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A very good morning to everyone, and many blessings on this Śivarātri day. To all dear brothers, sisters, bhaktas, spiritual seekers, aspirants, and practitioners of yoga in daily life, good morning from Śrīmad Prabhujī Āśram in Strelka, Czech Republic. Today is the final day and the last lecture of this retreat. It is also the beginning of Śivarātri. More will be shared this evening at 7 p.m. on why we celebrate this day. From 5 p.m., the Abhiṣeka ceremony to Lord Śiva will begin. All bhaktas are welcome, including via the webcast. It is a very auspicious day; all your wishes can come true if you pray from your heart to Lord Śiva. He is known as one of the most gracious and kindest supreme beings, who is pleased and blesses us with even a little prayer. We are all Śiva bhaktas, protected by the supreme consciousness. Śiva is the first, the highest, and the entire universe is his embodiment. On Meditation and the Ātmā Three days ago, I spoke about three principles: space, light, and energy. They exist but do not occupy space in the ordinary sense; they provide the room or place for everything. These three constitute a universal body, and that universal body is within you. Space, light, and energy are the radiance of the ātmā. The ātmā is universal; there is only one ātmā, and it exists in everyone. Just as one sun gives light equally to all—humans, animals, birds, other creatures, vegetation, stones, and water—so too does the cosmic form, the cosmic Self we call Śiva, exist as that one ātmā. Do not misunderstand Śiva as merely an incarnation. Incarnations came later; Śiva is the primordial manifestation. This manifestation is not for one individual alone. However, we humans need a form to understand. We need something to hold, to touch in order to believe, to smell. We are drawn to adopt beauty through our jñāna-indriyas, the senses of knowledge: vision, sound, smell, taste, and touch. To be received and understood through these senses, the universal principle has to manifest. Otherwise, it remains the universal, the highest consciousness in this universe, called Śiva consciousness. That Ātmā, as Kṛṣṇa said over five thousand years ago, cannot be killed by any weapon, burned or destroyed by any element, or slain by the dead. The ātmā is ajar (un-aging), unborn, immortal, and everlasting. That ātmā is our reality. When you know that Ātmā, you become a knower of the Self. Then you may say, "Sohaṁ—I am that, and that I am. Ahaṁ Brahmāsmi: I am Brahman, I am the Ātmā." These are the Mahāvākyas, the great pronouncements that point directly to the Ātmā. When this Ātmā Jñāna (Self-knowledge) dawns, the body becomes like the skin on a snake. Once or twice a year, a snake sheds its skin. It cannot see properly, as the skin covers its eyes. The snake has only one wish: to find a thorny bush, climb it, and struggle free from that old skin. Once out, it feels liberated and relaxed. Similarly, when we possess ātmā jñāna, all desires, wishes, negative and positive qualities are dissolved and liberated from us. Everything unpleasant falls away, and you arrive at Brahmajñāna: "I am Ātmā, ahaṁ brahmāsmi." Yet it is said that those who truly have this knowledge will never proclaim, "I have Ātmajñāna." A siddha will never say, "I have siddhi." A rich man does not announce, "I am rich," but a poor man might say, "Well, I have money." A rich man does not count every dollar or forint daily, but a poor person, like most of us, counts what we must pay for electricity, the car, the telephone, and what we earn as salary. We speak from that place. We go to the supermarket to buy the best we can afford. As soon as you declare you are wise, know everything, and make your own decisions, you will lose everything. Therefore, never prophesize, never try to tell someone’s future. Never claim to be the greatest. Always be humble. It is said that when a tree bears fruit, its branches bend down. The more fruits of siddhis you have, the more humble and kind you become. You never speak harsh words to anyone. Even if someone is bad to you, it does not matter. Never anger, never jealousy, never hate, never greed, never be offended by anything. Who gets offended? Your ego. That means you are millions of kilometers away from ātmā jñāna. Therefore, God gave the human body to work through it to attain that ātmā-jñāna. The Jīvātmā and the Journey to Śiva That Ātmā is within every creature. It is said: "Kaṅkar me Śaṅkar hai." In every particle of sand, Śiva is there. Everywhere is Śiva-Śakti, the power of Śiva. Consequently, the individual soul is a mixture: a glimpse of the ātmā combined with individual qualities. Together, this becomes one entity called jīvātmā—the soul. In English, you call it the soul, but