā, who is living very near to the Kailāś Āśram of Devpurījī, the Jāvaṇ village called Bāī, and there was a very great person, Paṇḍakjī, his name was Jīvan Rāmjī, so you can read in the Līlāmṛt or ask. He was a Sanskrit scholar. In his free time, he was always reading the Vedas and such. When he comes, that person is like a light that has come. So what he used to do when you needed medicine, he would go into the forest, into the jungle. And he knows which illness, which herbs are there. He goes there, he sits, and first he prays. He asks for it, an excuse. "Please, can I have some part of you in order to help that person, a child, or an animal?" And then he said mantras. He did not take the whole plant, just some part. This I have seen myself with my own eyes, because I used to go with Gurujī at that time, and Gurujī used to stay in his house. It was great. That person was great. Simply great. When he was walking through the village or going, everybody stood up and said, "Paṇḍājī, praṇām." Yes. That was spiritual. So he said, "These are energies which we request and ask, and that medicine was working so well." And now, many herbs also disappear through these pesticides. So, not only he, but all of them said that whatever you eat will affect the whole body system and all brain centers. And therefore, Gurujī said, in certain things—which you personally in your body, your concentration, and your spirituality—no compromise. In quality, no compromise. Otherwise, we can make a compromise. But in quality, no compromise. Nowadays, quality is lost. In fruits, in vegetables, in eating, in many, many things, it is mixed. Those qualities which we do not accept, we do not agree with, but what can we do? So, it takes years, decades to purify this energy again. Okay, you can purify, but this pain which animals have or plants have, that will sooner or later come to us. And we have to go through that pain. That pain, it will come; it does not matter. You are very young and strong and say, "No, I can do this," but the day will come, the time will come, you know. The cat is sitting on one corner, and the cat knows sooner or later the mouse will go this side. So, the cat is very peaceful sitting. Similarly, the time is waiting for that kind of energetic pain, my dear, the pain. And so, one great saint, he was born blind; he was Sūradāsa. And Soordās, he did not make any sin, but still he is saying, he is praying to God. Prabhujī mere auguṇ chit na dharo, sam draṣṭī hai nām tī haro, chāhe to pār karo, Prabhujī mere auguṇ chit na dharo. O Merciful Lord, God, Prabhu, please do not consider my mistakes. Sam drasṭī hai nāma tyāro. Lord, you are known as equal vision. We are all your children. Whatever we did out of ego, stupidity, or ignorance, please, Lord, remove this pain. I will not repeat again. Then he said, "There are two knives." One knife is on the altar for cutting the prasāda, fruits, and for pūjā. And one knife is at the butcher’s house, both made out of iron. And now this knife, one is killing the animal, and one is this. But the paras, the stone, that does not see the duality. Because this iron is now not pure, and this is pure, no. We will turn both into gold because the pāras have this quality. On the other hand, the knife is not guilty. It was used by someone, and so Jesus said, "Father, forgive them." They do not know what they are doing, but he did not forgive. I did not forgive those who ordered it and those who did it. That is it. So this is energy which is dwelling in our aura, in our body, in our mind, in our thoughts, in our emotions, in our consciousness, in our awareness, in our feelings, etc. It will last long, long. We cannot be successful. Then our fear will increase. There are twenty people sitting somewhere, and one made some mistakes; he killed someone, but nobody knows. And the police were coming to check if someone was there. From these 20–30 people sitting, the police came and said, "Okay, why? What?" But one was so nervous, and had a fear that they would punish me. And they did not know who this person is. So, where is the guilt? There is the fear. And so, consciously or unconsciously, out of ego or interest or something, that will attack, and it will remain in the lower chakras. So, meditation is the way to understand, to find the solution, and to achieve purification. Purification, purification. What? How to purify? It is inside. Someone told me, now they have created some kind of atoms in the liquid, which you can hardly see or feel, and when you drink it, then they said, "Okay, now you are in our hands. We press the button, and you will be exploded. So do what we say." And that is why at the airport, they also do not let you take more than that quantity of liquid onto the airplane. This was, I do not know how many years, about 15 years or something. Someone told me we had a seminar in Hungary, and some officers from the military from India were coming, and he had no visa, so he could not enter Hungary. So I came back to Vienna, Austria, just at the border, a few kilometers away, and we had a nice picnic and went walking. So he told me that such things exist, so you never know who gives you something and then tells you, "Now you are in my hands." So, like a drug also, if you try something, then it is not in your hands anymore. So, we do trust, but are you sure that they are your friends, that you can trust? If they are your friends and you trust them, then they will not do what is not good for you or for them. Very hard to find out, very hard to find. And then, you did it, you have fear. And constantly you are thinking that you made a mistake, and that will create fear. You will have psychic problems, and you are not certain what you should do or what you will do, or what will happen. So the inner talent, the best inner talent, is to be awakened, to be aware. Be aware of what you