TV Channel

Hari Om. Welcome, everybody. Please, come here, Proud Doctor. Yes, come here. Four days ago, I decided to come to Bratislava again to see the snow, and you managed to bring the snow. Thank you. Many of you know about Yoga in Daily Life. It is a worldwide system, on all five continents, with more than 35,000 different locations practicing Yoga in Daily Life. They would like to have more practical and direct guidance from the Master, which is nearly impossible. So, thanks to modern technology, we have the website, and this webcasting is going throughout the whole world. In the month of January, there were 179 countries watching our practices. Yesterday, more than 60 countries. So, for your information, this program and practice will also be webcast. The subject is given: meditation, theory and practice. So, welcome all of you. It was not organized, so many people don’t know. I told the organizers only for this part of Bratislava. So, welcome and enjoy. It will be approximately a one-hour program. Sarve bhavantu sukhinaḥ, sarve santu nirāmayāḥ, sarve bhadrāṇi paśyantu, mā kaścid duḥkha bhāg bhavet, oṁ śāntiḥ, śāntiḥ,... Śrī Dīptārāṇ Bhagavān kī jaya. Good evening, dear brothers and sisters. Good evening to all the practitioners of yoga in daily life, spiritual seekers here and in different parts of the world. Welcome. And this blessing is coming to you specially from the capital city of the Republic of Slovakia, Bratislava. Our subject is meditation, practice, and theory. Around the world, people are practicing more and more meditation. In many countries, big companies are organizing Yoga in Daily Life classes for their clients and for their employees during the lunch break. Many insurance companies support their clients to practice yoga. They know that after practicing one hour of yoga, it gives immense energy and better concentration. Better to meditate for 15 minutes than to have coffee and fast food. Yoga is designed for humans for their well-being, in order to lead a harmonious and happy life in family and society, to understand, love, and protect all creatures, to understand this planet and protect the environment. To know what it means to be born as a human. What is the difference between humans and other animals? Eating, drinking, sleeping, and creating children—animals are also very active. If a human is doing only that much, then there is little difference between animals and humans. Humans have higher aims in their life. Every time when you wake up, morning or noon time, ask thyself some questions and become aware of those questions. First, I am a human. Only thinking about this one point: I am a human. This will protect you from many negative acts, negative karmas. What a human should do and what a human should not do. Second, what does it mean for me to be a human? Do you value your human life? Do you have the motivation? Do you lead a happy life? A healthy way of life? Are you the protector of other creatures? Are you a protector of the environment, of nature? How do you feel? What is your place on this planet as a human? So, what does it mean for me to be a human? What does it mean for you to be the president of the country? What does it mean for you to be a minister? What does it mean for you to be the father of a family? And what does it mean for you to be a mother of the family? Do you value human life? Do you know the dignity of human life? So, this is the second question: What does it mean for me to be a human? Third question. What makes me human? Not only this body, but the good qualities, positive qualities: as a protector, a kind person, a humble person. Never be angry, never be jealous, never blame others. And those are: do not kill, don’t kill others. These negative qualities to reduce. And positive qualities: accept love, forgiveness, understanding, kindness, helpfulness, and so on. So the good qualities make the human. And these good qualities come from good society. If you spend time with alcoholics, you will also become alcoholics. If you spend time with terrorists, they will make you a terrorist. If you spend time with drug-abusing people, you will also become addicted. If you spend time with sports people, they will make you a nice sportsman. And if you spend time with the yogīs, they will make you a yogī. So the society where you mostly spend your time, and then, education full of ethics and morals. Unfortunately, this education is not in our modern education system anymore. The ethic and morale are lost. Or they put it out of the system, education. Now, in this modern time, people are studying only for their stomach, meaning to earn money. Only one aim. It doesn’t matter how, or which profession. Because in the subconscious of the people is the fear of existence. And that fear is manipulated, and this fear is used and manipulated. In the past, there was a question: how to become a real person? A divine person, a spiritual person. A person who had a quality and qualified education. Your nation, your society, your friends, and your family members should be proud of you, that you are a person full of wisdom. So what makes me human? The human qualities. Now, how to awaken those, or how to gain those qualities? Which I answered already: through good society, good companions. And finally, the last question: What is my mission in this life? To be born. Years long go to school, marry. Children, working, retired, household, and