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Good evening. Deep Nārāyaṇa Bhagavān kī, Devīśvara Mahādeva kī, Mādhav Kṛṣṇa Bhagavān kī, Satya Sanātana Dharma kī, Niṣpā Guru Maṇḍaleśvara Śrī Param Svāmī Jīmeśvara Āyurveda kī. Welcome to all of you, and thank you for the quick action in organizing this program. [Greetings to] our president of the Slovenian Union of Yoga and Yoga in Their Life. And blessings of Mahāprabhujī and Alakpurījī, Siddhārtha Pitā. This evening’s subject is satsaṅg. You have heard about it many times. Satsaṅg means good society. Be with good people who have spiritual knowledge, spiritual feelings, follow ethical principles, and are positive thinkers. If we are with such persons, we benefit a lot. Otherwise, what do we do if we are only in kuśaṅga, only gossiping? Sat means truth, and that truth is what we call brahma satya, jagat mithyā. The real reality and truth is Brahman, and this world is only temporary. What is not changing—that is the reality. What is changing from time to time is not reality. It may change after millions of years, but that is also limited. Therefore, it does not account as reality. Our body has changed many times. We have taken many different kinds of birth, in different kinds of life: creatures in the water—we have been a lot of time in the water—also in vegetation, then reptilians, after reptilians, birds, and after birds, animals. And among those animals, one is human. This means all who are born as a complete baby, an embryo. When the soul, the individual soul, gets the chance to overcome all the karmas, then the destiny, or Dharmarāja—whatever we call that—sends us to Earth. This Earth is called the living planet. This planet is living, has a life, and there are uncountable creatures. Once, the Discovery Channel showed that where you are standing on the earth, under your feet, there are not just earth but so many different creatures seen through a microscope. There is also a creature, a fly, which lives only one hour, then dies. The day flies live one day. So life is coming, going, coming, going; therefore, it is a mortal world. But we are coming here to become free from some sin and to get good qualities. The ātmā and the soul are two. If we call the soul ātmā, that is wrong, because the soul is individual and ātmā is universal. Every one of us, as a soul, is different. As a soul, we have karma, and we are born individually with some kind of mask—as animals, birds, flies, etc. The soul descends towards the earth. It comes to the atmosphere closer to the earth and first comes into connection with the humidity—what we call the clouds, the fogs. Through the water, the soil descends, and it enters into the different elements: space, water, air, fire, and earth. The soul goes through and enters into vegetation through the water, and it goes in that direction which is our destiny. Destiny is our actions in the past. Destiny, luck—good luck or bad luck—is a result of our deeds, our karma. So the animals, whatever they do, is not counted as karma, but they are going through the karma from the past. Whatever is happening is according to their karma, but whatever they do will not be counted as karma. Therefore, it is said: jīva jīva bhakṣate—life eats life. Animals eat animals. But humans have a different law. Humans come here also with destiny, and Dharmarāja, God, gave something which other creatures do not have, and that is called intellect, which has the capacity of saṅkalpa and vikalpa. The soul which enters into the human body is creating karma and also is getting free from karma, and is coming or suffering, facing the past karma. So three things: we face the karmas. How is our life? Happy, unhappy? Good, bad? We have to go through that. No one can change it. That is the destiny. Only destiny can be changed by Satguru Dev. So it is said: if God made a mistake, Guru Dev can correct it. But if Gurudev has done something wrong, even God cannot change it. This is a protocol. We came here to go through, not to suffer, our karma. If it is bad, we are suffering. If it is good, we are enjoying. And at the same time, we are creating karma as a human, because humans have intellect. God gave humans the freedom of decision. And if you have the freedom to decide, then you are responsible. That decision you make—good, also very good; bad, also very bad—whatever we do means karma. Other creatures do; they are doing just a natural process. They have this principle: eat, drink, sleep, and create children. That’s all. If you do only that much, there is very little difference between animals and you. We have to use our intellect and overthink more. But the priority and good thing is that through human life, you can get rid of all bad karmas and get realization to