are doing, and if you do not know, then tell your mother or father, or your husband or your wife, or your good friends. Part 2: The Sanctity of Life and Conscious Living We are always surrounded by people who love us and who will not force us to break our own rules and saṅkalpa. I wanted to convey that plants possess life. Many saints do not accept flowers. Many refuse to accept flower garlands. Swami Vivekānanda writes in his book of an instance when someone gave him a beautiful flower, and he looked down with sadness. They asked, "Swāmījī, what happened?" He explained that the flower's rightful place is elsewhere. Its beauty is there upon the plant, where it will survive longer and give forth more beautiful fragrance than if we cut it now. Thus, they do not give flowers or flower mālās. Consider the Jainas. In the Jaina system, they do not give or cut flowers because the flower is the head of the plant, its very beauty, and we sever it. My dear, when a human being becomes aware and spiritual, they can feel everything. What I eat, what I drink, where I go, what I say, whom I touch, whom I avoid—this is a significant concern nowadays. You may know a vegetarian who is seeking a partner, a husband, a boyfriend, or a wife. If one person eats meat and you do not, then when you are with that person, when you touch them or kiss them, that energy transfers to you. How does one protect oneself? How does one find the right companionship? Everyone desires a good friend. Everyone wishes to marry. Therefore, create a community and society, a circle of friends, that can swim. Friends who can also rescue you if you cannot swim, not those who hold you and drag you down into the water. If you cannot swim, it is a matter of energy. This is why we are constantly searching: which biscuits should we buy? Which chocolate? What kind of lecithin is present—soya lecithin or from animals? Nowadays, they put so many things into our food. Someone from Australia told me that all the feathers from slaughtered chickens are ground into powder and added to white bread. This makes the bread soft, and when you put it in the toaster, it pops up nice and crispy in twenty seconds or half a minute. In brown bread, they use human hair. They buy it from barbers, from hotels, and collect it from prisons and other places. So, perhaps you should collect and sell your own hair—maybe it has more protein. I shall start saving my beard hair as well. Can you imagine? When a single hair falls into our soup, we exclaim, "Ooh, there's a hair inside!" But what is one hair? It is all hair. Therefore, it is said—and it was once a practice—that the mother should cook for the child or the father. A father, sometimes in a hurry, may not infuse the same love, but the food or milk a mother prepares is imbued with great love. The mother gives love, and the child listens to the mother. The child confides in the mother, and the mother guides the child. In India, when children made a mistake, they would come and tell their mother, "I made a big mistake. What can I do?" The mother might say, "My child, I will pray. Do not tell your father, otherwise he will be so angry and will punish me, not you, for not educating you properly." You see, this is a protection for everyone. This refers to the talent that awakens within us—the kind we think we enjoy and for which we compromise. When such a talent awakens within our consciousness, fear awakens alongside it. It is like having a beautiful garden; you know how many weeds grow, and you must clean them. Both are present: happiness and unhappiness, pleasure and displeasure. Fear arises very quickly, while other things come slowly, and fear makes us very weak. Fear kills our willpower. We become inwardly paralyzed; inwardly, we are lost. Therefore, take care of your eating, your drinking, and consume fruits. Different kinds of food may make us feel ill, causing vomiting or diarrhea, but if you eat fruit, you do not have feelings of nausea, for fruit gives a very pleasant sensation. So, truly, vegetarian means fruits and vegetables—like pumpkins, bindīs, lokīs, etc. These are vegetarian. We eat salad daily, and I feel sorry for that salad, but they say, "Swamiji, we did not destroy the whole plant; we only took some leaves." That is why in every religion and tradition—at least among Hindus, Buddhists, and Christians I know—they pray before eating. They pray: "Lord, whatever you have given me, bless that it become pure energy." So, Brahmārpaṇaṃ Brahma Haviḥ Brahmāgniḥ Brahma Hutam, Brahmaiva Tena Gantavyaṃ Brahmakarma Samādhinā. Read the fifteenth chapter of the Bhagavad Gītā. And we say, "Anāpurṇe Sadāpurṇe Śaṅkara Prāṇa Bāḷave Anāpurṇe Sadāpurṇe." When we adore the Divine Mother of nourishment, Annā, Annapūrṇā, God—see, the whole great mountain in the Himalayas is called Annapūrṇā Mountain. It is beautiful. That mountain belongs to her. She supplies the food, Annapūrṇā Mother. Anāpūrṇe Sadāpūrṇe—when we pray to her and she provides for us, then we always have sufficient energy, thoughts, prosperity, everything. "O Lord Śiva, give us the Prāṇa Śakti with this, that O Bhagavān, O Viṣṇu, Bhalabhācārya, that is the energy in our body. Jñāna Vairāgya Siddhārtham. O Mother Annapūrṇā, please give me that pure nourishment and energy, Jñāna Vairāgya Siddhārtham, that I may achieve that knowledge and possess all the terms, Vairāgya, the Tyāga, so that I can say, 'No, I do not want this.'" No one will kill you for refusing, so why do we eat? This human life is not given to us again and again for mere consumption. The decision rests with you, if you understand. And we know that many who are listening here or elsewhere harbor fear inside. They have fear and say they made a mistake, but how to correct it? Pray to Annapūrṇā Mother and pray to the Lord for all creatures and animals we harm, consciously or unconsciously. It was about