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Yoga is a subject with many chapters, and it is ancient, as old as creation itself. In short, the word is "yoga." In English, we often write it as 'y-o-g-a,' pronounced 'yoga,' but it is more accurately 'yog.' In some grammatical contexts, the plural is 'yogas.' For instance, there is Patañjali’s Sanskrit śloka: "Yogaś citta-vṛtti-nirodhaḥ." Yoga begins with discipline. I wish to explain this word. Yoga means oneness. Yoga means union. In our context, it means reunion. Why reunion? Because the reality is that we are part of the universal one. You may call it God, light, or cosmic consciousness. All these words represent the same thing: the reality, the truth, God. Some believe in God, some do not. Whether we believe or not makes no difference to God. If we believe, it is good for us. If we do not, it is not good for us. Belief does not change reality. Yesterday, there were many clouds and no visible sun. We said there is no sun, but the sun was there. Because of ignorance—called āvaraṇa, meaning a curtain—we could not see it. This curtain of ignorance prevents us from seeing through the window. There may be a garden with flowers, but we say there is nothing because of the curtain. Remove the curtain, and you see everything. You exclaim, "Oh, beautiful garden, beautiful flowers!" Where were you before? This is ignorance. So, belief or disbelief does not alter God. We are all children of God. All creatures, all plants, are the light of God. As individual souls, consider an apple tree with many apples. All apples come from that one tree. Similarly, there is one God, and we are all God's children. The soul is individual in one body. Yet, in every cell or atom of the body, there is again the light of God. Therefore, this body is holy, no matter the creature—be it a tiger, lion, snake, scorpion, or mosquito. Within them, that light, that life, is the reality from the one God. In this body, the main soul performs actions, which is called karma. Karma is a Sanskrit word for work—our deeds. Every action has a reaction. If you work for ten hours, you are paid for ten hours. If you do not work, you receive nothing. Every action has a reaction, and every reaction stems from an action. The result of karma is our fate or destiny. Destiny is individual. A mother may have four children, each with a different destiny, including the mother herself. Destiny and karma follow us through many lives. The soul, involved in different actions and bearing its own destiny, is an individual soul—whether human, dog, pig, cow, buffalo, or elephant. Do not think an elephant has a big soul and a mosquito a small one. Fire is fire; a small flame and a large bush fire are both fire. Due to numerous karmas, different layers and curtains exist, all shrouded in darkness. I often say this soul is fluttering on the waves of time throughout the universe, sometimes in light or darkness, happiness or unhappiness. Like a boat hit by every wave, moving unsteadily. The soul always has a desire to move toward the light. Similarly, every being has an inner desire to return to its origin. When a seed is planted in the dark earth, the sprout grows toward the light, not downward. Likewise, every creature, when manifested in form, desires to reach that divine light. This individual coming together with the source is called yoga. Then, there is one; there is no two. There is a poem: "When I was here, he was not here. Now he is here, but I am not there." Why? Because the street of love is so narrow that two cannot walk together; two must become one. Is that eternal love? It is bhakti, devotion, spirituality. Spirituality is kindness and humbleness. Do not fill your intellect, brain, or heart with garbage—negative thoughts toward others. We may know others are not good and we are the best, but our aim should be for others to become good as well. We hold conferences, like the recent one at the United Nations under the name of Mahāprabhujī, Gurujī, Śrī Svāmī Madhavānand, and the World Peace Council. On October 2nd, Non-Violence Day in honour of Mahatma Gandhi, we celebrated Non-Violence and Peace. Why organize such conferences? If you are perfect, you would wish for others to be perfect too. That is the purpose: to help others become happy and free from negative thoughts and feelings. When we come together in doing good, that is yoga—oneness. Consider a drop of water held in the hollow of your palm over the ocean. This drop is the jīvā, the individual soul. The ocean is Śiva, the endless one. They are separate. But when the drop merges into Śiva, only Śiva remains; there is no more jīvā. It is light merging into light. That is yoga. This union is the individual self becoming one with the cosmic self, its origin. That is reunion. All the heavy clouds, thousands of meters high, contain as much water as the ocean. They are not two separate things but one. We separate and yearn to return to this