the soul is not the Self. The Self is the ātmā. The soul is only jīvātmā, and jīvātmā is not immortal. Jīvātmā is bound to destiny through karma. Oh man, to transform from Jīva to Śiva, God gave you the human body. To change from Jīva to Śiva, you must surrender and kill all your negative thoughts and desires. No anger; do not be sad. Who is sad? The one who is in ignorance. The one who has not yet understood Guru Kṛpā (the Guru's grace). That one is scared and is searching elsewhere. We say: when I met my Gurudev, all holy places and pilgrimages became contained within the lotus feet of my Master. I am lucky to have found shelter with my Master. Where should I go to search for something again? Now I have found happiness. "Sukha" unfortunately has no perfect translation in English. You can say happy, comfortable, or good, but it is not quite "Sukha." Dukha and Sukha: trouble and pain are Dukha; Sukha is its opposite. This Jīvātmā experiences immense pain over many, many lives. Can you imagine? In a slaughterhouse, an animal is being killed at lunchtime. A creature with a half-cut throat is hanging, and the person goes for lunch. Can you imagine the pain of that creature? Unbelievable pain. How many lives have we faced physical, emotional, and mental pain, my dears? Now, finally, we have obtained human life to emerge from this suffering. When I found shelter with my master, he told me, "Do not perform such negative karma anymore; do only good things." That will create sukha, happiness. Therefore: Oṁ prabhu dīpa nirañjana sāgara lera samāyā, sāgara pīyā-man-mṛtaṁ śaraṁ sahe guru-deva. Lohaṁ caṇaparaṁ śādi-yāśaṁ meṣoṁ śaraṁ śaraṁ samāṁ. Abahaṁ īśaraṇa sukha pāyā, Age janama nekāgama. Age janama nekāgama. Gurubina vedanā pāyā, pāyā vedakeda saba mitgāi. Pāyā pētā kētā sāpam itgāi, uravi ca vāna u gāyā. Uravi ca vāna u gāsukapāyā, tāpahamāṁ uruśaraṇa sukapāyā, sāgara lēra samāyā, sāgara lera samāyā, ābhāhammāṁ gurusāraṇa-sukhāpāyā... Śrī-pūjā-bhāgavān-dīpādayālu bēhādā haṁsa pātāyā, śrī pūjā bhāgavān dīpa dāyālu bēhādā haṁsa pātāyā. Kāhe mādhava nanda jīyānanda he? Janama maraṇa nahīṁ, janama maraṇa nahīṁ. Abha puruṣaraṁ sukha pāyā, Puruṣaraṁ sukha pāyā. Sagara lera samāyā, Sagara lera samāyā. Puruṣaraṁ sukha pāyā, Abha hama puruṣaraṁ sukha pāyā. Dīpa Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān Kī Jai. Only the one who has tasted a sweet apple or fruit knows how sweet it is. How does it taste? Others do not know. Hari Om. Conclusion and Blessings Therefore, only the one who has realized guru bhakti, guru kṛpā, and surrendered to the guru truly knows. Then all holy places, all wandering, everything is complete. You need not go anywhere to perform sādhana or tapasyā. Good journey. Many are now leaving. Slowly, I will be alone in this hall. For those departing as the bus is leaving, I wish you all the best and a good journey. Hari Om. Please, the people from Slovenia, come and take the prasāda quickly. Until then, let us sing one bhajan. Not so many. The early birds find the first ripe berry. Do not sing as if a train is passing very slowly. Keep the connection with Guru Deva. Let us feel the heart sing. Sa khāre meṁ sa gāe bātam meṁ thā. Jamb khās jamb rūpa catā unn khī jamb rūpa catā catā jamb catī cāvī sa khī. Jamb pās kare, main ās karu, kis kī, kis kī. Guru-devaṁ main jamb pās kare, main ās karu, kis kī, kis kī, main ās karu, kis kī, kis kī. Jab prīti āpāra lagī unke, Jab prīti āpāra lagī unke, Jab prīti pagī unse, jab prīti parī, phir prīti chahu kis kī, kis kī, phir prīti chahu kis kī, kis kī. Jamb pās kāre mein ās karu, kis kī, kis kī? Jambwādā ārdā he sadā unse... Pīre āsā karu kis kī kis kī... Guru-deva-me jamb-pāsa-kāre-me, who should I hope for, who should I hope for? Jambadāsa huve śaraṇe unse, Jambadāsa huve śaraṇe unke, Jambadāsa huve śaraṇe, Jambadāsa huve śaraṇe unkī. Phir śaraṇ gāo kis kī, kis kī... Jab pās kāre mein ās karo kis kī, kis kī? Jab āśākāre mē āśākāru kīsākī, kīsākī? Jab cāraṇāśāraṇā gurudeva mīla e, jab chāraṇā chāraṇāṁ gurudevaṁ mile. Jab chāraṇā chāraṇāṁ gurudevaṁ mile, then I don’t want anyone, anyone... Guru-devam mehmer. When I have a desire, I have a desire. Someone, someone... Well, dear brothers and sisters around the world, unfortunately, we must conclude the webcast now. We look forward to seeing you this evening from Holy Guruji Ashram in Vienna, Austria, and blessings will come from there. Thank you very much. Because all the people here have come from different parts of the world and must travel, we will finish our program. God bless you. I wish you all good health, happiness, a harmonious spiritual life, and spiritual development. Have a good journey and many blessings to all bhaktas everywhere. Dīpa Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān Kī Jai.