eighteen years ago—time passes so quickly. Someone told a story in France, near Paris, about a very expensive restaurant where a dinner might cost a thousand dollars. The owner fortunately met a true master—a good master like all of you here; you are all good masters, yes? This is a gathering of masters. He realized what it means to cook meat, to kill animals and serve them. The one who serves is guilty. The one who kills is less guilty. The one who brings the animals is also guilty. Thus, the sin is divided until it reaches you, the eater. So, he advertised. He wrote on a blackboard: "On this and this date, there will be a very special dinner," priced at $2,500. The restaurant was completely booked within two days. People came and were seated. They were served soft drinks and some fruits. The owner came and said, "Good evening, dear friends. Today we have a very special meal: rabbit meat." He brought live rabbits in a cage and a knife. "Which rabbit would you like to eat, please?" He offered the knife and said, "Kill this rabbit." They replied, "We do not want to kill it; it is a beautiful rabbit. We will not kill." He went to the next person, and then the next. None were willing to kill the rabbit that he would then cook for them. So he returned the rabbits to wherever he had obtained them and served a beautiful, fine vegetarian meal. The news from that event was that 80% of those people became completely vegetarian. When you have to perform the act yourself, you see the blood. Can you hold someone who is screaming? Can you then go at them with a knife? I cannot. If I touch meat, my whole body reacts—I cannot touch it. If we mistakenly touch it, we go and wash our hands and pray. The body is a temple. In India, if a bird dies or is moved with a stick, we do not hold the dead body. But now people eat not only meat but everything. We should know which talents we ought to awaken and which we should suppress. We want nothing to do with that; we do not desire revenge one day. And this is not only about this life, but many, many lives. Therefore, awaken those talents. That is called forgiveness. Awaken the talents of understanding for others who make mistakes, so that you do not punish them. Have understanding and support so it does not happen again. Awaken the talents of happiness, joy, love, wisdom, karuṇā, mercy, and suppress anger, hatred, jealousy, and cruelty. These should diminish; do not look toward them. Do not let them rise. Always feel good energy and look upon the pictures of Mahāprabhujī, Devpurījī, Gurujī. They will give you purification, and we can pray. It is still not too late; we are alive. So, awaken the inner, positive talents and do not suppress them. Purify so that anger does not exist in your being, in your consciousness, in your life. You may sometimes think you are pure. There is a small story. A master proclaimed he could grant self-realization, that you are above everything, you are Brahman, you are supreme. Twenty disciples came, paying a high price. After five years, one disciple approached the master and said, "Master, by your blessing, techniques, and my discipline, I have achieved the highest consciousness, my dear master. I came only to tell you this." The Master said, "How happy I am for you. Is it truly great? Are you sure?" The disciple replied, "Yes, Master. Within me, there is no negative energy, no jealousy, no anger, no hatred, no fear—nothing." The Master said, "How wonderful. Now you must undergo a test." The disciple said, "Master, you may test me. There is no problem; there is only empty space." The Master said, "Alright, then sit and meditate, and tell me in which state of consciousness you are." After meditating for half an hour, the disciple said, "Master, I am one with the universe. Ahaṁ brahmāsmi—I am Brahman. I have no anger, hatred, jealousy, fear, pain—nothing. No duality, Master. It is even difficult for me to distinguish that you are a master and I am a disciple. I am the only master. It is hard to address you as master, for I am divine." The master then took a small bamboo stick and struck the disciple on the head. The disciple jumped up. "Master, how cruel! I have done nothing. I was meditating and told you my state." The Master said, "Go and meditate further. You have achieved nothing. You claimed to have nothing inside. From where did this anger come? Go and meditate." So, do not celebrate too early. Do not think you are perfect. We are still not perfect. We possess those talents of weakness, and we must overcome them: fear, anger, hatred, jealousy, ego. That is life. Do not think, "I am." What are you? Nothing. The humbler you are, the higher you stand. For this evening, this is sufficient, and now we will have a short meditation. Please sit in a meditation posture. Make yourself comfortable. Take your mālā in your hand to practice your mantra mentally. Close your eyes. Keep your body relaxed. Take one deep inhale and exhale. Relax. Withdraw yourself from the external world. Bring your awareness and feel your being here in this hall. Feel comfortable, safe, relaxed, peaceful, and harmonious. Be aware of your presence here. Relax. And your Guru Mantra, spontaneously, with the mālā. Relax. To relax the entire body and impart divine energy to each and every cell, we will chant Oṃ once. Take one deep inhale and exhale. Now inhale. Aum. Hold your fingers, close the fist, open the palms, close the fist, open the palms, close the fist, and stretch your elbows. Move your shoulders, rotate them in both directions, and open your palms. Rub your palms together, place your hands on your face, and warm your eyelids. Massage your eyelids. Open your eyes. Quickly, move your hands. Hurry, bend forward. Feel the stretching of your back muscles and spine. Feel the circulation toward your head and facial muscles. And slowly come up. Open your eyes. Quickly.