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A spiritual discourse exploring the concept of tapas (austerity or fire) and the nature of human fear.

"Generally, according to the Vedānta, also according to the Āyurveda, we can use it for yoga, because that is how it happens."

"Tino yī tāpa, adhibhautika, adhidaivika, adhyātmika. And pāp. Pāp means sin. So, the sin of these three tāpas will be cleaned up."

Swami Maheshwarananda (Swamiji) leads a satsang, examining why humans are uniquely fearful and troubled compared to other creatures. He narrates a parable where animals confront God about why humans are considered the best creation, with God denying having made such a declaration. The talk analyzes the three fires (tapas) of human suffering—physical, divine, and spiritual—and prescribes mantra, detachment from worldly affairs ('todo'), and connection to the divine ('jodo') as the path to everlasting joy. He concludes by recommending teachers read from spiritual texts like Hidden Powers in Humans.

Filming location: Wellington, New Zealand

Good morning here, and good morning in Europe, as it is also midnight. Everywhere is awakened time. Very good. The subject is Yoga. Further, if you want to go, Āyurveda. And further, if you want to go, Mā Samādhi, Hari Om Tat Sat. Life is gone. It is very interesting when we are going to speak about tapas. Tapa. Tapa means fire, heat. It depends on which subject you are using this word. Tapasyā, austerity. Hard work is also tapasyā. Tapa, difficulties in life, also is tapa. And happiness, ever happiness is also achieved through tapa. Generally, according to the Vedānta, also according to the Āyurveda, we can use it for yoga, because that is how it happens. If we go further, then what is the human's life and the other's life? Yesterday, day before yesterday, while walking on the beach, etc., I had a manan. Chinta, which we spoke, chitta, chitta is also a tapa, the burning. But we humans declare ourselves. No animals, no other creatures declare at all how is a human. But we are declaring we are the best. We said self-pricing, but animals, they said, but they don't have the ability to do something. So we call ourselves the best. We are very intelligent, we have good intellect, we have knowledge, we are the owners of knowledge. We declare that we are the wisest ones, many, many things. We all are that, humans. That must be then why humans are so afraid. Animals are not so much afraid. We humans are looking at astrological constellations. We are looking at what we call the Vāstu Śāstra. Do dogs, cats, tigers, or others dig their holes in the earth according to Vāstu Śāstra? So there are many, many things that animals do, and they live very happy. In the forest is their kingdom; they live, but they don't let them live in peace. Who is that? It's the humans. So, animals, we can't understand how it's possible that God declares humans as the best humans, the creature. So all animals, they made what we call the revelation. The revelation, and they went to God, and God was sitting, and all they are coming, different creatures. Even the small ant was there. And when God did not pay attention, the ant was biting God. So God said, "Oh, I'm sorry, I didn't recognize you." Yes. So God asks, "So what can I do for you? All you came here." God said, "We want to, we ask you the question: why you declare the humans are the best creatures?" God said, "I never said this. I did not declare." God said, "I am very disturbed because what my humans are doing, that is not in my interest, I didn't declare them as the highest and the best and this, but I gave them everything so that at least they will be normal and they will be very knowledgeable. They will use their intellect in the best way, and they will show their intelligence, how they are, but I am disappointed. I made them as a protector. I brought the gods, the humans, life, to protect all of you." They said God is not true. It is not true. We are all dying. We are getting less and less. Humans have enemies with us. They are enemies for us, or like this. Wherever they see us, any creatures, they kill them, and not only kill them, but eat them. So this is the question: why are humans so afraid? Why are we afraid? And why are all these kinds of difficulties, and this and that, and sin, karmas, valid only for humans and not for animals? So in this, that we are suffering, we have the most fearful creature on this earth, which is the humans. And always worried about life are the humans, so because now the humans have that kind of intellect that they think "I," and they are everyone wishing, "I would want to be the best of the best in this world." Even if you become the president of a country still, he or she thinks, is not enough. I would like to be the head of the whole world. And when it gets the whole world, or the General Secretary of the United Nations, which is the head of the whole country, they will say, but I want to be the head of God. So, desires, there is no limitation to our desires, and we are only full of fear and fear and fear. And we can only overcome this fear if we give freedom to all other creatures. Now, if