grieving. That’s not the aim of the human, that’s not the mission of the human. The mission of human life is to achieve higher consciousness, God-realization, self-realization, and through wisdom and good qualities, serve and help the entire planet. But many don’t know what their mission is, what the purpose of their life is. Many, many people have depressions now. Many think, "Well, it’s hopeless." I don’t know what to work on now. Everything is nonsense. I don’t want to work. I don’t want to live. Boring. Depression. This is the situation nowadays. And day by day, people are getting individual, selfish, and lost. So meditation is an answer to thyself. All thy questions, the meditation will give the answers. Meditation is a motivation to get new ideas, new energy, new intuitions, and meditation is a way to thyself, that you realize thyself. You know who are you? You are not a normal worker, you are not an unhappy person. But you are some divine soul, so when we meditate, we get a deep relation to ourself. And when you have a deep relation to thyself, you will see all the round world in your thoughts. And the answer will come to you. This is not important, this is not necessary, this is not in a hurry. That’s a useless thought. Many things will automatically be dissolved from your mind. Suddenly, you will feel that you have given up 200 kilos of weight from your head. Therefore, meditation is used as an anti-stress technique. Meditation is used to recharge the battery. Meditation is used to strengthen your nervous system. And to understand your present life situation. So many people are meditating around the world. And many don’t know how to meditate. Everyone is not born in India. And everyone has no Swamiji. And not everyone came to a proper yoga teacher. Unfortunately, it’s becoming more and more commercial. And so the essence is lost, and I don’t know why I am meditating. When you go to a doctor, you should know why you are going to a doctor. And if you go to a doctor, and the doctor will say, "Yes, please, what problem do you have?" You say, "I don’t know. Why am I here?" Doctor will tell you, yes. I understand you. Relax. He will write you something. Go to the psychiatrist. That’s it. When you have no problems and you go to the doctor and say, "I have no problems, why am I here?" then the doctor will say something: the screws are loose. So when you sit down and close your eyes and you don’t know what to do, then it’s a loss of time and you become more confused. So first, you should know why you would like to meditate, and what does it mean for you to meditate? And now, how to do? So it is like this: sometimes, and whenever you can, you should spend time with the Master. I know that around the world, many, many millions of people are practicing yoga and leading a dead life. But lucky are they who can come to the seminar and feel the energy in nearness. So, if you can, you should be attending the programs. In webcast, it’s good. Webcast is good, but still it’s not that. But I will try to guide you now. Meditation techniques were developed by holy saints. We call them yogīs and spiritual saints. They were practicing to achieve higher consciousness and to find something that is good for the entire planet, including humans, when they understood there is God and that requires meditation and love for God. So they became monks, like in the monasteries. Even now, in many, many monasteries, many saints are sitting, and for several hours a day they are praying. You know, many live in such a condition, there is no heating. Not proper eating. Get up early morning. Wash themselves with cold water and stand on the knee. In Christianity, and praying, you know, those holy people, those saints, they pray for the well-being of all of us. They never pray for something negative. They don’t say, "God, punish them." No. They pray, "God, forgive everyone’s sin." That’s the heart of the saints. That is never anger. Anger doesn’t come. And if you go to India, there are saints meditating for months and months. They have just a little time to have some little thing to eat and go to the bathroom, that’s all. If you go high in the Himalayas, many yogīs are sitting under the cave. Covered with the snow, and through their willpower, yoga power, they create such an energy that they don’t feel the cold. And very small nourishment. And then, when you go further to Tibet, where also many Buddhist saints are praying and praying. Meditation. This world is surviving due to the holy saints’ presence still on this planet. Then people came to know, oh, meditation makes you relaxed. They have no high blood pressure, they don’t have diabetes, they don’t have heart attacks, they don’t have high cholesterol, they don’t have cancer disease, they have no doctors to check, only one doctor, God. Lord, thy will will be seen, that’s it. Oh God, your will that is definite for me, you are my doctor. So meditation is a way to thyself, means to God. It doesn’t matter which God you believe, which religion you believe, there comes a border, all these dualities. Of different goddesses, different religions, different countries, different cultures, finished. Only one thing remains: divine love. And where there is love, there is unity. And where there is hate, there are wars and quarrels. So meditation is something divine. Now we will meditate. Theory I will tell you tomorrow again. Same time. So now, what