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A Pilgrimage to the Sacred Himalayas

A pilgrimage to the sacred Himalayas reveals a landscape of profound spirituality and urgent change.

The journey centers on Badrināth and the high caves of the guru paramparā. Reaching Śrī Devapurījī’s cave near Sūryakund is a demanding ascent, undertaken with devotion. The path to Alakpurījī’s cave passes holy sites like Gaṇeśa’s cave and the Vasudhara waterfall, where the water’s flow is said to reflect one’s inner state. These mountains are alive with spiritual energy and presences. Yet, they are undergoing visible transformation; glaciers are receding and breaking, a change observed with sorrow. This imposes a duty to protect nature. The journey requires both physical preparation and spiritual humility. The area’s power dictates that one must be welcomed; forceful entry is met with consequence. The paramparā’s roots are here, offering a connection to liberation.

"In this area, things happen that cannot be measured with a normal mind."

"The real condition is that you must acclimatize... You must know it is 3,400 meters; this is not 1,000 meters."

Filming location: Strilky, Czech Republic

Part 1: A Pilgrimage to the Source: Badrināth, the Himalayas, and the Guru Paramparā This is a prayer to Lord Viṣṇu. I have just returned from Badrināth, a pilgrimage place in the Indian Himalayas in Uttarakhand, near the Tibetan border. Holī Gurujī was there long ago, and Swāmījī was also there. I began going there eleven years ago. You were not there with me at that time, Swāmījī—I mean, I was always with you, but not physically then. My first visit was seven years ago, after Holy Gurujī went into samādhi. I was perhaps the last to be at his side for three months and was also present when he passed away. There are moments that change your life. After that, I developed a wish—though as a Swami, I should not have wishes—to travel alone through India for one year like a true sādhu. I told Swāmījī, but he said it was not a good idea. I thought that if you have a significant aim, you should follow it. Then I suddenly had the idea to go to Mount Kailāśa, and Swāmījī agreed. To prepare, I went to the Indian Himalayas. I was sixty years old at the time. As preparation, I undertook the Chār Dhām, the four pilgrimage places in Uttarakhand: Gangotri, Yamunotri, Kedarnath, and Badrināth, which are the sources of the Gaṅgā. We completed the first three without issue. I was accompanied by a sādhu, Sukhdev Muni, whom Swāmījī had sent with me. The fourth, Badrināth, was closed because the mountain roads, which are carved through rock, were blocked by landslides and large boulders during the monsoon; the road was under construction and closed for two months. But if something is meant to be, it will be. Sukhdev Muni, who had spent years in the caves around Badrināth, knew a way. Even with the road closed, we traveled in a lorry through a working tunnel in the mountain, after a medical check-up—a rather funny experience. That was my first visit to Badrināth eleven years ago. For reasons I did not then understand, I was completely drawn to this pilgrimage site at 3,400 meters on the Alaknandā River. I have returned every year since. For a long time, I did not know what attracted me so powerfully; it feels more like my home than my Austrian home or any other. I feel something very special there for me. Some years ago, Swāmījī told me, "You should go higher up to the cave of Śrī Devapurījī." The area around Badrināth has mountains over 6,000 meters high. This is the path the five Pāṇḍavas took to heaven. On that journey, all died except Yudhiṣṭhira, indicating it is not an easy path. Yudhiṣṭhira proceeded to a place called Svarga Rohiṇī, the steps to heaven. It is a very difficult route. For seven years, I never considered going up there. While millions visit Badrināth annually, only several hundred venture into that high area. In the last five or six years, I have gone up three times. There is a lake called Satopanth Lake, a green, shining, and very holy lake. It is said that Brahmā, Śiva, and Viṣṇu bathe there, especially on Ekādaśī. Many pilgrims go there, taking a bus and returning immediately. There are many stories about experiences people have while meditating there. But our mission was not only to reach Satopanth Lake, which takes about two to three days. We had to go near Svarga Rohiṇī to find Śrī Devapurījī’s cave. Beyond the lake are three kuṇḍs: Chandrakund, Sūryakund, and