we don't trust, then there's one example, very simple but very powerful example, very powerful. The difference between animals and humans. Well, the human thinks we are best, we are kind, we are this and that. And I'm also included among these humans. Now, one beautiful bird, she's there to sit on the head of the tiger or sit on the back of the lion. Any bird will come near the lion and tigers, and they are playing or sitting and moving beside. Neither the tiger is afraid, nor is this little creature. Have you ever seen any bird when you go for a walk in the forest? You have done nothing to the bird, you have nothing against this bird, but at any time, did you find the bird fly and come and sit on your shoulder? And when it will sit on the shoulder, immediately, oh, nice, and you pick up your hand. So the bird said, "Oh, better to fly away from this." So why? The baby, the bird baby, didn't get a lesson from the mother that you can sit on any other creatures but not on humans. This means that the negative energy is so much, the negative radiance is so much in the humans, that no one can trust them. And now the human cannot trust the human. And that far we've gone, that we can trust more these papers, not the humans. There was a time when they had weddings. And the wedding was this, the whole village people, or the head of the people, the elderly people, or something like this, they all in the one village were sitting today together, and they declared, "This is the boy and this is my daughter, and we marry them." And everybody said, "Yes, we wish all the best," and this and that. That's all. There was no document that you married, and the stamp and that. There was no stamp. Maybe there was one stamp. It depends on the society who that is. Someone opens a bottle of some gas water, or someone opens milk and chai and coffee. That's all. A little party. Now, they will not get divorced. And if they get a divorce, again the committee will sit there and say, "Why? What is your problem? We will solve your problem. Why don't you be happy as before?" And they are always happy. Well, a little bit of quarreling, everyone has. Everyone has. Even Śiva and Pārvatī had a quarrel. Śiva and Pārvatī also. So, who are we? So, generally, when you live together, there is sometimes misunderstanding. But nowadays, we were very... marriage is not valid. You have to go to the council, and you have to stamp, and letter, and this and that. When you want to divorce, you have to bring all the documents back again. So people nowadays, people are afraid of nothing, but of one thing: the marriage document should be kept nicely somewhere. I mean, I never know when I will need it. That's it. So fear, why? This is a question always. Why does the human say that animals are afraid of it? Even a little fly. The fly is sitting on the tiger, and even on the snake, the fly is sitting. And can this fly come sit? She sits on us, but little we move, she flies away so quickly. She is very intelligent. When you look a little bit, she knows what you are looking at, and with which eyes. So tapasyā, tapa. And that's why Bholīgurājī said in one bhajan, "Tinoi Tāpa Pāpa Miṭajāve, Tinoi Tāpa Pāpa Miṭajāve, Avichala Sukha Pāve, Paramānandam, Paramānandam, Śrī Dīpa Nirañjanā, Sabadukā Jāna Prabhu, Dīpa Nirañjanā, Sabadukā." Through this mantra, all the troubles will be solved. How beautiful it is. So, tino yī tāpa. Tino yī tāpa, adhibhautika, adhidaivika, adhyātmika. And pāp. Pāp means sin. So, the sin of these three tāpas will be cleaned up. Avichal sukha pave. Then, you will get avichal. Avichal means unmovable, ever happiness. All will be... But that permanent happiness, everlasting happiness, that comes through these mantras when you chant. Avichala, sukha, sukha and duḥkha. Duḥkha is troubles, sukha is happiness. Now, these are two kinds of happiness. One happiness is temporary. Temporary means can also be from ten years of age till a hundred years. But after, there will be duḥkha. So limitation is there. You think I am very happy and this and that, but suddenly it will change and you will come to another dukhā. Do not think that now I am free. But you did not follow the Guru-vākyā. You did not follow this. Temporarily, because you had a blessing of the Gurudeva, and this blessing will last until there. But then you turn against that blessing, but still the effect is there. But then, very soon, the time will come when you will be sorry. You will be sorry. Arjuna, in the Bhagavad Gītā, Mahābhārata, Arjuna was proud of himself, that he was the best one in the world with archery. But the time came, and Krishna went, and Arjuna thought, "I am." Like Hanumanjī said one day to God Rāma, "If I wouldn't come, Rāma will not find a Sītā." Without me, nobody could cross the ocean. Nobody was aware, capable of bringing within a few hours the Sanjīvanī from the Himalayas to Sri Lanka. It was me who brought the Garuḍa from some other lokas when God Rāma was dying. Hanumanjī was so proud of himself. Then, the story, you know, about that Hanumānjī lost everything. Then Hanuman came and said, "I'm sorry." He said, "You didn't understand your blessing." So