means meditation? How to meditate? I will lead you practically. So now I will choose one model. What is your name, girl? No, this one. This with the long hair, come. Oh, you are a boy? Sorry, we are in the modern world. Sit here, no, sit far. Thank you. Oh, you are a Prakash? I see. Prakash can be a girl too, you see. Sometimes they were also telling me, "Girl," so I let my beard grow so I’m not mistaken, you. Once, I was going from Vienna to Ostrava by train, and the passport controller spoke in English, "What’s your name, ma’am?" So then I said, "I should grow my hair." Thank you. Okay, so please, camera to this model. Okay, stand up. Thank you. You have to demonstrate now. There are a few postures which you should adopt for the meditation. First, you can sit very comfortable. That’s called Sukhāsana. If you cannot sit in this position, then sit like I’m sitting on the sofa, also comfortable. Or sit like Professor Jarka. She is a very, very old yogī of Slovakia. How many years have you been practicing now? How many years? For 78 years, he is practicing yoga of Dhani, Mejivo, to Pras. So I am more than 75 years old. Thank you. Thank you. And she is teaching. She is a very good yogī. Thank you. So if you cannot sit in this position, then sit on a chair or sofa. Or sit like this. Second position is called Siddha Āsana. So please demonstrate. Legs stretch out. First leg out. Yes. Good. Now, please demonstrate Siddhāsana, Mr. Prakash. Explain. So, Siddhāsana. Siddha means the perfect one. Siddhāsana means perfect. So, the left heel touches your genital. And the right foot, pull the toes into the space between the calf and thigh of the left leg. And knees should touch the ground so that you can sit straight. This is called Siddhāsana. Toes in. It is very hard. Yes, that’s it. And very good. The third is called Padmāsana. Lotus sitting. Switch your legs, please. And so. This is a little more difficult, but after practice you can sit in this. Sit in this after Yoga in Daily Life practicing two years, three years. This means your body is locked, so in deep meditation there is no danger to fall down. You can’t fall down back; it’s locked. Also, you can’t fall in the front, and not like this, and not like that. So the body is very nicely hooked in or locked, and that is the main purpose why you sit in lotus, and it’s also called, looks like lotus flower. These are the lotus petals, and the second petals, it looks similar to a lotus. Thank you. And the fourth, the fourth position. Stand up, please. Fourth is called Vajrāsana. The fourth position is Vajrāsana. So, can you put your shirt up a little bit? Yes, put it, stand up. Thank you. Stand up, and put your shirt in the trouser. Thank you. Now, sit on the knees. Yes. Now, foot flat, big toes touching, heels apart, and sit on it. That’s Vajrāsana. Hey, cameraman, you are not filming? Please, once more. You know, he was trying to practice, you know. So, turn this side, face this side, more toward the altar. Yes. Because he’s filming you. Face the altar. Thank you. Sit down on the knees, yes, this is Vajrāsana. Now turn to the Austria side, thank you. Hands on the thighs. Now, Vajrāsana, you will see also in Islam when they are praying, they sit in this position. This posture affects your nervous system very strongly, Vajranāḍī. It goes from the big toe and second toe, stretches your calf muscles, back remains straight, so automatically your shoulders are relaxed. When the shoulders are relaxed, then the intense stomach muscle is relaxed. And because your spine is straight, your entire diaphragm is relaxed and has more volume to inhale. And the neck muscles are relaxed. Now, it develops better concentration. So this posture is very, very good to calm down and develop the concentration ability. So take any posture which you like. Thank you. So, which one do you like to sit in? I prefer Sukhāsana. Okay, Sukhāsana. And where is your mālā? Okay, another thing for meditation you need is mantra. Mantra which you get from your master. And you have this mala, which is 108 beads: 100 for counting numbers, and 8 for the 8 chakras, to influence and awaken the energy of the 8 chakras. And it’s also called Aṣṭaprakṛti, the eight kinds of nature. Also, according to numerology, 108 becomes 9; zero is not counted. So, eight and one is nine. And nine becomes this Sumeru, the highest peak, the master seat. So our aim is to reach the highest level of consciousness. So you practice mantra, repeating your mantra. For example, OM, and cross one bead. OM, cross one bead. OM, cross one bead. Like this. When you come to the end, then you turn from here, turn back, and begin to count. The other hand is in this mudra; the thumb is called the highest consciousness, and the index finger means the individual consciousness, to unite the individual consciousness with the cosmic consciousness. And these three fingers mean the three guṇas. These are sattva, rajas, and tamas. These are three guṇas. Now, meditate on these three guṇas, above the three guṇas. So, Shāntidevī, can you ask? Maybe it’s very urgent; somebody is dying. So, this is the meditation mudrā. Keep the hands or the palms facing upwards. It means the cosmic energy flows in. Elbows, not like that. Elbow, it creates a tension, but like this. Relaxed. Your spine is straight. Imagine a straight thread from the top of the head here to the bottom. This is the Sahasrāra Cakra. So it goes