Viṣṇukund. Finally, one approaches a knife-edge ridge near Svarga Rohiṇī, but going onto the steps themselves is forbidden; those who tried have died. One can only go a certain distance. We found Śrī Devapurījī’s cave at Sūryakund. On a subsequent trip, we marked the location so that anyone from Yoga in Daily Life could find it easily, though unfortunately, no one has gone yet. Now I am speaking about Devapurījī’s cave. In the meantime, I have grown older, and after seventy, one has this or that problem. For six years, I did not go to that altitude of 4,700 meters. When I arrived in Badrināth this year, I thought that no one had visited the cave in six years. I had been ill beforehand, with infections requiring antibiotics, and my physical condition was poor. I phoned Swāmījī and said, "Swāmījī, I am very sorry. I wanted to go to Devapurījī’s cave, but due to my health, it seems impossible." He kindly replied, "Take care of yourself and do what is best; no problem." Then a very strong yoga sister in orange arrived and asked, "Are you going to Śrī Devapurījī’s cave?" I said, "No, I cannot." She said, "Oh, what a pity." In that moment, I thought, "Really, what is this? The body is nothing, no? Ahaṁ, ātmā. So what is this? You have to go. Hari Om." My reason was truly to greet Śrī Devapurījī. I told Swāmījī I would still go, despite my condition. He said it was a good decision. It was September, and he said, "Try to be in the cave of Śrī Devapurījī on September 11th, Gurujī’s birthday." We planned accordingly, and I was indeed at Devapurījī’s cave on September 11th. I took many photos of the entire area. I am sorry I could not prepare a PowerPoint presentation due to jet lag. I placed our Paramparā picture—the small image of Devapurījī we keep in the car—in the cave. I had not thought to bring anything specifically, but I always carry a small altar when in the mountains, so I placed it inside the cave. On the 11th, we performed a pūjā in front of the cave. I was with two people who took care of me, and we also conducted a small yajña there. I took a stone from the cave and water from a small stream in the middle of Sūryakund. Everything was successful. The most unpredictable element is the Himalayan weather, which can change in an instant. I was on the journey for nine days and had rain only twice: for two hours while ascending, and once upon reaching Sūryakund in the evening, which I saw as a blessing. We had fantastic weather throughout. Everyone with me said, "You have Guru Kṛpā; this weather is incredible." In these areas, I have had several extraordinary experiences, though now is not the time to share them all. But one small incident comes to mind. Since I did not initially plan to go up, I did not bring my best camera, only a small, good one, and I did not have a spare battery. I have since learned about solar chargers, but my generation is not as connected to such technology. I had one camera, one battery, and my mobile phone for nine days—not much. I lamented that it would be pitiful if I could not take photos. I requested an Indian friend, a shopkeeper, to lend me a camera. He kindly lent me a very good Sony camera. I thought, "Now I have two cameras and a mobile; this should be enough." I began taking photos with his camera. After the first night in a tent, I wanted to take sunrise photos in the morning, but the battery was dead. Then I tried a trick. Thought is most powerful. I told my camera, "Camera, you are a solar camera." It understood—perhaps "she" understood. Anyway, the camera understood. You will not believe it, but I went for eight days with only that one battery. The camera understood it was important and that it was a solar camera. It was fascinating. Only when I returned did I stop. I adopted the attitude, "It is like it is." I also made a short video, mostly to show Swāmījī the area around the cave. The best way is to pan around. Beside the cave, we had painted an Om on the rock. I said, "Okay, I will make a video." Video consumes more battery. I started panning around, showing everything, and just as I reached the Om, the battery died. This is a true story. So you see, in this area, things happen that cannot be measured with a normal mind. I have had other experiences as well. For me, this area is filled with holy spirits. There is incredible spirituality—spirits, ṛṣis, Alak Puruṣas, and more. Worldly things remain down below under the rocks; here it is different. There is great spiritual energy: Ṛṣiova, Alakpurījī, and so on. That is why