oneness. Yoga also means balance. The word is likened to two oxen pulling a bullock cart with a yoke on their necks. Both must walk balanced. If one goes slowly and the other quickly, the slower suffers. They must be in balance. Similarly, the mind and intellect must be balanced, from brain to heart and heart to brain. This is a glimpse of yoga's definition: oneness, reunion, balance, harmony, and union. Oneness cannot occur when there are differing qualities. Imagine eating a fresh salad with fine dressing, but the leaves were not cleaned properly and contain sand. You bite down and exclaim, "I cannot eat this; there is too much sand!" Between us and God, our negative thinking is like that fine sand. If you wish to be happy, healthy, and a true friend, remove negative thoughts now. Everyone is God. Do not think a different God resides in you. There is a story about an elephant. A master and his disciple lived in a forest hut. The master taught, "In everyone is God. Trust all creatures." One day, the disciple went shopping in the village. A wild elephant charged, and villagers fled, warning him to run. The disciple thought, "Why should I go? My master said God is in everyone, so the elephant will do nothing." He approached the elephant, which picked him up with its trunk. He cried, "No, no, you are God!" Luckily, the elephant threw him into a yard with a swimming pool. He survived but was injured. He returned to his master and said, "Master, how can I trust you?" Disciples often doubt their masters. Doubt must be eliminated; only the master can remove it. If you do not believe, it is your karma to suffer. The master replied, "Yes, God was in the elephant, and God was in you. But you did not listen. Many people warned you to run away. Did you not think that God was also in them, telling you to flee from danger?" The disciple admitted he had not considered that. The master said, "Then go and get treatment." When spiritually developed, you see God everywhere: "O God beautiful, in the forest, mountains, meadows, water, lakes, rivers, and desert. O God beautiful on the earth, in the heaven." See that beauty, but also use your vivekā (discernment). Where there is no God, that is not God. Though God may be within, you may have no relation to that aspect. Reunion is the soul's desire to return. When water evaporates from the ocean as vapour, it is no longer the ocean. We call it steam, then fog, then clouds. Eventually, it falls as rain. This water, originating from the ocean, may fall far away and take years or centuries to return. Yoga shortens and clarifies this path. Practicing yoga means reunion, leading to oneness and happiness. Yesterday, we spoke of yoga practice, nourishment, quality, and movement. Without movement, the body weakens; lying in bed for days makes one weaker. Movement is essential. Yoga has many meanings and techniques for different aspects, but the first is the body. In Āyurveda, the first Mahāmantra states that the primary happiness or wealth is good health. Health cannot be bought; it must be gained. Nothing compares to health, and it largely depends on us. The ṛṣis designed movements—physical and mental. Our thoughts move to different planets, coming and going; these are the vṛttis. Thoughts are so strong they can compel action. We cannot defeat our mind. Movement is a form of nourishment, as are solid and liquid nourishment. Thinking is nourishment; not thinking is nourishment; speaking is nourishment. Everything we do sustains the body. But ati sarvatra varjayet—excess is always prohibited. When disciples learned, they sat and studied. During pūjā ceremonies, they performed rituals. There was time for eating, walking, and purposeful activity—not just walking aimlessly but collecting mushrooms, flowers, or firewood. Some dislike walking but love searching for mushrooms for hours. A wife might tell her husband, "Go gather mushrooms," to encourage movement if he is sedentary. After activities, disciples might fight; children and teenagers have abundant energy. The master designed a 24-hour program, ensuring young students had no empty time, always engaged in some program. To channel youthful energy, masters designed a beautiful space in the āśram—not within four walls but on ample ground, like the vast spaces of Siberia. They created what we now call a fitness centre. 