become free, to again go to that original light. So the jīvātmā—now I call jīvātmā. Jīvā is a soul, and ātmā is that immortal one. So it’s called ātmā and anātmā. This is a kind of mixer, and that is called the soul. One day, that soul, which is full of the bundle of karmas, when this is purified, then there is only ātmā—that’s ātmā jñāna. Through that water, the rain, the soul is descending on the earth and coming to a form. One is called through the vegetation or the bark. When the seed is sprouting, this is the vegetation. This is the first step. Second, through the impurity—what we call bacteria, dirt, the sweat, many things. This is also counted as life. Third is as an egg, and then out of the egg comes the baby. The fourth, higher one, is where one is born as a complete being from the mother’s womb. So there are different kinds of animals, but in that line also, the humans. But humans have the most powerful tool, which is called intellect. Every creature has some kind of sense of living. Some animals may have a little way of thinking, a little intellect. Intellect needs education. If you leave a human born in the forest and it doesn’t get in touch with humans, it will be like an animal: no language, maybe only singing, doesn’t know how to eat, what to do, because there is no education. So we develop through education. And we can’t do anything else than what education we got. What kind of information or education your parents give you remains lifelong. That’s what we call mentality: European mentality, North American mentality, Mexican mentality, Japanese, Chinese, Indian mentality—my culture. Where there are humans, there is a culture. And where there is culture, there is a human. Humans, wherever they go, take their culture with them. It doesn’t matter how you will describe me, but still, though I’m here more than in India—forty-six years—and in India I was only one and a half decade, still in my brain is that culture. And, definitely, sure, I brought the Indian culture here. Still, I don’t understand your behavior, and you don’t understand my behavior. So that is in the blood. It goes in the blood through the language, through the touch of the parents’ education. There are also some animals which we can educate a little bit, like dogs, elephants, horses, cows—but limited. They also have feelings: happiness, unhappiness, pain, suffering—everyone. So humans have more intellect, and through their intellect, education. Education then leads us in that direction. The criminals, the drug abusers—there are many different things. We should not blame them. The wrong thing is that someone got education from childhood. That education is called Saṅgha—with whom you are. That company with whom we are from childhood. If they educate us spiritually—the human feelings, the ethics, the spiritualities—then you are spiritual. And who don’t educate children that way, then these children, they don’t respect parents even. So if it’s a good education, then it’s satsaṅg, and if there is no education or it’s negative, it’s called kusaṅga. We are in our brain; we have fixed ideas, we do everything. We don’t blame ourselves, but when someone does something bad or makes mistakes that irritate you, that you can’t digest—but where is that? That’s also in your brain. That’s also limited. So what kind of society you have, you get a color. Color means the habit. It is said: if you put two cows together in one cowhouse, one is a black cow and one is a white cow, they cannot exchange the color. The black cow will remain black, and the white cow will remain white. But their habits and behavior can change. The best-trained dog, left for some months or one month with other wild dogs, will forget everything and behave differently again. So that’s how satsaṅg affects you. That’s why we always say: go to the satsaṅg. In the mind of the people, in the mind of the humans, they are always searching for something. And when you are from childhood in yoga, then you are always thinking of yoga, but always listening, hearing from the people what they call alcohol, the meat, etc. One thinks this is good. One thinks it is good. But it is not good because that is kuśaṅga. So many times, people make a mistake. They want to have something different, or they are very unhappy. Psychologically, they are damaging their self. And that person becomes alcoholic or takes some drugs. In the beginning, maybe they try, they think, "Oh, it’s good," but after that it’s not good. One river full of water, and one bear fell into the water and was very tired. He couldn’t swim. He was tired, cold, and hungry. Two friends were walking at the bank of the river. One of them saw a bear somewhere in the middle of the river. He was just fluttering, no strength to swim