I invite those who are fit and able to try to go there to greet Devapurījī. He is there, and you may also have special experiences. It is a place of incredible beauty and high spirit. Some years ago, from Badrināth, there is a very historical path taken by the five Pāṇḍavas. Imagine a valley with very high mountains on both sides, between 5,000 and 6,500 meters or more. In the middle flows the Alaknandā River, carrying water from the glaciers. On one side is the path to Satopanth Lake and Devapurījī’s cave. On the other side is a very historical path leading to Alakpurījī’s cave. Along this path, we pass the village of Manā, the last Indian village before the border with Tibet. There you find the cave of Śrī Gaṇeśa, who was writing the Vedas and the Śrīmad Bhāgavatam as Vedavyāsa dictated to him. In Manā, you also find the cave of Vedavyāsa himself. It is said he wrote and dictated there. It is a very holy place. The cave is enormous, the rock perhaps higher than this room. On the rock outside are lines from top to bottom that look like the pages of a book. Continuing on, you come to Bhīmpul. Bhīma was the strongest of the Pāṇḍavas. On the right side, the Sarasvatī River emerges from the rocks. It is said that even one look at Sarasvatī grants wisdom—a good reason to go. On their journey to heaven, Draupadī could not cross the Sarasvatī River. As a gentleman—I do not know the ancient term—Bhīma took a huge rock, approximately six meters long, three meters wide, and three meters deep, and with his hand placed it over the river as a bridge. Gentlemen, perhaps a little bodybuilding is in order. From a certain distance, you can see fingerprints on the side of Bhīmpul. Proceeding further, you approach the kingdom of Lord Kubera. Every mountain is holy and has a deity or godhead residing there. After a walk of about two to three hours, you reach a famous waterfall, Vasudhara, about forty meters high. It is very beautiful and has a special quality: when you go near it (not completely under, but close), if you are a person of good qualities, the water falls straight. If you have more bad qualities, the water deflects to the side. Therefore, people are very interested to see what happens when they go. It is said you should go alone. Swāmījī is very right that one is supposed to walk there by oneself. I had an Indian friend living in the same house in Badrināth. He told me a story: Once, he was with ten friends who wanted to go to Satopanth Lake, first passing Vasudhara. Under the waterfall, the water went to the side. They began to argue so intensely that they canceled their trip to Satopanth. The next year, hearing I had been successful, he said he would go with me. I gave him a list of things to buy. The following year, he arrived with equipment beyond my dreams, all specially packed. I said, "Very expensive." We planned to go on a certain day. He was nervous, as young people can be. I told him he needed four or five days for acclimatization, or he might collapse. He was a devotee of Śrī Hanumān and thought five days was too long. While in Badrināth, there is the Nīlakaṇṭha mountain (Śiva), a beautiful glacier peak at 5,600 meters. He decided to take his tent, camp somewhere, and recite the Hanumān Cālīsā and prayers. I said it was good acclimatization and he should return in three days, then we would go to Satopanth. To my surprise, I saw him the next morning. I asked why he was back. He told me, "You don’t know what happened." It is a true story. He was an intelligent man. He said he set up his tent in a higher area, placed his Hanumān idol, and began his pūjā and prayers. Suddenly, he heard a loud voice from outside saying, "You are not welcome here, go back." No one was there. He was not one to give up, so he continued. After a while, the voice again said, "It’s not good, you’re not welcome here, go back." Then he packed and returned. Many such things happen in this area. I do not say you will experience this, but such events occur. There is always a reason, often to teach humility and devotion. If you go into these areas, they must invite and welcome you; then everything will be fine. Now I return to the path to Śrī Alakpurījī’s cave. First is the Gaṇeśa Gufā, then Vedavyāsa Gufā, Sarasvatī, Bhīmpul, and the Vasudhara waterfall. Then there is a very beautiful mountain called Alakapuri, with a high glacier. One stream of the Alaknandā River comes from Alakāpurī. Listen: the river is called Alaknandā, our paramparā is Alakpurījī’s, and he had his cave at