he thought that he was great. So God Rāma went back, and all went with Him, but Hanumān, you stay here in this Kali Yuga, in this Lokas. So Hanumān is helping us, but He is not happy here. Similarly, your Guru Vākya and your Guru Seva, and what your Guru gave you, little knowledge, now you think. You are the best, but that will not remain best for you; that will be worse. Things will remain for you in life. So, that is solid; no one can move it. It's like the Himalayas. We cannot move the Himalayas, except in an earthquake. So, permanent, everlasting happiness comes through this mantra. When the three tāpas are removed, then sins are gone. Avichal sukha, everlasting joy is there. Avichal sukha pavaya param ānanda. Which kind of ānanda? Which kind of joy? Param ānanda. Ānanda is worldly joy, and paramānanda is the cosmic happiness and joy. But we have to realize. So, one saint in the Himalayas had a small cave where he was doing his tapasyā. People used to come, and from time to time, some would ask, "Swāmījī, can you give satsaṅg? Can you give some lecture? Can you tell something?" He said, "Okay." He said only two words, then again it was meditation. People were sitting for half an hour, one hour, and then they left. He said only two words. This whole, he said, this is the whole lecture for a whole life: Todo and jodo. Break and join. That's all. Nothing more. Okay, satsaṅg. Okay. Todo and jodo. Dīp nirañjan, savadhāt vahajan, dīp nirañjan. Again, he is doing meditation. So people said, next time they say, "We don't understand Gurujī. Can you tell what it means?" Sansāra se todo, Īśvara se jodo. Basta, adioyam. Only two words. Disconnect from these worldly things. Detach from these worldly things. And join yourself with the Supreme. That's all. So break and join. Break this. One day, all these relations and everything will break. But if you do consciously now, that will be that you are a hero, you are a strong one, and you did really renounce. Otherwise, any kind of separation, misunderstanding, or anything, or earthquake, etc., etc., the earthquake is also in this tapas. So, that everyone can do. But do it consciously, that means tenoy tapaḥ pāpa. Paap is the highest fire, sin, and we are all afraid of sin. You know, the whole of Christianity's preaching and teachings was, now it is not so much, some are doing, that was accepting the sin. And they were praying, praying and saying constantly, "I am the sinner, I am the sinner, I am the sinner." Yes, and Father Jesus, he will take our sin away, he will take our sin away. And lead a life very simple, very poor. All the time, you don't know how they were living exactly. Very poor. But then they got a test. The test came in the west. What kind of test? Money, wealth, wealth, wealth. Again they attacked the gold. Jija said, "This gold, don't believe in this gold. I will show you the path to God. I am the way to God. I will bring you to God." But you are going to the gold. Money is not a god, but now in Kali Yuga, money became god. That's it. All we are running, and we are not afraid anymore of sin. But be sure this sin will not leave you free. You have to follow again. So certain words they removed. Nobody talks about this. What happened? Nobody talks. We are very afraid, humans. At the same time, we are very, very afraid. But what happened here? What happened? You think there was not only two wars? The first World War and second World War, all you remember are two things; the rest you forget. In the past, continuously, there was a war. There is one film, one person who is making the films, the filmmaker, what do they call it? Not Avatar. Yeah, the person who is making the film's director, yeah, and writing. So there's one person who's here, and he's making the film, but you know, when you see, it doesn't matter which film it is, it may be the ring of the... Lord of the Rings and say certain things: how many cruelties inside, how many killings, how big a war. And if this is, they got a big, high price because so many warriors with hardly anybody did a nice, holy thing. Everything is holy, no war. Wherever you go, that is coming, the heaven you are. No one makes this, you see? I saw this whole film, it is very nice, very good, and everything, and millions and billions of dollars, and this is a business inside. But in reality, it is a war: fear, fight, running, suffering, torturing. And this was not the way of Jesus. He didn't want that. You have to come to that point. The Mahābhārata said there was never a war like that. But that time they said, like that war, the World War, Second World War and First World War, that was bigger than the Mahābhārata. That was all in one country, small that time. Country India was from the whole Asia, and south and east and west and everywhere. Long, big, big, big Indonesia and everything, but still that war is a war, fear, fighting. So where are the human? We are searching the human. So one man who was living with the master, and he became a sannyāsī. So master always have their rules: twelve years. Stay there, clean ashram, everything, no teaching anything. After 12 years, ask Gurudev, "What is bastrika?" Then