'Fit' means many things: fitting furniture together so it does not rot, or fixing a loose screw in the mind. Fitness encompasses physical, mental, intellectual, social, and emotional well-being. In ancient times, from the ṛṣis and ashrams, this was called an akhāḍā. Akhāḍā has two meanings. One is a particular group caring for society, people, and religion, like our Mahanirvāṇī Akhāḍā, where I am the Mahāmaṇḍaleśvar. There are many Mahāmaṇḍaleśvars, each with disciples and deities—an organization for spiritual protection. Another meaning pertains to wrestling and exercises—all gymnastics and sports that require discipline. Every sport worldwide, whether from China, Japan, Europe, or India, has a game with rules; follow them to stay in, or be out. Consider football. How does football compare to yoga? It is perfect. Football was created by yogīs. The mind is a football, moving here and there—near one goal, then suddenly at the other end. Similarly, your mind may be here listening, then suddenly at a vegetable shop thinking of buying fresh organic produce. This is the inner game. Controlling the mind means bringing it to the goal, which is not easy. You may think you are meditating, standing in the field, but your thoughts are elsewhere. How many people are you angry with? What are you thinking about? How long can you focus your mind on one place? If you can keep it steady for ten seconds, you are a champion. The mind is not steady, making it hard to control. A poem says: "Man marā na mamatā marī, marā marā gayā sarīr, asā tṛṣṇā na marī, ke gayā Dās Kabīr." Kabīr Dās said, "Man marā na mamatā marī." 'Marā' means to die or control. He said you could not control your mind due to mamatā—desires. "I want this, I want that." Mamatvāhi bandhanakā kāraṇa—this sense of 'mine' ties the soul in the nest of karmas. "Man maraṇā mamatā mari": neither mind controlled, nor desires. "Mar mar gayā śarīr": the body died and came back many times. "Asa trishna namari": but hope (asa) and burning desire (trishna) do not die. The soul returns to this world with hope: "This time I will do it. This time I will kick the ball into the goal, even if my knee breaks or I fall." Hope is a walking stick from cradle to grave. How strong is hope? From a baby in its mother's arms, to friends, marriage, old age, doctors, and hospital, one still thinks, "I will enjoy." Yet, there was no real enjoyment or happiness. This hope is a walking stick, again lost. The burning desire remains, so the mind is uncontrolled. Suffering repeats, the game is lost, and the cycle continues. Thus, football is a creation of a yogī's mind. There is a beautiful poem: "Lālī, Lālī, Sab Kahe, Lālī, Lālī Paḍī Medan Mein." 'Lālī' means the ball, a red jewel lying in the field. Next time, I will learn and share this poem fully. Running and jogging are also creations of yogīs. The mind is restless, losing energy. Use this energy, O mind, and run before sunset. A bhajan says: "Sado bhai, ab kyun karo the moro? Din reh gayo thoro." O my brothers, why delay? The day is short; soon the sun will set. In darkness, you cannot proceed, so hurry. Pull your coach—I once had a coach with ten horses, representing the ten senses: five of desire and five of action. Harness them so you reach your destination before sunset. There is much jogging; who will be first, who last? Sport is meant for physical, mental, emotional, and spiritual guidance. All sportsmen have great discipline; without it, they cannot continue. Yoga is one of the best disciplines. In recent years, yoga has become famous. Many top players and champions practice yoga because while the body has strength, the mind is mighty. Controlling the mind ensures 100% success. Many skiers are vegetarian, practice yoga, and are always successful. We have three world champions and Olympic gold medalists from Hungary who are disciples or students of our Hungarian yoga teacher, Thakpurī. This is evidence; I am not just telling a story. Yoga brings peace, calm, concentration, achievement, and willpower. The Olympic Games began in Greece, Athens, with running races. The winner's great desire and happiness was to give a message to the Supreme, to God: we are running toward Him. There are many good people in the world; it is a marathon. Swimming is another sport. We often speak of the ocean of ignorance, the ocean of māyā, which is hard to swim across. But the Master helps us cross this ocean on the boat of discipline. If you jump out, sharks (distractions) will overwhelm you. Spiritual sport involves discipline; many athletes are very disciplined and spiritual. Judo and karate practitioners are disciplined, and yogīs are even more so. Therefore, sport is accepted as yoga, and yoga as a sport. However, it is said there is no competition or challenge in yoga. A yogic person might say, "Give the award to him," even if another was first. You renounce and give to someone else. That is love, that is spirituality. Greedily keeping for oneself is not yoga. According to Yoga in Daily Life, sport is spiritual. Those who wish to win should incorporate yoga into their lives. I am sure your country's champions can be winners too. Twenty can win simultaneously; why not? Do not say, "Only I know." All should be winners. Yoga requires discipline, as does sport and everything worthwhile. Sometimes we need tolerance; other times, no tolerance. In quality, there is no compromise. In mechanics, there is tolerance space. Knowing when and where is difficult. It is hard to say yoga is not a sport, and hard to say it is a sport. It is both together.