the base camp of this mountain, Alakapuri. The good news for all of you is that it is relatively easy to reach. It is not extremely high; a round trip takes about seven hours of walking and is not extreme. In contrast, Devapurījī’s cave is not so easy. It is very possible to visit Alakapuri, and there is some accommodation, though not all amenities. I have been waiting there for you on a stone for many years. Another thing I want to share: I was also sitting on a stone and crying. Do you want to know why? Not because my big toe hurt, but because of pain in my heart. I have been going to the same area for eleven years. I see the same mountains, rivers, glaciers, and sometimes the same people, so you notice the differences. Last year, from Alakapuri, you can see far toward Svarga Rohiṇī. I saw that the glaciers had receded very high, and mountain peaks that were white the previous year were now black, bare stone. Believe me, I sat down and cried. I said to myself, as Jesus said on the cross, "They do not know what they are doing." I mean we all, as humans, do not know what we are doing—not taking care of nature, not being aware of what is happening. We, as yogīs, must set an example. That is why I am now learning and writing about environmental protection. It is our duty to care for our mother. If you read the Vedas, it is written that you should not poison the water and should take care of the land. We are not doing so. Part 2: A Call to the Sacred Himalayas: Reflections on Change, Pilgrimage, and Grace All of us… In any case, this year when I came, it was even more severe. All of this happens because of the climatic warmth, and particularly this year. You must know that Badrināth is open only six months per year. When people came for the opening of Badrināth this year in May, they could not cross because a massive glacier was coming down from Kañcā Gaṅgā. It was so large that nobody could cross. They had to dig through it. When I came, already four months later, it was still huge. After Badrināth, between Badrināth and Manā, another glacier came down. You must understand that these glaciers are millions of years old. When you look at a glacier, it has a certain form. It is never sharp like a knife. You have seen glaciers, no? It is like a tongue, like a tongue. That is the end of a glacier, and then the water flows from it—a kind of triangular shape where the glacier ends. Now, you can see the glaciers have receded, perhaps by 5,000 meters, and they are breaking sharply, like a knife, because they are collapsing. When I went this year to Satopan, to Devpurījī’s cave, there is a very beautiful area called Sahastradhara. They say a thousand waterfalls come from the backside, from the Śiva mountain, from Nīlakaṇṭha. It is a very, very beautiful and impressive path. I know this way; it was my first time going there. It was always a valley with a water stream in the middle. This time, as we were going, suddenly we were walking over a glacier. I asked my guides, "What is this?" This was never a glacier before. It was about one kilometer, 800 meters long, and wide as well, covering the entire valley. They told me that in April, the glacier on the backside of Nīlakaṇṭha had broken down. It is very shocking. That is also one more reason I tell you: if you wish to come, please come soon. For instance, in the area of Satopan and this kuṇḍ, where the gufā (cave) of Devpurījī is, only in Sūrya Kuṇḍ is there still water from the glaciers. The others are already dry, so it is not beneficial. We all must take care of everything, especially our mother nature. Now, I should tell you something more elevating. I will tell you that everything is ready for you. Please come. We will welcome you. But no flower garlands, please, because there are no flowers there. There are Tulsī mālās, but these are given only in the temple. So we will greet you in the Indian way: Namaste. I thank you for listening. But one thing you did not mention: what are the conditions to go there from the government side? Up to Vasudhara, everyone can go. If you go in one day, as I said—seven hours—it is no problem; you do not need permission. But it is good if you train beforehand to walk for seven hours. The real condition is that you must acclimatize at the altitude in Badrināth for a certain time. When I come, even after 11 years, I mostly need one week for acclimatization. Only then can I go higher. You must know it is 3,400 meters; this is not 1,000 meters. You can have breathing problems; you may not