he said, "It is pranayama." After twelve years, one word taught. And now, like me, who so quickly taught everything. But two, I got everything, but you lost more than anything. You don't digest. Uparse bhare, nise se dhare, guru māraj kyā kare. Guru Dev is filling in the top, out is everything; everything is dripping. We don't have the discipline of worldly life. And then, why do you think that? Which kind of tapa will disturb us or not? Is there any? There are some people making some nice videos, wherever you go, but it's human nature; it's not so good. I will come here in New Zealand, and always I will try to say in New Zealand, "This is not good, and this is not good, and this is not good." And custom, this time custom was so good that I was saying, "It's very good now." But if someone tells about India, I wish, how can you say India is good? But if you go to India, India has more problems and more unacceptable things, a thousand times more than in New Zealand. Yes? But why do we fight each other? I'm searching for a person who will write and make nice videos about every country, which is very nice and positive. Go and live here. So there are a few people, and out of these people is media, or these electronic videos. And some few politicians. The rest, all people are very good people. Very, very good. Countryside, they are all very good. But they only know, nobody told them, if you kill the animals, it is a sin. Because they know they're hiding. They're hiding. So, how is it that humans can join, unite the world? It is said, "Vāsudeva Kuṭumbakam," that Vāsudeva, Vasu, the Brahmā, the Viṣṇu, God, the whole world is one family. We say the whole world is one family, but saying it is very nice. Everybody will say, and it is from India, the word is said, "Vāsudeva Kuṭumbakam." The whole world is my family. One family. But in reality, if you cast the visa for someone's country, even they don't give the visa to come to your family house, no? How the world is changed. So where are we now, humans? How much are we afraid? So toro and joro. So it means give up all this and connect to God. So the world is very big, and therefore God has incarnated, or he came in different countries, or differently for everyone, to preach the knowledge of Brahman, or the Father. The holy father means the Brahman. So language is different, otherwise it is the same. But we are fighting, for this we are fighting too. So, avicchala sukha pāvahe, the everlasting param-ānanda. You enjoy the paramānanda. Now, this tapah, so there are many different kinds of tapah, but the essence of this all is adhibhautik, adhidaivik, and adhyātmik. Now, the first we can take this, the disturbances from the other creatures. Now, God gave the knowledge, intellect, to protect from this Adhipātika. This is, for example, mosquitoes. Mosquitoes have a right to drink some of your, to suck your blood. He doesn't know what is Papa and Dharma. What is the sin and good things? But this is also disturbing. You are disturbed by a snake, by a scorpion, by this, by that. So you should protect yourself. Put a mosquito net; don't kill them. Put a mosquito net, so they are hungry and they are hanging there, waiting. Whole night, there is a very good, nice, fresh butter eaten. This person, bread and butter, there's good blood, but they are going. Every creature is like this, so also the troubles from outside, meaning you have a court case, the nagin, you know, how many lawyers. He has how many cases? He has, yeah, it's okay. This is a life, and this is a business. Everyone doesn't say, "Oh, Nagin by so and so. He has so many files." So it's okay. These files he put so nicely, more than his notes, somewhere in documents. Yeah, true? Yes, everyone has. I am working so much and doing this and that. I also have problems. We have a problem in the ashram because now the ashram is too little. We have too many people. How to get a new ashram? So, this is humans. Humans have created all these troubles for themselves. It is we who put the axe on our own foot. Is there any animal that has to go to court? No. Are we born only for these things? How must we create the situation that humans make trouble for humans? So many wars, this, this. So this tapa. The second now is the reaction of our action, sin. And that also comes from not observing properly the lifestyle of life. And so the illnesses, all kinds of illnesses, fear, everything that is coming, mental disease, psychic disease, nervousness, many, many things, this is also one of the tapas. And then another tapa, which is attacking us as a ghost, a fear of the ghost. The ancestors, there is a negative energy. And those who have so many karmas, that attacks. So these are three: Ādhibhautika, Ādhidaivika, and Ādhyātmika. So when you have any problem with the government, any problem with any office of the government's office, this is a tapa. And that tapa is torturing us, and we are so proud. We will lie, we will say no, and this. He will say, "He took my house and didn't pay me, so please, I want to have the house back." But we don't want to give the house back because now the value of the house is that much, and