straight up and down. And normal breath. During meditation, everyone should have a very nice cotton cloth. It’s called a meditation shawl, and you cover your body like this. I am telling you, showing the techniques, how to do it, how to do it. And you cover your body like this. If it is very hot, then have a thin shawl. If it’s cold, have a warm blanket. Now, what does this mean? Why? It means that your bio-energy, your positive energy remains with you. And this shawl is like isolation. If it’s very hot, you will be perspiring a little bit, and you will have a nice, cool feeling when the air comes. If it’s cool, you will feel warm. And you say, "Protect yourself from outer pollutions." You will feel that you are protected. You will feel divine protection suddenly. It’s a beautiful feeling. And you will get more and more energy, so this is very important: when you meditate, you have this cloth. Color doesn’t matter, which color you like, but if you have orange color, then this is a fire magic, negative, black magic. Black energy, negative energy will not enter through this. So this is a fire, but of course, color as you like. That is individual choice. This is the way you begin. Now, prepare, please, yourself, everybody. Take your meditation shawl. If you don’t have one, then tomorrow you will have. Try to have pure material, natural material. It is a very beautiful protection. It should go around the whole body. And somewhere, it is the protection from mosquitoes. In Vladislava, there are a lot of mosquitoes because of the Danube. Many people, when the cold air and draft come, they also sit like this. So you have no outside noises. You are one with thyself. This is also very, very pleasant. Now, sit in any posture you like. Our eyes, they are very restless. Anything you see creates one thought, and when one thought comes, it awakens one question. And when the question awakens, you would like to have an answer, and with that answer, desire awakens or fear, and either you would like to get rid of it or you would like to have it, therefore our eyes, they are very... makes us restless. Meditation means to have inner world. So please, now close your eyes. You need not to open your eyes until I instruct you. There will be nothing new in this room. You may close your eyes; you will not miss anything. If something new comes, I will let you know so you can open your eyes. Withdraw yourself from the external world and come to your inner world. Feel the atmosphere where you are sitting in this room. Five times, deep inhale and exhale. Three times we will chant Aum. Deep inhale. Inhale. Feel comfortable. Make yourself comfortable. And relax. Relax your whole body. Be aware of your being here in this hall where you are sitting. That you feel comfortable and relaxed. The whole day has passed. You have been working hard physically and mentally. But now it is time to relax. The whole day you spent for others, but now, for yourself. Withdraw yourself from the external world and come to you, to your inner world. Now you have time for yourself. No concentration. No imagination. No expectations. Just relax. Say to yourself, mentally, "Relax, my friend." Relax. Just for the time being, relax. Let me be one with myself. Experience your inner peace. Be aware of your existence. It means your body, your breath, your thoughts. I feel comfortable in my body, I feel protected, I’m relaxed, I’m happy, relaxed. Your body is motionless. Your body is relaxed. Feel comfortable. Be aware of your being here. And now, feel your breath. Do not change the breath rhythm; let it flow as it is. Just become aware that you know you are inhaling and you know that you are exhaling. Just realize your breath; realize that you are breathing in and you are breathing out. Relax. Mentally, with or without a mālā, repeat your mantra and relax. sa stahuje. Of the trunk of the body, with natural and normal breath. I know that I am inhaling and exhaling. I feel very comfortable. My breath is my life. My life began with the breath, and it will end with the breath. Time of inhalation. Your body is recharging cosmic energy, prāṇa, or life force. It simply gives you energy. Your body is recharging the energy. And at the time of the exhalation, your body is exhaling all kinds of toxins. You feel very light, fresh, and relaxed. Just relax. Relax and feel your breath, the ingoing and outgoing breath. Now again, feel your body from outside: your hands and legs, and neck and shoulders. Become aware of this room where you are sitting. And we will chant OM once, and while chanting OM, extrovert yourself in the outer world. Deep inhale. OM three times. Śānti. Shanti, shanti. Fold your palms and love your palms, and place the palms on the face. Warm your face muscles and open your eyes. Bend forward, place the hands on the ground. If it’s possible, bring the head to the ground and feel the stretching of your back muscles, your neck muscles, and feel the blood circulation towards the head and face muscles. It’s very important after meditation to bend forward and let fresh blood circulate. Because some people concentrate too much, it creates more tension. So, after meditation, when more blood circulation is towards the head, it gives you more concentration ability. Feel your hands on the ground, on the floor. And with the help of the hands, very slowly, please. Slowly, slowly sit up, and you can change your posture if you want.