feel well. In that case, you cannot walk for seven hours. So if you want to go, you must prepare yourself beforehand and also go to other mountains. For one day, this is not a problem. If you start at five o'clock or so, you can go in the afternoon. You can stay there and meditate for some time; this is not a problem. But for overnight stays, I do not know. We must also discuss how the organization will be and if it is allowed to have tents there. This cave is not hidden; it is not behind bushes and trees. From the other side, you see it very clearly. After a certain point, and perhaps it is possible… Vasudhara is a military area. That is why, to go to Satopan and Devpurījī, you need special permission. For there, you must have permission. This is given in Joshimath. Yes, Joshi Math. So I have to find out about this permission. In Satopan, if you go there, you need permission. Regarding a camp, I do not know, because in this military area I have never seen any tents, as I was staying in the gufā. So we must find out how this is possible. In the gufā, it is also no problem, but there is only space for maybe five persons. You could sit on top of the cave, but I think that is also not so good. That was a joke; no problem. In any case, I have to find this out, but it is very much possible. The main thing is truly to prepare yourself and to stay a certain time—5 or 6 days or so—in Badrināth beforehand, visiting the other sites, going to the temple, and so on. You can visit the other places. You see, our people are not trained to go seven hours through the mountains and come back. They are not able to sit for 70 minutes. They cannot sit in meditation for 70 minutes, so how can they go up? So now they should begin. First, a phalahārī diet to rid the body of all negative energy. Gain positive energy, then have healthy food. Physical strength is good, but mental strength, mental willpower, is the strongest. So, prāṇāyāma, walking, āsanas, and more to develop lung capacity. With power and positive thinking, Śāntī will take you first to that waterfall, and it will tell you if you should go or not. If the fall is straight, it is good. If the fall is going upside, you are welcome. And if it is going to the left side down, go back. This is very important. So, this is one of the most important pieces of information for us, what Śāntī told us. Many people do not have belief, faith, and trust in what we, or what I, am always talking about regarding Alak Purījī and Dev Purījī. The evidence is that the whole Himalaya is between Kedarnath and Badrinath, and the Svarga Rohiṇī is the door to heaven, the door to the blabloka, Svarga—you can say Svargaloka. Everyone goes to naraka or svarga, but the specialty of that place, and evidence of that place, is that great souls, certain with the whole body, will be lifted up into the Brahmaloka. Even our hair cannot go there. Dust or our ash from the body also cannot go there. Our Manomāya Kośa, our Prāṇamaya Kośa cannot go there. Our Jīvātmā cannot go there. So to go there, as Shanti said, it is strictly prohibited. Many who enter that area do so with their willpower, thinking, "I will go, and I have good training." It is not about the height; there is a spirituality. It is the place of truth, and no one can change that truth. So you will die. Before that, you will be thrown out. Such is the atmosphere there. The people who are climbers, who love the mountains, they respect the mountains. It is holy for them, and they respect it. They do not go there. Like in the Himalayas, on Kailāśa Mountain, no climber from this world has gone up to Kailāśa Mountain. I do not know if it is true or not, but it is said that the Chinese authority asked one of the Austrian climbers, Messner from Tyrol, if he could climb Mount Kailash, and he said no, because it is holy. It means you are going and sitting on Śiva’s head. Who dares to climb on Śiva’s head? Only those who know what Śiva is. What is that place? Each grain of the sand is that Śiva. People may say, "No, stupid." Of course, the blind cannot see. For the blind, black and white are the same because he does not know both. Ignorance lets them suffer. There are certain places, you know. Two years ago, there was a very big disaster in Kedarnath. Kedarnath and Badrinath are not a very great distance apart. From a helicopter, you can see it is like from Brno to Trilky, or a little more. But these mountains are high and low, very high and so on. That was the samādhi of Śaṅkarācārya. If you have seen