anymore. So, one of those men—they were two friends—said, "Look, there must be some beautiful coat that was lost in this river." He tells his friend that Josef tells Jan. So Jan wanted to go and get that coat. Yosef said, "Don’t do it, it’s very high current in the river." But Jan said, "I’m strong, I’m a bodybuilder. I’m a good swimmer. I will bring the coat from the river very quickly." And he jumped in the river. Jozef said, "Take care, please. If you can’t manage, come out." But he was swimming quickly, and the bear, who was very hungry and tired, was looking and saw someone coming. Well, the bear begins to move his mouth, and Jan came to take the coat. So before he could catch the coat, the coat caught him. Now they are fighting. You know, hunger is something which can move even the most lazy crocodile. Why do we have hunger? This is in the protocol of the creation. And what will they eat? So they said, "Life will eat life." Otherwise, this Earth would have only living beings, living, living, nobody would die. Well, the hungry bear begins to enjoy the bodybuilder’s muscles. So if you have a bodybuilder’s big muscles, be careful before you jump in the water. If you swim with that person and you have no very nice muscles, don’t worry. Now they are fighting. Jozef can’t see so far, so he’s saying, "My dear friend Jan, if you can’t manage to bring the coat, leave it and come back." He said, "My dear Joseph, I want to leave this court, but the court doesn’t leave me. I have no more strength." So the temptation, the greed—we think, "I can test a little bit the drug." And young people are making mistakes. Just try, "I’ll try," so drink alcohol, have a knife or a little pistol. The young blood, they want to change the whole world. So don’t worry, take a little injection. After some days, that drug has caught you. Now you want to give up, but the drug doesn’t give you up. So it’s called that you are now addicted. And you know what "addict" means? That any kind of drug, even alcohol, day by day is increasing, so you have to add more. That’s called addiction: add more and add more. Your willpower becomes little, life is destroyed. Therefore, before you don’t know, don’t touch. And when someone says, "Try," one or two times you can take it, no problem. That’s already from God’s house, a warning to you. So utthāna and pātana. One means development, pātana means destruction. Both have one place, one root: the destruction and development. And both begin from one point. That’s called Saṅgha—society, company; this means the one point. So we call it Saṅgha. If you write before the Saṅgha one word, Sat, it becomes Satsaṅga. Means the truth, and Saṅgha means the society. The truthfulness, the good qualities help us to develop. The second point before Saṅgha, if you write "ku," it means kusaṅga—bad society, distraction. So this is how in the creation, from the beginning, the jīvātmā, the soul, is descending to the earth, and how it develops and goes further to the higher level. The ascending and descending of the level of consciousness, the level of awareness for humans, is very important to what kind of people you are going to meet and what activities you are doing. And this we find in every holy book—the good things. Every philosopher, every wise person will always write what is good for humans and what is good for the environment. So satsaṅg grants us knowledge, and kusaṅga puts us in the darkness of ignorance. Even if you are alone, yourself alone, you can do a satsaṅg. Think positive, think divine, think to help all. Think what good things you can do for the world. Sing some spiritual songs, or read one good book which inspires you on the good path, or be with a friend, a good friend you call friend. In Sanskrit or Hindi, every word has very good meaning. I’m sure the Slovenian language is also very good. Every sentence or word has good meaning, but I don’t know your language, because always when I come to your country, I have a translator. If I concentrate on the translator, then I will forget what I’m talking about. So you cannot learn a language while translating. So, definitely, in your language, it’s also very good meaning, each sentence. So in Hindi language or Sanskrit, there is one word for the friend, it’s called dost. Dosti. Dosti, yeah. So Dosti means not a ghost. When I came first time to Slovenia, and I stayed in a hotel, it’s called Gosta Hotel, or the Gosta House, I think—the house of the ghost—and the whole night my heart was beating. I was always looking in the mirror, really, is it true? So, dosti. Dost means "my friend," and dosti means "friendship." But so dosti means, or dost means, two. Of course. If there are two, then you can say, "Yes, we are friends." So, do means two, and sati means