so much you pay the money to the lawyers, and lawyers are very best people. They... Work relaxed. When today will be bail, tomorrow he will tell other lawyer, "Don't come." Okay, then again next mail will be in two months, and it will be here, sitting one of our Deepak. And in family, family they have a house. In New Delhi, and they are living somewhere in Australia, and brother, but elder brother, they are two brothers. The elder brother wants to sell the house, and the youngest brother doesn't want to sell because it is a family house, and we want to keep this. But he said no, very good money will come. So now, how many years? Five years. And how many times, minimum five times, they are flying to India. And more than half of the price of the house is gone to the lawyers, and this and that. Still, brothers to brother, they become bitter. Blood, this is the humans. How far we are? Can you not return this house that you bought from a poor person? You didn't pay completely, and now you want to have the house back. Then you said, "I am so happy to give your house," and even you should nicely repair and give it to him. Enjoy such a solution. They are very rare, but the judge and lawyer will say, "Swāmījī, we need our bread too. We have to work." So, we have to create in our heart dayā, mercy. Dayā dharm kā mūl hai, pāp mūl abhimān. Tulsī, dayā na chhoḍīye, jab lag gat meṁ bān. So, tīnoyī tāp, tri tāp, and there kāma, krodha, mada, lobha, moha, ahaṅkāras. So these are the, they call them the vikāras. So, bodily ailments, somehow we can get treatment. We can make an operation. But how are we going to make our mental or emotional disease? How to overcome anger? For 99 days, you have no anger at all. But suddenly, to your very dear one, you suddenly explode. Anger comes out and destroys everything. So anger, greed, pride, jealousy, etc. This is creating these three tapas again, more and more, so we suffer. So it doesn't matter on which corner you want to go out; everywhere, your enemy is standing there. Like, sometimes, unfortunately, nowadays, the hunters. And now, can you imagine, hunting is officially allowed. And they hunt the deer. And then all the hunters, they go round and round and stay there. And on every side, once a year or twice a year, they kill the animals because there are too many. We keep only a few, and how cruel they are. And animals try to run this side. There is one with a gunman. He runs that side, torturing them. Let them run and let them run. Coming close and closer, and then many at the same time shoot with this. You know what? How is the heart of that animal? If somebody would kill a human like this, how will the human be fulfilled? That's not good. So ahiṁsā paramo dharma, the highest principle is nonviolence. So humans should learn to be pure humans. Jealousy and pride and being offended and this and that, these qualities are poison in us. We are the purest ones. We are very pure as this human body, but someone has fed poison within us, and this poison we have to take out through meditation, through mantras, through prayers, and helping others. And if you can't, at least don't do it yourself. You can't do it yourself? At least don't eat the animals like that. Then comes the human life. Then comes the human life. I see sometimes the pictures of Jesus, that he had donkeys beside him, he had some sheep, there were some goats. So he loves the animals. And the same with Bhagavān Dattātreya. Bhagavān Dattātreya, he has dogs, he had many, many creatures with him. And Shiva, he had all these kinds of animals. And Maharishi Patañjali, when you see the picture of Patañjali, he's teaching, there's a sitting tiger, there's a lion, there's a deer, there's a bear, there's a rabbit, there are some ṛṣis, all are sitting, There's a cow, and Patañjali is preaching. All these animals understood Patañjali, but others could not. It's very difficult, very difficult. So, three tapas. More, you know that in our Lilāmṛt book and this, What is the name of this book? Can you read? So, "Hidden Powers in Humans," both the devil's powers and God's power, both are inside. So, here it is given to you about this: your three tapas, Ādhibhautik, Ādhidaivik, and Ādhyātmik. You can read furthermore. It is very nice, in short, very short, written very nicely. So read, and every yoga teacher, after every one class, Read one page only, or half a page, from this book, Yoga in Daily Life, or this one, Hidden Powers in Humans. This will awaken interest and inspire the people. They will understand, and you will save their life in a better way. And not only your nice belly, and nice hands, and nice this, and nice stretching and bending. And so now, from today on, make it all yoga teachers around the world, from yoga and their life. Read one half page or one page. It's very, very nice. All the best. Wish you a good evening, and we will have the next webcast. Śrīmān Nārāyaṇa Nārāyaṇa... Deep Nārāyaṇa Nārāyaṇa... Deep Narayan, Deep Narayan, Narayan, Narayan, Deep Narayan, Narayan... Narayan, Narayan... Narayan.

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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