Śaṅkarācārya’s film, you will see. So there is Śiva, Kedārnāth; here is Badrināth, which is Viṣṇu. So there is Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva. Every eleventh day of the moon, they bathe there. And for a certain one month of the year, a particular month, they are all going for holidays, and everyone has their own swimming place—you can say their bathtub. There are also places for the śaktis: Sītā Kuṇḍ, Rām Kuṇḍ, Pārvatī Kuṇḍ. This has been so from ages. Also, the Himalayas are one of the youngest mountains. Therefore, in certain places, there is no solid stone. That is why there are often landslides, and that is why there are often those… cemeteries there, where the avalanches… yes. In Badrinath, there is this Jyotirliṅga, and it is very holy. But nowadays, so-called learned people, academic people who call themselves graduates, who call themselves scientists, declare this is nothing but a money-making venture. So they build hotels for tourists and for many, many people because it is a beautiful place—Kedarnath, and also the way is beautiful. So they made it all a tourist area, with many hotels. Mostly, people used to go there for a honeymoon—not a real honeymoon, but to take a friend and go there, someone who has a lot of money, whose parents are rich officers with a minimum of five to ten million rupees per day in corruption. There are many like this, so their children go and do these stupid things, like eating meat. They begin to kill the animals there, drink alcohol, all these nonsense songs. So Śiva did not like this atmosphere, such activities. I think Śiva was just looking like this… The whole cloud fell down, and in such high waves, there was a dam. They blocked the Gaṅgā. The whole area of the dam… and there was a holy place of the Divine Mother from ages before Satyugas, and people used to worship her. They took her temple away and made it somewhere, and put her statue somewhere there. Such a big rain came. The dam broke, and you know what happened. There was a Śiva temple which was, within no time, washed in. But from that mountain, the Divine Mother sent a big rock—half the size of this room. The rock came and stood in front of the temple. So that happened to the Śiva temple. And you know, many, many villages were completely washed away. Elephants, deer, wild cows, many, many all died. All the houses were just falling down like, for one truck, some paper boxes are falling down. So hundreds and hundreds of villages were washed away. Humans and animals: goats, sheep, buffaloes, cows, pigs, all, even many chickens, birds. That was a disaster. Why did it happen? Because of the karma of the humans, as Dr. Shanti said that when she saw the glaciers melting, where there was a beautiful water… We call the water the lake of Satopat in India. We used to say the water is so clean, so pure, so transcendent, that it is like the tear of the peacock bird. You have not seen the tears of the peacock bird because you did not see the Satrapada lake, and that is the lake where Brahmā, Viṣṇu, and Śiva come every eleventh moon day. And in every cult, there are places for every devī and deva. It is true. It is true that Devpurījī is there and Alakpurījī is there, but you know, our karma is still not pure. So always when we go there, water goes there. We want to have the abhiṣeka, but it goes somewhere else. So best would be, first, go alone so that you do not feel shy. Second, wait where the wind is going. We can do this trick, but that reality cannot. So we shall write, and we will write this book of the Alakpurījī Siddhāpit Paramparā, and how it is, why it is. The name of the mountain is Alakpurījī mountain. The valley is called Alakpurījī valley. The river is called Alaknandā. That is the ṛṣi. That was. And he is still sitting there. He is dwelling there. Pāṇḍava went to get blessings, but they could not go till there. Only Yudhiṣṭhira received the blessing from Alakpurījī. And then he could exit to the Svargarohiṇī. You remember the story of one Bhakta from Jaipur, Mr. Gatani, Jaipur, sorry. He writes his meditation visions. And it is said, to come to the Brahmaloka, there is only one way. To go through the sun—it is not easy to come close to the sun. So the Sun is Devpurījī. And on the door is sitting Mahāprabhujī. He can let us go through. These are the truths. And we found our roots. We are the lucky ones, the blessed ones, and the fortunate ones. That we got this life, human life, and we met Alak Purījī. That we brought the message. You