truthful. So, that friend, that person, the second one to you, should inspire you for the best path: best knowledge, best way of life, best way of thinking, inspiration, motivation. So, both are walking on the path of truth. That’s called dosti. So be with such people who can inspire you and support you to develop your life and your work and everything. And kuśaṅga, there is no dostī. That’s called duśman. Again, though, two words. So that dushman means who will kill you. It means distraction of life. So let’s walk on the path of satsaṅg. And if we have a friend, it should be such a friend like Bhagavān Rāma and Hanumān, or Bhagavān Kṛṣṇa and Arjuna, or master and disciple, and parents and child. We have so deep those three, our relation. Parents will never do anything bad for you. In the Upanishad, it is said: "Mātā bhavati na kumātā." The mother can never be a bad mother—except mental illness. So, father and mother will never be bad for you, and your master will never do bad for you either—your spiritual master or your school master. So, there are so many good things to learn in this world, and this will be the last incarnation that we come to the liberation. So what we are doing now is a satsaṅg. Indians always used to say, "Be silent." Indians have created many, many English words, you know that? In the Indian English dictionary, there are more English words than in the English dictionary in England. So, "pin silent," and British say, "What is that?" Maybe a hammer and a pin. Pin is that, you know, we have this for the paper, what we call the pin. And if this falls down, it makes little sound. And everyone can hear because all are so silent, listening to each and every word. And that is now a situation. If it will be Indians, several times we have to say, "Please be a little silent." I am also Indian, a second Indian sitting here. It is true that we are like this. Indians are born while talking already in the stomach, they are talking. The twins in the stomach, brother and sister, so the sister said to the brother, "Dear brother, we will be born, what? We will be born? What is that stupid idea? We are comfortable, we are nice." And then she said, "And you know, we will drink and eat." And I said, "You must be crazy. What? We will eat and drink? What are these things you have in your mind? We already have a system. We are nourishing through the navel." And you know, we will just shut off. I thought you are clever. I don’t want to listen from you, "and he said, she said," and you know, we will run. You will go that direction, I will go that direction. Joseph, I don’t understand what you are saying to me, but Maria said I am right. So life is like that. Indians are born while talking in the stomach. They said, "Aham brahmāsmi." They are born with the word "Aham brahmāsmi." I am Brahman, supreme, higher consciousness—not a caste, Brahmin. Is Brahman the supreme? So, silent. But Indians have one good quality: to become silent. When you speak about how to create a good business, then they are listening. So a businessman died, a businessman died, and he came to the door of heaven. Dharamrāj gives him judgment. Dharmarāja is the justice of the dharma. He said, "That much good karma you have for the heaven, and that much you have for the hell. Where would you like to go first?" He said, "Dharamraj, don’t waste your time. You know who I am?" "I know you are a businessman." "Then, I don’t care, hell or heaven. Send me there where I can get some kuṇa. Send me there where I get the money." So that is called a person who has too much ambition. Too much expectation, and that expectation leads to disappointment. Therefore, always control the senses, mind, and thoughts, and go on the good path. Whenever you have a problem, go to your parents. And if grandparents are there, then go there first. Grandparents will give you good suggestions. So also your good friends, parents. So education is given to the humans. In their brain is the intellect and that education. That’s why humans have karma and punishment, or good one. Animals are born to go through this process of sin. Humans are born free but have the choice: svarga or naraka, uthān or patan. So let us make today a good saṅkalpa, a good resolution, on this holy time, this divine time of Christmas. That we shall do some good, good promises to ourself. With this, I wish you a good, happy Christmas and a prosperous, happy, divine future for the New Year. This is the time to give blessings; don’t give anyone bad words and bad thoughts. Bless, bless, bless. We all have the power to bless, and we all have the power to give a curse. But we should not do that. Follow Jesus’ words: "Father, forgive them. They don’t know what they did or what they are doing." With this, bless you.