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Life is to be lived like a king, and that is the essence of Rāja Yoga. It is practiced by following rules and regulations, whether one lives a family life, a householder's life, or the life of a yogī and yajña. For a Rāja Yogī, maintaining this balance is paramount. Therefore, the first preparation for this elevated consciousness is to attain the foundational levels of ethical and spiritual conduct. This begins with Ahiṃsā (non-violence), which has many dimensions. A story illustrates this. Once, a disciple was tending a Śiva temple. A thief came to the temple, left his shoes, and prayed: "God, my prayer to Thee. I know you fulfill all wishes. I am going to steal something and will return to share it fifty-fifty with you." He stole, was caught, and after five days returned to the temple. He swapped his shoes with the priest's and left. The king ordered punishment. The priest's footprints were found, and though he pleaded innocence, he was condemned. He requested a final darśan of his guru. The guru, possessing Trikaldarśī (the sight of past, present, and future), perceived the disciple's past life. He revealed: "My son, when you were three or four years old, you caught a locust, pierced it with a thorn, and played with it until it died. That karma has awakened now. You must undergo this punishment." This is the law of karma; it spares no one, king or beggar, and follows you across lifetimes. The guru explained to the king that the priest's sin was mostly cleansed through his pūjā and sevā to Śiva. The specific astrological constellation for his punishment had passed. The guru, as judge, declared the man not guilty, and he was freed. The priest then complained to Śiva: "Why do you bless thieves?" Śiva appeared and said: "My son, I accepted your devotion. But I am not guilty. The thief spoke to himself, making his own saṅkalpa (resolve). I did not converse with him, sanction his theft, or accept his fifty-fifty offer. It was his own imagination." The thief was then caught. Thus, Rāja Yoga teaches that if a king, prime minister, president, or any leader makes a mistake, the entire populace suffers. Conversely, if the people err, the king bears the punishment. In both cases, the ruler is accountable, just as parents are responsible for a small child. Therefore, a Rāja Yogī or a king must be exceedingly alert and conscious. Patañjali prescribes the ten steps of yama and niyama as essential training, a passage through fire. Only after mastering these can one proceed to āsanas, prāṇāyāma, and concentration for health and work. Through meditation, one thinks properly, gains energy, finds solutions, and attains results. This leads to samādhi—Rāja Samādhi, the kingly union. These ten principles are commands through which a Rāja Yogī must perfect himself. Take the principle of Ahiṃsā. A Rāja Yogī once saved a deer's life. When asked if he had seen the deer, he said he had not, because while eyes can see, the mouth can speak, but he had not seen it. In this way, he found a truthful solution, bringing peace without punishing anyone, and guiding others to the spiritual path through ethical education. Namah Śivāya. Namah Śivāya. Om Namah Śivāya. Har Har... If one wishes to follow this path, it is straightforward. There is a way to survive. When questioned about a vegetarian diet, some argue that plants also have life. While true, plant life is different. Cut a branch, and it can grow again. Cut a creature's leg, and it will not regrow. We should not destroy vegetation unnecessarily, and we pray for creatures inadvertently harmed, like insects stepped on in the dark. This is part of the law of karma. Karma is of two types: sakām karma (selfish action) and niṣkām karma (selfless action). We work for our existence, earning money for our families—a positive, necessary selfishness. In Rāja Yoga, this aligns with the four aims of life: dharma, artha, kāma, and mokṣa. Dharma is not merely religion. It is one's righteous duty: the dharma of husband to wife, wife to husband, parents to children, children to parents, neighbor to neighbor, citizen to country, and human to the world. Human dharma means, above all, not to kill. Artha is wealth, the means for existence. A saint prayed: "O God, give me only that much so that my family and I do not remain hungry—enough to care for my family, feed them, educate my children, clothe them, and provide for their needs. Let anyone who comes to my door not go hungry." This is not greed but necessity. To crave billions beyond this is futile. As the saying goes: "Bāndhī muṭhī āyā, khulī haṭh jāyegā." You came into this world with a closed fist, bringing something, but you will leave with open palms, taking nothing. At death, the body is surrendered to the earth, feeling nothing. Why then torture it or cause pain to others? Why fight for countries? In another life, you may be born in the land you fought against. Nothing is permanently "mine." We are temporary beings carrying our karma in a rucksack. God's organization is perfect self-service; you cannot discard your karma. It will not leave you free, and time waits for no one. The worst karma is to harm others, speak negatively, or backbite. A Rāja Yogī aligns himself straight to Brahmaloka. We pray: "Itnā to karnā Gurujī, darśan jaldī dena." O Gurudev, be merciful. Give me darśan quickly. We are caught in bhrama (illusion), the net of saṃsāra, entangled by desires and moha (attachment). However clever or strong, we cannot jump out. A bhajan says God cast us into the Bhavarājala (net of existence), and Gurudev came to cut this net. Prabhu nira chaya, moho māyā, moha māyākā jāl... The Creator made this net of attachment and illusion. All jīvas are caught in it. Then, Prakaṭ bhaye Gurudev, param upakārī... The supreme benefactor, Gurudev, appeared and cut this heavy net, Hari Om, freeing jīvas to go to Brahmaloka. Satguru jaisā deva aur naidujā—there is none greater than the Satguru. Dharu charaṅka dhyān... I meditate on the Guru's lotus feet. The Guru-tattva is higher than any divine incarnation. Bhagavān Śrī Dīvānārāyaṇa Mahāprabhujī is the great protector. Therefore, Rāja Yoga is not merely saying, "I shall not steal." One must go through the process thoroughly. Purify the antaḥkaraṇa (inner instrument) like laundry in a washing machine. Do not lament for the vegetables in the oven; apply Ahiṃsā with understanding. When clean, all will admire you. Our minds have stains from many lives, difficult to remove. We seek the immortality of amṛta (nectar), which burns away all desires and bestows Vairāgya (dispassion). Just as spoiled milk cannot yield butter but only paneer, true Vairāgya means not falling back into desires. As the bhajan says: Bhukhe bhajan ho na gopālā, ye terī kanthī mālā. "On an empty stomach, I cannot sing bhajans, O Gopāla. Here is your mala." Even spirituality requires basic sustenance. With this understanding, we conclude. Gara Prana Vala Venya Siddhartha Kshar Japa Mata Paadi Deshwara Subham Karo Di Kalyan Sampada Satru Budhi Vinasaayutir Vajyoti Parabrahma Dipam Sarve. Devadideva Lakpurījī Mahādeva, Devadideva Deveśvara Mahādeva. Bhagavān Dīp Nārāyaṇa Mahāprabhū kī Satguru Svāmī Madhavānandjī Bhagavān Satya Sanātana Dharma Om Śāntiḥ Śāntiḥ... Viśva Goyam Mahāmaṇḍaleśvara Pāṇ Khaṇṭyāśvarī Maheśvarānand Koijī Goyadeva EJ!