know, so it was told to Holī Gurūjī in Mount Abu that Śiva, Devpurījī, will send someone who will bring the message of Śiva and Devapurījī and Alakpurījī. So our paramparā, our Gāḍī, is so powerful, authentic—do not miss it. Do not have any doubts. And be a real Bhakta. We will go to Badrināth, and we will see if we cannot come till there. At least these eyes will see that it is stone. Life. As far as we can go. You know, one day one bhakta came, and Mahāprabhu Holī Gurujī saw him, and Holī Gurujī had tears, and he said, "I have tears because I see your eyes, because your eyes saw Mahāprabhujī." So I adore these eyes. That you saw, my Lord. These eyes have seen my God. That was the devotion of Gurujī. Gurujī’s devotion was unbelievable. So tomorrow, only 12 years are finished, and the 30th year begins. So tomorrow is Holī Gurujī’s Mahāsamādhi day, so we will speak tomorrow. And thank you, Shanti, that you taught such nice experiences, and you saw with your own eyes. That is great. And Shanti once had a vision when she was looking at the Nīlakaṇṭha, and suddenly she saw a beautiful form. And that was Alakpurījī. So she had to describe it; she must recall her memory. It was four or five years ago, and she should speak, and we should make sketches according to her imagination—not imagination, vision—that we have to give somehow a little physical form of Alakpurījī. So I pray to Mahāprabhujī, to Devapurījī and Alakpurījī, Gurujī, all to protect us and protect our devotion. Very important. It does not matter what happened. If one tells you this, I tell you that. It is your Ātmā, your soul, your life, your devotion, and your spiritual journey. No one can change you. And whoever tries to change you is trying to put you in negative thoughts. You see, the Pāṇḍavas: the five died—the four brothers and Draupadī. Only one, Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira. So when he came there, then he was told, "You are the king of the Dharma." That is it. Then he got the title of Dharmarāja Yudhiṣṭhira. Dharmarāj is the god of justice, and Kubera is also there near Alakapurījī. So Mahāprabhujī said… Gurujī said to Mahāprabhujī—and this was told many times—Mahāprabhujī said, "You will always have enough. Do not worry about this. Do not ask anyone for anything. My gaze is… if I look just for one second, there is the wealth. Where I look, there is wealth." And the same Gurujī said, "Where you look, Mahesh, enough, enough. You will get everything." Nājā means the look. So when Gurudev looks on you, in your eyes, you have the immortality of that vision, of that blessing, of that wisdom. So it is said, "Kiek zholo meherko lakho bari salām." It is said, "Kiek zholo"—just a second, when someone looks at you, all your karma is gone. Millions will greet you, but you should be able to take that vision, that look. So when Mahātma said, "Holī Gurujī," often he was talking about this: what is a yogī? Who is a real yogī? Who is a real saint? It is very important. Others are the beggars. Others are the slaves of money—the slave of the money. Who is the real yogī? So this is a very beautiful bhajan or a poem said by Achal Rāmjī. And that is it: "Kuber bhī hajār jiske." You know Kubera? Shanti told me. So Kubera is sitting near Alakapuri. He does not care. Alakpurījī does not care. So all the property which God has is there. That is why the government does not allow people to go there and dig something. And those who try to dig will die, because it is close to Svarga Loka. "Kuber bhi hajar, jiske?" So in whose service is Kubera? Kubera is the treasurer of God, treasurer of heaven. Money is in his hands. And he has the key to the treasure. So the day before yesterday, I got that key. Can you imagine? It is not a joke. Not a joke. I got everything—access there—so that I will open it on the day of Diwali. I told Mañjādevī she should use it, meaning, perform pūjā. Very nice. Do you know the seat of Kubera? There is another seat of Kubera. That is in the middle of Australia. And that place is called Kuber Pīḍī. There, they have this precious stone, you know. There is one—I do not know what they call it—rather, what is the name of the stone? Opal. They dig from there, and it is so hot there that they have underground houses—a big underground church. So that place is called Kuber Pīḍī. And there you will see, from Brno… Everywhere you see, the people are digging and digging like this. So it is called Kubera Pīḍī. So Kubera is a Kubera, and Pīḍī is his holy seat. So I said, oh, here is Kuber Pīḍī. And they are digging from there, but the treasure is there in the Himalayas. So Kubera is present, whose? The Kubera is in your service, yes. Whatever you ask, Kubera will not refuse. The treasurer of God is in your service. You are not only the richest person in this world, but the richest person in the entire universe. And that we are yogīs—if we are yogīs. If you have doubt, jealousy, ego, this and that… Once someone wrote a letter about a person, a crazy lady from Brno. And she was complaining about me, and Holy Gurujī wrote a letter to her. He said, "Look into the sun. If there is a dark spot you can see, then you may save the dark spot. You did not realize who is Maheśvaraṇanda." So Kubera, he is the one who… Kubera is in service of that yogī, but even he is in his service. But that yogī is just passing the days while begging for food. And so, even where Kubera serves such a yogī, that yogī still spends his days and lives only on alms. Kubera—that yogī does not care about Kubera. And he lives only by what he begs. For that yogī, joy is just what you call the bhikṣuk monk. So your sannyāsa, your dīkṣā, your saintlyhood achievement is only when you do the bhikṣā. Not that we go and then we have a nice table and everything, and there is bread, and oh my God. The Buddha was begging, being a prince, Siddhartha. Many, many saints, but still they are just surviving through the bhikṣā. Even though he is a servant of the Lord, he still lives only as a shepherd, but maybe… They do not care about it at all. They just do not care about it. You are walking, and your telephone falls down. Then you are going further, and your money pocket falls down, and someone tells you, "Oh, you lost this and this." He does not care. "What a stupid are you?" For us, we are stupid, but he does not care. That is the highest level of that which is above the Śiva seat. Even Śiva will greet that. "Lāparvāi ho to esī ho. Amar ho jisku khāne se miṭāi ho to esī ho." And that sweetness, what you eat, that which can only make you immortal. Not the sugar. Not this tonic. It can spoil all your taste. That is real, like a lemon which can spoil the milk. So, Achal Ramjī’s bhajan: Achal Ramjī was a great self-realized soul. There are many stories which I do not tell you. You will not understand. You will say, like our Gajānand, you always say… like our Gajānand, he always says, and I say, Gajānand, with this you spoil everything. So, seriously, seriously. So Kubera is sitting there. Oh, look. Gaṇeśjī was sitting there. And the master of all writings, Bhagavān Vedavyāsa. He is there. Why did they go there—Gaṇeśa and Vedavyāsa and Kubera, all? Because Alakpurījī was there. So our paramparā is the greatest. So I can tell you that we are already liberated. We are already sitting in that boat. Do not jump out. So, it is said… Let Gajanan sing. So, Deep Nara Bhagwan, all the best, and tomorrow we will have stories about Gurujī. If someone has a story about Gurujī, you can tell it tomorrow. And I can tell you all what Gurujī has given—my blessings to me, which I gave you. So I am only the postman. The giver is Mahāprabhujī, Gurujī. It is Gurujī. He is a Satguru. The title Satguru—you should not write Satguru only when Gurudev has left the physical body. Then that is called Satguru, and then you can give a flower garland on the photo. Otherwise, you do not give a flower garland when one is still alive. You can say Guru, Gurudev, Param Gurudev, Brahmaniṣṭha Śrotriya Gurudev—Brahmaniṣṭha Śrotriya Gurudev, everything—but not Satguru. Satguru is only that. He has the right to write. We have to write, to write the name Satguru, that Gurudev took samādhi, or say died. In the Holy Book, Guru Granth Sahib said, "Sadguru nām jaḍhe." Sadguru Dev’s name is the boat. "Śraddhākar sevde guru pár"—if you will sit in the boat with confidence that the guru will bring you across the ocean. So, whole lifelong tapasyā, sādhanā, mantras, all, everything… The Gurudev, when he left his body, now his rain, showering the wisdom on us, all is coming to us. "Hamein Kāma Śatruśan…"

This text is transcribed and grammar corrected by AI. If in doubt what was actually said in the recording, use the transcript to double click the desired cue. This will position the recording in most cases just before the sentence is uttered.

The text contains hyperlinks in bold to three authoritative books on yoga, written by humans, to clarify the context of the lecture:

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